National survey of the Portuguese elderly nutritional status : study protocol

Acknowledgements We acknowledge the IAN-AF team (in particular to Duarte Torres, Milton Severo and Andreia Oliveira) for the community sampling and their support on dietary assessment methodology and critical discussion along the elaboration of the present protocol. Funding This project (136SI5) was granted by the Public Health Initiatives Programme (PT06), financed by EEA Grants Financial Mechanism 2009-2014.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Application of chitosan-based coatings on frozen salmon - Sensory assessment and retail simulation approach

GLUPOR 12 - 12nd International Meeting of the Portuguese Carbohydrate Chemistry GroupDue to an increase in fish consumption over the past years , in comb ination with the perishable nature of fish , the fish industry has given an added focus on the improvement of the currently used fish preservation techniques. Chitosan coatings may add improvements to the traditional water glazing , name ly in physical and ant i- microbial protection , allowing for shelf life extension. Nevertheless , during retail storage , frozen fish products can suffer temperature variations that lead to a decrease in quality. These temperature var iations can be caused by a multitude of reasons , some of which are easy to control , while others are due to unforeseen circumstances . In either case , thermal stress can often affect frozen fish products and this effect is of considerable importance . This work was meant to determ ine the influence of chitosan coatings in the organoleptic characteristics of salmon as well as report a strategy to help mitigate the effects of thermal stress of frozen fish samples .A 15 g/L chitosan solution was applied on frozen salmon samples through dipping at a temperature of 8 °C, wi th a dipping time of 10 s; water glazing was applied as blank treatment at 0.5 °C, with a dipping time of 40 s. Some of the samples were submitted to retail- simulated thermal stress conditions (i. e. a temperature variation of -15 °C to -5 °C was enforced ), and studied during a 70-days long experiment , while others were used to assess the sensory properties of chitosan coat ings on Atlantic salmon (Sa/mo salar) and were compared with uncoated and water glazed samples over a six-month storage period at -18 °C. Retail simulation samples were tested for variations in pH , coat i ng loss and color , while samples used for sensory analys is were evaluated by a sensory panel (frozen , frozen+thawed and frozen +thawed+cooked samples were assessed ,) regarding its organolept ic properties , and textural analysis , by means of a TPA (texture profile analys is ). Samples analys is common to both exper iments were microbiological stabi lity, assessed through TVC (ISO 4833-1 :2013 standard) , and chemical stability , determined as TVB-N (N P 2930 :2009 standard ). Through coating loss, it was possible to verify that chitosan coatings offer better protect ion, with water glazed samples becoming virtually unprotected after the evaluation period, with losses of more than 80 % of its glazing , while chitosan coated samples maintained 50 % of its coating. Extrapolat i ng this data to complete loss of water glazing shows an increase in shel f life of at le ast 26 % in chitosan coated samples. No significant changes between samples were obtained in the other parameters assessed . The anti-m icrobial effect of chitosan was confirmed through TVC which showed a reduction in microbial counts in chitosan coated samp les , whi le while TVB-N results showed to remain stable , for both experiments . The proven anti - microbial effect of chitosan coated samples in conjunction with a slower coating loss leads to an expected increase in shelf life , even in unforeseen circumstances of temperature change in retail transportation. Textural results from the TPA analysis showed no significant differences between different coatings. Results of the trained panel indicated that for frozen samples ch itosan was the preferred choice , while no significant differences existed between chitosan -coated and glazed samples in thawed and cooked samples. Flavor diffu sion from the chitosan coating to the samples was assessed by Principal Component Analysis and no correlation between coating type and sample flavor could be established , meaning that no chitosan flavor was detected by the panellists.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/044691/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCl-01-0145-FEDER-006684) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norteinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparing the effects of glazing and chitosan-based coating applied on frozen salmon on its organoleptic and physicochemical characteristics over six-months storage

The perishable nature of fish, with an increase in fish consumption in recent years, led to the improvement of fish preservation techniques. Chitosan coatings adds to the traditional water glazing. The effect of a chitosan solution of 1.5% on the sensory properties of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was studied over six months of storage. The sensory properties of the salmon were assessed through the use of a texturometer and a trained panel of judges. Microbiological parameters were studied in the form of Total Volatile Base Nitrogen (TVB-N) and Total Viable Count (TVC) tests. Microbiological analysis showed that chitosan had an anti-microbiological effect on the salmon samples, reducing the number of microorganisms present, while TVB-N values were maitained stable during experiment. Textural Profile Analysis (TPA) was performed and the results showed no significant differences between different coatings regarding texture. Sensory analysis by a trained panel showed that chitosan was a better choice in frozen samples, while in thawed and cooked samples no significant differences existed between chitosan-coated and glazed samples. Flavor diffusion from the chitosan coating was assessed, and analysis of the results showed no correlation between coating type and sample flavor, indicating that no flavor diffusion had occurred.The contribution of VANIBRU, Lda. regarding the PhD scholarship of Nuno Soares and the use of industrial facilities are gratefully acknowledged

Analysis of sensory effects of chitosan-based coatings applied on frozen salmon over six-months storage

The 19th Gums & Stabilisers for the Food Industry Conference: Hydrocolloid MultifunctionalityDue to an increase in fish consumption over the past years, in combination with the perishable nature of fish, the fish industry has given an added focus on the improvement of the currently used fish preservation techniques. Chitosan coatings may add improvements to the traditional water glazing, namely in physical and anti-microbial protection, allowing for shelf life extension. This work was meant to determine the influence of chitosan coatings in the organoleptic characteristics of salmon. The effects of chitosan coatings on microbiological (Total Viable Count – TVC) and chemical (Total Volatile Base Nitrogen – TVB-N) parameters were also assessed. A 15 g/L solution of chitosan was used to coat frozen salmon samples, and its effect on the sensory properties of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was compared with uncoated and water glazed samples, and was studied over six months of storage at -18 °C. Samples were dipped in the chitosan solution at 8 °C during 10 s; water glazing was applied at 0.5 °C, with a dipping time of 40 s. Textural properties were evaluated through Texture Profile Analysis (TPA), while sensory properties of frozen, frozen+thawed and frozen+thawed+cooked samples were assessed by a trained panel of judges. Microbiological stability was assessed through TVC (ISO 4833-1:2013 standard), and chemical stability was determined as TVB-N (NP 2930:2009 standard). TVC analysis showed an anti-microbial effect of chitosan in the coated samples (reduction of the number of microorganisms), while TVB-N results showed to remain stable during the experiment. Textural results from the TPA analysis showed no significant differences between different coatings. Results of the trained panel indicated that for frozen samples chitosan was the preferred choice, while no significant differences existed between chitosan-coated and glazed samples in thawed and cooked samples. Flavor diffusion from the chitosan coating to the samples was assessed by Principal Component Analysis and no correlation between coating type and sample flavor could be established, meaning that no chitosan flavor was detected by the panellists.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fluorescence studies on new potential antitumoral 1,3-diarylurea derivatives of thieno[3,2-b]pyridines in solution and in nanoliposomes

This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal), QREN and FEDER through CFUM, CQ/UM and Project PTDC/QUI/81238/2006 cofinanced by FCT and program FEDER/COMPETE (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-007467)

An intelligence approach for the improvement of IT startups' social media strategy

Often constrained by limited resources and a restricted budget, startups struggle to acquire customers and secure vital funding. Social media platforms offer cost-effective marketing opportunities that allow startups to generate captivating content and build a community of customers and suppliers. The central aim of this dissertation is to extract knowledge that serves to improve the startups’ social media strategies to attain their goals. Data for known Portuguese IT startups has been collected from X, formerly known as Twitter, and used as a social media source to analyze the startups’ posting activity. The results enabled the creation of a novel startup life cycle model that allows the characterization of an IT startup’s evolution. Initially, startups focus on the idea of conceptualization and prototype development. Since their priority is not social media, they post less, and their popularity levels are low. Along with the startup’s growth, the social media presence expands, and the content posted mirrors the development. In addition to being more active, its popularity level increased. The attained results offer essential insights for startups to consider when building their social media strategies. Essentially, media strategies should consider the current phase and monitor what is going on with the accounts and social communities. Additionally, this dissertation also proposes new methodological processes for social media activity analysis usable on platforms like Twitter.Muitas vezes condicionadas com recursos limitados e um orçamento restrito, as startups lutam por angariar clientes e garantir financiamento. As redes sociais oferecem oportunidades de marketing de baixo custo que permitem às startups gerar conteúdos cativantes e criar uma comunidade de clientes e fornecedores. O objetivo central desta dissertação é extrair conhecimento para melhorar as estratégias nas redes sociais das startups e ajudá-las a atingir os seus objetivos. Analisámos dados de conhecidas startups Portuguesas de IT que foram extraídos do X, antigamente conhecido como Twitter. Os resultados permitiram a criação de um modelo para o ciclo de vida das startups que caracteriza a evolução de uma startup de IT. Inicialmente, o foco da startup é a conceptualização da ideia e o desenvolvimento do protótipo. Como a sua prioridade não são as redes sociais, publicam em menor quantidade e não são populares. Á medida que cresce, as suas redes sociais expandem-se e o conteúdo publicado reflete o seu desenvolvimento. Como são mais ativas nas redes sociais, isso reflete-se no seu nível de popularidade que aumenta. Os resultados alcançados oferecem perspetivas essenciais para as startups construírem as suas estratégias de redes sociais em função da fase atual e monitorizarem o que deve acontecer nas suas contas. Por último, esta dissertação propõe metodologias a aplicar na análise de dados de redes sociais como o Twitter

Fluorescence studies on new potential antitumoral 1,3-diarylurea derivatives in the thieno[3,2-b]pyridine series encapsulated in magnetoliposomes

Magnetic nanoparticles of magnetite and of nickel core with silica shell were prepared and either covered with a lipid bilayer or entrapped in liposomes, forming magnetoliposomes. New potential antitumoral 1,3-diarylurea derivatives of thieno[3,2-b]pyridines were then encapsulated in liposomes and magnetoliposomes and their photophysical behavior was investigated.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), FEDER, COMPETE/QREN/EU for financial support to CFUM (PEst-C/FIS/UI0607/2011) and CQ/UM (PEst-C/QUI/UI0686/2011) and to research projects PTDC/QUI/81238/2006 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-007467), PTDC/QUIQUI/111060/2009 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-015603)

A graph-based approach for sustainable walking tour recommendations: The case of Lisbon overcrowding

Motivation: Mass tourism brought problems of carrying capacity in city management. More and more tourists flock to the most famous zones, thereby causing overcrowding situations, while other sustainable points of interest (POIs) are under-visited. Goal: Allow local tourism managing authorities to assemble a database of georeferenced sustainable POIs. Then, combine the latter with local crowding data and implement a walking tour recommender system. Proposal: A web platform to experts adds, in an intuitive way by using a map,POIs with sustainable data. Creating a new database of Lisbon (case of study) sustainable POIs. Implement a tour generator graph-algorithm that receives: user preferences, tour constraints, sustainable POIs and crowd data. Providing a customize tour, that obeys the domain constraints, suggests sustainable POIs and avoids the more crowded areas. Solving a multicriteria shortest path problem. Conclusion: Evidence is provided on the feasibility of computing walking tour recommendations, meeting multiple and complex constraints, namely by promoting sustainability and mitigating crowding, using a graph search algorithm.Motivação: O turismo em massa trouxe problemas de controlo da capacidade de carga na gestão das cidades. Os turistas, em número crescente, aglomeram-se nas zonas mais famosas, causando aí situações de sobrelotação, enquanto outros pontos de interesse (POIs, em Inglês) sustentáveis são sub-visitados. Objetivo: Permitir que as autoridades gestoras do turismo local montem uma base de dados de POIs sustentáveis, georreferenciados. Em seguida, combinar estes últimos com os dados de aglomeração local e implementar um sistema de recomendação de passeios turísticos pedestres. Proposta: Uma plataforma web para que o especialistas adicionem, de forma intuitiva através de um mapa, os pontos de interesse sustentáveis. Implementar um algoritmo de grafos, que gera caminhos e que recebe: as preferências do utilizador, as restrições do domínio do caminho, pontos de interesse sustentáveis e dados de congestionamento. Fornecendo assim, um caminho personalizado que obdece às restrições, sugere pontos de interesse sustentáveis e evita as áreas mais movimentadas. Deste modo, resolve o problema do caminho mais curto com multicriterias. Conclusão: São fornecidas evidências sobre a viabilidade de computar recomendações de passeios turísticos a pé, atendendo a restrições múltiplas e complexas, nomeadamente promovendo a sustentabilidade e mitigando a superlotação, usando um algoritmo de pesquisa em grafos

Usage policy control data app for data spaces

Dissertação de mestrado em Informatics EngineeringDigitalization has taken over many businesses and industries, as technology is now widely used and preferred over manual work. Therefore, technical devices nowadays contain several sensitive pieces of information that are prone to be shared with others. Consequently, over the years there has been an increasing need to protect our data and to exchange it in a secure and sovereign way, as data are one of the most valuable assets of any industry and business. Therefore, the need to implement systems that prioritize such values emerged, in order to grant continuous monitoring and control over data usage, to keep track of how data is used even after it has been exchanged with other entities. The motivation to consider Data Spaces relies on the fact that it should follow an interoperable and cross-sector approach, offering a reference implementation suitable to every industry and business, to ease the communication between different industries and to allow data sovereignty and usage control over data inside the IDS Ecosystem. Building upon this groundwork, this study presents a data app designed to implement Usage Control, integrated inside an IDS Connector. This proposal ensures that customised usage policies are included and enforced on the user side of a connector and emphasizes the protection of sensitive data. Moreover, the Data App incorporates a cipher mechanism to safely exchange cryptographic keys used to protect data assets. By incorporating this data app, the IDS initiative is able to stay truthful to its principle of ensuring data sovereignty and building a robust IDS Ecosystem.A digitalização apoderou-se de muitos negócios e indústrias, visto que, nos dias de hoje, a tecnologia é amplamente utilizada e preferida ao invés do trabalho manual. Desta forma, os dispositivos eletrónicos da atualidade contêm cada vez mais informações pessoais e confidenciais que são propensas de ser partilhadas com outras entidades. Consequentemente, tem havido uma necessidade crescente ao longo dos anos de proteger os nossos dados de forma a tornar a sua partilha mais segura tendo em conta o conceito de soberania de dados, visto se tratarem de um dos ativos mais valiosos de qualquer setor e negócio. Desta forma, surgiu a necessidade de implementar sistemas que priorizem estes valores, de modo a fornecer monitorização contínua e controlo sobre o uso dos dados, para monitorizar como os dados são usados mesmo depois de serem transferidos para outras entidades. A opinião consensual sobre os Data Spaces assenta no facto de estes deverem seguir uma abordagem interoperável e inter setor, através de uma implementação de referência suscetível de ser personalizada e adequável a todas as indústrias e negócios, de forma a facilitar a comunicação entre diferentes indústrias e permitir a soberania e controlo de uso dos dados dentro do Ecossistema IDS. Tendo em conta as ideias apresentadas, este estudo apresenta uma aplicação desenhada para im plementar controlo de uso sobre os dados, ao integrá-la num IDS Connector. Esta proposta permite a costumização de politicas de acesso aos dados no plano de controlo do utilizador do connector. Permite ainda a incorporação de mecanismos de cifra de dados e troca segura das chaves criptográficas consider adas, para troca de dados entre as Apps. Ao incorporar esta aplicação, a iniciativa é capaz de se manter fiel ao princípio de garantir a soberania de dados e construir um Ecossistema robusto.This work is financed by National Funds through the Portuguese funding agency, FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, within project UIDB/50014/2020 (9747/BII-E-B4/2022)