Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2023-01"
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- A symbolic Neanderthal accumulation of large herbivore craniaPublication . Baquedano, Enrique; Arsuaga, Juan L.; Pérez-González, Alfredo; Laplana, César; Márquez, Belén; Huguet, Rosa; Gómez-Soler, Sandra; Villaescusa, Lucía; Galindo-Pellicena, M. Ángeles; Rodríguez, Laura; García-González, Rebeca; Ortega, M.-Cruz; Martín-Perea, David M.; Ortega, Ana I.; Hernández-Vivanco, Lucía; Ruiz-Liso, Gonzalo; Gómez-Hernanz, Juan; Alonso-Martín, José I.; Abrunhosa, Ana; Moclán, Abel; Casado, Ana I.; Vegara-Riquelme, Marina; Álvarez-Fernández, Ana; Domínguez-García, Ángel C.; Álvarez-Lao, Diego J.; García, Nuria; Sevilla, Paloma; Blain, Hugues-Alexandre; Ruiz-Zapata, Blanca; Gil-García, M. José; Álvarez-Vena, Adrián; Sanz, Teresa; Quam, Rolf; Higham, TomThis work examines the possible behaviour of Neanderthal groups at the Cueva Des-Cubierta (central Spain) via the analysis of the latter's archaeological assemblage. Alongside evidence of Mousterian lithic industry, Level 3 of the cave infill was found to contain an assemblage of mammalian bone remains dominated by the crania of large ungulates, some associated with small hearths. The scarcity of post-cranial elements, teeth, mandibles and maxillae, along with evidence of anthropogenic modification of the crania (cut and percussion marks), indicates that the carcasses of the corresponding animals were initially processed outside the cave, and the crania were later brought inside. A second round of processing then took place, possibly related to the removal of the brain. The continued presence of crania throughout Level 3 indicates that this behaviour was recurrent during this level's formation. This behaviour seems to have no subsistence-related purpose but to be more symbolic in its intent.
- Indoor climate quality assessment in civil aircraft cabins: A field studyPublication . Gameiro da Silva, Manuel; Broday, Evandro Eduardo; Rodrigues Ruivo, CelestinoIndoor Climate Quality is the way to assess how much thermal and indoor air quality conditions might influence people's comfort indoors. Passengers traveling on commercial airplanes are increasingly demanding comfort inside the cabin. So, creating a comfortable environment is a relevant requirement to be considered. Although indoor climate standards cover mainly buildings, other indoor environments may use the same concepts. This study aimed to present a multiprobe device for indoor climate quality assessment and a methodology to cate-gorize thermal comfort and indoor air quality levels in twenty-five flights between 2019 and the beginning of 2020. Data were collected in two distinct seasons, Heating and Cooling, regarding the mode of use of HVAC systems, depending on the predominant passengers' clothing set, for different aircraft types and routes. It was analyzed how much thermal comfort and indoor air quality parameters are in accordance with the categories established in the EN 16798-1 standard. As the main findings, it can be concluded that the environmental pa-rameters analyzed on flights were mostly within the comfort range. However, there is a possibility of improvement in thermal comfort since the predominance of values in the best comfort category is still marginal, focusing on the study of air cleaning and air distribution flow to improve people's comfort and energy saving.
- FOXO1 represses PPARα-Mediated induction of FGF21 gene expressionPublication . De Sousa-Coelho, Ana Luísa; Gacias, Mar; O'Neill, Brian T.; Relat, Joana; Link, Wolfgang; Haro, Diego; Marrero, Pedro F.Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) has emerged as a metabolic regulator that exerts potent anti-diabetic and lipid-lowering effects in animal models of obesity and type 2 diabetes, showing a protective role in fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma progression. Hepatic expression of FGF21 is regulated by PPARa and is induced by fasting. Ablation of FoxO1 in liver has been shown to increase FGF21 expression in hyperglycemia. To better understand the role of FOXO1 in the regulation of FGF21 expression we have modified HepG2 human hepatoma cells to overexpress FoxO1 and PPARa. Here we show that FoxO1 represses PPARa-mediated FGF21 induction, and that the repression acts on the FGF21 gene promoter without affecting other PPARa target genes. Additionally, we demonstrate that FoxO1 physically interacts with PPARa and that FoxO1/3/4 depletion in skeletal muscle contributes to increased Fgf21 tissue levels. Taken together, these data indicate that FOXO1 is a PPARa-interacting protein that antagonizes PPARa activity on the FGF21 promoter. Because other PPARa target genes remained unaffected, these results suggest a highly specific mechanism implicated in FGF21 regulation. We conclude that FGF21 can be specifically modulated by FOXO1 in a PPARa-dependent manner. (c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).
- Gene transcripts responsive to drought stress identified in Citrus macrophylla bark tissue transcriptome have a modified response in plants infected by Citrus tristeza virusPublication . da Silva, Melina; Pinto, Patricia IS; Guerra, Rui Manuel Farinha das Neves; Duarte, Amilcar; Power, Deborah; Marques, N T.Citrus macrophylla Wester (CM) has valuable agronomic characteristics such as the ability to grow in saline soils, although with low tolerance to prolonged drought stress (DS). To understand the mechanisms that characterize CM response to water scarcity, this study compared transcriptome profile changes in CM stem tissue when exposed to DS and identified a total of 2745 differentially expressed transcripts (DETs, fold change > 2), of which 631 were up-regulated and 2114 were down-regulated. DETs up-regulated by DS were enriched in pathways such as the redox and osmotic system or soluble carbohydrates and in transcripts for low molecular weight proteins such as late embryogenesis abundant protein (LEA). Down-regulated transcripts were mainly assigned to photosynthesis, transport, phenylpropanoids, calcium dependent kinases, brassinosteroids and other hormones including salicylic acid and abscisic acid. To assess the interplay between DS and Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) infection, twelve genes were profiled by quantitative Real-Time PCR (qPCR) analysis in control and CTV-infected CM plants, with or without DS. The twelve analyzed transcripts were significantly correlated (r = 0.82, p < 0.001) with the RNA-Seq results and gave insight into the responses of CM to drought and/or to infection with CTV. Transcriptome results unveiled highly responsive genes to DS in stem tissue, which may be candidates for genetic selection of high drought tolerant plants of CM.
- Pilot scale production of Crocosphaera chwakensis CCY0110 and evaluation of its biomass nutritional potentialPublication . Matinha-Cardoso, Jorge; Santos, Tamara; Pereira, Hugo; Varela, João; Tamagnini, Paula; Mota, RitaIn recent years, the large-scale cultivation and commercialization of microalgae/cyanobacteria biomasses have become a worldwide trend, mainly directed to the animal and human nutrition markets due to their outstanding nutritional value. However, only a very limited number are currently classified as food ingredients by Food Safety regulators worldwide. Crocosphaera chwakensis CCY0110 is a marine unicellular cyanobacterium that produces a promising and versatile extracellular carbohydrate polymer (Cyanoflan). Therefore, envisaging a biorefinery approach with a multi-product stream (zero-waste), C. chwakensis biomass was for the first time cultivated at pilot-scale in a 120 L flat panel photobioreactor and its nutritional composition was evaluated. The results obtained revealed high protein and fat-soluble vitamins content (similar to 54 g of protein, 6 mg vitamin A and 25 mg vitamin E per 100 g biomass dry weight), coupled with a balanced amount of essential amino acids and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (36 % of total fatty acids). Moreover, C. chwakensis biomass can also be considered as a great source of important minerals, such as potassium (3 g per 100 g DW), magnesium (0.5 g per 100 g DW) and iron (95 mg per 100 g DW), as well as phycocyanin, a high-value blue pigment with a wide array of applications. Overall, C. chwakensis biomass displays a nutritional composition that outdo traditional feedstocks and competes with already established and commercially available cyanobacteria and microalgae. This work highlights the potential of C. chwakensis as a multi-product cyanobacterium for blue bioeconomy, combining the production of a promising biopolymer with biomass valorization.
- The effect of multicultural attitudes and perceived intergroup threat on attitudes towards immigrants in Portugal: a polynomial regression with response surface analysisPublication . Gonçalves, Gabriela; Sousa, Cátia; Arasaratnam-Smith, Lily A.Supported by the Intergroup Threat Theory (ITT), this study analyzes the effect of multicultural ideology on attitudes towards immigrants mediated by realistic, symbolic, and zero-sum threats. With a sample of Portuguese participants (N = 404)), polynomial regression analysis with response surface methodology was used to test the effects of multicultural attitude (MA) and perceived intergroup threat (PIT) on attitudes towards immigrants (ATI). This study also tested a model in which positive MA leads to a lower PIT, and consequently to more favorable ATI. Four hypotheses were proposed; all of which were confirmed. The results further showed that the direction of discrepancy between MA and PIT can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the complex role of multicultural ideology in predicting ATI. Findings, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
- Your horse is a donkey! Identifying domesticated equids from Western Iberia using collagen fingerprintingPublication . Paladugu, Roshan; Richter, Kristine Korzow; Valente, Maria João; Gabriel, Sónia; Detry, Cleia; Warinner, Christina; Dias, Cristina BarrocasSkeletal remains of two equid species, Equus caballus (horse) and Equus asinus (donkey), have been found in archaeological contexts throughout Iberia since the Palaeolithic and Chalcolithic periods, respectively. These two species play different economic and cultural roles, and therefore it is important to be able to distinguish between the two species to better understand their relative importance in the past human societies. The most reliable morphological features for distinguishing between the two domesticated equids are based on cranial measure-ments and tooth enamel folds, leading to only a small percentage of archaeological remains that can be identified to species. Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis can be used to reliably distinguish the two equids, but it can be cost prohibitive to apply to large assemblages, and aDNA preservation of non-cranial elements is often low. Collagen peptide mass fingerprinting by matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, also known as zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS), is a minimally destructive and cost-effective alternative to aDNA analysis for taxonomic determination. However, current ZooMS markers lack resolution below the genus level Equus. In this paper, we report a novel ZooMS peptide marker that reliably distinguishes between horses and donkeys using the enzyme chymotrypsin. We apply this peptide marker to taxonomically identify bones from the Iberian Peninsula ranging from the Iron Age to the Late Modern Period. The peptide biomarker has the potential to facilitate the collection of morphological data for zooarchaeological studies of equids in Iberia and throughout Eurasia and Africa.
- Understanding online reviews in all-inclusive hotels servicescape: a fuzzy set approachPublication . Rassal, C.; Correia, Antónia; Serra, FranciscoThe concept of all-inclusive (AI) hotel service is complex and multidimensional; grounded on the SERVQUAL model, this research aims to identify the main components of AI service that moderate online ratings. Aside from the dimensions comprised in the SERVQUAL model, this research discusses price, place, and experiences as essential components in AI hotel ratings. This research was applied in the Algarve, a mature sun and sea destination with more than thirty all-inclusive hotels in operation since 2008. A fuzzy set qualitative analysis (fsQCA) approach is used from 6742 validated reviews of four- and five-star all-inclusive hotels retrieved from TripAdvisor between August 2003 and April 2019. Single constructs in the AI ecosystem have no impact as a rating enhancer on TripAdvisor, with two or more constructs necessary to trigger the goal. This research also contributes by applying a fuzzy set approach to the extracted user-generated content (UGC) regarding AI hotels on TripAdvisor and revealing the necessary and sufficient conditions through the identified constructs that most contribute to high online ratings.
- Comparison of LiDAR- and UAV-derived data for landslide susceptibility mapping using Random Forest algorithmPublication . França Pereira, Felicia; Sussel Gonçalves Mendes, Tatiana; Simoes, Silvio; Roberto Magalhães de Andrade, Márcio; Luiz Lopes Reiss, Mário; Fortes Cavalcante Renk, Jennifer; Correia da Silva Santos, TatianyEarthquakes, extreme rainfall, or human activity can all cause landslides. Several landslides occur each year around the world, often resulting in casualties and economic consequences. Landslide susceptibility mapping is considered to be the main technique for predicting the likelihood of an event based on the characteristics of the physical environment. Digital Terrain Model (DTM) is one of the fundamental data of modeling and is used to derive important conditional factors for detailed scale landslide susceptibility analyses. With this in mind, this study aimed to compare landslide susceptibility maps generated by Random Forest (RF) machine learning algorithm with data from Light Detection and Range (LiDAR) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). To this end, the performance achieved in prediction was evaluated using statistical evaluation measures based on training and validation datasets. The obtained results showed that the accuracy of both models is greater than 0.70, the area under the curve (AUC) is greater than 0.80, and the model generated from the LiDAR data is more accurate. The results also showed that the data from UAV have potential to use in landslide susceptibility mapping on an intra-urban scale, contributing to studies in risk areas without available data.
- A poda de manutenção em citrinosPublication . Matias, Pedro; Mendonça, Angélica; Oliveira, Silvino; Reis, Valter; Duarte, AmilcarA poda em citricultura é muitas vezes tema de discórdia: enquanto uns a consideram uma prática essencial ou mesmo indispensável, outros acham que é uma prática desnecessária, cujos benefícios não compensam os custos. Na realidade, se realizada da forma e na época adequada, a poda pode funcionar como estratégia para melhorar a produtividade e qualidade da produção, além de atenuar vários problemas da cultura dos citrinos.