Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-03"
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- Consumer perception about edible insects’ relation with environment and sustainabilityPublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.; Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; Ferrão, Ana CristinaEdible insects have been suggested as a potential environmental and economic solution to replace less sustainable conventional protein sources for human nutrition. Hence, this work investigated the perceptions and knowledge of consumers in fourteen different countries towards edible insects and their relation with environment and sustainability. For that, data were collected through a questionnaire survey in the ambit of the EISuFood Project, and 7221 responses were obtained. The results showed that although participants had some difficulty in identifying wrong statements, a majority were able to express disagreement towards them (ex. comparison between poultry and insect productions for water requirements, comparison between pork and insect productions for area requirements). A great majority of respondents showed agreement with true statements, like insect production emits fewer greenhouse gases than beef production. Higher percentages of respondents that did not manifest a decisive opinion were found for insects being able to efficiently convert organic matter into protein, or for loss of biodiversity being lower for insect compared to other animal productions. Sociodemographic variables sex and education were significantly influenced knowledge on most of the questions, while age was not found so influential. Regarding the geographic variable living environment, it significantly influenced the knowledge on practically all items, and country significantly influenced knowledge in all of the questions, being the most influential of all variables studied. As a conclusion, it was fund that perception about edible insects and sustainability are influenced by sociodemographic characteristics of the participants and greatly variable according to geographical factors.
- Liquefaction optimization of Crataegus monogyna JacqPublication . Dulyanska, Y; Cruz-Lopes, Luísa; Esteves, Bruno; Domingos, Idalina; Ferreira, José; Guiné, Raquel; Gonçalves, Fernando Jorge; Carvalho, L B; Barroca, M JThe objective of this work was to evaluate the potentiality of Crataegus monogyna Jacq. residues to be liquefied by polyhydric alcohols and the chemical transformations observed in this process with subsequent use to produce polyurethane foams. The variations on liquefaction yield were determined at different temperature, time, material/solvent ratio and granulometry. Results show that liquefaction performed at 180 °C with a 1:10 material/solvent ratio increases along time, reaching a maximum at 60 min. Similarly, liquefactions made during 60 min with a 1:10 material/solvent ratio show that there is an increase in liquefaction yield with the increase in temperature until 180 °C. A higher temperature could increase the liquefaction yield but would lead to a higher energy consumption in the process. There seems to be no significative advantage in increasing material/solvent ratio above 1:7, although the liquefaction yield increases for higher ratios. Granulometry testing shows that the smaller the particle the best is the liquefaction percentage. It was concluded that the best liquefaction yield, of approximately 81%, was obtained with a temperature of 180 °C, for 60 min and particle size <80 mesh for Crataegus monogyna Jacq. This material has good properties to be converted in a liquid mixture that can be used later, on the production of polyurethane foams.
- Problem based learning as a way to promote academic success and student’s engagement: case study of syllabus FOOD PRODUCTION MANAGEMENTPublication . Guiné, Raquel P. F.The present work describes the pedagogic strategies based on problem solving and practical application of knowledge and competences used in the ambit of the syllabus “Food Production Management”, of the 2nd year of the Higher Specialization Course (CTESP – Curso Técnico Superior Especializado) of Gastronomy, Tourism and Well-Being ministered in the Department of Food Industry of the Agrarian School at the Polytechnic University of Viseu. The students were asked to develop a project built around culinary preparations. The theme chosen was recipes including chestnut, considering that is is one nut with a high relevance in Portugal, and belonging to the tradition of culinary in the country. The project, comprised two parts, developed in parallel. One part involved a collection of existing recipes using chestnut, and the other consisted in the development of an innovative thematic menu, composed of original recipes containing chestnut. All tasks were developed in groups of students, who had to conjugate collaborative learning with project based problem solving. The results obtained were very encouraging, with all students showing successful realisation of the proposed tasks, and achieving a good academic performance at this syllabus, with high classifications, resulting from the involvement, motivation and desire to achieve success of all students.
- Consumer’s knowledge about nutritional aspects of edible insectsPublication . Florença, Sofia De Guiné E; Correia, Paula; Costa, Cristina Amaro Da; Guiné, Raquel P. F.Edible insects have been recognized as a nutritive food, rich in protein and other nutrients of value for the human body, while being a more sustainable alternative to other conventional protein-based foods. For this reason, and because edible insects are not a part of the traditional diet in Portugal, an European country of Mediterranean dietary influences, this work aimed to investigate the knowledge of the population about the nutritive value of edible insects. For that a questionnaire survey was prepared and data were collected through internet means and were treated using appropriate statistical tools and tests. The results showed that, in general, the level of knowledge was low, and most especially regarding aspects like the presence of anti-nutrients, or the fat and mineral contents. Regarding the influence of sociodemographic variables on the level of knowledge, significant differences were found between sexes or between age groups, and the same applies to the education level. Reversely, living environment was not found to significantly influence the knowledge. In conclusion, Portuguese consumers are not yet informed enough about the potential of edible insects as valuable foods.
- Assessing Cultural Variations in Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in Stores (NEMS-S): A Global Perspective on Food Availability and QualityPublication . Florença, Sofia de Guiné e; Simões J; Amaro da Costa, Cristina Isabel; Cunha Silva Reis Lima, Maria Joao; Guiné, Raquel; Teixeira-Lemos, Edite
- Content Matching and Sentiment AnalysisPublication . Rodrigues, Margarida Adriana Sampaio; Pinto, Filipe Marques da Silva CabralDeveloping new services or improving existing ones is becoming more accessible with the evolution of Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques. Chatbots are a known example of an NLP-based service; they can interact with humans using text messages or natural language. NLP grants, however, the development of other types of services based on natural languages, such as machine translation, email spam detection, information extraction, content summarization, and question answering. A current need, to develop smart cities projects, is a system that can match content (text) from a project offer description with the candidates description by finding common patterns in different textual descriptions. This project presents an implementation of an automated tool with AI and NLP to match needs and concrete ideas for innovation with the skills and offers of the business sector, including start-ups and entrepreneurs. In sentiment analysis, NLP can be harnessed to recognize and categorize the emotional tone conveyed in textual content, such as project collaborator reviews, customer reviews, or social media posts. The sentiment analysis component in this project establishes a tool for comprehending and categorizing sentiments, for candidates seeking engagement in smart cities projects.
- A valorização da área disciplinar de Educação Física pelos docentes do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino BásicoPublication . Tojal, Isabel Maria Henriques; Cardoso, Ana PaulaA área da Educação Física permite que o ser humano se desenvolva psicologicamente, socialmente, mentalmente e fisicamente, ou seja, se desenvolva integralmente. Deste modo, é globalmente reconhecida a importância da atividade física, no entanto na prática isto não se verifica, tendo vindo a existir um aumento considerável nos níveis de sedentarismo da população. Como em muitos outros aspetos relacionados com a educação, durante muito tempo, o ensino da Educação Física pouco mais conseguiu em Portugal que discursos bemintencionados e medidas legislativas sem grande alcance prático. Apesar de se notar uma evolução na valorização atribuída a esta componente curricular, na atualidade, esta ainda não é valorizada da forma esperada pelo corpo docente. O presente Relatório Final de Estágio tem por objetivos a reflexão e análise crítica das práticas desenvolvidas e a concretização do trabalho investigativo sobre um problema relacionado com a Prática de Ensino Supervisionada. Este encontra-se dividido em duas importantes partes. A primeira parte é referente às práticas desenvolvidas em contexto de estágio, tendo por base autores de referência e os documentos orientadores do Ensino Básico. A segunda parte é alusiva ao estudo e tem por finalidade analisar a valorização atribuída à área disciplinar de Educação Física pelos docentes do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico. Para isso, foi realizada uma análise bibliográfica com pesquisa em bases científicas e concretizado um estudo de caráter qualitativo. O trabalho investigativo tem como grupo de estudo dez professores do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico de dois agrupamentos do concelho de Viseu e baseia-se na realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas. A recolha de dados foi concretizada num ambiente de pesquisa natural. Os dados levantados pela pesquisa tornam-se significativos no momento da sua análise e interpretação, sendo que este trabalho é resultado da reflexão e estudo do material recolhido, o que nos permitiu dar resposta aos objetivos delineados para a investigação. Por meio do estudo constata-se que os docentes reconhecem a importância da Educação Física, porém a valorização que lhe atribuem é em termos conceptuais, pois na prática os docentes não a valorizam da forma idealizada, algo que se verifica na sua lecionação. Esta desvalorização é justificada pela falta de recursos espaciais e materiais, mas essencialmente pela insegurança que os professores sentem, isto porque, consideram que a sua formação não é suficiente para o ensino da Educação Física e, por isso, defendem a coadjuvação por um professor especializado na área.
- Insights into the phenolic composition and in vitro bioactivity of cardoon capitulum: A nutraceutical-oriented valorization studyPublication . Mandim, Filipa; Pinela, José; Marcelino, Sandra; Barracosa, Paulo; Ivanova, Marija; Dias, Maria Inês; Soković, Marina; Celestino, Santos-Buelga; Lillian, BarrosThe capitulum constituents (stigma, corolla, bracts, pappus, and receptacle) of seven cardoon cultivars were studied for their polyphenolic composition and bioactive properties. Fifteen phenolic compounds were identified, secoiridoid, secoxyloganin, and apigenin-O-hexuronoside in higher concentrations. The bracts had the highest concentration of phenolic compounds, and the corolla had the greatest variety. The corolla of F4-1-4 and F1-34-1 cultivars, and bracts of F1-1-1, F1-19-4, and F4-37-1 cultivars revealed the greatest capacity to inhibit the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances formation (IC50 of 38 and 40.4 µg/mL, respectively). The corolla of F1-34-1 cultivar showed higher antihaemolytic activity than the positive control Trolox (IC50 5.5 vs. 20 µg/mL). Bracts of the F4-25-2 cultivar showed higher cytotoxic activity. No hepatotoxicity or anti-inflammatory effects were presented by the studied samples. These bioactivities exhibit a significative correlation with phenolic compounds, in particular flavonoids. Antimicrobial capacity was also observed, with all samples presenting higher antifungal potential than positive controls.
- Simulação do Comportamento Térmico das Fachadas de um Quarteirão do Centro Histórico de ViseuPublication . Sousa, Alícia Vieira; Almeida, Ricardo Manuel dos Santos Ferreira de; Krüger, Eduardo LeiteEste trabalho teve como objetivo simular o comportamento térmico das fachadas de algumas construções do centro histórico da cidade de Viseu, para avaliar o risco de condensação superficial, utilizando para tal o programa CitySim. Buscando compreender e demonstrar o potencial e versatilidade do software, além de analisar os resultados obtidos com as simulações. Inicialmente foi realizada uma revisão bibliográfica contemplando normas que impactam nas questões térmicas e energéticas das edificações existentes em Portugal e softwares presentes no mercado que apresentavam certa similaridade com o escolhido. A partir disso, realizou-se a modelação tridimensional do quarteirão selecionado e sua calibração com as informações construtivas dos edifícios e questões climáticas da cidade. Após a demonstração geral de resultados, foi escolhido analisar temperaturas das paredes externas de um grupo selecionado de fachadas, representando várias situações diante do aglomerado de edifícios. O processo de simulação gerou uma grande amostra de dados permitindo realizar algumas inferências e relações. Destas destacaram-se os períodos com risco de condensação das fachadas. Com os dados levantados, foram efetuadas comparações com duas outras situações hipotéticas: a introdução de um isolante térmico face interior das fachadas dos edifícios e a simulação do aumento dastemperaturas exteriores num possível cenário futuro. O resultado da simulação atual demostrou que as fachadas sofrem com o risco de condensação superficial externa durante uma porcentagem significativa do ano. Em contrapartida, os dados da simulação com a adição do isolante térmico resultou no aumento dessa porcentagem, pôr fim a terceira simulação ressaltou a influencia do aumento das temperaturas nesse fenômeno, pois o porcentual de horas com risco de condensação caiu drasticamente. Adicionalmente, o trabalhou permitiu compreender a grande versatilidade do programa e verificou-se que o programa pode ser utilizado em múltiplos contextos: estudos de diferentes escalas, e edifícios já existentes, ou em construção, ou planejamento, mostrando uma grande versatilidade.
- Health-related quality of life among celiacs in Portugal: a comparison between general and specific questionnairesPublication . Margarida Correia Balula Chaves, Cláudia; Zandonadi, Renata Puppin; Raposo, António; Nakano, Eduardo Yoshio; Ramos, Fernando; Farage, Priscila; Teixeira-Lemos, EditeObjective: This study aimed to compare the 36-Item Short Form Survey Instrument version 2 (SF-36-v2) (generic) and Celiac Disease Questionnaire (CDQ) (specific) questionnaires used to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) in celiac Portuguese adult individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional study used non-probabilistic sampling based on Portuguese celiac patients who accessed the online survey in 2022. The online data collection used a self-reported instrument composed of three parts: (i) socioeconomic, health, and gluten-free diet (GFD) adherence questions; (ii) SF-36 v2 - Portuguese version (generic questionnaire) and (iii) Celiac Disease Questionnaire (CDQ) (specific questionnaire). Results: A total of 234 individuals who accessed the survey completed the questionnaire. Seven of the eight SF-36 domains positively correlated to the specific questionnaire CDQ. The "General Health" domain (domain 4) showed a negative correlation with the CDQ. Differences in content between the two instruments might be able to explain this finding since the CDQ explores issues regarding the specificities of celiac disease (CD) and the lifelong GFD burden. About half of the sample from this study displayed poor diet adherence, it is possible that the SF-36 could not reflect the impact of CD treatment - the complete elimination of gluten from the diet - on patients' health. Therefore, this issue should be carefully evaluated in future research. Conclusion: Specific validated questionnaires for CD individuals, such as the CDQ, contemplate social, economic, and clinical variables that permeate the patient's life context. Therefore, these instruments may be more suitable for evaluating QoL in this public. However, using a general questionnaire such as the SF-36 would be indicated for comparing QOL between celiac patients and the general population or even between CD and other disease individuals. In this case, we recommend assessing GFD compliance for control parallelly.
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