Gains from trans-boundary water quality management in linked catchment and coastal socioecological systems: a case study for the Minho region

Sustainable economic development requires balancing of marginal costs from catchment water pollution abatement and associated marginal benefits from freshwater/coastal ecosystem appreciation. Hence we need to differentiate between intra- and trans-boundary catchments because benefactors and beneficiaries from water quality improvement are not one and the same. In trans-boundary catchments, private (national) welfare maximizing rates of water quality improvement differ across nations as benefits from water quality improvement generally accrue to one nation while the costs are paid by multiple nations. In this paper we develop a deterministic optimal control approach to explore private and social welfare maximizing rates of water pollution abatement in linked catchment and freshwater/coastal socioecological systems. For a case study of the Minho region (Iberian Peninsula), we estimate nation-specific water pollution abatement cost functions (based on management practice adoption) to determine and compare private (national) and social (trans-national) welfare maximizing rates of water pollution abatement. Results show that some private (national) welfare gains can be obtained through adoption of win-win practices, leading to a 12% reduction in the annual rate of water pollution and a 7% increase in annual regional income. Maximum social (international) welfare gains can, however, be obtained through adoption of win-win and lose-win practices across Spain and Portugal, leading to a 36% reduction in water pollution and a 14% increase in regional income. Non-cooperation in water pollution abatement would only lead to a 16%-32% reduction in water pollution and a 8%-13% increase in regional income. Hence, social (trans-national) welfare losses from non-cooperation between Spain and Portugal would equate to between 16 and 81 m€/yr

Pharmacological potential of methylxanthines: Retrospective analysis and future expectations

Methylated xanthines (methylxanthines) are available from a significant number of different botanical species. They are ordinarily included in daily diet, in many extremely common beverages and foods. Caffeine, theophylline and theobromine are the main methylxanthines available from natural sources. The supposedly relatively low toxicity of methylxanthines, combined with the many beneficial effects that have been attributed to these compounds through time, generated a justified attention and a very prolific ground for dedicated scientific reports. Methylxanthines have been widely used as therapeutical tools, in an intriguing range of medicinal scopes. In fact, methylxanthines have been/were medically used as Central Nervous System stimulants, bronchodilators, coronary dilators, diuretics and anti-cancer adjuvant treatments. Other than these applications, methylxanthines have also been hinted to hold other beneficial health effects, namely regarding neurodegenerative diseases, cardioprotection, diabetes and fertility. However, it seems now consensual that toxicity concerns related to methylxanthine consumption and/or therapeutic use should not be dismissed. Taking all the knowledge and expectations on the potential of methylxanthines into account, we propose a systematic look at the past and future of methylxanthine pharmacologic applications, discussing all the promise and anticipating possible constraints. Anyways, methylxanthines will still substantiate considerable meaningful research and discussion for years to come.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Development of an electrical power quality monitor based on a PC

This paper describes an Electric Power Quality Monitor developed at the University of Minho. The hardware of the Monitor is constituted by four current sensors based on Rogowski effect, four voltage sensors based on Hall effect, a signal conditioning board and a computer. The software of the Monitor consists of several applications, and it is based on LabVIEW. The developed applications allow the equipment to function as a digital scope, analyze harmonic content, detect and record disturbances in the voltage (wave shapes, sags, swells, and interruptions), measure energy, power, unbalances, power factor, register and visualize strip charts, register a great number of data in the hard drive and generate reports. This article also depicts an Electrical Power Quality Monitor Integrated into Active Power Filters developed at the University of Minho.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

An integrated view

Funding Information: This work was supported by “Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia”—FCT MJM (PD/BD/114256/2016), MPM (PTDC/BIM-MET/4265/2014 and PTDC/MEC-MET/29314/2017), MGA (PTDC/BIM-MET/4712/2014), iNOVA4Health (UIDB/Multi/04462/2020), by the European Commission Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action H2020 (mtFOIE GRAS, grant agreement n. 734719), by the Sociedade Portuguesa de Diabetologia, and by the research infrastructure CONGENTO, project LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-022170, co-financed by Lisboa Regional Operational Programme (Lisboa2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund and by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal). NMR data were collected at the UC-NMR facility which is supported in part by FEDER – European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE Programme (Operational Programme for Competitiveness) and by National Funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through grants REEQ/481/QUI/2006, RECI/QEQ-QFI/0168/2012, CENTRO-07-CT62-FEDER-002012, and Rede Nacional de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear (RNRMN). Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2022 Meneses, Sousa-Lima, Jarak, Raposo, Alves and Macedo.Objective: In the last years, changes in dietary habits have contributed to the increasing prevalence of metabolic disorders, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The differential burden of lipids and fructose on distinct organs needs to be unveiled. Herein, we hypothesized that high-fat and high-fructose diets differentially affect the metabolome of insulin-sensitive organs such as the liver, muscle, and different adipose tissue depots. Methods: We have studied the impact of 12 weeks of a control (11.50% calories from fat, 26.93% from protein, and 61.57% from carbohydrates), high-fat/sucrose (HFat), or high-fructose (HFruct) feeding on C57Bl/6J male mice. Besides glucose homeostasis, we analyzed the hepatic levels of glucose and lipid-metabolism-related genes and the metabolome of the liver, the muscle, and white (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) depots. Results: HFat diet led to a more profound impact on hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism than HFruct, with mice presenting glucose intolerance, increased saturated fatty acids, and no glycogen pool, yet both HFat and HFruct presented hepatic insulin resistance. HFat diet promoted a decrease in glucose and lactate pools in the muscle and an increase in glutamate levels. While HFat had alterations in BAT metabolites that indicate increased thermogenesis, HFruct led to an increase in betaine, a protective metabolite against fructose-induced inflammation. Conclusions: Our data illustrate that HFat and HFruct have a negative but distinct impact on the metabolome of the liver, muscle, WAT, and BAT.publishersversionpublishe

Single-phase shunt active filter interfacing renewable energy sources with the power grid

This paper presents a single-phase Shunt Active Filter combined with a Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) connected to a solar panel array. The Shunt Active Filter’s power stage consists of a two-leg IGBT inverter commanded by a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) with control based on the Theory of Instantaneous Reactive Power (p-q Theory). The MPPT is based on a step-up circuit commanded by a DSP with MPPT Algorithm implemented. The output of the MPPT circuit is connected to the DC side of the Shunt Active Filter. The system is capable of compensating power factor and current harmonics, and at the same time, using the same inverter, injecting in the power grid electric energy produced by solar panels, regulated by the MPPT. There will be presented results of the system operating in an electrical installation under different conditions, as well as the hardware configuration and specifications.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Obesity Patterns among Women in a Slum Area in Brazil

High-energy diet and sedentary lifestyle fail to completely explain the epidemic of obesity in developing countries. In this cross-sectional survey, the prevalence and patterns of overweight/obesity were assessed among women in a slum in Brazil. Using anthropometric measurements, shorter form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and a 24-hour diet recall questionnaire, data were collected from 632 women aged 20-60 years. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 29% and 17% respectively. Physical inactivity was found in 17% of the women; 12% of them had short stature, and 44% had energy intake below the recommended dietary allowance. Results of multiple logistic regression showed that overweight/obesity differed significantly (p<0.05) in the following aspects: abdominal circumference, energy intake, and short stature. A high prevalence of overweight/obesity was found in a very poor community associated with high-energy intake and short stature