Innovative moments in grief therapy: reconstructing meaning following perinatal death

This article presents an intensive analysis of a good outcome case of constructivist grief therapy with a bereaved mother, using the Innovative Moments Coding System (IMCS). Inspired by M. White and D. Epston’s narrative therapy, the IMCS conceptualizes therapeutic change as resulting from the elaboration and expansion of unique outcomes (or as we prefer, innovative moments), referring to experiences not predicted by the problematic or dominant self-narrative. The IMCS identifies and tracks the occurrence of 5 different types of innovative moments: action, reflection, protest, re-conceptualization, and performing change. Results documented the process of meaning reconstruction over the 6 sessions of treatment, and demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of analyzing narrative change in this form of grief therapy, opening it to comparison with other approaches

Development of a functional prebiotic strawberry preparation by in situ enzymatic conversion of sucrose into fructo-oligosaccharides

Food industry has been pressed to develop products with reduced sugar and low caloric value, while maintaining unchanged their rheological and physicochemical properties. The development of a strawberry preparation for the dairy industry, with prebiotic functionality, was herein investigated by in situ conversion of its intrinsic sucrose content into prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). Two commercial enzymatic complexes, Viscozyme® L and Pectinex® Ultra SP-L, were evaluated for the synthesis of FOS. Operational parameters such as temperature, pH, and enzyme:substrate ratio (E:S) were optimized to maximize FOS yield. The rheological and physicochemical properties of the obtained strawberry preparation were evaluated. For functional analysis, the resistance of FOS to the harsh conditions of the gastro-intestinal digestion was evaluated by applying the standardized INFOGEST static protocol. At optimal conditions (60 , pH 5.0), Pectinex® produced 265±3 g·L1 FOS, yielding 0.57±0.01 gFOS·gin.GF1 after 7hours reaction (E:S:1:40); and Viscozyme® produced 295±1 g·L1 FOS, yielding 0.66±0.00 gFOS·gin.GF1 after 5 hours (E:S:1:30). The obtained strawberry preparations contained more than 50%(w/w) prebiotic FOS incorporated (DP 35), with 80 % reduction of its sucrose content. The caloric value was therefore reduced by 2631%. FOS showed resistance to gastrointestinal digestion being only slightly hydrolysed (< 10%). Fructo-furanosylnystose was not digested at any phase of the digestion. Although the physicochemical properties of the prebiotic preparations were different from the original one, parameters such as the lower °Brix, water activity, consistency and viscosity, and its different color, may be easily adjusted. Results indicate that in situ synthesis strategies are efficient alternatives in the manufacture of reduced sugar and low-caloric food products with prebiotic potential.This work was supported by the FCT under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit, by National Funds through the FCT under the project cLabel+ (POCI01-0247-FEDER-046080) co-financed by Compete 2020, Lisbon 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by LABBELS – Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, LA/P/0029/2020. Daniela A. Gonçalves acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the PhD Grant (2022.11590.BD). The authors acknowledge Frulact SA for all support concerning the materials and information related to the industry sector.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In-situ enzymatic conversion of sucrose into prebiotic fructooligosaccharides for the development of a functional strawberry preparation

The increased search for reduced-sugar and healthier food products has driven the growth of the functional food market [1]. This opened space for the development of novel functional products. Frulact SA, a partner in this project, is specialized in the development and production of fruit-based preparations, which are mainly utilized in the dairy industry for incorporation in flavored yogurts. Its market is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 6.1% until 2030 [2]. However, despite being rich in nutrients, these preparations have a high amount of caloric added sugar. To reduce this sugar in a strawberry preparation, we herein propose an in-situ enzymatic conversion of its sucrose content into prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS) [3,4]. Two commercial enzymatic complexes were evaluated for the in-situ synthesis of FOS. At optimal conditions (60 °C and pH 5.0), Pectinex® Ultra SP-L yielded 0.57 ± 0.01 gFOS/gini.sucrose after 7 h reaction and Viscozyme® L, 0.66 ± 0.00 gFOS/gini.sucrose after 5 h. The resultant strawberry preparations contained more than 50 % (w/w) of FOS in total carbohydrates. Also, more than 80 % of the original sucrose content was reduced, diminishing its caloric value by 31 %. The data show that consumption of dairy products containing 10 % of the developed prebiotic preparation would result in the ingestion of >2.5 grams of FOS per 100 mL of product. The prebiotic preparation showed also to resist the harsh conditions of the gastrointestinal tract since more than 90 % of FOS were not hydrolyzed during digestion. The conversion of sucrose into FOS changed some physicochemical and textural attributes of the original product (i.e., sweetness, color, viscosity, consistency), yet those can be easily adjusted. The in-situ technological approach here developed shown great potential as an innovative strategy for the development of low-sugar and low-calorie prebiotic food.This work was supported by the FCT under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit, by National Funds through the FCT under the project cLabel+ (POCI-679 01-0247- FEDER-046080) co-financed by Compete 2020, Lisbon 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by LABBELS – Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, LA/P/0029/2020. Daniela A. Gonçalves acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for the PhD Grant (2022.11590.BD).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The effect of chitosan on the in vitro biological performance of chitosan-poly(butylene succinate) blends

Chitosan blends with synthetic biodegradable polymers have been proposed for various biomedical applications due to their versatile mechanical properties and easier processing. However, details regarding the main surface characteristics that may benefit from the blending of these two types of materials are still missing. Hence, this work aims at investigating the surface properties of chitosan-based blends, illustrating the way these properties determine the material-proteins interactions and ultimately the behavior of osteoblast-like cells. The surface characteristics of modified and nonmodified blends were assessed using complimentary techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurements and surface energy calculations. The adsorption of human serum albumin (HSA) and human plasma fibronectin (HFN) onto the different surfaces was quantified by association of an indirect method with a colorimetric assay. It was found that the presence of chitosan on the surface promoted the adsorption of proteins. Moreover, a preferential adsorption of albumin over fibronectin was registered. The in vitro biological performance of the studied materials was further investigated by a direct contact assay with an osteoblastic-like cell line (SaOs-2). A synergistic effect of the two components of the blend was observed. While the synthetic polyester promoted the adhesion of SaOs-2, the presence of chitosan significantly enhanced the osteoblastic activity of these cells. This work further confirmed the interest in designing polymeric blends with natural polymers as a successful strategy to enhance the biological performance of a biomaterial

Características psicométricas de uma versão portuguesa do "Competitive State Anxiety Inventory - 2" (CSAI-2) : dados preliminares relativos à sua validade e estrutura factorial

Para analisar as características psicométricas do "Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2" (medida multidimensional do estado de ansiedade competitiva, com 27 itens), uma versão portuguesa foi administrada a 157 atletas de 5 modalidades (antes e depois da competição). Os dados obtidos sugerem uma estrutura de 3 factores idêntica à original, mas com a redução para 22 itens. Foram obtidos bons índices de fidelidade desta versão (.87 ansiedade cognitiva; .81 ansiedade somática; e .89 auto-confiança). Sugere-se a validade desta versão no estudo da relação ansiedade-rendimento desportivo

Determinants, Health Problems, and Food Insecurity in Urban Areas of the Largest City in Cape Verde.

Urbanization processes are intertwined with nutritional transition because there is easier access to food of low nutritional quality at reduced prices, changing dietary patterns and leading to an increase of non-communicable chronic diseases. This study aims to understand the perceptions for high blood pressure, obesity, and alcoholism, describing some interactions of these dimensions in the problem of food security in the city of Praia. A qualitative study was carried out under the framework of the research project "UPHI-STAT: Urban Planning and Health Inequalities-moving from macro to micro statistics". Ten focus groups were conducted in three urban areas with distinct characteristics in the city of Praia, with a total of 48 participants. Participants reported frequent consumption of foods with poor nutritional quality, understanding the potential danger in terms of food security in the city of Praia. Easy access to and high levels of alcohol consumption, and poor quality of traditional drinks were mentioned by participants in the study areas. The impact of the economic situation on the possibility of access to safe and healthy options emerged as a differentiating factor.publishersversionpublishe

a double health threat to Cape Verdeans

BACKGROUND: Cape Verde presents a high rate of cardiovascular diseases. Low potassium and high sodium intakes are related to cardiovascular diseases. However, studies regarding these two micronutrients continue to be rare in African urban settings. This work aims to estimate potassium and sodium intakes and to analyse the self-reported salt intake by gender and by type of urban area in the city of Praia - the capital of Cape Verde. METHODS: In the first stage (n = 1912), an intra-urban study was designed in two types of urban areas (formal and informal), using a sampling strategy based on random selection of geographical coordinates, in order to apply a questionnaire. In a second stage, a 24-h dietary recall and anthropometric measurements were performed by local nutritionists. Potassium and sodium intakes were estimated for 599 participants (149 men and 450 women). Non-parametric methods (including quantile regression) were used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: In informal areas, a higher percentage of women reported having hypertension (31.0%) compared to formal areas (19.7%). Based on 24-h dietary recall, median potassium intake for men was 2924.2 mg/day and for women and 2562.6 mg/day. Almost 70.0% of men and 80.0% of women ingested less than the recommended 3510 mg/day of potassium. In informal areas, men and women presented high medians of sodium intakes compared to formal areas (men: 4131.2 vs 3014.6 mg/day and women: 3243.4 vs 2522.4 mg/day). On the other hand, the percentage of participants exceeding 2000 mg/day for sodium was high (≥70.8%), even for participants that self-reported low-salt intake. Quantile regression models revealed effects of the type of urban area and gender in the potassium and sodium intakes, at least, in some quartiles, accounting for age, academic qualifications, and professional situation. CONCLUSIONS: A low potassium intake and a high sodium intake were found in Praia. Thus, efficient health education campaigns and health promotion are needed and should be tailored considering gender and urban areas.publishersversionpublishe

Terminalidade de vida: bioética e humanização em saúde

A visão dos profissionais de saúde frente à terminalidade da vida é uma das realidades mais difíceis com as quais estes se deparam, pois, apesar dos melhores esforços, alguns pacientes virão a óbito. O objetivo do presente estudo é identificar e descrever, por meio da literatura científica, os aspectos da promoção de saúde e da Bioética, no que diz respeito à humanização do atendimento aos sujeitos em terminalidade de vida, frente aos familiares e profissionais de saúde envolvidos. A metodologia baseouse em uma revisão de literatura através de pesquisa e seleção de textos a partir de bases de dados, proporcionando o conhecimento acerca dos diferentes conceitos utilizados na humanização dos profissionais de saúde com relação à terminalidade de vida e questões bioéticas, a fim de buscar suprir as grandes dificuldades que os profissionais de saúde têm em lidar com os doentes terminais e como devem ser tratados, uma vez que o bem estar físico e emocional deve ser o foco das atenções.The view of health professionals opposite of life terminality is one of the most difficult situations which they have to face, because, despite best efforts, some patients will come to death. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe, through scientific literature, the aspects of promoting health and bioethics, with respect to the humanization of care in life-terminal-patients, and also how to deal with the family and health professionals involved. The methodology was based on a literature review using the search and selection of texts from databases, providing knowledge about different concepts used in humanization of health professionals regarding to life terminality and bioethical issues, in order to redress the great difficulties that health professionals have in dealing with the terminally ill and how they should be treated once the physical and emotional well being should be the focus

3D‐printed cryomilled poly(ε‐caprolactone)/graphene composite scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration

In this study, composite scaffolds based on poly(caprolactone) (PCL) and non-covalently functionalized few-layer graphene (FLG) were manufactured by an extrusion-based system for the first time. For that, functionalized FLG powder was obtained through the evaporation of a functionalized FLG aqueous suspension prepared from a graphite precursor. Cryomilling was shown to be an efficient mixing method, producing a homogeneous dispersion of FLG particles onto the PCL polymeric matrix. Thereafter, fused deposition modeling (FDM) was used to print 3D scaffolds and their morphology, thermal, biodegradability, mechanical, and cytotoxicity properties were analysed. The presence of functionalized FLG demonstrated to induce slight changes in the microstructure of the scaffold, did not affect the thermal stability and enhanced significantly the compressive modulus. The composite scaffolds presented a porosity of around 40% and a mean pore size in the range of 300 μm. The cell viability and proliferation of SaOs-2 cells were assessed and the results showed good cell viability and long-term proliferation onto produced composite scaffolds. Therefore, these new FLG/PCL scaffolds comprised adequate morphological, thermal, mechanical, and biological properties to be used in bone tissue regeneration.The authors acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), the European program FEDER/COMPETE for the financial support through project LA ICVS/3Bs - 2015-2017 and to IPC (UID/CTM/50025/2013 and UID/CTM/50025/2016), and the scholarship SFRH/BD/87214/2012 granted to Eunice Cunha. Daniela Dias acknowledges the mobility grant from the BEAM project- Biomedical Engineering-EU Australian cooperation at master level, ICIECP Education Cooperation Programme (388414-EM-January 1, 2014-IT-ERA MUNDUS-ICIJMP). We also acknowledge Prof. Dietmar W. Hutmacher that kindly hosts Daniela Dias in the IHBI laboratory