Evaluation of a Proposed Set of Usability Heuristics

The innovations proposed by the mobile phone market have grown steadily in recent years, along with the increasing complexity of the hardware, operating systems and applications available in this market. These changes bring new usability-related challenges that need to be considered during the application development process, as new forms of user-application interaction increasingly require behavioral adaptation. In this situation, usability is an important issue, which depends on usability factors such as the User, their characteristics and skills, the Task he intends to achieve and also the Context of Use in which the user and the application are inserted. The components of this set are detailed in a set of heuristics previous proposed that was evaluated through two heuristic evaluations, which allowed to incorporate improvements to the proposal. Furthermore, a set of 13 usability heuristics and 183 sub-heuristics were proposed, which, through heuristic evaluations, better results were evidenced. The proposal makes it easier for experts to find a greater number of usability problems, mostly of greater severity, compared to the proposal of Inostroza et al. As possible future work, further evaluations may be carried out to evaluate the proposal to include more experts in the field, as well as to use the set of heuristics in a larger number of applications of different categories

Reservoirs of zoonotic leishmaniosis: the role played by domestic cats

A leishmaniose zoonótica causada por Leishmania infantum é um problema grave de saúde pública e veterinária. Contrariamente aos cães, universalmente considerados como principais hospedeiros reservatórios de L. infantum, os gatos domésticos (Felis catus) foram apontados durante anos como hospedeiros acidentais, cuja relevância para a manutenção e transmissão do parasita seria nula. No entanto, o acumular de evidências contrárias mudou o paradigma ao ponto de estes felídeos serem, atualmente, considerados como possíveis hospedeiros reservatórios de L. infantum. Neste contexto, este projeto doutoral teve como objetivo clarificar o papel dos gatos na epidemiologia da leishmaniose zoonótica através da (i) avaliação da exposição dos gatos aos vetores de L. infantum; (ii) determinação da proporção de gatos infetados em focos endémicos; (iii) caracterização da infeção por Leishmania em gatos através de acompanhamento clínico e parasitológico; (iv) realização de tipagem molecular dos parasitas isolados de gatos; e (v) avaliação do comportamento in vitro e infecciosidade ex vivo de estirpes felinas. Anticorpos contra a saliva de Phlebotomus perniciosus foram identificados em 47,7 % (167/350) dos gatos testados, sendo significativamente mais frequente em animais mais velhos e em amostras obtidas durante a época de transmissão (maio a outubro). A presença de anticorpos contra a saliva de P. perniciosus foi associada à infeção por Leishmania em gatos. O ácido desoxirribonucleico (DNA) de Leishmania e/ou anticorpos contra o parasita foram identificados em 7,4 % dos gatos que vivem em focos endémicos. Não foram identificados quaisquer fatores de risco associados à infeção felina. Diagnosticou-se leishmaniose clínica num gato com infeção retroviral (vírus da leucemia felina) concomitante, apresentando sinais clínicos incomuns. A infeção seguiu um padrão crónico e insidioso, sendo refratária à monoterapia com alopurinol. A remissão dos sinais clínicos apenas foi conseguida após tratamento combinado com antimoniato de meglumina. A análise de sequências parciais de citocromo b, glucose-6-fosfato desidrogenase, proteína de choque térmico 70 e espaços intergénicos do DNA ribossomal, revelou que as estirpes isoladas de gatos são geneticamente idênticas a estirpes de L. infantum isoladas de cães, humanos e vetores. Além disso, o DNA de L. major e de parasitas híbridos L. major/L. donovani sensu lato foi detetado em dois gatos de diferentes regiões de Portugal Continental. As estirpes felinas apresentaram um perfil de crescimento in vitro, reposta adaptativa a condições de stress e suscetibilidade a compostos leishmanicidas e leishmaniostáticos, semelhante à de estirpes de L. infantum isoladas de cães e humanos. Os macrófagos de origem felina foram permissivos à infeção ex vivo com parasitas isolados de gatos, cães e humanos, que por sua vez apresentaram semelhante capacidade de infeção de macrófagos felinos, caninos e humanos. Em adição, um algoritmo de diagnóstico para suporte de decisão clínica e um conjunto de orientações para evitar a infeção por Leishmania em gatos, são propostos. Pela interceção dos dados epidemiológicos, moleculares, clínicos e experimentais obtidos no decorrer do presente projeto doutoral, pode-se concluir que Felis catus cumpre todos os critérios estabelecidos pela Organização Mundial de Saúde para ser reconhecida como uma espécie hospedeira reservatória de L. infantum.Zoonotic leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum is a serious veterinary and public health problem. Contrarily to dogs, universally considered the main reservoir hosts of L. infantum, domestic cats (Felis catus) were regarded for years as accidental hosts whose relevance for parasite maintenance and transmission was nil. However, the accumulation of contrary evidence has shifted the paradigm to the point that these felids are now considered as probable additional reservoir hosts of L. infantum. In this context, this doctoral project aimed to clarify the role played by cats in the epidemiology of zoonotic leishmaniosis by: (i) assessing the exposure of cats to L. infantum vectors; (ii) determining the proportion of infected cats in endemic foci; (iii) characterising the Leishmania infection in cats through clinical and parasitological follow-up; (iv) performing molecular typing of the parasites isolated from cats; and (v) evaluating the in vitro fitness and ex vivo infectiousness of feline Leishmania strains. Antibodies to Phlebotomus perniciosus saliva were found in 47.7 % of the cats tested (167/350) and were significantly more frequent in older animals and samples collected during the transmission season (May to October). The presence of antibodies to P. perniciosus saliva was associated with Leishmania infection in cats. Leishmania deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and/or antibodies to the parasite were identified in 7.4 % of cats living in endemic foci. No risk factors associated with feline infection were found. Clinical leishmaniosis was diagnosed in a cat with concomitant regressive retroviral infection (feline leukaemia virus) showing unusual clinical signs. The infection followed a chronic, and insidious, pattern and was refractory to allopurinol monotherapy. Remission of clinical signs was only achieved after combined treatment with meglumine antimoniate. Analysis of cytochrome b, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, heat-shock protein 70, and internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA partial sequences revealed that strains isolated from cats are genetically identical to those of well-characterised L. infantum strains isolated from dogs, humans, and vectors. Also, the DNA of L. major and L. major/L. donovani sensu lato hybrid parasites was detected in two cats from different regions of mainland Portugal. Feline strains presented a similar in vitro growth profile, adaptative response to stress conditions, and susceptibility to antileishmanial drugs to that of L. infantum strains isolated from dogs and humans. Macrophages of feline origin were similarly permissive to ex vivo infection with parasites isolated from cats, dogs, and humans, which also showed an identical ability to infect feline, canine, and human macrophages. In addition, a diagnostic algorithm for clinical decision support and a set of prevention guidelines to avoid Leishmania infection in cats is herein proposed. By interception of the epidemiological, molecular, clinical, and experimental data obtained during this doctoral project, it can be concluded that Felis catus fulfilled all criteria established by the World Health Organization to be recognised as a reservoir host species

Web of Knowledge: A look into the Past, Embracing the Future

The International Multidisciplinary Congress - Web of Knowledge: A look into the Past, embracing the Future was held by IHC-CEHFCi, HERCULES Laboratory and CIDEHUS, University of Évora and took place in Évora, Portugal, from 17 to 19 May 2018.1 The Congress brought together researchers and scientists from different backgrounds intersecting the Exact Sciences with the Social Sciences revealing the visible and invisible networks. By fostering the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the study of the past, the Congress laid the framework for the present day science on which to map the future Web of Knowledge. A high-quality scientific programme was prepared, joining together experts from different fields covering a wide range of topics from Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities to Science and Technology. As a result of the quality of the panels and debates, the Organizing Committee decided to publish a digital and open access volume with blind peer-reviewed papers. This volume publishes a total of thirty-five contributions which reflect the innovative and multidisciplinary research occurring at the moment in different fields of knowledge, promoting visibility and networks of knowledge.Câmara Municipal de Évora, FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi

A look into the Past, Embracing the Future

UID/HIS/04209/2019The International Multidisciplinary Congress - Web of Knowledge: A look into the Past, embracing the Future was held by IHC-CEHFCi, HERCULES Laboratory and CIDEHUS, University of Évora and took place in Évora, Portugal, from 17 to 19 May 2018.1 The Congress brought together researchers and scientists from different backgrounds intersecting the Exact Sciences with the Social Sciences revealing the visible and invisible networks. By fostering the exchange of knowledge and experiences in the study of the past, the Congress laid the framework for the present day science on which to map the future Web of Knowledge. A high-quality scientific programme was prepared, joining together experts from different fields covering a wide range of topics from Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities to Science and Technology. As a result of the quality of the panels and debates, the Organizing Committee decided to publish a digital and open access volume with blind peer-reviewed papers. This volume publishes a total of thirty-five contributions which reflect the innovative and multidisciplinary research occurring at the moment in different fields of knowledge, promoting visibility and networks of knowledge.publishersversionpublishe