University Of Lisbon Research Articles

Interview with Journal of Cell Science Editor Renata Basto

ABSTRACT Renata Basto is a Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Team Leader at the Institut Curie and Deputy Director of the Cell Biology and Cancer Research Unit in Paris, France. Renata completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Lisbon, Portugal, before moving abroad to Gif-sur-Yvette, France for her doctoral studies on mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint proteins in Drosophila, mentored by Prof. Rui Gomes and Prof. Roger Karess. She then received a postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Jordan Raff at the University of Cambridge, UK, where her work helped identify centrosome amplification as a tumour-initiating mechanism. In 2008, she joined the Department of Cell Biology at CNRS and the Institut Curie, where her laboratory studies the roles of centrosomes, and mechanisms of mitotic spindle assembly, polyploidy and genetic instability in development, health and disease. Renata joined Journal of Cell Science as an Editor in August 2023, bringing to the journal her significant expertise in the cell biology of centrosomes, spindle proteins, microtubules and mitosis. We spoke with Renata over Zoom to learn about her fascinating career, her advice for young scientists and the impact she hopes to make as an Editor.

Mediterranean diet adherence and nutritional literacy: an observational cross-sectional study of the reality of university students in a COVID-19 pandemic context

AimTo evaluate the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the level of nutritional literacy (NL) among university students from different academic fields of study, within the context of the...

Early or Middle Stone Age? The lithic assemblage of Capangombe – Santo António, Namibe Province (Angola)

Capangombe – Santo António is an open-air site located 596m a.s.l. at the foothill of Morro Santo António, Namibe Province (southwest Angola). The inselberg of Santo António is associated to the Chela escarpment developing from the Marginal Mountain range parallel to the Atlantic Ocean, separating the Angolan inland plateau from the coastal semi-arid to arid plain. A dissected valley formed by the Leba-Capangombe stream exposed a conglomerate with abundant stone tools assigned to the Early Stone Age (ESA). The site was discovered in 1966 by Miguel Ramos, who collected a total of 1776 lithic artifacts, and further published a small report about the assemblage in 1971. In this preliminary analysis, Ramos focused on cleavers using the “French school” typology for the “hachereaux” in Northern Africa and concluded that there are several morphotypes identified in Capangombe-Santo António with specific features, suggesting the occurrence of a local tradition for the Late ESA/Middle Stone Age (MSA). The study presented here is a new analysis of the lithic assemblage curated at the University of Lisbon, Portugal. A sample of 1017 artefacts was analyzed for this project applying an extended descriptive methodology to characterize lithic raw material procurement, reduction sequences and typological classes. The chrono-cultural model initially proposed for the site is revised thanks to recent advances in Stone Age studies.

Ph.D. Students' Perceptions of Creativity during Doctorate in Science and Technology at NOVA Lisbon University

Ph.D. Students' Perceptions of Creativity during Doctorate in Science and Technology at NOVA Lisbon University

Attitudes to Spanish language variation. A study on Portuguese students of Spanish as a Foreign Language

Abstract Drawing on data collected via a web-based survey, this study investigates the attitudes of SFL (Spanish as a Foreign Language) learners in Portugal towards four Spanish varieties. A verbal guise experiment was designed to collect students’ perceptions of language variation. The sample comprised 196 undergraduate students from the School of Arts and Humanities of the University of Lisbon (Portugal). The results show that Portuguese students of SFL have a clear preference for the Castilian variety, as it obtained the highest rates in all domains (power, personal qualities, and status). Unexpectedly, factors such as participants’ age or sex did not influence the answers given.

Modeling the Hydraulic Performance of Pilot Green Roofs Using the Storm Water Management Model: How Important Is Calibration?

Green roofs are low-impact development (LID) that assist in regulating stormwater runoff by reducing the peak flow rate and total runoff volume, among other benefits. In this study, the hydraulic performance of green roofs was modeled using the SWMM 5.2 software, taking field data into account for calibration purposes. A Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) was built using field data from pilot green roofs installed at the Instituto Superior Técnico Campus, University of Lisbon, Portugal. The simulated results with and without calibration were compared, as well as the results obtained in the field studies. The results from the uncalibrated model were unsatisfactory. After calibration, the average Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency (NSE) was 0.72, and the volume error was 5.9%, with most of the results classified as very good and good. This study shows relevant insights on the use of the SWMM to model green roofs, demonstrating the crucial importance of the calibration process for the correct prediction of hydraulic performance and indicating the porosity parameter as one of the most sensitive to the results. In addition, it provides estimates of LID parameters that can help in the development of projects carried out in the Mediterranean climate.

Entrepreneurship Education Pedagogical Approaches in Higher Education

Entrepreneurship education, as an emerging scientific field, has undergone significant evolution at the conceptual and praxis levels. The concept of entrepreneurship was considered from a broad perspective as the capacity to act upon opportunities and ideas, thereby creating social, cultural, or financial value in diverse contexts. The study and cultivation of this competence are highly relevant to enhancing employability and equipping young people with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary within an entrepreneurial culture for the exercise of active citizenship. This study aims to consolidate the concept and analyse the pedagogical approaches in entrepreneurship education, particularly focusing on experiential learning. It also explores the most frequently used instructional methods in higher education programmes. The research is based on a comprehensive literature review, complemented by a case study of the entrepreneurship education programme implemented at the University of Lisbon, in Portugal, enriched by data collected from one of its curricular units. Experiential learning emerges as a valid approach in entrepreneurship teaching, especially when teachers effectively combine practical experience with theory while learners assume the shared responsibility of learning from experience. As the most recommended instructional methods, one can point to collaborative pedagogical models, namely problem-based learning, project-based learning, peer assessment, design thinking, formative feedback, service learning, and active methodologies that integrate digital technologies.

Post-WWII Modernism with a glaze

Post World War II European modern housing often exhibited a Corbusian influence, but Le Corbusier was not embraced to the same extent everywhere, as noticed during exchanges between the University of Lisbon and the University of Antwerp in the ambit of the COST-Action 18137 on MCMH. While Belgium has several 1950s social housing projects, strongly indebted in its Unité d’habitation in Marseilles, Portugal does not. There, social housing architecture remained rather conservative, even though Corbusian features manifested themselves in some middle-class mass housing projects, such as the complex on Avenida Estados Unidos da América in Lisbon (1954-1966) designed by Lucínio Cruz, Alberto Ayres de Sousa and Mário Oliveira. While the housing blocks are on pilotis, they also have notable Art-Deco elements. In Belgium, free-standing modernist housing on pilotis with Art-Deco features also appears, such as the housing project at the Jan De Voslei in Antwerp designed by Jos Smolderen (1952-1967). These Modernist/Art-Deco hybrids have never been explored in depth because they are considered not radical enough. However, these cases shed light on how (older) architects mediated between traditional architecture and Modernism, between their own preferences and those of the state or housing company. They illuminate the political, social, and urban context in which these buildings were created. This paper explains why the principles Belgian architects applied to social housing were closer to Lisbon’s middle-class housing than their similar buildings for low-income housing. Based on cross-referencing archival material, legislation, on-site observations, and a study of the political, urban and social context, this paper posits a re-reading of Le Corbusier’s legacy in middle-class housing in Lisbon versus Antwerp.

Students of the degree in sport management's perception of integration in the job market

Sports managers are responsible for a wide range of functions, necessitating them to master multiple areas of knowledge and possess diverse skills. The goal of this study is to understand, with students in their third year of a degree in sports management at the Autonomous University of Lisbon, their perceptions of future integration in the current labor market in Sports Management based on sustained practices and based on a set of variables: the importance of the sports manager; organizational management; sports manager skills; and future challenges. According to the sociodemographic analysis, there was little variation among students regarding age, gender, household, geographical proximity to Lisbon's urban center, and nationality. A quantitative descriptive methodology was employed. When confronted with the factor "Future Challenges," which was revealed to significantly influence students' perceptions of future integration into the labor market in Sports Management, the students demonstrated a unanimous opinion among the universe of students under study regarding integration into the current labor market.

The bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) international database: aims, scope, and call for data.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a technique widely used for estimating body composition and health-related parameters. The technology is relatively simple, quick, and non-invasive, and is currently used globally in diverse settings, including private clinicians' offices, sports and health clubs, and hospitals, and across a spectrum of age, body weight, and disease states. BIA parameters can be used to estimate body composition (fat, fat-free mass, total-body water and its compartments). Moreover, raw measurements including resistance, reactance, phase angle, and impedance vector length can also be used to track health-related markers, including hydration and malnutrition, and disease-prognostic, athletic and general health status. Body composition shows profound variability in association with age, sex, race and ethnicity, geographic ancestry, lifestyle, and health status. To advance understanding of this variability, we propose to develop a large and diverse multi-country dataset of BIA raw measures and derived body components. The aim of this paper is to describe the 'BIA International Database' project and encourage researchers to join the consortium. The Exercise and Health Laboratory of the Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon has agreed to host the database using an online portal. At present, the database contains 277,922 measures from individuals ranging from 11 months to 102 years, along with additional data on these participants. The BIA International Database represents a key resource for research on body composition.

A Forum Presented by the Research Group of Luso-Slavonic Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Lisbon

A Forum Presented by the Research Group of Luso-Slavonic Cultural Studies, Faculty of Arts, University of Lisbon

Digital health at Central Lisbon University Hospital Center: strategic reflections and value proposition

AbstractDigital health emerges in the context of technological advancement, responding to the challenges of healthcare systems based on safe, quality healthcare services, offered in a timely manner, and in an efficient and effective way. However, digital health also brings challenges that are essentially related to change management within organizations. Based on problem structuring methods, this study sought to investigate the digital health topic in the specific case of Central Lisbon University Hospital Center (CHULC in Portuguese), aiming to reflect on initiatives that enhance digital health benefits within this organization and that contribute to its digital transformation. For this purpose, interpretive structural modeling was used to identify and understand the cause–effect relationships between determinants of digital health in this context, involving CHULC in the strategic reflection on the subject through a collaborative and constructivist approach. The main results include a set of actions formalized to enhance the center's digital health value proposition.

Osteomyelitis caused by Aspergillus terreus complex in a dog: a case report

BackgroundIn dogs, the most frequently reported mycosis associated with Aspergillus spp. are respiratory infections. Systemic aspergillosis is uncommon, with reported cases been associated with several Aspergillus species. Aspergillus terreus species complex are ubiquitous organisms, unfrequently associated with local or systemic disease in animals and humans, and treatment of osteomyelitis caused by this species is usually unfavorable.Case presentationThis case report describes the case of a 5-year-old dog, referred to the Veterinary Hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Lisbon, Portugal, with a history of lameness of the right thoracic limb. Radiographs and CT scan revealed two different lesions on right humerus and radio, which were biopsied. The samples collected were submitted to cytological and histopathological evaluation and bacterial and mycological culture. Environmental samples, including of the surgery room and of the biopsy needle were also evaluated for the presence of fungi. Regarding biopsy samples, bacterial culture was negative, but mycological analysis originated a pure culture of a fungal species later identified as Aspergillus terreus by Sanger sequencing. Results were compatible with histopathologic examination, which revealed periosteal reaction and invasion of hyphae elements. Also, mycological analysis of both environmental samples evaluated were negative. The virulence profile of the fungal isolate was phenotypically characterized using specific media, allowing to reveal its ability to produce several enzymes involved in its pathogenicity, namely lipase, hemolysin and DNAse, corresponding to a Virulence Index (V. Index.) of 0.43. The patient was submitted to itraconazole therapy for 8 weeks. After 3 weeks, the patient showed significant clinical improvement, and after 6 weeks no radiographic signs were observed.ConclusionsAntifungal therapy with itraconazole can contribute to the remission of canine infections promoted by Aspergillus terreus complex with a relevant V. Index.

Youth participation in environmental sustainability: insights from the Lisbon participatory budget

PurposeThis article poses the question on whether and how youth participation in environmental sustainability makes a difference within participatory budgets (PBs). This is a question worth asking because PBs have pursued, from the very beginning, goals of social sustainability through the inclusion of social groups that struggle to make their voices heard, as in the case of the youth. As young people show an increasing capacity to self-organise around environmental issues, a knowledge gap emerges as to the contribution that youth can give to environmental sustainability within PBs.Design/methodology/approachThe 2021 edition of the Lisbon PB (2021PB) has been analysed through desk research – document analysis using the city council's website as the main source of information, and fieldwork – an organisation of one two-day workshop with 20 young students through a partnership between the local authority and the Institute of Social Sciences at the University of Lisbon. Methods were applied to retrieve findings on youth participation in environmental sustainability in the 2021PB.FindingsThe youth show a relative increase of participation in the 2021PB and emerge as a key target group in funded proposals. Convergence with student proposals suggest shared awareness on the role of youth in the pursuit of social sustainability. The success of health-related proposals confirms ownership of (young) citizens over the concept of environmental sustainability, which further relies on the various scopes of funded proposals at both city and neighbourhood levels. In the workshop, students did not stick to specific themes and struggled to connect present criticalities and future imaginaries.Research limitations/implicationsFocus on one case study necessarily limits the generalisation of findings. Nevertheless, the 2021PB illuminates pathways of research on youth participation in environmental sustainability through participatory budgeting that are worth clearing in the future, such as the role of digital participation, dynamics induced by extreme events as the COVID-19 pandemic and PBs' capacity to intercept environmental activism.Practical implicationsDecision-makers and practitioners can take advantage of findings to acknowledge the potential of youth participation in PBs to reframe the take of environmental sustainability.Social implicationsThe article provides new inputs for future developments in the operationalisation of social and environmental sustainability through participatory budgeting.Originality/valueThis article examines original data retrieved from the 2021PB. Data analysis is backed by the literature review of key democratic challenges in social and environmental sustainability within participatory budgeting.

Diasporic Bodies

Research Article| May 01 2023 Diasporic Bodies: The Video Art of Irineu Destourelles Ana Nolasco Ana Nolasco Ana Nolasco holds a doctorate of Art Philosophy from the University of Lisbon; she is a tutor in Art Theory at the University of Évora and Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, and a researcher at UNIDCOM/IADE Research Unit in Design and Communication at European University, Lisbon. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Nka (2023) 2023 (52): 84–95. https://doi.org/10.1215/10757163-10435022 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Ana Nolasco; Diasporic Bodies: The Video Art of Irineu Destourelles. Nka 1 May 2023; 2023 (52): 84–95. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/10757163-10435022 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search Books & JournalsAll JournalsNka Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. © 2023 by Nka Publications2023 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

The effect of deep ocean currents on ocean- bottom seismometers records

Abstract. Ocean-bottom seismometers (OBSs) are usually deployed for seismological investigations, but these objectives are impaired by noise resulting from the ocean environment. We split the OBS-recorded seismic noise into three bands: short periods, microseisms and long periods, also known as tilt noise. We show that bottom currents control the first and third bands, but these are not always a function of the tidal forcing. Instead, we suggest that the ocean bottom has a flow regime resulting from two possible contributions: the permanent low-frequency bottom current and the tidal current. The recorded noise displays the balance between these currents along the entire tidal cycle, between neap and spring tides. In the short-period noise band, the ocean current generates harmonic tremors corrupting seismic dataset records. We show that, in the investigated cases, the harmonic tremors result from the interaction between the ocean current and mechanical elements of the OBS that are not essential during the sea bottom recording and thus have no geological origin. The data from a new broadband OBS type, designed and built at Instituto Dom Luiz (IDL – University of Lisbon)/Centre of Engineering and Product Development (CEIIA), hiding non-essential components from the current flow, show how utmost harmonic noise can be eliminated.

An open chat with… Cecília Maria Arraiano.

Professor Cecília Maria Arraiano directs a research group named 'Control of Gene Expression' at Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal. She started her scientific journey at the University of Lisbon, where she graduated in Biology, before completing her PhD in Genetics as a Fulbright-Hays Fellow at the University of Georgia, Athens, USA. After a postdoc in the USA, she returned to Lisbon to establish her own lab. She has authored close to 200 publications mainly in the field of RNA degradation mechanisms, with a focus on enzymes and RNA chaperones that mediate RNA decay in microorganisms. She has received several prizes and is an active member of prestigious organizations. Namely, she is an EMBO member, Fellow of the European Academy of Microbiology, Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, and member of the Portuguese Academy of Sciences. In addition, Prof Arraiano has chaired the FEBS Working Group on Women in Science from 2014 to 2022. In this fascinating interview, she discusses her research, her experience working in the USA and Portugal, and the importance of initiatives to support women in science.

Epidemiologic Factors Supporting Triage of Infected Dog Patients Admitted to a Veterinary Hospital Biological Isolation and Containment Unit.

The teaching hospital of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Lisbon hosts a Biological Isolation and Containment Unit (BICU) for the hospitalization of both confirmed and suspected animals of an infectious disease. This study targets the BICU dog population to identify and characterize the most frequent infectious diseases recorded in a 7-year period. Several epidemiologic factors were analyzed for their significance to triage infected cases. During the study period, 534 dogs were admitted, of which 263 (49.3%) had a confirmed infectious disease diagnosis: parvovirosis (49.4%; n = 130); leptospirosis (21.7%; n = 57); multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infection; (10.6%; n = 28), and canine distemper (9.9%; n = 26). Several potential risk factors for these diseases were identified: age under 2 years old (p < 0.001), incomplete vaccination for parvovirosis (p < 0.001), age ≥ 10 years old (p < 0.001), and the presence of concomitant disorders for MDR-infected cases (p = 0.03). Logistic regression models were constructed to classify cases and controls. The sensitivity and specificity estimates were very high (>0.83) for parvovirosis, MDR, and distemper infections. A lower sensitivity (0.77) was obtained for identifying cases with leptospirosis. In conclusion, infectious diseases are frequent, hence, it is essential to decrease their occurrence through effective preventive measures such as vaccination. The constructed logistic models can also help in triaging admitted dogs with a potential infectious disease.

International Student Mobility in Psychology: an Analysis of Brazilian Students in Portuguese Higher Education

Student mobility has been one of the most impactful manifestations of higher education (HE) internationalization. Recently, many studies have looked at this phenomenon, although few have focused on mobility from countries which are not major student exporters and to countries that are not main recruiters. This paper aims to uncover how the increasing internationalization of HE is reflected in the mobility of Brazilian Psychology postgraduate students to Portugal, two countries which share a metropolis-colony past. Two objectives are pursued: first, to carry out a characterization of Psychology postgraduate students from Brazil who study in Portugal; second, to analyze the assignment of scholarships by the Brazilian government. Descriptive analysis and a social network analysis technique were performed to official statistical data available in both countries. Social Sciences, Business and Law is the most sought-after area by Brazilian students in mobility, and within this area, Psychology students are third in absolute numbers. The majority of Psychology students were in degree mobility, being almost ten times more than those in credit mobility, and a constant preference for public institutions was observed. The Portuguese institutions most sought-after are the University of Porto, the University of Coimbra and the University of Lisbon. Institutions located in Brazil’s South and southeast regions stand out with the number of mobility grants. This work contributes to shed light on realities of international mobility beyond the major recruiting and/or sending countries. Its novelty also resides in the contribution to knowledge about mobility between spaces where a colonial logic leads students’ flows.

A multiple criteria approach for building a pandemic impact assessment composite indicator: The case of COVID-19 in Portugal

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major damage and disruption to social, economic, and health systems (among others). In addition, it has posed unprecedented challenges to public health and policy/decision-makers who have been responsible for designing and implementing measures to mitigate its strong negative impact. The Portuguese health authorities have used decision analysis techniques to assess the impact of the pandemic and implemented measures for counties, regions, or across the entire country. These decision tools have been subject to some criticism and many stakeholders requested novel approaches. In particular, those which considered the dynamic changes in the pandemic’s behaviour due to new virus variants and vaccines. A multidisciplinary team formed by researchers from the COVID-19 Committee of Instituto Superior Técnico at the University of Lisbon (CCIST analyst team) and physicians from the Crisis Office of the Portuguese Medical Association (GCOM expert team) collaborated to create a new tool to help politicians and decision-makers to fight the pandemic. This paper presents the main steps that led to the building of a pandemic impact assessment composite indicator applied to the specific case of COVID-19 in Portugal. A multiple criteria approach based on an additive multi-attribute value theory aggregation model was used to build the pandemic assessment composite indicator. The parameters of the additive model were devised based on an interactive socio-technical and co-constructive process between the CCIST and GCOM team members. The deck of cards method was the adopted technical tool to assist in the assessment the value functions as well as in the assessment of the criteria weights. The final tool was presented at a press conference and had a powerful impact on the Portuguese media and on the main health decision-making stakeholders in the country. In this paper, a completed mathematical and graphical description of this tool is presented.