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- Families navigating macroeconomic hard times: the experiences of Portuguese emerging adults and their parents in the aftermath of the Great RecessionPublication . Fonseca, Gabriela; Lourenço, Daniela; Francisco, Rita; Crespo, Carla; Relvas, Ana PaulaAmidst today’s complex financial world, understanding how family adaptation may be fostered in contexts of macroeconomic adversity is paramount. The present qualitative study sought to investigate how Portuguese families with emerging adult children have been managing macroeconomic-related demands since the Great Recession. Specifically, we aimed at uncovering the processes that may have facilitated their adaptation to macroeconomic stress over the last decade. Fourteen two-parent families with at least one emerging adult child (N = 48 participants) participated in semi-structured interviews in late 2010s. Thematic analysis yielded three key themes: (i) Appraisal, capturing family beliefs regarding their macroeconomic contexts since early to late 2010s; (ii) Demands and Impact, reflecting the macroeconomic challenges with which families were confronted; (iii) Capabilities, including coping behaviors – such as financial cutbacks implemented during the recession – and resources – such as family cohesion and parental emotional and instrumental support to emerging adults – that facilitated families’ demand management, potentially constituting key family processes in resilience during macroeconomic hard times. Despite their positive adaptation to macroeconomic demands during the most complicated years of recession, families continued to perceive great instability in their macroeconomic contexts in late 2010s, displaying concerns related to the future of emerging adults. These results highlighted that macroeconomic crises entail long-lasting impacts for individuals and families, alerting researchers, clinicians and politicians to the increased challenges currently faced by young people and their families. In addition, findings from this study can inform clinical practice and the development of multisystemic interventions aiming at helping financially stressed families.
- Trauma-sensitive residential care: perspectives of Portuguese professionals to spark changePublication . Negrão, Mariana; Veiga, Elisa; Rocha, José Carlos; Clemente, InêsDespite global pressure for deinstitutionalization of children in care, and recent legislative changes, Portugal remains a country with very high prevalence of residential care amongst at-risk children. These children were exposed to multiple traumatic events that can disrupt development. Thus, the expansion toward a truly sensitive approach to trauma is valuable, as it aims to increase awareness of its effects and ensure the best empathic care, providing a safe and healthy environment, with consequences also for the wellbeing of residential care staff. The present study aims to characterize the quality of residential care environments in Portugal through the lens of trauma-sensitive care, and to map professionals understanding of main domains, priorities and obstacles to change in this area. The study adopts a mixed method design, reporting on the perceptions of 85 professionals. Main findings show that professionals demonstrate better perceptions regarding physical environment but consider training and supervision as fragile dimensions. Qualitative data bring detail to these views, reinforcing the call for training to all staff and for continuous support to demanding job roles. This exploratory study highlights major aspects that urge to ensure trauma-sensitive residential care – supportive of professionals, to meet the needs of children and youth.
- The effect of silicon on the antioxidant system of tomato seedlings exposed to individual and combined nitrogen and water deficitPublication . Machado, Joana; Fernandes, Ana Patricia G.; Bokor, Boris; Vaculík, Marek; Heuvelink, Ep; Carvalho, Susana M. P.; Vasconcelos, Marta W.Exploring sustainable strategies for improving crop water and nitrogen use efficiency is essential. Silicon (Si) has been reported as a beneficial metalloid for plants since it alleviates several abiotic stresses (including drought) by triggering the plants´ antioxidant system. However, its role in mitigating the negative impact of nitrogen (N) deficit alone or when combined with water (W) deficit is not well studied. This study applied 0 or 2 mM of Na₂SiO to 3-week-old tomato cv. Micro-Tom seedlings that were grown under the following conditions: control (CTR; 100%N+100% Field Capacity), N deficit (N; 50% N + 100% Field Capacity), water deficit (W; 100% N + 50% Field Capacity) or combined stress (N+W; 50% N + 50% Field Capacity. The Si effect on tomato plant growth depended on the type of stress. Si could only alleviate stress caused by N+W deficit resulting in a higher root dry weight (by 28%), total dry weight (by 23%) and root length (by 37%). Alongside this, there was an increase in the antioxidant (AOX) system activity with the root activity of the studied AOX enzymes APX and CAT being enhanced by 48% and by 263%, respectively. Si application also enhanced AOX enzyme activity when tomato plants were subjected to individual deficits but to a lesser extent. In conclusion, Si-treated tomato plants could efficiently modulate their AOX networks in a situation of combined N and water limitation, thus mitigating some of the adverse effects of this combined stress.
- Navigating responsibility for human rights compliance in the fishing industryPublication . Weston, Julia Cirne Lima; Kelling, IngridThe surge in visibility of human rights abuses within the seafood supply chain has propelled scrutiny into the sustainability of global fisheries, leading to heightened interest in the social performance of seafood companies and questioning the obligations of States in upholding human rights under international law. This review aims to bring clarity on where responsibility for ensuring compliance with human rights law lies within the context of the fishing industry. It provides a comprehensive analysis of international legal provisions related to the human rights of fishers, derived from both treaty law and State practice. To effectively address human rights and labor abuses, a transformative approach that prioritizes the wellbeing of workers over profit is needed, involving the implementation of participatory strategies, empowering workers and the cultivation of shared responsibility. Despite the proactive role played by the private sector in developing global standards, the review uncovers inherent limitations in relying solely on certifications for comprehensive human rights protection. The study concludes that international human right law unequivocally applies to fishers, with States primarily responsible for enforcement. As enforcement remains a challenge in the maritime context, particularly on the high seas, the burden for solutions should rest on a collaborative effort within the international arena to ensure a sustainable and ethical future for global seafood.
- Low water supply differentially affects the growth, yield and mineral profile of kabuli and desi chickpeas (cicer arietinum)Publication . Medeiros, Janaina S.; Silva, Marta Nunes da; Carvalho, Susana M. P.; Santos, Carolos S.; Vasconcelos, Marta W.The climatic events predicted to increase in intensity and frequency in the near future, including drought, may influence the quality and productivity of several important crops for human nutrition, such as legumes. Herein, two chickpea genotypes (Cicer arietinum) were analysed for their resilience to low water supply: a commercial white chickpea (kabuli), and a black chickpea (desi) with marginal production in occidental countries. Plants were grown under four levels of water supplies (90, 75, 50 and 25% of field capacity), and biometric variables (root, shoot, pods and seeds), proxies of plant fitness (water content and oxidative stress) and the seed nutritional profile (protein and mineral concentrations) were analysed at plant maturity. Results show that water content in shoots and roots decreased with decreasing water supplies, with kabuli plants generally having higher water content in shoots and desi in roots. Shoot length was significantly higher in kabuli compared to desi, while root length increased up to 11% in both species with decreasing water supplies. The root-to-shoot ratio was higher in kabuli and increased with decreasing water supply, being negatively correlated with the number of pods and seeds per plant. Lipid peroxidation increased with decreasing water supply, having slight positive correlations with plant growth parameters while being negatively correlated with plant productivity. No significant effects of plant genotype and water supply were observed on seed K, Ca, and protein, but desi was able to sustain higher P, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn and B than kabuli, including at lower water supplies. Results suggest that water stress negatively impacts plant growth and productivity and that the two chickpea genotypes have distinct biomass and water allocation strategies to cope with low water supply. These findings may be useful in strategies for improving the productivity and nutritional profile of chickpea crops under water-limited conditions.
- Exploring the multifaceted challenges of women in engineering: a comprehensive literature reviewPublication . Dabić, Marina; Posinković, Tena Obradović; Maley, Jane F.; Vlačić, Božidar; Marzi, Giacomo; Kraus, SaschaThe present research delves into the complex dynamics of gender equality, highlighting women's experiences within the engineering sector. Drawing from a literature spanning from 2005 to 2023, we gathered insights from 108 pertinent articles on the topic. Our results show that a substantial portion of research underscore the persistent biases and barriers women encounter in engineering. Through our analysis, we unveiled four dominant themes: 'The Impact of Sex Differences on Productivity,' 'Gender Digital Divide,' 'Discriminatory Behaviour,' and 'Women and Performance.' Applying the glass ceiling theory as analytical framework, we discern a prevailing neglect toward women's challenges in the engineering field. Our findings accentuate the necessity for innovative policy interventions. To this end, we introduce a comprehensive policy model tailored to champion robust gender equity initiatives within the engineering field.
- Development and optimization of high-protein and low-saturated fat bread formulations enriched with lupin and microalgaePublication . Pereira, Tatiana; Costa, Sandrina; Barroso, Sónia; Teixeira, Paula; Mendes, Susana; Gil, Maria M.Increased consumer awareness of healthier foods is driving the growth in the functional bread market. In view of this potential, three bread formulations were developed using various types of flour enriched with microalgae. The multigrain breads were composed of lupin and rye (F–R), lupin and spelt (F–S), and lupin, oats, and carob (F-OC) enriched with a mixture of Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris White and C. vulgaris Smooth (4:1)). All breads were high in protein and low in saturated fat. Response surface methodology (RSM) following a central composite design (CCD) was used to evaluate the effect of selected technological parameters, namely water content (64.6–94.6% (w/w of flours)) and microalgae concentration (1.9–3.9% (w/w of flours)) on color, aroma, taste, texture, and overall sensory acceptance of the products. Only water content was found to affect the bread's sensory scores, especially texture, with higher water content increasing bread acceptance. This study allowed the development and optimization of three novel multigrain bread formulations enriched with microalgae that met the requirements of “rich in proteins” and “low in saturated fats” claims.
- Solubilization and hydrolysis of porcine coagulated blood protein using sub-critical solvent extractionPublication . Marques, Bianca; Nunes, Rafaela; Araújo-Rodrigues, Helena; Pintado, Manuela; Pereira, Ricardo N.; Teixeira, José A.; Rocha, Cristina M. R.Pork represents a major fraction of the meat consumed worldwide but only 30% of the blood generated in slaughterhouses is re-used as raw material for food and feed. Innovative technologies and efficient processing strategies capable of generating added-value products from it are now attracting attention. In this study, the hydrolysis of porcine coagulated blood using sub-critical solvent extraction was investigated. Biomass was hydrolyzed using different temperatures (120–210 °C), applying only water (sub-critical water; SCW) or water with a low concentration of alkali (0.1 mol L−1 NaOH) and different reaction times (30–90 min). Resultant hydrolysates were analyzed for crude and soluble protein, peptide profile, and bioactivity by combining protein quantification, antioxidant activity, and fast protein liquid chromatography measurements. Results showed that increasing temperature increases the degree of hydrolysis and that the addition of NaOH enhances the solubilization of peptides with high molecular weights. Also, hydrolysates showed interesting antioxidant activity, being 60 min the time of reaction with best antioxidant activity. Nevertheless, using only water (SCW) as solvent, without chemical additives, allows the delivering of interesting protein-based bioactive fractions. Sub-critical solvent treatment of porcine blood resulted in added-value fractions with potential bioactivities through a simple and environmentally friendly process.
- Names shredded apart: Banksy, pseudonymity, and famePublication . Pinto, Sofia