The role of land as the central piece to sustainable food systems:Lessons learned from Portugal national food-related policies

This paper discusses to what extent land is considered in food-related policies from a systemic perspective.Based on existing literature and international agendas priorities,we argue that access to and preservation of land for food along the food chain play a major role in sustainable food systems.To further explore this argument,we address the following question:Where does land stand in sectorial and national food-related policies?The mul-tiple dimensions and implications of food systems and the international agenda’s priorities namely the“Right to adequate Food”,“Food Sovereignty”and the“Right to Land”,were used as our conceptual framework.To work out how land is being considered in food sectorial policies,both quantitative and qualitative methods were applied to examine ten Portuguese national food-related policies.Results are showing a lack of consideration for land access and land preservation,needed all along the food chain to build a national sustainable food system.On the other hand,there is a gap between current grassroots priorities international agendas and food-related national policies.Such a situation strongly suggests that building a sustainable food system needs a clear food territorial perspective,still neglected,and shifting from sectorial policies towards a more integrated food system approach,that will include land as a central piece.

An Agent-Based Assessment of Land Use and Ecosystem Changes in Traditional Agricultural Landscape of Portugal

This paper presents an assessment of land use changes and their impacts on the ecosystem in the Montado, a traditional agricultural landscape of Portugal in response to global environmental change. The assessment uses an agent-based model (ABM) of the adaptive decisions of farmers to simulate the influence on future land use patterns of socio-economic attributes such as social relationships and farmer reliance on subsidies and biophysical constraints. The application and development of the ABM are supported empirically using three categories of input data: 1) farmer types based on a cluster analysis of socio-economic attributes;2) agricultural suitability based on regression analysis of historical land use maps and biophysical attributes;and 3) future trends in the economic and climatic environments based on the A1fi scenario of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Model sensitivity and uncertainty analyses are carried out prior to the scenario analysis in order to verify the absence of systematic errors in the model structure. The results of the scenario analysis show that the area of Montado declines significantly by 2050, but it remains the dominant land use in the case study area, indicating some resilience to change. An important policy challenge arising from this assessment is how to encourage next generation of innovative farmers to conserve this traditional landscape for social and ecological values.

Evolution of forest cover in Portugal: A review of the 12th–20th centuries

Portugal＇s forests in the 12th century were dominated by the Fagaceae represented by Quercus and Castanea, and several pine species From the 12th century onwards, forests underwent changes in their management starting with protection and ultimately leading to intense exploitation. The massive naval construction during the maritime expansion （mainly in the 15th-16th centuries） involved felling of approximately 5 million trees mainly Quercus suber, Pinus pinea and other Quercus species. Cumulative fuel-wood consumption of 959 Mm3 during 1300-1854 was attributed to demographic expansion while the deforestation rate during 1636-1854 accounted for a minimum of 72.6% and a maximum of 96% of total forest cover. The volume of timber used in railway sleepers from 1856 onwards might have reached 0.5 Mm3. The last quarter of the 20th century increased the forest cover of Portugal through the World Bank program of Eucalyptus globulus reforestation.

The 2018 joint international congress of ILTS,ELITA and LICAGE held in Lisbon,Portugal

The 2018 joint International congress of International Liver Transplantation Society(ILTS),European Liver and Intestine Transplant Association(ELITA)and Liver Intensive Care Group of Europe(LICAGE)was held in Lisbon,the capital of Portugal,from May 23 to 26,2018.Congress program chair is Nancy Kwan Man from University of Hong Kong,China,and ILTS President is Patrizia Burra from Padova

Pleistocene Birds of Gruta Nova da Columbeira(Bombarral-Portugal):A Paleontological and Paleoenvironmental Aproach

Discovered in 1962,the Columbeira cave has a Mousterian sequence dated between 101 and 35 Ka(U-series)and between 28,900 and 18,000 BP 14C.Excavations recovered abundant lithic implements and provided rich assemblage of vertebrates,including mammals,reptiles,birds and a remain of Homo neanderthalensis.In this work,authors present the taxonomy at the level of genus and species of the bird assemblage and its possible relationship with the paleoenvironments in which they lived.Thirteen species of birds have been identified out of 283 bones.Most of these bones are very fragmented and unsuitable for identification down to species or the genus level.Nevertheless,it is possible to say that the species vary through the sequence and that the assemblage is dominated by Pyrrhocorax,Corvus,Columba Turdus and Alectoris.

New Dinosaur Tracks from the Lower Barremian of Portugal (Areia do Mastro Formation, Cape Espichel)

We present a new tracksite with multiple dinosaur tracks from the lowermost Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of the Cape Espichel (Sesimbra, Portugal). The tracks are localized on three beds on the top carbonate beds of the Areia do Mastro Formation. Those bioclastic, nodular limestones were deposited in a very shallow subtidal-intertidal, restricted lagoon environment. The track surfaces are very dinoturbated, with a substantial number of tracks. Several tracks assign to sauropods, ornithopods and theropods dinosaurs were recorded. Due to heavy bioturbation and the preservation conditions, it is not possible to define trackways;some preliminary work done on the tracks could disclose some behaviours of their producers. Several species of carnivore and herbivore dinosaurs crossed that large area at different times. Herbivores may have used the lagoon margin as passage between feeding spots, while carnivores frequented the area to hunt in groups or individually.

ZTE to Build SDR Network for Portugal's Optimus

ZTE Corporation, a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, announced on February 24, 2010 that Optimus will be deploying its software define radio （SDR） multi-mode solution, enabling the operator to upgrade its GSM/UMTS network in Portugal and providing a smooth evolution path to LTE. ZTE＇s SDR network will include SDR RAN, network management system, and operation systems and software （NMS/OSS）, enabling Optimus to optimize current 2G/3G services and smoothly upgrade to LTE.

Portugal and the Curse of Cain:The Birth of the Transatlantic Slave“Trade”,1421-1441

This article investigates the role of Portugal in the birth of the transatlantic slave trade.For a long time,most explanations of this traffic by American historians divorced the so-called“Old World”slave trade from the New World slave trade.This historiography blamed Christopher Columbus for the latter trade,while writing Portugal out of Atlantic history.Recent research,however,has shown that Portugal was the first country to claim the governance of the Atlantic Ocean and to trade in African slaves across the Atlantic.In an attempt to bring a much-needed African perspective to balance this Eurocentric debate,I question the notion of“trade”in the transatlantic slave trade.I suggest that this“trade”originated not in commerce,but in the Portuguese,pioneer role as slave raiders on the coast of Western Africa,a role spuriously justified by an invented Curse of Cain.The Pope confirmed this role with a bull granting Portugal exclusive rights to capture African slaves and trade them in Europe.This neglected original slave-raiding chapter is the precedent without which the transatlantic slave trade is dangerously misunderstood.

A Friendly Visit across Europe,Asia and Africa:Sidelights on the Visit of H.E.Ji Bingxuan to the Republic of Congo,Portugal and Tanzania

The visit to three countries took 10 days and nights via 8 flights. From 11 to 20 December, a fifteen-member delegation led by H.E. Ji Bingxuan, Deputy Chairman, Standing Committee of National People’s Congress and President of the Chinese Association for International Understanding(CAFIU) visited the Republic of Congo,Portugal and Tanzania.

Governmental Support and Internal Control in Tourism Sector in Portugal

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the operational risk of organizations,requiring its management through Internal Control Systems(ICS).The tourism sector in Portugal,one of the largest and most competitive,was also one of the most affected by the pandemic,which emerged in March 2020.The main purpose of this paper is to analyse the perception of tourism managers about the relationship between the existence of internal control and risk mitigation in their companies.We present a quantitative study carried out by questionnaire,sent to 830 managers from tourism companies in the region of Porto,Portugal.Most participants consider crucial the implementation of ICS and a competitive advantage in the current pandemic context.They also consider that the implementation of ICS is not accessible to all companies,but its absence does not necessarily make them more fragile.The study also concludes that besides internal control,the role of the Portuguese Government was crucial to overcome the difficulties caused by the pandemic and to ensure companies’recovery.Financial support from the government allows companies to invest in procedures to overcome the pandemic situation,such as strengthening cleanliness measures,focusing on new technologies,and creating products and/or services more attractive to consumers.This study contributes to the perception of tourism managers about internal control,highlight the need to implement risk analysis routines to manage risks that may threaten the company activities,and highlight the government’s role in business recovery.

Prospects for Science and Technology Cooperation belween the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Portugal under the Belt and Road Initiative

President Xi,focusing on building a new pattern of all-round opening up to the outside world and promoting the common prosperity and progress of all countries,put forward a major proposal for the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the maritime Silk Road in twenty-first Century.The bay area economy as an important coastal economic form,is the highlight of the current international economic map,and is a significant symbol of the world's first-class coastal city.The international first-class bay areas,such as New York Bay area,San Francisco Bay area and Tokyo Bay area,are characterized by openness,innovation,livability and internationalization.The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has four worldclass cities,name Guangzhou,Shenzhen,Hong Kong and Macao,and the Pearl River Delta city cluster.It has an open economic structure,efficient resource allocation ability,strong agglomeration and spillover function and development international communication network plays a core function of leading innovation and gathering radiation.It is an important growth pole for promoting the economic development of the maritime Silk Road and a leader in technological change.With the help of Portugal's geographical position on the maritime Silk Road and market access advantages within the EU system,the Greater Bay Area should further deepen scientific and technological cooperation,improve the ability of scientific and technological innovation of both sides,let the scientific research subjects of the bay area help Portugal's scientific and technological development,and enhance PortugaFs scientific and technological position in the EU.From the perspective of the Belt and Road Initiative,combined with the basic situation and cooperation of China,especially Guangdong,Hong Kong and Macao,and the development of science and technology in Portugal,this article explores the technological fields,policy measures that are suitable for scientific and technological cooperation between the two sides,and puts forward corresponding suggestions to contribute to the technological development of China,Portugal and the global economic and social sustainable development.

Motivations for and barriers to innovation in non-profit organizations: The case of nursing homes in Northern Portugal

To contribute to the empirical literature on innovation in non-profit organizations,this study examines innovation in Private Social Solidarity Institutions with social responses for the elderly in Northern Portugal.It enriches the literature by clarifying the concept of innovation applied to non-profit organizations,which represents a perspective different from the business context.Moreover,it is important to support the innovation decisionmaking process in similar non-profit organizations.For this study,the population was surveyed through questionnaires based on the PUBLIN research project,which has already been applied in different countries,and the targets were employees of organizations with social responses for the elderly.Our sample is small,with 28 respondent institutions and 51 employees,but it is representative,as it includes institutions from all districts in Northern Portugal.The study employed a quantitative approach,particularly factor analysis,multiple linear regression,and correlation analyses,using scales already applied in other dimensions of the social sector,to understand the effect of each innovation dimension/determinant on creativity and innovation in nonprofit organizations.The results show that in these organizations with social responses for the elderly,learning orientation,risk-taking,and job satisfaction have a positive impact on innovation.

Mercury in sediments and vegetation in a moderately contaminated salt marsh (Tagus Estuary, Portugal)

Depth variations of total mercury （Hg） and methylmercury （MeHg） concentrations were studied in cores from non-colonized sediments, sediments colonized by Halimione portulacoides, Sarcocornia fruticosa and Spartina maritima and belowground biomass, in a moderately contaminated salt marsh （Tagus Estuary, Portugal）. Concentrations in belowground biomass exceeded up to 3 （Hg） and 15 （MeHg） times the levels in sediments, and up to 198 （Hg） and 308 （MeHg） times those found in aboveground parts. Methylmercury in colonized sediments reached 3% of the total Hg, 50 times above the maximum values found in non-colonized sediments. The absence of correlations between total Hg concentrations in sediments and the corresponding MeHg levels suggested that methylation was only dependent on the environmental and microbiological factors. The analysis of belowground biomass at high-depth resolution （2 cm） provided evidence that Hg and MeHg were actively absorbed from sediments, with higher enrichment factors at layers where higher microbial activity was probably occurring. The results obtained in this study indicated that the biotransformation of Hg to the toxic MeHg could increase the toxicity of plant-colonized sediments.

Comparison of Classical Models for Evaluating the Heat Requirements of Olive(Olea europeae L.) in Portugal

The aim of the present study was to compare the accuracy and reproducibility of six statistical models for the calculation of olive （Olea europeae L.） heat requirements to trigger the onset of flowering in three Portuguese regions： Reguengos de Monsaraz, Valenga do Douro, and Braga. Other alms were to ascertain the date on which the heat-accumulation period started and the threshold temperatures above which the development of reproductive structures starts in olives. The starting and peak dates for the regional O. europeae flowering season were estimated by monitoring airborne pollen from 1998 to 2004 using ＂Cour＂- type samplers. The threshold temperature values calculated for the three regions were very similar （9.0 ℃ for Valenca do Douro, 9.2 ℃ for Reguengos de Monsaraz, and 9.7 ℃ for Braga）. The accumulated daily mean temperature model had less interannual and inter-regional variation, showing best predictive results for 2004, with absolute differences between the observed and predicted dates of 4 d in Reguengos de Monsaraz and 2 d In Valenca do Douro and Braga for the onset of flowering date and of 2 d In Reguengos de Monsaraz, 7 d in Valenca do Douro, and 4 d in Braga for peak flowering dates. This model was the most accurate, reproducible, and operational to calculate heat requirements for olives to flower, with an average mean temperature accumulation of 1 446 ℃ In Reguengos, 1 642 ℃ in Valenga do Douro, and 1 703℃ In Braga to reach the onset of flowering. The best initial date for this accumulation was 1 January.

Disaster Journalism in Print Media:Analysis of the Top 10 Hydrogeomorphological Disaster Events in Portugal,1865–2015

Disaster communication guidelines emphasize that journalists should be aware of past major disasters and draw lessons from the coverage of those events.The press is an important source for the evolution of historical disaster and risk research paradigms over time.This study explored the top 10 damaging hydrogeomorphological events in Portugal selected from the disaster database,which includes events that caused human damages(fatalities,injured,missing,evacuated,and displaced)reported over a period of 151years(1865–2015)by the Portuguese newspaper Diário de Notícias(DN).News analysis was guided by the news protocol.The analysis of the news published in DN enabled us to identify textual marks that present interconnections in the journalistic coverage and produce discursive standards for these disasters.The textual marks were associated with the hazard and risk paradigms.The discursive standards of DN did not clearly reflect the ruptures in the hazard paradigms.As a rule,the journalistic reports contributed to the naturalization of disasters and the gap in public understanding of risks,by presenting an approach focused on relief actions—ignoring social issues,vulnerability,and population resilience—reducing the discourse of preparedness for future disasters.

A Novel Approach to Measuring Spatiotemporal Changes in Social Vulnerability at the Local Level in Portugal

Social vulnerability,as one of the risk components,partially explains the magnitude of the impacts observed after a disaster.In this study,a spatiotemporally comparable assessment of social vulnerability and its drivers was conducted in Portugal,at the civil parish level,for three census frames.The first challenging step consisted of the selection of meaningful and consistent variables over time.Data were normalized using the Adjusted Mazziotta-Pareto Index(AMPI)to obtain comparable adimensional-normalized values.A joint principal component analysis(PCA)was applied,resulting in a robust set of variables,interpretable from the point of view of their self-grouping around vulnerability drivers.A separate PCA for each census was also conducted,which proved to be useful in analyzing changes in the composition and type of drivers,although only the joint PCA allows the monitoring of spatiotemporal changes in social vulnerability scores and drivers from 1991 to 2011.A general improvement in social vulnerability was observed for Portugal.The two main drivers are the economic condition(PC1),and aging and depopulation(PC2).The remaining drivers highlighted are uprooting and internal mobility,and daily commuting.Census data proved their value in the territorial,social,and demographic characterization of the country,to support medium-and long-term disaster risk reduction measures.

Validation of the Portuguese version of the social isolation scale with a sample of community-dwelling older adults

Objectives The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties(reliability and validity)of the Social Isolation Scale(SIS)in a sample of Portuguese community-dwelling older adults.Methods A transversal descriptive study was carried out with a convenience sample of 250 community-dwelling older adults(≥65 years).The survey comprised a sociodemographic questionnaire,SIS,Geriatric Depression Scale-4(GDS-4),6-item Lubben Social Network Scale(LSNS-6),a loneliness self-assessment question,and Satisfaction with Life Scale(SWLS).Construct validity(confirmatory factor analysis)and convergent validity were analyzed,and ISI internal reliability(composite reliability),external reliability(test-retest,intraclass correlation coefficient)and inter-rater reliability(Cohen’s kappa coefficient)were evaluated.Results Confirmatory factor analysis showed a two-factor model with an excellent index of fit.The SIS showed significant correlations with LSNS-6(rs=0.47),SWLS(rs=0.26),the loneliness self-assessment question(rs=0.35),and GDS-4(rs=−0.16).SIS composite reliability was good(0.708).The inter-class correlation coefficient varied from 0.84 to 0.98.The Cohen’s kappa coefficient ranged from 0.936 to 1.Conclusions SIS has been shown to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing social isolation among Portuguese community-dwelling older adults.Healthcare professionals,particularly nurses working in community settings,can use SIS to assess social isolation in older adults to design,implement,and evaluate interventions.

Can the Iberian Floristic Diversity Withstand Near-Future Climate Change?

We assess how effectively the current network of protected areas (PAs) across the Iberian Peninsula will conserve plant diversity under near-future (2020) climate change. We computed 3267 MAXENT environmental niche models (ENMs) at 1-km spatial resolution for known Iberian plant species under two climate scenarios (1950-2000 baseline & 2020). To predict near-future species distributions across the network of Iberian and Balearics PAs, we combined projections of species’ ENMs with simulations of propagule dispersal by using six scenarios of annual dispersal rates (no dispersal, 0.1 km, 0.5 km, 1 km, 2 km and unlimited). Mined PA grid cell values for each species were then analyzed. We forecast 3% overall floristic diversity richness loss by 2020. The habitat of regionally extant species will contract on average by 13.14%. Niche movement exceeds 1 km per annum for 30% of extant species. While the southerly range margin of northern plant species retracts northward at 8.9 km per decade, overall niche movement is more easterly and westerly than northerly. There is little expansion of the northern range margin of southern plant species even under unlimited dispersal. Regardless of propagule dispersal rate, altitudinal niche movement of +25 m per decade is strongest for northern species. Pyrenees flora is most vulnerable to near-future climate change with many northern plant species responding by shifting their range westerly and easterly rather than northerly. Northern humid habitats will be particularly vulnerable to near-future climate change. Andalusian National Parks will become important southern biodiversity refuges. With limited human intervention (particularly in the Pyrenees), we conclude that floristic diversity in Iberian PAs should withstand near-future climate change.

Risk Factors for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Objective: Drug resistance is considered one of the main threats for tuberculosis control. Our aim was to identify risk factors for drug resistance in tuberculosis patients in the Northern Portugal. Study Design and Methods: Retrospective case-control study. The medical records and drug susceptibility test data from TB patients diagnosed between 31 March 2009 and 1 April 2010 were examined. We enrolled 119 patients with any drug resistance to first line anti-TB drugs and 238 with drug-susceptible TB, matched by age group. Variables analyzed included: gender, country of origin, employment situation, site of disease, previous treatment, presence of diabetes mellitus, HIV infection, alcohol abuse, intravenous drug use, abuse of other drugs and smoking habits. Multivariate conditional logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors for drug-resistant TB. Results: Diabetes mellitus [adjusted odds ratio (OR): 3.54;95% CI: 1.45 - 8.66], intravenous drug use (OR: 4.77;95% CI: 1.24 - 18.32) and previous TB treatment (OR: 2.48;95% CI: 1.12 - 5.49) were found to be risk factors for drug-resistant disease development. Conclusions: Diabetes mellitus, prior tuberculosis treatment, and intravenous drug use were risk factors for drug-resistant disease. The association between diabetes and drug-resistant TB should be further explored. Identifying clinical predictors of drug resistance can allow prompt identification of patients at risk for drug-resistant TB.

Chinese,Portuguese Leaders Exchange Congratulations on 40th Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on February 8 exchanged congratulations on the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-Portugal diplomatic relations.