Toxicity of formaldehyde alternative fixatives to ecological model organisms

Fixation is a fundamental and critical step in the preparation of tissue specimens for histological study since, if it is carried out under non optimal conditions, irreversible damage can occur and subsequent information obtainable from the specimen is compromised. Formaldehyde is the most common fixative in histology but due to its occupational and environmental toxicity, formalin substitute’s fixatives have been developed. The toxic evaluations of these fixatives to environmental key species are still poorly studied.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

How can youlead grow in the Portuguese agency market?

This project was developed in collaboration with a portuguese inbound marketing agency, YouLead, and aims to answer the question “How can YouLead grow in terms of service offering” by defining a strategy that enables the company to grow without losing its positioning as an inbound marketing agency. After analysing the agency industry, YouLead’s resources, capabilities, strengths and weaknesses, as well as the external threats and opportunities, growth hypotheses were discussed. As the market is growing and the agency benefits from a good positioning, the proposed strategy is for YouLead to leverage its strengths and take advantage of market opportunities

New technologies in health education and research

The studies in this track provided an updated overview of different technological innovation procedures in distinct health science fields. Thus, technological applications from medical imaging treatment and three-dimensional visualization to simulation systems useful in clinical practice training (simulations with mannequins, training with manual control devices, virtual reality techniques with stereo vision helmets, amongst others) are presented. The main objective of these procedures is to improve the quality of university teaching and continuing education, using the latest resources, which are starting to be implemented in different universities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Technological innovations in biomedical training and practice

As we become more integrated into a global world, technological advances and teaching innovation that are grounded in Science have become crucial. Rapid advancements in science education and information technology provide promising resources that require many academic disciplines to work together. Developing new tools and defining new methodologies to share educational experiences, including empirical studies that support their efficiency, constitute a promising approach to improve Health Sciences. The aim of this session is to encourage and enable the exchange of information related with the advance and support of Health Science Education. In this paper the authors summarize the recent advances in technological innovations in biomedical training and practice. Most of the main trends in this field are reviewed, including: training in health sciences through a variety of resources such as computer simulations, stereoscopic visualization systems with augmented reality glasses, computer platforms for managing and using resources and documents; the generation of three-dimensional images developed with commercial software for 3D reconstruction; medical and surgical simulation using Virtual Reality (RV) and Augmented Reality (AR); the role of stereoscopic vision systems in the health sciences; and the use of teaching medical material reconstructed with 3D printers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ecotoxicological effect of 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3- methylimidazolium chloride and cetylpyridinium chloride towards the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris

Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts that are stable over their melting temperature and are made exclusively of ions. ILs have received considerable interest due to their unique properties. The growing interest in ILs predicts an increase of their manufacture and use at industrial scale, which may result in the increased release of these compounds into the environment. In the past years, ILs have been used as a greener alternative to hazardous conventional solvents.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluating the effect of the Ionic liquid [C16Pyr] [Amp] in hormone-resistant tumors using an in vivo zebrafish assay

The NASYTHOR project, aimes to study the potential of novel natural and synthetic compounds as anti-cancer drugs on hormone-resistant tumors. One of the objectives is the evaluation of the in vivo efficacy of the anticancer activity of the compounds using Danio rerio, zebrafish embryo as a model. In this work we describe the general methodology, advantages and disadvantages. Among a large range of advantages in the use of zebrafish in cancer research, the high level of genetic and physiologic homology with humans, including brain, digestive tract, musculature and vasculature can be highlighted. Also, the immature immune system of the embryos favors xenotransplantation of human cancer cells, and makes these animals a promising experimental model to tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. The ionic liquid cetylpyridinium ampicillin [C16Pyr] [Amp] induces cytotoxicity in hormone-resistant breast and prostate cancer cell lines. To study the possible use of [C16Pyr] [Amp] as an anticancer, the toxicity towards zebrafish embryos should be evaluated first by an acute toxic assay that should be carried out following the OECD 236 Guideline.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Determinants of the Brazilian Farm Prices

The findings presented in this paper come from our study of the effects of Brazilian macroeconomic policy on the Brazilian Farm [product] Price Index using an adapted version of Frankel’s (1986 & 2006) theoretical model. The study examined the connection between Brazilian farm prices and external variables (worldwide importation of agribusiness products, international commodity prices, and foreign real interest rates) and between Brazilian farm prices and domestic variables (GDP, the real exchange rate, and local interest rates).Brazilian farm prices, interest rate differentials, international commodity prices and exchange rate., Agribusiness, Political Economy, Q, E4, E5,

Detecting toxic dinoflagellates (Dinophysis spp.) using electrochemical genosensors

Aquatic environments are important economic and ecological sources for human activities (e.g. fisheries, tourism, agriculture and aquaculture). However, the increase in those practices has, over the years, compromised the integrity of these ecosystems. Runoffs of terrestrial nutrients (from, for example, agricultural and industrial waste) and higher surface temperatures are believed to have transformed these ecosystems into favourable habitats for algae growth and proliferation. As a result, the frequency in phytoplankton microalgae blooms is rising worldwide. These microorganisms are mostly harmless, however certain species, namely belonging to dinoflagellates (e.g., Dinophysis spp.) produce toxins that pose a potential risk for human health. Therefore, the need for technological developments towards fast and precise detection of these toxin-producing microalgae is critical to prevent socioeconomical damages and assess the ecological status of marine ecosystems. In this work, an analytical approach based on an electrochemical genosensor device was developed to create a low-cost platform able to detect two dinoflagellate species from the genus Dinophysis: D. acuminata and D. acuta, which are lipophilic toxin producers responsible of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) in humans. The design of this DNA-based sensor consists of several steps including: i) Sensing phase: consisted by a mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) composed by a linear DNA capture probe(DNA-CP) and mercaptohexanol (MCH) onto disposable screen-printed gold electrodes (SPGE) surface; ii) Hybridization of complementary DNA sequence (DNA target) by using a sandwich format assay with enzymatic labels and iii) Electrochemical detection by chronoamperometry using an enzymatic scheme to amplify the electrochemical signal. The best analytical conditions were used to study the relationship between electrochemical signal and DNA target concentration, to produce the best electrochemical genosensor device.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Efeitos tóxicos de cianobactérias em cladóceros

Dissertação de Doutoramento em Biologia apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Port

Supply and demand shocks and the growth of the Brazilian agriculture

In the last decades the Brazilian agriculture had a strong growth. Our hypothesis is that most of that growth may be attributed to two general factors, which may conveniently be related to two types of shocks acting upon agriculture: demand-related and technological supply-related shocks. Demand shocks are originated both from domestic economy and from external markets. We use Blanchard and Quah (1989) type of economic model to test the relative importance of supply and demand shocks on Brazilian agricultural growth. Our results indicate that supply and demand shocks have permanent effects upon agricultural output and prices. We estimate that the agricultural output growth in Brazil is attributed in large proportion to yield increases and that integration to international markets was important to assure the profitability of continuous use of new technology that led to yield improvements. This is why exchange rate plays is relevant in explaining the performance of the Brazilian agriculture. We anticipate that, if investments in science and technology are maintained and international integration expanded, Brazil will be able to substantially increase its supply of agricultural products both for domestic and foreign markets.Nas últimas décadas a agricultura brasileira teve um forte crescimento. Nossa hipótese é que grande parte deste crescimento pode ser atribuído a dois fatores, que podem ser relacionados a dois tipos de choques: de demanda e de oferta. Nossos resultados indicam que tais choques têm efeitos permanentes sobre produção e preço. O crescimento do produto agrícola pode ser atribuído em grande proporção ao aumento da produtividade. A integração aos mercados internacionais é essencial para garantir a lucratividade do uso contínuo de novas tecnologias que levam a ganhos de produtividade. Esse é o motivo pelo qual a taxa de câmbio desempenha um papel relevante na explicação da performance da agricultura brasileira