Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-02"
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- Life beyond loss: a retrospective analysis of the impact of meaning of life therapy on the grieving process of cancer patients’ family caregiversPublication . Freitas, Maria João; Remondes-Costa, Sónia; Veiga, Elisa; Macedo, Gerly; Teixeira, Ricardo João; Leite, ManuelaOncological disease in the palliative stage is a huge challenge for patients and their family caregivers (FCs) due to the fact that it confronts them with death, as well as physical, psychological, and existential suffering. Meaning of Life Therapy (MLT) is a brief structured psycho-existential intervention aiming to help patients in a meaning-making life review process, promoting end-of-life adaptation. The Life Letter (LL) resulting from MLT is an element that facilitates communication between the patient and their caregivers. The goal of this study was to understand the impact of MLT on the grieving processes of eight FCs and to study their perceptions of the role of the LL on grief through semi-structured interviews. The results of our qualitative analysis indicate that MLT was perceived by the FCs as a positive experience despite the conspiracy of silence being identified as a drawback. The LL was interpreted as a communicational element, promoting emotional closeness with the cancer patients and serving as a valuable tool in the FCs’ adaptation to loss. Our research findings show that the needs of FCs, especially after experiencing the loss of their relative, are dynamic and specific. This is why it is urgent to develop interventions that consider the idiosyncrasies of end-of-life cancer patients and their FCs in order to avoid frustrated farewells, lonely deaths, and maladaptive grieving processes. This is the direction in which MLT should evolve.
- Application of a robust analytical method for quantifying progestins in environmental samples from three Portuguese estuariesPublication . Amorim, V. E.; Morais, H.; Ferreira, A. C. Silva; Pardal, M. A.; Cruzeiro, C.; Cardoso, P. G.In the last years, progestins have raised special concerns for their documented negative effects on aquatic species, yet little is known about their environmental levels in surface waters and bioaccumulation in the trophic web. This study aimed to 1) adapt an extraction method for quantifying progestins in freeze-dried matrices, 2) validate the analytical procedure for three matrices: bivalve, polychaete, and crustacean, and 3) characterize levels of the four most prescribed synthetic progestins in key species across three Portuguese estuaries. Through the validated method, progestins were only quantifiable for the crustacean. Values were generally low, peaking with drospirenone values in Ria de Aveiro (1.33 ± 0.26 ng/g ww) and Tagus estuary (1.42 ± 0.55 ng/g ww), while Ria Formosa exhibited the lowest progestin concentrations (< 1 ng/g ww). This study enabled the development of a precise extraction and analytical method for quantifying steroid hormones in three distinct biological matrices.
- Controlling digital piracy via domain name system blocks: a natural experimentPublication . Reis, Filipa; Matos, Miguel Godinho de; Ferreira, PedroWe study the impact of batch DNS filtering of copyright-infringing websites, a novel administrative-based process that does not require judicial involvement. In partnership with a large telecommunication provider, we measure the impact of this intervention on piracy activity and the legal alternatives integrated into households' media subscription bundles, an aspect largely unexplored in prior literature. We find a significant reduction in Internet traffic, which proxies piracy activity. However, we do not observe statistically significant changes in the consumption of the legal alternatives under consideration, only a slight increase in TV viewership. To further understand these outcomes, we examine the heterogeneity of these results based on households' pre-block usage intensity of digital piracy and demographic characteristics. Our work contributes to the literature on the effectiveness of piracy control strategies and informs policy makers and industry practitioners about the benefits and limitations of DNS-based website blocking.
- Mapping educational pathways through focus groups: children and young people on the impact of inclusive socio-educational practicesPublication . Lúcio, Joana; Rodrigues, Raquel; Rodrigues, Marta de OliveiraAs school became a primary instance of socialization and acculturation, and school education expanded across practically every country in the world, and reached virtually all children/young people, during an increasingly longer period of the life cycle, school failure and dropout emerged as cross-cutting educational and sociopolitical issues. Nonetheless, the voices of the actors engaging in initiatives aimed at overcoming school failure and dropout are seldom heard. Project EDUPLACES (PTDC/MHC-CED/3775/2014) proposed to do just that, through interviews, questionnaires and focus groups with parents/families, children/young people, teachers/other staff and community representatives. This paper explores the outcomes of eight focus groups involving a total of 57 children/young people, with a particular emphasis on the discourses emanating from the participants in Mediation and Study Support practices. As we discuss how initiatives aimed at overcoming school failure and dropout address issues such as inclusion, participation, learning, empowerment and community development, focus groups emerge as a relevant tool for navigating the meaning(s) of educational success.
- ISBAR: a handover nursing strategy in emergency departments, scoping reviewPublication . Chaica, Veronica; Marques, Rita; Pontífice-Sousa, PatríciaThe present work aims to map the available scientific evidence on the benefits of using the ISBAR tool in the nursing care of acutely ill adult patients’ handover in an emergency department context. To this end, a scoping review was conducted, according to the guidelines proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), to answer the following research question: “What are the benefits of using the ISBAR tool in the nursing care of acutely ill adult patients’ handover in an emergency department context?” The bibliographic search was carried out during August and September 2023 in the following electronic databases: CINAHL Complete; MEDLINE Complete; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; and Cochrane Methodology Register. Only works published between 2013 and 2023 were deemed fit for inclusion. All the included studies (9) show that ISBAR methodology, as a standardized tool for transferring nursing care in the emergency service, allows for a safe, clear, and concise transition of nursing care. The benefits relate to patient and professional safety, continuity, and quality of care, as well as patient and professional comfort, with health gains.
- Enzymatic hydrolysis allows an integral valorization of nannochloropsis oceanica resulting in the production of bioactive peptide extracts and an eicosapentaenoic acid enriched fractionPublication . Cunha, Sara A.; Coscueta, Ezequiel R.; Alexandre, Agostinho M. R. C.; Partidário, Ana Maria Carvalho; Fernández, Naiara; Paiva, Alexandre; Silva, Joana Laranjeira; Pintado, Manuela E.Nannochloropsis oceanica is a microalga with relevant protein content, making it a potential source of bioactive peptides. Furthermore, it is also rich in fatty acids, with a special focus on eicosapentaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid mainly obtained from marine animal sources, with high importance for human health. N. oceanica has a rigid cell wall constraining protein extraction, thus hydrolyzing it may help increase its components' extractability. Therefore, a Box-Behnken experimental design was carried out to optimize the hydrolysis. The hydrolysate A showed 67±0.7% of protein, antioxidant activity of 1166±63.7 μmol TE/g of protein and an ACE inhibition with an IC50 of 379 μg protein/mL. The hydrolysate B showed 60±1.8% of protein, antioxidant activity of 775±13.0 μmol TE/g of protein and an ACE inhibition with an IC50 of 239 μg protein/mL. The by-product showed higher yields of total fatty acids when compared to “raw” microalgae, being 5.22 and 1%, respectively. The sustainable developed methodology led to the production of one fraction rich in bioactive peptides and another with interesting EPA content, both with value-added properties with potential to be commercialized as ingredients for different industrial applications, such as functional food, supplements or cosmetic formulations.
- Os contratos à distânciaPublication . Antunes, José Engrácia
- Fluid handling by foam wound dressings: from engineering theory to advanced laboratory performance evaluationsPublication . Gefen, Amit; Alves, Paulo; Beeckman, Dimitri; Cullen, Breda; Lázaro-Martínez, José Luis; Lev-Tov, Hadar; Santamaria, Nick; Swanson, Terry; Woo, Kevin; Söderström, Bengt; Svensby, Anna; Malone, Matthew; Nygren, ErikThis article describes the contemporary bioengineering theory and practice of evaluating the fluid handling performance of foam-based dressings, with focus on the important and clinically relevant engineering structure– function relationships and on advanced laboratory testing methods for preclinical quantitative assessments of this common type of wound dressings. The effects of key wound dressing material-related and treatment-related physical factors on the absorbency and overall fluid handling of foam-based dressings are thoroughly and quantitively analysed. Discussions include exudate viscosity and temperature, action of mechanical forces and the dressing microstructure and associated interactions. Based on this comprehensive review, we propose a newly developed testing method, experimental metrics and clinical benchmarks that are clinically relevant and can set the standard for robust fluid handling performance evaluations. The purpose of this evaluative framework is to translate the physical characteristics and performance determinants of a foam dressing into achievable best clinical outcomes. These guiding principles are key to distinguishing desirable properties of a dressing that contribute to optimal performance in clinical settings.
- Addressing the complex links between psychopathy and childhood maltreatment, emotion regulation, and aggression-a network analysis in adultsPublication . Moreira, Diana; Silva, Candy; Moreira, Patrícia; Pinto, Tiago Miguel; Costa, Raquel; Lamela, Diogo; Jongenelen, Inês; Pasion, RitaChildhood maltreatment is the strongest predictor of psychopathology and personality disorders across the lifespan and is strongly associated with a variety of psychological problems, namely, mood and anxiety disorders, behavioral and personality disorders, substance abuse, aggression, and self-harm. In this study, we aim to provide a comprehensive picture of the interplay between different traits of psychopathy and distinct dimensions of childhood maltreatment, emotion regulation, and aggression. Using a cross-sectional design, we employed correlational network analysis to explore the nomological network of psychopathy and provide a sample-based estimate of the population parameters reflecting the direction, strength, and patterns of relationships between variables. The sample consisted of 846 adults (71% females) who completed questionnaires measuring psychopathy, childhood maltreatment, emotion regulation, and aggression. The results highlight that disinhibition traits of psychopathy are the closest attributes of early experiences of abuse (but not neglect) in childhood and correlate with all dimensions of emotion regulation difficulties, being specifically associated with reactive aggression. Neglect was a unique attribute in the nomological network of meanness, with widespread correlations with emotion regulation difficulties but also an increased ability to engage in goal-directed behavior. Physical abuse was the only dimension of childhood adversity that was found to be intercorrelated with boldness and increased emotional regulation was found in this psychopathic trait. No significant associations were found between boldness, meanness, and aggression once shared variance with disinhibition was controlled. These results are discussed in terms of their implication for research and clinical practice.
- The use of tissue grafts associated with immediate implant placement to achieve better peri-implant stability and efficacy: a systematic review and meta-analysisPublication . Rondone, Enrico Maria; Leitão-Almeida, Bruno; Pereira, Miguel Silva; Fernandes, Gustavo Vicentis Oliveira; Borges, TiagoBackground: The goal of this systematic study and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of hard and/or soft tissue grafts associated with type-1 implants on healing and treatment outcomes. The primary outcomes studied were implant survival rate, pocket depth, marginal peri-implant recession, bone loss, bone thickness (volumetric change), interproximal bone level, mesial and distal papilla migration, and radiographic evaluation; and the secondary parameters were Pink Esthetic Score (PES), vertical distance from implant shoulder and bone, Visual Analogue Score (VAS), Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ), and biological complications (fistulas, pain, mucositis, and peri-implantitis). Methods: The PICO strategy was used to formulate the hypothesis under study: “For patients who underwent extraction and immediate implant placement, what is the efficacy of using any type of graft (bone or soft tissue) compared to non-grafting regarding the peri-implant parameters?” The electronic search process was performed on the MedLine/PubMed and Cochrane databases. It included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from the last 11 years (from 2012 to November 2023), which were identified and analyzed. Results: Nine RCTs (κ = 0.98) were selected (403 patients and 425 implants); they were divided into three groups: bone graft (75 patients and 75 implants inserted), bone graft and membrane (213 patients and 235 implants inserted), and without bone graft (115 patients and 115 implants inserted). Three studies calculated the mid-facial mucosa level and two reported better results when a connective tissue graft was combined with the xenograft, whereas another study found better results in the combination of a dual-zone technique with a xenograft. Three studies evaluated the total Pink Esthetic Score (PES) at 12 months, where the authors found no significant difference in using a xenogeneic graft with or without a membrane. In the same period, the facial bone thickness was assessed in two articles; the authors reported better results in graft-treated and flapless groups. The risk-of-bias assessment found four studies with low risk, four with moderate risk, and one with a high risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed a medium level of heterogeneity for the mid-facial mucosa level analysis (I2 = 46%) and an overall effect size of 0.79 (95% CI [0.18; 1.40]), a statistically significant results (p = 0.01), with a tendency to favor the experimental group. Also, there was a medium level of heterogeneity among studies regarding total PES (I2 = 45%), with no significant differences between studies (p = 0.91). Homogeneous results (I2 = 0%) were found among studies analyzing facial bone thickness, favoring the experimental group; the forest plot showed an effect of 0.37 (95% CI [0.25; 0.50]), which was statistically significant (p < 0.00001) for this parameter. Conclusions: Then, it was possible to conclude that using bone and soft tissue grafting techniques associated with immediate implant placement (IIP), even though they are not fundamental, was a valuable resource to prevent significant tissue reduction, reaching greater bone stability and higher levels in the Pink Esthetic Score (PES) and Visual Analogue Score (VAS).