Development of elastin-like recombinamer films with antimicrobial activity

In the present work we explored the ABP-CM4 peptide properties from Bombyx mori for the creation of biopolymers with broad antimicrobial activity. An antimicrobial recombinant protein-based polymer (rPBP) was designed by cloning the DNA sequence coding for ABP-CM4 in frame with the N-terminus of the elastin-like recombinamer consisting of 200 repetitions of the pentamer VPAVG, here named A200. The new rPBP, named CM4-A200, was purified via a simplified nonchromatographic method, making use of the thermoresponsive behavior of the A200 polymer. ABP-CM4 peptide was also purified through the incorporation of a formic acid cleavage site between the peptide and the A200 sequence. In soluble state the antimicrobial activity of both CM4-A200 polymer and ABP-CM4 peptide was poorly effective. However, when the CM4-A200 polymer was processed into free-standing films high antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi was observed. The antimicrobial activity of CM4-A200 was dependent on the physical contact of cells with the film surface. Furthermore, CM4-A200 films did not reveal a cytotoxic effect against both normal human skin fibroblasts and human keratinocytes. Finally, we have developed an optimized ex vivo assay with pig skin demonstrating the antimicrobial properties of the CM4-A200 cast films for skin applications.

Reflow soldering in an oxidant atmosphere

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Materials Engineering

Efeito da dissipação térmica nas juntas de soldagem de componentes through hole

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia de Materiais

Análise experimental do comportamento ao corte de paredes reforçadas em alvenaria de BTC

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Civil

Comportamento térmico de blocos de terra comprimida ativados alcalinamente

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Civil

Nickel(II) complexes of bidentate N-N′ ligands containing mixed pyrazole, pyrimidine and pyridine aromatic rings as catalysts for ethylene polymerisation

This work describes the synthesis and characterisation of Ni(II) complexes of the following neutral bidentate nitrogen ligands containing pyrazole (pz), pyrimidine (pm) and pyridine (py) aromatic rings: 2-pyrazol-1-yl-pyrimidine (pzpm), 2-(4-methyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-pyrimidine (4-Mepzpm), 2-(4-bromo-pyrazol-1-yl)-pyrimidine (4-Brpzpm), 2-(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-pyrimidine (pz*pm), 2-pyrazol-1-yl-pyridine (pzpy) and bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)phenylmethane (bpz*mph). The complexes [NiBr2(pzpm)] (1), [NiBr2(4-Mepzpm)] (2), [NiBr2(4-Brpzpm)] (3), [NiBr2(pz*pm)] (4), [NiBr2(pzpy)] (5) and [NiBr2(bpz*mph)] (6) were tested as catalysts for ethylene polymerisation, in the presence of the cocatalysts methylaluminoxane (MAO) or diethylaluminium chloride (AlEt2Cl), the catalyst systems 1-3/MAO showing moderate to high activities up to the temperature of 20 °C only in the presence of MAO, whereas 4-6/MAO revealed to be inactive. Other related Pd(II) complexes, already reported in previous works, such as [PdClMe(pzpm)], [PdClMe(pz*pm)], [PdClMe(pzpy)] and [PdClMe(bpz*mph)], also showed to be inactive in the polymerisation of ethylene, when activated by MAO or AlEt2Cl. Selected samples of polyethylene products were characterised by GPC/SEC, 1H and 13C NMR and DSC, showing to be low molecular weight polymers with Mn values ranging from ca. 550 to 1500 g mol−1 and unusually low dispersities of 1.2–1.7, with total branching degrees generally varying between 2 and 12%, melting temperatures from 40 to 120 °C and crystallinities from 40 to 70%.

Turismo arqueológico: um projeto de valorização da arte rupestre no vale do Lima

Dissertação de mestrado em Património e Turismo Cultural

Logificação da Psicologia o itinerário intelectual de Edmundo Curvelo sobre a Mente, a Lógica e a Filosofia

Tese de Doutoramento em Filosofia - Especialidade de Filosofia da Mente

Estudo preliminar da variação dos níveis de cortisol em doentes da espécie Canis familiaris sujeitos a mastectomia por doença oncológica da mama

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina Veterinária

Avaliação de desempenho das organizações desportivas sem fins lucrativos através do Balanced Scorecard : estudo de caso do Conselho de Arbitragem da Federação Portuguesa de Futebol

A realização deste estudo junta duas áreas distintas: a arbitragem de futsal e o Balanced Scorecard (BSC). Nos últimos anos, devido ao crescimento acentuado da modalidade de Futsal, a mesma tem sido alvo de várias mudanças, nomeadamente no número de competições realizadas ao longo de uma época desportiva. Inerente ao elevado nível de competitividade alcançado, surge a necessidade de melhorar a gestão de uma área fundamental do jogo de futsal, a arbitragem. A arbitragem de futsal a nível nacional é gerida pelo Conselho de Arbitragem da Federação Portuguesa de Futebol (FPF). O Balanced Scorecard é uma metodologia de gestão estratégica, desenvolvida por Robert Kaplan e David Norton em 1992, que pode ser aplicada quer em organizações com fins lucrativos quer em organizações sem fins lucrativos, como é o caso do Conselho de Arbitragem da FPF. Desta forma, para colmatar a necessidade de melhorar a gestão da arbitragem de futsal, o presente estudo propõem-se aplicar a metodologia Balanced Scorecar ao Conselho de Arbitragem da Federação Portuguesa de Futebol na vertente futsal. Assim, irá ser apresentada uma análise do ambiente externo e interno, a definição de posicionamento e planeamento estratégico, o mapa estratégico e os objetivos definidos para cada perspetiva. Por fim, será feita uma reflexão quanto ao problema e aos objetivos do estudo, bem como, uma apresentação de algumas recomendações para futuros estudos.

Genera mammalium, por Angel Cabrera. Monotremata, Marsupialia (con 19 láminas en color)

(1919)

Disseny i implementació de la web d'administració d'una colla castellera

El principal motor d una colla castellera són els seus propis castellers i per tant, la gestió de la informació referent a aquests és una de les tasques més importants per aconseguir que una colla creixi. Aquest projecte neix de la necessitat d estructurar i ordenar aquesta informació, a més a més de proporcionar les eines necessàries per poder administrar remotament, i de manera senzilla i eficient, totes aquestes dades. Així doncs, amb aquest treball, s ha intentat proveir als diferents equips que formen una colla castellera (junta, tècnica, comunicació), de les eines necessàries per poder realitzar les seves tasques eficientment.

El proceso de sucesión en la empresa familiar

La majoria dels experts coincideixen en definir l’empresa familiar com l’empresa a la que el capital, la gestió y el govern estan en mans de una o mes famílies que exerceixen control sobre ella. El punt mes important que diferencia l’empresa familiar de la no familiar es el propòsit de la continuïtat, que es dona en a les empreses familiars, a través de l’entrada de les successives generacions. Aquesta continuïtat es materialitza amb l’èxit del procés successori que dona lloc a la nova generació. La complexitat d’aquest tipus d’empreses deriva de la unió de les dos entitats que la formen, empresa i família. Aquesta unió suposa la combinació d’assumptes purament empresarials amb altres de caràcter més personal. La unió de tots dos interessos dins de l’empresa suposa una important font de conflictes i problemes per a l’organització. A mesura que la família es fa més gran els problemes també creixen, i les relacions entre la família i la empresa es fan més difícils i complicades. Es per això que l’empresa ha d’actuar amb temps i avançar-se a les futures dificultats que puguin presentar-se a l’organització, tractant d’evitar-les, fent servir les eines de que disposa. Per assegurar el èxit del procés successori i evitar futurs problemes interns, l’empresa, i sobretot el predecessor, han de manejar i definir de forma correcta el marc legal i el marc familiar que emmarquen les seves relacions. En primer lloc, el marc legal ha d’assegurar la bona comunicació entre la família i l’empresa, per així, evitar futurs malentesos. A través d’òrgans com el Consell d’Administració i la Junta General d’Accionistes l’empresa reforça aspectes com la unitat i el compromís, que son tan necessaris en moments de canvi generacional. Per una altra banda, el marc familiar ha de vetllar pel manteniment dels valors propis de la família que el predecessor ha inculcat al llarg dels anys, i que han servit de guia tant a l’empresa com a la família. El marc familiar el defineixen eines com el Protocol Familiar, que regula i gestiona les relacions entre la família, l’empresa i els propietaris de la organització. El òrgan encarregat de controlar el compliment d’allò pactat en el Protocol i d’encarregar-se del bon funcionament del marc familiar es el Consell de Família.

Identité et filiation : enfants enlevés-appropriés, adultes restitués dans le contexte de la dernière dictature militaire en Argentine (1976-1983)

Durant la dernière dictature argentine (1976-1983), !a junte militaire organisa le vol de nourrissons, enfants de leurs ennemis, pour qu'ils puissent être élevés dans des familles proches du pouvoir. L'association « Grands-Mères de la Place de Mai » comptabilisa environ 409 vols. Au moment de l'exploration du terrain de récherche, en 2004, une quarantaine avaient été retrouvés dans des familles qui ne connaissaient pas leurs origines tandis qu'une vingtaine étaient dans des familles liées à la junte ; c'est à cette dernière catégorie que s'intéresse ce travail. Durant leur enfance ou à l'âge adulte, ces enfants apprirent un jour la vérité sur leurs origines biologiques et la justice la leur restitua ; c'est pourquoi ils sont dits « restitués ». Cette contribution vise à interroger l'identité individuelle comme une dynamique intime qui s'articule à la filiation et s'insère dans une collectivité, une société. Trois hypothèses l'ont organisée : une première concerne la connaissance des origines biologiques et ses conséquences psychologiques identitaires, qui passe nécessairement par la justice et la société. Une deuxième hypothèse explore les éventelles conséquences traumatiques de l'enlèvement des personnes restituées et de la restitution. Enfin, la troisième hypothèse interroge le rapport de la construction identitaire à la société, qu'elle se fasse par des investissements politiques et associatifs ou par les médias et l'Histoire. Ces hypothèses nourrissent un questionnement sur les liens entre restitution et travail de symbolisation des origines. Sept entretiens semi structurés avec des personnes restituées ont. été menés puis qualitativement analysés dans une perspective que l'on peut référer, de manière large, à une « anthropologique clinique », au croisement d'une psychologie clinique éclairée par la psychanalyse et de l'anthropologie. Au travers d'une analyse approfondie de leur parcours identitaire des personnes enlevées, adoptées et restituées, ce travail se livre à une recherche empirique sur la construction identitaire. Le concept de transmission se trouve mobilisé, qui concerne l'inscription de l'individu dans la subjectivité d'un couple avec le prénom, dans une lignée ou dans un collectif avec le choix professionnel ou les liens avec l'association « Grands-Mères de la Place Mai ». De plus, la thèse apporte une contribution à la compréhension des enjeux du clivage, des blessures primitive et narcissique, des processus d'affiliation et des secrets de famille et propose également de penser, en prolongement, les enjeux de la « défiliation » et de I'« amalgame ». La question du traumatisme, de sa répétition et de son élaboration, ainsi que celle des facteurs de resilience sont également discutées. Ce travail ouvre sur une réflexion plus large du concept d'identité. - During the last dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983), the military junta organized the kidnapping of infants - children of its enemies - in order to raise them in families close to the authorities. The association "Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo" estimates that approximately 400 children have been kidnapped in this way. During their childhood, or as adults, they have come to learn the truth about their biological origins, restituted to them by justice: They are therefore known as "restituted" children. At the time of the field research in 2004, around 40 children had been found in families unaware of their origins. About 20 other came from families close to the junta. The present work is particularly interested in the latter category. This contribution investigates the individual identity as an intimate dynamics by examining its articulation with filiation and its insertion within a community, a society. It revolves around three hypotheses: the first concerns the knowledge - necessarily transmitted through justice and society - of biological origins and its psychological consequences on the identity. The second explores the eventually traumatic, consequences of kidnapping and restitution among the restituted persons. Finally, the third hypothesis questions the relation between identity construction and society, whether it is made through political and associative involvements, media or History. These hypotheses lead to the examination of affiliations between restitution and symbolization process of the origins. Seven semi-structured interviews with restituted persons have been conducted and qualitatively analyzed in a perspective that can, in a large sense, be referred to as "clinical anthropology": an approach/intersection between clinical psychology, psychoanalysis and anthropology. Through an in-depth analysis of the identity itinerary of the kidnapped, adopted and restituted persons, this work is conducted as an empirical research on identity construction. For that purpose, it uses the concept of transmission to describe an individual's affiliation with the subjectivity of a couple through the first name, with a lineage or a community through professional choices or through his/her connections with the association "Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo". Further, it makes a meaningful contribution to the understanding and implications of the notions of cleavage, of primal and narcissistic wounds, of processes of affiliation and of family secrets. In addition, it also proposes a reflection on and the implication of the notions of "deviation" and "amalgam". The question of trauma, its repetition and elaboration, and of resilience factors are aiso being discussed. This work concludes with results in a iarger consideration of the concept of identity.

Gender and the professional career of primary care physicians in Andalusia (Spain).

Background: Although the proportion of women in medicine is growing, female physicians continue to be disadvantaged in professional activities. The purpose of the study was to determine and compare the professional activities of female and male primary care physicians in Andalusia and to assess the effect of the health center on the performance of these activities. Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional, and multicenter study. Setting: Spain. Participants: Population: urban health centers and their physicians. Sample: 88 health centers and 500 physicians. Independent variable: gender. Measurements: Control variables: age, postgraduate family medicine specialty (FMS), patient quota, patients/day, hours/day housework from Monday to Friday, idem weekend, people at home with special care, and family situation. Dependent variables: 24 professional activities in management, teaching, research, and the scientific community. Self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive, bivariate, and multilevel logistic regression analyses. Results: Response: 73.6%. Female physicians: 50.8%. Age: female physicians, 49.1 ± 4.3 yrs; male physicians, 51.3 ± 4.9 yrs (p < 0.001). Female physicians with FMS: 44.2%, male physicians with FMS: 33.3% (p < 0.001). Female physicians dedicated more hours to housework and more frequently lived alone versus male physicians. There were no differences in healthcare variables. Thirteen of the studied activities were less frequently performed by female physicians, indicating their lesser visibility in the production and diffusion of scientific knowledge. Performance of the majority of professional activities was independent of the health center in which the physician worked. Conclusions: There are gender inequities in the development of professional activities in urban health centers in Andalusia, even after controlling for family responsibilities, work load, and the effect of the health center, which was important in only a few of the activities under study.