Genetic diversity of Lusitano horse in Brazil using pedigree information

This study aimed to evaluate population parameters and to describe the genetic diversity of the Lusitano breed in Brazil using pedigree data. Two populations were evaluated: total population (TP) containing 18,922 animals, and reference population (RP) composed of a part of TP containing 8,329 animals, representing the last generation. The generation interval (10.1 ± 5.1 years) was in the range for horse populations. Pedigree completeness in RP shows almost 100% filling in the three most recent generations, indicating improvement in the pedigree data and accuracy of the results, and the inbreeding coefficient (4.46%) and average relatedness (5.97%) for RP, indicating control on the part of breeders. The effective population size was 89 (TP) and 90 (RP). The effective number of founders (fe) were 33 and 29, effective number of ancestors (fa) were 30 and 26, and effective number of founder genomes (fg) were 19 and 15 for TP and RP, respectively, indicating a reduction of genetic variability in the last generations. The total number of ancestors that explains 100% of the genetic diversity in the Lusitano breed in Brazil was 427 (TP) and 341 (RP). The reproductive parameters, probabilities of gene origin showing loss of variability in the last generations, and the genetic contributions of ancestors suggest the need to monitor genetic diversity over time in breeding programs to allow control of the next generations and to increase their variability.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Household disaster preparedness: a survey research results after the wildfires in the Pedrógão Grande, Figueiró dos Vinhos and Castanheira de Pera, Portugal, 2017

Os incêndios florestais constituem uma séria ameaça à saúde das populações e ao ambiente. A preparação das famílias para fazer face a desastres e emergências é crucial para a sua proteção e para a resiliência da comunidade. Aproximadamente um ano depois do incêndio florestal de 2017 ocorrido na região portuguesa de Pedrógão Grande, foi realizado um inquérito sobre medidas de preparação, envolvendo uma amostra aleatória e representativa de 330 pessoas da população afetada. Analisaram-se as relações entre as variáveis sociodemográficas e a adoção de medidas básicas de preparação pelas famílias, bem como do índice de preparação, através de odds ratio, estimadas por regressão logística. A taxa de resposta ao inquérito foi de 83%. Alimentos que não requerem refrigeração nem preparação culinária e o abastecimento de água foram as medidas de preparação mais referidas (85% e 63% respetivamente). Aproximadamente 79% dos respondentes referiram dispor de um rádio a pilhas e 47% de uma lanterna a pilhas, mas apenas 35% verificava regularmente a carga das pilhas. A forma preferida para obter informações durante um desastre ou emergência era a televisão (36,4%), o telefone (22%) e o rádio (15%). A análise do índice de preparação revela a existência de pequenas diferenças a nível local e que as mulheres tendem a adotar menos medidas de preparação que os homens. A existência de doenças crónicas está relacionada com a adoção de um maior número de medidas de preparação.Wildfires are a serious threat to populations’ health and the environment. Household preparedness for disasters and emergency is crucial to help people to protect themselves and improve community resilience. A sur vey on preparedness household measures was conducted in 2018 in a random representative sample (n=330) of the population af fected by the 2017 wildfire in the Por tuguese region of Pedrógão Grande. Associations between sociodemographic variables and the preparedness measures as well the preparedness index were tested by odds ratio estimated by logistic regression. A response rate of 83% was obtained. Non-perishable food and water supplies were the preparedness measures most referred (85% and 63% respectively). To have a battery operated radio (79%) and a flashlight (47%) were also referred but only 35% checked the batteries regularly. The preferred primary means of getting information during a disaster or emergency were television (36,4%), telephone (22%) and radio (15%). The preparedness index analysis shows a slightly dif ference at local level and that women tended to be less prepared than men. Having a chronical disease is associated with the adoption of a higher number of preparedness measures.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Petrography and geochemistry of Sepeda Li-rich aplite-pegmatite dyke swarm (Montalegre, N Portugal)

The Sepeda aplite-pegmatite dyke swarm is situated in the Barroso-Alvão region (Montalegre, Northern Portugal) and is currently a strategic Li ore deposit in Europe. Geologically, it is located in the Parautochthonous Thrust Complex of the Galicia-Trás-os-Montes Zone (Variscan Iberian Belt), more exactly on its southern edge, next to the Central-Iberian Zone. Numerous aplitic and pegmatitic bodies, considered of the LCT type (e.g. Noronha et al., 2013), that cross cut the host metasediments of Silurian age were recently targeted in a diamond drilling campaign. From 4 drill hole logs with suspected Li mineralizations, 120 samples were selected for whole-rock chemical analysis and also 13 samples for thin section preparation. Petrographically, the Sepeda pegmatitic rocks are characterized by distinctive igneous textures that include the following major crystalline phases: K-feldspar, plagioclase, quartz, muscovite, petalite and spodumene. The latter is commonly altered to other Li bearing minerals such as eucryptite and cookeite. The most common accessory minerals are the phosphates montebrasite and apatite and the opaques cassiterite and sphalerite. Aditionally, there are strong evidence of solid state deformation like the dynamic recrystalization of quartz and bent muscovites in addition to plagioclase and K-feldspar flexured twins. In relation to whole-rock geochemistry, these intrusive rocks are mainly felsic with SiO2 contents ranging between 60,97 and 85,78%. The lithologies of intermediate compositions are mostly the aplitic types occuring at shallower depths. With regards to Li2O, the concentration interval varies from 0,01 up to 4,13% where the richer samples (>1% of Li2O) are the pegmatites with aproximately 74% of Si2O in which petalite is the major constituent. Other relevant trace element is Sn reaching 2100 ppm in opposition to Cs (1,68 - 191,50 ppm) and Ta (1,10 - 97,40 ppm). They also show low concentrations in ΣREE (1,37 - 5,61 ppm) with strongly variable Eu anomalies (0,36 ≤ Eu/Eu* ≤ 2,98).publishe

Degradation of textile dyes in aqueous solutions using type-Fenton bimetallic zeolite catalysts

[Excerpt] Textile dyes are growing to be a problematic class of pollutants to the environment. The disposal of dyes in water resources has bad aesthetic and health effects, since most of them are carcinogenic and mutagenic [1,2], so it is important to remove them from the environment. Effective and economic treatment by advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) has been attracted great and continuous interest for the degradation of these pollutants [3]. [...]This work has been developed under the scope of the projects: BioTecNorte (operation NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004), PTDC/AAGTEC/5269/2014, and Centre of Chemistry (UID/QUI/00686/2013 and UID/QUI/0686/2016).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Enhanced mitochondrial testicular antioxidant capacity in Goto-Kakizaki diabetic rats: role of coenzyme Q

Because diabetes mellitus is associated with impairment of testicular function, ultimately leading to reduced fertility, this study was conducted to evaluate the existence of a cause-effect relationship between increased oxidative stress in diabetes and reduced mitochondrial antioxidant capacity. The susceptibility to oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity (in terms of glutathione, coenzyme Q, and vitamin E content) of testis mitochondrial preparations isolated from Goto-Kakizaki (GK) non-insulin-dependent diabetic rats and from Wistar control rats, 1 yr of age, was evaluated. It was found that GK mitochondrial preparations showed a lower susceptibility to lipid peroxidation induced by ADP/Fe(2+), as evaluated by oxygen consumption and reactive oxygen species generation. The decreased susceptibility to oxidative stress in diabetic rats was associated with an increase in mitochondrial glutathione and coenzyme Q9 contents, whereas vitamin E was not changed. These results demonstrate a higher antioxidant capacity in diabetic GK rats. We suggest this is an adaptive response of testis mitochondria to the increased oxidative damage in diabetes mellitu

New ways of working and the physical environment to improve employee engagement

Employee engagement is becoming an increasingly essential factor in organizational competitiveness. Although employee engagement is an extensively researched topic, the roles of new ways of working and physical environment factors are still under exploited. As such, this study examines the relationship between physical environment factors, the dimensions that integrate new ways of working, and employee engagement. Survey data with 126 respondents are analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate a positive significant relationship between the physical environment factors and work engagement. Furthermore, this relation is mediated by four facets regarding new ways of working. The results also indicate that, for the group where facilities were not modified, the new ways of working are a stronger predictor of work engagement when compared with the group where facilities were modified. These findings extend existing knowledge on the antecedents of employee engagement, namely physical environment factors and new ways of working. Another important contribution is related to the mediating role of several facets of new ways of working in the relationship between physical environmental factors and employee engagement.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Brain and liver mitochondria isolated from diabeticGoto-Kakizaki rats show different susceptibility to induced oxidative stress

Increased oxidative stress and changes in antioxidant capacity observed in both clinical and experimental diabetes mellitus have been implicated in the etiology of chronic diabetic complications. Many authors have shown that hyperglycemia leads to an increase in lipid peroxidation in diabetic patients and animals reflecting a rise in reactive oxygen species production. The aim of the study was to compare the susceptibility of mitochondria from brain and liver of Goto-Kakizaki (12-month-old diabetic) rats (GK rats), a model of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, to oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses.Brain and liver mitochondrial preparations were obtained by differential centrifugation. Oxidative damage injury was induced in vitro by the oxidant pair ADP/Fe2+ and the extent of membrane oxidation was assessed by oxygen consumption, malondialdehyde (MDA) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) formation. Coenzyme Q and alpha-tocopherol contents were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Brain mitochondria isolated from 12-month-old control rats displayed a higher susceptibility to lipid peroxidation, as assessed by oxygen consumption and formation of MDA and TBARS, compared to liver mitochondria. In GK rats, mitochondria isolated from brain were more susceptible to invitro oxidative damage than brain mitochondria from normal rats. In contrast, liver mitochondria from diabetic rats were less susceptible to oxidative damage than mitochondria from normal rats. This decreased susceptibility was inversely related to their alpha-tocopherol and coenzyme Q (CoQ) content.The present results indicate that the diabetic state can result in an elevation of both alpha-tocopherol and CoQ content in liver, which may be involved in the elimination of mitochondrially generated reactive oxygen species. The difference in the antioxidant defense mechanisms in the brain and liver mitochondrial preparations of moderately hyperglycemic diabetic GK rats may correspond to a different adaptive response of the cells to the increased oxidative damage in diabetes. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Cost optimality and nZEB target in building renovation of Portuguese residential buildings

Promoting the improvement of the overall energy performance of buildings is a relevant part of the European climate action and the Roadmap for moving towards a competitive low carbon economy in 2050, with an expectation of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by around 90% when compared to 1990 values, in the area of the built environment. The recast of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) introduced the goal of nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) for all new buildings from January 1st, 2021 and plans should be drawn to stimulate the transformation of existing buildings that are refurbished into the same concept. EPBD also requires that all European Member States must ensure that the minimum energy performance requirements for buildings are set to achieve optimal levels, i.e. the energy performance levels that lead to the minimum cost during the life cycle. Therefore, Cost Optimality and nZEB are two fundamental concepts within the current European Union policy related to the energy performance of buildings and consequently related to climate change mitigation and non-renewable resources consumption, with Cost Optimality mainly focused on costs and nZEB focused on low energy consumption levels and on site renewables harvesting. In this context, this paper, using two characteristic buildings of the Portuguese residential building stock, aims at presenting the results that emerged from the analysis and identification of the most cost-effective packages of renovation measures needed to adapt existing buildings to zero energy balance and comparing them with those resulting from the calculation of cost-optimal levels.The investigation of the trade-offs between a renovation towards zero energy balance and a cost optimal renovation without energy use restrictions is relevant to provide clues to the development of national plans for increasing the number of nZEB and to provide appropriate financing and other instruments to catalyze this transformation

Pereira problem solving: Business research methodology to explore open innovation

Problem solving skills are increasingly important to be able to tackle the complex problems encountered in the business world. Nowadays is increasingly important to achieve sustainable development, focusing not only on economic profit but also on creating social value. It is widely agreed that the principles of scientific management can lead to more effective solutions for complex problems. Problems have to be looked at objectively, with methodology and intellectual integrity and modesty. Several techniques have been developed to help analyze the causes of the problem or formulate solutions. Although these business research techniques are important tools, they are presented as isolated measures. Pereira Problem Solving methodology presented provides guide to address business and management problems. It is an integrative and easy-to-use instrument that helps organizations adopt scientific management practices and will enhance the efficiency of the solutions encountered.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio