Um método prático para germinar sementes de pupunha (Bactris gasipaes H. B. K.)

The pejibaye heart of palm is becoming an agro-industrial export crop in Latin America. The nurseryman needs an efficient, cheap method for germinating large quantities of seed that are currently difficult to obtain. A new method is described for germinating large quantities of seed, in small areas, with 90+% germination within a month. This is better than previously used methods and is recommended for agro-industry scale enterprises.

A indústria de defesa na cooperação Brasil-Portugal

The global dynamics of alliances are strongly determined by the level of cooperation among states. This cooperation can be embodied in various aspects, but the level of defense and security cooperation becomes usually more doctrinal and lasting. By the nature of sovereignty that instills in the bilateral relationship, cooperation at defense and security level can leverages other forms of cooperation. The circumstances and relational balance between Brazil and Portugal seem to evolve towards distancing opportunities, despite they are culturally and institutionally untainted. The economic dynamics, the strategic projection in global sustainability terms, the scale and ambition of Brazilian regional leadership, contrasts with the actual context of Portugal, distancing himself both on the stage where they operate. On the other hand, the historical and cultural roots, the language, the affinity of the peoples of CPLP and some opportunities for economic niches, trend to attract both countries. The condition of Portugal in NATO and Europe, coupled with the ability to export technical and human resources to value-added for Brazil, seems also to become approaching factors. On the balance of these dynamics, there is a set of exogenous factors (economic, external global relations matrix, regional stability, among others), which are not always controlled by any of both countries. These factors call for strong capacity for foresight analysis and decision making, with the inherent risk. There is cooperation vectors that are not apparently penalized by geographic distance, or by the difference of realities. Among these vectors we shall highlight synergies in technological niches, highly tradable goods and, mostly, using the domain of dual technologies. The thirteen niches herein identified are: Monitoring, Navigation, Command and Control, Electronics, Optoelectronics, Communication and remote sensing, Information Technologies, Flight Simulation, Specialized Training, Fiber Optic Sensors, Materials Engineering, Nanotechnology and Communications. Cumulating with identified opportunities in traditional relational framework, both countries are growing (in geography and economic terms) into the Atlantic, making it a central element in the bilateral approach. By being at the same time a growing stage of disputes and which stability tends to be threatened, it will be done an analysis of these synergistic vectors, superimposed on the impact on Atlantic securitization process.

Land of the rising soy an internationalization plan for nutre to the Japanese Soy milk market

The present work project studies the next step in the internationalization process of Shoyce, the soy milk products brand of Nutre. In order to select the best target market in the Asia-Pacific for Nutre to export, a sequential screening process was developed using two complementary approaches: preliminary country screening and country ranking, followed by an in-depth analysis of the country ranking first. The analysis revealed Japan as the most attractive country for Shoyce’s international expansion. Potential entry modes in the Japanese soy milk market were then evaluated, whereby direct exporting via a local distributor was found to be the most appropriate.

Plan to bear fruit

Frutaformas is a Portuguese micro-enterprise, specialized in the production of premium dehydrated-fruit, an emerging snack category fostered by the increasing trend for healthier alimentary habits in developed countries. The relatively small size of the domestic market and the growing competition led Frutaformas to consider Europe as an attractive for export market. A scoring model based on a set of macro and micro-level criteria suggested the United Kingdom as the preferential target country at this stage. Recommendations on the entry mode and the associated risks were elaborated taking into account the country and industry analysis as well as Frutaformas’ unique organizational platform.

Changes in population and land use over time in the Ecuadorian Amazon

This paper draws upon a detailed longitudinal survey of households living on agricultural plots in the northern three provinces of the Ecuadorian Amazon, the principal region of colonization by migrants in Ecuador since the 1970s. Following the discovery of petroleum in 1967 near what has subsequently come to be the provincial capital and largest Amazonian city of Lago Agrio, oil companies built roads to lay pipelines to extract and pump oil across the Andes for export. As a result, for the past 30 years over half of both Ecuador's export earnings and government revenues have come from petroleum extracted from this region. But the roads also facilitated massive spontaneous in-migration of families from origin areas in the Ecuadorian Sierra, characterized by minifundia and rural poverty. This paper is about those migrants and their effects on the Amazonian landscape. We discuss the data collection methodology and summarize key results on settler characteristics and changes in population, land use, land ownership, technology, labor allocation, and living conditions, as well as the relationships between changes in population and changes in land use over time. The population in the study region has been growing rapidly due to both natural population growth (high fertility) and in-migration. This has led to a dramatic process of subdivision and fragmentation of plots in the 1990's, which contrasts with the consolidation of plots that has occurred in most of the mature frontier areas of the Brazilian Amazon. This fragmentation has led to important changes in land tenure and land use, deforestation, cattle raising, labor allocation, and settler welfare.

Brazil nuts: determination of natural elements and aflatoxin

A study was carried out to evaluate the association of levels of radioactivity, selenium and aflatoxin in shelled Brazil nuts, which were classified in different sizes, for export. The selenium determinations were performed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (LOQ = 3.0 µg g-1), and aflatoxins were detected by Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LOQ = 0.85 µg kg-1), recovery rates were between 92 and 100%. Radioactivity was measured by high-resolution gamma spectrometry. The selenium mean concentration was (22.7 ± 7.4) µg g-1. (n = 30). Mean activities determined for the following radium isotopes were: 15.77 Bq kg-1 for 224Ra, 104.8 Bq kg-1 for 226Ra and 99.48 Bq kg-1 for 228Ra. For 226Ra, the levels did not vary significantly with nut sizes, although such differences were observed for 224Ra and 228Ra. There was no statistically significant association between the level of selenium and the activity of radionuclides, however, there was correlation between the radionuclides. Aflatoxins above the quantification limit were not found.

A integração de técnicas BIM nos elementos de projeto de aplicação de sistemas de pré-esforço

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Civil

Planeamento e controlo de projetos de construção com recurso ao BIM

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Engenharia Civil

Compatibilidade do contrato de concessão comercial com as regras de defesa da concorrência

Dissertação de mestrado em Direito dos Contratos e da Empresa

Entrada de multinacionais num cluster e efeitos na estratégia das empresas instaladas

Dissertação de mestrado em Economia Industrial e da Empresa

The role of monocarboxylate transporters in 3-bromopyruvate effect in cancer cells

Tese de Doutoramento em Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (área de especialização em Biologia Molecular e Saúde).

Absorption and nutrient concentration in apple (Pyrus mains L.)

In order to obtain the following informations: a) dry matter production and extraction of nutrients by the fruits at different ages; b) dry matter production and extraction of nutrient by the leaves and "trunk + branches" collected at the flowering stage; c) dry matter production and export of nutrients by pruning (leaves and branches) at the begining dormant stage; A trial was conducted on Latossolo Vermelho Escuro Orto group (Orthox) at Buri, São Paulo State, Brazil. The material was collected from 'Ohio Beauty' and 'Brazil' apples grafted on 'Doucin' 1-2; 3-4; 4-5 and 6-7 years old. The main conclusions were as follows: a) differences were observed on dry matter production by two varieties at the different stages of growth; b) differences were also observed between the two varieties on the matter production in the leaves and "trunk + branches" at the flowering stage, as well as by the leaves and branches pruned at the begining of dormant stages; c) differences were observed betwen the two varieties concerning to nutrient concentration (on dry matter basis) on the fruits collected at different stages of growth. Same results were observed on leaves and "trunk + branches" collected at flowering period; d) differences were observed on the exportation of the nutrients referring to growth period of fruit; e) at the flowering and dormant period, differences were observed on the contents of nutrients in the leaves, 'trunk + branches', on the two varieties; f) the nutrient exportation by the fruits obyed the following order: K>N>P>S>Ca>Mg>Fe>B > Cu > Mn > Zn > Mo; g) the nutrient extration by the aerial part the apple trees obyed the following order: N > K > Ca > Mg > P > S > Fe > B > Cu = Mn = Zn.

Seasonal abundance of the shipworm Neoteredo reynei (Bivalvia, Teredinidae) in mangrove driftwood from a northern Brazilian beach

Shipworms are important decomposers of wood, especially in mangrove forests where productivity is high. However, little emphasis has been given to the activity of shipworms in relation to the export of nutrients from mangroves to adjacent coastal areas. As a first step to obtaining such information, the frequency of colonized mangrove driftwood as well as shipworm density and length were studied by collecting washed up logs during a year at Ajuruteua beach, state of Pará, northern Brazil. A single species, Neoteredo reynei (Bartsch, 1920), was found colonizing driftwood. Although large colonized logs were most common on the beach, shipworm density was higher in small logs, especially during the dry season. In general, however, density was higher during the wet season (January to April) and lowest in July. Overall shipworm mean length was 9.66cm. In large logs, mean length increased between the wet and dry seasons. However, there was no difference in length among log size categories. Mean shipworm length was similar throughout most of the year but tended to be greater in July. Although salinity varied between 10.9 and 40 during the year, no relationship was found between salinity and density or length. The results suggest that shipworm activity in driftwood logs is relatively constant throughout the year. Increased air humidity and rainfall may promote survival during the wet season. Large logs may take longer to colonize and thus have lower densities than small ones which are scarce probably because they are destroyed rapidly by shipworm activity. However, data on the disintegration of logs would be necessary to test this hypothesis. Larger size of shipworms in the dry season may be related to growth after an earlier recruitment period. Shipworms in large logs during the dry season may be better protected from dessication and high temperatures by the insulating properties of the larger volume of wood.

Colombian international trade from a physical perspective: towards an ecologial "Prebisch Thesis"

Prebisch's approach to economic development was based on the notion that there is an international historical division of labour. Peripheral countries are specialized in exporting primary goods while centre countries export industrial goods. The Terms of trade for peripheral countries tend to deteriorate. This approach can be extendend to ecological issues. The international Centre-Periphery division does not only involve the monetary exchange of goods and capital, but also the physical exchange in which Southern countries provide materials and energy so that Northern countries can develop their socioconomic metabolism. This metabolism process is guaranteed through cheap prices for primary goods. This paper aims to apply and extend Prebisch's thought on unequal exchange, both monetary and ecological, in relation to colombian trade in the period 1970-2002, using material flow analysis.