Repositório RCAAP

Purpose: In adolescents, the definition and clinical implications of metabolically healthy overweight (MHO) status have not been established. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of MHO according to its most widespread definition, which is based on metabolic syndrome (MS), and to explore further metabolic indicators such as Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and C-reactive protein levels, together with metabolic health predictors in a sample of adolescents attending a pediatric obesity clinic. Methods: Data from 487 adolescents categorized as overweight (52.6% females, 88.1% white), with a mean body mass index (BMI) z-score of 2.74 (±1.07 standard deviation [SD]), and a mean age of 14.4 years (±2.2 SD) were cross-sectionally analyzed. From this original sample, a subsample of 176 adolescents underwent a second assessment at 12 (±6 SD) months for longitudinal analysis. Results: From the 487 adolescents originally analyzed, 200 (41.1%) were categorized as MHO, but only 93 (19.1%) had none of the metabolic indicators considered in this study. According to longitudinal analysis, 30 of the 68 adolescents (44%) categorized as MHO at baseline became non-MHO over time. BMI z-score was the best predictor of metabolic health both in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Increased BMI z-score reduced the odds of being categorized as MHO (odds ratio [OR], 0.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4–0.9; P=.008) and increased the odds of having hypertension (OR 2.1, 95% CI: 1.4–3.3, P=0.001), insulin resistance (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.4–4.1, P=0.001), or a proinflammatory state (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1–1.3, P=0.002). Conclusion: Diagnosis of MHO should not be exclusively based on MS parameters, and other metabolic indicators should be considered. Adolescents categorized as overweight should participate in weight-management lifestyle interventions regardless of their metabolic health phenotype.

Several educators in science have called for the inclusion of controversial socio-scientific issues’ discussion in science curricula because of its potential for creating a more real, humane image of scientific activity and for promoting scientific literacy, an essential tool for a responsible citizenship regarding decision-making processes related to socio-scientific issues. However, despite all the favourable opinions and empirical evidence concerning the educational potential for the discussion of socio-scientific issues, these activities are not part of many science lessons, even when the controversial socio-scientific issues comprise the curricular content and the teachers consider discussion of these issues important. This qualitative investigation, based on a case study centered on a Biology and Geology teacher, aimed to understand the factors that influence positively the conduction of discussion activities regarding controversial socio-scientific issues. By analysing data from interviews and class observations, it sought to understand the factors that motivate the teacher to implement this type of activity. This case study shows that the implementation of the discussion activities about controversial socio-scientific issues depends decisively on the teacher’s convictions about the educational relevance of these activities and the knowledge needed for their design, management and assessment. The development of these competences was triggered by professional development opportunities in which the teacher experienced new approaches under experts’ supervision.

This chapter synthesizes the most relevant aspects of geology, tectonics and geomorphology of Portugal. Its main purpose is to frame, in a morphostructural point of view, the more specific chapters on Portuguese geomorphological landscapes. It includes a summary of (i) the main evolutionary stages of the Portuguese territory, as well as the present tectonic framework of Portugal’s mainland, Azores and Madeira archipelagos, and (ii) the main regional features of the geomorphological units. The synopsis is based on the scientific publications of many colleagues, physical geographers and geologists, who with their work contributed, over the years, to the geomorphologic knowledge of the country. Professor António de Brum Ferreira was the “greatest teacher” of Portuguese geomorphologists, to whom many of us owe the taste, rigour, the practice and the knowledge of geomorphology.

Portugal shows a Mediterranean climate with, predominantly, a wet cool season and a dry summer. Despite the concentration of the precipitation in winter, there is a high inter-annual variability, resulting from the latitudinal position in the south-western façade of Europe. The prevailing weather conditions are anticyclonic, with Portugal’s seasonality being marked by the influence of either the subtropical anticyclonic belt or the zonal circulation. Despite the relatively small area of the country, its geographical position in the interplay between the Atlantic and Mediterranean influences, as well as its relief differences, with mountainous north and central regions and a flatter south, generates a diverse mosaic of regional climates. In this chapter, we show the main climate characteristics of Portugal, followed by a brief presentation of the main climatic scenarios for the end of the twenty-first century. The chapter closes with a synthesis of the palaeoenvironmental evolution of Portugal since the last glacial stage.

This article is about the governance of expectations of forensic DNA phenotyping (FDP) innovations in Germany used for the prediction of human externally visible traits such as eye, hair, and skin color, as well as biological age and biogeographic ancestry. In 2019, FDP technologies were regulated under the label “extended DNA analysis”. We focus on the expectations of members of the forensic genetics’ community in Germany, in anticipation and response to those of regulators who advocated for such technologies. Confronted with regulators’ expectations of omnipotent technologies and the optimistic promise that they will enhance public security, forensic geneticists responded with attempts to adjust such expectations, specifying limits and risks, along with a particular logic sorting matters of concern. We reflect on how forensic geneticists’ govern expectations through forms of distributed anticipatory governance, delimiting their obligations, and distributing accountability across the criminal justice system.

Earthquakes, tsunami, landslides, coastal erosion and floods are major geomorphological hazards in Portugal’s mainland. The earthquakes are concentrated along the Algarve coastal zone and along the west coastal zone, mainly between Sines and the Nazaré Canyon, but also along the Lower Tagus Valley Fault Zone. Strong earthquakes with epicentre in the ocean floor have generated tsunami in the past that affected the southern and western coasts. Landslides are triggered by earthquakes and rainfall. The landslide types and landslide predisposing factors are distinct in the three main geomorphological units in the country. Coastal erosion has been a problem as a consequence of the regressive trend of the coastline associated with accelerated erosion along coastal cliffs and the poor sand supply on sandy beaches. Flood disasters have been widespread along the country, but more critical areas are located in the Lisbon region and the Tagus valley, in the Oporto region and the Douro valley, in the Coimbra region and the Mondego valley and along the Vouga River valley.

The diversity of geological and geomorphological landscapes in mainland Portugal is responsible for the occurrence of different landslide types. The present chapter illustrates three examples of destructive landslide hazardscapes responsible for recent hillslope evolution: in a granitic context, the Frades landslide, a lethal debris flow; and in sedimentary contexts, the Calhandriz landslide, the biggest rainfall-triggered landslide that occurred in Portugal in the last 50 years, and the Grande da Pipa River basin, the major landslide-prone area within the north of Lisbon region.

In the last decades, Portugal was affected by several geomorphological hazards that produced high levels of destruction and disruption on human activities, particularly due to the inappropriate occupation of areas where natural hazardous phenomena occur. To cope against the consequences of these hazards, a set of legal instruments has been implemented in the last 30–40 years by national initiative or by transposition to the national law of European Directives within the thematic of risk assessment and management. This chapter broadly presents the planning and emergency management legal framework in Portugal, as well as the specific normative instruments for the major geomorphological hazards that influence land use regulation.

The integration of studies from fields, such as geomorphology, palynology, history, archaeology and phytogeography, enables assessing the genesis and evolution of the most prominent Portuguese sand spit—the Tróia Peninsula. Data suggests that the spit has formed from Grimaldian dunes converted into barrier islands during the Holocene transgression, and coalesced by the accumulation of sediments transported by the northbound longshore drift. The Tróia Peninsula is integrated in one of the most important Portuguese natural protected areas. It holds a set of flora and vegetation of paramount relevance towards protection and conservation in accordance with the Natura 2000 Network. Its position acts as a barrier against the Atlantic Ocean, having allowed the development of the Sado estuary lagoon, which contains mud flats and salt marsh ecosystems, habitats for a wide range of flora and fauna, some of which with special protection status. The Tróia Peninsula forms indeed a natural protective barrier for the Natural Reserve of the Sado Estuary. The genesis of the peninsula, discussed in the present work, combined with the fact that it is made up exclusively of sand, make it very vulnerable to environmental changes, including sea level rise.

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The southwest coast of Portugal is rich in natural heritage and is framed within the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park since 1995. Its complex geomorphological evolution reflects the geostructural position near the contact of the African plate and the Iberian microplate, and the relative sea-level changes and characteristics of the coastal systems. The major landform of the region is the Littoral Platform, tilted to the northwest and folded by meridian normal tectonic faults. These accidents cross a left lateral strike-slip fault—the longest NE–SW tectonic Iberian fault structure extended from Ávila (Placencia) to Messejana and to the continental margin. The Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments occurring in the Littoral Platform show a composite evolution. Seaward, the platform is undercut by the coastal cliff, which is the prevailing present-day coastal feature, with narrow beaches, in a coast with sedimentary deficit in the longshore drift.

The Douro Valley is widely known because of the oldest demarcated wine region in the world dating from 1756, the Alto Douro Wine Region. The landscape of the Douro Valley was transformed by human activities and reflects the evolution of winemaking for nearly two thousand years. The Alto Douro Wine Region was classified as World Heritage by UNESCO in 2001. Since Romans introduced wine in the Iberian Peninsula in the first century ac, the Douro inhabitants planted vineyards in steep slopes. In these bare slopes, soils were artificially created using manual techniques, crushing Cambrian metamorphic rocks and building terraces supported by schist stone walls, to prevent soil erosion. The Douro Valley presents a temperate climate with a dry and hot summer, which is crucial for vine growth and grapes maturation. Local topographical characteristics, such as elevation, slope and aspect, are important factors affecting the viticulture and oenological characteristics of this specific region. In the Douro Region, slope angle controlled the land management practices, imposing the construction of terraces with schist stone walls. More recently, land embankments have been built in order to create flat surfaces to plant the vines. These structures originated a unique terraced landscape. The geomorphological features of the Douro Valley are described, including specific climatic, geologic, tectonic, soil and anthropogenic aspects that distinguish this region, unique to produce the famous Port wine and UNESCO World Heritage.

In this paper, we present data related to how a Portuguese teacher developed the module "A big problem for Magellan: Food preservation." Students were asked to plan an investigation in order to identify which were the best food preservation methods in the XV and XVI centuries of Portuguese overseas navigation, and then establish a parallel between those methods and current ones. Students were involved in discussing the relationship between science and social issues, and about the impact that science evolution has on daily life practices. The teacher had professional experience and a Master's degree in science education and considered that PARSEL and the specific module constituted a good approach to achieve his goals concerning science education. Students were attending a twelfth-grade biology class and wished to pursue university studies in science. We carried out participant observations, interviews with the teacher and four of his students, and we also administered a questionnaire to the students. Both teacher and students found the module popular and relevant for their lives. Despite positive assessment, some less positive issues, such as, time management and module extension, and the difficulty of making a connection between science and social issues were also identified.

En esta investigación estudio la reincorporación de los excombatientes de las FARC-EP en el territorio indígena Nasa de Caldono a la luz de la teoría de la des-re-territorialización propuesta por Haesbaert (2011). Mi objetivo principal es analizar la estrategia de reterritorialización en territorio indígena propuesta por los excombatientes de las FARC-EP. Para esto, busco comprender primero la territorialidad en términos económicos, políticos y culturales de tres de los principales actores presentes en las inmediaciones y dentro del Espacio Territorial de Capacitación y Reincorporación (ETCR): el pueblo indígena Nasa, los excombatientes de las FARC-EP y el Estado colombiano. Luego, partiendo de una perspectiva intercultural, analizo los diferentes intercambios, diálogos y encuentros que se dan y se han dado entre estos tres actores para determinar si existe una superposición de territorialidades y percibir dónde están los posibles puntos de encuentro y desencuentro entre estas. Con esto, mi investigación busca determinar cuáles pueden ser los elementos que hacen de Caldono un caso exitoso y un punto de referencia para otros procesos de reterritorialización en el país. Por medio de varias herramientas de investigación como la observación participante, entrevistas semi-estructuradas, encuestas y cartografía social, esta investigación encuentra que hay una gran fluidez en los encuentros entre territorialidades indígenas y farianas en los espacios cotidianos y aquellos asociados a los procesos de las autoridades indígenas, pero que existen desencuentros alrededor de la estrategia territorial de la cooperativa Coomeep, esta última presentada como un supraorganismo que busca participar en la vida privada y pública del territorio. En el dominio productivo, los desencuentros tienen que ver sobre todo con la naturaleza hiperintensiva y de monocultivo de los proyectos productivos propuestos por las FARC y, en el dominio político, con el hecho de que, durante las elecciones municipales de 2018, el partido FARC no mantuvo su alianza con el partido del MAIS de presentar un candidato en conjunto. Los desencuentros con el Estado tienen que ver con su concepción de seguridad y control territorial basada en la militarización del territorio y con la deuda histórica en relación al reconocimiento legal de los resguardos indígenas como entidades territoriales. En conclusión, este trabajo resalta que, a pesar de estos desencuentros, la institucionalidad territorial de las autoridades indígenas de Caldono y las prácticas y actitudes de los exguerrilleros de las FARC-EP han permitido que se establezca una infraestructura para la paz bajo la cual los diferentes actores considerados, cada uno con intereses heterogéneos,se pueden encontrar y llegar a consensos para construir espacios nuevos que lleven a una verdadera convivencia y paz territorial.

Delayed leukoencephalopathy is an uncommon complication of hypoxicischemic events of different etiologies, including carbon monoxide intoxication. We present a case of a 40-year-old male patient who was admitted with rapidly progressive neurocognitive and behavioral deficits. There was a history of accidental carbon monoxide intoxication one month before, presenting with loss of consciousness and short hospitalization, followed by a complete clinical recovery. The imaging studies in the delayed phase depicted confluent, symmetric supra-tentorial white matter lesions in keeping with diffuse demyelinization. Restricted diffusion and metabolite abnormalities in magnetic resonance proton spectroscopy were also seen. The diagnosis of CO-mediated delayed post-hypoxic leukoencephalopathy was assumed after exclusion of other mimickers. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was tentatively performed and the patient had a favorable clinical and radiological evolution.

Os Marechais do Império foram os principais comandantes militares de Napoleão, contudo será que ficaram só por aqui? À medida que se explora as suas carreiras verificamos que foram governadores-gerais das conquistas imperiais e membros destacados na nova nobreza imperial, um símbolo da união do mérito revolucionário com o prestígio do Antigo Regime. Este trabalho visa explorar essa contribuição ao longo do conflito napoleónico, mostrando que os marechais foram mais que militares mas também agentes do Império que tiveram um papel maior e mais complexo.

Cholestasis encompasses liver injury and inflammation. Necroptosis, a necrotic cell death pathway regulated by receptor-interacting protein (RIP) 3, may mediate cell death and inflammation in the liver. We aimed to investigate the role of necroptosis in mediating deleterious processes associated with cholestatic liver disease. Hallmarks of necroptosis were evaluated in liver biopsies of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients and in wild-type and RIP3-deficient (RIP3-/-) mice subjected to common bile duct ligation (BDL). The functional link between RIP3, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and antioxidant response was investigated in vivo after BDL and in vitro. We demonstrate increased RIP3 expression and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) phosphorylation in liver samples of human PBC patients, coincident with thioflavin T labeling, suggesting activation of necroptosis. BDL resulted in evident hallmarks of necroptosis, concomitant with progressive bile duct hyperplasia, multifocal necrosis, fibrosis and inflammation. MLKL phosphorylation was increased and insoluble aggregates of RIP3, MLKL and RIP1 formed in BLD liver tissue samples. Furthermore, RIP3 deficiency blocked BDL-induced necroinflammation at 3 and 14 days post-BDL. Serum hepatic enzymes, fibrogenic liver gene expression and oxidative stress decreased in RIP3-/- mice at 3 days after BDL. However, at 14 days, cholestasis aggravated and fibrosis was not halted. RIP3 deficiency further associated with increased hepatic expression of HO-1 and accumulation of iron in BDL mice. The functional link between HO-1 activity and bile acid toxicity was established in RIP3-deficient primary hepatocytes. Necroptosis is triggered in PBC patients and mediates hepatic necroinflammation in BDL-induced acute cholestasis. Targeting necroptosis may represent a therapeutic strategy for acute cholestasis, although complementary approaches may be required to control progression of chronic cholestatic liver disease.

The Longroiva and Vilariça are two small tectonic basins located in NE Portugal, close to the Douro valley, along the Bragança-Vilariça-Manteigas strike-slip fault, one of the largest tectonic structures in Portugal. The area has been focus of interest of geological and geomorphological research for several decades, mainly due to their rich heritage of Paleogene to Quaternary deposits that contribute to a better understanding of the regional evolution. It includes Paleogene to Miocene arkoses predating the genesis of the depressions and adjacent relief, coarser sediments, correlative of Neogene tectonics, and Late Pliocene to Quaternary fluvial terraces associated with reorganization of the drainage westwards to the Atlantic Ocean. In this chapter, the main geomorphological features of the two basins are presented, as well as a brief history of the research that has been conducted in last decades. Finally, the history of human occupation is presented and discussed in the framework of the regional geomorphology and geographical location.

The Serra da Estrela is a granite-dominated plateau mountain located in Central Portugal, reaching an elevation of 1993 m. Its position in the western part of the Iberian Central System, elongated morphology in an SW–NE direction, generates an important barrier to the moist Atlantic air masses when they move into Iberia’s interior. This orographic rainfall effect is important today, as it was in the Pleistocene, generating high amounts of precipitation, which in the Pleistocene were key for glacier development. The presence of a plateau above 1400 m and a regional equilibrium line altitude at about 1650 m were key for the development of a plateau ice field, very sensitive to small climate oscillations, but responsible for the development of several radiating valley glaciers. The effects of this glacial system on the landscape were remarkable, with the development of numerous landforms and deposits, which are rare in such a geographical setting. The main geomorphological highlights are the erosional landscape of the western plateau, as well as the glaciated section of the Zêzere valley, which under the action of 11.3 km long and over 340 m thick glacier, developed impressive glacial features. The periglacial action occurred mainly in the non-glaciated parts of the plateaus and valley slopes and testify the significance of frost action all over the mountain, with the presence of permafrost at the plateaus and sites above about 1300 m.

The karst landscapes of Portugal are confined to the sedimentary basins where there are uplifted limestone rocks. The most important limestone massif is the Limestone Massif of Estremadura (LME) located in the Western Sedimentary Basin that contact by an overthrust fault with the active Tagus River sedimentary basin. Although there are other limestone massifs in Portugal, they are smaller and have less developed karst landforms. What makes the LME special is the thickness of the limestone, its high content of calcium carbonate and tectonic uplift of the entire massif in relation to the surrounding areas. No permanent river cuts across the limestone mass, and the water circulation is subterranean. For this reason, most of great karst springs are located along the LME borders, principally in the eastern side, near the tectonic contact with the impermeable sediments of the Tagus Basin. In this chapter, the main geomorphological units within the LME are characterized: three anticline mountains, two plateaus and three tectonic depressions in graben structures. Examples of the main types of karst landforms according to dimension are presented, namely: large karst landforms (poljes, big uvalas, karst canyons or amphitheatre head valleys), medium karst landforms (dolines, dry valleys, karst springs or waterfalls) and small karst landforms (karren features or swallow holes). Among this set of karst landforms, some show a particular value and should be preserved as geoheritage and geomorphosites. Two cases are the polje of Minde and the Fórnia amphitheatre head valley that contains valuable remnants of relict slope deposits from Quaternary cold periods.