South Of Portugal Research Articles

High Levels of Tetrodotoxin (TTX) in Trumpet Shell Charonia lampas from the Portuguese Coast.

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin, considered an emerging toxin in Europe where recently a safety limit of 44 µg TTX kg−1 was recommended by authorities. In this study, three specimens of the large gastropod trumpet shell Charonia lampas bought in a market in south Portugal were analyzed using a neuroblastoma cell (N2a) based assay and by LC-MS/MS. N2a toxicity was observed in the viscera of two individuals analyzed and LC-MS/MS showed very high concentrations of TTX (42.1 mg kg−1) and 4,9-anhydroTTX (56.3 mg kg−1). A third compound with m/z 318 and structurally related with TTX was observed. In the edible portion, i.e., the muscle, toxin levels were below the EFSA recommended limit. This study shows that trumpet shell marine snails are seafood species that may reach the markets containing low TTX levels in the edible portion but containing very high levels of TTX in non-edible portion raising concerns regarding food safety if a proper evisceration is not carried out by consumers. These results highlight the need for better understanding TTX variability in this gastropod species, which is critical to developing a proper legal framework for resources management ensuring seafood safety, and the introduction of these gastropods in the markets.

Effect of regulated deficit irrigation on pomegranate fruit quality at harvest and during cold storage

The effect of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies on fruit yield and quality at harvest and during cold storage at 5 °C of Wonderful pomegranates was studied. Three irrigation strategies were tested: control strategy (C) using farm irrigation with 100% of crop evaporation (ETc), and two RDI strategies where 25% of ETc was applied during flowering and fruit set (RDI 1) and during the final phase of fruit growth and ripening (RDI 2). The RDI 1 approach reduced the pomegranate yield. Conversely, the RDI 2 allowed a similar pomegranate yield to C treatment. Fruit morphological characteristics were not affected by RDI at harvest and during cold storage. Both RDI strategies resulted in fruits with higher aril percentages. Physicochemical parameters of fruits at harvest and during cold storage were not affected by irrigation strategies, except the total soluble solids content that was higher in fruits from RDI 2 than in those from C and RDI 1. During storage, a reduction of the fruit weight and size was observed, particularly in the first 15 days of storage. The total soluble solids content and titratable acidity decrease, while pH increases with storage. At harvest and during cold storage, the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity evaluated by ABTS+ assay did not differ among irrigation treatments, whereas using a FRAP assay fruits from RDI trended to have higher antioxidant activity than those from C treatment. Total phenolic content and ABTS+ values were lower at the final of storage time than on the first day. Present results showed that RDI strategies applied in a final phase of fruit growth and ripening could be a convenient irrigation strategy for commercial Wonderful orchards in the south of Portugal, allowing improve the fruit quality with a water saving of 14.6%.

Assessing Vegetation Heritage Value: The Alentejo Central (Portugal) as a Case Study

Vegetation natural heritage can be valued in itself, but also as a habitat for many wildlife species. This study presents a methodological essay concerning the evaluation of plant heritage, applied in Central Alentejo, in the south of Portugal. This evaluation was based on the following criteria: horizontal and vertical structure of vegetation, tree cover density, rare plant species richness, phytocenotic maturity, importance as ecological corridor, historical record, scientific and educational potential and recreational potential. The vegetation heritage value (VHV) was calculated using a linear combination of the weighted criteria. In this way it was possible to identify the most interesting areas for conservation purposes. Of the 7500 km2 analyzed, 52% are natural and semi-natural areas, and of these, 18.8% have very high VHV, 70.7% have high VHV and only 10.5% average VHV. The highest VHV areas are actually included under the protected areas of Natura 2000 sites.

Best Management Practices for the Transition to a Water-Sensitive City in the South of Portugal

The uncertainty that arises from future environmental and climatic challenges requires new approaches towards urban water management in Mediterranean cities. In this work, an urban water cycle (UWC) strategy based on the best management practices (BMPs) of water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) is proposed for the transition of a coastal city in the south of Portugal into a water-sensitive city (WSC), in line with the Municipal Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation of Loulé (EMAAC of Loulé). The city’s watershed was identified using the ArcMap Hydrology toolset with geospatial data provided by Loulé’s Municipal Council Operational Unit for Adaptation to Climate Change and Circular Economy (UOACEC). A broad characterisation of the study area was conducted, identifying existing resources to further develop a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis. The Hydrology toolset outputs, precipitation events records, and survey results were used to identify flood-prone areas. The opportunities and threats identified were further used to develop the transition strategy, which is focused on critical areas identified and supported by BMPs, including source control, attenuation, treatment and infiltration measures, permeable pavements, rainwater harvesting systems, and bioretention basins. The approach is designed to increase the city’s resilience to climate extremes, as well as community engagement towards UWC management.

Short-Term Forecasting Photovoltaic Solar Power for Home Energy Management Systems

Accurate photovoltaic (PV) power forecasting is crucial to achieving massive PV integration in several areas, which is needed to successfully reduce or eliminate carbon dioxide from energy sources. This paper deals with short-term multi-step PV power forecasts used in model-based predictive control for home energy management systems. By employing radial basis function (RBFs) artificial neural networks (ANN), designed using a multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) with data selected by an approximate convex-hull algorithm, it is shown that excellent forecasting results can be obtained. Two case studies are used: a special house located in the USA, and the other a typical residential house situated in the south of Portugal. In the latter case, one-step-ahead values for unscaled root mean square error (RMSE), mean relative error (MRE), normalized mean average error (NMAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and R2 of 0.16, 1.27%, 1.22%, 8% and 0.94 were obtained, respectively. These results compare very favorably with existing alternatives found in the literature.

AGGREGATE AND DISAGGREGATE NATURAL RESOURCES AGGLOMERATION AND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN FRANCE

The inflow of foreign direct investment shows the economic and political strength of a country (Bevan & Estrin, 2004). Resources agglomeration and foreign direct investment have a theoretical and empirical relationship (Carlton, 1983; Hansen, 1987; Krugman, 1991; Wheeler and Mody, 1992; Friedman et al., 1992; Head et al., 1995; Henderson and Kuncoro, 1996; Head and Ries, 1996; Devereux and Griffith, 1998; Head et al., 1999; Guimaraes et al., 2000). This paper has examined the impact of aggregate and disaggregates natural resources agglomeration on foreign direct investment in the case of France from 1989 to 2012. Seven different model specifications are used for empirical analysis. The inflow of foreign direct investment from Greece, Australia, Austria, Germany, Canada, Finland, Ireland, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Italy, Republic of South Korea, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, United States, Mexico, Korea and United Kingdom in France is taken as the dependent variable. Total natural resources agglomeration, population density, trade openness, secondary education, taxes, inflation rate, primary education, agriculture land agglomeration, forest agglomeration, oil production agglomeration, mineral production agglomeration and natural gas production agglomeration are selected as explanatory variables. The results show that aggregate and disaggregate natural resources agglomeration are important indicators of foreign direct investment. The results show that the population density is a key indicator of foreign direct investment, the current population growth of France and many developed countries is below the replacement rate. Agriculture land agglomeration, oil production agglomeration and mineral production agglomeration are the inputs of many economic activities. This shows that for higher amount of foreign direct investment, natural resources agglomeration must be encouraged. Keywords: natural resources agglomeration, foreign direct investmentJEL Classifications: N5, F21DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijefi.10869

Cupressaceae Pollen in the City of Évora, South of Portugal: Disruption of the Pollen during Air Transport Facilitates Allergen Exposure

Research Highlights: Daily airborne Cupressaceae pollen disruption ranged from 20 to 90%; relative humidity (RH), rainfall and atmospheric pressure (AtP) were the major meteorological determinants of this phenomenon. Background and Objectives: Cupressaceae family includes several species that are widely used as ornamental plants pollinating in late winter-early spring and might be responsible for allergic outbreaks. Cupressaceae pollen disruption may favour allergen dissemination, potentiating its allergenicity. The aim of this work was to characterize the Cupressaceae pollen aerobiology in Évora, South of Portugal, in 2017 and 2018, particularly the pollen disruption, and to identify the meteorological parameters contributing to this phenomenon. Materials and Methods: Pollen was collected using a Hirst type 7-day pollen trap and was identified following the standard methodology. Temperature, RH, rainfall, global solar radiation (Global Srad), AtP, wind speed and direction were obtained from a weather station installed side-by-side to the Hirst platform. Back trajectories (12-h) of air masses arriving at Évora were calculated using the HYSPLIT model. Results: Cupressaceae pollen index was higher in 2017 compared to 2018 (>5994 and 3175 pollen/m3, respectively) and 36 ± 19% (2017) and 64 ± 17% (2018) of the pollen was disrupted. Higher levels of disrupted pollen coincided with RH > 60% and rainfall. Temperature, Global Srad and AtP correlated negatively with pollen disruption. Wind speed and wind direction did not significantly correlate with pollen disruption. Intra-diurnal pollen pattern peaked between 9:00 am–2:00 pm, suggesting local origin, confirmed by the back trajectory analysis. Intra-diurnal pollen disruption profile followed hourly pollen pattern and it negatively correlated with AtP, temperature and Global Srad but was uncorrelated with RH. Conclusions: The results suggest that RH, rainfall and AtP are the main factors affecting airborne Cupressaceae pollen integrity and in conjunction with daily pollen concentration may be used to predict the risk of allergy outbreaks to this pollen type.

Immediate one-step lime precipitation process for the valorization of winery wastewater to agricultural purposes.

The winery wastewater (WW) of the Village of Vidigueira, in south of Portugal, presented an acid pH (4.26 ± 0.029), a high content of chemical oxygen demand (COD = 3236 ± 30.43 mg L-1), turbidity (160.0 ± 7.68 NTU), total P (155.5 ± 6.36 mg L-1) K (100.5 mg L-1), and low level of metals: Pb, Cd, Cu, Ni, Mn, Fe, Zn. The K and the total P content could make them attractive from an agricultural point of view. However, the high turbidity biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5 = 1266.7 ± 208.7 mg O2 L-1)fecal coliforms (45 ± 29.8 ufc/100 mL) and toxicological total phenols 13.239 ± 3.007 mg galic acid L-1 is the main limiting parameters. By using 5 g L-1 oflime solution, the best reactional conditions are achieved: pH = 12 with a minimum volume of the produced sludge's, 33.5 ± 4.92 mL L-1. These reactional conditions allow reaching high removal levels of BOD5, turbidity, total P, and total phenols: 77.9, 98.7%, 87.1%, and 99.9%, respectively. Simultaneously, the fecal coliforms and Enterococcus are 100% eliminated. The precipitate obtained is rich in calcium (2.7891 ± 0.4350 mg Ca kg-1) organic matter (10.05 ± 0.11%), P (895.0 ± 35.4 mg P2O5 kg-1), and K (990.0 ± 84.9 mg K2O kg-1). During carbonatation reactions, the pH (7.46) and electrical conductivity (EC) (1.805 dS m-1) decreased spontaneously while the Ca2+, K+, and F- kept high: 426.53 mg L-1, 240.53 mg L-1, 176.03 mg L-1, respectively.

Vernacular architecture in the south of Portugal: The history of Mértola’s houses from a rural to an urban landscape

Vernacular architecture in the south of Portugal: The history of Mértola’s houses from a rural to an urban landscape

The Multiple Origins of Roe Deer Populations in Western Iberia and Their Relevance for Conservation.

Simple SummaryThe Iberian Peninsula is considered a reservoir of genetic diversity and the source for the recolonization of continental Europe by several mammal species, after the last glaciation period. Here, we intended to characterize the genetic patterns and origins of one of those species, the roe deer, through the analysis of different genetic markers, as there is a major knowledge gap about the species’ populations at the western edge of roe deer distribution in the Iberian Peninsula. We found that western Iberia is a diversity hotspot for roe deer, with shared gene pools with other European and Iberian regions, but also with unique genetic elements, particularly the case of the relict population of Peneda Gerês National Park. Due to the distinct genetic diversity that was observed in western Iberian populations, we highlight the importance of these populations as sources of resilience against global changes. Our results provide useful information for the management and conservation of this species in the Iberian Peninsula. We advise transboundary management between Portugal and Spain as a rule, as well as careful evaluation of reintroduction actions, that should take in account the genetic data, in order to maintain the genetic heritage of roe deer in Europe.The roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is native and widespread in Europe and its phylogeography has been clarified in the last decades. Southern peninsulas are considered as reservoirs of genetic diversity and the source for the recolonization of Europe after the last glacial maximum. Even though roe deer populations have been genetically characterized, there is a major knowledge gap about the populations at the western edge of its distribution. To fill this caveat, and based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data, we aim to: (i) characterize the genetic diversity and structure of roe deer in western Iberia; (ii) clarify the origins and phylogeographical affinities of these populations, namely the relict population from Peneda Gerês National Park (PNPG, Portugal) and the likely allochthonous populations from central and south (CS) Portugal; (iii) discuss the implications of our findings for the management and conservation of the roe deer. Three major genetic clusters were inferred based on nuclear genotypes and were structured in a similar way as the three major mtDNA clades present in Iberia. Patterns inferred with nuclear markers confirmed PNPG as a relict population. Roe deer from CS Portugal share haplotypes with Central Europe rather than with other western Iberian populations, confirming its mainly allochthonous origin. Our results highlight western Iberia as a diversity hotspot for roe deer. We highlight the role of intraspecific genetic diversity as a source of resilience against ongoing global changes; the need for transboundary management and the importance of genetic data to inform management and conservation. When considered, repopulation or translocation measures should follow the IUCN Law of Reintroductions and meticulously conducted in order to preserve the genetic heritage of the species.

Identifying assessment scales for food web criteria in the NE Atlantic: implications for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive

Abstract The implementation of food web criteria in the Marine Strategy Framework Directive context faces several difficulties, namely the lack of data for relevant taxa, the absence of operational indicators, and spatially and temporally limited datasets. This work aims to identify ecologically relevant scales in the Celtic Seas (CS) and the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast (BBIC). Four food web criteria—mean trophic level (MTL), mean trophic level with cut-offs (MTL_3.25 and MTL_4), large fish indicator (LFI) and mean abundance across trophic guild (MATG)—were assessed using groundfish data and tested using generalized additive models, for six spatial scales and four temporal scales. In both subregions, MTL required yearly and locally defined assessment scales. As for MTL_3.25, it improved significantly when downsizing spatial scales but was temporally consistent. In the CS, locally defined scales and yearly data explained MTL_4 and LFI. While in BBIC, MTL_4 and LFI patterns were defined spatially by region and depth and temporally by year. MATG variability was unaffected by scales. Using the scales identified, food web criteriawere assessed for the Portuguese continental waters. Criteria failed to achieve Good Environmental Status in areas of the Southwest and South of Portugal. Although downsizing scales revealed that criteria were below the threshold at local/regional level, differences in classification are expected to be limited if spatial assessments are aggregated.

Recombinant myxoma virus infection associated with high mortality in rabbit farming (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Myxomatosis is an emergent disease in the Iberian hare, having been considered a rabbit disease for decades. Genome sequencing of the strains obtained from Iberian hares with myxomatosis showed these to be distinct from the classical ones that circulated in rabbits since the virus introduction in Europe, in 1952. The main genomic difference in this natural recombinant hare myxoma virus (ha-MYXV) is the presence of an additional 2.8kb region disrupting the M009L gene and adding a set of genes homologous to the myxoma virus (MYXV) genes M060R, M061R, M064R, M065R and M066R originated in Poxviruses. After the emergence of this recombinant virus (ha-MYXV) in hares, in the summer of 2019, the ha-MYXV was not detected in rabbit surveys, suggesting an apparent species segregation with the MYXV classic strains persistently circulating in rabbits. Recently, a group of six unvaccinated European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus) from a backyard rabbitry in South Portugal developed signs of myxomatosis (anorexia, dyspnoea, oedema of eyelids, head, ears, external genitals and anus, and skin myxomas in the base of the ears). Five of them died within 24-48hr of symptom onset. Molecular analysis revealed that only the recombinant MYXV was present. This is the first documented report of a recombinant hare myxoma virus in farm rabbits associated with high mortality, which increases the concern for the future of both the Iberian hare and wild rabbits and questions the safety of the rabbit industry. This highlights the urgent need to evaluate the efficacy of available vaccines against this new MYXV.

The structure of incipient coastal counter currents in South Portugal as indicator of their forcing agents

The alongshore subtidal water circulation along the South Portugal inner shelf is characterized by the temporal alternation of equatorward (i.e., broadly eastward) flows related to coastal upwelling processes and poleward (i.e., broadly westward) Coastal Counter Currents (CCCs). The objective of this study is to get insights about the main drivers of CCCs based on kinematic parameters describing the structure of the flow at the moment it changes direction. The parameters are derived from an extensive bottom-mounted ADCP dataset (16 deployments; 34,121 hourly records) collected at a single mooring (23 m water depth). Results show that the so-called incipient flows present contrasted general patterns whether they turn from equatorward to poleward or the opposite. Complementary observations at a nearby station indicate that these characteristics are spatially consistent along the studied area. Although 70% of CCCs are generated under favourable wind conditions (Levanter), these flows generally develop through the bed layer, in particular in summer. Hence, the Levanter wind - expected to promote flow setup through the surface layer - is not the main driver of CCCs in most cases. The general structure of incipient CCCs strongly suggests that the dominant force competing with the wind stress is an alongshore pressure gradient (APG). Furthermore, the maximum equatorward flow magnitude before CCCs setup is significantly correlated with the following (poleward) acceleration of incipient CCCs near the bed. Such relation is consistent with the development of CCCs due to the unbalance of an APG (produced during active upwelling) when wind relaxes. This process is further supported by an analysis of the depth-averaged momentum equation which suggests that the coastal circulation is mainly driven by linear dynamics in the region.

The intellectual scales of environment: Agricultural pests and public sphere in 19th century Portugal

Studies and research on biological invasions have acquired increasing attention in environmental history. However, the acknowledgement of certain specific cultural markers –such as the press– has been hitherto limited in such works. In light of this, this paper seeks to evaluate the importance of regional Portuguese newspapers in studying plant pests and agricultural diseases through a substantial corpus of publications produced between the 1850s and 1910s. This article looks at three newspapers Jornal de Penafiel (1890-1914), the Damião de Goes (1886-1914) and the O Elvense (1880-1904) in order to establish the informative potential gleaned from these types of sources in different regions in the north, centre and south Portugal respectively. The results highlight the importance of vine diseases (phylloxera, mildium, oidium) in the examined journalistic narratives. Nevertheless, other pests (potato blight, chestnut blight, brown rot) or bioinvaders (locust) were also important parts of these discourses. The results of this research reveals just how closely directed periodical press and diffusion of technical knowledge were in the strategies and attitudes against agricultural pests, showing that science was incorporated into the relationship between State and the rural communities.

Intensive Agricultural Practices as Enhancers of the Dispersion of Invasive Species: Notification of the Observation of a Case with Robinia pseudoacacia L. in Alentejo (Southern Portugal)

Invasive forest species are a recurring problem, which in Portugal assume a somewhat mediatic role, both because of the impacts they cause on biodiversity, but also because they enhance the accumulation of high amounts of fuel load, increasing the risk of forest fires. However, in some areas of the country, such as the Alentejo (South of Portugal), the scarcity of water did not allow, until now, the dispersion and rapid growth of some of these species, namely Robinia pseudoacacia, which has always remained under control, and it was never a real problem. However, with the growth of intensive farming practices, associated with vineyards, olive groves and almond trees, water and nutrients became available, enabling this species to grow and disperse. This communication presents an observation of several sets of R. pseudoacacia specimens growing with different agricultural holdings, raising the hypothesis that intensive farming practices may, in the short term, contribute to the dispersion of invasive species in regions where they were not a problem, if the situations reported are not followed up and studies are carried out to confirm the observations described.

Influence of solar radiation on the energy consumption of large buildings on a university campus

This paper reports the numerical study on the influence of solar radiation on the energy consumption of large buildings on a university campus. The actual campus is located in the south of Portugal, in a Mediterranean type environment, and consists of 6 educational buildings. These six buildings have a total area of 27,599 m2 and 595 compartments, where 6,529 opaque surfaces (doors, walls, etc.) and 983 transparent ones (windows) were identified. This study aims to assess numerically how solar radiation transmitted on windows affects the energy consumption of the Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems, controlled by the PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) index, of each of these buildings, and the thermal comfort level of the occupants. Software developed by the authors is used to simulate the thermal behavior of buildings with complex topology. This software evaluates indoor air quality inside the spaces, thermal comfort of the occupants, thermal energy consumption of the HVAC system, and solar radiation distribution outside the buildings and inside the compartments, among others. The HVAC control system based on the PMV index applied in this work was designed to maintain the PMV comfort index within category C of ISO 7730, with a maximum of 15% of people dissatisfied. In order to evaluate the indoor comfort level of the occupants, the totals of cold and warm uncomfortable hours were calculated. Two different weather conditions, typical of the region, were set as inputs for the simulation performed in this study: a typical winter day, and a typical summer day. The outputs obtained were the daily evolution of total solar radiation transmitted on windows, total uncomfortable hours for the occupants, and total HVAC system energy consumption for each building. The results obtained show that, for typical winter conditions, an increase in the transmitted solar radiation on windows causes a decrease in HVAC system energy consumption, and also in the number of uncomfortable hours, which is a favorable situation. On the other hand, for typical summer conditions, it is observed that when transmitted solar radiation on windows increases, HVAC system energy consumption, and the total number of uncomfortable hours increase as well, configuring an unfavorable situation. It is also found that the values of solar radiation transmitted on windows are higher in winter than in summer conditions. In summer, the lowest values of solar radiation transmitted on windows occur at noon. The last two observations lead to the conclusion that, overall, these buildings have correctly positioned passive shading elements, a technique that contributes to an adequate solar passive architectural design.

Types of dry-season stream pools: environmental drivers and fish assemblages

ABSTRACT Many river networks in southern Europe are intermittent. In summer, the surface flow is zero and many streams become isolated pools. In this study, 128 dry season pools were studied covering first- to fourth-order streams on the Degebe River network (south Portugal). The aim of the study was to identify pool types based on environmental drivers and conditions and fish assemblages. In summer, dry streambed area exceeded 50% in all reaches and 95% in headwater sections. The pool features were primarily shaped by their location in the river network, which determined the pool morphology and the structure of fish assemblages. Pool sizes increased from upstream to downstream, as did species richness and diversity. Pools in upstream reaches were dominated by small native fishes while the larger-sized individuals tended to occupy deeper, larger, and more persistent pools. Smaller pools in downstream reaches were dominated by non-native species, which may be related to habitat preferences and minimization of negative interactions between native and non-native species. Because dry season pools represent key habitats in intermittent streams, conservation programs should be designed to reduce human pressures and improve hydromorphological heterogeneity and water quality, taking into account the natural patterns of pool types at regional and local scales.

Evaluation of GRACE data for water resource management in Iberia: a case study of groundwater storage monitoring in the Algarve region

Study regionIberia, Algarve basin, South Portugal. Study focusThis study evaluates the performance of several GRACE products in Iberia using the closure of the water budget. Then, it focusses on the Algarve region and explores the potential of GRACE as a tool of quantitative groundwater monitoring capable of bridging gaps in the existing ground-based network. Monthly data from GRACE, ancillary datasets from E-OBS, GLEAM, GRUN and ERA5, and groundwater level measurements from 12 karst-porous aquifers in the Algarve basin (5000 km2) are analyzed from 2004 to 2014. New Hydrological Insights for the RegionWhen considering the closure of the water budget at the Iberian scale, GRACE Mascon solutions perform remarkably well and better than the products based on spherical harmonics. When considering only the Algarve region, the results are similar to the ones obtained for Iberia, but the GRACE solution that performs the best is the average of the CSR and JPL Mascon products. In spite of the Algarve’s extremely small area when compared to the GRACE footprint, the satellite is capable of capturing the regionally averaged seasonal and de- seasonalized variations in observed groundwater storage (correlation between GRACE-derived and regionally averaged ground-based measurements is 0.82). For the first time ever at the regional Algarve scale, bounds are placed on the aquifer’s storage properties which vary from 3.65 × 10−3 to 4.92 × 10−2.

Prokaryotic diversity in stream sediments affected by acid mine drainage.

The microbial communities in mining impacted areas rely on a variety of mechanisms to survive in such extreme environments. In this work, a meta-taxonomic approach using 16S rRNA gene sequences was used to investigate the prokaryotic diversity of sediment samples from water bodies affected by acid mine drainage at the São Domingos mining area in the south of Portugal. Samples were collected in summer and winter from the most contaminated sites from where the water flows downstream to the freshwater of Chança's river reservoir. The prokaryotic diversity on water bodies' sediments allowed us to distinguish the highly contaminated sites (pH ≈ 2) from sites with intermediate levels of contamination (pH ≈ 3-6.5), and from sites without contamination (pH ≈ 7.5). The abundances of acidophiles of genera Acidiphilium, Acidibacter, Acidobacterium and Acidocella in the sediments were correlated with the level of acid mine drainage contamination. The two first genera were among the 30 most abundant prokaryotes in all contaminated samples, including one (SS2w), where the contamination was very diluted, thereby emphasizing the impact that such type of pollution can have in the microbial communities of sediments. In addition, the high abundances of archaeal taxa from class Thermoplasmata and of bacteria from family RCP1-48 in the sediments from the most contaminated site corroborate their importance in such ecosystems and a putative role in the generation of acid mine drainage.

Numerical simulation of the influence of external urban environmental conditions in the building windows performance

This paper presents a numerical study of the influence of external urban environmental conditions, namely, the solar radiation, in the building windows performance. A software that simulates the building thermal behaviour with complex topology, in transient conditions, is developed and used in the study of indoor air quality and indoor thermal comfort of the occupants of a building, under typical summer conditions. As management strategy was implemented a control system to the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) using the PMV (Predicted Mean Vote) index as controllable variable. The studied university building is located in a Mediterranean-type climate in the south of Portugal. The indoor thermal comfort, evaluated by the PMV index, and the indoor air quality, evaluated by the carbon dioxide concentration, were obtained for all occupied spaces. In order to evaluate the implemented control strategy a set of results was obtained for the situations with and without HVAC system control. To exemplify the results obtained, two large compartments were chosen, one with windows facing South and the other without windows. As main conclusion, it can be stated that the use of the HVAC system controllable by the PMV index allows acceptable levels of thermal comfort within the category C of the ISO 7730 standard, and acceptable levels of indoor air quality within the limit proposed by the ASHRAE 62.1 standard.