International standards for information literacy

Librarians working in higher education want to support students in the pursuit of their academic work, based on the good use of information. To this end, they need to know the emerging pedagogical changes that they can take advantage of when designing their courses, integrating this knowledge into a more segmented, clear, and objective training offer, based on international references, published in the last decades, since the ACRL Standards, until the ACRL Framework. The attention given to these documents can prepare librarians for the necessary updating of skills, supporting innovation, and best practice achievement. This paper aims to systematise the evolution of concepts and practices of information literacy guidelines in higher education and identify their inspiration for the creation of Portuguese guidelines. An exploratory inventory of international information associations was carried out to identify information literacy guidelines. The content analysis of these guidelines allowed the identification of pedagogical trends in the performance of libraries and their professionals. The analysed contents show an interpretative evolution of the guidelines, converging in the ACRL Framework and the contents of the Portuguese recommendations for academic libraries for the period 2020–2022. It is evident that updating skills for librarians requires not only an awareness of sector trends, but also transforming them into good practice and recommendations appropriate for the national context.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

University libraries fighting fake news: an analysis of the knowledge and practices of Portuguese librarians

Problems with fake news are an emerging subject that has been debated in many sectors of society. Libraries are no exception, and particularly university libraries have been taking a stand against this new reality and seeking to combat it, especially through information literacy training programs. Several studies have already concluded that training that soaks critical thinking in the use of information can benefit users; it enables them to strengthen their strategies for distinguishing informational truth from fake news, misinformation, deceived, or misleading information. Inspired by research carried out in Spain, this study seeks to understand what knowledge Portuguese librarians have about this subject and what strategies are being prepared or implemented by academic libraries in Portugal to combat fake news and misinformation. For this purpose, a questionnaire is applied and addressed to the 172 Portuguese academic libraries registered in a national directory of libraries. The questionnaire comprises data aggregated in four sections: library identification; characterization of knowledge about the subject; good practices in the fight against fake news; and a final open question. Seventy-three libraries answered, representing 43% of the universe under analysis. The results show a thorough knowledge of the issue by librarians, but still incipient actions regarding practices that directly address the fight against fake news, through information literacy training.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Perceptions on mobile information among undergraduates before and after Covid-19: Some comparisons

A comparative analysis of Social Sciences undergraduates’ perceptions of information literacy (IL) and the use/inclusion of mobile technologies (MT) at the universities of Granada (Spain) and ISPA (Lisboa) before and after the Covid-19 pandemics. An exploratory socio-constructive focus group methodology was carried out based on a sample of eighteen Psychology and Education undergraduates, in the final year of their studies (May 2022). We implemented two focus groups, one in each country. Undergraduates experienced significant gaps, especially in IL knowledge and MT skills. They also perceived attitudinal and technological limitations in their teachers. Morever, there are some differences in attitudes towards MT inclusion in the processes of teaching and learning, according to the context. In this regard, Spanish undergraduates showed better skills and Portuguese ones a higher level of selfperception. Some shortages derived from the Covid-19 pandemic emerge, since there is a growing body of evidence on both the need for student-teacher closeness and the technical limitations of some teacher. After this critical situation, an open-to-experience mentality on the part of all the stakeholders is necessary. Due to the qualitative methodology, we have implemented, the research is limited to a specific sector to be analyzed (Social Sciences undergraduates belonging to the last pregraduate year). Academic, educational institutions and teachers (responsible for the training of future generations) must strive to understand the scope of mobile teaching and the possibilities of mobile devices to increase student’s motivations and to acquire basic skills too. To reflect on this situation turns into a priority to optimize the teaching-learning processes.Resumén: Análisis comparativo de las percepciones sobre la alfabetización informacional (Alfin) y el uso/inclusión de tecnologías móviles (MT) de los estudiantes de pregrado de Ciencias Sociales en las universidades de Granada (España) y ISPA (Lisboa) antes y después de la pandemia de Covid-19. Se siguió exploratoria socioconstructivista basada en grupos focales (mayo de 2022) con una muestra de dieciocho estudiantes de Psicología y Educación, en el último año de sus estudios. Se implementaron dos grupos focales, uno en cada país. El estudiantado de pregrado experimenta brechas significativas, especialmente en el conocimiento de la Alfin y las habilidades en MT. También perciben limitaciones actitudinales y tecnológicas en sus profesores. Además, existen diferencias en las actitudes hacia la inclusión de MT en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje, según el contexto. En este sentido, los estudiantes españoles mostraron mejores habilidades y los portugueses un mayor nivel de autopercepción. Surgen algunas carencias derivadas de la pandemia de Covid-19, ya que hay un creciente cuerpo de evidencia sobre la necesidad de proximidad estudiante-profesor y las limitaciones técnicas de algunos profesores. Después de esta situación crítica, es necesaria una mentalidad abierta a la experiencia por parte de todos los interesados. Debido a la metodología cualitativa implementada, la investigación se limita a un sector específico para ser analizado (estudiantes de Ciencias Sociales pertenecientes al último año de pregrado). Las instituciones académicas, educativas y el profesorado (responsable de la formación de las futuras generaciones) deben esforzarse por comprender el alcance de la enseñanza móvil y las posibilidades de los dispositivos móviles para aumentar la motivación de los estudiantes y adquirir habilidades básicas también. Reflexionar sobre esta situación se convierte en una prioridad para optimizar los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Prophylactic Use of Liposomal Amphotericin B in Preventing Fungal Infections Early After Liver Transplantation: a Retrospective, Single-Center Study

In this study the authors evaluated the efficacy of prophylaxis with liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) in the incidence of fungal infections (FI) during the first 3 months after liver transplant (LT). The study was retrospective and accessed a 4-year period from 2008 to 2011. All patients who died in the first 48 hours after LT were excluded. Patients were divided by the risk groups for FI: Group 1, high-risk (at least 1 of the following conditions: urgent LT; serum creatinine >2 mg/dL; early acute kidney injury [AKI] after LT; retransplantation; surgical exploration early post-LT; transfused cellular blood components [>40 U]); and Group 2, low-risk patients. Group 1 patients were further separated into those who received antifungal prophylaxis with L-AmB and those who did not. Prophylaxis with L-AmB consisted of intravenous administration of L-AmB, 100 mg daily for 14 days. Four hundred ninety-two patients underwent LT; 31 died in the first 48 hours after LT. From the remaining 461 patients, 104 presented with high-risk factors for FI (Group 1); of these, 66 patients received antifungal prophylaxis and 38 did not. In this group 8 FI were observed, 5 in patients without antifungal prophylaxis (P = .011). Three more FI were identified in Group 2. By logistic regression analysis, the categorical variable high-risk group was independently related to the occurrence of invasive FI (P = .006). We conclude that prophylaxis with L-AmB after LT was effective in reducing the incidence of FI. No influence on mortality was detected

Literacia da informação em contexto universitário: da pesquisa à publicação

Objetivos | A explosão de informação, não apenas impressa, mas em um contexto digital, tornou-se uma área fértil para explorar, transmitir e disseminar conhecimento científico, fomentando a aprendizagem e ensino baseados na transformação dessa informação e na criação de novos conhecimentos. Os estudantes e professores do ensino superior precisam de estar cientes de como se podem orientar no ecossistema da informação, incluindo treinar a capacidade de lidar com a informação em diversos meios, e compreendendo a literacia da informação como uma prioridade. Este webinar tem como objetivo elencar algumas das competências e habilidades a desenvolver em todo o ciclo de investigação, desde a pesquisa à publicação, em contexto universitário, reforçando-se ainda o papel que os bibliotecários podem ter no cumprimento destes objetivos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Competências essenciais para as Bibliotecas

Esta comunicação baseia-se na exploração da interseção entre IA e LI, oferecendo insights sobre o cenário em evolução no Ensino Superior. Sintetiza de forma descritiva a literatura existente, propõe estratégias pedagógicas para integrar a literacia em IA com a LI e fornece orientação para os profissionais da informação navegarem pelas complexidades dos processos de ensino e aprendizagem orientados pela IA. Ao abordar o potencial transformador da IA e ao mesmo tempo enfatizar a importância de promover competências de pensamento crítico e consciência ética, esta comunicação contribui para avançar a compreensão no campo e promover a tomada de decisões informadas num ambiente académico cada vez mais digital.info:eu-repo/semantics/draf

A colaboração de bibliotecários em equipas de investigação em saúde e os desafios do mundo digital: Uma revisão da literatura

Inexistenteinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

High-Degree Atrioventricular Block Induced by Prinzmetal Angina

Apresentamos o caso de uma mulher de 46 anos com episódios frequentes de dor precordial e síncope associados a elevação do segmento ST e períodos de bloqueio aurículoventricular de alto grau transitórios. A coronariogafia excluiu lesões significativas e a doente foi tratada com nitratos e antagonistas do cálcio. Verificou-se persistência da sintomatologia associada a períodos de bloqueio aurículo-ventricular sintomáticos, refratários a otimização terapêutica. Implantação de pacemaker DDD-R. Follow-up de 4 meses sem intercorrências

Progesterone reduces erectile dysfunction in sleep-deprived spontaneously hypertensive rats

BACKGROUND: Paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) associated with cocaine has been shown to enhance genital reflexes (penile erection-PE and ejaculation-EJ) in Wistar rats. Since hypertension predisposes males to erectile dysfunction, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of PSD on genital reflexes in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) compared to the Wistar strain. We also extended our study to examine how PSD affect steroid hormone concentrations involved in genital events in both experimental models. METHODS: The first experiment investigated the effects of PSD on genital reflexes of Wistar and SHR rats challenged by saline and cocaine (n = 10/group). To further examine the impact of the PSD on concentrations of sexual hormones, we performed a hormonal analysis of testosterone and progesterone in the Wistar and in SHR strains. Since after PSD progesterone concentrations decreased in the SHR compared to the Wistar PSD group we extended our study by investigating whether progesterone (25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg) or testosterone (0.5 mg/kg or 1.0 mg/kg) administration during PSD would have a facilitator effect on the occurrence of genital reflexes in this hypertensive strain. RESULTS: A 4-day period of PSD induced PE in 50% of the Wistar rats against 10% for the SHR. These genital reflexes was potentiated by cocaine in Wistar rats whereas this scenario did not promote significant enhancement in PE and EJ in hypertensive rats, and the percentage of SHR displaying genital reflexes still figured significantly lower than that of the Wistar strain. As for hormone concentrations, both sleep-deprived Wistar and SHR showed lower testosterone concentrations than their respective controls. Sleep deprivation promoted an increase in concentrations of progesterone in Wistar rats, whereas no significant alterations were found after PSD in the SHR strain, which did not present enhancement in erectile responses. In order to explore the role of progesterone in the occurrence of genital reflexes, SHR were treated daily during the sleep deprivation period with progesterone; after the administration of this hormone and challenge with cocaine, we observed a significant increase in erectile events compared with the vehicle PSD SHR+cocaine group. CONCLUSION: Our data showed that the low frequency of genital reflexes found in SHR sleep deprived rats may be attributed to the lower concentrations of progesterone in these rats, based on the observation that progesterone replacement increased genital reflexes in this strain

a pilot study in mice

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PcP) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in immunocompromised patients. There are limited alternative therapeutic choices to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) which is the standard first line therapy/prophylaxis for PcP. The efficacy of low doses of caspofungin and caspofungin in association with TMP-SMX standard-prophylactic dose was evaluated in an experimental model of Pneumocystis. Susceptibility of Pneumocystis spp. to low doses of caspofungin and caspofungin/TMP-SMX was evaluated in Balb/c immunosuppressed mice, infected intranasally with P. murina. Caspofungin was administered once daily at 0.1 mg/kg, 0.05 mg/kg, and 0.001 mg/kg and TMP-SMX was administered by oral gavage (12.25 mg/62.5 mg/day), for 21 days. Efficacy was calculated based on the reduction in organism burden determined through quantitative fluorescent-based real-time PCR (qPCR). Serum β-1,3-D-glucan was measured as an additional marker of infection. The present data showed that caspofungin demonstrated anti-Pneumomocystis effect. However, the doses administrated were too low to achieve Pneumocystis eradication, which suggests that echinocandin treatment should not be administrated as mono-therapy. After 21 days of treatment, P. murina was not detected in the lungs of mice with either TMP-SMX or caspofungin/TMP-SMX. The results showed that, even at the lowest concentrations tested, the efficacy of caspofungin in association with TMP-SMX was higher than the efficacy of either drug used alone. The administration of caspofungin/TMP-SMX was at least 1.4 times more effective against P. murina infection than TMP-SMX used alone. The most promising result was achieved with the combination of caspofungin 0.05 mg/kg/day with TMP-SMX 12.5 mg–62.5 mg/day, which reduced the parasite burden to undetectable levels immediately at the 14th day of treatment, showing a highly marked anti-Pneumomocystis effect. These data suggest that the administration of low doses of caspofungin in combination with low doses of TMP-SMX may provide an improved treatment protocol for Pneumocystis infection clearance.publishersversionpublishe