Entre o cuidar e ser cuidado

A presente investigação estuda os percursos biográficos dos jovens, tendo em conta, fundamentalmente, as suas origens e trajetórias familiares, escolares e profissionais. Em termos metodológicos optámos por uma pesquisa qualitativa, com recurso a entrevistas biográficas, mais adequada para captar percursos de vida, motivações, razões, significados, sentimentos e experiências subjetivas. Apesar das estatísticas indicarem uma redução acentuada da fecundidade adolescente e jovem (até aos 25 anos), sobretudo a partir dos anos 2000, a que não é alheio o facto das raparigas terem projetos de vida que, à semelhança das mulheres mais velhas, as levam a adiar a maternidade, a temática da parentalidade jovem continua atual. Dos nossos resultados emerge o ideal de família ligado ao modelo biparental. Existem alguns casos de contradições entre o discurso e as práticas sobre a divisão das tarefas domésticas e parentais, onde as desigualdades de género persistem. Ainda assim, é nos cuidados e na educação dos filhos que os companheiros mais se envolvem. As principais alterações que a parentalidade trouxe foram o aumento da responsabilidade e da maturidade, menos tempo para a individualidade e conjugalidade, a redução das sociabilidades juvenis e a influência nos projetos de vida. O suporte familiar é referido como essencial por todos os participantes, na ausência ou escassez de apoios institucionais. É sobretudo nas entrevistadas que foram mães na adolescência que a gravidez proporcionou um ganho estatutário. São diferentes as formas de experimentar a parentalidade, em que a classe social, o género, as transições residencial e ocupacional, a conjugalidade (ou a sua ausência) e a (in)dependência financeira dos adolescentes e jovens, quase sempre através de inserções profissionais precárias, são alguns fatores que condicionam a transição para a vida adulta.The present investigation studies the biographical paths of young people, taking into account, fundamentally, their origins and family, school and professional trajectories. In methodological terms, we opted for a qualitative research, using biographical interviews, better suited to capture life paths, motivations, reasons, meanings, feelings and subjective experiences. Although statistics indicate a marked reduction in adolescent and young fertility (up to 25 years old), especially from the 2000s onwards, the fact that girls have life projects that, like older women, lead them to postpone motherhood, the theme of young parenting remains current. From our results, the family ideal emerges indelibly linked to the biparental heteronormative model. There are some cases of contradictions between discourse and practices on the division of domestic and parenting tasks, where gender inequalities persist. Still, it is in the care and education of children that partners are most involved. The main changes that parenting brought were the increase in responsibility and maturity, less time for individuality and conjugality, the reduction of youth sociability and the influence on life projects. Family support is referred to as essential in all participants, in the absence or scarcity of institutional support. It is mainly in the interviewees who were mothers in adolescence that pregnancy provided a statutory gain. There are different ways of experiencing parenting, in which social class, gender, residential and occupational transitions, conjugality (or its absence) and the financial independence of adolescents and young people, almost always through precarious professional insertions, are some factors that condition the transition to adulthood

Green Space Typologies in the City of Porto – Portugal: Identifying Nodes and Links for Greenway Planning

In the XIX century, Porto was a small and compact urban centre surrounded by a large belt of agriculture and forest. Since the mid XX century, as a consequence of the industrial revolution, the city sprawled throughout the rural fringes up to its administrative limits creating an urban continuum with the adjacent municipalities. As a result, the current green structure of the city lacks a long-term planning strategy with resulting breakdown of the rural matrix, fragmentation and discontinuity of main green systems. Functioning as habitat and corridors, urban greenways are very effective strategies for minimizing overall impacts of ecological fragmentation: habitat loss and habitat isolation. A greenway system articulates ecological structure and function, providing simultaneously recreational opportunities, biodiversity protection and assuring present and future open space needs (Ahern, 2002). Currently, greenways are being established in cities worldwide, proving their relevance, especially in rapidly changing urban contexts. Supported by these assumptions and the results of current studies on Porto green structure, this work aims at proposing a greenway network for the city, grounded on an integrated and coherent system of multifunctional green areas. The adopted approach relies on the premise that a structure of green nodes and links (corridors) should act as the framework for that greenway system

Solidão na adolescência: relação com vivências emocionais na infância e adolescência e qualidade de vida

Introdução: A solidão refere-se a uma experiência subjetiva multifacetada, que não se restringe apenas ao isolamento social, já que o indivíduo pode sentir solidão no meio de uma multidão, ou pode estar sozinho sem se sentir só. Durante a adolescência, os sentimentos e as emoções tendem a ser hipervalorizadas, podendo contribuir para problemas emocionais e sociais na vida do jovem, entre os quais vivências de solidão. A literatura tem mostrado que diversos fatores, como experiências emocionais no seio familiar e com os pares, podem estar associadas a sentimentos de solidão e comprometer a qualidade de vida. Objetivos: O presente estudo teve como principal objetivo contribuir para a compreensão da solidão na adolescência, testando o modelo preditor formado pelas memórias emocionais positivas e negativas no seio familiar, as experiências de vergonha, os sentimentos de ligação aos outros e a qualidade de vida. O contributo único e independente de cada uma destas variáveis foi analisado na explicação preditora da solidão. Adicionalmente, pretendeu-se analisar o papel do sexo, idade e da participação numa atividade extracurricular (desporto, por exemplo) na manifestação da solidão. Métodos: A amostra foi constituída por 200 indivíduos, 137 (68,5%) do sexo feminino e 63 (31,5%) do sexo masculino, com idades compreendidas entre os 12 e os 19 anos a frequentar o ensino básico e secundário. Os participantes preencheram uma ficha de dados sociodemográficos e completaram 6 instrumentos de autorresposta que avaliaram memórias precoces de calor, segurança e afeto (EMWSS-A), memórias emocionais negativas precoces (ELES-A), sentimentos de solidão (UCLA), sentimentos de proximidade e ligação aos outros (EPLO), qualidade de vida (Kidscreen-10) e vergonha externa e interna (EVEI-A). Resultados: Não se verificaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os sexos, relativamente à solidão. A idade mostrou uma associação positiva fraca com os sentimentos de solidão. Os adolescentes com uma atividade extracurricular não demostraram menos sentimentos de solidão, comparativamente aos que não realizavam qualquer atividade fora da escola. A solidão correlacionou-se negativamente com as memórias de calor e segurança, com a ligação aos outros e com a qualidade de vida. Inversamente, apresentou uma associação positiva com as memórias negativas da infância e com a vergonha. O modelo preditor explicou 47% da variância da solidão, tendo todos os preditores um efeito significativo, à exceção das memórias precoces de calor e segurança. A vergonha, no geral, foi a variável que mostrou um valor preditor mais elevado, seguindo-se as experiências negativas precoces, a qualidade de vida e os sentimentos de proximidade e ligação aos outros. Conclusão: O presente estudo contribuiu para o alargamento da investigação da solidão na adolescência, tendo em conta experiências emocionais (positivas e negativas), na infância e atuais, bem como um indicador de qualidade de vida. Os dados permitiram explorar de que modo os jovens experienciam sentimentos de solidão e, de que forma podem estes sentimentos ser prevenidos ou mitigados. Intervenções em contextos de saúde ou em meio escolar, que visem diminuir vivências de vergonha (sentimentos de fracasso, desvalorização, de inferioridade) e promover sentimentos de ligação aos outros (através de emoções positivas em situações de interação social), bem como proporcionando atividades extracurriculares (e.g., atividade de grupo, desportivas, interesses musicais) poderão dar um contributo na diminuição dos efeitos nefastos da solidão. / Introduction: Loneliness refers to a subjective and multifarious experience, which is not restricted only to social isolation, as an individual may feel lonely in the middle of a crowd or may be alone without feeling lonely. During adolescence, the feelings and emotions tend to be overvalued, which can contribute to emotional and social problems in the young person’s life, such as experiences of loneliness. Literature has demonstrated that numerous factors, like emotional experiences in the household and with peers, may be associated with feelings of loneliness and compromise quality of life. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to contribute to the understanding of loneliness in adolescence, by testing the predictive model formed by the positive and negative emotional memories in the household, shame experiences, the feelings of connecting with others and quality of life. The independent and particular contribution of each of these variables was analysed in the predictive explanation of loneliness. Additionally, there was an intent to analyse the role of the sex, age and participation in extracurricular activities (for instance, sports) in the manifestation of loneliness. Methods: 200 individuals were included in this study. 137 (68.5%) of them were female and 63 (31.5%) were male. Age ranged from 12 to 19 years old and all individuals were attending either primary school or high school. Every participant filled a sociodemographic data document and completed all the six instruments that evaluated early memories of warmth and safeness (EMWSS-A), early negative emotional memories (ELES-A), feelings of loneliness (UCLA), feelings of proximity and connection towards the others (EPLO), quality of life (Kidscreen-10) and internal and external shame (EVEI-A). Results: Regarding loneliness, no statistically significant differences were found among gender. Age showed a weak association with the feelings of loneliness. Teenagers with an extracurricular activity showed no less feelings of loneliness when compared with those who do not engage an extracurricular activity. Loneliness is negatively correlated with early memories of warmth and safeness, connection towards the others and quality of life. Contrastingly, it reported a positive association with negative childhood memories and with feeling of shame. Our predictive model explained 47% of the loneliness’s variance, and all the predictors, except for early positive memories, uncovered a significant effect. Generally, the shame variable demonstrated the highest predictive value, followed by the early negative experiences, quality of life and feelings of proximity and connection towards the others. Conclusion: The study herein described has contributed to further existing research regarding loneliness in adolescence, taking into account both childhood and current emotional experiences (positive or negative), along with a quality of life indicator. The data gathered made it possible to explore the ways in which children experience feelings of loneliness and how to either prevent or mitigate these feelings. Both clinical and school-based interventions that aim to decrease episodes of shame (feelings of failure, devaluation, inferiority) and promote a feeling of connection to others (though positive emotional experiences within a social interaction environment), as well as providing extracurricular activities (i.e. group gatherings, sport activities, musical interests) may contribute to reducing the harmful effects of loneliness

Gla-rich protein (GRP) as an early and novel marker of vascular calcification and kidney dysfunction in diabetic patients with CKD: a pilot cross-sectional study

Vascular calcification (VC) is one of the strongest predictors of cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. New diagnostic/prognostic tools are required for early detection of VC allowing interventional strategies. Gla-rich protein (GRP) is a cardiovascular calcification inhibitor, whose clinical utility is here highlighted. The present study explores, for the first time, correlations between levels of GRP in serum with CKD developmental stage, mineral metabolism markers, VC and pulse pressure (PP), in a cohort of 80 diabetic patients with mild to moderate CKD (stages 2-4). Spearman's correlation analysis revealed a positive association of GRP serum levels with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and α-Klotho, while a negative correlation with phosphate (P), fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23), vascular calcification score (VCS), PP, calcium (x) phosphate (CaxP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Serum GRP levels were found to progressively decrease from stage 2 to stage 4 CKD. Multivariate analysis identified low levels of eGFR and GRP, and high levels of FGF-23 associated with both the VCS and PP. These results indicate an association between GRP, renal dysfunction and CKD-mineral and bone disorder. The relationship between low levels of GRP and vascular calcifications suggests a future, potential utility for GRP as an early marker of vascular damage in CKD.Portuguese Society of Nephrology (SPN) ; Portuguese national funds from FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology through the transitional provision DL57/2016/CP1361/CT0006 UIDB/04326/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diversity of Legumes in the Cashew Agroforestry System in East Timor (Southeast Asia)

Cashew is an important export-oriented crop in several tropical countries, often under monocropping systems. Intercropping with legume species is promoted as a sustainable practice, enhancing agricultural productivity and providing nutritional food sources to rural communities. This study aimed to characterize the diversity of Leguminosae (or Fabaceae) in the cashew agroforestry systems of East Timor (Southeast Asia). Fourteen cashew orchards were sampled across the country, and information about leguminous species uses was collected from local populations. About 50 species are commonly part of the country’s cashew agroforestry system, many of them simultaneously used as food, fodder, and in traditional medicine. Six bean species—Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth, Phaseolus lunatus L., Phaseolus vulgaris L., Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi and H.Ohashi, Vigna radiata (L.) R.Wilczek and Vigna unguiculata (L.)Walp.—are largely used as food. The mineral contents of these beans revealed relevant differences between species and, in some cases, between types (seed colour) within species. Periods of hunger and low food variety are frequent in East Timor, reflecting a very poor nutritional state of the population. Knowing and using legumes for local nutrition, as well as for healthcare and well-being, adds great value to these species as components of East Timor cashew agroforestry systemsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bosch's industry 4.0 advanced Data Analytics: historical and predictive data integration for decision support

Industry 4.0, characterized by the development of automation and data exchanging technologies, has contributed to an increase in the volume of data, generated from various data sources, with great speed and variety. Organizations need to collect, store, process, and analyse this data in order to extract meaningful insights from these vast amounts of data. By overcoming these challenges imposed by what is currently known as Big Data, organizations take a step towards optimizing business processes. This paper proposes a Big Data Analytics architecture as an artefact for the integration of historical data - from the organizational business processes - and predictive data - obtained by the use of Machine Learning models -, providing an advanced data analytics environment for decision support. To support data integration in a Big Data Warehouse, a data modelling method is also proposed. These proposals were implemented and validated with a demonstration case in a multinational organization, Bosch Car Multimedia in Braga. The obtained results highlight the ability to take advantage of large amounts of historical data enhanced with predictions that support complex decision support scenarios.This work has been supported by FCT -Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020, the Doctoral scholarships PD/BDE/135100/2017 and PD/BDE/135105/2017, and European Structural and Investment Funds in the FEDER component, through the Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Programme (COMPETE 2020) [Project n degrees 039479; Funding Reference: POCI-01-0247-FEDER039479]. The authors also wish to thank the automotive electronics company staff involved with this project for providing the data and valuable domain feedback. This paper uses icons made by Freepik, from www.flaticon.com

A tale of two species: the importance of native ecosystems for long-term conservation on Príncipe Island, Gulf of Guinea

Since it was first described in 1901, the Príncipe thrush Turdus xanthorhynchus has been rare and restricted to the native forest in the south of Príncipe Island. The Obô giant land snail Archachatina bicarinata, however, was widespread across the island and at least locally abundant until the 1990s. Since then its population has collapsed, and now, like the thrush, it is also restricted to the native forest in the south of the island. Using species distribution modelling, we show that both species are currently strongly associated with rugged and remote areas of native forest at high altitudes. We argue that their current distribution might be negatively affected by anthropogenic pressures, as both are harvested, and also because invasive alien species are expected to have deleterious effects on these species, although further studies are needed to clarify interactions between these native and introduced species. The diachronic stories of these species highlight an overlooked value of native ecosystems: their role in the conservation of widespread species that might be unable to use anthropogenic landscapes in the future. They also reinforce the need for protected areas that strive to exclude most human activities in the context of particularly sensitive biodiversity, as is often the case on oceanic islands.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Characterization of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) expression in soft tissue sarcomas: distinct prognostic impact of MCT1 sub-cellular localization

Background: Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a group of neoplasms, which, despite current therapeutic advances, still confer a poor outcome to half of the patients. As other solid tumors, STSs exhibit high glucose consumption rates, associated with worse prognosis and therapeutic response. As highly glycolytic tumors, we hypothesized that sarcomas should present an increased expression of lactate transporters (MCTs). Methods: Immunohistochemical expression of MCT1, MCT2, MCT4 and CD147 was assessed in a series of 86 STSs and the expression profiles were associated with patients’ clinical-pathological parameters. Results: MCT1, MCT4 and CD147 were mainly observed in the plasma membrane of cancer cells (around 60% for MCTs and 40% for CD147), while MCT2 was conspicuously found in the cytoplasm (94.2%). Importantly, we observed MCT1 nuclear expression (32.6%). MCT1 and MCT4, alone or co-expressed with CD147 in the plasma membrane, were associated with poor prognostic variables including high tumor grade, disease progression and shorter overall survival. Conversely, we found MCT1 nuclear expression to be associated with low grade tumors and longer overall survival. Conclusions: The present work represents the first report of MCTs characterization in STSs. We showed the original finding of MCT1 expression in the nucleus. Importantly, opposite biological roles should be behind the dual sub-cellular localization of MCT1, as plasma membrane expression of MCT1 is associated with worse patients’ prognosis, while nuclear expression is associated with better prognosis.The authors thank Dr. Pierre Aman, from the Lundberg Laboratory for Cancer Research, Department of Pathology, Sahlgrenska Academy at Goteborg University, Goteborg, Sweden, for providing the myxoid liposarcoma cell line MLS-1765. CP received a post-doctoral fellowship from FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, SFRH/BPD/69479/2010). FMS received a doctoral fellowship from FCT (SFRH/BD/87139/2012)

Dutch eating behavior questionnaire: Validation and exploitation in adults with obesity

Pretende-se validar o Questionário Holandês do Comportamento Alimentar (QHCA) numa amostra de adultos com obesidade, e analisar as diferenças entre participantes de São Miguel, Açores, e de Portugal continental, e entre homens e mulheres relativamente à ingestão emocional e externa, e restrição alimentar. No total, 187 adultos com obesidade (70 de São Miguel; 117 de Portugal continental), com uma idade média de 42 anos (DP = 14,36) e um IMC médio de 36 kg/m2 (DP = 4,98), completaram o QHCA e a Escala de Ingestão Compulsiva (EIC). Avaliou-se a validade de constructo (factorial, convergente e discriminante), de critério, a fiabilidade e a sensibilidade do QHCA. Nos resultados, obteve-se um bom ajustamento (X2/df=1,83; CFI = 0,922; TLI = 0,916; RMSEA = 0,067 C.I. 90% ]0,060; 0,074[, p = 0,001), com adequados valores de pesos factoriais (à excepção dos items 21 e 29), de sensibilidade e fiabilidade (α ≥ 0,88). A variância média extraída é adequada (VME ≥ .55), excepto na subescala de restrição alimentar (0,42); as subescalas ingestão emocional e externa não possuem validade discriminante. A correlação entre a EIC e as subescalas do QHCA são positivas e significativas (r = ]0,53; 0,61[, p < 0,001), à excepção da subescala da restrição alimentar (r = 0,03; p < 0,668).A disponibilidade de instrumentos validados é importante para a prática clínica e investigação. O QHCA, um instrumento amplamente utilizado na área, apresenta propriedades psicométricas adequadas nesta amostra portuguesaABSTRACT: Aimed the validation of the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ) in a sample of adults with obesity, and analyse the differences between participants from São Miguel, Açores, and mainland Portugal, and between men and women regarding emotional and external eating, and restrained eating. A total of 187 adults with obesity (70 from São Miguel; 117 from mainland Portugal), with a mean age of 42 years old (SD = 14,36) and a mean BMI of 36 kg/m2 (SD = 4,98) completed the DEBQ and the Binge Eating Scale (BES). The construct validity (factorial, convergent and discriminant), criterion, reliability and sensitivity of the DEBQ were evaluated. The results showed a good fit (X2/df = 1,83; CFI = 0,922; TLI = 0,916; RMSEA = 0,067 C.I. 90% ]0,060; 0,074[, p = 0,001), with appropriate values of factorial weights (except items 21 and 29), sensitivity and reliability (α ≥ 0,88). The average variance extracted is adequate (AVE ≥ 0,55), except for the subscale of restrained eating (0,42); the subscales of emotional and external eating have no discriminant validity. The correlation between BES and the subscales of DEBQ is positive and significant (r = ]0,53; 0,61[, p < 0,001), with an exception of restrained eating (r = 0,03; p < 0,668). The QHCA, an instrument widely used, presents adequate psychometric properties in this Portuguese sample.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia -FCT e William James Center for Researchinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio