REPOSITÓRIO P.PORTO
Repositório Científico do Politécnico do Porto
Entradas recentes
Caminhos da gestão escolar para a inclusão de alunos migrantes. Um estudo das políticas e metodologias pedagógicas
Publication . Ferreira, Maria José Moreira da Silva; Pereira, Paula Cristina Romão
O estudo investiga o papel da gestão escolar na inclusão de alunos migrantes, analisando estratégias, desafios e boas práticas que promovem um ambiente educativo equitativo e culturalmente inclusivo. O objetivo é compreender de que modo a gestão escolar pode fomentar a integração plena destes alunos e garantir uma resposta eficaz à crescente diversidade cultural.
A pesquisa adota uma abordagem mista, combinando métodos qualitativos e quantitativos, com foco num estudo de caso no AE RTS. A recolha de dados será realizada através de inquéritos estruturados às lideranças escolares, docentes e Pessoal Não Docente (PND), além da análise das políticas institucionais e normativos legais sobre educação inclusiva.
Espera-se identificar fatores que favorecem ou dificultam a inclusão, como a formação dos profissionais escolares, a disponibilidade de recursos e as relações entre a escola e as famílias dos alunos migrantes. A pesquisa também procura destacar práticas inovadoras de gestão que possam promover a equidade educativa e a participação ativa da comunidade escolar.
O estudo aponta para a necessidade de uma gestão escolar mais proativa, baseada na articulação entre políticas públicas, capacitação docente e envolvimento da comunidade. Os resultados poderão contribuir para a implementação de programas de formação contínua e o desenvolvimento de planos estratégicos específicos para o acolhimento de alunos migrantes, fortalecendo a construção de uma educação mais inclusiva e equitativa.
Deciphering the influence of CD276 glycode in colorectal cancer immunomodulation
Publication . Magalhães, Mariana Moura; Peixoto, Andreia; Ferreira, José Alexandre; Santos, Lúcio Lara; Ferraz, Ricardo
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major contributor to cancer-related illness and death worlwide, with aggressive subtypes often resistant to conventional therapies. The imune checkpoint protein CD276 (B7-H3) is highly expressed in CRC and is associated with poor prognosis, tumor progression, and imune evasion. CD276 undergoes extensive glycosylation, a modification that influences protein stability, localisation, and imune interactions, yet the specific roles of its glycosylation in CRC are not well understood. This study examines how immature 0-glycosylation of CD276 affects CRC aggressiveness. To model the altered glycan landscape typical of cancer cells, C1GALT1-knockout CRC cells, which lack the enzyme necessary for 0-glycan elongation, were used. The effects of CD276 knockdown using small interfering RNA (siRNA) on cell proliferation and inasion were assessed by BrdU ELISA and Matrigel invasion assays, respectivily. Additionally, proteomic and phisphoproteomic analyses were conducted to explore how CD276 influences oncogenic signalling pathways. Our fundings reveal that aberrant, immature 0-glycosylation of CD276 promotes CRC cell proliferation and invasion by sustaining oncogenic biosynthetic and phosphorylation networks. Conversely, CD276 depletion activates stress responses involving RNA processing. DNA repair, and mitochondrial reorganisation, highlighting CD276 as a glycosylation-dependent driver of CRC aggressiveness and a potential therapuetic target.
Avaliação in vivo do efeito de um produto cosmético na queda de cabelo
Publication . Costa, Mariana Cristina Ferreira da; Ferreira, Marta de Oliveira; Ferraz, Ricardo
O tratamento da alopecia androgenética e do eflúvio telogénico crónico envolve principalmente intervenções farmacológicas, como o minoxidil e a finasterida. No entanto, ambos estão associados a efitos colaterais frequentes, fazendo crescer a procura por produtos cosméticos naturais para reduzir a queda de cabelo. Apesar disso, muitos produtos ainda não possuem evidências científicas apoiadas por estudos clínicos, sendo estes necessários para comprovar a sua eficácia. Este estudo clínico teve compo objetivo investigar o efeito de um sérum capilar composto por óleos essenciais n queda de cabelo em mulheres caucasianas entre os 25 e os 55 anos e com alopecia androgenética e/ou eflúvio telogénico durante 84 dias. Os resultados demonstraram um aumento estatisticamente significativo na espessura acumulada do cabelo e no rácio anagénese/telogénese, medidos com Trichoscan, após 84 dias. Além disso, o produto aumentou a ancoragem do cabelo, avaliado através do teste de tração capilar, e o brilho do cabelo após 42 e 84 dias de aplicação. No geral, o sérum capilar foi bem tolerado pelas participantes, não tendo sido registados quaisquer eventos adversos graves. A dermatologista que supervisionou o estudo classificou a eficácia do produto como muito boa, considerando que existiram efeitos significativos após um curto período de uso.
Umbilical cord banking: exploring cryopreservation
Publication . Monteiro, João Miguel de Barbosa; Gomes, Andreia; Oliveira, Melissa; Vieira, Mónica
Stem cells play a crucial role in tissue renewal, serving as reservoirs for the formation of new differentiated cells. The umbilical cord is a source of stem cells, which have a higher proliferative capacity compared to cells isolated from adult tissues and, therefore, greater clinical application. Cryopreservation is a widely used technique that keeps stem cells, including those from the umbilical cord, viable for several years for later clinical applications. Cryopreservation allows cell and tissue banks, which can be public or private, to store and preserve biological material. The main objectives of this work were the observation and involvement in the routine laboratory processes of BebéVida, specifically the processing of umbilical cord tissue and the validation of an umbilical cord tissue freezing curve. The validation is based on comparing the test curve with the routine curve, assessing cell viability. The results confirmed that the test curve was successful, showing cell viability comparable to the routine curve, reinforcing its clinical applicability. By validating different freezing protocols and evaluating long-term viability, this work addresses the need for standardized and reproducible methods suitable for clinical use. In this way, it contributes to the advancement of stem cell-based therapies. Additionally, the ERASMUS+ chapter focused on genes involved in the ageing process, using the C. elegans model.
Valorization of the nutraceutical potential by Salicornia ramisissima by-product - Impact of gastrointestinal digestion on in vitro bioactivity
Publication . Santos, Inês Maria Manso; Rodrigues, Francisca; Pinto, Diana; Vieira, Mónica
This work focused on the valorization of the halophyte Salicornia ramosíssima, already known for its bioactive compounds, by evaluating the Effect of in vitro gastrointetinal digestion on its phenolic contente, bioacessibility, and bioactivity. The main objective of this study was to assess the impact of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the phytochemical profile of this halophyte by-product, as well as to evaluate their antioxidante and antiradical properties and intestinal premeability of the bioactive compounds. For that, various assays were performed to evaluate the total phenolic and flavonoid contentes, antioxidant/antiradical activities by FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH assays, the scavening capacity of reactive oxygen species (ROS), neuroprotective properties by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, intestinal cell viability, and the extracts Effect and their digested fractions in the antioxidante enzymes activities and lipid peroxidation. The intestinal permeability was assessed in a Caco-2/HT29-MTX co-culture model by identifying and quantifying the bioactive compounds that permeated the intestinal barrier by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectometry. The results revealed the richness of this by-product in phenolic compounds and flavonoids, confirming the effects of the in vitro digestion on its bioactivity. The antioxidante and antiradical properties increased throughout the different stagies of digestion, particularly after the intestinal phase, with the S. ramosissima by-product extract (SE) showing higher activity when compared to the by-product (SP). Additionally, the enzymatic assays – AchE (Acetylcholinesterase), SOD (Superoxide dismutase), CAT (Catalase), GSH-Px (Glutathione peroxidase), and LPO (Lipid peroxidation) demosntrated significant health benefits, highlighting the neuroprotective properties, prevention of lipid peroxidation, and capacity to stimulate the activity of the various antioxidant enzymes studied. Cell viability assays indicated that SE extracts were safe at the highest concentrations studied (1000µg/mL), demonstrating greater cell viability in the HT29-MTX cell line. The intestinal permeability assays demonstrated that 4-caffeoylquinic acid exhibited the highest permiability (34,84%). This study highlights the potential health benefits of S. ramosíssima phenolic compounds after the digestion process. The results obtained provide a solid Foundation for future research on the development of nutraceuticals and functional foods using the bioactive componentes of this plant. From a future perspective, subsequente studies will focus on in vivo assays to confirm the bioactivity of the digested compounds and invetigate their long-term effects on health. Furthermore, exploring other bioactive compounds available in S. ramosíssima could enhance its applications in therapeutic contexts.