Seaweed Aquaculture and Marine Biotechnology

Macroscopic marine algae, typically known as macroalgae or seaweeds, form an important living resource of the oceans, as primary producers. People have collected seaweeds for food, both for humans and animals for millennia. They also have been a source of nutrient rich fertilizers, as well as a source of gelling agents known as phycocolloids. More recently macroalgae are playing significant roles in medicine and biotechnology. Although Biotechnology and in particular marine biotechnology may have different meanings for different people, under the present context we will consider a broader definition. Marine biotechnology consists on the use of biological knowledge and/or the application of biological techniques on marine organisms, for the development of products in some way beneficial for humans. Seaweed aquaculture is, therefore a biotechnology activity. It is also one that can allow for further development of the industry. Today, seaweed cultivation techniques are standardized, routine and economical. Several factors, including understanding the environmental regulation of life histories and asexual propagation of thalli, are responsible for the success of large-scale seaweed cultivation. Presently, seaweed aquaculture represents approximately 23% of the world’s aquaculture production, including fish, crustaceans and other animals. A promising approach for the development of seaweed aquaculture, and aquaculture in general, is the integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA). In these systems, fed-aquaculture is combined with extractive organisms like bivalves and/or algae. The constraints and advantages of IMTA will be discussed. In particular, land based IMTA systems allow for much greater environmental and input controls. Traceability, security of supply, high-quality standards and safety should be the future of seaweed aquaculture and contribute for the development of marine biotechnology.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Particle identification with the AMS-02 RICH detector: search for dark matter with antideuterons

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), whose final version AMS-02 is to be installed on the International Space Station (ISS) for at least 3 years, is a detector designed to measure charged cosmic ray spectra with energies up to the TeV region and with high energy photon detection capability up to a few hundred GeV, using state-of-the art particle identification techniques. It is equipped with several subsystems, one of which is a proximity focusing Ring Imaging Cherenkov (RICH) detector equipped with a dual radiator (aerogel+NaF), a lateral conical mirror and a detection plane made of 680 photomultipliers and light guides, enabling precise measurements of particle electric charge and velocity (Delta beta / beta ~ 10^-3 and 10^-4 for Z=1 and Z=10-20, respectively) at kinetic energies of a few GeV/nucleon. Combining velocity measurements with data on particle rigidity from the AMS-02 Tracker (Delta R / R ~ 2% for R=1-10 GV) it is possible to obtain a reliable measurement for particle mass. One of the main topics of the AMS-02 physics program is the search for indirect signatures of dark matter. Experimental data indicate that dark, non-baryonic matter of unknown composition is much more abundant than baryonic matter, accounting for a large fraction of the energy content of the Universe. Apart from antideuterons produced in cosmic-ray propagation, the annihilation of dark matter will produce additional antideuteron fluxes. Detailed Monte Carlo simulations of AMS-02 have been used to evaluate the detector's performance for mass separation, a key issue for anti-D/anti-p separation. Results of these studies are presented.Comment: 5 pages. Contribution to the 20th European Cosmic Ray Symposium (Lisbon 2006). Presenter: Rui Pereir

Particle identification with the AMS-02 RICH detector: D/p and anti-D/anti-p separation

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), whose final version AMS-02 is to be installed on the International Space Station (ISS) for at least 3 years, is a detector designed to measure charged cosmic ray spectra with energies up to the TeV region and with high energy photon detection capability up to a few hundred GeV, using state-of-the art particle identification techniques. Among several detector subsystems, AMS includes a proximity focusing RICH enabling precise measurements of particle electric charge and velocity. The combination of both these measurements together with the particle rigidity measured on the silicon tracker endows a reliable measurement of the particle mass. The main topics of the AMS-02 physics program include detailed measurements of the nuclear component of the cosmic-ray spectrum and the search for indirect signatures of dark matter. Mass separation of singly charged particles, and in particular the separation of deuterons and antideuterons from massive backgrounds of protons and antiprotons respectively, is essential in this context. Detailed Monte Carlo simulations of AMS-02 have been used to evaluate the detector's performance for mass separation at different energies. The obtained results and physics prospects are presented.Comment: 5 pages. Contribution to the Sixth International Workshop on New Worlds in Astroparticle Physics (Faro 2007). Presenter: Rui Pereir

A Vertente Europeia-Continental e a Vertente Atlântico-Global na Política Externa Portuguesa

No presente artigo, propomo-nos analisar as vertentes europeia-continental e atlânticoglobal na política externa portuguesa. Começamos por fazer uma breve retrospectiva evolutiva, identificando três grandes modelos de inserção internacional de Portugal, que correspondem a momentos históricos específicos. Seguidamente, detemo-nos nos vectores de modernização e compensação, associando o primeiro vector à matriz europeia-continental e o segundo à atlântico-global. Argumentamos, nomeadamente, que um deve ser indissociável do outro, sob pena da política externa portuguesa ser reduzida a uma condição cada vez mais periférica pelo que poderá perder relevância. Por último, reflectimos sobre as condições de afirmação de Portugal no mundo, destacando elementos incontornáveis como a projecção da língua, a ligação ao mar e a vocação universalista do povo português, chamando a atenção para a necessária adaptação da nossa diplomacia ao novo contexto de acção externa do Estado, que pressupõe uma articulação coerente e equilibrada entre as dimensões política, económica e cultural

Raça, Sangue e Robustez Os paradigmas da Antropologia Física

Por toda a primeira metade do século XX a Antropologia colonial portuguesa esteve quase que totalmente entregue a uma orientação antropobiológica. A denominada «escola do Porto», na qual pontificava o professor catedrático de medicina Mendes Corrêa, assegurou todas as «missões antropológicas» oficialmente instituídas para as colónias. A mais sucedida de todas essas campanhas de investigação foi a dirigida por um seu assistente, Santos Júnior, também ele médico e professor na Faculdade de Medicina do Porto. Entre 1937 e 1956, a Missão Antropológica de Moçambique procedeu ao exaustivo levantamento antropométrico das populações africanas da colónia. A Etnologia, ou a simples recolha etnográfica, eram ignoradas, deixadas ao cuidado da curiosidade diletante dos mais diversos agentes da colonização, missionários, militares, funcionários administrativos, comerciantes e fazendeiros. Porque foi tão importante para o desígnio colonial português a Antropologia Física é o que se procura responder neste artigo. E, em sequência, tentar perceber porque no início da segunda metade do século XX foi a Antropologia Física tão subitamente substituída pela Etnologia colonial.Universidade de Nova Lisbo

Cosmic ray velocity and electric charge measurements with the AMS/RICH detector: prototype results

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to be installed on the International Space Station (ISS) will measure charged cosmic ray spectra of elements up to iron, in the rigidity range from 1 GV to 1 TV, for at least three years. AMS is a large angular spectrometer composed of different subdetectors, including a proximity focusing Ring Imaging CHerenkov (RICH) detector. This will be equipped with a mixed radiator made of aerogel and sodium fluoride (NaF), a lateral conical mirror and a detection plane made of 680 photomultipliers coupled to light guides. The RICH detector allows measurements of particle's electric charge up to iron, and particle's velocity. Two possible methods for reconstructing the Cherenkov angle and the electric charge with the RICH will be discussed. A RICH prototype consisting of a detection matrix with 96 photomultipliers, a segment of a conical mirror and samples of the radiator materials was built and its performance was evaluated using ion beam data. Results from the last test beam performed with ion fragments resulting from the collision of a 158 GeV/c/nucleon primary beam of indium ions (CERN SPS) on a lead target are reported. The large amount of collected data allowed to test and characterize different aerogel samples and the NaF radiator. In addition, the reflectivity of the mirror was evaluated. The data analysis confirms the design goals.Comment: 5 pages. Contribution to the 20th European Cosmic Ray Symposium in Lisbon, Portugal. September 5th-8th 2006. Presenter: Luisa Arrud