Mirandesa meat PDO: the strategies of family-farm systems for their governance

Mirandesa Meat has been a PDO since 1995, which originated from a small area in the northeast of Portugal, far away from the large consumption centers. It involves 316 producers, from which 180 are organized in a cooperative that manages the PDO. All producers practise small scale family-farm systems. The majority of the producers of Mirandesa Meat are already retired or benefit from multiple sources of income, and only have a small number of cows (average of 8 cows) in a policulture production system. More than 90% of the Mirandesa meat production is sold in large population centers, with a higher social stratification, located more than 250 km away from the production region. The spatial separation between production and consumers forced the Mirandesa meat producers to adopt three main governance strategies: interactive communication with the consumers through promotion and direct sales in fairs, progression in the value chain via product differentiation and the valuation of the certified dimension of the PDO, and the recognition of Mirandesa meat derivatives like Mirandesa sausage, a Slowfood Presidium. The interactive communication between producers and consumers, in this context, becomes vital since, due to distance, the consumers lose direct control in the production and the sale of meat. For small producers, the utilization of different kinds of certification is crucial, because through its utilization they have the possibility to positively stand out in the market. The Mirandesa Meat PDO’s production has been sold out every year since 1998. In the year 2010 it sold 268 t of meat, from 1960 carcasses. On a national scale it is the meat PDO that provides the highest prices to producers (5.25€/Kg). In the production region, non-PDO carcasses of the same type command an average price of only 4€/Kg (a 31% difference)

Evolution of the production systems of the endangered cattle breed Mirandesa: threats and alternatives for family-farm systems

Family-farm systems are largely dominant in the rural communities of northeastern Portugal. Familiar farming systems can be organized based on the interrelations and the diversity of its characteristics such as farmer's age, farm dimension, external resources, productive orientation, or livestock type and number. A significant number of the regional family-farm systems raise Mirandesa cows, a local cattle breed classified as endangered in 1994. Since 1995 the Mirandesa veal enjoys a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in northeastern Portugal. The carcasses of weaning calves, that aren’t PDO, are currently paid 4 €/kg. The PDO producers receive 5,25€/Kg, a 31% higher premium price. During the past 15 years, the number of family-farms decreased 64% (from 1465 in 1996 to 501 in 2008), and the number of breeding cows decreased 3.7% (4358 in 1996, to 4198 in 2008). The most resilient farms, practice a traditional production mode, with 3 to 10 cows average per farm. On these farms the gross margin for calf was in 1999, 50% higher than in more specialized farms (>10 cows). However, the number of more intensive is rapidly growing. The PDO success is associated to the recent cereal prices collapse. It provided an opportunity to increase the livestock density and specialization in beef production, hanging the cow feeds on oat forage. A density of 0.3 - 0.5LSU/ha on the pasture areas, increased to 1.5-2LSU/ha. The intermediate consumptions of the production system, concentrated feeding, fertilizers and diesel had an inflation rate between 40% and 70%, in the period 2006-2011. These agriculture systems now give signs of rupture. Competitiveness of the Mirandesa cattle production system in the future depends on the conversion of former cultivated areas into pastures and on the introduction of a new land management that promotes a higher cooperation/integration of the family-farm systems

A responsabilidade social ambiental e a problemática dos aviários do Concelho de Sátão

Mestrado em Contabilidade - AuditoriaA presente dissertação pretende apresentar uma nova realidade no ambiente empresarial, onde se evidencia um movimento pela ética empresarial e pela responsabilidade social. A poluição, a corrupção, o desemprego e a proteção dos consumidores foram alguns dos temas apontados por esta dissertação para que o debate sobre a responsabilidade social se acentuasse. Sendo assim, esta dissertação procura estudar os problemas ambientais e as soluções para os mesmos, bem como a forma das empresas contribuirem para a satisfação das necessidades dos seus clientes, gerindo simultaneamente as expectativas dos seus trabalhadores, fornecedores e comunidade local. Desta forma contribui-se de uma forma positiva para a sociedade, o que poderá proporcionar vantagens directas para o negócio e assegurar a competitividade a longo prazo. Nesta sequência, foi realizado um estudo sobre a responsabilidade sócio-ambiental nos aviários de produção de aves do Concelho de Sátão onde se verificou que parte dos recursos destes aviários é investido em acções sociais e ambientais, facto que legitima o seu papel perante a sociedade como defensora do bem-estar ambiental.This dissertation aims to present a new reality in the business environment, which shows a movement in favor of the business ethics and social responsibility. Pollution, corruption, unemployment and consumer protection are some of the issues raised by this dissertation to the debate on social responsibility. Therefore, this dissertation seeks to study the environmental problems and solutions to them, and how businesses contribute to meeting the needs of its customers, while managing the expectations of their employees, suppliers and local community. This contributes in a positive way to society, which can provide direct benefits to the business and ensure the long-term competitiveness. Following this, a study was conducted on the socio-environmental responsibility in production of poultry birds in Sátão where was verified that part of the resources are invested in social and environmental actions, which legitimizes its role in society as defender of the welfare environment

Em tempo de Pandemia, o Brincar livre e o lugar da criação artística

No presente Relatório de Projeto intitulado Em tempo de Pandemia, o Brincar livre e o Lugar da Criação Artística é descrito um projeto de educação artística, realizado em contexto de educação não formal, em ateliê de Artes Plásticas e sobre o qual se desenvolveu uma investigação que seguiu a metodologia de estudo de caso. Pretende-se abordar aspetos conceptuais e metodológicos relativos a uma sequência de experiências práticas dirigidas a um grupo de nove crianças com idades compreendidas entre os oito e os catorze anos, que participaram no projeto «Oficina da Cor – Férias de Verão 2020», e que sucederam ao confinamento ocorrido em plena pandemia da doença COVID-19. Neste sentido, surge a nossa pergunta de partida: Em contexto de pandemia, de que forma(s) o ateliê de Artes Plásticas que decorreu em espaço e tempo livres potenciou processos de criação artística? A atividade artística como principal foco de intervenção traçou novas linhas no tempo de fruição, com impacto nos interesses do grupo de crianças e nas relações interpessoais com reflexo nos processos criativos. A recolha de dados, efetuada por diversos instrumentos, permitiu verificar que, numa relação de tempo e espaço, as artes, numa perspetiva holística, serviram para responder às necessidades pessoais de cada criança potenciando este projeto de verão a uma investigação que propõe uma maior atenção ao que as crianças nos dizem, transmitem e expressam através das suas ações, criações e comportamentos sociais.In this Project Report called In Pandemic Times, the Free Play and the Place of Artistic Creation, a project of art education is described and carried out in a context of non-formal education, in a workshop of Plastic Arts and on which a research was developed that followed the case study methodology. The aim is to address conceptual and methodological aspects related to practical experiences that were directed to a group of nine children aged between eight and fourteen years, who participated in the project "Oficina da Cor - Férias de Verão 2020", and that was carried out after the lockdown during the COVID-19 disease pandemic. In this sense, our opening question is: In the context of the pandemic, in what way(s) did the Plastic Arts workshop that took place in free space and time enhance artistic creation processes? The artistic activity, as the main focus of intervention traced new lines in the fruition time and in a nature area, with an impact on the interests created by the group of children in the interpersonal relationships, reflected in the creative processes. The data collection which was carried out by using different instruments, allowed us to verify that, in a relationship of time and space, the arts, in a holistic perspective, were used to meet the personal needs of each child, enhancing this summer project to a research that proposes a greater attention to what children tell us, transmit and express through their actions, creations and social behaviours

A literacia financeira e as necessidades de formação dos estudantes do ensino superior

A literacia financeira tornou-se uma competência social para viver e prosperar na economia moderna, afetando a estabilidade económica e financeira individual e coletiva. As decisões e riscos financeiros assumidos atualmente pela população jovem são muito mais desafiantes do que os assumidos pelas gerações antecessoras, fenómeno associado ao desenvolvimento e complexificação dos mercados financeiros, assim como ao cada vez mais fácil e precoce acesso a produtos e serviços financeiros. A título exemplificativo, os estudantes enfrentam hoje em dia decisões financeiras imediatas: a maioria já é consumidor de serviços financeiros, como contas bancárias com acesso a serviços de pagamento on-line (Lusardi, 2015). Com efeito, é de capital importância que a população jovem detenha conhecimentos financeiros que a ajude a tomar decisões financeiras complexas e que poderão vir a afetar as suas vidas no médio e longo prazo. Estudos realizados pela OCDE demonstram que a maior parte dos estudantes de países de variados níveis de desenvolvimento económico e financeiro demonstram possuir apenas competências básicas de literacia financeira, tais como diferenciar necessidades de desejos ou efetuar a comparação do valor dos bens baseada no preço por unidade (OECD, 2014). Por outro lado, a crise financeira de 2008 veio demonstrar que decisões financeiras mal informadas e inconsequentes (normalmente associadas à falta de literacia financeira) pode ter implicações dramaticamente negativas a nível individual e global (INFE/OECD 2009; OECD 2009). A literacia financeira é, portanto, verdadeiramente uma competência essencial para o século XXI (Lusardi, 2015). A presente investigação visa analisar o nível de literacia financeira dos estudantes universitários. Nesse âmbito, foi aplicado um inquérito por questionário aos estudantes do 1º ano de diversos cursos, da Escola Superior de Educação e Ciências Sociais do Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, onde se procurou avaliar a compreensão de conceitos e fenómenos financeiros tais como: o impacto da inflação nos rendimentos, avaliação das condições de um empréstimo e de um depósito e conhecimento da diferença entre um cartão de débito e um cartão de crédito. O estudo tem ainda como objetivo sistematizar as necessidades de formação financeira consciencializadas pelos estudantes e confrontar os resultados obtidos relativos à literacia financeira dos estudantes com as necessidades de formação financeira que estes estudantes evidenciam. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que os estudantes universitários não compreendem os conceitos e fenómenos financeiros de forma ampla e profunda e evidenciam consciência dos jovens relativamente às necessidades de formação na área financeira.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Computer-assisted independent study in multivariate calculus

Learning mathematics requires students to work in an independent way which is particularly challenging for such an abstract subject. Advancements in technology and, taking the student as the focus of his own learning, led to a change of paradigm in the design and development of educational contents. In this paper we describe the first experience with an interactive feedback and assessment tool (Siacua), based on parameterized math exercises, and explain how we use it to motivate student independent study in a multivariate calculus environment. We have defined an index about the subject, trying to make it consensual enough for being used in other courses about multivariate calculus. Then we have created a concept map, selected some existing parameterized true/false questions from PmatE project and classified them using our concept map, for being reused in our system. For complementing the course we have created about one hundred parameterized multiple choice question templates in system Megua and generated about one thousand instances for using in Siacua. Results based on data collected by this tool and also based on an informal survey are presented. This first experience allows us to conclude our approach has an important impact on student motivation and contributes to the success on learning multivariate calculus

Targeting of De Novo DNA Methylation Throughout the Oct-4 Gene Regulatory Region in Differentiating Embryonic Stem Cells

Differentiation of embryonic stem (ES) cells is accompanied by silencing of the Oct-4 gene and de novo DNA methylation of its regulatory region. Previous studies have focused on the requirements for promoter region methylation. We therefore undertook to analyse the progression of DNA methylation of the ∼2000 base pair regulatory region of Oct-4 in ES cells that are wildtype or deficient for key proteins. We find that de novo methylation is initially seeded at two discrete sites, the proximal enhancer and distal promoter, spreading later to neighboring regions, including the remainder of the promoter. De novo methyltransferases Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b cooperate in the initial targeted stage of de novo methylation. Efficient completion of the pattern requires Dnmt3a and Dnmt1, but not Dnmt3b. Methylation of the Oct-4 promoter depends on the histone H3 lysine 9 methyltransferase G9a, as shown previously, but CpG methylation throughout most of the regulatory region accumulates even in the absence of G9a. Analysis of the Oct-4 regulatory domain as a whole has allowed us to detect targeted de novo methylation and to refine our understanding the roles of key protein components in this process

Various pfcrt and pfmdr1 genotypes of Plasmodium falciparum cocirculate with P. malariae, P. ovale spp., and P. vivax in Northern Angola

Artemisinin-based combination therapy for malaria has become widely available across Africa. Populations of Plasmodium falciparum that were previously dominated by chloroquine (CQ)-resistant genotypes are now under different drug selection pressures. P. malariae, P. ovale curtisi, and P. ovale wallikeri are sympatric with P. falciparum across the continent and are frequently present as coinfections. The prevalence of human Plasmodium species was determined by PCR using DNA from blood spots collected during a cross-sectional survey in northern Angola. P. falciparum was genotyped at resistance-associated loci in pfcrt and pfmdr1 by real-time PCR or by direct sequencing of amplicons. Of the 3,316 samples collected, 541 (16.3%) contained Plasmodium species infections; 477 (88.2%) of these were P. falciparum alone, 6.5% were P. falciparum and P. malariae together, and 1.1% were P. vivax alone. The majority of the remainder (3.7%) harbored P. ovale curtisi or P. ovale wallikeri alone or in combination with other species. Of 430 P. falciparum isolates genotyped for pfcrt, 61.6% carried the wild-type allele CVMNK at codons 72 to 76, either alone or in combination with the resistant allele CVIET. No other pfcrt allele was found. Wild-type alleles dominated at codons 86, 184, 1034, 1042, and 1246 of the pfmdr1 locus among the sequenced isolates. In contrast to previous studies, P. falciparum in the study area comprises an approximately equal mix of genotypes associated with CQ sensitivity and with CQ resistance, suggesting either lower drug pressure due to poor access to treatment in rural areas or a rapid impact of the policy change away from the use of standard monotherapies

CpG methylation is targeted to transcription units in an invertebrate genome

DNA is methylated at the dinucleotide CpG in genomes of a wide range of plants and animals. Among animals, variable patterns of genomic CpG methylation have been described, ranging from undetectable levels (e.g., in Caenorhabditis elegans) to high levels of global methylation in the vertebrates. The most frequent pattern in invertebrate animals, however, is mosaic methylation, comprising domains of methylated DNA interspersed with unmethylated domains. To understand the origin of mosaic DNA methylation patterns, we examined the distribution of DNA methylation in the Ciona intestinalis genome. Bisulfite sequencing and computational analysis revealed methylated domains with sharp boundaries that strongly colocalize with ∼60% of transcription units. By contrast, promoters, intergenic DNA, and transposons are not preferentially targeted by DNA methylation. Methylated transcription units include evolutionarily conserved genes, whereas the most highly expressed genes preferentially belong to the unmethylated fraction. The results lend support to the hypothesis that CpG methylation functions to suppress spurious transcriptional initiation within infrequently transcribed genes

Studies on the local structure of the F ∕ OH site in topaz by magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance and Raman spectroscopy

The mutual influence of F and OH groups in neighboring sites in topaz (Al2SiO4(F,OH)2) was investigated using magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) and Raman spectroscopy. The splitting of 19F and 1H NMR signals, as well as the OH Raman band, provides evidence for hydrogen bond formation within the crystal structure. Depending on whether a given OH group has another OH group or fluoride as its neighbor, two different hydrogen bond constellations may form: either OH⋯O⋯HO or F⋯H⋯O. The proton accepting oxygen was determined to be part of the SiO4 tetrahedron using 29Si MAS NMR. Comparison of the MAS NMR data between an OH-bearing and an OH-free topaz sample confirms that the 19F signal at −130 ppm stems from F− ions that take part in H⋯F bonds with a distance of ∼ 2.4 Å, whereas the main signal at −135 ppm belongs to fluoride ions with no immediate OH group neighbors. The Raman OH sub-band at 3644 cm−1 stems from OH groups neighboring other OH groups, whereas the sub-band at 3650 cm−1 stems from OH groups with fluoride neighbors, which are affected by H⋯F bridging. The integrated intensities of these two sub-bands do not conform to the expected ratios based on probabilistic calculations from the total OH concentration. This can be explained by (1) a difference in the polarizability of the OH bond between the different hydrogen bond constellations or (2) partial order or unmixing of F and OH, or a combination of both. This has implications for the quantitative interpretation of Raman data on OH bonds in general and their potential use as a probe for structural (dis-)order. No indication of tetrahedrally coordinated Al was found with 27Al MAS NMR, suggesting that the investigated samples likely have nearly ideal Al/Si ratios, making them potentially useful as high-density electron microprobe reference materials for Al and Si, as well as for F