Assessing the land- and seascape determinants of recreational diving: evidence for Portugal’s south coast

Scuba diving is one of the most popular coastal recreational activities, and one of the few that are allowed in multiple-use marine protected areas. Nevertheless, like many other coastal activities, if in excess, it may harm coastal ecosystems and their sustainable use. This paper focuses on the seascape and landscape characteristics that are most associated with the existence of dive sites, aiming to identify other suitable locations along the coast to potentially reduce environmental pressure (e.g., overcrowding and physical damage) on the existing dive sites. Logistic regressions were employed to model the suitability for dive sites existence in the Portuguese south coast (Algarve), one of the most popular Summer destinations in mainland Europe. Results suggest that closeness to waterlines and piers and the presence of rock structures in the coastal strip are the most important attributes that positively influence dive sites’ existence, whereas the beach environment and the presence of muddy sediments are negatively associated with it. In this study, we suggest the application of a logistic model to find alternatives for the explored dive sites as a quick and easily applied coastal management tool. Moreover, we find it useful for the implementation of coastal conservation strategies extended to other coastal activities.FCT: PD/BD/143087/2018/ SFRH/BPD/116307/2016; MCTES for the financial support to CESAM UIDB/50017/2020; CCMAR: UIDB/04326/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Understanding technological, cultural, and environmental motivators explaining the adoption of citizen science apps for coastal environment monitoring

Cardoso-Andrade, M., Cruz-jesus, F., Souza Troncoso, J., Queiroga, H., & Gonçalves, J. M. S. (2022). Understanding technological, cultural, and environmental motivators explaining the adoption of citizen science apps for coastal environment monitoring. Global Environmental Change, 77, 1-17. [102606]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2022.102606--- Funding: This work was supported by national funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia): CESAM through projects UIDP/50017/2020, UIDB/50017/2020, and LA/P/0094/2020; CCMAR through projects UIDP/04326/2020, UIDB/04326/2020, and LA/P/0101/2020; and Centro de Investigação em Gestão de Informação (MagIC)/NOVA IMS through project UIDB/04152/2020. Mariana Cardoso-Andrade also wishes to acknowledge the financial support of FCT through the doctoral grant PD/BD/143087/2018.Environmental and nature conservation authorities are calling for a collective effort to break or reduce the current cycle of environmental degradation. Much of the response depends on scientific knowledge production based on thematically and geographically comprehensive datasets. Citizen science (CS) is a cost-effective support tool for scientific research that provides means for building large and comprehensive datasets and promoting public awareness and participation. One of the greatest challenges of CS is to engage citizens and retain participants in the project. Our work addresses this challenge by (1) defining the role that technological, cultural, and environmental dimensions play in the adoption of CS apps for coastal environment monitoring, and (2) providing base knowledge about the profile of the apps’ most likely users and the functional features they require to be successful. Collectivists and people who assume a green identity are the most likely users of these apps. Drivers of their use are the promotion of citizen empowerment, habit development, provision of facilitating conditions, and proof of environmental performance. The outcome of this study is a set of guidelines for project managers, app developers, and policymakers for citizens’ engagement and retention in CS coastal environment monitoring projects through their apps.publishersversionpublishe

Pós-colheita de flores comestíveis

The objective of this work was to evaluate the changes in the physicochemical properties of different species of edible flowers in the postharvest period. Flowers of Viola cornuta (light or dark colored), Viola tricolor, Antirrhinum majus, Dianthus chinensis, and Tagetes patula were selected, packed, and placed in a cold chamber of the BOD type, at 5±1°C and 90–95% relative humidity. Every two days, fresh weight loss, visual quality using a scale score, and total longevity were evaluated. The total soluble solids (SS) content, titratable acidity (TA), the SS/TA ratio, and pH were also evaluated at the time of harvest and at the end of postharvest life. There was a significant increase in the SS contents of light-colored V. cornuta, V. tricolor, and D. chinensis. A significant reduction in TA was observed in light-colored V. cornuta, V. tricolor, A. majus, and D. chinensis at the end of postharvest life. The pH value increased significantly only in T. patula flowers. The studied species of edible flowers have a short commercial longevity, which varies from 4 to 10 days, while the maximum total longevity varies from 6 to 14 days.O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as alterações das propriedades físico-químicas de diferentes espécies de flores comestíveis, no período pós-colheita. Flores de Viola cornuta (de cor clara ou escura), Viola tricolor, Antirrhinum majus, Dianthus chinensis e Tagetes patula foram selecionadas, embaladas e acondicionadas em câmara frigorífica do tipo BOD, a 5±1°C e 90–95% de umidade relativa. A cada dois dias, avaliou-se a perda de massa de matéria fresca, a qualidade visual por escala de notas e a longevidade total. Também avaliou-se o teor de sólidos solúveis (SS) totais, a acidez titulável (AT), a relação SS/AT e o pH, no momento da colheita e ao final da vida pós-colheita. Houve aumento significativo nos valores de SS em V. cornuta de cor clara, V. tricolor e D. chinensis. Observou-se a redução da AT de V. cornuta de cor clara, V. tricolor, A. majus e D. chinensis ao final da vida pós-colheita. O valor do pH aumentou significativamente apenas em flores de T. patula. As espécies de flores comestíveis estudadas têm longevidade comercial curta, que varia de 4 a 10 dias, enquanto a longevidade total máxima varia de 6 a 14 dias

Os eternos estrangeiros: contato, campo afetivo e representações sociais de ciganos entre não ciganos da grande Vitória/ES

Este trabalho investigou a elaboração do objeto social ‘ciganos’ entre não ciganos da Grande Vitória/ES, a partir da dimensão afetiva e dos níveis de contato em relação ao grupo cigano. Participaram do estudo 56 pessoas, com idades entre 18 e 45 anos, que apresentaram tanto sentimentos positivos quanto negativos em relação aos ciganos. Para o tratamento dos dados, coletados por meio da aplicação de questionário, utilizou-se o software EVOC e a Análise de Conteúdo Categorial. Os resultados informam que o posicionamento afetivo se organiza, principalmente, a partir das dimensões positiva ‘curiosidade’ e ‘respeito’, e negativa ‘insegurança’ e ‘desconfiança’. Associado a esse campo de ambiguidades, entre os elementos centrais das representações de ciganos encontram-se significados como ‘nomadismo’ e ‘cultura diferente’, além de estereótipos negativos e termos que descrevem a dimensão figurativa do objeto social. Discute-se a função das representações encontradas na manutenção do preconceito e da discriminação social contra esse grupo.Palavras-chave: Ciganos. Dimensão afetiva. Estereótipos. Representação social

Os eternos estrangeiros: contato, campo afetivo e representações sociais de ciganos entre não ciganos da grande Vitória/ES

Este trabalho investigou a elaboração do objeto social ‘ciganos’ entre não ciganos da Grande Vitória/ES, a partir da dimensão afetiva e dos níveis de contato em relação ao grupo cigano. Participaram do estudo 56 pessoas, com idades entre 18 e 45 anos, que apresentaram tanto sentimentos positivos quanto negativos em relação aos ciganos. Para o tratamento dos dados, coletados por meio da aplicação de questionário, utilizou-se o software EVOC e a Análise de Conteúdo Categorial. Os resultados informam que o posicionamento afetivo se organiza, principalmente, a partir das dimensões positiva ‘curiosidade’ e ‘respeito’, e negativa ‘insegurança’ e ‘desconfiança’. Associado a esse campo de ambiguidades, entre os elementos centrais das representações de ciganos encontram-se significados como ‘nomadismo’ e ‘cultura diferente’, além de estereótipos negativos e termos que descrevem a dimensão figurativa do objeto social. Discute-se a função das representações encontradas na manutenção do preconceito e da discriminação social contra esse grupo.Palavras-chave: Ciganos. Dimensão afetiva. Estereótipos. Representação social

Del Compromiso Presencial al Virtual: Adaptaciones de un Proceso Participativo para el Diseño de una Política Pública de Basura Marina en Brasil

Marine litter is a transversal issue that affects the envi- ronment and society in a multitude of ways. As such, solutions to this problem are complex and demand the engagement of multiple sectors of society. The São Paulo Strategic Plan for Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Litter (PEMALM) is the first public policy of its kind, seeking to establish indicators and build knowledge to move towards a plan to combat marine litter in the most populous state in Brazil. From its inception, PEMALM has sought to establish a participative construction frame- work, involving key stakeholders at each step. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the participative construction process had to be adapted. Here we present and discuss the strategies applied in the participatory process of PEMALM to guarantee the remote engagement of stakeholders. Three participatory milestones were part of the final policy-making process: a first in-person workshop which gathered stakeholders in a single location, a series of in-person meetings in which the project team travelled to where the stake- holders are located, and, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, an entirely virtual workshop. Sector participation was found to be alike for online and on-site events, with higher participation of the public sector, followed by academia, NGOs and the private sector in both. The adjustments and the adaptive effort placed on the participatory process due to the Covid-19 pandemic, such as being dedicated and attentive to the needs of attendees, expanding the modes of interaction and promoting a flexible and light schedule to reduce online fatigue, guaranteed the quality of stakeholder engagement and participation. The positive accomplishments of the hybrid strategy used in building PEMALM as a public policy exemplifies ways to facilitate and broaden participation in the co-construction under mobility restrictions.Marine litter is a transversal issue that affects the envi- ronment and society in a multitude of ways. As such, solutions to this problem are complex and demand the engagement of multiple sectors of society. The São Paulo Strategic Plan for Monitoring and Assessment of Marine Litter (PEMALM) is the first public policy of its kind, seeking to establish indicators and build knowledge to move towards a plan to combat marine litter in the most populous state in Brazil. From its inception, PEMALM has sought to establish a participative construction frame- work, involving key stakeholders at each step. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the participative construction process had to be adapted. Here we present and discuss the strategies applied in the participatory process of PEMALM to guarantee the remote engagement of stakeholders. Three participatory milestones were part of the final policy-making process: a first in-person workshop which gathered stakeholders in a single location, a series of in-person meetings in which the project team travelled to where the stake- holders are located, and, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, an entirely virtual workshop. Sector participation was found to be alike for online and on-site events, with higher participation of the public sector, followed by academia, NGOs and the private sector in both. The adjustments and the adaptive effort placed on the participatory process due to the Covid-19 pandemic, such as being dedicated and attentive to the needs of attendees, expanding the modes of interaction and promoting a flexible and light schedule to reduce online fatigue, guaranteed the quality of stakeholder engagement and participation. The positive accomplishments of the hybrid strategy used in building PEMALM as a public policy exemplifies ways to facilitate and broaden participation in the co-construction under mobility restrictions

Light stimulation on tenocytes: A systematic review of in vitro studies

Background: The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze the methodologies, utilized stimulation parameters, and the main cellular outcomes obtained by in vitro studies that apply a light source on tenocyte cultures. Methods: The PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched up to December 9, 2019 for in vitro studies that used light sources on tenocyte cultures. A 13-item checklist was used to assess methodological quality of the studies and the risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomized Studies tool. Results: Six studies were included. Tenocytes from the Achilles tendon were used by 83.3% of the studies, with 16.7% utilizing the deep digital flexor tendon, with cells in passage 2 to 5. Four studies used lasers and the other 2 used light-emitting diode or intense pulsed light, in wavelengths ranges from 530 to 1100 nm. The application of light to tenocytes resulted in positive effects reported by all studies, including an increase in cell proliferation and migration, and higher protein and gene expression of tendon biomarkers. Studies presented a lack of standardization on reporting light stimulation parameters and experimental methodologies, leading to low methodological quality. There was a high risk of selection, performance, detection, and reporting bias. Conclusions: All studies showed positive effects after light stimulation on tenocytes, regardless of the light source used. However, the lack of standardized data on light stimulation parameters, experimental setup, and the studies’ main limitations hindered representative conclusions and comparisons amongst studies’ main outcomes

Testes de citogenética vegetal podem prever efeitos tóxicos em células humanas: efeitos genotóxicos e mutagênicos da peçonha do escorpião Tityus serrulatus em células vegetais e humanas

The effects of Tityus serrulatus venom was accessed on the cell cycle and genetic material of the Lactuca sativa L. and compared with the damages to human leukocytes, in order to evaluate the genotoxic and mutagenic potential of toxins on cell types very different. The occurrence of cell cycle alterations and DNA fragmentation was evaluated in Lactuca sativa. Incubations of venom with human leukocytes were also held with subsequent evaluation of cell proliferation index, micronucleus and fragmented DNA. The T. serrulatus venom showed cytogenotoxic, reducing mitotic index and induced alterations in the cell cycle and micronuclei formation. The occurrence of cell death was evidenced by the detection of condensed nuclei, positive TUNEL signals, and presence of DNA fragmentation on lettuce cells. The scorpion venom induced DNA fragmentation and micronuclei in leukocytes. Further, the role of peptides and proteases from this venom in inducing the observed damage was discussed.Os efeitos da peçonha de Tityus serrulatus foram avaliados no ciclo celular e material genético da Lactuca sativa L. e comparados com os danos a leucócitos humanos, a fim de avaliar o potencial genotóxico e mutagênico de toxinas em tipos celulares muito diferentes.. Também foram realizadas incubações de peçonha com leucócitos humanos com posterior avaliação do índice de proliferação celular, micronúcleo e DNA fragmentado. A peçonha de T. serrulatus mostrou-se citogenotóxica, reduzindo o índice mitótico e induzindo alterações no ciclo celular vegetal e formação de micronúcleos. A ocorrência de morte celular foi evidenciada pela detecção de núcleos condensados, sinais TUNEL positivos e presença de fragmentação de DNA em células de alface. A peçonha do escorpião induziu fragmentação de DNA e micronúcleos em leucócitos. Além disso, o papel dos peptídeos e proteases desta peçonha na indução do dano observado foi discutido

O adoecimento psicossomático: um novo olhar a partir da terapia cognitivo-comportamental / Psychosomatic illness: a new look based on cognitive-behavioral therapy

A psicossomática integra uma perspectiva colocando a doença em uma dimensão psicológica. Considerando que as emoções se expressam por meio do corpo e dos sintomas e que as alterações emocionais estão presentes antes e durante o curso da patologia, este estudo busca respostas para a seguinte questão: De que modo a Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental (TCC) pode contribuir efetivamente em caso de doenças psicossomáticas? O objetivo do artigo é, assim, analisar a aplicabilidade das intervenções e técnicas da TCC no tratamento de doenças psicossomáticas, discorrer sobre o adoecimento psicossomático, a partir dos múltiplos fatores que o caracterizam; abordar a relação entre os eventos estressantes e o aparecimento de doenças; apontar as contribuições da TCC para o tratamento das doenças psicossomáticas. O presente trabalho caracteriza-se como um estudo qualitativo, realizado por meio de uma pesquisa bibliográfica baseada na obra de autores como França e Rodrigues (2007), Mello Filho e Burd (2010), Rangé (2011), entre outros. Conclui-se que as manifestações fisiológicas resultantes dos processos psicológicos, são uma forma de o corpo se expressar e, quanto menos eficientes são os mecanismos mentais, mais o sistema somático será utilizado   para expressar certos desequilíbrios, desencadeando o adoecimento psicossomático. Nesse sentido a TCC, em suas múltiplas formas de intervenção, vem colaborar expressivamente

DESENVOLVIMENTO POLÍTICO E SOCIAL DA BIELORRÚSSIA E DO UZBEQUISTÃO PÓS- URSS

RESUMO Com o término da URSS, as quinze repúblicas que a integravam alcançaram maior soberania dentro de seus territórios e obtiveram autonomia para decisões de caráter estatal. Bielorrússia e Uzbequistão, países que compunham o regime soviético, passaram por um processo de transformação interna a partir da abertura do mercado para o capitalismo. A busca pelo desenvolvimento econômico e social proporcionou avanços, contudo, a alteração do sistema culminou no surgimento de governos ditatoriais, atividades ilegais que violam os direitos humanos, além de transições culturais e econômicas