Introducing Modern Gallery Housing in Maputo: Design Experimentations, 1950-1968

Modern architecture has recently been the subject of a more systematic analysis in the formerly Portuguese African territory. These studies aim at understanding the specific circumstances from which Modern Portuguese architecture first arose. Following the international debate on housing during the 20th century, Mozambique has been the arena of a new and experimental approach to collective housing in accordance with the guidelines set out by Le Corbusier. A singular social, economic and cultural territory, it adopted a tropical variant of the gallery typology, briefly introduced in this paper by means of select case studies built in Maputo between 1950 and 1968

Parameter estimation for macroscopic pedestrian dynamics models from microscopic data

In this paper we develop a framework for parameter estimation in macroscopic pedestrian models using individual trajectories -- microscopic data. We consider a unidirectional flow of pedestrians in a corridor and assume that the velocity decreases with the average density according to the fundamental diagram. Our model is formed from a coupling between a density dependent stochastic differential equation and a nonlinear partial differential equation for the density, and is hence of McKean--Vlasov type. We discuss identifiability of the parameters appearing in the fundamental diagram from trajectories of individuals, and we introduce optimization and Bayesian methods to perform the identification. We analyze the performance of the developed methodologies in various situations, such as for different in- and outflow conditions, for varying numbers of individual trajectories and for differing channel geometries

Antibody functionalized gold nanoparticles for mitochondria targeting and hyperthermia: a proof of concept in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a high incidence and mortality rate, and traditional cancer therapies are not enough to treat and improve cancer patients' quality of life. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are being studied, mainly focusing on improving the targeting specificity, not only to cancer cells but also to certain cellular compartments. Mitochondria are a promising target organelle for cancer therapies since they are involved in both cell health (being the cell's engine) and cell death (e.g., apoptosis). Nanomedicine provides effective multifunctional nanocarriers for a range of innovative cancer therapeutic strategies. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), due to their high surface area to volume ratio, have specific features that make them a great bet on cancer treatment. Among them, unique optical characteristics and the high capability in surface modifications. It has been shown that using a green laser that triggers an enhanced photothermal conversion by AuNPs this leads to cancer cells’ death. Thus, this work aimed to assess whether targeting mitochondria of cancer cells followed by hyperthermia could improve cancer cell death by destabilizing or disrupting mitochondria. With this purpose, AuNPs were functionalized with a specific antibody against Hexokinase I (anti-Hexokinase I), a protein expressed in the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM). This new nanoformulation (AuNP@PEG@Anti-Hexokinase I) was successfully synthetized and characterized prior to in vitro assays with a CRC cell line- HCT116. Then, internalization and mitochondrial targeting in HCT116 cells were assessed by complementary techniques, and all together seemed to indicate that AuNP@PEG@Anti-Hexokinase I had specificity for targeting mitochondria. Hyperthermia effect of AuNP@PEG@Anti-Hexokinase I did not have prominent outcomes, however, further studies are required. This study provides an initial step towards modulating mitochondria targeting using nanomedicines towards improved cancer therapies.O cancro colorretal (CCR) apresenta alta incidência e taxa de mortalidade e as terapias tradicionais atualmente aplicadas não são suficientes para tratar e melhorar a qualidade de vida dos doentes. Nos últimos anos, novas abordagens terapêuticas têm sido estudadas, principalmente com o foco em melhorar a seletividade da terapia, não apenas para células cancerígenas, mas também para determinados compartimentos celulares. As mitocôndrias são organelos promissores para o direcionamento de terapias anticancerígenas, uma vez que estão envolvidas tanto na sobrevivência como na morte celular. A nanomedicina permite desenvolver formulações à nano-escala, multifuncionais, para uma variedade de estratégias terapêuticas inovadoras anticancerígenas. As nanopartículas de ouro (AuNPs), devido à sua alta razão entre área superficial e volume, possuem características que as tornam promissoras no tratamento do cancro. Entre elas, propriedades óticas e superfícies facilmente modificadas. Estudos prévios demonstraram que irradiar AuNPs com um laser verde desencadeia uma conversão foto-térmica, que pode ser utilizada para promover a morte das células cancerígenas. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar se o direcionamento de AuNPs para as mitocôndrias seguido de hipertermia poderia induzir morte celular induzida por disfunção ou rompimento das mitocôndrias. Com este objetivo, as AuNPs foram funcionalizadas com um anticorpo contra a Hexoquinase I (anti-Hexoquinase I), uma proteína expressa na membrana externa mitocondrial (MOM). O nanoconjugado AuNP@PEG@Anti-Hexokinase I foi sintetizado e caracterizado com sucesso antes de serem realizados ensaios in vitro com uma linhagem de células de CRC (HCT116). A internalização e o direcionamento mitocondrial foram avaliados por técnicas complementares que em conjunto pareciam indicar que AuNP@PEG@Anti-Hexokinase I tinha especificidade para reconhecer e se ligar às mitocôndrias. O efeito de hipertermia das AuNP@PEG@Anti-Hexokinase I não teve resultados promissores, no entanto, requerem-se mais estudos. Este trabalho constitui um passo inicial para direcionar nanoformulações para mitocôndrias melhorando as terapias anticancerígenas

The application of new technologies in fashion and implementation of additive manufacturing in the apparel industry

The most diverse sectors were influenced by the democratisation of 3D printers. This is why fashion designers try to apply 3D printing to their creations and look for a viable way to implement the technique. The adoption of 3D printing on apparel not only brings new advantages but also changes the entire manufacture of the product and the design development, as well as the relationship with the consumer. The application of fashionable printing is still very much focused on accessories and footwear, yet to bring innovation. There is still a need to launch new materials and introduce more technologies, representing what many see as part of the fourth industrial revolution in the context of fashion, where smart or wearable textiles win more and more space in the market, and prosumers increase every day. While the introduction of this technique in the fashion industry is recent compared to the traditional methods of garment manufacturing, there has been significant progress and a growing number of enthusiastic designers who try to develop this type of product. However, while there are many materials designed for printing and designers to develop their parts, there is a recurring problem that translates into the rigidity of the components obtained and, consequently, the lack of comfort and usability. That is why 3D printing has developed more rapidly in the accessory industry (jewellery, bags ...). After extensive research on additive manufacturing technologies and its application in the fashion industry, it was possible to verify that footwear, jewellery, and other accessories were the ones that had better adherence. It was also observed that in the clothing sector the technology is still very much linked to conceptual fashion and that there are several obstacles to the implementation of the technique. It is also clear that there is a long way to go about the feasibility of solutions for the manufacture and the need to find means that allow more flexible and comfortable parts of good quality and with ample movement. It is necessary to have a material innovation that enables the creation of pieces in which comfort, mobility, and flexibility are prioritised since designers do not prioritise only the aesthetic appeal, but also the function and usability of the object. My project aims to address precisely the application of fashionable additive manufacturing and get a new approach on the materials used, the forms and machines for creating textiles and then clothing, to make the daily life of these pieces more viable.Os setores mais diversos foram influenciados pela democratização das impressoras 3D. Por essa razão os designers de moda tentam aplicar a impressão 3D às suas criações e procuram uma maneira viável de implementar a técnica. A adoção da impressão 3D no vestuário não apenas traz novas vantagens, mas também altera todo o fabrico do produto e o método de design, bem como o relacionamento com o consumidor. A aplicação da impressão na moda ainda é muito focada em acessórios e calçado, contudo para trazer inovação, é necessário lançar novos materiais e introduzir mais tecnologias, representando o que muitos consideram parte da quarta revolução industrial no contexto da moda, onde têxteis inteligentes ou vestíveis ganham cada vez mais espaço no mercado e os “prosumidores” aumentam a cada dia. Embora a introdução desta técnica na indústria da moda seja recente em comparação com os métodos tradicionais de fabricação de vestuário, houve um progresso significativo e um número crescente de designers entusiastas que tentam desenvolver este tipo de produto. No entanto, embora existam muitos materiais desenvolvidos para impressão e designers para desenvolver suas peças, há um problema recorrente que se traduz na rigidez das peças obtidas e, consequentemente, na falta de conforto e usabilidade. É por isso que a impressão 3D se desenvolveu mais rapidamente na indústria de acessórios. Após uma extensa pesquisa sobre tecnologias de manufatura aditiva e sua aplicação na indústria da moda, foi possível verificar que calçados, joias e outros acessórios foram os que tiveram melhor aderência. Observou-se também que no setor de vestuário a tecnologia ainda está muito ligada à moda conceitual e que existem vários obstáculos para a implementação da técnica. No entanto há ainda um longo caminho a percorrer em relação à viabilidade de soluções para a confeção e a necessidade de encontrar meios que permitam partes mais flexíveis e confortáveis de boa qualidade e com amplo movimento. É necessário ter uma inovação material que permita a criação de peças nas quais o conforto, o movimento e a flexibilidade sejam priorizados, uma vez que os designers não priorizam somente o apelo estético, mas também a função e usabilidade do objeto. Este projeto visa abordar precisamente a aplicação de manufatura aditiva na moda e obter uma nova abordagem sobre os materiais utilizados, as formas e as máquinas para criação de têxteis e posteriormente vestuário, de forma a tornar mais viável o quotidiano destas peças

A protective role for ataxia-telangiectasia mutated in hemolytic conditions

Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a kinase that plays key roles in DNA repair signaling pathways and oxidative stress response, among others. ATM mutations lead to ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T), a disease characterized for example by ataxia, immunodeficiencies and redox potential dysregulation. Malaria is characterized by excessive hemolysis with hemoglobin and heme being accumulated in plasma, causing tissue damage. Unpublished data from the host laboratory showed that: i) mice without Atm are more susceptible to malaria than controls, revealing a new disease where the presence of Atm is essential; ii) control mice infected with malaria show increased activation of DNA repair pathways in the spleen, a hematopoietic organ. Considering these data, the main objective of the present study is to address the contribution of Atm in the hematopoietic compartment in the protection against malaria. Data obtained during the present study showed that control mice treated with heme, released from cells in the context of malaria, show increased activation of DNA repair pathways in the spleen, supporting a possible protective function of Atm in the hematopoietic compartment in respect to malaria. To test this hypothesis, mice with Atm deletion exclusively in this compartment, Vavicre/wtAtmΔ/Δ, were generated and characterized. These mice are fertile and have normal weight, in contrast to Atm ko mice. Malaria-infected Vavicre/wtAtmΔ/Δ mice were found to be more susceptible than control mice, but had similar levels of parasites, suggesting that Atm plays a role that is not associated with resistance against the malaria parasite, but protects against potential damage caused by it, a mechanism designated disease tolerance. This study represents an important step in understanding the role of Atm in the context of malaria and may also have implications for other hemolytic diseases

Dynamics of the Desai-Zwanzig model in multiwell and random energy landscapes

We analyze a variant of the Desai-Zwanzig model [J. Stat. Phys. {\bf 19}1-24 (1978)]. In particular, we study stationary states of the mean field limit for a system of weakly interacting diffusions moving in a multi-well potential energy landscape, coupled via a Curie-Weiss type (quadratic) interaction potential. The location and depth of the local minima of the potential are either deterministic or random. We characterize the structure and nature of bifurcations and phase transitions for this system, by means of extensive numerical simulations and of analytical calculations for an explicitly solvable model. Our numerical experiments are based on Monte Carlo simulations, the numerical solution of the time-dependent nonlinear Fokker-Planck (McKean-Vlasov equation), the minimization of the free energy functional and a continuation algorithm for the stationary solutions

Unroofed coronary sinus: multi-modality evaluation

A 61-year-old man was referred for mild exercise intolerance. He had a previous history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arterial hypertension and was an ex-smoker. Physical examination revealed a systolic murmur and his electrocardiogram showed sinus rhythm and an incomplete right bundle-branch block. A transthoracic echocardiogram was performed and showed mild left ventricular hypertrophy, mild rheumatic mitro-aortic disease, left atrial (LA) enlargement. and dilated right ventricle (figure 1 A-D), dilated coronary sinus (CS) (panel A, small arrow) and a prominent CS flux into right atria (RA) (panel C, D, large arrow). Transoesophageal echocardiography revealed a communication between the LA and the RA through a dilated coronary sinus (panel E, large arrow). A cardiac computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of an unroofed coronary sinus showing the shunt between LA and RA through a dilated CS (panel F, large arrow). Unroofed coronary sinus: multi-modality evaluationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Control theory for infinite dimensional dynamical systems and applications to falling liquid film flows

In this thesis, we study the problem of controlling the solutions of various nonlinear PDE models that describe the evolution of the free interface in thin liquid films flowing down inclined planes. We propose a control methodology based on linear feedback controls, which are proportional to the deviation between the current state of the system and a prescribed desired state. We first derive the controls for weakly nonlinear models such as the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation and some of its generalisations, and then use the insight that the analytical results obtained there provide us to derive suitable generalisations of the controls for reduced-order long-wave models. We use two long-wave models to test our controls: the first order Benney equation and the first order weighted-residual model, and compare some linear stability results with the full 2-D Navier-Stokes equations. We find that using point actuated controls it is possible to stabilise the full range of solutions to the generalised Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation, and that distributed controls have a similar effect on both long-wave models. Furthermore, point-actuated controls are efficient when stabilising the flat solution of both long-wave models. We extend our results to systems of coupled Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equations and to stochastic partial differential equations that arise by adding noise to the weakly nonlinear models.Open Acces