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In the scope of higher education internationalization, Portuguese universities have been receiving an increasing number of students from Portuguese-speaking countries, namely African countries, at the level of PhD studies. As highlighted in research, pursuing a PhD in an overseas context entails critical challenges for students, supervisors, and higher education institutions. Against this background, this article reports on the challenges faced by international African students attending a PhD program in education at a Portuguese university. I conducted semi-structured interviews with seven students, and results from thematic analysis show that the main challenges relate to language, integration into a different pedagogical/academic culture, adaptation to a different research culture, loneliness/homesickness, and financial difficulties. Implications of findings for institutional policy and practice are put forward.

Background: The rate of disease progression, measured by the decline of ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R) from symptom onset to diagnosis (ΔFS) is a well-established prognostic biomarker for predicting survival. Objectives: This study aims to categorize a large patient cohort based on the initial ΔFS and subsequently investigate survival deviations from the expected prognosis defined by ΔFS. Methods: 1056 ALS patients were stratified into three progression categories based on their ΔFS: slow progressors (below 25th percentile), intermediate progressors (between 25th and 75th percentiles), and fast progressors (above 75th percentile). Survival outcomes were classified as short survivors (<2 years), average survivors (2–5 years), and long survivors (>5 years). Clinical and demographic characteristics within each subgroup were then analyzed. Results: ΔFS stratification yielded cutoff values of <0.29, 0.29–1.03, and >1.03 points/month. Long survivors comprised 26% and 21% were short survivors. Six percent of the fast progressors had a life expectancy of more than 5 years, and none of the clinical and demographic characteristics analyzed could fully explain this discrepancy. Conversely, 13% of intermediate progressors lived less than 2 years, according to a short-diagnostic delay in these patients. Discussion: Our study reaffirms ΔFS as a prognostic biomarker for ALS. We disclosed outliers defying anticipated patterns. The observed shift in progression categories underscores the non-linear nature of disease progression. Genetic and unknown biological reasons may explain these deviations. Further research is needed to fully understand modulation of ALS survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's globalised educational landscape, the relationship between English-Medium Instruction (EMI) and intercultural competence (IC) in higher education is paramount. As institutions increasingly adopt EMI, understanding its interconnectedness with IC becomes essential. This systematic literature review explores how EMI influences IC development in higher education. Through thematic analysis, it provides a comprehensive understanding of the interconnectedness and sheds light on mutual influence. Three key themes emerge: (1) EMI as an opportunity or objective for developing intercultural competence, (2) EMI highlighting the need for IC development, and (3) Challenges related to both IC and EMI. These findings offer insights into the dynamics between EMI and IC in higher education contexts and underscore the importance of comprehensive teacher training programmes and policy interventions to address challenges and embed IC within EMI practices. Advocating for a holistic approach to EMI, this review calls for continued research on their relationship, emphasising ongoing efforts to promote intercultural competence in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researching across languages and cultures is a theme increasingly studied in diversified contexts due to the internationalisation of higher education. At the level of doctoral studies, this impacts on the process of doing and supervising a PhD. In Portugal, research concerning this issue is scarce and this paper intends to discuss the meanings and implications of researching in the intersection between different languages and cultures in the context of doctoral education at the Department of Education and Psychology of the University of Aveiro, Portugal, in the perspective of both (national and international) students and supervisors. Results from thematic analysis indicate substantial implications concerning: (i) the supervision process; (ii) researchers' personal and professional development; and (iii) knowledge production and dissemination. In the light of the results, some discussion axes concerning doctoral education will be put forward.

To elucidate the genetic architecture of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and find associated loci, we assembled a custom imputation reference panel from whole-genome-sequenced patients with ALS and matched controls (n = 1,861). Through imputation and mixed-model association analysis in 12,577 cases and 23,475 controls, combined with 2,579 cases and 2,767 controls in an independent replication cohort, we fine-mapped a new risk locus on chromosome 21 and identified C21orf2 as a gene associated with ALS risk. In addition, we identified MOBP and SCFD1 as new associated risk loci. We established evidence of ALS being a complex genetic trait with a polygenic architecture. Furthermore, we estimated the SNP-based heritability at 8.5%, with a distinct and important role for low-frequency variants (frequency 1-10%). This study motivates the interrogation of larger samples with full genome coverage to identify rare causal variants that underpin ALS risk.

Acknowledging the importance of the ideological language component in language policy and planning within a micro-level language-planning framework, this paper sets out to identify and discuss the social representations of Portuguese higher education institution (HEI) stakeholders concerning: (i) language teaching and learning in HEIs and (ii) the development of language education policies in this particular context. Based on a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with the stakeholders responsible for the pedagogical strategy, specifically five Vice-Rectors for Education at their respective Portuguese public universities, their common perspective points to tension between, on one hand, the value they attribute to a diversified language teaching and learning in terms of the quantity of languages offered and to the strategic development of multilingual language education policies and, on the other hand, the prominence of institutional initiatives and actions relying primarily on English.

English-medium instruction (EMI) has been growing rapidly in higher education institutions worldwide as one of the chief language policy initiatives related to internationalisation. Acknowledging the centrality of teachers in EMI implementation and their role as micro-level actors in language policy and planning, this paper sets out to identify, compare and discuss expatriate and home teachers' beliefs concerning the benefits and challenges of EMI. To address these aims, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted at a Portuguese higher education institution. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire, which included closed and open-ended questions and submitted to statistical and content analysis. Results suggest that expatriate and home teachers have similar beliefs concerning the challenges of EMI. Still, regarding benefits, expatriate teachers seem to have a more 'educationalist' perspective of EMI, whereas home teachers seem to focus on its economic benefits. Implications of these findings for institutional language policy and planning are discussed.

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Service learning, an educational methodology that intertwines community service with academic instruction, is garnering growing recognition within higher education due to its potential to enrich both research and outreach efforts. By integrating service learning into the curriculum, higher education institutions (HEIs) can bridge the gap between research and praxis, effectively bringing research findings to local communities and influencing on-the-ground practices. While the benefits of service learning have been widely acknowledged in the literature, there remains a lack of understanding on how service learning can be integrated into teacher education programmes to support linguistic and cultural diversity at schools. Additionally, there is limited insight into how institutions engaged in social action perceive their collaboration with HEIs, particularly in the context of teacher education. In this contribution, we address these gaps, by presenting the results of a multimethod and multisite research study that aimed to explore the perspectives of social action initiatives on the potential collaboration with HEIs to promote (language) teacher education focused on linguistically and culturally responsive practices. The results point to a great heterogeneity of social action projects and expectations on the part of the institutions regarding collaboration with HEIs. Despite this diversity, common principles of collaboration emerge from the data. These principles lay the foundations for a framework that may shape collaborative efforts between HEIs and social action initiatives in the field of pre-service (language) teacher education with the goal of promoting pedagogies that respect and leverage linguistic and cultural diversity in multilingual settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]