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In-car devices are growing both in complexity and capacity, integrating functionalities that used to be divided among other controls in the vehicles. These systems appear increasingly in the form of touchscreens as a cost-saving measure. Screens lack the physicality of traditional buttons or switches, requiring drivers to look away from the road to operate them. This paper presents the design, implementation, and two studies that evaluated HapWheel, a system that provides the driver with haptic feedback in the steering wheel while interacting with an Infotainment System. Results show that the proposed system reduced both the duration of and the number of times a driver looked away from the road. HapWheel was also successful at reducing the number of mistakes during the interaction.

The aim of this study was to assess the applicability of indirect techniques for streamflow and suspended sediment concentration estimation and their use in the calculation of suspended sediment transport rate in the small mountain watersheds of Madeira Island, Portugal. Emphasis was given to the application of salt dilution gauging to the indirect determination of the flow rate and the use of water turbidity data to estimate the concentration of suspended sediments. The field and laboratory work carried out are briefly described, and the main experimental results and the field data from the short measurement campaign performed in the Ribeira Seca stream in Faial, on the north side of the island, are presented and discussed. Whilst the measurement campaign carried out was temporally and spatially limited, it was pioneering for Madeira and allowed to verify the applicability of the indirect hydrometric and sedimentometric techniques used in this exploratory study.

Microalgal extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) are heteropolysaccharides that have characteristics suitable for industrial and biotechnological applications. Notably, they have strong anionic nature and high hydrophobicity. Nevertheless, systematic studies to demonstrate the viability of the production of EPSs on an industrial scale are still crucial. In this research, the chlorophyte Graesiella was grown on a raceway pond to view its EPS valorization. The biomass production achieved a maximum of 1.98 g L−1 and an EPS production of 1.6 g L−1 after six production days. The Graesiella EPSs with a molecular weight above 100 kDa are sulfated exopolymers containing mainly polysaccharide (70%) and protein (16%). The EPSs produced more stable emulsions with hydrocarbons and oils than Tween-20. The emulsification indices with n-hexane (88%) and maize oil (28%) indicate the EPSs’ strong emulsion-stabilizing capacity. The EPSs showed a peak flocculating percentage of 95% to kaolin suspension, with better flocculation performance than Al2(SO4)3 and alginate. Moreover, Graesiella EPSs had a significant effect on antimicrobial activity, significantly inhibiting fungal growth (71% for Botytis cinerea and 87% for Fusarium oxysporum), spore germination (100% of inhibition at a concentration of 1.8 g L−1), and mycelium growth (68% of inhibition). Also, Graesiella EPSs acted as a bactericide against Vibrio anguilaruim and Listonella anguilaruim (100% inhibition). EPSs were also found to have potent antioxidant activity compared with l-ascorbic acid. The obtained results open new perspectives to the further exploration of Graesiella sp. as a potential EPS producer, making it a promising candidate for numerous industrial applications.

To unlock the potential of Chlorella stigmatophora (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta) and Hemiselmis andersenii (Cryptophyceae, Cryptophyta) as natural reactors for biotechnological exploitation, their lipophilic extracts were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) before and after alkaline hydrolysis. The GC-MS analysis enabled the identification of 62 metabolites-namely fatty acids (27), aliphatic alcohols (17), monoglycerides (7), sterols (4), and other compounds (7). After alkaline hydrolysis, monounsaturated fatty acids increased by as much as 87%, suggesting that the esterified compounds were mainly neutral lipids. Hemiselmis andersenii yielded the highest Σω3/Σω6 ratio (7.26), indicating that it is a good source of ω3 fatty acids, in comparison to C. stigmatophora (Σω3/Σω6 = 1.24). Both microalgae presented significant amounts of aliphatic alcohols (6.81-10.95 mg · g dw-1 ), which are recognized by their cholesterol-lowering properties. The multivariate analysis allowed visualization of the chemical divergence among H. andersenii lipophilic extracts before and after alkaline hydrolysis, as well as species-specific differences. Chlorella stigmatophora showed to be a valuable source of essential fatty acids for nutraceuticals, whereas H. andersenii, due to its high chemical diversity, seems to be suitable for different fields of application.

Produced in Madeira Island from regional sugarcane cultivars through a traditional manufacturing and storage process, sugarcane honey (SCH) is a black syrup recognized by its excellent quality. Its economic value has led to the emergence of adulterated SCH, whereby the identification of molecular markers became an essential task in order to overcome the fraudulent activities, protect its authenticity, and guarantee the consumer safety. In the present study, an analytical strategy based on ultrasound-assisted liquid-liquid extraction (USA-LLE) followed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with a refractive index detector (LC-RI) was developed for the determination of sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose, xylose, and mannose) in SCH samples from certified producers, supported on analytical quality-by-design (AQbD) approach, as a useful tool to establish its typicality. The application of AQbD was based on analytical risk assessment, multivariate statistics and quality control procedures for definition of the Method Operable Design Region (MODR). The optimal conditions into MODR were accomplished using BEH Amide column operating at a temperature of 80 °C and a flow rate of 300 μL min−1, with a mobile phase composed by acetone and water (85:15, v v−1) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1. The robustness was determined by Monte Carlo simulation and capability analysis. The concentration-response function for all sugars was described by polynomial models. Accuracy was presented by recovery values between 98.2 and 119.5%. The analytical figures of merit validated the utility of AQbD in the systematic design of a LC-RI method with fine sensitivity for sugar analysis in SCH.

One of the hallmarks of cancer cells is the demand of supply for the synthesis of new membranes involved in cell proliferation and lipids have an important role in cellular structure, signaling pathways and progression of cancer. In this sense, lipid studies have become an essential tool allowing the establishment of signatures associated with breast cancer (BC). In this regard, some metabolic processes including proteins, nucleic acids and lipid synthesis are enhanced as part of cancer-associated metabolic reprogramming, as a requirement for cell growth and proliferation. Pairwise samples of breast active carcinoma (BAC) and breast cancer-free tissues were collected from n = 28 patients and analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. Major lipid species are identified in the MALDI-TOF mass spectra, with certain phosphatidylinositols (PIs) detectable only in BAC. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences (p

Ferulic acid (FA) is a natural antioxidant with limited absorption when conjugated with biomolecules but whose free form is readily absorbed in the stomach and, to a lesser extent, in the ileum. The latter suffers from inflammation and oxidative stress, so a novel strategy for the delivery of FA in this compartment of the gastrointestinal tract was developed. Using the neutral un-functionalized resin Lewatit® VP OC 1064 MD PH, under optimized conditions, a loading of 144 mg FA/g of dry resin was obtained. By means of an in vitro simulated digestion, an average release of 32 mg FA/g of dry loaded resin (recovery of 22%) was observed in intestinal conditions. The incorporation/release of FA onto/from the resin was confirmed by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and by HPLC-DAD. This work showed that the free form of FA can effectively be delivered in the small intestine, after immobilization in solid matrices.

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-02-08T09:11:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_Luis_2029715.pdf: 7007152 bytes, checksum: 513fceae1329f62b0e7e6c37d8ee95f5 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-02-08T09:12:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_Luis_2029715.pdf: 7007152 bytes, checksum: 513fceae1329f62b0e7e6c37d8ee95f5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2022-01-07

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Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-02-10T09:23:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Agro-industrial byproducts as modification enhancers of the bacterial cellulose biofilm surface properties.pdf: 2911202 bytes, checksum: 6f56a94be9ebe891641dc8506eb0367c (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-02-10T09:24:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Agro-industrial byproducts as modification enhancers of the bacterial cellulose biofilm surface properties.pdf: 2911202 bytes, checksum: 6f56a94be9ebe891641dc8506eb0367c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2022 info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-02-10T14:18:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 high-value lipids accumulation by pavlova pinguis.pdf: 4132848 bytes, checksum: 1d31ca7fea99797d5a9b24a91aafe8ac (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-02-10T14:18:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 high-value lipids accumulation by pavlova pinguis.pdf: 4132848 bytes, checksum: 1d31ca7fea99797d5a9b24a91aafe8ac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2022 info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

FUNDING : The chemical analyses were supported by ISLANDAP project (INTERREG MAC/1.1a/207). RJ, CR, and PN were financially supported by the Oceanic Observatory of Madeira Project (M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001-Observatório Oceanico da Madeira-OOM). SL was financially supported by a post-doctoral grant form ARDITI (Regional Agency for Development of Research, Technology, and Innovation of Madeira), Project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000001. Sea urchins play an important role in island coastal ecosystems as keystone species and as potential Resources for harvesting and aquaculture. In Southern Europe, the most valuable and harvested species is the European purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, but there is a growing interest to explore other edible Species like the blunt sea urchin Sphaerechinus granularis. The echinoderms biodiversity of Madeira archipelago was previously described, but their local habitat, population densities and size distribution, important to establish their harvest and aquaculture potential, are poorly known. The present study aimed to evaluate S. granularis population in the oligotrophic and narrow insular shelf of Madeira archipelago, mainly regarding its habitat, densities, reproduction season and roe marketable characteristics. Sphaerechinus granularis was found in low densities (0.01 ind./m2) from shallow to deep reefs (5–30 m). The highest densities occurred in shallow waters and breakwaters in association to encrusting algae, turf and erect brown macroalgae. Here, the low primary productivity ecosystem influenced the long reproductive season of the local population. This population showed a relatively high gonadosomatic index (maximum GI of 8), high gonad weight (5.00–12.19 g) with high proportion of bright yellow and orange gonads (37.5–60%) between February and November. Additionally, the high level of total carotenoids, the high PUFA (particularly EPA) content, and the ratio n-6/n-3 close to one support the high nutritional value of S. granularis roe. The trend of incremental GI between September and November and the increasing content of PUFA in autumn suggests this could be the preferential harvesting season. This information is key to evaluate a sustainable exploitation of this living marine resource. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

In the present study, the ammonium formate version of the QuEChERS method, considered highly advantageous in relation to instrument maintenance and other issues, was applied for the first time to extract a group of twelve phthalic acid esters (PAEs, i.e. dipropyl phthalate, DPP; diisobutyl phthalate, DIBP; dibutyl phthalate, DBP; diisopentyl phthalate, DIPP; di-n-pentyl phthalate, DNPP; dihexyl phthalate, DHP; butyl benzyl phthalate, BBP; dicyclohexyl phthalate, DCHP; di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, DEHP; di-n-octyl phthalate, DNOP; diisononyl phthalate, DINP; and diisodecyl phthalate, DIDP) and one adipate (di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate, DEHA) from two species of fish (Scomber colias and Katsuwonus pelamis) and one of squid (Loligo gahi). The method was validated in terms of linearity, trueness and matrix effects. Determination coefficients (R

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-01-21T15:49:56Z No. of bitstreams: 1 CarlosGouveia_EngenhariaInformatica_LeonelNobrega.pdf: 3979279 bytes, checksum: 4327d8a9e2ce0256494a572e929e639c (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-01-21T15:49:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CarlosGouveia_EngenhariaInformatica_LeonelNobrega.pdf: 3979279 bytes, checksum: 4327d8a9e2ce0256494a572e929e639c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-12-16

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-01-21T14:59:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Projeto de Mestrado.pdf: 2036576 bytes, checksum: d4b1d53b955599d2e7888e62df610851 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-01-21T14:59:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Projeto de Mestrado.pdf: 2036576 bytes, checksum: d4b1d53b955599d2e7888e62df610851 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-12-14

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-02-01T10:25:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Jorge Freitas_Final Dezembro..pdf: 5758330 bytes, checksum: e45f0834551eaaed00a9694d6ea8d487 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-02-01T10:25:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Jorge Freitas_Final Dezembro..pdf: 5758330 bytes, checksum: e45f0834551eaaed00a9694d6ea8d487 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-12-10

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-02-07T15:09:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DM_DayanaAguiar_Final.pdf: 2130929 bytes, checksum: fb7d6d4d61d6c5458106f00a1340b7ed (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-02-07T15:09:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DM_DayanaAguiar_Final.pdf: 2130929 bytes, checksum: fb7d6d4d61d6c5458106f00a1340b7ed (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-12-07

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-01-14T14:06:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Thesis_Fernando.pdf: 3454823 bytes, checksum: b63e82afc517d08d911fd48ea82310a3 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-01-14T14:06:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Thesis_Fernando.pdf: 3454823 bytes, checksum: b63e82afc517d08d911fd48ea82310a3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-11-06

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Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-01-28T11:53:13Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Relatório de Estágio Versão Final.pdf: 6042855 bytes, checksum: 87d549725480f029d2f4cd46ebb3e24c (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-01-28T11:53:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Relatório de Estágio Versão Final.pdf: 6042855 bytes, checksum: 87d549725480f029d2f4cd46ebb3e24c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-11-24

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-01-17T14:41:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo_Lucas_Tese.pdf: 14369016 bytes, checksum: d5b7e1fcd5c5fd8f1d57593cdd5bad6f (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-01-17T14:41:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo_Lucas_Tese.pdf: 14369016 bytes, checksum: d5b7e1fcd5c5fd8f1d57593cdd5bad6f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-11-22

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-01-14T09:26:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Projeto de Estruturas em Vidro_Joana Andrade.pdf: 4607267 bytes, checksum: 7d35f68f6a68170389269118b12ec798 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-01-14T09:26:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Projeto de Estruturas em Vidro_Joana Andrade.pdf: 4607267 bytes, checksum: 7d35f68f6a68170389269118b12ec798 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-11-17

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2022-02-09T14:40:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MestradoCátiaSantos.pdf: 2958158 bytes, checksum: 0066ded07ae0008d77ddbf24ecdcdba9 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2022-02-09T14:40:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MestradoCátiaSantos.pdf: 2958158 bytes, checksum: 0066ded07ae0008d77ddbf24ecdcdba9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-11-17

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Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2021-12-07T10:40:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_Dr_JoseFigueira_25112021.pdf: 8263361 bytes, checksum: 970c196aaf4a16cfd403315dc1159266 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-12-07T10:40:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_Dr_JoseFigueira_25112021.pdf: 8263361 bytes, checksum: 970c196aaf4a16cfd403315dc1159266 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-10-15

Funding: This work was supported by FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia through the CQM Base Fund—UIDB/00674/2020, and Programmatic Fund -UIDP/00674/2020, and by Madeira 14–20 Program, project PROEQUIPRAM—Reforço do Investimento em Equipamentos e Infraestruturas Científicas na RAM (M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000008), by ARDITI—Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação Tecnologia e Inovação, through the projects M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000005—Centro de Química da Madeira—CQM+ (Madeira 14–20 Program), Project M1420-09-5369-FSE-000001—Madeira Oceanic Observatory project. André Lopes was supported by a grant under the project ISLANDAP “R+D+i Towards Aquaponic Development in the UP islands and the Circular Economy (ISLANDAP, MAC/1. 1ª/207)” founded by the FEDER under the INTERREG MAC 2014-2020 program. Worldwide, the food industry generates a large number of by-products from a wide variety of sources. These by-products represent an interesting and economical source of added value components with potential functionalities and/or bioactivities, which might be explored for industrial purposes, encouraging and promoting the circular economy concept. In this context, the current work aimed to evaluate the fatty acids (FAs) profile using gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), as well as the determination of related health lipid indices (e.g., atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic (TI)) as a powerful strategy to investigate the potential applications of different agri-food by-products for human nutrition and animal feeding. This work results showed that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are the predominant group in grape pomace (72.7%), grape bunches (54.3%), and brewer’s spent grain (BSG, 59.0%), whereas carrot peels are dominated by monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs, 47.3%), and grape stems (46.2%), lees (from 50.8 to 74.1%), and potato peels (77.2%) by saturated fatty acids (SFAs). These findings represent a scientific basis for exploring the nutritional properties of agri-food by-products. Special attention should be given to grape pomace, grape bunches, and BSG since they have a high content of PUFAs (from 54.3 to 72.7%) and lower AI (from 0.11 to 0.38) and TI (from 0.30 to 0.56) indexes, suggesting their potential to provide a variety of health benefits against cardiovascular diseases including well-established hypotriglyceridemia and anti-inflammatory effects, products to which they are added. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2021-12-07T10:26:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese de Doutoramento - PSILVA - VF2 (25062021).pdf: 14697592 bytes, checksum: 5743325fde76a801ecc0a47515693c6a (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-12-07T10:26:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese de Doutoramento - PSILVA - VF2 (25062021).pdf: 14697592 bytes, checksum: 5743325fde76a801ecc0a47515693c6a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-10-15

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2021-11-03T08:56:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PhD Thesis - Hildegardo.pdf: 9925092 bytes, checksum: c11d80bc046915bb54ba1fe9cf7e3d00 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-11-03T08:56:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PhD Thesis - Hildegardo.pdf: 9925092 bytes, checksum: c11d80bc046915bb54ba1fe9cf7e3d00 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-10-06

The main objective of this study was to analyze the flood propensity of the main watercourse of Ribeira Brava drainage basin and, if necessary, to suggest two methodologies to mitigate the impacts, i.e., detention basin sizing and riverbed roughness coefficient adjustment. For the flood propensity assessment, geomorphological data obtained from the watershed characterization process was used through the SIG ArcGIS software and then used for the calculation of the expected peak flow rate for a return period of 100 years using the Gumbel Distribution. Finally, the drainage capacity of the river mouth was verified via the Manning-Strickler equation, with the purpose of establishing whether the river mouth of the watershed has the capacity to drain the entire volume of rainwater in an extreme flood event. In summary, the results indicate that the river mouth of the Ribeira Brava watershed does not have the capacity to drain the rain flow for the pre-established return period, therefore, the detention basin was sized using the Dutch Method and the Simplified Triangular Hydrograph Method, and the roughness coefficient was adjusted in order to ensure the increase in the river mouth’s drainage capacity.

This paper presents the development and evaluation of EnnerSpectrum, a platform for electricity monitoring. The development was motivated by a gap between academic, fully custom-made monitoring solutions and commercial proprietary monitoring approaches. EnnerSpectrum is composed of two main entities, the back end, and the Gateway. The back end is a server comprised of flexible entities that can be configured to different monitoring scenarios. The Gateway interacts with equipment at a site that cannot interact directly with the back end. The paper presents the architecture and configuration of EnnerSpectrum for a long-term case study with 13 prosumers of electricity for approximately 36 months. During this period, the proposed system was able to adapt to several building and monitoring conditions while acquiring 95% of all the available consumption data. To finalize, the paper presents a set of lessons learned from running such a long-term study in the real world.

To uncover the potential of Pavlova pinguis J.C. Green as a natural source of value added compounds, its lipophilic extracts were studied before and after alkaline hydrolysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The GC-MS analysis of the lipophilic extracts showed a wide chemical diversity including 72 compounds distributed by fatty acids (29), sterols (14), fatty alcohols (13) and other lipophilic compounds (16). Fatty acids represented the main class of identified compounds presenting myristic, palmitic, palmitoleic and eicosapentaenoic acids as its main components. Through the ∑ω6/∑ω3 ratio (0.25) and sterol composition it was possible to observe that P. pinguis is a valuable source of ω3 fatty acids and stigmasterol (up to 43% of total sterols). After alkaline hydrolysis, fatty acids and fatty alcohols content increased by 32 and 14% respectively, in contrast to, monoglycerides which decreased by 84%. The long chain alcohols content enables the exploitation of this microalga as a source of these bioactive compounds. Smaller amounts of sugars and other compounds were also detected. The present study is a valuable reference to the metabolite characterization of P. pinguis and shows the potential of this microalga for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

There are many simultaneous iterative methods for approximating complex polynomial zeros, from more traditional numerical algorithms, such as the well-known third order Ehrlich–Aberth method, to the more recent ones. In this paper, we present a new family of combined iterative methods for the simultaneous determination of simple complex zeros of a polynomial, which uses the Ehrlich iteration and a correction based on King's family of iterative methods for nonlinear equations. The use of King's correction allows increasing the convergence order of the basic method from three to six. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the convergence behaviour and effectiveness of the proposed sixth order Ehrlich-like family of combined iterative methods for the simultaneous approximation of simple complex polynomial zeros.

The Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe (QuEChERS) method is a simple and straightforward extraction technique involving an initial partitioning followed by an extract clean-up using dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE). Originally, the QuEChERS approach was developed for recovering pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables, but rapidly gained popularity in the comprehensive isolation of analytes from different matrices. According to PubMed, since its development in 2003 up to November 2018, about 1360 papers have been published reporting QuEChERS as extraction method. Several papers have reported different improvements and modifications to the original QuEChERS protocol to ensure more efficient extractions of pH-dependent analytes and to minimize the degradation of labile analytes. This analytical approach shows several advantages over traditional extraction techniques, requiring low sample and solvent volumes, as well as less time for sample preparation. Furthermore, most of the published studies show that the QuEChERS protocol provides higher recovery rate and a better analytical performance than conventional extraction procedures. This review proposes an updated overview of the most recent developments and applications of QuEChERS beyond its original application to pesticides, mycotoxins, veterinary drugs and pharmaceuticals, forensic analysis, drugs of abuse and environmental contaminants. Their pros and cons will be discussed, considering the factors influencing the extraction efficiency. Whenever possible, the performance of the QuEChERS is compared to other extraction approaches. In addition to the evolution of this technique, changes and improvements to the original method are discussed.

Background Serious games have been increasingly used for motor rehabilitation. However, it is not well known how different game features can be used to impact specific skills properly. Here, we study how the mode (competitive, co-active, collaborative) in which a multi-user game is presented impacts engagement and social involvement. Methods We collected data from 20 pairs of community-dwelling older adults (71.5 ± 8.7 years) in a study following a within-persons design. The participants performed a two-player upper limb rehabilitation game with three conditions (Competitive, Co-active, and Collaborative modes). Engagement and social involvement were assessed through the Core Module and Social Presence Module, respectively, from the Game Experience Questionnaire. To infer the impact of personality and cognitive function, users answered the International Personality Item Pool (short version) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, respectively. Results Results show that the Collaborative game mode promotes more social involvement when compared to Competitive and Co-active modes. This result is mostly explained by those participants with higher cognitive skills, and those that are more extrovert. Extrovert participants feel more empathy and are behaviorally more involved when playing the Collaborative mode. Also, the Collaborative mode is shown to be appropriate to promote interaction with participants that previously had a distant relationship, while the Competitive mode seems to be more beneficial to promote empathy between players with a closer relationship. Conclusions The Collaborative game mode elicited significantly higher social involvement in terms of Empathy, Positive Affect, and Behavioral Involvement. Hence, this game mode seems to be the most adequate choice to be used in multiplayer rehabilitation settings, where social interaction is intended.

While exergames have been used with older adults in an attempt to promote higher physical activity (PA) levels, and its subsequent health benefits, there is a lack of research that objectively quantifies the PA levels that custom-made exergames can produce throughout an extended training program. In this paper, we describe a 3-month intervention study that aimed to measure the participants PA levels during exergames’ sessions and their effectiveness in eliciting the recommended activity levels. Over the course of the study, two groups of older adults participated in either a conventional multidimensional fitness training program of two sessions of exercise per week (n = 16) or in an equivalent combined program (n = 15), of one conventional and one exergame session per week. Both the objective PA levels (through accelerometry) and subjective effort (perceived exertion) were collected in each session. Results revealed that while participants spent more time in moderate-to-vigorous PA during exergaming than during conventional sessions, they also spent less energy, thus working out at lower intensities but for a more sustained amount of time. The self-reported exertion was consistently higher for the sessions of the combined exercise program. We showed that a set of custom-made exergames can be successfully used by trainers to set up personalized training sessions and can be used in combination with regular exercise for sustained long-term training, exposing differences between the two training regimes in terms of efficiency, elicited PA, and perceived effort.

International audience; In nanomedicine, the widespread concern of nanoparticles in general, and dendrimers, in particular, is the analysis of key in-vivo physicochemical parameters to ensure the preclinical and clinical development of ‘safe’ bioactive nanomaterials. It is clear that for biomedical applications, biocompatible dendrimers, used as nanocarriers or active per se, should be devoid of toxicity and immunogenicity, and have adequate PK/PD behaviors (adequate exposure) in order to diffuse in different tissues. Functionalization of dendrimers has a dramatic effect on in-vivo physicochemical parameters. In this review, we highlighted key in-vivo physicochemical properties, based on data from biochemical, cellular and animal models, to provide biocompatible dendrimers. Up-to-date, only scarce studies have been described on this topic.

Peptide epitopes have been widely used to develop synthetic vaccines and immunotherapies. However, peptide epitopes may exhibit poor absorption or immunogenicity due to their low molecular weights. Conversely, fourth-generation polyamidoamine (G4-PAMAM) dendrimers are nonimmunogenic and relatively nontoxic synthetic nanoparticles that have been used as adjuvants and nanocarriers of small peptides and to improve nasal absorption. Based on this information, we hypothesized that the combination of intranasal immunization and G4-PAMAM dendrimers would be useful for enhancing the antibody responses of HIV-1 gp120 peptide epitopes. Therefore, we first used structural data, peptide epitope predictors and docking and MD simulations on MHC-II to identify two peptide epitopes on the CD4 binding site of HIV-1 gp120. The formation of G4-PAMAM-peptide complexes was evaluated in silico (molecular docking studies using different G4-PAMAM conformations retrieved from MD simulations as well as the MMGBSA approach) and validated experimentally (electrophoresis, 1H NMR and cryo-TEM). Next, the G4-PAMAM dendrimer-peptide complexes were administered intranasally to groups of female BALB/cJ mice. The results showed that both peptides were immunogenic at the systemic and mucosal levels (nasal and vaginal), and G4-PAMAM dendrimer-peptide complexes improved IgG and IgA responses in serum and nasal washes. Thus, G4-PAMAM dendrimers have potential for use as adjuvants and nanocarriers of peptides.

In recent years, food frauds and adulterations have increased significantly. This practice is motivated by fast economical gains and has an enormous impact on public health, representing an important issue in food science. In this context, this review has been designed to be a useful guide of potential biomarkers of food authenticity and safety. In terms of food authenticity, we focused our attention on biomarkers reported to specify different botanical or geographical origins, genetic diversity or production systems, while at the food safety level, molecular evidences of food adulteration or spoilage will be highlighted. This report is the first to combine results from recent studies in a format that allows a ready overview of metabolites (

Nanocomposites composed of poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) and bacterial cellulose (BC) were prepared by the in-situ free radical polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) inside the BC network. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized in terms of structure, morphology, water-uptake capacity, thermal stability and viscoelastic properties. The three-dimensional structure of BC endowed the nanocomposites with good thermal stability (up to 270 °C) and viscoelastic properties (minimum storage modulus = 80 MPa at 200 °C). In addition, the water-uptake and crystallinity decreased with the increasing content of the hydrophobic and amorphous PGMA matrix. These nanocomposites were then submitted to post-modification via acid-catalysed hydrolysis to convert the hydrophobic PGMA into the hydrophilic poly(glyceryl methacrylate) (PGOHMA) counterpart, which increased the hydrophilicity of the nanocomposites and consequently improved their water-uptake capacity. Besides, the post-modified nanocomposites maintained a good thermal stability (up to 250 °C), viscoelastic properties (minimum storage modulus = 171 MPa at 200 °C) and porous structure. In view of these results, the PGMA/BC nanocomposites can be used as functional hydrophobic nanocomposites for post-modification reactions, whereas the PGOHMA/BC nanocomposites might have potential for biomedical applications requiring hydrophilic, swellable and biocompatible materials. published

Background Food frauds and counterfeit products produced to obtain economic advantages have become a growing concern over the last decade. The assessment of food safety and authenticity constitute a powerful tool to mitigate this problem and protect public health. Nevertheless, the growing sophistication of fraudulent practices requires a continuous update and improvement of the analytical methodologies. Scope and approach In this context, the advances and novel techniques and chemometric approaches reported since 2016 are discussed regarding their potential use in food authentication. This review details the main analytical techniques applied in the extraction, detection and identification of metabolites to obtain food fingerprints, emphasizing the advantages and drawbacks of each approach with practical examples. Additionally, the current legislation on food authentication has also been revised. Key findings and conclusions GC-MS, LC- q-TOF-MS and NMR followed by PCA and PLS-DA are the most often reported analytical methodologies to discriminate between authentic and non-authentic foodstuffs using chemical fingerprints. More recently, novel and promising statistical methods with high classification power (DD-SIMCA, OO-SIMCA, BPR, k-NN, among others) are being already applied. Overall, the development of non-destructive, on-site and real-time analytical procedures able to deliver fast and unambiguous food authentication results will continue to be the goal driving food research.

It is becoming increasingly common to design monumental staircases and their steps with elevated stiffness and low mass, obtaining high natural frequencies, off the range of frequencies that are excitable by pedestrians. However, this sometimes leads to unacceptable levels of vibration, with impulsive responses. In many cases the dynamic behaviour of steps is almost independent from the rest of the staircase, causing a phenomenon designated as local vibrations, which could be much more severe than the global vibrations of the staircase. In order to avoid this problem, this paper presents a simplified expression to pre-design stair steps which guarantee that excessive vibrations will not occur, without the need to perform a dynamic analysis. The expression was deduced based on the results of an experimental campaign, several numerical analyses and a theoretical analysis. During this study it was necessary to define an acceptable limit of vibrations specific for this type of vibration, which affects mainly the feet of pedestrians. The expression deduced is easy to apply because it depends only of vertical stiffness of the step. Finally, the pre-design expression is also applied to the staircase used in the experimental campaign, and it was concluded that it would be easy to avoid excessive vibrations, with a negligible cost increase.

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2021-11-23T11:57:09Z No. of bitstreams: 1 FranciscoTeixeira_dissertacao_final.pdf: 3662289 bytes, checksum: 357f1df2c0beb690422c7ec1f864fd77 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-11-23T11:57:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 FranciscoTeixeira_dissertacao_final.pdf: 3662289 bytes, checksum: 357f1df2c0beb690422c7ec1f864fd77 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-07-27

Phthalates are a group of chemicals used in a multitude of important industrial products (e.g., medical devices, children’s toys, and food packages), mainly as plasticizers to improve mechanical properties such as flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The wide occurrence of phthalates in many consumer products, including foods (e.g., bottled water, soft drinks, wine, milk, and meat) brings that most people are exposed to phthalates every day, which raises some concerns. Adverse health outcomes from phthalates exposure have been associated with endocrine disruption, deformities in the human reproductive system, increased risk of preterm birth, carcinogen exposure, among others. Apprehension related to the health risks and ubiquitous incidence of phthalates in foods inspires the development of reliable analytical approaches that allow their detection and quantification at trace levels. The purpose of the current review is to provide information related to the presence of phthalates in the food chain, highlighting the health risks associated with their exposure. Moreover, an overview of emerging extraction procedures and high-resolution analytical approaches for a comprehensive quantification of phthalates is presented.

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2021-10-14T14:28:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ROBUSTEZ DA CERTIFICAÇÃO ENERGÉTICA DOS EDIFÍCIOS DE HABITAÇÃO EM PORTUGAL.pdf: 7546598 bytes, checksum: af78487b8946255965be72bcfbced84c (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-10-14T14:28:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ROBUSTEZ DA CERTIFICAÇÃO ENERGÉTICA DOS EDIFÍCIOS DE HABITAÇÃO EM PORTUGAL.pdf: 7546598 bytes, checksum: af78487b8946255965be72bcfbced84c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-06-29

Submitted by António Freitas (amsf@uma.pt) on 2021-07-19T12:21:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PM_EngenhariaInformática_GuilhermeSilva.pdf: 100340117 bytes, checksum: f4d5bd02978f7b358f45c6781a5fad48 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-07-19T12:21:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PM_EngenhariaInformática_GuilhermeSilva.pdf: 100340117 bytes, checksum: f4d5bd02978f7b358f45c6781a5fad48 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-06-24