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- Seasonal and spatial variability of Phytoplankton primary production in a shallow temperate Coastal Lagoon (Ria Formosa, Portugal)Publication . B. Domingues, RitaCoastal lagoons are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, and they provide a wide range of ecosystem services and resources. In the Ria Formosa (southern Portugal), phytoplankton production has rarely been addressed. The main goal of this study is thus to evaluate the variability of phytoplankton production and photosynthetic characteristics over the seasonal cycle and in different locations (landward, urban, intermediate, and seaward boundaries) of the Ria Formosa coastal lagoon, subjected to distinct natural and anthropogenic stressors. Primary production was evaluated using the 14C incorporation technique, and photosynthetic parameters were estimated by fitting photosynthesis-irradiance curves. Primary production showed significant seasonal variations, with higher values in the summer associated with lower euphotic depths, higher water temperatures, and higher nutrient concentrations. No spatial differences were found for primary production or photosynthetic parameters. Primary production values were lower than previous estimates, which reflects an improvement in water quality in the Ria Formosa, but values are higher than primary production estimates for other temperate coastal ecosystems, which reflects the highly productive nature of this coastal lagoon.
- Orthorexia nervosa in yoga practitioners: relationship with personality, attitudes about appearance, and yoga engagementPublication . B. Domingues, Rita; Carmo, CláudiaPurpose Disordered eating symptoms and a high prevalence of orthorexia nervosa can be found in yoga practitioners. Given that yoga is increasingly used as a complementary treatment for eating disorders (ED), understanding the relationship between yoga practice and the development of disordered eating is crucial to guide treatment recommendations. The goal of this work is, therefore, to study the relationships between orthorexia nervosa (ON) and potential risk factors for ON, in an international sample of experienced yoga practitioners. Method An online questionnaire that included several psychometric instruments was responded by 469 yoga practitioners. Instruments used were the Teruel orthorexia scale, Yoga immersion scale, Passion scale, Frost multidimensional perfectionism scale, Self-discipline scale of NEO-PI-R, Drive for thinness scale of EDI, and Beliefs about appearance scale. Descriptive statistics, correlational analysis and multiple regression were used to evaluate relationships between ON and the other variables. Results The main predictors of orthorexia nervosa were the drive for thinness and a healthy orthorexia, suggesting that, like in anorexia and bulimia, orthorexic individuals are also concerned with food quantity and physical appearance, rather than just food quality. Conclusions The potential effects of yoga on eating behaviours and attitudes of long-term practitioners, particularly the high prevalence of orthorexia nervosa and the concern for physical appearance, should be taken into consideration when using yoga as prevention or treatment for eating disorders.
- Duration, but not bottle volume, affects Phytoplankton Community Structure and growth rates in microcosm experimentsPublication . B. Domingues, Rita; Mosley, Benjamin A.; Nogueira, Patricia; Maia, Inês Beatriz; B. Barbosa, AnaIt is generally assumed that the larger the bottle volume, the longer the duration of phytoplankton microcosm experiments. We hypothesize that volume and duration are independent, as volume does not regulate the extension of the exponential growth phase. We conducted two microcosm experiments using 1, 2, and 8 L bottles, inoculated with phytoplankton collected in the Ria Formosa lagoon (SE Portugal) and incubated for 1, 2, 4, and 8 days. Phytoplankton net growth rates were estimated using chlorophyll a concentration and cell abundance, determined with epifluorescence and inverted microscopy. Results show that the experimental duration significantly affected net growth rates, independently of volume, with decreasing net growth rates with time. Regarding volume, we found significant, but weak, differences in net growth rates, and significant two-way interactions only for the larger-sized cells. No significant differences in net growth rates across the different volumes were detected for the smaller, most abundant taxa and for the whole assemblage. We conclude that duration, not volume, is the main factor to consider in microcosm experiments, and it should allow the measurement of responses during the exponential growth phase, which can be detected through daily sampling throughout the duration of the experiment.
- Assessing environmental attitudes in Portugal using a new short version of the Environmental Attitudes InventoryPublication . B. Domingues, Rita; Gonçalves, GabrielaMost environmental problems are caused and/or enhanced by human behaviour; thus, it is crucial to understand environmental attitudes that underlie individual's behaviour towards the environment. In Portugal, a highly vulnerable region to environmental change and serious local-scale natural hazards, environmental attitudes have never been systematically addressed. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to evaluate environmental attitudes in a Portuguese sample using the most appropriate short version of Milfont & Duckitt's Environmental Attitudes Inventory (Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(1) 80-94, 2010). Reliability and validity analyses showed that the 36-item version of the Environmental Attitudes Inventory (EAI-36) was more adequate than the 24-item version. Using EAI-36, preservation and utilisation emerged as orthogonal dimensions, forming the vertical structure of environmental attitudes, and were negatively and moderately correlated in the Portuguese sample, expressing an ecocentric viewpoint. Mean scores for the first- and second-order factors were similar to values from other developed countries. Differences in age, gender and study area were found, with older participants, women and individuals from the natural sciences showing higher levels on preservation and lower on utilisation.