Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-03"
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- Liquid populism applied to anti-media hostility: Bauman’s strangeness versus Bolsonaro’s enemy construction of the pressPublication . Novais, Rui Alexandre; Lind, Andreas GonçalvesThis work attempts to deconstruct Jair Bolsonaro’s hostile policy vis-à-vis the Brazilian media during his presidency by applying Zygmunt Bauman’s description of “liquid modernity” and its aversion to “strangeness” as the sociological-philosophical apparatus combined with the presidential-press relationship and the enemy construction dynamics of the communication research. The explorative qualitative empirical analysis of three-dimensional anti-media categories traditionally associated with right-wing populists—the discrediting and blaming of the press and detaching it from the people—throughout the “honeymoon” period of Bolsonaro’s presidency confirmed the decoupling of the traditional presidential-press and media-public relationships. Besides validating the primacy of the logic of consumption over morality, it further corroborated the fiercely adversarial populist policy designed for strangeness rhetoric construction of the media as distrusted “outsider” and “enemy.”
- Financial scarcity and cognitive performance: a meta-analysisPublication . Almeida, Filipa de; Scott, Ian J.; Soro, Jerônimo C.; Fernandes, Daniel; Amaral, André R.; Catarino, Mafalda L.; Arêde, André; Ferreira, Mário B.Whereas several studies find that financial scarcity has a detrimental impact on cognitive functioning, some studies find no relationship and others even report beneficial effects. To shed light on this issue we conducted a meta-analysis on the relationship between financial scarcity and cognitive functioning. We went beyond testing the direct relationship between these two concepts and looked at potential moderators, namely education, the moment of scarcity, the severity of scarcity, the type of tasks used to assess cognitive functioning, and the type of study. Our findings suggest that scarcity does have a detrimental effect on cognitive functioning. Across 256 effect sizes from 29 datasets involving 111,852 respondents, we found a detrimental total effect of scarcity on cognitive performance of Hedge's g = -0.43. We then estimated a meta-regression model of the drivers of the effect of scarcity on cognition. Education strongly explained this relationship, reducing the effect size by 60 % (partial effect of scarcity on cognitive performance is Hedge's g = -0.15, when accounting for education), to a small effect size. The moment and the severity of scarcity also contribute to this relationship, by moderating the effect, such that lifetime and adulthood scarcity have a larger effect than childhood scarcity, and more extreme levels of scarcity lead to higher cognitive dysfunction. The type of task used to assess cognitive functioning did not moderate the effect. And when controlling for education, higher effect sizes were found for non-correlational designs. We discuss these findings and their implications in light of existing research and theories.
- Pseudomorphosis of schools' system and the fiction of its regulatory processes: a study of educational narrativesPublication . Serra, Lídia; Alves, José; Soares, DianaThe inconsistencies between agents of the educational system, where it reigns tensions and disjointed mechanisms that express failures of multidisciplinary action, make schools behave like pseudomorphic systems. This article examines interactions between autonomy and control, resorting to a qualitative study with a quantitative approach to schools' strategic documents and inspectorate reports using NVivo. It provides a multiperspective cross-analysis of school narratives regarding (i) principals' vision, (ii) school strategic orientation, and (iii) internal and external evaluation reports. This article exposes how schools demand an organised, intentional, and planned way of using self-knowledge to enhance teaching and learning. It uncovers that innovation is an undervalued facet in the school organisation and a marginal element of the school evaluation. Additionally, it reveals system inconsistencies regarding external evaluation and school organisation. The difficulty of school change asserts that educational systems need to deepen interconnections to prevent schools from keeping a traditional functional structure masked by modern educational discourses, meaning pseudomorphic guidance.
- Social prescribing for older adults in mainland Portugal: perceptions and future prospectsPublication . Costa, Andreia; Henriques, Joana; Alarcão, Violeta; Madeira, Teresa; Virgolino, Ana; Henriques, Adriana; Feteira-Santos, Rodrigo; Polley, Marie; Arriaga, Miguel; Nogueira, PauloBackground: In order to address health inequalities, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and promote older adults’ quality of life, it is necessary to explore non-medical approaches such as social prescribing. Social prescribing is a person-centered approach that allows health professionals to refer patients to services provided by the social and community sectors. This study aimed to explore older adults' perceptions of social prescribing in mainland Portugal and to identify factors associated with these perceptions, providing insights for future implementation strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 613 older adults aged 65 to 93. Participants' sociodemographic, economic, and health characteristics were assessed, along with their perceptions of social prescribing's benefits and activity interest. Results: Over 75% of respondents agreed that social prescribing would benefit the health system and their community. Most participants (87.7% and 89.7%, respectively) thought that activities like personal protection and development activities and cultural enrichment would be particularly relevant to them. Factors such as marital status, education, health status, and pain/discomfort levels influenced the perceived relevance of these activities. Conclusion: This study reveals that older adults in mainland Portugal are open to social prescribing and suggests that tailored interventions considering individual preferences and characteristics can lead to more effective implementation and equal access to social prescribing. Further research and policy efforts should focus on integrating social prescribing into the healthcare system to support healthy aging in Portugal.
- Characterization and effect of optimized spray-drying conditions on spray-dried coriander essential oilPublication . Rahim, Muhammad Abdul; Imran, Muhammad; Khan, Faima Atta; Al-Asmari, Fahad; Regenstein, Joe M.; Alomar, Suliman Yousef; Hussain, Imtiaz; Bartkiene, Elena; Rocha, João MiguelCoriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) essential oil (CEO) has many beneficial features, including antimicrobial and antifungal properties along with good aroma. It also has an important role in food processing and preservation. However, CEO is highly volatile and sensitive to external factors (heat, light and oxygen), as well as susceptible to lipid oxidation due to environmental and general processing conditions. This limits water solubility, making it difficult to incorporate CEO into aqueous food matrices, which further limits their industrial application. Spray-drying encapsulation may prevent CEO oxidation, increase CEO oxidative stability and improve their physicochemical properties. In this study, spray-dried CEO (SDCEO) was prepared using a mini laboratory-scale spray-dryer and the processing conditions were optimized. The SDCEO were characterized in respect to free fatty acids (FFA), peroxide values (PV), fatty acid (FA) profiles, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and physical morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results indicated that the maximum value of FFA, PV, fatty acid composition (including petroselinic, linoleic and oleic acids) in SDCEO were observed at the following spray-drying conditions: an inlet-air temperature (IAT) of 140 °C, needle speed (NS) of 2 s and the wall-material (WM) at 25%. The minimum values were observed at an IAT of 180 °C, NS of 4 s and WM of 30%. Analysis of variance and the interaction effects of independent factors showed that IAT and WM significantly positively influenced the response for good oxidative stability. Thus, SDCEO is likely to be used as a natural active ingredient in the food processing, cosmetic, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries with high stability, and may be stored for a long time without evaporation or oxidation.
- Multidisciplinary team care in pituitary tumoursPublication . Marques, Pedro; Sagarribay, Amets; Tortosa, Francisco; Neto, Lia; Ferreira, Joana Tavares; Subtil, João; Palha, Ana; Dias, Daniela; Sapinho, InêsThe optimal care for patients with pituitary tumours is best provided in a multidisciplinary and collaborative environment, which requires the contribution of multiple medical specialties working together. The benefits and advantages of the pituitary multidisciplinary team (MDT) are broad, and all relevant international consensus and guidelines in the field recommend that patients with pituitary tumours should always be managed in a MDT. Endocrinologists and neurosurgeons are normally the leading specialties within the pituitary MDT, supported by many other specialties with significant contributions to the diagnosis and management of pituitary tumours, including neuropathology, neuroradiology, neuro-ophthalmology, and otorhinolaryngology, among others. Here, we review the literature concerning the concepts of Pituitary MDT/Pituitary Tumour Centre of Excellence (PTCOE) in terms of their mission, goals, benefits, structure, proposed models of function, and barriers, and we also provide the views of different specialists involved in our Pituitary MDT.
- Up-scalable approaches for yeast mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) production: characterization and immunomodulatory propertiesPublication . Faustino, Margarida; Durão, Joana; Pereira, Carla F.; Pereira, Ana Margarida; Oliveira, Ana Sofia; Sousa, Sérgio; Ribeiro, Alessandra Braga; Pereira, Joana Odila; Ferreira, Carlos M. H.; Pintado, Manuela E.; Carvalho, Ana P.Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) are widely used as feed additives due to their effects on gut microbiome modulation. Its application in the nutraceutical and functional food industries is also increasing. Numerous studies portraying MOS production from β-mannans can be found, but its production from yeast mannans is barely explored. Herein, two up-scalable approaches to produce yeast-derived MOS are presented: hydrothermal and acidic processing. Process efficiency was evaluated, and the resulting extracts were characterized (ATR-FT-IR, PXRD, SEM, MWD, DSC, sugar, and protein content). Extracts were also evaluated for their cytotoxicity and immunomodulatory effect; furthermore, a simulated gastrointestinal tract digestion was performed to confirm their biological potential. The hydrothermal process resulted in the highest yield, whereas the acidic process resulted in lower molecular weight populations. Immunomodulatory results indicate that MOS digested extracts do not hold anti-inflammatory activity but grant an immunostimulant effect, whereas the non-digested MOS acidic extract showed an anti-inflammatory potential. This work provides valuable contributions towards the industrial production of yeast-derived MOS extracts, highlighting their potential for applications in various fields while contributing to a circular economy approach.
- The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the request for an advisory opinion on climate change and its effects: potential challenges and opportunitiesPublication . Weston, Julia Cirne LimaOn 12 December 2022, the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law submitted a request for an Advisory Opinion to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). The Commission asked the ITLOS to clarify what are the obligations of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) concerning pollution, as well as to preserve the marine environment, in relation to the effects of climate change. With this advisory opinion come challenges, yet some opportunities. The ITLOS will likely need to establish its jurisdictional basis to receive advisory opinions, as well as interpretational issues concerning the application of other rules of international law not incompatible with the UNCLOS. Yet, the advisory opinion presents opportunities to bring climate change issues closer to the Tribunal.
- ATR-FTIR as a high throughput tool for quick screening of lipolysis in 3T3- L1 adipocytesPublication . Machado, Manuela; Costa, Eduardo M.; Silva, Sara; Pintado, ManuelaLipolysis is an important biological process responsible for delivering fatty acids appropriately to meet energy needs. An unbalanced amount of free fatty acids is associated with insulin resistance and an increase in triglyceride levels. This process is related to the degradation of triglycerides in differentiated adipocytes. Typically, the rate of lipolysis in adipocytes is measured using commercial kits (for triglyceride quantification or glycerol release), or by assessing the mRNA levels of lipases and regulatory proteins, and in some cases, by chromatographic techniques to quantify free fatty acids. Both techniques are time-consuming and expensive, which can be a disadvantage in the search for new compounds to reduce fat accumulation in adipose tissue. Therefore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) can be a valuable tool for measuring lipolysis due to its ease of operation, rapid analysis time, and low cost.
- Portuguese version of the watching TV series motives questionnaire: what does this have to do with loneliness? A bidirectional relationshipPublication . Leite, Ângela; Vaz, Beatriz BelezaThe objective of this study was twofold: to validate the Watching TV Series Motives Questionnaire (WTSMQ) for the Portuguese population and to understand its relationship with loneliness. WTSMQ was validated through an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Besides, multi-group CFAs according to gender were conducted having been tested four levels of measurement invariance: configural, metric, scalar, and error variance. Several multiple linear regressions were carried out to estimate the relationship between sociodemographics, series preferences, loneliness and watching TV series motives. Results showed that the Portuguese version of WTSMQ presents good psychometric properties and that configural and metric were achieved, but not scalar and error variance invariance providing some evidence that the WTSMQ operates similarly in males and females. Results also showed that gender, age, TV series preferences, and loneliness contribute to explain different dimensions of Watching TV Series Motives. Also, sociodemographic variables, TV series preferences and WTSMQ subscales explain loneliness. The relationship between the motives for binge-watching and loneliness is bidirectional; sociodemographic variables and series preferences that explain those motives and loneliness overlap. Implications for tracking problematic Binge-watching situations are discusst.