Stakeholder Perceptions of Religious Tourism and Local Development: Evidence from Lamego (Portugal) historic town

The purpose of this study is to explore the views of different stakeholder groups (visitors, residents and local agents - heritage managers, tour operators, local authorities, Priests and head of the Church, directors of institutions linked to tourism) about the relationship between religion and tourism in a historic town setting. The main purpose is to examine the opinions/views/perceptions of different stakeholder groups about religious tourism and local development. A mixed methodological (quantitative and qualitative) approach was used in order to analyse the perceptions and opinions of three stakeholders groups. The opinions of visitors (120) and residents (150) were analysed using a quantitative methodology. Univariate and bivariate analysis were used as techniques of data analysis. In the study of the remaining stakeholder group (local agents) a qualitative research method (individual interviews) was used for data collection. In total, 19 in-depth interviews were conducted and content analysis was performed. The potential of this historic town for religious tourism was broadly supported by all the groups surveyed. Initiatives that take advantage of this potential to develop territories need intervention capacities that maintain a balance between political, economic and religious sensitivities. In this sense, agents and actors responsible for the development of tourism should work, in a coordinated and strategic manner on issues such as communication, networking, trust of the residents and their inclusion / involvement in all plans of action, benchmarking, and infrastructures. Specifically, it is important that stakeholders are encouraged to participate in tourism development processes at this location, especially with regard to religious tourism. This study highlights the importance of analysing the visions and perceptions of the various stakeholder groups in the whole process of tourism development in general and in the development of religious tourism in particular

Beneficios percibidos de las lesiones deportivas : estudio cualitativo en futbolistas profesionales y semiprofesionales

El objetivo del estudio fue identificar y analizar los beneficios percibidos asociados a la lesión deportiva, en 16 futbolistas profesionales y semiprofesionales que se habían lesionado durante su práctica deportiva. Para la recogida de datos se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas, siendo el análisis de contenido efectuado través del software QSR Nvivo 2.0. Los participantes reportaron 31 beneficios percibidos en todo su proceso de lesión, siendo el apoyo social y la educación deportiva los más referidos. Las conclusiones apuntan para la importancia de incluir aspectos positivos para una comprensión más clara y completa del impacto global de las lesiones deportivas.The aim of the study was to identify and analyze the perceived benefits associated with sports injury in 16 professional and semi-professional players who were injured during sports practice. For data collection semi-structured interviews were conducted, content analyses being performed through the QSR Nvivo 2.0 software. 31 participants reported perceived benefits throughout the injury process, with social support and sports education referrals. The findings point to the importance of including positive aspects for a clearer and more complete understanding of the overall impact of sports injuries.O objectivo do estudo foi identificar e analisar os benefícios percebidos associados à lesão desportiva em 16 jogadores profissionais e semiprofissionais que se lesionaram durante a prática desportiva. Para a recolha de dados foram realizadas entrevistas semi-estruturadas, sendo a análise de conteúdo efectuada através do software QSR Nvivo 2.0. Os participantes reportaram 31 benefícios percebidos durante todo o processo de lesão, sendo o suporte social e a educação desportiva os mais referidos. As conclusões apontam para a importância de incluir aspectos positivos para uma compreensão mais clara e mais completa do impacto global das lesões desportivas

Elemental microchemistry, fatty acid profile and geometric morphometrics signatures of goose barnacles (Pollicipes pollicipes) reveal their place of origin

Os produtos provenientes do mar têm um importante papel a nível socioeconómico, gastronómico e no legado cultural das comunidades piscatórias e costeiras de Portugal. O Percebe Pollicipes pollicipes é na Península Ibérica o recurso biológico do intertidal mais explorado pelo ser humano, devido à sua enorme popularidade e consequente procura, fazendo em algumas ocasiões disparar o preço de mercado até 150€/kg, gerando na sobreexploração dos stocks existentes. No entanto, na área marinha protegida da Reserva Natural da Berlenga, a apanha do percebe é fortemente regulada, tendo-se tornado em Portugal num bom exemplo da gestão de recursos marinhos. Com o intuito de prevenir fraudes, adulteração alimentar ou quaisquer outras práticas que possam induzir o consumidor em erro a Comissão Europeia declara que, o consumidor tem o direito de receber informação correcta acerca dos produtos que adquire, para além de definir regras para a correcta aplicação destas regras. Métodos analíticos que possibilitem identificar a origem do percebe, tornam-se deste modo importantes ferramantas no desenvolvimento de um selo de Denominação de Origem Protegida (DOP) e na gestão comercial do produto. Deste modo, investigou-se se o Percebe possui diferenças específicas de cada local de captura, através da forma da unha (CS), da composição microquímica da unha (EM) e do perfil de ácidos gordos (FA). A análise foi efectuada em indivíduos recolhidos em 3 locais na Reserva Natural das Berlengas e 7 ao longo de 300 km da costa Portuguesa. Em cada indivíduo analisou-se a forma da unha (CS) através da morfometria geométrica, a composição microquímica da unha (EM) através de ICP-MS e o perfil de ácidos gordos do músculo através de GC-FID. A análise das funções discriminantes (DFA) quer para a EM quer para a FA em separado obteve um elevado sucesso de reclassificação (77,6 % e 99% respectivamente, através de validação cruzada), enquanto que EM combinado com FA permitiu um sucesso de reclassificação de 100 %. A análise discriminante baseada apenas na CS, demonstrou um baixo sucesso (29,6 %) .Estes resultados demonstram que a composição microquímica da unha e o perfil de ácidos gordos do músculo de Percebe, poderá ser uma ferramenta de elevada importância, na determinação da origem do Percebe. Esta abordagem poderá ser utilizada para identificar a origem dos percebes comercializados, bem como ajudar no desenvolvimento de um selo DOP, aumentando ao mesmo tempo o valor potencial dos recursos biológicos provenientes de áreas marinhas protegidas em Portugal

In-depth investigation of the long-term strength and leaching behaviour of inorganic polymer mortars containing green liquor dregs

Green liquor dregs are the most challenging waste stream coming from the pulp and paper industry. Despite tremendous efforts, there are not currently any viable recycling alternatives for this massively produced waste (2 Mt/year), which inevitably ends up in landfills. Urgent actions must be undertaken to tackle this. In this work, a substantial amount of dregs was incorporated into eco-friendly, waste-based inorganic polymer (geopolymer) mortars as fine filler. Then, and for the first time, the long-term strength performance (up to 270 days) and heavy metals leaching behaviour of the dregs-containing mortars was evaluated. The effect of the mixture composition and dregs incorporation content on the fresh- and hardened-state properties of the mortars was also studied. Dregs were found to increase the initial and final setting time of the slurries, thus extending the open time before their in-situ application. The use of dregs as fine filler effectively enhances the compressive strength of the mortars, and decreases their water absorption levels. These eco-friendly building materials showed excellent long-term performance, as their strength continuously increases up to the 270th day (after mixture), and no signs of efflorescence formation were detected. Moreover, the heavy metals leaching levels of the mortars were well below the contamination limits in soil, which demonstrates the feasibility of this recycling methodology.publishe

Total and dark mass from observations of galaxy centers with Machine Learning

The galaxy total mass inside the effective radius encode important information on the dark matter and galaxy evolution model. Total "central" masses can be inferred via galaxy dynamics or with gravitational lensing, but these methods have limitations. We propose a novel approach, based on Random Forest, to make predictions on the total and dark matter content of galaxies using simple observables from imaging and spectroscopic surveys. We use catalogs of multi-band photometry, sizes, stellar mass, kinematic "measurements" (features) and dark matter (targets) of simulated galaxies, from Illustris-TNG100 hydrodynamical simulation, to train a Mass Estimate machine Learning Algorithm (Mela). We separate the simulated sample in passive early-type galaxies (ETGs), both "normal" and "dwarf", and active late-type galaxies (LTGs) and show that the mass estimator can accurately predict the galaxy dark masses inside the effective radius in all samples. We finally test the mass estimator against the central mass estimates of a series of low redshift (z$\leq$0.1) datasets, including SPIDER, MaNGA/DynPop and SAMI dwarf galaxies, derived with standard dynamical methods based on Jeans equations. Dynamical masses are reproduced within 0.30 dex ($\sim2\sigma$), with a limited fraction of outliers and almost no bias. This is independent of the sophistication of the kinematical data collected (fiber vs. 3D spectroscopy) and the dynamical analysis adopted (radial vs. axisymmetric Jeans equations, virial theorem). This makes Mela a powerful alternative to predict the mass of galaxies of massive stage-IV surveys' datasets

Avaliação de um SGBD replicado usando simulação de redes

A replicação de sistemas de gestão de bases de dados (SGBD) é um mecanismo fundamental para a fiabilidade de sistemas de informação. Em sistemas geograficamente distribuídos é ainda útil na recuperação de desas- tres e disponibilidade ubíqua de dados. Uma técnica de replicação recentemente proposta é a Database State Ma- chine (DBSM), que promete aliar fiabilidade a elevado desempenho tirando partido de sistemas de comunicação em grupo. A avaliação do desempenho desta técnica tem no entanto sido efectuada com redes de comunicação demasiado simples ou irrealistas e com uma carga não representativa. Este artigo propõe uma avaliação rigorosa de uma concretização desta técnica de replicação, aliando um modelo de simulação realista de redes de comunicação com uma geração de carga efectuada de acordo com os padrões elaborados pelo Transaction Processing Council (TPC). Os resultados obtidos confirmam o interesse desta técnica em redes locais, mas mostram que o seu desempenho é condicionado pelas características da rede e da carga.FCT no âmbito do projecto ESCADA - POSI-CHS-33792-

Sagres Fortress in the Algarve: Between the Myth, the Cultural Tourism Destination and the European Heritage Label

The reflection about the Fortress of Sagres - the main monument of the Algarve - is associated with many different issues, such as: territory policies, landscape, sustainable development, cultural reconstruction and with the enormous challenge of capitalizing the community as usual heritage user The cultural sustainability of the monument, the sense of the place, the stories, the fortress as a territorial brand, communication and mediation, community volunteering groups are some of the topics to develop in relation to this space of glory, a place of preservation of memories and splendour of the discoveries that we will address and develop in the approach to this heritage. The new reality brought about by the recognition of European Heritage Label makes us return to the idea of a heritage that is renewed and that has a narration which is essential to the history of the region. We will defend the sustainable development of heritage and cultural resources and strategies associated with the work being implemented

Beneficios percibidos de las lesiones deportivas: Estudio cualitativo en futbolistas profesionales y semiprofesionales

The aim o f the study was to identify and analyze the perceived benefits associated with sports injury in 16 professional and semi-professional players who were injured during sports practice. For data collection semi-structured interviews were conducted, content analyses being performed through the QSR Nvivo 2.0 software. 31 participants reported perceived benefits throughout the injury process, with social support and sports education referrals. The findings point to the importance of including positive aspects for a clearer and more complete understanding of the overall impact of sports injuries

Effect of Gypsum on the Early Hydration of Cubic and Na-Doped Orthorhombic Tricalcium Aluminate

The tricalcium aluminate (C3A) and sulfate content in cement influence the hydration chemistry, setting time and rheology of cement paste, mortar and concrete. Here, in situ experiments are performed to better understand the effect of gypsum on the early hydration of cubic (cub-)C3A and Na-doped orthorhombic (orth-)C3A. The isothermal calorimetry data show that the solid-phase assemblage produced by the hydration of C3A is greatly modified as a function of its crystal structure type and gypsum content, the latter of which induces non-linear changes in the heat release rate. These data are consistent with the in situ X-ray diffraction results, which show that a higher gypsum content accelerates the consumption of orth-C3A and the subsequent precipitation of ettringite, which is contrary to the cub-C3A system where gypsum retarded the hydration rate. These in situ results provide new insight into the relationship between the chemistry and early-age properties of cub- and orth-C3A hydration and corroborate the reported ex situ findings of these systems