Early Retirement in Portugal

This paper analyzes the early retirement decisions made by Portuguese workers aged 50 to 64. It investigates the main characteristics of early retirees, and the main determinants of their decision, based on the eight waves of the European Community Household Panel for Portugal, from 1994 to 2001. Several definitions of early retirement are considered in order to take into account the different pathways to retirement that workers may follow. Some results are robust to different methodologies: an older age, health problems, a spouse that is not working, and small family sizes generally increase the chances of early retirement.

Residents’ perceptions of tourism activity in a rural North-Eastern Portuguese community: a cluster analysis

The recognition of the role of tourism planners in seeking to contribute to local residents’ well-being by mitigating the potential costs of tourism development has been given more attention in the last decades. Several studies on the perception of positive or negative impacts, based on sustainability (namely the three pillars: economic, sociocultural and environmental) have been developed. However, the studies have been somewhat limited in terms of approaches, namely with respect to the contribution and participation of stakeholders. In this study, we attempted to use a bidirectional analysis of involvement and tourism knowledge to segment the residents and analyse their perception of the impacts. A total of 373 valid surveys were applied in a rural mountainous municipality (Boticas) during 2015 and 2016. In this municipality, tourism (activity) is an emergent activity. The results show that more informed and more involved residents have more positive perceptions of tourism than other groups, while less informed and less involved residents have more negative perceptions of it. The study contributes to increasing the knowledge about residents’ perceptions of tourism, adding the aspects of involvement, especially in rural areas. This type of proposal can be applied to any destination to help manage residents’ opinions and, consequently, their support of tourism development. Keywords: rural tourism; perceptions; segmentation; clusters; rural development; botica

Visita Exploratória ao Wye College

No seguimento de um conjunto de informações que diariamente chega aos nossos gabinetes tivemos conhecimento da existência de um convénio de cooperação entre o ICCTI (Instituto de Cooperação Científica e Tecnológica Internacional) do Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia e a British Council, para a realização de visitas exploratórias por docentes e investigadores de Portugal e do Reino Unido. Decidimos, então, aproveitar esta iniciativa, pelo que, iniciámos contactos com o Wye College da Universidade de Londres, onde já tínhamos alguns conhecimentos, para organizarmos uma visita exploratória e conhecermos "in loco" a realidade desta Instituição no domínio científico e pedagógico nas áreas da Economia e das Tecnologias Agro-Alimentares, Rurais e Regionais. Estes contactos foram realizados junto do professor Derek Ray que desde a primeira hora se disponibilizou para nos receber com muito agrado. Feitos os contactos concorremos às bolsas do referido convénio e acertámos a visita com êxito na semana de 20 a 27 de Novembro de 1999

Internet research and its pedagogical dimension

There is a great need for research and development of multidisci- plinary studies about the Internet and the credibility of the information available online. For example, in the field of Cultural Studies, in partic- ular, and in Communication courses, in general, it is possible to develop a corps of analysis which main goal should be to develop different approaches to the research and the organization of information in the Internet. At the University of Algarve we have been trying to develop some projects about themes of cultural identities different and distant to those of the students’ own cultural identities in order to discover and study some of the main characteristics of the information available in the Internet and trying to compare them with other characteristics already known from other media and communication contexts. These students also study the risks of the Internet, namely in what respects the information credibility and the adequate contextualization of that information, as well as the correct identification of information sources and channels.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Modelling tourism revenue for the North Region of Portugal

In the last 50 years, the sector of the Tourism in Portugal has had an extraordinary economic importance to the level of financial revenue (contribution for the balance of payments and equilibrium) and by the creation of employment and sustained development of tourist regions. Due to the importance reached by the sector of the Tourism in Portugal, the goal of this work is the analysis of the tourism revenues for the North Region of Portugal, in the period of 2006 to 2011. The tourism revenues allow measuring the performance of the sector and the economic impact of several policies for the Tourism. It follows that the first differences of logarithm model is the econometric model that explains better the tourism revenue in the North Region. The estimated model allows saying that the total tourism revenue are influenced by variations occurred in the number of national and foreigners tourists, in the available income of the national and foreigners tourists and still in the typology of the hotel establishment. In spite of the high increase of the foreign tourists in the North Region and hotel investment, the main contribution for the tourism revenue was the national tourists (internal market)

Políticas de desenvolvimento regional para o setor do turismo na Região Norte de Portugal

O Turismo tem sido encarado como um setor relevante para a Região Norte de Portugal. Dado o seu diferenciado potencial turístico têm-se fomentado políticas governamentais e estímulos para o setor privado, de modo que este canalize os seus conhecimentos e recursos financeiros para o setor turístico. Assim, no presente trabalho pretende-se fazer um levantamento das principais políticas económicas para o desenvolvimento sustentado do turismo da Região Norte de Portugal, enquadrado no Plano Estratégico Nacional do Turismo. Pelos resultados obtidos, a aposta turística da Região Norte passou pela oferta de 8 produtos turísticos prioritários e diferenciadores por quatro sub-regiões turísticas; um volume de investimento (público e privado) aprovado ao longo do período 2007-2012 de 496 milhões de euros, dos quais 228,4 (46%) na região turística do Porto; as entidades públicas investiram 144,59 milhões de euros em infraestruturas, qualificação de recursos humanos e promoção e divulgação nacional e internacional da região

Madeira moneywort (Sibthorpia peregrina L.) as a new source of verbascoside and its derivatives with potential phyto-pharmaceutical applications

The qualitative and quantitative characterization of Madeira moneywort (Sibthorpia peregrina L.) compounds was investigated for the first time. The antioxidant activity and the effect of the methanolic extract on digestive enzymes activity linked to type-2 diabetes and obesity were also determined by in vitro assays. A total of 56 components were characterized in S. peregrina. Phenylethanoids glycosides (PhEGs) represented the main classes of compounds (95.23 mg g-1 of dry extract), almost all verbascoside and its derivatives (up to 98.85% of the total individual phenolic content). The analysed sample was active against ABTS, DPPH, nitric oxide and superoxide radicals, suggesting a potential beneficial effect against oxidative stress. In addition, the methanolic extract was able to inhibit the catalytic activity of α-, β-glucosidases, α-amylase and pancreatic lipase. Overall, S. peregrina showed good perspectives to be explored as a rich source of verbascoside and its derivatives for nutraceutical/pharmaceutical products.This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) [grant number SFRH/ BD/84672/2012] with funds from the Portuguese Government (Project PEst-OE/QUI/UI0674/2013) and the Portuguese National Mass Spectrometry Network (Contract RNEMREDE/1508/REM/2005). Funding through the project M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000005 – Centro de Química da Madeira – CQM+(Madeira 14-20).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Phytochemical Profile, Chemotaxonomic Studies, andIn VitroAntioxidant Activities of Two Endemisms from Madeira Archipelago:Melanoselinum decipiensandMonizia edulis(Apiaceae)

Melanoselinum decipiens and Monizia edulis (Apiaceae) are two endemic plants from Madeira archipelago, phytochemical compositions of which remains little explored, despite their use in folk medicine. Using liquid chromatography with diode array and electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry analysis, their polyphenolic profile was established for the first time. Fifty-six compounds were identified with 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, quercetin-O-(malonyl)hexoside, luteolin diacetyl, and quercetin-O-hexoside being the major constituents in the leaves of both plant species (≥ 0.76 mg/g of dry extract). Principal component analysis provided a suitable tool to differentiate targeted plants. Naringenin-6,8-di-C-glucoside, quercetin 3-O-pentosylhexoside, and 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid can be used as discriminatory taxonomic/geographical markers for M. edulis subspecies from Madeira and Porto Santo populations. This methodology of using polyphenols as chemotaxonomic markers proved to be useful for identification of plant species since the results are consistent with previous taxonomical data. The free-radical scavenging activities of the M. decipiens extracts proved to be higher than those of M. edulis, which correlated well with their phenolic content (R2  > 0.906).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessing the In Vitro Inhibitory Effects on Key Enzymes Linked to Type-2 Diabetes and Obesity and Protein Glycation by Phenolic Compounds of Lauraceae Plant Species Endemic to the Laurisilva Forest

Methanolic leaf extracts of four Lauraceae species endemic to Laurisilva forest (Apollonias barbujana, Laurus novocanariensis, Ocotea foetens and Persea indica) were investigated for the first time for their potential to inhibit key enzymes linked to type-2 diabetes (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, aldose reductase) and obesity (pancreatic lipase), and protein glycation. Lauraceae extracts revealed significant inhibitory activities in all assays, altough with different ability between species. In general, P. indica showed the most promissing results. In the protein glycation assay, all analysed extracts displayed a stronger effect than a reference compound: aminoguanidine (AMG). The in vitro anti diabetic, anti-obesity and anti-glycation activities of analysed extracts showed correlation with their flavonols and flavan-3-ols (in particular, proanthocyanins) contents. These Lauraceae species have the capacity to assist in adjuvant therapy of type-2 diabetes and associated complications, through modulation of the activity of key metabolic enzymes and prevention of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) formation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluation of Asteraceae herbal extracts in the management of diabetes and obesity. Contribution of caffeoylquinic acids on the inhibition of digestive enzymes activity and formation of advanced glycation end-products (in vitro)

The study was performed to assess, for the first time, the in vitro anti-diabetic potential of ten Asteraceae plant extracts to inhibit the activity of digestive enzymes (α-amylase, α-, β-glucosidases and lipase) responsible for hydrolysis/digestion of sugar and lipids. Prevention of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) formation was evaluated in bovine serum albumin/ribose glycation reaction model. The phytochemical profiles and caffeoylquinic acids (CQAs) contents were determined for the methanolic extract of each plant. Analyzed plant extracts exhibited significant inhibitory activity against key digestive enzymes linked to type II diabetes and obesity. A strong inhibition was observed for glucosidases and mild activity towards amylase and lipase (compared to reference compounds). Moreover, some extracts exhibited potent ability to prevent formation of AGEs, implicated in some diabetic complications. Caffeoylquinic acids were dominant in all plant extracts and findings demonstrate that these compounds are the most relevant hypoglycemic and anti-glycation agents. From the obtained results, Argyranthemum pinnatifidum, Helichrysum melaleucum, and Phagnalon lowei are good candidates for further development of phyto-pharmaceutical preparations as complementary therapy for diabetes and obesity control.The authors are grateful to Francisco Fernandes and Jose Carvalho from Madeira Botanical Garden and to Funchal Ecological Park for the supply and identification of plant material.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio