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- The PAFMUP Project - Physical Activity, Fitness, Motor Competence and Mental Health of Portuguese University Students: Results from a Pilot StudyPublication . Gomes, Ricardo; Furtado, Guilherme; Pinto, João; Dias, Gonçalo Nuno Figueiredo; Mendes, RuiThe role of physical health in enhancing mental well-being is well known. This pilot study examines how different aspects of physical activity and motor skills correlate with mental health outcomes in this demographic. Using a combination of self-reported questionnaires and objective fitness tests, data were collected from a sample of 206 students at the Coimbra School of Education in Portugal. Key metrics included accelerometry-based physical activity levels, aerobic and muscular fitness, agility and balance, motor competence, and mental health indicators such as general wellbeing, stress perception, sleep quality and quality of life. Despite low levels of motor competence, physical activity and fitness, preliminary findings suggest a significant positive relationship between regular physical activity and improved mental health, with higher fitness levels and better motor competence also associated with reduced stress perception. These results underline the importance of integrating physical health initiatives into university settings to promote overall student well-being. The study highlights potential areas for further research, including longitudinal analyses and targeted interventions to enhance physical and mental health.
- Effectiveness of Wearable Devices for Posture Correction: A Systematic Review of Evidence from Randomized and Quasi-Experimental StudiesPublication . Caixeiro, Diogo; Cordeiro, Tomás; Constantino, Leandro; Carreira, João; Mendes, Rui; Silva, Cândida G.; Castro, Maria AntónioIntroduction: The increasing development of wearable devices for postural monitoring (provide feedback on posture) or correction (mechanical or biofeedback to promote change) is partly driven by the rising prevalence of poor posture in the general population and its impact on pain perception and functional capacity. Objective: Examine the effects of wearable devices on posture correction or prevention and on related outcomes, including postural alignment, muscle activity, pain and functional performance. Methods: The review followed the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and PEDro for studies published between 2012 and 2025. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs involving participants with postural deviations or at risk of developing them, who underwent interventions using wearable devices that provided vibratory, auditory, visual, or tactile biofeedback. Results: Eight studies reported immediate improvements in postural alignment, body awareness, and self-reported pain, particularly with devices providing vibratory or visual biofeedback. Functional task stability improved, and muscle activity during risky postures decreased. However, the strong heterogeneity across devices and protocols, small sample sizes, short intervention durations, and, in some cases, the lack of independent control groups limit the strength and generalizability of these findings. Conclusions: Wearable devices have potential as complementary tools in physiotherapy due to their autonomous and potentially effective nature. Nevertheless, current evidence remains insufficient to support definitive clinical recommendations.
- Influence of Jump and Ball Release Parameters on Shooting Accuracy in Basketball Under Varying ConstraintsPublication . Amaro, Catarina M.; Castro, Maria António; Mendes, Rui; Rice, Hannah; Gomes, Beatriz B.Background: This study investigates how both jump-related (jump height and flight time) and ball-related parameters (release height, release angle, and velocity) influence shooting accuracy in basketball under different contextual constraints. Methods: Eighteen senior players competing in the national championship (11 females and 7 males; 22.0 ± 3.7 years) performed 90 shots each across three positions (left 45°, middle 90°, right 45°) and three shooting conditions (baseline, simulated gym audience noise, and simulated opposition). Jump variables were derived from force platforms, while ball kinematics were extracted using a high-speed Qualisys camera system. Results: A three-way ANOVA revealed no systematic effects of position or opposition, and only a small effect of noise on flight time (p = 0.019), which was not confirmed by the Linear Mixed Model. Comparisons between successful and missed shots indicated significantly higher flight time, jump height, and release height, and a tendency for higher release velocity in successful attempts, with no differences in release angle. Spearman correlation showed weak associations between biomechanical variables and shooting accuracy (R2 = 0.005–0.012). Conclusions: These findings suggest that while adaptive biomechanical changes occur under contextual constraints, their isolated impact on shot success is limited. Successful performance appears to rely more strongly on release-related parameters, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to training that integrates technical, perceptual, and psychological dimensions.
- The Aesthetics of Algorithmic Disinformation: Dewey, Critical Theory, and the Crisis of Public ExperiencePublication . Ferreira, GilThe rise of social media platforms has fundamentally reshaped the global information ecosystem, fostering the spread of disinformation. Beyond the circulation of false content, this article frames disinformation as an aesthetic crisis of public communication: an algorithmic reorganization of sensory experience that privileges performative virality over shared intelligibility, fragmenting public discourse and undermining democratic deliberation. Drawing on John Dewey’s philosophy of aesthetic experience and critical theory (Adorno, Benjamin, Fuchs, Han), we argue that journalism, understood as a form of public art rather than mere fact-transmission, can counteract this crisis by cultivating critical attention, narrative depth, and democratic engagement. We introduce the concept of aesthetic literacy as an extension of media literacy, equipping citizens to discern between seductive but superficial forms and genuinely transformative experiences. Empirical examples from Portugal (Expresso, Público, Mensagem de Lisboa) illustrate how multimodal journalism—through paced narratives, interactivity, and community dialogue—can reconstruct Deweyan “integrated experience” and resist algorithmic disinformation. We propose three axes of intervention: (1) public education oriented to aesthetic sensibility; (2) journalistic practices prioritizing ambiguity and depth; and (3) algorithmic transparency. Defending journalism as a public art of experience is thus crucial for democratic regeneration in the era of sensory capitalism, offering a framework to address the structural inequalities embedded in global information flows.
- Digital Genealogy: Aura, Liquidity, and Burnout in Online IdentityPublication . Ferreira, GilThis article develops the concept of digital genealogy as a critical lens for understanding contemporary subjectivity in environments structured by platforms and algorithms. Building on Benjamin’s aura, Bauman’s liquidity, and Han’s burnout, the analysis traces how digital selfhood is produced through practices of performative presence, memory curation, and visibility. Empirical studies of selfies, ephemeral stories, and Bitmojis illustrate how authenticity is negotiated through fragments that are at once intimate and replicable, while van Dijck’s work shows how digital memory shifts from archiving the past to continuously fabricating the self. The paradox that emerges—identities are performed as fleeting yet archived permanently by infrastructures—reveals the coexistence of ephemerality and machinic inscription. Read through Benjamin’s concept of aura, reinterpreted by contemporary authors such as Mirzoeff, Groys, and Hansen, this transformation situates singularity not only in artworks but in the self, which must be ceaselessly enacted and recomposed in algorithmic environments. The framework also connects to critiques of precarity and exploitation: Marcuse, Fuchs, and Varoufakis highlight how self-expression doubles as unpaid digital labor within platform capitalism. Digital genealogy thus provides both a theoretical and normative contribution: it discloses the paradox of visibility and exhaustion as the price of belonging, and it points toward future empirical research—such as ethnographies of adolescents and creators—that can test how individuals negotiate the tension between platform imperatives and the desire for rooted self-narratives.
- The Algorithmic Aesthetic: Psychopower, Attention, and the Crisis of the Public SpherePublication . Ferreira, GilThis article argues that the contemporary crisis of the public sphere is fundamentally aesthetic. Beyond disinformation or declining trust, the transformation of publicity in digital capitalism involves a reorganisation of the sensible that reshapes how communication is felt, perceived, and shared. Drawing on John Dewey’s pragmatist aesthetics and Byung-Chul Han’s critique of psychopower, the analysis interprets algorithmic mediation as an aesthetic regime that converts attention and affect into value, fragmenting the experiential basis of democratic life. The article conceptualises this process as aesthetic colonisation – the absorption of perception into metrics of visibility – and proposes an alternative model of reflective publicity grounded in Dewey’s notion of aesthetic experience as shared meaning and Han’s defence of negativity as a space for reflection. Through this dialogue, the article develops a critical framework for understanding how digital environments transform the formation of publics and argues that democratic regeneration requires an aesthetics of formation. This entails fostering communicative practices that sustain continuity, empathy, and deliberation within the algorithmic public sphere.
- Tarefas ilegítimas, Conflito trabalho-família e o efeito moderador da Cultura Organizacional: Um estudo com professoresPublication . Costa Neves, Paula Maria; Perdigão Silva Mendes Andrade, Maria CláudiaA diversidade crescente dos ambientes educativos, bem como as mudanças no sistema educativo resultantes das transformações sociais e políticas, trazem para a profissão docente novas e constantes exigências. Nos últimos anos, os/as docentes têm chamado à atenção para a necessidade de melhorar e compreender os seus contextos de trabalho de modo a promover o seu bem-estar. O presente estudo tem como objetivo contribuir para a compreensão da relação entre a realização de tarefas ilegítimas no contexto de trabalho e o conflito trabalho-família, considerando como elemento moderador a cultura organizacional. O estudo foi efetuado com recurso a um questionário administrado online numa amostra de conveniência de 131 docentes a lecionar no Ensino Básico e/ou Ensino Secundário. Os resultados permitiram evidenciar a perceção de realização de tarefas ilegítimas por parte dos docentes bem como a perceção de existência de conflito trabalho-família com valores moderados. Permitiu também evidenciar o papel moderador da cultura organizacional na relação entre a realização de tarefas ilegítimas e o conflito trabalho-família.
- Youth, work, and equity: rethinking decent work through gender lensPublication . Perdigão Silva Mendes Andrade, Maria Cláudia; Costa Neves, Paula Maria; Bessa, InêsIntroduction: Decent work and gender equality are critical for fostering sustainable economic and social development. Even though the last three decades have seen several positive advancements in gender equality, disparities still exist in several ways, with research indicating that young women face more obstacles to employment and professional advancement than their male counterparts.Methods: An on-line cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 190 Portuguese young adults who work to examine key factors of decent work such fundamental principles and values at work, adequate working time and workload, fulfilling and productive work, meaningful remuneration for the exercise of citizenship, social protection, opportunities and health and safety.Results: The analysis reveals gender differences in most of the dimensions of decent work, suggesting that gender plays a significant role in shaping these perceptions. Findings also suggested differential effects of having a team leader position and work schedules for male and female young workers.Discussion: Understanding these gendered perceptions is crucial for policymakers and employers aiming to promote gender equality and decent work for all. By addressing the specific perceptions of decent work both men and women using the gender equity lens can raise awareness about the barriers that act against equitable work environments, enabling to both men and women to create a positive future for themselves, their families, and their communities.
- Association of Concurrent Clusters of Physical Inactivity and Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits with Common Mental Disorders among Primary Healthcare Workers: Insights from a large sample cross-sectional analysis in BrazilPublication . Lopes, Fernanda Queiroz Rego de Sousa; Rocha, Saulo Vasconcelos; Santos, Clarice Alves dos; Teixeira, Jules Ramon Brito; Patrão, Ana Luisa; Brito-Costa, Sónia; Rodrigues, Rafael N.; Campos, Francisco; Furtado, Guilherme Eustáquio; Araújo, Tânia Maria deBackground Common mental disorders (CMDs) are highly prevalent worldwide. Leisure time physical inactivity (LTPI) is a key modifiable behavior increasingly recognized for its contribution to CMD risk, alongside tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and nonparticipation in social activities (NPSA). Despite this, most studies examine these lifestyle factors individually rather than investigating their concurrent clustering and combined impact on mental health. Objective To examine the association between clusters of unhealthy lifestyle habits centered on LTPI and CMDs among primary healthcare workers (PHCWs) in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of 3,343 PHCWs was conducted. CMDs were screened with the Self-Report Questionnaire-20. Unhealthy behaviors (LTPI, tobacco use, alcohol use, and NPSA) were analyzed individually and as clusters (observed/expected ratios). Associations with CMDs were estimated via logistic regression. Results Participants were predominantly female (78.9%); 57.1% were ≤40 years. Prevalences were as follows: LTPI: 56.6%, tobacco: 6.2%, alcohol: 37.3%, NPSA: 61.3%; and CMDs: 22.6%. LTPI [odds ratio (OR) = 1.56; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.23–1.99], and NPSA (OR = 1.60; 95% CI: 1.27–2.03) were independently associated with CMDs. The LTPI + NPSA cluster showed higher odds of CMDs (OR = 1.73; 95% CI: 1.29–2.31). Clustering patterns also revealed combinations involving LTPI and tobacco use. Conclusion CMDs among PHCWs are linked not only to single behaviors but to clusters centered on LTPI, particularly when combined with social isolation. Mental health strategies in primary care settings should prioritize increasing leisure time physical activity and social engagement alongside broader lifestyle risk reduction.
- Explorando las rutas de acceso a la universidad. Un estudio de caso comparado en los sistemas educativos de España y PortugalPublication . Carballares, David Revesado; Mota, Luís; Redondo, Eva GarcíaEl presente trabajo ofrece un acercamiento hacia el proceso de admisión a las instituciones de educación superior en los sistemas educativos de España y Portugal. Atendiendo a ello, persigue como objetivo general el de identificar las principales semejanzas y diferencias en el proceso de transición universitaria entre los sistemas analizados. Metodológicamente, nos valdremos Comparative Case Study, que nos va a proporcionar una aproximación empírico-interpretativa en el contexto de la comparación internacional; además, este marco metodológico será complementado con una revisión sistemática de la literatura que va a reforzar el estudio de las realidades comparadas. Los resultados alcanzados ponen de manifiesto algunas semejanzas, pero, sobre todo, diferencias reseñables en lo que a las pruebas, requisitos y modelos de acceso se refiere. Estas responden, en buena lógica, a las variables sociohistóricas, políticas y culturales que rodean a ambos sistemas, que terminan por evidenciar disimilitudes en el plano pedagógico.