Browsing by Author "Oliveira, Márcia"
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Deforestation in Portugal: causes, consequences and possible solutionsPublication . Branco, João; Oliveira, Márcia; Ferreira, Ricardo; Póvoa, OrlandaDeforestation is not a new problem although world-wide population awareness is increasing. This issue has terrible environmental, social and economic consequences due to the over-exploitation of the natural resources and to alternative land uses which are more profitable in the short term. The combat and mitigation of deforestation is one of the biggest challenges for the 21st Century in order to achieve the Millennium Goals and a global sustainable development at all levels of human activities. Therefore this paper will address these concerns focusing on the causes and consequences of deforestation as well as on the actions carried out by the decision makers in order to provide solutions for this increasingly alarming problem. This paper will also approach the concepts of sustainability as well as economy and management of the natural resources aiming at providing an insight of the past deforestation in Portugal, the present situation and a sustainable perspective regarding the future.
- Desertificação em Portugal: causas, consequências e possíveis soluçõesPublication . Branco, João; Oliveira, Márcia; Ferreira, Ricardo; Póvoa, OrlandaAlthough desertification is not a new problem, world-wide population awareness is increasing. This problem has a greater impact in developing countries, where subsistence agriculture leads to very serious consequences as famine and sub-nutrition. However, desertification also affects the developed ones, because of, among other factors, unsustainable practices in the Agriculture and Forestry sectors combined with poor land management and weak policies. Without proper action, over 50 million people worldwide could be displaced by desertification and land degradation in the next decade. This paper, through a literature review, will approach the problem of desertification, with a special focus on the Portuguese case, its causes and consequences as well as some possible solutions. We conclude that driving forces of desertification can be separated into climate variations and Human activities and that its main consequences are environmental and social-economic. We also point out that, though technical solutions are abundant, part of the solution to this issue relays on attracting population back to the country side, involving the local people on the solution finding processes and increase the social benefits of exploring scarce resources, always bearing in mind the sustainability and the balance between the agro ecosystems and the natural ecosystems.
- Desertification in Portugal: causes, consequences and possible solutionsPublication . Branco, João; Oliveira, Márcia; Ferreira, Ricardo; Póvoa, OrlandaAlthough desertification is not a new problem, world-wide population awareness is increasing. This problem has a greater impact in developing countries, where subsistence agriculture leads to very serious consequences as famine and sub-nutrition. However, desertification also affects the developed ones, because of, among other factors, unsustainable practices in the Agriculture and Forestry sectors combined with poor land management and weak policies. Without proper action, over 50 million people worldwide could be displaced by desertification and land degradation in the next decade. This paper, through a literature review, will approach the problem of desertification, with a special focus on the Portuguese case, its causes and consequences as well as some possible solutions. We conclude that driving forces of desertification can be separated into climate variations and Human activities and that its main consequences are environmental and social-economic. We also point out that, though technical solutions are abundant, part of the solution to this issue relays on attracting population back to the country side, involving the local people on the solution finding processes and increase the social benefits of exploring scarce resources, always bearing in mind the sustainability and the balance between the agro ecosystems and the natural ecosystems.
- Glycation potentiates α-synuclein-associated neurodegeneration in synucleinopathiesPublication . Miranda, Hugo Vicente; Szegő, Éva M.; Oliveira, Luís M. A.; Breda, Carlo; Darendelioglu, Ekrem; Oliveira, Rita M. de; Ferreira, Diana G.; Gomes, Marcos A.; Rott, Ruth; Oliveira, Márcia; Munari, Francesca; Enguita, Francisco J.; Simões, Tânia; Rodrigues, Eva F.; Heinrich, Michael; Martins, Ivo C.; Zamolo, Irina; Riess, Olaf; Cordeiro, Carlos; Ponces-Freire, Ana; Santos, Nuno C.; Lopes, Luisa V.; Xiang, Wei; Jovin, Thomas M.; Penque, Deborah; Engelender, Simone; Zweckstetter, Markus; Klucken, Jochen; Giorgini, Flaviano; Quintas, Alexandre; Outeiro, Tiago F.α-Synuclein misfolding and aggregation is a hallmark in Parkinson’s disease and in several other neurodegenerative diseases known as synucleinopathies. The toxic properties of α-synuclein are conserved from yeast to man, but the precise underpinnings of the cellular pathologies associated are still elusive, complicating the development of effective therapeutic strategies. Combining molecular genetics with target-based approaches, we established that glycation, an unavoidable age-associated post-translational modification, enhanced α-synuclein toxicity in vitro and in vivo, in Drosophila and in mice. Glycation affected primarily the N-terminal region of α-synuclein, reducing membrane binding, impaired the clearance of α-synuclein, and promoted the accumulation of toxic oligomers that impaired neuronal synaptic transmission. Strikingly, using glycation inhibitors, we demonstrated that normal clearance of α-synuclein was re-established, aggregation was reduced, and motor phenotypes in Drosophila were alleviated. Altogether, our study demonstrates glycation constitutes a novel drug target that can be explored in synucleinopathies as well as in other neurodegenerative conditions.
- O Impacto dos níveis de atividade física na Incontinência Urinária, Prisão de Ventre e nos seus fatores de riscoPublication . Coelho, Andreia; Oliveira, Márcia; Rodrigues, Marlene; Duarte Pereira, TâniaIntrodução: Os benefícios da atividade física (AF) são inúmeros tanto a nível físico como mental. A incontinência urinária (IU) e a prisão de ventre (PV) podem influenciar o nível de AF, entre as mulheres norte-americanas, quase duas em cada três veem este problema como uma barreira à AF, o que significa que não praticam atividade ou alteram as rotinas de atividade devido a esta disfunção do pavimento pélvico.