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The purpose of this article is to present the development and validation of a Community Resilience Scale for Youth (CRS-Y) among a Portuguese sample of nearly 4000 young people growing up in regions on the border with Spain. The scale was developed for young people to assess their perception of the resilience of regional communities in terms of positive development and purposeful experiences for young people. Resilient communities, under a social ecological approach, are those able to move forward on social change and transformation. This concept is especially remarkable in more challenging contexts such as border regions of mainland Portugal which are characterised by economic, social, educational, and cultural disadvantages while discovering possibilities of resilience through promising local dynamics. A multi-step approach was used to develop this scale of 12-item scale. Items were generated based on an in-depth literature review and research previously conducted with young people in these contexts. The overall sample was randomly divided into two subsamples of 1828 and 1735 young people each. Principal component analysis was performed with one of the subsamples and yielded a three-factor structure, explaining 61.5% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis performed on the second showed good fit indexes. Furthermore, internal consistency of the three proposed components, gauged either by Cronbach’s alpha or McDonald’s omega, indicated good reliability. Given the results, the CRS-Y is a valid and reliable tool showing adequate psychometric properties. This scale will be useful for schools and policy makers at the local level. Indicators such as the promotion of opportunities to participate and be recognised, collective trust and the promotion of shared values and protection are relevant in assessing regional communities’ resilience and informing youth policies.

Flowering time is a complex trait that controls adaptation of plants to their local environment in the outcrossing species Zea mays (maize). We dissected variation for flowering time with a set of 5000 recombinant inbred lines (maize Nested Association Mapping population, NAM). Nearly a million plants were assayed in eight environments but showed no evidence for any single large-effect quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Instead, we identified evidence for numerous small-effect QTLs shared among families; however, allelic effects differ across founder lines. We identified no individual QTLs at which allelic effects are determined by geographic origin or large effects for epistasis or environmental interactions. Thus, a simple additive model accurately predicts flowering time for maize, in contrast to the genetic architecture observed in the selfing plant species rice and Arabidopsis.

In the last few decades, attention on new natural antimicrobial compounds has arisen due to a change in consumer preferences and the increase in the number of resistant microorganisms. Macroalgae play a special role in the pursuit of new active molecules as they have been traditionally consumed and are known for their chemical and nutritional composition and their biological properties, including antimicrobial activity. Among the bioactive molecules of algae, proteins and peptides, polysaccharides, polyphenols, polyunsaturated fatty acids and pigments can be highlighted. However, for the complete obtaining and incorporation of these molecules, it is essential to achieve easy, profitable and sustainable recovery of these compounds. For this purpose, novel liquid–liquid and solid–liquid extraction techniques have been studied, such as supercritical, ultrasound, microwave, enzymatic, high pressure, accelerated solvent and intensity pulsed electric fields extraction techniques. Moreover, different applications have been proposed for these compounds, such as preservatives in the food or cosmetic industries, as antibiotics in the pharmaceutical industry, as antibiofilm, antifouling, coating in active packaging, prebiotics or in nanoparticles. This review presents the main antimicrobial potential of macroalgae, their specific bioactive compounds and novel green extraction technologies to efficiently extract them, with emphasis on the antibacterial and antifungal data and their applications.

Abstract The activity of the microbiome of fish mucosae provides functions related to immune response, digestion, or metabolism. Several biotic and abiotic factors help maintaining microbial homeostasis, with disruptions leading to dysbiosis. Diseases and antibiotic administration are known to cause dysbiosis in farmed fish. Pathogen infections greatly affect the production of gilthead seabream, and antibiotic treatment is still frequently required. Here, we employed a 16S rRNA high-throughput metataxonomics approach to characterize changes in the gut, skin, and gill microbiomes occurring due to infection with Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida and subsequent antibiotic treatment with oxytetracycline (OTC), as well as during recovery. Although microbiota response differed between studied tissues, overall changes in composition, diversity, structure, and predicted function were observed in all mucosae. The skin and gill microbiomes of diseased fish became largely dominated by taxa that have been frequently linked to secondary infections, whereas in the gut the genus Vibrio, known to include pathogenic bacteria, increased with OTC treatment. The study highlights the negative impacts of disease and antibiotic treatment on the microbiome of farmed fish. Our results also suggest that fish transportation operations may have profound effects on the fish microbiome, but further studies are needed to accurately evaluate their impact. Gut, but mostly skin and gills microbiomes are altered in response to Phdp infection and oxytetraciclin treatment, not recovering even after 500º.day

Human aging is a multidirectional, multidimensional, and multicausal process that reflects biological, psychological, and sociocultural influences, which act in distinct combinations throughout the life-span. Proactivity towards avoiding the usual aging process is needed. This study analyses the long-term effects of participation in Community-Based Programs on psychological well-being. A sample of 150 community-dwelling participants enrolled in Community-Based Programs, aged 55 to 84 years and living in three Portuguese localities were matched by age (55-64, 65-74, 75-84 years), gender, and locality with a comparison group of non-participants. We administered a multidimensional gerontological protocol which included socio-demographic information, measures of health/disease, functional ability, social network, cognitive performance and psychological well-being. Hierarchical regression models were used to test the effects of Community-Based Programs on psychological well-being adjusting for remaining variables. Overall, psychological well-being is positively associated with household income and satisfaction with health. Nevertheless, in participants, psychological well-being builds predominantly upon social network and is not associated with a moderate inability or cognitive deficits, contrasting with psychological well-being in non-participants. After adjusting for background variables, psychological well-being was positively associated with health satisfaction and social network and negatively related to moderate inability. Further, a significant interaction of participation in Community-Based Programs with age, points out higher levels of psychological well-being in participants contrasting with a downward trend in non-participants. After stratification by age, psychological well-being increases with time attending Community-Based Programs in the oldest (75-84 years) contrasting with the remainder. Participation in Community-Based Programs may improve the negative effects of the aging process on psychological well-being. This positive effect as age increases may be linked to a reinforcement of social network, valued more by participants in Community-Based Programs. Furthermore, the programs may act as a healing/maintenance strategy in persons with moderate inability and/or cognitive deficits.

Within the framework of current educational policies on citizenship education, which promote the appraisal of the local dimension of educational activities as a direct context for the development of situated citizenship practices (AR, 2018), this article examines community-based approaches to citizenship education in rural schools and communities located in the border regions of mainland Portugal. From a theoretical perspective, the study adopts a maximalist conception of citizenship education, emphasising its experiential nature and community orientation, and draws on place-based education approaches. These perspectives place local realities, collective action, and the involvement of community actors at the centre of citizenship formation. Methodologically, we use data from a mixed-methods study conducted in 29 schools, including documentary analysis of schools’ educational projects, activity programmes and citizenship education strategies, semi-structured interviews with teachers coordinating citizenship education, and a questionnaire survey distributed to secondary education students. The results reveal a variety of initiatives and areas of community engagement led by schools, aimed at promoting well-being and valuing local cultures and realities. At the same time, the study identifies the different roles played by community actors – including schools, stakeholders, and young people – in fostering community well-being and social cohesion. En el marc de les polítiques educatives contemporànies relatives a l’educació per a la ciutadania, que promouen la valoració de la dimensió local de les activitats educatives com a context directe per al desenvolupament de pràctiques situades de ciutadania (AR, 2018), aquest article examina enfocaments comunitaris d’educació per a la ciutadania en escoles rurals i comunitats de les regions frontereres del Portugal continental. Des d’una perspectiva teòrica, s’adopta una concepció maximalista de l’educació per a la ciutadania, que en destaca el caràcter experiencial i l’orientació comunitària, i que s’inspira en els plantejaments de l’educació basada en el lloc. Aquests enfocaments situen al centre les realitats locals, l’acció col·lectiva i la implicació d’actors comunitaris en els processos formatius de ciutadania. Metodològicament, l’estudi es fonamenta en un enfocament de mètodes mixtos aplicat en 29 escoles, que va incloure l’anàlisi documental de projectes educatius, programes d’activitats i estratègies de ciutadania; entrevistes semiestructurades amb docents coordinadors d’educació per a la ciutadania; i un qüestionari adreçat a estudiants d’educació secundària postobligatòria. Els resultats evidencien una àmplia diversitat d’iniciatives i modalitats de participació comunitària impulsades per les escoles, orientades a promoure el benestar i a valorar les cultures locals. Així mateix, s’identifiquen els diferents rols exercits per les escoles, els agents comunitaris i els joves en la promoció del benestar col·lectiu i en l’enfortiment de la cohesió social. En el marco de las políticas educativas contemporáneas relativas a la educación para la ciudadanía, que promueven la valorización de la dimensión local de las actividades escolares como contexto privilegiado para el desarrollo de prácticas situadas de ciudadanía (AR, 2018), este artículo analiza los enfoques comunitarios de educación ciudadana implementados en escuelas rurales y en comunidades de las zonas fronterizas del Portugal continental. Desde una perspectiva teórica, se adopta una concepción maximalista de la educación para la ciudadanía, la cual subraya su carácter experiencial y su orientación hacia la comunidad, inspirándose en los planteamientos de la educación basada en el lugar. Dichos enfoques sitúan en el centro las realidades locales, la acción colectiva y la participación de actores comunitarios en los procesos formativos. En términos metodológicos, el estudio se fundamenta en un enfoque de métodos mixtos aplicado en 29 escuelas, que comprendió el análisis documental de proyectos educativos, programas de actividades y estrategias institucionales de ciudadanía; la realización de entrevistas semiestructuradas con docentes coordinadores de esta área; y la aplicación de un cuestionario dirigido a estudiantes de educación secundaria. Los resultados evidencian una amplia diversidad de iniciativas y modalidades de participación comunitaria promovidas por las escuelas, orientadas a fomentar el bienestar y a poner en valor las culturas locales. Asimismo, se identifican los distintos roles desempeñados por las instituciones escolares, los agentes comunitarios y los jóvenes en la promoción del bienestar colectivo y en el fortalecimiento de la cohesión social.

Background/purpose. This study examines recent scholarship on Educational Administration in Europe’s outermost regions, focusing on sixteen master's dissertations defended at the University of Madeira (2020‑2025). It examines how these works reflect emerging governance challenges related to leadership, inclusion, and local development. Materials/methods. A qualitative meta‑synthesis was conducted. Each dissertation was coded against four analytic dimensions (objectives, conceptual lenses, methodology, findings) and the resulting matrix was triangulated with international literature to identify convergences and gaps. Results. The corpus converges on four themes: the centrality of collaborative leadership, the mediating role of organizational culture in implementing policy, the growing use of mixed‑method approaches to evaluate curricular and social‑action initiatives, and the persistent quest for equity in marginalized settings such as prisons, social housing and senior education. Leadership style, stakeholder participation and inter‑institutional cooperation emerge as decisive factors for successful innovation. The meta-synthesis reveals convergent trends toward collaborative, participatory, and adaptive leadership, and highlights the role of educational governance in promoting social inclusion and territorial development across diverse contexts. Conclusion. Evidence indicates that educational administration in peripheral territories is most effective when anchored in adaptive, inclusive leadership and supported by coherent multilevel policies. The review generates a four‑pillar reference framework - leadership, policy-culture nexus, pedagogical processes, and equity - that can guide future research and practice.

The development of inclusion complexes is used to encapsulate nonpolar compounds and improve their physicochemical characteristics. This study aims to develop complexes made up of Euterpe oleracea Mart oil (EOO) and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) or hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) by either kneading (KND) or slurry (SL). Complexes were analyzed by molecular modeling, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The antibacterial activity was expressed as Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), and the antibiotic resistance modulatory activity as subinhibitory concentration (MIC/8) against Escherichia coli, Streptomyces aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis. Inclusion complexes with β-CD and HP-β-CD were confirmed, and efficiency was proven by an interaction energy between oleic acid and β-CD of −41.28 ± 0.57 kJ/mol. MIC values revealed higher antibacterial activity of complexes compared to the isolated oil. The modulatory response of EOO and EOO-β-CD prepared by KND as well as of EOO-β-CD and EOO-HP-β-CD prepared by SL showed a synergistic effect with ampicillin against E. coli, whereas it was not significant with the other drugs tested, maintaining the biological response of antibiotics. The antimicrobial response exhibited by the complexes is of great significance because it subsidizes studies for the development of new pharmaceutical forms.

Inclusive education is a central pillar of contemporary educational policy worldwide, aiming to ensure equity, participation, and success for all learners. Understanding how inclusive policies are implemented in everyday school contexts is essential to identify both enabling factors and persistent barriers. In Portugal, this process has been shaped by a progressive legislative framework, notably Decree-Law 54/2018 and its regional adaptation in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM) through Regional Legislative Decree 11/2020/M. This case study combined qualitative documentary analysis with a questionnaire applied to coordinators of the Multidisciplinary Teams to Support Inclusive Education (EMAEI) from 11 of the 14 secondary schools in the RAM (79% of the total). The questionnaire covered five domains: inclusive principles, leadership, professional development, resources, and diagnosis of learning barriers. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to interpret the data. Results show that coordinators share a strong ethical commitment to inclusion and recognize EMAEI as a strategic organizational structure. However, they point to irregular and insufficient training, delays and mismatches in resource allocation, and limited institutionalization of co-teaching and joint planning. Leadership emerges as a decisive enabler of collaborative cultures. The study concludes that ambitious legislation must be complemented by agile resource management, sustained context-based training, and distributed leadership for inclusive schooling to become everyday practice.

Key messageModel training on data from all selection cycles yielded the highest prediction accuracy by attenuating specific effects of individual cycles. Expected reliability was a robust predictor of accuracies obtained with different calibration sets.The transition from phenotypic to genome-based selection requires a profound understanding of factors that determine genomic prediction accuracy. We analysed experimental data from a commercial maize breeding programme to investigate if genomic measures can assist in identifying optimal calibration sets for model training. The data set consisted of six contiguous selection cycles comprising testcrosses of 5968 doubled haploid lines genotyped with a minimum of 12,000 SNP markers. We evaluated genomic prediction accuracies in two independent prediction sets in combination with calibration sets differing in sample size and genomic measures (effective sample size, average maximum kinship, expected reliability, number of common polymorphic SNPs and linkage phase similarity). Our results indicate that across selection cycles prediction accuracies were as high as 0.57 for grain dry matter yield and 0.76 for grain dry matter content. Including data from all selection cycles in model training yielded the best results because interactions between calibration and prediction sets as well as the effects of different testers and specific years were attenuated. Among genomic measures, the expected reliability of genomic breeding values was the best predictor of empirical accuracies obtained with different calibration sets. For grain yield, a large difference between expected and empirical reliability was observed in one prediction set. We propose to use this difference as guidance for determining the weight phenotypic data of a given selection cycle should receive in model retraining and for selection when both genomic breeding values and phenotypes are available.