HAGR: the Human Ageing Genomic Resources

The Human Ageing Genomic Resources (HAGR) is a collection of online resources for studying the biology of human ageing. HAGR features two main databases: GenAge and AnAge. GenAge is a curated database of genes related to human ageing. Entries were primarily selected based on genetic perturbations in animal models and human diseases as well as an extensive literature review. Each entry includes a variety of automated and manually curated information, including, where available, protein–protein interactions, the relevant literature, and a description of the gene and how it relates to human ageing. The goal of GenAge is to provide the most complete and comprehensive database of genes related to human ageing on the Internet as well as render an overview of the genetics of human ageing. AnAge is an integrative database describing the ageing process in several organisms and featuring, if available, maximum life span, taxonomy, developmental schedules and metabolic rate, making AnAge a unique resource for the comparative biology of ageing. Associated with the databases are data-mining tools and software designed to investigate the role of genes and proteins in the human ageing process as well as analyse ageing across different taxa. HAGR is freely available to the academic community at http://genomics.senescence.info

A Curious Case: The Brazillian Internet Bill of Rights

João Carlos Magalhães, LSE MSc Media and Communications Governance student, discusses political battles over Brazil’s national ‘Internet Bill of Rights’ against the backdrop of the upcoming Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance that will be held in São Paulo in April

Algorithmic Resistance as political disengagement

This article suggests that algorithmic resistance might involve a particular and rarely considered kind of evasion—political disengagement. Based on interviews with ordinary Brazilian users of Facebook, it argues that some people may stop acting politically on social media platforms as a way of avoiding an algorithmic visibility regime that is felt as demeaning their civic voices. Three reasons given by users to explain their disengagement are discussed: the assumption that, by creating bubbles, algorithms render their citizenship useless; the understanding that being seen on Facebook entails unacceptable sacrifices to their values and well-being; and the distress caused by successfully attaining political visibility but being unable to fully control it. The article explores the normative ambiguities of this type of algorithmic resistance, contextualizing it in Brazil's autocratization process

Factores de risco do carcinoma do pulmão

Trabalho final de mestrado integrado em Medicina, área cientifoca de Pneumologia, apresentado á Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de CoimbraIntrodução: O carcinoma do pulmão (CP) é um dos tumores malignos mais frequentes e considerado o carcinoma mais letal em todo Mundo. Daí que, é de extrema importância a quantificação e evidenciação dos factores de risco no que diz respeito à sua influência no risco de desenvolvimento do Carcinoma do Pulmão. Objectivos:Avaliar o papel dos diversos factores de risco no processo de carcinogénese pulmonar e concluir os factores que influenciam, positivamente ou negativamente, o risco de desenvolver Carcinoma do Pulmão. Desenvolvimento:A abordagem deste tema centra-se na elevada incidência do Carcinoma do Pulmão e do papel dos diversos factores intrincados neste processo. São descritos os vários factores de risco envolvidos na alteração da incidência do Carcinoma do Pulmão. Através de uma pesquisa realizada na Pubmed foram obtidos cerca de 350 artigos, dos quais foram seleccionados 150, pelo nome do artigo, ano de publicação e leitura dos respectivos abstracts e dos quais seleccionei 105 para o desenvolvimento deste tema. Conclusão:O tabagismo (activo e passivo), a susceptibilidade genética, a exposição à sílica, pó da madeira, asbesto, radão e poluição ambiental são factores de risco associados, de forma consistente, ao aumento do risco de Carcinoma do Pulmão. Fármacos como os Antidepressívos Tricíclicos (ATD) e Terapêutica Hormonal de Substituição (THS) também têm sido associados a um aumento da incidência de Carcinoma do Pulmão. HIV, Tuberculose, Clamydophila pneumoniae, carcinomas prévios, Artrite Reumatóide, DPOC e défice de α1 – antitripsina estão também associados a um aumento do risco de Carcinoma do Pulmão. O consumo de β-carotenos, vegetais, fruta, vitaminas (A, B6 e C), Selénio, Cobre e Zinco estão associados a uma diminuição do risco, assim como determinados fármacos: Estatinas, AINE’s e Aspirina. Este conhecimento permite uma actuação a nível preventivo, alertando a população para os factores mais prejudiciais e encorajando-o a adoptar um estilo de vida saudável.Introduction: Lung canceris one of themost frequentmalignant tumorsand is considered themost lethalcancerin the wholeworld.So, it isextremely importantto quantify anddisclosureof the risk factorsinregard totheir influence on therisk of developinglung cancer. Objectives: To evaluate the role of various risk factors in the process of lung carcinogenesis and conclude the factors that influence, positively or negatively, the risk of developing lung cancer. Development: The approach of this theme focuses on the high incidence of lung cancer and the role of various factors in this intricate process. Describe various risk factors involved in altering the incidence of lung cancer. Through a survey conducted in Pubmed were obtained about 350 articles, of which 150 were selected, by item name, year of publication and reading of their abstracts and 105 of which have selected to develop this theme. Conclusion: Cigarette smoking (active and passive), genetic susceptibility, exposure to silica, wood dust, asbestos, radon and environmental pollution are associated risk factors, consistent, increased risk of lung cancer. Drugs such as tricyclic antidepressants and Hormone Replacement Therapy have also been associated with increased incidence of lung cancer. HIV, TB, Clamydophila pneumoniae, previous cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, COPD and lack of α1 - antitrypsin deficiency are also associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. The consumption of β-carotene, vegetables, fruit, vitamins (A, B6 and C), Selenium, Copper and zinc are associated with a decreased risk as well as certain drugs: Statins, aspirin and NSAIDS. This knowledge allows a preventive action level, alerting people to the most harmful factors and encouraging him to adopt a healthy lifestyle

The longevity bottleneck hypothesis:Could dinosaurs have shaped ageing in present‐day mammals?

The evolution and biodiversity of ageing have long fascinated scientists and the public alike. While mammals, including long‐lived species such as humans, show a marked ageing process, some species of reptiles and amphibians exhibit very slow and even the absence of ageing phenotypes. How can reptiles and other vertebrates age slower than mammals? Herein, I propose that evolving during the rule of the dinosaurs left a lasting legacy in mammals. For over 100 million years when dinosaurs were the dominant predators, mammals were generally small, nocturnal, and short‐lived. My hypothesis is that such a long evolutionary pressure on early mammals for rapid reproduction led to the loss or inactivation of genes and pathways associated with long life. I call this the ‘longevity bottleneck hypothesis’, which is further supported by the absence in mammals of regenerative traits. Although mammals, such as humans, can evolve long lifespans, they do so under constraints dating to the dinosaur era

Marketing budget optimisation: key metrics and trends, according to specialists

The importance of marketing budget optimisation is undeniably growing. A survey by Gartner showed that marketing budgets increased to 12% of company revenue in 2016, from 11% in 2015 (Marketing Weekly News, 2016). Not only are marketing budgets increasing, but advancements in data collection and analytics deliver firms a whole new array of marketing information to interpret, opening new possibilities to marketing budget optimisation. However, despite the growth in investment, most of the existing literature regarding the subject is still debating concepts and definitions (Gao, 2010), reducing its utility to managers that seek streamlined and practical information to apply to their companies. This leads to the objective of this dissertation, which is to gather and analyse the opinions of marketing specialists regarding key metrics and trends related to marketing budget optimisation, according to the type of company. Through a Real-Time Delphi methodology used to gather the opinions of specialists on the matter, this dissertation came to several interesting conclusions. The main conclusion is that the topic of marketing budget optimisation is non-consensual, due to its complexity and scope. This means that the type of company alone was not enough to reach a consensual conclusion among specialists, as other criteria such as the market that the company operates in, its competition, product lifecycle, and objectives are also considered crucial. Despite these shortcomings, several key metrics were identified according to the chosen types of company, and trends were identified in marketing budget optimisation such as programmatic marketing, earned media, and marketing automation.A importância da otimização do orçamento de marketing está indubitavelmente a crescer. Um estudo da Gartner mostrou que os orçamentos de marketing aumentaram de 11% das receitas das empresas em 2015, para 12% em 2016 (Marketing Weekly News, 2016). A juntar a isto, os avanços na recolha de dados dão às empresas todo um novo conjunto de informação, abrindo as portas à otimização do orçamento de marketing. Contudo, apesar do crescimento em investimento, a literatura atual ainda debate conceitos e definições (Gao, 2010), reduzindo a sua utilidade para os gestores que procuram informação mais prática para aplicarem nas suas empresas. Isto leva-nos ao objetivo desta dissertação, recolher e analisar as opiniões dos especialistas de marketing relativamente às métricas e tendências da otimização do orçamento de marketing de acordo com o tipo de empresa. Através de uma metodologia Real-Time Delphi para recolher as opiniões dos especialistas, esta dissertação chegou a várias conclusões interessantes. A principal conclusão é que o tema é não-consensual, devido à sua complexidade e extensão. O tipo de empresa não foi suficiente para chegar a uma conclusão consensual entre os especialistas, pois outros critérios como o mercado, competição, ciclo de vida do produto e objetivos também foram considerados cruciais. De qualquer modo, várias métricas-chave foram identificadas de acordo com o tipo de empresa escolhido e identificaram-se tendências na otimização do orçamento de marketing como o marketing programático, earned media e automação do marketing