Temas emergentes na área dos estudos do turismo: terrorismo e insegurança

O turismo e as viagens contribuem para o desenvolvimento de um país de várias formas. Entre outros motivos, porque criam empregos e atraem investimentos. Hoje em dia – e vários acontecimentos recentes o mostram – o turismo é também perspetivado como um setor vulnerável porque está fortemente dependente da capacidade de atração dos locais a visitar e das condições de segurança que aqueles oferecem

A natureza somos nós - representações da interação humana com outros animais: uma variável na planificação de atividades e escolha de recursos em ciências no 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico

O trabalho A natureza somos nós - Representações da interação humana com outros animais: uma variável na planificação de atividades e escolha de recursos em ciências no 1º CEB, teve dois objetivos distintos. Primeiro: identificar, caraterizar e analisar as representações da interação humana com (outros) animais presentes no ambiente educativo e no discurso e produções de crianças de uma turma do 1º ano do 1º Ciclo. Segundo: planificar atividades e selecionar recursos em função das considerações teóricas e da análise das representações identificadas. Para o desenvolvimento deste trabalho, considerámos um quadro teórico que aborda o currículo e a gestão curricular, a sustentabilidade do planeta e a biodiversidade, a aprendizagem e ensino das ciências, a perceção ambiental e interação com animais, o desenvolvimento cognitivo, afetivo e de valores na interação com a natureza e a literatura para a infância com histórias de animais. Num processo de investigação-ação, foi utilizada uma metodologia de natureza qualitativa em que se consideraram documentos oficiais de referência e outros artefactos (planificações, manuais escolares adotados e restantes recursos didáticos), assim como entrevistas semiestruturadas. Fizemos a análise do discurso e das produções das crianças durante o desenvolvimento de propostas planeadas para trabalhar diferentes aprendizagens relacionadas com o mundo animal, onde tentámos perceber que estratégias, metodologias e recursos se mostram mais adequados. Apesar das limitações relacionadas com a diversidade das vivências de cada uma das crianças participantes, foi possível identificar regularidades e relações com os dados recolhidos no contexto educativo, de forma a poder refletir e adequar práticas futuras

Self‐Care Dependency Evaluation Form: Psychometric properties of the revised version with 27 items

Abstract Introduction: The Self-Care Dependency Evaluation Form assesses dependency in performing self-care activities, but its original version is extensive and provides redundant information. The present study aims to scrutinise the items of the scale with the purpose of creating a revised version and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, an exploratory and correctional analysis of the items of the original form was performed from a database with 282 participants, followed by a review by a panel of experts who analysed the discriminatory ability and the contribution and relevance of each item, which resulted in the revised version. In the second phase, a new study with a sample comprising 150 participants was conducted to test the psychometric properties of the revised version. All ethical aspects and matters of confidentiality and privacy were assured. Results: The scale with 27 items shows good internal consistency, ranging from 0.67 (taking medication) to 0.96 (walking). It was moderately correlated with the Barthel Index and the Lawton and Brody Scale, proven to be a discriminatory measurement instrument. Discussion/Conclusion: This measure will enable health professionals to better evaluate self-care activities and provide more efficient, simple and effective prescriptions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Shift work and impacts on family and social life from the perspective of family members of workers

Este trabalho pretende contribuir para a caracterização dos impactos do trabalho por turnos na vida familiar e social na perspetiva dos familiares de trabalhadores por turnos e refletir sobre possibilidades de intervenção em termos da gestão de pessoas nas organizações. São apresentados resultados parciais de três estudos empíricos realizados em Portugal, tendo dois deles questionado cônjuges de trabalhadores e o terceiro entrevistado filhos de trabalhadores por turnos. No total participaram 403 cônjuges/companheiros/as de trabalhadores por turnos, 112 cônjuges/ companheiros/as de trabalhadores diurnos e 19 filhos de trabalhadores por turnos. Foi observado um impacto moderado a elevado do trabalho por turnos em diversas esferas da vida familiar e social na perspetiva dos cônjuges de trabalhadores por turnos. Também os filhos de trabalhadores por turnos referiram diversos efeitos negativos dos horários por turnos dos seus progenitores na vida familiar e social, tendo os resultados ainda apontado para a importância da flexibilidade oferecida pela organização na gestão das dificuldades. Os resultados obtidos indicam o esforço acrescido em termos familiares e sociais do trabalho por turnos em comparação com o horário diurno e reforçam o papel que as organizações podem desempenhar no processo de adaptação a este regime de trabalho.This work aims to contribute to the characterization of the impacts of shift work on family and social life from the perspective of family members of shift workers. In addition to reflecting on possibilities for intervention in terms of people management in organizations. Partial results of three empirical studies carried out in Portugal are presented, two of which questioned spouses of workers and the third interviewed children of shift workers. A total of 403 spouses/partners of shift workers, 112 spouses/partners of day workers and 19 children of shift workers participated. A moderate to high impact of shift work was observed in different spheres of family and social life from the perspective of the spouses of shift workers. The children of shift workers also reported several negative effects of their parents' shift schedules on family and social life, with the results still pointing to the importance of the flexibility offered by the organization in managing the difficulties. The results obtained indicate the increased effort in family and social terms of shift work compared to daytime hours and reinforce the role that organizations can play in the process of adaptation to this work regime

Comparing follow-up of patients with vitamin K antagonists in a health center: pre- and post- COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction and objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the follow-up of patients treated with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) may have been affected. This study aims to compare how these patients were monitored preand post-COVID-19 pandemic and understand the impact of non-face-to-face appointments on their follow-up. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study in a Portuguese Health Center. The study included patients treated with VKAs and followed at the Health Center for international normalized ratio (INR) monitoring between March 2019 and March 2021. Data collected: sex, age, type of VKA; INR; date of INR assessment, type of appointment (face-to-face or phone/e-mail). Rosendaal’s method was used to calculate pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 time in therapeutic range (TTR). Good TTR control was defined if values ≥ 70%. Results: 44 patients were included. The mean TTR in the pre-COVID-19 period was 64.55% (95% CI: 58.10 - 71.00%). The post-COVID-19 mean was slightly higher (+ 2.26%), 66.81% (95% CI: 59.66 - 73.97%), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.576). The use of non-face-to-face appointments did not contribute to worsening post-pandemic TTR, showing no lower follow-up than during pre-pandemic period in which all contacts were face-to-face [CI (95%) -0.397 - 0.196 for a reference range -0.489 - 0.693]. Conclusions: The TTR value in both periods was similar and lower than the value defined for effective hypocoagulation. The use of non-face-to-face consultation in the post-COVID-19 period does not seem to have influenced the quality of hypocoagulation.Introdução e objetivos: Durante a pandemia COVID-19 o acompanhamento de doentes medicados com antagonistas da vitamina K (AVKs) pode ter sido afetado. Este estudo pretende comparar a forma como estes doentes foram monitorizados antes e depois da pandemia COVID-19 e compreender o impacto da consulta não presencialno seu seguimento. Métodos: Estudo de coorte retrospetivo num Centro de Saúde em Portugal. O estudo incluiu doentes tratados com AVKs e seguidos no Centro de Saúde para monitorização do International Normalized Ratio (INR) entre março de 2019 e março de 2021. Dados recolhidos: sexo, idade, tipo de AVK; INR; data da avaliação do INR, tipo de consulta (presencial ou por telefone/e-mail). Foi utilizado o método de interpolação linear de Rosendaal para calcular o tempo em intervalo terapêutico (TTR) pré- e pós-COVID-19. Foi definido um bom controle se valores de TTR ≥ 70%. Resultados: Foram incluídos 44 doentes. A média de TTR no período pré-COVID-19 foi de 64,55% (95% IC: 58,10 - 71,00%). A média pós-COVID-19 foi ligeiramente superior (+ 2,26%), 66,81% (95%IC: 59,66 - 73,97%), mas a diferença não foi estatisticamente significativa (p = 0,576). A utilização da consulta não presencial não contribuiu para o agravamento do TTR no período pós-pandemia, não mostrando um seguimento inferior ao do período pré-pandemia em que todos os contatos foram presenciais [IC (95%) -0,397 - 0,196 para um intervalo de referência -0,489 - 0,693]. Conclusões: O valor de TTR em ambos os períodos foi semelhante e inferior ao valor definido para hipocoagulação eficaz. A utilização da consulta não presencial no período pós-COVID-19 não parece ter influenciado a qualidade da hipocoagulação

The H2S-releasing naproxen derivative, ATB-346, inhibits alveolar bone loss and inflammation in rats with ligature-induced periodontitis

Abstract\ud \ud Background\ud In experimental periodontitis, non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) effectively inhibit the resultant alveolar bone loss. However, their deleterious gastric effects, observed in both animals and humans, dramatically limit their long-term use. It has been proven that the addition of a hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-releasing moiety to classical NSAID structures results in antiinflammatory compounds with improved gastric safeness. In this way, we decided to compare the effects of naproxen with its H2S-releasing derivative ATB-346 on ligature-induced periodontitis in rats.\ud \ud \ud Methods\ud Male Holtzman rats had a cotton ligature placed subgingivally around the lower right first molar during 7 days. During this period, groups of animals were daily treated with Na2S (a spontaneous H2S donor) or equimolar oral doses of naproxen (10 mg/kg) or ATB-346 (16 mg/kg). The mandibles were finally collected for histological analysis, radiographical measurements of alveolar bone loss and micro-computed tomography (μCT) analysis. Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 were quantified in gingiva samples, and the stomachs were also collected for scoring of tissue damage and measurement of myeloperoxidase (MPO, a marker of granulocyte infiltration).\ud \ud \ud Results\ud Ligature-induced bone loss was significantly inhibited by all the treatments, although only ATB-346 treatment resulted in significant inhibition of bone defect and other histological characteristics (such as flatness of the gingival epithelium, chronic inflammatory cell infiltration and loss of connective tissue in the gingival papillae). Both naproxen and ATB-346 inhibited the increase of gingival IL-1β and IL-6 secondary to periodontitis, but IL-10 was unaffected. Significant damage and increased MPO contents were only found in the stomachs of the naproxen-treated animals.\ud \ud \ud Conclusion\ud The H2S-releasing moiety in the ATB-346 compound not only does not impair the effects of the parent naproxen on periodontitis, but also improves bone quality and prevents the gastric mucosa damage due to prostaglandin inhibition, thus configuring a potentially new adjuvant therapy for periodontal diseases.This study has been supported by the State of São Paulo Research\ud Foundation (FAPESP); LCS, SKPC and MNM are recipients of fellowships from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)

Homozygous Inactivating Mutation In Nanos3 In Two Sisters With Primary Ovarian Insufficiency.

Despite the increasing understanding of female reproduction, the molecular diagnosis of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is seldom obtained. The RNA-binding protein NANOS3 poses as an interesting candidate gene for POI since members of the Nanos family have an evolutionarily conserved function in germ cell development and maintenance by repressing apoptosis. We performed mutational analysis of NANOS3 in a cohort of 85 Brazilian women with familial or isolated POI, presenting with primary or secondary amenorrhea, and in ethnically-matched control women. A homozygous p.Glu120Lys mutation in NANOS3 was identified in two sisters with primary amenorrhea. The substituted amino acid is located within the second C2HC motif in the conserved zinc finger domain of NANOS3 and in silico molecular modelling suggests destabilization of protein-RNA interaction. In vitro analyses of apoptosis through flow cytometry and confocal microscopy show that NANOS3 capacity to prevent apoptosis was impaired by this mutation. The identification of an inactivating missense mutation in NANOS3 suggests a mechanism for POI involving increased primordial germ cells (PGCs) apoptosis during embryonic cell migration and highlights the importance of NANOS proteins in human ovarian biology.201478746

Extracellular vesicles from pancreatic cancer stem cells lead an intratumor communication network (EVNet) to fuel tumour progression

© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.Objective: Intratumor heterogeneity drives cancer progression and therapy resistance. However, it has yet to be determined whether and how subpopulations of cancer cells interact and how this interaction affects the tumour. Design: We have studied the spontaneous flow of extracellular vesicles (EVs) between subpopulations of cancer cells: cancer stem cells (CSC) and non-stem cancer cells (NSCC). To determine the biological significance of the most frequent communication route, we used pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) orthotopic models, patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) and genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs). Results: We demonstrate that PDAC tumours establish an organised communication network between subpopulations of cancer cells using EVs called the EVNet). The EVNet is plastic and reshapes in response to its environment. Communication within the EVNet occurs preferentially from CSC to NSCC. Inhibition of this communication route by impairing Rab27a function in orthotopic xenographs, GEMMs and PDXs is sufficient to hamper tumour growth and phenocopies the inhibition of communication in the whole tumour. Mechanistically, we provide evidence that CSC EVs use agrin protein to promote Yes1 associated transcriptional regulator (YAP) activation via LDL receptor related protein 4 (LRP-4). Ex vivo treatment of PDXs with antiagrin significantly impairs proliferation and decreases the levels of activated YAP.Patients with high levels of agrin and low inactive YAP show worse disease-free survival. In addition, patients with a higher number of circulating agrin+ EVs show a significant increased risk of disease progression. Conclusion: PDAC tumours establish a cooperation network mediated by EVs that is led by CSC and agrin, which allows tumours to adapt and thrive. Targeting agrin could make targeted therapy possible for patients with PDAC and has a significant impact on CSC that feeds the tumour and is at the centre of therapy resistance.The work was supported by NORTE-01–0145-FEDER-000029, Norte Portugal Regional Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund and national funds through FCT—Foundation for Science and Technology POCI-01–0145-FEDER-32189. Programa Operacional Regional do Norte and co-financed by European Regional Development Fund under the project "The Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center" with the reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-072678 - Consórcio PORTO.CCC – Porto.Comprehensive Cancer Center. CFR is supported by FCT (SFRH/BD/131461/2017), NB by (SFRH/BD/130801/2017), IB by FCT (SFRH/BD/144854/2019), and BA by FCT (PD/BD/135546/2018). DG’s contribution was supported by the NCI (R21 CA179907). We acknowledge the support of the i3S Scientific Platforms: Translational Cytometry, Animal Facility, Bioimaging and Histology and Electron Microscopy are members of the national infrastructure PPBI - Portuguese Platform of Bioimaging (PPBI-POCI-01–0145-FEDER-022122). Proteomics was performed at the Proteomics Facility of The Spanish National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC), ProteoRed, PRB3-ISCIII, supported by grant PT17/0019.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio