Minimal Projections : evidence from defective constructions in European Portuguese

This article discusses some of the problems generated by the proliferation of functional categories. Empirical evidence is presented favoring approaches according to which functional categories are only projected if necessary either to create hosts for lexical nuclei or to satisfy subcategorization properties of specific verb classes. The empirical arguments come from the following defective constructions in European Portuguese: adverbs in simple declarative sentences; complements of causative verbs in clause-union contexts; and topicalization constructions.Aquest article discuteix alguns dels problemes generats per la proliferació de categories funcionals. Es presenta evidència empírica en favor d'anàlisis segons les quals les categories funcionals només es projecten quan són necessàries, sigui per crear hostes per als nuclis lèxics o per satisfer les propietats de subcategorització de classes específiques de verbs. Els argumens empírics provenen de les següents construccions defectives del portuguès europeu: adverbis en oracions declaratives simples; complements de verbs causatius en contextos d'unió de clàusula; i construccions de topicalització

Influence of umbrella pine (Pinus pinea L.) stand type and tree characteristics on cone production

Most umbrella pine (Pinus pinea L.) stands are managed as agroforestry systems, whose main production is fruit, due to the edible and highly nutritious kernels, and are frequently associated to natural or seeded pastures and grazing. The stands have low density, in order to enhance crown growth and fruit production. Nevertheless, cone production, both with regard to number and weight, varies greatly between stands, trees and years. In this study were selected three agroforestry systems, representative of umbrella pine stands whose main production is fruit, and one stand representative of the timber production system, where fruit is the secondary production. It was evaluated the variability in cone production as a function of the tree’s diameter at breast height and crown diameter and the individual tree’s competition status. The results indicate that stands managed in agroforestry systems with lower competition and individuals with larger diameter at breast height and crown diameter tend to produce more and heavier cones per tree. The first two principal components of the principal component analysis explain 84 % of the variance in cone production, trees’ dimensions and competition index. Tree competition status has a negative impact on production per tree

Production of Plant Secondary Metabolites by Using Biotechnological Tools

Plants are a remarkable source of high-value secondary metabolites with applications in various domains. Plant cell and tissue culture techniques appear as environmentally friendly alternatives for the production of secondary metabolites when natural supply is limited or chemical synthesis is unviable. In this chapter, the main advantages of using plant cell and tissue culture techniques for the production of plant secondary metabolites are presented as well as the different biotechnological approaches available to improve their production. In addition, the production of anticancer compounds (camptothecin, podophyllotoxin, taxol, vinblastibe, and vincristine) and metabolites from Lamiaceae spp. (phenolics as rosmarinic acid) were selected as examples to be highlighted. The study reviewed shows that undifferentiated cells are the preferred culture system used for the production of high-value secondary metabolites in vitro although there are many examples reporting the production in differentiated tissues particularly in hairy roots. Efforts have been made to scale up the production, and several strategies have been successfully applied to increase the production yields at the laboratorial scale. Nevertheless, there are only few examples of plant secondary metabolites production at commercial level, and further in-depth studies are still required

Inhibitory Properties of Phenolic Compounds Against Enzymes Linked with Human Diseases

Some drugs currently used are inhibitors of enzymes involved in mediating many disease processes. Concerns over the toxicity and side effects of synthetic enzyme inhibitors have led to a search for new safe and effective inhibitors particularly from natural sources. Owing to their wide range of biological effects, plant phenolic compounds are one of the most studied families of natural products. This chapter aims to provide an overview of the potential of phenolic compounds as enzyme inhibitors. Extensive research has been conducted to study the enzyme inhibitory capacity of many phenolic compounds against several enzymes linked with important human conditions. Investigations conducted are mainly focused on the inhibition of angiotensin I-converting enzyme, α-amylase and α-glucosidase, lipase, cholinesterases, proinflammatory enzymes (cyclooxygenases and 5-lipoxygenase) and tyrosinase, which are related with hypertension, type II diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s diseases, inflammation and skin hyperpigmentation, respectively. Overall, among phenolics, flavonoids are probably those with great capacity to inhibit the activity of the enzymes revised. Several studies demonstrated the potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of flavonoids, which highlight the therapeutic potential of these compounds. Although our literature survey showed that a huge number of phenolic compounds have been studied and there are some promising compounds depending on the enzyme, more in vivo tests and subsequent steps to be a drug candidate are required before therapeutic application

Aplicação de análise térmica (DSC) na identificação e caracterização de materiais têxteis

A identificação de fibras é uma necessidade constante quer a nível de investigação quer industrial e é feita através de um conjunto de ensaios que implicam grande consumo de tempo e recursos e que incluem tais como a observação microscópica, comportamento ao calor e à chama, ponto de fusão, solubilidade, testes de coloração, índice de refração e massa volúmica. O presente trabalho pretende analisar a utilização da calorimetria diferencial de varrimento (DSC) na identificação e caracterização de fibras têxteis. As características dos materiais que podem ser identificadas usando análises térmicas, incluem a temperatura de transição vítrea; cristalinidade; temperatura de fusão; temperatura de cristalização a frio; processos térmicos associados à libertação de água e degradação térmica [1,2,3]. Neste trabalho, serão apresentados vários casos práticos, sobre a aplicação desta técnica analítica nas fibras naturais e sintéticas. Um dos estudos realizados refere-se à identificação de fibras naturais, como o algodão e sintéticas, como a poliamida. É também descrita a caracterização de polímeros modificados, em que um dos exemplos se refere à caracterização do poli (álcool de vinilo) (PVA) modificado por indução fotoquímica na presença de um iniciador (Fig 1).This work is also funded by FEDER funds through the Competivity Factors Operational Programme - COMPETE and by national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-00713

International Jurisdiction in Cross-Border Infringement of Personality Rights

The legal provision applicable to determine the jurisdiction to decide claims regarding the cross-border infringement of personality rights is Article 7, Section 2, of Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 on jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters (Brussels Ia). Article 7, Section 2, gives jurisdiction in non-contractual matters to the court of the place where the harmful event occurred or may occur. Called to interpret the concept of place where the harmful event occurred, the ECJ was forced to make an interpretative effort in case of online infringement of personality rights. It was so, because the information that is placed online can be accessed in any country. The offenses that occur on the Internet can have a global reach and cause damage with greater geographical extension and repercussions in the legal sphere of the victim, especially due to the geographical wide location of its users. The aim of this study is to highlight the latest trends of the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding this topic.&nbsp

Antioxidant activity and inhibitory effect of L. viridis extract on Fe2+-induced lipid peroxidation in brain homogenates

The brain is particularly susceptible to oxidative stress damaging effects due such events as the high consumption of oxygen, limited concentration of antioxidants and a relatively high degree of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are particularly good substrates for peroxidation reactions [1–3]. Oxidative stress could lead to damage biological target molecules, affecting the cellular function and integrity [4]. The ability of natural antioxidants, mainly phenolic compounds, to protect cells from oxidative stress has been previously demonstrated [5]. In this work, the methanol extract from Lavandula viridis L'Hér. (Lamiaceae), a xerophytic aromatic shrub endemic to the south-west Iberian Peninsula [6], was investigated for its effect on deoxyribose degradation, its reducing properties, Fe2+-chelating ability and total phenol content. The capacity of this extract to prevent Fe2+-induced lipid peroxidation in mouse brain (in vitro) was also evaluated. L. viridis extract showed Fe2+ chelating activity, reducing power and the ability to prevent Fe2+/H2O2-induced decomposition of deoxyribose in a dose-dependent manner. This extract also revealed a high phenol content (893.01±17.09µmol gallic acid equivalents/g extract) evaluated by Folin-Ciocalteu method. Moreover, in brain homogenates, the methanol extract of L. viridis caused a high decrease in the MDA production in both the basal and the Fe2+-induced lipid peroxidation. The effective protective properties of L. viridis could be attributed to its higher phenol content, Fe2+ chelating ability, reducing properties and HO· radical scavenging ability. The findings suggest that methanol extract from L. viridis could be a potential source of natural antioxidants

Impacto do Projeto “Turmas Mais Sucesso” ao nível da Instrução, da Estimulação e da Socialização dos Alunos

Este artigo sintetiza um estudo de caso realizado na Escola Secundária do Castêlo da Maia (ESCM), que investigou o impacto que o projeto de combate ao insucesso escolar denominado “Turmas Mais Sucesso” (TSM) teve sobre a instrução, a estimulação e a socialização dos alunos de baixo rendimento. O projeto, desenvolvido no terreno desde 2006-07, tem por base uma metodologia de constituição de turmas do ensino básico assente na análise cuidada do historial escolar do aluno, agrupando na mesma turma os alunos com difi culdades anteriores a três disciplinas fundamentais: Português, Matemática e Inglês. Esta opção de constituir turmas relativamente “homogéneas” traduz uma aposta nem sempre consensual na investigação educacional. Mas, como os resultados do estudo o evidenciam, o sucesso nestas turmas foi potenciado por um conjunto de fatores conjugados de ordem pedagógico-didática, administrativa e de recursos humanos. No que respeita ao impacto do projeto sobre os resultados da instrução dos alunos, é forçoso concluir que o mesmo foi um sucesso, uma vez que nenhum aluno fi cou retido no fi nal do ciclo, tendo esta dimensão sido avaliada positivamente por todos os intervenientes. Em relação à estimulação, embora o resultado global seja positivo, há menor convergência de opiniões concordantes e são os professores quem avalia menos positivamente este aspeto. O impacto do projeto na socialização dos alunos é avaliado positivamente por todos os intervenientes, exceto pelos professores que avaliam menos favoravelmente alguns dos indicadores desta dimensão

Perceptions and intentions of adopting the Internet of Things by Generation Z

The Internet of Things (IoT) represents a new technological revolution expected to impact all aspects of our daily lives in the future. Generation Z is foreseen as playing a fundamental role in the adoption of this type of technology, namely because of their growing importance as a consumer segment, their global role in the society, and in particular their close relationship with technology. However, extant literature on the adoption of IoT disregarded this segment. This paper aims to fulfill this gap, by exploring their knowledge, perceptions, and intentions of adopting IoT. After considering the main contributions in the consumer behavior literature regarding IoT, a qualitative approach was adopted, and 7 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Portuguese consumers aged 18-22. Content analysis was performed following the recommendations by Bardin (1977). The results showed that although Generation Z is not familiar with the concept of the IoT, they expressed a strong desire to integrate IoT technology in their lives, being open to its adoption in all fields of application, including for personal use, at home, and for work. One of the conclusions is that in order to foster the IoT adoption by this Generation, the functional benefits (performance, price, comfort, and safety) should be emphasized, so that the main risks perceived are weakened, namely the financial, performance, and physical risks.publishe

A study about WebQuest : the importance of the process in group work

This paper reports the findings of a quasi-experimental study conducted with two classes in their 2nd year of vocational education, which aimed at understanding the importance of the process in solving the WebQuest task and its implications in learning. This research implied the design and application of two long term WebQuests, using the English Language, entitled “Looking for a job in a hotel”. We observed that students who had the complete WebQuest were quicker to solve the activities, because they were guided in the roles that each element should perform. No statistical differences were obtained. The WebQuest enhanced students’ constructive role in the understanding of concepts related to the thematic. Students valued the work developed; they accomplished the activity successfully and considered the WebQuest an enriching experience