A new approach to pedestal differentiation for soil loss estimation-a case study from a burnt area in north-central Portugal

Soil pedestals have long been used as qualitative indicators of soil splash erosion.In rangelands,plant-capped pedestals,generally grass tussocks,have also been used to quantitatively estimate soil loss since the first half of the twentieth century.In agricultural lands,forests,and bad-lands,stone-capped pedestals have been used as qualitative and semi-quantitative indicators of active,'extreme'erosion.Little work has been reported on using capstone pedestal data for quantifying soil loss.We postulate that three distinct capstone pedestal types may be present in any given location and that a detailed analysis of a pedestal height histogram may be used to recognize their populations.This analysis can subsequently inform if soil loss can be reliably estimated and if so,which of the existing methods using pedestal height data will provide more accurate results.The three proposed capstone pedestal types are:(1)neo-pedestals formed underneath surface stones exposed by(partial)removal of the soil surface cover;(2)endo-pedestals formed underneath stones that were buried in the soil but have been exposed by erosion;and(3)phoenix-pedestals formed underneath stones from collapsed pedestals.In the pedestal height histogram of any given location,a skew to smaller heights may indicate the existence of endo-and/or phoenix-pedestals,which may be revealed as a bi-(or tri)modal distribution when using a smaller bin size.This concept was applied to a case study where soil loss had been monitored for control plots and mulched plots during a 5-year period following wildfire in a eucalypt plantation.We measured pedestal heights and used methods to quantitatively assess soil loss from soil pedestal data in the available literature.Soil pedestal data at the end of the 5-year period under or overestimated soil loss in the control treatment,with results ranging from 60 to 115%of measured soil loss,depending on the method.It is postulated that phoenix-and endo-pedestals may be a driving factor behind the observed discrepancies.We discuss how future research may provide more insight into dominant processes,and how frequency distributions may be used to select the best methods for estimating soil loss from pedestals.

Identity(ies)and Transnationalization of Brazilian Evangelical Churches in Portugal:Case study of World Cathedral of Hope and Victory in Christ Churches

The presence of evangelicals in Brazil is a social and religious phenomenon that has aroused interest of many scholars due to its rapid and significant expansion in recent decades and its projection beyond national borders.Among evangelical denominations that stand out in this scenario are Pentecostal churches,which have developed intense missionary activity in several countries,including Europe.In this article,we intend to analyze features and challenges of Brazilian evangelical churches:World Cathedral of Hope(CIME)(Catedral Mundial da Esperança-ICME)and Assembly of God Victory in Christ(ADVEC)(Assembleia de Deus Vitória em Cristo-ADVEC)that operate in Portugal,seeking to understand issues of identity and belonging of these communities,their models of transnationalization,its evangelization strategies and its adaptations to Portuguese context,in the period from 2000 to 2020.

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.

Health Care System in Portugal for People with Motor Problems

Purpose: From a social and labor inclusion perspective, the article presents a digital prototype conceptualized to provide a “Diagnostic Page”, which delivers various prescribers and suppliers of support products that mitigate the problems of the respective patients. It also provides a “Patient Card Page”, where all the information about financing the respective products is placed, as well as all the documents likely to be needed for the commercial transactions to be carried out by all the parties involved. It also aims to provide a digital medium to grow a community in this niche market. In the action research methodology approach, the prototype was taken to funding competitions and conferences, where interviews and surveys were carried out, and a number of suggestions were collected on the type of platform to consider in order to respond to the concerns and needs of end users, such as patients, prescribers, suppliers and associations. Methods: The digital platform where the system is hosted uses algorithms that, on the diagnostic page, consider keywords used by patients and return a series of prescribers and suppliers of support products, in which the corresponding percentage of attenuation is taken into account and the best solution found to overcome the level of difficulty presented by the respective patients is delivered. Results and Conclusions: It is hoped that, with this platform, people with motor problems will be able to obtain their diagnosis instantly, through the algorithm implemented, and that they will immediately be provided with a series of prescribers, suppliers and support products best suited to their needs, as well as all the information or conditions necessary to purchase or finance them. On the other hand, prescribers, suppliers and associations have an online platform where they can offer their consultations, products and other support as freelancers who are part of a community.

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.

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.

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.

Pumped-Storage Solution towards Energy Efficiency and Sustainability: Portugal Contribution and Real Case Studies

This paper aims at presenting different pumped-storage solutions for improving the energy efficiency and economic sustainability of water systems. The assessment of pumped-storage solutions, either using fresh water or sea-water, is seen as a viable option to solve problems of energy production, as well as in the integration of intermittent renewable energies, providing system flexibility due to energy loads’ fluctuation, as long as the storage of energy from intermittent sources. Pumped-storage is one of the best and most efficient options in terms of renewable resources as an integrated solution allowing the improvement of the energy system elasticity and the global system efficiency. Two real case studies are presented: a fresh water system installed in a river dams—the Alqueva system, in Portugal—and a sea-water system in an arid region of the Cape Verde Islands in Africa. These cases demonstrate the benefits associated to pumped-storage solutions, depending on the storage volume capacity, operational rules and energy tariffs.

The Characteristics of Near-surface Velocity During the Upwelling Season on the Northern Portugal Shelf

Observations made on the northern Portugal mid-shelf between May 13 and June 15,2002 were used to characterise the near-surface velocity during one upwelling season. It was found that in the surface mixed layer,the 'tidal current' was diurnal,but the tidal elevation was semi-diurnal. Both the residual current and the major axes of all tidal constituents were nearly perpendicular to the isobaths and the tidal current ellipses rotated clockwise;the major axis of the major tidal ellipse was about 3 cm s-1. The extremely strong diurnal current in the surface layer was probably due to diurnal heating,cooling,and wind mixing that induced diurnal oscillations,including the diurnal oscillation of wind stress. This is a case different from the results measured in the other layers in this area. The near-inertial spectral peaks occurred with periods ranging from 1 047 min to 1 170 min,the longest periods being observed in deeper layers,and the shortest in the surface layer. Weak inertial events appeared during strong upwelling events,while strong inertial events appeared during downwelling or weak subinertial events. The near-inertial currents were out of phase between 5 m and 35 m layers for almost the entire measurement period,but such relationship was very weak during periods of irregular weak wind. Strong persistent southerly wind blew from May 12 to 17 and forced a significant water transport onshore and established a strong barotropic poleward jet with a surface speed exceeding 20 cm s-1. The subinertial current was related to wind variation,especially in the middle layers of 15 m and 35 m,the maximum correlation between alongshore current and alongshore wind was about 0.5 at the 5 m layer and 0.8 at the 35 m layer. The alongshore current reacted more rapidly than the cross-shore current. The strongest correlation was found at a time lag of 20 h in the upper layer and of 30 h in the deeper layer. The wind-driven surface velocity obtained from the PWP model had maximum amplitude of about 7 cm s-1,corresponding to a wind stress at 0.1 Pa,and the horizontal velocity shear due to thermal wind balance had the order of 3 cm s-1. So the local wind and thermal wind would only explain a part of the strong surface velocity variations.

Occurrence,leaching,and mobility of major and trace elements in a coal mining waste dump:The case of Douro Coalfield,Portugal

The coal mining residues from past mining activities in the Douro Coalfield are emplaced in many dumps near the mining areas,causing substantial environmental impacts.This study aims to contribute to the investigation of environmental impacts caused by the disposal of the residue in the Douro Coalfield through the determination of the geochemical composition of waste materials collected at 3 e 15 m depth,and of the water-leachable fraction produced by percolation in these materials inside the dump.The elements with higher concentration in the leachates are Ca,Cd,Co,Mg,Mn,Na,Ni,S,and Zn,indicating that they are the most easily leached and accessible elements for percolation and mobilization into the environment.The presence of these elements in the leachates is principally attributed to their occurrence as water-soluble ions in clays and sulphides affected by natural weathering conditions,which promotes their breakdown and occurrence as exchangeable ions.The leachates are classified as acid high-metal.Natural weathering and leaching in the Sao Pedro da Cova waste dump are the principal~paths for chemical elements to be percolated and mobilized to environment,posing risk to the soils,waters and ecosystems in the surrounding areas.

Urban green spaces accessibility in two European cities:Vilnius(Lithuania)and Coimbra(Portugal)

Urban green spaces(UGS)are essential for human well-being,contributing towards quality of life and promoting social interactions and inclusion.Accessibility to recreational UGS is key to human well-being in urban areas.However,there is a lack of works focused on recreational UGS accessibility in cities from different countries,using different types of transport.In this work,we studied the accessibility to recreational UGS in Vilnius(Lithuania)and Coimbra(Portugal)through four transport modes(foot,bike,bus and car)within 5-and 10-minute distance.The results showed important differences between cities.Vilnius had higher accessibility to recreational UGS than Coimbra in all transport modes.In both cities,the accessibility was highest by car and lowest by bus.Also,the percentage of population covered by 5-and 10-minute distance UGS accessibility in Vilnius is higher than in Coimbra,despite the lower population density in Vilnius.A large number of recreational UGS,their geographic distribution,the dispersed population pattern,and the location of several urbanizations near recreational UGS increased the inhabitant’s accessibility to recreational UGS in Vilnius.The differences in accessibility between cities were mainly attributed to the large number of recreational UGS and higher road network density,cycleways and footways density,and bus lines in Vilnius,compared to Coimbra.This work identified the areas where recreational UGS accessibility is difficult in using different transport modes and need to be improved in study areas.This is essential to support urban planners and increase cities’well-being.The findings of this work will be important for the management of the studied urban areas.

Paleoenvironmental Approach on the Lower CretaceousSequences of Areia do Mastro (Cabo Espichel, SouthernPortugal)

This palaeontological study focuses on the sedimentology and palaeofauna of Areia do Mastro locale in Cabo Espichel (Sesimbra, south of Lisbon). Two main geological formations are identified in Areia do Mastro: the Areia do Mastro Formation and the Papo-Seco Formation. We report herein the fossilized vertebrate and invertebrate remains from the basal deposits (marls, sands and gravels) of Papo-Seco Formation assigned to Lower Barremian (Lower Cretaceous). The sedimentological analysis and identified palaeofauna indicated a changing environment with important biological and ecological aspects. Extensive periods of sea level fluctuations and subsequent transgressive marine episodes had as a result the continental infralittoral internal platform to be gradually replaced by a lagoon, as revealed from the fossil remains embodied in the sediments during the formation of the afore mentioned sedimentary sequences.

Unlocking the in vitro anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of halophyte plants from the southern Portugal

Objective:To evaluate the in vitro anti-Trypanosoma cruzi（T.cruzi） activity of organic extracts prepared from halophyte species collected in the southern coast of Portugal（Algarve）,and chemically characterize the most active samples.Methods:Acetone,dichloromethane and methanol extracts were prepared from 31 halophyte species and tested in vitro against trypomastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of the Tulahuen strain of T.cruzi.The most active extract was fractionated by preparative HPLC-DAD,affording 11 fractions.The most selective fraction was fully characterized by 1H-NMR.Results:From 94 samples tested,one was active,namely the root dichloromethane extract of Juncus acutus(IC50 < 20 μg/mL).This extract was fractionated by HPLC,affording 11 fractions,one of them containing only a pure compound（juncunol）,and tested for anti-parasitic activity.Fraction 8(IC50 = 4.1 μg/mL) was the most active,and was further characterized by 1H-NMR.The major compounds were phenanthrenes,9,10-dihydrophenanthrenes and benzocoumarins.Conclusion:Our results suggest that the compounds identified in fraction 8 are likely responsible for the observed anti parasitic activity.Further research is in progress aiming to isolate and identify the specific active molecules.To the best of our knowledge,this is the first report on the in vitro anti T.cruzi activity of halophyte species.

Rising costs and hospital admissions for hepatocellular carcinoma in Portugal(1993-2005)

AIM:To determine,for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),the patient demographic profile and costs of their admissions to the hospitals of the Portuguese National Health System from 1993 to 2005.METHODS:The National Registry(ICD-9CM,Inter-national Classification of Diseases,155.0)provided data from the 97 Hospitals in Portugal.RESULTS:We studied 7932 admissions that progres-sively rose from 292 in 1993 to 834 in 2005,having a male predominance of 78%(6130/7932).The global rate of hospital admissions for HCC rose from 3.1/105 in 1993 to 8.3/105 in 2005.The average length of stay decreased from 17.5 ± 17.9 d in 1993 to 9.3 ± 10.4 d in 2005,P < 0.001.The average hospital mortality for HCC remained high over these years,22.3% in 1993 and 26.7% in 2005.Nationally,hospital costs(in Euros-€)rose in all variables studied:overall costs from €533 000 in 1993,to €4 629 000 in 2005,cost per day of stay from €105 in 1993,to €597 in 2005,average cost of each admission from €1828 in 1993,to €5550 in 2005.In 2005,1.8%(15/834)of hospital admissions for HCC were related to liver transplant,and responsible for a cost of about €1.5 million,corresponding to one third of the overall costs for HCC admissions in that same year.CONCLUSION:From 1993 to 2005 hospital admissions in Portugal for HCC tripled.Overall costs for these admissions increased 9 times,with all variables related to cost analysis rising accordingly.Liver transplant,indicated in a small group of patients,showed a disproportionate increase in costs.

Engineering Geological Investigations for the Foundations of Large Structures-Examples of a Concrete Dam and a long Bridge in Portugal

The safety of large structures requires adequate foundations, which implies a good knowledge of the geological and geotechnical conditions of the respective ground. In general, that is only possible through engineering geological studies which include proper site investigation techniques, adapted to the nature of the ground (rock mass or soil) and to the associated engineering problems. The paper illustrates the studies carried out for the design of the foundations of Ribeiradio 76 m high concrete gravity dam in a difficult rock mass and of Vasco da Gama Bridge, 13 km long, crossing the Tagus River in Lisbon, Portugal, through piles 75 m deep.

The effect of salinity on Fucus ceranoides (Ochrophyta,Phaeophyceae) in the Mondego River(Portugal)

Algae(and their extracts)are increasingly important for pharmaceutical applications due to the diversity of useful compounds they contain.The genus Fucus contains one of the most studied species,Fucus vesiculosus.The species F.ceranoides differs from the others of the genus by presenting longitudinal air-vesicles and a capacity to survive at low salinities.It is an alga that inhabits the Mondego River estuary(Portugal),at the southern limit of its distribution,and can serve as a role model to understand the effect of a salt gradient on the production of bioactive compounds.We assessed the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of different F.ceranoides extracts(e.g.methanolic,aqueous and polysaccharide)prepared from samples harvested from two different zones to evaluate if the adaptation of F.ceranoides to different salinity levels influenced its chemical composition.The antioxidant activity of the extracts was determined using 1,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)and 2.2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)(ABTS)radicals.These assays demonstrated that the methanolic extract of lyophilized F.ceranoides that grew at low salinities was the most bioactive,i.e.DPPH(IC 50=50.39μg/mL)and ABTS(TEAC=2.42).The total phenolic content(Folin-Ciocalteu method)and the methanolic extract of the lyophilized F.ceranoides collected from a low salinity habitat exhibited the highest phenolic content(PGE=49.48μg/mg of lyophilized extract)amongst those sampled.Thin layer chromatography(TLC)and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)were used for the identification of compounds in the extracts.This characterization allowed confirmation that the various extracts contained almost the same compounds but with notable quantitative differences.Based on these results,we conclude that there were differences in the quantity of the compounds due to the effect of salinity.The drying methods used were also found to have influenced the quality of the extracted compounds.