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This study explores an eco-friendly approach to synthesizing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using soybean leaf extracts, employing a reaction with silver nitrate at 65 °C for 2.5 h. Optimal results were achieved at extract concentrations of 3.12 and 6.25 mg of the leaf mL−1, termed 3.12AgNP and 6.25AgNP, respectively. UV-Vis spectrophotometric analysis between 350 and 550 nm exhibited a peak at 410–430 nm, along with a color transition in the suspensions from pale yellow to brown, indicating successful synthesis. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) further delineated the favorable properties of these AgNPs, including nanometric dimensions (73–104 nm), negative charge, and moderate polydispersity, portraying stable and reproducible synthesis reactions. The bioreduction mechanism, possibly expedited by leaf extract constituents such as amino acids, phenolic acids, and polysaccharides, remains to be fully elucidated. Notably, this study underscored the potent nematicidal effectiveness of biosynthesized AgNPs, especially 6.25AgNP, against Pratylenchus brachyurus, which is a common plant-parasitic nematode in tropical soybean cultivation regions. In vitro tests illustrated significant nematicidal activity at concentrations above 25 µmol L−1, while in vivo experiments displayed a pronounced nematode population diminishment in plant roots, particularly with a 6.25AgNP rhizosphere application at concentrations of 500 µmol L−1 or twice at 250 µmol L−1, attaining a reproduction factor below 1 without any morphological nematode alterations. This research highlights the potential of 6.25AgNPs derived from soybean leaf extracts in forging sustainable nematicidal solutions, marking a significant stride toward eco-friendly phytonematode management in soybean cultivation. This novel methodology signals a promising avenue in harnessing botanical resources for nematode control and propelling a greener agricultural horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. There are several studies focusing on different issues of innovation, however few of them study the footwear industry. With innovation being a key element for success, and while the Portuguese footwear industry enjoys a period of growth and international recognition (second most expensive in the world) it seems relevant to better understand the engagement of this industry with innovation. Research aims. This paper addresses the issue of innovation in the Portuguese footwear industry. Method. In order to develop this study data from the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) carried out in Portugal during the period 2008 to 2010 was used. CIS is a survey that is carried in most EU countries, and explores company innovation in the product, process, marketing and organization dimensions. Key findings. With the results from this survey, obtained from Statistics Portugal, the different dimensions of innovation were analysed individually and paired. As a main achievement, a lack of an innovative culture was identified. When innovation was identified it was mainly in product and process dimensions. It was also verified that when companies adopt an innovation strategy, it is normally present in more than one dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper begins with an overlook at the third sector and the relationship between investment and growth. It is empirically focused on the Portuguese rural regions of Douro and Alto Trás-os-Montes, which have received a great quantity of investment incentives from the European Union. The purpose is to study the impact of these investments on development. Results show public investment has had greater impact than private production investment, which highlights the importance of non-for-profit investment on the third sector. For this reason, support for the third sector stands out as a main item in rural development policies, given that the impact of public investment did not bring about a dynamic of marketable goods on an international scale that could help regions become independent on public financial support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the findings of a study which investigated the potential of presence/absence models in the abundance of arthropods on Terceira Island in Azores. Researchers were able to collect presence/absence data for 48 arthropod species through the use of artificial neural networks, while probabilities of occurrence were evaluated from a standard arthropod survey program. Based on analysis of macroecological patterns, there is a weak tendency for spiders to exhibit probability of occurrence and local abundance.

The world wine market is currently characterized by two principal wine suppliers: the European and the New World. Countries such as France, Italy, Spain and Portugal have witnessed a tremendous growth in the New World wine-makers (Australia, Chile, South Africa, etc.). Portugal is one of the Old World countries that presents several natural and technical constraints, which might currently be resulting in modest performance in terms of its position in the global wine market, competitiveness and dynamics required to overcome difficulties. The main objective of this study is to analyse the Portuguese performance for competing in external markets and its evolution from 1996 to 2003. This study is based on indices such as the trade intensity index, revealed comparative advantage, auto-sufficiency and market share relation ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association of chewing lice and feather mites with wild birds of riparian forest was investigated in the Cerrado biome, Tocantins State, Brazil. The birds were captured with mist nets between July 2008 and March 2009. Ectoparasites were collected by the dust-ruffling technique. Infestation rates were determined by the sampling prevalence, abundance, and mean intensity of ectoparasites. A total of 1,479 chewing lice were collected that were distributed in 3 families and 18 genera, of which 15 taxa were identified to the species level. Sixteen genera of feather mites were found, and 10 species were identified. A high prevalence rate of chewing lice and feather mites was found in non-Passeriformes (66.7 and 50.0 %) and Passeriformes (57.8 and 75.6 %) birds. New host-parasite associations were registered for two species of chewing lice and for four species of feather mites, thus expanding the geographical distribution in Brazil of six chewing lice species. This is the first study of the ectoparasites of wild birds to be conducted in this region of Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical tree species span a range of life‐history strategies within a fast–slow continuum. The position of a species within this continuum is thought to reflect a negative relationship between growth and storage, with fast‐growing species allocating more carbon to growth and slow‐growing species investing more in storage. For tropical species, the relationship between storage and life‐history strategies has been largely studied on seedlings and less so in adult trees.We evaluated how stored non‐structural carbohydrates (NSC) vary across adult trees spanning the fast–slow continuum in the Peruvian Amazon by: (a) analysing whole‐tree NSC in two species of contrasting growth and (b) investigating the relationships with key life‐history traits across a broader set of species.Our results are consistent with a growth–storage trade‐off. The analysis of whole‐tree NSC revealed that the slow‐growing Eschweilera coriacea stored about 2.7 times as much NSC as the fast‐growing Bixa arborea due to markedly higher storage in woody stems and roots. B. arborea also had higher seasonality in NSC, reflecting its strong seasonality in stem growth. Across a range of species, stem starch was negatively related to species growth rate and positively related to wood density.Given the role of NSC in mediating plants' response to stress, our results suggest that slow‐growing species with greater storage reserves may be more resilient to drought than fast‐growing species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]