Alternativa para aproveitamento de água pluvial no Campus da ESTG

A água é um recurso essencial para todos os seres vivos, sendo necessário controlar a sua utilização. Tanto nos países que sofrem de escassez desse recurso como noutros países. O aproveitamento de água pluvial é uma medida que permite reduzir o consumo de água potável em utilizações onde não é necessária água com elevada qualidade. Na presente dissertação procedeu-se à realização de um estudo acerca dos sistemas de aproveitamento de água pluvial. Neste estudo dimensionaram-se dois sistemas de aproveitando de água pluvial no campus 2 do Instituto Politécnico de Leiria. O primeiro caso de estudo pretende aproveitar água pluvial para utilização na rega dos jardins do campus, no entanto revelou ser um investimento elevado com um retorno do investimento estimado em 25 anos, sendo que posteriormente é um sistema que trará benefícios ao campus, e permitirá substituir a utilização de água potável por água pluvial. O segundo caso de estudo, tal como no primeiro caso, foi aplicado ao mesmo campus, mas neste caso pretendia-se aproveitar água pluvial para utilização nos autoclismos das instalações sanitárias de um dos edifícios do campus (Edifício D), revelou ser um investimento cujo período de retorno de 9 anos, permitindo a substituição de praticamente metade da água potável utilizada nos autoclismos por água pluvial

On the importance of an enlarged ‘design for policy’ framework within the public policy cycle

This paper aims to reinforce the importance of looking at ‘design for policy’ in an enlarged perspective, encompassing the entirety of the public policy cycle. This is substantiated with a re-examination of ‘design for policy’ foundational literature, by highlighting a narrative which we argue to have set its expectations mostly on pro- cesses for (co-)creating new policies. In turn, the later stages of the policy cycle have not been getting sufficient attention, leading to an unbalanced ‘design for policy’ ap- proach. We also contrast this interpretation with recent literature, further attesting to its fragmentation. Furthermore, this is analysed considering evidence emerging within the New European Bauhaus policy, while also seeing it as an opportunity to further strengthen a ‘design for policy’ approach. Ultimately, this fragmentation seems to lie both on the incipient nature of ‘design for policy’, but also on how design is under- stood, and is translated to the policy making process

Analysing stimuli and barriers, failure and resilience in companies’ internationalization: a systematic and bibliometric review

Purpose – This study aims to systematize and analyze the internationalization of companies in an attempt to identify the main themes explored in the literature – What does the current state of the art tell us about the stimuli and barriers, failures and resilience in the internationalization of companies is what the authors set out to answer with this research. Design/methodology/approach – This study offers a systematic review based on the bibliometric mapping techniques of 218 articles collected from the Web of Science database between 1996 and 2021. Findings – Furthermore, contributing to literature by the logic of stimuli, barriers failure in internationalization companies. The main conclusion is that, from the analysis, the authors can see that the scientific production in this field of knowledge has intensified in recent years, but the centrality and the search density undergo major changes. Originality/value – The main research contributions enable a better understanding of the involvement of failure and resilience in companies re-internationalization and suggestions for future studies in this field.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sexualidade depois dos 55 anos: estudo sobre as representações e práticas sexuais em Portugal

Dissertação de mestrado em Comunicação, Arte e CulturaO período revolucionário ocorrido em Portugal a 25 de abril de 1974 simboliza um ponto de viragem entre um passado repressivo e uma nova era de liberdade. A sociedade portuguesa apresenta um retrato distinto após esta data em todos os domínios, nomeadamente no campo da sexualidade. O tema esteve ausente das linhas de investigação durante décadas e a sua discussão pública surgiu sobretudo a partir de 1984, focando-se inicialmente na vertente clínica e nos estereótipos, evoluindo depois para outras abordagens. Neste contexto, importa perceber que alterações ocorreram nas representações e práticas sexuais dos indivíduos de 55 e mais anos, tomando por referência o período imediatamente anterior ao 25 de abril de 1974 e a atualidade. Recorrendo-se a uma amostragem em "bola de neve", realizaram-se entrevistas semiestruturadas a um grupo de 22 portugueses pertencentes ao referido grupo etário, ou seja, indivíduos que eram adolescentes ou jovens adultos aquando da revolução democrática de 1974 e que residem, atualmente, na região Norte e na Grande Lisboa. Os resultados evidenciam representações sobre a sexualidade e práticas sexuais distintas quando os entrevistados se referem ao período pré e pós revolucionário. Depreende--se todavia dos seus discursos que, não obstante o facto de a sexualidade ter saltado para a esfera da discussão pública, consideram a atitude da sociedade atual perante a prática sexual dos adultos com mais de 55 anos, muito castradora e quase condenatória, pelo que mantêm um comportamento de inibição da expressão da sua prática sexual, apesar de a entenderem como perfeitamente natural. Os resultados anteriores sugerem existir, em Portugal, um longo caminho a percorrer na aceitação da prática sexual dos indivíduos com mais de 55 anos, sendo necessário sensibilizar a sociedade, e o próprio Estado, para uma discussão aprofundada do tema e para a implementação de políticas socioeducativas que possibilitem uma natural aceitação desta prática por todos os indivíduos, independentemente do grupo etário a que pertençam.In Portugal the revolutionary period of 25th April 1974 symbolizes a turning point between a repressive past and a new era of liberty. There is a distinct aspect to all areas of Portuguese society after this date, particularly in the field of sexuality. The topic was absent from lines of research for decades and only entered public debate primarily from 1984 onwards, initially focussing on the clinical perspective and on stereotypes, before evolving to include other approaches. In this context, it is necessary to understand what alterations occurred in the sexual representations and practices of individuals of 55 years and over, with reference to the period immediately before the 25 of April 1974 and the present day. Using "snow-ball" sampling, semistructured interviews were carried out with a group of 22 Portuguese individuals belonging to the aforementioned age bracket, i.e. individuals who were adolescents or young adults at the time of the 1974 democratic revolution and who currently reside in the North and Greater Lisbon regions. The results show different representations of sexuality and sexual practices when interviewees refer to the pre- and post- revolutionary period. However, it can be concluded from their dialogues that despite the topic of sexuality having entered the arena of public debate, they consider society's current attitude towards the sexual activity of adults over 55 years of age to be very repressive and almost condemnatory. For this reason they continue to inhibit the expression of their sexual activity, despite understanding it to be perfectly natural. These results suggest that in Portugal there is a long way to go in terms of the acceptance of sexual activity among the over 55's, it being necessary to raise social and administrative (State) awareness of the need for an in-depth discussion of the topic and the implementation of socioeducational policies which will facilitate a natural acceptance of this activity for all individuals, regardless of the age group to which they belong

Observatory of sustainability of the Algarve region for tourism - Overview and outset

The Observatory of Sustainability of the Algarve Region for Tourism (OBSERVE) is an instrument for monitoring and evaluating the sustainability levels of the region. Its principal main goal is to provide environmental, economic, social-cultural and institutional indicators to support the decision making process for a sustainable growth of the Algarve region.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Detecting early mealybug infestation stages on tomato plants using optical spectroscopy

Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) are important pests in agricultural and ornamental crops, including the tomato. Damage by mealybugs is characterized by a reduction in plant photosynthesis and growth due to sap feeding and also, as a result of honeydew excretion, from sooty mould development and virus transmission. The effectiveness of mealybug control strategies, including the application of insecticides and biological control, depends on the ability to detect the infestation at an early stage. Monitoring by visual observation is not very effective and is time-consuming. Optical spectroscopy represents a potential tool for detecting plant biotic stresses, including that caused by insect pests. In this study, we tested the feasibility of using optical spectroscopy for the early detection of mealybug infestation of tomato plants. An experiment was carried out using potted plants under field conditions, with 15 replicates per treatment and a randomised design. Two treatments were considered: 1) infested plants inoculated with three mealybug egg masses; and 2) control plants without mealybugs. The distance between pots was kept at 80 cm and the plants were frequently inspected to ensure control plants were not infested with mealybugs. The following parameters were recorded weekly over 5 weeks for each plant: 1) reflectance of marked leaves was measured with a USB4000 spectrometer across the wavelength 400-1,000 nm; 2) plant height; 3) leaf size; 4) mealybug density; and 5) presence and density of other pests. Results of principal component analysis (PCA) second derivative of the leaf reflectance showed a clear distinction between control and infested plants and a separation of components in the near infrared (NIR) region on the last day of the analysis (57 days). The reduction in absorption in the NIR region may be due to an increase in the quantity of air spaces within the leaf's mesophyll, changing the spatial distribution of the leaves' refractive index and, as a consequence, the light scattering contribution to the reflectance spectra. When tracking the evolution of the leaves' absorbance, infested leaves relative to control leaves had a tendency over time to have reduced absorbance in photosystem II and NIR plateau wavelengths. The evolution over time of the reflectance of analysed leaves at each wavelength fitted a quadratic curve, the coefficients of which discriminated between infested and control plants. This methodology has the potential to provide an objective measure of the degree of infestation by pests and the potential impact on the crop.FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, PortugalCentre for Electronics, Optoelectronics and Telecommunications (CEOT) [UID/Multi/00631/2013

Flashing LEDs for microalgal production

Flashing lights are next-generation tools to mitigate light attenuation and increase the photosynthetic efficiency of microalgal cultivation systems illuminated by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Optimal flashing light conditions depend on the reaction kinetics and properties of the linear electron transfer chain, energy dissipation, and storage mechanisms of a phototroph. In particular, extremely short and intense light flashes potentially mitigate light attenuation in photobioreactors without impairing photosynthesis. Intelligently controlling flashing light units and selecting electronic components can maximize light emission and energy efficiency. We discuss the biological, physical, and technical properties of flashing lights for algal production. We combine recent findings about photosynthetic pathways, self-shading in photobioreactors, and developments in solid-state technology towards the biotechnological application of LEDs to microalgal production.Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) [CCMAR/Multi/04326/2013]Nord UniversityNordland County Government (project Bioteknologi en framtidsrettet naering)INTERREG V-A Espana-Portugal project [0055 ALGARED + 5E]Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [SFRH/BD/105541/2014, SFRH/BD/115325/2016]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Preliminary Results on the Non-Destructive Determination of Pear (Pyrus communis L.) cv. Rocha Ripeness by Visible/Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

Pear (Pyrus communis L.), cv. Rocha was rapidly adopted by consumers due to its inherent quality and currently has great acceptance in both national and international markets, being mainly produced in the west region of Portugal. We report here a first approach to the use of the non-intrusive method of Visible/Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (Vis/NIRS) to estimate the ripeness of pear cv. Rocha. Mature unripe pears obtained from Frutoeste (Mafra, Portugal) after a six-month cold-storage, were maintained in a dark room at circa 20 degrees C during three weeks. They were followed using the Vis/NIRS in the wavelength band between 400 and 950 nm with two different configurations for the spectra acquisition, namely the Integrating Sphere (IS) and the Partial Transmittance (PT). The diffuse reflectance spectra obtained by the two configurations were compared with the respective fruit ripening parameters (colour, firmness, soluble solids content and % dry matter), determined through the standard techniques. Concerning the rough estimation of ripening parameters, data suggested an increase in both the intensity in the green to red band and pulp %dry matter, but a decreasing firmness. All other parameters remained constant. Relatively to the optical results, we have observed that the PT spectra exhibited clearer features than the IS spectra, especially from 700 nm onwards. This is probably due to the fact that the PT configuration probes more deeply into the fruit pulp. Three peaks at 600 (circa 30%), 725 and 812 nm (both at circa 50%) and a minimum at 675 nm, were identified in both IS and PT spectra. The values of reflectance peaks were approximately constant during ripening, but they moved to slightly lower wavelengths in the second week. A significant increase (circa 3-fold) in the minimal diffuse reflectance was observed in the second week, most probably associated partially, to a decrease in the fruit peel chlorophyll content

Challenge for planning by using cluster methodology: the case study of the Algarve Region

This study analyses the most appropriate methodology to make similarity classifications among the cities of the Algarve (Portugal) according to 105 sustainability indicators monitored with the Observatory of Sustainability of the Algarve Region for Tourism (OBSERVE). The methodology used to establish the similarities was the cluster analysis with 4 different approaches which reduced the dimensions of the data set: total approach, pillar approach, subject area approach, and indicator approach. By combining the approaches, a total of 620 different cluster analyses were performed. There sults reflected that the data analysis approaches with less dimensions were those that performed the best groups among cities. In this sense, the approaches with a high number of indicators (e.g., the totalor the pillar approach) were characterised by misclassifying cities in more than 30% of the indicators.Thus, the most acceptable cluster analysis approach was that with a low number of indicators.Through this approach, it was possible to make correct groups of the sustainability level of the cities of the Algarve. These results provided an appropriate methodology for the decision-making regarding the sustainability of a region and could be extrapolated to other regions to assess sustainability or environmental indicator