Sapientia
Repositório Científico da UAlg
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Beyond the score: exploring the intersection between sociodemographics and linguistic features in english (L1) writing placement
Publication . Da Corte, Miguel; Baptista, Jorge
This study examines the intersection of sociodemographic characteristics, linguistic features, and writing placement outcomes at a community college in the United States of America. It focuses on 210 anonymized writing samples from native English speakers (L1) that were automatically classified by Accuplacer and independently assessed by two trained raters. Disparities across gender and race using 40 top-ranked linguistic features selected from Coh-Metrix, CTAP, and Developmental Education-Specific (DES) sets were analyzed. Three statistical tests were used: one-way ANOVA, Tukey’s HSD, and Chi-square. ANOVA results showed racial differences in nine linguistic features, especially those tied to syntactic complexity, discourse markers, and lexical precision. Gender differences were more limited, with only one feature reaching significance (Positive Connectives, p = 0.007). Tukey’s HSD pairwise tests showed no significant gender group variation but revealed sensitivity in DES features when comparing racial groups. Chi-square analysis indicated no significant association between gender and placement outcomes but suggested a possible link between race and human-assigned levels (χ 2 = 9.588, p = 0.048). These findings suggest that while automated systems assess general writing skills, human-devised linguistic features and demographic insights can support more equitable placement practices for all students entering college-level programs.
Cinema Português no Algarve (1940-1974)
Publication . Carrega, Jorge; Duarte, Joana Isabel
Filmes portugueses (ordenados pelo ano de produção) que foram exibidos nas salas algarvias entre 1940 e 1974, incluindo cidades como Faro, Silves, Tavira, Vila Real de Santo António, São Brás de Alportel e Estoi. Os dados decorrem da consulta da imprensa periódica algarvia disponível na Hemeroteca Digital do Algarve, assim como os programas de sessão do Cineclube de Faro.
Comparative analysis of organoleptic preference and external attractiveness of ‘encore’ and ‘nadorcott’ mandarin cultivars
Publication . Zarcos Duarte, Beatriz; Matias, Pedro; Trindade, Ana Rita; Duarte, Amilcar; Deepanka Saikia
The ‘Encore’ mandarin tree, cultivated in Portugal for long time, valued for its favour and later ripening period, faces challenges due to a rind-stain disorder afecting its external appearance. Despite its favourable attributes, the emergence of new cultivars such as ‘Nadorcott’, free from external appearance problems and with overlapping ripening periods, resulted in the marginalization of ‘Encore’ in the market. Major retailers, by prioritizing consumer preference for appearance, have contributed to the decline in ‘Encore’ cultivation. Despite this, the ‘Encore’ mandarin is still preferred by long-standing consumers who remember its greater availability in previous decades and value its characteristic taste. Currently, its distribution is mainly restricted to local markets and small-scale fruit retailers. To gauge consumer preference, we conducted a tasting and questionnaire survey with 131 randomly chosen participants, comparing ‘Encore’ and ‘Nadorcott’. The fndings revealed a clear consumer preference for the external appearance of ‘Nadorcott’, leading to a preference for purchasing it based on this criterion alone. Conversely, when evaluating internal fruit quality, consumers distinctly favoured ‘Encore’ for its aroma, sweetness, acidity and overall taste. They expressed a preference for purchasing it based solely on internal quality. However, when participants learnt that less visually appealing fruits were equivalent to the more desirable ones internally, their purchase intentions became indiferent towards both cultivars, with no signifcant diference observed. This highlights the complex interplay between perceptions of external appearance and internal organoleptic quality among consumers, challenging the assumption that appearance alone dictates purchasing decisions.
Bioprospecting fungi in mediterranean fermentations: functional insights and antibacterial potential
Publication . Bertan, David Willian; Kamimura, Eliana Setsuko; Quintas, Célia
Table olives, particularly traditionally fermented cracked-style green olives, rely on natural microbial activity without chemical debittering, with fungi playing key roles; in contrast, arbutus berry fermentation remains less characterized in terms of microbial functionality. This study investigated the enzymatic and antibacterial potential of fungal isolates from both systems. A total of 84 isolates belonging to Aureobasidium, Candida, Cryptococcus, Saccharomyces, Pichia, Issatchenkia, Torulaspora, and Sporobolomyces were screened for hydrolytic enzymes (pectinases, amylases, cellulases, xylanases, lipases, proteases, tannases, and β-glucosidases) using selective media, and for antibacterial activity against major foodborne pathogens. Isolates from arbutus fermentation showed no relevant enzymatic or antibacterial ability. In contrast, several isolates from olive fermentation exhibited significant functional traits. Aureobasidium pullulans demonstrated broad enzymatic capacity, producing amylases, esterases, and tannases, along with lipid hydrolysis, but also expressed cellulase, pectinase, and protease abilities. Cryptococcus spp. displayed interesting profiles, with low cellulolytic and pectinolytic capacity and higher phenolase, esterase, and lipase capacities. Antibacterial activity was observed exclusively against Gram-positive bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes, mainly among Candida membranifaciens, Cryptococcus spp., and A. pullulans. Overall, table olive fermentation isolates showed promising biotechnological potential for food preservation and quality enhancement, whereas arbutus isolates appeared to have limited functional relevance.
Holisticscape dimensions of the tourism experience in wellness spas: Evidence from Portugal
Publication . Valente Pedro, Cristina; de Matos, Nelson Manuel da Silva; Pinto, Patrícia
The present study examines how tourists’ experiences in wellness spas promote holistic health through the Holisticscape framework from both tourists’ and other stakeholders’ perspectives, an extension of the servicescape that encompasses the ambience, social, activity, body, mind, and spirit dimensions. An ex-ploratory, multi-stakeholder qualitative design was employed, with 20 in-depth interviews conducted inwellness spas in Portugal. Thematic analysis revealed that ambience, social relations, activity, body, mind, and spiritual stimuli support tourists’ holistic health. These findings extend existing research on servicescape and experiencescape by demonstrating how multidimensional experiential stimuli interact to produce holistic health in wellness spa settings. The study offers practical implications for designing immersive and health-oriented environments, enhancing service customisation, and integrating cultural and natural resources intowellness spa offerings. Given its exploratory and context-bound nature, it is recommended that further research be conducted to validate Holisticscape dimensions across a range of wellness spas at distinct destinations. Furthermore, the development of measurement tools for future quantitative investigations is recommended.