Sapientia
Repositório Científico da UAlg
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Editorial: prehistoric humans and eroding landscapes
Publication . Barbieri, Alvise; Schilt, Flora Cecilia; Kluiving, Sjoerd
Landscapes are often treated as the setting in which human history unfolds. The studies assembled here suggest a different perspective: landscapes are themselves products of past human and environmental histories, continuously shaped by the actions of past communities and inherited by those that follow. Understanding prehistoric societies, therefore, requires understanding not only how people responded to environmental change but also how their activities reshaped the environments that later generations encountered.
Decent work and quality of life in primary fishing sector: a scoping review
Publication . Faria, Liliana; Duarte, Sofia
The primary fishing sector, including artisanal, small-scale, coastal, inshore, offshore and industrial capture fisheries, supports millions of livelihoods worldwide. Despite its complexity, research on quality of life (QoL), a multidimensional concept encompassing physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being and decent work (DW), defined as employment ensuring fair pay, safe conditions, social protection and rights, remains limited. This scoping review synthesizes evidence from 41 studies published between 1995 and 2025, examining temporal trends, disciplinary focus, methodologies, geographic distribution and key findings. The research is concentrated on artisanal and small-scale fisheries in South America and Asia, predominantly using qualitative and cross-sectional methods. Keyword analysis highlights fisheries workers and well-being, while DW, labour rights and occupational safety are underexplored. QoL research predominates, focusing on health, psychological and economic dimensions, whereas DW is often narrowly defined, emphasizing safety and basic working conditions, with limited attention to autonomy, fair remuneration or labour protections. Socio-economic and environmental pressures, including income variability, migration and resource access, affect both QoL and DW, underscoring their interdependence. Overall, the literature is fragmented and descriptive. Future research should adopt multidimensional, participatory and longitudinal approaches, using standardized indicators to better inform policies promoting equitable, sustainable and DW in fisheries.
Diagnosis of residual flow drivers in estuaries with the densimetric tidal Froude number
Publication . Khosravi, Maziar; Fortunato, A.B.; Lopez-Ruiz, A.; Valle-Levinson, A.; Garel, Erwan
The co-occurrence of species within the same area raises fundamental questions about how they can persist while shar ingspace and resources. One of the central aims of community ecology is to understand the processes that allow species to coexist over time. The sympatry between primates and ungulates has not received much specialized attention, despite long-term acknowledgment that the two groups frequently co-occur. In this contribution, we have reviewed and summarized empirical evidence from a set of published studies to determine the nature of primate and ungulate association in space and time, the ecological contexts within which such associations occur, and the types of interactions that have been reported. We particularly examined the trends in the study taxa, the geographic distribution of research, and the functional categories of interactions. Within the literature, interspecific interactions are frequently reported in Africa, between baboons (Papio sp.) and small to medium-sized ungulates. Foraging facilitation and antipredator benefits are among the most frequently documented interaction types, typically resulting in commensalistic or asymmetrical mutualistic outcomes favouring ungulate species. Nonetheless, mutualism and antagonistic interactions are also reported, which indicates the context-dependent nature of these relationships. The frequency and form of associations appear to further depend on seasonal variation and habitat structure, although these factors were not consistently taken into account in the studies considered in this review. This synthesis helps establish a set of research priorities to promote more systematic and focused studies of primate-ungulate sympatry.
Representações sociais do graffiti na região algarvia: um estudo sociológico
Publication . Coelho, Zélia Maria Rodrigues; Martins, João Eduardo Rodrigues
Esta dissertação centra-se no estudo sociológico das representações sociais do graffiti na região algarvia, procurando compreender o fenómeno na confluência entre arte, expressão cultural e perceção de vandalismo. O objetivo geral da investigação foi analisar de que forma o graffiti é interpretado e recebido pelos vários atores, incluindo praticantes (writer’s), comunidade em geral e autoridades, bem como identificar as dinâmicas que rodeiam esta prática cultural urbana. A investigação seguiu uma metodologia qualitativa, utilizando técnicas como entrevistas semiestruturadas a writer’s, líderes comunitários e representantes institucionais, bem como observação direta de espaços urbanos e análise documental de iniciativas culturais e regulamentos municipais. A seleção dos participantes foi orientada pelo critério de relevância e diversidade de perspetivas, recorrendo à amostragem intencional para garantir a representatividade dos diferentes “grupos” envolvidos. Os principais resultados revelam que as motivações dos writer’s vão desde a afirmação identitária e pertença a subculturas urbanas, até à necessidade de comunicar mensagens sociais e reivindicações políticas. O estudo evidenciou também que, embora persista uma perceção negativa, associada ao vandalismo, e à degradação do espaço público, começam a surgir práticas institucionais de valorização do graffiti, através de projetos culturais e eventos artísticos. Por outro lado, subsiste uma divisão clara entre os setores que reconhecem valor artístico e cultural ao graffiti e aqueles que continuam a estigmatizá-lo como desordem social. Em síntese, a análise sociológica evidencia que o graffiti no Algarve afirma-se como uma prática em negociação: entre o reconhecimento crescente e o estigma persistente, refletindo as tensões próprias da sociedade urbana contemporânea e contribuindo para a reflexão sobre os limites entre arte, espaço público e ordem social.
Towards cost-effective and sustainable media formulations for terrestrial and aquatic cellular agriculture
Publication . Leber, Regina; Rosa, Joana; Laizé, Vincent; Fernando, Gonçalo F.; Buyel, Johannes; Fuchs, Aleksandra
Over a decade of research on media for cultured meat and seafood production has resulted in multiple highly efficient serum-free and chemically defined formulations for some species, but it has also identified challenges yet to be solved—especially for aquatic cell lines. Depending on the product and cell type, the approach to develop highly efficient, sustainable, and low-priced media can diverge greatly. In this review, we provide an in-depth overview of this complex research area to facilitate strategic decision-making for stakeholders. We evaluate the advantages and limitations of utilizing hydrolysates, growth factor mutants, growth factor alternatives, and stabilizers in serum-free media formulations published for cultured meat production, as well as ongoing research efforts on developing adequate media for cultured seafood. We critically analyze strategies aimed at reducing medium costs and enhancing sustainability of cultured meat and seafood production, including their food-compatibility assessment. We summarize topics that require further exploration, such as identification of species-specific growth factors—particularly for aquatic species; exploration of hydrolysates as a substitute for basal medium; waste medium recycling strategies; and the potential application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies to enhance these areas. Additionally, we consider possible emerging regulatory issues and their impact on media formulation development. Finally, key performance indicators for media formulations are proposed to guide future strategic and operational improvements regarding an economical and sustainable production process.