Theatrical architectural buildings and community: Teatro Contêiner Mungunzá

This work was funded by national funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., within the project UIDB/04041/2020 (Centro de Estudos Arnaldo Araújo).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investigating the relationship between green supply chain purchasing practices and firms’ performance

Purpose: This research aims to identify the green purchasing practices that manufacturing companies have been using and investigate the relationship between those practices and company overall performance. This paper focuses on green-purchasing practices, such as green products, green suppliers, environmental collaboration with suppliers, green packaging, and reverse logistics, to ensure sustainable practices in the supply chain, and the influence of those practices on firm’s performance was investigated from the perspective of managers perception. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach was adopted, based on eight case studies. Data was collected from semi-structured interviews with procurement managers from Portuguese manufacturing industry and from reports, websites and companies’ internal documentation. To analyze the impact of green purchasing practices on company overall performance a conceptual model was proposed. Findings: The findings support two of the five research hypotheses. According to managers' perceptions, companies implement green procurement practices such as environmental collaboration with suppliers, green packaging, and reverse logistics, and evidence shows that green procurement practices improve overall company performance. Research limitations/implications: While the sample included organizations from several economic sectors, it was based on a sample of eight case studies and the findings may not be valid in different sectors. This research focuses on green procurement from a country's perspective, which reduces the ability to generalize the findings to other countries. Practical implications: Managers might utilize the results of this study to develop and implement green purchasing practices and enhance organizations' overall performance via their adoption. Social implications: This research contributes to the current discussion in green supply chain literature. Originality/value: This study contributes to the existing body of research on the effects of implementing green purchasing practices into the procurement functionPeer Reviewe

Molecular Mediators of Depression Pathophysiology and Treatment: Neuroscience-Based Approaches for Personalized Care

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparative analysis of the binding of punicalagin and silibilin in PDIA 1 and PDIA 3

Polifenóis isolados a partir da da romã e do cardo mariano possuem várias propriedades farmacológicas como anti-inflamatória, hepatoprotetora, antigenotóxica e anticoagulante. O presente estudo foca-se na interação das proteínas PDIA1 e PDIA3 com as substâncias polifenólicas punicalagina e silibilina . As proteínas acima mencionadas fazem parte da família de proteínas dissulfeto isomerase, envolvidas em várias funções celulares associadas a diferentes doenças humanas, concedendo-lhes assim potencial de alvo terapêutico. A interação dos polifenóis com a PDIA1 e a PDIA3 foi estudada por fluorescência e técnicas calorimétricas e o seu efeito na actividade das proteínas também foi descrito. Os dois polifenóis são capazes de se ligar a ambas as proteínas, mas a interação produz efeitos diferentes. Isto está ligado ao facto das duas moléculas se ligarem em diferentes sítios nas proteínas e à propria conformação das mesmas. Isto faz da punicalagina um inibidor promissor para a PDIA3. Ao mesmo tempo, a silibilina, embora não demonstre uma ação inibitória específica, se não for limitada à PDIA1, pode ser usada para modular a interação das próprias PDIs com outras proteínas de substrato, que estejam envolvidas na formação de complexos macromoleculares responsáveis pelas atividades celulares das PDIA1 e PDIA3.Polyphenolic compounds isolated from pomegranate fruit from seed fruits of milk thistle possess several pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antigenotoxic and anticoagulant activities. The present work focuses the attention on PDIA1 and PDIA3 interactions with punicalagin and silibinin. PDIA1 and PDIA3, are members of the protein disulfide isomerase family involved in several cellular functions, associated with different human diseases and it has the potential to be a pharmacological target. The interaction of polyphenols with PDIA1 and PDIA3 was explored by fluorescence quenching and calorimetric techniques and their effect on the activity of the proteins were investigated. The two polyphenols are able to bind both proteins but the interaction that is established produces different effects. This is certainly connectable to a different site of interaction of the two molecules and with the different conformation structure of the proteins themselves. This makes punicalagin a promising selective inhibitor for PDIA3. At the same time silibilin, although not showing a particular inhibitory action, if not limited towards PDIA1, could be used to modulate the interaction of the PDIs themselves with other substrate proteins involved in the formation of macromolecular complexes responsible for the cellular activities of the two PDIAs

Frontiers in neurogenesis

One of the most intriguing dogmas in neurosciences—the empirical lack of brain neuronal regeneration in adulthood onwards to late life—began to be debunked initially by research groups focused on understanding postnatal (early days/weeks of murine and guinea pigs) neurodevelopmental and neuroplastic events [...

Environmental education in the context of the CPLP: an urgent challenge

[Resumo] Os países lusófonos registam diferentes patamares na promoção da Educação Ambiental (EA). Um primeiro levantamento realizado em 2017 mostra que a EA é, em geral, competência dos Ministérios do Ambiente e da Educação, estando reservado um papel específico para o poder local e para as escolas. O apoio público está generalizado na maioria dos países, sendo, no entanto, mais significativo no Brasil e em Portugal. Já o apoio das organizações internacionais verifica-se, sobretudo, nos países de África e em Timor, enquanto as ONG nacionais, fundações e empresas nacionais a atuar no campo da EA estão presentes, ainda que a diferentes níveis, em todos os países e contextos. Em suma, estes primeiros resultados demonstram que a EA já entrou nas agendas pública e política de todos os países, embora de forma desigual e nalguns países ainda seja embrionária. Torna-se, assim, particularmente importante aprofundar o conhecimento e a análise do campo da EA nos países da CPLP, de modo a reforçar a eficácia da sua implementação e a melhorar as políticas públicas nestes territórios, garantindo maior resiliência para enfrentar os desafios que se aproximam[Abstract] Portuguese-speaking countries are at different levels in promoting Environmental Education (EA). A first survey conducted in 2017 shows that EA is mostly the responsibility of the Ministries of Environment and Education, with a role reserved for local administration and schools. While more significant in Brazil and Portugal, public support is widespread in most countries. The support of international organisations is mainly found in African countries and East-Timor while, albeit at different levels, national NGOs, foundations and national companies are present in all countries and contexts. In sum, although unevenly and in some countries still embryonic, these early results demonstrate that EA has already entered the public and political agendas of all Portuguese speaking countries. Therefore, to enhance the effectiveness of implementation, to improve public policies, and to ensure greater resilience to face the coming challenges, it is of particular importance to deepening the analysis and the knowledge of the EE field in the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries

Epigenetic (de)regulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis: implications for depression

Adult neurogenesis represents a dynamic level of modulation upon the neuroplastic properties of the mature nervous system, that is essential to the homeostatic brain function. The adult neurogenic process comprises several sequential steps, all of which subjected to an assortment of cell-intrinsic and neurogenic-niche complex regulatory mechanisms. Among these, epigenetic regulation is now emerging as a crucial regulator of several neurogenesis steps. In particular, the active regulation of hippocampal neurogenesis and its repercussions in global hippocampal function are of special interest for the biomedical field, since imbalances at this level have been strongly related to the precipitation of several neuropsychyatric disorders, such as depression. Indeed, growing evidence supports that the detrimental effects on adult hippocampal neurogenesis, that have been associated with depression, might be epigenetically-mediated. Therefore, understanding the epigenetic regulation of the neurogenic process may provide a link between neurogenesis imbalances and the deterioration of the behavioural and cognitive domains frequently affected in depression, thus contributing to unravel the complex pathophysiology of this disorder