O T H E R V I S U A L : Onto the Audiovisual Cooking

This paper inquiries about the kitchen as space of vibrant materiality for representation and agency for art, design and architecture practices. On meeting the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, it is not incidental that the 5th Istanbul Design Biennial curated by Mariana Pestana under the theme “Empathy Revisited: designs for more than one” has chosen the kitchen as a means to create spaces of discourses, exchange and collective reflection. Taking into account Jeffrey and Shaowen Bardzell’s view of “What Is ‘Critical’ about Critical Design?” (2013), this paper surveys the biennial’s programme “The Critical Cooking Show” which presents a digital programme of films, lectures and performances that reimagine the kitchen as a space central to design thinking and production. Deepening our sensibilities as to how criticality occupies design practices, we have to further understand the expanded space of the kitchen and what it really offers to expand the space of design. From the triangulation kitchen, design and process, evidence is searched for bridging process between the fields of kitchen and design following Buchanan’s theory of rethinking placements over categories by way of signs, things, actions and thoughts. Kitchen and design are thus understood as liberal arts disciplines seeking to privilege a placement-based approach to projectual practice where observations on the speculative allow reflections of the self and modes of action. Pallasmaa’s conception of an architecture of the senses, for whom the role of the body is understood as the locus of perception, thought and consciousness, helps explore and convoke the space of kitchen visited by artists and designers throughout recent history, as a means to establish relations between theories, processes, and projectual methodologies in kitchen and design. The reading of the space finds its translation through diverse processes applied by these creators leading to an understanding of a kitchen milieu: process as context. From the interpretation of the empirical work it is suggested that kitchen multiplies design (k x d). It implies that the context of kitchen multiplies the space of the discipline of design, becoming, in Buchanan’s term, a “quasi-subject matter of design thinking”. If so, kitchen as other placements may offer, or are open to receive and edify, an expanded view of the discipline of design.   Deepening our sensibilities as to how criticality occupies design practices, we have to further understand the expanded space of the kitchen and what it really offers to expand the space of design. From the triangulation kitchen, design and process, evidence is searched for bridging process between the fields of kitchen and design following Buchanan’s theory of rethinking placements over categories by way of signs, things, actions and thoughts. Kitchen and design are thus understood as liberal arts disciplines seeking to privilege a placement-based approach to projectual practice where observations on the speculative allow reflections of the self and modes of action. Pallasmaa’s conception of an architecture of the senses, for whom the role of the body is understood as the locus of perception, thought and consciousness, helps explore and convoke the space of kitchen visited by artists and designers throughout recent history, as a means to establish relations between theories, processes, and projectual methodologies in kitchen and design. The reading of the space finds its translation through diverse processes applied by these creators leading to an understanding of a kitchen milieu: process as context. From the interpretation of the empirical work it is suggested that kitchen multiplies design (k x d). It implies that the context of kitchen multiplies the space of the discipline of design, becoming, in Buchanan’s term, a “quasi-subject matter of design thinking”. If so, kitchen as other placements may offer, or are open to receive and edify, an expanded view of the discipline of design

Addressing spiritual needs, facilities and barriers in portuguese palliative care: a cross-sectional survey

Background: Spiritual care is an essential component of Palliative Care (PC) and a dimension of holistic care that preserves dignity and helps sick people to find meaning in suffering and in life. The knowledge about its implementation is still scarce in the Portuguese context. This study aimed to evaluate the facilities, barriers and needs for spiritual care in PC. Method: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional survey of 180 health professionals in the period November 2018 to September 2019 at PC units. The data were collected through an online questionnaire published on social networks, after approval by an Ethics Committee. Sociodemographic and professional data, spiritual beliefs and knowledge about the objectives and purposes of PCs were collected. These were evaluated using an instrument consisting of 26 statements of dichotomous response (true/false). Results: The average age of participants was 42.42 years (SD=11.35), most are female (82.2%), nurses (43.9%), and 70% work in the health field. The total sample has worked on average for 15.67 ± 10.28 years and more than half (58.9%) perform functions in palliative care. Most identify with a religious belief (87.8%), attaching great importance to spiritual/religious conviction (45% of participants). The results suggest that empathy and the therapeutic use of silence (82.2%) are facilitators of spiritual care. The key barriers refer to the lack of expert professionals and the organization of care (36.1%). The results also highlight the need for specific training in the area of spirituality, hope and intervention strategies (53.9%). Conclusion: This study has provided insight into spiritual care in PC in Portugal. Future studies are necessary to investigate the effects of spiritual care more fully, and to develop outcome measurements that appropriately capture the effects of the variety of spiritual care practices.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparison of two checklist methods for assessment of coastal dune vulnerability

Several northwest and southern European coastal dune systems, including Portuguese casestudies, have been selected, as part of the ELOISE-Dunes Project, to assess the applicability of a checklist method to evaluate and monitor coastal dunes' vulnerability. Parameters such as site and dune morphology, beach condition, surface character of the seaward 200 m of the dune, pressure of use and recent protection measures make good regional comparison of dune systems possible, but provide insufficient information for dune management at the local scale. Therefore, an alternative checklist method was developed. Selected biophysical vulnerability components were selected, including dune erosion, sand input, sand retention by vegetation, and degradation by use, together with dune management and conservation. Variables are characterised and ordered in relation to three vulnerability levels, taking into account the system's level of degradation and the necessity for implementation of management measures. The dunes' tourist attraction and the existence of obstacles to dune transgression are also assessed. Application of the two checklists to the foredune system at Mira, located on the western coast of Portugal, enabled us to compare the two methods. The former checklist's method is basically descriptive, and led to the general conclusion that a higher level of management was needed, taking into account the system's vulnerability. The alternative checklist method makes it possible to easily interpret the system's dynamics and directly identify both the system's highly vulnerable components and appropriate management measures.Diversos sistemas dunares litorales del noroeste y del sur europeos, incluyendo casos portugueses estudiados, han sido seleccionados en el ámbito del Proyecto ELOISE-Dunes para determinar la aplicabilidad de una lista de control a la evaluación y seguimiento de la vulnerabilidad de las dunas litorales. Parámetros como la situación y la morfología dunar, la condición de la playa, las características de la duna en los primeros 200 m, la presión del uso y las recientes medidas de protección permiten una buena comparación regional de los sistemas dunares, pero la información que proporcionan es insuficiente para la gestión de las dunas a escala local. Teniendo en cuenta tal conclusión, se desarrolló una lista de control alternativa. Las componentes de la vulnerabilidad biofísica seleccionadas incluyen la erosión de las dunas, el aporte de arena, la retención de la arena por la vegetación, la degradación por el uso y la gestión y conservación de la duna. Las variables son caracterizadas y ordenadas en relación a tres niveles de vulnerabilidad, teniendo en cuenta el estado de degradación del sistema y la necesidad de implementar medidas de gestión. También han sido evaluadas la influencia de la atracción turística de las dunas y de la presencia de obstáculos a la transgresión de la arena sobre la vulnerabilidad del sistema. La aplicación de las dos listas de control a las dunas de Mira, localizadas en el litoral occidental portugués, ha permitido comparar los dos métodos. La primera lista de control, muy descriptiva, ha hecho posibles unas conclusiones generales sobre la necesidad de un nivel más elevado de gestión, teniendo en cuenta la vulnerabilidad del sistema. La lista de control alternativa ha permitido interpretar fácilmente la dinámica del sistema e identificar directamente las componentes de mayor vulnerabilidad y las medidas de gestión a tomar.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Adjustment strategies adopted by higher education students during COVID-19 pandemic: focus group discussions

Introduction: With the closure of higher education institutions during the COVID-19 sanitary crisis, students have experienced problems such as interruptions to their education, loss of peer support networks, and mental health issues. Objectives: This study aimed to explore adjustment patterns used by students to overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods:A qualitative descriptive study was developed by carrying out Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Portuguese students enrolled in education levels above high school, including undergraduate and graduate programs, were considered eligible. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Each FGD took approximately 60–90 min. Results: Twelve students were participated in 2 FGDs, each one with 6 participants. Mostly were undergraduate students (Bachelor’s degree), in the field of health area. The thematic analysis revealed three main themes. The first theme was related to the personal sphere and included most of adjustment strategies used, namely: pandemic as a “window of opportunity” to be involved in new academic and professional projects; work-life balance by organizing and separating work from private life; selfcare through the adoption of healthy lifestyles; being compassionate with others and compliance with sanitary measures. In the social sphere, students evoked new ways of communicating via digital networking to compensate for the lack of physical proximity and stay in safe contact with friends and relatives. In the contextual sphere, students talked about the importance of adapting the “teaching/learning” environment. Tailored teaching support was a significant strategy, especially in maintaining their motivation. Conclusions: Several strategies were pointed by students to stay mentally healthy and mitigate delayed-onset post-traumatic stress disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, positive coping and hope should be integrated into the standard training of students across all study areas.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

O contexto organizacional e a experiência de estress: uma perspectiva integrativa

Objectivos Investigar a produção científica em periódicos indexados nas bases de dados internacionais, sobre o conceito de estress ocupacional, e analisar as questões relacionadas com o âmago deste fenómeno, visto à luz da interpretação individual e coletiva.Método A maioria dos artigos foi obtida através das bases de dados Medline Lilacs e PsycINFO, usando as palavras-chave “estress,” “bem-estar,” “burnout,” “organizações” e “presenteísmo”, no período entre 1998 e 2008. Resultados Foram identificados 33 artigos, dos quais foram selecionados 21 e foram localizados 18. Falar de estress na vida cotidiana é já um lugar comum, associando-se às mudanças constantes e ao ritmo acelerado que imperam na sociedade actual, que exigem transformações profundas nos comportamentos, atitudes e valores dos indivíduos. O estress assume-se como símbolo cultural do presente, conduzindo a sentimentos de incerteza quanto ao futuro. Conclusões A análise da literatura, permite discriminar fontes de estress intrínsecas/extrínsecas ao indivíduo, analisando as suas principais repercussões, das quais se destacam o presenteísmo e o burnout. Reforça-se a necessidade de intervenção profiláctica primária, partindo do reconhecimento de factores de risco que tornam determinados indivíduos vulneráveis

Avaliação comparativa de modelos de equações diferenciais com e sem delay para estudo do HLB em citros.

O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar um modelo matemático compartimental determinístico para representar a dinâmica da doença HLB em plantações de citros, considerando a existência de período de delay (retardo) na fase de incubação da doença na planta. Esse modelo é baseado no trabalho de Braga et al (2011), que analisa a dinâmica da infecção sem considerar a existência de delay na fase citada. Uma comparação entre os resultados obtidos pelos dois modelos é realizada.CIIC 2012. No 12602

SIGMAR1 gene mutation causing Distal Hereditary Motor Neuropathy in a Portuguese family

SIGMAR1 gene encodes a non-opioid endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein which is involved in a large diversity of cell functions and is expressed ubiquitously in both central and peripheral nervous systems. Alterations of its normal function may contribute to two different phenotypes: juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS 16) and distal hereditary motor neuropathies (dHMN). We present the case of a female patient, of 37-years-old, with distal muscle weakness and atrophy beginning in childhood and slowly progressive in the first two decades of life. Neurological examination revealed a symmetrical severe muscle wasting and weakness in distal lower and upper limbs, with claw hands, footdrop with equinovarus deformity and hammer toes, generalized areflexia and normal sensory examination. The electrodiagnostic study revealed a pure chronic motor peripheral nerve involvement without signs of demyelination. The molecular study found the deletion c.561_576del on exon 4 and a deletion of all exon 4, in the SIGMAR1 gene.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Avaliação comparativa de modelos de equações diferenciais com e sem delay para estudo do HLB em citros.

O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar um modelo matemático compartimental determinístico para representar a dinâmica da doença HLB em plantações de citros, considerando a existência de período de delay (retardo) na fase de incubação da doença na planta. Esse modelo é baseado no trabalho de Braga et al (2011), que analisa a dinâmica da infecção sem considerar a existência de delay na fase citada. Uma comparação entre os resultados obtidos pelos dois modelos é realizada.CIIC 2012. No 12602

Lipoxidation and cancer immunity

Lipoxidation is a well-known reaction between electrophilic carbonyl species, formed during oxidation of lipids, and specific proteins that, in most cases, causes an alteration in proteins function. This can occur under physiological conditions but, in many cases, it has been associated to pathological process, including cancer. Lipoxidation may have an effect in cancer development through their effects in tumour cells, as well as through the alteration of immune components and the consequent modulation of the immune response. The formation of protein adducts affects different proteins in cancer, triggering different mechanism, such as proliferation, cell differentiation and apoptosis, among others, altering cancer progression. The divergent results obtained documented that the formation of lipoxidation adducts can have either anti-carcinogenic or pro-carcinogenic effects, depending on the cell type affected and the specific adduct formed. Moreover, lipoxidation adducts may alter the immune response, consequently causing either positive or negative alterations in cancer progression. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the effects of lipoxidation adducts in cancer cells and immune components and their consequences in the evolution of different types of cancer.publishe