Maria João

Maria João Teixeira , Sandra Lima Coelho , Mariana Cunha e Carlos Seixas Resumo

by Sousa Gastão-Muchecha Nuno Martins and MED (Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development) & CHANGE—Global

Although urban resilience is a complex concept, several initiatives have made it more tangible. Urban public authorities and policymakers are of utmost importance, as they influence multiple neighbourhoods, stakeholders and aspects of urban resilience. Nevertheless, the role of individual facilities—such as sports fields—should not be overlooked. While their impacts are smaller in scale, they can significantly enhance local resilience and serve as inspirational pilots for broader initiatives. To assess resilience at the facility scale, an existing assessment framework was adapted, aligned with ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria and climate action pillars and valuing ecosystem services. In the sports field case study, stormwater was reframed from a burden into a resource and integrated with other scheduled resilience-enhancing interventions: water conservation, installation of photovoltaic panels, enhanced tree shading, and circularity through sports equipment reuse. Together, these interventions strengthen urban sustainability, resilience, and climate adaptation while delivering ecological and social benefits. The stormwater drainage system was modelled to simulate naturalization actions. The assessment framework is described, and its application at both neighbourhood and facility scales is discussed. Comparisons between the existing and improved situations show clear resilience gains, and opportunities for extending these measures to the city scale are explored.

by Yuliya Dulyanska Luísa Cruz-Lopes Raquel P. F. Guiné Fernando J. Gonçalves Maria João Barroca and

Univ Coimbra, Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR) Area of Environment Genetics and Oncobiology (CIMAGO), Institute of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal

by and Centro de Ciências do Mar do Algarve (CCMAR/CIMAR LA), Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal

Grupo de Química Agrícola, E.T.S.I. Agronómica y de Montes y Biotecnología (ETSIAMB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Avda. de España s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain

Exposure to airborne pollen allergens is a major trigger of respiratory allergy, whose prevalence continues to rise throughout Europe. In southern Portugal, the Mediterranean climate and extensive vegetation diversity promote high pollen loads, particularly from the Amaranthaceae family. This retrospective observational study aimed to characterise the sensitisation profiles of patients with positive skin prick tests (SPTs) to Chenopodium album and/or Salsola kali, the dominant Amaranthaceae species in the region. Data from 346 patients were analysed, including demographic and clinical characteristics, SPT results, and specific IgE sensitisation to molecular allergens. Of these, 35% were positive for C. album only, 13% for S. kali only, and 51% for both. In molecular testing, 54% of S. kali-sensitised patients were positive to Sal k 1, whereas only 4% of C. album-sensitised patients were positive to Che a 1. Sensitisation to panallergens such as profilins and Ole e 1-like proteins was frequent, suggesting extensive IgE cross-reactivity between these taxa. A significant correlation in wheal size (r = 0.53, p < 0.0001) further supports shared allergenic determinants. Despite higher SPT positivity to C. album, S. kali is likely the predominant sensitising source in this population. These findings highlight the importance of molecular-based diagnostics to distinguish genuine sensitisation from cross-reactivity in Mediterranean settings.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing concern in veterinary medicine and may compromise empirical treatment of feline urinary tract infections (UTIs). This retrospective observational study evaluated antimicrobial resistance patterns and their association with multidrug resistance (MDR) in bacterial isolates obtained from urine cultures of cats presented to a feline referral practice in Lisbon, Portugal, between January 2023 and December 2025. A total of 174 cats with positive urine cultures were included, yielding 178 bacterial isolates. Escherichia coli was the most frequent pathogen (57.30%), followed by Enterococcus spp. (16.98%) and Staphylococcus spp. (14.61%). Antimicrobial resistance was detected in 107/178 isolates (60.11%), and 76/178 (42.70%) were classified as multidrug-resistant. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus strains were also identified. Resistance to penicillins and fluoroquinolones was significantly associated with MDR (p < 0.001). These findings highlight the high burden of antimicrobial resistance in feline urinary isolates in this clinical setting and support routine urine culture and susceptibility testing to guide therapeutic decision-making, particularly in recurrent, complicated, or high-risk cases.

Glioblastoma (GB) classical treatment with the alkylating drug temozolomide (TMZ) is not effective mainly due to chemoresistance mechanisms, particularly those mediated by O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). In this context, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) were developed to deliver tamoxifen (TAX), a clinically approved non-alkylating drug with reported anti-GB activity. The NP formulation was optimized using a factorial design and subsequently functionalized with lactoferrin (Lf) to enhance GB targeting. The Lf-conjugated optimized formulation exhibited a mean diameter of 193 ± 6 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.11 ± 0.04, a zeta potential of −18.2 ± 6.8 mV, and an encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 68.6 ± 1.8%. The NPs exhibited a sustained release profile for up to 23 days, and remained stable under physiological conditions. Cell uptake studies, conducted in human GB cells (U87, U251, and T98G) and healthy astrocytes, demonstrated enhanced internalization of Lf-NPs in GB cells compared with non-conjugated NPs, suggesting uptake through Lf-binding site-mediated endocytosis. Cytotoxicity assays further indicated that Lf-conjugation improved the antiproliferative efficacy of TAX-loaded NPs relative to non-functionalized formulations, particularly in GB cells. Moreover, combination studies with TMZ showed that the developed NPs were able to sensitize GB cells to treatment with this alkylating agent. In sum, this work supports the potential of the developed Lf-decorated TAX-loaded PLGA NPs as a nanoplatform for targeted delivery against GB.