Sapientia
Repositório Científico da UAlg
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Restoring neuropetide Y levels in the hypothalamus ameliorates premature aging phenotype in mice
Publication . Ferreira-Marques, Marisa; Carmo-Silva, Sara; Pereira, Joana; Botelho, Mariana; Nóbrega, Clévio; López‐Otín, Carlos; Almeida, Luís Pereira de; Aveleira, Célia A.; Cavadas, Cláudia
The hypothalamus has been recognized as a regulator of whole-body aging. Neuropeptide Y (NPY), highly abundant in the central nervous system and produced by the hypothalamus, enhances autophagy in this brain region and mediates autophagy triggered by caloric restriction, suggesting a potential role as a caloric restriction mimetic and an aging regulator. Considering that hypothalamic NPY levels decline during aging, we investigated if reestablishment of NPY levels mitigate aging phenotype, using a mouse model of premature aging – Zmpste24−/− mouse. The results show that reestablishing hypothalamic NPY levels delayed aging-associated features, including lipodystrophy, alopecia, and memory. Moreover, these results suggest that strategies that promote maintenance of hypothalamic NPY levels might be relevant to counteract aging progression and age-related deteriorations.
Coupled phantom cosmological model motivated by the warm inflationary paradigm
Publication . Halder, Sudip; Pan, Supriya; Sá, Paulo; Saha, Tapan
In this article, we investigate a coupled phantom dark-energy cosmological model in which the coupling term between a phantom scalar field with an exponential potential and a pressureless dark-matter fluid is motivated by the warm inflationary paradigm. Using methods of qualitative analysis of dynamical systems, complemented by numerical solutions of the evolution equations, we study the late-time behavior of our model. We show that contrary to the uncoupled scenario, the coupled phantom model admits accelerated scaling solutions. However, they do not correspond to a final state of the Universe’s evolution and, therefore, cannot be used to solve the cosmological coincidence problem. Furthermore, we show that, for certain coupling parameter values, the total equation-of-state parameter’s asymptotic behavior is significantly changed when compared to the uncoupled scenario, allowing for solutions less phantom even for steeper potentials of the phantom scalar field.
Factors shaping spectators’ consumption patterns: controversial arisings from an international sport tourism event
Publication . Mascarenhas, Margarida; Vieira, Henrique; Martins, Rute
Purpose – Sport events’ contribution to the destinations’ local economy implies in-depth knowledge of the economic benefits generated by non-resident spectators (NRS). Thus, this study aims to answer: What is the profile and shaping factors of the consumption patterns of the several types of NRS in international surf tourism events? Design/methodology/approach – A total of 263 questionnaires applied to the NRS of an international surf event were collected and analysed. The identification of the NRS profile and the predictive factors of their total expenditure were performed through the correlation of factors and multiple linear regression, respectively. Findings – Mostly, the event attracted generation Y NRS, with a high level of education and regular sport practice. The results showed differences among the NRS: the ‘‘casuals’’ included more women than men; the ‘‘extensioners’’ integrated the NRS whose surfing practice is higher; the ‘‘event visitors’’/’’time switchers’’ mostly integrated the domestic tourism flows; the ‘‘casuals’’ and ‘‘extensioners’’ spent the most at the destination, and those whose intention to recommend/revisit the destination, respectively, was higher; and the shaping factor that most influenced the increase in NRS expenditure was the overnight stay, added by older age, higher education level and foreign origin. Originality/value – Regardless of the initial motivation that led to the trip to the destination, the results verified that the event’s attributes are capable of contributing to the recommendation/visitation of the destination. Consequently, the study of economic benefits (tangible and intangible) provided by sport events in destinations should be guided by an integrative analysis of NRS.
The role of adverbs in language variety identification: the case of Portuguese multi-word adverbs
Publication . Meira Grein Muller, Izabela; Baptista, Jorge; Mamede, Nuno
This paper aims to assess the role of multi-word compound adverbs in distinguishing Brazilian Portuguese (PT-BR) from European Portuguese (PT-PT). For this study, a large lexicon of Portuguese multi-word adverbs (3,665) was annotated with diatopic information regarding language variety, which has not been available so far. The paper then investigates the distribution of this category in the DSL (Dialect and Similar Language) corpus of journalistic texts, representing Brazilian (PT-BR) and European Portuguese (PT-PT). Results indicate a substantial similarity between the two varieties, with a considerable overlap in the lexicon of multiword adverbs. Additionally, specific adverbs unique to each language variety were identified. Lexical entries recognized in the corpus represent 18.2% (PT-BR) to 19.5% (PT-PT) of the lexicon, and approximately 5,700 matches in each partition. While many of the matches are spurious due to ambiguity with otherwise nonidiomatic, free strings, occurrences of adverbs marked as exclusive to one variety in texts from the other variety are rare.
Teaching restoration of historical gardens
Publication . Castel-Branco, Cristina; Azambuja, Sónia Talhé
In the 1980s and 1990s, the field of Landscape Architecture focused on developing theories and methods for restoring historic gardens. These efforts were supported by universities, heritage protection institutions, and professionals, and they served as a basis for more rigorous and authentic restoration interventions. The International Committee for Historic Gardens, part of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS/IFLA), created the Charter of Florence in 1981, and it was adopted by ICOMOS in 1982, establishing principles for the protection and preservation of historic gardens. In 1992, the cultural landscape category was also established as part of the World Heritage List created by UNESCO, and the Historic Gardens Committee became part of the Scientific Committee for Cultural Landscapes at ICOMOS (Fowler, 2003). In Portugal, theoretical principles based on the Florence Charter were discussed and used to restore historic gardens (Castel-Branco, 1999) and incorporated in the Universities of Lisbon and Évora teaching programmes. In 1989, the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA), School of Agriculture of the University of Lisbon also began teaching the restoration of historic gardens1 within the course of History of Garden Art II in the Landscape Architecture programme, drawing on the theories and practices of the National Trust of England (Watkins & Wright, 2007; Harney, 2014), a private foundation in the United Kingdom with expertise in restoration, management, and enhancement of properties in England, as well as the concepts of the Florence Charter (ICOMOS, 1981/1982).