Experiences and perceptions of Portuguese chronic low back pain patients` encounters with health professionals

Comunicação apresentada no I Congresso Nacional de Comunicação Clínica em Cuidados de Saúde, 20-21 outubro de 2017, Braga, PortugalN/

An Imam in France Tareq Oubrou

Muslim collective identifications in Europe are to a large extent shaped by national dynamics. In France, the call for a French Islam which dominates public debates has forced Muslim leaders to re-position themselves. One of the most intriguing responses has come from Tareq Oubrou. This self-learned imam has been working within the Islamic tradition to establish a sharia de minorité, building the premises of a “legal Islam” adapted to the secular context of France and the religious practices of Muslims

European Islam and Tariq Ramadan

In the context of the exhibition Urban Islam in Amsterdam (see p. 44), the Royal Tropical Institute and the ISIM co-organised a series of lectures and debates. The theme of the meeting held on 27 April 2004 was “From Cyber Imam to European Islam: Youth and Islam in Europe.” In his introduction to the event, Alexandre Caeiro (ISIM) focussed on how the Internet is giving rise to new types of socialization among Muslims in Europe, including original matrimonial strategies and enhanced modes of political mobilization. The main speaker for the evening was Tariq Ramadan who delivered a lively lecture on the role of Western Muslims and the future of Islam to a mixed audience of Muslim youth and non-Muslims

Adjusting Islamic Law to Migration

The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR), created in 1997, is one of the most remarkable initiatives in the developing field of jurisprudence for Muslim minorities living in the West. Unlike the Fiqh Council of North America, established a few years earlier, the ECFR includes scholars from the Middle East, a sign that this particular legal discourse also affects believers in Muslim majority countries. Many of the issues at hand go beyond the state of post-migration. Consequently, the ECFR has to find a balance amongst a variety of views and expectations in Europe and beyond

Culture, longevity and social policies - Radar's Project from the Portuguese Institution Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa

Culture is intrinsically linked to the values of society. Politics dictates our evolution of society through choices and omissions. Older people and their perceived value to the world must be a global priority. Still, the West has not valued this age group wisely and fairly. The data indicate that the impact of social circumstances on the quality of life of the elderly has not been of paramount importance. Investment in the scientific biosocial approach has been deficient compared to the biomedical approach. However, it has had the most significant positive impact on living standards and longevity. We recognise that the funding of the biosocial approach is not considered as competitive as the biomedical approach, because the methodology of the social sciences is fundamentally different. Public policy lacks accuracy because science cannot overrule political power. Accordingly, from 2021 to 2030, the United Nations Organization has named the decade of healthy ageing. Healthcare, as a pillar of social governance and respect for the lives of the elderly, believes that it is vital to have the necessary social support to prosper. On the basis of these circumstances, this research paper outlines the importance of focusing on the social aspect of living and ageing in assessing this age group. Healthy ageing has reflected improved living standards, and increased longevity must become a political priority. This article highlights the concept of political longevity initiatives and how to observe them from an ethical point of view of social science results in a different picture of society. The different perspectives that we present are useful for the modern science of public health. Radar is a current Portuguese initiative as a political project involving public and social institutions. We analyse this project, focusing on the importance of making healthy global ageing a political option.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF POACEAE POLLEN IN AREAS OF SOUTHERN UNITED KINGDOM, SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

Overall, longer Poaceae pollen seasons coincided with earlier pollen season start dates. Winter rainfall noticeably affects the intensity of Poaceae pollen seasons in Mediterranean areas, but this was not as important in Worcester. Weekly data from Worcester followed a similar pattern to that of Badajoz and Évora but at a distance of more than 1500 km and 4-5 weeks later

Detection and Quantification of Grass and Olea Airborne Pollen Allergens in Outdoor Air Samples and its Correlation with Pollen Counts

Detection and Quantification of Grass and Olea Airborne Pollen Allergens in Outdoor Air Samples and its Correlation with Pollen Counts R Ferro1*, R Ribeiro1*, MR Martins1,2, AT Caldeira1,3, E Caeiro6, CM Antunes1,5 & R Brandão2,4 and the HIALINE working group7 1Dep. of Chemistry, University of Evora, Portugal; 2Mediterranean Inst. Crop and Environment Sciences, Univ.Evora, Portugal; 3Centro Química, University of Évora, Portugal; 4Dep. Biology, University of Evora; 5Center for NeuroSciences and Cell Biology-University of Coimbra, Portugal; 6Soc.Portuguesa Alergol.Imunologia Clínica , Portugal 7 M. Thibaudon, France, M. Smith, United Kingdom, C. Galan, Spain R. Albertini, Italy, L. Grewling, Poland, G. Reese, Germany, A. Rantio-Lehtimäki, Finland, S. Jäger and U. Berger, Austria, M. Sofiev, Finland, I. Sauliene, Lithuania, L. Cecchi, Italy Presenting author: [email protected] tel: +351 266760889 Introduction: Allergic respiratory diseases broken out after an exposure to airborne pollen, as asthma and allergic rhinitis, are deeply increasing and they represent one of the major public health problems nowadays, affecting about 40% of European population. In Portugal, grass and Olea europaea pollen are certainly one of the main sources of athmospheric aeroallergens and as such, one of the main causes of respiratory allergy. For these reasons, it is useful the development of new strategies for prevention and treatment of these pathologies. The execution of aerobiological analysis including pollen calendars and/or immunoassays for the detection and quantification of allergens which could forecast the allergenic potential of the athmosphere are quite relevant since they would contribute to develop prevention measures of allergic respiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the putative correlation between the concentration of some of the major allergens of and with their pollen counts. Methodology: On a meteorological platform at the town center of Evora (south Portugal), ambient air was sampled at 800L/min with a Chemvol high-volume cascade impactor equipped with stages PM>10µm, 10 µm>PM>2.5µm. The polyurethane impacting substrate was extracted with 0.1M NH4HCO3, pH8.1, supplemented with 0.1% BSA. The major pollen allergens from grass Phleum p 5 and olive Ole e 1 were determined with allergen specific ELISA´s. Airborne pollen of and Olea europaea simultaneously monitored with a Burkard Seven Day Recording Volumetric Spore Trap* , between the 30th of April and the 8th of July of 2009. Both samplers were placed side-by-side with air input at the same level. Results: During the pollen season of 2009, high values of grass pollen were recorded between May 2th and June 1 th. It was also observed that the air content of Phl p5 or Ole e1 aeroallergens were directly correlated with airborne pollen counts of Poaceae and Oleaceae, respectively. Conclusions: These results suggest that the directly quantification of aeroallergens may contribute, together with pollen counts of air samples, to define the allergic risk with higher precision. Acknowledgments: This study is integrated in the european project HIALINE (Executive Agency for Health and Consumers under grant agreement No 2008 11 07

European Islam Between Religious Traditions and Secular Formations

The workshop “European Islam between Religious Traditions and Secular Formations” was held in Slubice (Poland) from 7-10 February. It was jointly organized by ISIM, Casa Arabe and its International Institute of Arab and Muslim World Studies, Kompetenzzentrum Orient-Okzident Marinz, and Europa -Universitat Viadrina Frankfurt/Oder

Tuberculous Meningitis: an Endemic Cause of Intracranial Hypertension

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) presents a complex clinical scenario, often marked by delayed recognition and high mortality. Our case involves a 27-year-old woman from Nepal with no significant medical history, presented with a two-week history of fatigue, altered consciousness, dizziness, vomiting, fever, holocranial headache, and photophobia. Initial examination revealed signs consistent with meningitis, including fever, hypertensive state, prostration, bilateral exophthalmos, sixth cranial nerve paresis, and positive Kernig/Brudzinski signs. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) exhibited characteristics typical of TBM: turbidity, lymphocytic-predominant pleocytosis, low glucose, and elevated protein. The patient was promptly started on meningeal doses of vancomycin, ceftriaxone, and acyclovir. However, persistent fever, neurological deterioration, and signs of increased intracranial pressure led to the decision to initiate conventional empiric treatment of tuberculosis (TB) with isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol (HRZE) and dexamethasone 1 week before cultural positivity for Mycobacterium tuberculosis of CSF. The case underscores the importance of considering TBM in patients from endemic regions, interpreting CSF findings, and initiating empirical treatment in critical scenarios, contributing to a positive patient outcome despite the diagnostic challenges.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ham, Mozart, & Limits to Freedom of Expression

Focusing on two recent controversies—the cancellation of Mozart’s Idomeneo in Berlin and the death threats against a French teacher for criticizing Islam—this article revisits the flawed construction of a clash between Islam and freedom of expression, and seeks to show how the debates are connected to a problematic vision of Europe which necessarily excludes Muslims