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This paper presents an experimental investigation of a photovoltaic-thermal solar collector (commonly known as PVT) that generates both electricity and heat from the same gross area. PVT solar collectors, in theory, achieve higher combined electrical and heat yields. Additionally, PVT enables a thermal coupling between PV cells and a heat transfer cooling medium. Electrical and thermal outdoor testing measurements have been performed on a low concentration PVT solar collector based on a parabolic reflector geometry with a wedge PVT receiver. Several outdoor experiments have been carried out and presented, such as daily instantaneous electrical and thermal performance efficiency diagrams, as well as optical efficiency charts. Moreover, an electrical Incidence Angle Modifier (for both transversal and longitudinal directions) assessment has been performed and presented. Furthermore, an overall heat loss coefficient of 4.1 W/m2 . ◦C has been attained. A measured thermal optical and electrical efficiency of 59% and 8% have been achieved, respectively. Additionally, the placement of the wedge receiver shown to be very sensitive to high incidence angles, as the electrical transversal Incidence Angle Modifier factor decreases significantly after reaching its electrical peak efficiency at 10◦. ; This research was partly supported with funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 814865 (RES4BUILD) and from the Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education, under grant number ME 2018-7559. The authors are grateful for the fruitful cooperation and support provided by Mr Sadegh Sajedi and the University of Gavle ¨ for building the CPVT solar collector.

This study documents long-term changes in stature from the Mesolithic to the late 20th century in the territory of modern Portugal. Data utilised originated from published sources and from a sample of the Lisbon identified skeletal collection, where long bone lengths were collected. Mean long bone lengths were obtained from 20 population samples and compiled into nine periods. Pooled long bone lengths for each period were then converted to stature estimates. Results show three major trends: (1) a slow increase in stature from prehistory to the Middle Ages; (2) a negative trend from the Middle Ages to the late 19th century; and (3) a very rapid increase in mean stature during the second half of the 20th century. The political and territorial stability of the Kingdom of Portugal may have contributed to the greater heights of the medieval Portuguese, compared with the Roman and Modern periods. The negative secular trend was rooted in poor and unsanitary living conditions and the spread of infectious disease, brought about by increased population growth and urbanisation. Although the end of the Middle Ages coincided with the age of discoveries, the population may not have benefited from the overall prosperity of this period. The 20th century witnessed minor and slow changes in the health status of the Portuguese, but it was not until major improvements in social and economic conditions that were initiated in the 1960s, and further progress in the 1970s, that the Portuguese grew taller than ever before. Since the Middle Ages other European countries have experienced similar oscillations, but showed an earlier recovery in stature after the industrial period. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is the most common group of malignancies and many of its types are among the most deadly. Various glycoconjugates have been used in clinical practice as serum biomarker for several GI tumors, however, with limited diagnose application. Despite the good accessibility by endoscopy of many GI organs, the lack of reliable serum biomarkers often leads to late diagnosis of malignancy and consequently low 5-year survival rates. Recent advances in analytical techniques have provided novel glycoproteomic and glycomic data and generated functional information and putative biomarker targets in oncology. Glycosylation alterations have been demonstrated in a series of glycoconjugates (glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycosphingolipids) that are involved in cancer cell adhesion, signaling, invasion, and metastasis formation. In this review, we present an overview on the major glycosylation alterations in GI cancer and the current serological biomarkers used in the clinical oncology setting. We further describe recent glycomic studies in GI cancer, namely gastric, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer. Moreover, we discuss the role of glycosylation as a modulator of the function of several key players in cancer cell biology. Finally, we address several state-of-the-art techniques currently applied in this field, such as glycomic and glycoproteomic analyses, the application of glycoengineered cell line models, microarray and proximity ligation assay, and imaging mass spectrometry, and provide an outlook to future perspectives and clinical applications. ; We acknowledge the support from the European Union, Seventh Framework Programme, Gastric Glyco Explorer initial training network: grant number 316929. IPATIMUP integrates the i3S Research Unit, which is partially supported by FCT, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. This work is funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors-COMPETE (FCOMP-01-0124- FEDER028188) and National Funds through the FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology, under the projects: PEst-C/SAU/ LA0003/2013, PTDC/BBB-EBI/0786/2012, and PTDC/BBBEBI/0567/2014. AM acknowledges the grant received from FCT, POPH (Programa Operacional Potencial Humano), and FSE (Fundo Social Europeu) (SFRH/BPD/75871/2011). MB acknowledges the University of Girona for pre-doctoral fellowship.

The main goal of this research is to analyze the type of leadership that can be more effective for innovative organizations. In this case, the research question can have an important meaning for organizations because innovation is a significant issue for the competitiveness of organizations; innovation has many constraints and most often fail because of the type of the leaders. In this context, the research question is, "Which are the most effective leadership styles for innovative organizations?" The methodology used was qualitative based on an integrative literature review, and the results show that paternalistic, authentic, and democratic leaders are the most effective in the support the implementation of innovative processes in organizations. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Functionally graded aluminium matrix composites reinforced with SiC particles are attractive materials for a broad range of engineering applications in the automotive, aircraft, sports, military and aerospace industries, whenever a superior combination of surface and bulk mechanical properties are required. In general, these materials are developed for the production of high wear resistant components. Also, often this kind of mechanical part operates in the presence of aggressive environments, such as marine atmospheres. In this work, aluminium composites with functionally graded properties, obtained by centrifugal cast, are characterised by reciprocating pin-on-plate sliding wear tests against nodular cast iron. Three different volume fractions of SiC reinforcing particles in each functionally graded material were considered. Sliding experiments were performed with and without the presence of a lubricant (3% NaCl aqueous solution). All tests were carried out at room temperature, under a normal load of 10N and constant frequency (1 Hz) and stroke (6 mm). In the case of the lubricated tests, electrochemical parameters (corrosion potential) were monitored during sliding. The worn surfaces as well as the wear debris were characterised by SEM/EDS. Friction values were in the order of 0.42 for unlubricated conditions, but varied between 0.22 and 0.37 when the aqueous solution was present. Relatively high wear rates (over 110-6 gm-1) were obtained in both unlubricated and lubricated sliding. The volume fraction of SiC particles exerted a net effect on the tribological response of the composites, although conditioned by the presence or absence of the aqueous solution. A deleterious effect of the chloride aqueous solution on the degradation of the matrix, leading to the pull-out of SiC particles induced by the dissolution of the matrix/particle interface was evidenced. Observation of the worn surface morphology indicated that the presence of the lubricant modifies the protective action promoted by the combined effect ...

Aberrant expression and hyperactivation of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ErbB2) constitute crucial molecular events underpinning gastric neoplastic transformation. Despite ErbB2 extracellular domain being a well-known target for glycosylation, its glycosylation profile and the molecular mechanisms through which it actively tunes tumorigenesis in gastric cancer (GC) cells remain elusive. We aimed at disclosing relevant ErbB2 glycan signatures and their functional impact on receptor's biology in GC cells. The transcriptomic profile of cancer-relevant glycosylation enzymes, and the expression and activation of the ErbB receptors were characterized in four GC cell lines. Cellular- and receptor-specific glycan profiling of ErbB2-overexpressing NCI-N87 cells unveiled a heterogeneous glycosylation pattern harboring the tumor-associated sialyl Lewis a (SLea) antigen. The expression of SLea and key enzymes integrating its biosynthetic pathway were strongly upregulated in this GC cell line. An association between the expression of ERBB2 and FUT3, a central gene in SLea biosynthesis, was disclosed in GC patients, further highlighting the crosstalk between ErbB2 and SLea expression. Moreover, cellular deglycosylation and CA 19.9 antibody-mediated blocking of SLea drastically altered ErbB2 expression and activation in NCI-N87 cells. Altogether, NCI-N87 cell line constitutes an appealing in vitro model to address glycan-mediated regulation of ErbB2 in GC. ; This work was funded by the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000029, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This work was financed by FEDER—Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through COMPETE 2020—Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia)/Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação in the framework of the project "Institute for Research and Inovation in Health Sciences" (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274), the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016585 (PTDC/BBB EBI/0567/2014), and EU 7th framework programme ITN 316929. Mass spectrometry was performed at the Proteomics i3S Scientific Platform. Microscopy images were obtained at the Advance Light Microscopy i3S Scientific Platform. Henrique O. Duarte was supported by FCT through the FCT PhD Programmes and by Programa Operacional Potencial Humano (POPH), specifically by the BiotechHealth Programme (Doctoral Programme on Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Applied to Health Sciences), with the reference PD/0016/2012 funded by FCT. Henrique O. Duarte received an individual grant (PD/BI/113948/2015) and a PhD studentship (PD/BD/128407/2017). Meritxell Balmaña has received a funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 748880.

http://issuu.com/maria_manso/docs/bess-sb13-paper-01-revised?workerAddress=ec2-23-22-93-32.compute-1.amazonaws.com ; Buildings represent 40 % of total energy consumption in the European Union (EU). So it is peremptory to reduce the EU energy dependency and greenhouse gas emissions. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EU (EPBD) requires that by 2020 all new buildings must be nearly "zero-energy buildings". This document also evidences the importance to use passive design solutions adapted to local climate conditions, in order to minimize the heating or cooling energy needs in buildings. As result from an on-going research project (GEOGREEN) is presented the concept of a modular system for vegetated surfaces in new or retrofitted buildings. It is designed to be demountable and adaptable to different surfaces and inclinations, allowing the creation of vegetated surfaces simultaneously in roofs, walls and other building elements. The modular system materials were selected to minimize the embodied energy and CO2 emission. It is based on the recovery of mine wasting materials to develop alkaline activated binders (geopolymers), combining natural materials with the insertion of endemic vegetation resistant to dry mesomediterranean conditions. In order to evaluate the thermal and energy performance of this solution, a cell test infrastructure will be installed at the University of Beira Interior facilities to perform real climate studies. ; Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, FCT.

Silk protein fibroin (SF)-based matrices from non-mulberry, and mulberry silkworms are used for different applications in regenerative medicine. Silk fiber spun by the wild non-mulberry silkworm Antheraea pernyi (Ap) is also a promising biomedical material, due to the presence of the inherent tripeptide sequence of Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic acid (RGD) on the protein fibroin sequences. However, SF derived from the Ap cocoons still lacks exploitation in the healthcare field due to its poor solubility in the conventional solvents. This work addresses the application of green chemistry principles, namely the use of ionic liquids (ILs, 1-butyl-imidazolium acetate) and renewable resources such as Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (ApSF) and chitin (Ch), for the fabrication of sponges from the blends of ApSF and Ch (APC). The formation of β-sheet in different contents during ApSF/Ch/IL was acquired by exposing gels to methanol/water and ethanol/water. The sponges were then obtained by freeze-drying. This approach promotes the formation of both stable and ordered ApSF/Ch-based sponges. The developed sponges show the suitable porosity and interconnectivity, appreciable swelling degree, and tuneable viscoelastic compressive properties for tissue engineering applications. Collectively, the structural properties of these ApSF/Ch-based sponges make them promising candidates for biomedical applications, namely cartilage regeneration. ; We thank the Portuguese FCT (PD/BD/135247/2017) to JG; Ph.D. programme in Advanced Therapies for Health (PATH) (PD/00169/2013) and R&D&I Structured Projects with reference NORTE-01-0145-FDER-000021 to SS; and European Union Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 under grant agreement n◦ 668983—FoReCaST to SK and ...

Textile composites have been used for various applications because of their enhanced strength/weight ratio and versatile properties compared to other materials such asmetals. Many studies have investigated the tribological behaviour of textilecomposites, but none have focused onthe tribological characterization of 3D multilayeredwoven reinforced textile composites. Five types of 3-plywoven interlocked structures with varying interlacements were used as reinforcement for the nylon fibre/polyester resin composites for the present study. The influence of the textile structure interlacement on the tribological properties of the composite material (in terms ofwear volume)was investigated in thiswork. Further, special attention was given to understand the effect of sliding frequency on the tribological behaviour and driving wear mechanisms. The tests were conducted on a new class of reciprocating sliding wear tester, in dry (unlubricated) conditions, under a fixed applied load of 20N by varying the frequency of oscillating motion (0.5≤f≤8 Hz). In addition, testswere also conducted, at a constant frequency of 4Hz and as a function of several loads (5Nto 40 N). Fromthese tests, a 3-plywoven reinforced composite with the best tribological performance as a function of frequency and load was identified. It was observed that the type of woven structure had an influence on the tribological properties. Therefore, the selection of a textile composite should be based on the load and frequency at the service condition. The wear mechanisms involved in the tribological process were also analysed ; The authors would like to express their gratitude for financial support provided by FCT, Portugal, through an individual project (SFRH/BPD/20344/2004), and an Asia Link program between the University of Minho, Portugal, and IIT Delhi, India, sponsored by the European Union. Thanks also to Mr. Sérgio Carvalho, who assisted with experimental work in the Tribology Lab at University of ...

Abstract The decisions on public health policies have great impact on our society and citizens. These decisions made by policy makers are typically driven by various types of continuously changing and interlinked determinants, such as economic, social, political, and technological factors. In this dynamic setting, it is not possible for one person, or even for a team, to understand the whole system, and all cause–effect relations. Therefore, there is a need for datadriven decision support tools. Here, attention is turned to the potential of system dynamics modeling and innovation network orchestration for developing such tools. In the book chapter, it is shown how orchestration of a network and the use of system dynamics modeling (that makes visible the causes and effects of systemic challenges) come together in relation to developing an innovative data-driven decision support system for policy makers.

Background: Changes in glycosylation are known to play critical roles during gastric carcinogenesis. Expression of truncated O-glycans, such as the Sialyl-Tn (STn) antigen, is a common feature shared by many cancers and is associated with cancer aggressiveness and poor-prognosis. Methods: Glycoengineered cell lines were used to evaluate the impact of truncated O-glycans in cancer cell biology using in vitro functional assays, transcriptomic analysis and in vivo models. Tumor patients 'samples and datasets were used for clinical translational significance evaluation. Findings: In the present study, we demonstrated that gastric cancer cells expressing truncated O-glycans display major phenotypic alterations associated with higher cell motility and cell invasion. Noteworthy, the glycoengineered cancer cells overexpressing STn resulted in tumor xenografts with less cohesive features which had a critical impact on mice survival. Furthermore, truncation of O-glycans induced activation of EGFR and ErbB2 receptors and a transcriptomic signature switch of gastric cancer cells. The disclosed top activated genes were further validated in gastric tumors, revealing that SRPX2 and RUNX1 are concomitantly overexpressed in gastric carcinomas and its expression is associated with patients' poor-survival, highlighting their prognosis potential in clinical practice. Interpretation: This study discloses novel molecular links between O-glycans truncation frequently observed in cancer and key cellular regulators with major impact in tumor progression and patients' clinical outcome. ; This work was funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors-COMPETE ( POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016585 ; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274 ; POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028489 ) and National Funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) , under the projects: PTDC/BBB-EBI/0567/2014 (to CAR), PTDC/MED-ONC/28489/2017 (to AM) and UID/BIM/04293/2013 ; and the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000029 , supported by Norte Portugal Regional Programme ( NORTE 2020 ), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The authors acknowledge the support by Gastric Glyco Explorer Initial Training Network (European Union Seventh Framework Programme GastricGlycoExplorer project, grant number 316929 ). DF acknowledges the FCT PhD Programmes and Programa Operacional Potencial Humano (POPH), specifically the BiotechHealth Programe (Doctoral Programme on Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Applied to Health Sciences), with the reference PD/0016/2012 funded by FCT . Grants were received from FCT, POPH and FSE (Fundo Social Europeu): SFRH/BD/110636/2015 to DF and SFRH/BPD/115730/2016 to FP. We thank Catharina Steentoft and Henrik Clausen for the cell line models and helpful scientific discussions. We are grateful for Nuno Mendes's technical support. The authors acknowledge the support of José Luis Costa and Mafalda Rocha from the i3S Genomics Platform (GenCore), and Maria G Lazaro from the Bioimaging I3S Scientific Platform , member of the PPBI ( PPBI-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-022122 ).