Apresentada como um importante instrumento no combate à progressão da pandemia de covid-19, desde que foi mencionada pela primeira vez nos media, a aplicação Stayaway Covid manteve-se em cena no panorama mediático nacional, tendo originado cerca de 1.400 notícias em 2020. Este assinalável volume de notícias justifica-se não só pela potencial relevância desta tecnologia em contexto de pandemia, mas também pelas polémicas que se levantaram na opinião pública e nos media. De forma a contribuir para a compreensão da cobertura noticiosa da aplicação, foram analisadas as fontes de uma amostra de 182 notícias de imprensa, rádio e televisão com referência à Stayaway Covid, distinguindo as que focam as controvérsias da privacidade e da obrigatoriedade das que não o fazem. Os resultados evidenciam que, neste caso de controvérsia em saúde pública, os especialistas não assumiram o protagonismo, tendo os políticos tido um papel mais preponderante a alimentar a polémica, sobretudo no que diz respeito à intenção de tornar a aplicação obrigatória.

O repositório da Universidade da Beira Interior – uBibliorum – foi implementado em 2009 e no seu percurso destaca-se a crescente adesão da comunidade académica (na dupla capacidade de produtores e utilizadores de conteúdos) e os constantes esforços na sua divulgação e marketing, na interoperabilidade entre sistemas, no melhoramento da arquitetura da informação, na cooperação nacional/internacional e na qualidade contínua. Este poster foi apresentado no 13º Congresso de Bibliotecários, Arquivistas e Documentalistas.

O plano de gestão da qualidade é uma importante área de conhecimento aplicada à gestão de projetos, que acompanha todo o ciclo de vida do projeto. Nesse sentido, e no âmbito dos resultados da tese de mestrado da autora, definiu-se como finalidade a análise e compreensão dos planos de gestão da qualidade utilizados nos programas do CLDS. Para o estudo deste tema utilizou-se uma investigação de natureza qualitativa, com 24 participantes, tendo por base a metodologia de estudo de caso e a entrevista semiestruturada como instrumento de recolha de dados. Como resultados desta investigação destacam-se a valorização das métricas de avaliação da qualidade enquanto mecanismos de melhoria contínua.

Objectives: To investigate the mechanism of action at the molecular level of pepR, a multifunctional peptide derived from the Dengue virus capsid protein, against Staphylococcus aureus biofilms. Methods: Biofilm mass, metabolic activity and viability were quantified using conventional microbiology techniques, while fluorescence imaging methods, including a real-time calcein release assay, were employed to investigate the kinetics of pepR activity at different biofilm depths. Results: Using flow cytometry-based assays, we showed that pepR is able to prevent staphylococcal biofilm formation due to a fast killing of planktonic bacteria, which in turn resulted from a peptide-induced increase in the permeability of the bacterial membranes. The activity of pepR against pre-formed biofilms was evaluated through the application of a quantitative live/dead confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) assay. The results show that the bactericidal activity of pepR on pre-formed biofilms is dose and depth dependent. A CLSM-based assay of calcein release from biofilm-embedded bacteria was further developed to indirectly assess the diffusion and membrane permeabilization properties of pepR throughout the biofilm. A slower diffusion and delayed activity of the peptide at deeper layers of the biofilm were quantified. Conclusions: Overall, our results show that the activity of pepR on pre-formed biofilms is controlled by its diffusion along the biofilm layers, an effect that can be counteracted by an additional administration of peptide. Our study sheds new light on the antibiofilm mechanism of action of antimicrobial peptides, particularly the importance of their diffusion properties through the biofilm matrix on their activity.

Background: Chemokines have been implicated in tumor progression and metastasis. In melanoma, chemokine receptors have been implicated in organ selective metastasis by regulating processes such as chemoattraction, adhesion and survival. Methods: In this study we have analyzed, using flow cytometry, the systems formed by the chemokine receptors CXCR3, CXCR4, CXCR7, CCR7 and CCR10 and their ligands in thirteen human melanoma cell lines (five established from primary tumors and eight established from metastasis from different tissues). WM-115 and WM-266.4 melanoma cell lines (obtained from a primary and a metastatic melanoma respectively) were xenografted in nude mice and the tumors and cell lines derived from them were also analyzed. Results: Our results show that the melanoma cell lines do not express or express in a low degree the chemokine receptors on their cell surface. However, melanoma cell lines show intracellular expression of all the aforementioned receptors and most of their respective ligands. When analyzing the xenografts and the cell lines obtained from them we found variations in the intracellular expression of chemokines and chemokine receptors that differed between the primary and metastatic cell lines. However, as well as in the original cell lines, minute or no expression of the chemokine receptors was observed at the cell surface. Conclusions: Coexpression of chemokine receptors and their ligands was found in human melanoma cell lines. However, this expression is intracellular and receptors are not found at the cell membrane nor chemokines are secreted to the cell medium. The levels of expressed chemokine receptors and their ligands show dynamic variations after xenotransplantation that differ depending on the origin of the cell line (from primary tumor or from metastasis).

Starting from the current legal instruments (Portuguese Civil Code and General Regulation of Urban Construction) and retreating to the old legal influences (roman and islamic), this article seeks to understand, in the portuguese context, how the interstices between buildings were established over time by law. The old legal rules of the almotaçaria and contemporary legal rules are contextualized and analyzed, seeking for innovation and persistence. Finally, it is highlighted the importance of this knowledge to the study of portuguese urban form.