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- Variability of antioxidant properties, catechins, caffeine, L-theanine and other amino acids in different plant parts of Azorean Camellia sinensisPublication . Paiva, Lisete S.; Lima, Elisabete; Motta, Madalena; Marcone, Massimo; Baptista, JoséDuring Camellia sinensis tea processing, manufacturers usually remove the internodes, which are classified as waste. This study presents the first determination of plant part contribution, particularly internodes, to green tea quality, in order to find the best blend to maximize impact on human health. Catechins, caffeine and free amino acid (FAA) profiles were determined by RP-HPLC/DAD, total phenolics (TPC) and total flavonoids (TFC) by FolinCiocalteu and colorimetric methodologies, respectively, and antioxidant activities by free radical-scavenging activity (FRSA), ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and ferrous ion-chelating (FIC) methods. Individual esterified catechins content decreased as follows: epicatechin-3-gallate > epigallocatechin-3-gallate ≫ gallocatecin-3-gallate, and epicatechin derivatives content ranged from 63.91 to 91.22% of total catechins. Caffeine content was higher in internodes. L-theanine, histidine, asparagine, phenylalanine, glutamic acid and methionine were the major FAAs, and internodes contained the highest amounts of L-theanine and histidine (17 and 13.73 mg/g of sample, respectively). TPC ranged from 201.51 to 265.48 mg gallic acid equivalents/g dry extract (DE) and TFC ranged from 23.84 to 72.02 mg rutin equivalents/g DE. Internodes presented the lowest FRSA (EC50 ¼ 6.10–13.50 μg/mL), FRAP (EC50 ¼ 5.70–11.40 μg/mL) and FIC activity (36.96–79.21%). Bud presented the highest FRSA and FRAP, and budþ1stþ2ndleaves þ internodes the highest FIC activity. The results revealed the potential contribution of the internodes to green tea quality and, consequently, to human health.
- Unravelling the small‐island effect through phylogenetic community ecologyPublication . Matthews, Thomas J.; Rigal, François; Kougioumoutzis, Kostas; Trigas, Panayiotis; Triantis, KonstantinosAIM: The small-island effect (SIE) describes a different relationship between island area and species richness on smaller compared to larger islands. The pattern has recently gained widespread support. However, few studies have attempted to identify the actual mechanisms driving the SIE. Here, we use a phylogenetic community framework to study the SIE, based on the assumption that if the dominant assembly processes differ between small and large islands, patterns of phylogenetic community structure should shift across the area and habitat diversity gradient. LOCATION: The Aegean Archipelago, Greece. TAXON: Plants. METHODS: We used a large dataset of 3,262 vascular plant species distributed across 173 islands, in combination with a species-level phylogeny. The phylogenetic community structure of each island was calculated using a null modelling framework and was quantified using effect sizes (ES); negative values indicating phylogenetic clustering and positive values overdispersion. Habitat diversity, species richness, phylogenetic diversity (PD) and ES values were regressed against log10-transformed area and we tested for a SIE using piecewise regression models. We also assessed differences in taxonomic and phylogenetic composition between small and large islands using a beta diversity framework. RESULTS: We found evidence of a SIE using species richness, PD and phylogenetic community structure (ES values). Small islands displayed low variation in habitat diversity and tended to be more phylogenetically clustered, while large islands shifted from phylogenetic clustering towards phylogenetic overdispersion with increasing area and habitat diversity. In addition, we showed that phylogenetic composition tended to be more similar between small islands than expected. MAIN CONCLUSION: Overall, our results provide an example of a SIE in the analysis of island phylogenetic community structure, and point to a role of habitat diversity in driving the SIE more generally.
- Diversity of Bird Communities in Tea (Camellia sinensis) Plantations in Fujian Province, South-Eastern ChinaPublication . Imboma, Titus S.; Ferrante, Marco; You, Min-sheng; You, Shijun; Lövei, Gábor L.Habitat conversion in mountain areas threatens their biodiversity. The effect on biodiversity of creating a mountain landscape with a network of forest fragments and a cultivated habitat matrix is poorly documented in China. Bird communities in forest fragments and tea plantations were censused by field observations in two years (2018–2019) in three tea-growing locations, Anxi, Beifeng, and Wuyishan in Fujian Province, south-eastern China. Out of a potential pool of 247 forest-associated bird species, we detected the presence of 82, mostly resident species, 32–47 of those regularly visiting tea plantations. Species-accumulation curves indicated the near-completeness of the census. The Rényi diversity profiles indicated a more diverse community in forest fragments than nearby tea plantations at Anxi and Beifeng, but the tea plantations at Wuyishan supported a more diverse bird community than the forest. Avian communities in tea plantations were a significantly nested subset of the forest communities. Tea plantations can provide resources for forest-associated birds, but the effectiveness of preserving avian diversity depends on natural forest fragments and can be enhanced by landscape-scale management, when the biocontrol potential of birds can also be enhanced.
- Perception of Teachers and Students about Teaching and Learning in the period of Covid-19 pandemicPublication . Silva, Osvaldo Dias Lopes da; Sousa, ÁureaIn the current period of Covid-19 pandemic crisis, there were very unexpected changes in the society, in general, and in the education system, in particular, with the quick change to distance learning and teaching. This situation took the educational community by surprise and, in particular, its main protagonists (students and teachers). The digital revolution poses new challenges, but it also provides renewed learning opportunities that make it possible to face the current situation. However, there are still social inequalities in access to computer equipment and internet. This empirical study aims to investigate how teachers evaluated their performance in the context of distance learning and teaching, due to the current pandemic situation, in terms of pedagogical resources and instruments, teaching strategies and assessment of learning, as well as the students' perceptions about those topics....[…].... Data, collected by questionnaire, were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics and Inferential Statistics (namely, the hypothesis test for the difference between two proportions). It was found that, in general, teachers expressed the most favorable opinions toward distance learning and teaching, comparatively to the students. On the other hand, students expressed a greater diversity of opinions, when compared to the teachers. The most dissonant opinions between the two parties were those referring to the items “Diversification of the resources used”, “Diversification of the activities carried out”, “Incentive to participate in activities and projects that contribute to learning” and “Carrying out activities involving other disciplines”. The most similar opinions between students and teachers are related to the items “opportunities to participate in class activities” and “explanation of the evaluation criteria”.
- Projetos CATLPublication . Gil, Ana Cristina Correia, dir.; Fialho, Adolfo Fernando da Fonte, ed.
- Effects of LifeI Satisfaction on Students' Attitudes Towards Statistics and Technology and their InterrelationshipsPublication . Silva, Osvaldo Dias Lopes da; Sousa, ÁureaIn a society in which technology and changes are increasingly fast, the role of Statistics has become increasingly important. The students' attitudes towards Statistics, according to the literature review, are very interrelated with the affective and cognitive components and with the value attributed to this discipline in terms of its importance and usefulness in their personal and professional life. The psychological well-being of students, in addition to all other related components, as well as their attitudes towards Statistics and Technology, can affect their involvement and learning of contents in the scope of this discipline. The present research, through a questionnaire, aims to better understand the attitudes that students have towards Statistics and Technology and what are the factors that can affect their learning....[...].... The participants in this study were students from Portuguese Universities who had already attended Statistics courses during the 1st cycle of higher education. A structural equation model analysis, performed using PLS, revealed a statistically significant relationship between satisfaction with life and the five subscales of Students Attitudes toward Statistics and Technology Scale. In the model used, almost all the interrelationships between the factors of attitudes of students were statistically significant at level 0.01, suggesting that the use of technology affects the students' attitudes regarding the components "Affect" (emotions concerning statistics) and "Value" (usefulness of statistics in students' personal and professional life).
- Only habitat specialists become smaller with advancing urbanizationPublication . Magura, Tibor; Ferrante, Marco; Lövei, Gábor L.AIM: Urbanization profoundly changes environments, ecosystems and biodiversity. The urban heat island (UHI) effect represents one of the most consistent human-induced environmental change in urbanized areas. Recently, it was observed that the UHI causes community-wide shifts towards species with smaller body sizes in urban communities of ectotherms due to increased metabolic costs. We here assembled a large dataset of published data of geographically distant carabid communities collected along urbanization gradients to examine whether we could confirm this consistent change in body size distribution. LOCATION: Rural and urban forests at 11 northern temperate locations, spanning 25 latitudinal degrees. TIME PERIOD: 2002-2018. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED: Species of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). METHODS: We evaluated size distribution changes using community-weighted mean body sizes of ground beetles collected from similarly vegetated rural and urban habitats between 2002 and 2018. We separately examined the UHI effect on the various sub-assemblages of the carabid community. RESULTS: When analysing the entire dataset, we could not detect any clear trend in the community body size mean, with urban communities showing similar values to those sampled in rural areas. However, the sub-assemblage of forest habitat specialists consistently displayed a significant shift towards smaller species from rural to urban habitats. The inconsistent trend at the community level was likely due to the influx into urban habitat fragments of non-specialist species. The UHI effect also had a significant influence but only on the forest specialist sub-assemblage. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that forest-specialist species were most affected by the UHI as a powerful urbanization-related environmental filter, whereas this effect was not evident for the overall community. Urban management practices should aim to minimize the intensity of urbanization-related environmental filters such as the UHI, to enable habitat specialists to survive in habitat fragments under urbanized conditions.
- Os primórdios da informática na agropecuária açorianaPublication . Porto, João Gabriel Fonseca[…]. Nos Açores, o então designado por nós Sistema Inforlacto que era considerado pioneiro no país e na Península Ibérica, iniciava a sua actividade em Setembro de 1982, na ilha de São Miguel (mais tarde viria a estender-se à ilha Terceira). O projecto foi apresentado no Seminário de Epidemiologia Económica do II Congresso de Veterinária realizado em Lisboa, de 21 a 25 de Novembro de 1983. Viria, mais tarde, a proporcionar à Associação de Jovens Agricultores Micaelenses, o Primeiro Prémio Nacional, estabelecido pela Caixa Geral de Depósitos a projectos apresentados por organizações de produtores. O referido Projecto, e toda a programação foram concretizados no denominado Programa de Maneio das Explorações Leiteiras - PMEL, desenvolvido sob o patrocínio da Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Pescas, sob a orientação do então Secretário Regional Adolfo Ribeiro Lima e do Director Regional Luís Henrique Sequeira de Medeiros. Este projecto foi também conhecido nos finais dos anos 90 sob a designação de Programa de Melhoramento da Agro-pecuária. A actividade do PMEL, como programa piloto na introdução de Novas Tecnologias da Informação, arrancou com a consultadoria técnica a 30 explorações leiteiras da ilha de São Miguel, distribuídas pela Bacia Leiteira de Ponta Delgada, Região Norte da Ribeira Grande e Bacia Leiteira da Povoação, chegando na sua fase final a abranger mais de 200 explorações leiteiras. […].
- The extraordinary adventure tourism experience : idealizing supreme excellencePublication . Ponte, João Crispim Borges da; Couto, Gualter Manuel Medeiros; Pimentel, Pedro Miguel Silva Gonçalves; Sousa, Áurea Sandra ToledoO turismo de aventura é uma das grandes tendências atualmente (ATTA – Adventure Travel Travel Association, 2018a), através da qual turistas procuram escapar à vida quotidiana (Beames, et al., 2019). Este segmento tem crescido a taxas superiores ao mercado global do turismo (ATTA, 2013; 2018a), criando novos desafios às empresas. O mercado tem-se alterado rapidamente, trazendo novos perfis de turistas e um grande aumento da concorrência (Cloutier, 2003; Buckley, 2010a). A competitividade, mas também a tecnologia, a procura por viagens transformadoras (ATTA, 2018a), e a dificuldade em fornecer experiências a turistas com expetativas irrealistas (Lindberg & Østergaard, 2015; Lindberg & Eide, 2016) têm evidenciado a necessidade de desenvolver novos produtos e modelos de negócio. A natureza liminar e escapista das experiências extraordinárias de aventura (Arnould & Price, 1993), bem como o intenso significado pessoal que delas advém (Pomfret, 2012) parecem apropriadas para responder àquelas exigências do mercado. Contudo, o lado comercial do turismo de aventura tem sido pouco investigado (Buckley, 2006a; Cheng, et al., 2018). O presente estudo visou a verificação da existência de diferenças entre as idealizações, motivações, e preferências dos turistas de aventura, e as perceções que os profissionais de turismo de aventura têm desses fatores. Questionários aplicados a turistas e a profissionais de turismo permitiram a recolha de dados quantitativos e a aplicação de métodos estatísticos, enquanto entrevistas a profissionais do setor, bem como a observação direta e a participação em experiências de aventura originaram dados qualitativos. Como conclusão geral, é possível referir que os profissionais de turismo necessitam compreender melhor os seus clientes, mas nota-se, também, que os turistas têm expetativas irrealistas que afetam as suas experiências e como os produtos estão a ser estruturados. Porém, parece consensual que o desejo de escape dos turistas favorece a transição para um mundo liminar de aventura, onde um diferente contacto com a natureza, experiências de pico, e emoções contrastantes criam momentos de elação e grande satisfação. Utilizando a Economia da Experiência (Pine & Gilmore, 1999), e considerando a variáveis de mercantilização de Cloke e Perkins (2002), empresas de animação turística podem ter ferramentas para orquestrar experiências que perdurem na memória dos seus clientes, enquanto mantêm eficiência, segurança, e grande satisfação.
- TourExponomy : a influência das experiências turísticas na imagem do destino turístico AçoresPublication . Melo, Helena Maria Pascoal; Moniz, Ana Isabel Arruda; Silva, Francisco José Ferreira; Santos, Carlos Alberto da Silva MeloO turismo é um setor experience intensive. Com o aumento da competição, o desenvolvimento de experiências turísticas únicas, memoráveis e personalizadas, que atendam às necessidades e desejos dos consumidores contemporâneos, são um fator crítico de sucesso para os destinos turísticos. As experiências turísticas e a imagem do destino são reconhecidas como antecedentes importantes do comportamento dos turistas. Com base na revisão da literatura foi criado um modelo conceptual sobre a relação entre a experiência turística e a imagem do destino. Sete hipóteses foram geradas. Foram inquiridos 384 turistas dos principais mercados emissores para os Açores. A pesquisa empírica foi realizada na Ilha de São Miguel, com base na metodologia quantitativa, sobre a opinião dos turistas considerando a perceção inicial e in loco. Os resultados do estudo confirmam, parcialmente, que: (1) algumas motivações influenciam a experiência; (2) algumas fontes de informação influenciam a experiência; (3) a imagem inicial do destino turístico influencia a experiência; (4) a experiência influencia a imagem in loco do destino turístico; (5) a experiência influencia a satisfação do turista; (6) a experiência influencia a memória; e (7) a experiência turística influencia a intenção de regressar/e ou recomendar o destino turístico. A investigação integra duas vertentes fundamentais da pesquisa sobre a experiência turística (i.e., a perspetiva económica adaptada ao turismo, e a perspetiva emocional) em comunhão com a imagem do destino turístico, colmatando, assim, três lacunas neste domínio: (1) o estudo da imagem in loco; (2) o estudo da experiência turística no destino e a sua influência na imagem; e (3) o estudo da influência das experiências emocionais no comportamento do consumidor.