Recovery of burned forest soil by organic residue application - substrate induced respiration in soil

RAMIRAN International ConferenceThe Mediterranean is one of the most vulnerable regions to climatic changes. One of the impacts of these changes is a substantial increase in the meteorological risk of fire. The forest fire regime instantaneously responds to climatic changes and may become the dominant factor of alteration in forest communities (Santos & Miranda, 2006). Therefore, understanding the impact of fire on natural ecosystems may be important in the recovery of post-fire ecosystems, hence allowing a better forest restoration. A fire impacted soil can recover, namely through soil organic matter (OM) correction by the application of organic residues. Applying agricultural (e.g. pig slurry) and municipal solid wastes as organic matter sources to soil may represent a good way to recycle these wastes. Fire leads to important changes in the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils, which are relevant for the future productivity and sustainability of ecosystems (Neary et al., 2005). The extent and duration of these effects on soil properties depend on the intensity and residence time, ergo fire severity (Certini, 2005). Soil microorganisms perform an important and essential role in soil biological processes. Biological properties however, are extremely sensitive to soil warming, where lethal temperature thresholds for most organisms are below 100 oC. Biological diversity represents a sensitive means to determine soil quality. This is related to functional diversity, which comprises the ability of organisms to use a vast range of carbon substrates and be able to perform several biochemical reactions. Soil health and quality can be assessed by microbial community level physiological profiles (CLPP), using different carbon substrates. MicroRespTM can be applied to a vast range of soils and has good sensibility to detect changes in microbial communities, offering a rapid and sensitive method to determine CLPP (Chapman et al., 2007). Soil (Litosol) was collected in Sintra Mountain (Portugal), on a Pinus Pinaster forest, 11 days after a forest fire. The impact on recovery of burned soil by organic residue application and its influence on soil microorganisms was studied using the MicroRespTM method, concerning fire effects on soil microorganisms and the need to recycle wastes

Mechanics and force transmission in soft composites of rods in elastic gels

We report detailed theoretical investigations of the micro-mechanics and bulk elastic properties of composites consisting of randomly distributed stiff fibers embedded in an elastic matrix in two and three dimensions. Recent experiments published in Physical Review Letters [102, 188303 (2009)] have suggested that the inclusion of stiff microtubules in a softer, nearly incompressible biopolymer matrix can lead to emergent compressibility. This can be understood in terms of the enhancement of the compressibility of the composite relative to its shear compliance as a result of the addition of stiff rod-like inclusions. We show that the Poisson's ratio $\nu$ of such a composite evolves with increasing rod density towards a particular value, or {\em fixed point}, independent of the material properties of the matrix, so long as it has a finite initial compressibility. This fixed point is $\nu=1/4$ in three dimensions and $\nu=1/3$ in two dimensions. Our results suggest an important role for stiff filaments such as microtubules and stress fibers in cell mechanics. At the same time, our work has a wider elasticity context, with potential applications to composite elastic media with a wide separation of scales in stiffness of its constituents such as carbon nanotube-polymer composites, which have been shown to have highly tunable mechanics.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

Use of organic residues in the recovery of organic matter pools, after forest fires

RAMIRAN International ConferenceIn Portugal, as in other Mediterranean countries, fire events are common primarily due to climate and progressive rural abandon, and contribute largely to desertification. Top layers of soil are constituted mostly by organic residues and decomposed organic matter, and are the most sensitive layers to fire damages. Soil organic matter is an important factor on physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Quantity and duration of heat transfer and soil thermal conductivity, which varies according to soil conditions (humidity, organic matter, texture, etc), are the main responsible factors for the more or less physical, chemical and biological changes in soil after fire (Neary et al,1999). A soil temperature of only forty degrees is enough to initiate biological changes that may begin with plant and roots death caused by dehydration, and protein degradation. Microbial populations have different thermal resistances and most are killed between 50 and 120 ºC. Organic matter (OM) losses may occur at low temperatures, through the volatilization of volatile compounds which may occur between 100º and 180 ºC or OM distillation at 200 to 315 ºC (DeBanno et al, 1998). Under 200 ºC, decomposition of resistant compounds as hemicelullose and lignin starts (Chandler et al, 1983, cit by González-Pérez et al, 2004). At 300 ºC, decarboxylation and loss of Oxigen-containing functional groups (as phenols) occur in the Humic (HA) and Fulvic acids (FA) (Knoepp, 2005). Humin content increases, due to formation of aromatic compounds, because the more soluble fraction, the FA fraction, is transformed into insoluble acids like HA, and this last ones suffer dehydratation and decarboxylation, becoming insoluble – Black Carbon – resembling the Humin fraction (González-Pérez et al, 2004, Tinoco et al, 2006, Hatten and Zabowski, 2009). Above 450 ºC, all OM is loss. The main purpose of this work was to evaluate the effect of soil heating in forest soils, using a natural burned (B) and an unburned (U) soils and thermally treated soils at different temperatures (65, 105 and 250ºC). Further, we examined the benefic effects of application of organic residues to soils that had been exposed to fire, we added digested pig slurry, municipal solid waste compost and a mixture of both, and evaluated organic matter composition after 2 months of incubation

Shifts in the structure of a mine contaminated soil (Pb, Cu, As) following different organic and inorganic treatments

RAMIRAN International ConferenceSoil microbial community structure is increasingly being marketed as ecologically-relevant endpoint and it can realistically be incorporated for assessing the potential risks associated with anthropogenic disturbances and soil amendment strategies on sustainability of soil ecosystems. In Portugal, additional research is needed if technologies based on the combined action of plants and the microbial communities they support within the rhizosphere are to be adopted in large-scale remediation actions (Nabais et al., 2008). The information about this fact in mine soils is scarce and had focused on soil biochemical properties, producing no clear results. Furthermore, the effects of phytoremediation as soil remediation technique and metal contamination on microbial community structural would be achieved by PLFA studies. By phospholipid fatty acid analysis it is possible to examine broad scale patterns in microbial community structure (Bååth et al. 2005) and generally, after the application of multivariate statistical analyses, whole community fatty acids profiles indicate which communities are similar or different. Determination both microbial community composition and biomass size by this direct method gives results that very closely represent the in situ soil conditions and is currently used for soil monitoring purposes (Nielsen and Winding, 2002). The present investigation studies the medium-term response in the soil microbial community structure after the application of different remediation technologies including several organic and inorganic treatments

Learning to cycle: from training wheels to balance bike

Background: Learning to cycle is an important milestone in a child’s life, so it is important to allow them to explore cycling as soon as possible. The use of a bicycle with training wheels (BTW) for learning to cycling is an old approach practiced worldwide. Most recently, a new approach using the balance bike (BB) has received increased attention, and several entities believe that this could be most efficient. Drawing on the work of Bronfenbrenner (1995) and Newel (1986), this study aimed to analyse the effect of BB’s use on the learning process of cycling independently. Methods: Data were collected in Portugal from an online structured survey between November 2019 and June 2020. Results: A total of 2005 responses were obtained for adults and children (parental response). Results revealed that when the BB’s approach was used, learning age (LA) occurred earlier (M = 4.16 ± 1.34 years) than with the BTW’s approach (M = 5.97 ± 2.16 years) (p < 0.001); or than when there was only the single use of the traditional bicycle (M =7.27 ± 3.74 years) (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Children who used the BB as the first bike had a significantly lower LA than children who did not use it (p < 0.001). To maximize its effects, the BB should be used in the beginning of the learning process.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Correlates of children's physical activity during the COVID-19 confinement in Portugal

Objectives: The aim of the study was to understand the role of household variables on the percentage of physical activity (%PA) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) confinement in Portugal. Study design: A cross-sectional study design using an anonymous online survey was launched to assess how Portuguese families with children aged younger than 13 years adjusted their daily routines to the confinement. Methods: Separate analyses of variance were performed to investigate how factors such as the number of children, age, sex, the housing characteristics, and the adults' job situation can affect the percentage of time for PA (%PA). Results: Findings, based on data from 2159 children, indicate that (1) boys and girls did not differ in the %PA on any of the age-groups; (2) children with an outdoor space and who had other children in the household were significantly more active (P < .001); (3) children from families with all adults working from home showed lower levels of %PA; and (4) being younger, having a big outdoor space, having other children in the household, and having at least one adult free from working from home were significant positive predictors of children's %PA, explaining 21% of the overall variance. Conclusion: Time allocated for PA during this period is reduced compared with what is usually reported on normal days. It is necessary to find strategies to increase children's PA, especially in families in which both parents are working and have no outdoor space.4811-99FE-2ECD | Luis Paulo RodriguesN/

Individual responder analysis of effectiveness of manual therapy and exercise versus usual care in neck pain patients: preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial

Trabalho apresentado no 10th Congress of European Pain Federation (EFIC), 6-9 setembro 2017, Copenhaga, DinamarcaN/

Mapping portuguese Natura 2000 sites in risk of biodiversity change caused by atmospheric nitrogen pollution

In this paper, we assess and map the risk that atmospheric nitrogen (atN) pollution poses to biodiversity in Natura 2000 sites in mainland Portugal. We first review the ecological impacts of atN pollution on terrestrial ecosystems, focusing on the biodiversity of Natura 2000 sites. These nature protection sites, especially those located within the Mediterranean Basin, are under-characterized regarding the risk posed by atN pollution. We focus on ammonia (NH ) because this N form is mostly associated with agriculture, which co-occurs at or in the immediate vicinity of most areas of conservation interest in Portugal. We produce a risk map integrating NH emissions and the susceptibility of Natura 2000 sites to atN pollution, ranking habitat sensitivity to atN pollution using expert knowledge from a panel of Portuguese ecological and habitat experts. Peats, mires, bogs, and similar acidic and oligotrophic habitats within Natura 2000 sites (most located in the northern mountains) were assessed to have the highest relative risk of biodiversity change due to atN pollution, whereas Natura 2000 sites in the Atlantic and Mediterranean climate zone (coastal, tidal, and scrubland habitats) were deemed the least sensitive. Overall, results allowed us to rank all Natura 2000 sites in mainland Portugal in order of evaluated risk posed by atN pollution. The approach is of great relevance for stakeholders in different countries to help prioritize site protection and to define research priorities. This is especially relevant in countries with a lack of expertise to assess the impacts of nitrogen on biodiversity and can represent an important step up from current knowledge in such countriesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on preschool children and preschools in Portugal. Journal

Problem Statement:The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in the life routines of preschool children, both during lockdown and post-lockdown periods. Approach:An online survey completed by parents, in-loco assessment scales filled in by a researcherand semi-structured interviews with preschool teacherswere used to investigate the effects of the adjustments, which occurred in preschool children’s lives, in the lockdown and post lockdown periods.Purpose:To characterize the levels of physical activity that Portuguese children had during the lockdown period and to understand what changed in their school routines in the post-lockdown period, regarding the organization of school spaces and routines.Results:Parents reported that children aged 3 to 5spent most of their time during lockdownundertaking sedentary activities (72% of their daily activities). In the post-lockdown period,results indicate that in June there was an increase in the number of preschools with a poor quality of environment compared to the pre-pandemic period (October/November).Taking into account the measures implemented in preschools to prevent the COVID-19 transmission,teachers were of the opinion that limiting the number of children sharing material was the worst measure imposed, since it hampered children’s socialization. Conversely, increasing the use of the outdoor space was deemed positive because it improved children’s happiness and action possibilities outside.Conclusions: TheCOVID-19pandemic has had a clear impact on Portuguese children’s overall levels of physical activity during lockdown. In some schools, the implementation of health guidelines has also led to further negative effects on children’s play opportunities. However, many schools seem to be successful in finding strategies to ensure a healthy balance between promoting children’s physical activity and ensuring risk control

Relative blocking in posets

Poset-theoretic generalizations of set-theoretic committee constructions are presented. The structure of the corresponding subposets is described. Sequences of irreducible fractions associated to the principal order ideals of finite bounded posets are considered and those related to the Boolean lattices are explored; it is shown that such sequences inherit all the familiar properties of the Farey sequences.Comment: 29 pages. Corrected version of original publication which is available at http://www.springerlink.com, see Corrigendu