Sapientia
Repositório Científico da UAlg
Entradas recentes
A hybrid approach for rapid coastal flooding impact prediction in data-scarce environments: an early warning system perspective
Publication . Garzon, Juan L.; Husemann, Paul; Bonetti, Jarbas
Low coastal areas are increasingly exposed to extreme meteo-oceanographic events that generate large storm surges and energetic waves, leading to wave overtopping and coastal flooding. Early Warning Systems (EWSs) can enhance short-term preparedness and mitigate the impacts of these natural hazards; however, their implementation is often constrained by the high computational cost of process-based models and by the limited availability of site-specific data required for reliable impact predictions (e.g., model devel¬opment, calibration and validation). Among the different tools available to make overtop-ping predictions, in this study, we developed a hybrid approach that combined flexible pro¬cess-based numerical modeling (XBeach) with a probabilistic approach based on Bayesian Networks. The framework was implemented at two contrasting beach profiles (strongly urbanized and semi-natural) along an embayed beach in Santa Catarina, Brazil, allowing explicit assessment of spatial variability in storm response. The Bayesian Networks acted as computationally efficient surrogates of the numerically intensive XBeach simulations, providing probabilistic estimates of storm-induced impacts as a function of offshore oce¬anic conditions at a fraction of the computational cost. To ensure robust predictive skill, the Bayesian Networks were trained using several thousand real storm scenarios and their associated hazards and impacts simulated with XBeach. Accurate model simulations of wave overtopping required quantitative information on bathymetry and overtopping dis¬charges, which were not readily available in the study area, as is often the case in data-scarce regions worldwide. This limitation was addressed by constructing an empirical profile formulation (e.g., Dean’s equilibrium profile) for beach profile reconstruction and by using non-professional imagery to estimate damage levels and infer associated over¬topping discharges. By coupling physically based modeling with data-driven probabilistic inference, the proposed framework enabled rapid, robust, and uncertainty-aware predic¬tions of storm impacts suitable for operational EWS applications. Moreover, the extensive training dataset provides meaningful insights into the variability of hazard intensity and impact severity along embayed beaches and allows identification of critical storm condi¬tions driving extreme responses. Overall, this work advances coastal hazard prediction by providing a transferable and computationally efficient methodology that explicitly ad¬ dresses data limitations, thereby supporting more effective coastal risk management and EWS development in vulnerable and data-limited coastal settings.
The role of smart and crowd-sourced platforms in empowering responsible travellers: the case of tripdoodler
Publication . Bhatia, Amit; Agapito, Dora Lúcia Miguel; Ramos, Célia Maria Quitério
This thesis explores how smart, crowdsourced platforms can empower responsible travellers. The research focuses on the case of TripDoodler, a digital platform that collects and displays user-generated sustainability ratings of businesses. Despite growing interest in sustainable tourism, behavioural shifts remain limited. Smart tourism technologies (STTs) offer new tools for encouraging responsible behaviour, but their design and adoption mechanisms require further study. This research comprises three interconnected studies that explore the platform’s intervention model, traveller recognition of sustainability practices and psychological drivers of adoption and usage.
The first study examines how smart, crowdsourced platforms can encourage responsible behaviour of travellers, applying a Theory of Change (ToC) framework to map TripDoodler’s intervention model, including its inputs, activities, outputs and intended outcomes. Stakeholder interviews and a participatory workshop inform the development of the conceptual framework. This offers insight into how features such as guided user ratings and structured sustainability parameters are designed to engage users and enhance visibility of sustainability practices. The study highlights how platform architecture, user motivations and underlying behavioural assumptions jointly shape the enabling conditions for responsible traveller behaviours. The study contributes to theory by introducing ToC as a structured approach for understanding smart tourism interventions, while offering practical insights for tourism professionals aiming to design more participatory and transparent sustainability tools.
The second study explores how travellers recognise sustainability practices across business types, utilising data from TripDoodler. Analysing 2,446 traveller ratings across 1,716 businesses, the study applies the CRISP-DM framework, thematic clustering and Chi-square test for independence. Findings suggest that recognition is highest for practices from businesses, such as plant-based meals and towel reuse, which may indicate that sustainability actions with higher visibility and contextual relevance are more likely to be acknowledged by travellers. Recognition patterns vary by business type, and a weak but significant association is observed between Google ratings and sustainability recognition. No significant association is found with formal sustainability certifications. The study offers a behavioural perspective on sustainability recognition and highlights the potential of smart platforms to capture sustainability engagement at scale in real-world travelling contexts.
The third study applies the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) to examine user acceptance and utilisation of TripDoodler. A semi-structured online questionnaire was completed by 203 users and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that Behavioural Intention is positively associated with Facilitating Conditions, Hedonic Motivation, Habit and Social Influence, while Behavioural Intention, Facilitating Conditions and Habit impact actual use. Effort Expectancy and Performance Expectancy showed no significant relationship with Behavioural Intention. Gender and age did not moderate relationships significantly. The study advances theoretical understanding of STT adoption and provides practical insights for technology developers in tourism-related contexts aiming to support responsible traveller behaviours through more human-centred design and implementation strategies.
Chert procurement for inferring Neanderthal mobility in central western Iberia
Publication . Pereira, Telmo; Abrunhosa, Ana; Alves, Eduardo; Carvalho, Milena; Haws, Jonathan; Benedetti, Michael; Paixão, Eduardo; Alves, Luís
Lithic raw material sourcing is one of the most effective approaches for inferring exploitation territories during the Palaeolithic, including for Neanderthals. Certain raw materials, particularly chert, are especially well suited to this type of investigation because the distinctive characteristics of each geological source can be reliably identified through a combination of macroscopic observation, low-magnification analysis, and geochemical methods. With that in mind we questioned if chert sourcing would allow identification of territorial patterns for the Neanderthal populations of central Portugal, in western-most Iberia. To answer that question, we conducted an exploratory study comparing archaeological cherts from Gruta Nova da Columbeira, Praia Rei Cortiço and Mira Nascente with geological samples from nearby sources using macroscopic, low-magnification PIXE and pXRF analysis. Our results showed similarities between archaeological and geological cherts proving that the sites, sources and analytical protocols used were viable for such investigation and, therefore, can be developed and refined in the future. They also showed that correspondences between geological and archaeological cherts are limited to the area between the coast and the western façade of the first mountain ridge (Serra d’Áire e Candeeiros) to the east, and between the Cesaredas Plateau to the south and the River Lis to the north. This territory is adjacent to the area already delimited by chert sourcing and isotopic analysis for the Neanderthals that occupied Oliveira Cave, located at the southeastern façade of the same mountain range. This contributes to a better understanding of Neanderthal territorial patterns, which is particularly important in regions where research is underdeveloped and where identifying other patterns of variability, particularly across time, has proven difficult.
Emerging occurrence of Gambierdiscus carolinianus in the Azores:The northernmost Atlantic record
Publication . Barbosa, Miguel; Churro, Catarina; Gomes, Inês; Danchenko, Sergei; Caeiro, Maria Filomena; Afonso, Pedro; Amorim, Ana; Reis Costa, Pedro
The dinoflagellate genus Gambierdiscus was detected for the first time in the Azores Archipelago, representing itsnorthernmost record to date (> 39 N). Two strains were isolated from macroalgal substrates on Corvo and FaialIslands during the summer of 2024, coinciding with a marine heatwave in which sea-surface temperatureanomalies exceeded +2 C. Morphological and molecular analyses identified both isolates as Gambierdiscus car-olinianus, extending further North the known range of this genus in the Atlantic and complementing previousrecords from other Macaronesian archipelagos. The Azorean isolate from Corvo clustered more closely withwestern Atlantic populations than with Madeira or the Canary Islands strains, suggesting long-range connectiv-ity potentially driven by oceanographic processes. Although no ciguatera poisoning (CP) cases have beenreported in the Azores, the occurrence of Gambierdiscus highlights the need for sustained monitoring and ecological assessments to evaluate the risk of CP emergence in this remote temperate archipelago under shiftingenvironmental conditions.
Salicylic acid induces dose-dependent and organ-specific modulation of phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity in Polygonum maritimum L. in vitro cultures
Publication . Oyesiji, Adeola; Ślusarczyk, Sylwester; Matkowski, Adam; Fernandes, Eliana; Binnert, Marie; Braga, Tiago; Custódio, Luísa; Rodrigues, Maria João
Polygonum maritimum L. (sea knotgrass) is a salt-tolerant medicinal plant rich in phenolic compounds with recognised antioxidant potential and growing interest for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications. This study evaluated the effects of salicylic acid (SA) elicitation on growth, phenolic metabolite profiles, and antioxidant activity in roots and shoots of P. maritimum in vitro cultures. Shoots were cultured for four weeks on control medium or medium supplemented with 50, 100, or 200 µM SA. The roots formed during the treatment were separated from the shoots and analysed independently. Phenolic profiles of both organs were characterised by LC–ESI–QTOF–MS, and antioxidant activity was assessed using DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and copper-chelating activity assays. SA elicitation induced clear dose-dependent responses, with increasing concentrations reducing biomass and altering metabolite composition. Roots exhibited substantially greater chemical diversity than shoots, including catechin-type flavonoids, quercetin derivatives, and phenolic acids, whereas shoots displayed a simpler profile comprising a gallic acid derivative and flavonoid glycosides. In roots, 50 and 100 µM SA were associated with broader metabolite profiles, whereas several compounds were no longer detected at 200 µM, suggesting that lower and intermediate SA concentrations may be more suitable for preserving a broader metabolite profile. Antioxidant responses were assay- and organ-dependent, with roots generally displaying stronger radical-scavenging activity, although no single SA concentration consistently maximised bioactivity across all assays. Overall, SA altered biomass, metabolite occurrence, and antioxidant activity in an organ- and concentration-dependent manner. These findings provide a basis for optimising SA elicitation to produce P. maritimum biomass with tailored phenolic profiles for potential nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic applications.