Enhancing the attractiveness of European study programs in Biosystems Engineering

The paper describes the Tools for enhancing the international attractiveness of European study programs in Agricultural/Biosystems Engineering (ABE), in Portugal; Implementation of ABE study programs in Portugal aimed at promoting their international image; the tools for promoting the multi-linguism in ABE study programs in Portugal; the topics of rare and/or disappearing knowledge that can be used as a tool for enhancing the attractiveness of ABE study programs

Third cycle university studies in Portugal: current schemes and possible structured programs of studies in agricultural engineering and in the emerging discipline of biosystems engineering

The present trend, even for the universities that have not been adjusted to the Bologna related structured 3rd cycle degree is to organize the PhD programs, offering doctoral courses to a maximum of 30 ECTS plus 150 ECTS for work research. Normally the duration of these programs will be of three years divided in 6 semesters. The prerequisites required for these programs are normally associated to the scientific area of the PhD but usually, the prerequisites are not very strict. Some of the ECTS of the PhD courses have the objective of eliminating PhD student’s formation handicaps and/or to give specific knowledge in areas considered important to each individual student according to its specific PhD thesis

ESTIMACIÓN DE LA BIOMASA FORESTAL PARA LAS ESPECIES QUERCUS ROTUNDIFOLIA Y QUERCUS SUBER BASADA EN IMÁGENES DEL SATÉLITE QUICKBIRD

para una buena gestión. Actualmente las técnicas de inventario y monitoreo de biomasa forestal son usualmente lentas, muy trabajosas y de elevado coste, verificándose así la necesidad de desarrollar otras técnicas, que sean fiables y con costes relativamente reducidos. El objetivo de este estudio es desarrollar una metodología para estimar la biomasa forestal de las especies Quercus rotundifolia y Quercus suber basada en imágenes del satélite QuickBird. La estimación de la biomasa forestal, fue obtenida con un error inferior a 5%, para valores de proyección horizontal de la copa acumulada obtenida con imágenes de satélite superiores a 4000 m2

Produtividade Da Crotalaria Juncea Sob Podas E Densidades De Semeadura Nos Tabuleiros Costeiros Do Piauí

The northern region of Piauí state is an important center of irrigated organic fruit farming, wherein sandy soils with low organic matter content are predominant, besides climate with high temperatures, long periods of water deficit and constant wind. Given this situation, it becomes necessary to investigate alternative management options able to meet the challenges of agricultural productivity. In this context, green manuring becomes an important practice, mainly when using fast-growing species and with great potential for biomass production. Thus, a study was carried out at Embrapa Meio-Norte to measure Crotalaria juncea biomass yield after thinning and at various sowing densities. The evaluated parameters were plant height, stem diameter, number of branches per plant, fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots. The results showed that sowing density had no influence on plant height; however, unthinned plants reached greater heights, which might have been due to reduced competition for light. Thinning had no effect on diameters of plant stem base; on the other hand, lower planting densities promoted larger diameters also due to less competition. Likewise, the number of branches per plant was not affected by thinning, being greater at lower planting densities on account of less competition. Thinned plants achieved higher averages of fresh shoot weight. Nevertheless, shoot dry biomass was greater at higher planting densities. Furthermore, both fresh and dry weight of roots were not influenced by any of the adopted treatments. © 2016, Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Arid. All rights reserved.29487888

Variabilidad espacial y temporal del vigor vegetativo en viñedo sin restricciones hídricas en la demanda evapotranspirativa

Aunque generalmente se asume que la respuesta de un cultivo a la dosis de riego seleccionada es homogénea en la totalidad del área cultivada, en la mayoría de los casos esto no se corresponde con la realidad. En este trabajo se presenta un estudio de la variabilidad espacial y temporal del vigor vegetativo en el cultivo del viñedo, mediante el uso de índices de vegetación (NDVI) y la elaboración de los correspondientes mapas estadísticos. El ensayo ha sido realizado en un viñedo experimental de cultivar Tempranillo (Vitis vinífera L.), donde se compararon cuatro bloques aleatorios con un tratamiento de riego al 100% de la demanda evapotranspirativa (ETc) del cultivo. Durante la fase de maduración, se realizaron semanalmente mapas de índices de vegetación mediante el uso de sensores multiespectrales cercanos, montados sobre vehículos terrestres. Se observó que la respuesta en el desarrollo vegetativo no mantuvo una homogeneidad espacio – temporal en las cuatro zonas de estudio, a pesar de haber recibido las mismas prácticas culturales. La utilización de este tipo de herramientas, sensores de vegetación y estadística inferencial, permite detectar zonas diferenciadas en el desarrollo vegetativo, pudiendo ser utilizado para la toma de decisiones sobre el manejo del cultivo, tales como el escalonamiento de la cosecha o la aplicación tanto de abonos como de fitosanitarios, en función del factor que produce dicho descenso de vegetación

Micro-Terroir

El concepto de terroir en el vino está basado en la observación de que diferentes regiones, viñedos o secciones dentro del mismo viñedo, pueden producir vinos con identidades propias y muy diferentes entre sí. Este concepto se cristalizó con el fin de describir los aspectos únicos de un lugar particular (suelo, topografía y clima) que influyen y forman el vino que nace a partir de él. Para una misma posición geográfica, podemos pensar que factores tales como el suelo y la topografía son fijos, en el espacio y en el tiempo, sin embargo las plantas del cultivo de viñedo presentan microvariaciones locales con diversas respuestas adaptativas. En efecto, dentro de un mismo viñedo, aéreas aparentemente uniformes desde un punto de vista pedológico y topográfico presentan plantas con vigores vegetativos totalmente distintos, considerando todos los factores fijos. Estos micro – terroirs vegetativos proporcionan una diferenciación en la maduración de la uva, creando así una variación espacial y temporal en la calidad de la misma. Considerando los demás factores fijos y, partiendo del principio de que la variación espacial y temporal en el vigor vegetativo de una planta es un indicativo de su capacidad productiva, así como del potencial cualitativo del fruto, fueron controladas 80 hectáreas de viñedo mediante un sensor de vegetación. La base de datos, espacial y temporal, obtenida y posteriormente analizada por componentes principales, permitió elaborar zonas homogéneas de tratamiento que denominamos micro – terroirs. Como resultado, se encontró que existe una variabilidad espacial y temporal en las regiones aparentemente uniformes en términos pedológicos y topográficos, lo que sugiere una capacidad de adaptación genética que no siempre es fácil de tener en cuenta. La capacidad de monitorizar la variación espacial y temporal del vigor vegetativo de la vid, permitirá gestionar diferenciadamente las unidades geográficas distintas, desde el punto de vista de la calidad del vino

Which are the best practices for MSc programmes in Sustainable Agriculture?

Programmes of education for sustainable development are important to reformulate and revise educa tional programmes in Sustainable Agriculture. Higher education institutes emerge as learning places to integrate sustainable development into the educational system, through graduation and MSc pro grammes, to provide a more effective response to the higher environmental and agriculture concerns. The aim of this study was to identify the best practices to be included in a MSc programme of education for sustainable development in agriculture based on a questionnaire prepared and distributed to agrarian sciences experts. The questionnaires were developed in order to define the fundamental competences/ expertise, to identify the best practices and the methods of training/learning that should be taken in consideration in a MSc programme in Sustainable Agriculture. The results showed that the fundamental expertise of MSc programmes should be based on knowledge transfer of agricultural measures to mitigate the impact of climate change on agricultural systems. MSc programmes in Sustainable Agri culture should include interdisciplinary courses related to sustainability and agro-environmental tech nologies, such as Precision Agriculture, and incorporate adaptive and mitigate practices as those used in the Circular Economy strategy. Traditional face-to-face training methods are considered the most important forms of training/learning in a MSc programme in Sustainable Agriculture. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, online learning methods, traditionally considered not suitable for MSc programme in Sustainable Agriculture, became important by providing online education. Information and commu nication technology and technological tools showed to be important skills to effectively implement online learning and to improve the efficient access and use of up-to-date information of the agricultural sector

Sequencing of E2 and NS5A regions of HCV genotype 3a in Brazilian patients with chronic hepatitis

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease throughout the world. The NS5A and E2 proteins of HCV genotype 1 were reported to inhibit the double-stranded (ds) RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR), which is involved in the cellular antiviral response induced by interferon (IFN). The response to IFN therapy is quite different between genotypes, with response rates among patients infected with types 2 and 3 that are two-three-fold higher than in patients infected with type 1. Interestingly, a significant percentage of HCV genotype 3-infected patients do not respond to treatment at all. The aim of this paper was to analyse the sequences of fragments of the E2 and NS5A regions from 33 outpatients infected with genotype 3a, including patients that have responded (SVR) or not responded (NR) to treatment. HCV RNA was extracted and amplified with specific primers for the NS5A and E2 regions and the PCR products were then sequenced. The sequences obtained covered amino acids (aa) 636-708 in E2 and in NS5A [including the IFN sensitivity determining region (ISDR), PKR-binding domain and extended V3 region)]. In the E2 and NS5A regions, we did observe aa changes among patients, but these changes were not statistically significant between the SVR and NR groups. In conclusion, our results suggest that the ISDR domain is not predictive of treatment success in patients infected with HCV genotype 3a.publishersversionpublishe

Revisiting consistency conditions for quantum states of systems on closed timelike curves: an epistemic perspective

There has been considerable recent interest in the consequences of closed timelike curves (CTCs) for the dynamics of quantum mechanical systems. A vast majority of research into this area makes use of the dynamical equations developed by Deutsch, which were developed from a consistency condition that assumes that mixed quantum states uniquely describe the physical state of a system. We criticise this choice of consistency condition from an epistemic perspective, i.e., a perspective in which the quantum state represents a state of knowledge about a system. We demonstrate that directly applying Deutsch's condition when mixed states are treated as representing an observer's knowledge of a system can conceal time travel paradoxes from the observer, rather than resolving them. To shed further light on the appropriate dynamics for quantum systems traversing CTCs, we make use of a toy epistemic theory with a strictly classical ontology due to Spekkens and show that, in contrast to the results of Deutsch, many of the traditional paradoxical effects of time travel are present.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, comments welcome; v2 added references and clarified some points; v3 published versio