Suchergebnisse

The increased biodiversity loss led the European Union to create an ecological network of protected areas, Natura 2000 Network, to ensure the long-term survival of the most vulnerable species and their habitats. European governments have also invested in conservation with the allocation of formal protected areas. Another threat is climate change, which already affected species distributions and phenology. One of the main mitigation strategies is the expansion of protected areas and ecological corridors. This study aims to analyse and identify climate-resilient areas in Iberian Peninsula in order to maximise biodiversity persistence and verify if those areas match Iberian protected areas. I identified the areas likely to sustain adequate climate conditions for nine species of vertebrates (two mammals, three amphibians and four reptiles) considering three scenarios of global climate change. By answering this question, area-based conservation measures can be applied to those species, based on ecological criteria and following the predictions for climate change; Priorização de áreas para a conservação da natureza sob alterações climáticas: Península Ibérica como um caso-estudo Resumo: O aumento da perda de biodiversidade levou a União Europeia a criar uma rede ecológica de áreas protegidas, a Rede Natura 2000, para garantir a sobrevivência a longo prazo das espécies mais vulneráveis e dos seus habitats. Os governos também investiram na conservação com o estabelecimento de áreas protegidas. Outra ameaça são as mudanças climáticas, que já afectaram a distribuição de espécies e fenologia. Uma das principais estratégias de mitigação é a expansão de áreas protegidas e corredores ecológicos. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar e identificar áreas de conservação resilientes às alterações do clima na Península Ibérica, de forma a maximizar a persistência da biodiversidade e verificar se estas áreas coincidem com as áreas protegidas da Península Ibérica. Identifiquei as áreas que podem sustentar as condições climáticas para nove espécies de vertebrados (dois mamíferos, três anfíbios e quatro répteis) considerando três cenários de mudanças climáticas globais. Ao responder a esta questão, podem ser aplicadas a estas espécies medidas de conservação com base em critérios ecológicos e seguindo as previsões de mudanças climáticas.

Dissertação de mestrado em Finanças ; This study examines the short-term stock price reaction to an acquisition announcement and the long-term post-performance in order to test the existence of a momentum effect in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The stock price reaction to the announcement of an acquisition is measured by the cumulative abnormal announcement returns (CAARs), while the long-run performance is estimated using the buy-and-hold abnormal returns (BHARs). Using a sample of 3,496 European Union (EU) completed acquisitions between 2002 and 2012, I find evidence of merger momentum by showing that (1) acquirers are more likely to obtain higher CAARs in period of "hot merger markets" (i.e., when previous recent acquirers have also earned higher announcement returns) and (2) the higher abnormal announcement returns tend to revert in the long-run, with acquirers exhibiting lower BHARs. These results are in line with the investor sentiment (optimism) hypothesis in hot merger markets. Further, the findings hold after several robustness tests, including industry fixed effects and the elimination of consecutive acquisitions by the same acquirer that occur in a small time window. ; Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar a existência de momentum em fusões e aquisições (F&A). Consistente com a literatura, este fenómeno é analisado através da comparação das rendibilidades anormais acumuladas com as rendibilidades a 3 anos das empresas envolventes na compra da aquisição. Usando uma amostra de 3496 F&A efetuadas por empresas pertencentes à União Europeia entre 2002 e 2012, encontra-se evidência de momentum, observando-se que (1) acquirers obtêm rendibilidades positivas e elevadas na presença de hot merger markets (isto é, quando recentes aquisições tem sido bem sucedidas) e (2) as elevadas rendibilidades tendem a reverter no longo prazo, com as empresas adquirentes reportando rendibilidades negativas a 3 anos. Os resultados são consistentes com a teoria do sentimento do investidor (otimismo). Após vários ...

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the co-movements between the Portuguese, Greek, Irish and German government bond markets after the subprime crisis (2007 to 2013), with a special focus on the European sovereign debt crisis. It aims to assess the existence of contagion between the Portuguese, Greece and Irish bond markets and to explore the phenomenon of flight-to-quality from the Portuguese and Greek bond markets to the German market.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is undertaken using a DCC-GARCH model with daily data for 10-year yield government bonds. The change in correlation from the stable periods to the crisis periods is used to identify contagion or flight-to-quality.FindingsResults suggest that there was contagion between the Greek and Portuguese markets, and to a lesser extent between the Irish and Portuguese markets. During most of the identified crisis periods, there are evident flight-to-quality flows from the Portuguese and Greek bond markets to the German market.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by applying the methodology DCC-GARCH to several crisis episodes for the analysis of contagion and flight-to-quality during the European sovereign debt crisis.

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Abstract
In recent years we have witnessed in several countries the rise of new and unexpected forms of collective mobilization and activism. The main goal of this article is to discuss the role played by digital devices and online platforms in how activism is currently being represented and practiced by young people. Our reflection is empirically grounded on a recent exploratory research project carried out in Portugal. This project, using an array of qualitative methods (ethnographic observation, in-depth interviews, etc.), had as its main purpose to explore young people's digital activism. In this article we will discuss this project's findings, analyzing not only the uses of digital media within a set of activist practices, but also the social representations built around this issue by different social actors participating in several activist groups.

The past two decades have witnessed the rise of a new global cycle of collective action not only organized through the Internet and made visible during mass pro-test events, but also locally shaped by diverse organizations, networks, platforms and groups. Focusing on specific cases in two Iberian cities — Barcelona and Lisbon — we argue that this protest cycle has given rise to new kinds of movements referred to here as 'new, new' social movements. We analyze particular aspects of each case, but also discuss their European and global dimensions. The article will also highlight the role of youth, discussing the characteristics associated with the participation of young people in the 'new, new' movements. After a short introduction to the research on this topic, focusing on the emergence of the 'anti-corporate globalization movement' and related theoretical implications, we provide a description of four protest events in Barcelona and Lisbon. Next, we analyze the local contexts that anchor these events. Finally, we discuss the main characteristics of the 'new, new' social movements, examining the links between Barcelona and Lisbon and the wider international context that shapes them and paying particular attention to contemporary networking dynamics.

This paper aims to study the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on brand image and brand equity and its impact on consumer satisfaction. The study follows a quantitative methodology, using the implementation of an online questionnaire distributed to people who bought, during the pandemic, a product that used a CSR action. Subsequently, data were analyzed through Smart PLS, following the Structural Equation Model. It was possible to conclude that the CSR initiatives positively affect consumer satisfaction through the mediating effect of brand image and brand equity. Further, brand image and brand equity improve when companies use CSR initiatives, and, despite what previous research has concluded, consumer satisfaction is not affected directly when CSR initiatives are used. This research has also showed that CSR's impact on brand image is higher for men, and CSR initiatives' impact on brand equity is also higher for regular purchase consumers.

Jeffrey J. Juris (New Jersey, 1971-Boston, 2020) fue pionero en el estudio del movimiento altermundialista, tema al que dedicó su tesis doctoral, presentada en la Universidad de
Berkeley y luego publicada en su influyente libro Networking Futures: the Movements against Corporate Globalization (2008). Ademas de los Estados Unidos, llevó a cabo trabajo de campo en Cataluña y México, a partir de una etnografía transnacional y militante. El artículo repasa la trayectoria de este antropólogo, desaparecido en junio de 2020, a partir del testimonio de personas que coincidieron con él, valorando su contribución al estudio de los movimientos sociales en red.

Funding Information: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We thank Christiane Dahl from the University of Bonn for critically reading the manuscript. This work was funded by the Fundac¸ão para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal) through Fellowships PD/BD/135488/2018 (A.C.C.B.), PD/BD/128204/2016 (D.F.), and SFRH/BPD/79823/2011 (S.S.V.); Grants PTDC/BIA-MIC/6512/2014 and PTDC/BIA-BQM/29118/2017; and Research unit Molecular and Structural Microbiology (MOSTMICRO-ITQB) (Grants UIDB/04612/ 2020 and UIDP/04612/2020). The European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program (Grant Agreement No. 810856) is also acknowledged. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. ; Dissimilatory sulfur metabolism was recently shown to be much more widespread among bacteria and archaea than previously believed. One of the key pathways involved is the dsr pathway that is responsible for sulfite reduction in sulfate-, sulfur-, thiosulfate-, and sulfite-reducing organisms, sulfur disproportionators and organosulfonate degraders, or for the production of sulfite in many photo- and chemotrophic sulfur-oxidizing prokaryotes. The key enzyme is DsrAB, the dissimilatory sulfite reductase, but a range of other Dsr proteins is involved, with different gene sets being present in organisms with a reductive or oxidative metabolism. The dsrD gene codes for a small protein of unknown function and has been widely used as a functional marker for reductive or disproportionating sulfur metabolism, although in some cases this has been disputed. Here, we present in vivo and in vitro studies showing that DsrD is a physiological partner of DsrAB and acts as an activator of its sulfite reduction activity. DsrD is expressed in respiratory but not in fermentative conditions and a ΔdsrD deletion strain could be obtained, indicating that its function is not essential. This strain grew less efficiently during sulfate and sulfite reduction. Organisms with the earliest forms of dsrAB lack the dsrD gene, revealing that its activating role ...

Many questions regarding proteins involved in microbial sulfur metabolism remain unsolved. For sulfur respiration at low pH, the terminal electron acceptor is still unclear. Desulfurella amilsii is a sulfur-reducing bacterium that respires elemental sulfur (S0) or thiosulfate, and grows by S0 disproportionation. Due to its versatility, comparative studies on D. amilsii may shed light on microbial sulfur metabolism. Requirement of physical contact between cells and S0 was analyzed. Sulfide production decreased by around 50\% when S0 was trapped in dialysis membranes, suggesting that contact between cells and S0 is beneficial, but not strictly needed. Proteome analysis was performed under the aforementioned conditions. A Mo-oxidoreductase suggested from genome analysis to act as sulfur reductase was not detected in any growth condition. Thiosulfate and sulfite reductases showed increased abundance in thiosulfate-reducing cultures, while rhodanese-like sulfurtransferases were highly abundant in all conditions. DsrE and DsrL were abundantly detected during thiosulfate reduction, suggesting a modified mechanism of sulfite reduction. Proteogenomics suggest a different disproportionation pathway from what has been reported. This work points to an important role of rhodaneses in sulfur processes and these proteins should be considered in searches for sulfur metabolism in broader fields like meta-omics. ; This research was supported by the organization of the Brazilian Government for the development of Science and Technology CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico), by ERC project 323009 and a Gravitation project from the Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (024.002.002). The authors thank Monika Jarzembowska (WUR, Wageningen, The Netherlands) for the support with the scanning electron microscopy analysis ...

Funding Information: We thank Laurenz Heidrich for help with statistical analyses. This work was supported by grant Da 351/8‐1 (to CD) from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal) (grant PTDC/BIA‐BQM/29118 and R&D units MOSTMICRO‐ITQB (UIDB/04612/2020 and UIDP/04612/2020), and European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant agreement No 810856). Open access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors. The FEBS Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved. ; Many bacteria and archaea employ a novel pathway of sulfur oxidation involving an enzyme complex that is related to the heterodisulfide reductase (Hdr or HdrABC) of methanogens. As a first step in the biochemical characterization of Hdr-like proteins from sulfur oxidizers (sHdr), we structurally analyzed the recombinant sHdrA protein from the Alphaproteobacterium Hyphomicrobium denitrificans at 1.4 Å resolution. The sHdrA core structure is similar to that of methanogenic HdrA (mHdrA) which binds the electron-bifurcating flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), the heart of the HdrABC-[NiFe]-hydrogenase catalyzed reaction. Each sHdrA homodimer carries two FADs and two [4Fe–4S] clusters being linked by electron conductivity. Redox titrations monitored by electron paramagnetic resonance and visible spectroscopy revealed a redox potential between −203 and −188 mV for the [4Fe–4S] center. The potentials for the FADH•/FADH− and FAD/FADH• pairs reside between −174 and −156 mV and between −81 and −19 mV, respectively. The resulting stable semiquinone FADH• species already detectable in the visible and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the as-isolated state of sHdrA is incompatible with basic principles of flavin-based electron bifurcation such that the sHdr complex does not apply this new mode of energy coupling. The inverted one-electron FAD redox potentials of sHdr and mHdr are clearly reflected in the different FAD-polypeptide interactions. According to this finding and the assumption that the sHdr complex forms an asymmetric HdrAA′B1C1B2C2 hexamer, we tentatively propose a mechanism that links protein-bound sulfane oxidation to sulfite on HdrB1 with NAD+ reduction via lipoamide disulfide reduction on HdrB2. The FAD of HdrA thereby serves as an electron storage unit. Database: Structural data are available in PDB database under the accession number 6TJR. ; published

Solar-driven coupling of water oxidation with CO2 reduction sustains life on our planet and is of high priority in contemporary energy research. Here, we report a photoelectrochemical tandem device that performs photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to formate. We employ a semi-artificial design, which wires a W-dependent formate dehydrogenase (FDH) cathode to a photoanode containing the photosynthetic water oxidation enzyme, Photosystem II, via a synthetic dye with complementary light absorption. From a biological perspective, the system achieves a metabolically inaccessible pathway of light-driven CO2 fixation to formate. From a synthetic point of view, it represents a proof-of-principle system utilizing precious-metal-free catalysts for selective CO2-to-formate conversion using water as an electron donor. This hybrid platform demonstrates the translatability and versatility of coupling abiotic and biotic components to create challenging models for solar fuel and chemical synthesis. ; ERC Consolidator Grant, EPSRC, Christian Doppler Research Association (Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs and the National Foundation for Research, Technology and Development), the OMV group, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, European Union's Horizon 2020 MSCA, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (Portugal), COMPETE2020/POCI and European Union's Horizon 2020