Integrated ecological-economic modelling and assessment aproach for coastal ecosystem management

Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Sciences and Technology, New University of Lisbon, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental SciencesOver the past few decades, policy-makers have defined new instruments to address coastal ecosystem degradation. Emerging coastal management frameworks highlight the use of the best available knowledge about the ecosystem to manage coastal resources and maintain ecosystem’s services. Progress is required, however, in translating data into useful knowledge for environmental problem solving. This thesis aims to contribute to research assessing changes in coastal ecosystems and benefits generated due to management actions (or to the lack thereof). The overall objectives are to assess the ecological and economic impacts of existing management programmes, as well as future response scenarios and to translate the outcomes into useful information for managers. To address these objectives, three different approaches were developed: A multilayered ecosystem model A multilayered ecosystem model was developed to simulate management scenarios that account for the cumulative impacts of multiple uses of coastal zones. This modelling field is still at an early stage of development and is crucial, for instance, to simulate the impacts of aquaculture activities on the ecosystem, accounting for multiple farms and their interactions with other coastal activities. The multilayered ecosystem model is applied in this thesis to test scenarios designed to improve water quality and manage aquaculture. An ecological-economic assessment methodology (ΔDPSIR approach) The Differential Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (ΔDPSIR) approach further develops the integrated approach by providing an explicit link between ecological and economic information related to the use and management of coastal ecosystems. Furthermore, the ΔDPSIR approach provides a framework to synthesise scientific data into useful information for the evaluation of previously adopted policies and future response scenarios. The ΔDPSIR application is tested using different datasets and scales of analysis, including: (i)assessment of the ecological-economic impacts of the scenarios at the waterbody/watershed level, using the multilayered ecosystem model outputs, and (ii) evaluation of the ecologicaleconomic effects of aquaculture options at the individual aquaculture level, using data from an abalone farm. These are two important scale of analysis for the development of an ecosystem approach to aquaculture.A dynamic ecological-economic model (MARKET model) One of the missing links in ecosystem modelling is with economics. The MARKET model was developed to simulate the feedbacks between the ecological-economic components of aquaculture production. This model was applied to simulate shellfish production in a given ecosystem under different assumptions for price and income growth rates and the maximum available area for cultivation. Further application of the MARKET model at a wider scale might be useful for understanding the ecological and economic limitations on global aquaculture production. This integrated ecological-economic modelling and assessment approach can be further applied to address new coastal management issues, such as coastal vulnerability to natural catastrophes. It can also support implementation of current legislation and policies, such as the EU Integrated Coastal Zone Management recommendation or the development of River Basin Management Plans following the EU Water Framework Directive requirements. On the other hand, the approach can address recurring coastal management needs, such as the assessment of the outcomes of past or on-going coastal management plans worldwide, in order to detect symptoms of the overuse and misuse of coastal ecosystems.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology(FCT) as a Ph.D. scholarship (SFRH/BD/25131/2005.European Union, Sixth Framework Programme FP6-2002-INCO-DEV-1 SPEAR (INCO-CT-2004-510706) projec

Ler com jovens com perturbação de hiperatividade / défice de atenção o papel do clube de leitura – Ler mais, ser mais

Este projeto surgiu da necessidade de auxiliar jovens na sua formação académica e autoestima fato detetado pela investigadora no exercício das suas funções, numa casa de acolhimento que recebe crianças e jovens em risco de exclusão social. Neste sentido, este projeto ambiciona determinar quais as potencialidades formativas da dinamização de um clube de leitura com jovens com Perturbação de Hiperatividade e Défice de Atenção, a partir de agora PHDA. Assim, selecionou-se uma amostra de conveniência - 7 utentes com idades compreendidas entre os 15 anos e os 18 anos de idade. Neste estudo recorreu--se à metodologia científica de investigação-ação. O processo de recolha e análise de dados baseou-se nas entrevistas realizadas aos utentes, nos diários de bordo e nas sessões de dinamização do clube de leitura. Os resultados revelam que a dinamização do clube de leituras se apresenta como um recurso eficaz para promover a motivação e compreensão para a leitura, estimular o prazer de ler, possibilitar o diálogo e o fomento do espírito crítico e reflexivo, bem como contribuir para a autoestima e consolidação das relações interpessoais. Os dados recolhidos nas entrevistas iniciais e finais, relativamente à motivação para a leitura, evidenciaram falta de incentivo por parte dos educadores ou familiares à leitura

The impact of blocking the activation of facial muscles in the processing of subsequent emotional infromation, and its mechanism

Tese submetida como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Doutoramento em Psicologia na área de Psicologia CognitivaIn this thesis we focus on how previous activation of the representation of an emotional state impacts the processing of subsequent emotional information (within a priming paradigm). Our approach is guided by an embodied perspective on cognition. According to embodied cognition theories, affective representations are partial simulations of emotional experience (Niedenthal, Barsalou, Winkielman, Krauth-Gruber, & Ric, 2005). Among other simulations, re-enacting an emotion may involve the activation of correspondent facial motor activation. In the present work, we directly approach the hypothesis that facial muscle activation has a role in emotional category priming effects within a blocking paradigm. However, because blocking may still allow partial muscle activity, we first address muscular specificities of a facial muscular blocking procedure. Our first experimental approaches aimed to establish the proper methodology used to test our hypothesis. Experiment 1 addresses our hypothesis within an emotional category priming paradigm similar to the one used by Carroll and Young (2005) and, establishes the proper temporal window to observe the effect. Resutls show a general emotional priming effect, such that all emotional faces impacted all, and only, emotional targets judgment (both congruent and incongruent). This indicates that perceiving emotional primes facilitates emotional judgments of emotional stimuli in general. Our second Experiment aimed to define the muscular specificities of a blocking procedure (Niedenthal, Brauer, Halberstadt, & Innes-Ker, 2001) necessary to address the role of muscle activation in the observed priming effects. Assuming that the blocking procedure may exert different influences on different muscle’s activation, we characterized this procedure in terms of promotion of muscle activation over zygomaticus major, orbicularis oris and corrugator supercilii. Results corroborate that blocking exerts different effect for different muscles, suggesting that its effect on emotion priming effects may be moderated by the type of emotion primed. Experiment 3, replicated the procedure of Experiment 1, including an additional blocking condition, in order to test the embodiment hypothesis. In this experiment, as well as a general emotion priming effect, we also found some evidence of category emotional priming effects qualified by type of emotion. There was a clear congruency effect for happiness, and a generalized effect for sadness (both for congruent and incongruent trials). As expected, these effects suffered an interference from the facial muscle blocking manipulation (Niedenthal et al., 2001). This supports the hypothesis that muscle facial activation plays a role in the mechanism through which emotional category priming effect occurs. However, under blocking conditions, priming effects only disappeared for happy prime-target pairs. Priming effects became stronger for sadness and anger. These differences seem to be explained by the fact that the blocking procedure (Experiment 2, 4 and 5) has a preponderant blocking impact over the zygomaticus major (the muscle of smiling), and a different impact over muscles associated with other emotions. As it becomes more clear in Experiment 4 and 5, blocking manipulation increased the variability observed in the orbicularis oris, activation. We, thus argue that these different effects of blocking explain why negative emotions may have had a stronger priming effect in Experiment 3, under blocking. Results are discussed in terms of implications for embodiment theories and in terms of methodological implications for futher research making use of blocking procedures.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi

Social class, pedagogic practice and achievement in science: a study of Secondary Schools in Portugal

The thesis is concerned to investigate differential patterns of achievement in the sciences in middle and upper sections of eight Portuguese secondary schools selected according to location (city, country) and social class composition of pupils. The total sample of pupils is 1300. Achievement is measured by the scores obtained over a period of one year in science tests created and given by the eleven teachers of the classes of the pupils. These tests are obliged by the Government to measure achievement in two ways. Firstly by questions testing the pupil's understanding of basic definitions and factual knowledge (A competencies) and secondly by questions testing pupil's powers to apply and generalise scientific knowledge to a range of problems (U competencies). The thesis presents an analysis of the teacher's competence in distinguishing between these two types of competencies and an analysis of the pedagogic classroom competence of the teachers in transmitting the required skills. The results show that the effectiveness of the pedagogic practice of the teachers is related to the social class background of the pupils. Analysis of the pupils' scores (A and U) reveals a strong relation with social class and within social class to the gender of the pupil. These relations are especially strong in the case of U competencies. A more delicate analysis was undertaken to examine the inter-relations between teacher's pedagogic practice, location of school, social composition of school's pupils and gender in order to isolate the conditions under which the school exerts a stronger influence upon achievement in science than the influence of the pupil's family background. A model derived from Bernstein's theory of cultural reproduction is used to interpret the results and to explore the possibilities for increasing the effectiveness of pedagogic practice

Julgamento moral e resolução de conflitos sociais na criança

Inexistent

Onions: a source of flavonoids

Flavonoids are a large and diverse group of polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant effects, and onion (Allium cepa L.) is one of the richest sources of dietary flavonoids. Flavonoid content is affected by endogenous factors—genotype and agro-environmental conditions. Considerable research has been directed toward understanding the nature of polyphenols in different products and the factors influencing their accumulation. This review examines the impacts of pre- and postharvest factors on onions’ flavonoid content, highlighting how this knowledge may be used to modulate their composition and the potential use of onion by-productsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Value of videoroscopy in the detection of alterations of Actinic Cheilitis and the selection of biopsy areas

Background: To demonstrate the value of videoroscopy in identifying lesions and alterations not seen by oroscopy and to select the area for biopsy. Material and Methods: Eighty patients were subjected to anamnesis, physical exam, videoroscopy exam, toluidine blue test and biopsy. A diagram of the lips was created to record the exact location where the lesion was found. Results: Physical exam identified 287 lesions, and videoroscopy identified 587 lesions; erythema and white lesions were the most common lesions associated with actinic cheilitis. Of the 59 performed biopsies, 32 (52.4%) cases were identified by videoroscopy that showed lesions that were not detected during physical examination. Conclusions: The establishment of a diagram of the lip permitted registration of the precise location of the lesion. Videoroscopy was effective in locating lesions not seen by oroscopy. Both videoroscopy and the diagram of the lips allowed for better and earlier diagnosis and better patient follow-up for those with actinic cheiliti

Dois paradigmas de primação afectiva : Interferência e influência

O fenómeno de primação afectiva pode ser investigado através de dois paradigmas experimentais que se focam na interferência ou influência do processamento que resulta da pré-exposição a um estímulo valenciado. Neste artigo descrevemos os estudos originais, os detalhes metodológicos de ambos os paradigmas, as variáveis moderadoras do efeito e as explicações teóricas que têm sido avançadas para o fenómeno.ABSTRACT: The affective priming phenomenon can be explored through different paradigms focused either on the interference or influence of processing, resulting from a pre-exposure to a valenced stimulus. In this paper we describe the original studies, methodological details of both paradigms, moderators of the effect and the theoretical explanations that have been proposed for the phenomenon

Revealing antibiotic resistance profile of the novel probiotic candidate faecalibacterium prausnitzii DSM17677

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antimicrobial susceptibility profile of faecalibacterium prausnitzii DSM 17677 a novel probiotic candidate

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio