Coping with ex-ante regulations for planting Bt maize: the Portuguese experience

This article investigates the attitude and practices of Bt and non-Bt maize farmers in Portugal. Thirty-seven Bt maize farmers were interviewed, representing 22.5% of the total number of Bt maize notifications in the country and 31.5% of the total area planted with Bt maize in 2007. Additionally, 66 non-Bt maize farmers were surveyed in an attempt to investigate their opinion on the Bt technology, its viability, and its future. The most interesting finding is that almost half of all the surveyed maize farmers stated that the ex-ante regulations are rigid and difficult to apply.agriculture; coexistence; Bt maize; Portugal; regulation

"O contributo do franchising para o fenómeno do empreendedorismo: a caracterização dos franqueados como verdadeiros empreendedores"

Mestrado em Gestão e Estratégia Industrial.The entrepreneurship phenomenon is considered today the engine of the countries economies. But there is a close relationship between environmental and psychological aspects and individual motivation to create new businesses. These aspects have a strong influence on the individual behaviour in ali steps of the investment project. The franchising is seen as a system that allows the investors to get an easy way of creating their new business, and gives them the capacity to minimize many risks which usually affect this kind of projects. The propose of this work is to evaluate if the franchising systems have or not a strong influence on the capacities of the investors to make entrepreneurship. In other hand there is an intention to characterize the people who choose this kind of business. It was done a questionnaire for the franchisees in the urban and sub- urban zone of Lisbon. The goal of this test is to validate some of the franchisees characteristics and behaviours in the business environment. This test was compared with other similar test elaborated in Finland and gives us some knowledge about the franchisees entrepreneurial characteristics.O fenómeno do empreendedorismo é actualmente considerado como um motor das economias dos países. No entanto existem factores tanto ambientais como psicológicos que influenciam a motivação dos indivíduos para a criação de novos negócios. Factores esses que interagem com os indivíduos nas diversas fases de um projecto de investimento. O franchising é visto como um sistema que pennite aos investidores criarem os seus próprios negócios de uma forma mais fácil e minimizar grande parte dos riscos que normalmente ocorrem neste tipo de projectos. O presente trabalho pretende avaliar se os sistemas de franchising incentivam as capacidades empreendedoras dos investidores. Além disso procura caracterizar os indivíduos que optam por esta forma de negócio. Foi feito um inquérito na zona da Grande Lisboa a franqueados no sentido de testar algumas das suas características e comportamentos face aos negócios. Este teste foi comparado a um outro teste feito na Finlândia e permite dar uma ideia sobre as características empreendedoras dos franqueados.N/

Estudo de unidades sedimentares do Jurássico com valor como património geológico na região de Dagorda-Cesareda-Baleal-Consolação-Paimogo

Tese de mestrado em Geologia do Ambiente, Riscos Geológicos e Ordenamento do Território, apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa, através da Faculdade de Ciências, 2013A Bacia Lusitânica, localizada na margem ocidental da Península Ibérica formou-se no decurso da abertura do oceano Atlântico Norte. As litologias presentes resultaram de episódios de rifting alternados com períodos de estabilidade tectónica e consequentes variações de subsidência. A história evolutiva da bacia originou uma sucessão quase contínua para o Jurássico, o que confere à mesma um valor incalculável conhecido já na comunidade científica, mas muitas vezes desconhecido quer pelo público em geral, quer pelos órgãos incumbidos de zelar pela conservação dos bens naturais. Como tal, é importante uma análise patrimonial da referida sucessão geológica a fim de se mostrar as potencialidades existentes (pedagógicas, científicas, turísticas, entre outras). Nesta dissertação, procedeu-se à análise patrimonial de cinco locais na zona centro-oeste da bacia que, no seu conjunto, permitem dar uma visão parcial da evolução da Bacia Lusitânica durante o Jurássico, incluindo para esse fim uma análise de campo e, mais detalhada, com recurso a lâminas delgadas em alguns dos locais, onde essa informação necessitava de um complemento. Os locais escolhidos foram: cabeço onde está edificado o moinho da povoação de Dagorda (Triásico Superior (Noriano/Retiano) a Jurássico Inferior (Hetangiano/Sinemuriano)); Planalto da Cesareda (Jurássico Inferior (Toarciano) a Jurássico Superior (Kimeridgiano); Península do Baleal (Jurássico Médio (Bajociano/Batoniano) a Jurássico Superior (Kimeridgiano); Praia da Consolação (Jurássico Superior (Kimeridgiano)); Praia de Paimogo (Jurássico Superior (Kimeridgiano/Titoniano). Após uma análise detalhada da a componente geológica presente em cada um dos locais, dando particular importância à informação referente às unidades sedimentares presentes, sintetizou-se esta em fichas de inventariação com o intuito de que seja mais eficiente a divulgação da existência dessas ocorrências. Por fim foram criados materiais que permitem dar ao público comum a possibilidade de usufruir desse conhecimento de uma forma sustentável e enriquecedora. Criou-se um roteiro que abarca os cinco locais permitindo uma visão evolutiva da Bacia Lusitânica no período Jurássico nesta zona da bacia, bem como folhetos com a informação base existente em cada um dos locais.The Lusitanian Basin, located on the western margin of the Iberian Peninsula, was formed during the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean, and the lithologies present resulted from rifting episodes alternating with periods of tectonic stability and consequent different subsidence. Their evolutionary history resulted in a nearly continuous sequence of the Jurassic period, resulting in an invaluable value known in the scientific community, but often unknown by the general public, or by the institutions responsible for ensuring the conservation of the natural values. As such, it is important to analyze the geological occurrences in order to show the potential that the Lusitanian Basin conceals, being these either educational, scientific, tourism, or others. In this dissertation, we made to the analysis of five sites in the west-central part of the basin, which all together, allow giving a brief insight into part of the evolution of the Lusitanian Basin during the Jurassic, including for this purpose field work and a more detailed analysis in some of those places using thin sections. The sites chosen were: a small hill where stands the windmill of the village of Dagorda (upper Triassic (Norian / Rhaetian) - Lower Jurassic (Hettangian / Sinemurian)); Cesareda Plateau (Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) - Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian); the Baleal peninsula (Middle Jurassic (Bajocian/Bathonian) - Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian); Consolation Beach (Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian); Paimogo Beach (Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian / Tithonian)

In Medicago truncatula, water deficit modulates the transcript accumulation of components of small RNA pathways

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Small RNAs (sRNAs) are 20-24 nucleotide (nt) RNAs and are involved in plant development and response to abiotic stresses. Plants have several sRNA pathways implicated in the transcriptional and post-transcriptional silencing of gene expression. Two key enzyme families common to all pathways are the Dicer-like (DCL) proteins involved in sRNAs maturation and the Argonautes (AGOs) involved in the targeting and functional action of sRNAs. Post-transcriptional silencing mediated by AGOs may occur by cleavage or translational repression of target mRNA's, while transcriptional silencing may be controlled by DNA methylation and chromatin remodeling. Thus far, these gene families have not been characterized in legumes, nor has their involvement in adaptation to water deficit been studied.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A bioinformatic search in <it>Medicago truncatula </it>genome databases, using <it>Arabidopsis thaliana </it>AGO and DCL cDNA and protein sequences, identified three sequences encoding for putative Dicer-like genes and twelve sequences encoding for putative Argonaute genes. Under water deficit conditions and mainly in roots, MtDCL1 and MtAGO1, two enzymes probably involved in the processing and activation of microRNAs (miRNAs), increased their transcript levels. mir162 which target DCL1 mRNA and mir168 which target AGO1 mRNA reduced their expression in the roots of plants subjected to water deficit. Three putative genes, MtDCL3, MtAGO4b and MtAGO4c probably involved in DNA methylation mechanisms, increased their mRNA levels. However, the mRNA levels of MtAGO6 reduced, which probably encodes a protein with functions similar to MtAGO4. MtAGO7 mRNA levels increased and possibly encodes a protein involved in the production of trans-acting small interfering RNAs. The transcript abundance of MtAGO12a, MtAGO12b and MtAGO12c reduced under water deprivation. Plants recovered from water deprivation reacquire the mRNA levels of the controls.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our work demonstrates that in <it>M. truncatula </it>the transcript accumulation of the components of small RNA pathways is being modulated under water deficit. This shows that the transcriptional and post-transcriptional control of gene expression mediated by sRNAs is probably involved in plant adaptation to abiotic environmental changes. In the future this will allow the manipulation of these pathways providing a more efficient response of legumes towards water shortage.</p

Identification of the human Lewisa carbohydrate motif in a secretory peroxidase from a plant cell suspension culture (Vaccinium myrtillus L.)

This paper reports for the first time the presence of the human Lewisa type determinant in glycoproteins secreted by plant cells. A single glycopeptide was identified in the tryptic hydrolysis of the peroxidase VMPxCl from Vaccinium myrtillus L. by HPLC/ESI-MS. The oligosaccharide structures were elucidated by ESI-MS-MS and by methylation analysis before and after removal of fucose by mild acid hydrolysis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Early detection of grapevine graft incompatibility: insights into translocated and virus-induced incompatibility

In vineyards to control phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifolia Ficth) attacks in Vitis vinifera L., heterografted vines are planted using American vines hybrids as rootstocks. However, graft incompatibilities can affect grape yield and plant longevity. Thus, to identify early graft incompatibility factors, we established in vitro micrografting protocols coupled with histology and histochemistry analysis in grapevine graft combinations of known compatibility behavior. The histochemical characterization of the graft union revealed irregular cell arrangement, slower vascular differentiation, persistence of the necrotic layer, accumulation of starch, and lower differentiation of phloem cells in hetero- compared to homografts, indicating the presence of translocated incompatibility symptoms. We highlight the utility of evaluating the graft interface cellular arrangement and starch content via calcofluor and I2KI staining, respectively, as allowed to identify the graft combinations with lower graft success. Wounded and grafted Syrah plantlets pointed out an impaired sucrose distribution in these plants and levels of Grapevine Rupestris Stem Pitting associated Virus (GRSPaV) infections correlated with graft (un)-success in two Syrah clones micrografted onto 110-Ritcher rootstock. Furthermore, silencing GRSPaV before grafting increased graft success rates. We propose that grapevine graft incompatibility is mainly a virus-induced phenomenon that can arise even in certified plants