Defining the uniqueness of monovarietal wines from native portuguese varieties of Vitis vinifera

Studies have been carried out on red and white monovarietal wines vinified during the 1995, 1996 and 1997 harvests. The essential aim being to evaluate sensory quality, correlate it with chemical analytical data and relate these to the various winemaking options available. Hence selective native varieties from the Douro, Dao, Bairrada and Vinhos Verdes regions have been studied and the analytical / sensorial data correlated to such factors as grape maturation and maceration regime. Results are presented illustrating the quality effects of variety / winemaking practice combinations, both in terms of analytical data (sensory and chemical) and taster preferences

Industry/University collaboration in product focussed œnological research in Portugal - the SOGRAPE / UCP ESB partnership 1995 - 1998

A innovative model of collaboration between a wine company and a university research group is presented. A protocol was established as a response to the perceived need to, on the part of the university, (i) focus research on specific scientific bottlenecks which would have a real impact in the producing industry and, on the part of the company, (ii) to have access to the scientific capacity to conduct in-depth studies to approach specific technical challenges. A closely managed programme was jointly established and the major characteristics are presented here together with the main results obtained during the first 2 and a half years of operation

Analysis of Zebrafish contamination with heavy metals using a FF-XRF imaging system based on a MPGD

Funding Information: F.D. Leite is grateful for the grant BII/UI96/9175/2020, R.G. Oliveira is grateful for the grant SFRH/BI/10638/2020, and P.M.S. Carvalho is grateful to FCT for the PhD grant PD/BD/128324/2017. Funding Information: The costs resulting from the FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P–Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) hiring L.F.N.D. Carramate were funded by national funds (OE) in the scope of the framework contract CEECIND/01369/2017, and S. Pessanha in the scope of the framework contract CEECIND/00278/2018. Funding Information: This work was partially supported by projects PTDC/FIS-AQM/32536/2017, CERN/FIS-INS/0026/2019 and STRONG-2020–824093 through FCT and H2020 programs. It was also developed within the scope of the i3N (UIDB/50025/2020 & UIDP/50025/2020) and CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020 & UIDB/50017/2020 & LA/P/0094/2020), financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC COMPETE , FEDER and POCI programs. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The AuthorsHeavy metals have been extensively used by humans and are still present in many aspects of modern-day life. Such elements tend to accumulate, degrading the quality of air, soil, and water, negatively affecting the living organisms. As such, it is of paramount importance to understand the environmental risks of heavy metals, including their bioaccumulation capacity in organisms, since they are associated with several harmful health effects, such as neurological damages. The Zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been shown to be an excellent animal model to understand physiological responses in mammals and consequently to perform toxicological studies due to characteristics such as the high genetic and physiological similarity with humans. In this work, a Full-Field Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (FF-XRF) imaging system, based on the 2D-THCOBRA micropattern gas detector, was used to monitor heavy metal accumulation in Zebrafish during a water borne exposure bioassay. The distributions of Mn, Se, and Pb in Zebrafish, exposed to different concentrations of the heavy metal compounds during different time intervals, were mapped. The results show a preferential accumulation of Mn, Se, and Pb in the Zebrafish's visceral region and highlight the suitability of the FF-XRF imaging system for quick screening of metal accumulation in fish bioassays.publishersversionpublishe

Children’s right to participate: The Lundy model applied to early childhood education and care

Children have the right to express their views in all matters affecting them, and to have them considered and given due weight. Children’s participation is most meaningful when rooted in children’s everyday lives, and its promotion should be encouraged from the youngest ages, especially in early childhood education and care (ecec). In this paper we apply the Lundy model of participation, widely used in policy, practice and professional development initiatives, to the ecec context. Based on examples provided by ecec professionals from Belgium, Greece, Poland, and Portugal, we illustrate the implementation of the elements of space, voice, audience and influence, proposed by the Lundy model. We also discuss the interrelations among these elements and the need for organisational and contextual support to enhance children’s participation. This paper adds to existing literature, highlighting theoretical and practical issues associated with the promotion of children’s right to participate in ecec.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Seroprevalence of Protective Antibodies Against Influenza and the Reduction of the Influenza Incidence Rate: An Annual Repeated Cross-Sectional Study From 2014 to 2019

Background: Seroepidemiological studies provide estimates of population-level immunity, prevalence/incidence of infections, and evaluation of vaccination programs. We assessed the seroprevalence of protective antibodies against influenza and evaluated the correlation of seroprevalence with the cumulative annual influenza incidence rate. Methods: We conducted an annual repeated cross-sectional seroepidemiological survey, during June-August, from 2014 to 2019, in Portugal. A total of 4326 sera from all age groups, sex, and regions was tested by hemagglutination inhibition assay. Seroprevalence and geometric mean titers (GMT) of protective antibodies against influenza were assessed by age group, sex, and vaccine status (65+ years old). The association between summer annual seroprevalence and the difference of influenza incidence rates between one season and the previous one was measured by Pearson correlation coefficient (r). Results: Significant differences in seroprevalence of protective antibodies against influenza were observed in the population. Higher seroprevalence and GMT for A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H3N2) were observed in children (5-14); influenza B seroprevalence in adults 65+ was 1.6-4.4 times than in children (0-4). Vaccinated participants (65+) showed significant higher seroprevalence/GMT for influenza. A strong negative and significant correlation was found between seroprevalence and ILI incidence rate for A(H1N1)pdm09 in children between 5 and 14 (r = -0.84; 95% CI, -0.98 to -0.07); a weak negative correlation was observed for A(H3N2) and B/Yamagata (r ≤ -0.1). Conclusions: The study provides new insight into the anti-influenza antibodies seroprevalence measured in summer on the ILI incidence rate in the next season and the need for adjusted preventive health care measures to prevent influenza infection and transmission.Luís Ribeiro and Ana Sofia Marinho from Centro Hospitalar Universitário de São João, E. P. E.; Lídia Santos, Patrícia Miguel, Paula Branquinho, and Paula Soares from Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, E. P. E.; Margarida Figueiredo and Daniela Cochicho from Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa, Francisco Gentil, E.P. E.; Diana Barros from Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal, E. P. E.; Ivo Rosa, Ana Mira, and José Brito from Hospital do Espírito Santo de Évora, E. P. E., are acknowledged for their work at hospital laboratories as members of the Portuguese Laboratory Network for Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Diagnosis. The authors acknowledge the coordinators of WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at Francis Crick Institute, London, for supporting the Portuguese National Influenza Reference Laboratory, with technical advice and reference reagents

Fluoride exposure duringintrauterine and lactation periods promotes changes in the offspring rats' alveolar bone

The importance of fluoride (F) for oral health is well established in the literature. However, evidence suggests that excessive exposure to this mineral is associated with adverse effects at different life stages and may affect many biological systems, especially mineralized tissues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of F exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the alveolar bone of the offspring since the alveolar bone is one of the supporting components of the dental elements. For this, the progeny rats were divided into three groups: control, 10 mg F/L, and 50 mg F/L for 42 (gestational and lactation periods). Analysis of the quantification of F levels in the alveolar bone by particle-induced gamma emission; Raman spectroscopy to investigate the physicochemical aspects and mineral components; computed microtomography to evaluate the alveolar bone microstructure and analyses were performed to evaluate osteocyte density and collagen quantification using polarized light microscopy. The results showed an increase in F levels in the alveolar bone, promoted changes in the chemical components in the bone of the 50 mg F/L animals (p < 0.001), and had repercussions on the microstructure of the alveolar bone, evidenced in the 10 mg F/L and 50 mg F/L groups (p < 0.001). Furthermore, F was able to modulate the content of organic bone matrix, mainly collagen; thus, this damage possibly reduced the amount of bone tissue and consequently increased the root exposure area of the exposed groups in comparison to a control group (p < 0.001). Our findings reveal that Fcan modulate the physicochemical and microstructural dimensions and reduction of alveolar bone height, increasing the exposed root region of the offspring during the prenatal and postnatal period. These findings suggest that F can modulate alveolar bone mechanical strength and force dissipation functionality.This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. R.R.L is a researcher from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and received grant under number 312275/2021-8. Also this research was funded by PROCAD Amazônia – CAPES (23038.005350/2018–78).Peer reviewe