Eco-efficiency assessment in apple production and storage in the northeast of Portugal

Cost reduction, product quality, and customer demands have been pressing the agro-industrial sector to adopt more sustainable practices. Assessing the environmental performance of the food sector worldwide is crucial to reduce the environmental impact of agricultural and industrial practices. This study focus on the assessment of the eco-efficiency of the apple production and storage in the northeastern region of Portugal, one of the largest production regions, using a set of environmental indicators such as energy intensity (EI), water withdrawn intensity (WWI) and GHG emission intensity (GEI). System boundaries include the farming and the storage subsystems. Upstream and down-stream processes such as fertilization production, apple distribution and waste treatment were not taken into account. Inventory information was gathered from two apple farms and one apple storage company. Data was gathered for a reference year. Results show that each ton of apple exiting the system requires on average 32.7 kgoe of primary energy, 74.9 m3 of water and generates an emission of 75.2 kgCO2e. Apple orchard irrigation was identified as the most energy-demanding activity with up to 63% of the energy input. Industrial cold was identified as the most energy-demanding activity (50%) in the apple storage stage. Water is required in both subsystems but the amount used in the storage is residual (<1%) when compared with its use by agricultural subsystem. Taking into account the GHG emissions from the use of energy, apple cultivation had a lower contribution for GEI (40%) than the apple storage (60%). Unlike other food systems, a more eco-efficient apple production can be accomplished through improvements in both stages, since energy costs and environmental impacts are greatly associated with energy use.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Urban vegetation as a filter for airborne particles: brief studies

Urban vegetation has been widely recognized for its capability to improve air quality. Vegetation absorbs air pollutants through leaf stomata and intercepts airborne particles on their foliar surfaces. To investigate the overall interaction between vegetation and airborne particles, PM10 measurements were carried out in a small Portuguese city (Bragança), under two distinct experimental designs. In the first one, PM10 concentrations were sequentially monitored in six different points, placed on two linear paths intersecting areas with contrasting plant cover and crossed by a low traffic urban road. Real time measurements were conducted throughout the growing season encompassing a total of twelve trials. In the second experimental configuration, diesel exhaust particles were released into the ambient air using an internal combustion engine while real-time measurements of PM10 were taken in different locations in front and behind a 2-meter-high by 1.5-meter-wide Pyracantha hedge. Results from both experiments showed the ability of vegetation in filtering air particles. Although no significant linear relationship was found between PM10 and foliar density, PM10 levels were predominantly lower in the path with higher foliar coverage. A good filtering performance was also found for the Pyracantha hedge when exposed to diesel exhaust particles, especially when the pollution source was positioned closer to the green barrier. Particle reductions up to 95% were measured, indicating that placing dense vegetation near pollution sources (e.g. roads) will certainly be an excellent choice for improving air quality in any urban system

O papel da vegetação urbana no controlo das concentrações de PM10

O aumento dos níveis de PM10 em atmosferas urbanas constitui um grave problema de saúde pública. A utilização de vegetação pode ser uma forma sustentável de mitigar este problema. Neste contexto, foi desenvolvido um estudo, na cidade de Bragança, com vista a avaliar o papel da vegetação no controlo das concentrações de PM10. Este estudo assentou em dois tipos de experiências. Uma que consistiu na medição de PM10 em dois transectos com características contrastantes, em termos de coberto vegetal, traçados numa cintura verde urbana. O outro tipo de experiência consistiu na utilização de uma fonte de material particulado, seguindo-se a medição dos níveis de PM10 ao longo de um transecto linear que cortava perpendicularmente uma sebe. Os resultados mostram que a vegetação tende a criar atmosferas ligeiramente mais limpas em PM10 e revelam igualmente que uma sebe de pyracantha actua eficazmente na filtração de partículas

Implicações da edição de ARN do tipo A para I em ARN circular

Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Biotecnologia MolecularCircular RNAs (circRNAs) have been stated as new splicing patterns which have emerged recently as a naturally abundant configuration, conserved in Eukarya, Bacteria and Archaea. CircRNAs were shown to be enriched in Alu elements in their flanking regions, which may form pairs with other repeats in inverted orientation in the opposite flank. Therefore, it has been postulated that pairing between inverted Alu elements may promote RNA circularisation by bringing closer both splice sites. Alu elements are repetitive, primate-specific retrotransposons from the SINE family, which comprise about 10% of the human genome. Abundance of inverted Alu pairs creates stable substrates for A to I RNA editing. A to I RNA editing is a posttranscriptional modification, where adenosines (A) are converted into inosines (I), which are interpreted as guanosines by the cellular machinery, with implications on alternative splicing. In this thesis, we aimed to understand the influence of A to I RNA editing in inverted Alu elements flanking circRNAs through computational analysis of publicly available circRNA datasets. We hypothesised and confirmed that A to I RNA editing is reduced in these Alu elements, confirming their importance in circRNA biogenesis.Os ARN circulares (circRNAs) foram identificados como novos padrões de splicing alternativo que emergiram recentemente como uma configuração naturalmente abundante, conservada em Eukarya, Bacteria and Archaea. Foi demonstrado que os circRNAs são enriquecidos em elementos Alu nas suas regiões flanqueadoras, que podem formar pares com outros elementos em orientação inversa nos flancos opostos. Assim, postulou-se que esse emparelhamento poderia promover a circularização do ARN ao aproximar ambos os splice sites. Elementos Alu são retrotransposões específicos nos genomas dos primatas e de natureza repetitiva, que pertencem à família dos SINEs e constituem cerca de 10% do genoma humano. A abundância de possíveis emparelhamentos entre elementos Alu origina substratos estáveis que podem ser alvo de edição de ARN do tipo A para I. Este fenómeno consiste numa modificação póstranscricional, em que os nucleótidos adenosina (A) são convertidos em inosina (I), que são interpretados como guanosinas pela maquinaria celular, com implicações no splicing alternativo. O objetivo desta tese consiste em entender a influência da edição do ARN do tipo A para I nos elementos Alu invertidos que flanqueiam os circRNAs, através de análise computacional de dados relativos a circRNAs publicamente disponibilizados. Confirmámos a nossa hipótese de que a edição do ARN é reduzida nestes elementos Alu, confirmando a sua importância na biogénese dos circRNAs

Assessment of energy use and energy efficiency in two portuguese slaughterhouses

With the objective of characterizing the profile and performance of energy use by slaughterhouses, surveys and audits were performed in two different facilities located in the northeastern region of Portugal. Energy consumption from multiple energy sources was assessed monthly, along with production and costs, for the same reference year. Gathered data was analyzed to identify and quantify the main consuming processes and to estimate energy efficiency indicators for benchmarking purposes. Main results show differences between the two slaughterhouses concerning energy sources, consumption by source and sector, and global energy efficiency. Electricity is the most used source in both slaughterhouses with a contribution of around 50%, being essentially used for meat processing and refrigeration. Natural gas, in slaughterhouse A, and pellets, in slaughterhouse B, used for heating water take the second place, with a mean contribution of about 45%. On average, a 62 kgoe/t specific energy consumption (SEC) was found, although with differences between slaughterhouses. A prominent negative correlation between SEC and carcass production was found specially in slaughterhouse A. Estimated Specific Energy Cost and Greenhouse Gases Intensity (GHGI) show mean values of about 50 €/t and 1.8 tCO2e/toe, respectively. Main results show that there is a significant margin for improving energy efficiency and therefore lowering costs in this type of non-energy intensive industries.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

3D Organotypic Spinal Cultures: Exploring Neuron and Neuroglia Responses Upon Prolonged Exposure to Graphene Oxide

Graphene-based nanomaterials are increasingly engineered as components of biosensors, interfaces or drug delivery platforms in neuro-repair strategies. In these developments, the mostly used derivative of graphene is graphene oxide (GO). To tailor the safe development of GO nanosheets, we need to model in vitro tissue responses, and in particular the reactivity of microglia, a sub-population of neuroglia that acts as the first active immune response, when challenged by GO. Here, we investigated central nervous system (CNS) tissue reactivity upon long-term exposure to GO nanosheets in 3D culture models. We used the mouse organotypic spinal cord cultures, ideally suited for studying long-term interference with cues delivered at controlled times and concentrations. In cultured spinal segments, the normal presence, distribution and maturation of anatomically distinct classes of neurons and resident neuroglial cells are preserved. Organotypic explants were developed for 2 weeks embedded in fibrin glue alone or presenting GO nanosheets at 10, 25 and 50 \u3bcg/mL. We addressed the impact of such treatments on premotor synaptic activity monitored by patch clamp recordings of ventral interneurons. We investigated by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy the accompanying glial responses to GO exposure, focusing on resident microglia, tested in organotypic spinal slices and in isolated neuroglia cultures. Our results suggest that microglia reactivity to accumulation of GO flakes, maybe due to active phagocytosis, may trim down synaptic activity, although in the absence of an effective activation of inflammatory response and in the absence of neuronal cell death

Graphene oxide nanosheets modulate spinal glutamatergic transmission and modify locomotor behaviour in an in vivo zebrafish model

Graphene oxide (GO), an oxidised form of graphene, is widely used for biomedical applications, due to its dispersibility in water and simple surface chemistry tunability. In particular, small (less than 500 nm in lateral dimension) and thin (1-3 carbon monolayers) graphene oxide nanosheets (s-GO) have been shown to selectively inhibit glutamatergic transmission in neuronal cultures in vitro and in brain explants obtained from animals injected with the nanomaterial. This raises the exciting prospect that s-GO can be developed as a platform for novel nervous system therapeutics. It has not yet been investigated whether the interference of the nanomaterial with neurotransmission may have a downstream outcome in modulation of behaviour depending specifically on the activation of those synapses. To address this problem we use early stage zebrafish as an in vivo model to study the impact of s-GO on nervous system function. Microinjection of s-GO into the embryonic zebrafish spinal cord selectively reduces the excitatory synaptic transmission of the spinal network, monitored in vivo through patch clamp recordings, without affecting spinal cell survival. This effect is accompanied by a perturbation in the swimming activity of larvae, which is the locomotor behaviour generated by the neuronal network of the spinal cord. Such results indicate that the impact of s-GO on glutamate based neuronal transmission is preserved in vivo and can induce changes in animal behaviour. These findings pave the way for use of s-GO as a modulator of nervous system function

Single-cell mass cytometry reveals the impact of graphene nanomaterials with human primary immune cells

Understanding the interaction of nanomaterials and immune cells at the biomolecular level is of great significance in therapeutic applications. Here, the authors investigated the interaction of graphene oxide nanomaterials and several immune cell subpopulations using single-cell mass cytometry and genome-wide transcriptome analysis

Highly conducting bombyx mori silk fibroin-based electrolytes incorporating glycerol, dimethyl sulfoxide and [Bmim]PF6

Green, transparent and flexible electrolyte films composed of a Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) host biopolymer doped with glycerol (G), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO, D) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Bmim]PF6) ionic liquid (IL), were synthesized. The materials were represented by the notation SF@GD@ILx (x = 15, 20 and 30 is the mass ratio of SF/[Bmim]PF6 in %). SF@, SF@G, SF@D and SF@GD samples were also prepared. DMSO was found to play a dual-role, acting as solvent of [Bmim]PF6, and enhancing ionic conductivity. DMSO, alone or combined with [Bmim]PF6, led to the increase of the mean roughness and induced the formation of more ordered Silk II conformations (beta-sheets). No structural modifications were detected in the SF@GD@ILx samples upon increasing the temperature up to 100 degrees C. The highest ionic conductivity was exhibited by the IL-rich sample SF@GD@IL30 (1.07 and 4.61 mS cm(-1), at 22 and 100 degrees C, respectively). In the [Bmim]PF6-doped electrolytes "free" and coordinated PF6- ions coexist. The weight losses occurring below 200 degrees C involved essentially the release of adsorbed water and DMSO. The suitable mechanical properties, high ionic conductivity and good electrochemical stability suggest that these electrolytes are attractive candidates for application in electrochemical devices.Veronica de Zea Bermudez would like to express her gratitude to Professor Michel Armand who, during her PhD thesis at Grenoble (1989-1992), was an endless source of ideas that made her work productive and stimulating. His qualities, as an inspiring and extraordinary scientist, equal his kindness, generosity and great heart. This work was supported by National funds by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of the Strategic Funding UID/QUI/00686/2018, UID/QUI/00686/2019, UID/QUI/50006/2019 and UID/QUI/00313/2020. The authors thank FEDER funds through the COMPETE 2020 Program and National Funds through FCT under the projects PEst-OE/QUI/UI0616/2014, LUMECD (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016884 and PTDC/CTMNAN/0956/2014), UniRCell (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016422 and SAICTPAC/0032/2015), PORPLANTSURF (POCI-01-0145FEDER-029785 and PTDC/CTM-REF/29785/2017), and NORTE01-0145-FEDER-030858. R.F.P.P thanks FCT-UM for the researcher contract in the scope of Decreto-Lei 57/2016 and 57/2017. H.M.R. Goncalves was funded by PTDC/BTM-MAT/30858/2017