Veritati
Institutional Repository of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Recent Submissions
Long COVID as a risk factor for hypersomnolence and fatigue: insights from the 2nd International Covid Sleep Study Collaboration (ICOSS-2)
Publication . Sarkanen, Tomi; Merikanto, Ilona; Bjorvatn, Bjorn; Chung, Frances; Holzinger, Brigitte; Morin, Charles M.; Penzel, Thomas; Gennaro, Luigi de; Wing, Yun Kwok; Benedict, Christian; Xue, Pei; Reis, Cátia; Korman, Maria; Landtblom, Anne-Marie; Matsui, Kentaro; Hrubos-Strom, Harald; Mota-Rolim, Sergio; Nadorff, Michael R.; Berezin, Linor; Liu, Yaping; Scarpelli, Serena; Brandão, Luiz E. M.; Cedernaes, Jonathan; Partinen, Eemil; Bolstad, Courtney J.; Plazzi, Giuseppe; Espie, Colin A.; Partinen, Markku; Dauvilliers, Yves
Background: Hypersomnolence, defined as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), excessive quantity of sleep (EQS), sleep inertia, and fatigue reduce quality of life. We assessed associations of the COVID-19 pandemic, infection without long-term sequalae (short COVID, SC), and long COVID (LC) on hypersomnolence and fatigue in a large population across different countries. Methods: As part of an online questionnaire (ICOSS-2), we assessed EDS via the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), fatigue via Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and sleep duration at night and per 24 h. We also assessed the associations with EDS, sleep inertia, fatigue and napping by their frequencies, during the pandemic in COVID-negative, SC and LC participants. Results: The final cohort comprised 13,656 participants (69.1 % women, 42.7 ± 16.6 years), with 12.4 % classified SC and 7.5 % LC. ESS scores were higher in LC (9.16, 95 % CI [8.78, 9.53]) compared to SC (7.26, [6.97, 7.55]) and COVID-negative (6.53, [6.43, 6.63]). LC also had higher odds of ESS>10 (OR 1.58, [1.18,2.09]). FSS scores were higher in LC (median 51, IQR 39–59) than SC (34, 25–44) and COVID-negative (35, 25–45), with LC having 2.22 higher odds of severe fatigue. LC cases also reported more EQS (?10/24 h) than COVID-negative. Worsening of EDS, fatigue, sleep inertia, and napping was reported during pandemic to a greater extent in LC. Conclusions: LC was associated with higher levels of hypersomnolence and fatigue than in SC or COVID-negative participants, highlighting the need for interventions and future research focusing on sleep symptoms and their relation to long-term health outcomes.
Fortification of yogurt with Solanum melongena phenolic extract: physicochemical stability, bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and antioxidant effects
Publication . Añibarro-Ortega, Mikel; Gómez-García, Ricardo; Machado, Manuela; Pereira, Alexis; Costa, Eduardo M.; Pintado, Manuela; Barros, Lillian; Pinela, José
This study investigated the impact of fortifying yogurt with Solanum melongena phenolic extract by assessing its physicochemical, biochemical, and antioxidant stability, including its behavior during in vitro simulated digestion. Fortification influenced the yogurt's pH, titratable acidity, and color, and improved its cohesiveness during shelf life. The fortified yogurt exhibited higher glucose levels and reduced lactic acid production compared to the control. During simulated digestion, the extract modulated alterations in the protein and fatty acid profiles of the yogurt. Among phenolic compounds, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acids exhibited good stability during the oral and gastric phases but decreased in the intestinal digest. Some antioxidant effects were enhanced during digestion, particularly against lipid peroxidation, but declined during storage. Furthermore, phenolic acids were absorbed in an in vitro Caco-2 cell model, supporting their bioavailability. Overall, yogurt fortification with S. melongena extract improved nutritional and functional properties, highlighting its potential as a sustainable functional food. Future studies should address sensory acceptance, safety aspects, and in vivo health outcomes.
Innovation plans in Portuguese schools: the importance of the aspects and locus of action on the slow path to metamorphosis
Publication . Martins, Natália; Palmeirão, Cristina; Alves, José Matias
Academic failure and social inequalities are becoming more prevalent in schools. While knowledge has evolved and society has undergone significant transformation, schools have largely remained structured around a uniform model applied indiscriminately to all. In Portugal, efforts were made to initiate change through the conceptualisation and implementation of innovation plans to alter the prevailing grammar of schooling, prompting an inquiry into whether these initiatives yielded the intended outcomes. To this end, a case study was conducted in two such schools, aiming to capture the perspectives, ideas, and perceptions of various stakeholders: students and teachers through questionnaires, coordinating teachers via narrative accounts, and school leaders through semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that the contexts of implementation, the scale of the initiative, and the number of schools involved significantly influence both practices and leadership outcomes. Nonetheless, despite these constraints, the innovation plans facilitated the emergence of more collaborative dynamics and the creation of more meaningful learning environments, wherein students assumed a more active role in their educational processes. The results further indicate that these innovation plans encountered obstacles rooted in entrenched professional and organisational cultures, which hindered profound changes in the structuring of teaching and learning practices.
Pedagogias do luto: arte, estudos culturais e cosmovisões do bem-viver
Publication . Cardoso, Eduardo Prado; Prado, Irene Chaves
A partir de uma experiência artístico-pedagógica realizada em 2025 com um grupo de mulheres aposentadas em Portugal, discute-se como o entrelaçamento dos estudos culturais com cosmovisões que propagam o bem-viver – como visto em Werá (2024) e Acosta (2016) – promove ricos debates sobre percepções, experiências e memórias do luto na sociedade ocidental contemporânea. A discussão segura, ampla e aberta aos grupos vulneráveis (como mulheres mais velhas em situação de solidão) ao mesmo tempo que tocou no desamparo, também provocou um deslocamento crítico (Noguera, 2022) que conecta os rituais de luto e de perda com a cosmovisão moderna hegemônica, marcada pela extrema individualização. Recupera-se a importância, com isso, de se reforçar a ação comunitária e integrativa das pessoas em propostas pedagógicas e/ou artísticas que valorizem a livre expressão e a escuta coletiva.
Sequential injection chromatographic system for the expeditious molecular weight screening in hydrolysates
Publication . Teixeira, Raquel; Ribas, Tânia C. F.; Almeida, André; Pintado, Manuela; Rangel, António O. S. S.
Introduction and objective: According to European Union regulations, the use of additives in animal feed must be rigorously evaluated to ensure safety, efficacy, and quality. The guidelines highlight the importance of reliable and efficient analytical tools for characterizing bioactive compounds in feed. Currently, protein evaluation is predominantly performed using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Despite its robustness, presents disadvantages. The main objective is to develop a low-pressure chromatographic flow-based spectrophotometric method for the molecular weight screening of peptides used in animal feed. Method: This work presents a low-pressure chromatographic method based on a sequential injection analysis (SIA) system. A laboratory-made chromatographic column was coupled to the flow system, enabling a rapid molecular weight-based separation and quantification. This method approach provides an expeditious, cost-effective, miniaturized, and automated solution with strong potential for real- time control in industrial production environments. On going work: Optimization of the chromatographic conditions aiming for a higher chromatogram resolution and improved sensitivity through the evaluation of different column sizes, sample volume and flow-rate.