Developing Social Skills in the Prison Context – Results from the Implementation of a Training Program with Prisoners

Non-formal education programs play an important role in the rehabilitation process of prisoners.  It provides the opportunity for prisoners to engage in useful activities in the prison context, improves their employment prospects after release, facilitates the process of their personal development and transformation and enhances their prospects of developing the motivation, autonomy and responsibility to gain control over their lives after their release. This study aims to present the results of a non-formal education program developed within the context of a curricular internship project, carried out at a Penitentiary Establishment, located in the North of Portugal. The project is part of the third year of a Bachelor Degree programme in Social Education at Portucalense University, which took place from october 2018 to june 2019. The project was organized in four main phases: diagnosis, planning, execution and evaluation. The methods for data collection used were document analysis, observation and questionnaires. The participants in the training program included ten prisoners who kindly volunteered to participate in the training program. The pedagogical strategies used in the training were: role-playing, brainstorming, and self-evaluation grids. The results revealed a positive view by participants and changes in their individual behaviour. Implications of the study and future work will be presented and discussed along the paper. Keywords: Social Education, Prison Education, Non-Formal Education, Development of Social Skills, Training Programme DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/11-11-06 Publication date:June 30th 2021

Concentrações de mercúrio em aves de rapina diurnas em Portugal

Mercury is one of the most harmful non-essential elements to wildlife for its ability to bioaccumulate and bioamplify throughout the food chain. Due to the continuous increase in concentration of this element, birds of prey are often used as biomonitors due to their wide habitat diversity and high probability of contaminant accumulation as top predators. In the present work, the concentration of mercury in 10 tissues (nails, beak, feathers, liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, muscle, brain and skin) of four birds of prey was analyzed: common buzzard (Buteo buteo) , eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and little owl (Athene noctua) and evaluated the influence of parameters such as gender and age on the accumulation of this element. The results showed significant differences between tissues in the order of concentrations: skin < brain< muscle < heart < lungs < liver < kidneys < feathers < nails < beak. Significant differences were observed between the different species, in which the eurasian sparrowhawk and the common buzzard presented the highest values. The age group influenced the accumulation in the common kestrel, where subadults presented higher values than those shown in adults, with no differences regarding gender. For the remaining bird species no significant differences were identified for variation of accumulation with gender or age.O mercúrio é um dos elementos não-essenciais mais prejudiciais à vida selvagem, pela sua capacidade de bioacumular e bioamplificar ao longo da cadeia alimentar. Devido ao contínuo aumento de concentração deste elemento, as aves de rapina são frequentemente utilizadas como biomonitores devido à sua vasta diversidade de habitats e elevada probabilidade de acumulação de contaminantes por serem predadores de topo. No presente trabalho foi analisada a concentração de mercúrio em 10 tecidos (unhas, bico, penas, fígado, rins, pulmões, coração, músculo, cérebro e pele) de quatro aves de rapina: águia-d’asa-redonda (Buteo buteo), gavião-europeu (Accipiter nisus), peneireiro-comum (Falco tinnunculus) e mocho-galego (Athene noctua) e avaliada a influência de parâmetros como género e idade na acumulação deste elemento. Os resultados obtidos evidenciaram diferenças significativas entre os tecidos, pela ordem de concentrações: pele < cérebro < músculo < coração < pulmões < fígado < rins < penas < unhas < bico. Foram observadas diferenças significativas entre as diferentes espécies, em que o gavião-europeu e a águia-d’asa-redonda apresentaram os valores mais elevados. A faixa etária influenciou na acumulação no peneireiro-comum, em que subadultos apresentaram valores superiores aos demonstrados nos adultos, não sendo observadas diferenças em relação ao género. Para as restantes espécies de aves não foram identificadas diferenças significativas para a variação da acumulação com o género ou idade.Mestrado em Ecologia Aplicad

The Impact of the Zika Epidemic on Women’s Reproductive Intentions and Behaviors in Brazil

This research brief reports on a focus group study that explores how and why the Zika virus affects reproductive processes in Brazil. The authors found that both reproductive intentions and behaviors changed as a result of the Zika epidemic among women from low and high socioeconomic status groups in two areas of Brazil. The authors argue that Brazilian health officials and policymakers should reduce barriers to contraceptive use, address longstanding disparities in reproductive health services that put low-income women at disproportionate risk of an unwanted pregnancy, legalize abortion, and show respect and support to women who actively pursue pregnancy during the Zika epidemic.Population Research Cente

Modulação da inflamação e da neurogénese no hipocampo: desvendar uma nova interação entre a histamina e o lipopolissacarídeo

Histamine is an endogenous biogenic amine that acts as a neurotransmitter in the Central Nervous System and controls a variety of brain functions. Increasing evidences have demonstrated a dual role of histamine in the modulation of microglial-mediated neuroinflammation, a main pathological feature of several neurodegenerative conditions. Yet, the role of this amine on hippocampus is not yet fully recognized. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of histamine per se or in the presence of an inflammatory context, namely in hippocampal neuroinflammation and neurogenesis in vivo. To address this aim, mice were injected intraperitoneally with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1 or 2 mg/Kg) and further challenged with a stereotaxic injection of histamine in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. First, protein levels of glial reactivity markers, pro-inflammatory factors and neuronal and synaptic function markers were assessed by western blot analysis 4 days after LPS injection. We found that histamine per se increased the expression of glial reactivity markers (ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1, Iba1; and glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP) while it was able to significantly decrease LPS-induced glial reactivity. Interestingly, histamine per se did not change the expression levels of pro-inflammatory mediators (interleukin-1 beta, IL-1ß; and high mobility group box 1, HMGB1) yet, it was able to counteract the increased expression of the same factors induced by LPS. Histamine was also able to prevent LPS-induced decrease in the expression of both neuronal (cyclic-AMP-response element binding protein, CREB) and postsynaptic (postsynaptic density protein 95, PSD-95) functional markers. Then, the total number of Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)/Doublecortin (DCX) and BrdU/Neuronal Nuclei (NeuN)-positive cells were counted in the DG, as a measure of proliferation and survival of newborn mature cells, respectively. We found that histamine per se or upon LPS challenge, increased cell proliferation (BrdU+ cells) and long-term survival of newborn cells (both BrdU+ and BrdU+/DCX+ cells) in the DG niche. Collectively, our results highlight histamine as promising therapeutic agent to treat or improve neuronal conditions associated with hippocampal neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.A histamina é uma amina biogénica endógena que atua como neurotransmissor no Sistema Nervoso Central e regula uma variedade de funções cerebrais. Vários estudos têm demonstrado que a histamina pode ter efeitos contraditórios na modulação da neuroinflamação mediada pela microglia, uma das principais características patológicas presente em várias doenças neurodegenerativas. Contudo, a função desta amina no hipocampo ainda não é completamente conhecida. Assim, o principal objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da histamina, por si só e na presença de um mediador inflamatório, na neuroinflamação e neurogénese do hipocampo in vivo. Para tal, foram utilizados murganhos, os quais foram injetados intraperitonealmente com lipopolissacarídeo (LPS; 1 ou 2 mg/Kg), seguido de uma injeção estereotáxica de histamina (100µM), no giro dentado do hipocampo. Quatro dias após a injeção com LPS, procedeu-se à avaliação dos níveis proteicos de marcadores de reatividade glial, fatores pro-inflamatórios e marcadores de funcionalidade neuronal e sinática através da técnica de western blot. Os resultados demonstraram que a histamina por si só aumentou a expressão dos marcadores de reatividade glial (Iba1, do inglês ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1; e GFAP, do inglês glial fibrillary acidic protein). Por outro lado, diminuiu significativamente a reatividade glial induzida pelo LPS. Curiosamente, a histamina não alterou os níveis de expressão dos mediadores inflamatórios (IL-1ß, do inglês interleukin-1 beta; e HMGB1, do inglês high mobility group box 1), mas conseguiu inibir o aumento da expressão de ambos os mediadores induzido pelo LPS. Esta amina conseguiu também prevenir o decréscimo na expressão de ambos os marcadores de funcionalidade neuronal (CREB, do inglês cyclic-AMP-response element binding protein) e pós-sinática (PSD-95, do inglês postsynaptic density protein 95) induzido pelo estímulo inflamatório. Posteriormente, foi contado, no giro dentado, o número total de células positivas para Bromodeoxiuridina (BrdU)/Doublecortin (DCX) e BrdU/Neuronal Nuclei (NeuN), como medida da proliferação e da sobrevivência das novas células neuronais, respetivamente. Os resultados revelaram que a histamina por si só e, quando administrada em conjunto com o estímulo inflamatório, aumentou a proliferação celular (células BrdU+) bem como a sobrevivência a longo prazo das novas células (células BrdU+ e BrdU+/NeuN+) no giro dentado. Em suma, estes resultados apotam para o potencial terapêutico da histamina no tratamento ou melhoria de condições neuronais associadas a neuroinflamação e neurodegeneração no hipocampo

The role of actin cytoskeleton downstream of the Src oncogene in the earlier events of breast tumour progression

Tumorigenesis is a multistep process, by which cells acquire genetic and epigenetic alterations in oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes, which provide growth and/or survival advantage. Subsequent alterations may condemn these pre-malignant cells into malignant ones with invasive and metastatic abilities. Proto-oncogenes of the Src-family kinases have been linked to tumorigenesis and their over-expression and activation described in breast cancer. Increased Src activity has been associated with increased cell proliferation, survival, epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, invasion and metastasis. Although Src is well-known to trigger cancer cell mobility, migration and invasion, through regulation of filamentous actin (F-actin), whether it also uses F-actin to promote proliferation and survival of tumour cells at pre-malignant stages remains unknown. Our lab has demonstrated that Src promotes apical F-actin accumulation in Drosophila epithelia. In turn, F-actin limits Src-induced apoptosis or tissue overgrowth.(...)Fundação Calouste GulbenkianLiga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro/Pfize

Myocardial strain analysis with high temporal resolution MRI tagging: extended 3D motion tracking in normal and LBBB hearts

Tese de doutoramento em Biofísica, apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Ciências, 200

Efeito da secagem na composição fenólica da pêra Rocha (Pyrus communis L.) de diferentes origens.

A pera Rocha (Pyrus communis L.) é a principal cultivar produzida em Portugal, sendo habitualmente consumida em fresco. No entanto, a secagem da pera pode constituir uma oportunidade de desenvolvimento e possibilitar a oferta de produtos alternativos aos consumidores. Neste trabalho, estudou-se o efeito de duas temperaturas de secagem (40 e 60ºC) sobre os teores de fenóis totais e de actividade antioxidante. Para isso foram usadas peras provenientes de 5 localidades diferentes. No caso dos fenóis totais, os resultados mostraram que as principais diferenças ocorreram com a secagem a 60ºC. Relativamente à actividade antioxidante, ambas as secagens originaram diminuições acentuadas dos valores, relativamente às peras analisadas em fresco

Industrial network membership: Reducing psychic distance hazards in the internationalization of the firm

The network approach to internationalization of the firms has warranted the research focus of many international business scholars. Firms are increasingly involved in international business endeavors and arguably need to learn to adapt to idiosyncratic milieus they encounter in the foreign markets. This paper proposes a conceptual model suggesting that integration in networks strengthens corporate competitiveness in international markets. Network membership provides access to knowledge that facilitates adaptation to the various dimensions - economic, political, legal, cultural ? of the international business environments. Membership in social and business networks are likely to ease internationalization by reducing firms? perceived psychic distance.Networks, internationalization theories, psychic distance

Diversos géneros en la narrativa trasnmediática del documental 33

Cada vez más, el cine se viene presentando desde múltiples narrativas, como una forma de construcción denominada transmedia storytelling o narrativa transmedia. Aunque es más común encontrar este tipo de narrativas en los productos de ficción, debido sus características comerciales y de entretenimiento, hemos querido para este trabajo realizar el análisis de un producto cinematográfico de realidad como lo es el documental brasileño 33. Allí su director Kiko Goifman, presenta una estructura de guion característica de los productos transmedia a partir de diferentes "textos", que nos permiten aplicar tres miradas diferentes: la narrativa cinematográfica, el periodismo y la transmediación. Esperamos, al final del trabajo, poder proponer nuevos estudios sobre periodismo transmedia, géneros audiovisuales, narrativas de realidad y posibilitar una creciente producción de guiones documentales con característica transmediática.Today the film is increasingly presented from an artistic construction from multiple narratives, transmedia storytelling or narrative called transmedia. But this narrative model is more common in fiction products, especially its commercial property and entertainment. Against this we present the analysis of a product film is the documentary reality and Brazil 33, produced and directed by Kiko Goifman, which has a feature script structure transmedia products from six "texts" and from three different perspectives: narrative cinema, journalism and transmediación. Hopefully, after work, to propose new studies on transmedia journalism, audiovisual genres, narratives of reality and enable increased production of documentary scripts transmedia property