University of Coimbra

Challenges for a sustainable blue economy: A comparative analysis of resilience and coastal governance in Southern Europe

Coastal blue economies face intensifying pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss and systemic uncertainty, making resilience a central concept in coastal governance. This article advances a socio-ecological-technological (SET) system framework to analyse how resilience i...

Magnetothermally Responsive Mesoporous Silica Nanocarriers: Materials Design, Thermoresponsive Gates and Controlled Drug Release

Magnetothermally responsive nanocarriers represent a promising platform for spatio-temporally controlled drug delivery by combining alternating magnetic field (AMF)-induced heating with thermally triggered cargo release. Among the available architectures, magnetite-core/mesoporou...

Radium - from discovery to the present day – narrative review

Following its discovery, radium was initially promoted as a therapeutic agent for a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, allergies, visual problems, joint pain, and as a general health-enhancing remedy. However, subsequent research demonstrated its significant radi...

Cholesterol-Enriched Membranes Reshape the Conformational Ensemble and Interfacial Mechanics of ACE2

Abstract Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a type I transmembrane protein that functions as the primary entry receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). ACE2 comprises a zinc-dependent extracellular domain (ECD) and forms homodimers, as res...

Navigating Uncharted Waters: Steering the Course and Confronting Challenges of Brain Metastases in EGFR-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Brain metastases represent a major clinical challenge in the management of non-small-cell lung cancer, particularly in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations, constituting a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In recent years, significant advancements have...

Mitochondrial dynamics in Huntington's disease

Emerging evidence suggests a central and early role of mitochondrial dysfunction, including altered mitochondrial dynamics, in Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis. Processes such as mitochondrial fission, fusion, transport and mitophagy are vital for proper mitochondrial funct...

PROBE: Benchmarking code generation in large language models

Abstract Large Language Models (LLMs) are increasingly being used in everyday software engineering tasks, particularly in automated code generation. Despite their widespread adoption, these models remain far from perfect, making systematic and fair evaluation essential to underst...

Maternal BMI modulates cord plasma NT-proBNP in gestational diabetes linking cardiac stress to insulin-cortisol crosstalk

Abstract Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an increasingly prevalent pregnancy disorder associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, including an increased risk of early-onset cardiovascular disease in infants. GDM is associated with cardiac structural and functio...

CD8+ effector memory and regulatory T cell dynamics predict subclinical atherosclerotic plaque formation in healthy aging

<title>Abstract</title> Background Subclinical atherosclerotic plaque (SAP) develops silently in older adults. Early biological changes that predict plaque formation are not well defined. We examined whether immunological, and metabolic or functional measures identify vascular vu...

Do elite soccer players meet nutritional requirements? A scoping review and meta-analysis

This scoping review and meta-analysis synthesised current evidence on energy and macronutrient intake and energy expenditure in elite male and female soccer players. Despite established nutritional guidelines, concerns persist regarding chronic low energy availability and its imp...

Battery chemistry, climate exposure, and V2G economics in electric bus fleets: A two-stage degradation-aware dispatch framework

Electric buses are central to urban decarbonization, yet public transportation operators face uncertainty regarding battery degradation, climate sensitivity, and the economic value of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) services. This paper proposes a two-stage framework to address these chall...

Data-driven mapping of known and novel fluid biomarker progression profiles in genetic frontotemporal lobar degeneration

Abstract Introduction Recent proteomic studies have identified both established and novel proteins in genetic frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). However, it remains unclear at what point in the disease these proteins deviate from normal levels and how their trajectories re...

Exercise Training Characteristics and Psycho-Bio-Chemical Outcomes in Individuals with Addictive Behaviours: A Scoping Review

Addictive behaviours are associated with substantial neurobiological, psychological, and behavioural impairments. Exercise training has emerged as a potential complementary strategy in addiction treatment; however, the characteristics of exercise interventions and their associate...

Waste Literacy Among Portuguese First-Year Tertiary Students After Compulsory Environmental Education

Waste management is essential for addressing local and global environmental challenges. Failure to manage waste effectively results in several consequences, including environmental degradation, public health risks, and economic costs. Besides the need for adequate and up-to-date...

The postsynaptic scaffolding protein SAPAP3 shapes mitochondrial activity: the case of Huntington’s disease

Abstract Postsynaptic scaffolding protein SAP90/PSD95-associated protein 3 (SAPAP3) modulates cortico-striatal signalling and regulates the maintenance of synaptic structure. Notably, SAPAP3 defects have been reported in several human psychiatric disorders that share pathophysiol...

33rd GP2A Annual Medicinal Chemistry Conference, XIVth Paul Ehrlich MedChem Euro-PhD Network Meeting & COST Action One Health Drugs Against Parasitic Vector Borne Diseases in Europe and Beyond (OneHealthdrugs)

The 33rd Annual Conference of the Group for the Promotion of Pharmaceutical Chemistry in Academia (GP2A), held in Nantes from 11 to 13 June 2025, marked a significant expansion of the organization’s scope and collaborative efforts. Building on the success of the previous meeting...

Primitive Accumulation as a Perspective on Nature, Race and Gender

This text systematizes Marx’s approach of primitive accumulation and Luxemburg’s theory of imperialism as tools to re-understand the relation between nature, race and gender as a constitutive relation between capital, the state and its boundaries. It first analyzes how the capita...

Intranasal Administration of Isoeugenol Improves Memory Deficits in APP / PS1 Old Mice—A Role Beyond Nrf2 Activation?

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia, has no cure or effective treatment; thus, identification of disease-modifying therapeutics is crucial. Nrf2 is a master controller of homeostatic functions whose activity is compromised...

Cation-Disordered TbNdFeCoO6 Double Perovskite: Structural, Vibrational, Magnetic, and Electrocatalytic Insights for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract Double perovskite oxides have emerged as promising multifunctional materials for sustainable energy applications due to their tunable structural, electronic, magnetic, and electrocatalytic properties. In this research study, the cation-disordered double perovskite TbNdFe...

Cross-Cultural Validation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Birth Beliefs Scale Among Portuguese Pregnant Women

BACKGROUND: Beliefs about childbirth shape women's expectations, decisions, and experiences. Although several tools assess related constructs such as fear or self-efficacy, few instruments focus specifically on childbirth beliefs. The Birth Beliefs Scale (BBS) addresses this gap...