O parlamento latino-americano e a sua evolução institucional em perspectiva comparada com a assembleia parlamentar do Conselho da Europa

Tese de doutoramento, Ciência Política (Política Comparada), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Direito, Faculdade de Letras, Instituto de Ciências Sociais, 2014Esta tese de doutoramento apresenta as discussões acerca dos processos de integração regional ocorridos na Europa e na América Latina, salientado a influência do primeiro sobre o segundo e o surgimento de instituições supranacionais decorrentes desses processos. Discute em pormenor o Parlamento Latino-Americano (Parlatino) e a sua evolução institucional ao longo da sua existência em comparação com outros parlamentos correlatos, a saber o Parlamento Europeu, no geral e a Assembleia Parlamentar do Conselho da Europa (APCE), em particular. Procura demonstrar a evolução institucional do Parlatino desde a sua criação, em 1964, passando pelas mudanças ocorridas ao longo de quase cinquenta anos de funcionamento e os acontecimentos mais marcantes que comprovam essa evolução, com base nos estudos de Nelson Polsby e Amie Kreppel. Além de apresentar os diversos processos dessa evolução, este trabalho também apresenta o Parlatino enquanto instituição parlamentar internacional, numa perspectiva comparada com a APCE, duas instituições sem papel específico no que diz respeito à integração regional em suas regiões. São salientadas as semelhanças e as diferenças apresentadas por ambas as instituições com base nas teorias estabelecidas.This doctoral thesis presents the discussions over regional integration processes occurring in Europe and Latin America, by emphasizing the influence of the former over the latter and the emergence of supranational institutions resulting from these processes. It discusses in detail the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino) and its institutional evolution throughout its existence in comparison with other related parliaments, namely the European Parliament, in general, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in particular. It seeks to demonstrate the institutional evolution of the Parlatino since its creation in 1964 and through the changes of nearly fifty years of operation and the most remarkable events that demonstrate its evolution, based on the studies by Nelson Polsby and Amie Kreppel. Besides presenting the various processes of this evolution, this thesis also presents the Parlatino as an international parliamentary institution, in a comparative perspective with PACE, two institutions that do not hold any specific role with regard to regional integration in their regions. Similarities and differences between both institutions are highlighted, based on the established theories

Antimicrobial ceramic filters for water bio-decontamination

Bio-contamination of water through biofouling, which involves the natural colonization of submerged surfaces by waterborne organisms, is a global socio-economic concern, allied to premature materials bio-corrosion and high human health risks. Most effective strategies release toxic and persistent disinfectant compounds into the aquatic medium, causing environmental problems and leading to more stringent legislation regarding their use. To minimize these side effects, a newly non-biocide-release coating strategy suitable for several polymeric matrices, namely polydimethylsiloxane and polyurethane (PU)-based coatings, was used to generate antimicrobial ceramic filters for water bio-decontamination. The best results, in terms of antimicrobial activity and biocide release, showed an expressed delay and a decrease of up to 66% in the population of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria on ceramic filters coated with polyurethane (PU)-based coatings containing grafted Econea biocide, and no evidence of biocide release after being submerged for 45 days in water. Biocidal PU-based surfaces were also less prone to Enterococcus faecalis biofilm formation under flow conditions with an average reduction of 60% after 48 h compared to a pristine PU-based surface. Biocidal coated filters show to be a potential eco-friendly alternative for minimizing the environmental risks associated with biofouling formation in water-based industrial systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio