RadioActive Europe: jovens, o digital e as suas comunidades

Neste artigo, apresentamos uma discussão sobre as potencialidades da rádio e dos media digitais para uma educação para os media. Esta contextualização, que inclui o contexto português relativamente ao uso da rádio como meio em contexto educativo, pretende criar o pano de fundo para a exposição da metodologia aplicada pelo investigação-ação, concentrados em formas de empoderamento que efetivamente constituam elementos de crescimento curricular dos jovens envolvidos e que possam ser usados na procura de emprego. Em seguida, estaremos em condições de expor e refletir sobre os dados preliminares de aplicação do projeto, que decorre entre 2013 e 2014 em cinco países europeus, centrando-nos em processos de ligação ao digital e de ligação à comunidade envolvente.

The Environmental History of Cetaceans in Portugal: Ten Centuries of Whale and Dolphin Records

The history between cetaceans and humans is documented throughout time not only in reports, descriptions, and tales but also in legal documents, laws and regulations, and tithes. This wealth of information comes from the easy spotting and identification of individuals due to their large size, surface breathing, and conspicuous above water behaviour. This work is based on historical sources and accounts accounting for cetacean presence for the period between the 12th and 17th centuries, as well as scientific articles, newspapers, illustrations, maps, non-published scientific reports, and other grey literature from the 18th century onwards. Information on whale use in Portugal's mainland has been found since as early as the 12th century and has continued to be created throughout time. No certainty can be given for medieval and earlier events, but both scavenging of stranded whales or use of captured ones may have happened. There is an increasing number of accounts of sighted, stranded, used, or captured cetaceans throughout centuries which is clearly associated with a growing effort towards the study of these animals. Scientific Latin species denominations only started to be registered from the 18th century onwards, as a consequence of the evolution of natural sciences in Portugal and increasing interest from zoologists. After the 19th century, a larger number of observations were recorded, and from the 20th century to the present day, regular scientific records have been collected. Research on the environmental history of cetaceans in Portugal shows a several-centuries-old exploitation of whales and dolphins, as resources mainly for human consumption, followed in later centuries by descriptions of natural history documenting strandings and at sea encounters. Most cetaceans species currently thought to be present in Portuguese mainland waters were at some point historically recorded.

Archaeological Remains Accounting for the Presence and Exploitation of the North Atlantic Right Whale Eubalaena glacialis on the Portuguese Coast (Peniche, West Iberia), 16th to 17th Century

The former occurrence of the North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis on the Portuguese coast may be inferred from the historical range of that species in Europe and in NW Africa. It is generally accepted that it was the main prey of coastal whaling in the Middle Ages and in the pre-modern period, but this assumption still needs firming up based on biological and archaeological evidence. We describe the skeletal remains of right whales excavated at Peniche in 2001-2002, in association with archaeological artefacts. The whale bones were covered by sandy sediments on the old seashore and they have been tentatively dated around the 16th to 17th centuries. This study contributes material evidence to the former occurrence of E. glacialis in Portugal (West Iberia). Some whale bones show unequivocal man-made scars. These are associated to wounds from instruments with a sharp-cutting blade. This evidence for past human interaction may suggest that whaling for that species was active at Peniche around the early 17th century.

Res Antiquitatis. Journal of Ancient History

FCT

History of insecticide resistance of Triatominae vectors

AbstractIn the last 15 years, different types of Triatominae resistance to different insecticides have been reported; thus, resistance may be more widespread than known, requiring better characterization and delimitation, which was the aim of this review. This review was structured on a literature search of all articles from 1970 to 2015 in the PubMed database that contained the keywords Insecticide resistance and Triatominae . Out of 295 articles screened by title, 33 texts were selected for detailed analysis. Insecticide resistance of Triatomines is a complex phenomenon that has been primarily reported in Argentina and Bolivia, and is caused by different factors (associated or isolated). Insecticide resistance of Triatominae is a characteristic inherited in an autosomal and semi-dominant manner, and is polygenic, being present in both domestic and sylvatic populations. The toxicological profile observed in eggs cannot be transposed to different stages of evolution. Different toxicological profiles exist at macro- and microgeographical levels. The insecticide phenotype has both reproductive and developmental costs. Different physiological mechanisms are involved in resistance. Studies of Triatomine resistance to insecticides highlight three deficiencies in interpreting the obtained results: I) the vast diversity of methodologies, despite the existence of a single guiding protocol; II) the lack of information on the actual impact of resistance ratios in the field; and III) the concept of the susceptibility reference lineage. Research on the biological and behavioral characteristics of each Triatominae species that has evolved resistance is required in relation to the environmental conditions of each region.

Res Antiquitatis. Journal of Ancient History 1

FCT

Prevalência do excesso de peso em idade pré-escolar no concelho da Murtosa: um estudo transversal

RESUMO - A prevalência de obesidade infantil em Portugal é das mais elevadas da Europa. No concelho da Murtosa (Aveiro), para estimar a prevalência de excesso de peso e obesidade entre os 3 e os 6 anos e determinar os factores que lhe estão associados, desenvolveu-se, durante o ano de 2008, um estudo transversal que consistiu na avaliação estatoponderal das crianças frequentadoras dos estabelecimentos de ensino pré-escolar do concelho e aplicação de um questionário aos pais sobre antecedentes e perinatais, hábitos alimentares, actividades da criança e características da família. Através de um modelo de regressão logística multivariada identificaram-se as variáveis associadas ao excesso de peso/obesidade. Participaram no estudo 258 crianças, estimando-se uma prevalência de excesso de peso de 15,5 % (IC 95 % : 11,6 % a 20,4 %) e de obesidade de 6,2 % (IC 95 % : 3,9 % a 9,8 % ). Observou-se uma maior prevalência de excesso de peso nos meninos (19,5 %) e de obesidade nas meninas (10,4 %). O excesso de peso materno e o hábito de comer a ver televisão aumentaram o risco de excesso de peso/obesidade (OR: 10,548; OR: 13,815); o maior número de horas de sono diário, o maior número de refeições diárias e o aumento ponderal materno durante a gravidez (OR: 0,490; OR: 0,366; OR: 0,804) associaram-se a um menor risco de excesso de peso/obesidade. Justifica-se o desenvolvimento de programas de prevenção primária e secundária da obesidade infantil dirigidos aos factores de risco modificáveis identificados, sugerindo-se a necessidade de uma abordagem familiar e da avaliação sistemática deste tipo de intervenções.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) and the etiopathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma

OBJECTIVE: To review the current literature on human herpesvirus 8 with particular attention to the aspects related to the etiopathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors searched original research and review articles on specific aspects of human herpesvirus 8 infection, including virology, epidemiology, transmission, diagnosis, natural history, therapy, and Kaposi's sarcoma etiopathogenesis. The relevant material was evaluated and reviewed. RESULTS: Human herpesvirus 8 is a recently discovered DNA virus that is present throughout the world but with major geographic variation. In the Western world, the virus, transmitted mainly by means of sexual contact, is strongly associated with Kaposi's sarcoma and body cavity-based lymphoma and more controversially with multiple myeloma and other non-proliferative disorders. There is no specific effective treatment, but HIV protease inhibitors may play an indirect role in the clearance of human herpesvirus 8 DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of HIV-infected patients. Human herpesvirus 8 DNA is present in saliva, but there are as yet no documented cases of nosocomial transmission to health care workers. The prevalence of human herpesvirus 8 among health care workers is probably similar to that in the general population. CONCLUSION: Human herpesvirus 8 appears to be, at least in Western Europe and United States, restricted to a population at risk of developing Kaposi's sarcoma. Human herpesvirus 8 certainly has the means to overcome cellular control and immune responses and thus predispose carriers to malignancy, particularly Kaposi's sarcoma. The wide diffusion of Human herpesvirus 8 in classic Kaposi's sarcoma areas appears to represent an important factor in the high incidence of the disease. However, additional co-factors are likely to play a role in the development of Kaposi's sarcoma.

Alimentação e estado nutricional de grupos da população do concelho de Lisboa

RESUMO - Objectivo: descrever o estado nutricional e o padrão alimentar de grupos da população de Lisboa. Delineamento, locais e participantes: estudo transversal do estado nutricional e do padrão alimentar de homens com 38 anos e mulheres e homens com 50-65 anos que vivem na freguesia do Lumiar, do concelho de Lisboa; estudo transversal dos hábitos alimentares e do estado nutricional de adolescentes com 12 a 19 anos estudantes de escolas secundárias de Lisboa; estudo transversal da excreção de sódio em urina de 24 horas de rapazes de 7 a 8 anos de escolas primárias do Lumiar. Métodos: o estado nutricional foi avaliado com metodologias padronizadas tal como propostas pela OMS. A ingestão alimentar foi medida pelo método das 24 horas anteriores no primeiro estudo e pelo método da história alimentar no segundo estudo. Resultados: nas crianças, a excreção urinária de sódio foi uma das mais altas da Europa. Nos adolescentes, a prevalência de excesso de peso/obesidade foi de 19% nos rapazes e 16% nas raparigas. 16% dos adolescentes não tomam pequeno-almoço, mas mais de 30% comem bolos a meio da manhã. A proporção de adolescentes com uma ingestão diária de certos alimentos é de 44% para guloseimas, 43% para bolos, 29% para refrigerantes e 16% para chocolates e gelados. Por outro lado, a frequência de ingestão diária de fruta e produtos hortícolas é baixa, principalmente nos adolescentes de menor nível sócio-económico. Nos adultos, 57% dos homens com 38 anos e 80% e 74% dos homens e mulheres com 50-65 anos, respectivamente, têm excesso de peso ou obesidade. A hipertensão arterial foi detectada em mais de 20% dos homens jovens e a sua prevalência aumenta com a idade. Foi observado um colesterol sérico superior a 200 mg/dL em perto de metade dos adultos e maior do que 240 mg/dL em 28% dos homens com 38 anos, em 24% dos homens com 50-65 anos e 44% das mulheres do mesmo grupo etário. 20% dos adultos jovens têm colesterol HDL inferior a 35 mg/dL, mais do que um terço são fumadores e a ingestão de álcool representa 13% da sua ingestão calórica total. Conclusões: foram observados estilos de vida não saudáveis, nomeadamente padrões alimentares não equilibrados, uma elevada prevalência de obesidade, hipertensão e dislipidemias, e, por isso, uma percentagem relativamente elevada da população de Lisboa tem um risco elevado de doenças cárdio-vasculares e outras doenças crónicas, bem como de morte prematura.

Leverage instability and persistence: Evidence from the United States and Europe

We find that leverage behavior both in level and time-series variation is very similar between the United States and Europe throughout the 1990-2013 period. Leverage regimes are simultaneously unstable and persistent for both regions. We define instability as the extent to which firms largely deviate from their long-term leverage mean, while persistence as the extent to which today’s leverage influences its future levels. We then show that this simultaneous evidence imply a mean-reversion behavior of leverage and discuss some of its implications for future research on this field.

Natural history of stenosis in the iliac arteries in patients with intermittent claudication undergoing clinical treatment

PURPOSE: Inspite of the long experience with the treatment of intermittent claudication, little is known about the natural history of stenotic lesions in the iliac segment. With the advent of endovascular treatment, this knowledge has become important. METHODS: Fifty-two stenosis, diagnosed using arteriography, in 38 claudicant patients were analyzed. After a minimum time interval of 6 months, a magnetic resonance angiography was performed to determine whether there was arterial occlusion. The primary factors that could influence the progression of a stenosis were analyzed, such as risk factors (smoking, hypertension, diabetes, sex, and age), compliance with clinical treatment, initial degree of stenosis, site of the stenosis, and length of follow-up. RESULTS: The average length of follow-up was 39 months. From the 52 lesions analyzed, 13 (25%) evolved to occlusion. When occlusion occurred, there was clinical deterioration in 63.2% of cases. This association was statistically significant (P = .002). There was no statistically significant association of the progression of the lesion with the degree or site of stenosis, compliance with treatment, or length of follow-up. Patients who evolved to occlusion were younger (P = .02). The logistic regression model showed that the determinant factors for clinical deterioration were arterial occlusion and noncompliance with clinical treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The progression of a stenosis to occlusion, which occurred in 25% of the cases, caused clinical deterioration. Clinical treatment was important, but it did not forestall the arterial occlusion. Prevention of occlusion could be achieved by early endovascular intervention or with the development of drugs that might stabilize the atherosclerotic plaque.

Portuguese plain architecture: history opening a closed sequence

The paper will address George Kubler’s Portuguese Plain Architecture [PPA] (1972) and its effect in Portuguese architectural practice. Kubler’s philosophy of art history implied that closed sequences of objects could be opened by several reasons. Thus, it will be argued that there is an effect upon Portuguese architecture post 1974, that is apparent by the reemergence of some of the form classes treated by Kubler. This was mostly achieved through the popularity of Kubler’s book within architectural practice, scholarship and moreover by the establishment of the term “Plain Architecture” in portuguese architectural vocabulary. Plain Architecture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries shared some qualities with the architecture to be built in post‑revolutionary Portugal, most importantly the effect that could be achieved with low budget buildings that were responding to a situation of crisis, and simultaneously exhaled aristocratic sparsity. The connection of PPA with the ideological attributes of early modernism and the political context of the time catalysed the reemergence of a new order of Portuguese Plain that resonates still in contemporary architecture.