Marginal soils for bioenergy production : How to identify these soils in Portugal?

ABSTRACT: n the bioenergy/biorefineries sector, energy crops have achieved a relevant position as a feedstock for bio-based products, biofuels and bioenergy. To produce the energy crops, soils with low Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) risk must be utilized, such as marginal/degraded/contaminated (MDC) soils. Locating these types of soils in any territory, region, or country is challenging. Several criteria, e.g. soil drainage, dryness, temperature, have been identified by the European Union, and allow to classify soils as marginal. Yet, the dispersed information makes the identification and selection of marginal soils a challenging process. Therefore, this study details the tools and baseline documents that can be used to identify marginal areas, presenting low ILUC risk for the cultivation of energy crops. The application of the methodology to Continental Portugal allowed to obtain a preliminary map that indicates available soils for the cultivation of energy crops.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Extending poultry meat shelf life through the application of Cyanara cardunculus L. leaf extracts

Cynara cardunculus L. (Asteraceae), commonly named cardoon, is a multipurpose crop that includes three varieties, the globe artichoke (var. scolymus (L.) Fiori), the cultivated cardoon (var. altilis DC.), and the wild cardoon (var. sylvestris (Lamk) Fiori). Its flower is normally used as vegetal rennet in the production of some cheeses and its leaves, the main by-product generated, are known for its excellent antioxidant and antimicrobial activities1. These properties may be an asset in the food industry as cardoons’ leaves may be used to delay lipid oxidation and microbial growth, thus prolonging foods’ shelf life. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of cultivated cardoon leaves and the globe artichoke leaves ethanolic extracts, on poultry meat preservation. Poultry meat was mixed with the different extracts at a concentration of 1% (w/w) and stored under refrigeration (5°C ± 2°C) for 15 days. The microbiological growth was evaluated through the assessment of the total mesophilic aerobic microorganisms, total psychrotrophic aerobic microorganisms, and Enterobacteriaceae. The physicochemical characterization was evaluated through moisture, pH, acidity, colour and Total Volatile Basic Nitrogen (TVBN), and the lipid oxidation by Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS). Both extracts were effective in retarding microbial growth by maintaining constant pH and level of acidity. After 15 days, poultry meat with both extracts showed a difference up to 11 log CFU/g to control samples (without extract). Also, both extracts were able to reduce the lipid oxidation of the poultry meat when compared to the control samples, at the end of the assay. The colour of extracts can be a limitation due to the greenish-yellow colour that is seen in the meat, although it was more evident in the sample with the cardoon extract. Overall, cardoon extract was the most effective in extending poultry meat shelf life.Cássia H. Barbosa thanks the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal for the Ph.D. Grant 2021.08154.BD. The authors would like to thank the company NINA, Lda, for kindly supplying the cardoon leaves. This work was financially supported by the Mechanical Engineering and Resource Sustainability Center—MEtRICs, which is financed by national funds from the FCT/MCTES (UIDB/04077/2020 and UIDP/04077/2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exploring Cyanara cardunculus L. potential for the food industry: the antioxidant pattern

Cynara cardunculus L. (cardoon) is a versatile perennial crop indigenous to the Mediterranean region that has three botanical varieties including wild cardoon (var. sylvestris (Lamk) Fiori), cultivated cardoon (var. altilis DC.), and globe artichoke (var. scolymus (L.) Fiori). Cardoon is mostly renowned for its flower, which is used to coagulate milk in the production of soft cheeses, with the leaves serving as the primary by-product. The bioactive compound-rich leaves are employed in traditional medicine and have interesting antioxidant and antimicrobial properties1. Cardoon leaves may therefore be used in the food sector to prolong the shelf life of foods by preventing lipid oxidation and microbiological growth. This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant capacity, through DPPH free radical scavenging and the β-carotene bleaching assays, and total phenolic compounds content (TPC) and total flavonoids content (TFC) of cultivated cardoon and globe artichoke leaves extracts, both methanolic and ethanolic. Cardoon extracts, both ethanolic (2.1 mg/mL) and methanolic (0.8 mg/mL), presented lower EC50 than artichoke extracts (EC50EtOH= 3.9 mg/mL; EC50MeOH= 1.6 mg/mL), which means greater antioxidant capacity. For the β-carotene assay, cardoon extract (AACEtOH:448.06; AACMeOH:279.67) presented a higher antioxidant capacity coefficient (AAC) than the artichoke extract (AACEtOH:90.98; AACMeOH:114.97). Accordingly, cardoon extracts (EtOH: 81.98 mg GAE/g; MeOH: 112.84 mg GAE/g) also had a higher content of TPC than artichoke (EtOH: 49.14 mg GAE/g; MeOH: 29.79 mg GAE/g). The same can also be observed for TFC, where cardoon (EtOH: 145.47 mg ECE/g; MeOH: 129.27 mg ECE/g) presented greater total flavonoids content than artichoke (EtOH: 81.33 mg ECE/g; MeOH: 21.24 mg ECE/g).These results confirm that cardoon leaves are a natural source of antioxidant compounds that can be exploited by the food industry.This work was financially supported by the Mechanical Engineering and Resource Sustainability Center—MEtRICs, which is financed by national funds from the FCT/MCTES (UIDB/04077/2020 and UIDP/04077/2020). Cássia H. Barbosa thanks the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal for the Ph.D. Grant 2021.08154.BD.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of quality management systems in the performance of educational centers: educational policies and management processes

[EN] In this paper, the findings of an I + D + i research are presented. In this study, an analysis was conducted to assess 14 educational centers where in one of two distinct quality systems had been implemented: the EFQM (European Foundation Quality Management) and el Proyecto de Calidad Integrado (PCI)—the Integrated Quality Project—promoted by the Horrêum Foundation (Álvarez and Santos, 2003; Villa and Marauri, 2004). The EFQM was first used by businesses before being recently transferred to the academics. It comprised nine factors that were translated in an educational context: leadership, policy and strategy, people, alliances and resources, processes, impact on people, impact on clients, impact on society, and key impacts of an organization. The first five factors examine the way activities are carried out and improved, and the final four focus on the impact, i.e., the effect of the organization's activities. Improvement is achieved through learning and innovation. The PCI (Muñoz and Sarasúa, 2005) has its educational origins in the Effective School Improvement model. Seven factors are analyzed (Sarasola et al., 2003; Villa et al., 2004): institutional approach, organizational structures, relationships and living together, counseling and tutoring, curriculum, family and the community (Martínez and Galíndez, 2003), and management and services. The study looks at the impact that the two aforementioned quality systems (EFQM and PCI) have had on educational centers. The term “impact” is understood as the changes experienced both inside and outside an educational center. It must be sustainable overtime, considering the changes and effects achieved, as evidence of improvement. The quantitative analysis focuses on two dimensions. The first addresses three key factors of educational policy: educational planning, communication, and support and rewards for teachers. The second comprises three factors linked to management processes in educational institutions: organizational climate, teaching and learning processes, and relationships with the community

Pharmaceutical equivalence of the combination formulation of budesonide and formoterol in a single capsule with a dry powder inhaler

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pharmaceutical equivalence of a test formulation (fixed-dose combination of budesonide and formoterol fumarate in a single capsule dispensed in an Aerocaps® inhaler) in relation to a reference formulation (budesonide and formoterol fumarate in two separate capsules dispensed in an Aerolizer® inhaler). METHODS: This was an in vitro study in which we performed the identification/quantification of the active ingredients by HPLC and determined dose uniformity and aerodynamic particle size distribution in the test and reference formulations. RESULTS: In the test formulation, the content of budesonide and formoterol was 111.0% and 103.8%, respectively, compared with 110.5% and 104.5%, respectively, in the reference formulation. In the test formulation, dose uniformity regarding budesonide and formoterol was 293.2 µg and 10.2 µg, respectively, whereas it was 353.0 µg and 11.1 µg in the reference formulation. These values are within the recommended range for this type of formulation (75-125% of the labeled dose). The fine particle fraction (< 5 µm) for budesonide and formoterol was 45% and 56%, respectively, in the test formulation and 54% and 52%, respectively, in the reference formulation. CONCLUSIONS: For both of the formulations tested, the levels of active ingredients, dose uniformity, and aerodynamic diameters were suitable for use with the respective dry powder inhalers.OBJETIVO: Avaliar a equivalência farmacêutica da formulação teste (associação fixa de budesonida e fumarato de formoterol em cápsula única dispensada com o dispositivo Aerocaps®) em relação a uma formulação referência (budesonida e fumarato de formoterol em duas cápsulas distintas dispensadas com o dispositivo Aerolizer®). MÉTODOS: Estudo in vitro no qual foram realizadas identificação/quantificação dos ingredientes ativos por HPCL e determinação da uniformidade da dose liberada e da distribuição aerodinâmica das partículas das formulações teste e referência. RESULTADOS: Na formulação teste, o teor de budesonida e de formoterol foi de 111,0% e 103,8%, respectivamente, enquanto esse foi de 110,5% e 104,5% na formulação referência. Na formulação teste, a uniformidade das doses de budesonida e de formoterol foi de 293,2 µg e 10,2 µg, respectivamente, enquanto essa foi de 353,0 µg e 11,1 µg na formulação referência. Esses resultados estão dentro da faixa recomendada para esse tipo de formulação (75-125% da dose rotulada). A fração de partículas finas (< 5 µm) para budesonida e formoterol foi de, respectivamente, 45% e 56% na formulação teste e de 54% e 52% na formulação referência. CONCLUSÕES: As formulações teste e referência apresentaram níveis de ingredientes ativos, uniformidade de doses e diâmetros aerodinâmicos apropriados ao uso com seus respectivos dispositivos inalatórios de pó.Hospital Pró-CardíacoUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais Hospital das Clínicas Ambulatório de Cessação do Tabagismo Residência de PneumologiaUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de MedicinaUNIFESP, EPMSciEL

Determinants of book reading and library attendance in Colombia. A microeconometric approach

The article explores the determinants of the decision to read books and visit libraries in a developing country, Colombia, based on data from the Encuesta de Consumo Cultural 2008 [Cultural Consumption Survey] (ECC2008). For this purpose, multilevel logistic regressions are estimated, results showing that a high level of education and a greater socioeconomic status have a positive and significant effect on the decision to read, whereas socioeconomic status does not prove significant vis–à–vis library visits. Moreover, the VPC (Variance Partition Coefficient), 5.33% (6.58%) of the residual variation in the propensity to read at least one book (visit a library), can be attributed to unobserved features of the neighbourhood

Antioxidant Migration Studies in Chitosan Films Incorporated with Plant Extracts

This work was supported by CNPq/Brazil (grant number 200790/2014-5); CAPES (APQ-1 2009/02 E-26/110.414/2010, APQ-1 2011-2 E-26/110.269.2012, E-26/111.435/2012 - CsF/Brazil - BEX 11943-13-0); CENIMAT/I3N and MEtRiCS through FCT/MCTES (project number and UID/SEM/04077/2013CN).The aim of this work was to develop an active biopolymer based on chitosan by incorporating natural antioxidants. Five essential oils (ginger, rosemary, sage, tea tree and thyme) and six hydro-alcoholic extracts (from ginger, green and black tea, kenaf leaves, rosemary and sage plants) were tested. Migration assays were carried out to evaluate the films’ activity, and total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were monitored in the simulant during storage. Interaction between natural compounds and polymeric matrix was evaluated by FTIR spectroscopy. The diffusion of the phenolic compounds was not detected in the films incorporated with hydro-alcoholic extracts (HAEs), indicating their entrapment in the chitosan. Migration was observed in the films with essential oils (EOs), and biobased films incorporated with ginger, sage or rosemary essential oils, presented the highest diffusion and antioxidant activity in the simulant, highlighting their functionality and potential to be used as food active packaging materialpublishersversionpublishe

Switchgrass and Giant Reed Energy Potential when Cultivated in Heavy Metals Contaminated Soils

Funding Information: This work was supported by the Mechanical Engineering and Resource Sustainability Center—MEtRICs, which is financed by national funds from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, FCT/MCTES (UIDB/04077/2020 and UIDP/04077/2020). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.The cultivation of energy crops on degraded soils contributes to reduce the risks associated with land use change, and the biomass may represent an additional revenue as a feedstock for bioenergy. Switchgrass and giant reed were tested under 300 and 600 mg Cr kg−1, 110 and 220 mg Ni kg−1, and 4 and 8 mg Cd kg−1 contaminated soils, in a two year pot experiment. Switchgrass yields (average aerial 330 g.m−2 and below ground 430 g.m−2), after the second year harvest, were not affected by Cd contamination and 110 mg Ni kg−1, but 220 mg Ni kg−1 significantly affected the yields (55–60% reduction). A total plant loss was observed in Cr-contaminated pots. Giant reed aboveground yields (control: 410 g.m−2), in the second year harvest, were significantly affected by all metals and levels of contamination (30–70% reduction), except in 110 mg Ni kg−1 pots. The belowground biomass yields (average 1600 g.m−2) were not affected by the tested metals. Contamination did not affect the high heating value (HHV) of switchgrass (average 18.4 MJ.kg−1) and giant reed aerial fractions (average 18.9 MJ.kg−1, stems, and 18.1 MJ.kg−1, leaves), harvested in the second year, indicating that the biomass can be exploited for bioenergy.publishersversionpublishe