Study of the role of wall teichoic acids in the localization Staphylococcus aureus cell wall synthesis protein PBP4

The cell wall of Staphylococcus aureus is a highly complex network mainly composed of highly cross-linked peptidoglycan (PG) and teichoic acids (TAs), both important for the maintenance of the integrity and viability of bacteria. The penicillin binding proteins (PBPs), which catalyse the final stage of PG biosynthesis, are targets of β-lactam antibiotics and have been a key focus of antibacterial research. S. aureus has four native PBPs, PBP1-4 carried by both methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and –resistant (MRSA) strains. PBP4 is required for the synthesis of the highly cross-linked PG and, as shown in recent studies, is essential for the expression of β-lactam resistance in community-acquired strains (CA-MRSA). This protein has a septal localization that seems to be spatially and temporally regulated by an unknown intermediate of the wall teichoic acids (WTA) biosynthesis pathway. Therefore, if WTA synthesis is compromised, PBP4 becomes dispersed throughout the entire cell membrane. The aim of this project was to identify the WTA precursor responsible for the septal recruitment of PBP4. In order to do so, inducible mutants of tarB and tarL genes in the background of NCTCPBP4-YFP were constructed allowing for the study of PBP4 localization in the presence and absence of these specific tar genes.With this work we were able to show that the absence of TarB or TarL leads to the delocalization of PBP4, indicating that TarL or a protein/WTA precursor whose localization/synthesis is dependent on TarL is responsible for the recruitment of PBP4

The intermediary role of public relations agencies between pharmaceutical brands and portuguese digital influencers

Desde o surgimento da Internet que as agências de Relações Públicas (RP) assumiram o papel de intermediários entre marcas farmacêuticas (MF) e digital influencers (DI). Simultaneamente, estes digital influencers começaram a actuar como moderadores entre estas marcas e os consumidores, em Portugal. A relação interdependente destas partes molda as suas relações públicas, de mais a mais, considerando o atual panorama digital. A partir da nossa experiência de um ano numa agência de relações públicas, que nos permitiu obter um conhecimento em primeira-mão sobre esta indústria, iremos analisar e questionar se é possível cumprir os objectivos tanto das marcas farmacêuticas como os dos digital influencers. Este estudo, enquanto relatório de estágio, irá utilizar material recolhido através da análise indutiva e temática das entrevistas realizadas em profundidade, a fim de revelar e compreender o trabalho das agências de relações públicas enquanto intermediários. Irá também demonstrar de que forma a emergência dos digital influencers determinou o desenvolvimento desta dinâmica em Portugal, a partir da perspectiva das marcas farmacêuticas e destes influencers. Os resultados indicam que as agências de relações públicas, de uma forma complacente, desempenham este papel cumprindo os objectivos de cada uma das partes, sem comprometer a sua própria posição.Since the rise of the Internet, Public Relations (PR) agencies have assumed the role of intermediaries between pharmaceutical brands (PB) and digital influencers (DI). Simultaneously, these digital influencers have begun to act as moderators between these brands and consumers in Portugal. The interdependent relationship of these parties shapes their public relations more than ever considering today’s digital landscape. Drawing on our experience from spending a year at a public relations agency, which has given us a first-hand insight into the industry, we will examine whether it is possible to meet the goals of both pharmaceutical brands and digital influencers. As a qualitative internship report, this study will utilize in-depth interview material that we have gathered through inductive and theme analysis to unveil and understand the work of public relations agencies as intermediaries. It will also illustrate how the emergence of digital influencers has determined the development of this dynamic in Portugal, from the perspective of pharmaceutical brands and these influencers. The results indicate that, by leniently performing this role, public relations agencies successfully accomplish the goals of each party, without compromising their own position

Genetic connectivity and diversity of the seagrass Halodule wrightii in contrasting habitats of the Western African coast

Understanding the patterns and processes of genetic diversity and differentiation is fundamental for assessing population connectivity to inform the conservation of coastal ecosystems. The tropical West African Atlantic Coast is a good model to address these issues. The influence of oceanographic currents diverging in hotspot ecoregions mediating propagule dispersal along this coastline raises interesting predictions to be tested. In the Gulf of Arguin (Mauritania) nearshore and offshore seagrass populations can be predicted to be highly connected by strong currents driven by tides in this very shallow system. In contrast, in the Bijagós archipelago (Guinea-Bissau), populations in the northern and southern islands could hypothetically be genetically differentiated as predicted based on passive transport by ocean currents. However, they also have a strong relationship of connectivity by migratory species, namely green turtles that travel between feeding and breeding grounds. This study aims to assess these predictions and also to understand seagrass population genetic diversity and genotypic (clonal) diversity, as well as connectivity, along the Western African coast. We used as model the species Halodule wrightii, a seagrass with clonal reproduction via rhizome elongation and sexual reproduction via non-buoyant seeds, both traits that do not promote long distance dispersal. We assessed genetic diversity, clonality, and population differentiation with 8 microsatellite markers, using samples from the entire species range along this coastline, from Mauritania to Angola over a distance of ~1,600 km. Generally, populations were genetically homogeneous with low differentiation, while genotypic richness varied among all populations. The results support the hypothesis of high connectivity between populations in the Banc d’Arguin but do not support the isolation hypothesis between the northern and southern regions of the Bijagós. The results also suggest that the Canary Current and Guinea Current do not affect seed dispersal and connectivity through abiotic mechanisms.A compreensão dos processos centrais da diversidade e da diferenciação genética são fundamentais para avaliar a conectividade das populações de pradarias marinhas e prever a conservação dos ecossistemas costeiros tropicais. Contudo, pouco se sabe sobre pradarias marinhas na costa atlântica da África Ocidental, onde grande diversidade ocorre. Para além, também pouco se tem estudado à respeito das influências das correntes de maré que se divergem em ‘hotspots’ em ecorregiões e mediam a dispersão de sementes ao longo desta linha costeira. O Golfo de Arguin (Mauritânia) exibe populações de pradarias marinhas perto da costa e ao largo, enquanto o arquipélago de Bijagós (Guiné-Bissau) exibe populações de ervas marinhas nas ilhas do Norte e do Sul, que apresentam forte relação com espécies migratórias que se sazonalmente viajam para se alimentam. Este estudo visa compreender a estrutura genética das populações de ervas marinhas e a sua conectividade para prever a dispersão e recrutamento de sementes através de mecanismos abióticos e bióticos ao longo da costa ocidental da África, desde a Mauritânia até Angola, ao longo de uma distância de ~1.600 km. Utilizámos o modelo com a espécie Halodule wrightii, uma erva marinha florida com reprodução sexual e clonal através do alongamento do rizoma e sementes não flutuantes. Avaliámos a diversidade genética, clonalidade e diferenciação genética da população com 8 marcadores de microsatelite. Testamos o Isolamento por Distância para traçar a distribuição geográfica espacial correlacionada com a diferenciação em pares para identificar fontes de fluxo gênico. Em geral, apesar de uma zona divergente na zona central (São Tomé e Príncipe) demonstrar diversidade genética, foi identificada uma baixa variabilidade genética, assumindo uma colonização independente, enquanto uma riqueza genotípica significativa variou ao longo de todas populações. Foi encontrada uma diferenciação genética significativa entre a Mauritânia e a Guiné-Bissau, em termos de população aos pares. Os resultados apoiam a hipótese de alta conectividade entre as populações do Banc d'Arguin mas não apoiam a hipótese de isolamento entre as regiões norte e sul dos Bijagós. Os resultados também sugerem que a Corrente Canária e a Corrente da Guiné não afectam a dispersão de sementes e a conectividade através de mecanismos abióticos. Embora o isolamento por distância ocorra, este estudo sugere que a Corrente Canária e a Corrente da Guiné não afectam a dispersão de sementes e a conectividade através de mecanismos abióticos. No entanto, é necessário avaliar, investigar e avaliar áreas maiores e um número mais significativo de amostras ao longo desta costa para uma análise mais detalhada. O estudo tem implicações na utilização da informação genética populacional na conservação, gestão e mitigação dos países em desenvolvimento dependentes da produção costeira

Improving and embedding project management practice: generic or context dependent?

Taking into account the contingency theory, this paper explores the extent to which key project management improvement initiatives and key embedding factors, identified in a previously developed conceptual framework, are dependent on organizational context, namely sector of activity, organization size, geographic area and project types. Therefore, aiming to guide professionals on making use of such framework in their organizations. Statistically significant contextual correlations were looked for in a worldwide sample of 793 questionnaire responses from project management professionals, using Principal Component Analysis, ANOVA test and post-hoc Tukey test. Context related differences found were limited, suggesting that the framework for improving and embedding project management practice is substantially generic. Therefore, the paper shows the explanatory power of the framework, which can be used by any organization independent of its sector of activity, dimension, geographic area and project types, however indicating the existence of slight differences. For example, Information Technology companies might give more relevance to initiatives such as corporate standardization and tailoring of project management processes tools and techniques than Engineering and Construction companies

The development of venture capital in Portugal: the role of the public investor

Dissertação de mestrado em FinançasThe main purpose of the present dissertation is to study the intervention of the Portuguese State as an investor and to understand if it has a preponderant role in the dynamization of the venture capital sector in Portugal. This sector has a two decade long history in the country; however, it is still under development and there is still little information available about it. Therefore, through the present investigation, we pretend to contribute to the state-of-the-art in this area. We intend to understand by the application of our methodology whether the public investor attracts other potential investors, which in turns are private investors, and if this makes the venture capital industry grow. In this regard, the development of our methodology went through two processes: firstly, the application of the model developed by Kraemer-Eis et al. (2016); and then, by interviewing players of this industry in Portugal, whose testimonies will allow us to get more accurate and robust conclusions. In addition, we also want to study the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had in this sector and how this industry was important to the economic recovery.A presente dissertação tem como principal objetivo estudar a intervenção do Estado português enquanto investidor e perceber se tem um papel preponderante na dinamização do setor do Capital de Risco em Portugal. Este setor conta já com mais de duas décadas de história no país, contudo permanece ainda em desenvolvimento e ainda existe pouca informação disponibilizada sobre o mesmo. Assim sendo, pretendemos através da presente investigação contribuir para o state-of-the-art nesta matéria.Queremos perceber, através da aplicação da nossa metodologia,se o investidor público atrai outros investidores, por sua vez privados, e se tal faz crescer a indústria de Capital de Risco. Para isso, o desenvolvimento da nossa metodologia passou por dois processos: primeiramente, pela aplicação do modelo matemático desenvolvido pelo Kraemer-Eis et al. (2016); e, em seguida, pela realização de entrevistas a players deste setor em Portugal, cujos testemunhos nos permitirão obter conclusões mais precisas e robustas. Além disso, pretendemos também estudar o impacto que a pandemia da COVID-19 teve neste setor e de que forma este foi importante pata a retoma económica

Linha de produtos de software dinâmica direcionada por qualidade : o caso de redes de monitoração do corpo humano

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Ciência da Computação, 2012.Na atualidade, os indivíduos passam a ter uma posição mais ativa no processo de investigação de doenças querendo acompanhar o seu estado de saúde continuamente. Por ser é inviável manter um profissional de saúde para cada indivíduo, mais apoio da tecnologia tem sido requerido a fim de auxiliar esse processo de monitoração. Diante deste quadro, mais soluções automatizadas estão sendo propostas, em particular, Redes de Sensores do Corpo Humano (RSCH), no qual um indivíduo monitora suas atividades diárias e sinais vitais e o sistema o auxilia na prevenção e detecção de situações de emergência. Este trabalho explora como a metodologia de Linha de Produto de Software Dinâmica (LPSD) no contexto de RSCH gerencia e balanceia requisitos conflitantes, tais como disponibilidade e confiabilidade, de tal forma que quando o indivíduo estiver em uma situação normal de saúde, o sistema possa desativar alguns sensores ou funcionalidades visando economia de bateria e processamento; e por outro lado, quando o indivíduo desmaiar ou alterar seus batimentos cardíacos, o oposto deva acontecer com os sensores afim de se prover o melhor serviço para o indivíduo em uma situação de alto risco de saúde. Uma LPSD para RSCH se reconfigura baseando-se em mudanças de contexto, no caso, mudança na situação de saúde do indivíduo monitorado, afim de atingir um novo objetivo de qualidade para esta nova situação de risco. Neste trabalho, a situação de um indivíduo é especificada como um contrato de qualidade, provido por um especialista no domínio (médico). O contrato é modelado como uma máquina de estados, onde as transições entre estados são causadas por eventos de saúde (queda, desmaio, alteração de pressão) e os estados definem objetivos de qualidade. A verificação de não conformidade com o objetivo de qualidade motiva a reconfiguração do sistema. A confiabilidade de uma determinada configuração é medida como uma única fórmula, parametrizada com a presença e ausência das features da LPSD e das qualidades associadas a elas. Além de confiabilidade, exploram-se também parâmetros de qualidade tais como tempo de vida estimado para o sistema, taxa de amostragem, qualidade e quantidade de informação das configurações. As estratégias de cálculo de qualidade Simple MultiAttribute Rating Technique (SMART) e orientação a objetivos (GOAL) são comparadas no domínio de RSCH. Avaliou-se a abordagem proposta via simulações com dados reais de monitoração e obteve-se resultado favorável à utilização da metodologia proposta no contexto. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTNowadays, individuals have a more active stance in the investigation of diseases in the sense that they want to monitor their health status continuously. Because it is not sustainable to have dedicated health professional for each individual, more technology support has been applied to assist this monitoring process. In this context, automatic solutions are being proposed, in particular Body Sensor Network (BSN), in which an individual monitors his vital signs and the system aids him in the prevention and detection of emergency situations. BSN must manage and balance conflicting requirements, such as availability and reliability, in a way that if the patient is in a normal or low health risk situation, the system can turn off some sensors or disable features to save power and processing. On the other hand, when the individual faints or changes its heartbeats dangerously, the opposite should happen with the sensors and features in order to provide the best service for this high risk situation. We explore how Dynamic Software Product Line (DSPL) achieves this goal. A DSPL reconfigures itself based on some context changes e.g., the persons' medical situation, to meet a new quality goal for that new situation, as specified by a reliability contract provided by the domain expert (a medical doctor). This contract is modeled as a state machine, whose transitions are medical events (e.g., fall, stroke) and states are target reliability goals, prompting a reconfiguration to meet it. The reliability of any given configuration is measured by a single formula, parametrizing over the features of the DSPL and related quality information. Besides reliability, we also explore other quality parameters such as lifetime, sensor sample rate, quality and amount of information. Strategies for calculating quality such as Simple MultiAttribute Rating Technique (SMART) and goal-oriented are compared in the BSN domain. We evaluated the proposed approach via simulations with real monitoring data and obtained favorable results with the use of the proposed methodology in the BSN context

ENVIE Co-ordination action on indoor air quality and health effects; WP3 Final report – Characterisation of spaces and source

Human exposure to environmental pollutants occurs via various pathways. For many pollutants, especially the volatile ones, air exposure is the dominant pathway. Exposure via air occurs both outdoors and indoors, with diverse types of indoor spaces playing a role, e.g., home, workplace, and passenger cabins of means of transportation. In average people spend over 90% of their time indoors, that percentage being particularly high for some specific groups as new-born, elderly, disabled or sick people. The global exposure to air contaminants is therefore drastically determined by indoor conditions. It is now well established that indoor air pollution contributes significantly to the global burden of disease of the population. For a majority of indoor air contaminants, particularly in the presence of common indoor sources, however, indoor concentrations usually exceed outdoor concentrations, for some pollutants even with an indoor/outdoor ratio of 10 or 20. Emissions are identified, accordingly to the EnVIE approach and grouped into four categories: building materials and related sources, including dampness and moulds; ventilation, natural and mechanical, including, or not, heating, cooling and humidification/ dehumidification; consumer products, furnishing, cleaning and household products; and occupant activities. Emission of chemical substances from construction materials and products in buildings to the indoor air have been reported and reviewed for a wide range of substances, including those formed during secondary reactions, causing complaints of irritation and odour. During the last two decades there has been increasing advances in construction technology that have caused a much greater use of synthetic building materials. Whilst these improvements have led to more comfortable buildings, they also provide indoor environments with contaminants in higher concentrations than are found outside. Wood and cork are now frequently used as a building product for floor coverings, because the material is often regarded as “natural” and “healthy”. However, industrial products, even based on natural raw materials, may contain a number of artificial ingredients and the chemical emissions will strongly depend on the type of additives and the manufacturing process. Modern interior paints are usually based on a polymeric binder. In order to fulfil requirements on e.g., durability, paint contains various functional chemicals. Water-borne paints usually also contains small amounts of approved biocides. Polymeric binders with a very low content of residual monomers have been developed for paint. Besides the release of substances to the indoor air due to primary emission, damp building materials may give rise to volatile substances formed during secondary reactions. Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) are now receiving much more attention than heretofore. The HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems as providers, among others, of services of cleaning and dilution of pollutants in the indoor air are also recognized as potential pollution sources. Several studies have shown that the prevalence of SBS symptoms is often higher in air conditioned buildings than in buildings with natural ventilation. 8 The outdoor air introduced indoors through either ventilation systems or natural means is also an important and not always controllable source for the intake of some outdoor pollutants. Outdoor air used for ventilation may also be source of pollution containing particulate matter, particulates of biological origin (microorganisms, pollen, etc.) and various gases like NOx and O building structures which is a driving force for the airflows which will transport to indoors water vapour and gaseous or particulate contaminants. Volatile organic compounds are emitted from a wide variety of household and consumer products with emission rates that are strongly dependent on the type of application and are distributed over several orders of magnitude. A number of product classes are identified and information on ingredients and available data on emissions from individual products are presented. Human activities and the associated use of products encompass a wide range of indoor sources involving release of inorganic gases, particles and organic compounds as a consequence of the activity. For some releases such as with air fresheners the release is a necessary part of the activity to achieve the intended effect whereas for others, such as the release of combustion fumes from a gas appliance, the purpose of the action (in this case generation of heat) is different from the emission. Combustion processes are an important source of a range of air pollutants as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, particulates and associated inorganic and organic chemicals, organic vapours e.g. formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and benzene. Sources of these are present in both ambient and indoor environments. The concentrations present in the ambient air provide a baseline for the level of pollutant found indoors as this air enters indoors by processes of infiltration and ventilation. However, the concentration indoors will be modified by processes of sorption to surfaces and chemical reaction depending on the chemical and physical properties of the pollutant and internal surfaces. People themselves are a source of emissions of chemicals and gases, notably CO range of organic compounds that are referred to as body odours. The removal of such body odours is a prime objective of ventilation in order to achieve a satisfactory indoor environment. WP3 aims at to characterize spaces and sources in order to understand where and how to act to guarantee good IAQ. From the two strategies for good IAQ, source control and ventilation, the precautionary principle suggests that first priority shall be given to source control, avoiding, mitigating or simply managing sources of emissions. An overview of all policies on IAQ or related to IAQ, existing or in preparation, directly related to indoor air sources, but also covering outdoor air and industrial emissions, which could affect indirectly IAQ is made. Considering the presented it could be concluded that IAQ is yet poorly regulated at EU level, and in view of that some recommendations are made. The recommendations on policies have taken into account the existing related to IAQ policies such as new EU policies on chemicals (REACH; 2006/121/EC), consumer products (GPSD; 2001/95/EC), construction products (CPD; 89/106/EC) and energy performance of buildings (EPBD; 2002/91/EC) all refer to IAQ issues - suggesting that they could, and probably should, contribute to IAQ policy development and advocate an integrative and comprehensive policy approach centred

Connecting heavy precipitation events to outgoing longwave radiation variability scales: Case analysis in Brazil

Se analizan los campos espaciales de la varianza del espectro de radiación de onda larga saliente (OLR, por su sigla en inglés) durante los meses del verano austral 1979-2016 en el sur de Brasil, para diferentes escalas de tiempo: sinóptica, submensual e intraestacional. Los campos de variabilidad difieren tanto en intensidad como en ubicación y resaltan los ciclos de convección dominantes en el área de estudio. La amplitud de la variabilidad submensual es mayor que la de las otras escalas en la región sudeste de Brasil, mientras que la escala sinóptica prevalece en la región sur. Las escalas mencionadas anteriormente muestran mayores am-plitudes sobre el Océano Pacífico occidental donde la Oscilación Madden-Julian juega un papel importante, a lo largo de la Zona de Convergencia del Pacífico Sur y sobre las áreas de trayectoria de tormentas sobre el Océano Pacífico sur. También se analiza la influencia de la interacción espectral de OLR asociada con la ocurrencia de dos eventos de lluvia intensa en el sudeste de Brasil en los veranos de 2011 y 2014, cuando la Zona de Convergencia del Atlántico Sur (SACZ) estuvo activa en ambos eventos. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que la interacción entre escalas espectrales de OLR tiene lugar de forma tal que fortalece la SACZ, ya que los patrones espaciales de la escala temporal de dos a ocho días (sinóptica), la escala temporal de 10 a 30 días (submensual) y la escala temporal de 30 a 60 días (intraestacional), se superponen en la región de estudio.Spatial fields of outgoing long wave radiation (OLR) spectrum variance of the 1979-2016 austral summer months in southern Brazil are analyzed on different timescales: synoptic, sub-monthly, and intra-seasonal. Variability fields differ both in intensity and location and highlight dominant convection cycles in the study area. The results show that the amplitude of sub-monthly variability is greater than that of the other scales in the southeastern region of Brazil, while the synoptic scale prevails in the southern region. The above-mentioned scales show greater amplitudes over the western Pacific Ocean where the Madden-Julian Oscillation plays an important role, along the South Pacific Convergence Zone, and over the storm track areas over the South Pacific Ocean. The influence of spectral OLR scale interaction is also analyzed, associated to the occurrence of two intense rainfall events over the southeastern Brazil in the austral summers of 2011 and 2014 when the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) was active in both events. The results obtained suggest that spectral OLR scale interaction takes place in such way that it strengthens the SACZ, since the spatial pattern footprints of the two to eight-day timescale (synoptic), 10 to 30-day timescale (sub-monthly) and 30 to 60-day timescale (intra-seasonal) overlap in the study region.Fil: Muller, Gabriela Viviana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ingenieria y Ciencias Hidricas. Centro de Estudios de Variabilidad y Cambio Climatico.; ArgentinaFil: Fernandes, Valesca. Centro Nacional de Monitoramento e Alertas de Desastres; Brasi

Prioritizing stakeholders to boost collaborative R&I projects benefits: an analytic network process approach

A methodology was developed to prioritize stakeholders of a collaborative research and innovation (R&I) project in the circular bioeconomy area, towards enhancing its benefits from a multi-perspective point of view. The concept of R&I project benefits was broken down into criteria, evaluating different attributes related to the project outputs and outcomes, to the project management processes, and to the social, environmental and economic dimensions. The devised methodology was based on a combination of the analytic network process multicriteria decision making method and the key benefit categories from the P5 standard for sustainability in project management. The P5 standard has been shown to adequately frame the benefits to stakeholders of R&I projects in the topic of circular bioeconomy. Key benefits identified by the experts relate to the categories “society and costumers” and “consumption”. The following stakeholders should have priority in the development of the project stakeholder management plan: research team members, leaders at the consortium organizations, project management team members and environmental NGOs. Future research will include a longitudinal study of the perceived stakeholder and benefit categories priority over time.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020), SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2021) and CEMMPRE (UIDB/00285/2020). This article is a result of the project “BacchusTech - Integrated Approach for the Valorisation of Winemaking Residues” (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-069583), supported by the Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Programme (COMPETE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Health in the Portuguese informational television screens : lines of a development project

Tomando como certa a centralidade da televisão em ambiente informativo e a saúde como um tópico que suscita sempre interesse do público, entendemos como prioritário o estudo da mediatização deste campo através do pequeno ecrã. É esse o objetivo da investigação que apresentamos neste projeto de doutoramento intitulado “A Saúde nos Ecrãs Informativos da Televisão Portuguesa”. Partimos da recolha e subsequente caracterização desta informação a vários níveis, servindo isso de base para a estruturação de entrevistas aos jornalistas que assinam estas peças televisivas e às fontes mais citadas. É deste modo que queremos compreender os processos produtivos da informação de saúde em Portugal. Por fim, é nosso intuito fazer uma comparação com os dados já publicados no âmbito dos estudos portugueses sobre os media e a saúde. Conjugadas todas as etapas, pretendemos apresentar um novo paradigma para o jornalismo televisivo desenvolvido no campo da saúde.Taking for granted the importance of television in an information environment and health as a topic that always promotes the public’s interest, we take the study of health coverage on the small screen as priority. That is the aim of the research presented in this doctoral project entitled “Health on Portuguese Informational TV Screens”. We start with the gathering and subsequent categorization of this information at several levels, serving as base for semi-structured interviews to journalists who create this information, and the most quoted sources. This is the way we feel most appropriate to understand the production processes of health information in Portugal. Finally, it is our purpose to make a comparison with the data already published under the Portuguese studies about the media and health. All steps combined, we intend to present a new paradigm developed on TV journalism about the health field.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT