Implementation of membrane processes for improvement of the detection of food contaminants

The EM3E Master is an Education Programme supported by the European Commission, the European Membrane Society (EMS), the European Membrane House (EMH), and a large international network of industrial companies, research centres and universities (http://www.em3e.eu)

Impact of chromossomal structure on the evolution of Schizosaccharomyces pombe undergoing Mutation Accumulation

Large chromosomal rearrangements are common in natural populations and thought to be involved in speciation events. In this project, we used experimental evolution to determine how the speed of evolution and the type of accumulated mutations depend on the ancestral chromosomal structure and genotype. We utilized two Wild Type strains and a set of genetically engineered Schizosaccharomyces pombe strains, different solely in the presence of a certain type of chromosomal variant (inversions or translocations), along with respective controls. Previous research has shown that these chromosomal variants have different fitness levels in several environments, probably due to changes in the gene expression along the genome. These strains were propagated in the laboratory at very low population sizes, in which we expect natural selection to be less efficient at purging deleterious mutations. We then measured these strains’ changes in fitness throughout this accumulation of deleterious mutations, comparing the evolutionary trajectories in the different rearrangements to understand if the chromosomal structure affected the speed of evolution. We also tested these mutations for possible epistatic effects and estimated their parameters: the number of arising deleterious mutations per generation (Ud) and each one’s mean effect (sd).

A decision- theoretic model for M&A sale processes

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Double Degree in Economics and International Business from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics and Insper Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa

Engineering bio-based polymers using alternative solvents and processes

The work presented in this thesis explores novel routes for the processing of bio-based polymers, developing a sustainable approach based on the use of alternative solvents such as supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DES). The feasibility to produce polymeric foams via supercritical fluid (SCF) foaming, combined with these solvents was assessed, in order to replace conventional foaming techniques that use toxic and harmful solvents. A polymer processing methodology is presented, based on SCF foaming and using scCO2 as a foaming agent. The SCF foaming of different starch based polymeric blends was performed, namely starch/poly(lactic acid) (SPLA) and starch/poly(ε-caprolactone) (SPCL). The foaming process is based on the fact that CO2 molecules can dissolve in the polymer, changing their mechanical properties and after suitable depressurization, are able to create a foamed (porous) material. In these polymer blends, CO2 presents limited solubility and in order to enhance the foaming effect, two different imidazolium based ILs (IBILs) were combined with this process, by doping the blends with IL. The use of ILs proved useful and improved the foaming effect in these starch-based polymer blends. Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) proved the existence of interactions between the polymer blend SPLA and ILs, which in turn diminish the forces that hold the polymeric structure. This is directly related with the ability of ILs to dissolve more CO2. This is also clear from the sorption experiments results, where the obtained apparent sorption coefficients in presence of IL are higher compared to the ones of the blend SPLA without IL. The doping of SPCL with ILs was also performed. The foaming of the blend was achieved and resulted in porous materials with conductivity values close to the ones of pure ILs. This can open doors to applications as self-supported conductive materials. A different type of solvents were also used in the previously presented processing method. If different applications of the bio-based polymers are envisaged, replacing ILs must be considered, especially due to the poor sustainability of some ILs and the fact that there is not a well-established toxicity profile. In this work natural DES – NADES – were the solvents of choice. They present some advantages relatively to ILs since they are easy to produce, cheaper, biodegradable and often biocompatible, mainly due to the fact that they are composed of primary metabolites such as sugars, carboxylic acids and amino-acids. NADES were prepared and their physicochemical properties were assessed, namely the thermal behavior, conductivity, density, viscosity and polarity. With this study, it became clear that these properties can vary with the composition of NADES, as well as with their initial water content. The use of NADES in the SCF foaming of SPCL, acting as foaming agent, was also performed and proved successful. The SPCL structure obtained after SCF foaming presented enhanced characteristics (such as porosity) when compared with the ones obtained using ILs as foaming enhancers. DES constituted by therapeutic compounds (THEDES) were also prepared. The combination of choline chloride-mandelic acid, and menthol-ibuprofen, resulted in THEDES with thermal behavior very distinct from the one of their components. The foaming of SPCL with THEDES was successful, and the impregnation of THEDES in SPCL matrices via SCF foaming was successful, and a controlled release system was obtained in the case of menthol-ibuprofen THEDES.

Unilever food solutions new digital CRM platform- what is the combination of tools, processes and content that will help Unilever food solutions grow his business?

Unilever Food Solutions new digital CRM1 Platform - What is the combination of tools, processes and content that will help Unilever Food Solutions grow his business? Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) intend to create a new online platform to enable it to communicate with segments of the markets, which have previously been too difficult to reach. Specifically targeted at Chefs and other food professionals, the aim is to create an interactive website, which delivers value to its intended users by providing a variety of relevant content and functions, while simultaneously opening up a potential transactional channel to those same users.

Technological evolution

The evolution of a technology and the understanding of the moment in its life cycle is of the utmost importance to the entry strategy devised by any company. Having the entry of EDP Brazil on the micro-generation market as background, the present workproject attempts to summarize the most important topics in management literature concerning the theory of technology life-cycles and the updated literature on developments of photovoltaic technology to infer the current positioning of this technology in the theoretical models. The need for this type of work stems from the very common lack of bridging between the academic research of economic aspects relevant to the evolution of technologies and the agents of research on specific technological issues. When this occurs, namely due to the external nature of research to companies, thereby escaping the harsh economic controls of a profit seeking enterprise, the evolution many times lacks the appropriate framework to be studied on a more forward looking manner and to allow for management decisions to be based on.

Developmental and paleontological insights into skull bone homology and evolution

The Gallus gallus (chicken) embryo is a central model organism in evolutionary developmental biology. Its anatomy and developmental genetics have been extensively studied and many relevant evolutionary implications have been made so far. However, important questions regarding the developmental origin of the chicken skull bones are still unresolved such that no solid homology can be established across organisms. This precludes evolutionary comparisons between this and other avian model systems in which skull anatomy has evolved significantly over the last millions of years.(...)

Saber cooperar para saber aprender: contributos da aprendizagem cooperativa na promoção de competências sociais e no sucesso educativo através do desenvolvimento de um projeto curricular integrado

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico

The domestic architecture of Bracara Augusta and its evolution

The excavations carried out under the rescue “Project of Bracara Augusta” have generated significant amounts of data that enabled the reconstruction of Bracara Augusta urban evolution and the characterization of its buildings and blocks. This paper aims to enhance the existing data related with the domestic architecture of the roman town, which was mainly represented by the houses of domus type.

Assessment of national parks affected by naturbanization processes in Southern Europe

This paper assesses land-use changes related to naturbanization processes on three biosphere reserves in Southern Europe. A comparative analysis has been done on the National Parks in Peneda-Ger^es in North Portugal, C_evennes in South France and Sierra Nevada in South Spain, using Corine Land Cover data from 1990 until 2006. Results indicate that the process of land-use intensification is taking place in the frame of naturbanization dynamics that could jeopardize the role of Protected Areas. Focusing on the trends faced by National Parks and their surrounding territories, the analysis demonstrates, both in quantitative and spatial terms, the intensification processes of land-use changes and how it is important to know them for coping with increasing threats. The article concludes that in the current context of increasing stresses, a broader focus on nature protection, encompassing the wider countryside, is needed if the initiatives for biodiversity protection are to be effective.

In-line rheo-optical characterization during small-scale polymer processing and compounding

As increasingly more sophisticated materials and products are being developed and times-to-market need to be minimized, it is important to make available fast response characterization tools using small amounts of sample, capable of conveying data on the relationships between rheological response, process-induced material structure and product characteristics. For this purpose, a single / twin-screw mini-extrusion system of modular construction, with well-controlled outputs in the range 30-300 g/h, was coupled to a in- house developed rheo-optical slit die able to measure shear viscosity and normal-stress differences, as well as performing rheo-optical experiments, namely small angle light scattering (SALS) and polarized optical microscopy (POM). In addition, the mini-extruder is equipped with ports that allow sample collection, and the extrudate can be further processed into products to be tested later. Here, we present the concept and experimental set-up [1, 2]. As a typical application, we report on the characterization of the processing of a polymer blend and of the properties of extruded sheets. The morphological evolution of a PS/PMMA industrial blend along the extruder, the flow-induced structures developed and the corresponding rheological characteristics are presented, together with the mechanical and structural characteristics of produced sheets. The application of this experimental tool to other material systems will also be discussed.

The ceramic artifacts in archaeological black earth (terra preta) from Lower Amazon Region, Brazil: chemistry and geochemical evolution

This paper carried out a chemical investigation of archaeological ceramic artifacts found in archaeological sites with Black Earth (ABE) in the Lower Amazon Region at Cachoeira-Porteira, State of Pará, Brazil. The ceramic artifacts, mostly of daily use, belong to Konduri culture (from 900 to 400 years BP). They are constituted of SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, Na2O and P2O5; SiO2 and Al2O3 together add up to 80 % and indicate influence of acid rocks, transformed into clay minerals basically kaolinite. The relative high contents of P2O5 (2.37 % in average) come out as (Al,Fe)-phosphate, an uncommon fact in primitive red ceramics, but found in some roman and egyptian archaeological sites. The contents of the trace elements are similar or below the Earth's crust average. This chemical composition (except P2O5) detaches saprolite material derived acid igneous rocks or sedimentary ones as the main raw material of the ceramics. The contents of K, Na and Ca represent the feldspars and rock fragments possibly introduced into saprolitic groundmass, indicated by mineralogical studies. The presence of cauixi and cariapé as well as quartz sand was confirmed by optical microscope, SEM analyses and by the high silica contents of ceramic fragments. Phosphorus was possibly incorporated into groundmass during cooking of foods, and ABE soil profile formation developed on yellow Latosols. The raw materials and its tempers (cauixi, or cariapé, feldspar, crushed rocks, old ceramic artifacts and quartz fragments) are found close to the sites and therefore and certainly came from them.

A domain-specific language for ETL patterns specification in Data Warehousing Systems

During the last few years many research efforts have been done to improve the design of ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) systems. ETL systems are considered very time-consuming, error-prone and complex involving several participants from different knowledge domains. ETL processes are one of the most important components of a data warehousing system that are strongly influenced by the complexity of business requirements, their changing and evolution. These aspects influence not only the structure of a data warehouse but also the structures of the data sources involved with. To minimize the negative impact of such variables, we propose the use of ETL patterns to build specific ETL packages. In this paper, we formalize this approach using BPMN (Business Process Modelling Language) for modelling more conceptual ETL workflows, mapping them to real execution primitives through the use of a domain-specific language that allows for the generation of specific instances that can be executed in an ETL commercial tool.

Using relational algebra on the specification of real world ETL processes

Modeling Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processes of a Data Warehousing System has always been a challenge. The heterogeneity of the sources, the quality of the data obtained and the conciliation process are some of the issues that must be addressed in the design phase of this critical component. Commercial ETL tools often provide proprietary diagrammatic components and modeling languages that are not standard, thus not providing the ideal separation between a modeling platform and an execution platform. This separation in conjunction with the use of standard notations and languages is critical in a system that tends to evolve through time and which cannot be undermined by a normally expensive tool that becomes an unsatisfactory component. In this paper we demonstrate the application of Relational Algebra as a modeling language of an ETL system as an effort to standardize operations and provide a basis for uncommon ETL execution platforms.

Evolution of the surface plasmon resonance of Au:TiO2 nanocomposite thin films with annealing temperature

This paper reports on the changes in the structural and morphological features occurring in a particular type of nanocomposite thin-film system, composed of Au nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed in a host TiO2 dielectric matrix. The structural and morphological changes, promoted by in-vacuum annealing experiments of the as-deposited thin films at different temperatures (ranging from 200 to 800 C), resulted in a well-known localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) phenomenon, which gave rise to a set of different optical responses that can be tailored for a wide number of applications, including those for optical-based sensors. The results show that the annealing experiments enabled a gradual increase of the mean grain size of the Au NPs (from 2 to 23 nm), and changes in their distributions and separations within the dielectric matrix. For higher annealing temperatures of the as-deposited films, a broad size distribution of Au NPs was found (sizes up to 100 nm). The structural conditions necessary to produce LSPR activity were found to occur for annealing experiments above 300 C, which corresponded to the crystallization of the gold NPs, with an average size strongly dependent on the annealing temperature itself. The main factor for the promotion of LSPR was the growth of gold NPs and their redistribution throughout the host matrix. On the other hand, the host matrix started to crystallize at an annealing temperature of about 500 C, which is an important parameter to explain the shift of the LSPR peak position to longer wavelengths, i.e. a red-shift.