The potential of STE(A)M has been widely recognised in recent years; however, challenges have also been identified in the implementation of this approach, making it important to deepen research into teachers’ practices. In this study, we conducted a systematic review focused on teaching practices within a STE(A)M approach, to understand what challenges and limitations teachers encounter, as well as the possibilities authors suggest to overcome them. The research question is: What are the challenges and potentialities of implementing the STE(A)M approach in teachers’ practices? This review analysed articles indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases over the last eight years, following the PRISMA scheme. The 26 articles examined highlight challenges such as time management, lack of resources and funding, limited guidance, gaps in teacher training, difficulty integrating subject areas, issues implementing new technologies and obstacles imposed by school structures. In light of these, the following proposals were suggested: placing greater emphasis on STE(A)M in initial and continuing teacher education, increasing support from schools and government bodies, encouraging collaborative work between teachers from different areas, adopting innovative strategies and methodologies and offering a clearer conceptualisation of STE(A)M.

For reconfigurable radios where the signals can be easily routed from one band to another band, new radio frequency switches (RF) are a fundament. The main factor driving the power consumption of the reconfigurable intelligent system (RIS) is the need for an intermediate device with static power consumption to maintain a certain surface configuration state. Since power usage scales quadratically with the RIS area, there is a relevant interest in mitigating this drawback so that this technology can be applied to everyday objects without needing such a high intrinsic power consumption. Current switch technologies such as PIN diodes, and field effect transistors (FETs) are volatile electronic devices, resulting in high static power. In addition, dynamic power dissipation related to switching event is also considerable. Regarding energy efficiency, non-volatile radio frequency resistive switch (RFRS) concept may be better alternative solution due to several advantages: smaller area, zero-hold voltage, lower actuation bias for operation, short switching time, scalability and capable to be fabricated in the backend-of-line of standard CMOS process.

Carbohydrate-binding-modules (CBMs) are discrete auxiliary protein modules with a non-catalytic carbohydrate-binding function and that exhibit a great diversity of binding specificities. CBMcarb-DB is a curated database that classifies the three-dimensional structures of CBM–carbohydrate complexes determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods and solution NMR spectroscopy. We designed the database architecture and the navigation tools to query the database with the Protein Data Bank (PDB), UniProtKB, and GlyTouCan (universal glycan repository) identifiers. Special attention was devoted to describing the bound glycans using simple graphical representation and numerical format for cross-referencing to other glycosciences and functional data databases. CBMcarb-DB provides detailed information on CBMs and their bound oligosaccharides and features their interactions using several open-access applications. We also describe how the curated information provided by CBMcarb-DB can be integrated with AI algorithms of 3D structure prediction, facilitating structure–function studies. Also in this chapter, we discuss the exciting convergence of CBMcarb-DB with the glycan array repository, which serves as a valuable resource for investigating the specific binding interactions between glycans and various biomolecular targets. The interaction of the two fields represents a significant milestone in glycosciences. CBMcarb-DB is freely available at https://cbmdb.glycopedia.eu/ and https://cbmcarb.webhost.fct.unl.pt.

Este relatório pretende fazer uma revisão da literatura sobre a negociação coletiva portuguesa com referências à transição sustentável e justa no setor dos transportes e no setor público.
Portugal tem sido dos países que iniciou já o seu caminho de transição e encerrou as centrais a carvão. Mas em países do Leste europeu, por exemplo, existe muita indústria associada à produção de electricidade a partir do carvão, e onde o encerramento levanta sérias questões sociais. Nestes casos, em particular, é necessário um processo gradual que inclua medidas de apoio à formação e reconversão dos trabalhadores envolvidos.

In this note, we aim to correct some of the results presented in [1]. Namely, the statements of Proposition 2.1, Corollary 2.2, Corollary 2.3, Theorem 2.4 and Theorem 2.6, concerning only the monoids OP_n and POP_n, have to exclude transformations of rank two. All other results of [1], as well as those mentioned above but for the monoids OR_n and POR_n, do not require correction.

[1] V.H. Fernandes, Oriented transformations on a finite chain: another description, Commun. Korean Math. Soc. 38 (2023), 725-731.

The eye is one of the most complex organs in the human body, with a unique anatomy and physiology, being divided into anterior and posterior segments. Ocular diseases can occur in both segments, but different diseases affect different segments. Glaucoma and cataracts affect the anterior segment, while macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy occur in the posterior segment. The easiest approach to treat ocular diseases, especially in the anterior segment, is through the administration of topical eye drops, but this route presents many constraints, namely precorneal dynamic and static ocular barriers. On the other hand, the delivery of drugs to the posterior segment of the eye is far more challenging and is mainly performed by the intravitreal route. However, it can lead to severe complications such as retinal detachment, endophthalmitis, increased intraocular pressure and haemorrhage. The design of new drug delivery systems for the anterior segment is very challenging, but targeting the posterior one is even more difficult and little progress has been made. In this review we will discuss various strategies including the incorporation of additives in the formulations, such as viscosity, permeability, and solubility enhancers, namely based on Deep eutectic systems (DES). Natural deep eutectic systems (NADES) have emerged to solve several problems encountered in pharmaceutical industry, regarding the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of drugs. NADES can contribute to the design of advanced technologies for ocular therapeutics, including hydrogels and nanomaterials. Here in, we revise some applications of (NA)DES in the development of new drug delivery systems that can be translated into the ophthalmology field.

Fábrica de Loiça de Sacavém (ca. 1858–1994) was among the first to produce white earthenware in Portugal, becoming one of the country’s leading ceramic manufacturers during the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Research on white earthenware has accompanied the growing interest in post-industrial archaeology but is still poorly explored compared to more ancient ceramic productions. This study focused on the ceramic body, glazes, and colourants of tableware produced by Fábrica de Loiça de Sacavém during the first 50 years of its activity (1859–1910). A multi-analytical approach was selected to investigate the chemical and mineralogical composition of the ceramic body, glaze, and pigments using optical microscopy, variable-pressure scanning electron microscope energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (VP-SEM-EDS), μ-Raman spectroscopy, μ-X-ray Diffraction (μ-XRD), and reflectance spectroscopy (hyperspectral image analysis). The studied tableware was produced with a Ca-poor siliceous–aluminous white earthenware ceramic body covered with transparent alkali lead or lead borosilicate glaze, and most colourants were complex Cr-based pigments. These results are in agreement with the little documental evidence from this period found in the manufacturer’s archives.

Orange peels contain a considerable number of bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, that can be used as ingredients in high-value products. The aim of this study was to compare orange peel extracts obtained with different green solvents (vegetable oils, fatty acids, and deep eutectic solvents (DES)). In addition, the chemical characterization of a new hydrophobic DES formed by octanoic acid and l-proline (C8:Pro) was performed. The extracts were compared in terms of carotenoid extraction, antioxidant activity by three methods, color, and environmental impact. The results confirmed that the mixture of C8:Pro is a DES and showed the highest carotenoid extraction (46.01 µg/g) compared to hexane (39.28 µg/g). The antioxidant activity was also the highest in C8:Pro (2438.8 µM TE/mL). Finally, two assessment models were used to evaluate the greenness and sustainability of the proposed extractions. These results demonstrated the potential use of orange peels in the circular economy and industry.

The Hoek–Brown failure criterion has been widely applied to predict the strength of rock masses, demonstrating its relevance in diverse geotechnical contexts. This paper presents a novel 3D numerical implementation of the Hoek–Brown criterion in a finite-element limit analysis code. The proposed formulation is unique in its ability to produce strict upper and lower bounds for 3D problems, providing more accurate and reliable predictions of failure mechanisms compared to previous formulations. The validity of the formulation is demonstrated through comparisons with known analytical solutions or other authors’ numerical solutions. Furthermore, the proposed numerical tool is used to determine the stability of shallow circular tunnels in rock masses, highlighting its practical applicability in engineering design.

Natural Deep Eutectic Systems (NADES) have emerged in the past years as alternative solvents to traditional organic solvents and ionic liquids. NADES are easy to produce, sustainable, biocompatible, eco-friendly, remarkable solubilizing agents, and highly task-specific. The outstanding properties of this new liquid media have attracted the attention of researchers in the last decade in many fields and biotechnology is probably one of the fields where NADES have gained more relevance. Nonetheless, the progress beyond the state of the art in this field is not yet fully explored. Most research papers regarding the use of NADES in biotechnology are related to their use as solubility enhancers for poorly soluble active ingredients, particularly for pharmaceutical applications. However, the applicability of NADES in applications such as cryopreservation, stabilization of proteins and DNA, as well as other biomedical applications, has only recently been explored and presents still a plethora of discoveries to be unravelled. The current developments in this scientific field and future perspectives will be discussed herein.