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Percorrer por autor "Nunes, Alexandre"

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  • Strawberry plant as a biomonitor of trace metal air pollution: a citizen science approach in an urban-industrial area near Lisbon, Portugal
    Publication . Gamelas ou Carla A. Gamelas, Carla; Canha, Nuno; Justino, Ana R.; Nunes, Alexandre; Nunes, Sandra; Dionísio, Isabel; Kertesz, Zsofia; Almeida, Susana Marta
    A biomonitoring study of air pollution was developed in an urban-industrial area (Seixal, Portugal) using leaves of strawberry plants (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier) as biomonitors to identify the main sources and hotspots of air pollution in the study area. The distribution of exposed strawberry plants in the area was based on a citizen science approach, where residents were invited to have the plants exposed outside their homes. Samples were collected from a total of 49 different locations, and their chemical composition was analyzed for 22 chemical elements using X-ray Fluorescence spectrometry. Source apportionment tools, such as enrichment factors and principal component analysis (PCA), were used to identify three different sources, one geogenic and two anthropogenic (steel industry and traffic), besides plant major nutrients. The spatial distribution of elemental concentrations allowed the identification of the main pollution hotspots in the study area. The reliability of using strawberry leaves as biomonitors of air pollution was evaluated by comparing them with the performance of transplanted lichens by regression analysis, and a significant relation was found for Fe, Pb, Ti, and Zn, although with a different accumulation degree for the two biomonitors. Furthermore, by applying PCA to the lichen results, the same pollution sources were identified.
    2024-12Artigo científico Acesso aberto Ver mais
  • The relationship between muscular strength and dance injuries: a systematic review
    Publication . Moita, João Paulo; Nunes, Alexandre; Esteves, José; Oliveira, Raúl; Xarez, Luis
    BACKGROUND: The physical demands placed on dancers put them at significant risk for injury, with rates similar to ones sustained by athletes in sports at the same level of performance. Muscle strength has been suggested to play a preventative role against injury in dancers. OBJECTIVE: To systematically search and examine the available evidence on the protective role of muscle strength in dance injuries. METHODS: Five electronic databases and two dance-specific science publications were screened up to September 2015. Study selection was based on a priori inclusion criteria on the relation between muscle strength components and injuries. Methodologic quality and level of evidence were assessed using the Downs and Black (DB) checklist and the Oxford Centre of Evidence- Based Medicine (OCEBM) 2011 model. RESULTS: From 186 titles found, only 8 studies met the inclusion criteria and were considered for review. Because of the significant heterogeneity of the included studies, meta-analysis was deemed inappropriate. The DB quality assessment results ranged from 18.7% to 75% (mean 42.3±16.9) and the OCEBM between 2b and 4. Some level 2b evidence from 2 studies suggested that pre-professional ballet dancers who get injured exhibit lower overall muscle strength scores on the lower extremity, and that lower extremity power gains may be associated with decreased bodily pain but not injury rate. CONCLUSIONS: Although there might be an association trend toward low muscle strength and dance injuries, the nature of that relation remains unclear, and presently the state of knowledge does not provide a solid basis for designing interventions for prevention.
    2017-03Artigo científico Acesso restrito Ver mais