New sensing materials of molecularly-imprinted polymers for the selective recognition of Chlortetracycline

As a result of the stressful conditions in aquaculture facilities there is a high risk of bacterial infections among cultured fish. Chlortetracycline (CTC) is one of the antimicrobials used to solve this problem. It is a broad spectrum antibacterial active against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Numerous analytical methods for screening, identifying, and quantifying CTC in animal products have been developed over the years. An alternative and advantageous method should rely on expeditious and efficient procedures providing highly specific and sensitive measurements in food samples. Ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) could meet these criteria. The only ISE reported in literature for this purpose used traditional electro-active materials. A selectivity enhancement could however be achieved after improving the analyte recognition by molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs). Several MIP particles were synthesized and used as electro-active materials. ISEs based in methacrylic acid monomers showed the best analytical performance according to slope (62.5 and 68.6 mV/decade) and detection limit (4.1 × 10−5 and 5.5 × 10−5 mol L−1). The electrodes displayed good selectivity. The ISEs are not affected by pH changes ranging from 2.5 to 13. The sensors were successfully applied to the analysis of serum, urine and fish samples.

Selective recognition in potentiometric transduction of amoxicillin by molecularly imprinted materials

The indiscriminate use of antibiotics in food-producing animals has received increasing attention as a contributory factor in the international emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Woodward in Pesticide, veterinary and other residues in food, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2004). Numerous analytical methods for quantifying antibacterial residues in edible animal products have been developed over years (Woodward in Pesticide, veterinary and other residues in food, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2004; Botsoglou and Fletouris in Handbook of food analysis, residues and other food component analysis, Marcel Dekker, Ghent, 2004). Being Amoxicillin (AMOX) one of those critical veterinary drugs, efforts have been made to develop simple and expeditious methods for its control in food samples. In literature, only one AMOX-selective electrode has been reported so far. In that work, phosphotungstate:amoxycillinium ion exchanger was used as electroactive material (Shoukry et al. in Electroanalysis 6:914–917, 1994). Designing new materials based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) which are complementary to the size and charge of AMOX could lead to very selective interactions, thus enhancing the selectivity of the sensing unit. AMOX-selective electrodes used imprinted polymers as electroactive materials having AMOX as target molecule to design a biomimetic imprinted cavity. Poly(vinyl chloride), sensors of methacrylic acid displayed Nernstian slopes (60.7 mV/decade) and low detection limits (2.9 × 10−5 mol/L). The potentiometric responses were not affected by pH within 4–5 and showed good selectivity. The electrodes were applied successfully to the analysis of real samples.

Re-Use Assessment of Thermoset Composite Wastes as Aggregate and Filler Replacement for Concrete-Polymer Composite Materials: A case study regarding GFRP pultrusion wastes

Glass fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRP), nowadays commonly used in the construction, transportation and automobile sectors, have been considered inherently difficult to recycle due to both the cross-linked nature of thermoset resins, which cannot be remoulded, and the complex composition of the composite itself, which includes glass fibres, polymer matrix and different types of inorganic fillers. Hence, to date, most of the thermoset based GFRP waste is being incinerated or landfilled leading to negative environmental impacts and additional costs to producers and suppliers. With an increasing awareness of environmental matters and the subsequent desire to save resources, recycling would convert an expensive waste disposal into a profitable reusable material. In this study, the effect of the incorporation of mechanically recycled GFRP pultrusion wastes on flexural and compressive behaviour of polyester polymer mortars (PM) was assessed. For this purpose, different contents of GFRP recyclates (0%, 4%, 8% and 12%, w/w), with distinct size grades (coarse fibrous mixture and fine powdered mixture), were incorporated into polyester PM as sand aggregates and filler replacements. The effect of the incorporation of a silane coupling agent was also assessed. Experimental results revealed that GFRP waste filled polymer mortars show improved mechanical behaviour over unmodified polyester based mortars, thus indicating the feasibility of GFRP waste reuse as raw material in concrete-polymer composites.

Sustainability Improvement of a composite materials’ industry through recycling and re-engineering process approaches

Recent Advances in Mechanics and Materials in Design

Características e implicações do conteúdo audiovisual na web

Trabalho de projecto apresentado para o cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Novos Média e Práticas Web

Tradução audiovisual

Esta dissertação de mestrado foi desenvolvida com o intuito de estudar a tradução audiovisual de spots publicitários. Mais especificamente, estudar a tradução audiovisual no contexto da implementação e aplicabilidade de uma campanha publicitária ou, neste caso, de diversos spots publicitários de uma dada empresa num público-alvo estrangeiro. Para esta dissertação, selecionei um corpus de spots publicitários do banco internacional HSBC. A tomada da decisão recaiu sobre a quantidade de filiais que o HSBC tem espalhadas pelo globo, e que estão inseridas em mercados cujas culturas predominantes se diferenciam grandemente entre umas e outras. Para aprofundar este tema, analisei os conceitos inerentes à tradução audiovisual, enveredei posteriormente, e de forma mais específica, pela análise dos conceitos intrínsecos à legendagem de spots publicitários, e, por fim, associei estes conceitos com as questões relativas à interculturalidade e à melhor forma de transmitir informações, sobre uma mesma entidade, a grupos culturais diferentes. Em seguida, legendei o corpus de spots publicitários do HSBC, selecionados para constar desta dissertação, salientando os principais momentos de reflexão: as barreiras tradutivas/culturais existentes, as soluções e a decisão final relativa à cada legenda criada. Legendei os spots publicitários do HSBC, como se estivessem destinados a um público-alvo de nacionalidade, cultura e língua portuguesa. Obtive um conjunto de oito spots publicitários legendados em português, e efetuei a respetiva análise do processo tradutivo. Apresentei elações retiradas durante a criação das legendas, sobre as quais caia o objetivo de as relacionar com os conceitos primeiramente abordados.

Desígnio inteligente. Actualização do método e funcionalidade específicos de uma arte audiovisual de larga difusão

Dissertação de Doutoramento no ramo de Estudos Portugueses, especialidade em Teoria Literária

Empirical models for quantification of machining damage in composite materials

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Mecânica

Le vert et le rouge: a study on the materials, techniques and meaning of the green and red colours in medieval portuguese illuminations

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Conservação e Restauro

An approach to teach Calculus/Mathematical Analysis (for engineering students) using computers and active learning – its conception, development of materials and evaluation

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Ciências da Educação

Treatment of a nineteenth century male portrait in oil including the characterisation of materials, technique and a study of the lead soap aggregation in the paint composite

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Conservação e Restauro

O audiovisual na promoção e desenvolvimento de competências na aula de língua estrangeira

Relatório de Estágio apresentado para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ensino do Ensino do Inglês e do Espanhol no 3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e no Ensino Secundário

Materials handling in hospitals: An analysis of how the storage and materials handling system can be improved, using the example of Hospital Santa Maria

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Earth building materials in pre-historic domestic architectures on the south of Portugal

HERITAGE 2008 - World Heritage and Sustainable Development. Barcelos: Green Lines Institute for Sustainable Development, Vol. 2, p. 571-579

Characterization of processed materials by electrical currents: development of equipment and applications

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Mecânica