Governança do risco, participação e comunicação na perspetiva da “sociedade de risco global”

Esta proposta se inscreve como parte de um projeto de pós-doutoramento, vinculado ao CECS. No contexto da atual fase desta investigação, pretende- -se partilhar com a comunidade académica algumas reflexões teóricas em torno da governança dos riscos, da participação pública e da comunicação a partir da teoria de Ulrich Beck sobre a sociedade do risco global. Destaca-se a importância da dimensão normativa da teoria de Beck na discussão de um certo modelo de governança do risco, ressaltando-se uma noção de participação que não se restringe a instrumento ou método auxiliar à governança para que se chegue a um fim, no caso, a “tomada de decisão”. Salienta-se, ainda a pertinência da força desestabilizadora e geradora de conflitos do risco global que, para além de nos empurrar a todos para o centro de uma crise, parece ser justamente aquilo que pode compelir à participação e ao diálogo ou, visto de outra perspetiva, à própria ação política.Este artigo faz parte do projeto de pós-doutoramento CIRIS – Comunicação do risco industrial em Portugal, financiado pela FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Obesity and poverty in the media: a case study from a Brazilian newspaper

In the last decades obesity has become one of the main concerns in public health. According to WHO by 2015 there will be 700 million obese adults. This scenario reflects on news-making, particularly the way the media continuously stresses the problem of obesity, considered a serious illness, even a world epidemic. Furthermore, this issue leads to the socioeconomic apparatuses or dispositifs of risk control. These dispositifs are expressed by individual practices of self control towards a larger emphasis on minimum intervention of State. In Brazil, the statistics show that overweight and obesity have also grown significantly. Moreover, poverty, a social problem earlier linked to hunger and underweight, is now one of the faces of obesity in that country, a scenario not so different of rich countries. The relationship between obesity and poverty is related to a kind of scarcity of some nutritional components, access and knowledge of what is healthy or unhealthy. Also, there is a scarcity of options in the circumstances that making choices is considered an essential condition for controlling obesity. The purpose of this paper is to present some conclusions of my doctoral thesis aimed at researching the role of power dynamics in constructing the relationship between obesity and poverty as legitimate discourse by the media, even as a legitimate problem more important than fighting hunger in Brazil. The study was made through the 2 analysis of 65 news items concerning the relationship about obesity and poverty and published in the biggest Brazilian newspaper, Folha de São Paulo, from 1996 to 2005. It was significant that among these 65 news items, 48 – i.e. more than one third – were published between 2003 and 2005.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Selecção de portefólios: o impacto da liquidez

Dissertação de Mestrado em Métodos Quantitativos em Finanças, apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de CoimbraA literatura tem apresentado várias extensões do modelo média-variância para a selecção de portefólios, nomeadamente através da inclusão de custos de transacção. Recentemente, a estratégia 1/N, que não requer qualquer tipo de optimização, tem sido apresentada como uma das mais eficientes, sobretudo na presença de custos de transacção. O presente estudo propõe uma metodologia de selecção de portefólios eficientes através da incorporação de medidas de liquidez observadas no mercado. A estratégia é aplicada aos índices PSI20 e CAC40 considerando o spread bid-ask como proxy da liquidez. A análise dos rácios de Sharpe fora da amostra indiciam que o modelo proposto é competitivo em relação aos modelos alternativos, sendo a sua superioridade mais visível em mercados periféricos, com reduzida liquidez, como o mercado português.The literature has presented a number of variants of the mean-variance model for portfolio selection, namely with the inclusion of trading costs. Recently, the 1/N strategy, which does not require any type of optimization, has been shown to be one of the most efficient strategies, especially with the existence of trading costs. This study proposes an approach for efficient portfolio selection based on the incorporation of realized liquidity measures. The strategy is applied to the PSI20 and CAC40 indexes by considering the spread bid-ask as a proxy for liquidity. The results of the out-of-sample Sharpe ratios show that the proposed model is quite competitive in relation to the alternative models, being its superiority more visible in satellite markets, with low liquidity, as it is the case of the Portuguese market

progresso e direções futuras

Trabalho Final de Mestrado Integrado, Ciências Farmacêuticas, 2022, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia.Dados da Organização Mundial de Saúde mostram que o cancro é ainda uma das principais causas de morte em todo o mundo. O constante avanço na medicina possibilitou a identificação de alvos moleculares responsáveis pela fisiopatologia de doenças, nomeadamente o cancro. A tumorigénese resulta da desregulação de mecanismos fundamentais para o controlo da sobrevivência, crescimento e proliferação celulares. As proteínas cinase representam uma das mais importantes famílias de proteínas no genoma humano e são responsáveis pela regulação de um grande número de vias de transdução de sinal nas células. Estas são um grupo amplo de enzimas que incluem diferentes famílias. A sobreexpressão ou mutação de algumas proteínas cinase faz com que sejam enviados à célula sinais que, por sua vez, provocam comportamentos anormais, como a proliferação celular desordenada e a inibição da apoptose. O interesse da indústria farmacêutica pela investigação de tratamentos de precisão que envolvam a inibição específica de cinases aumentou consideravelmente nos últimos anos, devido ao grande sucesso comercial do imatinib, aprovado pela FDA, em 2001. A terapia dirigida contra cinases é baseada no uso de pequenas moléculas inibidoras de cinases ou de anticorpos monoclonais. O conhecimento da estrutura da proteína cinase é a chave para o sucesso do desenvolvimento de novos fármacos, identificando-se as caraterísticas necessárias para a ligação dos inibidores ao sítio catalítico e aos domínios alostéricos. Desde 2001, já foram aprovados mais de 100 fármacos inibidores de cinases, em todo o mundo. Este número está em crescimento exponencial. O seu impacto clínico é visível, principalmente, no tratamento de diversos cancros, incluindo leucemia mieloide crónica, carcinoma do pulmão de não pequenas células, cancro da mama e melanoma. No entanto, poucos foram aprovados até agora para o tratamento de outras doenças. Um dos maiores obstáculos ao tratamento oncológico é a resistência, sendo por isso necessário o desenvolvimento de novas gerações de fármacos que demonstrem uma maior seletividade e eficácia. Desta forma, este trabalho consiste numa revisão de algumas famílias de cinases e do progresso a nível da investigação dos inibidores de cinases durante as últimas duas décadas, expondo perspetivas futuras.Data from the World Health Organization show that cancer is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The progress in medicine made possible the identification of molecular targets responsible for the pathology of diseases, such as cancer. Cancer is driven by mechanisms of deregulation that control cellular survival and growth. Kinases are at the core of many signal transduction pathways. Protein kinases represent one of the most important families of proteins in the human genome and are responsible for numerous impairments in signal transduction. These are a broad group of enzymes that include different families. The overexpression or alteration of some kinases results in cellular signal transduction which promotes cellular proliferation and inhibits apoptosis. The significant interest in precision therapy involving inhibition of kinases across the pharmaceutical industry has grown to be one of the most important drug targets over the past years. Starting with the approval of imatinib in 2001. The two main approaches are small-molecule kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. From knowledge of the structure of the protein kinase, we can identify the characteristics necessary for successful binding inhibitors to the catalytic and allosteric domains. Since 2001, more than 100 kinase target drugs have been approved worldwide. This number is growing exponentially. The clinical impact is mainly visible in the treatment of various cancers, including chronic myeloid leukemia, non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and melanoma. However, few have been approved so far to treat diseases other than cancer. Drug resistance in kinases remains an obstacle to be addressed, a promising approach relies on developing the next generation of drugs with enhanced selectivity and efficiency. Here, a review of some kinase families and the progress made over the past two decades in kinase target drug development, as well as of future perspectives is carried out

Changing Practices, Changing Identities: A Study with Students at Risk of Educational Exclusion

This study discusses how students at risk of educational exclusion can restore their identity and improve learning and scientific literacy. This qualitative research adopts an interpretative orientation. Twenty-eight secondary school students, aged 16 to 20 participated. Data was collected of the interactions between students in lessons, focus group interview and written documents. Data analysis was inductive, consistent with a naturalistic research paradigm, and consisted of uncovering salient patterns, singularities, and themes associated with research aims. Several students, at risk of educational exclusion, value this kind of practice. By changing practice, the learning social context varied, as well as students’ identities and their relationships with knowledge, teachers and school

Sustainable enhancement of district heating and cooling configurations by combining thermal energy storage and life cycle assessment

District heating and cooling systems are designed and optimized to respond to the latest challenges of reducing energy demands while fulfilling comfort standards. Thermal energy storage (TES) with phase change materials can be employed to reduce the energy demands of buildings. This study considers a residential district located in Spain, where a general framework has been established to identify optimal combinations of energy conversion, delivery technologies, and operating rules. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was implemented within a mathematical model, and the objective function considered the minimization of environmental loads. Two environmental impact assessment methods were applied within the LCA methodology: IPCC 2013 GWP 100y and ReCiPe. Four optimal configurations were considered: a reference system (gas boiler and split-type air conditioners) and then three TES-based systems: one sensible (STES, water) and two latent (LTES1—paraffin emulsion and LTES2—sodium acetate trihydrate). Hourly environmental loads associated with electricity imports from the national grid were available. The conventional energy system always presented the worst performance from an environmental viewpoint, being penalized by the high consumption of natural gas. Regarding carbon emissions, LTES1 showed the lowest emissions, followed by STES and LTES2. Reductions in energy demands compensated the impact of paraffin, and results of STES are strongly dependent on tank design. However, considering the ReCiPe method, STES presented the lowest loads, followed by LTES1 and LTES2. Overall impacts of LTES1 with paraffin are higher than STES with water, mainly due to the paraffin and the high volume required

Health-related quality of life in hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis polyneuropathy: a prospective, observational study

Background Hereditary Transthyretin Amyloidosis Polyneuropathy is a rare life-threatening neurologic disease that imposes considerable mortality and it is associated with progressive related disabilities. In this study, we aimed to assess the effect of the disease across health-related quality of life dimensions, in both carriers of the mutation and patients, to compare health-related quality of life with general population, as well as to explore health-related quality of life prognostic factors among patients, including disease progression and treatment. Methods This study was a multi-institutional, longitudinal, prospective, observational study of hereditary Transthyretin Amyloidosis Polyneuropathy Portuguese adult subjects (621 asymptomatic carriers and 733 symptomatic patients) enrolled in the Transthyretin Amyloidosis Outcomes Survey. Health-related quality of life was captured with the preference-based instrument EQ-5D-3 L. For general population the dataset included all subjects enrolled in a representative national study (n = 1500). Different econometric models were specified; multivariate probit, generalized linear model and generalized estimating equations model; including demographic and clinical covariates. Results Hereditary Transthyretin Amyloidosis Polyneuropathy patients have their health status severely impaired in all quality of life dimensions and more anxiety/depression problems were found among asymptomatic carriers. No differences on utility were found between carriers and general population (p = 0.209). Among patients, the utility value is estimated to be 0.51 (0.021), a decrement of 0.27 as compared with general population utility. Higher disease duration, advanced disease stage and not receiving treatment are associated with impaired health-related quality of life. No differences were found between genders (p = 0.910) or between late (≥50 years) and early-onset patients (p = 0.254). The utility estimate ranged from 0.63 (0.009) in stage I to 0.01 (0.005) in stage IV. Conclusions Hereditary Transthyretin Amyloidosis Polyneuropathy symptoms and progressive associated disabilities substantially decrease patient’s health-related quality of life. Clinical strategies focused on health-related quality of life preservation such as close follow-up of asymptomatic carriers, prompt diagnosis and adequate, early treatment would benefit patient’s long-term outcomes, slowing the progressive decline in health-related quality of life.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Between scientists and public: reframing public participation in science through bioethics

Discourses and techniques about the relationship between science and the public have remarkably developed in the past four decades. Science communication has become an important issue for the scientific governance. Public confidence in science, decision-making and support to democracy have changed the predominance of a top-down communication model, from scientists to public, to a more participative one – the Public Engagement with Science (PES). The Institute of Bioethics at Portuguese Catholic University, in Oporto, is doing research in the role of science in society issues and the aim of this paper is to discuss the relevance of Bioethics to improve PES. The bioethical issues seem to draw people‟s attention to certain scientific facts, confronting them with the consequences of science and improving their skills in deliberating on scientific issues. Moreover, ethics influences the way one understands public engagement, „scientific citizenship‟ or „science governance‟. The role of ethics is not to re-edit the old fashionable deficit perspective which usually focuses on the impact of science and technology from the perspective of non-experts. Ethics is a theoretical and practical reference for changing the science-making in the near future, and it makes us consider the public as playing a more important role than that of mere spectators with lack of scientific knowledge or with emotional concerns. The ethical reflection could redefine the non-experts place in the context of science, involving people with science, making them not simply aware of scientific issues but also involved in the process of decision-making. On the other hand, bioethics can also contribute to the participation of scientists in the ethical reflection that takes place outside the labs, broadening their role as citizen scientists.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Student Perceptions of Secondary Science Teachers’ Practices Following Curricular Change

Inquiry-based teaching has emerged as a highly valued strategy in science education. In Portugal, the science curriculum has been redesigned in order to promote such teaching. This implies substantial change in teacher practice. It is therefore important to understand students’ perceptions of teacher practice. Aim: In this study, we describe student perception of teacher practices and look for associations between the perceptions and student motivation. Method: Three low-achieving, secondary-level science classes were studied. Motivation was measured by two scales (Intrinsic and Extrinsic); Perceptions were measured in four dimensions. Results: Significant associations (p < .05) were observed between intrinsic motivation and (a) Perception of the use of Laboratory Work; (b) Perception of Science-Technology-Society and (c) Perceived Student Autonomy. No association was noted between intrinsic motivation and the Perception of Teacher as Facilitator. Conclusions: Results are generally consistent with previous literature. Teacher professional development lags behind curricular change. Teachers require new conceptions of assessment.Projeto financiado pelo CIEFCU