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Moringa oleifera tree is recognised for its high content of bioactive compounds. This work explored the potential of incorporating its leaves or respective extracts into white chocolate to enhance its biological and sensory properties as white chocolate lacks the beneficial compounds found in cocoa. In this study, a phenolic-rich extract was obtained from Moringa oleifera leaf powder, and its biological properties and phenolic composition were characterised. The extract displayed good antioxidant capacity, especially against ABTS radical (IC50 = 162.0 mg/L). Additionally, it exhibited strong inhibitory potential against α-amylase and β-glucosidase, achieving average inhibition rates of 79.9% and 98.0%, respectively. The main phenolic compounds identified included catechin (0.211 mgcompound/gextract), caffeic acid (0.056 mgcompound/gextract), and quercetin (0.031 mgcompound/gextract). White chocolate samples were fortified with 1% and 3% M. oleifera leaf extract, resulting in increased antioxidant properties and oxidative stability. All formulations were microbiologically safe, and the sample containing 3% extract showed the highest DPPH inhibition after 15 days of storage and a higher delay in the autoxidation of lipids over time. The fortification of white chocolate with M. oleifera leaf extract has the potential to transform it into a functional product rich in antioxidants, providing health benefits and increased value.

Trafficking of the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein is a complex process that starts with its biosynthesis and folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. Exit from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is coupled with the acquisition of a compact structure that can be processed and traffic through the secretory pathway. Once reaching its final destination—the plasma membrane, CFTR stability is regulated through interaction with multiple protein partners that are involved in its post-translation modification, connecting the channel to several signaling pathways. The complexity of the process is further boosted when analyzed in the context of the airway epithelium. Recent advances have characterized in detail the different cell types that compose the surface epithelium and shifted the paradigm on which cells express CFTR and on their individual and combined contribution to the total expression (and function) of this chloride/bicarbonate channel. Here we review CFTR trafficking and its relationship with the knowledge on the different cell types of the airway epithelia. We explore the crosstalk between these two areas and discuss what is still to be clarified and how this can be used to develop more targeted therapies for CF.

Abstract Background The phenotypic heterogeneity observed in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients suggests the involvement of other genes, besides CFTR. Here, we combined transcriptome and proteome analysis to understand the global gene expression patterns associated with five prototypical CFTR mutations. Results Evaluation of differentially expressed genes and proteins unveiled common and mutation-specific changes revealing functional signatures that are much more associated with the specific molecular defects associated with each mutation than to the CFTR loss-of-function phenotype. The combination of both datasets revealed that mutation-specific detected translated-transcripts (Dtt) have a high level of consistency. Conclusions This is the first combined transcriptomic and proteomic study focusing on prototypical CFTR mutations. Analysis of Dtt provides novel insight into the pathophysiology of CF, and the mechanisms through which each mutation class causes disease and will likely contribute to the identification of new therapeutic targets and/or biomarkers for CF.

Enhancing the nutritional value of commonly consumed, cost-effective staple foods, such as bread and biscuits, by fortifying them with Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) and its phenolic-rich extract holds substantial potential for addressing malnutrition. This study evaluated the phenolic extract from MOLP obtained through Soxhlet extraction, focusing on its antioxidant, antibacterial, and antidiabetic properties. The resulting extract exhibited a total phenolic content (TPC) of 138.2 mg of gallic acid equivalents/g. The ABTS and DPPH assays presented IC50 values of 115.2 mg/L and 544.0 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the extract displayed notable α-amylase inhibition and no cytotoxicity towards human fibroblasts. The primary phenolic compounds identified were catechin, epicatechin, and caffeic acid. Subsequently, MOLP and its extract were incorporated into bread and biscuits, replacing 5% of wheat flour, resulting in fortified functional foods. The fortified products exhibited improved TPC and antioxidant activity compared to the non-fortified foods. Furthermore, they displayed the ability to inhibit microbial growth, leading to an extended shelf life. Sensory analysis indicated that the products incorporated with the extract were preferred over those with MOLP. These results have demonstrated the viability of using MOLP and its phenolic-rich extract as an environmentally sustainable strategy for enhancing the quality of cereal-based products.

The excessive use of water and plastic packaging in the cosmetic industry imposes the need to develop sustainable alternatives. Moreover, agricultural by-products are reported in the literature to be rich in bioactive properties, namely high antioxidant capacity, suggesting their potential use in cosmetic formulations as substitutes for commercial additives. The aim of this work was the development of a sustainable formulation of solid shampoo, incorporating extracts from mango peel as antioxidants. The characterization of the extracts revealed the presence of several phenolic compounds and a strong antioxidant capacity. Six formulations of solid shampoo were produced by varying the quantity of the additives: tocopherol and butylated hydroxytoluene, used as positive controls, and mango peel (MP) extract. The antioxidant capacity assays demonstrated that the MP extract increased the antioxidant activity of the shampoos, in comparison to the positive controls and the stability tests revealed that the MP extract is a stable ingredient. Hence, it was concluded that the MP extract is a strong source of antioxidants with the potential to replace commercial antioxidants in cosmetics. Thus, it was possible to develop a value-added formulation of solid shampoo, eliminating the use of water and plastic for the packaging, and reusing waste from the food sector.

Enquadramento: A Diretiva Antecipada de Vontade, permite à pessoa manifestar o seu desejo relativo à sua vivencia no final da vida. Cumprir esta diretiva exige aos profissionais de saúde competências na medida em que envolve vivências de grande complexidade. Objetivo: Identificar as experiências dos profissionais de saúde no cumprimento da Diretiva Antecipada de Vontade, na prática clínica. Metodologia: Estudo qualitativo, exploratório descritivo com recurso a entrevista semiestruturada. Foram incluídos como participantes os profissionais de saúde de um hospital do norte de Portugal. Efetuada análise de conteúdo segundo o referencial de Bardin. Foram respeitados todos os princípios éticos e legais. Resultados: Os participantes do estudo consideram a diretiva antecipada de vontade como um instrumento que especifica os desejos do doente quanto aos cuidados a receber em fim de vida. Enfatizam que no seu cumprimento experienciam uma variabilidade de emoções e sentimentos, medo, impotência, respeito. Conclusão: Para cumprir a diretiva antecipada de vontade é urgente construir critérios para a tomada de decisão perfilhada e partilhada. Para isto, é necessário uma maior aposta na formação.

Moringa oleifera, which is rich in bioactive compounds, has numerous biological activities and is a powerful source of antioxidants and nutrients. Therefore, M. oleifera can be incorporated into food to mitigate children’s malnutrition. In this work, the bioactive compounds were extracted from M. oleifera leaf powder by ultrasound-assisted solid-liquid extraction. The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and the phenolic composition of the extract were evaluated. The extract presented a total phenolic content of 54.5 ± 16.8 mg gallic acid equivalents/g and IC50 values of 133.4 ± 12.3 mg/L for DPPH and 60.0 ± 9.9 mg/L for ABTS. Catechin, chlorogenic acid, and epicatechin were the main phenolics identified by HPLC-DAD. The obtained extract and M. oleifera leaf powder were incorporated into yoghurts and their physicochemical and biological properties were studied. The incorporation of M. oleifera did not impair the yoghurts’ stability over eight weeks when compared to both negative and positive controls. The extract presented higher stability regarding syneresis but lower stability regarding TPC compared to the powder. Also, the fortified yoghurts presented higher antioxidant properties than the negative control. These findings highlight the potential use of M. oleifera powder and extract as natural additives to produce fortified foods that can be used in the mitigation of malnutrition.

The cosmetic industry has been focusing on replacing synthetic ingredients with natural ones, taking advantage of their bioactive compounds. This work assessed the biological properties of onion peel (OP) and passion fruit peel (PFP) extracts in topical formulations as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants and UV filters. The extracts were characterized regarding their antioxidant capacity, antibacterial capacity and sun protection factor (SPF) value. Results revealed that the OP extract exhibited better results, which can result from the high concentrations of quercetin, as identified and quantified in HPLC analysis. Afterward, nine formulations of O/W creams were produced with minor changes in the quantity of additives: OP and PFP extract (natural antioxidants and UV filters), BHT (synthetic antioxidant) and oxybenzone (synthetic UV filter). The stability of the formulations was determined for 28 days; it was verified that they remained stable throughout the study period. The assays of the formulations’ antioxidant capacity and SPF value revealed that OP and PFP extracts have some photoprotective properties and are excellent sources of antioxidants. As a result, they can be incorporated in daily moisturizers with SPF and sunscreens replacing and/or diminishing the quantities of synthetic ingredients, reducing their negative effects on human health and the environment.

The protective effect of olive mill pomace (OMP) loaded ethylcellulose microparticles as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants against the oxidation of olive oils was assessed. OMP extract was obtained by an optimized two-step solid-liquid extraction; encapsulation was performed by double emulsion solvent evaporation technique considering a theoretical loading content in phenolic compounds of 5% (w/w). The changes in the peroxide values, the p-anisidine values, the total oxidation values, the free fatty acids content, the total antioxidant activity, and the total phenolic content were synchronized under storage at 62 °C. The results of oxidative stability were compared with plain oils, oils enriched with synthetic antioxidants, and oils fortified with OMP extract. The encapsulation efficiency of phenolic compounds was 96.0 ± 0.3%. The fortification of olive oils with microparticles retarded the appearance of peroxides, reduced the content of secondary oxidation products, and slowed down hydrolysis processes. The microparticles were efficiently designed to sustain the release of antioxidants to control the oxidative status of oil samples, retarding the free fatty acids formation rather than synthetic antioxidants. The results of this study bring new perspectives regarding the potential use of encapsulated extracts rich in antioxidants as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants to improve oil oxidative stability.

Bioactive compounds from olive mill pomace (OMP) were extracted through a two-step solid-liquid extraction procedure considering four factors at five levels of a central composite rotatable response surface design. The influence of the process variables time of the primary extraction (2.0–4.0 h), solvent-to-sample ratio during the primary extraction (5.0–10.0 mL/g), time of the secondary extraction (1.0–2.0 h), and the solvent-to-sample ratio during the secondary extraction (3.0–5.0 mL/g) were examined. The content of bioactive compounds was determined spectrophotometrically, and the individual phenolic compounds were evaluated by reserved-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The Derringer’s function was used to optimize the extraction process, and the best conditions were found to be 3.2 h for the primary extraction, 10.0 mL/g for the solvent-to-sample ratio and 1.3 h for the secondary extraction associated with a solvent-to-sample ratio of 3.0 mL/g, obtaining a total phenolic content of 50.0 (expressed as mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry weight (dw). The response surface methodology proved to be a great alternative for reducing the number of tests, allowing the optimization of the extraction of phenolic antioxidants from OMP with a reduced number of experiments, promoting reductions in cost and analysis time.

The avocado peel is an agro-industrial by-product that has exhibited a massive increase in its production in the last few years. The reuse and valorisation of this by-product are essential since its disposal raises environmental concerns. In the present study, ethanolic extracts of avocado peels of the Hass variety were obtained, for three extraction times (1.5 h, 3 h and 4 h) and analysed for their antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Antioxidant evaluations of the extracts revealed that the extraction time of 1.5 h exhibited the best results amongst the three, with a DPPH inhibition percentage of 93.92 ± 1.29 and an IC50 percentage, the necessary concentration of the extract to inhibit 50% of DPPH, of 37.30 ± 1.00. The antibacterial capacity of the extracts was evaluated and it was revealed that they were able to inhibit the growth and development of bacteria of the Staphylococcus family. The obtained extract was incorporated in two types of cosmetic formulations (oil-in-water and water-in-oil) and their stability was evaluated and compared with formulations containing synthetic preservatives (BHT and phenoxyethanol). The results of the stability evaluation suggest that the avocado peel extract has the potential to be incorporated in both types of emulsions, acting as an antioxidant and antibacterial agent, proving it to be a viable option to reduce/replace the use of synthetic preservatives. Furthermore, the avocado peel extract proved to be more effective and stable in oil-in-water emulsions. These results highlight the possibility of obtaining sustainable cosmetics, significantly reducing the negative impacts on the environment by the incorporation of extracts sourced from the avocado peel, an interesting source of phenolic compounds, an abundant and low-cost by-product.

Grape pomace and grapeseed are agro-industrial by-products, whose inadequate treatment generates socioeconomic and environmental concerns. Nevertheless, it is possible to valorize them by extracting their bioactive compounds, such as antioxidants (phenolic compounds), vitamin E and fatty acids. The bioactive compounds were extracted using solid-liquid extraction. The yields for phenolic compounds were 18.4 ± 0.4% for grape pomace, and 17.4 ± 0.4%, for grapeseed. For the oil, the yields were 13.3 ± 0.2% and 14.5 ± 0.3% for grape pomace and grapeseed. Antioxidant capacity was assessed by the assay with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and showed that phenolic extract has higher antioxidant capacity than the oils. Grape pomace and grapeseed extracts exhibit, correspondingly, values of 90.8 ± 0.8 and 87.5 ± 0.5 of DPPH inhibition and IC50 of 48.9 ± 0.5 and 55.9 ± 0.7 μgextract·mLDPPH−1. The antimicrobial capacity was assessed by the disk diffusion test, and revealed that, phenolic extracts inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The obtained extracts were incorporated in 10 face cream formulations, with slight modifications in quantities of formulation stabilizers. Their stability was studied for 35 days, and this revealed the possibility of incorporating extracts and oils obtained from by-products as antioxidants in cosmetics, and replacing synthetic ones. As a future recommendation, microencapsulation of the extracts should be performed, in order to increase their stability.

The present study describes a procedure to isolate essential oils from Rosmarinus officinalis L. using simultaneous distillation–extraction (SDE). Rosmarinus officinalis L. can be used for medicinal purposes, as well in the cooking and cosmetics industries. SDE technique extraction combines a steam distillation combined with a continuous extraction using a solvent or a co-solvent mixture, providing faster extractions with low extraction solvent volumes. The effect of the solvent nature and the extraction time on the simultaneous distillation–extraction efficiency was evaluated. The best performance was achieved using pentane as a solvent for 1 h of extraction. The essential oils obtained by simultaneous distillation–extraction extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Extraction efficiencies ranged from 40 to 70% for the majority of the compounds tested, and the precision (measured by the relative standard deviation) varied between 6 and 35%. Among the compounds analyzed the most abundant in the Rosmarinus officinalis L. sample were 1,8-cineole, (-) –borneol, α-pinene, (S)-(-)- α–terpineol, (-)-bornyl acetate, linalool, and 2,2,6-trimethylcyclohexanone. The SDE method proved to be a suitable option for obtaining extracts free from cuticular waxes or chlorophylls.

Nos últimos 80 anos Portugal sofreu profundas alterações políticas, demográficas, sociais e económicas, passando de um regime ditatorial a um sistema democrático, de uma população jovem a uma população envelhecida e de uma economia rural a uma economia de serviços. Em termos educativos evoluiu de uma educação elitista em que a escolaridade obrigatória era de três anos, para uma educação para todos, durante mais tempo, em que o tempo de permanência na escola aumentou para doze anos. O planeamento de recursos educativos nem sempre se ajustou ao quadro conceptual e legislativo e às necessidades demográficas e socioeconómicas do país, mas o mais recente financiamento comunitário (2007-2013) criou condições para dar um novo impulso ao planeamento de infraestruturas e para repensar os seus pressupostos, apresentando hoje Portugal um parque escolar mais adaptado aos desafios que caracterizam a sociedade atual. Neste trabalho, que se integra num projeto de pesquisa mais alargado, procurou-se compreender o momento atual da educação em Portugal, a partir da análise dos seus principais impulsos ao longo das últimas décadas, ilustrando a relação entre as finalidades da educação, as decisões políticas e as dinâmicas sociais e o planeamento de recursos educativos através da evolução da rede escolar ao longo deste período. Este estudo baseia-se numa pesquisa documental diacrónica, focando-se em estudos de caso de territórios de alta e baixa densidade do centro de Portugal, permitindo reunir evidências de que, apesar das orientações serem nacionais, o país nem sempre evolui à mesma velocidade, existindo uma clara interferência das diferentes dinâmicas territoriais nas opções tomadas e nos resultados alcançados. Palavras-chave: Recursos educativos. Planeamento. Resultados escolares. ABSTRACT In the last 80 years Portugal has suffered political, demographic, social and economic changes, from a dictatorial regime to a democratic system, from a young population to an ageing population and from a rural economy to a service economy. In terms of education, it has progressed from an education for the elites, with a compulsory education period of three years, to an education for everyone and for a longer period (compulsory education of 12 years). The planning of educational resources has not always been adjusted to the conceptual and legislative framework and to the demographic and socioeconomic needs, but the recent community funding (2007-2013) has created the conditions to give a fresh impetus to the planning of infrastructures and to rethink their assumptions and Portugal now has schools which are more well adapted to the characteristics of modern Portuguese society. This project sought to understand the state of education in Portugal through the analysis of its main tendencies in recent decades, illustrating the relation between the purpose of education, political decisions and social dynamics and the planning of educational resources through the evolution of the school network. This paper is based upon a thorough diachronic documentary research, focusing on case studies of high and low density territories in Central Portugal, which led to the gathering of evidence that, despite the national guidelines, the country has not progressed at an uniform rate and there is a interference of the different territorial dynamics in the choices made and in the results achieved. Keywords: Educational resources. Planning. School results. RESUMEN En los últimos 80 años, Portugal experimentó cambios políticos, demográficos, sociales y económicos: cambió el régimen dictatorial por un sistema democrático, una población joven por una población envejecida y una economía rural por una economía de servicios. En términos educativos evolucionó desde una educación elitista, con una escolaridad obligatoria de tres años, hasta una educación para todos y durante más tiempo (escolaridad obligatoria de 12 años). El planeamiento de los recursos educativos no siempre se ajustó al marco conceptual y legislativo y a las necesidades demográficas y socioeconómicas, pero la financiación comunitaria reciente (2007-2013) creó las condiciones para dar un nuevo impulso al planeamiento de las infraestructuras y para repensar sus presupuestos, permitiendo hoy a Portugal presentar estructuras educativas más adaptadas a las normas que caracterizan a la sociedad actual. Este proyecto trató de comprender la situación de la educación en Portugal a partir del análisis de las orientaciones dominantes en las últimas décadas, ilustrando la relación entre los objetivos de la educación, las decisiones políticas y las dinámicas sociales y la planificación de los recursos educativos a través de la evolución la red escolar. Este trabajo se apoya en una pesquisa documental diacrónica exhaustiva, centrándose en estudios de caso de territorios con elevada y baja densidad poblacional del centro de Portugal, lo que permite comprobar que a pesar de que las orientaciones sean nacionales, el país no evolucionó al mismo ritmo y hay una fuerte interferencia de las diferentes dinámicas territoriales en las decisiones tomadas y los resultados obtenidos. Palabras clave: Recursos educativos. Planeamiento. Resultados escolares.

Challenges posed by demographic changes and population aging are key priorities for the Horizon 2020 Program of the European Commission. Aligned with the vision of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA), the development, exchange, and large-scale adoption of innovative good practices is a key element of the responses required to ensure all European citizens remain as active and healthy as possible as they age. Urged by the need of developing scalable disruptive innovation across Europe, the European Commission and the EIP on AHA created the Reference Sites; local coalition of partners that develop good practices to support AHA. Ageing@Coimbra is an example of how this can be achieved at a regional level. The consortium comprises over 70 institutions that develop innovative practices to support AHA in Portugal. Ageing@Coimbra partners support a regional network of stakeholders that build a holistic ecosystem in health and social care, taking into consideration the specificities of the territories, living environments and cultural resources (2,243,934 inhabitants, 530,423 aged 65 or plus live in the Centre Region of Portugal). Good practices in reducing the burden of brain diseases that affect cognition and memory impairment in older people and tackling social isolation in urban and rural areas are among the top priorities of Ageing@Coimbra. Profiting from the collaborative work of academia, business companies, civil society, and authorities, the quadruple helix of Ageing@Coimbra supports: early diagnosis of frailty and disease; care and cure; and active, assisted, and independent living. This paper describes, as a Community Case Study, the creation of a Reference Site of the EIP on AHA, Ageing@Coimbra, and its impact in Portugal. This Reference Site can motivate other regions to develop innovative formulas to federate stakeholders and networks, building consortia at regional level. This growing movement, across Europe, is inspired by the quadruple helix concept and by the replication of innovative good practices; creating new Reference Sites for the benefit of Citizens.

Galaxolide is the most used fragrance since the early 1990s, and it has been largely detected in environmental and biological matrices. This polycyclic musk is present in almost all of our daily products, so the risk of human exposure is substantial, as it had been proved by its detection in human tissues and fluids. Due to the lack of information about the concentrations found in consumer products, monitoring data is needed for exposure assessment purposes. Dermal contact, mostly by personal care products, seems to be the major route of human exposure to galaxolide, and, due to the immaturity of young children’s skin, exposure consequences can be worse in this population. The main objective of this study was to evaluate galaxolide levels in personal care products used by children of Oporto (Portugal), aged 0–5 years, and relate it with consumer habits. Consumer patterns were obtained through 250 questionnaires to caregivers of Oporto children. The 79 most used products were extracted by a dispersive solid phase extraction methodology known as QuEChERS and galaxolide was determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The concentrations ranged between 0.001 ± 0.001 mg·kg−1, on a baby wipe, and 300.480 ± 8.819 mg·kg−1, on glycerin soap, which may correspond to an estimated daily dermal exposure of 277.10 ± 0.02 µg·day−1 on the population of Oporto children. This value is in the range of the results observed for adults, although no information of toxicological risk for children is available.

Calcification-related chronic inflammatory diseases are multifactorial pathological processes, involving a complex interplay between inflammation and calcification events in a positive feed-back loop driving disease progression. Gla-rich protein (GRP) is a vitamin K dependent protein (VKDP) shown to function as a calcification inhibitor in cardiovascular and articular tissues, and proposed as an anti-inflammatory agent in chondrocytes and synoviocytes, acting as a new crosstalk factor between these two interconnected events in osteoarthritis. However, a possible function of GRP in the immune system has never been studied. Here we focused our investigation in the involvement of GRP in the cell inflammatory response mechanisms, using a combination of freshly isolated human leucocytes and undifferentiated/differentiated THP-1 cell line. Our results demonstrate that VKDPs such as GRP and matrix gla protein (MGP) are synthesized and γ-carboxylated in the majority of human immune system cells either involved in innate or adaptive immune responses. Stimulation of THP-1 monocytes/macrophages with LPS or hydroxyapatite (HA) up-regulated GRP expression, and treatments with GRP or GRP-coated basic calcium phosphate crystals resulted in the down-regulation of mediators of inflammation and inflammatory cytokines, independently of the protein γ-carboxylation status. Moreover, overexpression of GRP in THP-1 cells rescued the inflammation induced by LPS and HA, by down-regulation of the proinflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL-1β and NFkB. Interestingly, GRP was detected at protein and mRNA levels in extracellular vesicles released by macrophages, which may act as vehicles for extracellular trafficking and release. Our data indicate GRP as an endogenous mediator of inflammatory responses acting as an anti-inflammatory agent in monocytes/macrophages. We propose that in a context of chronic inflammation and calcification-related pathologies, GRP might act as a novel molecular mediator linking inflammation and calcification events, with potential therapeutic application.

Objetivos: Determinar o grau de satisfação global dos internos de Medicina Geral e Familiar (MGF) da Zona Norte com o programa de formação específica (internato); Analisar a associação entre a satisfação global com o internato e diferentes variáveis relativas ao interno, ao orientador e ao programa de formação específica. Tipo de estudo: Estudo transversal com componente analítico, realizado entre setembro de 2011 e fevereiro de 2013. Local: Área geográfica abrangida pela Coordenação do Internato de MGF da Zona Norte. População: Internos de formação específica de MGF da Zona Norte. Métodos: Recolha de dados através da aplicação de um questionário de autopreenchimento voluntário, desenvolvido pelas autoras, enviado por correio eletrónico a todos os internos de MGF da Zona Norte (n=532). Foi feita a caracterização geral da população e avaliado o grau de satisfação com o internato através de uma escala tipo Likert com cinco itens. Resultados: Foram obtidas 189 respostas ao questionário, ao que corresponde uma taxa de resposta de 36%. Dos respondedores, 75% (n = 141) eram do género feminino e 85% (n = 160) tinham entre 26 e 30 anos de idade. Dos 189 internos, 78% (n = 148) estavam integrados em Unidades de Saúde Familiar (USF) e a maioria frequentava o segundo ano de formação (34%, n = 64). Em 76% dos casos (n = 143), a escolha por MGF foi primeira opção, sendo que 97% (n = 183) não tem intenção de repetir o exame de acesso à especialidade. A grande maioria dos internos de formação específica em MGF da Zona Norte estão satisfeitos ou muito satisfeitos com o internato (91%, n = 170), estando apenas 4% (n = 7) dos internos insatisfeitos ou muito insatisfeitos. A satisfação global com o internato teve uma correlação positiva com a satisfação em relação às variáveis «Escolha de MGF como primeira opção», «Relação com o orientador de formação», «Desempenho do orientador de formação», «Organização global do internato», «Duração do internato», «Duração dos estágios hospitalares obrigatórios», «Número de estágios de MGF» e «Duração dos estágios de MGF» (p = 0,001, p = 0,003, p = 0,010, p = 0,008, p < 0,001, p = 0,024, p = 0,015 e p = 0,045, respetivamente). Em relação às variáveis «Tempo despendido em atividades não clínicas para efeitos curriculares», verifica-se uma relação negativa com a satisfação global com o internato (p = 0,016). Conclusões: Os internos de MGF da Zona Norte estão satisfeitos com o seu programa de formação específica. A satisfação na relação com o orientador de formação e com o seu desempenho são dos aspetos que mais contribuíram para a satisfação global dos internos. Da mesma forma, a satisfação em relação à duração do programa de internato, em relação aos estágios de MGF e à organização global do programa de formação contribuíu de forma evidente para a satisfação global destes médicos. A relação entre a satisfação global e a satisfação com a duração dos estágios hospitalares obrigatórios é inconclusiva. Os internos mostram-se insatisfeitos com o tempo despendido em atividades não clínicas para efeitos curriculares.

A rede educativa portuguesa sofreu, no último século, uma significativa e evolução, marcada não só por nuances políticas e ideológicas entretanto observadas, mas também pelas transformações que foram ocorrendo na demografia e na mobilidade, em especial na segunda metade do século XX. Estas transformações tornaram desajustada a rede educativa deste princípio de século XXI, uma vez que os próprios edifícios escolares, muitos deles herdados do “Plano dos Centenários”, não respondem aos desafios educativos que a escola atual exige. Impôs-se, assim, a reorganização do parque escolar nacional, no sentido de o tornar consentâneo não só com a realidade atual, mas fundamentalmente com as necessidades previstas para as próximas décadas, numa lógica de planeamento estratégico.

As transformações observadas na década de 70 relativamente a valores pessoais, sociais e culturais, bem como a aspetos laborais tiveram significativas repercussões na evolução da área social. Se até esse momento esta era restrita e deveras simplificada, após este período sofreu uma grande modificação, alargando-se e tornando-se mais complexa. No momento atual parece ser inquestionável que a ação social apresenta um papel imprescindível numa sociedade cuja evolução deu origem a novas necessidades e modos de vida, vendo-se, assim, confrontada com uma crescente procura de diferentes respostas sociais de apoio aos indivíduos carenciados e respetivas famílias. A necessidade de se equacionar uma Carta Social Dinâmica surge como resposta à inexistência de uma política sustentável de ação social em termos municipais que apontasse medidas concretas para os desafios crescentes.

O presente artigo aborda os conceitos gerais relacionados com a pesquisa bibliográfica, no contexto da investigação conducente à produção de conhecimento. Foca, em particular, a pesquisa bibliográfica em bases de dados electrónicas enquanto procedimento metodológico para a revisão do conhecimento científico, descrevendo, resumidamente, cada uma das principais bases de dados electrónicas, na área das ciências da saúde. Adicionalmente, refere alguns conceitos para a elaboração de uma estratégia de pesquisa, descrevendo os principais recursos disponíveis para operar os sistemas de pesquisa de forma optimizada.