The economic costs of alcohol misuse in Portugal

Aim: This study estimates the total economic burden of alcohol misuse in Portugal. Specifically, it reports estimates of morbidity and co-morbidity treatment costs and assesses the value of lost productivity related to alcohol misuse, for the year 1995. Methods and Sources: The study examines health care costs focusing on the nine most frequent diseases associated with alcohol misuse. The societal perspective was adopted and the prevalence-based Cost-of-Illness studies used to evaluate annual costs. The study is based on data obtained from different appropriate sources. Medical records from 88 public short-stay hospitals, provided by the Financing Management Institute in the Portuguese Ministry of Health. Hospital discharges, death causes and consultations obtained from Health Statistics and Mortality Statistics, published by the National Statistical Institute. And data on crime and motor vehicle crashes reported in the Sixth United Nations Survey on Crime Trends (UNICRI) and in the General State Account, published by the Ministry of Finance. Results : Approximately 19 878 discharges from alcohol misuse, representing 2.3% of total discharges, were estimated to occur in public short-stay hospitals. In public and private psychiatric hospitals 2 613 alcoholic discharges were estimated (18% of total mental health discharges in that year). The annual costs of health care services amounted to €33 million. Of this, 63% was due to inpatient care and 24% to ambulatory care. The criminal justice system and prison administration were estimated to cost €19 million whilst property damages due to motor vehicle crashes amounted to €57 million. Indirect costs were estimated to be €325 million. Of this, €76 million was due to the human cost of premature mortality. Conclusions : It is concluded that, in 1995, alcohol misuse imposed a burden of €434 million on the Portuguese economy, representing 0.6 % of Gross Domestic Product and a per capita cost estimate of €52. In examining the share of each component in total costs, both criminal justice and hospital care systems appear to have similar burdens, imposed by alcohol misuse. However, the greatest burden arises from losses in productivity resulting from illness and premature death.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

The amazed spectator: an essay film focused on the viewers

This article intends to identify characteristic traits of the essay film in The Amazed Spectator/O Espectador Espantado (2016), by the Portuguese filmmaker Edgar Pêra. Throughout the analysis, I reflect on how the use of different types of resources—technical (3D), compositional (color and space) and social (the communities involved)—combine to create a sensory object, one which not only aims to question the relationship between the viewers and the films but is also helpful in understanding the director’s praxis. More than providing answers, The Amazed Spectator poses questions, prompting a constant dialogue, be it between the film’s interviewees, be it among the actors who represent the different kinds of film audiences or the viewers, who watch Pêra’s film. Positioning myself as a viewer of the said film, I try to reproduce sensations, add further layers of doubt to the questions posed and erect a new discourse on the The Amazed Spectator. Amongst enigmas and contradictions, one can state that The Amazed Spectator is an essay film about cinema (more specifically about the opposition between window cinema and screen cinema) but might also be about life. That is to say, the way that the viewers—amongst the fear and the awe—go about assuming either a more passive or a more interventional stance towards the world

As experiências óptimas na vida diária de adolescentes: implicações para um desenvolvimento positivo

A investigação no domínio da adolescência só recentemente focou a sua atenção para o estudo científico da vida diária de adolescentes, com recurso a medidas em tempo real, que possibilitam a análise da experiência subjectiva, concretamente da experiência óptima. Este artigo ilustra este tipo de estudos e foi realizado com 50 adolescentes estudantes do ensino secundário, com o objectivo de conhecer como se organiza a sua vida diária em relação às actividades realizadas, lugares frequentados e pessoas com que lidam ao longo de uma semana, e a respectiva qualidade da experiência subjectiva. Os dados foram recolhidos recorrendo ao Experience Sampling Method (ESM). Analisam-se e discutem-se estes conceitos à luz da Psicologia Positiva e os seus contributos para o desenvolvimento positivo de adolescentes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Yeast biodiversity in the vineyards of the Azores Archipelago (Portugal)

This study aims to identify the fermentative yeasts communities of the vineyards from the mid-Atlantic islands ecosystems of the Azores Archipelago and to evaluate whether the populations vary according to the islands geography, grape variety and type of vineyard. From an ecological point of view, vineyards of these isolated volcanic islands terroirs correspond to very particular ecosystems, whose yeast flora is completely unknown. During the harvests of 2009 and 2010, 88 and 75 grape samples were collected from eight islands of the archipelago, respectively. They were obtained from traditional grape varieties (Arinto, Verdelho and Terrantez) and hybrid varieties. The sampling plan covered 36 locations, including vineyards in appellations of origin and vineyards that were abandoned for at least 5 years. A total of 4890 yeast isolates was obtained from the crushed grapes. Species identification was performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP) and sequencing of ITS regions. Twenty-seven yeast species were identified, being Hanseniaspora uvarum, Issatchenkia terricola, Candida zemplinina and Metschnikowia pulcherrima the most representative ones. Three putative new species were also found. In 2009, differences in the microflora composition were apparent between islands, grape varieties and type of vineyard. A high percentage of C. zemplinina differentiated the yeast microflora of the eastern islands Santa Maria and São Miguel (25% and 36%, respectively). The species M. pulcherrima appeared associated with the traditional grape varieties (20% and 2% in traditional and hybrid varieties, respectively). H. uvarum was found in higher proportions in abandoned vineyards (53% and 43% in abandoned and non-abandoned vineyards, respectively). In the following sampling year, characterized by unfavorable climatic conditions and very low grape production, the yeast species richness decreased considerably from 25 species in 2009 to 14 species in 2010 and H. uvarum represented 86% of the total isolates, 40% more than in the previous year.João Drumonde-Neves is recipient of a fellowship supported by the program PRO-EMPREGO and the Azores Government. This study was financially supported by FP7 (nº 232454). Financial support was also obtained from FEDER funds through the program COMPETE and by national funds through FCT by the project FCOMP-01-0124-008775

Protecção ambiental e informação financeira : os impactos, os riscos e a sua divulgação em direcção a um desenvolvimento sustentável

Com a presente comunicação, os autores pretendem sintetizar os principais danos ambientais provocados pela acção do homem, de forma isolada ou através das unidades económicas, evidenciando a responsabilização dos agentes e os programas da União Europeia (UE) quanto às questões ambientais

O ritual da conversação no mercado biológico de Gondomar

A "Passeio - Plataforma de Arte e Cultura Urbana" é uma plataforma do Centro de Estudos de Comunicação e Sociedade (CECS).Recorro ao meu corpo como instrumento percetivo, impregnado de memória e de experiência, para vos falar do Mercado Biológico de Gondomar, subúrbios do Porto. A feira acontece ao sábado, pela manhã, e acabei por me ver envolvida como observadora participante, vulgo vendedora ocasional. Se o investigador não se despe da sua subjetividade quando sai em campo (“não se lava em lixívia”, dizia frequentemente uma professora de metodologia), o contrário também é verdadeiro. Isto é, o olhar nunca nos abandona, mesmo numa apressada ida à padaria. O que só reforça o que aqui venho demonstrar: o poder da comunicação enquanto comunhão. Este é um texto no feminino, de alguém que nunca se posicionou propriamente como feminista

Ilustrar para ver, para ler e o que mais nos apetecer

No branco do sul as cores dos livros: encontro sobre literatura para crianças e jovens: atas, Beja (Portugal), organização da Escola Superior de Educação. Instituto Politécnico de Beja, 2005/06