Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2023-05-01"
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- Psychometric properties and measurement invariance of a European Portuguese version of the fear of COVID-19 scalePublication . Jarego, Margarida; Ferreira-Valente, Alexandra; Costa, Rui Miguel; Tavares, Mafalda; Pais-Ribeiro, JoséThe novelty and uncertainty of the pandemic nourished a gener-alized fear of the COVID-19, which seems to have exacerbated the pan-demic’s negative impact. It is thus relevant to monitor fear of COVID-19 and its association with individuals’ mental health, well-being, and behav-iors. Valid and reliable measures of fear of COVID-19 are necessary for that purpose. This study aimed at assessing the psychometric properties of a European Portuguese version of the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S-P). A secondary aim was to assess FCV-19S-P’s multigroup measurement invariance (female vs. male). A sample of 572 Portuguese adults (72 % fe-male) completed the FCV-19S-P and measures of depression, anxiety, and stress. The study results supported this version validity and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .84; Composite Reliability = .83), and a factorial struc-ture similar to the original version. Fear of COVID-19 was positively asso-ciated (.23 < r < .31) with depression, anxiety, and stress. Results of the multigroup invariance analysis supported the FCV-19S-P total scalar invar-iance and its partial residual invariance, suggesting that this measure may be used to reach valid conclusions in respect to gender comparisons in samples of Portuguese adults in regard to group observed composite means.
- Insight into phylogenomic bias of blaVIM-2 or blaNDM-1 dissemination amongst carbapenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosaPublication . Fortunato, Gianuario; Vaz-Moreira, Ivone; Gajic, Ina; Manaia, Célia M.Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) are ubiquitous opportunistic pathogens that combine intrinsic and acquired multidrug resistance phenotypes. Due to different types of acquired genes, carbapenem resistance has been expanding in this species. This study hypothesised that the spread of carbapenem resistance among P. aeruginosa is influenced by phylogenomic features, being distinct for different genes. Methods: To test this hypothesis, the genomes of P. aeruginosa harbouring bla VIM-2 or bla NDM-1 genes were compared. The bla VIM-2 gene was selected because, although frequent, it is almost restricted to this species and bla NDM-1 gene due to its wide interspecies distribution. A group of genomes harbouring the genes bla VIM-2 (n = 116) or bla NDM-1 (n = 27), available in GenBank, was characterised based on core phylogenomic analysis, functional categories in the accessory genome and mobile genetic elements flanking the selected genes. Results: Most bla VIM-2 gene hosts belonged to multilocus sequence types (ST) ST111 (n = 32 of 116) and ST233 (n = 27 of 116) and were reported in Europe (n = 75 of 116). The bla NDM-1 gene hosts were distributed by different STs (ST38, ST773, ST235, ST357 and ST654), frequently from Asia (n = 11 of 27). Significant differences in the prevalence of functional protein/enzyme annotations per number of accessory genomes were observed between bla VIM-2+ and bla NDM-1+. The bla VIM-2 gene was frequently inserted in the Tn402-like and Tn21 transposons family and rarely in IS6100, while bla NDM-1 gene was preferentially flanked by ISAba125 and ble MBL genes or associated with IS91 insertion sequence. Conclusion: The hypothesis that carbapenem resistance gene acquisition is not random among phylogenomic lineages was confirmed, suggesting the importance of phylogeny in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes.
- Thermo-responsive microemulsions containing deep eutectic-based antibiotic formulations for improved treatment of resistant bacterial ocular infectionsPublication . Pedro, Sónia N.; Gomes, Ana T. P. C.; Vilela, Carla; Vitorino, Carla; Fernandes, Rosa; Almeida, Adelaide; Amaral, Maria Helena; Freire, Mara G.; Silvestre, Armando J. D.; Freire, Carmen S. R.The rise of antibiotic resistant strains, as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), challenges the current treatment of infections. In the case of ocular infections, antibiotic eye drops are commonly prescribed. However, their efficacy is usually compromised by the low viscosity of these formulations and the eye drainage. To overcome these drawbacks, deep eutectic solvent (DES)-based microemulsions with thermo-responsive character, that increase their viscosity upon contact with the eye have been developed. Using betaine-based DES aqueous solutions, it is possible to increase up to 140-fold the water solubility of the antibiotic chloramphenicol, typically used in ocular infections. The DES solutions containing the antibiotic are applied as water phases in water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) microemulsions, being stable up to 3 months. Furthermore, a sustained-release and a higher permeation of the antibiotic through the cornea than that of commercialized eye drops is achieved, while presenting comparable cytotoxicity profiles (cell viabilities > 88%). Higher antimicrobial activity and faster action of the antibiotic in case of infection with MRSA is observed compared to the commercialized formulations (7 log10 of inactivation in 48 h vs 72 h). Overall, these microemulsions comprising DES are a promising strategy to achieve higher antibiotic effectiveness in the treatment of resistant bacterial infections.
- Game change in the Gulf of Guinea: three intertwined perspectives on Sino-Equatoguinean cooperationPublication . Ma, Yu; Leandro, Francisco JoséThe Republic of Equatorial Guinea (EG) joined the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Forum Macao) in 2022, becoming the tenth member-state. This occurred during the 2022 Extraordinary Ministerial Conference, after it acceded to the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) in 2014. Since 2015, China and EG have been intensifying their bilateral cooperation after establishing a comprehensive cooperative partnership (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, 2015). In 2019, the two countries signed a Belt and Road Initiative (B&RI) MoU during the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, and initiated a strategic approach for bilateral cooperation. Consequently, considering the uniqueness of EG as a Portuguese-speaking Country (PSC) and as the newest member of Forum Macao, this paper poses and answers the following research question: What will be the impact of Sino-Equatoguinean cooperation in light of EG’s recent accession to FM? Methodologically, the research uses qualitative data supported by triangular referencing, including official and non-official sources, namely official statistics, academic papers, and media reports, to look into the bilateral Sino-Equatoguinean relations under the B&RI Lusophone framework, as well as the fact that EG is a CPLP member state. Accordingly, the methodologic rationale focuses on the uniqueness of EG as one of the Lusophone countries and relates it to the Chinese B&RI at three levels: domestic, regional and global. This paper is organized as follows: (1) Introduction; (2) The uniqueness of EG as a PSC; (3) The B&RI and the Lusophone Countries; (4) Cooperation between Equatorial Guinea and China; (5) Conclusion – The Future of Sino-Equatoguinean Cooperation.
- The person within: parents and professionals’ views about the practitioner’s role in a parenting programPublication . Leitão, Sara; Francisco, Rita; Gaspar, M. Filomena; Seabra-Santos, Maria JoãoPractitioners’ characteristics and actions influence the implementation of evidence-based programs, but little is known about the practitioner’s role in the implementation of parent-based programs. The present qualitative study is the first to explore the perceptions of parents and professionals regarding the practitioners’ characteristics and actions which influence the implementation of a parent program directed at children’s behavior problems. Using thematic analysis, data were examined from eight focus groups comprising 24 parents and 19 practitioners who have participated in the Incredible Years parent group program (IYPP). The analysis identified three groups of practitioners’ characteristics perceived to impact the implementation of the IYPP: inferred interpersonal characteristics (genuine interest; empathy and warmth; positive regard; humbleness); inferred intrapersonal characteristics (objectivity; flexibility; well-being; reflexiveness) and objective characteristics (similar age; being a parent; clinical professional background; professional experience with children and the IYPP). These personal characteristics are perceived as serving to underpin practitioners’ actions, and an integrated framework model is proposed where specific practitioners’ actions are understood in relation to personal characteristics. Inferred characteristics are perceived as determinants in the intervention process while objective characteristics are seen as facilitators of parent engagement in the earliest stages of intervention. Finally, most of the characteristics and actions perceived as relevant in this study are contemplated in the IYPP model; however, the practitioners’ intrapersonal well-being, self-reflexiveness and genuineness emerged as characteristics which may merit further consideration. The results from this study suggest that in the IYPP the person of the practitioner may indeed be worthy of more critical examination.
- Sobre o sinalagma genético e o sinalagma funcionalPublication . Múrias, PedroEste artigo esclarece sintética e criticamente o sentido cultural da distinção entre sinalagma genético e sinalagma funcional, inserindo-a no quadro do direito privado contemporâneo e da superação da distinção tradicional entre perturbações originárias e supervenientes do negócio jurídico.
- Nota da direçãoPublication . Sequeira, Elsa Vaz de; Sá, Fernando Oliveira e
- Acidogenic fermentation of brewers’ spent grain monitored through two-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopyPublication . Guarda, Eliana C.; Costa, Eunice; Gil, Cátia; Amorim, Catarina L.; Galinha, Claudia F.; Duque, Anouk F.; Castro, Paula M. L.; Reis, Maria A. M.Biological systems are commonly controlled and monitored through offline and time-consuming tools, which often impairs an effective and real-time response to counteract system disturbances. The feasibility of using two-dimensional (2D) fluorescence spectroscopy as a non-invasive, non-destructive, and real-time procedure to monitor the acidogenic fermentation of brewer’s spent grain (BSG) in a granular sludge reactor was evaluated. For that, the effect of pH fluctuations on the system response was used as a model to ascertain the 2D fluorescence spectroscopy applicability to monitor the process performance, namely, to predict the fermentation products (FP) and the soluble protein (SProt) concentrations in the effluent stream through mathematical analysis. The pH fluctuations over the course of the reactor’s operation altered the granules’ microbiome composition, leading to different effluent FP profiles. Fluorescence excitation–emission matrices (EEMs) were used with projection to latent structures (PLS) modeling to predict the FP and SProt concentrations in the effluent with average errors below 0.75 and 0.43 g L–1, respectively. Both models were able to capture the tendency of the data even when the accuracy of prediction was not so high. The combined approach of using 2D fluorescence spectroscopy and mathematical analysis seemed promising for real-time monitoring of the acidogenic fermentation of complex substrates.