Validation and adaptation of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) in fitness group exercisers

Background: Recently, Mullen et al. (2011) presented an 8-item version of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) providing a valid instrument for assessing enjoyment in physical activity. The present paper investigated the psychometric properties of a Portuguese adaptation of PACES.Methods: After a process of back-to-back translation into Portuguese, 395 members of fitness centers who ranged in age from 18 to 66 years (31.11 ± 8.90, mean ± SD) completed the translated version of the PACES. On average, participants had 3.2 years of experience in fitness group classes and practiced for approximately 3.3 times per week.Results: An initial exploratory factor analysis (n = 139) revealed a unidimensional structure with factor loadings ranging from 0.79 to 0.89. Results also showed acceptable internal consistency. A confirmatory factor analysis in an independent sample (n = 256) provided additional support for the unidimensional structure of the questionnaire. In addition, moderate positive correlations between enjoyment and intrinsic and identified regulation, and moderate negative correlations between enjoyment and external and amotivation demonstrate the convergent validity of the instrument. Finally, measurement invariance between two independent samples was also found.Conclusion: The 8-item Portuguese version of PACES is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring enjoyment of physical activity in Portuguese adult's fitness exercisers, therefore suitable to use as a measure of affect in exercise adherence interventions studies

Worldwide evaluation of CAMS-EGG4 CO₂ data re-analysis at the surface level

This study systematically examines the global uncertainties and biases in the carbon dioxide (CO(2)) mixing ratio provided by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). The global greenhouse gas re-analysis (EGG4) data product from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) was evaluated against ground-based in situ measurements from more than 160 of stations across the world. The evaluation shows that CO(2) re-analysis can capture the general features in the tracer distributions, including the CO(2) seasonal cycle and its strength at different latitudes, as well as the global CO(2) trend. The emissions and natural fluxes of CO(2) at the surface are evaluated on a wide range of scales, from diurnal to interannual. The results highlight re-analysis compliance, reproducing biogenic fluxes as well the observed CO(2) patterns in remote environments. CAMS consistently reproduces observations at marine and remote regions with low CO(2) fluxes and smooth variability. However, the model’s weaknesses were observed in continental areas, regions with complex sources, transport circulations and large CO(2) fluxes. A strong variation in the accuracy and bias are displayed among those stations with different flux profiles, with the largest uncertainties in the continental regions with high CO(2) anthropogenic fluxes. Displaying biased estimation and root-mean-square error (RMSE) ranging from values below one ppmv up to 70 ppmv, the results reveal a poor response from re-analysis to high CO(2) mixing ratio, showing larger uncertainty of the product in the boundaries where the CAMS system misses solving sharp flux variability. The mismatch at regions with high fluxes of anthropogenic emission indicate large uncertainties in inventories and constrained physical parameterizations in the CO(2) at boundary conditions. The current study provides a broad uncertainty assessment for the CAMS CO(2) product worldwide, suggesting deficiencies and methods that can be used in the future to overcome failures and uncertainties in regional CO(2) mixing ratio and flux estimates

How important are maritime emissions for the air quality: at European and national scale

Due to its dependence on fossil fuel combustion, emissions from the marine transport sector can significantly contribute to air pollution. This work aims to evaluate the impact of maritime transport emissions on air quality in Portugal using a numerical air quality modelling approach, with high-resolution emission data. Emissions from the European TNO inventory were compiled and pre-processed at hourly and high spatial (∼3 × 3 km2) resolutions. Scenarios with and without these maritime emissions were then simulated with the WRF-CHIMERE modelling system, extensively tested and validated for Portugal domain, in order to evaluate their impact on air quality. A simulation was performed for one year (2016) and the resulting differences were analysed in terms of spatial distribution, time series and deltas. The main deltas for NO2 and PM10 are located over international shipping routes and major ports, while O3 concentrations are impacted in a larger area. The modelling results also indicate that shipping emissions are responsible for deltas in the concentration of NO2 higher than 20% over specific urban areas located in the west coast of Portugal, and less than 5% for PM10. For O3 the relative contribution is low (around 2%) but this contribution is also observed at locations more than 50 km from the coast.Thanks are due for the financial support to FCT/MEC through national funds, and the co-funding by the FEDER, within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020, for the AIRSHIP project (PTDC/AAG-MAA/2569/2014 - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016752) and CESAM (UID/AMB/50017 - POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007638).publishe

ANNEX IV. Metodología para elaboración de cuentas híbridas SEEA-W

El proyecto SYWAG ha acometido la tarea de elaborar para la cuenca del Guadalquivir en el periodo 2004-2012 las tablas del Sistema de Cuentas Ambientales y Económicas del Agua (SCAE-Agua, SEEA-Water en inglés) y extraer indicadores de las mismas. El sistema SCAE-Agua ha sido preparado por la División de Economía y Asuntos Sociales de las Naciones Unidas en colaboración entre otros con EUROSTAT. SCAE-Agua proporciona el marco conceptual para la organización coherente y consistente de la información hídrica y económica y como marco básico el Sistema de Cuentas Nacionales 1993 (SCN 1993), que es el sistema estándar para la compilación de estadísticas económicas y de los indicadores económicos derivados, entre los que destaca el Producto Interno Bruto (PIB).0329/2013/671250/SUB/ENV.C (DG ENV: Comisión Europea

Costs and externalities of road transport in Portugal

Urban dispersion (sprawl) is a reality, however unplanned it may be. Its supporters advocate contact with nature, space and intimacy, however disadvantages include land consumption, public infrastructure and mobility costs and housing prices. The Research Project “Costs and Benefits of Urban Dispersion on a local scale” seeks to contribute to the debate with an objective approach based on the quantification of costs, externalities and benefits of different urban settlement patterns. This paper presents one of the Project’s tasks, the one concerning mobility costs, including externalities. Quantified costs include investment, inspection, insurance, energy and maintenance, as well as external social and environmental costs for road transport, the most significant transport mode operating on a local scale. Different methods are combined depending on available data sources in order to achieve figures for each of the cost components per vehicle-km, ton-km and passenger-km at prices of 2005. Preliminary results for direct costs suggest that in light vehicles investment costs are responsible for the largest share of the totals, while energy costs are the most relevant cost component in heavy vehicles. Heavy duty passenger transport is significantly more expensive than their counterparts. Externalities may mount up to around half of the total costs for some road vehicles.publishe

Regulatory T and B cells in asthmatic women: variations from pregnancy to postpartum Treg and Breg: pregnancy to postpartum

BACKGROUND: Allergic asthma and rhinitis are common in pregnancy. The immune mechanisms underlying the effects of pregnancy in asthma and vice-versa are not completely understood. OBJECTIVES: This work aimed to study the evolution of regulatory T and B cells in asthmatic pregnant women, from late pregnancy till postpartum. METHODS: Four groups of women were enrolled for this study: third trimester pregnant women, asthmatic (n=24) and healthy (n=43), and non-pregnant women, asthmatic (n=33) and healthy (n=35). Pregnant women were also evaluated postpartum (>6 weeks after delivery). Blood samples were taken from each woman and flow cytometry was used to characterize circulating regulatory T and B cells. Foxp3 expression was assessed within CD4DimCD25Hi regulatory T cells. RESULTS: In asthmatic and healthy pregnant women, regulatory T cells did not oscillate significantly from pregnancy to postpartum, but CD24HiCD38Hi regulatory B cells, decreased in pregnancy, rose significantly postpartum. Foxp3 expression in regulatory T cells was also impaired during pregnancy in asthmatic and healthy pregnant women, recovering postpartum. Nevertheless, asthmatic pregnant women presented higher Foxp3 expression than healthy pregnant women (p=0.007), probably due to the use of control medication. CONCLUSIONS: Women with controlled asthma present variations in regulatory cell subsets during pregnancy and postpartum. The similar pattern observed for Foxp3 expression and CD24HiCD38Hi regulatory B cells during this period corroborates the interaction established between regulatory T and B cells in immune responses. Considering the immunomodulatory potential of these immune mediators, more studies are needed to evaluate their relation with asthma and rhinitis complications in pregnancy

Comparative performance of diffused junction indium phosphide solar cells

A comparison is made between indium phosphide solar cells whose p-n junctions were processed by open tube capped diffusion, and closed tube uncapped diffusion, of sulfur into Czochralski grown p-type substrates. Air mass zero, total area, efficiencies ranged from 10 to 14.2 percent, the latter value attributed to cells processed by capped diffusion. The radiation resistance of these latter cells was slightly better, under 1 MeV electron irradiation. However, rather than being process dependent, the difference in radiation resistance could be attributed to the effects of increased base dopant concentration. In agreement with previous results, both cells exhibited radiation resistance superior to that of gallium arsenide. The lowest temperature dependency of maximum power was exhibited by the cells prepared by open tube capped diffusion. Contrary to previous results, no correlation was found between open circuit voltage and the temperature dependency of Pmax. It was concluded that additional process optimization was necessary before concluding that one process was better than another

Visualização mental – definições e aplicações

O tema da visualização mental tem fascinado muitas pessoas no contexto do desporto e na atividade física. Ela é considerada uma das técnicas mais eficazes no desenvolvimento de competências físicas e psicológicas devido à sua polivalência em trabalhos de vários tipos. A visualização mental tem sido referida ao longo dos tempos por uma série de nomes - visualização, ensaio mental, prática mental e desenvolvimento cognitivo para citar apenas alguns. Este trabalho pretende resumir os principais conceitos estruturantes do tema, assim como as principais teorias que suportam o seu desenvolvimento. Apresentamos também um conjunto de investigações efetuadas no âmbito do LID Psicologia do Desporto, na ESDRM.- The theme of mental visualization has fascinated many people in the context of sport and physical activity. It’s considered one of the most effective techniques in the development of physical and psychological skills due to their versatility in the work of various kinds. The mental visualization has been referred to over the years by a number of names - visualization, mental rehearsal, mental practice and cognitive development to name a few. This paper aims to summarize the main structural concepts of the topic, as well as the major theories that support their development. We also present a set of investigations carried out under the LID Sport Psychology in ESDRM