Southern European cities face the challenges associated with the recent emergence of the formal and informal economies of the 'Tourist City' and are the scenario for diverse social tensions. Local protests against these changes, sometimes discredited as NIMBY –Not In My Backyard– have led to conflicts with visitors and local public administrations. However, fuzzy definitions of the groups organising these protests are often found in the literature, as well as regarding the previous urban conditions for and the impacts of their actions. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the protests in the Portuguese neighbourhood of Bairro Alto (Lisbon) and the Spanish neighbourhood of La Latina (Madrid), in order to explore how moral ownership and 'belonging narratives' around places are variously put into play to legitimise and/or contest urban changes. We also reflect on the benefits and perils of building strong local identities versus the contemporary global tourism that flows into Southern European cities.
Food products are processed by different technologies in order to increase its safety and shelflife. Food irradiation is regulated in European Union by the Directive 1999/2/EC, approved by international organizations of food (FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization) and health (WHO – World Health Organization) and the demand for post-harvest processed food products without use of chemicals could be an opportunity to boost irradiation technologies, that are already currently used for food preservation, namely for ripening delay, insects' disinfestation or food decontamination. Before starting an irradiation process a dosimetric study is always performed to characterize the absorbed dose taking in account food product characteristics, namely bulk and volumetric density, in order to guarantee the desired effect, without compromising the main physicochemical parameters. The dose inside the food product can only be assessed indirectly or estimated by computational methods. The effective dose, a concept used more in human radiotherapy, takes in account the type of radiation and tissue. In food irradiation the effective dose could be estimated from the absorbed dose, considering the physical characteristics of the product. The irradiations of food and food phantoms were performed in a Co-60 experimental chamber, with a total activity of 198 TBq (5.33 kCi) in November 2012 (Precisa 22, Graviner Manufacturing Company Ltd, U.K.). The dose was estimated for each fruit in three different positions in the chamber and the values of absorbed dose were obtained by spectrophotometric methods, using previous calibrated routine Amber Perspex dosimeters (batch V, from Harwell Company, U.K.). Using an experimental approach, the estimated absorbed dose for different phantoms are presented and corrected with the physical characteristics, dimensions, density and radiation mass attenuation coefficient of the food product to obtain the effective dose, that could be used to better characterize the irradiation process.
Food irradiation is a well established process, approved by international organizations of food (FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization) and health (WHO – World Health Organization), and regulated in European Union by the Directive 1999/2/EC. Chestnuts are a seasonal fruit that must be post-harvest treated to meet the food safety regulations. Until recently, this was done with methyl bromide fumigation that was banned in March 2010 by the European legislation [EU, 2008] given no or few alternatives to the producers and agro-industry that process this product. Italy and Portugal are the two main producers of European varieties (Castanea sativa Miller) with 42700 kton and 22400 kton., respectively. In this context, irradiation could come as feasible alternative if the food product meets the needed quality parameters after processing. The main irradiation studies on chestnuts were done in Asian varieties and only recently in European varieties [Mangiacotti et al., 2009; Antonio et al., 2011]. Previously to the irradiation of chestnuts dosimetric studies were performed in a Co-60 experimental chamber with four sources, with a total activity of 267 TBq (6.35 kCi) in November 2011 (Precisa 22, Graviner Manufacturing Company Ltd, U.K.). The dose was estimated for a rectangular box with the dimensions of 15 x 15 x 7 cm, in the centre and corners, in two levels of the chamber using two types of dosimeters: a ionization chamber (model FC65-P, from IBA Group, Belgium); a Fricke solution, prepared in the lab following the standard ASTM E1026-92. Routine dosimeters, Amber Perspex (batch V, from Harwell Company, U.K.) were used to confirm the estimated doses. The comparison of results is showed and a dose mapping was built and is presented. The uniformity ratio, Dmax/Dmin, obtained was lower than 3, in accord with European legislation for food processing.
In a recent worldwide estimation, food irradiation processing represents about 400 000 ton, from which almost half (186 000 ton) were to eliminate insects. In EU Mediterranean countries chestnut fruits production represents a market of more than 100 000 ton, being Portugal the third producer with an amount of 20 000 ton, exporting 25% of the production, representing an income of about 15 million Euros. In March 2010, a European Union commission decision prohibited the use of methyl bromide (MeBr), a wide spectrum fumigant used for different agricultural purposes, namely for post-harvest disinfestation of chestnut fruits. The banning of MeBr could represent an opportunity to implement ionizing radiation treatment, as a well tested technology in other food commodities for post-harvest preservation. Electron beam irradiators are more hardware sophisticated than gamma irradiators, however due to several factors they are becoming more popular and being the first choice, whenever the product can be treated by low penetration radiation. Since the current focus for food irradiation is in e-beam versatility and advantages, it is presented in this paper a detailed analysis and discussion about technical characteristics and feasibility for post-harvest irradiation of chestnut fruits, taking in account the physical dimensions and fruits seasonality, beam energy, throughput and total costs of operation, to estimate the impact on the final price of the irradiated product.
Report of the Methyl Bromide Technical Options Committee. United Nations Environment Programme. EU, 2008. Commission Decision. Official Journal of the European Union, L 258/68, 26 September. Antonio, A. L., Carocho, M. Bento, A., Quintana, B., Botelho, M.L., Ferreira, I.C.F.R. (2012). Effects of gamma radiation on the biological, physico-chemical, nutritional and antioxidant parameters of chestnuts - A review. Food and Chemical Toxicology 50 (9), pp. 3234-3242. ; Food irradiation is an industrial process used for several purposes: decontamination, sterilization, disinfestation or to increase products shelf-life. In chestnut fruits, irradiation appears as possible alternative for quarantine post-harvest treatment, due to recently being prohibited the use of methyl bromide, a toxic agent for the operators and for the environment [UNEP, 1995; EU, 2008]; The use of this technology is regulated by national and international food safety authorities, concerning the type of radiation used and, mainly, the dose applied to the product. The typical recommended doses for food processing are lower than 10 kGy but each product, due to its particular characteristics and inhomogeneities, must be submitted to a validation process. Chestnut fruits irradiation studies were done mainly in Asian varieties and only recently in European varieties (Castanea sativa Mill.) [Antonio et al., 2012]. Computed Tomography (CT) images are currently used to give support to clinical dosimetry for a better planning in radiotherapy. In this preliminary study we used CT images to characterize the density of the inhomogeneous fruit and to validate the effective dose in irradiated chestnuts. The absorbed dose was measured in "fruits phantoms" using two types of dosimeters, a reference dosimeter, Fricke solution, and a routine dosimeter, Amber Perspex. We present the densities for outer shell, inner skin, and fruits flesh, obtained from the CT images, and compare the results of the two dosimetric systems. Using these procedures, we could conclude that the absorbed doses are well characterized and guarantee that the dose validation in an irradiation process respects the recommended food irradiation regulations. REFERENCES UNEP, 1995. Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer. ; ON.2/QREN/EU Project nº 13198/2010 for financial support; FCT grant to A. L. Antonio, SFRH/PROTEC/67398/2010. Dr. Carlos Vaz, General Director of Centro Hospitalar de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro - Vila Real, for allowing CT images.
2 pages.-- International Estuarine Biogeochemistry Symposium, Vigo (Spain), 4-5th June 2019 ; The globalization of the industrialization is being pointed out as the synchronous and global event that potentially marks the starting point of a current-proposed stratigraphic epoch: the 'Anthropocene'. Its study makes necessary high-resolution (yearly) works on recent stratigraphic records such as estuarine sediments. Concerning industrialization, the Ria of Ferrol represents a paradigmatic example in the NW of the Iberian Peninsula. This area is under the impact of military shipyards since 1730. Their maximum activity happened after 1947, consequence of the industry restructuring and the implementation of civil shipbuilding (including oil super-tankers). The present study focused on a sediment core of 50 cm long that holds record since the beginning of the 20th century, according to Pb-210 dating. Trace metal contents were evaluated to identify the human imprint. Background levels established in nearby areas with similar mineralogical characteristics were considered. Three main periods can be distinguished based on the trace-element to Al ratios: (i) from the beginning of the 20th century until about 1970, when ratios increase usually about 1.5 to 2.4 times, (ii) between around 1970 to 1990, when these ratios decrease usually about 1.4 to 2.3 times, and (iii) from 1990 to 2010, when ratios maintained. The studied sediments reflect the human-environment relationship in the area during the 20th century: the metal to Al ratios, sediment accumulation rates, total metal fluxes and enrichment factors show a first period of increasing industrialization without environmental concern, followed by an industrial collapse and a subsequent reactivation while implementing environmental friendly processes and policies ; This study from the project "Coastal contributions of trace elements during different oceanographic periods" (CTM2011-28792-C02-02), funded by MINECO ; Peer reviewed
Food irradiation is a process that has been regaining an increasing interest for different food products to increase shelf life, for disinfestation or sterilization, being an alternative processing food technology to meet food safety quality parameters. The development of ionizing radiation applications for industrial purposes in Portugal began near of 1982 with the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The research activities carried out in this country have been closely related with the main applications of this technology, namely the sterilization of medical devices and pharmaceuticals and other products' decontamination. These activities have frequently been followed through by different industries. Recently, a Cobalt-60 research equipment was upgraded and an electron-beam equipment was implemented in order to sustain the R&D. These equipments are located at Nuclear and Technological Institute, in Lisbon-Portugal, where the industrial and R&D activities are developed. The chestnut European variety, Castanea sativa Miller, is a valuable natural resource in Portugal (3% world production, about 30 kton), with high exportation levels (10 kton, representing an income of 12 M€), that has to be postharvest treated to meet the international fitossanitary regulations. Until now, the most common preservation method used was the chemical fumigation with methyl bromide, a toxic agent that is under strictly use according to Montreal Protocol due to the adverse effects on human health and environment. Its application is forbidden by the European Union (EU) since March 2010. Irradiation is a possible feasible alternative to substitute the traditional quarantine chemical fumigation treatment. This food processing technology is regulated by the EU, Directive 1999/2/EC. To validate this process different approaches are needed and, therefore, we established a interdisciplinary research group between Portugal and Spain, with complementary expertises such as agronomy (disinfestation), microbiology (sterilization), food chemistry and engineering (chemical and physical parameters), physics (dosimetry and dose mapping). Studies in simulation based on Monte-Carlo programs are being developed in order to optimize the irradiation geometry for its technological application. Fundamental and applied research is ongoing for different food products (chestnuts disinfestation, wild mushrooms preservation, food irradiation for imunocompromised persons – supported by national and international funds: EU, IAEA) in order to understand the irradiation mechanisms of action and to apply the technology with safety and quality patterns. Moreover, since food irradiation represents an intensive capital investment, its feasibility is only possible for a unit that processes different food products.
Data de publicació electrónica: 17-05-2021 ; Aims This study reports the foundations, strategies, and results of an institutional change experience based on the combination of participatory-action-research and new currents of collective mobilization and political participation. It aimed to achieve the institution's greater social commitment and a more participatory and transparent management. Methods The process took place in a Spanish public university and was promoted and coordinated by a Work Group that emerged from grassroots university community. Collective diagnosis was performed through face-to-face strategies (global, sectorial, and faculty meetings) and virtual tools (web-blog, on-line surveys, shared documents). Collective action combined nonformal with formal institutional participation and applied hybrid activism, self-organization in horizontal structures and integrative conflict management. Results A sequential process of diagnosis, collective action, and negotiation was implemented. As a result, the university Governing Team, representatives from different sectors and members of the Work Group worked jointly to define several institutional actions that were thereafter launched. Those actions aimed to improve institutional participation and transparency, and greater institutional social commitment. Conclusion The combination of participatory-action-research and new ways of collective action can be an excellent tool to draw institutions towards greater social engagement, thus contributing to sustainable social change. A model to guide institutional change is drafted.
Chestnut fruit must be postharvest treated to meet the international fitossanitary regulations during exportation. Chemical fumigation with methyl bromide was the most common practice for elimination of insects in those fruits. Nevertheless, it is a toxic product for the operators and was recently banned by the european legislation (March 2010), following the international recommendations of Montreal Protocol on ozone depleting substances. Therefore, it becomes essential to find alternative preservation methodologies. Irradiation might be a good alternative; its use by several industries on different food products could confirm the viability of such treatment in chestnut fruits. The effects of storage time (0 and 30 days at 4 oC) and irradiation dose (gamma and e-beam) up to 3 kGy on physico-chemical parameters were evaluated. Those parameters included colour, texture, moisture, nutritional value, sugars, fatty acids and tocopherols [1-3]. After analysis of the results, it was observed that irradiation at up to 3 kGy did not affect the mentioned parameters, being more relevant the effects of storage time. Overall, the irradiation might be a promising alternative for post-harvest chestnuts processing, without altering the main physico-chemical characteristics. References [1] Antonio et al. Food Chem. Toxicol., 49 (2011) 1918-1923. [2] Fernandes et al. Food Chem. Toxicol. 49 (2011) 2429-2432. [3] Fernandes et al. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2011, 59, 10028–10033. ; Agroaguiar Lda. for samples providing; ON.2/QREN/EU Project nº 13198/2010 for financial support; A. Antonio grant SFRH/PROTEC/67398/2010. Prof. A. Chmielewski, General Director of Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warsaw – Poland, for allowing e-beam irradiations.
31 pages, 5 figures. ; Evaluation of biogeochemical processes in Anthropocene deep-sea sediments require accurate dating techniques. Here we show the results of an approach using high resolution low level background gamma spectrometry with two simultaneous hyper-pure germanium (HPGe) detectors. The quantitative role of the deepest zones (>3000 m depth) of the Irminger Basin (Subpolar North Atlantic Ocean) as a carbon sink during the Anthropocene is evaluated combining a chronology based in the natural radionuclide 210Pb with sedimentological analysis and elemental composition. The average sedimentation rate of the central Irminger is 1.28 ± 0.18 mm·yr−1, with a mean weighted flux to the sediment for inorganic and organic carbon of 46 ± 15 g·Cinorg·m−2·yr−1 and 8 ± 1 g·Corg·m−2·yr−1. The biogenic fraction of the mass flux is increased since the XXth century. The contribution of the deepest zones of the Irminger Basin to the Anthropocene carbon sequestration in the North Atlantic Ocean is considerable at basin-scale. ; For this work M. Fontela was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the BOCATS project supported by the Spanish Government. ; Peer reviewed
LEBAN tiene como objetivo evaluar el resultado de los procesos de constitución de asociaciones e intentos de tregua con agrupaciones juveniles de calle en las dos primeras décadas del siglo XXI, analizando qué funcionó y qué falló. Se centra en el caso español, con estudios en profundidad de los tres territorios donde las pandillas tienen mayor presencia: Cataluña, Madrid y Comunidad Valenciana. Dicho estudio se comparará con el caso ecuatoriano, donde la constitución de asociaciones contó con el apoyo del gobierno, y con el caso salvadoreño, donde la "tregua" con las maras tuvo éxito a corto plazo, pero acabó fracasando. Cuatro retos organizan los workpackages del proyecto: realizar un análisis macro de las percepciones sociales en torno a las bandas, a partir de Big Data, análisis de redes sociales y estadísticas oficiales; hacer un análisis meso de las políticas públicas y de las sentencias judiciales; a nivel micro, analizar los procesos de legalización evaluando los puntos fuertes y débiles de tales procesos, vinculado a un repertorio de buenas prácticas en el ámbito local y global, incidiendo en políticas públicas preventivas y experiencias de justicia restaurativa. Además de un análisis retrospectivo de los últimos 15 años, el proyecto propone una mirada al futuro próximo, planteando cuales son las políticas más efectivas para prevenir la deriva criminal de las bandas. El presente documento recoge las presentaciones y debates del LEBAN Training Webinar, que tuvo lugar durante el mes de mayo de 2021, en tres sesiones dedicadas respectivamente a España, El Salvador y Ecuador, en las que participaron la mayoría de los miembros del proyecto. ; This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 742705 ; Este texto forma parte del proyecto LEBAN: ¿Legalizar las bandas? La constitución de asociaciones a partir de agrupaciones juveniles de calle en España, Ecuador y El Salvador: evaluación y prospectiva (2000-2025). Plan Nacional I+D+i. Convocatoria 2019: Retos Investigación. IP: C. Feixa. 2020-2023 [PID2019-110893RB-I00].
The nuclear structure of neutron-rich nuclei close to the double-magic nucleus 78Ni has been investigated by measuring the lifetime of excited states. In this contribution, it will be presented the lifetime of the Jπ = 7=2 excited state at 981 keV of the 71Cu isotope, measured using the AGATA Demonstrator coupled to the PRISMA spectrometer and the Köln plunger setup. This is the first time this combined setup has been used for a lifetime measurement. ; This work has been partially supported by the grants FPA2008-06419, FPA2008-03774, AIC10-D-000605, AIC-D-2011-0764 and Consolider CSD2007-00042 from the Spanish Government and by INFN Italy. ; Peer Reviewed
