University of Madeira

About: University of Madeira is a education organization based out in Funchal, Portugal. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Dendrimer. The organization has 1014 authors who have published 2759 publications receiving 59457 citations.

Evaluation of wine colour under accelerated and oak-cask ageing using CIELab and chemometric approaches

Abstract: The present study aims to analyse the evolution of colour and browning of fortified wines submitted to oak and accelerated ageing induced by temperature, both traditional ageing processes of Madeira wines These wines were followed during the first 2 years of ageing and were simultaneously compared to aged reference samples, in order to disclose if accelerated ageing favours the wine evolution The data analysis approaches followed two strategies: the first one was based on the monitoring of wine colour parameters based on CIELab methodology, while the second strategy adopted an untargeted approach, taking advantage of all wine information comprised on the UV-vis spectrum CIELab results indicated that the greatest variation (up to 92 %) occurs during the vinification, since it was observed that wines produced from the same grape variety (Tinta Negra) acquired different characteristics already on the vinification processes All wines tend to approach the reference samples during ageing, with the lowest ΔE* value obtained for Malvasia submitted to canteiro at 2 years of ageing (329 units) Sweet Tinta Negra wines, previously submitted to estufagem, presented the most pronounced colour change associated with ageing The multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) model was built with aged reference samples to evaluate how young wines acquire the reference wine’s characteristics and revealed that accelerated ageing increases colour evolution and favours the homogeneity of Malvasia wines

Successful eradication of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and house mouse (Mus musculus) from the island of Selvagem Grande (Macaronesian archipelago), in the Eastern Atlantic

Abstract: The Portuguese island of Selvagem Grande (Great Salvage) in Macaronesia is an important seabird breeding station in the eastern Atlantic. Significant populations of Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea (Scopoli, 1769), Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulweria (Jardine & Selby, 1828) and little shearwater Puffinus assimilis baroli (Bonaparte, 1857) are present, and white-faced storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina (Latham, 1790) and Madeiran storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro (Harcourt, 1851) populations are of global significance. Selvagem Grande also provides diverse habitats for an extensive flora, including 11 endemic species. The 270-ha island was also inhabited by two alien invasive mammals: the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and the house mouse Mus musculus (Linnaeus, 1758). Both are known to have had adverse impacts on breeding seabirds and island vegetation. In 2002, the Natural Park of Madeira conducted a program using brodifacoum bait formulations aimed at rabbit and mouse eradication. Approximately 17 000 individual baiting points were established on a 12.5 × 12.5 m grid. Baits were also applied by hand "seeding" on steep slopes and cliffs where bait stations could not be placed. Rabbits were removed after a month. However, mice persisted for considerably longer and strategic bait applications against them continued for a further six months. Subsequent assessments by trapping, bait takes and systematic observation of signs over three years, has confirmed the removal of both alien invasive species. This paper presents information on these operations, on measures adopted to mitigate adverse impacts of the eradication program on important vertebrate non-target species, including Berthelot's pipit Anthus berthelotii Bolle, 1862 and a species of gecko Tarentola bischoffi Joger, 1984 and on the initial response of the island's ecosystem to the eradication of rabbits and mice.

Growth and reproduction of the north-eastern Atlantic keystone species Patella aspera (Mollusca: Patellogastropoda)

Abstract: The growth and reproductive biology of the limpet Patella aspera were studied in the north-eastern Atlantic, Madeira archipelago, to enhance the knowledge concerning biological parameters and population dynamics of this species. This study comprised the estimation of growth rates, sexual maturity, reproduction, recruitment patterns, mortality coefficients and the exploitation rate, and yield-per-recruit (Y/R) based on monthly shell-length frequency data. A total of 16,941 specimens were sampled from January to December 2015. The relative growth pattern exhibited a negative allometric nature of growth for both sexes. The estimated von Bertalanffy growth parameters showed an asymptotic length of 84.15 mm for females and 80.51 mm for males with a growth coefficient of 0.36 and 0.32 year−1 respectively. P. aspera in this geographical area is a moderately long-lived limpet with a predominance of specimens younger than 3 years old. This species is a winter breeder with a reproductive cycle encompassing three main periods namely development, spawning and resting with a synchronous gametogenesis for both sexes. Gonadal development lasts from October to December, spawning likely occurs from January until April and resting occurs from May to September. The mean size at sexual maturity was determined as 41.78 mm for females and 38.29 mm for males and the length at first capture as 42.62 mm. The recruitment pattern was continuous throughout the year with a major peak identified in March. The natural, fishing and total mortalities were similar between sexes, with fishing mortality exerting greatest pressure on this resource. However, yield-per-recruit analysis showed that the stock of P. aspera, in the study area, is exploited at levels below the fishing mortality that returns maximum sustainable yield. This study revealed that currently the stock of P. aspera is under-exploited, nonetheless due to it’s slow growth and long life, continuous monitoring and the enforcement of the existing harvest regulations must be accomplished if future over-exploitation is to be avoided. Further genetic studies are necessary to establish connectivity of the populations and improve present conservation strategies.

The relation of education, occupation, and cognitive activity to cognitive status in old age: the role of physical frailty.

Abstract: Background: It remains unclear so far whether the role of cognitive reserve may differ between physically frail compared to less frail individuals Therefore, the present study set out to investigate the relation of key markers of cognitive reserve to cognitive status in old age and its interplay with physical frailty in a large sample of older adults Methods: We assessed Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in 701 older adults We measured grip strength as indicator of physical frailty and interviewed individuals on their education, past occupation, and cognitive leisure activity Results: Greater grip strength, longer education, higher cognitive level of job, and greater engaging in cognitive leisure activity were significantly related to higher MMSE scores Moderation analyses showed that the relations of education, cognitive level of job, and cognitive leisure activity to MMSE scores were significantly larger in individuals with lower, compared to those with greater grip strength Conclusions: Cognitive status in old age may more strongly depend on cognitive reserve accumulated during the life course in physically frail (compared to less frail) older adults These findings may be explained by cross-domain compensation effects in vulnerable individuals

Connection between an Exactly Solvable Stochastic Optimal Control Problem and a Nonlinear Reaction-Diffusion Equation

Abstract: We present an exactly soluble optimal stochastic control problem involving a diffusive two-states random evolution process and connect it to a nonlinear reaction-diffusion type of equation by using the technique of logarithmic transformations. The work generalizes the recently established connection between the non-linear Boltzmann-like equations introduced by Ruijgrok and Wu and the optimal control of a two-states random evolution process. In the sense of this generalization, the nonlinear reaction-diffusion equation is identified as the natural diffusive generalization of the Ruijgrok–Wu and Boltzmann model.