5 research outputs found

    Designing a video library for senior users of iTV

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    The adoption rate of technologies by older adults is dependent on several factors, such as the identified potential benefits in the users’ perspective. Designing and creating technology-based products since their beginning with potential end users, will help to guarantee a high rate use of these type of solutions, as verified in literature. In the scope of +TV4E project, which aims to deliver information regarding public and social services to older people through an interactive television (iTV) platform, this study analyses the best approach to implement a video library. This functionality allows the user to access a list of produced videos in the last days, categorized as "seen" and "unseen". Therefore, this article explores the process carried out to define the best approach to present a video library. For this, the research team presented to a sample of 4 seniors, three video library proposals developed concerning the design guidelines for iTV applications for elderly, supported on literature review. The data collection was followed by a cognitive walkthrough and a focus group session. Aspects as using different combinations to present the layouts and ensure that participants were not influenced, allowed to obtain results free of bias

    Streptococcus pyogenes Causing Skin and Soft Tissue Infections Are Enriched in the Recently Emerged emm89 Clade 3 and Are Not Associated With Abrogation of CovRS

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    Although skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) are the most common focal infections associated with invasive disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes (Lancefield Group A streptococci - GAS), there is scarce information on the characteristics of isolates recovered from SSTI in temperate-climate regions. In this study, 320 GAS isolated from SSTI in Portugal were characterized by multiple typing methods and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility and SpeB activity. The covRS and ropB genes of isolates with no detectable SpeB activity were sequenced. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile was similar to that of previously characterized isolates from invasive infections (iGAS), presenting a decreasing trend in macrolide resistance. However, the clonal composition of SSTI between 2005 and 2009 was significantly different from that of contemporary iGAS. Overall, iGAS were associated with emm1 and emm3, while SSTI were associated with emm89, the dominant emm type among SSTI (19%). Within emm89, SSTI were only significantly associated with isolates lacking the hasABC locus, suggesting that the recently emerged emm89 clade 3 may have an increased potential to cause SSTI. Reflecting these associations between emm type and disease presentation, there were also differences in the distribution of emm clusters, sequence types, and superantigen gene profiles between SSTI and iGAS. According to the predicted ability of each emm cluster to interact with host proteins, iGAS were associated with the ability to bind fibrinogen and albumin, whereas SSTI isolates were associated with the ability to bind C4BP, IgA, and IgG. SpeB activity was absent in 79 isolates (25%), in line with the proportion previously observed among iGAS. Null covS and ropB alleles (predicted to eliminate protein function) were detected in 10 (3%) and 12 (4%) isolates, corresponding to an underrepresentation of mutations impairing CovRS function in SSTI relative to iGAS. Overall, these results indicate that the isolates responsible for SSTI are genetically distinct from those recovered from normally sterile sites, supporting a role for mutations impairing CovRS activity specifically in invasive infection and suggesting that this role relies on a differential regulation of other virulence factors besides SpeB

    Streptococcus canis Are a Single Population Infecting Multiple Animal Hosts Despite the Diversity of the Universally Present M-Like Protein SCM

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    Streptococcus canis is an animal pathogen which occasionally causes infections in humans. The S. canis M-like protein (SCM) encoded by the scm gene, is its best characterized virulence factor but previous studies suggested it could be absent in a substantial fraction of isolates. We studied the distribution and variability of the scm gene in 188 S. canis isolates recovered from companion animals (n = 152), wild animal species (n = 20), and humans (n = 14). Multilocus sequence typing, including the first characterization of wildlife isolates, showed that the same lineages are present in all animal hosts, raising the possibility of extensive circulation between species. Whole-genome analysis revealed that emm-like genes found previously in S. canis correspond to divergent scm genes, indicating that what was previously believed to correspond to two genes is in fact the same scm locus. We designed primers allowing for the first time the successful amplification of the scm gene in all isolates. Analysis of the scm sequences identified 12 distinct types, which could be divided into two clusters: group I (76%, n = 142) and group II (24%, n = 46) sharing little sequence similarity. The predicted group I SCM showed extensive similarity with each other outside of the N-terminal hypervariable region and a conserved IgG binding domain. This domain was absent from group II SCM variants found in isolates previously thought to lack the scm gene, which also showed greater amino acid variability. Further studies are necessary to elucidate the possible host interacting partners of the group II SCM variants and their role in virulence

    Desenvolvimento e testes de uma biblioteca multimédia multiplataforma destinada a séniores

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    The present work proposes the exploration of new approaches for the development of technology for senior population. Developing technology for this growing segment of the Portuguese population, due to various factors that have increased the average life expectancy in modern societies, requires special attention since these individuals have certain physical and cognitive limitations. This work, inserted in the project +TV4E, explores the possibility of incorporating a video library in the existing platform, as well as in a mobile application, to complement the experience of sending information to seniors. We try to compare both approaches in order to understand which is the best option for the target audience.O presente trabalho propõe a exploração de novas abordagens para o desenvolvimento de tecnologia para população sénior. Desenvolver tecnologia para esta faixa da população portuguesa, que se encontra atualmente em crescimento, devido a vários fatores que têm vindo a aumentar a esperança média de vida nas sociedades modernas, requer especial atenção uma vez que este indivíduos possuem certas limitações físicas e cognitvas. Neste trabalho, inserido no projeto +TV4E, explora-se a possibilidade de incorporar uma biblioteca de vídeos na plataforma já existente, assim como numa aplicação móvel, por forma a complementar a experiência de envio de informação a seniores. Procura-se comparar ambas as abordagens, de modo a compreender qual a melhor opção para o público-alvo em questão.Mestrado em Comunicação Multimédi

    Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

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    As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
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