The effect of smoking on lung function changes during a 16-week combined exercise program in middle-aged workers: a latent growth curve analysis

Purpose To investigate the longitudinal changes in lung function of sedentary middle-aged workers over a 16-week combined exercise training program. Methods Thirty-six sedentary workers (53.70 ± 6.92 years old) were randomly allocated to either a combined aerobic and resistance training program (n = 18) or a control group (n = 18). Lung function was evaluated through spirometry using a portable flow spirometer (Spiropalm 6MWT, Cosmed, Italy). Predicted percentages of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, and mean forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75% of exhaled FVC (FEF25–75) were analyzed. Assessments were performed at baseline (M1), after 8-week (M2) and 16-week follow-up (M3). The changes in lung function were analyzed using the Latent Growth Curve Modeling that estimated interindividual and intraindividual growth paths. Results Smoking status revealed a significant effect on lung function growth with significant paths to intercept and slope for all models in both groups. The exercise group participants who are non-smokers revealed higher increases in FVC% (β = .22), FEV1% (β = .08), FEV1/FVC% ratio (β = .19), and FEF25–75% (β = .06) compared to those who are smokers from M1 to M3. The control group revealed a lower growth in lung function from M1 to M3, with a lower slope observed in smokers compared to non-smokers for FVC% (β= − .44), FEV1% (β = −.41), FEV1/FVC% (β = − .98), and FEF25–75% (β = − .52). Conclusion Our findings suggest that a 16-week combined training program is an effective strategy to improve lung function among sedentary workers, with a higher magnitude of improvement for non-smokers compared to smokers

Tracking the source of microplastics in soil : An exploratory case study in peach orchards from east‑central Portugal

This work was funded and supported by the Portuguese 2020.06010.BD PhD grant from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (individual fellowship attributed to Abel Veloso).In the last 20 years, world plastic production has increased rapidly, reaching 4.00 × 1011 kg in 2022. However, less than 10% was recycled. Moreover, most conventional plastics are persistent and, therefore, remain in the environment long after their release. Although most studies on microplastic contamination focus on a single environmental compartment, an integrated and multicompartment approach is highly recommended considering the multitude of interactions between those compartments. This study addresses this knowledge gap, investigating the presence and potential sources of microplastics (MP) in agricultural soils under typical conditions of the Mediterranean region, characterised by dry summers and relatively moist and mild winters (Csa according to the Köppen-Geiger classification). For this, 19 orchards from east-central Portugal were used as case study sites, and a total of 111 samples were analysed. Soil content in MP was assessed in 3 soil layers (0–5, 5–15 and 15–25 cm). To quantify potential sources to soil, information from farmers was used, and samples from irrigation water, atmospheric deposition and manure were analysed. Optical assessment with the assistance of a stereomicroscope was used for MP quantification. The 0–5 cm soil layer showed a lower content (average of 2.2 particles·g−1) and higher particle sizes (average of 168 μm) than deeper soil layers. The identified sources contributed with 1.02 × 105 particles·m−2·year−1. Irrigation water was the main source, representing 55.9% of the aforemen-tioned input rate encountered for the 3 identified MP sources. Additional knowledge is needed regarding the possible variation in MP content throughout the year and between years and the polymer identification, not only in samples collected from soil but also from its main contamination sources. Furthermore, this study should be extended to other crops and regions as part of broader soil health monitoring

Perceived bullying in Physical Education classes, school Burnout, and satisfaction: A contribution to understanding children’s school well-being

This study examines the effects of peer bullying that middle school students experience in physical education classes on school burnout and school satisfaction to understand children’s well-being in this important stage of their lives. Method: The study was conducted with 829 students from 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades in Türkiye of both genders (403 male, 426 female), with an age mean of 11.7 ± 1.16 years old. Data were collected using the Physical Education Class Perceived Bullying Scale, developed by the researchers in the present study, along with the School Burnout Scale and the School Satisfaction Scale for Children. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data and examine the direct and indirect relationships between students’ perception of bullying, school burnout and satisfaction. Results: The findings indicate that perceived bullying in physical education classes positively and significantly predicts school burnout (β = 0.388, p < 0.001), while it negatively and significantly affects school satisfaction (β = −0.122, p = 0.006). Moreover, significant positive relationships were found between perceived bullying and school burnout, and significant negative relationships were found between perceived bullying and school satisfaction. Conclusions: This study reveals that peer bullying in physical education classes significantly affects students’ school burnout and satisfaction. These findings highlight the need for developing effective strategies to prevent bullying in educational settings and promote children’s healthcare and well-being

Design and implementation of open educational resources through telecollaboration: analysis of their contribution to the development of generic competencies in Portuguese and Chilean university students

Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco del Proyecto de Investigación Erasmus+ (K2) INCOLLAB(Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching, https://incollabeu.wixsite.com/project/about) durante el período 2019-2022. (Project number: 2019-1-CZ01-KA203-061163).Las instituciones de enseñanza superior (IES) han ido adaptándose a las políticas planteadas por el Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES), que priorizan la adquisición de competencias transversales para responder a las demandas de un mercado laboral cada vez más global y digital. En este contexto se presenta el recurso educativo abierto (R A) “Introducción a la temática de género”, surgido en el marco del proyecto Erasmus+ INCOLLAB. Con la implementación en telecolaboración de este REA se pretenden identificar las competencias genéricas adquiridas por el alumnado participante y averiguar las dificultades experimentadas a la hora de desarrollarlas. Se optó por un diseño de estudio de caso para el que se realizaron grupos focales en dos IES (en Portugal y en Chile). Esta experiencia de innovación didáctica, además de favorecer la adquisición de competencias genéricas, ayuda a identificar las dificultades que impiden un desarrollo adecuado competencial, permitiendo así articular una propuesta de mejora en su diseño instruccional.Higher education institutions (HEIs) have been gradually adapting to the policies proposed by the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), in which the acquisition of generic or transversal skills is shown to be a priority in responding to the demands of a labour market, increasingly global and digital. In this context, the open educational resource (OER) “Introduction to gender issues” is presented, a didactic proposal that emerged within the framework of the Erasmus+ INCOLLAB project. The objectives pursued with the use of international virtual exchanges within the module “Introduction to gender issues” are to assess the gain in general competences acquired by the participating students from Portugal and Chile, as well as to identify the difficulties experienced when developing these competences. A case study design was chosen for which focus groups were held in two HEIs, (in Portugal and Chile). This experience of didactic innovation, in addition to promoting the acquisition of general competences that are especially relevant in today's society, helps to identify the difficulties that prevent the adequate development of certain skills, thus allowing us to articulate a proposal for improvement in the design of the materials that make up the OER

Stream sediments geochemistry on the Valongo anticlinal, northern Portugal: Arsenic as a proxy for outlining new exploration targets

The Valongo anticline is known for the occurrence of several Sb-Au and As-Au mineral deposits, many of which have been exploited since Roman times. The Sb-Au and As-Au deposits occur in brecciated quartz veins, predominantly trending NE-SW, NNW-SSE, and ENE-WSW, cutting Cambrian to Carboniferous formations. An 801-stream sediment campaign was conducted in this area. Factorial kriging was applied as an interpolation method as it enables the estimation and mapping of the individual spatial components of the variogram. Arsenic (As) was used as a proxy to outline new exploration targets. The results allow the identification of NW-SE and NE-SW alignments as preferential areas for elevated As contents. Future studies will incorporate structural information and the distribution of old mine dumps to achieve higher accuracy in target areas for mining prospection.Resumo: O anticlinal de Valongo é conhecido pela ocorrência de vários depósitos de Sb-Au e As-Au, muitos deles explorados desde os tempos romanos. Os depósitos de Sb-Au e As-Au ocorrem nos filões de quartzo com estrutura brechóide com direção predominante NE-SW, NNW-SSE e ENE-WSW cortando formações do Câmbrico ao Carbónico. Uma campanha de 801 sedimentos de corrente foi obtida nesta área. A krigagem factorial foi aplicada como um método de interpolação, pois permite a estimativa e mapeamento dos diferentes componentes espaciais do variograma. O arsénio (As) foi usado como proxy para o delineamento de possíveis novos alvos de exploração. Os resultados permitem a identificação de alinhamentos NW-SE e NE-SW, como preferenciais para teores elevados de As. Estudos futuros irão usar informação estrutural e a distribuição das antigas escombreiras para obter uma maior precisão nas áreas para prospeção mineira.This work was supported by GeoBioTec (UIDB/04035/2020) Research Centre, funded by FEDER through the Operational Program Competitiveness Factors COMPETE and by National funds through FCT. The authors are grateful to Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia for providing the data on stream sediments. We thank the anonymous reviewers for the valuable comments that helped improve this manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Recognition of food ingredients: Dataset analysis

Nowadays, food waste is seen as a complex problem with effects on the social, economic, and environmental domains. Even though this view is widely held, it is frequently believed that individual acts have little to no impact on the issue. But just like with recycling, there may be a significant impact if people start adopting more sustainable eating habits. We suggest using a cutting-edge convolutional neural network (CNN) model to identify food in light of these factors. To improve performance, this model makes use of several strategies, such as fine-tuning and transfer learning. Additionally, we suggest using the Selenium library to create a dataset by employing the web scraping technique. This strategy solves the problem that many open-source datasets have with the overrepresentation of foods from the Asian continent by enabling the addition of foods to the dataset in a customized way. First, using the PRISMA methodology, a thorough examination of recente research in this field will be carried out. We will talk about the shortcomings of the most widely used dataset (Food-101), which prevent the ResNet-50 model from performing well. Using this information, a smartphone app that can identify food and suggest recipes based on the ingredients it finds could be developed. This would prevent food waste that results from the lack of imagination and patience of most people. The food recognition model used was the ResNet-50 convolutional neural network, which achieved 90% accuracy for the validation set and roughly 97% accuracy in training.This work was funded by National Funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), I.P., within the scope of the project UIDB/05583/2020 and DOI identifier https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/05583/2020. Furthermore, we would like to thank the Research Centre in Digital Services (CISeD) and the Instituto Politécnico de Viseu for their support.N/

Cuidar o doente nos últimos dias e horas de vida : relatório da prática clínica

Relatório de Estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Saúde Dr. Lopes Dias, do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Cuidados Paliativos.Após a realização de um percurso de aprendizagem, de aquisição de competências práticas, de partilha e de investigação, surge a necessidade de proceder à elaboração de um documento que consolide e reflita sobre o mesmo. O presente relatório, constituindo-se um requisito essencial para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Cuidados Paliativos, surge no âmbito do XIII Mestrado em Cuidados Paliativos, da Escola Superior de Saúde Dr. Lopes Dias, do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco. O presente relatório visa descrever e refletir, sobre as competências e aprendizagens ocorridas durante a Prática Clínica, realizada numa EIHSCP, de uma ULS, num total de 300h, tendo por base os pilares fundamentais dos cuidados paliativos, controlo de sintomas, comunicação, apoio família e trabalho em equipa. Estas competências vão também ao encontro dos objetivos gerais e específicos definidos pela ESALD, para a obtenção do grau de mestre. No âmbito do projeto de intervenção, o presente relatório tem como objetivo refletir sobre as competências de cuidar desenvolvidas pela Equipa de Cuidados Continuados Integrados (ECCI) na prestação de cuidados a doentes e famílias em situação de últimos dias e horas de vida (UDHV). Paralelamente, em contexto de trabalho em equipa, foram identificadas e apresentadas propostas de melhoria a implementar em diferentes horizontes temporais (curto, médio e longo prazo). Por último, reconhecendo que as experiências de cuidar em fim de vida são particularmente complexas, tanto para os profissionais de saúde como para os cuidadores informais, e considerando que o acompanhamento por equipas diferenciadas de cuidados paliativos pode ter impacto significativo nessa experiência, procedeu-se à realização de uma Scoping Review (ScR). Este trabalho teve como finalidade compreender o impacto das equipas de cuidados paliativos nas vivências dos cuidadores informais de doentes em fim de vida, mapeando o conhecimento atualmente disponível, podendo inclusive constituir-se como uma base para a definição de estratégias que permitam melhorar os cuidados prestados à família e doente em situação de últimos dias e horas de vida.Abstract: After completing a learning journey, acquiring practical skills, sharing and researching, there is a need to prepare a document that consolidates and reflects on this journey. This report, which is an essential requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Palliative Care, is part of the 13th Master's Degree in Palliative Care at the Dr. Lopes Dias Higher School of Health, part of the Castelo Branco Polytechnic Institute. This report aims to describe and reflect on the skills and learning that took place during the Clinical Practice, carried out at an EIHSCP, of a ULS, for a total of 300 hours. It is based on the fundamental pillars of palliative care, symptom control, communication, Family support and teamwork. These skills also meet the general and specific objectives definedby ESALD, for obtaining a master's degree. Within the scope of the intervention project, this report aims to reflect on the care skills developed by the Integrated Continuing Care Team (ECCI) in providing care to patients and families in the last days and hours of life (UDHV). At the same time, in the context of teamwork, proposals for improvement were identified and presented to be implemented in different time frames (short, medium and long term). Finally, recognising that end-of-life care experiences are particularly complex, both for healthcare professionals and informal carers, and considering that support from specialised palliative care teams can have a significant impact on this experience, Scoping Review (ScR) was conducted. The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of palliative care teams on the experiences of informal caregivers of patients at the end of life, mapping the knowledge currently available, which may even serve as a basis for defining strategies to improve the care provided to families and patients in their last days and hours of life

Valorization of fruit distillation pomaces

This study aims to characterise the nutritional composition of distillation pomace from the production of spirits from apple, pear and strawberry tree fruits (STFs) and to assess its potential for valorisation within circular economy and zero waste strategies. Pomace samples were collected after distillation at a distillery in Castelo Branco. Two batches per fruit type, each with three replicates, were analysed. The following parameters were analysed: ash content, organic matter content, protein content, fat content, fibre content, lignin content, hemicellulose content, cellulose content, non-fibrous carbohydrate content, total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were determined and the compound profiles were assessed by HPLC. FTIR-ATR spectroscopy was applied for chemical fingerprinting. ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA) were used for data interpretation. PCA for nutritional parameters explained 96.6% of the total variance and clearly distinguishedbetween the pomaces used. Apple pomace had the highest protein content (6.04 ± 0.07 g/100 g), whereas pear pomace had the lowest (2.83 ± 0.27 g/100 g). STF pomace had the highest fat content (4.71 g/100 g) and was rich in organic matter, fibre, hemicellulose and cellulose. STF and apple pomaces additionally exhibited higher TPC and TFC values. Using HPLC-DAD, we were able to identify 28 phenolic compounds, as well differentiating between the pomaces and confirming the presence of compounds of interest. The highest concentrations were found for resveratrol and syringic acid, particularly in pear extracts (0.73–0.59 μg/mg extract). Benzoic acid, p-coumaric acid and rutin also appeared in relatively high amounts. FTIR-ATR spectroscopy identified functional groups, supporting chemical discrimination and different potential valorisation. Distillation pomace revealed valuable nutritional and chemical properties, highlighting its potential as a raw material for use in the food industry. STF pomace, in particular, is characterised by its high fibre and bioactive compound content. Further research is needed to optimise its industrial use.This work was supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. through projects references CERNAS-IPCB [UIDB/00681] and MED&CHANGE [UID/AGR/04129, DL 57/2016/CP1382/CT0025]

Climate-driven habitat shifts and conservation implications for the submediterranean oak Quercus pyrenaica Willd.

The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https: //www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/f16081226/s1.Climate change poses a major threat to forests, impacting the distribution and viability of key species. Quercus pyrenaicaWilld., a marcescent oak endemic to the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain) and southwestern France and a structural species in submediterranean forests, is particularly susceptible to shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns. Aiming to assess its potential loss of suitable area under future climate scenarios, we developed high-resolution spatial distribution models to project the future habitat suitability of Q. pyrenaica under two climate change scenarios (SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5) for the periods 2070 and 2100. Our model, which has an excellent predictive performance (AUC of 0.971 and a TSS of 0.834), indicates a predominantly northward shift in the potential distribution of the species, accompanied by substantial habitat loss in southern and lowland regions. Long-term potential suitable area may shrink to 42% of that currently available. This, combined with the limited natural dispersal capacity of the species, highlights the urgency of targeted management and conservation strategies. These results offer critical insights to inform conservation strategies and forest management under ongoing climate change.The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. (FCT, https://www.fct.pt/en/) funded the I.P. PhD grant (reference UI/BD/152853/2022 and DOI identifier https://doi.org/10.544 99/UI/BD/152853/2022). For the purpose of open access, the authors’ applied for a CC-BY public copyright license to any Authors’ Accepted Manuscript (AAM) version arising from this submission. The authors additionally thank the same foundation (FCT) through the programs Research Centre for Natural Resources, Environment and Society—CERNAS (UIDB/00681), Forest Research Center— CEF (UID/00239; https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/00239/2020), TERRA (LA/P/0092/2020), and Centre of Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning (CEGOT) (UIDB/04084/2025). CVV was supported by National Funds through FCT in the scope of the project UIDB/50027/2020. J.G. was funded by the Individual Scientific Employment Stimulus Program (2017) through FCT (contract nr. CEECIND/02331/2017)

O folclore brasileiro no ensino elementar de piano

Relatório de Estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ensino de Música – Instrumento e Música de Conjunto.O presente relatório de estágio foi elaborado no âmbito do Mestrado em Ensino de Música da Escola uperior de Artes Aplicadas, Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco. Estrutura-se em duas partes. Na primeira parte, descreve-se a Prática de Ensino Supervisionada, realizada na Academia de Música de Lisboa (AML), no ano letivo de 2023-2024. A segunda parte aborda a elaboração de um método elementar de piano com músicas do folclore brasileiro. Nesta investigação foram feitas revisões bibliográficas e análises comparativas. E utilizando os princípios orientadores da revisão de literatura, busco compreender como seria a adaptação de melodias folclóricas brasileiras em um método de piano elementar para alunos do primeiro ano do ciclo básico (compreendidos entre 6 e 10 anos), com ênfase no desenvolvimento progressivo. Essa indagação serve como ponto de partida para a elaboração e execução da dissertação. A elaboração de um método elementar de ensino de piano baseado em músicas do folclore brasileiro prospecta uma abordagem eficaz e enriquecedora tanto para o aprendizado musical quanto para a valorização da cultura nacional. Ao longo desta dissertação, defendemos que a utilização de elementos culturais próximos ao aluno pode facilitar a assimilação de conceitos técnicos e teóricos do piano, ao mesmo tempo em que promove um maior engajamento e interesse pelo estudo do instrumento.Abstract: The present internship report was prepared as part of the Master’s program in Music Education at the Escola Superior de Artes Aplicadas, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco. It is structured in two parts. The first part describes the Supervised Teaching Practice, conducted at the Lisbon Music Academy (AML) during the 2023-2024 academic year. The second part focuses on the development of an elementary piano method incorporating Brazilian folk music. This research involved literature reviews and comparative analyses. Using guiding principles from the literature review, I aim to understand how Brazilian folk melodies could be adapted into an elementary piano method for first-year students in basic education (aged 6 to 10), with an emphasis on progressive development. This inquiry serves as the starting point for the design and execution of the dissertation. Creating an elementary piano teaching method based on Brazilian folk music prospects an effective and enriching approach for both musical learning and the appreciation of national culture. Throughout this dissertation, we argue demonstrate that using cultural elements familiar to the student can facilitate the assimilation of technical and theoretical piano concepts, while also promoting greater engagement and interest in studying the instrument