A new Erica lusitanica Rudolphi heathland association to the Iberian south-west

As result of several field trips following doctoral research in Marianic-Monchiquensean Sector, we describe a new heathland named Lavandulo viridis-Ericetum lusitanici ass nova hoc loco (Genistion micrantho-anglicae, Rivas- Martínez 1979) as a thermomediterranean to lower mesomediterranean, upper dry to humid, schistose association. The analysis of 11 relevés, following Braun-Blanquet methodology shows the floristic identity of this new association as well as the chorological segregation of its area of occurrence. Finally, despite these communities already being relatively well known and although they are poor in species number, such heathlands show floristic singularity and own sinecology, with a large and distinct geographical area of distribution, so we emphasized its integration within Atlantic wet heaths priority habitat (⁄4020 – Annex B-I from Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992)

Assessment of Wild Rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC.) Germplasm accessions by NGS identified SSR and SNP markers

Rocket is the common designation for two baby-leaf salad crops of the Brassicaceae family: Eruca sativa (L.) Cav., usually referred to as annual garden rocket, and Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC. commonly named to as perennial wild rocket. E. sativa is used for human consumption since antiquity. However, the growing consumer preference for D. tenuifolia is being accompanied by the fast increase in its production area and commercialization of new cultivars. Nevertheless, the worldwide number of wild rocket accessions maintained in germplasm collections is very reduced, the solution for which situation the project “REMIRucula” intends to contribute, establishing a germplasm collection at the INIAV, Oeiras, Portugal. Herein, we report on the establishment via next generation sequencing (NGS) of the first genome assembly of D. tenuifolia and the identification of specific single sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) loci for the establishment of specific DNA-markers for this species. A representative set of 87 D. tenuifolia and 3 E. sativa accessions were assessed by 5 SSR and 9 SNP-CAPS markers, allowing a drastic discrimination between both species and the establishment of unequivocal molecular fingerprints for the analyzed accessions. The non-discrimination within six pairs and one trio of D. tenuifolia accessions is discussed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Insights for the valorization of biomass from portuguese invasive acacia spp. in a biorefinery perspective

SFRH/BD/133300/2017 UIDB/04077/2020Acacia spp. are widespread all over the Portuguese territory, representing a threat to local biodiversity and to the productivity of the forest sector. The measures adopted in some countries for their eradication or to control their propagation are expensive, have been considered unfeasible from practical and economical perspectives, and have generated large amounts of residue that must be valorized in a sustainable way. This review brings together information on the valorization of bark, wood, leaves, flowers, pods, seeds, roots, and exudates from Acacia spp., through the production of high-value bioactive extracts (e.g., antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antiviral, anthelmintic, or pesticidal agents, suitable to be explored by pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetics, and food and feed industries), its incorporation in innovative materials (e.g., polymers and composites, nanomaterials, low-cost adsorbents), as well as through the application of advanced thermochemical processes (e.g., flash pyrolysis) and pre-treatments to decompose biomass in its structural components, regarding the production of biofuels along with valuable chemicals derived from cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The knowledge of this research is important to encourage an efficient and sustainable valorization of Acacia spp. within a biorefinery concept, which can bring a significant economic return from the valorization of these residues, simultaneously contributing to forest cleaning and management, to reduce the risk of fires, and to improve the social-economic development of rural areas.publishersversionpublishe

Anthropocene and happiness: a reflection in the light of complexity

The Anthropocene is a geological era marked by human influence on our planet. For sure we have never lived as well as we do today, on the other hand, several studies s that this lifestyle marked by excessive consumerism is a problem when we are faced with the urgent need to solve climate change. Consequently, the resolution of this prob will have to go through education as a structural basis for the construction of values and the adoption of more sustainable attitudes, that is, we must reinvent ourselves in face of the urgency of mitigating one of the greatest challenges of humanity. In this article we present a reflection in the light of the current complexity, made from a car search for literature that addresses the issues associated with consumerism and its relationship with happiness (or the false feeling of it) and the role that education can h in this connection against the background of the search for more sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyles, but also promoting happiness and wellness. We beli that the school, being an institution that risks functioning as an instrument of reproduction of the status quo of the current society, must promote a critical consciousn promoting the transformation of the social reality that contributes to climate change. The school has been teaching notions of sustainability and ecology, but they still fa respond to the urgency of solving the problem.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UIDB/05777/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Actividade antioxidante de folhas de medronheiro (Arbutus unedo L.) de 19 genótipos provenientes da região de Bragança

Nos últimos anos, tem-se verificado na região de Trás-os-Montes a substituição do medronheiro (Arbutus unedo L.) por espécies florestais. Este facto resulta da pouca importância económica atribuída a esta espécie fruteira. Com o intuito de inverter esta situação, no presente trabalho procedeu-se à caracterização da actividade antioxidante das folhas, afim de seleccionar os genótipos de superior qualidade e incentivar a sua utilização na indústria farmacêutica e química. Para tal, em diferentes localidades do distrito de Bragança foram colhidas folhas de medronheiro de 19 indivíduos, e determinada a sua actividade antioxidante através dos métodos do poder redutor e do efeito bloqueador de radicais de DPPH (2,2-difenil-1-picrilhidrazilo). Na generalidade dos extractos analisados verificou-se a existência de uma relação de dependência entre a concentração dos extractos e a actividade demonstrada. Os valores de EC50 para o método do poder redutor oscilaram entre 0,234 e 0,378 mg de extracto/ml, enquanto para o método do DPPH variaram entre 0,089 e 0,142 mg de extracto/ml. As folhas provenientes de Vila Verde foram as que apresentaram maior actividade antioxidante enquanto as provenientes de Vila Boa 2 expressaram a menor actividade. ln the last years there has been noticed, in the region of Tras-osMontes, a reduction of strawberry trees (Arbutus unedo L,) by replacing them by other species with higher economic value, This fact is due to the low ecanomic importance of this specie. ln arder to invert this situatian, in the present work the antioxidant potential of leaves of 19 genotypes was characterized, to contribute for the selection of superior quaJity genotypes and to encourage their use in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, 50, 19 genotypes were recovered in Bragança region and was determined their antioxidant potential using the methods of reducing power and the sCavenging effect of DPPH [2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radicais. Generally, in the analyzed extracts was found the existence of a dependence relation between the extract concentration and the activity obtained, ECso values for the method of reducing power ranged between 0,224 and 0.378 mg of extract/mL, while for the method of DPPH ranged between 0,089 and 0.142 mg of extract/mL Leaves from Vila Verde showed the highest antioxidant activity while those from Vila Boa 2 expressed the lowest activit

Anthropocene and happiness: a reflection in the light of complexity

The Anthropocene is a geological era marked by human influence on our planet. For sure we have never lived as well as we do today, on the other hand, several studies s that this lifestyle marked by excessive consumerism is a problem when we are faced with the urgent need to solve climate change. Consequently, the resolution of this prob will have to go through education as a structural basis for the construction of values and the adoption of more sustainable attitudes, that is, we must reinvent ourselves in face of the urgency of mitigating one of the greatest challenges of humanity. In this article we present a reflection in the light of the current complexity, made from a car search for literature that addresses the issues associated with consumerism and its relationship with happiness (or the false feeling of it) and the role that education can h in this connection against the background of the search for more sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyles, but also promoting happiness and wellness. We beli that the school, being an institution that risks functioning as an instrument of reproduction of the status quo of the current society, must promote a critical consciousn promoting the transformation of the social reality that contributes to climate change. The school has been teaching notions of sustainability and ecology, but they still fa respond to the urgency of solving the problem.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Argentinian version of the cognitive fusion questionnaire:Psychometric properties and the role of cognitive fusion as a predictor of pathological worry

The Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ) consists in an instrument used to measure cognitive fusion. Cognitive fusion can be described as a core process in the psychopathology model of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The purpose of this study was to adapt the CFQ for the Argentinian population, to validate it through a confirmatory factor analysis together with the analysis of its psychometric properties in a local community sample, and to look into the role cognitive fusion plays as a predictor of pathological worry. Three hundred and thirty-three adult participants filled out not only the Argentinian adaptation of the questionnaire (CFQ-VA) but also measures that assessed psychological inflexibility, worry, rumination, mindfulness and psychological well-being. The results indicate that the CFQ’s one-factor structure was confirmed. The instrument showed adequate internal consistency, good temporal stability, and significant associations in the expected directions with relevant selected constructs indicating adequate criterion validity. Also, cognitive fusion emerged as a good predictor of worry. In conclusion, the findings confirm that the Argentinian adaptation of the CFQ presents solid psychometric properties.Fil: José Quintero, Paula S.. Fundación Foro; Argentina. Universidad de Flores; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez Biglieri, Ricardo. Universidad de la Marina Mercante; Argentina. Instituto de Terapia Cognitivo Conductual; ArgentinaFil: Etchezahar, Edgardo Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Saavedra 15. Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones en Psicología Matemática y Experimental Dr. Horacio J. A. Rimoldi; ArgentinaFil: Gillanders, David T.. University of Edinburgh; Reino Unid

On the genesis of the Haumea system

The scenarios proposed in the literature for the genesis of the system formed by the dwarf planet 136108 Haumea, its two satellites and a group of some 10 bodies (the family) with semimajor axes, eccentricities and inclinations close to Haumea's values, are analysed against collisional, physical, dynamical and statistical arguments in order to assess their likelihood. All scenarios based on collisional events are reviewed under physical arguments and the corresponding formation probabilities in a collisional environment are evaluated according to the collisional evolution model alicandep. An alternative mechanism is proposed based on the potential possibility of (quasi-) independent origin of the family with respect to Haumea and its satellites. As a general conclusion the formation of the Haumea system is a low-probability event in the currently assumed frame for the evolution of the outer Solar system. However, it is possible that current knowledge is missing some key element in the whole story that may contribute to increase the odds for the formation of such a system.This research was partially supported by Spanish grants AYA2011-06202-C02-01 (JLO) and AYA2011-06202-C02-02 (ACB). RGH gratefully acknowledges financial support by CONICET through PIP 114-201101-00358 and Junta de Andalucia 2012-FQM1776