Technology Assessment and High-Speed Trains: facing the challenge of emergent digital society

The present PhD dissertation addresses the extension of selective environments of new technologies within the high-speed train technological system from business and regulations to the wider society. And, it argues the recognition of society as an actor in that system. Motivating it is the observed ever increase exposure of high-speed trains to public acceptance, caused by empowered society from fast ICT advancements. They refer to digitalization - the rise of social media and big data, combined with the widespread use of mobile technology - changing if not revolutionizing our understanding of product and service selection. Unprecedented societal demands, opening a new market segment, require new technologies to integrate with the emergent digital system. Moreover, societal actors became themselves innovators. Inevitable they have to become part of the value chain widening the collective of stakeholders. However, such raises the dilemma of promotion and control and adds complexity and uncertainty to the industry in deciding which technology to select. Statistical evidence shows that businesses are figuring out ways to embed societal actors in their value creation. In this dissertation, I demonstrate to the high-speed train industry how is it falling short in addressing societal embedding in their product creation and argue why requires improvement. Technology Assessment provides the approach for the orchestration of the necessary dialogue with societal actors for better anticipating potential development in the full system and for embedding the resulting technology options within. By exploiting it to the high-speed train industry innovation strategic management, the aim of my dissertation is, borrowing the words of Douglas K. R. Robinson, to “arrive to a better informed designs of future working worlds, which are structured by theory while empirically well grounded, so they are usable by decision makers”. With this work, I expect to contribute to the new governance structure for research and development set buy the railway industry SHIFT2RAIL (Joint Undertaking for Rail Research and Innovation)

Valorização empresarial do pão-de-ló de Ovar

Mestrado em BiotecnologiaO Pão-de-Ló de Ovar é um doce regional, bicentenário de características singulares. É um bolo húmido e fofo, envolto em papel almaço em forma de broa, confecionada com ovos, farinha e açúcar. Uma vez, que começam a surgir cópias e adulterações deste bolo, que pouco o dignificam, é importante a sua certificação para o proteger. Para fazer a certificação de um produto é primeiro necessário qualificá-lo, ou seja conhecê-lo pormenorizadamente. Neste trabalho foi desenvolvida uma metodologia para a extração e quantificação sequencial de gordura, açúcares e proteína para que a respetiva quantificação, as quais junto com a determinação de água e aw constituem a caracterização físico-química deste produto. Para estas determinações foram usadas amostras recolhidas durante a sessão da prova sensorial. Foram tomadas como representativas as amostras que tiveram no mínimo 60% de aceitação por parte dos provadores. Os resultados obtidos permitiram fazer a caracterização sensorial e físico-química do Pão-de-Ló de Ovar. Seguiu-se o estudo da validade deste bolo, no qual se realizaram as análises microbiológica, sensorial e determinação do teor de água (%), e cujo resultado determinou uma validade de 6 dias, para produtos conservados à temperatura ambiente. Realizaram-se ainda alguns estudos preliminares para a utilização da refrigeração e ultracongelação como técnicas de conservação para aumentar o tempo de validade, a utilização de ovos desclarados mecanicamente, para evitar o desperdício de claras, a criação de um padrão de cor para ser utilizado no controlo de qualidade e a utilização da técnica de MIR para uma avaliação rápida das características das amostras. Todos estes ensaios preliminares mostraram resultados promissores devendo ser aprofundados no futuro.The “Pão-de-Ló de Ovar” is a regional and bicentenary cake with individual characteristics. It is a moist and fluffy cake, wrapped in “almaço” paper with a loaf “broa” form, made with eggs, flour and sugar. Since adulterations of this cake begin to appear, it is important to certificate this product in order to protect it. To make the certification of a product, firstly it is necessary to qualify it, to know it in detail. In this work, was a methodology for the sequential extraction and quantification of fat, sugars and protein, which together with the determination of water and aw characterize physic-chemically the product. For these the samples collected during the tasting session were used. Samples that had at least 60% acceptance by the tasters were taken as representative. The results allowed the sensory and physic-chemical characterization of the “Pão-de-Ló de Ovar”. It was also performed the study of the shelf life of the cake, in which microbial and sensory analysis were done along with the determination of the water content (%), which resulted in a shelf life of 6 days, for products maintained at room temperature. Some preliminary studies were also performed in order to investigate the use of cooling and deep freezing as preservation techniques to increase the shelf life; the use of mechanically separated egg yolks for the production to avoid wastage of egg whites; the creation of a color pattern to be used for quality control purposes and the use of the MIR technique for the rapid assessment of the characteristics of the samples. All of these preliminary tests showed promising results and should hereafter be examined in more detail

Populational analysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains from different appellations of origin and grape varieties by microsatellite analysis.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate populational relationships among Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains isolated from some of the Portuguese most important grapevine varieties in different appellations of origin, using polymorphic microsatellites. 
One hundred ninety two grape samples were collected during the 2006 and 2007 harvest season in the Vinho Verde (grape varieties: Arinto, Alvarinho, Avesso, Loureiro, Touriga Nacional) Bairrada (grape varieties: Arinto, Baga, Castelão Francês, Maria Gomes, Touriga Nacional) Alentejo (grape varieties, Aragonês, Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional), Terras do Sado (grape variety Castelão) Bucelas (grape variety Arinto) and Estremadura (grape varieties: Arinto, Aragonês, Castelão, Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional) appellations of origin. From the final stage of spontaneous fermentations, 2820 yeast isolates were obtained, mainly belonging to the species S. cerevisiae. An initial genetic screen, based on mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (mtDNA RFLP) and/or interdelta sequence analysis was followed by microsatellite analysis of strains with unique genetic profiles, using 10 highly polymorphic microsatellites. Our results showed that microsatellite analysis revealed a high resolution populational screen, showing that genetic differences and populational structures among S. cerevisiae populations derived from both “diagnostic” vineyard-, specific alleles and the accumulation of small allele-frequency differences across ten microsatellite loci. Heterozygosity was three to four times lower than the expected value, confirming the strong populational substructuring. The presented large-scale approach shows that each vineyard contains differentiated S. cerevisiae populations, showing the occurrence of specific native strains that can be associated with a terroir. 

Financially supported by the programs POCI 2010 (FEDER/FCT, POCTI/AGR/56102/2004) and AGRO (ENOSAFE, Nº 762).
&#xa

Validade e Confiabilidade da Versão Portuguesa da Brief Motor Scale em Pessoas com Esquizofrenia: Um Estudo Preliminar

Introduction: Neurological soft signs (NSS) indicate non‑specific cerebral dysfunction, those have been extensively documented in the clinical course of schizophrenia and have been considered as valuable symptoms to monitor the disorder. The Brief Motor Scale (BMS) has been widely used to assess motor neurological soft signs in patients with schizophrenia, but the Portuguese version is still unavailable. The aim of this study is the investigation of the validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the scale (BMS_pt). Material and Methods: The International guidelines for the cross‑cultural process adaptation were considered. Forty three adults, between 23 to 63 years (39.74±11.16), 38 males and 5 females, with a diagnosis of schizophrenia participated in this study. Results: Content validity indexes (> 0.75) pointed out the content validity of the BMS_pt with a moderate/strong agreement among experts. Internal consistency was confirmed, with Cronbach alphas ranging from 0.82 to 0.87. Pearson correlations ranged from 0.93 and 0.99 (p<0.01). Exploratory Factorial Analysis resulted in a two‑factor model that explained 58.91% of total variance Conclusion: Results showed that all BMS_pt items are relevant. BMS_pt seems to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess motor NSS in individuals with schizophrenia with the potential to be used in rehabilitation services.Introdução: Os sinais neurológicos discretos (NNS) indicam uma disfunção cerebral não específica e têm sido documentados no curso clínico da esquizofrenia, sendo considerados como sintomas importantes para a monitorização da doença. A Brief Motor Scale (BMS) tem sido amplamente utilizada para avaliar os sinais neurológicos discretos em pessoas com esquizofrenia, mas a versão portuguesa continua indisponível. O objetivo deste estudo é a investigação da validade e confiabilidade da versão portuguesa Brief of Motor Scale (BMS_pt). Material e Métodos: As orientações internacionais para o processo de adaptação transcultural do instrumento foram consideradas. Participaram no estudo 43 adultos com esquizofrenia, entre os 23 e 63 anos (39,74±11,16), 38 homens e 5 mulheres. Resultados: Os índices de validade de conteúdo (>0,75) da BMS_pt demonstraram um acordo moderado/forte entre os especialistas. A consistência interna foi confirmada, com alfa de Cronbach variando de 0,82 a 0,87. As correlações de Pearson variaram entre 0,93 e 0,99 (p<0,01). A análise fatorial exploratória resultou num modelo de dois fatores que explicou 58,91% da variância total. Conclusão: Verificou‑se que todos os itens da BMS_pt são relevantes. A BMS_pt parece ser um instrumento válido e fiável para avaliar os sinais neurológicos motores discretos em pessoas com esquizofrenia, e com potencial para ser utilizado em serviços de reabilitação

Coimbra: cidade amiga das pessoas idosas?!

Introdução: Em Portugal, bem como nos restantes países mundiais, tem sido registado, em virtude de múltiplas transformações societárias, um aumento crescente do envelhecimento demográfico. Este novo cenário demográfico originou uma reflexão, por parte de organizações supranacionais, sobre as cidades na sua relação com os munícipes mais velhos. Desta reflexão surge o projeto Cidade Amiga das Pessoas Idosas que apresenta referenciais de avaliação das cidades para que estas possam adaptar as suas estruturas e serviços aos seus munícipes mais velhos. Beneficiando desta forma do potencial que as pessoas mais velhas representam para a humanidade. Objetivos: O presente estudo tem como objetivo central verificar se a cidade de Coimbra é uma cidade amiga das pessoas idosas. Metodologia: A pesquisa remete para um estudo qualitativo exploratório a partir dos procedimentos metodológicos que constam do Protocolo de Vancouver. O focus group decorreu em duas sessões. Participantes: Foram auscultados 16 pessoas, 15 (93,8%) do sexo feminino. A idade média situa-se nos 79,88 anos (dp= ± 10,658), são maioritariamente viúvos (7= 43,8 %) e 7 (43,8%) e têm como habilitações a 4ª classe. Autoclassificam-se maioritariamente na classe média baixa (7 =43,8). Resultados: Das oito categorias analisadas três categorias “espaços exteriores e edifícios”, “transportes” e “respeito e inclusão social” são avaliadas com aspetos positivos e negativos. O “suporte comunitário e serviços de saúde” é avaliado como positivo enquanto a “habitação”, “participação social” e “comunicação e informação” são avaliados como negativos. As sugestões efetuadas referem-se a um único tópico “espaços exteriores e edifícios”. Conclusões: Se partilharmos a tese que uma cidade amiga das pessoas idosas estimula o envelhecimento ativo porque otimiza as oportunidades de participação no ambiente urbano melhorando, desta forma, a qualidade de vida das pessoas envelhecem. Os resultados que obtivemos, a partir da auscultação de um grupo de idosos, permitem-nos afirmar que Coimbra precisa de se adaptar aos seus munícipes mais velhos. Só assim Coimbra se poderá tornar uma cidade amiga das pessoas idosas. Importa igualmente registar que os resultados encontrados devem ser mediados pelo perfil sociodemográfico dos idosos entrevistados. / Introduction: In Portugal, as well as in other countries worldwide, has been registered by virtue of multiple associated transformations, an increasing growing of population. This new demographic scenario triggered, led to a reflection on the part of supranational organizations, about the cities in their relationship with the older residents. This reflection comes with the project Friendly City of Older Persons that presents benchmarks for the evaluation of cities so that they can adapt their structures and services to its older citizens. Enjoying this way the potential that older people represent for humanity. Objectives: This study aims to check if the city of Coimbra is an elderly friendly city. Methodology: The research refers to an exploratory qualitative study from the methodological procedures of the Vancouver Protocol. The focus group was held in two sessions. Participants: 16 people were sounded out, 15(93.8%) were female. The average ages tends at79.88 years (dp = ±10,658), are mostly widowers (7=43.8%) and 7 (43.8%) have the qualifications to4th grade. They are classified mostly in the lower middle class(7=43.8). Results: Of the eight analyzed categories three categories" outdoor spaces and buildings", "transport" and "respect and social inclusion" are evaluated on positive and negative aspects. The "community support and health services" is evaluated as positive as the"housing", "social participation "and "communication and information" are evaluated as negative. The suggestions are related to a single topic "buildings and outdoor areas." Conclusions: If we share the view that an elderly friendly citizen courages active aging because it optimizes the opportunities for participation in the urban environment improving, in this manner, the quality of life of the elderly. The results we obtained from the consultation of a group of elderly allow us to say that Coimbra needs to adapt to its older citizens. Only then Coimbra can become a friendly city of the elderly. It should also be noted that the results should be mediated by socio-demographic profile of elderly respondents

TNF-alpha-induced microglia activation requires miR-342: impact on NF-kB signaling and neurotoxicity

Growing evidences suggest that sustained neuroinflammation, caused by microglia overactivation, is implicated in the development and aggravation of several neurological and psychiatric disorders. In some pathological conditions, microglia produce increased levels of cytotoxic and inflammatory mediators, such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which can reactivate microglia in a positive feedback mechanism. However, specific molecular mediators that can be effectively targeted to control TNF-α-mediated microglia overactivation, are yet to be uncovered. In this context, we aim to identify novel TNF-α-mediated micro(mi)RNAs and to dissect their roles in microglia activation, as well as to explore their impact on the cellular communication with neurons. A miRNA microarray, followed by RT-qPCR validation, was performed on TNF-α-stimulated primary rat microglia. Gain- and loss-of-function in vitro assays and proteomic analysis were used to dissect the role of miR-342 in microglia activation. Co-cultures of microglia with hippocampal neurons, using a microfluidic system, were performed to understand the impact on neurotoxicity. Stimulation of primary rat microglia with TNF-α led to an upregulation of Nos2, Tnf, and Il1b mRNAs. In addition, ph-NF-kB p65 levels were also increased. miRNA microarray analysis followed by RT-qPCR validation revealed that TNF-α stimulation induced the upregulation of miR-342. Interestingly, miR-342 overexpression in N9 microglia was sufficient to activate the NF-kB pathway by inhibiting BAG-1, leading to increased secretion of TNF-α and IL-1β. Conversely, miR-342 inhibition led to a strong decrease in the levels of these cytokines after TNF-α activation. In fact, both TNF-α-stimulated and miR-342-overexpressing microglia drastically affected neuron viability. Remarkably, increased levels of nitrites were detected in the supernatants of these co-cultures. Globally, our findings show that miR-342 is a crucial mediator of TNF-α-mediated microglia activation and a potential target to tackle microglia-driven neuroinflammation.We would like to thank Dr. João Relvas laboratory for the help with N9 microglia cell culture; Dr. Sofia Lamas for the guidance on the animal welfare and support with animal experiments (Animal facility, i3S); and to LC Sciences for the miRNA microarray data and analysis. The mass spectrometry technique was performed by Hugo Osório at the i3S Proteomics Scientific Platform with support from the Portuguese Mass Spectrometry Network, integrated in the National Roadmap of Research Infrastructures of Strategic Relevance (ROTEIRO/0028/2013; LISBOA-01–0145-FEDER-022125). This work was funded by project NORTE-01–0145-FEDER-000012, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). J.P.B. and J.B. are supported by FCT–Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, through BiotechHealth PhD program fellowship (PD/BD/135490/2018) and Areas of Basic and Applied Biology PhD program fellowship (PD/BD/135450/2017), respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Temporal and spatial distribution of human leptospirosis in the north of Portugal, 2014-2019

Em Portugal, a leptospirose humana é considerada uma doença de declaração obrigatória (DDO). De acordo com o relatório DDO 2013- -2016, a área geográfica de intervenção da ARS Norte é a segunda área do país com maior número de casos notificados de leptospirose em humanos. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a distribuição temporal e geográfica dos casos de leptospirose humana identificados em indivíduos residentes na região norte de Portugal, no período de 2014 a 2019, e que foram estudados no Centro de Saúde Pública Doutor Gonçalves Ferreira do Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge. Realizou-se um estudo retrospetivo de 72 indivíduos com resultado positivo para pesquisa de anticorpos IgM para Leptospira spp. O maior número de casos foi registado em 2014 e o menor em 2019, 18 e 5 casos respetivamente. Em relação à distribuição por mês de diagnóstico laboratorial, verificou-se um maior número de casos diagnosticados entre os meses de junho e novembro (73,6%). Quanto à d istribuição geográfica por concelho de residência, o concelho que apresentou maior número de casos foi Vila Nova de Gaia (n=8). Do total de indivíduos diagnosticados com leptospirose humana, 79,1% residiam em freguesias classificadas como predominantemente ou mediamente urbanas. Os resultados obtidos revelaram uma assimetria na distribuição dos casos de leptospirose humana, notando-se uma maior frequência nos meses de verão/outono e em áreas predominantemente/mediamente urbanas. Este estudo é mais um contributo para o conhecimento da epidemiologia e dinâmica de transmissão da leptospirose em humanos na região norte de Portugal podendo, desta forma, ser útil para o desenvolvimento de estratégias de prevenção e controlo da doença.In Portugal, human leptospirosis is a mandatory notifiable infectious disease. Data from 2013 to 2016 showed that the geographical area of intervention of the ARS Nor te had the second highest number of notified cases. The aim of this study was to analyze temporal and spatial distribution of human leptospirosis, identified between 2014 and 2019, in individuals living in the north region of Portugal. We reviewed 72 cases of individuals with a positive result for IgM antibodies to Leptospira spp., which were tested at the Public Health Centre Doutor Gonçalves Ferreira, National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge. The number of cases was higher in 2014 and lower in 2019, 18 and 5 cases respectively. Overall, 73.6% of the cases were diagnosed between June and November. Vila Nova de Gaia was the municipality with the highest number of cases (n=8), and 79.1% of individuals with human leptospirosis were living in predominantly and moderately urban areas. In conclusion, our results showed a seasonal pattern of human leptospirosis with most cases occurring in summer and autumn, and a geographical pattern of cases with a higher frequency in predominantly/moderately urban areas. These findings may help develop more effective strategies to prevent and control human leptospirosis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Salt reduction in different bread types: an intervention study in the Northern Portugal

O pão é um dos alimentos mais antigos e consumidos em todo o Mundo, sendo considerado uma boa fonte de diversos nutrientes fundamentais para o desenvolvimento e saúde do organismo. Os dados do Inquérito Alimentar Nacional e de Atividade Física IAN-AF (2015/2016), em Portugal, identificam o pão como sendo considerado um dos principais alimentos a contribuir para a ingestão de sal dos portugueses. A Sociedade Portuguesa de Hipertensão, em colaboração com a Associação dos Industriais de Panificação, Pastelaria e Similares do Norte e o Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, desenvolveram um estudo interventivo com vista a reduzir o teor de sal no pão sem alterar as suas propriedades organoléticas. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o teor de sal em 4 tipos de pão tradicional: carcaça, regueifa, broa e pão da avó, antes e depois da intervenção planeada. Antes da intervenção verificou-se que os valores de teor de sal encontrados, em todos os tipos de pão analisados, estavam abaixo de 1,4 g de sal por 100 g de pão (valor estabelecido pelo Decreto- -Lei n.º 75/2009, de 12 de agosto) e que, após intervenção, foi possível reduzir para valores entre 0,96 e 1,1 g de sal por 100 g de pão, sem alterar as características organoléticas. O estudo realizado demonstrou ser possível a redução do teor de sal no pão, sem alterações adicionais no processo de produção, constituindo uma medida de baixo custo que permite a melhoria da saúde pública, relativamente à prevenção de doenças crónicas associadas ao consumo excessivo de sal.Bread is a key staple in the Portuguese diet and provides many of the nutrients required for normal development and good health. The National Food and Physical Activity Survey IAN-AF (2015/2016), in Portugal, identify bread as one of the main foods contributing to Portuguese salt intake. The Portuguese Society of Hypertension, in collaboration with the Portuguese Bakeries Association from North and the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge, planned an intervention study to reduce the content of salt in the bread, without changing its organoleptic properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the salt content in four types of traditional bread: “carcaça”, “regueifa”, “broa” e “pão da avó”, before and after the planned intervention. It was found that the values of salt content before the intervention were below the value established in legislation nº 75/2009 of 1.4 g of salt per 100 g of bread and that, after intervention it was possible to reduce the salt content to values between 0.96 and 1.1 g of salt per 100 g of bread, without changing the organoleptic characteristics. The study showed that it is possible to reduce the salt content in bread without additional changes in the production process, and it is a low-cost measure allowing the improvement of public health in relation to the prevention of chronic diseases associated with excessive salt consumptioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Algorithmic thinking and creativity: a deck of cards for early childhood education

The challenges presented to educational systems and researchers about algorithmic thinking are wide and exciting. Several initiatives are working on contributions. In the framework of a European Project focused on algorithmic thinking skills through play-based learning, we undertook the development of a resource for introducing algorithmic thinking to teachers and children in Early Childhood Education. The paper presents the resource, a deck of cards, highlighting its connections to creativity and algorithmic thinking. The paper briefly introduces the research design in place to pilot together with preliminary data from the tests with future teachers and a group of 5 years-old children. The deck of cards has been well received by both future teachers and children. The simple drawings are considered attractive and allow for diverse decisions about what to represent. Conditions, in particular, were well received by children. Further analysis of existing data will provide more information regarding the potential and limitations of the deck of cards.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio