Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2025-03-19"
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Advancing diabetes treatment: from human beta cell technology to bioartificial pancreas developmentPublication . Sá, Joana; Sá, Simone; Leménager, Hélène; Costa, Raquel; Onteniente, Brigitte; Soares, Raquel; Ribeiro, Viviana P.; Oliveira, Ana L.In 2021, approximately 537 million people worldwide, primarily in low- and middle-income countries, were affected by diabetes, leading to approximately 6.7 million deaths annually or severe secondary complications including life-threatening hyperglycemia. For nearly 50 years, current therapeutic approaches include full pancreas transplantation and isolated pancreatic islets, more recently, cell therapy such as in vitro generated islets and stem cell derived. The transplantation of pancreatic islet cells can be less invasive than full organ transplantation, however, does not achieve the same rate of functional success due to the low survival of the engrafted cells. Tissue-engineered bioartificial pancreas has been designed to address such issues, improving cell engraftment, survival, and immune rejection problems, with the added advantage that the tissue produced in vitro has an unlimited source of material.
- Media multitasking scale: validation study with Portuguese adolescentsPublication . Campos, Luísa; Nobre, Bárbara; Morais, Catarina; Veríssimo, Lurdes; Dias, Pedro; Luo, JiutongThe increasing presence of digital media has amplified the need to study media multitasking (both multiple media activities simultaneously and using media while doing non-media activities). Media Multitasking Scale (MMS) has been used to assess this phenomenon, but it is yet to be validated for a Portuguese population. This study analysed the validity of a Portuguese Version of the MMS (n = 171 Portuguese adolescents) based on inter-item correlations and confirmatory factor analysis. The results suggest changes in the original version to reflect more recent digital media tendencies for a better fit to the Portuguese adolescents’ sample. Additionally, results showed that Multitasking with Media and Non-Media and Concentration Without Multitasking were partially predictors of mental health problems (predictive validity), highlighting the scale’s utility in assessing media multitasking behaviours and their impact on psychological well-being.
- "Learn to fly": nurturing child development, intergenerational connection, and social engagementPublication . Matos, Margarida Gaspar de; Branquinho, Cátia; Noronha, Catarina; Moraes, Bárbara; Gaspar, TaniaLearn to Fly was developed between February 2022 and March 2023 with the goal of fostering greater social participation and intergenerational dialogue around the recognition and solution of pertinent social issues through the development of psychological flexibility and socioemotional competences in children at the start of their academic careers. Based on a participatory methodology and the concepts of the third generation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBTs) and ACT (Acceptance Commitment Therapy), the target audience included children of ages 5 and 6 (pre-school and first grade), their teachers, and their families. The Learn to Fly pilot initiative was implemented in eight partner institutions on the Portuguese mainland with the participation of 289 children, their families, and 22 educators. Learn to Fly was evaluated after 12 weeks of implementation using a combination of methodologies, including interviews, focus groups, and pre- and post-tests. Teachers emphasized that the initiative brought families closer to the school, thereby strengthening connections between the school and the community, when analyzing the impact of the project on the school community. Positive changes were observed in the children’s behaviors, particularly with respect to hyperactivity, relationship problems with colleagues, prosocial behavior, socioemotional skills, their perceptions of their participation in various scenarios (their city and country), and intergenerational dialogue with their parents. In addition to the teachers’ preconceived notions about child participation, they became more aware of the possibility of children having a say in decision-making and discovered that the program promoted this aspect. Presently equipped with resources, it is envisaged that teachers trained to implement Learn to Fly will play a significant role in promoting positive child development and social engagement.
- The satisfaction of higher education students with sex education training: a cross-sectional studyPublication . Frias, Ana; Barros, Maria da Luz; Bia, Florbela; Santiago, Conceição; Guerra, Açucena; Gómez-Cantarino, Sagrario; Pereira-Afonso, Monica Raquel; Mecugni, Daniela; Aaberg, Vicki; Frade, FátimaTo maximize the potential of sex education, it is essential to optimize aspects related to the environment, the trainer–trainee interaction, and the quality of training. The objective of the present study was to identify and describe the satisfaction of higher education students with sex education training. An exploratory, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was carried out using the Student Satisfaction with Higher Education questionnaire, which was applied to a sample of 132 higher education students from several countries. In the statistical analysis using the SPSS software version 28, non-parametric tests were used, namely, the Mann–Whitney test and the Kruskal–Wallis test, in addition to Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Overall, the participants considered themselves very satisfied with the sex education training provided (χ = 4.77). The largest contribution to the satisfaction of the higher education students with the sex education training was the “quality of the training organization (environment and content)” (χ = 4.79). Educators and policymakers have the role of designing, implementing, and evaluating programs that satisfy college students and encourage them to strive for more sex education training aimed at promoting well-being, happiness, and sexual health.