A New Approach to Monitoring Touristic and Cultural Routes: The Challenge of Development and Use of Indicators-Based Systems

The present paper results of an ongoing research project were it is expected to develop an information system to monitoring a cultural-touristic route. The route to monitor is the Romanesque Route of Tâmega. This Route is composed of 58 monuments located in the region of Tâmega in the North of Portugal. Due to the particular location of this region, that is between coastal zone, but not yet in the inland, it has a weak political influence, and it is reflected in the low levels of development at several levels, observed. The Romanesque Route was implemented in a part of this region in 1998, and enlarged to the all-region in 2010. In order to evaluate the socio-ecomonic impact of this route in the region a research project is being developed. The main goal of this paper is to open a discussion on the elements that must be taken into consideration to evaluate the economic and social impact of a touristic cultural route within a region and this one in particular

Da maqueta para o desenho: meios de representação tridimensional no design de artefactos

Mestrado em Design, Materiais e Gestão do ProdutoEste estudo pretende, através de uma análise retrospectiva, caracterizar a abordagem da representação tridimensional no contexto do design, pela sua utilidade como instrumento de comunicação, desenvolvimento e materialização de ideias. Se no passado a experiência da representação tridimensional passou necessariamente pela manufactura, no século XX, com a possibilidade de integração de um ambiente simulado no Design, promoveram-se alterações profundas nas experiências de representação, percepção e sensibilidade do designer. Os sistemas de representação digitais foram adoptados gradualmente pela maioria dos profissionais do desenho, alterando os seus hábitos, substituindo as ferramentas que auxiliavam a sua actividade, e estabeleceram-se novas metodologias no processo de criação que levaram a uma revisão das práticas de representação. O principal objectivo deste trabalho foi compreender as principais causas e respectivos efeitos dessa enorme transformação que ocorreu depois da introdução das tecnologias digitais, identificando os sujeitos que procuraram o seu processo de formalização, vinculado ou não, às novas tecnologias e analisar as razões que assistiram essa escolha. Hoje em dia, com a introdução da tecnologia digital no âmbito da representação, o designer tem a possibilidade de representar pela mão ou assistido por computador, recorrendo a sistemas híbridos que utilizam ambos os recursos. Portanto, neste estudo, foram também analisadas as alterações verificadas no projecto de design, numa comparação entre os meios de representação analógicos e digitais, físicos e virtuais. ABSTRACT: This study aims, through a retrospective analysis, to characterize the approach of tridimensional representation in the context of design, for its usefulness as a tool for communication, development and materialization of ideas. If, in the past, tridimensional representation hinged necessarily on manual work, in the twentieth century, though, the possibility of integrating a simulated environment in Design promoted deep changes in the experience of representation, perception and sensitivity of the designer. The digital representation systems were gradually adopted by most designers, who changed their habits by replacing the tools which helped them in their trade. Thus, new methodologies were established in the design process, leading to a review of the representation techniques. The main goal of this study was to understand the underlying causes and effects of the enormous change that occurred after the introduction of digital technologies, identifying the individuals who sought their formalization process, bound or not, to new technologies and examine the reasons that led to this choice. Nowadays, with the introduction of digital technology in the scope of representation, the designer is able to represent either manually or assisted by a computer, using hybrid systems that use both resources. Therefore, in this study, we also analyzed the changes in the project design, by making a comparison between analog and digital, physical and virtual means of representation

Toxinas produzidas por cianobactérias e dinoflagelados: o caso particular das saxitoxinas

O aquecimento global e a degradação antropogénica da qualidade da água são apontados como as causas principais do aumento mundial da frequência, gravidade e duração dos blooms nocivos de cianobactérias e microalgas (HABs, do inglês harmful algal blooms). Em particular, as cianobactérias e os dinoflagelados, principais constituintes dos HABs, podem causar diversos problemas ao nível ecológico e de saúde humana, havendo por isso a necessidade de desenvolvimento e implementação de programas eficientes na monitorização e gestão dos impactos destes eventos nocivos. Uma biotoxina aquática particularmente preocupante é a saxitoxina e os seus derivados. As saxitoxinas são neurotoxinas potentes produzidas por algumas espécies de cianobactérias e dinoflagelados, tanto em água doce como em águas marinhas. Para além dos seus efeitos neurotóxicos conhecidos, pensa-se que poderão ter também efeitos citotóxicos e genotóxicos, todos podendo refletir-se em consequências ecológicas negativas. Este artigo de revisão explora as principais vias de exposição às saxitoxinas, os seus efeitos tóxicos e, por último, futuras direções na investigação relevantes para uma mais eficiente abordagem à deteção da potencial exposição (humana e da biota aquática) e à mitigação de efeitos nefastos. Pretende ser uma ferramenta com informação atualizada sobre a problemática das biotoxinas aquáticas, saxitoxinas em particular, que constitui uma base fidedigna para o desenvolvimento de ações para o aumento da consciência social sobre a mesma.publishe

Estado, Poder e Toponímia: análise toponímica de 55 nomes dos Centros Educa Mais da rede pública estadual do Maranhão através de um olhar geográfico

O propósito deste artigo é apresentar a estratégia pela qual a toponímia foi utilizada como recurso para análise dos nomes das escolas que compõem os Centros Educa Mais, modelo de escolas públicas adotadas pelo Governo do Estado do Maranhão desde 2016 que visa o desenvolvimento dos estudantes por meio de ações integradas e em tempo integral.  O lócus investigativo é composto de 55 escolas, distribuídas em 33 municípios, que constam nos arquivos do site da Secretaria de Educação do Estado, aba Educa Mais. A pesquisa tem como base os estudos da Toponímia em que se objetiva proceder à identificação, à descrição e à análise desse sistema. Optou-se por explanar sobre a toponímia, conceituando e classificando a partir dos estudos de Dick (1990) para analisar os topônimos catalogados estabelecendo uma leitura crítica a partir de uma percepção toponímica possibilitando reconhecer aspectos geográficos e culturais. Os resultados permitiram validar de forma positiva o tema, identificando que existe um padrão toponímico entre o ato de nomear os espaços públicos e o contexto histórico em que se atribui os nomes, o tributo a representantes do poder político e seus familiares e elementos religiosos frente a elementos físicos da região como forma de imprimir as relações de poder e posse. Palavras-chave: Toponímia, Estado, Poder, Lugar. Abstract The purpose of this article is to present the strategy by which toponymy was used as a resource for analyzing the names of the schools that make up the Educa Mais Centers, a model of public schools adopted by the State of Maranhão since 2016 that aims to develop students through integrated and full-time actions. The investigative locus is made up of 55 schools, distributed in 33 municipalities, which are included in the archives of the website of the State Department of Education, tab Educa Mais. The research is based on Toponymy studies in which the objective is to proceed to the identification, description and analysis of this system. It was decided to explain about toponymy, conceptualizing and classifying it based on the studies by Dick (1990) to analyze the cataloged place names establishing a critical reading from a toponymic perception allowing to recognize geographic and cultural aspects. The results allowed to positively validate the theme, identifying that there is a toponymic pattern between the act of naming public spaces and the historical context in which names are attributed, the tribute to representatives of the political power and their families and religious elements in the face of physical elements of the region as a way of printing the relations of power and possession. Key words: Toponymy, State, Power, Place

Hidden Consequences of Living in a Wormy World: Nematode‐Induced Immune Suppression Facilitates Tuberculosis Invasion in African Buffalo

Most hosts are infected with multiple parasites, and responses of the immune system to co-occurring parasites may influence disease spread. Helminth infection can bias the host immune response toward a T-helper type 2 (Th2) over a type 1 (Th1) response, impairing the host’s ability to control concurrent intracellular microparasite infections and potentially modifying disease dynamics. In humans, immune-mediated interactions between helminths and microparasites can alter host susceptibility to diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria. However, the extent to which similar processes operate in natural animal populations and influence disease spread remains unknown.We used cross-sectional, experimental, and genetic studies to show that gastrointestinal nematode infection alters immunity to intracellular microparasites in free-ranging African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). Buffalo that were more resistant to nematode infection had weaker Th1 responses, there was significant genotypic variation in nematode resistance, and anthelminthic treatment enhanced Th1 immunity. Using a disease dynamic model parameterized with empirical data, we found that nematode-induced immune suppression can facilitate the invasion of bovine TB in buffalo. In the absence of nematodes, TB failed to invade the system, illustrating the critical role nematodes may play in disease establishment. Our results suggest that helminths, by influencing the likelihood of microparasite invasion, may influence patterns of disease emergence in the wild

Novel coding genetic variants of the GBP1 gene in wild and domestic pigs (Sus scrofa)

The interferon-induced guanylate-binding protein 1 gene (GBP1) plays an important role in host defense against viral, bacterial and protozoan infections. To explore novel genetic variants in this gene, we re-sequenced a 587-bp fragment spanning the exon 2 of the GBP1 gene in a sample panel consisting of 34 wild boars and 59 local domestic pigs from three geographic regions (China, Iberian Peninsula, and Central Europe) and 12 individuals of three commercial breeds (Pietrain, Landrace, and Large White). In a final 543-bp sequence fragment, there were 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which five were coding (three novel mutations). A total of 19 haplotypes were reconstructed and most haplotypes were shared by two or more sample groups. Those shared haplotypes revealed a clear signature of genetic introgression from Chinese domestic pigs into European domestic pigs. In addition, there were six haplotypes with frequencies below 1%, but none of them were present in the three commercial breeds (Pietrain, Landrace, and Large White). Although a limited number of individuals and breeds were analyzed, the absence of rare alleles (or haplotypes) in the commercial breeds is an indication that a significant proportion of genetic diversity in domestic species is not present in commercial breeds. This study demonstrated the potential to find sufficient genetic variation for population genetic analyses of demography versus selection, in functional candidate genes of domestic pigs and wild boars worldwide

Microbial contamination of main contact surfaces of automated teller machines from metropolitan Area of Porto

Automated Teller Machines (ATM) are likely to be contaminated with various microorganisms because of their contact with the hands of many users daily. The main objective of this study was to investigate ATMs as a potential source of bacterial contamination. This study was conducted in the Metropolitan Area of Porto, in which 50 swab samples were cultured on selective media. Some isolates were identified based on colonial, morphological and biochemical characteristics. Susceptibility to several antibiotics was also evaluated for each isolated organism. Most contaminated ATMs had high numbers of Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococci. Staphylococci and Enterobacteriaceae were the most prevalent bacteria found. The recovered bacterial isolates varied in their antibiotic resistance pattern; Staphylococcus spp. demonstrated the most resistant profiles. With this pioneering study in Portugal, it was demonstrated that although ATMs in metropolitan area of Porto were not highly contaminated, some potentially pathogenic bacteria were present and resistant to some commonly used antibiotics.N/Ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

APLICAÇÃO DO DIAGNÓSTICO ORGANIZACIONAL COMO FERRAMENTA DE MELHORIA PARA O SETOR DE FROTA E LOGÍSTICA E COORDENADORIA DE MATERIAL E PATRIMÔNIO DE UMA UNIVERSIDADE PÚBLICA FEDERAL.

Um dos desafios do setor público brasileiro está relacionado ao aspecto gerencial. A importância da melhoria da gestão neste setor aponta para uma busca de excelência e eficiência. O presente artigo teve como objetivo realizar um Diagnóstico Organizacional em uma Universidade Pública. Foi possível detectar e analisar as dificuldades que impedem que os objetivos traçados pelos gestores sejam alcançados. A partir do estudo foram elaborados programas na tentativa de eliminar as anomalias presentes nos setores, otimizando dessa forma todos os procedimentos de trabalho. Para atingir o objetivo foi utilizado um modelo que propõe a estruturação desse diagnóstico em três etapas: descrição, análise e interpretação dos dados. A coleta das informações aconteceu através das entrevistas junto as áreas gerenciais, setores táticos e com os coordenadores acadêmicos. As informações levantadas foram importantes para a administração gerenciar seus processos e buscar atender as necessidades dos usuários da organização

Sex-Biased Gene Flow Among Elk in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

We quantified patterns of population genetic structure to help understand gene flow among elk populations across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We sequenced 596 base pairs of the mitochondrial control region of 380 elk from eight populations. Analysis revealed high mitochondrial DNA variation within populations, averaging 13.0 haplotypes with high mean gene diversity (0.85). The genetic differentiation among populations for mitochondrial DNA was relatively high (FST = 0.161; P = 0.001) compared to genetic differentiation for nuclear microsatellite data (FST = 0.002; P = 0.332), which suggested relatively low female gene flow among populations. The estimated ratio of male to female gene flow (mm/mf = 46) was among the highest we have seen reported for large mammals. Genetic distance (for mitochondrial DNA pairwise FST) was not significantly correlated with geographic (Euclidean) distance between populations (Mantel’s r = 0.274, P = 0.168). Large mitochondrial DNA genetic distances (e.g., FST . 0.2) between some of the geographically closest populations (,65 km) suggested behavioral factors and/or landscape features might shape female gene flow patterns. Given the strong sex-biased gene flow, future research and conservation efforts should consider the sexes separately when modeling corridors of gene flow or predicting spread of maternally transmitted diseases. The growing availability of genetic data to compare male vs. female gene flow provides many exciting opportunities to explore the magnitude, causes, and implications of sex-biased gene flow likely to occur in many species

The footprint of recent and strong demographic decline in the genomes of Mangalitza pigs

Altres ajuts: The authors also acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity for the Center of Excellence Severo Ochoa 2016-2019 (SEV-2015-0533) grant awarded to the Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG). Tainã Figueiredo Cardoso was funded with a fellowship from the CAPES Foundation-Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education, Ministry of Education of the Federal Government of Brazil. Thanks also to the CERCA Programme of the Generalitat de Catalunya.The Mangalitza pig breed has suffered strong population reductions due to competition with more productive cosmopolitan breeds. In the current work, we aimed to investigate the effects of this sustained demographic recession on the genomic diversity of Mangalitza pigs. By using the Porcine Single Nucleotid Polymorphism BeadChip, we have characterized the genome-wide diversity of 350 individuals including 45 Red Mangalitza (number of samples; n=20 from Hungary and n=25 from Romania), 37 Blond Mangalitza, 26 Swallow-belly Mangalitza, 48 Blond Mangalitza × Duroc crossbreds, 5 Bazna swine, 143 pigs from the Hampshire, Duroc, Landrace, Large White and Pietrain breeds and 46 wild boars from Romania (n=18) and Hungary (n=28). Performance of a multidimensional scaling plot showed that Landrace, Large White and Pietrain pigs clustered independently from Mangalitza pigs and Romanian and Hungarian wild boars. The number and total length of ROH (runs of homozygosity), as well as FROH coefficients (proportion of the autosomal genome covered ROH) did not show major differences between Mangalitza pigs and other wild and domestic pig populations. However, Romanian and Hungarian Red Mangalitza pigs displayed an increased frequency of very long ROH (>30 Mb) when compared with other porcine breeds. These results indicate that Red Mangalitza pigs underwent recent and strong inbreeding probably as a consequence of severe reductions in census size