Assessment of physical vulnerability of buildings and analysis of landslide risk at the municipal scale: application to the Loures municipality, Portugal

This study offers a semi-quantitative assessment of the physical vulnerability of buildings to landslides in a Portuguese municipality (Loures), as well as the quantitative landslide risk analysis computed as the product of the landslide hazard by the vulnerability and the economic value of the buildings. The hazard was assessed by combining the spatiotemporal probability and the frequency–magnitude relationship of the landslides. The physical vulnerability assessment was based on an inquiry of a pool of European landslide experts and a sub-pool of landslide experts who know the study area, and the answers’ variability was assessed with standard deviation. The average vulnerability of the basic geographic entities was compared by changing the map unit and applying the vulnerability to all the buildings of a test site, the inventory of which was listed on the field. The economic value was calculated using an adaptation of the Portuguese Tax Services approach, and the risk was computed for different landslide magnitudes and different spatiotemporal probabilities. As a rule, the vulnerability values given by the sub-pool of experts who know the study area are higher than those given by the European experts, namely for the high-magnitude landslides. The obtained vulnerabilities vary from 0.2 to 1 as a function of the structural building types and the landslide magnitude, and are maximal for 10 and 20m landslide depths. However, the highest risk was found for the landslides that are 3m deep, because these landslides combine a relatively high frequency in the Loures municipality with a substantial potential damage.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Identification and functional analysis of novel genes expressed in the Anterior Visceral Endoderm

During early vertebrate development, the correct establishment of the body axes is critical. The anterior pole of the mouse embryo is established when Distal Visceral Endoderm (DVE) cells migrate to form the Anterior Visceral Endoderm (AVE). Symmetrical expression of Lefty1, Cer1 and Dkk1 determines the direction of DVE migration and the future anterior side. In addition to the establishment of the Anterior-Posterior axis, the AVE has also been implicated in anterior neural specification. To better understand the role of the AVE in these processes, we have performed a differential screening using Affymetrix GeneChip technology with AVE cells isolated from cer1P-EGFP transgenic mouse embryos. We found 175 genes which were upregulated in the AVE and 36 genes in the Proximal-posterior sample. Using DAVID software, we characterized the AVE cell population regarding cellular component, molecular function and biological processes. Among the genes that were found to be upregulated in the AVE, several novel genes were identified. Four of these transcripts displaying high-fold change in the AVE were further characterized by in situ hybridization in early stages of development in order to validate the screening. From those four selected genes, one, denominated Adtk1, was chosen to be functionally characterized by targeted inactivation in ES cells. Adtk1 encodes for a serine/threonine kinase. Adtk1 null mutants are smaller and present short limbs due to decreased mineralization, suggesting a potential role in chondrogenesis during limb development. Taken together, these data point to the importance of reporting novel genes present in the AVE.F.C.T.; IGC/FCG; IBB/CBME, L

Hybrid gels: influence of water and oil phase on textural and rheological properties

The 19th Gums & Stabilisers for the Food Industry Conference: Hydrocolloid MultifunctionalityHybrid gels are biphasic systems formed by conjugating hydrogels and oleogels. The mixture of water-based and oil-based gels provides distinct and unique characteristics to hybrid gels, and based on the structurant molecules and mixture ratio used during their production, different textural and rheological properties can be obtained. Hybrid gels remain a very recent topic concerning pharmaceutical and food applications and despite recent studies on the use of hybrid gels for controlled delivery of compounds (pharmaceutical applications) these structures are still under-studied in regard to their food application possibilities [1, 2]. To improve knowledge and expanding ways to use these systems, it is important to understand how these gels behave regarding textural and rheological properties. Also, the knowledge on their micro and nanostructure allows tailoring their properties and thus maximizing their applicability in foodstuffs. We report on how the combination of a beeswaxbased oleogel and a sodium alginate-based hydrogel influences the gel structural properties at macroscopic (rheological and textural), microscopic (optical microscopy) and molecular (Xray diffraction) levels. Different ratios of both hydrogel and oleogel were used in order to evaluate the hybrid gels’ behaviour in terms of morphological, textural, rheological and polymorphic properties. Differences regarding oleogel particles distribution in the hydrogel matrix were noticed with the increase of oleogel fraction. A more disarranged distribution of oleogel particles was observable for the 50:50 ratios of hydrogel and oleogel. X-ray diffraction data unveiled that once polycrystallinity is reached (in hybrid gels) these patterns remain persistent for all tested ratios. Oleogel showed d-spacings in the range of 3.74 to 8.04 Å. Hybrid gel samples (and hydrogel control) are semi-crystalline, displaying spacings ranging in intervals of d (001) 6.99 – 7.18 Å; d (002) 3.09 – 3.23 Å and d (003) 2.45 – 2.46 Å, respectively. The samples with increasing oleogel ratio revealed a firmness decrease and a consequent reduction of spreadability values. Consequently, is observed less adhesivity for these samples, due to a more pronounced disaggregated structure. For all hybrid gels a gellike behaviour (G´ > G´´) was observed. Results showed that it is possible to modify the hybrid gels’ rheological and textural behaviour by a controlled mixture ratio of oleogels and hydrogels. This opens the possibilities of food applications for this kind of systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relevance of genipin networking on rheological, physical, and mechanical properties of starch-based formulations

The small amount of proteins in starch-rich food industry byproducts can be an advantage to crosslink with genipin and tailor the performance of biobased films. In this work, genipin was combined with non- purified starch recovered from industrial potato washing slurries and used for films production. Starch recovered from potato washing slurries contained 0.75% protein, 2 times higher than starch directly obtained from potato and 6 times higher than the commercial one. Starch protein-genipin networks were formed with 0.05% and 0.10% genipin, gelatinized at 75 °C and 95 °C in presence of 30% glycerol. Bluish colored films were obtained in all conditions, with the higher surface roughness (Ra, 1.22 μm), stretchability (elongation, 31%), and hydrophobicity (water contact angle, 127°) for 0.10% genipin and starch gelatinized at 75 °C. Therefore, starch-rich byproducts, when combined with genipin, are promising for surpassing the starch-based films hydrophilicity and mechanical fragilities while providing light barrier properties.publishe

Tailoring the surface properties and flexibility of starch-based films using oil and waxes recovered from potato chips byproducts

Agrofood byproducts may be exploited as a source of biomolecules suitable for developing bioplastic materials. In this work, the feasibility of using starch, oil, and waxes recovered from potato chips byproducts for films production was studied. The recovered potato starch-rich fraction (RPS) contained an amylopectin/amylose ratio of 2.3, gelatinization temperatures varying from 59 to 71 °C, and a gelatinization enthalpy of 12.5 J/g, similarly to a commercial potato starch (CPS). Despite of its spherical and oval granules identical to CPS, RPS had a more amorphous structure and gave rise to low viscous suspensions, contradicting the typical B-type polymorph crystal structure and sluggish dispersions of CPS, respectively. When used for films production, RPS originated transparent films with lower roughness and wettability than CPS-based films, but with higher stretchability. In turn, when combined with RPS and CPS, oil or waxes recovered from frying residues and potato peels, respectively, allowed to develop transparent yellowish RPS- and CPS-based films with increased surface hydrophobicity, mechanical traction resistance, elasticity, and/or plasticity. Therefore, potato chips industry byproducts revealed to have thermoplastic and hydrophobic biomolecules that can be used to efficiently develop biobased plastics with improved surface properties and flexibility, opening an opportunity for their valorization.publishe

High-resolution genetic map and QTL analysis of growth-related traits of Hevea brasiliensis cultivated under suboptimal temperature and humidity conditions

Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) cultivation is the main source of natural rubber worldwide and has been extended to areas with suboptimal climates and lengthy drought periods; this transition affects growth and latex production. High-density genetic maps with reliable markers support precise mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL), which can help reveal the complex genome of the species, provide tools to enhance molecular breeding, and shorten the breeding cycle. In this study, QTL mapping of the stem diameter, tree height, and number of whorls was performed for a full-sibling population derived from a GT1 and RRIM701 cross. A total of 225 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and 186 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were used to construct a base map with 18 linkage groups and to anchor 671 SNPs from genotyping by sequencing (GBS) to produce a very dense linkage map with small intervals between loci. The final map was composed of 1,079 markers, spanned 3,779.7 cM with an average marker density of 3.5 cM, and showed collinearity between markers from previous studies. Significant variation in phenotypic characteristics was found over a 59-month evaluation period with a total of 38 QTLs being identified through a composite interval mapping method. Linkage group 4 showed the greatest number of QTLs (7), with phenotypic explained values varying from 7.67 to 14.07%. Additionally, we estimated segregation patterns, dominance, and additive effects for each QTL. A total of 53 significant effects for stem diameter were observed, and these effects were mostly related to additivity in the GT1 clone. Associating accurate genome assemblies and genetic maps represents a promising strategy for identifying the genetic basis of phenotypic traits in rubber trees. Then, further research can benefit from the QTLs identified herein, providing a better understanding of the key determinant genes associated with growth of Hevea brasiliensis under limiting water conditions