Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2025-07-22"
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- Potential of Marine Biomolecules: Advances in Extraction and Applications of Proteins, Polysaccharides, and Antioxidant CompoundsPublication . Sousa, Gabriela; Ferreira-Dias, Suzana; Tecelão, Carla; Alves, Vítor D.Oceans are increasingly viewed as a new frontier for economic development, contributing to the bridge between food industry, sea bioeconomy, and health. Nowadays, oceans are under attention as a strategy for creating opportunities and driving innovation, and their vital importance will become even more evident in the years to come. Therefore, it is crucial to study oceans under a holistic approach, taking the maximum value of their abundant resources in a sustainable way. As such, blue bioeconomy is the path forward, since it is a development strategy that meets the economic potential without compromising the environmental health. A special look needs to be taken at the underutilized resources and by-products, which hold unexploited value. For instance, green macroalgae are widespread marine macroalgae that lack industry applications, despite being rich in biopolymers (polysaccharides) and antioxidants. Moreover, fish by-products are also rich sources of biopolymers, mostly proteins. Thus, among other potential uses, raw materials could be explored to produce functional edible coatings under a blue bioeconomy approach. A detailed characterization of raw materials is the first step for the development of value-added products. These topics will be addressed in this review.
- The moderation role of self-efficacy on the relationship between transformational leadership and enjoyment in physical educational studentsPublication . Sánchez García, C.; Reigal, R. E.; Monteiro, Diogo; Hernández Martos, J.; Hernández Mendo, A.; Morales Sánchez, V.Background: Enjoyment in physical education classes is recognized as a key factor in fostering a positive relationship with physical activity. Its significance as a component for sports participation is emphasized. Purpose: This study investigates the moderating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between the transformational leadership of physical education teachers and students’ enjoyment during classes. The hypothesis is that students’ perceived self-efficacy moderates this relationship. Methods: An associative and explanatory approach was employed. The study involved 429 adolescents (205 boys, 224 girls) aged 14–16 from the province of Málaga, Spain. Data was collected using three questionnaires: the Transformational Teaching Questionnaire to assess the teacher’s transformational leadership, the Motor Self-Efficacy Scale to measure students’ motor self-efficacy, and the Intrinsic Satisfaction in Sport Instrument to evaluate students’ enjoyment in physical education classes. Results: The findings revealed a positive relationship between teachers’ transformational leadership and students’ enjoyment in physical education classes. Moreover, students’ motor self-efficacy was found to moderate this relationship: Specifically, the positive effect of transformational leadership on enjoyment was more pronounced among students with low self-efficacy, whereas the effect was less evident among students with high self-efficacy. Discussion: The study concludes that transformational leadership influences students’ enjoyment in physical education classes, but its impact is moderated by students’ perceived self-efficacy. These results emphasize the importance of training physical education teachers in transformational leadership strategies to improve students’ experiences, fostering active and healthy lifestyles from adolescence into adulthood.
- Thirst for Change in Water Governance: Overcoming Challenges for Drought Resilience in Southern EuropePublication . Santos, EleonoraThis article investigates the institutional and informational foundations of water governance in Southern Europe amid escalating climate stress. Focusing on Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece, it develops a multi-level analytical framework to explore how information asymmetries and governance fragmentation undermine coordinated responses to water scarcity. Integrating theories of information economics, polycentric governance, and critical institutionalism, this study applies a stylized economic model and comparative institutional analysis to assess how agents—such as farmers, utilities, regulators, and civil society—respond to varying incentives, data access, and coordination structures. Using secondary data, normalized indicators, and scenario-based simulations, the model identifies three key structural parameters—institutional friction (θi), information cost (βi), and incentive strength (αi)—as levers for governance reform. The simulations are stylized and not empirically calibrated, serving as heuristic tools rather than predictive forecasts. The results show that isolated interventions yield limited improvements, while combined reforms significantly enhance both equity and effectiveness. Climate stress simulations further reveal stark differences in institutional resilience, with Greece and Italy showing systemic fragility and Portugal emerging as comparatively robust. This study contributes a flexible, policy-relevant tool for diagnosing governance capacity and informing reform strategies while also underscoring the need for integrated, equity-oriented approaches to adaptive water governance.