Structural stability of adenylate kinase from the sulfate-reducing bacteria Desulfovibrio gigas

Biophysical Chemistry 110 (2004) 83–92

Synechocystis ferredoxin/ferredoxin-NADP+-reductase/NADP+ complex: Structural model obtained by NMR-restrained docking

FEBS Letters 579 (2005) 4585–4590

Structural and mechanistic studies of iron containing proteins

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Bioquímica, ramo de Bioquímica-Física, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Periplasmic nitrate reductases: structural and spectroscopic studies

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do grau de Doutor em Bioquímica, especialidade Bioquímica-Física, pela Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Integrating protein structural information

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção de Grau de Doutor em Bioquímica,Bioquímica Estrutural, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

The web feature service: transaction standard: an example of prototype implementation

Trabalho de Projecto apresentado como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciência e Sistemas de Informação Geográfica

Natural and amyloid self-assembly of S100 proteins: structural basis of functional diversity

The S100 proteins are 10-12 kDa EF-hand proteins that act as central regulators in a multitude of cellular processes including cell survival, proliferation, differentiation and motility. Consequently, many S100 proteins are implicated and display marked changes in their expression levels in many types of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The structure and function of S100 proteins are modulated by metal ions via Ca2+ binding through EF-hand motifs and binding of Zn2+ and Cu2+ at additional sites, usually at the homodimer interfaces. Ca2+ binding modulates S100 conformational opening and thus promotes and affects the interaction with p53, the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts and Toll-like receptor 4, among many others. Structural plasticity also occurs at the quaternary level, where several S100 proteins self-assemble into multiple oligomeric states, many being functionally relevant. Recently, we have found that the S100A8/A9 proteins are involved in amyloidogenic processes in corpora amylacea of prostate cancer patients, and undergo metal-mediated amyloid oligomerization and fibrillation in vitro. Here we review the unique chemical and structural properties of S100 proteins that underlie the conformational changes resulting in their oligomerization upon metal ion binding and ultimately in functional control. The possibility that S100 proteins have intrinsic amyloid-forming capacity is also addressed, as well as the hypothesis that amyloid self-assemblies may, under particular physiological conditions, affect the S100 functions within the cellular milieu.

The impact of pharmaceutical policy measures: a structural-break approach

Pharmaceutical spending in many other countries has had a steep increase in the last decade. The Portuguese Government has adopted several measures to reduce pharmaceutical expenditure growth, ranging from increased co-payments to price decreases determined administratively. Promotion of generic consumption has also ranked high in political priorities. We assess the overall impact of the several policy measures on total pharmaceutical spending, using monthly data over the period January 1995 – August 2008. Endogenous structural breaks (time-series) methods were employed. Our findings suggest that policy measures aimed at controlling pharmaceutical expenditure have been, in general, unsuccessful. Two breaks were identified. Both coincide with administratively determined price decreases. Measures aimed at increasing competition in the market had no visible effect on the dynamics of Government spending in pharmaceutical products. In particular, the introduction of reference pricing had only a transitory effect of less than one year, with historical growth resuming quickly. The consequence of it is a transfer of financial burden from the Government to the patients, with no apparent effect on the dynamics of pharmaceutical spending. This strongly suggests that pharmaceutical companies have been able to adjust to policy measures, in order to sustain their sales. It remains a challenge for the future to identify firms’ strategies that supported continued growth of sales, despite the several policy measures adop

Robustness of corroded reinforced concrete structures. A structural performance approach

Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, 1-17

Functional and structural characterization of the RNase II-family of enzymes

Dissertation presented to obtain a Doctoral Degree in Biology by Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Crystallographic studies on molybdopterin-dependent enzymes

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Bioquímica, Especialidade Bioquímica Estrutural

Structural change: a brief review

This is a short summary of some aspects of structural change models, and is not intended to be comprehensive survey or review. Many important works have been left out. Also, the presentation was not intended to be rigorous nor general. It’s main purpose is only to focus on some recent developments in this area and motivate the reader to learn more.

Tradução com adaptação cultural para portugês e determinação da reprodutibilidade do questionnaire on respiratory symptoms in preschool children

RESUMO: Introdução: A asma brônquica é uma entidade frequente em idade pediátrica, apresentando uma grande heterogeneidade clínica e significativa morbilidade quando não controlada. A identificação de crianças sintomáticas pode atrasar ou até mesmo diminuir a ocorrência de algumas alterações estruturais. Reconhece-se a necessidade de questionários sobre sintomas respiratórios em língua portuguesa, devidamente validados, que tenham como população-alvo os grupos etários inferiores a 3 anos. Deste modo, será possível não só um conhecimento mais rigoroso da asma e da sibilância infantil mas também a uniformização de metodologias para o desenvolvimento de estratégias a nível nacional. Objetivos: Tradução com adaptação cultural para português e determinação da reprodutibilidade do Questionnaire on respiratory symptoms in preschool children de Strippoli e colaboradores. Material e métodos: A escolha do questionário obedeceu a vários critérios, entre os quais o grupo etário, o tipo e número de perguntas. O Questionnaire on respiratory symptoms in preschool children de Strippoli e colaboradores é um questionário de autopreenchimento, dirigido a crianças entre os 12 e os 24 meses de idade e destinado a estudos epidemiológicos ao nível da comunidade. Aborda aspetos referentes a sintomas respiratórios (sibilância, tosse crónica, sintomas das vias aéreas superiores), cuidados médicos, terapêutica, características ambientais, história familiar e situação social. Procedemos à sua tradução, com especial atenção para a adaptação do ponto de vista cultural e linguístico, utilizando o método da tradução / retroversão, amplamente utilizado e descrito na literatura internacional. Seguidamente determinámos a reprodutibilidade da versão final em língua portuguesa – Questionário de sintomas respiratórios em idade pré-escolar – utilizando o teste-reteste. Para tal, incluíram-se crianças entre os 12 e os 36 meses de idade recrutadas num Centro de Saúde e em creches de Lisboa. A distribuição dos questionários decorreu em duas fases: na primeira fase foram entregues pessoalmente nos locais de recrutamento e na segunda fase foram enviados por correio para os domicílios das crianças, respeitando-se um intervalo mínimo de 2 semanas entre ambos. Resultados: Na primeira fase foram distribuídos 180 questionários, com uma taxa de reposta de 41% (n=74). Na segunda fase enviaram-se para os respetivos domicílios 70 questionários,obtendo-se uma taxa de resposta de 66% (n=46). Para a análise de reprodutibilidade foram incluídos apenas os questionários preenchidos em ambos os momentos pelo mesmo indivíduo (mãe, pai ou representante legal) (n=41). A idade média das crianças foi, na primeira fase, de 22,5 meses e, na segunda fase, de 23,7 meses, com um predomínio do sexo feminino (F:M =1:0,6). A mediana do tempo decorrido entre os dois momentos de preenchimento dos questionários foi de 26 dias. Obtivemos valores de concordância globalmente bons a muito bons, à semelhança do sucedido no trabalho original. Conclusões: Procedemos à tradução e avaliação da reprodutibilidade do Questionnaire on respiratory symptoms in preschool children. Pretende-se que venha a ser uma ferramenta útil para estudos epidemiológicos e programas de rastreio na comunidade, contribuindo deste modo para uma otimização da abordagem da asma / sibilância infantil a nível nacional. -------------ABSTRACT: Background: Asthma is a very common feature in childhood, with important clinical heterogeneity and morbidity if not properly controlled. Identifying symptomatic children may delay or even reduce several structural changes. The development of questionnaires on respiratory symptoms in Portuguese for children under 3 years old will allow not only a more accurate knowledge of infantile asthma and recurrent wheezing but also the standardization of methodologies to develop nationwide strategies. Objectives: The aim of this study was to translate and adapt to the Portuguese culture and to determine the repeatability of the Questionnaire on respiratory symptoms in preschool children by Strippoli et al. Material and methods: The choice of the questionnaire took in consideration several criteria, among which the target age, the type and the number of questions. The Questionnaire on respiratory symptoms in preschool children by Strippoli et al is a parent-completed questionnaire for assessment of respiratory symptoms in 1 to 2-year-old children, developed for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. It contains sections on respiratory symptoms (wheezing, chronic cough and upper airways symptoms), healthcare utilization, treatment, environmental exposure, family history and social situation. For the process of translation we used the method of translation and back-translation, with particular concern to cultural and linguistic adaptation. To assess the repeatability of the final Portuguese version - Questionário de sintomas respiratórios em idade pré-escolar - we used the test–retest analyses. The questionnaires were distributed to parents of children between 12 and 36 months old attending nurseries and a Primary Care Center of Lisbon. The distribution took place in two phases: the first questionnaires were delivered in person (phase one) and an identical questionnaire was posted to the families that participated in the first phase, 2 weeks after the first one was returned (phase two). Results: The response rates were 41% (180/74) in the first phase and 66% (70/46) in the second phase. For test–retest analyses, we included the 41 children with the same respondent (mother, father or legal representative) in both occasions. The median age of the children was 22,5 months at the first phase and 23,7 months at the second phase, with a predominance of girls (F:M = 1:0,6). The median time between the fillings of both questionnaires was 26 days. Globally, agreement values were good to excellent, similarly to the original work. Conclusion: In the present study we translated the Questionnaire on respiratory symptoms in preschool children and assessed its repeatability. Overall, we expect it to be a valuable tool for epidemiological studies and community-based screening programs, thus contributing to improve the management of infantile asthma / recurrent wheezing nationwide.

In situ measured cross section geometry of old timber structures and its influence on structural safety

Old timber structures may show significant variation in the cross section geometry along the same element, as a result of both construction methods and deterioration. As consequence, the definition of the geometric parameters in situ may be both time consuming and costly. This work presents the results of inspections carried out in different timber structures. Based on the obtained results, different simplified geometric models are proposed in order to efficiently model the geometry variations found. Probabilistic modelling techniques are also used to define safety parameters of existing timber structures, when subjected to dead and live loads, namely self-weight and wind actions. The parameters of the models have been defined as probabilistic variables, and safety of a selected case study was assessed using the Monte Carlo simulation technique. Assuming a target reliability index, a model was defined for both the residual cross section and the time dependent deterioration evolution. As a consequence, it was possible to compute probabilities of failure and reliability indices, as well as, time evolution deterioration curves for this structure. The results obtained provide a proposal for definition of the cross section geometric parameters of existing timber structures with different levels of decay, using a simplified probabilistic geometry model and considering a remaining capacity factor for the decayed areas. This model can be used for assessing the safety of the structure at present and for predicting future performance.

Active bionanoconjugates of laccase and gold nanoparticles: kinetic and structural studies

Thesis for the master degree in Structural and Functional Biochemistry