On the Consistency of a Fermion-Torsion Effective Theory

We discuss the possibility to construct an effective quantum field theory for an axial vector coupled to a Dirac spinor field. A massive axial vector describes antisymmetric torsion. The consistency conditions include unitarity and renormalizability in the low-energy region. The investigation of the Ward identities and the one- and two-loop divergences indicate serious problems arising in the theory. The final conclusion is that torsion may exist as a string excitation, but there are very severe restrictions for the existence of a propagating torsion field, subject to the quantization procedure, at low energies.Comment: LaTeX, 26 pages, 4 figure

Sustainability Assessment of indicators for integrated water resources management

The scientific community strongly recommends the adoption of indicators for the evaluation and monitoring of progress towards sustainable development. Furthermore, international organizations consider that indicators are powerful decision-making tools. Nevertheless, the quality and reliability of the indicators depends on the application of adequate and appropriate criteria to assess them. The general objective of this study was to evaluate how indicators related to water use and management perform against a set of sustainability criteria. Our research identified 170 indicators related to water use and management. These indicators were assessed by an international panel of experts that evaluated whether they fulfil the four sustainability criteria: social, economic, environmental, and institutional. We employed an evaluation matrix that classified all indicators according to the DPSIR (Driving Forces, Pressures, States, Impacts and Responses) framework. A pilot study served to test and approve the research methodology before carrying out the full implementation. The findings of the study show that 24 indicators comply with the majority of the sustainability criteria; 59 indicators are bi-dimensional (meaning that they comply with two sustainability criteria); 86 are one-dimensional indicators (fulfilling just one of the four sustainability criteria) and one indicator do not fulfil any of the sustainability criteria.Postprint (author's final draft

Use of filamentous fungi for improving electricity production and textile dye treatment in a microbial fuel cell

Urban and industrial wastewaters have received an increased interest towards energy harvesting using microbial fuel cells (MFC). The combined use of microbial anode oxidizing organic substrates and enzymatic cathode reducing oxygen is a promising new approach for the simultaneous treatment of wastewater and generation of electricity. In this context, our study evaluated the performance of a two-chambered MFC operated with three laccase producing strains of filamentous fungi (Ff), immobilized on the cathodic compartment and filled up with simulated textile dye effluent (TDE) and urban wastewater in the anodic compartment. The result indicated a rapid TDE decolourisation (>86 % within 72 h). Electrochemical monitoring of the MFC during TDE decolourisation indicated power density (>35 mW m2, control 3,61) and laccase activity (989.6 U l–1) in the presence of Pleurotus ostreatus on the cathodic compartment. Considering the initial COD value of 464 ± 20 mg.l-1, the organic removal in the anodic compartment after 20 days of MFC operation was 90.2%. Final toxicity measurements in the TDE treated indicated a much lower impact when compared to the original TDE. These are the initial studies to select Ff as models for MFC application and further adaptation for wastewater treatment and bioelectricity generatio

Herdabilidade na predição de ganhos genéticos em palma de óleo.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi obter estimativas de herdabilidade e ganhos de seleção em famílias de híbridos interespecíficos de palma de óleo, com potencial para cruzamentos dialelos e geração de cultivares superiores. O delineamento utilizado foi de blocos casualizados, onde foi realizado três ensaios com 16 famílias por ensaio e quatro blocos. Foram utilizadas três testemunhas comuns. Cada parcela experimental foi constituída por 12 plantas. As características avaliadas foram número de cachos por planta (NCP), produção de cachos por planta (PCP) e peso médio dos cachos (PMC). As famílias 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21 e 22 apresentaram maior potencial para futuros cruzamentos dialelos. A herdabilidade foi alta para os caracteres de produção em palma de óleo

Estimativas de coeficientes de variação no ganho de seleção em palma de óleo.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi obter estimativas de coeficientes de variação em caracteres de produção de híbridos interespecíficos de palma de óleo, com potencial para cruzamentos dialelos e geração de cultivares superiores. O delineamento utilizado foi de blocos casualizados, onde foram realizados três ensaios com 16 famílias por ensaio e quatro blocos. Foram utilizadas três testemunhas comuns. Cada parcela experimental foi constituída por 12 plantas. Avaliou-se o número de cachos por planta (NCP),a produção de cachos por planta (PCP) e o peso médio dos cachos (PMC). A relação entre CVg e CVe foi maior que 1 para todos os caracteres, indicando que o ganho genético será alto para todas elas. As estimativas também permitem concluir que a seleção entre e dentro de famílias promoverá maiores progressos quando comparado com a seleção apenas entre famílias

Diversidade genética entre famílias de irmãos germanos em palma de óleo.

Neste trabalho, identificaram-se famílias com potencial para cruzamentos dialelos e geração de cultivares superiores. O delineamento utilizado foi de blocos casualizados, em três ensaios com 16 famílias por ensaio e quatro blocos, e três testemunhas comuns. Cada parcela experimental foi constituída por 12 plantas. Avaliou-se o número de cachos por planta (NCP), a produção de cachos por planta (PCP) e o peso médio dos cachos (PMC). Os métodos UPGMA e Tocher foram utilizados para a formação de grupos e pela dispersão gráfica das médias fez-se a seleção das melhores famílias. As famílias foram separadas em oito grupos por Tocher e UPGMA. Verificou-se uma correlação positiva alta entre as características e alta variabilidade entre as famílias. Pela dispersão gráfica foram selecionadas famílias com alto potencial como genitores em um programa de melhoramento de palma de óleo. As famílias 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21 e 22 apresentaram maior potencial para futuros cruzamentos dialelos

Estimativas de componentes de variância na produção de palma de óleo.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi obter estimativas de componentes de variância e herdabilidade em famílias de híbridos interespecíficos de palma de óleo, com potencial para cruzamentos dialelos e geração de cultivares superiores. O delineamento utilizado foi de blocos casualizados, onde foi realizado três ensaios com 16 famílias por ensaio e quatro blocos. Foram utilizadas três testemunhas comuns. Cada parcela foi constituída por 12 plantas. As características avaliadas foram número de cachos por planta (NCP), produção de cachos por planta (PCP) e peso médio dos cachos (PMC). Verificou-se uma correlação positiva alta entre as características. Foi observada alta variabilidade entre as famílias. As famílias 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20, 21 e 22 apresentaram maior potencial para futuros cruzamentos dialelos. O ganho genético predito nesta cultura mostrou-se elevado utilizando a seleção entre famílias

Optimization of phosphorus recovery from anaerobic digester effluents in agri-industry

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient to sustain life. P is widely used by agriculture sectors as fertilizer to secure food production and sustain human necessities. Since the major sources of P come from non-replaceable and non-renewable natural phosphate rock reserves, it is expected a depletion of this raw material in the next 80 years. In addition, every year, it is estimated that up to 10 Mt are wasted into the hydrosphere causing serious environmental damage in water bodies (e.g., eutrophication). Alongside climate change and the increased risk of draughts in the near future, it is important to guarantee the quality of those water bodies and secure food and feed production in the agriculture sector. Therefore, to reduce the pressure in water bodies, we should increase the efforts to treat wastewater before release, which in turn can be used as a source for P recovery. Thus, the main objective of the present work was the optimization of P recovery from full-scale Anaerobic Digestion (AD) effluents using precipitation methods with the addition of chemical (e.g., Mg, Ca or Fe salts), as well as exploring alternatives to conventional chemicals, such as seawater, bine (Mg-rich sources), and mussel shells and cork ashes (Ca-rich sources). This work is integrated in BIOECONORTE project - water and nutrients management based on BIOrefinery and circular ECOnomy towards a sustainable agri-food system of the NORTE of Portugal. The addition of chemicals was based on the initial concentration of P in the effluent (brewery and dairy industry), and different molar ratios (salt:P) 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 or 4:1 were applied. P precipitation using FeCl3, at the different Fe:P ratios, showed a P-recovery between 88-100 % and 57-85% in brewery and dairy wastewaters, respectively. With the addition of CaCl2, for the different Ca:P ratios, and adjusting the pH to 10, the P recovery ranged between 58-84% and 92-95% in brewery and dairy wastewaters, respectively. The experiments carried out with mussel shells (only with dairy wastewater, but for the different Ca:P ratios) demonstrated a P-recovery of 12-41%, 89-99%, and 98-99% when using raw shells, calcinated shells, and hydrated-calcinated shells, respectively. The seawater was tested in synthetic wastewater, at a 20% (v/v) ratio, showing a P recovery of 64%. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the viability of the use of alternative salt sources for P precipitation and recovery, contributing to the circular economy of agri-food industry.This study was supported by the BioEcoNorte project (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000070) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Science communication in bioengineering and biotechnology: Active and collaborative learning project

In a society increasingly dependent on science and technology, the need to equip our students with the most varied digital and communication skills is crucial. Active and collaborative learning among peers is essential for the acquisition of transversal skills. Communication is one of the main tools that the Engineer uses to reach his target audience. Science Communication in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (CCBioTec) is a project on Innovation and Development of Teaching and Learning supported by Center IDEA-UMinho, a structure that emerges to promote and value Innovation and Development of Teaching and Learning at the University of Minho. CCBioTec is transversal to a set of Learning Units (LU) under the responsibility of the Department of Biological Engineering (DEB), including one LU of each year of the Integrated Masters in Biological Engineering and in Biomedical Engineering. The main goals of CCBioTEc are: to foster the awareness of the DEB educational community on the importance of science communication, as well as to develop science communication skills, through the production of short videos (pitches) displaying the explanation, in a simple and dynamic way, of complex concepts of Bioengineering and Biotechnology related with the curricula of each LU. CCBioTec started in the second semester of 2020/21, and it will go on in the 1st semester of 2021/22. The project was designed to be implemented according to the following steps: 1 - Technical and pedagogical training of teachers; 2 - Technical training of students involved in the project - Week CCBioTEC-2021; 3 - Development of materials for Science Communication in Bioengineering and Biotechnology; 4 - CCBioTec-2021 competition. In CCBioTec, teachers presenting himself as a mediator/facilitator of learning, boosting students development of transversal skills, collaborative work, decision making and the expression of ideas, together with the acquisition of knowledge foreseen in the curricular contents of the LU.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio