Emotion-oriented interventions for environment and the facilitation of pro-environmental behavior

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Ambiente, pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e TecnologiaThis research aimed at studying the facilitating pro-environmental behavior problem by approaching new pro-environmental interventions. The following elements make this study particularly relevant: a) the actual debate concerning the impact of scientific and technological innovations and b) the consideration of new emotional research findings, which stress that emotion is an essential part of information processing. However, the role of emotions is still largely absent from most pro-environmental studies. This situation highlights the importance of conceiving personal and professional initiatives aimed at encouraging reflection and supporting proenvironmental behaviors research while focusing on emotional issues. The study involved an interpretative approach of a qualitative nature, organized in two complementary phases. The first phase evaluated the possible impact of the purposed research. It involved different collaborations and the first experimental research study was implemented as a proof-of-concept approach. In addition, this phase research advanced a new model of proenvironmental behavior and a design framework. The second phase of the study, motivated by the results of the first phase, led to advancing emotion-oriented interventions scenarios and also planning and implementing their evaluation. This initiative showed two technological opportunities to consider for future developments: Affective images rewarding systems using digital material and sensorial feedback tools using non-digital material. The planned qualitative research included questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, panels, observation and the analysis of documents. The results of this study have several implications. Among the most relevant are: a) the potential of combined research methods in investigating individuals conceptions and perceptions about environmental behavior; b) the importance of discussions about new pro-environmental interventions for facilitating pro-environmental behavior; c) the importance of multi-disciplinary research approaches for advancing new technological options; and d) the relevance of considering an emotion-oriented approach.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT/MCTES)- (SFRH/BD/21408/2005

Dog in sheep’s clothing: livestock depredation by free-ranging dogs may pose new challenges to wolf conservation

Livestock depredation is a common cause of human-carnivore conflicts. In Portugal, free-ranging dogs are increasingly abundant and overlap endangered Iberian wolf territories, with reports of livestock depredation. However, the lack of awareness about dogs’ possible role as predators leads to bias against wolves in cases of damages. Our goal was to assess and compare wolf and free-ranging dog’s diet composition at southern wolf range in Portugal, to offer insights on dogs’ predatory role on livestock and its implications for the conservation of an endangered wolf subpopulation. We assessed diet composition from 107 to 95 genetically confirmed wolf and dog scats, respectively, and complemented the analysis with data from 40 attacks on livestock with successful genetic predator assignment. Scat analysis highlighted goats as the most consumed dog prey in all analysed regions, with lagomorphs, small mammals, and wild boars as second most consumed in each region, respectively. Wolves mainly relied on goats and wild boars in the west, whereas in the central region they mostly fed on birds. The dietary overlap between both canids was very high (Pianka’s index O = 0.93), showing potential for competition. Additionally, we found that dogs were the sole predators detected in most attacks (62%). Our findings highlight dogs’ role as predators of livestock, and possibly also wild species, posing a further challenge to wolf conservation. Alongside adequate husbandry practices, we emphasise the need for a stronger enforcement of the legislation on dog ownership and an effective management of the stray population to reduce human-wolf conflict.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

PROT-OVT: Plano Regional de Ordenamento do Territorio do Oeste e Vale do Tejo

Os princípios, objectivos e orientações consagrados no Programa Nacional da Política de Ordenamento do Território (PNPOT), aprovado pela Lei n.º 58/2007, de 4 de Setembro, são desenvolvidos nos vários planos regionais de ordenamento do território (PROT) que, por sua vez, constituem um quadro de referência estratégico para os planos directores municipais (PDM). No processo de elaboração e revisão articulada destes três pilares fundamentais do sistema de gestão territorial, em que assenta a política de ordenamento do território e do urbanismo, cabe aos PROT uma posição de charneira fundamental. O significado e as potencialidades dos PROT são ainda significativamente ampliados pela articulação com a revisão dos PDM. Face a uma nova geração de PDM, que se pretendem mais estratégicos, os PROT fornecem um quadro de referência estratégica de longo prazo que permite aos municípios estabelecerem as suas opções de desenvolvimento e definirem regras de gestão territorial compatíveis com o modelo consagrado para a região. Os PROT, além de um pilar da política de desenvolvimento territorial, são documentos fundamentais para a definição dos programas de acção das intervenções co-financiadas pelos Fundos Estruturais e de Coesão da União Europeia. Os PROT são instrumentos de desenvolvimento territorial e de natureza estratégica. Em matéria de conteúdo, estabelecem a estrutura regional do sistema urbano, das redes de infra‑estruturas e dos equipamentos de interesse regional e definem os objectivos e princípios quanto à localização das actividades e os grandes investimentos públicos; as suas normas fixam o quadro estratégico, as orientações de carácter genérico e as directrizes para o ordenamento do território regional. O PROT do Oeste e Vale do Tejo (PROT OVT) visa, neste contexto, a espacialização de estratégias de desenvolvimento territorial nos territórios das NUTS III do Oeste, Médio Tejo e Lezíria do Tejo. Por isso, ocupa, entre o nível nacional e o nível municipal, uma posição chave para a definição das estratégias e das opções de desenvolvimento e de ordenamento regional. O PROT OVT é pois um instrumento privilegiado para promover a reflexão estratégica do desenvolvimento do Oeste e do Vale do Tejo e acolher a tomada de decisão quanto às opções de desenvolvimento territorial [...]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mammals in Portugal: a data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in Portugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with ~26% of all species being included in the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associated with habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mammals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion for marine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems functionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is crucial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublished georeferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mammals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira that includes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occurring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live observations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%), bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent less than 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrows | soil mounds | tunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animal | hair | skulls | jaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8), observation in shelters, (9) photo trapping | video, (10) predators diet | pellets | pine cones/nuts, (11) scat | track | ditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalization | echolocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and 100 m (76%). Rodentia (n =31,573) has the highest number of records followed by Chiroptera (n = 18,857), Carnivora (n = 18,594), Lagomorpha (n = 17,496), Cetartiodactyla (n = 11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n = 7008). The data set includes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened (e.g., Oryctolagus cuniculus [n = 12,159], Monachus monachus [n = 1,512], and Lynx pardinus [n = 197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate the publication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contribute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting on the development of more accurate and tailored conservation management strategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P < 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

Poor intensive stroke care is associated with short-term death after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

Objectives: The case fatality from spontaneous ICH (SICH) remains high. The quality and intensity of early treatment is one of the determinants of the outcome. We aimed to study the association of early intensive care, using the Intracerebral Hemorrhage-Specific Intensity of Care Quality Metrics (IHSICQM) with the 30-day in-hospital mortality in Algarve, Portugal. Patients and Methods: analysis of prospective collected data of 157 consecutive SICH patients (2014-2016). Logistic regression was performed to assess the role of IHSICQM on the 30-day in-hospital mortality controlling for the most common clinical and radiological predictors of death. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was developed to evaluate the prediction accuracy of the IHSICQM score (C-statistics). Results: forty-five (29 %) patients died. The group of deceased patients had lower intensity of care (lower IHSICQM score) and higher proportion of poor prognosis associated factors (pre-ICH functional dependency, intraventricular dissection/glycaemia). On the multivariate analysis, higher IHSICQM was associated with reduction of the odds of death, 0.27 (0.14-0.50) per each increasing point. The ROC curve showed a high discriminating ability of isolated IHSICQM in predicting the 30-day mortality (AUC = 0,95; 95 % CI = [0,86; 0,95]). Conclusion: the early intensity of quality of care independently predicts the 30-day in-hospital mortality. Quantification of the intensity of SICH is a valid tool to persuade improvement of SICH care, as well to help comparison of performances within and between hospitals.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A review of neuro-ophthalmological manifestations of human coronavirus infection

Introduction: Human coronavirus (HCoVs) are a group of viruses with recognized neurotropic and neuroinvasive capabilities. The reports on the neurological and ocular findings are increasing day after day and several central and peripheral neurological manifestations are already described. However, none specifically describes the neuro-ophthalmological manifestation of HCoVs. This is the first article specifically reviewing neuro-ophthalmological manifestations of HCoVs infection. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched using the keywords: coronaviridae, coronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, MERS, ocular, ophthalmology, ophthalmological, neuro-ophthalmology, neurological, manifestations. A manual search through the reference lists of relevant articles was also performed. There were no restrictions concerning language or study type and publications not yet printed but available online were considered. Results: Coronavirus eye involvement is not frequent and includes mostly a typical viral follicular conjunctivitis. Recently, retinal anatomical alterations were described using optic coherence tomography. Neuro-ophthalmological symptoms and signs can appear isolated or associated with neurological syndromes. The manifestations include headache, ocular pain, visual impairment, diplopia, and cranial nerve palsies secondary to Miller Fisher syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome, or encephalitis, and nystagmus. Conclusion: Neurological and neuro-ophthalmological syndromes, symptoms, and signs should not be neglected and a complete ophthalmological examination of these patients should be performed to fully describe ocular manifestations related to HCoVs. We believe that major ocular and neuro-ophthalmological manifestations reports lack due to safety issues concerning detailed ophthalmological examination; on the other hand, in a large number of cases, the presence of life-threatening coronavirus disease hinders ocular examination and ophthalmologist's visit to the intensive care unit.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fine particulate air pollution and occurrence of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in an area of low air pollution

Objectives:The association between short-term ambient particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm diameter (PM2.5) andspontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) occurrence is unclear. We aimed to study the association ofambient PM2.5 with occurrence of SICH in an area of low air pollution in southern Portugal.Patientsandmethods:PM2.5 levels from the 3 days before the SICH event (Lag 1, 2, 3) was compared with onecontrol period (Lag 15–17) using a case-crossover analysis. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimatethe odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Analysis was stratified by gender, age, functional neu-rological status, type of SICH, environmental factors (temperature, humidity, time of day and season).Results:Three-hundred and eight patients were included (2010–2015); mean age 70.8 years, 62.8% were males.The mean values (μg/l) of PM2.5 were higher on the case days (Lag1 = 7.76, Lag2 = 7.64, Lag3 = 7.74)compared to control period (Lag14-17 = 6.77). For each 10 μg/l increase, the likelihood of SICH increased 5.7%(95% CI = 1.020-1.095. P = .002). The strength of the association was higher in patients younger than 70 years(OR = 1.064, 95% CI = 1.009–1.122); without prior to SICH neurological disability (OR = 1.061, 95% CI1.022–1.101); with non-lobar type (OR = 1.054, 95% CI = 1.012–1.099). A circadian and circannual patternwas present with increased strength of the association when SICH occurred in the morning time (OR = 1,067,95% CI = 1.012–1.125), in the fall (OR = 1.118, 95% CI = 1.031–1.213) and the in the winter (OR = 1.064,95% CI = 1.002–1.129). The association was also potentiated at lower temperature values.Conclusion:Short-term increases of PM2.5 are associated with occurrence of SICH in Algarve, a region of lowambient pollution. Patient and ambient level factors can influence the strength of this association.Portuguese Stroke Associatio

The National Student Survey: validation in Portuguese medical students

The UK National Student Survey (NSS) is a sound and widely used instrument for assessing students’ academic experiences. We aimed to translate the NSS for Portuguese students and to validate the instrument in a sample of medical undergraduates. The research team translated and adapted the NSS for Portuguese students (NSS-P). The survey was administered on an online platform to 1,256 final-year students at eight Portuguese medical schools. A total of 329 medical students (69.9% female) replied to the NSS-P, a response rate of 26.2%. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the original six-factor structure had an adequate fit to the data. Adequate internal consistency was observed for all the subscales. Medium to large correlations were found among all the subscale scores and between the subscale scores and the students’ overall satisfaction. Multiple regression showed that the scores on the Teaching, Organization and Management and Personal Development subscales significantly predicted the students’ overall satisfaction. Approximately 64% of the students reported being satisfied with the quality of their courses. Significant differences among the medical schools in their NSS-P scores were found. The NSS-P is a valid and reliable measure for assessing medical students’ perceptions of academic quality