Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2025-09-23"
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- Avaliação do ciclo de vida da pegada de carbono e estratégias de economia circular para a subestação de Ponte de LimaPublication . CARDOSO, ANDRÉ SANTOS; Andrade, Tiago BrancoThis document explores and contributes to the strengthening of the integration of circular economy and sustainability criteria in the infrastructure of REN (Redes Energéticas Nacionais), focusing particularly in the Ponte de Lima substation. The growing environmental concerns and the European Union’s ambitious climate goals place increasing pressure on the energy sector to evolve from the traditional linear economy model to a more sustainable circular economy model. This transition is of utmost importance, as the energy sector is both an enabler of society’s decarbonization and, at the same time, a significant consumer of virgin materials and source of emissions. In the context of the circular economy, this document addresses methodologies, frameworks, and implementation tools, as well as initiatives to support the adoption of strategies for extending the lifecycle of assets, integrating recycled materials into construction works, and minimizing waste through product design and operation and maintenance strategies. The document also explores the state of the circular economy in the European Union and in Portugal, analyzing the goals set by both, as well as the current state of virgin material use, waste management, and public opinion on the matter within the EU. Finally, the document emphasizes the challenges that transmission system operators face and need to address, such as asset lifecycle management and resource efficiency, highlighting the importance of implementing circular practices and their benefits. Subsequently, a benchmark of several European transmission system operators comparable to REN in terms of operations and objectives was carried out, with the purpose of analyzing their strategies and efforts for the possible incorporation of best practices. This analysis revealed that several companies are already directing attention and resources toward transitioning to a circular economy, achieving quantitative results. Lastly, a brief description of REN’s national infrastructure and the role it assumes as an operator was provided. The initiatives and projects implemented or underway at REN for the integration of the circular economy into its operations were also analyzed. The implementation of a circular economy strategy at REN represents a major challenge, one that cuts across several internal departments and impacts the entire supply chain.
- Betulinic acid and obesity-related disordersPublication . Azevedo, Lara; Ferraz, Ricardo; Vieira, Mónica; Prudêncio, Cristina; Fernandes, Sílvia; Ferraz, Ricardo; Almeida Vieira, Mónica Andreia; Prudêncio, Cristina; Fernandes, SílviaThe obesity epidemic is not just a health issue, it is increasingly driving a shift in the prevalence of chronic diseases, affecting 890 million adults and straining healthcare systems worldwide. Conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and various cancer types are closely tied to this growing crisis. Betulinic acid has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-cancer properties and modulates key metabolic pathways such as NF-κB and AMPK signaling. This compound improves insulin sensitivity, reduces hepatic steatosis, mitigates the progression of atherosclerosis and fibrosis, and suppresses inflammatory responses, which are important in treating those obesity-related disorders. Additionally, betulinic acid use in cancer treatment has been explored due to its potential in angiogenesis and metastasis inhibition and promotion of apoptosis. This review spotlights the therapeutic potential of the natural compound betulinic acid in processes such as insulin sensitivity, glucose and lipid metabolism, adiposity, inflammation, oxidative stress, intestinal microbiota, and other mechanisms underlying different obesity-related disorders. Overall, besides strong therapeutic potential of betulinic acid, described limitations such as poor aqueous solubility, limited bioavailability, production and extraction have resulted in scarce clinical data making it premature to draw definitive conclusions regarding its application in clinical practice.