Percorrer por data de Publicação, começado por "2026-07"
A mostrar 1 - 8 de 8
Resultados por página
Opções de ordenação
- Evaluation of superworm (Zophobas morio) larvae meal as a fish meal substitute in juvenile stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) dietsPublication . Lebria, Arash; Langroudi, Hadi Ershad; Pajand, Zabih Ollah; Sajjadi, Mirmasoud; Abdollahpour, HamedThis study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of superworm (Zophobas morio) larvae meal (SWM) on growth performance, hematological parameters, blood biochemical parameters, proteolytic enzyme activity, and body composition in juvenile stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus). A total of 120 juvenile fish (initial body weight: 28.08 ± 0.13 g) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in triplicate groups. Experimental diets were formulated to replace 0% (control), 10% (SWM10), 20% (SWM20), and 30% (SWM30) of fish meal with SWM, maintaining isonitrogenous (45.27% protein) and isoenergetic (19.50 MJ/kg) profiles. Fish were hand-fed to apparent satiation three times daily over an 8-week period. Growth performance data indicated that up to 10% SWM inclusion did not significantly affect final weight, weight gain, or condition factor compared to the control (p > 0.05). However, 20% and 30% inclusion levels resulted in significantly reduced growth performance (p < 0.05). Hematological analysis showed that WBC counts were significantly higher in all SWM-fed groups (16.2–19.3 ×10 ³/mm³) compared to the control (13.9 ×10 ³/mm³), with neutrophil percentages also elevated (16.3–17.2% vs. 13.7% in the control) (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in RBC count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV, MCH, or MCHC (p > 0.05). Biochemical results showed that triglyceride levels were significantly elevated in the SWM30 group (p < 0.05), while cholesterol levels were significantly lower compared to the control (p < 0.05). Serum glucose level remained unaffected across treatments (p > 0.05). Proteolytic enzyme analysis indicated a significant reduction in trypsin activity in fish fed the SWM30 diet (p < 0.05). Whole-body composition analysis revealed that increasing SWM inclusion significantly decreased carcass protein, moisture, and ash contents, while lipid content increased, with the highest fat level observed in the SWM30 group (p < 0.05). Overall, the findings suggest that superworm larvae meals can be included in the diet of juvenile stellate sturgeon at levels up to 10% fishmeal replacement without adverse effects on growth, hematological parameters, blood biochemistry, or proteolytic enzyme activity.
- The palynology of the upper triassic-lower jurassic in the Algarve and Lusitanian basins, PortugalPublication . Vilas-Boas, Margarida; Cirilli, Simonetta; Pereira, Zélia; Duarte, Luís Vítor; Fernandes, PauloHigh-resolution palynological analyses from the Algarve and Lusitanian basins (Portugal) provide a refined biostratigraphical framework and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction for the Late Triassic–Early Jurassic transition. In the Algarve Basin, three new palynozones (AT, SC, and CP) characterise the Silves Group from the early Carnian to early Hettangian, documenting the first Iberian occurrence of Tulesporites briscoensis and precisely delineating the Triassic–Jurassic Boundary (TJB). In the Lusitanian Basin, three palynozones (CG, IK, and Pm) constrain the Conraria and Pereiros formations to the Norian–Hettangian, with the TJB located at the base of the Pereiros Formation. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions reveal distinct basin-specific evolutions. The Algarve Basin records an early transition from fluvial (Silves Sandstones) to marginal-marine (lagoonal and pond) settings, evidenced by abundant upper Carnian algal elements and reworked Neoproterozoic algae. Conversely, the Lusitanian Basin reflects a Norian-Hettangian marginal-marine, river-dominated setting, with microforaminiferal linings at the base of the Pereiros Formation marking the earliest marine transgression in the Lusitanian Basin. Quantitatively, both basins show a persistent dominance of xerophytic taxa, indicating a shift toward warmer, seasonally dry conditions across the TJB. Malformed sporomorphs in both records suggest environmental stress potentially linked to Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) activity. Comparative analysis reveals that sedimentation initiated earlier in the Algarve (early Carnian) than in the Lusitanian Basin (Norian), suggesting diachronous development during Pangaea breakup. The assemblages show strong affinities with the Onslow Microflora, highlighting the Portuguese margin as a key archive for western Tethyan floral and climatic evolution.
- A novel three-step biologically informed ocean partitioning strategy: insights from toxigenic phytoplankton in a coastal upwelling systemPublication . Borlido Oliveira Lima, Maria João; Caballero, I.; Barbosa, AnaOcean partitions are often based on readily accessible variables, such as abiotic factors and chlorophyll-a concentration, but provide limited insight into biological patterns. This study developed a three-step partitioning strategy prioritizing environmental factors that best described the variability patterns of harmful algal bloom (HAB)-forming taxa off SW Iberia. These included the producers of amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), and paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). First, dimensionality reduction and unsupervised classification were applied to three environmental datasets, derived from remote sensing and model outputs, covering a 19-year period. Second, different empirical-statistical models were used to determine which datasets best explained the abundance of HAB-producers, available for an 8-year period in different classified coastal production areas. Finally, the best datasets were used to derive partitions prioritizing the variability of different HAB groups, at a pixel level. The first classifications identified up to 12 regions, with four to five located in the coastal-slope domain, with a variable configuration depending on the dataset. The best predictor datasets and models identified five regions (two inner-shelf, two outer-shelf/slope, and one transitional coastal-ocean region), representative of HAB groups. No clear distinctive partitions were identified for different groups, namely for ASP- and DSP-producers, likely due to the combined influence of upwelling and freshwater discharges, along with submarine topographic features. Our partitioning strategy can be applied to other marine systems and taxonomic groups. Future improvements, including more complete environmental and biological datasets, could enhance the value of biologically informed environmental partitions as proxies for species abundance.
- Digital intimacies in motion: redefining sex in tourismPublication . Qiu, XuDong (Oliver); Cohen, Scott; Skinner, JonathanThis paper redefines sex in tourism by introducing cyber-sexual leisure - digitally mediated and emotionally ambivalent erotic engagements that unfold through platforms like Grindr during travel. Drawing on interviews with queer male tourists, we examine how fragmented, gamified, and affectively ambivalent interactions produce symbolic erotic pleasure, even in the absence of physical sex. Moving beyond outcome-oriented and corporeal understandings, sexual experience is conceptualised as a processual continuum encompassing anticipation, interaction, and emotional aftermath. A recursive model is proposed comprising four stages: digital engagement, affective and erotic investment, emotional and/or physical outcomes, and re-engagement or withdrawal. These dynamics are intensified by tourism conditions - mobility, anonymity, novelty, and compressed time - while also shaped by inequalities structuring visibility, desirability, and vulnerability in contemporary tourism.
- An empirical model for non-linear pressure drag across non-hydrostatic flow regimes with trapped lee wavesPublication . Argain, Jose LuisThis study introduces a novel empirical model to estimate the total pressure drag generated by trapped lee waves (TLW) and upward-propagating internal waves in moderate-to-strong non-hydrostatic, stratified flow over a mountain ridge, as a function of flow non-linearity. The core framework is based on a two-layer atmosphere characterized by a piecewise-constant Scorer parameter, l, where a lower layer of constant l1 underlies an upper layer with l2<l1. This framework incorporates key features to extend beyond idealized assumptions, providing a reliable tool for predicting non-linear flow regimes over mountainous terrain, particularly those featuring realistic vertical profiles of the Scorer parameter. To develop the empirical formulation, a micro- to mesoscale numerical model is employed to simulate realistic, non-linear flows over steep topography. The proposed empirical model yields results that compare favorably with numerical simulations across a range of moderate-to-strong non-hydrostatic regimes, including complex cases derived from observational data and realistic vertical profiles of the Scorer parameter. The model demonstrates robust performance ranging from strongly to moderately non-hydrostatic regimes (the latter corresponding to dimensionless half-widths of approximately 5), and provides accurate drag estimates for non-linearities up to a dimensionless mountain height of approximately unity. Therefore, this empirical approach serves as a valuable foundation for improving drag parameterizations in weather prediction models, offering a computationally efficient alternative to high-resolution numerical downscaling over steep terrain.
- A millennium-scale iberian margin chronology validates the 1755 Lisbon tsunami record and reveals faro recordPublication . Abrantes, Fatima; Domingues Gomes, Sandra; Salvado, Marta; Magalhães, Vitor; Salgueiro, Emilia; Drago, Teresa; Cordeiro, Lívia; Naughton, FilipaThis work presents new data and several age–depth reconstructions based on distinct approaches to improve previously published age models for sedimentary sequences collected on the Iberian Margin middle shelf: PO287 6-1B, 2G (Porto); PO287 26-1B, 3G, and D13902 (Lisbon); and POPEI VC2B (Algarve). The new age models are constructed using radiocarbon dates calibrated with the IntCal20 calibration curve and smooth-spline regressions from the CLAM (non-Bayesian) and Bacon (Bayesian) models. A comparison of the age–depth models generated by the different approaches shows that, beyond the distinct solutions produced by CLAM and Bacon for each site, the differences between the two methods are inconsistent across sites. Furthermore, neither model yielded reliable results for the discontinuous sedimentary sequence with reworked older sediments and a hiatus. In this specific case, the “classical” linear regression (best-fit) approach appears to yield the results that enable intercomparison across all sequences. This exercise confirms the record of the 1755 earthquake and tsunami in the Lisbon core splice and a potential record of the same event in the Eastern Algarve, although the collected data indicate a more distal or lower-energy wave deposit.
- Assessment of cell disruption methods in an integrated multi-product biorefinery for Nannochloropsis Oceanica: from process design to economic analysis.Publication . Cunha, Pedro; Carvalho, Bernardo; Kholany, Mariam; Pereira, Hugo; Varela, JoãoMicroalgae are bioresources with significant potential within a sustainable, circular, bio-economy. However, high production costs have limited the widespread use of algae biomass. This study aimed to develop a multi-product biorefinery for Nannochloropsis oceanica that generates multiple revenue streams from the biomass, thereby enhancing the economic viability of algal production. The effectiveness of cell wall disruption using high-pressure homogenization and enzymatic hydrolysis was evaluated. Enzymatic hydrolysis solubilized nearly half (48.2 ± 1.5%) of the dry cell weight, compared to only 27.3 ± 3.2% with high-pressure homogenization, resulting in more concentrated water-soluble fractions and significantly higher protein extraction yields. Lipid extracts obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis had higher lipid (72.0 ± 5.3% w/w) and eicosapentaenoic acid (28.1 ± 6.9% w/w) contents than those from high-pressure homogenization (38.8 ± 6.1% w/w lipids; 9.1 ± 0.6% w/w eicosapentaenoic acid), despite similar lipid extraction yields (around 30%). Increasing the ethanol volumetric ratio from 58% to 75% v/v significantly improved lipid extraction yields (57.4 ± 3.1%) in the enzymatic hydrolysis-based biorefinery, with even higher yields observed upon scaling up (70.1%). All fractions, including lipid extracts, exhibited a balanced essential amino acid profile that exceeded the WHO/FAO/UNU-recommended values. A preliminary economic analysis indicated that lipid production was more cost-effective when cells were permeabilized by enzymatic hydrolysis than by high-pressure homogenization.
- Special Issue: toxicity of metals, metal-based drugs, and microplasticsPublication . Ścibior, Agnieszka; Aureliano, Manuel; Llopis, JuanIn the present Special Issue (SI), titled “Toxicity of Metals, Metal-Based Drugs, and Microplastics”, an attempt has been made to include reports updating our knowledge about micro- and nanoplastics, certain airborne metals, some metals/metal complexes, chemotherapeutic drugs, and antioxidants. More precisely, this SI provides a review on the development of fluorescent probes essential for monitoring the presence of microand nanoplastics in the environment, examines micro- and nanoplastics as endocrinedisrupting factors, addresses the sources, toxicokinetics, and toxicodynamics of the most relevant metals associated with air pollution and their effects on vulnerable populations, describes some trace metals as essential nutrients and environmental toxicants, discusses the therapeutic potential of metal-based and PARP inhibitor chemotherapy for BRCA1- associated triple-negative breast cancer, and collects data on the influence of cisplatin on the functionality and surface characteristics of mesenchymal stromal cells. In addition, this SI provides valuable findings on the importance of some natural antioxidants like Coenzyme Q10 in addressing the neurotoxic impacts of chemotherapy. The scientific articles making up this SI, i.e., five review articles and two original papers (seven in total), have garnered a total of 44 citations and 23,143 views, indicating an average of 6 citations and 3306 views per publication (26 June 2026). Figure 1 summarizes the issues included in this SI.