It is well known, that an adequate fertility rates has important outcomes in different species of mammals (including human). However, despite the efforts to maintain outstanding reproductive performance, the reproductive failures are still considerable. This reproductive failure is related to a failure in maternal-embryo communication. In this sense, nutritional factor is one of the most important issues involved in the reproductive efficiency. Some studies have indicated that the use of polyunsatures fatty acids (PUFAS) like omega-3 have a positve effects on human and animal health. Nowadays, the effects of diets rich in PUFAS omega-3 (PUFASn-3) on reproductive physiology have been studied assensing the follicular function, ovulation rate and oocyte quality. In addition, there is scarce information about of the mechanism and/or effectiveness of PUFASn-3 during peri-implantational period in mammals. However the outcomes obtained have been controversiel and non-conclusive, justifying the necesity to perform futher studies. Thus, the combined use of morphologic studies, hormonal assays, genomics and proteomics procedures and embryo recover/transfer technologies could be suitable methodologies to evaluate the effects of PUFASn-3 during peri-implantational period. Also, these tools could evaluate the maternal/endometrial signal (e.g: receptors expression) and gene embryonic expressions during this period. In consequence, these studies could assess the effectiveness of PUFASn-3 on maternal and/or embryo’s level. The results obtained, will contribute to enhance the productivity in animal production system. Furthermore, the use of ovine species has been a classical experimental model in human medical studies. Thus, the awarness obtained in this proposal would contribute to increase the fertility rate in women with reproductive failure during this periodreinforcing the inter/multidisciplinary dimension of this proposal (impacting in life science and agricultural fields).

This interdisciplinary research project aims to study urbanization in China’s non-metropolitan and non-industrial ethnic-diverse border regions under post-socialism. Literature on urbanization in China focuses mainly on traditional large metropolitan or industrial cities in the center with Han majority population, and examines either the structural or the subjective features of urban development. The complex dynamics of urbanization and power relations in the new cities in the periphery remain understudied. The project fills this knowledge gap, by exploring how urbanization intersects with tourism growth and in-migration and affects ethnic relations in Jinghong, a fast-growing city in China’s south-western borderlands. In Jinghong, the Han, China’s ethnic majority, have become the city’s drivers of urban and economic development, competing over land, resources and political power with long-term Dai/Tai minority ethnic residents. Unconventionally drawing on methods of Anthropology, Urban Planning, Architecture, Urban Geography, and Sociology, this pioneering project aims at producing a theoretically and empirically innovative analysis that combines structural, socio-economic, and political examination with an investigation of subjective and experiential aspects of urbanization, highlighting conflicts, mindsets, and prejudices in the day-to-day urban interactions between Han majority and ethnic minority citizens and the state. I expect that the development of this project will profoundly impact my career. Thanks to training provided by the Department of Architecture, Design and Urban Planning, at the University of Sassari, Italy’s utmost interdisciplinary institution of Architecture and Urban Planning, I will acquire new skills and build fruitful relations with European institutions and scholars. The training, network and publications of the project’s outcome will allow me to increase my possibilities of obtaining an ERC Grant.

The proposed research plan ARSENIX covers various scientific fields, from hydrogeology to chemical modelling and synthesis, with the common goal of remediation and sustainability of water resources, with emphasis on rice fields operations, for a better quality of environment, aiming at developing new approaches using functionalized iron nanoparticles (NPs). In recent years, with the advancement of nanoscience and nanotechnology, much emphasis has been placed on nanomaterials as a tool in the remediation of water contamination, particularly attributed to toxic metal contamination (e.g., As, Cd, Mn, Pb), due to their high specific surface area and greater reactivity. Superficial and groundwater systems provide a significant amount of freshwater for drinking, industrial use, and agriculture worldwide. These complex environments play a significant ecological role and provide numerous ecosystems, such as food production, soil protection, and climate regulation. With the effects of global change, the significance of water supply should be emphasized, particularly in Mediterranean areas and Portugal. The expected changes in rainfall patterns and temperature increases will have a major impact on water management and soil structure, where these predicted disturbances will be added to an already precarious fresh-saltwater balance. In rice fields, the quality of the water used for irrigation is crucial for crop development and soil conservation, but, at the same time, there is concern about the potential mixing of water from paddy fields with local aquifer systems and, in our case study, with the River Tagus and its tributaries. One of the problems associated with rice plantations is that, in many rural areas, drinking and domestic water supplies are drawn from shallow aquifers under agricultural land, and the quality of these water resources can be affected by the use of agrochemicals. In addition to this anthropogenic pollution, the bioaccumulation of toxic elements in rice fields is a major environmental concern, as rice is the basic food for billions of people. The uptake of toxic and trace elements in rice is mainly due to their interaction with the soil-water system. In this proposal, our main concern is the release of these toxic metals into water systems, like surface water in rice fields, either through the possible linkage to groundwaters, or mixing with the waters of the Tagus River or its tributaries. Among the pollutants, the increase of As in water systems is of great concern to the WHO, where the maximum limit has been reduced from 50 µg/L to 10 µg/L since 2003. In this proposal, a different approach to remove the toxic metals present in the water systems will be tested for the first time in the rice fields of Portugal, using NPs ( iron chelatin-type NPs ). NPs, due to their large surface area and selectivity, have emerged as an alternative for the adsorption of water contaminants. This methodology will be tested in COTArroz rice fields, where water and soil samples will be collected and analyzed. In the C2TN/IST facilities using the real chemical data modelling and synthesis of superparamagnetic iron NPs, naked and coated with chelatins will be carried out. These iron NPs, present a prime characteristics for remediating arsenic and heavy metals in rice fields water. In the light of the chemical speciation models, the necessary adjustments will be made to the synthesis of these NPs, in order to obtain high capacity for absorbing As. Arsenium remediation within the water rice fields will be tested with: extraction, adsorption regeneration and reuse of the NPs , to determine the best conditions for the adsorption of As(III) ions. Besides, the regeneration and life cycle assessments of the adsorbents will be performed. This possibility of reuse will contribute to reducing the economic burden associated with water treatment processes Our proposal is to test the efficiency of iron chelatin-type NPs in removing As and other toxic metals present in rice field water (COTArroz) along the rice development until it is harvested, i.e. to study the chemical evolution of water in toxic metals along the growing of rice, using the water composition of COTArroz fields as a laboratory analogue. The final objective of the project is to test the efficiency of our NPs (magnetic nanoparticles) as an efficient adsorbent of toxic metals in water systems (rice fields, surface water and groundwater), with the main aim of increasing environmental sustainability through a definitive reduction in the arsenic content of the water samples below the WHO limit for drinking water. The rice fields will be used as a laboratory analogue to test this approach for the first time in Portugal, from the laboratory to the efficacy in the rice fields and the final reuse of the NPs. O plano de investigação proposto ARSENIX abrange diversos áreas científicas, desde a hidrogeologia até à modelação química e síntese, com o objetivo comum de contribuir para a remediação e sustentabilidade dos recursos hídricos, com ênfase nas atividades em campos de arroz, visando uma melhor qualidade do meio ambiente, com o desenvolvimento de novas abordagens utilizando nanopartículas de ferro (NPs). Os avanços da nanociência e da nanotecnologia, têm dado origem ao desenvolvimento de nanomateriais usados como uma ferramenta na remediação da contaminação da água, especialmente relacionada à presença de metais tóxicos (por exemplo, As, Cd, Mn, Pb), devido à sua elevada área de superfície específica e maior reatividade. Os sistemas de águas superficiais e subterrâneas fornecem uma quantidade significativa de água doce para consumo, utilização industrial e agricultura em todo o mundo. Estes ambientes complexos desempenham um papel ecológico significativo e proporcionam numerosos ecossistemas, como a produção de alimentos, a proteção dos solos e a regulação do clima. Com os efeitos das alterações globais, a importância do abastecimento de água deve ser realçada, particularmente nas zonas mediterrânicas e em Portugal. As alterações previstas nos padrões de precipitação e o aumento da temperatura terão no futuro um grande impacto na gestão da água e na estrutura do solo, onde estas perturbações previstas se unirão a um equilíbrio já precário entre água doce e água salgada. Nos arrozais, a qualidade da água utilizada na rega é crucial para o desenvolvimento das culturas e para a conservação do solo, mas, ao mesmo tempo, existe a preocupação da potencial mistura da água dos arrozais com os sistemas aquíferos locais e, no nosso caso de estudo, com o rio Tejo e seus afluentes. Um dos problemas associados às plantações de arroz prende-se que, em muitas zonas rurais, com o abastecimento de água potável e doméstica ser feito a partir de aquíferos pouco profundos sob os terrenos agrícolas, e a qualidade destes recursos hídricos poder ser afetada pela utilização de agroquímicos. Para além desta poluição antropogénica, a bioacumulação de elementos tóxicos nos campos de arroz é uma preocupação ambiental importante, uma vez que o arroz é o alimento básico de milhares de milhões de pessoas. A absorção de elementos tóxicos e vestigiais no arroz deve-se principalmente à sua interação com o sistema solo-água. Nesta proposta, a principal preocupação é a libertação destes metais tóxicos para os sistemas hídricos, como as águas superficiais dos arrozais, quer através da possível ligação às águas subterrâneas, quer através da mistura com as águas do rio Tejo ou dos seus afluentes. Entre os poluentes, o aumento de As nos sistemas hídricos é motivo de grande preocupação para a OMS, onde o limite máximo foi reduzido de 50 µg/L para 10 µg/L desde 2003. Nesta proposta, será testada pela primeira vez uma abordagem diferente para remover os metais tóxicos presentes nos sistemas de água nos campos de arroz de Portugal, utilizando NPs (NPs do tipo quelatina de ferro).. Esta metodologia será testada nos campos de arroz do COTArroz, onde serão analisadas amostras de água e de solo. Nas instalações do C2TN/IST, utilizando os dados químicos reais, será efetuada a modelação e síntese de NPs de ferro super-paramagnéticas, nuas (SP) e revestidas com quelatinas (SP@GSH). Estas NPs apresentam características magnéticas privilegiadas para a remediação do arsénio e dos metais pesados na água dos arrozais. À luz dos modelos de especiação química, serão feitos os ajustes necessários à síntese destas NPs, de modo a obter uma elevada capacidade de absorção de As. A remediação do arsénio na água dos arrozais será testada com: extração, regeneração por adsorção e reutilização das NPs, para determinar as melhores condições para a adsorção de iões As(III). Além disso, serão efetuadas avaliações da regeneração e do ciclo de vida dos adsorventes. Esta possibilidade de reutilização contribuirá para reduzir os encargos económicos associados aos processos de tratamento da água Será testada a eficiência das SP e SP@GSH na remoção de As e outros metais tóxicos presentes na água dos campos de arroz (COTArroz) ao longo do desenvolvimento da planta até à sua colheita, e avaliada a evolução química da água em metais tóxicos ao longo do crescimento do arroz, utilizando a composição da água dos campos de COTArroz como análogo laboratorial. O objetivo final do projeto é testar a eficácia das nossas NPs como adsorvente eficiente de metais tóxicos em sistemas hídricos (arrozais, águas superficiais e subterrâneas), para aumentar a sustentabilidade ambiental através de uma redução definitiva do teor de arsénio das amostras de água abaixo do limite da OMS para a água potável. Os campos de arroz serão utilizados como um laboratório análogo para testar esta abordagem pela primeira vez em Portugal, desde o laboratório até à eficácia nos campos de arroz e à reutilização final das NPs.