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A comparative study of the biological properties of Eugenia uniflora L. fruits and leaves related to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases
Full text linkCardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of death globally, emphasizing the need for effective preventive strategies. Plant-based foods, rich in phytochemicals, offer a promising potential in CVD prevention. This study investigated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antihypertensive properties of two Eugenia uniflora L. varieties (orange and purple pitanga) and their leaves. Their antioxidant activity was assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation scavenging activity assays, while their antihypertensive activity was evaluated through angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition. Their anti-inflammatory potential was determined via protein denaturation inhibition. Both fruit varieties exhibited similar bioactivities, with the purple variety showing a slightly higher activity, except in the DPPH and ABTS assays. The leaves consistently demonstrated the lowest activities across all assays. Free polyphenols, dominated by gallic acid, were quantified using µ-QuEChERS followed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC-PDA). The orange variety contained the highest concentration of gallic acid (13.1 mg/100 g DW). These findings highlight the potential of Eugenia uniflora L. extracts as natural antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antihypertensive agents, suggesting their value in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications for promoting human health and preventing CVDs.</jats:p
Madeira dengue outbreak: a tool to study primary symptomatic and asymptomatic infections
Full text linkA febre da dengue é uma arbovirose que emergiu nas últimas décadas como uma séria
ameaça à saúde mundial, colocando em risco quase metade da população mundial. A
infeção por qualquer um dos quatro serotipos do vírus da dengue (DENV-1-4) resulta
num amplo espectro de situações, desde infeções assintomáticas até doença severa que
pode ser fatal. O desfecho assintomático parece ser o mais comum, podendo
representar até 90% das infeções. Diferenças na virulência e capacidade de infeção de
diferentes serotipos/genótipos de DENV, conjuntamente com a variabilidade genética
dos hospedeiros, mecanismos de imunidade treinada e de tolerância à doença, são
possíveis justificações para o desfecho assintomático e são extensivamente discutidos
nesta tese.
Entre 2012 e 2013 ocorreu o primeiro e único surto de DENV-1 na ilha da Madeira,
providenciando a oportunidade de investigar a resposta humoral em infeções primárias,
bem como o seu impacto na saúde desta população exposta pela primeira vez ao DENV.
Neste trabalho demonstra-se que os indivíduos que desenvolveram infeções
assintomáticas durante o surto apresentam níveis muito baixos ou indetetáveis de
anticorpos contra DENV-1 oito anos após a infeção. Por outro lado, as infeções
sintomáticas parecem ter resultado numa resposta humoral forte, com níveis elevados
de anticorpos contra DENV-1, e atividade neutralizante contra DENV-2. Sugerindo uma
proteção não só homotípica, mas possivelmente também contra infeções heterotípicas.
O impacto do surto de dengue no estado de saúde desta população, estudado através
da caracterização retrospetiva dos sintomas experienciados durante o período de
infeção, evidenciou que a maioria dos sintomas e as suas frequências são semelhantes
às descritas noutros estudos e compatíveis com o desfecho menos severo característico
de infeções primárias, exceto para os sintomas hemorrágicos, que foram mais
frequentes do que se antecipava. Igualmente, verificou-se que as manifestações clínicas
a longo termo ocorreram mais frequentemente e foram mais persistentes do que
inicialmente pensado, influenciando o estado de saúde e bem-estar de uma porção
considerável da população infetada. A análise adicional de parâmetros clínicos e
laboratoriais, contribuiu para o conhecimento da dimensão clínica do surto de dengue
na Madeira. Não obstante o desfecho clínico moderado, foram também encontradas alterações laboratoriais sobretudo hematológicas e hepáticas, assim como sinais
sugestivos de dengue severa em 5 pacientes, sugerindo um quadro de severidade
relativamente amplo em infeções primárias.
Este trabalho conduziu a um melhor conhecimento da resposta humoral e do impacto
clínico de uma infeção por DENV-1 numa população nunca anteriormente exposta a
qualquer DENV.Dengue fever (DF) is an arboviral disease that has emerged as a serious worldwide public
health threat in the last decades, endangering almost half of the world’s population.
Infection with any of the four known serotypes of dengue virus (DENV-1-4) results in a
broad spectrum of outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic to severe life-threatening
illness. The asymptomatic outcome is thought to be the most common, which may reach
up to 90% of all infections. Differences in virulence and infection capacity of the different
DENV serotypes/genotypes, coupled with the host’s genetic variability and mechanisms
of trained immunity and disease tolerance, are likely determinants for the asymptomatic
outcome of these infections and are thoroughly discussed in this thesis.
A primary and unique DENV-1 outbreak occurred in Madeira Island between 2012 and
2013, providing the opportunity to investigate the humoral immune response in primary
infections, and the clinical impact of the outbreak on this naïve population. This first
exposure of this population to DENV-1 is shown herein to have prompted a weak long term humoral immune response in asymptomatic cases, with very low or undetectable
DENV-specific antibody levels eight years post-infection. Conversely, symptomatic cases
seem to have resulted in strong humoral responses, with high DENV-specific antibody
levels, and cross-protective activity against DENV-2. These results suggest that
symptomatic infections result in long-term immunity against homologous reinfection
and maybe even against heterologous infection. Concerning the impact of the outbreak
on the health status of this naïve population, a retrospective characterization of the
symptoms experienced throughout the entire infection period revealed that most
symptoms and their frequencies are in line with previous studies and are compatible
with the milder outcome of primary infections, except for hemorrhagic symptoms,
which were more common than anticipated. As for potential long-term manifestations,
these occurred more frequently and persisted longer than previously thought, impacting
the health status and well-being of a considerable proportion of the infected population.
Further analysis of clinical, hematological, and biochemical parameters contributed to
elucidate the clinical burden of the Madeira dengue outbreak. Despite the general mild
clinical outcome, both hematological and liver abnormalities were also found, in both adults and children, with 5 patients presenting signs compatible with severe dengue,
suggesting a broader range of severity in primary infections.
Overall, this work allowed for a better understanding of the humoral immune response
and the clinical impact of a DENV-1 primary infection, in a naïve population
Educação para a proteção civil na Região Autónoma da Madeira
Full text linkNeste paradigma de incerteza que vivemos aumenta a sensação de vulnerabilidade
e de insegurança nos cidadãos. A segurança, entendida como um direito fundamental,
deverá ser prioritária na definição de políticas de proteção civil promotoras da segurança
comunitária, atendendo à importância que assume no desenvolvimento social e
económico de qualquer país. Urge mais e melhor reflexão sobre este direito, não apenas
política, mas, sobretudo, científica, onde a educação democrática deve assumir um papel
basilar na construção da cidadania ativa, ambicionando a tão elementar cultura de
proteção civil e a resiliência comunitária. No âmbito da sua autonomia, cabe à escola
construir um projeto curricular contextualizado.
Esta investigação, na área do Currículo e Inovação Pedagógica, assenta num
estudo de caso único de natureza qualitativa, uma escola pública dos segundo e terceiro
ciclos do ensino básico e ensino secundário da Região Autónoma da Madeira, onde se
procura compreender como é que a educação para a proteção civil está a ser
implementada. Como técnicas de recolha de dados recorremos à análise documental e às
entrevistas semiestruturadas. Como técnicas de análise e interpretação dos dados
utilizamos a análise de conteúdo e fizemos, por fim, a triangulação dos dados. Este projeto
mereceu a aprovação do Encarregado de Proteção de Dados e da Comissão de Ética da
Universidade da Madeira.
Verificamos, nos resultados gerais, uma desarticulação entre as dimensões
regional, municipal e escolar com o que é internacionalmente preconizado para a
elaboração e implementação do currículo para a educação para a proteção civil. Numa
comunidade recorrentemente marcada por desastres, exige-se uma prática alicerçada na
evidência científica no âmbito da educação e da conceção do currículo para o
desenvolvimento comunitário/regional; a implementação dos pilares da escola segura e
da educação holística; a redefinição do perfil dos professores; a incrementação dos
direitos de toda a comunidade escolar, corresponsável pelos processos de aprendizagens
flexíveis, concretizando uma escola justa, inclusiva, democrática, resiliente e aprendente.n this paradigm of uncertainty that we live in, citizens feel more vulnerable and
insecure. Security, understood as a fundamental right, must be a priority in the definition
of civil protection policies that promote community security, given the importance it
assumes in the social and economic development of any country. There is a need for more
and better reflection on this right, not only politically, but, above all, scientifically, where
democratic education must assume a basic role in the construction of active citizenship,
aiming for the very elementary culture of civil protection and community resilience.
Within the scope of its autonomy, it is up to the school to build a contextualized curricular
project.
This research, around Curriculum and Pedagogical Innovation, is based on a
single case study of a qualitative nature, a public school of the second and third cycles of
basic education and secondary education in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, where
it seeks to understand how education for civil protection is being implemented. As data
collection techniques, we used document analysis and semi-structured interviews. As data
analysis and interpretation techniques, we used content analysis and, finally, we
triangulated the data. This project received approval from the Data Protection Officer and
the Ethics Committee of the University of Madeira.
We verified, in the general results, a disarticulation between the regional,
municipal and school dimensions with what is recommended internationally for the
elaboration and implementation of the curriculum for civil protection education. In a
community frequently marked by disasters, a practice based on scientific evidence in the
field of education and curriculum design for community/regional development is
required; the implementation of the pillars of safe schools and holistic education;
redefining the profile of teachers and increasing the rights of the entire school community,
co-responsible for flexible learning processes, creating a fair, inclusive, democratic,
resilient and learning school
Stress parental, rede de suporte social e a qualidade de vida
Full text linkOs pais podem sentir stress parental por diversas razões, como dificuldades na criação
dos filhos, encargos financeiros, gestão do comportamento infantil e organização das ati vidades diárias, impactando na dinâmica de toda a família e no desenvolvimento das cri anças. Deste modo, considerou-se essencial estudar fatores que possam surgir relaciona dos com o stress parental. Para isso, procurou-se determinar os níveis de stress parental
dos pais, analisar diferenças entre os índices de stress parental e variáveis sociodemográ ficas, analisar as correlações entre o stress parental e o suporte social, bem como identi ficar a relação entre o stress parental e a qualidade de vida. Participaram no estudo 153
pais (mães e pais) de crianças e adolescentes com idades (0 aos 18 anos) residentes na
Região Autónoma da Madeira (RAM), aos quais foram administrados a escala de stress
parental e Qualidade de vida formulário parental – versão reduzida vida reduzida. Os
resultados mostraram que os pais (mães e pais) não apresentavam níveis elevados de
stress parental. Foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os índi ces de stress parental e algumas variáveis sociodemográficas. E apuraram-se dados que
indicam correlações significativas entre índices de stress parental com o suporte social e
com dimensões da qualidade de vida.Parents may experience parental stress for various reasons, such as difficulties in raising
children, financial burdens, managing child behavior, and organizing daily activities,
which can impact the family dynamics and the children's development. Therefore, it was
considered essential to study factors that may be related to parental stress. The study ai med to determine the levels of parental stress among parents, analyze differences between
parental stress levels and sociodemographic variables, examine the correlations between
parental stress and social support, as well as identify the relationship between parental
stress and quality of life. The study involved 153 parents (mothers and fathers) of children
and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years, living in the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM),
to whom the parental stress scale and the Quality of Life – Parental Form (reduced ver sion) were administered. The results showed that the parents (both mothers and fathers)
did not exhibit high levels of parental stress. Statistically significant differences were ob served between parental stress levels and some sociodemographic variables. The data also
revealed significant correlations between parental stress levels and social support, as well
as with dimensions of quality of life
Relatório de estágio para obtenção do grau de mestre em Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico
Full text linkO presente relatório de estágio surge no âmbito do Mestrado em Educação Pré-Escolar e
Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e representa o culminar da minha trajetória
académica, articulando os conhecimentos teóricos com a práxis, com vista à obtenção do
grau de mestre.
Encontra-se, deste modo, estruturado em duas partes complementares: a Parte I, intitulada
Enquadramento Teórico e Metodológico, apresenta conjunturas teóricas e metodológicas
que sustentam as Práticas Pedagógicas desenvolvidas em diversos contextos educativos
descritas na segunda parte. A parte II, denominada Prática Pedagógica, carateriza e analisa
momentos de aprendizagem vivenciados em Educação Pré-Escolar e em 1.º Ciclo do
Ensino Básico, especificamente em turmas de 2.º e 3.º anos de escolaridade.
Na prática pedagógica de Educação Pré-Escolar houve a necessidade de realizar a
metodologia de Investigação-Ação com o objetivo de aperfeiçoar várias problemáticas
detetadas no decurso do estágio, tendo por base a seguinte questão-problema: “Como
Promover as Boas Relações Interpessoais entre as Crianças na Sala de Jardim de
Infância?”. No caso das práticas pedagógicas do 2.º e 3.º anos não houve essa
necessidade, já que todas as atividades foram planeadas tendo em conta quer as
necessidades, quer as potencialidades dos alunos.
Assim, este relatório evidencia uma compilação de vivências educativas, o qual teve
como alicerce tornar a/o criança/aluno o principal protagonista na construção da sua
aprendizagem e a ação do docente como mediador, planificando consoante as
caraterísticas de todas as crianças, propiciando um ambiente de aprendizagem estimulante
e desafiador, no qual as crianças pudessem explorar as suas potencialidades e construir o
seu conhecimento de forma ativa e significativa, avaliando e refletindo sobre a própria
prática.This internship report appears within the scope of the Master's Degree in Pre-School
Education and Teaching of the 1st Cycle of Basic Education and represents the
culmination of my academic trajectory, articulating theoretical knowledge with praxis,
with a view to obtaining a master's degree.
It is, therefore, structured into two complementary parts: Part I, entitled Theoretical and
Methodological Framework, presents theoretical and methodological contexts that
support the Pedagogical Practices developed in different educational contexts described
in the second part. Part II, called Pedagogical Practice, characterizes and analyzes
moments of learning experienced in Pre-School Education and in the 1st Cycle of Basic
Education, specifically in 2nd and 3rd year classes.
In the pedagogical practice of Pre-School Education there was a need to carry out the
Action Research methodology with the objective of improving several problems detected
during the internship, based on the following problem question: “How to Promote Good
Interpersonal Relations among Children in the Classroom of Early Childhood
Education?” In the case of pedagogical practices in the 2nd and 3rd years, there was no
such need, as all activities were planned considering both the needs and potential of the
students.
Thus, this report highlights a compilation of educational experiences, which had as its
foundation making the child/student the main protagonist in the construction of their
learning and the teacher's action as mediator, planning according to the characteristics of
all children, providing a stimulating and challenging learning environment, in which
children could explore their potential and build their knowledge in an active and
meaningful way, evaluating and reflecting on their own practice
On a coal specimen possibly associated with the classical Mio-Pleistocene São Jorge leaf bed site, Madeira Island, Portugal
Full text linkDue to the unusual presence of coal seams within a volcanic island, the São Jorge lignite, located in the north side
of Madeira Island, was since the early 19th century a magnet for naturalists. In 1854 the site was visited by Sir
Charles Lyell and Georg Hartung, where both discovered a leaf-bed associated with the lignite. This finding pro vided key proofs to Lyell's uniformitarian theory of the formation of volcanic islands and the long-term existence
of laurel forests in Macaronesia. Despite its historical importance, lignite specimens from São Jorge remain
unknown to date. Recently, the study of Funchal Natural History Museum (MMF, Madeira Island, Portugal)
collections revealed a coal specimen associated with the classical site of São Jorge. Here we provide a critical anal ysis of this specimen using historical and palaeobotanical approaches. We show that this coal is not a lignite from
São Jorge and that it was not collected in ca. 1905. Historically, the São Jorge site was covered by a landslide until
1917, making it inaccessible. Furthermore, the coal is either a bituminous coal or anthracite and contains typical
rhizomorph fossils of extinct Lycophytes known as Stigmaria ficoides (Sternb.) Brongn., as already indicated in the
old MMF record books. The coal is most likely a late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian, 323.4–298.9 Ma) specimen
from the early 20th century British coaling industry on Madeira Island, imported from the UK, which, at some
point, was erroneously labelled as originating from the 7–1.8 Ma São Jorge outcrop in Madeira
Aligning financing strategies with circular business principles: a multicriteria decision framework
Full text linkCircularity principles, evident in closed-loop systems, aim to minimize waste and maximize value through material and product
reuse, repair, refurbishment, and recycling. Circular practices can be financed using diverse models with different characteristics.
Examples include pay-as-you-go, which involves usage-based payments; performance-based financing, which links funding to out comes; grants, which provide nonrepayable support; public–private partnerships, which combine public and private resources; green
bonds, which fund eco-friendly projects; and impact investing, which addresses social or environmental impacts alongside financial
gains. To establish the correlation between circular supply chain principles and financing strategies, this study employed two multic riteria decision-making methods: the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal
Solution (TOPSIS). The obtained results were compared with findings from diverse manufacturing industries in existing literature
Terminologia desportiva nas variedades europeia e brasileira do português: atividades socioculturais no Clube Sport Marítimo (CSM)
Full text linkEste relatório de estágio do Mestrado em Linguística: Sociedades e Culturas dá conta das
atividades realizadas no Club Sport Marítimo, de 18 de setembro de 2023 a 31 de maio
de 2024, no âmbito do protocolo de cooperação estabelecido entre a Universidade da
Madeira e o clube regional referido. O estágio envolveu a realização de um trabalho de
pesquisa terminológica, enquadrado metodologicamente na Teoria Comunicativa da
Terminologia (TCT), sobre duas modalidades desportivas do clube, futsal e voleibol,
visando contribuir para o conhecimento das respetivas terminologias técnicas no
português europeu e no português do Brasil, com base em recolhas de termos em jornais
desportivos. Esse trabalho culminou na construção de um glossário, enquadrado e
apresentado nos capítulos I e II. Deste resultou um estudo comparativo entre a
terminologia desportiva usada nas duas variedades do português, mas também o contraste
entre dicionários de língua geral de Portugal e do Brasil, constatando a dicionarização ou
não dos termos e respetivos conceitos técnico-desportivos. A experiência de estágio
envolveu ainda a realização de um conjunto muito diversificado de tarefas, explicitadas
no capítulo III, que mobilizaram, entre outros, competências de leitura, escrita técnica,
tradução, transcrição, edição e revisão linguística. O relatório aqui apresentado constitui
evidência da relevância da formação em linguística para a realização de diversas tarefas,
no âmbito de instituições desportivas.This internship report for the master’s degree in Linguistics: Societies and Cultures details
the activities carried out at Club Sport Marítimo, from 18th September 2023 to 31st May
2024, under the cooperation protocol established between the University of Madeira and
the previously mentioned regional club. The internship involved carrying out
terminological research, methodologically based on the Communicative Theory of
Terminology (TCT), on two of the club’s sports, futsal and volleyball, with the aim of
contributing to the knowledge of the corresponding technical terminologies in European
Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese, based on collecting terms from sports newspapers.
This work culminated in the construction of a glossary, which is contextualized and
presented in chapters I and II. The result was a comparative study between the sports
terminology used in the two varieties of Portuguese, as well as a contrast between general
language dictionaries from Portugal and Brazil, to verify the inclusion of the terms, or
lack of, and respective technical sports concepts. The internship experience also involved
carrying out a very diverse set of tasks, explained in chapter III, which mobilized, among
others, reading, technical writing, translation, transcription, editing and linguistic revision
skills. This report is evidence of the relevance of a linguistics degree in carrying out
various tasks within sports institutions
Between kisses and bytes: cyber dating abuse and internet use in emerging adulthood
Full text linkAbstract
Emerging adults use the internet to connect with intimate partners, which can promote closeness but also increase vulnerability to abusive behavior, such as cyber dating abuse (CDA). In this study, we explored the use of the internet and information and communication technologies (ICT) and determined the prevalence of CDA among 105 emerging adults, with an average age of 23.2 years (SD = 3.65). Through an online cross-sectional study, our results indicate that emerging adults spend an average of 6.67 h a day online (SD = 3.34), with 37.6% communicating with their partner for more than 5 h daily via ICT. A high prevalence of CDA was observed: 62.9% victimization and 74.3% perpetration, with an emphasis on controlling behaviors. This study explores the relationship between problematic internet use (PIU) and CDA and highlights the normalization of CDA behaviours.</jats:p
The impact of the crowdstrike incident in the stock market: an event study analysis for airlines
Full text linkThis study investigates the short-term market effect of the CrowdStrike IT outage in the airline
industry. Using an event study methodology, we provide evidence that airline stocks respond
significantly negatively to the technology disruption within two days before and after the event
day. IT disruptions create friction in daily operations—such as schedule disruptions, flight
delays or cancellations, negative externalities, and customer dissatisfaction—ultimately leading
to a loss of value for airlines. The results also show that the most affected airlines are those
from main CrowdStrike customer’s countries (mainly non-Asian countries) and an irrelevance
of the business model. Finally, the extent of the stock market’s response to the CrowdStrike IT
outage is influenced by other airline characteristics such as profitability, size, leverage, and
cyber risk rating