45 research outputs found

    Experiência pedagógica de formação de professores do ensino superior: perceções dos participantes

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    As mudanças societais atuais, com reflexos evidentes no mercado de trabalho, implicam uma reconfiguração das profissões e, consequentemente, da formação dos futuros profissionais, com impacto na forma como os professores do ensino superior ensinam e na forma como os estudantes aprendem.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Physicochemical composition and antioxidant activity of several pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars grown in Spain

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    [EN] Nine pomegranate cultivars grown in Spain were selected, and their physicochemical (total soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity, maturity index, monomeric anthocyanin pigment, flavonoids, hydrolyzable tannins, and vitamin C) and antioxidant properties and polyphenolic composition of the juices were compared. A total of 53 polyphenols were identified, showing cultivars different profiles. Of all nine cultivars, Katirbasi had the highest contents of flavonoids, hydrolyzable tannins and vitamin C, as well as gallic acid and ellagic acid contents, explaining its high total reducing capacity. Principal component analysis allowed Katirbasi to be differentiated clearly from the others. Other cultivars presented also interesting characteristics such as high monomeric anthocyanin pigment content (CG8 cultivar) and interesting antioxidant activity (Wonderful 2 and CG8 cultivars). CG8 was the cultivar with the highest value of cyanidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside. Thus, this study will assist pomegranate producers in choosing the most suitable cultivar according to its ultimate use.Authors are grateful to POCTEP-Programa de Cooperacao Transfronteirica Espanha-Portugal for financial support through the Project "RED/AGROTEC - Experimentation network and transfer for development of agricultural and agro industrial sectors between Spain and Portugal" and CIMO through the Project PEst-OE/AGR/UI0690/2014 and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) and FEDER under Programme PT2020 for financial support to CIMO (UID/AGR/00690/2013).Fernandes, L.; Pereira, JA.; López- Cortés, I.; Salazar Hernández, DM.; González-Álvarez, J.; Ramalhosa, E. (2017). Physicochemical composition and antioxidant activity of several pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars grown in Spain. 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In: Melgarejo P, Martínez-Nicolás JJ, Martínez-Tomé J (eds) Production, processing and marketing of pomegranate in the Mediterranean region: advances in research and technology. Options Méditerranéennes: Série A. Séminaires Méditerranéens; n. 42, CIHEAM, MadridOrdoudi SA, Mantzouridou F, Daftsiou E, Malo C, Hatzidimitriou E, Nenadis N, Tsimidou MZ (2014) Pomegranate juice functional constituents after alcoholic and acetic acid fermentation. J Funct Foods 8:161–168Park JE, Kim JY, Kim J, Kim YJ, Kim MJ, Kwon SW, Kwon O (2014) Pomegranate vinegar beverage reduces visceral fat accumulation in association with AMPK activation in overweight women: a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial. J Funct Foods 8:274–281Magerramov MA, Abdulagatov AI, Azizov ND, Abdulagatov IM (2007) Effect of temperature, concentration, and pressure on the viscosity of pomegranate and pear juice concentrates. J Food Process Eng 80:476–489Madrigal-Carballo S, Rodriguez G, Krueger CG, Dreher M, Reed JD (2009) Pomegranate (Punica granatum) supplements: authenticity, antioxidant and polyphenol composition. J Funct Foods 1:324–329Tehranifar A, Zarei M, Nemati Z, Esfandiyari B, Vazifeshenas MR (2010) Investigation of physico-chemical properties and antioxidant activity of twenty Iranian pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars. Sci Hort 126:180–185Zarei M, Azizi M, Bashiri-Sadr Z (2010) Studies on physico-chemical properties and bioactive compounds of six pomegranate cultivars grown in Iran. J Food Technol 8:112–117Gözlekçi Ş, Saraçoğlu O, Onursal E, Özgen M (2011) Total phenolic distribution of juice, peel, and seed extracts of four pomegranate cultivars. ‎Pharmacogn Mag 7:161–164Ozgen M, Durgaç C, Serçe S, Kaya C (2008) Chemical and antioxidant properties of pomegranate cultivars grown in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. Food Chem 111:703–706Gadže J, Voća S, Čmelik Z, Mustać I, Ercisli S, Radunić M (2012) Physico-chemical characteristics of main pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars grown in Dalmatia region of Croatia. J Appl Bot Food Qual 85:202–206Radunić M, Špika MJ, Ban SG, Gadže J, Lean DM (2012) Chemical composition of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars grown in Croatia. In: Melgarejo P, Valero D (eds) II International Symposium on the Pomegranate, Options Méditerranéennes—Series A: Mediterranean Seminars, CIHEAM, ValenciaLegua P, Melgarejo P, Abdelmajid H, Martínez JJ, Martínez R, Ilham H, Hafida H, Hernández F (2012) Total phenols and antioxidant capacity in 10 Moroccan pomegranate varieties‎. J Food Sci 71:115–120Ferrara G, Giancaspro A, Mazzeo A, Giove SL, Matarrese MAS, Pacucci C, Punzi R, Trani A, Gambacorta G, Blanco A, Gadaleta A (2014) Characterization of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) genotypes collected in Puglia region Southeastern Italy. 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    Assessment of groundwater contamination in an agricultural peri-urban area (NW Portugal): an integrated approach

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    The excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers in agriculture has generated a decrease in groundwater and surface water quality in many regions of the EU, constituting a hazard for human health and the environment. Besides, on-site sewage disposal is an important source of groundwater contamination in urban and peri-urban areas. The assessment of groundwater vulnerability to contamination is an important tool to fulfil the demands of EU Directives. The purpose of this study is to assess the groundwater vulnerability to contamination related mainly to agricultural activities in a peri-urban area (Vila do Conde, NW Portugal). The hydrogeological framework is characterised mainly by fissured granitic basement and sedimentary cover. Water samples were collected and analysed for temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, chloride, phosphate, nitrate and nitrite. An evaluation of groundwater vulnerability to contamination was applied (GOD-S, Pesticide DRASTIC-Fm, SINTACS and SI) and the potential nitrate contamination risk was assessed, both on a hydrogeological GIS-based mapping. A principal component analysis was performed to characterised patterns of relationship among groundwater contamination, vulnerability, and the hydrogeological setting assessed. Levels of nitrate above legislation limits were detected in 75 % of the samples analysed. Alluvia units showed the highest nitrate concentrations and also the highest vulnerability and risk. Nitrate contamination is a serious problem affecting groundwater, particularly shallow aquifers, especially due to agriculture activities, livestock and cesspools. GIS-based cartography provided an accurate way to improve knowledge on water circulation models and global functioning of local aquifer systems. Finally, this study highlights the adequacy of an integrated approach, combining hydrogeochemical data, vulnerability assessments and multivariate analysis, to understand groundwater processes in peri-urban areas

    Boosting cultural heritage in rural communities through an ICT platform: the Viv@vó project

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    Rural regions concentrate on themselves a very rich set of ancestral traditions. The perpetuation of such traditions has been achieved through transmission between generations. Unfortunately, all this knowledge is typically elders-centered and it lacks effective processes of digitalization, storage and providing-systems for that all this heritage can effectively be perpetuated through future generations that are digital-born. From this base, it was created a project case study limited to the Portuguese Northeast region, named Viv@vó – living in the grandma's house. This paper presents the ICT platform that was created in this project and some main achievements during the project development process. Tourism and mainly experience and cultural heritage tourism are growing in tourist’s interests. Rural regions have an untapped potential for this slice of tourism industry. Rural regions have an enormous collection of ancestral knowledge that we are responsible to deliver to future generations as an inheritance to which they are entitled.The present work was developed under the Viv@vó Project: "Living in the Grandma's House", with the reference NORTE-01- 0145-FEDER-023637, financed by the Regional Operational Program of the North, Notice 02/SAICT/2016.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Diversity and patterns of marine non‐native species in the archipelagos of Macaronesia

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    Aims The present study is the first attempt to grasp the scale and richness of marine biological invasions in Macaronesia. We pioneered a comprehensive non-native species (NNS), inventory in the region to determine their diversity patterns and native distribution origins. NNS were defined here as the result of both introductions and range expansions. We also used statistical modelling to examine relationships among NNS richness, anthropogenic activities, demographic and geographical variables across Macaronesia. Location Macaronesia. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted for marine NNS records in Macaronesia, registering the first record's location and year from 1884 to 2020. We used univariate and multivariate analyses to evaluate differences and similarities in community composition. By applying a Generalized Linear Model (GLM), we tested hypotheses regarding NNS richness as a function of anthropogenic activities, demographic and geographical variables. Results A total of 144 marine non-native species (NNS) were recorded for the whole of Macaronesia. The highest NNS richness was registered in the Canary Islands (76 NNS), followed by the Azores (66 NNS), Madeira (59 NNS) and finally Cabo Verde (18 NNS). Some differences amongst archipelagos were observed, such as the high number of non-native macroalgae in the Azores, fishes in the Canary Islands and tunicates in Cabo Verde. Overall, macroalgae, tunicates and bryozoans were the predominant taxonomic groups in the Macaronesian archipelagos. Madeira and Canary Islands were the archipelagos with more similarity in marine NNS, and Cabo Verde the most divergent. Finally, GLM suggested that non-native richness patterns across Macaronesia were dependent on the considered archipelago and strongly affected by (1) minimum distance to the mainland, (2) the total number of ports and marinas and (3) total marinas area (km2). Conclusions The model results and NNS listing in the present study will likely raise the awareness and response regarding marine NNS in the whole Macaronesia region, serving as a baseline for future research as well as implementing and enforcing regulations related to the introduction of marine NNS in oceanic islands

    A Many-Valued Empirical Machine for Thyroid Dysfunction Assessment

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    Thyroid Dysfunction is a clinical condition that affects thyroid behaviour and is reported to be the most common in all endocrine disorders. It is a multiple factorial pathology condition due to the high incidence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, which is becoming a serious health problem requiring a detailed study for early diagnosis and monitoring. Understanding the prevalence and risk factors of thyroid disease can be very useful to identify patients for screening and/or follow-up and to minimize their collateral effects. Thus, this paper describes the development of a decision support system that aims to help physicians in the decision-making process regarding thyroid dysfunction assessment. The proposed problem-solving method is based on a symbolic/sub-symbolic line of logical formalisms that have been articulated as an Artificial Neural Network approach to data processing, complemented by an unusual approach to Knowledge Representation and Argumentation that takes into account the data elements entropic states. The model performs well in the thyroid dysfunction assessment with an accuracy ranging between 93.2% and 96.9%

    Mercury mobility in a salt marsh colonised by Halimione portulacoides

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    The present study intends to increase the knowledge on the mobility of mercury in a salt marsh colonised by Halimione portulacoides. Mercury distribution in the sediment layers and its incorporation into the plant biomass were assessed, as well as the potential export of mercury from the contaminated area to the adjacent environment. Mercury pools in the sediments ranged from 560 to 943 mg m-2 and are largely associated with the solid fraction, with just a small amount being associated with the pore waters. Estimated diffusive fluxes of reactive mercury ranged from 1.3 to 103 ng m-2 d-1. Despite the above ground biomass values being comparatively higher than below ground biomass values, the mercury pools were much higher in the root system (0.06-0.16 mg m-2 and 29-102 mg m-2, respectively). The annual bioaccumulation of mercury in above ground tissues was estimated in 0.11 mg m-2 y-1, while in below ground biomass the values were higher (72 mg m-2 y-1). The turnover rates of H. portulacoides biomass suggest higher mercury mobility within the plant rhizosphere. Taking into account the pools of mercury in above ground biomass, the export of mercury by macro-detritus following the "outwelling hypothesis" is not significant for the mercury balance in the studied ecosystem. The mercury accumulated in the below ground part of the plant is quite mobile, being able to return to the sediment pool throughout the mineralisation process.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V74-4SRM83C-1/1/afd89d1885b88e6149c4ae0e1e4adb5
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