Nanomedicines, a strategy to evade multidrug resistance

Multidrug resistance is a major problems associated with cancer chemotherapy. Efflux transports is one of the numerous mechanisms involved in multidrug resistance. P-glycoprotein is a transmembrane protein, responsible for drug efflux, which decreases drugs intracellular bioavailability, consequently decreasing their efficacy against cancer. Cancer growth and dissemination depends on the expression of transcriptional factors such as, Twist. Among other features, this protein is related with cells chemoresistance possible by regulation of multidrug resistance pathways including the P-glycoprotein expression. The herein study proposes to demonstrate if paclitaxel entrapped nanoparticles is an effective system in evading multidrug resistance mechanisms and if functionalization of a specific antibody against cancer stem cells receptors (anti-CD44v6) has the capability to target selectively these cells increasing nanoparticles efficacy. Therefore solid lipid nanoparticles were prepared and a breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-436) was exposed to them in order to assess unloaded nanoparticles cytotoxic effects, increased pharmacologic efficacy of loaded nanoparticles relative to the free drug and their ability to evade multidrug resistance. The proposed solid lipid nanoparticles system proved to be capable of efficiently evading multidrug resistance mechanisms; however no improvement was added when these nanoparticles were functionalized with the antibody in the in vitro studies. However, the nanoparticles system is effective against multidrug resistance mechanisms.

Introducing spin-off stocks into the NSP’s risk parity strategy

Field lab: Nova Student Portfolio

An equity wealth preservation strategy: Following the macro trend

Financial crisis have happened in the past and will continue to do so in the future. In the most recent 2008 crisis, global equities (as measured by the MSCI ACWI index) lost a staggering 54.2% in USD, on the year. During those periods wealth preservation becomes at the top of most investor’s concerns. The purpose of this paper is to develop a strategy that protects the investment during bear markets and significant market corrections, generates capital appreciation, and that can support Millennium BCP’s Wealth Management Unit on their asset allocation procedures. This strategy extends the Dual Momentum approach introduced by Gary Antonacci (2014) in two ways. First, the investable set of securities in the equities space increases from two to four. Besides the US it will comprise the Japanese, European (excl. UK) and EM equity indices. Secondly, it adds a volatility filter as well as three indicators related to the business cycle and the state of the economy, which are relevant to decide on the strategy’s exposure to equities. Overall the results attest the resiliency of the strategy before, during and after historical financial crashes, as it drastically reduces the downside exposure and consistently outperforms the benchmark index by providing higher mean returns with lower variance.

Hybrid investment strategy active portfolio management – US stock market

This thesis aims to develop an alternative active managed portfolio strategy based on companies‟ Fundamental and Technical Analysis and analyze its finals results. There is a big distinction between the two approaches and the main objective is to understand if it is possible to take advantage of both. With this in mind a Hybrid investment strategy for the US stock market, due to its dimension and liquidity, which was able to outperform the S&P 500 index, the benchmark, during both Bear and Bull Markets between 2000 and 2015.

Economics consulting project for the Iberian Marketing Oil department of Galp Energia: Strategy and Marketing guidelines for Galp Energia’sconvenience business in the Iberian market

Field lab: Consulting lab

Habitat preferences, diet, feeding strategy and social organization of the black spider monkey [Ateles paniscus paniscus Linnaeus 1758] in Surinam

A Socioecological Field Study.This monograph reports on a 26 month socioecological study of black spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus paniscus)in the Raleigh-vallen — Voltzberg Nature Reserve, Surinam. It recognizes the fundamental importance of food to the behavior and the regulation of population density fox this primate. It clarifies the complex temporal and spatial effects of tropical rain forest food sources on the behavior of a group of spider monkeys, concentrating on food category, food plant identity and phenology, and quantity, density and dispersion of the most important food sources. In addition, the present study describes habitat choice, optimal feeding strategy and sexual behavior of the spider monkey, and discusses implications of diet for social behavior. This study is also fundamental to conservation. Specialized in eating mature fruits, the spider monkey is a very important dispersal agent for many trees and lianes, particularly canopy species. However, the spider monkey is probably the most vulnerable monkey species in Surinam and it is disappearing rapidly throughout the remainder of its range. Unfortunately, it is large and noisy and can be easily tracked and hunted. It is largely restricted to undisturbed high forest, and consequently habitat destruction has more effect on it than on most other species. Together with its slow reproductive rate (a female gives birth only once every four or five years), this means that the species is poorly adapted to recover from exploitation. In order to implement proper measures for conservation, data on forest type preferences, diet and social behavior of the species, or on closely related species, in undisturbed areas, such as the one described in this monograph, are essential tools for assessing the potential of proposed protected areas.

Arquitectos, Engenheiros, Antropólogos: Estudos sobre Arquitectura Popular no Século XX Português

Como noutros países europeus, também em Portugal a arquitectura popular foi ao longo do século XX objecto privilegiado do interesse de intelectuais de extracção variada, especialmente de arquitectos e antropólogos. Esse interesse começou por se desenvolver entre os arquitectos ligados ao movimento da “Casa Portuguesa”, liderado por Raul Lino. Tendo-se iniciado na viragem do século XIX para o século XX, o movimento da “Casa Portuguesa” estava ainda activo nos anos 1940 e 1950 e foi central tanto nas tentativas do Estado Novo de impor um estilo arquitectónico oficial, como nos modos de representação do cultura popular promovidos pelo regime. As principais ideias defendidas pelo movimento da “Casa Portuguesa” viriam entretanto a ser postas em causa por outras aproximações ao tema, como aquelas que foram propostas: (a) pelo “Inquérito à Habitação Rural”, que teve lugar no início dos anos 1940 e foi conduzido por um grupo de engenheiros agrónomos preocupadas com as condições habitacionais existentes nas áreas rurais portuguesas; (b) pelo “Inquérito à Arquitectura Popular em Portugal” organizado no final dos anos 1950 por um grupo diversificado de arquitectos modernos hostis ao movimento da “Casa Portuguesa”; (c) e, finalmente, pelas pesquisas conduzidas pelo antropólogo Ernesto Veiga de Oliveira e seus colaboradores no Museu de Etnologia entre 1950 e 1960. O objectivo deste livro é analisar as diferentes aproximações à arquitectura popular em cada um dos estudos mencionados como momentos de uma espécie de “guerra cultural” opondo diferentes visões da arquitectura e da cultura populares e distintos modos de tratamento do laço entre cultura popular e identidade nacional durante os anos do Estado Novo. As visões da ruralidade prevalecentes em cada uma destes estudos sobre arquitectura popular, as tensões entre nacionalismo e modernismo na percepção das virtualidades da arquitectura popular, as discussões sobre unidade e diversidade do país no tocante à arquitectura popular, são alguns dos tópicos que serão tratados com mais detalhe.

Entre o Vernáculo e o Híbrido: Concepções da Arquitectura Popular Portuguesa entre 1960 e 2000

A antropologia e a arquitectura são disciplinas que se têm frequentado com alguma assiduidade, algumas vezes de forma consciente, outras sem que disso se tenham necessariamente dado conta. Uma das mais assíduas plataformas de encontro entre ambas as disciplinas tem sido fornecida pela arquitectura variavelmente designada de “popular”, “vernácula” ou “tradicional”. Por vias diferentes, sobretudo no decurso dos anos 1960, tanto a antropologia como a arquitectura fizeram da arquitectura popular um objecto comum de estudo, analisado de acordo com uma preocupação dominante por formas genuínas e autênticas, marcadas pelo peso da tradição. E por vias diferentes, tanto a antropologia como a arquitectura, retendo embora uma preferência pelo popular, trocaram, a partir dos anos 1980, essas ideias de genuinidade e autenticidade por uma conceptualização do popular enquanto matéria híbrida e impura. Learning from Las Vegas (1977) de Robert Venturi, do lado da arquitectura, e Culturas Híbridas (1989) de Nestor García Canclini, do lado da antropologia, são duas obras marcantes nessa viragem. É a partir delas que esta comunicação se propõe interrogar o modo como no Inquérito à Arquitectura Popular em Portugal se pode surpreender uma tensão entre o popular como autêntico e formas mais misturadas do popular, resolvida então a favor da autenticidade, que se projecta, de forma contraditória, na actualidade.

Which communication strategy should a male luxury (fashion) brand – associated with a luxury car brand – develop, in order to increase its awareness in Europe

This work project explores how a male luxury (fashion) brand (subsidiary) that is associated with a luxury car brand (parent company) should develop its communication strategy in order to increase awareness in Europe. For this purpose a quantitative research was conducted. The aim was to find out whether the company in question had low brand awareness among European luxury consumers. Hereafter, a qualitative research revealed important insights in regard to luxury communication among male luxury consumers. Both the results of the research and the recommendations of luxury experts laid the foundation for the development of a solution-oriented communication strategy. The result of the analysis crystallizes the importance of the shared heritage and the synergistic effects, of which the subsidiary should make vast use when communicating.

Consulting project for the Iberian marketing Oil department of Galp Energia: Strategy and marketing guidelines for Galp Energia's convenience business in the Iberian market

Field lab: Consulting lab

Plantas nativas de uso en medicina popular en el Paraguay. Parte III

La quimioterapia has sido un gran adelanto en Farmacologia, pero las secuelas de las racciones adversas han despertado una tendencia a volver a lo natural, especialmente hacia el reino vegetal, esto nos estimuló a la orientación de nuestra investigación para iniciar esta labor. En la primera y segunda parte se identificaron un total de 100 especues, la identificación ha comprobado que los ejemplares pertenecen a distintas familias y sus usos para combatir diveresas afecciones. Se indentificaron en esta tercera parte outras 50 especies. Se recopilaron datos sobre el uso de plantas que curar afecciones, luego se procedieron a la herborización e identificación de las especies, cuyos ejemplares se conservan en el herbario de la Facultad de Ciencias Químicas de la Universidad nacional de Asunción. La identificaíon botánica y la recopilación de sus usos populares, servirán de base para posteriores investigaciones fitoquímicas y farmacológicas que es nuestro propósito.