RCAAP Repository

Globally, mangrove forests are substantially declining, and a globally synthesized database containing the drivers of deforestation and drivers’ interactions is scarce. Here, we synthesized the key social-ecological drivers of global mangrove deforestation by reviewing about two hundred published scientific studies over the last four decades (from 1980 to 2021). Our focus was on both natural and anthropogenic drivers with their gradual and abrupt impacts and on their geographic coverage of effects, and how these drivers interact. We also summarized the patterns of global mangrove coverage decline between 1990 and 2020 and identified the threatened mangrove species. Our consolidated studies reported an 8600 km2 decline in the global mangrove coverage between 1990 and 2020, with the highest decline occurring in South and Southeast Asia (3870 km2). We could identify 11 threatened mangrove species, two of which are critically endangered (Sonneratia griffithii and Bruguiera hainseii). Our reviewed studies pointed to aquaculture and agriculture as the predominant driver of global mangrove deforestation though their impacts varied across global regions. Gradual climate variations, i.e., sea-level rise, long-term precipitation, and temperature changes and driven coastline erosion, salinity intrusion and acidity at coasts, constitute the second major group of drivers. Our findings underline a strong interaction across natural and anthropogenic drivers, with the strongest interaction between the driver groups aquaculture and agriculture and industrialization and pollution. Our results suggest prioritizing globally coordinated empirical studies linking drivers and mangrove deforestation and global development of policies for mangrove conservation.

Contaminants, when present above certain thresholds, can induce physiological constraints to organisms, namely diatoms, a model group representative of marine phytoplankton, triggering feedback mechanisms, such as changes in cell’s fatty acid profiles, that can be used as biomarkers towards xenobiotic exposure. Having this in mind and considering the ecological relevance of diatom fatty acid profiles as well as their recognized potential as biomarkers of contaminant exposure, the present work aims to develop and test the accuracy of an integrative multi-biomarker response index based on the fatty acid profiles of marine diatoms (using Phaeodactylum tricornutum as model diatom) exposed to several emerging contaminants. In terms of the impacts at the individual fatty acid level, it was possible to observe changes transversal to different contaminants, such as the reduction of C14:0 and C16:0 fatty acids, with increasing xenobiotic concentration, as observed, for example, under propranolol and fluoxetine exposure. Enhancement of C16:2n-7 and C16:3n-4 concentrations as well as complete disruption of the basal fatty acid profile was observed in diatoms exposed to copper nanoparticles. These individual diverse and intrinsically connected alterations in fatty acid concentrations depended on the type and dose of the xenobiotic applied, highlighting the need to address these profiles as a whole. The evaluation of the diatom cells’ fatty acids using a multivariate approach revealed a high degree of sensitivity of these biochemical traits to disclose the type of xenobiotic applied to the diatoms, as well as the exogenous concentration used. These biochemical profiles were later incorporated into a unifying numerical index (LipidTOX) using an integrated biomarker response approach. The LipidTOX index showed strong correlations with both the exogenous xenobiotic concentration applied as well as with the growth features assessed for the exposed cultures, revealing a very high efficiency in translating growth impairments imposed by each of the xenobiotics tested at the different test concentrations. The LipidTOX index proved to be an efficient tool for ecotoxicological assays with marine model diatoms and evidenced a high degree of reliability for classifying the exposure of the cells to emerging contaminants. The results and benefits of the LipidTOX index application can be easily communicated to non-expert audiences such as stakeholders, policymakers and environmental managers so that this approach can be used in future toxicological evaluations of the impacts of classical and emerging xenobiotics in marine primary producers.

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No início de 2020, os EUA e a China chegaram a um Acordo Económico e Comercial, conhecido como Acordo da Fase Um. Isto foi considerado como sinal de trégua à Guerra Comercial EUA-China, que irrompeu sob a Administração de Trump e está descarrilando o sistema de comércio multilateral baseado em regras. Apreciavelmente, a transferência forçada de tecnologia, uma das preocupações principais dos EUA sobre práticas comerciais da China, é tratada especificamente no Acordo da Fase Um. Não obstante, o compromisso unilateral de voluntary import expansion pode ir contra o princípio da nação mais favorecida, e as altas barreiras tarifárias formadas na Guerra Comercial ainda permanecem. Isso implica uma mudança significativa na política comercial dos EUA, passando de um defensor do multilateralismo comercial a um abusador do protecionismo comercial. Devido à integração económica mais profunda, o modelo de desenvolvimento económico da China está supostamente trazendo novos desafios ao comércio internacional, particularmente a sua política de superioridade tecnológica e economia de empresas estatais. Simultaneamente, a política comercial agressiva dos EUA na busca de “America First”, que interfere no funcionamento normal da OMC e abusa as sanções comerciais unilaterais, não pode resolver verdadeiramente as contradições centrais, mas destrói as regras comerciais originalmente eficazes, tais como o princípio da nação mais favorecida e as regras da concessão pautal. Neste contexto, a OMC pode ser uma plataforma melhor para reequilibrar os direitos e obrigações com respeito aos novos assuntos do comércio, não apenas para os EUA e a China, mas também para todos os outros Membros. Isso demanda uma reforma sistémica dos três pilares da OMC e ainda esforços conjuntos dos Membros, sobretudo das grandes potências.

Problem Statement: The question of bullying and school disruptive behavior has emerged as a powerful issue in Portuguese educational context. The lack of evaluation instruments, with studied psychometric characteristics, has constituted a problem. Purpose of Study: School disruption and bullying assessment, in Portuguese adolescents, was the focus of this research. Research Methods: The psychometric qualities — internal consistency and the external validity — were analyzed in different scales. Findings: The analyses carried out confirm the scales as reliable and valid instruments. Conclusions: These instruments may be a useful avenue for teachers, psychologists and other education professionals.

O mundo vive em constantes mudanças e no direito não é diferente, pois evolui conforme as necessidades humanas e sociais, que para uma harmonia coletiva criou-se regras e punições e dentre estas ultimas, a prisão. No Brasil, o sistema prisional legalmente constituído originou-se com o seu descobrimento pelos portugueses, que passou a ser aplicado em razão da utilização da legislação portuguesa para julgar certos crimes ocorridos. Naquele período, vigoravam as Ordenações Afonsinas, através do regime das capitanias, cujas regras jurídicas eram impostas pelos donatários. Após a Independência do Brasil, foi criada uma legislação própria, que representou os ideais do recém-instaurado Império do Brasil. Posteriormente com a proclamação da república, a pena privativa de liberdade teve varias oscilações. Esta dissertação trata da pena privativa de liberdade no direito brasileiro, levando em consideração uma breve evolução histórica e jurídica de outras civilizações, e da legislação brasileira no período colonial por meio das ordenações portuguesas, bem como da legislação pertinente no Brasil Império, pelo Código Criminal de 1830 e no período republicano até os dias atuais. Conceitua os sistemas penitenciários e retrata o sistema prisional brasileiro atual, levando em consideração os tipos de penas, suas funções, regimes penais, e progressividades da pena, como também a objetividade a ser alcançada por essas medidas punitivas. Explana sobre o direito à liberdade como direito humano fundamental. E Por fim, discorre sobre a realidade prisional brasileira e a ressocialização do apenado.

Esta tese aborda a problemática do uso do consequencialismo para justificar a modulação da eficácia temporal da decisão definitiva de inconstitucionalidade, prolatada no âmbito do controle abstrato pela Suprema Corte brasileira (STF). São aferidas as espécies de eficácia temporal da decisão de inconstitucionalidade introduzidas no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro e no português, efetuando-se o devido cotejo. Busca-se investigar se existe adequação jurídica na aplicação de justificativas consequencialistas para se permitir decisões ativistas, que mantêm normas, já reconhecidas definitivamente como inconstitucionais, em vigor por certo tempo.

The real-world urban systems represent nonlinear, dynamical, and interconnected urban processes that require better management of their complexity. Thereby, we need to understand, measure, and assess the structure and functioning of the urban processes. We propose an innovative and novel evidence-based methodology to manage the complexity of urban processes, that can enhance their resilience as part of the concept of smart and regenerative urban metabolism with the overarching intention to better achieve sustainability. We couple Life Cycle Thinking and Machine Learning to measure and assess the metabolic processes of the urban core of Lisbon’s functional urban area using multidimensional indicators and measures incorporating urban ecosystem services dynamics. We built and trained a multilayer perceptron (MLP) network to identify the metabolic drivers and predict the metabolic changes for the near future (2025). The prediction model’s performance was validated using the standard deviations of the prediction errors of the data subsets and the network’s training graph. The simulated results show that the urban processes related to employment and unemployment rates (17%), energy systems (10%), sewage and waste management/treatment/recycling, demography & migration, hard/soft cultural assets, and air pollution (7%), education and training, welfare, cultural participation, and habitatecosystems (5%), urban safety, water systems, economy, housing quality, urban void, urban fabric, and health services and infrastructure (2%), consists the salient drivers for the urban metabolic changes. The proposed research framework acts as a knowledge-based tool to support effective urban metabolism policies ensuring sustainable and resilient urban development.

A presente dissertação busca atualizar os leitores a respeito do crime de stalking tipificado no ordenamento jurídico português, no artigo 154-A, do Código Penal. O presente trabalho aborda uma nova perspectiva a respeito do crime em análise, bem como novas vertentes para se tentar compreender e combater este fenômeno criminal.

O estudo pretende trazer a problemática da procriação medicamente assistida para o campo da teoria dos direitos fundamentais, de modo a verificar se há justificativa constitucional para impor limites ao acesso às técnicas de procriação medicamente assistida. Serão identificados os fundamentos jurídico-constitucionais do acesso às técnicas de procriação medicamente assistida e quais os direitos que eventualmente poderão ser atingidos caso sejam reconhecidos limites à utilização das tecnologias reprodutivas. Discorre sobre o regime legal de acesso às técnicas de procriação medicamente assistida adotado por Portugal e levanta questionamentos éticos e jurídicos sobre a utilização em específico das principais modalidades das tecnologias reprodutivas. Procura identificar se a utilização irrestrita do potencial disponibilizado pela medicina da reprodução colide com outros direitos fundamentais assegurados pela ordem constitucional portuguesa. Ao longo do estudo, busca-se responder se no regime jurídico conferido à procriação medicamente assistida, existe justificativa constitucional para limitar o uso das tecnologias reprodutivas em constante evolução ou se, ao revés, a imposição de restrições para a utilização das tecnologias reprodutivas, segundo o estágio atual da técnica, consistirá em ilegítimo controle pelo Estado dos comportamentos sexuais e reprodutivos dos indivíduos. Por fim, conclui-se que a Constituição da República Portuguesa já contempla limites à utilização das técnicas de procriação medicamente assistida, combinadas ou não com o método de engenharia genética, a fim de que sejam protegidos os direitos à autodeterminação ou livre desenvolvimento da personalidade da criança concebida com recurso às técnicas de PMA, o direito ao patrimônio genético não modificado e o direito à biodiversidade genética, que gozam de status constitucional.

Urban novel ecosystems were sampled across vacant sites in two Portuguese urban regions. The flora were studied with a focus on species’ origin, life form, ecological, chorological and naturalisation types. A multivariate constrained ordination technique was used to identify relationships between plant composition and environmental factors. The vegetation of the two urban regions shows differences, highlighting biome influence, as well as due to climatic variables and (to a lesser degree) soil characteristics and lithology. Although native species are clearly dominant, the frequency of non-native species is high and most are potentially or effectively invasive. In the ecological spectrum, the dominance of opportunistic ruderal species suggests a risk of biotic homogenisation in these ecosystems, which is also noticeable in the analysis of life form, but less in chorological and nativeness spectra. Portuguese novel urban ecosystems are, therefore, simultaneously an opportunity, since spontaneous vegetation management is more cost effective and can bring wilderness to cities; and a hazard, because invasive species must be controlled to support biodiversity conservation efforts.

Background: Dipilidiosis is a parasitic disease caused by the tapeworm Dipylidium caninum. Fleas and, less frequently, lice act as an intermediate host, and their ingestion is required for infection to occur. While the disease mainly afects domestic and wild carnivores, it is also considered a zoonotic disease, with most human cases reported in children. Dipylidium caninum is considered to be the most common tapeworm infesting companion animals, but dipilidosis in humans is rare. The aims of this review were to improve current understanding of the epidemiology of this parasitosis and its management by the medical and veterinary community. Methods: A comprehensive review of the published literature during the last 21 years (2000–2021) on the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prevention measures of D. caninum infection and dipilidiosis in companion animals and humans was conducted. Results: Using predefned eligibility criteria for a search of the published literature, we retrieved and screened 280 publications. Of these, 161 (141 epidemiological studies, 20 case reports [16 human cases]) were considered for inclusion in this review. This parasitosis is present worldwide; however, despite being the most frequent cestode infection in animals, it is often underdiagnosed using common coprological techniques. Its diagnosis in humans has also proved challenging, being frequently confused with pinworm infection, leading to inappropriate treatment and to the persistence of the disease over time. Prevention measures include control of ectoparasites in animals and the environment, as well as regular deworming of animals, most commonly with praziquantel. Conclusions: The diagnosis of dipilidiosis remains challenging in both animals and humans, primarily due to the low sensitivity of the diagnostic methods currently available and a lack of knowledge of the morphological characteristics of the parasite. Although treatment with the appropriate anti-cestode compounds is well tolerated and results in resolution of the infection, indiscriminate use of these compounds may predispose to an increase in resistance. Given the worldwide distribution of this parasite, it is essential to act on several fronts, with a focus on health education for children and animal owners and the control of intermediate hosts, both in animals and in the surrounding environment.

Invasive alien species (IAS) are a major driver of global biodiversity loss, hampering conservation efforts and disrupting ecosystem functions and services. While accumulating evidence documented ecological impacts of IAS across major geographic regions, habitat types and taxonomic groups, appraisals for economic costs remained relatively sparse. This has hindered effective cost-benefit analyses that inform expenditure on management interventions to prevent, control, and eradicate IAS. Terrestrial invertebrates are a particularly pervasive and damaging group of invaders, with many species compromising primary economic sectors such as forestry, agriculture and health. The present study provides synthesised quantifications of economic costs caused by invasive terrestrial invertebrates on the global scale and across a range of descriptors, using the InvaCost database. Invasive terrestrial invertebrates cost the global economy US$ 712.44 billion over the investigated period (up to 2020), considering only high-reliability source reports. Overall, costs were not equally distributed geographically, with North America (73%) reporting the greatest costs, with far lower costs reported in Europe (7%), Oceania (6%), Africa (5%), Asia (3%), and South America (< 1%). These costs were mostly due to invasive insects (88%) and mostly resulted from direct resource damages and losses (75%), particularly in agriculture and forestry; relatively little (8%) was invested in management. A minority of monetary costs was directly observed (17%). Economic costs displayed an increasing trend with time, with an average annual cost of US$ 11.40 billion since 1960, but as much as US$ 165.01 billion in 2020, but reporting lags reduced costs in recent years. The massive global economic costs of invasive terrestrial invertebrates require urgent consideration and investment by policymakers and managers, in order to prevent and remediate the economic and ecological impacts of these and other IAS groups.

Land-use changes adversely may impact ecological entities and humans by affecting the water cycle, environmental changes, and energy balance at global and regional scales. Like many megaregions in fast emerging countries, Tamil Nadu, one of the largest states and most urbanized (49%) and industrial hubs in India, has experienced extensive landuse and landcover change (LULC). However, the extent and level of landscape changes associated with vegetation health, surface permeability, and Land Surface Temperature (LST) has not yet been quantified. In this study, we employed Random Forest (RF) classification on Landsat imageries from 2000 and 2020. We also computed vegetation health, soil moisture, and LST metrics for two decades from Landsat imageries to delineate the impact of landscape changes in Tamil Nadu using Google Earth Engine (GEE). The level of vegetation health and drought for 2020 was more accurately assessed by combining the Temperature Condition Index (TCI) and Vegetation Condition Index (VCI). A Soil moisture index was subsequently used to identify surface permeability. A 75% expansion in urban areas of Tamil Nadu was detected mainly towards the suburban periphery of major cities between 2000 and 2020. We observed an overall increase in the coverage of urban areas (built-up), while a decrease for vegetated (cropland and forest) areas was observed in Tamil Nadu between 2000 and 2020. The Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) values showed an extensive decline in surface permeability and the LST values showed an overall increase (from a maximum of 41 °C to 43 °C) of surface temperature in Tamil Nadu’s major cities with the highest upsurge for urban built-up areas between 2000 and 2020. Major cities built-up and non-vegetation areas in Tamil Nadu were depicted as potential drought hotspots. Our results deliver significant metrics for surface permeability, vegetation condition, surface temperature, and drought monitoring and urges the regional planning authorities to address the current status and social-ecological impact of landscape changes and to preserve ecosystem services.

This study presents both the procedures and the results obtained with Students School Disruption Scale inferred by teachers.

Introduction: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) do not seem to be at increased risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2, but there is a concern whether immunosuppressive therapy may be associated with more severe disease. Several clinical practice recommendations have been published to help guide IBD care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, few studies have addressed patients' perspectives and fears. We aimed to evaluate Portuguese IBD patients' perspectives on the clinical management of their disease during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic as well as the impact on their professional life. Methods: An anonymous electronic survey was created using REDCap and was distributed by the Portuguese Association of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (APDI) between May and August 2020. Patients' perspectives on immunosuppressive therapy, disease management, interaction with gastroenterology departments, and the impact of the pandemic in their professional life were assessed. Patients' proposals to improve medical care were also evaluated. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were performed. Results: A total of 137 participants answered the survey (79.6% females, mean age 41.7 ± 12.1 years). Although having IBD and receiving treatment with immunosuppressors (thiopurines, steroids, or biologics) were considered promotors of anxiety, most patients (85.4%) agreed that disease remission was a priority and only a minority of patients interrupted their treatment during the pandemic. In multivariate analysis, active disease, biologic treatment, and use of corticosteroids in the last 3 months were perceived by the patients as high-risk features for increased risk of SARS-Cov-2 infection and more severe disease. Fifty-nine patients (44%) believed that their follow-up was influenced by the pandemic and only 58.8% felt that they had the opportunity to discuss their therapeutic options with their doctor. Sixty-three patients (46.0%) were working from home during the pandemic, although this decision was related to IBD and immunosuppressive therapy in only 36.5 and 39.7% of the cases, respectively. Areas where care could have been improved during the pandemic were identified by patients, namely enhancement of the communication with IBD professionals, conciliation of telemedicine with face-to-face appointments, and facilitation of the interaction between patients and employers. Conclusion: Most patients agreed that maintaining IBD remission is crucial, and only a minority of the patients stopped their treatment as per their own initiative. IBD status only had a small influence on patients' professional activity during the COVID-19 outbreak, with most changes being related to the pandemic itself.

Technological development renews the appeal of collaborative consumption, through its application to service innovation. In order to recognize the designer's contribution as a facilitator of this reformulation, initially, the globalization of the sector is analyzed. The impacts of this development are then identified. That said, three typologies of digitally activated service systems are exposed, highlighting the influence and dependence of services on the technological dimension. In view of the aforementioned facts, the dissertation focuses on identifying the contribution and participation of design in the efficient, safe and transparent inclusion of technological advances in digitally enabled services, with the aim of creating economic prosperity, social cohesion and ecological balance.

Inter Faces: between Self-portrait and Performativity in the Continuum of Reality is a theoretical-practical investigation that addresses the relationship between art and technology based on the articulation of the self-portrait genre, performance art and augmented reality (AR) technology for mobile devices. It involves the creation of hybrid territories, constituted by the physical landscape, the performative body and self-referential digital content in AR. In order to analyze the creative processes involved in the AR use in performance art, digital content with a poetic dimension was used, superimposing them on the performative body and space. Therefore, the performance Inter Faces was conceived, with the self-portrait genre as a structuring element, from the construction of the guiding concept to the composition of the imagery collection. Thus, several applications for mobile devices were developed in the continuum of reality, enabling the visualization of the digital contents created throughout the investigation by the audience. The enjoyment and interaction of the audience with the performative action led the investigation to the need to analyze both the subjective aspects present in the work / audience relationship, as well as those implied in the technology / user. Such analyzes were essential to assess that the objectives established by the investigation were achieved. By following the path that led to performative action in the continuum of Inter Faces reality, it was demonstrated that performance art can incorporate digital content visualized in AR in the performative space and body. Furthermore, this technological resource allows the evasion of the performative action from the tangible space to the digital space. It is concluded that the performative action in the continuum of reality allows the audience new forms of enjoyment and interaction with the performative action and constitutes an exploratory space for the poetization process of AR.

Este estudo visa compreender a forma como os professores de 1.º Ciclo, durante a pandemia COVID-19, implementaram os Plano de E@D principalmente no período de confinamento no ano letivo 2019/2020. Identificando assim, os seus efeitos sobre os conhecimentos dos professores e sobre a forma como estes mobilizam as tecnologias nos processos de ensino e aprendizagem. O estudo é de natureza qualitativa e recorre à análise de documentos e à entrevista semiestruturada a cinco professores de 1.º Ciclo. Os dados obtidos sugerem possíveis fragilidades no processo de diagnóstico e levantamento de necessidades de formação, estratégias e conhecimentos de diferentes formas de ensino, nomeadamente no que diz respeito ao E@D. Na escola onde foi realizada esta pesquisa as estruturas não se encontram direcionadas para o E@D em dois paradigmas distintos um deles é a formação dos professores estar muito aquém do desejável, o outro é a falta de autonomia e de equipamentos por parte dos alunos.

O presente trabalho foi elaborado no âmbito do Mestrado em Educação e Formação, na área de especialização Organização e Gestão da Educação e Formação do Instituto de Educação da Universidade de Lisboa e foca-se no aparecimento dos think tanks que operam no campo da educação na comunicação social portuguesa, procurando descrever e compreender o modo como se apresentam na ação das políticas públicas em Portugal. O estudo seguiu uma abordagem metodológica de caráter qualitativo, essencialmente tendo por base a pesquisa arquivística, recorrendo-se à análise documental. Tendo por base os dados recolhidos, procedeu-se à análise do conteúdo. Os resultados obtidos indicam que os think tanks portugueses em educação, nomeadamente o EDULOG e o Projeto aQeduto, surgem nos media em Portugal, sendo que os estudos que estes promovem estão em principal foco.