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Political use of financial information in local governments: a cross-country study of Italy and Portugal
Full text linkThis paper explores the measurement of the use of financial information (FI) by politicians at the local level. It develops a comparative study between Portuguese and Italian municipalities. The use of FI is analysed in different political settings for financial decision-making and accountability, namely considering council meetings discussing the annual budget and accounts.
The comparative case studies evidenced that, even if admitting some misunderstanding of use of accrual-based terms in the Italian context, cash-based information continues to be preferred, and the most important moment when politicians use this type of information in in local councils’ meetings discussing the annual budget
Avaliação das Propriedades Bioativas de Diferentes Partes de Humulus lupulus L.: Potencial Antioxidante, Antimicrobiano e Composição Química
No full textEste estudo, teve como objetivo analisar, as propriedades bioativas e a composição
química de diferentes partes da planta Humulus lupulus L. (lúpulo), incluindo flores,
folhas e rizomas de duas cultivares (Cascade e Nugget) e um Espontâneo. Os principais
parâmetros analisados, foram a capacidade antioxidante, a composição de compostos
fenólicos, além da atividade antibacteriana e antifúngica dos extratos.
Os resultados demonstraram, que o rizoma da cultivar Nugget, apresentou a maior
atividade antioxidante, com um IC50 de 0,0635 mg/mL no ensaio DPPH, seguido pelo
rizoma do Espontâneo com 0,079 mg/mL. As folhas também exibiram uma atividade
antioxidante, com o IC50 variando entre 0,25 mg/mL (Cascade) e 0,077 mg/mL
(Espontâneo). Por outro lado, as flores apresentaram a menor capacidade antioxidante,
com valores de IC50 de 0,164 mg/mL (Espontâneo) e 0,39 mg/mL (Nugget). No ensaio
de TBARS, que determina a inibição da peroxidação lipídica, os rizomas também se
destacaram com 0,0004 mg/mL (Nugget).
Em termos de compostos fenólicos, as flores destacaram-se, por apresentar a maior
quantidade de compostos fenólicos totais a variar entre 5,74 mg/g (Cascade) e 7,2mg/g
(Nugget). A flor da cultivar Cascade, apresentou o maior teor de ácidos fenólicos totais
(2,04 mg/g), enquanto o maior conteúdo de flavonoides, foi encontrado nas folhas do
Espontâneo (5,5 mg/g). O rizoma também se destacou pela presença de (+) -Catequina,
com concentrações de 0,054 mg/g (Cascade), 0,089 mg/g (Espontâneo) e 0,051mg/g
(Nugget), compostos que são reconhecidos pelo seu forte potencial antioxidante.
A avaliação da atividade antimicrobiana, mostrou variabilidade entre as diferentes partes
da planta. Para as duas cultivares e para o espontâneo avaliadas, o rizoma foi a parte da
planta que se destacou com maior atividade antimicrobiana, especialmente contra
bactérias Gram-positivas, como Listeria monocytogenes com valores de CMI de 0,3
mg/mL na cultivar Cascade e Espontâneo e Enterococcus faecalis com valores de CMI
de 2,5 mg/mL (Nugget) e 0,3 mg/mL (Cascade). Também mostrou eficácia moderada,
contra bactérias Gram-negativas, como Morganella morganii (CMI de 0,6 mg/mL). Há
uma variabilidade considerável, na atividade antifúngica dos extratos das diferentes
partes das plantas de lúpulo, com destaque para os extratos de folha e rizoma, que
demonstraram melhor potencial antifúngico. É de salientar que apenas o Espontâneo
apresentou ação fungistática para o Aspergillus brasiliensis com valores de CMIs entre
2,5 mg/mL (rizoma) e 5mg/mL (folha). Esses resultados indicam que o rizoma de Humulus lupulus L. possui um potencial antioxidante e antimicrobiano promissor, o que
pode ser explorado em diversas indústrias, como a farmacêutica e alimentar. As folhas,
por sua vez, demonstram um alto teor de compostos bioativos, especialmente os
fenólicos, que também têm potencial para aplicações futuras.This study aimed to analyze the bioactive properties and chemical composition of
different parts of the plant Humulus lupulus L. (lupulus), including flowers, leaves and
rhizomes of two cultivars (Cascade and Nugget), and Spontaneous.
The main parameters analyzed were the antioxidant capacity, the composition of
phenolic compounds, in addition to the antibacterial and antifungal activity of the
extracts.
The results demonstrated that the rhizome of the Nugget cultivars presented the highest
antioxidant activity, with an IC50 of 0.0635 mg/mL in the DPPH assay, followed by the
rhizome of the Spontaneo 0.079 mg/mL. The leaves also exhibited antioxidant activity
with the IC50 ranging between 0.25 mg/mL (Cascade) and 0.077 mg/mL (Spontaneous).
On the other hand, flowers had the lowest antioxidant capacity, with IC50 values of 0.164
mg/mL (Spontaneous) and 0.39 mg/mL (Nugget). In the TBARS assay, which
determines the inhibition of lipid peroxidation, the rhizomes also stood out at 0.0004
mg/mL (Nugget).
In terms of phenolic compounds, the flowers stood out, as they presented the highest
amount of total phenolic compounds, ranging between 5.74 mg/g (Cascade) and 7.2 mg/g
(Nugget). The flower of the Cascade cultivar had the highest content of total phenolic
acids (2.04 mg/g) while the highest content of flavonoids was found in the leaves of the
Spontaneo (5.5 mg/g). The rhizome also stood out for the presence of (+)-Catechin, with
concentrations of 0.054 mg/g (Cascade), 0.089 mg/g (Spontaneous) and 0.051 mg/g
(Nugget), compounds that are recognized for their strong antioxidant potential.
The evaluation of antimicrobial activity showed variability between different parts of the
plant. For all cultivars and spontaneously evaluated, the rhizome was the part of the plant
that stood out with the greatest antimicrobial activity, especially against Gram-positive
bacteria, such as Listeria monocytogenes with MIC values of 0.3 mg/mL in cultivars
Cascade and Spontaneo and Enterococcus faecalis with MIC values of 2.5 mg/mL
(Nugget) and 0.3 mg/mL (Cascade). It also showed moderate efficacy against Gram-
negative bacteria such as Morganella morganii (MIC of 0.6 mg/mL). There is
considerable variability in the antifungal activity of extracts of the different parts of
lupulus plants, with emphasis on leaf and rhizome extracts, which demonstrated better
antifungal potential. It should be noted that only the spontaneous variety showed
fungistatic action against Aspergillus brasiliensis with MIC values between 2.5 mg/mL (rhizome) and 5mg/mL (leaf). These results indicate that the rhizome of Humulus lupulus
L. has a promising antioxidant and antimicrobial potential, which can be explored in
various industries, such as pharmaceutical and food. The leaves, in turn, demonstrate a
high content of bioactive compounds, especially phenolics, which also have potential for
future applications
Experimental and dynamic modeling study of CO2/N2 separation on ion-exchanged binder-free LTA zeolites for post-combustion carbon capture
No full textIon-exchange modification of commercial binder-free zeolites offers a promising strategy to improve adsorption-based CO2 capture from post-combustion flue gases. In this study, the CO2/ N-2 separation performance of ion-exchanged binder-free Linde-Type A (LTA) zeolites-namely 4 A, 5 A, Sr(40)A, and Sr(80)A-was systematically evaluated under post-combustion capture (PCC) conditions. Adsorption isotherms were measured over the temperature range of 306-344 K and pressures up to 350 kPa. The CO2 uptake followed the order: 5 A > Sr(40)A > Sr(80)A > 4 A, with 5 A achieving the highest loading of 5.58 mol center dot kg(-1) at 120 kPa and 306 K, compared to 4.47 mol center dot kg(-1) for Sr(40)A, 4.45 mol center dot kg(-1) for Sr(80)A, and 3.73 mol center dot kg(-1) for 4 A. The presence of divalent cations (Ca2+ and Sr2+) strengthened the electrostatic interactions, thereby enhancing CO2 affinity relative to the Na-exchanged 4 A. Binary CO2/N-2 breakthrough experiments demonstrated that Sr(80)A exhibited the highest selectivity (75 at 10 kPa and 306 K), followed by 5 A (60), 4 A (51), and Sr(40)A (47). Which the developed mathematical model accurately captured the breakthrough behavior and dynamic performance of the fixed-bed system. Finally, a Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to the statistical analysis of selectivity of different studied zeolites and getting the optimum operating conditions.This work was supported by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC): CIMO UID/00690/2025 (10.54499/UID/00690/2025) and UID/PRR/00690/2025 (10.54499/UID/PRR/00690/2025); SusTEC, LA/P/0007/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0007/2020); and (3) CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020, UIDP/50011/2020, and LA/P/0006/2020. The authors also gratefully acknowledge Kristin Gleichmann and Chemiewerk Bad Köstritz GmbH, Heinrichshall, Germany for valuable support in providing the binder-free LTA zeolite samples used in this study
A transmissão online das Assembleias Municipais: da sua atual implementação à necessidade de um quadro legal harmonizado
No full textExame aprofundado da implementação e regulamentação das transmissões online das reuniões das assembleias municipais
Severity assessment of isolates of defoliating and nondefoliating Verticillium dahliae pathotypes on woody and herbaceous hosts
No full textVerticillium wilt, caused by the soilborne fungus Verticillium dahliae Kleb. is a major vascular disease affecting a wide range of woody and herbaceous hosts worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the pathogenicity of defoliating (D) and nondefoliating (ND) V. dahliae pathotypes-isolated from pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) and olive (Olea europaea L.)-on two commonly used Pistacia rootstocks in the Mediterranean basin (P. terebinthus and UCBI hybrid) as well as on other major V. dahliae-susceptible hosts, such as olive, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Compared with the ND isolates, the D pathotype from olive induced greater disease progression in olive and cotton. However, no differences in the final disease severity in cotton were observed between D and ND isolates from olive. In terebinth plants, no significant difference in disease progression and severity was noted between the D and ND isolates, whereas UCBI remained symptomless and showed high resistance, although with a significant reduction in plant biomass in inoculated plants. Notably, the ND isolates from pistachio were significantly more aggressive on terebinth than on cotton or olive, highlighting host-specific interactions and the intraspecific variability of V. dahliae. These findings contribute to the understanding of V. dahliae host-pathogen dynamics and reinforce the importance of selecting resistant rootstocks, particularly in pistachio-growing regions where Verticillium wilt is prevalent in the soil.We acknowledge financial support from the Spanish State Research Agency through the Severo Ochoa and María de Maeztu Program for Centers and Units of Excellence in R&D (Ref. CEX2019-000968-M), as well as from the consolidation grant CNS2022-135883, which was jointly funded by the European Union NextGeneration EU/PRTR. B. I. Antón-Domínguez was the holder of the ‘Formación de Personal Investigador’ fellowship (FPI-MICINN; contract no. PRE2020-096038) during the experimental period of this study. We thank M.C. Saigner, F. Luque, F. González and J.A. Toro for their technical assistance in the laboratory
Realistic simulation for dataset generation in a mobile robotics educational context
No full textIn the context of mobile robotics education, realistic and accessible datasets are fundamental for supporting the development and testing of algorithms. However, collecting real-world data is a limited and challenging task because it is time-consuming and error-prone. Therefore, this paper presents the generation of a synthetic dataset through realistic simulation using the SimTwo environment—a physics-based simulator, and modeling techniques of sensors and actuators. The physical and simulated mobile robot was developed to perform tasks such as following a line, following a wall, and avoiding obstacles. The proposed approach facilitates the creation of customized datasets for training and evaluation algorithms while supporting remote and inclusive learning. Results show that a simulated dataset can effectively replicate real-world behaviors, making them a valuable resource for educational contexts, research, and development. Some emergent machine learning algorithms can be applied to this dataset, being this approach increasingly used to enhance robot localization, by leveraging ML, robots can improve the accuracy, robustness, and adaptability of their localization systems, especially in complex and dynamic environments.This work was supported by FCT - Fundação para a Ciência eTecnologia, I.P. by PhD Grant 2023.01441.BD (https://doi.org/10.54499/2023.01441.BD) and2023.01113.BDANA (https://doi.org/10.54499/2023.01113.BDANA). This work was alsosupported by FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. by projects: CeDRI,UID/05757/2025 (DOI: 10.54499/UID/05757/2025) and UID/PRR/05757/2025 (DOI:10.54499/UID/PRR/05757/2025); SusTEC, LA/P/0007/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0007/2020)
Maternal longevity is associated with reduced risk but an earlier onset of alzheimer’s disease in offspring
No full textWhile human longevity has increased significantly over the last 2 centuries, the time spent in good physical and cognitive health has not risen proportionately. The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) increases with age, but parental longevity is often associated with better offspring health and lower AD risk. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parental longevity and AD. We included patients with AD and cognitively healthy subjects (over 75 years), collecting family history data, namely maternal and paternal age at death. We performed a logistic regression to evaluate the association of parental longevity and AD risk and linear regression models for the association with age of onset and CSF biomarkers, adjusting for confounders. We analyzed 3069 participants from a Portuguese cohort, including 893 AD patients and 2176 cognitively healthy controls. Maternal longevity was inversely associated with AD risk (OR: 0.989, 95%CI = [0.982, 0.997], P = 0.005). In AD patients, higher maternal age of death was associated with an earlier disease onset (β = −0.081, 95%CI = [−0.148, −0.013], P = 0.019). No associations were found between parental longevity and CSF biomarkers. Maternal longevity appears protective against AD risk but is linked to an earlier onset in patients. This may indicate that protective factors for AD could become detrimental once AD is triggered. These findings highlight the complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and potentially epigenetic influences on AD.The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for theresearch, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Research re-ported in this publication was supported by the National Institute onAging of the National Institutes of Health under Award NumberR01AG067426. The content is solely the responsibility of the authorsand does not necessarily represent the official views of the NationalInstitutes of Health. The study was also supported by EU HorizonEurope CHAngeing - Excellence Hubs-HORIZON WIDERA-2022-ACCESS-04-01 (grant agreement #101087071)
The Norseman Xtreme Triathlon: A narrative review of current scientific evidence on performance, physiology, and health risks
No full textThe 'Norseman Xtreme Triathlon', held annually in Norway, is considered one of the world's most challenging triathlons, surpassing the traditional IRONMAN (R)-distance in terms of difficulty. This narrative review aims to summarize the current scientific evidence to support athletes and coaches in preparation for this event.MethodsWe conducted a narrative review to summarize the current scientific literature on the 'Norseman Xtreme Triathlon'. A structured search was conducted in two major databases-PubMed and Scopus-using free-text terms related to 'Norseman Xtreme Triathlon'. The search included articles published up to the end of November 2025, without language restrictions. After removing duplicates and unrelated articles based on title and abstract screening, 16 relevant publications were included for analysis.ResultsOver the years, the number of female and male finishers increased, the men-to-women ratio decreased, and both split and overall race times decreased. Most athletes competing in the 'Norseman Xtreme Triathlon' came from Norway, and Norwegian athletes achieved the most podiums. The race affects different organ systems and biomarkers, with increased values of WBC, CK, NT-proBNP, CRP and AST returning to pre-race levels within hours or days. Due to the cold environment, athletes appeared to be at risk of developing hypothermia and swimming-induced pulmonary edema (SIPE) during swimming and both exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) and exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia (EIAH) after the race.ConclusionsParticular care is needed in preparing for the cold water and general cold environment during cycling and running. The specific nutritional demands, the aspects of pre-race preparation (e.g. training, experience), post-race recovery trajectories, hormonal profiles, or psychological responses of the 'Norseman Xtreme Triathlon' remain underexplored and represent an important area for future research
Selective fixed-bed fractionation of stilbene subfamilies from grape cane waste using a pyridine-amide adsorbent
No full textThe selective separation of structurally analogous polyphenols from complex plant matrices remains a longstanding challenge in bioseparation engineering. This study introduces a custom-designed adsorbent, poly(2,6-bis(acrylamido)pyridine) (poly(BAAPy)), tailored for subfamily-level resolution of stilbenes obtained from crude grape cane extracts. Leveraging dual amide and pyridine functionalities, poly(BAAPy) achieves selective retention of oligomeric stilbenes (e.g., trans-ε-viniferin, miyabenol C) via multivalent hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking interactions. Comparative breakthrough experiments against commercial poly(4-vinylpyridine) (poly(4VP)) demonstrate superior oligomer retention across both ethanol-water and acetonitrile systems. In dynamic closed-loop adsorption mode, poly(BAAPy) enabled polarity-driven elution and achieved up to a 3.4-fold enrichment of stilbene oligomers, with their recovery in fractions containing ≥ 90 % oligomeric content in a single desorption cycle. Uptake profiles and adsorption selectivity coefficients confirmed poly(BAAPy)’s preference for oligomers under both ethanol-water and acetonitrile conditions. The total stilbene recovery was 75 %. Breakthrough data were fitted using both empirical (Clark, Thomas) and mechanistic models, revealing distinct adsorption dynamics for poly(BAAPy) versus a commercial poly(4VP) resin. This work demonstrates a sustainable valorisation route for grape cane waste, converting viticultural residues into a high-value source of bioactive compounds. The use of green solvents and fixed-bed adsorption aligns with circular economy principles and environmentally conscious separation processes.We are grateful to the members of the Research Centre Biobased Economy at Hanze University of Applied Sciences for their invaluable support and assistance. We are also thankful for the financial aid provided by “BacchusTech-Integrated Approach for the Valorisation of Winemaking Residues” (POCI-01–0247-FEDER-069583), supported by the Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Amir Bzainia is grateful to the financial support provided by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) through the PhD grant reference of doi.org/10.54499/UI/BD/153688/2022. Rolando C. S. Dias is grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/ 00690/2020) and SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2020). Mário Rui P. F. N. Costa acknowledges the support by LA/P/0045/2020 (ALiCE), UIDB/50020/2020, and UIDP/50020/2020 (LSRE-LCM), funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC)
Automating digital accessibility AI and machine learning for inclusive learning environments
No full textDigital accessibility is essential for ensuring that students with disabilities have equal access to educational materials in higher education. Despite standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and PDF Universal
Access (PDF/UA), many institutions still face challenges in providing accessible digital content. Existing tools can identify accessibility issues but often fail to automate the remediation process or offer personalised adjustments for individual learners. This paper presents an AI-driven framework designed to automate digital content detection, remediation, and personalisation to meet accessibility requirements. The proposed framework integrates AI and machine learning to enhance the accessibility of PDFs, HTML content, and multimedia resources, ensuring compliance with WCAG 2.1 and PDF/UA standards. The study demonstrates that the AI system detects accessibility issues with 92% accuracy and remediates 85% of identified problems. Additionally, the framework offers real-time personalised adjustments, improving user satisfaction for 94% of students with disabilities. The AI system also reduces the time and cost of ensuring accessibility, making it an efficient tool for educational institutions. The paper concludes with recommendations for further research to expand the framework’s capabilities and offers
insights for developing inclusive education policies that leverage AI technology