Os jovens e o acompanhamento da informação sobre a atualidade: questões a partir da análise de relatórios sobre usos e práticas mediáticas

Baseado em dados de relatórios estatísticos, procurou-se refletir sobre as tendências de acompanhamento da informação da atualidade no quotidiano dos jovens, nos últimos anos, e como tais tendências podem contribuir para uma maior participação cívica. Nos três estudos analisados, dois internacionais e um nacional (Pew Research Center (2012), Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (2013) e Marktest (2012), respetivamente), observou-se, de modo geral, um aumento pela preferência de conteúdos mediáticos situados entre a esfera da informação e do entretenimento, entre os jovens, em detrimento de assuntos políticos. Paralelamente, na literatura existente algumas correntes argumentam que o acompanhamento de soft news pode comprometer o futuro dos media e da democracia, enquanto outras defendem que aquelas poderão ter um impacto positivo na formação dos jovens cidadãos, encorajando-os a pensar criticamente acerca da atualidade. Apesar do debate controverso, argumenta-se que o caminho para a cidadania reside sobretudo no desenvolvimento de competências críticas sobre a informação e na capacidade dos jovens cidadãos exprimirem interesses e ideologias, fazendo uso das potencialidades das novas ferramentas. Este artigo insere-se na Bolsa de Doutoramento “O (des)interesse dos jovens pela atualidade: estudo sobre o papel dos media na informação sobre o mundo” (SFRH/BD/94791/2013) financiada pela FCT, QREN e POPH.Based on data from national and international statistical reports, we try to reflect on the trends about news uses in the daily lives of young people, in recent years, and how current practices contribute to an increase of civic participation. In the three studies analyzed (Pew Research Center (2012), Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (2013) and Marktest (2012), respectively), it was observed that there has been a decline in the interest of news in general and an increase in the preference for media content located between the sphere of information and entertainment, at the expense of political affairs. Reflecting upon news uses by young people, some authors argue that the infotainment or soft news could jeopardize the future of journalism and democracy (Mindich, 2005; Barbur & Goodnow, 2011; Barnhurst & Wartella, 1998; Currah and Franklin, cit in Nguyen, 2012; Baumgartner & Morris, 2006; among others), while others advocate a positive impact on the survival of the media and training of young citizens (Barnet, Schudson and Brewer & Marquardt cit in Nguyen, 2012; Armstrong, 2005; among others). Despite the controversial debate, it is stated that the path to citizenship resides on the development of critical skills about information and the ability of young citizens to express their interests and ideologies making use of the potentialities of new media (Dahlgreen, 2011; Buckingham, 2000). This article is part of the PhD Scholarship "The (dis)interest of young people in actuality: study on the role of the media in information about the world" (SFRH/BD/94791/2013) funded by FCT, QREN and POPH.(undefined

Technological policies for education and digital literacy: the governmental program ‘e.escolinha’

Em 2008, o Governo português anunciou a iniciativa ‘e.escolinha’ que contemplou a distribuição de computadores ‘Magalhães’ aos alunos do 1º ciclo do ensino básico, durante três anos letivos consecutivos. Atualmente suspenso, o programa foi bandeira do XVII Governo Constitucional, liderado por José Sócrates, mas alvo de controvérsias por parte da oposição política e da comunidade escolar, sobretudo pela aparente tónica no acesso à tecnologia em vez de uma maior preocupação com a formação e as práticas pedagógicas. Ao abrigo do Plano Tecnológico da Educação, o ‘e.escolinha’ inseria-se numa política mais ampla para o desenvolvimento de uma economia competitiva e dinâmica, através das metas estabelecidas pela União Europeia na Estratégia de Lisboa 2000. A iniciativa foi apresentada ao país com objetivos ambiciosos, no que diz respeito às esperadas mudanças ao nível das práticas pedagógicas dos professores, do processo de aprendizagem das crianças e do sucesso escolar em geral. Porém, a face mais visível da política, embora possa compreender outros matizes, poderá ter ficado reduzida à questão do acesso, apostando pouco nas outras dimensões da literacia digital. Com base em entrevistas realizadas a atores-chave envolvidos no processo de conceção e implementação do ‘e.escolinha’, e nos documentos oficiais que enquadram o programa, o presente artigo pretende dar a conhecer a forma como decisores políticos e empresas enunciam e avaliam os objetivos desta iniciativa. Pretende-se, em particular, conhecer se partilham a ideia de uma deriva tecnológica desta medida governamental ou se entreveem, na mesma, objetivos de literacia digital. Este trabalho decorre do projeto de investigação “Navegando com o Magalhães: Estudo sobre o Impacto dos Media Digitais nas Crianças”, em curso no Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade da Universidade do Minho, financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia ((PTDC/CCI-COM/101381/2008) ) e co-financiado pelo FEDER (COMPETE: FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-009056).In 2008, the Portuguese government announced the initiative ’e.escolinha’ which included the distribution of computers ‘Magalhães’ to students of the 1st cycle of basic education for three consecutive school years. Currently suspended, the programme was a flagship of the XVII Constitutional Government, led by José Sócrates, but it was also subject of controversy from the opposition parties and from the school community, especially due to the apparent emphasis on access to technology rather than a greater concern with the training and pedagogical practices. Under the Technological Plan for Education, the ’e.escolinha’ initiative was part of a broader policy for the development of a competitive and dynamic economy, responding to the goals set by the EU in the Lisbon Strategy 2000. The initiative was presented to the country with ambitious goals regarding the expected changes to teachers’ pedagogical practices, the process of children’s learning and school success in general. However, the most visible face of the policy, although it may comprise other nuances, may have been reduced to the question of access, investing little in other dimensions of digital literacy. Based on interviews with key actors involved in the conception and implementation of the ’e.escolinha’ initiative, and on official programme documents, this paper intends to discuss how policy makers and companies set out and evaluate the objectives of this initiative. It is intended, in particular, to understand if they share the idea that this governmental measure follows a technological drift or if they discern any digital literacy objectives in it. This piece of work is part of a research project titled "Navigating with Magellan: Study on the Impact of Digital Media on Schoolchildren," that is being carried out at the Communication and Society Research Centre at the University of Minho, funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology ((PTDC / CCICOM/101381/2008)) and co-financed by FEDER (COMPETE: FCOMP-01-0124- FEDER-009056)

Modulation of the tumor microenvironment by microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids: impact in colorectal cancer therapy

Finding new therapeutic approaches towards colorectal cancer (CRC) is of increased relevance, as CRC is one of the most common cancers worldwide. CRC standard therapy includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, which may be used alone or in combination. The reported side effects and acquired resistance associated with these strategies lead to an increasing need to search for new therapies with better efficacy and less toxicity. Several studies have demonstrated the antitumorigenic properties of microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The tumor microenvironment is composed by non-cellular components, microbiota, and a great diversity of cells, such as immune cells. The influence of SCFAs on the different constituents of the tumor microenvironment is an important issue that should be taken into consideration, and to the best of our knowledge there is a lack of reviews on this subject. The tumor microenvironment is not only closely related to the growth and development of CRC but also affects the treatment and prognosis of the patients. Immunotherapy has emerged as a new hope, but, in CRC, it was found that only a small percentage of patients benefit from this treatment being closely dependent on the genetic background of the tumors. The aim of this review was to perform an up-to-date critical literature review on current knowledge regarding the effects of microbiota-derived SCFAs in the tumor microenvironment, particularly in the context of CRC and its impact in CRC therapeutic strategies. SCFAs, namely acetate, butyrate, and propionate, have the ability to modulate the tumor microenvironment in distinct ways. SCFAs promote immune cell differentiation, downregulate the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators, and restrict the tumor-induced angiogenesis. SCFAs also sustain the integrity of basement membranes and modulate the intestinal pH. CRC patients have lower concentrations of SCFAs than healthy individuals. Increasing the production of SCFAs through the manipulation of the gut microbiota could constitute an important therapeutic strategy towards CRC due to their antitumorigenic effect and ability of modulating tumor microenvironment.This article is a result of the project EcoAgriFood NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-00009, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Sara Gomes thanks FCT for her PhD grant SFRH/BD/140965/2018. This work was financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, FCT) within the scope of project PTDC/QUIQIN/28662/2017. This work was also supported by “Contrato-Programa” UIDB/04050/2020 funded by national funds through the FCT I.P

“Seeing but not believing”: Undergraduate students’ media uses and news trust

Young people often encounter the news on social media while engaging in social and entertainment practices. Despite relying on social media for news, youth see online information with suspicion and as less trustworthy than traditional news media. While many factors contribute to the widespread decline in news trust, the relationship between youth news media uses and their trust in the news remains unclear. This article seeks to understand how Portuguese undergraduate students describe their news trust, and how these perceptions relate to their media uses. We draw on a mixed-methods study using a survey (N = 562) and focus groups (N = 45) with students from diverse disciplines, between 2016 and 2017. The findings reveal a paradoxical relationship between students’ media uses and news trust. Students mistrust online news but stay informed through social media. This is explained by emotional needs as well as perceptions of the news combining optimistic and critical stances. This study suggests further research on what news trust means for young people on social media.This article is the result of a PhD fellowship (SFRH/BD/94791/2013), funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology, National Strategic Reference Framework, and the Operational Human Potential Program

Microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids: new road in colorectal cancer therapy

The colon microbiota is an important player in colorectal cancer (CRC) development, which is responsible for most of the cancer-related deaths worldwide. During carcinogenesis, the colon microbiota composition changes from a normobiosis profile to dysbiosis, interfering with the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Each SCFA is known to play a role in several biological processes but, despite their reported individual effects, colon cells are exposed to these compounds simultaneously and the combined effect of SCFAs in colon cells is still unknown. Our aim was to explore the effects of SCFAs, alone or in combination, unveiling their biological impact on CRC cell phenotypes. We used a mathematical model for the prediction of the expected SCFA mixture effects and found that, when in mixture, SCFAs exhibit a concentration addition behavior. All SCFAs, alone or combined at the physiological proportions founded in the human colon, revealed to have a selective and anticancer effect by inhibiting colony formation and cell proliferation, increasing apoptosis, disturbing the energetic metabolism, inducing lysosomal membrane permeabilization, and decreasing cytosolic pH. We showed for the first time that SCFAs are specific towards colon cancer cells, showing promising therapeutic effects. These findings open a new road for the development of alternatives for CRC therapy based on the increase in SCFA levels through the modulation of the colon microbiota composition.This work was supported by the project EcoAgriFood (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-00009), supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Sara Gomes thanks the FCT for her PhD grant (SFRH/BD/140965/2018). This work was financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, FCT) within the scope of project PTDC/QUI-IN/28662/2017. This work was also supported by the strategic programme UID/BIA/04050/2019, funded by national funds through the FCT I.P

The Portuguese programme one laptop per child: political, educational and social impact

In 2008, the XVII Portuguese Constitutional Government launched the ‘e.escolinha’ programme, within the Technological Plan for Education, which set out the distribution of a computer, called ‘Magalhães’, designed for chil-dren attending the 1st cycle of basic education. Suspended in 2011 by the XIX Government, this programme has allowed, however, almost 500 000 children to have access to a personal computer. It was expected that this political measure would “revolutionise” the national education system by bringing changes to the pedagogical practices of teachers and the learning processes of children and by achieving educational success, in general. Based on documental analysis and on a set of interviews with key decision-makers in conceiving, implementing and monitoring this governmental initiative, the fi rst part of this chapter presents and analyses the ‘e.escolinha’ initiative and the policies be-hind that governmental programme, seeking to disassemble those objectives and provide some insights into the relationship between discourses, rhetoric, and reality. After that, the chapter focuses on children’s uses and practices with the ‘Magalhães’ laptop, at school and at home. Based on the results of questionnaires fi lled in by approximately 1500 children from 32 First Cycle public schools of the municipality of Braga (north of Portugal) and also from questionnaires applied to their parents and teachers, this chapter intends to analyse the real impact of this initiative for children, family and school. It also seeks to discuss the contribution of this educational policy to children’s digital literacy and also to their own and their families’ social and digital inclusion. To understand if it represented an added value to teachers’ pedagogical practice is another of its aims. The fi ndings point out a major focus on technology and access rather than on uses and competences or even on social, educational and cultural change. In fact, a major conclusion is the existence of a strong gap between the policy and the practices, typical of a top-down policy design. This study is an integrant part of a research project titled “Navigating with ‘Magalhães’: Study on the Impact of Digital Media in Schoolchildren” conducted at the University of Minho, Portugal, financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology [PTDC/CCI-COM/101381/2008] and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund [COMPETE: FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-009056].COMPETE: FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-00905

Ervas Medicinais na Gravidez

O uso de ervas medicinais é considerado a primeira medicina conhecida da humanidade, que tem as suas raízes nas tradições dos antigos povos, desde a babilónia aos greco-romanos (Nunes, 2005). Usada em todo o mundo e visto a crescente taxa de emigração, é cada vez mais recorrente o uso das ervas medicinais pela população em geral, também o progressivo interesse sobre estilo de vida saudável e o acesso privilegiado à informação fez com que estes antigos conhecimentos sobre os produtos naturais estejam cada vez mais presentes hoje em dia (Kennedy, Lupattelli, Koren, & Norden, 2013). Sendo a gravidez um período de aumentada sensibilidade quer seja fisicamente como emocionalmente, esta requer uma maior atenção do profissional de saúde. Dado este maior acesso à informação e ao crescente interesse do uso das ervas medicinais durante a gestação, e tendo em consideração que a comercialização das mesmas apenas aponta os benefícios destas, e havendo evidências científicas que algumas substâncias naturais tem uma manifesta ação potencialmente embriotóxica, teratogénica e abortiva é preponderante obter os conhecimentos necessários para uma correta abordagem a esta temática (Clarke, Rates, & Bridis, 2007).Desta forma, este trabalho consiste numa pesquisa bibliográfica realizada nas plataformas de base de dados eletrónicas EBSCO e B-ON. Irá ter por objetivo o conhecimento das principais ervas medicinais usadas em Portugal, os seus benefícios e efeitos secundários e quais as ervas medicinais contraindicadas durante a gestação

In vitro gastrointestinal digestion impact on the antioxidant activity of extracts produced from the macroalgae gracilaria gracilis and ulva rigida

The interest in edible algae has been growing over the years due to their richness in molecules with nutritional and bioactive potential, such as proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, due to their interesting protein content, they have been described as a source of bioactive peptides, with scientifically documented antioxidant, anti-hypertensive and antimicrobial properties. In this work, water-soluble extracts were produced from the macroalgae Gracilaria gracilis and Ulva rigida, with focus on their antioxidant potential. Furthermore, the impact of in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) digestion on the antioxidant activity of both extracts was studied, with the goal of evaluating their potential as functional food ingredients. Extracts were produced by enzymatic hydrolysis, with a cellulase and a subtilisin protease, using a previously optimized method. Then, both were submitted to simulated GI conditions, similar to those found in the human digestive system. The antioxidant activity was determined by ORAC and ABTS assays in four stages of GI simulation (before digestion, and after mouth, stomach and intestine digestion). The antioxidant activity did not decrease throughout the different stages of digestion. Interestingly, the antioxidant capacity increased after some phases. For instance, both extracts presented higher ORAC values after all digestion phases, when compared to the non-digested extract, being statistically significant after stomach digestion, for G. gracilis extract (p < 0.05). On this study, both extracts maintained their antioxidant activity during in vitro GI digestion, with an increase after almost all digestion phases, when compared to the non-digested extract. The observed increase may be explained by the production of smaller and more bioactive peptides, by the action of the gastrointestinal enzymes, such as pepsin and pancreatin. In conclusion, since antioxidant activity is maintained throughout the GI tract, these results showed that G. gracilis and U. rigida extracts may be considered potential ingredients for the development of functional foods with antioxidant properties.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The crystal structure of the R280K mutant of human p53 explains the loss of DNA binding

The p53 tumor suppressor is widely found to be mutated in human cancer. This protein is regarded as a molecular hub regulating different cell responses, namely cell death. Compelling data have demonstrated that the impairment of p53 activity correlates with tumor development and maintenance. For these reasons, the reactivation of p53 function is regarded as a promising strategy to halt cancer. In the present work, the recombinant mutant p53R280K DNA binding domain (DBD) was produced for the first time, and its crystal structure was determined in the absence of DNA to a resolution of 2.0 Å. The solved structure contains four molecules in the asymmetric unit, four zinc(II) ions, and 336 water molecules. The structure was compared with the wild-type p53 DBD structure, isolated and in complex with DNA. These comparisons contributed to a deeper understanding of the mutant p53R280K structure, as well as the loss of DNA binding related to halted transcriptional activity. The structural information derived may also contribute to the rational design of mutant p53 reactivating molecules with potential application in cancer treatment.We thank Gilberto Fronza (from Mutagenesi e Prevenzione Oncologica, Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genova, Italy), for providing us with the pLS76 vector. We acknowledge the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility for the provision of synchrotron radiation facilities and access to beamline ID30B. This work received financial support from the European Union (FEDER, Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional, funds POCI/01/0145/FEDER/007728 through Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade–COMPETE) and National Funds (FCT/MCTES, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior) under the Partnership Agreement PT2020 UID/MULTI/04378/2013, and projects (3599-PPCDT) PTDC/DTP-FTO/1981/2014–POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016581 and RECI/BBB-BEP/0124/2012. FCT fellowships: PD/BD/114046/2015 (Ana Sara Gomes) and SFRH/BD/96189/2013 (Sara Gomes) (thanks FCT PhD Doctoral Programme BiotechHealth), and SFRH/BPD/110640/2015 (Carla Oliveira).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio