Contact tracing management of a measles case in a paediatric hospital: experience of the local public health unit, Portugal, January 2024.

In January 2024, a child was diagnosed with measles in a paediatric hospital in Lisbon. Of 123 contacts, 39 (32%) were not fully immunised, presenting a risk for a potential outbreak. The public health unit initiated control measures and identified challenges during the response, such as the lack of interoperability between information systems and accessing vaccination records. The lessons learned prompted changes to national contact tracing procedures for measles, further strengthening Portugal's preparedness.

Zooplankton biodiversity and temporal dynamics (2005-2015) in a coastal station in western Portugal (Northeastern Atlantic Ocean).

Long-term monitoring of zooplankton assemblages provides essential knowledge to assess key factors impacting marine ecosystems. Despite the importance of this type of data, monitoring stations worldwide are spatially and temporally limited due to the difficulty of maintaining them. In the northeastern Atlantic area, Cascais-Watch is one monitoring site operating since 2005, despite some constraints throughout the years, and has allowed the collection of important data on the zooplankton communities of the area. The present work summarizes the knowledge collected until 2015 on the biodiversity and dynamics of zooplankton in the site. The results showed a year-round high productivity of the zooplankton abundance, biomass and diversity for the area, with no significant general trends or periodicity, despite the relatively lower winter and higher spring values. The results revealed two main transition periods with marked changes in species composition and dominance of the most abundant taxa. This shift was tentatively attributed to the extended annual dry season verified in Portugal after 2011, the low values of upwelling and precipitation, and the warmer waters. The zooplankton abundance presented an interannual increase for spring periods, and the proportion of Copepoda, the dominant taxa, was lower during summer months, corresponding to increased abundances of Mollusca, Diplostraca (Cladocera) and Cnidaria. In particular, the study shows an increasing abundance of the gelatinous species (particularly Cnidaria) for spring/summer months in recent years, suggesting changes in primary production and prey dynamics. Other relevant tendencies were the higher abundance of meroplankton, such as Bivalvia and fish larvae/eggs, and the decreasing trend in the abundance of the meroplanktonic coastal crustaceans, Decapoda and Cirripedia taxa, highlighting possible changes in the benthic coastal populations in the study region. The present study highlights probable changes and trends in the zooplankton community that should be monitored in the following years.

Review: "Animal welfare" - A European concept.

The concept of animal welfare has its origins less in national constitutional law than in European law. Thus, the concept of animal welfare is primarily located in the transversal clause of Art. 13 TFEU, established in European law through the Treaty of Lisbon (2007). The historical starting point of this norm is the Treaty of Maastricht (1992), which provided for a declaration to observe animal welfare in certain policy areas. Since then, the areas in which animal welfare must be observed have steadily expanded. The systematic position of Art. 13 TFEU in Part I of the TFEU clarifies the legal force and significance of the norm. According to its wording, the regulatory objective of Art. 13 TFEU is to ensure animal welfare. This welfare is not defined in the treaties. However, it is predominantly assumed that welfare refers to the species-appropriate condition. This term is both scientifically determined and normative. Animals are seen as "sentient beings". This clarifies the ethical orientation of welfare and does not lead to an extension of it. Both domestic animals and farm animals, as well as wild animals, are entitled to this welfare. As a transversal clause, Article 13 TFEU determines the definition and implementation of the listed Union policies. According to its wording, the scope of application of Art. 13 TFEU extends to certain areas of Union competence. These are those areas in which a conflict with animal welfare is particularly evident. However, the list also lacks certain areas of competence from which a conflict may also arise. The Union and its Member States can be identified as the addressees. It is the responsibility of the Union and its Member States to ensure animal welfare in the implementation of the policies of the European Union. Regularly, this is done within the framework of administrative implementation, but also within the framework of application by the Member States pursuant to Art. 292 TFEU. Animal welfare is not one of the Union's objectives - this was already recognised in 1978 and is still held by the majority today. It is also disputed whether this is a consideration requirement or a mandate to act. Furthermore, it is unclear to what extent a conviction is possible if the clause is not observed. The validity of Article 13 TFEU may be limited by the cultural traditions of the member states.

Monitoring Sensors for Urban Air Quality: The Case of the Municipality of Lisbon.

Air pollution is a global issue that impacts environmental inequalities, and air quality sensors can have a decisive role in city policymaking for future cities. Science and society are already aware that during the most challenging times of COVID-19, the levels of air pollution in cities decreased, especially during lockdowns, when road traffic was reduced. Several pollution parameters can be used to analyse cities' environmental challenges, and it is more pressing than ever to have city climate decisions supported by sensor data. We have applied a data science approach to understand the evolution of the levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter 2.5, and particulate matter 10 between August 2021 and July 2022. The analysis of the air quality levels, captured for the first time via 80 monitoring stations distributed throughout the municipality of Lisbon, has allowed us to realize that nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter 10 exceed the levels that are recommended by the World Health Organization, thereby increasing the health risk for those who live and work in Lisbon. Supported by these findings, we propose a central role for air quality sensors for policymaking in future cities, taking as a case study the municipality of Lisbon, Portugal, which is among the European cities that recently proposed be climate-neutral and smart city by 2030.

Numerical simulation of the deadliest flood event of Portugal: Unravelling the causes of the disaster.

The flood event of November 25 and 26, 1967 corresponds to the deadliest storm affecting Portugal in recent centuries being responsible for >500 fatalities. The main trigger was the heavy rain that fell in just a few hours, provoking a rapid increase in river flows, although other concurrent circumstances had to occur to reach the dramatic water levels estimated in some affected places. However, even today, several important uncertainties related to water levels achieved and timing of floods remain. Here we aim to clarify some of the pending issues by applying suitable high performance numerical tools to elucidate the main conditioning factors that played a key role in the intensification of this dramatic flood. In particular, the analysis has been focused on Quintas village, the location most affected, where >100 fatalities were recorded, close to 2/3 of its total population at the time. The main conclusion provided by the numerical simulations was that a plugging of water flow downstream of Quintas village, favoured by a poor terrain maintenance coupled with the bottleneck created by topographic features, caused the critical over-elevation of water levels. Simulations also corroborate the rapid increase in water levels in Quintas village, with an estimated rise of >2 m in just two hours, as well as the occurrence of the flood during the night, preventing many people to be aware of the extreme danger they were facing and safeguarding themselves.

Tourists' Fascination with Urban Food Markets: The Successful Case of Time Out Market Lisbon.

This research was designed to analyze tourists' perception of food markets in an urban context, specifically in the case of Time Out Market Lisbon. The sample included participants who visited and experienced the market food court. The data were collected using a questionnaire assessing the respondents' perceptions of the location, food quality, food neophilia, market engagement, and the cultural attractiveness of the locale. The purpose was also to analyze how these factors contribute to visitor satisfaction and their intention to revisit the local area. The findings showed that food neophilia was the characteristic of Time Out Market Lisbon that had the highest impact on visitors' satisfaction which, accordingly, positively influenced their intention to revisit the market. Visitors' perception of the place as a cultural attraction was also found to moderate the relationship between visitors' satisfaction and intention to revisit Time Out Market Lisbon. The findings provide an important contribution to the scientific community regarding the important role of modern food markets in urban city regeneration and more specifically as a tourist attraction. This research has significant management implications regarding the emotions of tourists' food experience and can be used for stakeholders engaged in the tourism development process.

The 'Covid-Trigger': New Light on Urban Agriculture and Systemic Approach to Urbanism to Co-Create a Sustainable Lisbon.

In 2018, Lisbon won the title of Green capital of Europe 2020. It was described by the Expert Panel as an inspirational city which had started its journey towards sustainability during a period of economic crisis. A year later, Covid-19 had become a global pandemic. Imposed confinements highlighted the extent to which globalisation has spread the virus, as well as the particular fragility of places like cities where people, living together, were asked to not physically interact anymore. Exploring further that very particular global crisis can help to identify the faults in our economic systems and to ask why Lisbon was neither resilient nor sustainable in the face of that adversity. In addition to highlighting how weak our health is, Covid-19 has exacerbated vulnerabilities in Lisbon such as job losses (especially in the touristic sector), food supply (Portugal imports 70% of its food) and food waste. This paper explores how the activity which, 'par excellence', meets the most basic of our needs (food), through the example of Urban Agriculture (UA), could contribute to discussions on what makes a city sustainable. A literature review on UA in Lisbon highlights its various benefits, complemented by a broader literature review which converges to showing how UA can help to address the vulnerabilities generated or exacerbated by Covid. Having shown its potential contribution to addressing crises, this article then suggests to examine how systems approaches could help to incorporate UA further in a new type of more participatory urbanism aimed at creating sustainable cities.

Anthelmintic Efficacy in Sheep and Goats under Different Management and Deworming Systems in the Region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley, Portugal.

Infections caused by gastrointestinal parasites have been described worldwide as one of the most important issues impacting small ruminant production. The systematic administration of anthelmintic (AH) drugs without following good practice principles has led to an increase in anthelmintic resistance (AR). There is scarce information regarding AH efficacy in small ruminants in Portugal. This study aimed to characterize by in vivo methods the presence and level of AR in four farms in the region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley. All four farms kept small herds in extensive management systems and used different deworming protocols. The active substances used were fenbendazole and a combination of mebendazole plus closantel in a dosage according to the manufacturers' instructions. On day 0 (T0), fecal samples were collected from all study animals, and animals in the treatment group (n = 40) were dewormed with the AH previously chosen by the assistant veterinarian. Animals in the control group (n = 30) did not receive any AH drug. The fecal sample collection was repeated on day 15 (T15), and the control group was treated. Egg counts were performed using the McMaster method for the eggs per gram (EPG), and AR was evaluated by the fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) with a 95% confidence level (CL). The results from this experiment indicated that the four farms presented AR with two farms to fenbendazole (FECRT of 48% and 85%) and two farms to mebendazole plus closantel (FECRT of 66% and 79%). These results indicate that the gastrointestinal parasites of the four studied Portuguese farms are resistant to benzimidazoles, which suggests an increase in AR regarding nematodes in small ruminant production systems in Portugal.

Are immigrants more vulnerable to the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19? A cross-sectional study in Amadora Municipality, Lisbon metropolitan area.

Introduction: Immigrants carry an extra burden of morbidities and mortalities since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Pre-existing inequalities among immigrants may threaten their economic wellbeing during the pandemic. This study analyzed the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 on immigrants and natives living in Amadora, Metropolitan Region of Lisbon and the extent to which preexisting inequalities had been exacerbated during the pandemic. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Amadora Municipality, Lisbon Region, through phone interviews and using a structured questionnaire. Data collected in July 2020, included information on a cohort of 420 households, of which 51% were immigrants. To evaluate the socioeconomic position and economic wellbeing changes occurring during the pandemic we estimate crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI, using Portuguese natives as the reference group. Results: Overall, 287 (70%) participants responded to the questionnaire, of which 47% are immigrants. Preexisting socioeconomic inequalities were exacerbated during the pandemic. Compared with natives, immigrants were more likely to experience job loss, temporary lay-off, and income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. Immigrants were also more likely to face several kinds of financial hardship during the pandemic, such as difficulties in buying food, hygiene products, and paying bills. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to capture the direct socioeconomic impact of COVID-19 among immigrants and natives in Portugal. It highlights the bidirectional relation between inequalities deeply rooted among immigrants and COVID-19. Socioeconomic inequalities affect local patterns of COVID-19 burden, as confirmed in previous studies, but COVID-19 also has an impact on the economic wellbeing of Amadora immigrants during the pandemic. Urgent policies must be implemented to mitigate the economic burden of COVID-19 among immigrants, namely in Amadora, Lisbon Region.

Urban heat island data by local weather types in Lisbon metropolitan area based on Copernicus climate variables dataset for European cities.

Here we provide Urban Heat Island (UHI) by local weather types (LWT) maps for the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA). These maps were produced from the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service climate variables dataset that contains hourly air temperature raster data for 100 European cities (2008-2017), namely Lisbon and part of its metropolitan area. Over 61000 maps (2008-2014) were extracted in NetCDF format and processed in geographic-information-systems (GIS). An urban mask was created from the recently updated Local Climate Zones (LCZ) classification for this area and a cell of the LCZ class "Low Plants" (non-urban) was chosen to calculate the temperature difference. UHI intensity was estimated using an R script. The outputs of this process were divided by thermal seasons and LWT. Ultimately, average UHI intensity by LWT was estimated. Average UHI according to meteorological conditions is available in GeoTIFF raster format (Appendix 1), with a spatial resolution of 100 × 100m pixels, as well as hourly average UHI for each LWT (Appendix 2 to 16). This data may provide valuable information for urban planners, designers and architects in the process of pinpointing recurrent hot and cool spots/neighborhoods in the city and its heating/cooling degrees. Moreover, these maps may contribute to a construction of an early warning system that anticipates which weather conditions we might expect an significant increase in thermal discomfort on those critical areas in the city.

Is the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the platformisation of the urban economy?

This paper shows that, while the pandemic lockdown decelerated everyday life, it has also potentiated further acceleration of the platformisation of urban economic sectors. We show this through an empirical qualitative study of the restaurant sector in Lisbon, in which we found that: (i) the digitalisation of three management tasks during the COVID-19 lockdown - namely marketing, customer relationship management, and delivery tasks - was the trigger for the acceleration of the platformisation of the restaurant sector in Lisbon and (ii) restaurant firms had different departure points in terms of the use of digital technologies - which are linked to their location within the city - and these led to different rhythms in the platformisation of restaurants. We conclude that, as the lockdown measures led to a deceleration of social and economic activities, they also promoted further acceleration of economic change, especially under the logic of the platform economy. Additionally, we show that firms unable to engage with digital platforms have been trying to mimic online dynamics through the implementation of non-platformised digital processes, which leads us to consider that the effects of the process of platformisation extend beyond the platform itself.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the behavior change of cyclists in Lisbon, using multinomial logit regression analysis.

The 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak hit most countries and cities globally, dramatically impacting how people live during lockdown periods. Compulsorily, socioeconomic activities and mobility patterns changed while long-lasting structural changes might remain. Focusing on this very particular liminal event, this paper aims to present and analyze the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus lockdown on the behavior change of cyclists and previously non-cyclists in Lisbon, Portugal, knowing that no concomitant interventions occurred in the cycling environment during the period analyzed (e.g., pop-up interventions). From a 1-min questionnaire in 5 locations in Lisbon's existing cycling lanes, we aimed to collect (n = 493) revealed preferences on cycling frequency before and after the lockdown, which we used to calibrate a weighted multinomial logit model to analyze respondents' probability of increasing, maintaining, or decreasing their cycling frequency. Results suggest that people tended to cycle more often after the lockdown than before. For every five cyclists, two cycled more frequently while two others maintained their cycling frequency. Most cycling trips were recreational or to exercise, and these increased after the lockdown, while trips for work and school decreased, as expected. Moreover, the lower the individuals' cycling frequency levels before the lockdown, the more they cycled after it. Our study diagnoses the impact of the lockdown on cycling habits, indicating an overall propensity to cycling more by the Lisbon citizens. Hence, authorities need to act and make quick infrastructural changes (e.g., pop-up cycling lanes) and encourage the population to use more bikes (e.g., financial incentives for bike purchases).

How to build a scientific discipline in the nineteenth century: In search of autonomy for zoology at the Lisbon Polytechnic School (1837-1862).

This article discusses the conditions that lead to the autonomy of scientific disciplines by analyzing the case of zoology in the nineteenth century. The specialization of knowledge and its institutionalization in higher education in the nineteenth century were important processes for the autonomy of scientific disciplines, such as zoology. The article argues that autonomy only arises after social and political power is mobilized by specific groups to acquire appropriate conceptual, physical, and institutional spaces for a discipline. This is illustrated through the case study of the Lisbon Polytechnic School, a higher education establishment that was created in 1837, in Portugal. The case shows that autonomy in zoology can arise before the consolidation of a community of experts in the discipline, which may have been a common feature of the discipline in other countries.

Depression, anxiety, and drug usage history indicators among institutionalized juvenile offenders of Brasilia.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most serious socio-educational measures for children and adolescents in conflict with the law in Brazil is their internment. This measure may represent an additional source of stress to this population and present significant impacts in the mental health context. This study aims to describe anxiety levels, depression, and addictive consumption, as well as to estimate the causalities and interactions of these variables. METHODS: Herein, we report a study in which 175 male juveniles from youth detention institutions of the Federal District voluntarily completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and a short self-rating questionnaire asking whether and how often they had experienced cannabis, alcohol, and other "hard" psychotropic drugs (e.g., crack, cocaine, amphetamine) 1 year prior to institutionalization. RESULTS: Of the total participants, 28.00% showed moderate to severe depression scores and 34.28% showed moderate to severe anxiety scores. In addition, the vast majority of participants also reported some antecedent drug abuse, including cannabis, alcohol, and other "hard drugs." The BDI scores moderately correlated with BAI, but none of these parameters considerably correlated with the antecedent drug abuse. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicate potentially concerning levels of emotional distress in these institutionalized juveniles which seem to be independent of addictive behaviors. These data deserve attention and further investigation. Thus, a need for preventative mental health for the general population and socio-educational intervention aimed at interned youth which can decrease levels of emotional stress is emphasized.

Epidemias e os avisos surdos da história / Epidemics and the silent warnings of history / Epidemias y los sordos avisos de la historia

Neste artigo, analisamos o impacto das epidemias em duas cidades portuguesas ­ a capital, Lisboa, e a cidade do Porto, nodo de uma rede comercial intensa, de meados do século XIX até ao final da primeira década do século XX. Sendo ambas cidades portuárias de um país europeu, periférico, mas com um vasto império colonial, a prevenção e a aplicação de medidas de combate às epidemias, foram, e continuam a ser, fundamentais na gestão, muitas vezes precária, das crises sanitárias. Não temos dúvidas que as reflexões que estes dois casos de estudo nos proporcionam podem ser facilmente recuperadas e readaptadas para a análise da pandemia global daCOVID-19. Podemos usar a investigação histórica sobre a forma como temos lidado, enquanto sociedade, com as epidemias e pandemias para melhor atravessarmos os actuais momentos de incerteza e de espanto e definirmos acções futuras que sejam eficazes na alteração das condições que levaram a, em pleno século XXI, parar o mundo. Se é, naturalmente, impossível prever datas e contornos exactos da ocorrência das próximas epidemias, é possível criar as condições locais, nacionais e globais, tanto ao nível ambiental e social, como institucional e político para que lhes possamos responder com muito maior eficácia. Mais que reagir, teremos que ser capazes de antecipar.

In this article we analyze the impact of epidemics in two Portuguese cities ­ Lisbon, the capital city, and the city of Porto, the hub of an intense commercial network ­ from mid-19th century to the end of the first decade of the 20th century. As port cities of a peripheral European country with a vast colonial empire, the prevention and application of measures to combat epidemics were fundamental in the, often precarious, management of health crises. They still are. We argue that the reflections provided by these two case studies can be easily recovered as guides in the analysis of the present global COVID-19 pandemic. Historical research on how societies have dealt with epidemics and pandemics in the past help to understand current moments of uncertainty and astonishment, and to outline effective future actions to avoid the adverse conditions that put the whole world to a halt, in 2020. Of course, it is impossible to predict the exact dates and contours of the occurrence of the next epidemics, but it is necessary to create the local, national and global conditions, both at the environmental and social, as well as institutional and political levels, which will enable us to respond to them effectively. More than react, we need to anticipate.

En este artículo analizamos el impacto de las epidemias en dos ciudades portuguesas ­ Lisboa y Oporto, nodos de una red comercial intensa ­ desde mediados de siglo XIX hasta finales de la primera década de siglo XX. Siendo ambas ciudades portuarias y de un país europeo periférico,pero con un vasto imperio colonial, la prevención y aplicación de medidas para combatir las epidemias fueron (y continúan siendo) fundamentales en la gestión (muchas veces precaria) de las crisis sanitarias. No tenemos duda que las reflexiones que estos dos casos nos proporcionan pueden ser fácilmente recuperadas y adaptadas para el análisis de la pandemia de COVID-19. Podemos usar la investigación histórica sobre la forma como hemos lidiado, en cuanto sociedad, con las epidemias y pandemias para atravesar, de la mejor manera posible, los momentos actuales de incertidumbre y de desconcierto, y poder definir efectivas acciones futuras que puedan alterar las condiciones que llevaron a parar el mundo en pleno siglo XXI. Si bien es naturalmente imposible prever las fechas y devenires exactos de los acontecimientos de las próximas epidemias, es posible crear las condiciones locales, nacionales y globales, tanto a nivel ambiental y social, como institucional y político, para que podamos responder con mucha más eficacia. Más que actuar, tenemos que ser capaces de anticipar.

Portugal's Citizenship for Sephardic Jewry: A Golden Fountainhead.

In 2015, Portugal offered citizenship to Sephardic Jews of Portuguese origin. Recommendations for Israeli applicants were made via the tiny Jewish community of Lisbon, while Porto was to decide on Jewry from the diaspora. Porto made the process stringent, dealing with Sephardim and the ultra-religious only. Lisbon thus became the address for everyone else, including Ashkenazim and Catholic Hispanic descendants of Jews. This article examines the ways in which Portugal followed the path taken by Spain concerning citizenship for Sephardim. As Spain ended its offer of citizenship in 2018-2019, Portugal, via Israeli lawyers and shopping-centre salesmen, became an easy path to a European passport for tens of thousands of Israelis of Sephardic origin. This mass interest created a rich source of income for the two Jewish communities, but also led to the emergence of unexpected categories of applicants for Portuguese citizenship. Based on ethnographic research and dozens of interviews, this article analyzes the factors and motivations that help to explain the desire for Portuguese citizenship.

From Livable Communities to Livable Metropolis: Challenges for Urban Mobility in Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Portugal).

Urban mobility plays an important role in addressing urban livability. The complexification and dispersion of travel due to the improvement of transport and the multiplication of our daily living places underline the relevance of multilevel territorial planning, recognizing that the knowledge of local differences is essential for more effective urban policies. This paper aims (1) to comprehend conceptually how urban mobility contributes to the urban livability from the local to metropolitan level and (2) to assess the previous relation toward a livable metropolis based on the readily available statistics for the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. Hence, a triangulation between conceptual, political/operative, and quantitative/monitoring approaches is required. The methodology follows four steps: (1) literature review focusing on the quantification of urban mobility within the urban livability approach; (2) data collection from the Portuguese statistics system; (3) data analysis and results, using principal component analysis (PCA) followed by cluster analysis (CA); (4) discussion and conclusions. In Portugal, although it is implicit, consistency is evident between the premises of recent urban mobility policies and respective planning instruments, such as the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP), and the premises of urban livability as an urban movement. Focusing on the national statistics system, the available indicators that meet our quality criteria are scarce and represent a reduced number of domains. Even so, they allow identifying intra-metropolitan differences in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA) that could support multilevel planning instruments. The results identified five principal components related to commuting at the local and intermunicipal level, including car use as well as social and environmental externalities, and they reorganized the 18 LMA municipalities into eight groups, clearly isolating Lisbon, the capital, from the others. The identification of sensitive territories and respective problems based on urban livability principles is fundamental for an effective urban planning from livable communities to livable metropolis.

The sphere and the dome: The Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium in Lisbon and the imperial myth of the Estado Novo.

Inaugurated in 1965, the Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium (CGP) was the first institution of its kind in Portugal. The CGP was established in the context of the relocation of the Maritime Museum of Lisbon (Museu de Marinha) to Belém, an area of the Portuguese capital highly symbolic of Portuguese maritime and imperial history. The dictatorial regime known as Estado Novo used Belém as a ground for major events that affirmed the legitimacy of Portugal's overseas empire by celebrating the maritime deeds of erstwhile sovereigns and navigators, in a mythical narrative of a glorious imperial destiny. Given the close association between astronomy and nautical science, the CGP was certain to gain a prominent place in the tapestry of Belém's symbolic inscriptions. This paper addresses the inception of the CGP in its urban context, showing how this area of Lisbon provided an ideal backdrop for this institution, and how its foundation was promoted and steered by a naval officer and amateur astronomer who maintained an ambivalent relation with the regime: Eugénio da Conceição Silva (1903-69).

Factors affecting the exposure to physicochemical and microbiological pollutants in vehicle cabins while commuting in Lisbon.

Commuters are exposed to a variety of physicochemical and microbiological pollutants that can lead to adverse health effects. This study aims to evaluate the indoor air quality (IAQ) in cars, buses and trains in Lisbon, to estimate inhaled doses while commuting and to evaluate the impacts of cleaning and ventilation on the IAQ. Particulate matter with diameter lower than 1, 2.5 and 10 µm (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10), black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde (CH2O) and total airborne bacteria and fungi were measured and bacterial isolates were identified. Results showed that the type of ventilation is the main factor affecting the IAQ in vehicle cabins. Under the fan off condition, the concentration of BC was lower, but the concentration of gases such as CO2, CO and VOC tended to accumulate rapidly. When the ventilation was used, the coarse particles were filtered originating the decrease of indoor concentrations. Commuters travelling in trains received the lowest dose for all chemical pollutants, except VOC, mainly because railways are further away from the direct vehicular emissions. Commuters travelling in cars without ventilation received the highest inhaled dose for almost all pollutants despite having the lowest travel duration. Airborne microbiota was highly affected by the occupancy of the vehicles and therefore, the fungi and bacterial loads were higher in trains and buses. Most of the isolated species were human associated bacteria and some of the most abundant species have been linked to respiratory tract infections.

Drought effects on specific-cause mortality in Lisbon from 1983 to 2016: Risks assessment by gender and age groups.

Portugal (Southwestern Europe) experiences a high incidence of dry hazards such as drought, a phenomenon that entails a notable burden of morbidity and mortality worldwide. For the first time in the Lisbon district, a time-series study was conducted to evaluate the impact of drought measured by the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardised Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) on the daily natural, circulatory, and respiratory mortality from 1983 to 2016. An assessment by gender and adult age population groups (45-64, 65-74, ≥75 years old) was included. To estimate the relative risks and attributable risks, generalised linear models with a Poisson link were used. Additionally, the influence of heatwaves and atmospheric pollution for the period from 2007 to 2016 (available period for pollution data) was considered. The main findings indicate statistically significant associations between drought conditions and all analysed causes of mortality. Moreover, SPEI shows an improved capability to reflect the different risks. People in the 45-64 year-old group did not indicate any significant influence in any of the cases, whereas the oldest groups had the highest risk. The drought effects on mortality among the population varied across the different study periods, and in general, the men population was affected more than the women population (except for the SPEI and circulatory mortality during the long study period). The short-term influence of droughts on mortality could be explained primarily by the effect of heatwaves and pollution; however, when both gender and age were considered in the Poisson models, the effect of drought also remained statistically significant when all climatic phenomena were included for specific groups of the total population and men. This type of study facilitates a better understanding of the population at risk and allows the development of more effective measures to mitigate the drought effects on the population.