Moving towards a safe by design approach for ENM: linking ENM relevant properties to toxicological concerns

Within the Safe by Design concept, the functionality of a material and its toxicity are considered in an integrated way. The central goal of this presentation is to discuss some fundamental principles of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) interactions with biological systems relevant to human exposure and biological responses. Major factors to consider in the ENM safe-by-design approach are surface modification to reduce the potential hazardous properties of target nanoparticles (NP), compatibility between NP coatings and their matrix, as well as biopersistence, considering the relevant exposure scenarios across the life cycle of the target NP and products. This is a cross-disciplinary field that needs to identify, at earlier stages of the ENM R&D process, the physicochemical properties that may act as good predictors of toxicity, e.g. crystal structure/reactivity, zeta potential/surface charge/dynamic properties. Furthermore, it is also needed to build adequate screening in vitro testing strategies (realistic doses, exposure duration and target tissues), incorporating relevant hazard endpoints that can give an insight about the toxicological mode of action (MoA) with relevance to human health and environment, taking into account the uses and applications along the lifecycle (EHS roadmap). These topics will be illustrated by a cytotoxicity and genotoxicity study performed with a set of ENM with identical chemistry but different physicochemical characteristics that highlighted the importance of investigating each ENM individually, instead of assuming a common MoA. The findings, although creating a dilemma for developing criteria for categorization and read-across, are also suggestive of the importance of considering the functionality of a material and its toxicity in an integrated way, enabling a safe-by-design concept. Ultimately, the overall safety data is intended to best support the decision of IND developers and risk managers during the ENM design and development processes

Relatório de estágio auditoria financeira

A elaboração deste projeto pretende descrever os objetivos e procedimentos exigidos na concretização da atividade de auditoria financeira, tendo como âmbito o esclarecimento e abordagem de todos os aspetos essenciais para o desenvolvimento do trabalho de um auditor externo. Numa primeira abordagem será realizado uma contextualização deste relatório com o panorama teórico que rege em Portugal, os aspetos principais como, o planeamento, materialidade, risco de auditoria, e a sua finalidade, Certificação Legal de Contas. Enquadramento importante para o desenrolar das atividades desenvolvidas na auditoria financeira. Pretende-se revelar e descrever os serviços prestados na empresa acolhedora, os procedimentos envolvidos na confirmação de contas, apresentando os trabalhos realizados na sede da entidade, assim como a identificação dos vários procedimentos para validar todas as rúbricas das demonstrações financeiras. Finalizando com as apreciações globais deste estágio.The purpose of this paper is to describe the objectives and procedures required in the execution of the financial audit activity, with the purpose of clarifying and approaching all the essential aspects for the development of the work of an external auditor. In a first approach will be realized a contextualization of this report with the theoretical panorama that governs in Portugal, the main aspects as, the planning, materiality, audit risk, and its purpose, Legal Certification of Accounts. Important framework for the development of the activities carried out in the financial audit. It is intended to disclose and describe the services provided at the host company, the procedures performed in the verification of accounts, the work performed at the entity's headquarters, such as identification of procedures for all validations as headings of the financial industries. Concluding with the general appraisals of this step

Segurança e Energia: O Caso do Gasoduto Brasil e Boívia (1994-2010)

Anais do II Encontro de Iniciação Científica e de Extensão da Unila - Sessão de Relações Internacionais II - 03/07/13 – 13h30 às 18h30 - Unila-PTI - Bloco 09 – Espaço 01 – Sala 03Criada em 1985, com a finalidade de promover estudos para a paz, a chamada ”Escola de Copenhague”desempenhou uma importante contribui ̧c ̃ ao para os estudos sobre Seguran ̧ca In- ternacional, ampliando esse conceito, tradicionalmente mais ligado a quest ̃oes militares, para as esferas pol ́ ıtica, econˆomica, societal e ambiental. Como argumenta Buzan, em seu livro ”Secu- rity: a new framework for analysis”, a securitiza ̧c ̃ ao ́e um processo socialmente constru ́ ıdo na qual um ator pol ́ ıtico (Ator Securitizante) consegue atrav ́es do discurso e de um respaldo da opini ̃ ao p ́ ublica definir uma amea ̧ca existencial e demandar medidas extraordin ́arias, ou seja, obtˆem efeitos pol ́ ıticos substanciais. Um tema que ganha grande destaque para a an ́alise da Seguran ̧ca Regional nos anos 1990 ́e o tema da energia. Em 1994 o Brasil assinou o acordo da constru ̧c ̃ao de um gasoduto em parceria com a Bol ́ ıvia. Uma quest ̃ ao que permeia essas iniciativas de integra ̧c ̃ao regional ́e se elas representariam um avan ̧co na coopera ̧c ̃ ao ou um risco a seguran ̧ca para os pa ́ ıses dependentes de energia que n ̃ao controlam as suas fontes. Nesse ` caso, ao mesmo tempo em que se cria uma situa ̧c ̃ ao de interdependˆencia energ ́etica entre o Bra- sil e a Bol ́ ıvia, o pa ́ ıs come ̧ca a se preocupar com a sua Seguran ̧ca energ ́etica. Especialmente ser ̃ao trabalhadas nessa pesquisa as partes te ́oricas envolvendo a Seguran ̧ca Regional de forma multidimensional, posteriormente, com foco na quest ̃ ao energ ́etica, buscaremos identificar se a integra ̧c ̃ ao energ ́etica amplia a coopera ̧c ̃ ao e interdependˆencia na Am ́erica do Sul ou se configura em um problema de Seguran ̧ca Nacional para o Brasil em rela ̧c ̃ao aos seus vizinhos.Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana (UNILA

The propensity and intensity of export activities of companies operating in Europe

Copyright © 2008 Clute Institute.Previous studies have explored the substantial benefits for companies and governments of exporting. Nevertheless the role of government has been analysed mainly trough export promotion programs and the importance of the subsidiaries of multinational companies to increment a country exports has not been tested together with other variables present in the literature on export performance. This research examines the export performance of companies in Europe. A sample of 239 companies in 12 countries was analysed and their level of exports was examined, using Logit and Tobit models. The contextual variables of the country of operations were combined with company characteristics, including dimension, age, and industry affiliation. The results show that foreign affiliation, age, country of operations and industry are important and that government efficiency is a key element to companies' propensity and intensity of export

The Propensity And Intensity Of Export Activities Of Companies Operating In Europe

Previous studies have explored the substantial benefits for companies and governments of exporting. Nevertheless the role of government has been analysed mainly trough export promotion programs and the importance of the subsidiaries of multinational companies to increment a country exports has not been tested together with other variables present in the literature on export performance. This research examines the export performance of companies in Europe. A sample of 239 companies in 12 countries was analysed and their level of exports was examined, using Logit and Tobit models. The contextual variables of the country of operations were combined with company characteristics, including dimension, age, and industry affiliation. The results show that foreign affiliation, age, country of operations and industry are important and that government efficiency is a key element to companies’ propensity and intensity of export

Microevolution and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in the environment and links to a foodborne outbreak

Background: Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne human pathogen associated with a high mortality rate. Given the remarkable ability of this bacterium to persist in food processing facilities, ready-to-eat food products are common vehicles of L. monocytogenes. In the present study, we report the use of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to investigate the diversity among L. monocytogenes isolates associated with a hospital outbreak of listeriosis occurred in Portugal.N/

A new long-term composite drug delivery system based on thermo-responsive hydrogel and nanoclay

Several problems and limitations faced in the treatment of many diseases can be overcome by using controlled drug delivery systems (DDS), where the active compound is transported to the target site, minimizing undesirable side effects. In situ-forming hydrogels that can be injected as viscous liquids and jellify under physiological conditions and biocompatible clay nanoparticles have been used in DDS development. In this work, polymer–clay composites based on Pluronics (F127 and F68) and nanoclays were developed, aiming at a biocompatible and injectable system for long-term controlled delivery of methylene blue (MB) as a model drug. MB release from the systems produced was carried out at 37◦C in a pH 7.4 medium. The Pluronic formulation selected (F127/F68 18/2 wt.%) displayed a sol/gel transition at approx. 30◦C, needing a 2.5 N force to be injected at 25◦C. The addition of 2 wt.% of Na116 clay decreased the sol/gel transition to 28◦C and significantly enhanced its viscoelastic modulus. The most suitable DDS for long-term application was the Na116-MB hybrid from which, after 15 days, only 3% of the encapsulated MB was released. The system developed in this work proved to be injectable, with a long-term drug delivery profile up to 45 days.publishersversionpublishe

A Review

This work is co-financed by FEDER, European Funds, through the COMPETE 2020 POCI and PORL, National Funds through FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, and POR Lisboa2020, under the projects PIDDAC (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007688, Reference UIDB/50025/2020-2023) and PTDC/CTMCTM/30623/2017 (DREaMM). P.S. also acknowledges the individual contract CEECIND.03189.2020. C.T. acknowledges i3N for the Ph.D. grant with reference UI/BD/151541/2021. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.In recent decades, new and improved materials have been developed with a significant interest in three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds that can cope with the diverse needs of the expanding biomedical field and promote the required biological response in multiple applications. Due to their biocompatibility, ability to encapsulate and deliver drugs, and capacity to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM), typical hydrogels have been extensively investigated in the biomedical and biotechnological fields. The major limitations of hydrogels include poor mechanical integrity and limited cell interaction, restricting their broad applicability. To overcome these limitations, an emerging approach, aimed at the generation of hybrid materials with synergistic effects, is focused on incorporating nanoparticles (NPs) within polymeric gels to achieve nanocomposites with tailored functionality and improved properties. This review focuses on the unique contributions of clay nanoparticles, regarding the recent developments of clay-based nanocomposite hydrogels, with an emphasis on biomedical applications.publishersversionpublishe

Estudo comparativo das castas tintas nobres do Dão: Touriga Nacional, Jaen, Tinta Roriz e Alfrocheiro

Dissertação de Mestrado em Qualidade e Tecnologia AlimentarOs vinhos DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada)Dão, são reconhecidos pelos consumidores e pela crítica, como vinhos de excelência, fruto da sua tipicidade e qualidade invulgares. Sendo as castas nobres do Dão a Touriga Nacional, o Jaen, a Tinta Roriz e o Alfrocheiro considerámos pertinente o estudo das características sensoriais e físico-químicas de vinhos monocasta produzidos a partir das referidas castas da Região Demarcada do Dão (RDD). Para prossecução desse objectivo dividiu-se o presente trabalho em duas partes distintas. Numa primeira parte foi realizado um levantamento dos dados documentados existentes referentes à região, nomeadamente sobre os vestígios históricos da produção de vinho na RDD; referindo-se ainda em detalhe a criação da Região Demarcada do Dão (origens, regulamentação, demarcação), é feita de igual modo uma caracterização do seu património vitícola, a evolução, regulamentação e caracterização das castas aptas à produção de 'Dão Nobre', bem como os principais estudos encontrados sobre a caracterização dos vinhos produzidos na Região Demarcada do Dão entre 1953 a 2012. A segunda parte da dissertação é constituída pelo trabalho experimental, nela se caracteriza o material em estudo (vinhos tintos mono-castas colheita de 2010 Touriga Nacional, Jaen, Tinta Roriz e Alfrocheiro Preto), referem-se as metodologias utilizadas na análise sensorial e físico-química, os resultados obtidos e as principais conclusões. Para os parâmetros sensoriais e físico-químicos avaliados os resultados obtidos evidenciaram uma clara inferioridade dos vinhos produzidos a partir da casta Alfrocheiro. Relativamente aos vinhos de Jaen e Tinta Roriz apresentam características muito semelhantes entre si e não mostraraam, para a maior parte dos parâmetros avaliados, diferenças estatísticamente significativas quando comparados com os Touriga Nacional. Foram os vinhos produzidos a partir da Touriga Nacional os que se destacaram em todas as análises efetuadas. Os resultados obtidos quer ao nível da prova sensorial quer nas análises físico-químicas permitem-nos afirmar que a Touriga Nacional, o Jaen e a Tinta Roriz são castas bem adaptadas a condições edafo-climáticas da RDD, com capacidade de ao nível mono-varietal originar vinhos de qualidade e levantam alguma discussão sobre a denominação nobre para a casta Alfrocheiro.ABSTRACT:The wines DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin) Dão have been recognized by consumers and critics as excellent wines. This results of their unusual characteristics and quality. The species Touriga Nacional, Jaen, Tinta Roriz and Alfrocheiro are the noble varieties demarcated region of Dão (RDD). Thus we considered relevant the study of sensory characteristics and physicochemical properties of single variety wines produced from the grapes of those noble species. In order to achieve that purpose we divided the present work into two distinct parts. In the first part we review the historical traces of wine production in RDD. We detailed the creation of the demarcated region of Dão (origins, regulation, demarcation), as well as the description vineyard tradition, evolution, regulation. We also detailed the different vineard varieties suitable for the production of "Dão Nobre", as well as the major studies found on the characterization of wines produced in the RDD between the end of the XX century and the beginning of the XXI century. The second part of the present work describe the experimental work. A presentation of the material and methods used, the obtained results and the discussion of those results. Finally the conclusion and the major findings of the work. For the physical chemical and sensory parameters evaluated results showed a clear inferiority of the wines produced from the grape variety Alfrocheiro. The wines Jaen and Tinta Roriz have very similar characteristics and do not shown statiscally significant differences, when compared with Touriga Nacional. The wines produced from Touriga Nacional have excelled in every analysis. The obtained results in sensorial and in the physicochemical analyzes allow to affirm that the Touriga Nacional, Jaen and Tinta Roriz are vineyards well adapted to soil and climate conditions of the RDD and with ability to produce excellent 'noble' mono-varietal wine. The inclusion of the Alfrocheiro as noble variety deserves further discussion