Low-wage employment in Portugal: Social dimension and recent evolution

Low-wage employment is one of the main origins of poverty and social exclusion in Portugal, along with low pensions granted to elder citizens. In this paper our aim is to provide a first approach of the social dimension of low-wage employment in Portugal, analysing its incidence and profile among regions, sectors, professions, skill levels and gender. This decomposition analysis will stress the most important factors underlying the phenomenon. At a first stage we shall study wage structure and wage inequality evolution in the last decade. The incidence and evolution of low wages and minimum legal wages will be compared whith average wages, in order to evaluate the situation of the low payed vis a vis the other better paid workers. We proceed analysing low-wage decomposition by the criteria mentioned above, taken separately and in interaction, to identify the main determinants and the cumulative effects of these factors in the explanation and evolution of low wages. The main data set available is "Quadros de Pessoal" (Data base of worker characteristics provided by firms) from the MESS ( Employment and Social Security Ministry). In this study we will use directly this data base. Other statistical sources will also be used for complementary aspects. We must say that the data on these area of research are still insufficiently developed in Portugal, and that, in consequence, socio-economic knowledge on low-wage employment as a mechanism of social exclusion is still incipient. Low-wage are but one of the dimensions of social exclusion, closely related with poverty as insufficient economic resources, and is often associated with other dimensions of social exclusion in the labour market, such as unemployment vulnerability and job instability. The crucial role in this triad - low-pay, unemployment, job instability - is played by skill levels, which are particularly low in our country, as we?ll try to demonstrate. Social exclusion must however be analysed at the family unit. As long as income is concerned, wages are far the most important source, particularly for low income active families, and the ?low skills - low pay - low income? chain seems to be the major determinant of social exclusion. The evidence about this mechanism can be found in recent data on Family Budgets.

Hydrolysis inhibition of complex biowaste

The increasing demand of renewable energy sources and reuse of wastes, challenges our society for better technological solutions for energy production. Co-digestion of agricultural biowaste, such as animal manure and plant residues, offers an interesting contribution to the renewable energy strategies. The biogas plants, where the complex substrates, such as agricultural biowaste, get converted into biogas, are then able to produce electricity and heat, which can be used in the farm and delivered to the main electricity grid. Moreover, due to its decentralised nature, the implementation of small-scale biogas plants can supply renewable energy to people without the need for large-scale infrastructural networks such as electricity grids, thereby solving part of the populations’ energy demands. The production of biogas from complex biowaste is rate-limited by the hydrolysis step of the anaerobic digestion process. However the hydrolysis step has been poorly described and not very well understood, resulting in non-optimized anaerobic digester volumes. Due to that, a review on the anaerobic hydrolysis step is in this thesis presented, together with ways to accelerate the hydrolysis, either by mitigating the revealed inhibiting compounds, by pre-treating difficultly hydrolysable substrates, or as is nowadays also applied, by adding hydrolytic enzymes to full scale biogas co-digestion plants. In this thesis two compounds were studied in terms of its inhibiting effect on hydrolysis: ammonia nitrogen and Humic Matter (HM). Ammonia nitrogen did not show an inhibiting effect on anaerobic hydrolysis. On the other hand Humic acids-like (HAL) and Fulvic acids-like (FAL) extracted from fesh cow manure and silage maize, and in this thesis extensively described in terms of its chemical characteristics, showed a strong inhibiting effect on the hydrolysis step. Plant matter is high in lignocellulosic biomass. Lignocellulosic biomass consists of lignin, which is resistant to anaerobic degradation, cellulose and hemicelluloses. Pre-treatment of plant material, is particularly important in order to increase biogas production during co-digestion of manure. Calcium hydroxide pre-treatment was shown, in this thesis, to improve the biodegradability of lignocellulosic biomass, especially for high lignin content substrates. Maleic acid generated the highest percentage of dissolved COD during pre-treatment, however its high market price makes it not so attractive as calcium hydroxyde. Enzyme addition has recently gained the attention of biogas plants’ operators in order to accelerate hydrolysis, however further research is needed. <br/

Potencialidades do uso da folha de cálculo na construção de tabelas e gráficos estatísticos

O uso dos computadores, seja através de software ou da internet, tem marcado uma presença cada vez maior no estudo da Estatística. No caso da folha de cálculo, tratando-se de um software de fácil acesso, ele tem sido usado nas escolas por professores e alunos, sobretudo no caso da Estatística. Tendo por referência dois estudos realizados sobre o uso da folha de cálculo na construção de tabelas e gráficos estatísticos, envolvendo alunos do 7º ano, neste texto comparam-se o desempenho dos alunos na construção dos gráficos com e sem a folha de cálculo e avaliam-se as suas perceções acerca do uso da folha de cálculo. Em termos dos resultados, destacam-se um melhor desempenho dos alunos quando usam a folha de cálculo e reações muito favoráveis à utilização da folha de cálculo

O uso da folha de cálculo na construção de gráficos estatísticos por alunos do 7º ano

Este estudo teve como principal objetivo investigar a utilização da folha de cálculo por alunos do 7º ano na construção de gráficos estatísticos, nomeadamente os aspetos que devem ser considerados na sua integração no ensino da construção de gráficos estatísticos, as potencialidades e limitações do seu uso na aprendizagem da construção de gráficos estatísticos. Para tal foi realizado um estudo de natureza qualitativa, em que foi implementada uma intervenção de ensino sobre construção de tabelas de frequências e gráficos estatísticos, privilegiando o trabalho dos alunos em pares e com recurso à folha de cálculo. De entre as razões que favorecem a introdução da folha de cálculo na sala de aula, neste estudo destaca-se a posibilidade de tratar grandes quantidades de informação com ganhos de tempo, a relativa simplicidade do seu manuseamento expressa num conjunto de soluções prontas a usar e a grande apetência dos alunos para explorarem as tecnologias

Extrato de alho melhora a superação da dormência de videiras ‘Niagara Rosada’em regiões subtropicais.

Nas regiões com invernos amenos, normalmente as exigências de frio para a quebra de dormência de gemas de videiras não são atendidas, e apenas os produtos altamente tóxicos CaCN2 e H2CN2 são recomendados na viticultura convencional para quebra de dormência. A proposta deste estudo foi verificar o efeito do extrato de alho na quebra de dormência de videiras ‘Niagara Rosada’, em dois diferentes vinhedos. A dose mais elevada de extrato de alho (70mL L-1)demonstrou ter um grande potencial para a quebra de dormência na produção orgânica, apresentando efeitos similares aos das cianamidas, na quebra de dormência. Este tratamento aumentou a porcentagem de brotação e o número de cachos, antecipou o começo da brotação e reduziu o ciclo entre poda e colheita

Searching for olive mill waste water (OMWW) solutions: is there a potential on microalgae treatment?

Olive Mill Waste Water (OMWW) is the principal industry extraction residue of olive oil and still one of the most serious environmental problems [1]. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability growth of Chlorella vulgaris under different OMWW concentrations and assess its phenolic content variations to get OMWW toxicity reduction

Os vazios institucionais, saneamento e déficit de água e os primeiros números covid-19 no Brasil

Purpose: The problem of this research was: What correlation between the deficit of basic sanitation and treated water in Brazil with the incidence and number of deaths caused by covid-19 disease? The aim of this article was to analyze the correlation between the number of cases in COVID-19 with the statistics of basic sanitation and treated water supply and institutional voids. Methodology: The research is descriptive and uses techniques of correlation statistical analysis of secondary data. Findings: Statistical calculations show a strong correlation of the variables.  The incidence of the disease caused by the new Coronavirus SARS-CoV2, COVID-19 is associated with a lower percentage of the population served by sewage network and water network. It was also demonstrated that the mortality of the disease is strongly associated with a lower percentage of the population served by sewage and water networks, thus indicating a relationship with the theory of Institutional Voids (North, 1990; Douglass &amp; North, 1991; Khanna, Palepu, &amp; Sinha, 2005; Khanna &amp; Palepu, 2010; Rodrigues, 2013). Originality: It was observed that, in general, the highest number of deaths due to the disease related to the states of the federation/macro-regions with the lowest percentages of care to the aforementioned networks, with some exceptions. Soon it was possible to use the theory of Institutional Voids in the analysis of Brazil in the face of basic sanitation indicators, thus indicating the absence of a social public policy appropriate to the well-being of the population.  Objetivo: O objetivo deste artigo foi analisar a correlação entre o número de casos no COVID-19 com as estatísticas de saneamento básico e abastecimento de água tratada e vazios institucionais. Metodologia: Trata-se de pesquisa descritiva que utiliza técnicas de análise estatística de correlação de dados secundários. Resultados: Cálculos estatísticos mostram forte correlação das variáveis. A incidência da doença causada pelo novo Coronavirus SARS-CoV2 está associada a um menor percentual da população atendida pela rede de esgoto e rede de água. Também foi demonstrado que a mortalidade da doença está fortemente associada a um menor percentual da população atendida pelas redes de esgoto e água, indicando assim uma relação com a teoria dos Vazios Institucionais (North, 1990; Douglass &amp; North, 1991; Khanna, Palepu, &amp; Sinha, 2005; Khanna &amp; Palepu, 2010; Rodrigues, 2013). Originalidade: Observou-se que, em geral, o maior número de óbitos por doença relacionada aos estados da federação/macrorregiões com os menores percentuais de atenção às redes supracitadas, com algumas exceções. Logo foi possível, a partir de estudo empírico, confirmar a teoria dos Vazios Institucionais no Brasil, diante dos indicadores de saneamento básico, confirmando a ausência de uma política pública social adequada ao bem-estar da população e os primeiros números do COVID-19