Architecture

As paisagens culturais evolutivas, tal como as classifica a UNESCO, testemunham a relacao do homem com o seu entorno natural ao longo de diversas geracoes. Neste sentido, considerando que o patrimonio vernacular representa um dos importantes aspectos dessa relacao, esta abordagem pretende reflectir sobre a premencia e a urgencia da sua analise e catalogacao cientifica, dado que este constitui um valioso arquivo vivo seriamente ameacado pelo processo de continua transformacao do territorio. Como estudo de caso, tomamos a regiao do Alto Douro Vinhateiro, localizada no interior do Norte de Portugal, e a arquitectura popular relacionada com a producao de vinho. Evolving cultural landscapes, such as UNESCO classifies, attest to man’s relationship with its natural environment over several generations. In this sense, considering that the vernacular heritage is one of the important aspects of this relationship, this approach seeks to reflect on the immediacy and urgency of its scientific an...

Conventional methods to load drugs into contact lenses are usually inefficient and are mostly limited to high water solubility drugs. This work involves the application of a supercritical fluid assisted molecular imprinting method in order to improve hydrophobic drug loading into soft contact lenses. The feasibility of preparing improved and more efficient flurbiprofen-loaded Hilafilcon B daily-and monthly-wear contact lenses is demonstrated. Furthermore, these processes do not alter critical functional properties of contact lenses and enable the regulation of drug loading by applying various processing cycles.

The effect of encapsulating matrix on retention, protection and delivery of Oregano essential oil (EO) was studied. EO was encapsulated in rice starch porous spheres, inulin and gelatine/sucrose capsules by spray drying. Gelatine/sucrose matrix was also dried by freeze drying. Experimental designs were applied to test the effect of bonding agents and solids content for rice starch and drying temperature and solids content for inulin and gelatine/sucrose systems. The ratio of gelatine/sucrose was also tested. EO was identified (confocal laser scanning microscopy and FT-IR) in all tested matrices and the release profiles, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity of encapsulates evaluated. Results showed that the three tested materials are able to encapsulate Oregano EO. Higher diffusion coefficients were obtained for starch microcapsules (about 10 À13 m 2 /s) followed by spray-dried gelatine/sucrose systems (about 10 À15 m 2 /s) and inulin microcapsules (about 10 À16 m 2 /s). Gelatine/sucrose microparticles exhibit high antioxidant and antimicrobial activity while inulin and rice starch microencapsulates ensure higher stability.

Novel ionic liquids (ILs) containing cholinium as a benign cation combined with anions based on five active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), namely, nalidixic acid, niflumic acid, 4-amino-salicylic acid, pyrazinoic acid and picolinic acid, were prepared via a simple and sustainable two-step anion exchange reaction. The solubility of the prepared pharmaceutically active ILs (API-ILs) in both water and simulated biological fluids at 25 C and 37 C, as well as the solubility of the parent APIs, were measured. Further, in vitro cytotoxicity levels for both cholinium-based API-ILs and parent APIs were established using two different human cells lines, namely Caco-2 colon carcinoma cells and HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Herein, the dual nature of ILs is exploited by combining the cheap, available and essential nutrient cholinium cation with pharmaceutically active anions, upgrading the chemical, physical and biopharmaceutical properties, particularly melting point, aqueous solubility and the potential to penetrate cell membranes of the parent APIs, without impair their cytotoxicity response which prompt opportunities for creating further advances in pharmaceutical challenges.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the feasibility of using solid lipid particles of glyceryl monostearate, produced using supercritical fluids, as carriers for active substances. Studies of melting point depression were carried out to pressures up to 24 MPa and the solubility of carbon dioxide in the lipid matrix was measured for three different temperatures in a range from 10 to 20 MPa. This matrix was then processed by PGSS ® technique (particles from gas saturated solutions) with and without active substance. Caffeine was used as a model molecule. The particles produced were analyzed by laser diffraction for particle size distribution and by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) for morphology assessment. The particles loaded with caffeine were also analyzed by HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography).

This work studies the possibility of enhancing the solubility of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenone, the core structure of chalcones, through lipidic formulations under supercritical CO 2 processing. Microparticles of chalcone, alone and with lipid carriers, were produced by PGSS ® , a method which involves the quick depressurization of a gas saturated solution through a nozzle, and takes advantage of the lower melting temperatures obtained from the presence of carbon dioxide in the bulk mixture. The particles obtained were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser diffraction and attenuated total reflection Fourier infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic imaging. Solubility tests in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids, without enzymes, were performed. The presence of the lipid carriers can influence the solubility of trans-chalcone in the solutions tested.

The aim of this work was to develop an innovative supercritical fluid (SCF)-assisted molecular imprinting method to endow commercial soft contact lenses (SCLs) with the ability to load specific drugs and to control their release. This approach seeks to overcome the limitation of the common loading of preformed SCLs by immersion in concentrated drug solutions (only valid for highly water soluble drugs) and of the molecular imprinting methods that require choice of the drug before polymerization and thus to create drug-tailored networks. In particular, we focused on improving the flurbiprofen load/release capacity of daily wear Hilafilcon B commercial SCLs by the use of sequential SCF flurbiprofen impregnation and extraction steps. Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 ) impregnation assays were performed at 12.0 MPa and 40°C, while scCO 2 extractions were performed at 20.0 MPa and 40°C. Conventional flurbiprofen sorption and drug removal experiments in aqueous solutions were carried out for comparison purposes. SCF-processed SCLs showed a recognition ability and a higher affinity for flurbiprofen in aqueous solution than for the structurally related ibuprofen and dexamethasone, which suggests the creation of molecularly imprinted cavities driven by both physical (swelling/plasticization) and chemical (carbonyl groups in the network with the C-F group in the drug) interactions. Processing with scCO 2 did not alter some of the critical functional properties of SCLs (glass transition temperature, transmittance, oxygen permeability, contact angle), enabled the control of drug loaded/released amounts (by the application of several consecutive processing cycles) and permitted the preparation of hydrophobic drug-based therapeutic SCLs in much shorter process times than those using conventional aqueous-based molecular imprinting methods.

A novel dirhodium complex (Rh 2 (L-PheAla) 2 (OAc) 2 is reported with strong activity towards human colon adenocarcinoma cells. Its effect was not accompanied by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) neither by activation of caspase-3.

In recent years many studies on cherries have revealed that they are rich sources of bioactive compounds with potential human health benefits. In this work, we evaluated the antioxidant activity and antiproliferative effect in human cancer cells of nine sweet cherries, including two traditional cultivars from Portugal (Saco and Morangão). Results obtained in biological assays, together with the phenolic composition of cherries, were submitted to principal component analysis (PCA) which allowed samples to be grouped in terms of their bioactivity. Saco cherry and two exotic cultivars (Ulster and Lapin) proved to have higher contents of phenolic compounds, highest antioxidant activity and were the most effective in inhibiting human cancer cells derived from colon (HT29) and stomach (MKN45). Correlation of the data obtained showed that anthocyanins were the major contributors to the antioxidant capacity and antiproliferative effect of cherries. Additionally, hydroxycinnamic acids (neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid and p-coumaroylquinic acid), flavan-3-ols (catechin and epicatechin) and flavonols (rutin and quercetin-3-glucoside) also play important roles in protection against oxidative stress.

The use of natural antimicrobial compounds, especially extracted from plants, as food preservatives is nowadays widely used, since plant matrices possesses antimicrobial natural products to protect themselves from microbial infection and deterioration. Plant phenolics are currently of growing interest due to their likely human health benefit properties.

Equilibrium solubility of flurbiprofen, a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent, in supercritical carbon dioxide was measured by a static analytical method in the pressure range from (8.0 to 25.0) MPa, at temperatures of (303.0, 313.0, and 323.0) K. The cosolvent effect of ethanol in the solubility of the bioactive compound in supercritical carbon dioxide was investigated at 18 MPa and 313 K. The results obtained have a potential application in supercritical processes for this drug. Experimental solubility data were correlated with an empirical density-based Chrastil model. Figure 1. Chemical structure of flurbiprofen, CAS [5104-49-4], 2-fluoro-alpha-methyl-4-biphenylacetic acid.

Equilibrium solubility of acetazolamide, a carbonic-anhydrase inhibitor, in supercritical carbon dioxide in the presence of a cosolvent was measured by a static analytical method for three mole fractions of ethanol (5, 7.5, and 10) % at 313.0 K from (13.0 to 21.0) MPa and at 323.0 K from (13.0 to 21.0) MPa for a mole fraction of 5% ethanol The presence of a cosolvent (ethanol) was essential for the solubilization of the bioactive compound in supercritical carbon dioxide. The results obtained are useful for the design of supercritical processes with this drug. Experimental solubility data were correlated with two enhanced density-based models (Chrastil, I. Solubility of Solids in Supercritical Gases. J. Phys. Chem. 1982, 86, 3016-3021; Santiago, J. M.; Teja, A. S. The solubility of solids in supercritical fluids. Fluid Phase Equilib. 1999, 158-160, 501-510).

Bravo de Esmolfe Bioactivity Antioxidant activity Antiproliferative activity A B S T R A C T Apples are known to have many health-promoting activities, especially anticancer, antiradical and antioxidant effects. Most of these actions are believed to be due to their polyphenolic components which vary greatly between different varieties. In this work, four traditional Portuguese apple cultivars (Bravo de Esmolfe, Malá pio Fino, Malá pio da Serra and Pê ro Pipo) and five exotic varieties (Golden, Starking, Fuji, Gala Galaxy and Reineta Parda) were evaluated in terms of their bioactivity using both cell-based and cell-free assays; 17 parameters were evaluated for each sample. Results obtained were submitted to principal component analysis (PCA) and it was possible to conclude that Malá pio Fino and Bravo de Esmolfe apple varieties have the highest antioxidant effect and Reineta

In situ ATR-IR spectroscopy was used to simultaneously measure the sorption and swelling of carbon dioxide at high pressures in a biocompatible acrylate copolymer poly(methylmethacrylate-co-ethylhexylacrylate-co-ethyleneglycoldimethacrylate), P(MMA-EHA-EGDMA). The ν 3 band of CO 2 dissolved in the polymer (at 2335 cm −1 ) was used to calculate the sorption data and the polymer swelling was determined by analyzing the changes in the absorbance of the ν(C O) band (at 1730 cm −1 ) of the polymer. Transmission spectroscopy in the near-IR region was also used to study the sorption of CO 2 in the polymer using combinational and overtone bands. The experiments were carried out in a pressure range of 2.0-12.0 MPa and in a temperature range of 27-40 • C. The data for CO 2 sorption in this polymer obtained by in situ spectroscopic methods have been compared to the data obtained by the gravimetric technique.

Herein the preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) using supercritical fluid technology is evaluated. Poly(diethylene glycol dimethacrylate), polyDEGDMA, was synthesised in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 ) using a carboxylic acid end-capped perfluoropolyether oil as stabiliser. Polymerisations were carried out in the presence of different concentrations of two different template drug molecules, salicylic acid and acetylsalicylic acid. Results suggest that molecular imprinted polymers were successfully prepared by supercritical polymerisation and then impregnated with the template in order to prepare controlled release systems.