Spatial atomic layer deposition of LiPON thin films

In the last few years, with the advance of electrical vehicles and number of devices needing safe batteries especially in the medical field, a more efficient way to store energy is necessary. Despite the fact that conventional lithium batteries present high conductivity values, they do not exhibit enough charging/discharging speed and also include dangerous components to health. To overcome those challenges, thin film solid state batteries are considered a promising candidate. However, this all-solid-state battery concept exhibits too low energy density, pushing the technology towards 3D structures and developing 3D all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries (ASSBs). This thesis describes the development of a pinhole-free solid-state lithium-ion electrolyte through spatial, to pave the way for cost effective and scalable 3D ASSBs. The produced films are thoroughly characterized to find the relation between deposition parameters and film quality in terms of thickness, reproducibility, uniformity, composition and conductivity. The obtained LiPON, being deposited with the fast spatial ALD process, offers ionic conductivity of 1.55 (± 0.14) x 10-7 S/cm and electronic conductivity of 1.86 x 10-13 S/cm, being a promising solid electrolyte layer for next generation lithium-ion batteries

Engenharia de estruturas semelhantes a capilares incorporadas em hidrogéis para cultura de células 3D

Nowadays, the biggest challenge in tissue engineering consists in developing structures and in the application of strategies to emulate the anatomical and cellular complexity and vascularization of native tissues to maintain cell viability and functionality. The presence of functional blood vessel networks is essential to ensure adequate nutrient flow and oxygen diffusion throughout the support structure, two key requirements for maintaining cell viability. This work aimed to develop a complex in vitro model that mimics the native vascular network. To this end, a multilayered membrane made of six bilayers of chitosan (CHI)/alginate (ALG) or CHI/ALG-RGD (tripeptide of Arginine (R)-Glycine (G)- Aspartic acid (D) responsible for the cellular adhesion to the extracellular matrix (ECM)) were produced via Layer-by-Layer (LbL) assembly technology on the ALG printed structures. The ALG structures coated with the multilayered membranes were embedded in xanthan gum, chemically modified with methacrylated groups in order to obtain a mechanically robust hydrogel structure after photocrosslinking by UV light exposure. The liquification of the ALG printed structures, coated with the CHI/ALG, CHI/ALG-RGD or without the multilayers membranes, with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), led to the formation of microchannels in which human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured for 24 hours. The obtained results demonstrate that the microchannels encompassing CHI/ALG-RGD multilayered membranes contributed to a larger cellular adhesion, demonstrating their potential to be applied in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies.Atualmente, o maior desafio em engenharia de tecidos consiste no desenvolvimento de estruturas e aplicação de estratégias que visem mimetizar a complexidade anatómica e celular, assim como a vascularização de tecidos nativos, de forma a manter a viabilidade e funcionalidade das células. A presença de estruturas funcionais à base de vasos sanguíneos é essencial para garantir o fluxo adequado de nutrientes, assim como a difusão de oxigénio em toda a estrutura de suporte, dois requisitos essenciais para manter a viabilidade celular. Este trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver um modelo complexo in vitro que mimetize a rede vascular nativa. Com esse intuito, membranas multicamadas compreendendo seis bicamadas de quitosana (CHI)/alginato (ALG) e CHI/ALG-RGD (tripéptido de Arginina (R)-Glicina (G)-Ácido aspártico (D) responsável pela adesão de células à matriz extracelular) foram produzidas, via tecnologia de deposição camada-a-camada (do inglês Layer-by-Layer assembly technology), em estruturas impressas de ALG. As fibras de ALG revestidas com os filmes multicamadas foram embebidas em goma xantana, quimicamente modificada com grupos metacrilatos, de modo a obter uma estrutura de hidrogel mecanicamente robusta após foto-reticulação por ação da luz UV. A liquefação das estruturas impressas de ALG, contendo as multicamadas de CHI/ALG ou CHi/ALG-RGD, com ácido etilenodiamino tetra-acético (EDTA), levou à formação de microcanais nos quais se cultivaram células endoteliais humanas, extraídas da veia umbilical durante 24 horas. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que os microcanais compreendendo as membranas multicamadas à base de CHI/ALG-RGD contribuíram para uma maior adesão celular, demonstrando o seu potencial para estratégias de engenharia de tecidos e medicina regenerativa.Mestrado em Biotecnologi

Medical Applications of Materials Manufactured by the AM Process

The use of 3D printing for manufacturing parts has made it possible to produce components with complex geometries according to drawings made on the computer. 3D printing offers many advantages in the manufacture of polymers and composites, including high precision, low cost, and custom geometry. Several techniques are used in 3D printing, the ones discussed in this monograph are the main ones for polymers. These are: fused deposition modeling (FDM), Injection 3D printing (3DP), Stereolithography (SLA), and finally selective laser sintering (SLS). The 3D printing technique has several applications, however, the focus in this project is to analyze the various medical applications and the main advantages and disadvantages associated with it. Some of the main applications of this type of technology that will be described throughout the project are: - Bioprinting of tissues and organs - Customized Implants and Protheses - Anatomical Models for Surgical Application - Pharmaceutical Application The main objective will be to analyze, for these procedures, what are the advantages associated with the use of 3D technology and what are the goals for the future in this field. In addition, it will be important to mention the advantages and disadvantages of this combination (3D printing and medicine) in a more general overview, identifying numerous advantages but also potential risks that need to be taken into account. In order to deepen the analysis further, two practical cases will be studied, ensuring their contextualization for the project and also a verification of the improvements and processes facilitated by the application of 3D technology in these fields

Medical Applications of Materials Manufactured by the AM Process

The use of 3D printing for manufacturing parts has made it possible to produce components with complex geometries according to drawings made on the computer. 3D printing offers many advantages in the manufacture of polymers and composites, including high precision, low cost, and custom geometry. Several techniques are used in 3D printing, the ones discussed in this monograph are the main ones for polymers. These are: fused deposition modeling (FDM), Injection 3D printing (3DP), Stereolithography (SLA), and finally selective laser sintering (SLS). The 3D printing technique has several applications, however, the focus in this project is to analyze the various medical applications and the main advantages and disadvantages associated with it. Some of the main applications of this type of technology that will be described throughout the project are: - Bioprinting of tissues and organs - Customized Implants and Protheses - Anatomical Models for Surgical Application - Pharmaceutical Application The main objective will be to analyze, for these procedures, what are the advantages associated with the use of 3D technology and what are the goals for the future in this field. In addition, it will be important to mention the advantages and disadvantages of this combination (3D printing and medicine) in a more general overview, identifying numerous advantages but also potential risks that need to be taken into account. In order to deepen the analysis further, two practical cases will be studied, ensuring their contextualization for the project and also a verification of the improvements and processes facilitated by the application of 3D technology in these fields.IncomingObjectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::9 - Indústria, Innovació i Infraestructur

Los términos de albeitería en Mestre Giraldo: ¿continuidad a lo largo de los siglos?

El análisis que aquí pretendemos exponer se desenvuelve con vista al estudio de la historia de los términos de albeitería en portugués. El Livro de alveitaria de Mestre Giraldo, de 1318, es el más antiguo manual de albeitería portugués que se conoce. Morfológicamente, los nombres de enfermedades de caballos presentados por Mestre Giraldo pertenecen a una tradición lexical del portugués. Esto significa que la mayoría de las voces encontradas no corresponde a traducciones literales de los términos latinos utilizados en los manuales que han servido de fuente a Mestre Giraldo, según indicios del propio autor. Nuestro propósito consiste en averiguar si los términos utilizados por Mestre Giraldo han tenido continuidad en el léxico de la albeitería en siglos posteriores, o bien si han sido sustituidos por otros términos. Este trabajo implica di ferentes diálogos: i) el diálogo diacrónico entre el referido tratado medieval y otros tratados de albeitería posteriores; ii) el diálogo entre las ciencias de la lingüística y de la terminología y las ciencias veterinarias. Este es un diálogo cuya necesi dad hemos podido atestar anteriormente. Los términos de las enfermedades en un autor no siempre coinciden con los términos utilizados por otro autor. El recurso a la simple traducción en el caso de lenguas distintas, o de construcción de correspondencias d irectas no es un método seguro. En ese sentido, se vuelve imperioso el diálogo entre la lingüística y la medicina veterinaria. Para esto es necesario estudiar comparativamente las designaciones en diferentes tratados de diferentes épocas, bien como procede r a una comparación entre las descripciones de las enfermedades

Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction in the Paediatric Population – Review of the Literature and Current Understanding

nducible laryngeal obstruction (ILO) is a complex entity and its exact mechanisms are still unclear. It is characterised by transiente and reversible narrowing of the larynx in response to external triggers, resulting in symptoms such as cough, dyspnoea and noisy breathing. The prevalence of this condition in adult or paediatric populations is uncertain. Management of ILO starts by establishing an accurate diagnosis, and treatment includes control of trigger factors, breathing and relaxation techniques, and speech and respiratory therapy. The aim of this article is to summarise current understanding and provide a review of the literature of ILO in the paediatric population.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In vitro effect of upadacitinib and tofacitinib on peripheral blood leukocytes from early and established arthritis patients

A artrite reumatóide (AR) é uma doença inflamatória crónica, sistémica, imuno-mediada que afeta principalmente as articulações. Quando não tratada, a AR pode levar à destruição óssea e da cartilagem. A patogénese da AR envolve uma desregulação de vias imunológicas, como a via de sinalização JAK-STAT. Os inibidores da JAK (JAKi) constituem uma nova classe de medicamentos recentemente aprovados para o tratamento da AR. O objetivo deste estudo consistiu na análise do efeito in vitro de dois JAKi, upadacitinib e tofacitinib, em leucócitos de sangue periférico de doentes com AR inicial não tratada e AR refratária estabelecida em comparação com indivíduos saudáveis. Para tal, foram colhidas amostras de sangue e as células mononucleares foram isoladas e cultivadas durante 24 horas com tofacitinib ou upadacitinib. A frequência, fenótipo, níveis de fosforilação das STAT e apoptose das células B, células T, monócitos e células dendríticas foram analisados por citometria de fluxo antes e após cultura celular com JAKi em todos os grupos. Foram observadas alterações na frequência de subpopulações de células B e de células dendríticas, mas não em células T ou monócitos, após 24 horas de cultura com ambos os JAKi. Além disso, a análise fenotípica revelou uma redução na expressão de marcadores de ativação nas células B, células T e monócitos após a cultura com upadacitinib e tofacitinib, o que suporta um efeito inibidor de ambos os fármacos. Foram ainda detetadas alterações nos níveis de fosforilação das STAT em todas as populações leucocitárias após cultura com ambos os JAKi. A viabilidade celular não foi significativamente afetada pelos JAKi. Em geral, os resultados obtidos demonstram um efeito imunomodulador do tofacitinib e upadacitinib nas populações leucocitárias do sangue e reforçam o uso potencial de ambos os JAKi como opções de tratamento, não apenas na AR estabelecida, mas também em doentes com artrite inicial.Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease that mainly affects the joints. If not properly treated, RA can lead to bone and cartilage destruction. The pathogenesis of RA involves dysregulations in immune pathways such as JAK-STAT signalling pathway. JAK inhibitors (JAKi) are a new class of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs that have been recently approved for RA treatment. The main goal of the present work was to analyse the effect of two JAKi, tofacitinib and upadacitinib, in peripheral blood leukocytes from untreated early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA) patients when compared to healthy individuals and established refractory RA patients after in vitro cell culture. For that, blood samples were collected and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and cultured during 24 hours with either tofacitinib or upadacitinib. The frequency, phenotype, STAT phosphorylation levels and apoptosis of B cells, T cells, monocytes and dendritic cells (DCs) were analysed by flow cytometry before and after cell culture with JAKi in all groups. Alterations in the frequency of B cells and DCs’ subpopulations, but not in T cells or monocytes, were observed after 24 hours of in vitro cell culture with both JAKi. Furthermore, phenotypic analysis has revealed a reduction in the expression of activation markers on B cells, T cells and monocytes after culture with upadacitinib and tofacitinib, which supports a suppressive effect of both drugs in immune responses. In addition, changes in STAT phosphorylation levels were also detected in all leukocyte populations after culture with both JAKi when compared to baseline and/or drug vehicle. Notably, both JAKi did not significantly affect cell viability. Overall, these results support an immunomodulatory effect of tofacitinib and upadacitinib in peripheral blood leukocytes and reinforce the potential use of both JAKi as treatment options not only in established RA, but also in early arthritis patients

A Outra Imagem

O presente trabalho assume-se como um percurso motivado por imagens realizadas no terreno.Imagens que são, elas próprias, um projeto.O foco é o Largo da Estação em Braga, um espaço que, ao longo do tempo, foi perdendo identidade, e que, apesar de central e relevante na malha da cidade (pela sua função fundamental em aspetos de mobilidade e circulação), se foi "afastando" da cidade.Desde a implantação dos caminhos de ferro, que este Largo foi um ponto de chegada e partida onde, ao longo do tempo, se foram multiplicando os cruzamentos viários, impondo-lhe uma perda de qualidade enquanto espaço público e, por consequência, implicando condicionamentos no desenvolvimento urbano da envolvente próxima.Hoje é um lugar charneira na cidade, onde todos passam, mas ninguém permanece. A paisagem assemelha-se a uma colagem de elementos urbanos. No mesmo plano, é possível ver a Estação, ruínas, túneis, igreja, comboios, hotéis, autoestrada, edifícios de habitação com 12 andares, painéis publicitários com 7 metros de altura e terrenos baldios. O sentimento é de alienação e de desorientação; no entanto, a mensagem que transmite não se compreende como necessariamente negativa. É como que uma contra-imagem da cidade, no sentido da sua crítica e da sua possível alternativa.É nesta possibilidade que se concentra a segunda parte da dissertação. Após uma apresentação do lugar, segue-se uma exploração de métodos, como se de uma mesa de trabalho se tratasse. São desenvolvidas várias composições de linguagem, sobretudo a partir da fotografia, expondo uma aproximação ao projeto, que não se impõe como solução estanque.Os capítulos vão-se completando acabando por, em conjunto, conformar um discurso mais informado sobre o lugar e uma clarificação do método culminando no desenvolvimento de uma alternativa.Na construção da presente dissertação preza-se a liberdade narrativa e compositiva, construindo o corpo de texto não só a partir do discurso que se obtém através das palavras escritas, mas também no assumir do discurso construído pelas imagens enquanto argumento.Navega-se entre memória, experiência e influências externas, para que se possa construir a alternativa.The present work is assumed as a path motivated by images made on the site.Images that are themselves a project.The focus is at Largo da Estação in Braga, a space that over time has been losing its identity, a place that despite being central and relevant in the city's plan (due to its fundamental role in mobility and circulation) has been "moving away" from the city.Since the implementation of the railways, this Largo has been a point of arrival and departure where, over time, the road intersections have multiplied, causing it to lose quality as a public space and, consequently, implying constraints on urban development of the surrounding environment.It is today a hinge place in the city, where everyone passes, but no one remains. The landscape resembles a collage of urban elements, one sees in the same plane, the Station, ruins, tunnels, church, trains, hotels, freeway, 12-story dwelling buildings, 7-meter-high billboards and land wastelands. The feeling is one of alienation and disorientation, however, the message it conveys is not understood as necessarily negative. It is like a counter-image of the city, in the sense of its criticism and in the sense of its possible alternative.It is in this possibility that the second part of the dissertation focuses. After a presentation of the place, an exploration of methods follows, as if it were a desk. Several language compositions are developed, mainly from photography, exposing an approach to the project, which does not impose itself as a watertight solution.The chapters complement each other, eventually forming a more informed discourse about the place and a clarification of the method culminating in the development of an alternative.In the construction of the present dissertation, we value the narrative and compositional freedom, constructing the body of text not only from the discourse that is obtained through the written words, but also from the assumption of the discourse constructed by the images as an argument.It navigates between memory, experience and external influences so that the alternative can be constructed