Changes in the BCG-Induced T cell response over the first year of life

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-238).Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), the only currently available tuberculosis vaccine, is the most widely administered vaccine in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI). Despite this, many gaps in our knowledge of BCG-induced T cell responses exist. The primary objective of this study was to comprehensively delineate T cell immunity induced by BCG vaccination of newborns and to longitudinally assess BCG-specific T cell responses over the first year of life

Imagining Humans in the Age of DNA: Genetics and Contemporary British Fiction

This thesis examines to what extent modern genetics has influenced novelists to adopt a more deterministic view of human beings. It has been claimed that molecular biology, behavioural genetics and evolutionary psychology have challenged traditional ideas about humankind. My hypothesis is that if gene-centred disciplines changed the way we see ourselves, then this would have implications for the literary novel, a genre that depends greatly on representations of humans. In analysing how genetics was incorporated in contemporary British fiction, I try to uncover the ways in which the human characters deal with – or are constrained or empowered by – scientific products or concepts. In addition, I seek to understand what novelists know and think about human genetics, and whether they believe it influenced their stories. Attention is also paid to novelists’ relationship with scientists’ cognitive authority. Specifically, I am interested in whether experts and scientific knowledge were positioned hierarchically above lay audiences and other forms of knowledge. To answer those questions, extended semi-structured interviews and textual analysis were chosen as main research methods. Six literary novels were selected for analysis. This corpus consists of: A.S. Byatt’s A Whistling Woman, Carole Cadwalladr’s The Family Tree, Margaret Drabble’s The Peppered Moth, Maggie Gee’s The Ice People, Simon Mawer’s Mendel’s Dwarf and David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas. The main conclusion of this project is that novelists are able to incorporate ideas about genetics in their texts without simply perpetuating reductionist discourses. Literary novels offer several advantages compared to the expository writing: they are a flexible literary form; deal imaginatively with the human experience; and effortlessly accommodate multiple perspectives, open-ended questions and complex ideas such as doubt and ambiguity. As such, this genre affords the opportunity to explore contemporary science as a provisional, contingent and socially-embedded endeavour

Felicidade no trabalho: representações e práticas organizacionais em empresas portuguesas: um estudo exploratório no setor do IT

A Felicidade no trabalho, não sendo consensual e gerando controvérsia, apresenta-se como uma temática acutilante e disruptiva, que, apesar de não ter um posicionamento e aceitação unânimes, particularmente na comunidade científica, desfruta de uma crescente premência no contexto organizacional, tendo vindo a afirmar-se, de modo transversal à maioria das valências da GRH, refletindo-se nas práticas organizacionais. Pretendeu-se, com este estudo contribuir para uma melhor compreensão da felicidade no trabalho e das práticas organizacionais a ela subjacentes, desenvolvendo um estudo exploratório em empresas ilustrativas da prática de promoção de felicidade no trabalho, no setor do IT, em Portugal, de molde a perceber quais as práticas encetadas e compreender qual a perspetiva dos profissionais responsáveis pela aplicação dessas mesmas práticas, no que se refere à sua importância. Por último, pretendeu-se apreender os fatores identificados como antecedentes e consequências da felicidade no trabalho, assim como os desafios com que se deparará. Assim, após uma revisão da literatura, que permitiu um conhecimento mais aprofundado da temática, a elaboração de um modelo teórico de referência e a identificação dos objetivos da investigação, foram realizadas 12 entrevistas a profissionais responsáveis pela implementação e/ou aplicação de práticas de felicidade no trabalho nas respetivas empresas – utilizando-se a metodologia qualitativa e tendo-se recorrido à entrevista semiestruturada para recolha de dados, sendo que a análise dos dados radicou nos pressupostos da análise temática. As conclusões sugeridas pelos dados e decorrentes da apresentação e discussão dos resultados visam alargar o espectro da produção teórica académica neste nicho de interesse ainda em desenvolvimento, desbravando caminho para novas investigações e apontando possíveis limitações e potencialidades ou aspetos não explorados, com o intuito de acrescentar valor ao conhecimento do presente objeto de estudo. Pretende-se, ainda, demonstrar a urgência e premência desta dimensão enquanto parte integrante da estratégia das empresas, num mundo em constante mutação.Happiness at work, although not consensual and generating controversy, is a sharp and disruptive topic which, despite not having a unanimous position and acceptance, particularly in the scientific community, is enjoying growing urgency in the organisational context and has been asserting itself across the board in most areas of HRM, reflected in organisational practices. The aim of this study was to contribute to a better understanding of happiness at work and the organisational practices that underpin it, by carrying out an exploratory study of companies in the IT sector in Portugal that are illustrative of the practice of promoting happiness at work, in order to understand what practices have been put in place and the perspective of the professionals responsible for implementing these practices, in terms of their importance. Finally, we wanted to understand the factors identified as antecedents and consequences of happiness at work, as well as the challenges it will face. Thus, after a literature review, which allowed for a more in-depth knowledge of the subject, the development of a theoretical reference model and the identification of the research objectives, 12 interviews were carried out with professionals responsible for implementing and/or applying happiness at work practices in their respective companies - using qualitative methodology and semi-structured interviews for data collection, with data analysis rooted in the assumptions of thematic analysis. The conclusions suggested by the data and arising from the presentation and discussion of the results aim to broaden the spectrum of academic theoretical production in this niche of interest that is still under development, paving the way for new research and pointing out possible limitations and potentialities or unexplored aspects, with the aim of adding value to the knowledge of this object of study. The aim is also to demonstrate the urgency and urgency of this dimension as an integral part of company strategy in a constantly changing world

Fermentation of fruit juices by the osmotolerant yeast Candida magnoliae

This study focuses on the assessment of the fermentation conditions required to modulate the metabolic flux in the osmotolerant yeast Candida magnoliae and evaluate its potential to produce low-alcoholic and low-caloric fermented beverages. For that purpose, two strains, PYCC 2903 and PYCC 3191, were used and fermentation conditions as oxygenation, sugar concentration and the ratio of glucose to fructose were studied using synthetic culture media. Candida magnoliae PYCC 2903 was subsequently used to ferment real industrial fructose-rich substrates such as fruit juices. Sugar consumption profiles for C.magnoliae PYCC 2903 incubated aerobically in the presence of high fructose and glucose concentrations (15%, 10% and 5%) showed a selective utilization of fructose, denoting a preference for this sugar over glucose. The lower ratio between ethanol and sugar alcohols yield was obtained for both strains incubated under oxygen limitation simulating industrial fructose-rich substrates, confirming the ability of this yeast to direct fermentation towards alternative products. Enzymatic assays for hexokinase activity in terms of capacity and affinity for glucose and fructose were performed, aiming to elucidate its contribution to the fructophilic behaviour of this yeast. Enzymatic assays for both strains showed that the Vmax is two to threefold higher for fructose than for glucose but Km is also 10-20-fold higher for this sugar than for glucose. Hence, hexokinase kinetic properties do not explain fructophily in C.magnoliae. This indicates that fructose transport is probably determining in this respect, as observed for other fructophilic yeasts. Fruit juice fermentations with C.magnoliae PYCC 2903 revealed a potential for the production of beverages with interesting sensorial properties. Pear and peach fermentations exhibited the best results with the lowest ratio between ethanol and sugar alcohols yield and the most pleasant organoleptic features

Transition to Higher Education: lifestyle changes, health condition and academic success of first-year students

Lifetime normative transitions comprising significant ecological structural changes, as the transition to higher education, represent a risk factor in the adoption and maintenance of less healthy lifestyles. Health-related behaviors and attitudes (HBA) that form part of personal lifestyle are variables that affect students’ health condition and academic success. A sample of first-year students (N = 546) from the University of Coimbra (academic year: 2009/2010) was collected in order to study “students in transition” lifestyle (viz. HBA changes; perceived impact on health condition, adaptation process and academic performance; intended changes), health condition, quality of the adaptation process and academic performance, as well as the associations among these variables. Although the prevalence of HBA had changed after university entry, most of the students maintained a high number of positive HBA but exhibited alarming levels of alcohol consumption and physical activity. The two previously mentioned HBA seemed to play an important yet conflicting role in health condition and academic success. Most of the results are consistent with the literature and provided important information for planning an initiative focused on promoting health and academic success in this specific context

Graduados Estrangeiros em Situação de Desemprego em Portugal Características e análise de expetativas

O desemprego é um fenómeno que preocupa as sociedades, sobretudo quando ele existe entre a população mais qualificada. Portugal dispõe de uma fração considerável de estrangeiros, qualificados, a maioria dos quais graduados em universidades portuguesas, em situação de desemprego. O estudo aqui desenvolvido pretende aumentar os conhecimentos sobre este grupo. Para o efeito procede-se à sua caracterização e avaliam-se as suas expetativas futuras, designadamente o desejo de regressar ao país de origem, e não fazer parte do fenómeno de Brain Drain.N/

Is a tiered restrictions system an effective intervention for COVID-19 control? Results from Portugal, November-December 2020

Funding Information: This work was funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology through a PhD research scholarship [2020.09525.BD] granted under the Call DOCTORATES 4 COVID-19; and Comprehensive Health Research Center [UIDP/04923/2020]. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.Background: In November 2020, similar to other European countries, Portugal implemented a tiered restrictions system to control the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to compare the COVID-19 growth rate across tiers to assess the effect of a tiered restrictions system in Portugal, using models with different times between tiers assessment. Our hypothesis was that being in a higher tier brings a faster deceleration in the growth rate than being in a lower tier. Methods: The national database of notified COVID-19 cases and publicly available data were used to analyse the effect of the tiered restrictions system on the COVID-19 incidence growth rate. The tiers were based on the European Centre for Disease Control risk classification: moderate, high, very and extremely high. We used a generalised mixed-effects regression model to estimate the growth rate ratio (GRR) for each tier, comparing the growth rates of higher tiers using moderate tier as reference. Three models were fitted using different times between tiers assessment, separated by 14 days. Results: We included 156 034 cases. Very high tier was the most frequent combination in all the three moments assessed (21.2%), and almost 50% of the municipalities never changed tier during the study period. Immediately after the tiers implementation, a reduction was identified in the municipalities in high tier (GRR high tier: 0.90 [95%CI: 0.79; 1.02]) and very high tier (GRR very high tier: 0.68 [95%CI: 0.61; 0.77]), however with some imprecision in the 95% confidence interval for the high tier. A reduction in very high tier growth rate was identified two weeks (GRR: 0.79 [95%CI: 0.71; 0.88]) and four weeks (GRR: 0.77 [95%CI: 0.74; 0.82]) after the implementation, compared to moderate tier. In high tier, a reduction was also identified in both times, although smaller. Conclusions: We observed a reduction in the growth rate in very high tier after the tiered restriction system was implemented, but we also observed a lag between tiered restriction system implementation and the onset of consequent effects. This could suggest the importance of early implementation of stricter measures for pandemic control. Thus, studies analysing a broader period of time are needed.publishersversionpublishe

different delays, different risk factors

Funding Information: The study was supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology—FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under the National School of Public Health, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal (PTDC/SAU-PUB/31346/2017). Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).Background: Delay in Tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis affects foreign-born and nationals in different ways, especially in low-incidence countries. This study characterises total delay and its components amongst foreign-born individuals in Portugal. Additionally, we identify risk factors for each type of delay and compare their effects between foreign-born and nationals. Methods: We analysed data from the Portuguese TB surveillance system and included individuals with pulmonary TB (PTB), notified between 2008 and 2017. We described patient, healthcare, and total delays. Cox regression was used to identify factors associated with each type of delay. All analyses were stratified according to the origin country: nationals (those born in Portugal) and foreign-born. Results: Compared with nationals, foreign-born persons presented statistically significant and longer median total and patient delays (Total: 67 vs. 63; Patient: 44 vs. 36 days), and lower healthcare services delays (7 vs. 9 days). Risk factors for delayed diagnosis differed between foreign-born and nationals. Being unemployed, having drug addiction, and having comorbidities were identified as risk factors for delayed diagnosis in national individuals but not in foreigners. Alcohol addiction was the only factor identified for healthcare delay for both populations: foreign-born (Hazard Ratio 1.34 [95% confidence interval 1.17;1.53]); nationals (Hazard Ratio 1.20 [95% confidence interval 1.13;1.27]). Conclusions: Foreign-born individuals with PTB take longer to seek health care. While no specific risk factors were identified, more in-depth studies are required to identify barriers and support public health intervention to address PTB diagnosis delay in foreign-born individuals.publishersversionpublishe