Foundation For Science And Technology Research Articles

BUILDING VASCULARIZED CONSTRUCTS FROM THE BOTTOM-UP: HARNESSING MICROSCALE LIVING MATERIALS IN TISSUE ENGINEERING

Bottom-up tissue engineering (TE) strategies employing microscale living materials as building blocks provide a promising avenue for generating intricate 3D constructs resembling native tissues. These microtissue units exhibit high cell densities and a diverse extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, enhancing their biological relevance. By thoughtfully integrating different cell types, the establishment of vital cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions can be promoted, enabling the recreation of biomimetic micro-niches and the replication of complex morphogenetic processes. Notably, by co-assembling blood vessel-forming endothelial cells with supportive stromal cells, microtissues with stable capillary beds, referred to as vascular units (VUs), can be generated. Through a modular TE approach, these VUs can be further combined with other microtissues and biomaterials to construct large-scale vascularized tissues from the bottom up. Integration of VUs with technologies such as 3D bioprinting and microfluidics allows for the creation of structurally intricate and perfusable constructs. In this presentation, we will showcase examples of VUs and explore their applications in regenerative medicine and tissue modeling.Acknowledgements: This work was supported by project EndoSWITCH (PTDC/BTM-ORG/5154/2020) funded by FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology).

Promoting Psychosocial Well-Being and Empowerment of Immigrant Women: A Systematic Review of Interventions.

This systematic review (SLR), based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, aims to present a current overview of interventions aimed at promoting the psychosocial well-being and/or empowerment (PWE) of immigrant women in order to guide future projects. Data collection was performed in the SCOPUS and Web of Science databases, with studies published between 2012 and 20 March 2023 in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were based on the PICO guidelines: (P) immigrant women, (I) interventions to improve PWE, (C) comparison between the initial and final phases, and (O) evaluated results for PWE. Risk of bias was assessed, and most of the studies met more than 80% of the JBI bias criteria and had moderate quality on GRADE. Thirteen studies with 585 participants were included, mostly non-randomized, non-equivalent, and with an experimental-control group design. The main components of interventions were health education/psychoeducation, counseling, cognitive restructuring, and expressive therapies. A descriptive synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data was made to evaluate the results of the interventions in PWE. In the experimental studies, results assessed improvements mainly in mood and depression levels, and stress reduction. Empowerment components were less covered. Experimental groups performed better in almost all variables in the comparison with control groups. The strongest interventions were psychoeducation and cognitive restructuring techniques. The main limitations of the studies were the lack of quality of several studies, sample size and representativeness, language, and the possibility of response bias. Even taking this into account, this article makes an original contribution by advocating for evidence-based practice and offering significant implications for health professionals, policy makers, and researchers that work with the integrative health of immigrant women. This SLR is registered in PROPESRO Registration: CRD42023399683. PS is a research fellow of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) of Portugal.

The city from the point of view of children: social inequalities in representing and using urban public spaces

This paper was written under the research project CRiCity: “Children and their Right to the City: Tackling urban inequity through the participatory design of child-friendly cities” developed in Lisbon and Porto and funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through national funds (PTDC/SOC-SOC/30415/2017). We focus on two case-studies developed in Porto. Our aim is to present some of the findings of the focus groups and drawing activities developed with children in two institutions. During this research, it was evident that children from middle and high classes are more subjected to institutionalization, domestication and hyper-protection processes than those from lower social classes. Also, we conclude that the phenomena of insularization and specialization contributes to aggravating restrictions on public spaces by producing forms of socio-spatial segregation depending not only on age, but also on class and social status.

The aging retina of wild‐type and mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

AbstractSeveral neurological diseases have been shown to have measurable correlates in the eye, thus further supporting the idea of the retina as a window to brain and neurodegeneration. Retinal imaging techniques, way less complex, more affordable and widely available than their counterparts for the brain, have the potential to provide alternatives to brain imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Also, animal models of disease are expected to allow the investigation of neurodegenerative diseases at states that would be inaccessible in a human patient, particularly at the onset of diseases that may occur decades before diagnosis. In this talk, we will present and discuss data and findings from wild‐type and triple‐transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease by optical coherence tomography (OCT) at the ages of 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, and 16 months old. In addition to commonplace retinal thickness measurements, texture analysis findings and findings from a neural network fed with OCT B‐scans and a neural network fed with OCT computed fundus images will be present and discussed.Funding: This study was funded by The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through PTDC/EMD‐EMD/28039/2017 and by FEDER‐COMPETE through POCI‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐028039.

Pathophysiological and therapeutic implications of urocortin-2 in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Abstract Introduction Although initially believed to be less severe than heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) prevalence has increased and accounts for as much as 50% of heart failure cases [1,2]. Treatment options remain limited and aim primarily for symptom relief and improvement of quality of life [2]. Urocortin-2 (Ucn-2) belongs to the corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) family and has been found to have significant beneficial hemodynamic, hormonal and renoprotective effects both in both animal models and humans with HFrEF [3,4]. Objectives In this work we studied the role of the Ucn-2/CRHR2 system in the pathophysiology of HFpEF and evaluated the efficacy of Ucn-2 as a novel therapeutic strategy in this clinical syndrome. Methods 18-week-old male ZSF1-Lean (n=26) and ZSF1-Obese (n=28) rats randomly received either Ucn-2 (15 μg/kg/day, subcutaneously) or vehicle (0.9% NaCl), for 12 weeks, resulting in 4 experimental groups: ZSF1-Lean + Ucn-2; ZSF1-Lean + vehicle; ZSF1-Obese + Ucn-2; ZSF1-Obese + vehicle. During the treatment period, evolution of cardiac (dys)function was assessed by echocardiography and exercise tolerance test. After treatment, invasive hemodynamic analysis was performed, with subsequent sample collection. Histological analysis of the left ventricle (LV) was performed as well as quantitative western blotting and RT-PCR analysis for relevant molecular markers (Figure 1). Results mRNA expression of Ucn-2 and CRHR2, as well as protein levels of CRHR2, were decreased in the LV of ZSF1-Obese rats compared to ZSF1-Lean and correlated with LV structure and diastolic function. ZSF1-Obese rats showed systemic hypertension, decreased endurance capacity and impaired LV relaxation, with preserved ejection fraction and cardiac index. Chronic Ucn-2 treatment attenuated hypertension and modestly enhanced effort tolerance. In both morphometric and echocardiographic analysis we found that ZSF1-Obese rats presented significantly higher cardiac and LV weight, compared to Lean counterparts. Cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area and fibrosis were found to be increased in Obese rats, corroborating morphometric and echocardiographic measurements. Chronic Ucn-2 treatment attenuated both cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Furthermore, ZSF1-Obese rats displayed increased BNP and TNF-α LV mRNA expression, both of which were decreased with Ucn-2 treatment. Interestingly, Col3A1 LV mRNA expression was found to be decreased in ZSF1-Obese rats compared to ZSF1-Lean, and Ucn-2 therapy resulted in a faint further decrease of Col3A1 expression, compared to non-treated animals. Conclusion This work suggests that Ucn-2/CRHR2 system is altered in experimental HFpEF and that chronic administration of Ucn-2 attenuates LV dysfunction and remodeling, in particular the hypertrophic changes of the cardiac muscle. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the auspices of the Cardiovas-cular R&D Center–UnIC [UIDB/00051/2020 and UIDP/00051/2020] and project IMPAcT [PTDC/MED-FSL/31719/2017; POCI-01–0145-FEDER-031719].

Therapeutic effects of nebulization-based delivery of anti-miR-146a in experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension

Abstract   Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is a chronic disorder characterized by excessive pulmonary vascular remodelling, resulting in elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricle (RV) overload and failure. PAH remains incurable, and new therapeutic approaches are required. The microRNA-146a (miR-146a) promotes vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and vascular neointimal hyperplasia, both important hallmarks of PAH. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-146a in the pathophysiology of PAH and in the progression to RV hypertrophy and failure. Sprague Dawley rats received a subcutaneous injection of monocrotaline (MCT group) or vehicle (CTRL group) and, after fourteen days they were treated, by intratracheal nebulization, with an anti-miR-146a, forming four distinct groups: CTRL-treated; CTRL-untreated, MCT-treated, and MCT-untreated. Twenty-seven days after MCT injection, echocardiographic and invasive hemodynamic evaluations were performed in all animal groups. Also, wild-type (WT) and miR-146a knock-out (KO) (miR-146a−/−) mice were submitted to either 3 weeks of chronic hypoxia-induced PAH with weekly Sugen 5416 administration (SuHx). Compared to MCT-untreated rats, the MCT-treated rats showed decreased RV hypertrophy, (as measured by the Fulton index),decreased RV end-diastolic diameter/left ventricle end-diastolic diameter (RVEDD/LVEDD) ratio, and decreased in RV diastolic pressures. KO-SuHx group, when compared to WT-SuHx group, showed decreased RV hypertrophy (as measured by the Fulton index), and decreased RV systolic pressures and dilation, as well as lower RV end end-diastolic diameter (RVEDDi) and right atria area (RAAi). Our findings show that miR-146a pharmacological or genetic inhibition reduces RV remodelling and improves cardiac function. Thus, miR-146a represents a promising therapeutic target in PAH. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): This research was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT).

ULTRA-HIGH RESOLUTION MAPS AND MODELS AS TOOLS FOR MANAGING AND MONITORING ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE GEOSITES (ESTRELA UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK, PORTUGAL)

Abstract. This paper focuses on the interpretation of the natural components presents at different geosites in the Estrela UNESCO Global Geopark and on the analysis of soil erosion dynamics associated with trampling events in recent years. Three areas were evaluated: Salgadeiras - Covão da Clareza, Lagoa Seca and Covão do Boi. On there, UAV photogrammetry surveys were applied to obtain orthomosaics and dense clouds that then were used like background at the successive steps of the analysis. The high resolution of the point cloud and orthomosaics allowed us to identify and cartography the geology, hydrography, and vegetation features presents in each place. Besides all trampling sectors were mapped, establishing thus areas potentially vulnerable to environmental degradation because of walk-induced erosion. The analysis presented at this work evidenced an increase in the trampling areas in all the geosites considered, evidencing the potential of this tool like support for future sustainable management of protected areas.This research was supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) within the scope of the project Avaliação de sistemas aéreos inteligentes de baixo-custo para mapeamento 3D da superficies of terrene (PTDC/EAM-REM/30475/2014) and by Estrela UNESCO Global Geopark.

MP38-01 BIOACTIVE FIBROUS MEMBRANE CONTAINING ENDOGENOUS NERVE GROWTH FACTOR PROMOTES CELLULAR AND FUNCTIONAL RECUPERATION OF IMPAIRED CAVERNOUS NERVE: AN IN VIVO ANIMAL STUDY

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 May 2022MP38-01 BIOACTIVE FIBROUS MEMBRANE CONTAINING ENDOGENOUS NERVE GROWTH FACTOR PROMOTES CELLULAR AND FUNCTIONAL RECUPERATION OF IMPAIRED CAVERNOUS NERVE: AN IN VIVO ANIMAL STUDY Paulo Mota, Marta Casanova, Helena Vala, Carmen Nóbrega, Alain Morais, Catarina Silva, Sara Anacleto, Alexandre Barros, Rui Reis, Estêvão Lima, Albino Martins, and Nuno Neves Paulo MotaPaulo Mota More articles by this author , Marta CasanovaMarta Casanova More articles by this author , Helena ValaHelena Vala More articles by this author , Carmen NóbregaCarmen Nóbrega More articles by this author , Alain MoraisAlain Morais More articles by this author , Catarina SilvaCatarina Silva More articles by this author , Sara AnacletoSara Anacleto More articles by this author , Alexandre BarrosAlexandre Barros More articles by this author , Rui ReisRui Reis More articles by this author , Estêvão LimaEstêvão Lima More articles by this author , Albino MartinsAlbino Martins More articles by this author , and Nuno NevesNuno Neves More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002592.01AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer is a frequent disease and the radical prostatectomy one of the most used treatment when the cancer is localized. This procedure commonly causes erectile dysfunction (ED) by injure the cavernous nerve (CN) during the surgery.With this research we investigate the ability of a bioactive fibrous membrane (FM) to regenerate the damaged CN in a rat model of CN injury. METHODS: Male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were distributed by 4 experimental groups: sham (only a lower midline abdominal incision), negative control (lower midline abdominal incision with pelvic dissection and CN crush but no FM implantation), electrospun fibrous membrane [eFM] (with CN crush and FM implantation) and electrospun fibrous membrane biofunctionalized with NGF from rat urine [eFM-uNGF] (with CN crush). Function was evaluated five weeks later after an injection of apomorphine by glans observation (visual scoring) and intracavernous pressure (ICP) measurements. Neurogenic genes expression and Histological and Immunohistochemical analysis of CN and cavernous tissue was performed. RESULTS: in this model of bilateral CN crush the treatment with implanted bioactive fibrous membrane induces CN regeneration and restoration of erectile function (p <0.001) (figure), showing a significant increased number of smooth muscle cells and nNOS and eNOS contents. Additionally, the bioactive fibrous membrane promotes a CN protective effect and increase the nerve regeneration capacity by increasing the number of myelinated axons and nNOS-positive cells, recovering from the CN fibrosis observed in rats not treated. CONCLUSIONS: This personalized regenerative strategy could help better recovery of erectile function after CN injuries, and it may constitute an effective novel option to prostate cancer patients suffering from ED after being subject to radical prostatectomy. Source of Funding: The authors would like to acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the PhD grant of M.R.C. (PD/BD/113797/2015) financed by the Doctoral Program on Advanced Therapies for Health (PATH) (FSE/POCH/PD/169/2013), the IF grant of A.M. (IF/00376/2014), the project Cells4_IDs (PTDC/BTM-SAL/28882/2017) and FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UIDB/04033/2020 © 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 207Issue Supplement 5May 2022Page: e618 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Paulo Mota More articles by this author Marta Casanova More articles by this author Helena Vala More articles by this author Carmen Nóbrega More articles by this author Alain Morais More articles by this author Catarina Silva More articles by this author Sara Anacleto More articles by this author Alexandre Barros More articles by this author Rui Reis More articles by this author Estêvão Lima More articles by this author Albino Martins More articles by this author Nuno Neves More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...

Development of Plan S monitoring and compliance tool in the context of PTCRIS for Portuguese National Science Foundation

The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) has endorsed Plan-S since early 2021 and it is working towards implementing its obligations. To ensure an effective fulfillment of its open science policies, FCT is implementing a new monitoring and compliance tool, that will enforce the compliance with Plan-S as well as the new FCT's open access (OA) policy. This paper details FCT's approach to implement this tool and discusses the challenges of integrating information that is spread across multiple systems. The new tool will be built on top of infrastructures and services developed by FCT over the last years under the umbrella of the Portuguese Current Research Information System (PTCRIS) program. This tool comprises an operational component, integrated with the grant management system, and an analytical component, based on a Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence (DW/BI) system. The DW/BI system for the ecosystem of Science and Technology in Portugal will be developed using Kimball's Dimensional DW architecture, which advocates the incremental design and development of dimensional data marts linked by conforming dimensions. In this approach, data marts contain atomic and summarized data, corresponding to the development of elementary and derived dimensional models. Three data marts will be developed for the subject areas of funding, scientific results and for monitoring and compliance. The last data mart will calculate the compliance indicators for Plan-S as well as for FCT's OA policy. The operational component of the new tool then receives, from the analytical component, the list of scientific results per funding registry along with data regarding compliance. A list of non-compliances for each scientific result will be the basis of a notification module that will inform the principal investigator (PI) and the FCT compliance officer.

A Constitution for the Anthropocene Body Politic Environment, Culture, and the Humanities in the Twenty-First Century

The following article is a slightly revised version of Serenella Iovino’s Keynote Address at the 2021 European Conference for the Humanities, jointly organised in Lisbon (5-7 May) by the UNESCO Social and Human Sciences Programme, the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences (CIPSH), and the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The theme of the Conference Section inaugurated by this lecture was “The Humanities in the Twenty-First Century”. By acknowledging the official approval of the BRIDGES Project on education for sustainability as a partner of the UNESCO Management of Social Transformation Program, Iovino evaluated the role of the Environmental Humanities in the agenda of the so-called ‘New Humanities’, paying special attention to their relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this framework, Venice emerged both as a symbol and as a very concrete object of care, proving to be “a thinking machine” for contemporary natural-cultural dynamics, as Salvatore Settis has defined it. The lecture ended with the invitation to turn the current crisis into a constitutive moment for the ‘Anthropocene body politic’, namely, the earthly collective of agents and of processes, both human and nonhuman, natural and technological.

May the brief physical activity assessment tool accurately measure physical activity in patients with resistant hypertension?

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – EU funding. Main funding source(s): FEDER Funds through the Operational Competitiveness Factors Program—COMPETE National Funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) “PTDC/DTP-DES/1725/2014”. SL is a PhD fellow supported by the FCT (Grant Ref: SFRH/BD/129454/2017). Introduction Resistant hypertension is a major health problem due to the increased risk of cardiovascular events and mortality. Physical activity and exercise reduces blood pressure in resistant hypertension and is associated with lower cardiovascular risk and mortality. It is presently recommended that physical activity assessment should be a priority in all visits to health settings Purpose This study aims to determine if the Brief Physical Activity Assessment Tool (BPAAT), a 2-question tool to assess physical activity, is a valid instrument to detect inactive patients with resistant hypertension.  Methods Sixty patients with a diagnosis of resistant hypertension were recruited. Outcome measures included clinical data, blood pressure and daily physical activity. Physical activity was objectively measured over a 7-day period with an accelerometer and subjectively assessed (self-assessment) by the BPAAT. The association between the BPAAT and accelerometry, according to the BPAAT scoring categories, was assessed bythe percentage of agreement, Cohen’s Kappa and sensitivity and specificity. Results Patients (33 were male) had a mean age of 59.4 ± 9.1years, were on average overweight (BMI 29.5 ± 4.5 kg/m2) and on an average of 4.5 ± 0.7 antihypertensive medications. Forty-two patients (70%) were classified as insufficiently active by the BPAAT compared to the 38 (63.3%) insufficiently active patients identified by the accelerometry data. Regarding the questionnaire’s specificity and sensitivity, the BPAAT correctly identified 32 [84.2 (73.1 – 95.3) %] of the 38 ‘insufficiently active’ patients and 12 [54.5 (34.3 – 74.7) %] of the 22 ‘sufficiently active’ patients identified by accelerometry. The agreement between BPAAT and accelerometry to identify sufficiently/insufficiently active patients, according to the BPAAT’s cut-off values was fair to moderate (Kappa = 0.403 (0.162 – 0.674), with a percentage of agreement of 73.3%. Conclusion The BPAAT, a 2-question tool to assess physical activity, seems to be a valid and fast solution to identify insufficiently active adults with resistant hypertension during routine clinical visits.

Higher levels of physical activity is associated with lower arterial stiffness in patients with resistant hypertension

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) European Regional Development Fund – Operational Competitiveness Factors Program (COMPETE) Background  Physical activity has been associated with reduced arterial stiffness in patients with hypertension. However, in resistant hypertension, a specific population with an increased risk for target organ damage, cardiovascular morbidity, and mortality, the evidence is sparse.  Purpose  The present study aimed to determine the association between daily physical activity and arterial stiffness in patients with resistant hypertension. Methods  Fifty-seven patients with resistant hypertension were recruited. Physical activity was objectively assessed during 7 consecutive days with accelerometers. Arterial stiffness was evaluated using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) .  Results  Participants (50.9% men), aged 58.8 ± 9.4 years, were mainly overweight and were taking in average 4.5 antihypertensive medications. The cf-PWV showed an inverse correlation with light-intensity physical activity (r = -0.290, p = 0.029) and total daily physical activity (r = -0.287, p = 0.030). Additionally, cf-PWV tended to be inversely associated with the number of steps per day (r = -0.242, p = 0.069). Patients with higher risk of cardiovascular events (cf-PWV ≥ 10 m/s) tended to spend less time in light-intensity physical activity (324.0 ± 129.4 vs. 380.5 ± 103.1 min/day, p = 0.090) and to perform less total daily physical activity (351.5 ± 141.7 vs. 411.7 ± 109.1 min/day, p = 0.091) than participants with cf-PWV below the risk threshold value. Conclusions  Higher levels of total physical activity and daily levels of light-intensity were associated to lower arterial stiffness. These results emphasize the importance of physical activity as a nonpharmacological tool for patients with resistant hypertension.

Cellulose Dissolved in Ionic Liquids for Modification of the Shape of Keratin Fibers

Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020

Dashboard COMPRIME_COMPRI_MOv: Multiscalar Spatio-Temporal Monitoring of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Portugal

Due to its novelty, the recent pandemic of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which is associated with the spread of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), triggered the public’s interest in accessing information, demonstrating the importance of obtaining and analyzing credible and updated information from an epidemiological surveillance context. For this purpose, health authorities, international organizations, and university institutions have published online various graphic and cartographic representations of the evolution of the pandemic with daily updates that allow the almost real-time monitoring of the evolutionary behavior of the spread, lethality, and territorial distribution of the disease. The purpose of this article is to describe the technical solution and the main results associated with the publication of the COMPRIME_COMPRI_MOv dashboard for the dissemination of information and multi-scale knowledge of COVID-19. Under two rapidly implementing research projects for innovative solutions to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, promoted in Portugal by the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology), a website was created. That website brings together a diverse set of variables and indicators in a dynamic and interactive way that reflects the evolutionary behavior of the pandemic from a multi-scale perspective, in Portugal, constituting itself as a system for monitoring the evolution of the pandemic. In the current situation, this type of exploratory solutions proves to be crucial to guarantee everyone’s access to information while simultaneously emerging as an epidemiological surveillance tool that is capable of assisting decision-making by public authorities with competence in defining control policies and fight the spread of the new coronavirus.

Band Gap Engineering in Luminescence Thermometry – Pros and Cons

Luminescence thermometry and 2D imaging using luminescence thermometric phosphors are of growing interest as these non-contact and non-invasive techniques may offer important advantages in some applications. The requirements such thermometers have to fulfill depend on considered use. It is obvious that bio and medical applications points on different parameters than measurements in cryo-range and measuring high temperatures point on yet different needs. Nevertheless, high-sensitivity and low inaccuracy are always appreciated, as well as chemical stability in conditions the thermometers are to be used.One of the limitations of known luminescence thermometers is their limited range of temperatures they may measure. Obviously, some applications do not need a broad range of thermometer usability. On the other hand, presenting a good performance over a wide range of temperatures would give a versatile “all-purpose” thermometer. This might open a door for truly broad usage of such a phosphor.Trying to deliberately manage the performance of luminescence thermometers for a broad-range and accurate temperature measuring we paid attention to the bandgap engineering as a tool to achieve this goal. In this presentation, we shall focus on Lu2(Ge,Si)O5:Pr and Y3(Al,Ga)5O12:Pr powders with different Ge:Si and Al:Ga ratios, respectively. We shall discuss the advantages of bandgap engineering in luminescence thermometry and will point to possible complications this may cause. Among others, we shall show that managing the bandgap cause at the same time changes in phonons energies and these affect radiative and non-radiative processes, so important when luminescence over a broad range of temperatures is considered. Last but not least, a side effect of bandgap engineering is the change of the phosphor refractive index, also an important parameter for luminescence properties.This research was supported by the Polish National Science Centre (NCN) upon the grants #UMO-2017/25/B/ST5/00824 and UMO-2018/29/B/ST5/00420 and the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020 & UIDP/50011/2020, financed by Portuguese funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)/MCTES. Financial support from FCT (PTDC/CTM-NAN/4647/2014, NANOHEATCONTROL - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031469) is also acknowledged. E. Z. and L. D. C. are grateful to the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWA) for support under the NAWA-Bekker #PPN/BEK/2018/1/00333/DEC/1 and NAWA-Ulam #PPN/ULM/2019/1/00077/U/00001 projects, respectively. Figure 1

Valorization of Seaweed Carbohydrates: Autohydrolysis as a Selective and Sustainable Pretreatment

This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation forScience and Technology (FCT), under the scope of thestrategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2020 unit and under thescope of the project “AlgaePlas-Biorefinery of macroalgae forvalorization of the carbohydrate fraction to sustainablebioplastics,”PTDC/BII-BIO/29242/2017.

Comparison of short-term light disturbance, optical and visual performance outcomes between a myopia control contact lens and a single-vision contact lens.

To compare the optical and visual performance of a dual-focus (DF) contact lens used for myopia control with a single-vision (SV) contact lens of the same material. A randomised, double-masked crossover study. Twenty-eight healthy, myopic volunteers between 18 and 32years of age (23.49±4.07years) participated in this study. The sensory dominant eye for distance vision was determined. Refraction, best-corrected visual acuity (VA) and aberrations for 3mm and 5mm pupil diameters were quantified without a contact lens in situ. Subjects were fitted with two contact lens designs: DF and SV, both made of omafilcon A material. The Quality of Vision (QoV) questionnaire, over-refraction, best-corrected VA, stereopsis at 40cm, best-corrected photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity, light disturbance and aberrations were assessed 25min after contact lens insertion. There were no statistically significant differences in best-corrected VA and stereopsis between the baseline, DF and SV conditions. Photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity were lower for the DF contact lens at all frequencies, with the exception of the mesopic contrast sensitivity at 18 cycles per degree (p=0.23). Higher order aberrations and light disturbance size and irregularity were higher for the DF contact lens (p<0.001). No differences were found in higher order aberrations between baseline and the SV contact lens condition for each pupil diameter. QoV scores also revealed lower frequency, severity and bothersome scores with the SV contact lens than with the DF contact lens (p<0.001). The DF contact lens design decreased the psychophysical and psychometric visual quality scores in the short-term under dim-light conditions when compared with a single-vision contact lens design of the same material. VA and stereopsis were unaffected by the lens design.

Effect of Ionic Liquid Content on the Crystallization Kinetics and Morphology of Semicrystalline Poly(vinylidene Fluoride)/Ionic Liquid Blends

Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2020. The authors thank FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Programme and National Funds through FCT under the projects PTDC/BTM-MAT/28237/2017, PTDC/EMD-EMD/28159/2017 and PTDC/FIS-MAC/28157/2017. D.M.C. and C.M.C. also thank to the FCT for grants SFRH/BPD/121526/2016 and SFRH/BPD/112547/2015, respectively. Financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the project MAT2016-76039-C4-1-R (AEI/FEDER, UE) (including the FEDER financial support), from the Spanish State Research Agency (AEI) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERFD) through the project PID2019-106099RB-C43 / AEI / 10.13039/501100011033. and from the Basque Government Industry and Education Departments under the ELKARTEK, HAZITEK and PIBA (PIBA-2018-06) programs, respectively, are acknowledged. CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&I Plan 2008–2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program. CIBER Actions are financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund

Current and future trends of silk fibroin-based bioinks in 3D printing

Journal of 3D Printing in MedicineVol. 4, No. 2 EditorialCurrent and future trends of silk fibroin-based bioinks in 3D printingJoaquim M OliveiraJoaquim M Oliveira *Author for correspondence: Tel.: +351 253 510 931; Fax: +351 253 510 909; E-mail Address: miguel.oliveira@i3bs.uminho.pthttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7052-88373B’s Research Group, I3Bs – Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables & Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of The European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco GMR, PortugalICVS/3B’s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimaraes, PortugalSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:9 Jul 2020https://doi.org/10.2217/3dp-2020-0005AboutSectionsView ArticleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit View articleKeywords: 3D printingbioinkenzymatic cross-linkingsilk fibrointissue engineering

Optimal Control with Sweeping Processes: Numerical Method

This work has been carried out within the Portuguese national Project with references PTDC/EEI-AUT/2933/2014, TOCCATA. Toccata is financed by FEDER funds through COMPETE and Portuguese funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)