Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2022-07-01"
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- Biodiversity associated to a floating wetland island in a freshwater pondPublication . Calheiros, C. S. C.; IIarri, M.; Godinho, M.; Castro, P. M. L.; Pereira, S. I. A.Floating wetland islands (FWI) are considered nature-based solutions that can be applied in different water bodies, such as lakes and rivers, in order to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. They are recognized to promote local biodiversity, aesthetic integration and provide water quality enhancement through phytoremediation processes, although research is still needed to go deeper on the processes underlying the performance of these systems. The aim of this study was to assess de biodiversity associated to a FWI made of cork agglomerate, set up in 2018 in a freshwater pond. A polyculture comprising the plant species Iris germanica, Acorus gramineus, Caltha palustris, and Typha latifolia was considered. The culturable bacterial communities associated to the floating platform biofilm and to the plant rhizosphere were analyzed. The bacterial isolates were identified by 16S rRNA and characterized for their ability to produce plant growth promoting substances (e.g., indole-acetic acid, siderophores). The diversity of macroinvertebrates associated to FWI was also assessed. Water analysis of the pond were conducted. Preliminary data shows that there is a high bacterial diversity associated to this system and the ability to produce plant growth promoting substances has been shown. The bacterial strains with outstanding growth promoting traits can be used in the future to support phytoremediation strategies or plant resilience to climate change abiotic stresses. Regarding the biodiversity of macroinvertebrates associated with FWI they were mainly from the order Odonata. The FWI attracted mainly individuals of the genus Coenagrion (represented more than 80% of the fauna). These systems had proven to be a hotspot of biodiversity supporting water management plans and landscape and aesthetics integration. This study gives new insights into broadening the FWI applications in freshwater or polluted water.
- Saudade, misterio de amor doliente. Consideraciones estructurales, metodológicas y filosófico-teológicasPublication . Angélico, José PedroEste artículo, que tiene por base el texto de una tesis doctoral en teología, pretende ofrecer las claves fundamentales de una reflexión teológico-fundamental sobre las intuiciones filosóficas de la saudade, disposición afectiva y espiritual de peculiar expresión del ambiente cultural gallego-portugués. Además de identificar el pretexto contextual de la reflexión, ofrece una especie de diario de viaje del camino recorrido por el autor, desde la inquietud primera y originante hasta la misma redacción de la disertación. Tras la exposición de la estructura, del método y de las intuiciones fundamentales de la tesis, se finaliza, en registro más poético, con una breve apertura del pensamiento a nuevos planteamientos posibles.
- The european green deal impact on the competitiveness of the agricultural sector in PortugalPublication . Cabeço, Pedro Filipe Bizarro; Reis, RicardoThis dissertation is a pedagogical case study focused on the impacts that the European Green Deal will have at EU level in its primary sector, namely, in Portugal. A variety of concepts such as sustainability, competitiveness and internationalization will be studied and applied to the following hypothesis: how can the Portuguese primary sector companies, in light of the increased cost structure, remain competitive? The objective of this thesis is to understand, first, at a microeconomic level, the different factors that will have an impact on the cost structure of the farmers, like the higher costs which flow from the investments needed in new technologies. Secondly, at a macroeconomic level, an overview over the current exports and imports and its forecast will be discussed. It was concluded that the farmers will face some challenges and in order to ensure the success of the European Green Deal, the latter must be addressed by different entities. There will be an increase in costs in the short term which will need to be funded with the respective funding options available, for instance, the CAP and the Horizon Europe. In the long term, it is of extreme importance that the consumer’s mindset adapts to more sustainable diets. Further, so that the internationalization of European products thrives, there needs to be a clearer regulation so that the farmers are aware of which products they can export or import to regions which are not in scope of these regulations.
- Ecossistema de plataformas de gestão de ciência e publicação geridas pelas Bibliotecas da Universidade Católica PortuguesaPublication . Catanho, Cláudia; Dias, João
- Anthocyanins, carotenoids and chlorophylls in edible plant leaves unveiled by tandem mass spectrometryPublication . Sousa, ClaraNatural pigments are a quite relevant group of molecules that are widely distributed in nature, possessing a significant role in our daily lives. Besides their colors, natural pigments are currently recognized as having relevant biological properties associated with health benefits, such as anti‐tumor, anti‐atherogenicity, anti‐aging and anti‐inflammatory activities, among others. Some of these compounds are easily associated with specific fruits (such as blueberries with anthocyanins, red pitaya with betalain or tomato with lycopene), vegetables (carrots with carotenoids), plant leaves (chlorophylls in green leaves or carotenoids in yellow and red autumn leaves) and even the muscle tissue of vertebrates (such as myoglobin). Despite being less popular as natural pigment sources, edible plant leaves possess a high variety of chlorophylls, as well as a high variety of carotenoids and anthocyanins. The purpose of this review is to critically analyze the whole workflow employed to identify and quantify the most common natural pigments (anthocyanin, carotenoids and chlorophylls) in edible plant leaves using tandem mass spectrometry. Across the literature there, is a lack of consistency in the methods used to extract and analyze these compounds, and this review aims to surpass this issue. Additionally, mass spectrometry has stood out in the context of metabolomics, currently being a widely employed technique in this field. For the three pigments classes, the following steps will be scrutinized: (i) sample pre‐preparation, including the solvents and extraction conditions; (ii) details of the chromatographic separation and mass spectrometry experiments (iii) pigment identification and quantification.
- Portuguese unicorns : where else to go but the U.S. : a tale of two unicornsPublication . Aguiar, Juliana Nicole; Cardeal, NunoIn the global world of today, companies are expanding internationally left and right. Portuguese start-ups, specifically unicorns who are valued at over one billion dollars, are no exception. This case study focuses on two unicorns with Portuguese DNA, OutSystems and Remote, and aims to assess their internationalization process and the challenges they faced when expanding to the U.S. As a case study, this dissertation follows a pedagogical format to present students with a real life example of the processes and challenges these companies faced when internationalizing to the U.S. It addresses pertinent frameworks and concepts on internationalization strategies, entry modes, and competitive advantages. Students are able to apply these frameworks and concepts learned in class to analyze and discuss the two companies’ expansion processes and understand why the U.S. is an attractive market for start-up technology companies. To examine the internationalization of both companies, primary and secondary data were utilized. Interviews with knowledgeable contacts at the companies and an industry expert were documented as well as secondary data from a report, books, and online sources. The findings identified for unicorns to expand to the U.S. included direct access to the U.S. consumer base, investors, tax reasons, the competitive landscape, and the perceived prestige of being a U.S. company.
- Delivering bad news fairly: the influence of core self-evaluations and anxiety for the enactment of interpersonal justicePublication . Hillebrandt, Annika; Saldanha, Maria Francisca; Brady, Daniel L.; Barclay, Laurie J.What motivates managers to deliver bad news in a just manner and why do some managers fail to treat recipients of bad news with dignity and respect? Given the importance of delivering bad news in a just manner, answering these questions is critical to promote justice in the workplace. Drawing on appraisal theories of emotions, we propose that people with higher core self-evaluations may be less likely to deliver bad news in an interpersonally just manner. This is because these actors are more likely to appraise the delivery of bad news as a situation in which they have high coping potential and are therefore less likely to experience anxiety. However, we propose that anxiety can be important for propelling the enactment of interpersonal justice. We test our predictions across three studies (with four samples of full-time managers and employees). Theoretical and practical contributions include enhancing our understanding of who is motivated to enact interpersonal justice, why they are motivated to do so, and how to enhance justice in the workplace. Our findings also challenge the assumption that negative emotions are necessarily dysfunctional for the enactment of interpersonal justice and instead highlight the facilitative role of anxiety in this context.
- Alterações climáticas : considerações sobre a (potencial) maior crise de direitos humanos da históriaPublication . Sousa, Henrique Maria de Bettencourt Moreira de; Botelho, Catarina Isabel Tomaz SantosA nossa dissertação visa abordar a relação existente entre as alterações climáticas e os direitos humanos, argumentando que as primeiras já são responsáveis por uma crise de direitos humanos, mas, caso estas não sejam mitigadas de forma satisfatória, estaremos perante a maior crise de direitos humanos da história, devido à sua extensão quer a nível territorial, quer quanto ao número de vítimas. Partindo dessa premissa, iremos aprofundar algumas das vertentes dessa crise. Inicialmente, daremos um panorama geral sobre as alterações climáticas para, logo de seguida, analisar quais são os direitos humanos mais afetados pelas mesmas. Seguidamente, discorremos acerca do facto de as alterações climáticas serem uma fonte de desigualdades, mencionando que as próprias medidas de mitigação da emergência climática poderão ser, também, uma fonte de desigualdades. Sendo certo que as alterações climáticas poderão afetar qualquer ser humano, a verdade é que existem grupos particularmente vulneráveis, identificaremos e analisaremos esses grupos. Abordaremos qual o papel dos Estados, nomeadamente as suas obrigações perante a ameaça dos direitos humanos que as alterações climáticas representam. Por último, introduziremos uma ferramenta legal que, a nosso ver, poderá ser benéfica no combate às alterações climáticas, o constitucionalismo ambiental global.
- Validação da Self-Perceived Employability Scale em estudantes universitários portugueses e a sua relevância na procura de empregoPublication . Gamboa, Vítor; Rothwell, Andrew; Monarca, Maria Adélia; Gomes, JoãoO objectivo deste estudo é apresentar as principais conclusões do processo de tradução e da adaptação da Escala de Empregabilidade Autopercebida (SPES) à população universitária portuguesa, com base numa amostra de 526 estudantes. Os resultados das análises realizadas sobre os itens confirmam a qualidade psicométrica da SPES. Relativamente à validade de constructo (CFA), os índices de qualidade do ajustamento para ao modelo em um (Empregabilidade Percebida), em dois (Empregabilidade Interna e Empregabilidade Externa) e em quatro fatores (Mercado de Trabalho, A Minha Universidade, Campo de Estudo, Competências Pessoais) foram bastante satisfatórios. Contudo, no modelo de um factor, foi necessário eliminar quatro itens; no modelo de dois factores, foram eliminados três itens na empregabilidade interna e dois na empregabilidade externa, e no modelo de quatro factores, foram eliminados quatro itens. Quanto à validade convergente da escala, os resultados foram os esperados, tendo-se verificado que o SPES estava significativamente associado à adaptabilidade da carreira, à auto-eficácia na transição da escola para o trabalho, e às intenções e comportamentos de procura de emprego. Em síntese, os bons níveis de fiabilidade e validade obtidos parecem apoiar a utilização da versão portuguesa do SPES na avaliação da empregabilidade percebida entre os estudantes universitários portugueses.
- Yeast metabolic activity is sufficient to create a wine like aromatic feature in a synthetic grape must — a sensory-driven approachPublication . Fairbairn, Samantha C.; Monforte, Ana Rita; Brand, Jeanne; Ferreira, António C. Silva; Bauer, Florian F.Wine is characterised by an underlying aromatic volatile profile, which allows human subjects to easily recognise the product as “wine” by smell alone. Yeast metabolism significantly contributes to wine organoleptic properties, and some yeast metabolism-derived compounds contribute to the vinous character of wine. However, the relative contribution of yeast and grape-derived metabolic compounds to the sensory perception of a product as “wine-like” remains unexamined. This study explores the possibility of creating a wine-like aroma by yeast metabolic activity alone. For this purpose, we fermented a simple synthetic media without any grape-derived aromatic compounds or precursors thereof. Fermentation products were evaluated for the degree of wine-like sensory perception. The synthetic grape juice nitrogen, sterol and fatty acid composition were altered to improve the recognition of this character. Initial fermentations resulted in products that were not recognised as wine-like, but over several reiterations, more wine-like associations were observed, with some products judged as similar to real wine. The data suggest that the wine-like character responsible for the recognition of a product as “wine” is largely the result of the de novo synthesis of aromatic compounds by yeast and does not require the contribution of grape-derived volatile compounds.