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Cork waste-based adsorbents for glycerol removal from biodiesel: a sustainable alternative to wet washing
Full text linkThis work aims to use activated carbon from industrial cork waste as a novel method for glycerol removal from crude biodiesel produced using waste cooking oil, combining two residues to obtain both high-quality biodiesel and highly adsorbent activated carbon. The study first optimizes the biodiesel production conditions, achieving the highest ester yield at 30 degrees C, with a 1:9 oil-to-ethanol molar ratio, 1 wt.% NaOH catalyst, and a reaction time of 1 h. Additionally, activated carbons were prepared and characterized from cork waste, showing significantly higher BET surface areas than the raw material. The most promising cork-based materials were then applied to optimize glycerol removal from crude biodiesel through adsorption. A preliminary study identified milled raw cork and its KOH-activated carbon (SBET = 2057 m2/g) as the most effective. Kinetic and equilibrium studies demonstrated that optimal glycerol removal was achieved after 6 h at 25 degrees C using 2 wt.% of KOH-activated cork-based adsorbent, resulting in 88% glycerol removal and a final glycerol content of 0.017 wt.%. These findings demonstrate that cork waste-derived activated carbon is highly effective for biodiesel purification, successfully meeting the quality specifications required by European Standard EN 14214:2012+A2:2019 and offering an innovative solution for waste valorization and sustainable fuel production.This work was supported by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC): CIMO, UIDB/00690/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/00690/2020) and UIDP/00690/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDP/00690/2020); and SusTEC, LA/P/0007/2020 (DOI:10.54499/LA/P/0007/2020). Jose L. Diaz De Tuesta acknowl-edges the financial support through the program of Atracción al Talento of Comunidad de Madrid (Spain) forthe individual research grant and project 2022-T1/AMB-23946
Prática de Ensino Supervisionada – Notas do século XXI: O entrelaçar das novas tecnologias e da tradição no processo de Ensino-Aprendizagem em Educação Musical
Full text linkEste relatório apresenta uma reflexão sobre a prática de ensino supervisionada na área do ensino de Educação Musical no ensino básico, analisando a interação entre as novas tecnologias e as metodologias tradicionais no processo de ensino-aprendizagem. O trabalho foi desenvolvido numa escola do norte do país, durante o ano letivo de 2023/2024, envolvendo turmas do 5.º e 6.º ano do ensino básico de educação musical. A utilização de ferramentas digitais como o MuseScore, YouTube e outras plataformas interativas, permitiu observar o potencial para enriquecer a experiência educativa, promovendo maior envolvimento e autonomia dos alunos. Os resultados obtidos evidenciam que a inserção de tecnologias no ensino da educação musical favorece a personalização da aprendizagem, estimula a criatividade e contribui para uma abordagem mais inclusiva e adaptada às novas exigências pedagógicas do século XXI.This report presents a reflection on supervised teaching practice in the field of Music Education, analyzing the interaction between new technologies and traditional methodologies in the teaching-learning process. The work was carried out in a school in the north of Portugal during the 2023/2024 academic year, involving 5th and 6th-grade classes. The use of digital tools such as MuseScore, YouTube, and interactive platforms allowed for the observation of their potencial in enriching the educational experience, promoting greater student engagement and autonomy. The results highlight that the integration of technologies in music education supports personalized learning, stimulates creativity, and contributes to a more inclusive approach adapted to new pedagogical demands of th 21st century
Proposal of preliminary quality Indicators for long-term care institutions: a study in Portugal
Full text linkThis study, based on the Donabedian’s model (JAMA, 260(12), 1743–1748, 1988), indentify professionals who spend the most time in care activities and proposes quality indicators for long-term care institutions in Portugal. The increasing complexity of long-term care in Portugal calls for an evaluation system tailored to the country’s clinical, social organizational context. Existing European indicators, developed for different settings, fail to fully capture national specificities. The indicators proposed in this study, incorporating care time, professional roles, and resident profiles, enable a more accurate assessment, support continuous improvement, and guide evidence-based public policies. Indicators were validated through literature review, Delphi consensus, and analysis of residents’ records using descriptive statistics and multiple linear and logistic regressions models (Stepwise and Forward). Structure, presence of an interdisciplinary team, an Individual Intervention Plan and case manager, Nursing Assistant hours and psychosocial care. Process: rate of dependency, use of anti-infective drugs, for the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, and prevalence of pressure ulcers. Outcome: rate of falls, deaths, hospitalizations, bedridden individuals, incontinence and incidence of pressure ulcers. This preliminary study based on Donabedian's model identifies structure, process and outcome indicators to evaluate long-term integrated care. The time spent caring for dependent users, especially in Long Duration and Maintenance Unit, reveals greater complexity. Despite the broad sample and interdisciplinary approach, methodological limitations require further research to validate and adapt the indicators to the portuguese contex
Assessing pesticide impact on honeybee gut microbiota: a call for microbial diversity as an environmental risk assessment endpoint
Full text linkA recent roadmap for integrating environmental microbiota into risk assessments under the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) remit has been published. The honeybee gut microbiota has emerged as a promising avenue to protect bees against stressors. Honeybees exhibit a stable core microbiota, and dysbiosis may serve as an indicator of adverse conditions.
We investigated the gut microbiota of newly emerged “Apis mellifera iberiensis” workers exposed to a single concentration of the insecticide flupyradifurone (FPF, 36 ppm). The control groups included pure syrup (negative control, NC) and syrup supplemented with 1% acetone (acetone control, AC). Laboratory trials followed official guidelines (OECD No. 245). The abdomen of each bee was separated from the thorax, and DNA extraction was performed individually. Full-length 16s rRNA amplicon metagenomic was sequenced through PacBio sequel II (HiFi/CCS mode).
The Shannon diversity index was used to analyze honeybee gut microbiota composition across experimental groups. Our results revealed a significant increase in bacterial community diversity (Shannon index, P = 0.003) after ten days of chronic exposure to FPF. This effect was more pronounced when compared to the AC group (P = 0.003) than to the NC group (P = 0.03). These findings demonstrate that FPF disrupts the honeybee gut microbiota.
This study represents the first characterization of honeybee gut microbiota strictly adhering to OECD guidelines without modifications or adaptations. Furthermore, we have provided new insights into pesticide risk assessment, highlighting an overlooked aspect of bee health assessment. We propose integrating this approach into pesticide risk assessments by using diversity indices as comparative parameters. Specifically, we advocate for the inclusion of honeybee gut microbiota dysbiosis as a sublethal effect in the initial screening phase of risk assessments (laboratory-based assays) and as a key parameter for evaluating pollinator health
Perceção do conhecimento e executabilidade das práticas forenses de enfermeiros do serviço de urgência
Full text linkO presente Relatório Final de Estágio Profissional, realizado no âmbito do Mestrado em Enfermagem Médico-Cirúrgica na Área da Pessoa em Situação Crítica (EMCPSC), visa uma análise crítica e fundamentada do percurso de estágio, desenvolvido em três contextos distintos: Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos de Cardiologia (UCIC), Unidade de Cuidados Intensivos Polivalente (UCIP) e Serviço de Urgência Médico-Cirúrgica (SUMC), integrados numa Unidade Local de Saúde (ULS) do Norte de Portugal.
A estrutura do relatório está dividida em duas partes: a primeira documenta o desenvolvimento de competências clínicas, comuns e específicas, conforme os referenciais da Ordem dos Enfermeiros [OE]; a segunda apresenta trabalho de investigação realizado, baseado na prática especializada e orientado para a melhoria contínua da qualidade dos cuidados, com o tema “Perceção do Conhecimento e Executabilidade das Práticas Forenses de Enfermeiros do Serviço de Urgência”.
Em cada secção é feita uma análise crítica e reflexiva, sustentada na evidência científica e nos padrões de qualidade definidos pela profissão, com o intuito de evidenciar a evolução de competências, a capacidade de integração da teoria na prática e o impacto das experiências no crescimento pessoal e profissional enquanto futura enfermeira especialista.
Objetivos: Analisar os processos de aprendizagem e de aquisição e desenvolvimento de competências, no âmbito da prestação de cuidados à pessoa em situação crítica; Identificar o perfil sociodemográfico e profissional da amostra; Analisar a perceção do conhecimento e a executabilidade dos procedimentos referentes às Práticas Forenses (PF) de enfermeiros do Serviço de Urgência (SU); Analisar se o perfil sociodemográfico, a formação, a categoria profissional e o tempo de exercício profissional de enfermagem no SU se relacionam com a perceção do conhecimento e a executabilidade das PF; Analisar se existe relação entre a perceção do conhecimento das PF de enfermeiros do SU e a sua executabilidade.
Métodos: Para a concretização do primeiro objetivo, utilizou-se uma metodologia descritiva, analítica e reflexiva. No que concerne aos seguintes, realizou-se um estudo descritivo-correlacional de caráter transversal, com a aplicação do “Questionário sobre a Preservação de Vestígios na Assistência à Vítima por Enfermeiros” (QPVAVE), de Gomes, Corte-Real & Chaves (2016) aos enfermeiros que exercem funções nos SU de uma ULS do Norte de Portugal, nos meses de dezembro de 2024 e janeiro de 2025. A amostra foi constituída por 94 enfermeiros. O tratamento dos dados foi efetuado através do programa informático de tratamento estatístico IBM® (International Business Machines) SPSS® (Statistical Package for the Social Science), versão 30.0 para Windows 11, com recurso a procedimentos de estatística descritiva e analítica. Foram salvaguardados os princípios éticos.
Resultados: As competências em análise foram adquiridas. No âmbito da investigação, no que concerne à executabilidade, “nunca executei” foi resposta dada pela maioria dos participantes, em todas as categorias. Quanto à perceção do conhecimento, a opção “conhecia vagamente” foi a mais predominante, seguida da opção “desconhecia”. O perfil sociodemográfico, a formação, a categoria profissional e o tempo de exercício profissional de enfermagem no SU, não evidenciaram correlações estatisticamente significativas com a perceção do conhecimento e a executabilidade das PF. A análise das correlações de Pearson, revelou padrões maioritariamente fracos a moderados, e estatisticamente significativos entre as variáveis de executabilidade e perceção do conhecimento das PF.
Conclusão: Os processos de aprendizagem e de aquisição e desenvolvimento de competências, no âmbito da prestação de cuidados à Pessoa em Situação Crítica (PSC) foi cumprido. Quanto ao estudo de investigação, os enfermeiros a exercer funções nos SU apresentam lacunas significativas, tanto ao nível da executabilidade como da perceção do conhecimento das PF. Perante estes resultados, torna-se imperativo o reforço da formação em Enfermagem Forense (EF), bem como a implementação de protocolos institucionais claros e oportunidades práticas supervisionadas, que favoreçam a consolidação de competências.This Final Report on the Professional Internship, carried out within the scope of the Master's Degree in Medical-Surgical Nursing in the Area of People in Critical Situations, aims at a critical and well-founded analysis of the internship path, developed in three different contexts: Cardiology Intensive Care Unit (CICU), Multipurpose Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and Medical-Surgical Emergency Service (MSES), integrated in a Local Health Unit (LHU) in the North of Portugal.
The structure of the report is divided into two parts: the first document on the development of common and specific clinical skills, in accordance with the references of the Portuguese Nurses' Association [NA]; the second presents the research work carried out, based on specialized practice and aimed at continuous improvement of the quality of care, with the theme “Perception of Knowledge and Execution of Forensic Practices of Nurses in the Emergency Service”. In each section, a critical and reflective analysis is carried out, supported by scientific evidence and quality standards defined by the profession, with the intention of highlighting the evolution of skills, the ability to integrate theory into practice and the impact of experiences on personal and professional growth as a future specialist nurse.
Aim: To analyze the learning processes and the acquisition and development of skills, within the scope of providing care to people in critical situations; To identify the sociodemographic and professional profile of the sample; To analyze the perception of knowledge and the executability of procedures related to Forensic Practices (FP) of Emergency Department (ED) nurses; To analyze whether the sociodemographic profile, training, professional category and time of professional nursing practice in the ED are related to the perception of knowledge and the executability of FP; To analyze whether there is a relationship between the perception of knowledge of FP of ED nurses and their executability.
Methods: To achieve the first objective, a descriptive, analytical and reflective methodology was used. Regarding the following objectives, a descriptive-correlational cross-sectional study was carried out, applying the “Questionnaire on the Preservation of Traces in Victim Care by Nurses” by Gomes, Corte-Real & Chaves (2016) to nurses working in the ED of a LHU in Northern Portugal, in the months of December 2024 and January 2025. The sample consisted of 94 nurses. Data processing was carried out using the IBM® (International Business Machines) SPSS® (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) statistical processing software, version 30.0 for Windows 11, using descriptive and analytical statistics procedures. Ethical principles were safeguarded.
Results: The skills under analysis were acquired. In the context of the research, with regard to executability, “never executed” was the response given by the majority of participants, in all categories. Regarding the perception of knowledge, the option “vaguely knew” was the most predominant, followed by the option “unknown”. The sociodemographic profile, training, professional category and time of professional nursing practice in the ED did not show statistically significant correlations with the perception of knowledge and executability of the FP. The analysis of Pearson correlations revealed mostly weak to moderate, and statistically significant patterns between the executability and perception of knowledge of the FP variables.
Conclusion: The learning processes and the acquisition and development of skills, within the scope of the provision of care to the Person in Critical Situation (PCS) were fulfilled. As for the research study, nurses working in the ED present significant gaps, both in terms of executability and perception of knowledge of FP. Given these results, it is imperative to reinforce training in Forensic Nursing (FN), as well as the implementation of clear institutional protocols and supervised practical opportunities, which favor the consolidation of skills
Predicting the probability of occupational accidents occurrence in a Portuguese retail company
Full text linkWorkplace accidents are a global problem impacting companies and society, as employee well-being and productivity/profit can be affected. Portugal ranks fifth among European Union countries despite efforts to reduce their frequency. Predictive solutions have demonstrated promising results in several economic sectors, but the retail sector, the country's third-largest in accident records, remains unexplored. This study proposes a predictive model based on the Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) algorithm to calculate the probability of risk situations occurring in a retail company. Ten databases provided by the company were analyzed and combined into a single dataset using impact scores. The predictive model was developed to predict risk situations in all the company's stores throughout two working days, the current and the next, and the four working shifts. The predictive model was implemented and tested in an integrated system for nine months and achieved 92% accuracy and a 29% precision rate in identifying risk situations. It is concluded that this approach provides a practical solution to assist companies and occupational health and safety teams prevent and minimize workplace accidents, contributing to increased safety and well-being.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CeDRI UID/05757 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/05757/2020) and SusTEC LA/P/0007/2021 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0007/2020). This work has been supported by NORTE-01-0247-FEDER-072598 iSafety: Intelligent system for occupational safety and well-being in the retail sector. Inês Sena was supported by FCT , Portugal PhD grant UI/BD/153348/2022. Also, thanks to the Mountains Research Collaborative Laboratory (MORE CoLAB) for letting us test the algorithm in the intelligent system iSafety developed for them
O desenvolvimento de competências sociais com crianças em idade escolar: a intervenção do educador social
Full text linkEste estudo de natureza qualitativa reflete sobre o contributo da intervenção do Educador Social para o desenvolvimento de competências sociais em crianças em idade escolar. O enquadramento teórico baseia-se em perspetivas socioculturais e desenvolvimentistas de autores como Vygotsky, Piaget, Montessori e Bronfenbrenner.
A investigação centrou-se na análise de sete atividades socioeducativas realizadas em contexto não formal, numa associação de solidariedade social no norte de Portugal. Estas atividades tiveram como intencionalidade educativa: (i) analisar as perceções das crianças sobre competências sociais; (ii) implementar e avaliar o impacto de atividades promotoras dessas competências e (iii) refletir sobre a relevância da intervenção do Educador Social em contextos não formais e o seu contributo para o desenvolvimento de competências sociais.
A recolha de dados realizou através de registos em grelhas de observação, registos das "voz da criança” e “reflexões da investigadora”.
Os resultados demonstram que as atividades realizadas em contextos não formais, quando planeadas intencionalmente e acompanhados por técnicos qualificados, favorecem significativamente o desenvolvimento de competências sociais. Estes ambientes promovem experiências educativas marcantes, inclusivas e de grande valor para o desenvolvimento global da criança.
Conclui-se que a integração de metodologias participativas e práticas inovadoras nestes contextos potencia a autonomia, o respeito mútuo e a resiliência das crianças, fornecendo-lhes ferramentas essenciais para a sua plena integração e participação social. Este trabalho realça a importância e o reconhecimento do Educador Social enquanto agente de formação e as potencialidades dos contextos não formais enquanto espaços privilegiados na formação holística da criança.This qualitative study analyzes the contribution of Social Educators to the development of social skills in school-aged children. The theoretical framework is grounded in sociocultural and developmental perspectives from authors such as Vygotsky, Piaget, Montessori, and Bronfenbrenner.
The research focused on seven socio-educational activities carried out in a non-formal setting within a social solidarity association in northern Portugal. The educational intentions of these activities were: (i) to analyze children’s perceptions of social skills, (ii) to implement and assess the impact of activities fostering these skills, and (iii) to reflect on the relevance of the Social Educator’s intervention in non-formal contexts and its impact on developing social skills. Data collection was done through observation grids, “children’s voice” recordings, and the “researcher’s reflections”.
Results show that activities in non-formal contexts, when intentionally planned and guided by qualified professionals, significantly promote the development of social skills. These environments provide meaningful, inclusive, and valuable educational experiences for children’s holistic development.
The study concludes that integrating participatory methodologies and innovative practices in these contexts enhances children’s autonomy, mutual respect, and resilience, providing essential tools for their full integration and social participation. The work highlights the importance of the Social Educator as a formative agent and the potential of nonformal environments as privileged spaces for holistic child development
Digital Marketing in Rural Tourism Terras Trás-os-Montes
No full textO Turismo no Espaço Rural surge como um produto turístico distinto e único, capaz de atrair turistas para as áreas rurais, tornando-se num fator crucial para o seu desenvolvimento económico. Neste sentido, as empresas que atuam neste setor devem ter noção de que as estratégias e ferramentas de marketing digital podem determinar o sucesso das mesmas, pelo que estas empresas devem também adaptar-se à própria evolução do marketing digital, e das suas ferramentas. Neste sentido, o objetivo principal da investigação é analisar a utilização do marketing digital na promoção dos empreendimentos de Turismo no Espaço Rural, das Terras de Trás-os-Montes. Assim, procurou-se obter dados a partir dos diversos canais digitais utilizados pelos empreendimentos em estudo, nomeadamente o Facebook, o Instagram e o website.Rural Tourism emerges as a distinct and unique tourist product, capable of attracting tourists to rural areas, becoming a crucial factor for their economic development. In this sense, companies operating in this sector must be aware that digital marketing strategies and tools can determine their success, so these companies must also adapt to the evolution of digital marketing and its tools. In this sense, the main objective of the investigation is to analyze the use of digital marketing in the promotion of companies linked to Rural Tourism. To make this possible, we sought to obtain data from the various digital channels used by the companies under study, namely Facebook, Instagram and websiteOs autores agradecem o apoio do Centro de Investigação, Desenvolvimento e Inovação em Turismo (CiTUR), unidade de I&D financiada pela FC
Exploring the Impact of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction on the Phytochemical Composition and Bioactivity of Tamus communis L. Fruits
Full text linkThe health benefits of Tamus communis fruits have been associated with their high phenolic content, which comprises several flavonoids. However, the extraction methods might significantly impact these valuable compounds' bioactivity. Therefore, the current study assesses how different extraction techniques affect T. communis extracts' antioxidant, anti-aging, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and phenolic contents. Conventional method (TCE-CM) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (TCE-UM) were the methods employed. Results: The increased phenolic content of TCE-UM, particularly flavonoids and phenolic acids, was demonstrated to be a contributing factor to its higher biological activity. Key enzymes linked to dermatological conditions, such as elastase, collagenase, hyaluronidase, and tyrosinase, were significantly inhibited by both extracts at 1 mg/mL; TCE-UM showed the highest tyrosinase inhibition (65.61 +/- 5.21%) compared to TCE-CM (21.78 +/- 2.19%). TCE-UM also demonstrated exceptional antibacterial performance, showing notable antibiofilm and metabolic inactivation effects and potent activity against pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. Both extracts showed concentration-dependent anti-inflammatory properties; TCE-UM had a lower IC50 value (26.46 +/- 2.30%) in nitric oxide inhibition tests, suggesting stronger anti-inflammatory capabilities. These findings underscore the superior bioactivity of TCE-UM and suggest that ultrasonic extraction is a more efficient method for isolating bioactive phenolic compounds from T. communis fruits, presenting promising applications in anti-aging and antimicrobial formulations.This work is supported by National Funds by FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the projects UID/04033: Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agro-Ambientais e Biológicas and LA/P/0126/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/LA/P/0126/2020) (accessed on 21 May 2025)
Gravidez precoce : histórias na primeira pessoa de ex-adolescentes cabo-verdianas
No full textA gravidez na adolescência é um fenómeno complexo que depende do contexto social em que a adolescente vive, do significado de gravidez, bem como do impacto dessa experiência no desenvolvimento da jovem e das suas repercussões sociais (Dias & Teixeira, 2010). Segundo a Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) (2020), cerca de 12 milhões de raparigas entre os 15 e os 19 anos de idade e pelo menos 770 mil com menos de 15 anos, em países em desenvolvimento, deram à luz (Darroch et al., 2016). Como nos revela Natalia Kanem, no prefácio do relatório do Fundo de População das Nações Unidas (UNFPA) (2022), «todo ser humano tem direito à autonomia corporal, e talvez nada seja mais fundamental para o exercício desse direito do que a capacidade de escolher se, quando e com quem engravidar» (p. 4). Na verdade, a gravidez na adolescência constitui um problema a nível mundial, veja-se a iminente preocupação patente nos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) em que se entende como meta a alcançar até 2030, assegurar o acesso universal aos serviços de saúde sexual e reprodutiva, incluindo o planeamento familiar, informação e educação, bem como a integração da saúde reprodutiva em estratégias e programas nacionais