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Traditional methods for travel demand estimation are often built on socioeconomic and travel information. The information required to conduct such studies is costly and rarely available in developing countries. Besides, some conventional methods do not consider the spatial relationship of variables and, in general, a large amount of socioeconomic and individual travel data is required. The key aim of this paper is to evaluate the importance of considering spatial information when estimating travel mode choices especially considering the lack of available data. The study area is the São Paulo Metropolitan Area (Brazil) and the dataset refers to an Origin-Destination Survey, conducted in 2007. This research paper analyzes the use of Geostatistics when estimating discrete travel mode choices. The results demonstrated a satisfactory outcome for the geostatistical approach. Finally, although socioeconomic and travel variables have greater explanatory power in predicting travel mode choices, spatial factors contribute to better understand the travel behavior and to provide further information when estimating spatially correlated data.

In regions with semi-arid characteristics, groundwater is a precious source of water supply, mainly from alluvium, due to the decent quality of its waters. However, the sandy texture favors vulnerability, and the infiltration and percolation of fluids increase the risk of contamination of the aquifer in the presence of polluting sources. The population’s knowledge about these problems is still ephemeral, which can lead to the consumption of contaminated water, putting health at risk. Thus, research was conducted in the municipality of Russas – Ceará, to study the quality of groundwater, the possible polluting sources in the urban area, and assess the possible risks to human health. First, technical visits for reconnaissance and survey of information were conducted, such as possible polluting sources and situations of existing wells. The selection of wells to collect water followed criteria of proximity to polluting sources, well conditions, and, mainly, those linked to the use of water for human consumption. The result showed that 43% of the samples are above the limits proved by Brazilian legislation for turbidity, total hardness, TDS, sodium, chloride, and nitrate, while the others are withinthe standard. Concerning chlorides and nitrates, the concentrations show there is possibly a relationship with anthropic contaminants(agricultural area; domestic effluents) for the aquifer recharge areas and condition common problems to human health. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to continue research in Medical Geology that will enable the monitoring and future management of water quality of groundwater for the population.

Trabalho de projeto apresentado à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Audiovisual e Multimédia. Submitted by Anabela Lopes (ateixeira@escs.ipl.pt) on 2021-12-20T09:15:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 METADADOS-MAM ESCS_PROJETO FINAL_Dez.pdf: 312469 bytes, checksum: 044af3c6b520acf4696a8cd64045cca2 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2021-12-20T09:15:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 METADADOS-MAM ESCS_PROJETO FINAL_Dez.pdf: 312469 bytes, checksum: 044af3c6b520acf4696a8cd64045cca2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2021-12-09 N/A

In the hydrogeological domain of crystalline rocks, groundwater in the state of Ceará contains high levels of total dissolved solids that contribute to poor water quality. In this context, the study aimed to classify raw water from wells based on estimated total dissolved solids (TDS), calculated from the measured value of electrical conductivity (EC), using the Qualigraf software. Water samples were taken in ten municipalities in the state of Ceará, in January, February and March 2020. Samplings were conducted in accordance with the Guide of the National Water Agency and the electrical conductivity was measured in the field with a conductivity meter, following the method described in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. According to the average results obtained, 50% waters were classified as salt water (TDS > 1,500.0 mg.L-1), 40% were classified as brackish water, (TDS from 500.0 to 1,500.0 mg.L-1) and 10 % were classified as fresh water (TDS < 500.0 mg.L-1), according to Conama Resolution 357/2005. Regarding water quality, comparing the average results obtained with the value set forth by Conama Resolution 396/2008, 70% samples did not comply with the Resolution, concluding that these waters are not suitable for human consumption. No domínio hidrogeológico das rochas cristalinas, as águas subterrâneas do estado do Ceará apresentam elevados teores de sólidos totais dissolvidos que contribuem para uma péssima qualidade da água. Baseado nesse contexto, o estudo teve como objetivo classificar águas brutas de poços com base nos sólidos totais dissolvidos (STD) estimado, calculado pelo valor da condutividade elétrica (CE) medida, utilizando-se o programa Qualigraf. As amostras de águas foram coletadas em dez municípios do estado do Ceará, durante os meses de janeiro, fevereiro e março de 2020. As coletas foram realizadas de acordo com o Guia da Agência Nacional de Águas e a medida da condutividade elétrica foi realizada em campo utilizando-se um condutivimetro, método descrito no Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wasterwater. De acordo com os resultados médios obtidos, 50% das águas foram classificadas como águas salgadas (STD > 1.500,0mg.L1), 40% foram classificadas como águas salobras, (STD 500,0 a 1.500,0 mg.L1) e 10% foram classificadas como águas doces (STD < 500,0mg.L-1), segundo a Resolução nº357/2005 do Conama. Em relação a qualidade da água, comparando-se os resultados médios obtidos com o valor estabelecido pela Resolução nº 396/2008 do Conama, observou-se que 70% das amostras estavam em desacordo com a Resolução, concluindo-se que essas águas não estavam adequadas para o consumo humano.

The process of coastal erosion is a global problem that impacts approximately 70% of coastal regions of the Earth. It causes loss of property, infrastructure, and biodiversity, besides generating m...

A água é um dos recursos essenciais para sustentação da vida de todas as espécies do planeta. A oferta de água nas regiões semiáridas brasileira está intrinsecamente ligada aos fatores e características naturais da área: Instabilidades climáticas e as características litológicas. O Estado do Ceará é marcado por intensos períodos de escassez hídrica, na qual a população fica vulnerável a uma má qualidade de vida e de saúde. O município de Russas situa-se porção nordeste do estado, onde o déficit hídrico está associado aos longos períodos de estiagem. A água subterrânea aparece como uma das principais fontes para suprir a carência hídrica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar um diagnóstico hídrico da quantidade de água disponível do município no ano de 2019, usando banco de dados governamentais, disponíveis na internet, e informações de Órgãos do estado que gerenciam esses recursos. Foram analisados a quantidade de poços cadastrados e suas vazões, foi realizada a classificação dos reservatórios de superfície, com possível vazões; e a série histórica da pluviometria do município de Russas, no período de 1980 a 2018. O município apresenta um quadro hídrico quantitativo bastante delicado, com longos períodos de estiagem. Os reservatórios superficiais foram classificados de pequenos a muitos pequenos, onde o maior açude do município, apresenta vazão de 12 m3/h. Russas possui um total de 358 poços cadastrados, dos quais apenas 35% estão bombeando com uma vazão de total de 668,95m3/h. O município necessita de uma gestão mais sustentável na questão da oferta hídrica. Diagnosis of the water supply of the municipality of Russas – CE: A descriptive analysis as a subsidy to the sustainable management of water resources A B S T R A C TThe water supply in the Brazilian semi-arid regions is intrinsically linked to the natural characteristics of the area, like climate and lithological settings. The State of Ceará is marked by intense periods of water scarcity, in which the population is vulnerable to a poor quality of life and health. The municipality of Russas is located in the northeastern part of the state, where the hydric deficit is associated with long periods of drought. Groundwater appears as one of the main sources to supply water shortages. The objective of this work was to carry out a hydric diagnosis of the amount of water available in Russas in 2019, using government databases and information from state agencies that manage these resources. The number of registered wells and their flows were analyzed, the classification of surface reservoirs was carried out, with possible flows; and the historical series of rainfall in the municipality of Russas, from 1980 to 2018. The municipality has a very delicate quantitative hydric situation, with long periods of drought. The superficial reservoirs were classified from small to many small, where the largest reservoir in the municipality, has a flow of 12 m3/h. Russas has a total of 358 registered wells, of which only 35% are pumping with a total flow of 668.95 m3/h. The municipality needs more sustainable management in terms of hydric supply.Keywords: Hydric demand, Semiarid, Hydric infrastructure.

International audience; SCN1A (NaV1.1 sodium channel) mutations cause Dravet syndrome (DS) and GEFS+ (which is in general milder), and are risk factors in other epilepsies. Phenotypic variability limits precision medicine in epilepsy, and it is important to identify factors that set phenotype severity and their mechanisms. It is not yet clear whether SCN1A mutations are necessary for the development of severe phenotypes or just for promoting seizures. A relevant example is the pleiotropic R1648H mutation that can cause either mild GEFS+ or severe DS. We used a R1648H knock-in mouse model (Scn1aRH/+) with mild/asymptomatic phenotype to dissociate the effects of seizures and of the mutation per se. The induction of short repeated seizures, at the age of disease onset for Scn1a mouse models (P21), had no effect in WT mice, but transformed the mild/asymptomatic phenotype of Scn1aRH/+ mice into a severe DS-like phenotype, including frequent spontaneous seizures and cognitive/behavioral deficits. In these mice, we found no major modifications in cytoarchitecture or neuronal death, but increased excitability of hippocampal granule cells, consistent with a pathological remodeling. Therefore, we demonstrate for our model that an SCN1A mutation is a prerequisite for a long term deleterious effect of seizures on the brain, indicating a clear interaction between seizures and the mutation for the development of a severe phenotype generated by pathological remodeling. Applied to humans, this result suggests that genetic alterations, even if mild per se, may increase the risk of second hits to develop severe phenotypes.

This study used Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (5-TM) images in the morphostructural characterization of the shallow continental shelf of the eastern coast of Ceara (CE), in the Jaguaribe river mouth. The dam built near the river mouth to transpose the water towards Fortaleza, CE, ensures good water transparency since little of the river-carried sediment reaches the sea. The used image was captured on date and time to ensure low tide. Data using Secchi disc indicated good water transparency in the turbidity zone and seaside, coastal and marine areas. Bathymetry studies and underwater photos confirm the existence of many of the features described in this study. Digital image processing techniques have been applied in the study: colored compositions (RGB 124), 90° directional filter (band 1), and a colored composition employing the filtered band 1 and band 2 and 4. The filtered image of band 1 allowed recognizing different features when interpreted in detail scale. The principal component analysis (PCA) was used here, calculating eigenvalues and eigenvectors. When applied to bands 1 to 5 and 7, PCA generated good results in PC2, whose correlation with the blue band was 0.85 (explained cumulative variance of more than 96%). Applied to the visible bands, PCA produced very similar results in PC1, and the correlation between the blue band and PC1 was 0.86 (explained cumulative variance of 94%). These results show that band 1 is the main contributor in studies of submerged morphological features. Each process resulted in a new image, from which it was possible to produce the map of the area representing morphostructural characteristics. The use of digitally processed satellite images in the visible region greatly improves the characterization and mapping of submerged features in places with shallow and good transparency waters.

This paper aims to compare the results of two techniques of Kriging (Ordinary Kriging and Indicator Kriging) that are applied to estimate the Private Motorized (PM) travel mode use (car or motorcycle) in several geographical coordinates of non-sampled values of the concerning variable. The data used was from the Origin/Destination and Public Transportation Opinion Survey, carried out in 2007/2008 at São Carlos (SP, Brazil). The techniques were applied in the region with 110 sample points (households). Initially, Decision Tree was applied to estimate the probability of mode choice in surveyed households, thus determining the numeric variable to be used in Ordinary Kriging. For application of Indicator Kriging it was used the variable “main travel mode” in a discrete manner, where “1” represented the use of PM travel mode and “0” characterized others travel modes. The results obtained by the two spatial estimation techniques were similar (Kriging maps and cross-validation procedure). However, the Indicator Kriging (KI) obtained the highest number of hit rates. In addition, with the KI it was possible to use the variable in its original form, avoiding error propagation. Finally, it was concluded that spatial statistics was thriving in travel demand forecasting issues, giving rise, for the both Kriging methods, to a travel mode choice surface on a confirmatory way.

The early phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by hippocampus-dependent memory deficits and impaired synaptic plasticity. Increasing evidence suggests that stress and dysregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, marked by the elevated circulating glucocorticoids, are risk factors for AD onset. How these changes contribute to early hippocampal dysfunction remains unclear. Using an elaborated version of the object recognition task, we carefully monitored alterations in key components of episodic memory, the first type of memory altered in AD patients, in early symptomatic Tg2576 AD mice. We also combined biochemical and ex vivo electrophysiological analyses to reveal novel cellular and molecular dysregulations underpinning the onset of the pathology. We show that HPA axis, circadian rhythm, and feedback mechanisms, as well as episodic memory, are compromised in this early symptomatic phase, reminiscent of human AD pathology. The cognitive decline could be rescued by subchronic in vivo treatment with RU486, a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist. These observed phenotypes were paralleled by a specific enhancement of N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR)-dependent LTD in CA1 pyramidal neurons, whereas LTP and metabotropic glutamate receptor-dependent LTD remain unchanged. NMDAR transmission was also enhanced. Finally, we show that, as for the behavioral deficit, RU486 treatment rescues this abnormal synaptic phenotype. These preclinical results define glucocorticoid signaling as a contributing factor to both episodic memory loss and early synaptic failure in this AD mouse model, and suggest that glucocorticoid receptor targeting strategies could be beneficial to delay AD onset.

The Panasqueira hydrothermal mineralization, located in central Portugal, is the biggest Sn–W deposit of the Western Europe. The main evidences of the mining exploitation and ore treatment operations are testified with huge tailings, mainly, in the Rio and Barroca Grande areas. The mining and benefi- ciation processes, at the site, produces metal rich mine wastes. Oxidation of sulfides tailings and flow from open impoundments are responsible for the mobilization and migration of metals from the mine wastes into the environment. Acid mine drainage (AMD) discharged from Rio tailing has a pH around 3 and high metal concentrations. In Zêzere river, Fe and As are the most rapidly depleted downstream from AMD once As adsorbs, coprecipitate and form compounds with iron oxyhydroxides. The Zêzere river waters are oversaturated with respect to kaolinite and goethite and ferrihydrite can precipitate on stream with a near-neutral pH. At sites having low pH the dissolved Fe species in the water, mainly, occur as sulfate complexes due to a high SO4 concentration. Melanterite (Fe2+(SO4)7(H2O)) and minor amounts of rozenite (Fe2+(SO4)4(H2O)) and szomolnokite (Fe2+(SO4)(H2O)) were observed on Rio tailing basement. This research was funded by the European Commission through the e-Ecorisk Project (EVG1-2002-250068) ‘‘A regional enterprise network decision-support system for environmental risk and disaster management of large-scale industrial spills’’.

Summary: There is a growing consensus that Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves failure of the homeostatic machinery, which underlies the firing stability of neural circuits. What are the culprits leading to neuron firing instability? The amyloid precursor protein (APP) is central to AD pathogenesis, and we recently showed that its intracellular domain (AICD) could modify synaptic signal integration. We now hypothesize that AICD modifies neuron firing activity, thus contributing to the disruption of memory processes. Using cellular, electrophysiological, and behavioral techniques, we show that pathological AICD levels weaken CA1 neuron firing activity through a gene-transcription-dependent mechanism. Furthermore, increased AICD production in hippocampal neurons modifies oscillatory activity, specifically in the γ-frequency range, and disrupts spatial memory task. Collectively, our data suggest that AICD pathological levels, observed in AD mouse models and in human patients, might contribute to progressive neuron homeostatic failure, driving the shift from normal aging to AD. : Pousinha et al. report that increased AICD levels, a peptide representing amyloid precursor protein (APP) C-terminal domain, render CA1 pyramidal neurons hypoexcitable by altering Ca+ and K+ channel conductances. Modeling this alteration predicts decreased gamma oscillations. They show that increasing AICD levels in vivo weakens gamma-oscillation-dependent spatial memory. Keywords: AICD, APP, Alzheimer’s disease, neuron firing, brain oscillations, memory encoding

Understanding the processes of population change has become important and impregnable for the study in several areas of science, especially the environmental one. In this way, this article intends to use two methods of population estimation with the objective of interpreting and representing the changes in the population dynamics of a municipality, analyzing its current and future conjuncture. Based on a database based on the demographic censuses already carried out, the study identified that between the applied method, being arithmetic and geometric, the second presented a better response and behavior for the case study analyzed, since it allowed an analysis population. Therefore, there is a need for the continuation of research involving mathematical methods to expand the field of environmental, social and analytical studies.

This paper presents a new methodological approach in the analysis of the influence of the North Atlantic circulation on the flood magnitude of the Tagus River, the largest Atlantic draining river of the Iberian Peninsula. This methodology is based on Correspondence Analysis viewed as a qualitative regression tool. A daily scale database (sea level atmospheric pressure, river discharge, rainfall) was used for this study. The selected streamflow station, Vila Velha de Rodão (Portugal, near the Spanish border), holds the longest continuous daily river discharge register of the Iberian Peninsula (over 160 years, since 1852). The annual maximum flood magnitudes were classified into seven categories according to their specific recurrence intervals (T). The qualitative regression approach was used to relate annual peak flood occurrence with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index mode (positive or negative) registered, during the preceding 40 days (divided in 8 successive 5-day periods). Large floods (categories 1–2 of T > 50 years and category 3, T 25–50 years) were found to be associated with a very high frequency of the negative NAO mode during the initial 20–25 days (within a total 40 days period length) before de flood peak. The lack of significant association of these flood categories with a predominant NAO mode during the immediately preceding 15 days, prior to the flood, suggest a time lag of 15 days before the peak. Minor flooding (category 7, T < 2 years) show a high degree of association with the presence of a positive NAO mode during the previous 20–25 days. The analysis of flood response under natural and dam-regulated regimes (before and after the construction of dams ca 1960) revealed no changes in the behaviour of major floods (responding to a period of 25 days with a dominant negative NAO index mode). Moderate flooding of category 4 (T: 10–25 years), that during the pre-dam construction period were linked to the existence of an initial 5–15 days of negative NAO mode, were not documented during the post-dam period, probably due to flood peak discharge attenuation by reservoirs. The clear climatic control (rainfall accumulation and number of persisting NAO negative mode days) in the onset of flood category 3 (T: 25–50 years) was also statistically blurred during the post-dam period, due to the effective role of dam operation in flood management during wet winters. This dam management effect does not seem to mask the meteorologically related largest flood magnitude events (T > 50 years), indicating that catastrophic events will likely occur under the NAO negative daily and seasonal patterns defined in this work. The robustness of the model was assessed by the phenomenological analysis of misclassified Flood/NAO events. Results also indicate that flood management practises may benefit from improved climate scenarios and forecasting of the NAO index.

Land pollution due to past mining activities is a major environmental issue in many European countries. The Aljustrel mine (SW Portugal), located in the western sector of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IBP) presents a negative visual and environmental impact as a consequence of the mining activity that has developed since the Roman era. Its impacts are also a restraint on the life quality of the population. The exposure of pyrite and other sulphides to air are responsible for the pollution observed in soils, surface water and stream sediments. This paper investigates the pollution load of potential toxic elements in soil samples collected around the Aljustrel mining area. The aim is to assess the levels of soil contamination with respect to average concentrations of toxic elements in the region and to understand the partitioning and availability of pollutants in the area. The results showed severe soil contamination (mainly As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn). The concentrations of As (up to 3936 mg kg−1) and certain heavy metals (up to 5414 mg kg−1 Cu, 61·6 mg kg−1 Cd, 20 000 mg kg−1 Pb and 20 000 mg kg−1 Zn) are two orders of magnitude above the regional South Portuguese Zone (SPZ) background values. The median concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn exceed the values established for world soils, the European Union, Portugal and Andalusia. The results suggest that the distribution patterns of Co, Cr and Ni element concentrations in the Aljustrel area are primarily influenced by the lithology and geochemistry nature of bedrock. The soil background of this geological domain is characterized by relatively high heavy metal contents, essentially derived from the parent rocks. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Aljustrel mine is located in SW Portugal, in the western sector of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. The Aljustrel village was developed around the exploitations of massive polymetallic sulphides that occur in the area (4 orebodies mined, 2 in exploration phase). The pyrite ore was extensively exploited from 1850 to 1993, when production was discontinued. A mining restart occurred in 2008, only during a few months. The objectives of the study were to assess the levels of soil contamination, to determine associations between the different chemical elements and their spatial distribution, as well as to identify possible sources of contamination that can explain the spatial patterns of soil pollution in the area. Principal component analysis combined with spatial interpretation successfully grouped the elements according to their sources and provided evidence about their geogenic or anthropogenic origin. From this study, it is possible to conclude that soils around Algares/Feitais tailing deposits, Estereis and Aguas Claras mine dams and S. Joao mine show severe contamination. The highest concentrations of As (up to 3,936 mg kg−1) and certain heavy metals (up to 321.7 mg kg−1 for Bi, 5,414 mg kg−1 for Cu, 20,000 mg kg−1 for Pb, 980.6 mg kg−1 for Sb, and 22 mg kg−1 Cd) were obtained near Algares area while the highest concentration of Cd (up to 61.6 mg kg−1) and Zn (up to 20,000 mg kg−1) were registered in samples collected in the S. Joao area. The highest pollution load index (>4.0) was recorded at the Algares area where the metal concentrations exceed typical soil background levels by as much as two orders of magnitude.

Based on an environmental geochemistry case study carried out in the neighbourhood of a W–Sn abandoned mine, the pollution in stream sediments was modelled through a Global Contamination Index. Such an index permits one to summarize the combination of deleterious elements in a single variable, obtained by the projection of samples onto the first axis of a PCASD (Principal Components Analysis of Standardized Data) applied to the entire n × p matrix containing the available concentrations of p = 16 elements in the set of n = 220 collected samples. In order to provide a sound basis for a coherent planning of the remediation process which will be put in operation in the affected area, it is necessary to balance the costs of reclaiming with the probabilities of exceeding the upper limits accepted for concentrations of environmentally harmful elements in sediments. Given these limits, they are back-transformed in the index values, providing a practical threshold between ‘clean’ and ‘contaminated’ samples. On the other hand, the minimum dimension of the cell to be reclaimed is restrained by the selected remediation process to be applied in the affected area. Hence, to meet the constraints of such a remediation process, it is required to estimate the probabilities of exceeding the index threshold in technologically meaningful sub-areas. For this end, the Indicator Block Kriging technique was applied, producing a series of maps where sub-areas to be reclaimed can be spotted for different probability levels. These maps, on which the decision making remediation agency can rely for its cost-benefit analysis, take into account both the spatial structure of ‘clean’ vs. ‘contaminated’ samples and the constraints of the reclaiming process.

A detailed search and re-evaluation of the known historical cases of tailings dam failure was carried out. A corpus of 147 cases of worldwide tailings dam disasters, from which 26 located in Europe, was compiled in a database. This contains six sections, including dam location, its physical and constructive characteristics, actual and putative failure cause, sludge hydrodynamics, socio-economical consequences and environmental impacts. Europe ranks in second place in reported accidents (18%), more than one third of them in dams 10-20 m high. In Europe, the most common cause of failure is related to unusual rain, whereas there is a lack of occurrences associated with seismic liquefaction, which is the second cause of tailings dam breakage elsewhere in the world. Moreover, over 90% of incidents occurred in active mines, and only 10% refer to abandoned ponds. The results reached by this preliminary analysis show an urgent need for EU regulations regarding technical standards of tailings disposal.

11 páginas, 6 figuras, 4 tablas.-- El PDF del artículo es su versión post-print., A new statistical approach for preliminary risk evaluation of breakage in tailings dam is presented and illustrated by a case study regarding the Mediterranean region. The objective of the proposed method is to establish an empirical scale of risk, from which guidelines for prioritizing the collection of further specific information can be derived. The method relies on a historical database containing, in essence, two sets of qualitative data: the first set concerns the variables that are observable before the disaster (e.g., type and size of the dam, its location, and state of activity), and the second refers to the consequences of the disaster (e.g., failure type, sludge characteristics, fatalities categorization, and downstream range of damage). Based on a modified form of correspondence analysis, where the second set of attributes are projected as “supplementary variables” onto the axes provided by the eigenvalue decomposition of the matrix referring to the first set, a “qualitative regression” is performed, relating the variables to be predicted (contained in the second set) with the “predictors” (the observable variables). On the grounds of the previously derived relationship, the risk of breakage in a new case can be evaluated, given observable variables. The method was applied in a case study regarding a set of 13 test sites where the ranking of risk obtained was validated by expert knowledge. Once validated, the procedure was included in the final output of the e-EcoRisk UE project (A Regional Enterprise Network Decision-Support System for Environmental Risk and Disaster Management of Large-Scale Industrial Spills), allowing for a dynamic historical database updating and providing a prompt rough risk evaluation for a new case. The aim of this section of the global project is to provide a quantified context where failure cases occurred in the past for supporting analogue reasoning in preventing similar situations., This research has been funded by the European Commission through the project "A Regional Enterprise Network Decision-Support System for Environmental Risk and Disaster Management of Large-Scale Industrial Spills," e-EcoRisk Project (Contract EVG1-2002-0068) and by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Education (HP2006-0072) in conjunction with the Council of Deans of Portuguese Universities (E-58/07).

Individuals choose the travel mode considering their own characteristics, those of the journey and the transport systems. Despite the current wide availability of georeferenced information and the forthcoming of Spatial Travel Demand Analysis as a research field, only a few studies have integrated the mode choice modeling methods and the geographical information. In this context, the goal of this paper is to apply a two-step method to estimate the mode choice based on the geographical position and socioeconomic attributes. From a database of household surveys in the city of Sao Carlos (Brazil) the first step of the method is to select the attributes which most influence the mode choice with a Decision Tree (DT). After comparing the performance of the DT with a Multinomial Logit Model, an Ordinary Kriging is applied to predict the mode choice under the spatial locations. The DT has shown to be effective in estimating the mode choice and selecting the variables to be kriged, which allowed predicting the mode choice of travelers based on geographical location. The proposed method may be an alternative to the traditional approaches in both non-spatial and spatial modeling, by enabling mode choice estimations given geographic coordinates of households.

The main objective of this study is to propose a sequential method for spatial interpolation of mode choice for household locations where choices are unobserved based on Decision Tree analysis and Geostatistics. Initially, Decision Tree analysis was applied in order to estimate the probability of mode choice in surveyed households, thus determining the numeric variable to be estimated by Ordinary Kriging. The data used is from the Origin-Destination Survey and Urban Transportation Evaluation Survey, carried out in 2007/2008 in the city of São Carlos (São Paulo/Brazil). The study area selected for geoestatistical modeling is a small region of the city with 110 sampling points. The mode choice was estimated for the study area revealing a tendency of increasing the probability of car usage from the center to the periphery of region. The proposed method can be an alternative to traditional approaches in both non-spatial modeling, especially for the case of lack of data from stated preference survey, as in spatial modeling, allowing estimation in various geographic coordinates. O objetivo do presente trabalho é propor um método sequencial para interpolação espacial da escolha modal em domicílios não amostrados, através de técnicas de Árvore de Decisão e Geoestatística. Inicialmente, foi aplicada a técnica de Árvore de Decisão, com a finalidade de estimar a probabilidade de escolha do modo em domicílios pesquisados, determinando assim a variável numérica a ser krigada posteriormente. Os dados utilizados foram da Pesquisa Origem-Destino e da Pesquisa de Opinião sobre avaliação do transporte público, realizadas em 2007/2008 em São Carlos (SP). A área selecionada para modelagem geoestatística pelo estudo foi uma pequena região da cidade com 110 pontos amostrados. A escolha modal foi estimada na área estudada, revelando uma tendência de aumento da probabilidade do uso do carro do centro para a periferia da região. O método proposto pode ser uma alternativa às abordagens tradicionais, tanto na modelagem não-espacial, especialmente para o caso de falta de dados de pesquisa de preferência declarada, como em modelagem espacial, permitindo estimar valores em várias coordenadas geográficas.

Trabalho de Projeto apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Intervenção Social Escolar – Especialização em Crianças e Jovens em Risco. Este Trabalho de Projeto surge para responder à seguinte questão-problema: como é que os educadores de infância identificam e corrigem as desigualdades que as crianças transportam, para que estas não sejam impedimento de um percurso académico, pessoal e social de sucesso? Após um estudo teórico, percebemos que as práticas pedagógicas participativas permitem aos educadores de infância trabalharem com as crianças e as suas diferenças, de forma a capacitá-las para competências que podem levar as crianças a percursos académicos, pessoais e sociais de sucesso – como por exemplo, competências de reflexão, resolução de problemas e gestão de emoções. Depois foi realizado um estudo comparativo em duas instituições de educação pré-escolar, no concelho da Covilhã, utilizando para isso várias técnicas de investigação qualitativa: entrevistas aos educadores de infância dos grupos de crianças com 5 anos e coordenadores pedagógicos das instituições; sessões de observação às práticas pedagógicas dos educadores entrevistados; e análise de documentação das instituições. Este estudo, para além de tentar responder ao problema encontrado, teve outros objetivos: ajudar os profissionais a refletir sobre as suas práticas pedagógicas; perceber a escolha dos profissionais relativamente à metodologia que utilizam tendo em conta as diferentes conceções que apreenderam na sua formação inicial; entender as dificuldades que os educadores encontram ao aplicar determinada metodologia; e procurar contrastes entre a missão, visão e valores destes profissionais. Após análise dos dados recolhidos, concluímos que em ambas as instituições as práticas pedagógicas das educadoras de infância são pouco participativas. Para tentar resolver este problema, planificámos o projeto de intervenção Corcunda de Notre Dame, que visa, através de várias atividades, entre as quais um concurso de projetos pedagógicos, dotar as instituições de educação pré-escolar, e principalmente os educadores de infância da cidade da Covilhã, de ferramentas para efetuarem práticas pedagógicas participativas e assim identificarem e corrigirem as desigualdades das crianças, para que estas percorram caminhos de sucesso. This project emerges to answer the following problem: how early childhood educators identify and correct inequities that children carry, so that they are no impediment to an academic, social and personal success? After a theoretical study, we realized that participatory pedagogical practices allow early childhood educators to work with children and their differences in order to empower them with skills that can lead children to academic, personal and social pathways of success - such as powers of reflection, problem solving and managing emotions. Afterwards a comparative study was conducted in two institutions of preschool education in the city of Covilhã, using it for that several qualitative research techniques: interviews with educators childhood groups of children aged 5 years and coordinators of the institutions; observing sessions at pedagogical practices of educators interviewed, documentation and analysis of institutions. This study, apart from trying to answer the problem found, had other goals: helping professionals to reflect on their teaching practices; perceiving the choice of methodology that professionals use, considering the different conceptions they learned in their initial training; understanding the difficulties that educators / kindergarden teachers face when applying a certain methodology; and look for contrasts between the mission, vision and values of these professionals. After analyzing the information collected, we concluded that in both institutions, teaching practices of kindergarten teachers are not very participatory. To try to resolve this problem, we planned the project intervention Corcunda de Notre Dame, which aims, through various activities, including pedagogical contest projects, to provide pre-school institutions education and especially, early childhood educators from Covilhã with tools to perform participatory pedagogical practices to identifies and corrects the inequalities of children, so these can travel to success.

The active Panasqueira mine is a tin–tungsten (Sn–W) mineralization hosted by metasediments with quartz veins rich in ferberite. The economic exploitation has been focused on wolframite, cassiterite and chalcopyrite. The mineralization also comprises several sulphides, carbonates and silver sulphosalts. The mining and beneficiation processes produces arsenic-rich mine wastes laid up in huge tailings and open air impoundments that are the main source of pollution in the surrounding area, once the oxidation of sulphides can result in the mobilization and migration of trace metals/metalloids from the mining wastes into the environment, releasing contaminants into the ecosystem. A geochemical survey was undertaken, in order to investigate the environmental contamination impact on agricultural and residential soils in S. Francisco de Assis village due to the mining activities. Rhizosphere samples, vegetables (Solanum tubersum sava and Brassica olerácea L.) which constitute an important part of the local human diet), irrigation waters and road dusts were collected in private residences in S. Francisco de Assis village. According to the Ontario guidelines (Ministry of Environment, 2011), the Arsenic contents in the rhizosphere soils exceed 20 times the reference value for agricultural soils (11 mg kg 1). The result obtained showed that some edible plants frequently used in the region could be enriched in these metals/metalloids and may represent a serious hazard if consumed. The potatoes tend to have a preferential accumulation in the leaves and roots while in cabbages most elements have a preferential accumulation in the roots. An index of the risk for residents, due to ingesting of these metals/metalloids, by consuming vegetables grown around the sampling area, was calculated and the result indicates that the inhabitants of S. Francisco de Assis village are probably exposed to some potential health risks through the intake of arsenic, cadmium and also lead via consuming their vegetables. This research is funded by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) – through two grants: SFRH/BD/63349/2009 and SFRH/BPD/45884/2008.

Mestrado em Bioquímica - Bioquímica Clínica Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a brain neurodegenerative disease leading to progressive loss of memory and intellectual abilities. It is characterized by the appearance of amyloid-β oligomers (Aβ), which then aggregate into plaques, progressive appearance of neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau, synaptic impairment and neuronal death. The hippocampus, a key structure responsible for memory encoding, is the first brain region affected in AD leading to early episodic memory loss. Aβ accumulation seems to have an important role in triggering chronic stress in AD, compromising the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and the structures involved in its regulation, notably the hippocampus. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the HPA axis function and episodic-like memory in a model of AD, the Tg2576 mice, in the early phase of the pathology, which was defined in these mice at about 4 months of age. To study the HPA axis function, corticosterone, the main stress hormone, was quantified by ELISA at the onset of light phase, at the onset of dark phase and after inducing the negative feedback with a dexamethasone supression test. Hippocampal glucorticoid receptors (GRs) were also quantified by Western blot. Tg2576 mice showed impairment in HPA axis, characterized by an increase in corticosterone at the onset of active phase and an absence in the negative feedback response induced by dexamethasone. Also, hippocampal GRs are increased and seems to fail in the downregulation of the stress response mediated by the HPA axis. To evaluate episodic-like memory, an object recognition task was conducted, which combines the ability to remember the ‘what, when and where’ components of an event. A deficit in the ‘where’ component of this type of memory was observed in Tg2576 mice. An in vivo treatment with the GR antagonist RU486 was then applied to evaluate if blocking GR function could reverse this deficit. Our first results suggest that blocking GR function can prevent this memory deficit in Tg2576 mice. These data demonstrate that corticostesterone levels, and thus stress signaling, are increased in the early phase of AD in these mice, due to dysfunction of the HPA axis. Furthermore, this altered signaling, via GRs, probably contributes to the early episodic memory deficits observed in these mice. These data strongly support our hypothesis that elevated stress is an environmental factor contributing to the onset of AD neuropathology. A Doença de Alzheimer (DA) é uma doença neurodegenerativa do tecido cerebral que leva à perda da memória e das propriedades intelectuais. É caracterizada pelo aparecimento de oligómeros de amilóide-β (Aβ) que depois se agregam em placas, aparecimento progressivo de agregados neurofibrilares constituídos por proteína tau hiperfosforilada, alterações sinápticas e morte neuronal. O hipocampo, uma estrutura chave responsável pela codificação da memória, é a primeira região cerebral afectada na DA levando numa fase precoce, à perda da memória episódica. A acumulação de Aβ parece ter uma função importante no desencadeamento de stress crónico na DA levando ao comprometimento da função do eixo HPA e das várias estruturas envolvidas na sua regulação, nomeadamente o hipocampo. Neste estudo pretendeu-se estudar a função do eixo HPA e avaliar a memória episódica usando um modelo transgénico da DA, o ratinho Tg2576, numa fase precoce da doença de Alzheimer, definida neste modelo por volta dos 4 meses. Os estudos relativos à função do eixo HPA foram feitos através da quantificação de corticosterona, a hormona principal no stress, por teste ELISA na fase de repouso, na fase activa e após teste de supressão pela dexametasona. Quantificaram-se ainda os receptores aos glucocorticoides (RGs) no hipocampo por western blot. Os ratinhos Tg2576 mostraram um comprometimento do eixo HPA, caracterizada pelo aumento de corticosterona no ínicio da fase activa e ausência de regulação negativa induzida pela dexametasona. Ainda, os RGs estão aumentados e mostram comprometimento na regulação negativa induzida no eixo HPA. Para avaliar a memória episódica foi efectuado um teste de reconhecimento de objectos que combina a capacidade de recordar o ‘quê, quando e onde’ de um evento. Os ratinhos Tg2576 apresentaram um deficit na componente ‘onde’ deste tipo de memória. Foi em seguida aplicado um tratamento in vivo com um antagonista dos RGs (RU486) para avaliar se bloqueando a função dos RGs se poderia reverter o deficit observado. Os nossos primeiros resultados revelam que o bloqueia dos RGs pode prevenir o deficit na memória episódica. Assim este trabalho mostrou que os ratinhos Tg2576 apresentam uma perturbação ao nível do eixo HPA e da sua regulação pelos RG do hipocampo, traduzidos por um nível de stress aumentado, e perturbação ao nível da memória episódica. Este trabalho mostra que o nível de stress está aumentado numa fase muito precoce da DA neste ratinho devido à disfunção do eixo HPA. Para além disso, a alteração nesta sinalização mediada pelos RGs, contribui provavelmente para os deficits precoces na memória episódica observados neste ratinho. Estes resultados suportam a nossa hipótese de que o stress é um factor de risco muito importante no desenvolvimento precoce da neuropatologia na doença de Alzheimer.

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Through the years, mining and beneficiation processes produces large amounts of As-rich mine wastes laid up in huge tailings and open-air impoundments (Barroca Grande and Rio tailings) that are the main source of pollution in the surrounding area once they are exposed to the weathering conditions leading to the formation of AMD and consequently to the contamination of the surrounding environments, in particularly soils. In order to investigate the environmental contamination impact on S. Francisco de Assis (village located between the two major impoundments and tailings) agricultural soils, a geochemical survey was undertaken to assess toxic metals associations, related levels and their spatial distribution, and to identify the possible contamination sources. According to the calculated contamination factor, As and Zn have a very high contamination factor giving rise to 65.4 % of samples with a moderate to high pollution degree; 34.6 % have been classified as nil to very low pollution degree. The contamination factor spatial distribution put in evidence the fact that As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn soils contents, downstream Barroca Grande tailing, are increased when compared with the local Bk soils. The mechanical dispersion, due to erosion, is the main contamination source. The chemical extraction demonstrates that the trace metals distribution and accumulation in S. Francisco de Assis soils is related to sulfides, but also to amorphous or poorly crystalline iron oxide phases. The partitioning study allowed understanding the local chemical elements mobility and precipitation processes, giving rise to the contamination dispersion model of the study area. The wind and hydrological factors are responsible for the chemical elements transport mechanisms, the water being the main transporter medium and soils as one of the possible retention media.

The mining and beneficiation processes at Panasqueira mine have given rise, during a long production period, to a large amount of sulphide-rich waste, contained in several tailing ponds, two of them located near a small village. Among the pollutant elements that occur in the surrounding area, arsenic (AS) was selected to illustrate a geostatistics based methodology aiming at combining land use with the spatial distribution of the contaminant concentration in soils, by taking the former as an external drift to estimate the latter. Since land use is an ordinal variable, its combination, via the external drift algorithm, with As concentration requires its prior transformation into a real number. The proposed transformation relies on the Correspondence Analysis (CA) of the contingency table crossing classes of As concentration with classes of land use. The co-ordinates of samples projection onto the CA first axis turned out to be a reliable proxy of the interaction between As concentration and land use, providing the required real variable to be used as external drift. Hence, ‘raw’ As concentration maps were ‘corrected’ through the external drift algorithm, leading to an increase where land use is more ‘valuable’ (populated areas) and to a decrease where land use is less ‘valuable’ (barren soil). Obviously, the ‘corrected’ maps are a more realistic basis for reclamation planning than the ‘raw’ ones.

Selected geochemical results are presented from a study of the Panasqueira mine (Sn–W mineralization), which is one of the Portuguese test sites for the e-EcoRisk project ( http://www.e-ecorisk.info/ ). These data permit a better understanding of the dynamics inherent to leaching, transport, and accumulation of some elements (mainly As, but also Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd) in different sampling media and their environmental relevance. Stream sediment and water samples were found to be contaminated by the stored waste material in the tailing ponds; this effect could be observed for a considerable distance downstream.

Background The etiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is unclear and no cure is yet available. The function of the hippocampus, a key structure responsible for memory encoding and consolidation, is affected early in AD leading to progressive irreversible memory loss. There is strong evidence that AD onset is, at least partly, due to accumulation within the hippocampus of peptides processed from the amyloid precursor protein APP, such as amyloid-beta (A?). Also, several studies demonstrated an abnormal elevation in the main stress hormone, cortisol (CORT in mice), in the initial phase of AD in patients and in mouse models. Here, we investigated if early co-accumulation of CORT and APP-derived peptides could be a main trigger driving the onset of memory deficits in AD.

O principal propósito deste artigo é dar conta, segundo uma lógica diacró‑ nica, do enquadramento normativo da avaliação pelos pares em Portugal, principalmente, desde 2008, embora sem esquecer os vários sistemas de avaliação de desempenho anteriores. Parte ‑se de uma tipologia na qual se identificam os vários tipos de avaliadores de acordo com as modalidades de avaliação: a autoavaliação (o avaliador é o próprio avaliado); heteroavaliação (o avaliador é um “outro”, quer com um estatuto interno, quer com um estatuto externo) e a coavaliação (ausência da dicotomia avaliador ‑avaliado, seguindo ‑se uma lógica de avaliação mútua). Tendo como base esta tipologia, realiza ‑se uma descrição dos vários sistemas de avaliação do desempenho docente, concluindo ‑se que a evolução diacró‑ nica do discurso normativo é caracterizada por um trânsito de um sistema marcado pela hegemonia da autoavaliação (até 2008) para um sistema que consagra uma lógica de heteroavaliação interna baseada na avaliação pelos pares. Por último, considera ‑se que a análise deste percurso normativo assume um caráter heurístico, pelo que se recenseiam várias questões em aberto relativamente a esta problemática.