Abstract
Since the first commercial cultivation of genetically modified crops in 1994, the rapidly expanding market of genetically modified seeds has given rise to a multibillion dollar industry. This fast growth, fueled by high expectations towards this new commercial technology and shareholder trust in the involved industry, has provided strong incentives for further research and development of new genetically modified plant varieties. Considering, however, the high financial stakes involved, concerns are raised over the influence that conflicts of interest may place upon articles published in peer-reviewed journals that report on health risks or nutritional value of genetically modified food products. In a study involving 94 articles selected through objective criteria, it was found that the existence of either financial or professional conflict of interest was associated to study outcomes that cast genetically modified products in a favorable light (p = 0.005). While financial conflict of interest alone did not correlate with research results (p = 0.631), a strong association was found between author affiliation to industry (professional conflict of interest) and study outcome (p < 0.001). We discuss these results by comparing them to similar studies on conflicts of interest in other areas, such as biomedical sciences, and hypothesize on dynamics that may help explain such connections.

Abstract
In this work the objective was to develop a bioclimatic model to forecast olive yield based on airborne pollen, soil water content, and favourable conditions for phytopathological attacks. Olive airborne pollen was sampled from 1998 to 2006 using Cour traps installed in the Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro region, in the provinces of Valenca do Douro and Vila Nova de Foz-Coa. Meteorological data from a meteorological station located in Pinhao, near the pollen samplers, was used to calculate other independent variables. According to the bioclimatic model, at the flowering stage 63% of regional olive production can be predicted from the regional pollen index, with an average deviation between observed and predicted production of 10%. The variable soil water content enabled an increase in forecasting accuracy of about 30%, and a reduction in the average deviation between observed and predicted production of 6%. The final regression with all three variables tested showed that the bioclimatic model was able to predict the annual variability of regional olive fruit production with an accuracy of 97%, the average deviation between observed and predicted production being 3% for internal validation and 6% for external validation.

Abstract
The aim of this study was to improve the accuracy of aeropalynological models to forecast yields in areas with heterogeneous characteristics by applying principal component analysis to integrate the airborne pollen sampled from more than one trap. The sampling was performed during the past seven years (1998-2004) in the main northeast olive regions of Portugal. Annual crop production was forecasted on the basis of airborne pollen concentration measured at flowering, comparing the performance of three different independent variables: total airborne pollen concentration sampled in each trap and a derived variable that was determined by principal component analysis of the total airborne pollen concentration sampled. The best predictive results were obtained using a logarithmic relationship with airborne pollen concentration principal component scores describing about 97% of olive fruit production variability over the last seven years. The use of this technique improved the ability of pollen to explain the production interannual variations by about 13%. The comparison between actual reported and the adjusted production showed an average spread deviation of 5%.

Abstract
This study shows the results of Vitis vinifera pollen season in the atmosphere of the Braga region (Portugal) for the last 5 years (1999-2003). The fluctuations in the airborne pollen concentration, the synchronic rhythms in the annual pollen trends and their relationship to the main meteorological parameters were investigated. The vineyard pollen season extends from late May to early July, presenting always a bimodal pattern. During the studied period several pollen types such as Poaceae, Castanea, Olea, Urticaceae, Quercus, Plantago, Rumex, Asteraceae, Pinaceae, Ericaceae and Eucalyptus were also observed. Airborne pollen concentration is highly influenced by mean temperature, rain, number of days with rain and wind direction.

Abstract
The cultivar Loureiro of Vitis vinifera is one of the most economically important, recommended in almost the totality of the Regiao Demarcada dos Vinhos Verdes. In vineyards, the grape productivity of this cultivar is normal while in others it is extremely low. The aim of this work was to study the morphology and germination of Vitis vinifera cv. Loureiro pollen with high and low productivity. The pollen grain was examined under light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Typically V. vinifera pollen present three furrows but in the cultivar Loureiro we found tricolporated and acolporated (without furrows or pores) pollen grains. Both pollen types present generative and vegetative cells with the usual aspect and a dense cytoplasm rich in organelles. In the acolporated pollen a continuous exine layer and an irregular intine layer were observed. Differences were found in the starch accumulation, since only in tricolporated pollen abundant plastids filled with numerous starch granules were observed. To determine the causes of the low productivity of this cultivar we tested pollen viability by the fluorochromatic reaction and pollen germinability by in vitro assays. We observed that the acolporated pollen grain is viable, but no germination was recorded.

Abstract
The impact of climatic changes can be evaluated by analysing the long-trends of plant phenological events. The airborne pollen sampling and the study of Apis mellifera L. (honeybee) collected pollen are two methodologies that can be used to survey the date of occurrence of the flowering phase. The aim of the present work was to compare the anemophilous and entomophilous pollen flows of Castanea sativa (chestnut tree) in two regions of the north-west of Portugal. The synchronism between the airborne samples and the honeybee samples was confirmed by the significant positive correlation between them. The inter-annual variations in the beginning and peak dates of pollen flows were very similar although an anticipation was observed in the honeybees.