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The selection of indicators for the Observatory of Sustainability of the Algarve Region for Tourism (OBSERVE), poses challenges, namely which indicators are relevant to stakeholders and how to assure that information is available. To support the selection of the environmental, sociocultural, economic and institutional indicators, an engagement process was designed and applied, which included meetings with stakeholders, a workshop and an online survey. The results showed that both workshop and online surveys reflected, in general, similar opinions, thus allowing the selecting of the sustainable development indicators for the Algarve region. Additionally, the results showed that nearly 75% of the indicators can be obtained from national statistics and, therefore, can be used on the OBSERVE project, assuring a quick flow of information. As limitations, it is important to mention that the other 25% will need further development, in order to provide data for indicators, like carbon management and client satisfaction. With this approach, the observatory will survey and evaluate the sustainable development of the region (status and trends), based on indicators that answer to the strategic needs of system’s main users, with social and economic implications, i.e., public institutions, economic agents, tourists, local communities and residents.

O Fabrico Aditivo (FA) descreve os processos que criam peças em 3D, sendo estas fabricadas camada-por-camada. A tecnologia do FA já abrange, hoje em dia, uma grande variedade de materiais, não havendo essa barreira quando é proposto um projeto. Permite também a produção de mais peças em menos tempo, o que faz com que haja uma redução de custos e de desperdício de material. A Otimização Topológica combina o método dos elementos finitos com fórmulas matemáticas de otimização, proporcionando assim uma melhor distribuição de material no domínio de referência da geometria em análise. Esta otimização pode ser aplicada de modo a melhorar o desempenho de produtos já existentes ou para criar novos. Ao juntar estas duas ferramentas, o FA com a otimização topológica, é possível criar estruturas mais leves, com maior rigidez e complexidade. O que antigamente não era fazível, devido à limitação nos moldes e ferramentas nos métodos tradicionais.Esta dissertação procura a possibilidade de usar a otimização topológica como ferramenta para obter uma asa, para um avião não tripulado (UAV), mais leve. O objetivo é investigar as características de rigidez e resistência de uma asa, sendo apresentados diferentes casos para análise. O trabalho descreve os designs e os procedimentos numéricos, em que se enquadram a dinâmica dos fluidos computacional, as análises estruturais e a otimização topológica. A otimização foi realizada com o objetivo de minimizar a massa. Todo o procedimento numérico foi efetuado no software ANSYS.Ao realizar este trabalho, houve um caso de estudo que se destacou apresentando uma redução de 74% da massa, ainda assim para os requerimentos da aeronave em questão são necessários mais estudos.

A Paisagem Rural está a transformar-se e com ela o pensamento da sociedade. O crescimento de novas dinâmicas no mundo rural desenvolveu o conceito de Multifuncionalidade na Paisagem Rural, que pretende que o rural seja entendido como um espaço agrícola, mas também como um espaço patrimonial (natural e cultural).A dissertação tem por objetivo contribuir para a demonstração da importância do meio rural na paisagem e na sociedade. O caso de estudo eleito - a Herdade do Pereiro - situa-se em Marvão. Para uma melhor compreensão da região, pretendeu-se, primeiramente, entender o modo como o Alentejo foi evoluindo ao longo de várias épocas marcantes, como a Idade da Pedra, a Idade do Bronze, a Idade do Ferro I e II, o Domínio Romano, o Domínio Árabe, a Reconquista Cristã, o séc. XIX e o XX e posteriormente, a sua unidade de paisagem, o Montado.A análise da estrutura ecológica e cultural da Herdade do Pereiro permitiu demonstrar a importância destes espaços no meio rural, como justificativa para a sua reabilitação e elemento dinamizador de comunidades.

The financial market should be guided by its efficiency, integrity, transparency and equal access to information. All these values are called upon question by situations of market abuse, such as the crime of insider trading.The illicit of insider trading occurs when a person possesses inside information and uses that information by acquiring or disposing of, for its own account or for the account of a third party, directly or indirectly, financial instruments to which that information relate, obtaining for himself an undue benefit from the inside information to the disadvantage of third parties who are unaware of such information. This illicit practice results in the weakening of the integrity of financial markets and investor confidence.In order to ensure the integrity of the markets and the trust of the acting agents, the practice of insider trading crime should be censored and, as a consequence, sanctions should be applied.

A vontade de se tornar uma empresa diferenciada num mercado cada vez mais competitivo, sustentável e inovador, leva a Dão Sul a projectar novas estratégias comerciais de modo a garantir a satisfação das exigências dos seus clientes. Como resposta a estas exigências surge a necessidade de implementar a norma IFS.A norma IFS integra-se nos mais elevados padrões de qualidade e segurança alimentar, monitorizando o nível de qualidade dos produtos. De forma a garantir todos os requisitos legais nomeadamente o cumprimento do decreto-lei nº. 199/2008, de 8 de Outubro que estabelece as regras relativas às quantidades nominais aplicáveis a produtos pré-embalados, foram feitas avaliação dos níveis correctos de enchimento ao longo da linha de engarrafamento.Nesta dissertação foram realizados ensaios metrológicos fundamentais para a calibração do sensor de nível presente na linha de engarrafamento, melhorando o desempenho da mesma, contribuindo assim para um ajuste correcto do volume de enchimentos. Finalmente, são apresentados os resultados da implementação dos pré-requisitos na norma IFS.

Cancer immunoediting is a dynamic process of crosstalk between tumor cells and the immune system. Herein, we explore the fast zebrafish xenograft model to investigate the innate immune contribution to this process. Using multiple breast and colorectal cancer cell lines and zAvatars, we find that some are cleared (regressors) while others engraft (progressors) in zebrafish xenografts. We focus on two human colorectal cancer cells derived from the same patient that show contrasting engraftment/clearance profiles. Using polyclonal xenografts to mimic intra-tumor heterogeneity, we demonstrate that SW620_progressors can block clearance of SW480_regressors. SW480_regressors recruit macrophages and neutrophils more efficiently than SW620_progressors; SW620_progressors however, modulate macrophages towards a pro-tumoral phenotype. Genetic and chemical suppression of myeloid cells indicates that macrophages and neutrophils play a crucial role in clearance. Single-cell-transcriptome analysis shows a fast subclonal selection, with clearance of regressor subclones associated with IFN/Notch signaling and escaper-expanded subclones with enrichment of IL10 pathway. Overall, our work opens the possibility of using zebrafish xenografts as living biomarkers of the tumor microenvironment. Zebrafish has emerged as an important vertebrate model to study tumor biology and immune response. Here, using a zebrafish xenograft model, the authors show that the engraftment capacity of human colorectal cancer cell lines is influenced by innate immune response and immunoediting.

We detected Mayaro virus (MAYV) in 3.4% (28/822) of febrile patients tested during 2018-2021 from Roraima State, Brazil. We also isolated MAYV strains and confirmed that these cases were caused by genotype D. Improved surveillance is needed to better determine the burden of MAYV in the Amazon Region.

ObjectiveAn interesting and so far unexplained feature of chronic pain in autoimmune disease is the frequent disconnect between pain and inflammation. This is illustrated well in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) where pain in joints (arthralgia) may precede joint inflammation and persist even after successful anti-inflammatory treatment. In the present study, we have addressed the possibility that autoantibodies against citrullinated proteins (ACPA), present in RA, may be directly responsible for the induction of pain, independent of inflammation.MethodsAntibodies purified from human patients with RA, healthy donors and murinised monoclonal ACPA were injected into mice. Pain-like behaviour was monitored for up to 28 days, and tissues were analysed for signs of pathology. Mouse osteoclasts were cultured and stimulated with antibodies, and supernatants analysed for release of factors. Mice were treated with CXCR1/2 (interleukin (IL) 8 receptor) antagonist reparixin.ResultsMice injected with either human or murinised ACPA developed long-lasting pronounced pain-like behaviour in the absence of inflammation, while non-ACPA IgG from patients with RA or control monoclonal IgG were without pronociceptive effect. This effect was coupled to ACPA-mediated activation of osteoclasts and release of the nociceptive chemokine CXCL1 (analogue to human IL-8). ACPA-induced pain-like behaviour was reversed with reparixin.ConclusionsThe data suggest that CXCL1/IL-8, released from osteoclasts in an autoantibody-dependent manner, produces pain by activating sensory neurons. The identification of this new pain pathway may open new avenues for pain treatment in RA and also in other painful diseases associated with autoantibody production and/or osteoclast activation.

Background This investigation assessed the effects of high dietary inclusion of Spirulina ( Arthrospira platensis ) on broiler chicken growth performance, meat quality and nutritional attributes. For this, 120 male broiler chicks were housed in 40 battery brooders (three birds per brooder). Initially, for 14 days, a standard corn and soybean meal diet was administered. Subsequently, from days 14 to 35, chicks were assigned to one of the four dietary treatments ( n  = 10 per treatment): (1) control diet (CTR); (2) diet with 15% Spirulina (SP); (3) diet with 15% extruded Spirulina (SPE); and (4) diet with 15% Spirulina plus a super-dosing enzymes supplement (0.20% pancreatin extract and 0.01% lysozyme) (SPM). Results Throughout the experimental period, both SP and SPM diets resulted in decreased final body weight and body weight gain compared to control ( p  < 0.001), with the SPE diet showing comparable results to CTR. The SPE diet prompted an increase in average daily feed intake ( p  = 0.026). However, all microalga treatments increased the feed conversion ratio compared to CTR. Dietary inclusion of Spirulina notably increased intestinal content viscosity ( p  < 0.010), which was mitigated by the SPM diet. Spirulina supplementation led to lower pH levels in breast meat 24 h post-mortem and heightened the b* colour value in both breast and thigh meats ( p  < 0.010). Furthermore, Spirulina contributed to an increased accumulation of total carotenoids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and saturated fatty acids (SFA), while diminishing n-6 PUFA, thus altering the n-6/n-3 and PUFA/SFA ratios favourably ( p  < 0.001). However, it also reduced zinc concentration in breast meat ( p  < 0.001). Conclusions The findings indicate that high Spirulina levels in broiler diets impair growth due to increased intestinal viscosity, and that extrusion pre-treatment mitigates this effect. Despite reducing digesta viscosity, a super-dosing enzyme mix did not improve growth. Data also indicates that Spirulina enriches meat with antioxidants and n-3 PUFA but reduces α-tocopherol and increases saturated fats. Reduced zinc content in meat suggests the need for Spirulina biofortification to maintain its nutritional value.

Marine litter is a global problem which has been negatively affecting the environment. Plastic materials are the most commonly found marine debris, with potential biological (not only for aquatic organisms but also for humans) as well as socio-economic impacts. Considering that it is an anthropogenic problem, society could play an important role to minimize it. Although a considerable amount of research has addressed the biological effects of plastics (micro(nano)plastics) on biota, few studies have addressed how scientific information is being transmitted to the public and the potential role of citizen environmental education. The current paper discusses known effects, researched topics and how scientific knowledge is currently being transmitted to the public.