Ócios e resistências: crescer e envelhecer em contextos culturais diversos

A proposta desta publicação consiste em trazer ao debate científico e académico escolhas e modos de organização do tempo livre de sujeitos e comunidades que não se mobilizam primariamente em função do mercado capitalista globalizado (embora com ele possam ter relações) e que, sabendo-o ou não, vivem o seu tempo de ócio (e até talvez o seu tempo de trabalho) a partir de um outro lugar, promovendo outro tipo de valores e práticas que não as da geração de renda e lucro.publishe

Livro Verde dos Montados

O Livro Verde dos Montados apresenta diversos objectivos que se interligam: Em primeiro lugar, o Livro Verde pretende reunir e sistematizar, de uma forma simples e acessível ao público, o conhecimento produzido em Portugal pelos investigadores e técnicos de várias instituições de investigação ou de gestão que estudam o Montado. Assume-se como uma oportunidade de caracterizar o sistema tendo em conta as suas várias dimensões, identificando as principais ameaças à sua preservação assim como os caminhos que podem ajudar à sua sustentabilidade. Não sendo um documento científico, baseia-se no conhecimento científico e pretende constituir a base para uma plataforma de organização, tanto dos investigadores como do conhecimento científico actualmente produzido em Portugal sobre o Montado.Em segundo lugar, o Livro Verde deverá contribuir para um entendimento partilhado do que é o Montado, por parte do público, de técnicos e de especialistas, conduzindo a uma classificação mais clara do que pode ser considerado Montado e de quais os tipos distintos de Montados que podem ser identificados. Em terceiro lugar, o Livro Verde estabelece as bases para uma estratégia coordenada de disponibilização de informação sobre o sistema Montado, visando o seu conhecimento, apreciação e valorização pela sociedade portuguesa no seu conjunto. Deste modo, o Livro Verde poderá constituir um instrumento congregador e inspirador para a realização de acções de sensibilização e informação sobre o Montado. Em quarto lugar, pretende-se que o Livro Verde contribua para um maior reconhecimento e valorização do Montado como sistema, a nível do desenho das políticas nacionais por parte dos vários sectores envolvidos.Finalmente, o Livro Verde constituirá um documento parceiro do Livro Verde das Dehesas, produzido em Espanha em 2010, de forma a reforçar o reconhecimento e a devida valorização destes sistemas silvo-pastoris no desenho das estratégias e políticas relevantes pelas instituições europeias. Em suma, os autores pretendem que o Livro Verde dos Montados se afirme como o primeiro passo para uma efectiva definição e implementação de uma estratégia nacional para os Montados

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

AIM: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery. METHODS: This was an international prospective cohort study of consecutive colorectal cancer patients with a decision for curative surgery (January-April 2020). Surgical delay was defined as an operation taking place more than 4 weeks after treatment decision, in a patient who did not receive neoadjuvant therapy. A subgroup analysis explored the effects of delay in elective patients only. The impact of longer delays was explored in a sensitivity analysis. The primary outcome was complete resection, defined as curative resection with an R0 margin. RESULTS: Overall, 5453 patients from 304 hospitals in 47 countries were included, of whom 6.6% (358/5453) did not receive their planned operation. Of the 4304 operated patients without neoadjuvant therapy, 40.5% (1744/4304) were delayed beyond 4 weeks. Delayed patients were more likely to be older, men, more comorbid, have higher body mass index and have rectal cancer and early stage disease. Delayed patients had higher unadjusted rates of complete resection (93.7% vs. 91.9%, P = 0.032) and lower rates of emergency surgery (4.5% vs. 22.5%, P < 0.001). After adjustment, delay was not associated with a lower rate of complete resection (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.90-1.55, P = 0.224), which was consistent in elective patients only (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.69-1.27, P = 0.672). Longer delays were not associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: One in 15 colorectal cancer patients did not receive their planned operation during the first wave of COVID-19. Surgical delay did not appear to compromise resectability, raising the hypothesis that any reduction in long-term survival attributable to delays is likely to be due to micro-metastatic disease

Desenvolvimento de um guidebook para gestão de projetos de realocação: um caso de estudo na indústria automóvel

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Industrial Engineering and ManagementDue to competitive behavior changes in industries and the increasing technology complexity, organizational projects became highly difficult to manage. Thus, many organizations required to implement and develop new strategics and concepts by standardizing the processes and procedures. In addition, applying standardization in the project management practices not only fosters organizations to adopt structured methods and provides reliable data to ensure the project conclusion in time, quality, and costs effectiveness, but also gives tools to new project managers for managing projects with consistency and efficiency, while planning, leading and executing to achieve an expected result. The present dissertation was developed in Bosch Car Multimedia Portugal S.A., at Braga, under the scope of the integrated Master of Industrial and Management Engineering at the School of Engineering of University of Minho. The project was executed in the Production Engineering department and the main goal was to standardize the Relocation Projects by creating a guidebook to assist new project managers in their integration and in management throughout the project life cycle. The work developed was based on the research methodology designated as case study with data collection through the participants’ observation and document analysis. These methods revealed that by standardizing and creating a guide to compile the main content in form of a guidebook, it facilitated project managers in managing the activities and processes throughout the phases of the project. Thus, the guidebook for Relocation Projects encompasses the description of activities and documentation that a project manager should use to maintain effectiveness in decision making and providing information needed to identify the essential process and tools. In the last stage of the project, a workshop and a questionnaire were held with thirteen professionals of project management and trainees from the same department to assess their understanding of the content in the guidebook. Of these thirteen participants, approximately 61.5% considered the guidebook a great contribution to managing relocation projects at the company.Face às mudanças de comportamento competitivo nas indústrias e ao crescimento da complexidade tecnológica, os projetos organizacionais tornaram-se altamente difíceis de gerir. Desse modo, muitas organizações adotaram novas estratégias de estandardização na gestão de projetos de forma a garantir a total eficácia na conclusão de projeto, no tempo e custos previstos, satisfazendo os requisitos de qualidade do mercado. A presente dissertação foi desenvolvida na empresa Bosch Car Multimédia Portugal S.A., em Braga, no âmbito do Mestrado Integrado em Engenharia e Gestão Industrial na Universidade do Minho. O tema proposto foi executado no departamento de Engenharia de Produção com vista a padronizar os Projetos de Realocação através da criação de um guidebook de forma a auxiliar novos gestores de projetos na sua integração e na gestão ao longo de todo o ciclo de vida do projeto. O trabalho desenvolvido teve como base a metodologia de investigação estudo do caso, sendo a recolha de dados sustentada através da aplicação de métodos de observação direta e análise documental. Estes métodos permitiram obter a informação necessária para identificar os processos e ferramentas essenciais na gestão de projetos de realocação e, por fim, compilar todo conteúdo na forma de um guidebook. No final da elaboração do projeto, foi realizado um workshop e posteriormente um questionário com treze gestores de projetos e estagiários do mesmo departamento, sendo o objetivo avaliar a sua compreensão do conteúdo do guidebook. Desses treze participantes, aproximadamente 61.5% consideraram o guidebook um ótimo contributo para a gestão de projetos de realocação na empresa

Ócios e resistências: crescer e envelhecer em contextos culturais diversos: atas do XII Encontro Internacional OTIUM e VI Congresso Internacional em Estudos Culturais

Este livro recolhe parte das comunicações apresentadas ao XII Encontro Internacional OTIUM – Associação Ibero-americana de Estudos de Ócio e VI Congresso Internacional em Estudos Culturais, realizado nos dias 28, 29 e 30 de novembro de 2018, na Universidade de Aveiro – Portugal.publishe

Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) in Portugal: Novel GCK, HNFA1 and HNFA4 Mutations

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a frequently misdiagnosed type of diabetes, which is characterized by early onset, autosomal dominant inheritance, and absence of insulin dependence. The most frequent subtypes are due to mutations of the GCK (MODY 2), HNF1A (MODY 3), and HNF4A (MODY 1) genes. We undertook the first multicenter genetic study of MODY in the Portuguese population. The GCK, HNF1A, and HNF4A genes were sequenced in 46 unrelated patients that had at least two of the three classical clinical criteria for MODY (age at diagnosis, family history, and clinical presentation). The functional consequences of the mutations were predicted by bioinformatics analysis. Mutations were identified in 23 (50%) families. Twelve families had mutations in the GCK gene, eight in the HNF1A gene, and three in the HNF4A gene. These included seven novel mutations (GCK c.494T>C, GCK c.563C>G, HNF1A c.1623G>A, HNF1A c.1729C>G, HNF4A c.68delG, HNF4A c.422G>C, HNF4A c.602A>C). Mutation-positive patients were younger at the time of diagnosis when compared to mutation-negative patients (14.3 vs. 23.0 years, p = 0.011). This study further expands the spectrum of known mutations associated with MODY, and may contribute to a better understanding of this type of diabetes and a more personalized clinical management of affected individuals

Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) in Portugal: Novel GCK, HNFA1 and HNFA4 Mutations

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a frequently misdiagnosed type of diabetes, which is characterized by early onset, autosomal dominant inheritance, and absence of insulin dependence. The most frequent subtypes are due to mutations of the GCK (MODY 2), HNF1A (MODY 3), and HNF4A (MODY 1) genes. We undertook the first multicenter genetic study of MODY in the Portuguese population. The GCK, HNF1A, and HNF4A genes were sequenced in 46 unrelated patients that had at least two of the three classical clinical criteria for MODY (age at diagnosis, family history, and clinical presentation). The functional consequences of the mutations were predicted by bioinformatics analysis. Mutations were identified in 23 (50%) families. Twelve families had mutations in the GCK gene, eight in the HNF1A gene, and three in the HNF4A gene. These included seven novel mutations (GCK c.494T&gt;C, GCK c.563C&gt;G, HNF1A c.1623G&gt;A, HNF1A c.1729C&gt;G, HNF4A c.68delG, HNF4A c.422G&gt;C, HNF4A c.602A&gt;C). Mutation-positive patients were younger at the time of diagnosis when compared to mutation-negative patients (14.3 vs. 23.0 years, p = 0.011). This study further expands the spectrum of known mutations associated with MODY, and may contribute to a better understanding of this type of diabetes and a more personalized clinical management of affected individuals

Blood transcriptome sequencing identifies biomarkers able to track disease stages in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3

Transcriptional dysregulation has been described in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD), an autosomal dominant ataxia caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the ataxin-3 protein. As ataxin-3 is ubiquitously expressed, transcriptional alterations in blood may reflect early changes that start before clinical onset and might serve as peripheral biomarkers in clinical and research settings. Our goal was to describe enriched pathways and report dysregulated genes, which can track disease onset, severity or progression in carriers of the ATXN3 mutation (pre-ataxic subjects and patients). Global dysregulation patterns were identified by RNA sequencing of blood samples from 40 carriers of ATXN3 mutation and 20 controls and further compared with transcriptomic data from post-mortem cerebellum samples of MJD patients and controls. Ten genes - ABCA1, CEP72, PTGDS, SAFB2, SFSWAP, CCDC88C, SH2B1, LTBP4, MEG3 and TSPOAP1 - whose expression in blood was altered in the pre-ataxic stage and simultaneously, correlated with ataxia severity in the overt disease stage, were analysed by quantitative real-time PCR in blood samples from an independent set of 170 SCA3/MJD subjects and 57 controls. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated the Gαi signalling and the oestrogen receptor signalling to be similarly affected in blood and cerebellum. SAFB2, SFSWAP and LTBP4 were consistently dysregulated in pre-ataxic subjects compared to controls, displaying a combined discriminatory ability of 79%. In patients, ataxia severity was associated with higher levels of MEG3 and TSPOAP1. We propose expression levels of SAFB2, SFSWAP and LTBP4 as well as MEG3 and TSPOAP1 as stratification markers of SCA3/MJD progression, deserving further validation in longitudinal studies and in independent cohorts.</p