Essential Oil Composition and Anti-Cholinesterase Properties of Foliage Harvested in São Miguel Island (Azores) in Two Different Seasons.

The Azorean forest operations and wood industry generate considerable foliage biomass residues that are used for local essential oil (EO) production. However, research on seasonal variation of EO remains scarce. In this study, the EOs from fresh Azorean foliage (Az-CJF) collected in autumn (Aut) and spring (Spr) were obtained via hydrodistillation and investigated for their physical properties, yield, chemical composition, and bioactivities.

Anticholinesterase and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Essential Oils of Sawdust and Resin-Rich Bark from Azorean (Cupressaceae): In Vitro and In Silico Studies.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe cognitive impairment, affects millions of people worldwide. However, AD therapy remains limited and mainly symptomatic-focused, with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors being the major available drugs. Thus, AD is considered by the WHO as a disorder of public health priority.

New findings of terrestrial arthropods from the Azorean Islands.

The knowledge on taxonomic diversity of arthropods is key to better understanding the biodiversity patterns and processes and guiding sustainable conservation strategies and practices. In the Azores, terrestrial arthropods are relatively well-inventoried following the publication of comprehensive checklists that have been regularly updated. Nevertheless, every year, new species are found as a result of new arrivals to the Archipelago and from addressing specific taxonomic lacunae.

Experience of Labour and Childbirth in a Sample of Portuguese Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/objectives: Childbirth is a profoundly personal experience that often does not align with expectations. The World Health Organization has established guidelines for best practises; in this sense, it is crucial to understand the childbirth experiences of Portuguese women in comparison with these guidelines.

Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional study was conducted to achieve this.

Styrylchromones: Biological Activities and Structure-Activity Relationship.

Styrylchromones (SC) are a group of oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds, which are characterized by the attachment of a styryl group to the chromone core. SC can be found in nature or can be chemically synthesized in the laboratory. As their presence in nature is scarce, the synthetic origin is the most common.

Mapping multi-dimensional variability in water stress strategies across temperate forests.

Increasing water stress is emerging as a global phenomenon, and is anticipated to have a marked impact on forest function. The role of tree functional strategies is pivotal in regulating forest fitness and their ability to cope with water stress. However, how the functional strategies found at the tree or species level scale up to characterise forest communities and their variation across regions is not yet well-established.

Flower Visitation through the Lens: Exploring the Foraging Behaviour of with a Computer Vision-Based Application.

To understand the processes behind pollinator declines and for the conservation of pollination services, we need to understand fundamental drivers influencing pollinator behaviour. Here, we aimed to elucidate how wild bumblebees interact with three plant species and investigated their foraging behaviour with varying flower densities. We video-recorded in 60 × 60 cm quadrats of , , and in urban areas of Terceira (Azores, Portugal).

Unveiling Arthropod Responses to Climate Change: A Functional Trait Analysis in Intensive Pastures.

This study investigates the impact of elevated temperatures on arthropod communities in intensively managed pastures on the volcanic island of Terceira, Azores (Portugal), using a functional trait approach. Open Top Chambers (OTCs) were employed to simulate increased temperatures, and the functional traits of ground dwelling arthropods were analyzed along a small elevation gradient (180-400 m) during winter and summer. Key findings include lower abundances of herbivores, coprophagous organisms, detritivores, and fungivores at high elevations in summer, with predators showing a peak at middle elevations.

Decoding Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Genomic insights into adaptation, antibiotic resistance, and the enigmatic role of T6SS in interbacterial dynamics.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa demonstrates a remarkable capacity for adaptation and survival in diverse environments. Furthermore, its clinical importance is underscored by its intrinsic and acquired resistance to a wide range of antimicrobial agents, posing a substantial challenge in healthcare settings. Amidst this complex landscape of resistance, the Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) in P.

The MOVECLIM - AZORES project: Bryophytes from Terceira Island along an elevation gradient.

Background: Systematic studies on the biodiversity of bryophytes along elevational gradients have been conductuted within the native vegetation of the Azores, using the MOVECLIM framework. The primary objective of this study was to inventory the bryophytes present within preserved areas of native vegetation in Terceira Island (Azores). From 25 to 28 September 2012, an inventory of the bryoflora was carried out along an elevational gradient, starting near Serreta lighthouse (38.

Delphi Technique on Nursing Competence Studies: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review was conducted under the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework. It included primary studies published until 30 April 2023, obtained through a systematic search across PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and MEDLINE databases. The review focused on primary studies that used the Delphi technique in nursing competence research, especially those related to defining core competency frameworks and developing instruments to assess professional competence.

Survey of Gastrointestinal Parasites and Lungworms in Cats and Dogs from Terceira and São Miguel Islands, Azores.

Parasitic diseases can affect animal health and welfare, and they may also constitute a danger to public health, particularly in island ecosystems. Fecal samples were collected from 205 dogs and 115 cats on the islands of São Miguel and Terceira, Azores archipelago (Portugal), using the Willis flotation technique and modified Baermann method, for further analysis. The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitism in dogs was 53%, with the following results: Ancylostomatidae (hookworms) (42.

Monitoring arthropods under the scope of the LIFE-BEETLES project: I - Baseline data with implementation of the Index of Biotic Integrity.

Background: The urgent need for conservation efforts in response to the global biodiversity crisis is exemplified by initiatives, such as the EU LIFE BEETLES project. This project aims to preserve endangered arthropod species that are crucial for ecosystem functionality, with a focus on endemic beetle species in Flores, Pico and Terceira Islands (Azores, Portugal): Borges & Serrano, 2017, (Tarnier, 1860) and Borges, Serrano & Amorim, 2004. These species are single island endemics respectively from Flores, Pico and Terceira.

Context-driven communication during deep-sea foraging in a social toothed whale.

Social deep-diving odontocetes face the challenge of balancing near-surface proximity to oxygen and group members with foraging in the deep sea. Individuals rely on conspecifics for critical life functions, such as predator defence, but disperse during foraging to feed individually. To understand the role of social acoustic mediation during foraging in deep-diving toothed whales, we investigated the context of social burst-pulse call production in Risso's dolphin () using biologgers.

Predisposing Factors to Medication Errors by Nurses and Prevention Strategies: A Scoping Review of Recent Literature.

Medication errors have serious consequences and high costs for the patient and the system. The treatment process and the care required for critically ill patients are complex, and these patients are more vulnerable to errors and potential consequences. A scoping review using the JBI methodology was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL, and MEDLINE databases and reported by the PRISMA-ScR guidelines to explore strategies that can mitigate medication errors by nurses.

Exploring cheese and red wine pairing by an simulation of tasting.

The cheese wine pairing is a beloved combination subject to a certain subjectivity due to sensorial, psychological, chemical, and cultural factors. This work represents a first attempt to explore the interactions between cheese, wine, and saliva to objectively measure the pairing. Two experimental red wines obtained from the same grape cultivar and four different cheeses were studied for their composition.

Sequential Separation of Essential Oil Components during Hydrodistillation of Fresh Foliage from Azorean (Cupressaceae): Effects on Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Free Radical Scavenging Activities.

wood industry generates large amounts of foliage biomass residues. Due to the increasing applications and markets for essential oils (EOs), fresh Azorean foliage (Az-CJF) residues are used for local EO production. Hydrodistillation (HD), a common process for obtaining EOs, also provides the possibility to fractionate them.

Chemical Compositions and In Vitro Antioxidant Activities of the Essential Oils of Sawdust and Resin-Rich Bark from Azorean (Cupressaceae).

In the Azores archipelago (Portugal), forest operations and wood industry generate large amounts of biomass residues (CJBR), which can be used to produce valuable essential oils (EOs). In this study, we evaluated the chemical composition and antioxidant activities of EOs from Azorean sawdust (CJS) and resin-rich bark (CJRRB). The CJS and CJRRB EOs, obtained via hydrodistillation, showed different yield values (0.

In defence of the entity of Macaronesia as a biogeographical region.

Since its coinage ca. 1850 AD by Philip Barker Webb, the biogeographical region of Macaronesia, consisting of the North Atlantic volcanic archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira with the tiny Selvagens, the Canaries and Cabo Verde, and for some authors different continental coastal strips, has been under dispute. Herein, after a brief introduction on the terminology and purpose of regionalism, we recover the origins of the Macaronesia name, concept and geographical adscription, as well as its biogeographical implications and how different authors have positioned themselves, using distinct terrestrial or marine floristic and/or faunistic taxa distributions and relationships for accepting or rejecting the existence of this biogeographical region.