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Mechanisms of action of essential oils on enzymes relevant to insect and nematode development
No full textInsects, such as the Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly, Ceratitis capitata) and the
armyworm (Mynthimna unipuncta), and nematodes, such as the root-knot
nematode (RKN, Meloidogyne incognita) and the pine wood nematode (PWN,
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus), are major agricultural pests. Botanical pesticides
such as essential oils (EOs) have proven effective in controlling agricultural pests
due to their repellent, anti-feeding properties, etc. Therefore, the objective of this
study was to evaluate the potential of aromatic plants in controlling the pests C.
capitata, M. unipuncta, M. incognita, and B. xylophilus by studying their
mechanisms of action on the neural and digestive enzymes. This study focused on
the EOs of Origanum vulgare, Thymus vulgaris, Ocimum gratissimum, Mentha
pulegium, and Cinnamomum cassia, mainly composed of carvacrol, thymol,
eugenol, pulegone, and trans-cinnamaldehyde, respectively, as several studies
have mentioned their insecticidal and/or nematicidal effects. Theirinteractions with
enzymes relevant to insect and nematode development, namely
acetylcholinesterase (AChE), α- and β-glucosidase, were investigated using crude
enzyme extracts obtained from the selected species. Enzyme activity and soluble
protein content were quantified using standard assays, and SDS-PAGE was
performed to attempt protein identification. In vitro inhibition assays with the EOs
and their major components were then conducted to assess inhibitory activity and
provide insights into potential mechanisms of action. The results revealed that all
tested EOs inhibited AChE but had no effect on the digestive enzymes. Among the
EOs studied, M. pulegium EO showed the strongest inhibition of AChE in both Medfly
(IC50 = 0.022 mg/mL) and PWN (IC50 = 0.1209 mg/mL). C. cassia EO was particularly
effective against armyworm (IC₅₀ = 0.0020 mg/mL) and RKN (IC₅₀ = 0.0197 mg/mL).
These findings suggest that these EOs primarily exert their toxic effects through
interference with the nervous system, supporting their potential as sustainable
alternatives to synthetic pesticides in environmentally friendly pest management.Insetos, como a mosca-da-fruta-mediterrânica (Ceratitis capitata) e a lagarta-das pastagens (Mynthimna unipuncta), e nemátodos, como o nemátodo-das-galhas
(Meloidogyne incognita) e o nemátodo-da-madeira-do-pinheiro (Bursaphelenchus
xylophilus), constituem pragas agrícolas de elevada importância. Os pesticidas
botânicos, como os óleos essenciais (OEs), têm demonstrado eficácia no controlo
de pragas agrícolas devido às suas propriedades repelentes, anti-feeding, etc.
Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o potencial de plantas aromáticas no
controlo das pragas C. capitata, M. unipuncta, M. incognita e B. xylophilus,
investigando os seus mecanismos de ação sobre enzimas neurais e digestivas. Este
estudo centrou-se nos OEs de Origanum vulgare, Thymus vulgaris, Ocimum
gratissimum, Mentha pulegium e Cinnamomum cassia, compostos
maioritariamente por carvacrol, timol, eugenol, pulegona e trans-cinamaldeído,
respetivamente, pois diversos estudos têm reportado os seus efeitos inseticidas
e/ou nematicidas. Foram investigadas as interações destes OEs com enzimas
relevantes para o desenvolvimento de insetos e nemátodos, nomeadamente
acetilcolinesterase (AChE), α- e β-glucosidase, utilizando extratos enzimáticos
brutos obtidos das espécies selecionadas. A atividade enzimática e o teor de
proteínas solúveis foram quantificados através de ensaios padrão e realizou-se
SDS-PAGE com o objetivo de identificar proteínas. Posteriormente, ensaios de
inibição in vitro com os OEs permitiram avaliar a atividade inibitória e elucidar
potenciais mecanismos de ação. Os resultados mostraram que todos os OEs
testados inibiram a AChE, porém não afetaram as enzimas digestivas. Entre eles, o
OE de M. pulegium apresentou a maior inibição da AChE tanto em adultos de C.
capitata (IC50 = 0,022 mg/mL) quanto em B. xylophilus (IC50 = 0,1209 mg/mL),
enquanto o OE de C. cassia foi particularmente eficaz contra a lagarta de M.
unipuncta (IC₅₀ = 0,0020 mg/mL) e M. incognita (IC₅₀ = 0,0197 mg/mL). Estes
resultados sugerem que os OEs estudados exercem a sua toxicidade sobretudo por
interferência no sistema nervoso, reforçando o seu potencial como alternativas
sustentáveis aos pesticidas sintéticos no controlo integrado de pragas
A influência das redes sociais e dos dispositivos móveis na experiência de consumo dos visitantes nos museus da Região Autónoma da Madeira
Get PDFOs museus têm assumido uma relevância crescente nos destinos turísticos e a sua boa gestão
gera receitas não apenas para as próprias organizações culturais, mas também para as
localidades onde se encontram inseridos. Dado o potencial dos museus da Região Autónoma
da Madeira, estudaremos diversos aspetos da sua gestão, bem como os serviços culturais
oferecidos, visando a estimular o aumento da procura e compreender o papel das redes
sociais e os dispositivos moveis na experiência de consumo dos visitantes.
Para tal, foi realizado um inquérito por questionário, sendo importante destacar que a maioria
das respostas foi fornecida pelos residentes nacionais, uma vez que, de forma geral, os
turistas mostraram-se indisponíveis para preencher o mesmo, apesar dos esforços
desenvolvidos.
Além disso, foram avaliados parâmetros fundamentais para aprimorar a qualidade e a
satisfação dos serviços nos museus, como café, loja, restaurante, espaço, iluminação, preço,
digitalização, estacionamento, entre outros. Posteriormente, os dados obtidos foram
analisados para formular recomendações direcionadas à modernização tecnológica do setor
museológico madeirense.Museums have become increasingly important in tourist destinations and their good
management generates revenue not only for the cultural organizations themselves, but also
for the localities in which they are located. Given the potential of museums in the
Autonomous Region of Madeira, we will study various aspects of their management, as well
as the cultural services offered, with the aim of stimulating an increase in demand and
understanding the role of social networks and mobile devices in visitors' consumer
experience.
To this end, a questionnaire survey was carried out, and it is important to emphasise that the
majority of responses came from national residents, as tourists were generally unwilling to
fill it out, despite the efforts made. In addition, key parameters for improving the quality and
satisfaction of museum services were assessed, such as the café, store, restaurant, space,
lighting, price, digitalization, parking, among others. The data obtained was then analyzed
in order to formulate recommendations for the technological modernization of Madeira's
museum sector
A importância das práticas educativas baseadas na vinculação na inclusão de alunos com comportamento desafiante
Get PDFSendo a aprendizagem um processo relacional influenciado pela qualidade das relações
que a criança estabelece dentro e fora do contexto escolar, a teoria da vinculação surge
como um importante referencial adotado internacionalmente como base para as práticas
educativas. Contudo, em Portugal, poucos estudos têm abordado a relação entre
vinculação e aprendizagem. Este estudo teve como principal objetivo compreender como
os profissionais de escolas da RAM concetualizam e operacionalizam essa relação,
nomeadamente nas práticas educativas e gestão de comportamentos desafiantes dos
alunos em contexto escolar. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, com recurso a 4 focus
group, no qual participaram 20 profissionais (psicólogos, professores, presidentes e
auxiliares de ensino), a maioria dos quais sem formação na área da vinculação. Os dados
foram analisados através da análise temática. Os principais resultados demonstraram que
muitos participantes consideram a vinculação como sinónimo de uma relação positiva e,
nesta perspetiva reconhecem a importância da relação entre vinculação e aprendizagem e
as suas qualidades para um melhor desempenho académico. Contudo, a gestão de
comportamentos desafiantes na escola assenta maioritariamente em estratégias
comportamentais baseadas em reforços e punições e, não em estratégias relacionais, não
se perspetivando relações securizantes como forma de lidar com tais comportamentos.
Conclui-se assim que é pertinente e urgente a promoção de formação de todos os agentes
educativos no que concerne à vinculação, bem como, às suas respetivas implicações no
processo de aprendizagem, de modo, a promover a adoção de práticas educativas
sensíveis aos vínculos, especialmente para os alunos com comportamentos considerados
desafiantes.As learning is a relational process influenced by the quality of the relationships that the
child establishes inside and outside the school context, attachment theory has emerged as
an important reference adopted internationally as a basis for educational practices.
However, in Portugal, few studies have addressed the relationship between attachment
and learning. The main objective of this study was to understand how school professionals
in Madeira Autonomous Region conceptualize and operationalize this relationship,
particularly in educational practices and in managing challenging behaviours of students
in the school context. This is a qualitative study, using 4 focus groups, in which 20
professionals (psychologists, teachers, presidents and teaching assistants) participated,
most of whom had no training about attachment issues. The data were analysed through
thematic analysis. The main results demonstrated that many participants consider
attachment as synonymous with a positive relationship and, from this perspective,
recognized the importance of the relationship between attachment and learning and its
qualities for better academic performance. However, the management of challenging
behaviours in schools is mostly based on behavioural strategies based on reinforcements
and punishments, rather than on relational strategies, and secure relationships are not
considered as a way of dealing with such behaviours. It is therefore concluded that is
important and urgent to promote training for all educational agents regarding attachment,
as well as its respective implications in the learning process, in order to promote the
adoption of educational practices that are sensitive to attachments, especially for students
with challenging behaviours
Bem-estar e diversidade sexual nos estudantes do ensino superior: o papel da saúde mental, o otimismo, o rendimento e a motivação
Get PDFO ingresso no ensino superior representa uma etapa desafiante, marcada por mudanças
significativas que influenciam o bem-estar, a saúde mental e o desempenho académico dos
estudantes. Estes desafios podem ser particularmente intensificados em estudantes LGBT+,
frequentemente sujeitos a experiências de exclusão e discriminação. O presente estudo, teve
como objetivo analisar de que forma o bem-estar se relaciona com a saúde mental, o otimismo,
a motivação e o rendimento académico, em função da orientação sexual dos estudantes. A
amostra foi constituída por 285 estudantes do ensino superior em Portugal, dos quais 129 se
identificaram como heterossexuais e 156 LGBT+, com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os
69 anos. Foram utilizados os seguintes instrumentos: Escala de Bem-Estar Experiencial, Escala
de Ansiedade, Depressão e Stress (DASS-21), Escala de Otimismo e dois itens únicos, um
sobre motivação e outro sobre o rendimento académico. Os resultados revelaram que os
estudantes LGBT+ apresentaram níveis significativamente mais baixos de saúde mental,
otimismo e motivação, mas níveis superiores de rendimento académico, em comparação com
os estudantes heterossexuais. A análise de regressão indicou que, em ambos os grupos, o bem-estar se relacionou positivamente coma saúde mental, o otimismo e a motivação. Contudo,
entre os estudantes LGBT+, o otimismo assumiu um peso preditivo mais acentuado,
funcionando como um recurso de resiliência face ao stress minoritário. As implicações práticas
são também apresentadas e discutidas.Entering higher education represents a challenging stage, marked by significant changes that
impact students’ well-being, mental health, and academic performance. These challenges can
be particularly intensified for LGBT+ students, who are often subject to experiences of
exclusion and discrimination. This study aimed to analyse how well-being relates to mental
health, optimism, motivation, and academic performance, according to students’ sexual
orientation. The sample consisted of 285 higher education students in Portugal, of whom 129
identified as heterosexual and 156 as LGBT+, aged between 18 and 69 years. The following
instruments were used: the Experiential Well-Being Scale, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress
Scale (DASS-21), the Optimism Scale, and two single items assessing motivation and
perceived academic performance. The results showed that LGBT+ students reported
significantly lower levels of mental health, optimism, and motivation, but higher levels of
perceived academic performance compared to heterosexual students. Regression analysis
indicated that, in both groups, well-being was positively associated with mental health,
optimism, and motivation. However, among LGBT+ students, optimism had a stronger
predictive value, acting as a resilience resource in the face of minority stress. Practical
implications of the findings are also presented and discussed
Estudo da poesia do séc. XIX a partir da Antologia Flores da Madeira de José Leite Monteiro e Alfredo César d’Oliveira
No full textEsta investigação, na área da literatura, centra-se no estudo de poemas dedicados
à Ilha da Madeira, escritos por poetas madeirenses do século XIX, publicados na
Antologia Flores da Madeira, coligida por José Leite Monteiro e Alfredo Cesar D’
Oliveira, no Funchal, em 1871. Partindo desta antologia de poesia, esta investigação
estabelece relações entre a poesia do século XIX e a identidade insular e procura encontrar
aspetos identitários e aspetos geográficos específicos nos poemas contemplados.
No primeiro capítulo, é apresentada a Madeira no século XIX, sendo feita uma
contextualização desse século na ilha. De seguida, são apresentadas as novas
conformações sociais na época e, por fim, é explicado como o simbolismo insular se
reflete na literatura madeirense. No segundo capítulo fixamos a nossa atenção na poesia
produzida na ilha, no século XIX, tendo em conta o ultrarromantismo madeirense e a
influência de Soares de Passos, um dos expoentes desse movimento, os principais poetas
ultrarromânticos madeirenses e a importância de antologias poéticas na Madeira no
século XIX, para a divulgação dos respetivos poetas.
No terceiro e último capítulo, centramos a nossa atenção numa análise de poemas
selecionados da coletânea Flores da Madeira, bem como nos seus poetas. A seleção dos
poemas obedece ao critério da sua temática, nomeadamente, as marcas identitárias da
Madeira presentes na poesia regional. Por fim, é feito um entrecruzamento da visão dos
poetas, com base nos temas presentes na antologia.
Em anexos, encontramos uma tabela-síntese com os principais temas e motivos
presentes nos poemas da antologia Flores da Madeira, assim como uma imagem da capa
de cada um dos volumes.This research, in the field of literature, focuses on the study of poems dedicated to
the island of Madeira, written by nineteenth-century Madeiran poets and published in the
anthology Flores da Madeira, compiled by José Leite Monteiro and Alfredo Cesar D'
Oliveira in Funchal in 1871. Based on this poetic anthology, this research establishes
relationships between nineteenth-century poetry and island identity and seeks to find
specific identity and geographical aspects in the poems covered.
In the first chapter, Madeira in the 19th century is presented, with a
contextualization of that century on the island. Next, the new social configurations of the
time are presented and, finally, it is explained how island symbolism is reflected in
Madeiran literature. In the second chapter, we focus on the poetry produced on the island
in the 19th century, considering Madeira's ultra-romanticism and the influence of Soares
de Passos, one of the exponents of this movement, the main ultra-romantic poets from
Madeira and the importance of poetry anthologies in Madeira in the 19th century for the
dissemination of the respective poets.
In the third and final chapter, we focus our attention on the analysis of selected
poems from the collection Flores da Madeira, as well as the respective poets. The poems
were selected according to the criterion of their theme, namely the identity marks of
Madeira present in regional poetry. Finally, the poets' points of view are cross-referenced,
based on the themes present in the anthology.
In annexes we find a summary table with the themes and motifs found in the
poems of the poets featured in the anthology Flores da Madeira as an image of the cover.
of each one of the volume
Lower limbs strength variations between injured and non-injured professional soccer players
Get PDF Due to its physical demands, professional soccer is becoming a real challenge regarding players’ exposure to high injury risk. Given its tight correlation with high-intensity actions, muscular strength is a crucial physical characteristic for soccer players. Therefore, the aims of this study are (a) to compare the vertical jumping performance during the season according to the injury profile, and (b) to investigate differences in isokinetic strength performance at the beginning and the end of the season. Twenty-one male professional soccer players (age: 26.0 ± 4.1 years, height: 181.0 ± 6.9 cm, body mass: 73.7 ± 6.9 kg) were assessed in isokinetic strength (Biodex System 4 Pro Dynamometer), and Optojump Next (Microgate, Bolzano, Italy). Isokinetic strength analyses considered the peak torque scores of knee flexors and knee extensors, according to the player's preferred and non-preferred limb. The countermovement and squat jump maximum height were assessed as lower body explosive strength indicators. No significant differences were found when comparing injured and non-injured players in vertical jump and isokinetic strength assessments. However, significant results were found when comparing both groups’ initial and final evaluation in isokinetic strength assessment, with both groups significantly improving their performance. Our findings indicate that the overall lower body strength performance was not a discriminant factor between injured and non-injury players. Thus, muscular strength assessment performance increased throughout the season independently of the injury profile. Future research needs to integrate other variables related to sports injuries since they seem to result from multifactorial causes. </jats:p
TapeStory: exploring the storytelling potential of interactive tapestries
Get PDFTraditionally, these tapestries were static artworks hanging on walls without any interaction from the audience.
Nevertheless, textiles offer a versatile medium, which can be crafted from various materials and colours and
manipulated to produce unique, touch-responsive textures. Our vision is to integrate the tactile capabilities
of weaving with capacitive sensor technology to create a media-immersed interactive art installation that
explores the negative impact of noise pollution on marine life ecosystems. Marine animals, particularly
cetaceans, heavily rely on sound for communication, navigation, and hunting, and noise pollution can disrupt
these essential functions. By harnessing the storytelling potential of tapestries and the power of capacitive
sensors connected to microcontrollers, we developed a storytelling experience with a unique embodied
interface that aims to educate the general audience about pressing issues such as marine noise pollution
Relatório de sustentabilidade: Universidade da Madeira 2022+
Get PDFinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Le portugais parlé à Madère (Portugal): une variété insulaire transplantée et accumulatrice
Get PDFLe portugais madérien est une variété insulaire du Portugais européen (PE), parlé
par les 250 000 habitants de l’archipel de Madère, situé dans l’océan Atlantique
Nord. Cette variété linguistique s’est développée à partir du milieu du XVème
siècle, avec le peuplement de ce territoire par des migrants venus de diverses
régions du Royaume du Portugal de l’époque ainsi que d’autres communautés
européennes et les communautés d’esclaves originaires principalement de
l’Afrique du Nord, du golfe de Guinée et des îles Canaries. Ce contact linguistique
et culturel a aussi nourri des flux migratoires constants dans l’histoire
sociolinguistique de Madère vers les territoires du Nouveau Monde, et par le
tourisme qui s’est développé au XIXème siècle. L’isolement a également contribué
à l’émergence d’une variété de portugais parlé complexe, marquée par une grande
richesse de traits et de variantes. L’une de ses particularités est l’accumulation de
variantes dans certains domaines de sa grammaire. Celle-ci se traduit par la
cooccurrence de variantes archaïques et innovatrices aux niveaux phonétique,
lexical et morphosyntaxique.The Madeiran Portuguese is an insular variant of the European Portuguese (EP),
which is spoken by the approximately 250,000 inhabitants of the Madeira
archipelago, situated in the North Atlantic Ocean. This linguistic variation
emerged during the mid-15th century, owing to the arrival of migrants from
diverse regions of the then-Kingdom of Portugal, as well as the presence of other
European communities and slave communities originating primarily from North
Africa, the Gulf of Guinea, and the Canary Islands. The geographical isolation has
also contributed to the formation of this spoken variety of Portuguese,
characterized by a considerable variety of distinctive features and variants. The
most notable characteristic of this insular variety is its “cumulative grammar”,
which refers to the co-occurrence of archaic and innovative variants within a few
subsystems at the phonetic, lexical and morphosyntactic levels.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Exploring the impact of climate change on lodging establishments: a systematic literature review
Get PDFPurpose This study aimed to identify scientific research concentrating on climate change
impacts on accommodation services and examine the most relevant outputs related to man agement strategies due to exposure to climate change.
Methodology It used a systematic review of the literature of scientific articles published
in the Web of Science and SCOPUS. The search strings were validated by academics, who
suggested adding more keywords for studying the relationship between accommodation
settings and climate change. As a result, four search strings were established and identified
39 articles for qualitative analysis with MAXQDA.
Findings Some studies asserted that corporate social responsibility is important for mit igating climate change issues. hotels work together with local businesses, enforcing the
community’s adaptive capacity to climate change and supporting the need for education
and training programs to understand climate change risks better. Moreover, green human
resources management directly relates to the level of environmental awareness in local
communities. Using air conditioning for combating heat waves consumes high amounts of
energy. One option lies in energy-efficient buildings such as passive houses, using compact
designs for reducing the cost of operation. Currently, hotel operations rely more on being
more transparent regarding informing guests and influencing eco-friendly choices. On the
other hand, there is an investment in training employees regarding good practices for energy
use and management. Such action leads to accountable energy savings. Nevertheless, hotels
still struggling to adapt because of their elevated energy consumption for heating, hot water,
lightning, or cooling aggregates.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio