Sistema de Governo: A Singularidade Cabo-verdiana

O sistema de governo cabo-verdiano tem sido objecto de discussão político-constitucional permanente, fruto de abordagens diferentes por parte dos dois principais partidos, sobre os poderes do Presidente da República. A discussão renova-se sempre que se aproxima um acto eleitoral presidencial ou uma revisão da constitucional, mas convém reconhecer que as divergências políticas sobre esta matéria já não são tão fracturantes como em 1992, mercê da convergência de um conjunto importante de factores políticos e constitucionais

An assessment of the illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste

2_(Des)construir_Economia_Circular). This work was also supported by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under the project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET.Addressing the illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is challenging because there are significant costs associated with clean-up actions but, for many local authorities, no data is available to describe this reality and to support the decision-making process. This research is focused on how to study the dynamic of CDW dumpsites, characterising these occurrences in order to understand the factors that influence them and to raise awareness to the problem with the results obtained. It involved the municipalities of a rural region, with scant infrastructure for CDW treatment, in monthly observations of the aforementioned sites. In total, 136 dumpsites were observed, with 65% of them located on public-owned land. For these dumpsites, 18 thousand tonnes of CDW were estimated, of which 59% correspond to the mineral fraction. The cost of removing the abandoned CDW was estimated at between €84 and €99 per tonne, with the component directly associated with municipal resources estimated at around 28% of the total. During the one-year monitoring period, 26 new dumpsites were observed, and 156 tonnes per month of CDW were recorded. Performance indicators demonstrated that the municipalities with some type of local solution for CDW management report less illegal dumping. These findings are relevant for filling the gaps in data about the illegal dumping of CDW on local scales and in less developed countries, supporting decision-making processes. In terms of research, the results address gaps in the literature since there is scarce data about these occurrences.publishersversionpublishe

Determining Factors and Strategies to Promote Construction and Demolition Waste Management on a Local Scale

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) management has attracted growing interest amongst the research community, especially in terms of the implementation of circular economy principles in the construction sector, mainly due to the large amount of waste generated. The problem has been explored through different approaches and in various contexts, but knowledge gaps persist within the study of proximity dynamics. Therefore, this research project focuses its analysis on the study of behaviour change in CDW management on a local scale, converging on the role of municipalities and micro and small construction companies, from an operational perspective. For this, research questions were formulated related to the study of the determining factors for CDW management on the local scale; with the deepening of knowledge regarding the reality of illegal dumping of CDW, which is a problem involving the identified stakeholders; and with the implementation of intervention strategies to promote the improvement of the management of this waste stream. The research project approached the topic in a transdisciplinary way, selecting different research methods, including a literature review, a survey by questionnaire, workshops, and fieldwork, as a way to integrate different realities, with different approaches, contributing to the adaptation of research tasks, but also leaving a more solid research contribution for researchers, technicians, policy-makers and authorities. In terms of results, there are determining factors for CDW management that are common to municipalities and to micro and small construction companies, such as the lack of proximity facilities and equipment for the waste management generated, or the need to address knowledge gaps. On the other hand, the size of construction companies is a determining factor, with micro and small construction companies presenting specific constraints, and municipalities above all identifying the need for cooperation between entities as a key factor. Illegal dumping is still a problem that results from the constraints identified, and one which is of particular importance from both the point of view of the behaviour of abandonment, and the loss of resources, but also because of the cost of cleaning actions for municipalities. At the level of the intervention strategies tested, local CDW management facilities and a proximity approach involving the municipal technicians and representatives of construction companies, or applicants for processes, can lead to very favourable results, with direct implications for behaviours acquired over time, and also in cost reduction. However, all these strategies must be accompanied by robust and frequent capacitation, training and supervision actions.A gestão dos resíduos de construção e demolição (RCD) tem assumido um crescente interesse na comunidade científica, sobretudo pela implementação dos princípios da economia circular no setor da construção, em grande parte devido à grande quantidade de resíduos gerada. O problema tem sido explorado com abordagens e em contextos distintos, mas as lacunas de conhecimento persistem no que se refere ao estudo das dinâmicas de proximidade. Assim sendo, o presente projeto de investigação foca a sua análise no estudo da mudança do comportamento na gestão dos RCD à escala local, com ênfase no papel dos municípios e das micro e pequenas empresas de construção, numa perspetiva operacional. Para isso, foram formuladas questões de investigação relacionadas com o estudo dos fatores determinantes para a gestão dos RCD à escala local; com o aprofundar do conhecimento da realidade das deposições ilegais de RCD, que é um problema que relaciona os stakeholders identificados; e com a implementação de estratégias de intervenção para promover a melhoria da gestão destes resíduos. O projeto de investigação abordou o tema de forma transdisciplinar, selecionando diferentes métodos, como a revisão de literatura, um inquérito por questionário, workshops e trabalho de campo, como forma de se integrar em diferentes realidades, com diferentes abordagens, contribuindo para a adaptação das tarefas da investigação, mas deixando também um contributo mais sólido para investigadores, técnicos, decisores e autoridades. Em termos de resultados, existem fatores determinantes para a gestão dos RCD que são comuns aos municípios e às micro e pequenas empresas de construção, como é o caso da ausência de infraestruturas e equipamentos de proximidade para a gestão dos resíduos produzidos, ou a necessidade de proceder à atualização do conhecimento. Por outro lado, a dimensão das empresas de construção é um fator determinante, com as micro e pequenas empresas de construção a apresentarem constrangimentos específicos, e os municípios a identificarem sobretudo a necessidade da cooperação entre entidades como um fator chave. As deposições ilegais são ainda um problema que resulta dos constrangimentos identificados, e que assume especial relevo, quer do ponto de vista do comportamento do abandono, e da perda de recursos, mas também pelo custo das ações de limpeza para os municípios. Ao nível das estratégias de intervenção testadas, constata-se que soluções locais de gestão de RCD e uma abordagem de proximidade entre os técnicos dos municípios e os representantes das empresas de construção, ou requerentes de processos, pode conduzir a resultados bastante favoráveis, com implicações diretas em comportamentos adquiridos ao longo do tempo, e também na redução dos custos. Contudo, todas estas estratégias devem ser acompanhadas de ações robustas e frequentes de capacitação, formação e supervisão

Risco cardiovascular global e condição física funcional: estudo numa população idosa

Dissertação de licenciatura apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e Educação Física da Universidade de CoimbraEste trabalho tem por base verificar se existem relações e comparações entre variáveis da condição física funcional e factores de risco cardiovascular global em homens. Para a realização da pesquisa, foi seleccionada uma amostra constituída por 44 indivíduos, do sexo masculino, com idades compreendidas entre os 65 e os 95 anos de idade, do Concelho de Arganil. Esta amostra foi dividida no género e em 3 subgrupos (65 – 74 anos; 75 – 84 anos; ≥ 85 anos). Recorremos à aplicação da bateria de testes Functional Fitness Test (adaptada de Rikli & Jones, 1999) para ajuizar os parâmetros que suportam a condição física funcional. Os resultados provenientes do presente estudo demonstram que relativamente ao grupo total de homens, não se registam quaisquer associações significativas entre os parâmetros da condição física funcional e os do risco cardiovascular global Contudo, chegamos a resultados estatisticamente significativos no subgrupo dos homens com idades entre os 65 e os 74 anos, no qual foram encontradas associações entre a força inferior e a glicemia e também entre a flexibilidade superior, V.A.E. e resistência aeróbia com o colesterol total. No subgrupo dos homens ≥ 85 anos foram encontradas associações entre a resistência aeróbia e a pressão arterial sistólica. Relativamente às comparações realizadas neste estudo, constatamos que existem diferenças entre o grupo com a circunferência da cintura menor ou igual que 102 cm e o grupo com a circunferência maior que 102 cm, nos parâmetros do IMC, força superior, colesterol total e resistência aeróbia. E posteriormente concluímos também que existem diferenças entre o grupo que andou mais de 400 metros e o grupo que andou menos de 400 metros, nos parâmetros do IMC, circunferência abdominal, colesterol total, força, V.A.E. e flexibilidade superior. Podemos concluir também que, estas diferenças nos grupos de comparação referidos anteriormente, com excepção da V.A.E. e flexibilidade, observam-se para factores de risco cardiovascular global

Strategies to promote construction and demolition waste management in the context of local dynamics

2_(Des)construir_Economia_Circular). This work was also supported by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under the project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET, and the strategic project UIDB/04292/2020 granted to MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s)Achieving a broad analysis of construction and demolition waste (CDW) management without considering local scale dynamics, and its detailed characteristics, is a constraint that has made it challenging to optimally engage in an integrated assessment of the circular economy principles in the construction sector. In this sense, this research demonstrates that investing in local strategies is important, involving municipalities and micro and small construction companies. Firstly, the results reveal the importance of having controlled sites, under local responsibility, for the preliminary storage of CDW, creating in waste producers the habit of separating waste onsite, reducing costs and limitations for municipalities. Secondly, frequent supervision actions at construction sites are also important at this scale, as they facilitate progress in terms of encouraging compliance with mandatory legal procedures and good practices for CDW management. But it is easier to improve practice through direct onsite procedures than it is with bureaucratic legal requirements alone. Thirdly, procedural control, implemented by municipal technicians in conjunction with other strategies, also helps to promote CDW management, this being associated with processes of public and private construction works subjected to license or prior control, in opposition to what has been accomplished so far. But the research also demonstrated that regular awareness, training, and supervision actions might increase the likelihood of improvements in behaviour on the local scale, in the sense that stakeholders acquire new habits, which, over time, might lead to better results locally and, as a consequence, influence other scales of intervention.publishersversionpublishe

Beach response to high energy wave climate: a case study in the portuguese west coast

Portugal’s western coast is a wave-dominated rocky coast with a semidiurnal mesotidal regime. The wave climate is highly conditioned by the Atlantic Ocean’s atmospheric circulation, which results in a seasonalchange in wave patterns. Storms are frequent during winter and can reach 10-m wave heights with a 5-year recurrence period. Four profile monitoring campaigns were carried out in December 2005, January and May 2006 using a GPS and a total station to evaluate the response of three different beach systems to high wave climate events, comparing pre-storm wave, morphology and sediment characteristics with the modifications induced in the system after the storm event. A series of 64 beach profiles is analysed in terms of sediment textural properties, volume, slope, surf similarity index and dimensionless fall velocity parameters’ variability. Each beach system’s modal and limit morphological behaviours are established according to Wright and Short’s morphodynamic model.La costa oeste de Portugal es una costa rocosa dominada por olas y con un régimen mesomareal semidiurno. El clima marítimo está altamente condicionado por la circulación atmosférica del océano Atlántico y presenta una variabilidad estacional en el régimen de oleaje. Las tormentas son frecuentes durante el invierno y pueden alanzar alturas de ola de 10 m con una recurrencia de 5 años. Se han hecho cuatro campañas de control en tres playas, mediante el uso de GPS diferencial y estación total con el objetivo de evaluar su respuesta a sendos episodios de alta energía. Se comparan los cambios en la morfología y en la textura sedimentaria antes y después de cada temporal. Para ello se realizaron 64 perfiles de playa y se han analizado las variaciones en la textura del sedimento, el volumen, la pendiente, el índice de surf similarity y el parámetro adimensional de caída del sedimento. Con todo ello ha podido establecerse el comportamiento morfológico modal y extremo de dichas playas según el modelo de Wright y Short.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of a swimming program on infants’ heart rate response.

The physiological response has been used to characterize or estimate physical demands while exercising. The aim of this study was to analyze the infant's physiological adaptations over an intervention water program. Fourteen infants (36±5.08 months old) were tested before (M1) and 4 months after (M2) a well-designed swimming program aiming to develop aquatic readiness, cognitive behavior and social interaction. The physiological response was assessed based on heart rate measurements (HR, bpm) at a sampling rate of 1 Hz during several basic aquatic motor skills: 1) individual displacement in ventral position (HR@InD); 2) Individual displacement in vertical position (HR@VD); 3) immersion (HR@Im); 4) voluntary underwater displacement (HR@UnD); 5) jump from the deck (HR@JD); 6) jump from the swimming mat (HR@JM); 7) from a swimming slider (HR@Sli). The HR@Im showed the lowest values (~119 bpm) at the end of the program. Main trend was for a HR decreased over time (HR@Im: -14.17±17.76%; HR@InD: -8.16±9.16%; HR@JD: -10.36±12.70%; HR@Sli: -3.48±6.40%. In all other skills, HR remained unchanged. Our findings suggest that infants experience significant hear rate adaptations while participating on a swimming program. The HR decreases suggests a higher capability to perform the basic aquatic motor skills and a less stressful behavior through the lessons.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Local scale dynamics to promote the sustainable management of construction and demolition waste

2_(Des)construir_Economia_Circular). This work was also supported by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under the project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET, and the strategic project UIDB/04292/2020 granted to MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre.On a local scale, municipalities often incur high costs as a result of the illegal dumping of construction and demolition waste (CDW), due to gaps in awareness and training, a lack of adequate oversight actions or infrastructure and equipment. Moreover, there is a loss of resources, failing to close the loop of the circular economy. Six participatory workshops were implemented in 2021, via videoconference due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in a rural Portuguese region, to understand the contribution of local scale dynamics in the promotion of CDW management from an operational perspective. Three of them were dedicated to municipal technicians (39 participants, on average) and the other three to representatives of micro and small construction companies (25 participants, on average). The results reveal that strategies must rely on investment in local solutions to optimise logistics and cost issues, cooperation between stakeholders, and improving the market for recycled aggregates. Also, support for information, awareness, and training is essential, focusing on good practices onsite and oversight procedures. Additionally, municipalities were involved in the prioritisation of legal framework issues, and micro and small construction companies concerning the determinants contributing for their behaviour change. These findings contribute to solving gaps in the literature, useful for researchers and decision-makers in rural or less developed areas.publishersversionpublishe

Green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) oxidative stress and DNA damage

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) antioxidant properties have been demonstrated however, increasing evidence indicates that EGCG produces reactive oxygen species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of EGCG intake during 90 days in hematological cardiovascular risk factors, vitamins A and E, DNA damage, and oxidative damage in human blood. Peripheral blood from 30 healthy individuals (10 males and 20 females; 18 – 45 years), was collected at time 0 (T0) and time 90 (T90). During 90 days, participants ingested capsules of green tea extract (225mg EGCG) daily. Hematological cardiovascular risk factors including lipid profile and liver function parameters were assessed using colorimetric methods. Vitamins A and E in serum were quantified by HPLC and analysis of DNA damage and oxidative damage was performed by comet assay. Our results showed that lipid profile and liver function parameters are not affected by EGCG and serum levels of vitamin E increased, but not vitamin A. An increase in DNA damage and DNA oxidative damage after 90 days of EGCG consumption was also reported. The results suggest that EGCG can induce DNA damage, possibly due to ROS induction, with an associated increase of the antioxidant vitamin E, however without alteration of hematological cardiovascular risk factors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio