Essawiki: using wikis to support projects for knowledge construction in physiotherapy education

Wiki is an innovative mean of creating, editing, and disseminating information in an online environment. We try with this project to involve Physiotherapy students (bachelor level) on the creation of knowledge using a open source collaborative system.Wiki derive from the Hawaiian word meaning “quickly” and “informally,” and allows anyone with a Web browser and an Internet connection to collaboratively edit a document on a wiki server. The most Popular usages of the wiki tool include repositories of documentation, online encyclopedias, and tools for corporations to share content and information inside and outside of their organizations. Nowadays many educators have started to experiment with wiki tools in online teaching. For example, for writing assignments and directed reflection on clinical decision making.We developed this project using several steps: First we implemented an open source wiki system (mediawiki); Second the objectives and purpose, domain, tasks and outcomes were clearly defined to all the users (teachers and students); Third, using scaffolding as a frame to provide a temporary starting support structure to be used by learners until they self-organize and construct or modify their own knowledge; Fourth, peer-assessment was used to provide internal feedback within the students; Fifth and final step, teachers evaluate the final version and gave feedback about the overall performance.Two types of evaluation were performed, a pear-assessment in the middle of the process comprising questions about format and content, and a final evaluation at the end of the activity based on the student feedback about all the process. For both we used a web based questionnaire, to assure anonymity and promote high response rates. With this project we have created a collaborative and evolutive reference book using several sources of information and evidence. The future challenge is the dissemination of this resource and methodology thorough the entire physiotherapy course using all the different areas of Physiotherapy practice.The use of collaborative tools in Physiotherapy education facilitates and promotes reflexion, group work, peer-assessment and autonomous perspective towards education and lifelong learning. The basis of a every evolving reflective professional.N/

Use of ict tools to promote knowledge construction, collaboration, self-assessment and clinical reasoning in cardiorespiratory physiotherapy teaching and learning

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SOS Ambiente

Relatório de Estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Santarém para obtenção de grau de Mestre em Educação e Comunicação MultimédiaO presente Relatório de Estágio refere-se às actividades programadas e realizadas durante o ano lectivo de 2009 – 2010 no âmbito Mestrado de Educação e Comunicação Multimédia da Escola Superior de Educação de Santarém. O Relatório de Estágio reporta-se a um Projecto de Intervenção, que apelidámos de SOS Ambiente, na Escola Secundária da Marquesa, através do qual procurámos aprofundar e aplicar os conhecimentos adquiridos no MECM. Para o desenvolvimento deste Projecto de intervenção contámos com o apoio dos alunos, que se envolveram nas várias actividades propostas, com o apoio de muitos colegas da mesma Escola, que articularam o desenvolvimento das suas actividades curriculares com a importância de actividades e comunicações multimodais de articulação a nível de Escola, com o apoio da Direcção da Escola, que nos deu as devidas autorizações e, finalmente, com o apoio da Câmara Municipal de Almeirim, que, mais uma vez, foi inexcedível.N/

A small TAT-TrkB peptide prevents BDNF receptor cleavage and restores synaptic physiology in Alzheimer's disease

Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.In Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid β (Aβ)-triggered cleavage of TrkB-FL impairs brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling, thereby compromising neuronal survival, differentiation, and synaptic transmission and plasticity. Using cerebrospinal fluid and postmortem human brain samples, we show that TrkB-FL cleavage occurs from the early stages of the disease and increases as a function of pathology severity. To explore the therapeutic potential of this disease mechanism, we designed small TAT-fused peptides and screened their ability to prevent TrkB-FL receptor cleavage. Among these, a TAT-TrkB peptide with a lysine-lysine linker prevented TrkB-FL cleavage both in vitro and in vivo and rescued synaptic deficits induced by oligomeric Aβ in hippocampal slices. Furthermore, this TAT-TrkB peptide improved the cognitive performance, ameliorated synaptic plasticity deficits and prevented Tau pathology progression in vivo in the 5XFAD mouse model of AD. No evidence of liver or kidney toxicity was found. We provide proof-of-concept evidence for the efficacy and safety of this therapeutic strategy and anticipate that this TAT-TrkB peptide has the potential to be a disease-modifying drug that can prevent and/or reverse cognitive deficits in patients with AD.publishersversionpublishe

Respiratory apraxia in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

© 2007 Taylor & FrancisRespiratory dysfunction is a critical problem in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We report a patient with ALS who had respiratory apraxia. A 74-year-old female presented with progressive dysarthria and dysphagia. Clinical signs and evidence of widespread denervation on electromyography (EMG) confirmed the diagnosis of ALS. She had no signs of dementia. Irregular volitional inspiratory movements on verbal command were noticed, in contrast with rhythmic automatic inspiration - respiratory apraxia. Limb and buco-facial movements showed no signs of apraxia. EMG of respiratory muscles was normal, apart from irregular phasic activity of the diaphragm on volitional inspiration; this was confirmed by recording respiratory movements with a percutaneous sensor transducer. Sleep study was normal. She deteriorated rapidly; nonetheless, no clinical sign of dementia or other apraxic findings were observed. ALS, particularly when of bulbar onset, can cause respiratory apraxia and EMG of the respiratory muscles can be useful to detect this condition.This work was supported by grants from the ‘Fundação de Ciência e Tecnologia’ (POCTI/ CBO/43952/2002), Portugal.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diafonare - An international dialogue of best practices in dealing with formal, non-formal and informal learning in rehabilitation

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Discontinuation of chronic benzodiazepine use in primary care: a nonrandomized intervention

© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.Background: Chronic benzodiazepine use is a challenge in primary care practice. Protocols to support safe discontinuation are still needed, especially in countries with high utilization rates. Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety of a benzodiazepine discontinuation protocol in primary care setting. Methods: Nonrandomized, single-arm interventional study, at primary care units. Family physicians (FPs) recruited patients (18–85 years-old) with benzodiazepine dependence and chronic daily use ≥3 months. Patients with daily dosages ≥30 mg diazepam-equivalent, taking zolpidem, with a history of other substance abuse or major psychiatric disease were excluded. After the switch to diazepam, the dosage was gradually tapered according to a standardized protocol. Primary endpoint was the percentage of patients who stopped benzodiazepine at the intervention last visit. Dosage reduction, withdrawal symptoms, patients’ and FPs’ satisfaction with the protocol were evaluated. Results: From 66 enrolled patients (74% female; 66.7% aged >64 years; median time of benzodiazepine use was 120 months), 2 withdrew due to medical reasons and 3 presented protocol deviations. Overall, 59.4% of participants successfully stopped benzodiazepine (60.7% when excluding protocol deviations). Men had higher probability of success (relative risk = 0.51, P = 0.001). A total of 31 patients reported at least 1 withdrawal symptom, most frequently insomnia and anxiety. Most of participating FP considered the clinical protocol useful and feasible in daily practice. Among patients completing the protocol, 77% were satisfied. For the patients who reduced dosage, 85% kept without benzodiazepines after 12 months. Conclusion: The discontinuation protocol with standardized dosage reduction was feasible at primary care and showed long-term effectiveness.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Humoral immune response of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients with cancer: influencing factors and mechanisms

© 2021 AlphaMed Press.Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected patients with cancer show worse outcomes compared with patients without cancer. The humoral immune response (HIR) of patients with cancer against SARS-CoV-2 is not well characterized. To better understand it, we conducted a serological study of hospitalized patients with cancer infected with SARS-CoV-2. Materials and methods: This was a unicentric, retrospective study enrolling adult patients with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to a central hospital from March 15 to June 17, 2020, whose serum samples were quantified for anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain or spike protein IgM, IgG, and IgA antibodies. The aims of the study were to assess the HIR to SARS-CoV-2; correlate it with different cancer types, stages, and treatments; clarify the interplay between the HIR and clinical outcomes of patients with cancer; and compare the HIR of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients with and without cancer. Results: We included 72 SARS-CoV-2-positive subjects (19 with cancer, 53 controls). About 90% of controls revealed a robust serological response. Among patients with cancer, a strong response was verified in 57.9%, with 42.1% showing a persistently weak response. Treatment with chemotherapy within 14 days before positivity was the only factor statistically shown to be associated with persistently weak serological responses among patients with cancer. No significant differences in outcomes were observed between patients with strong and weak responses. All IgG, IgM, IgA, and total Ig antibody titers were significantly lower in patients with cancer compared with those without. Conclusion: A significant portion of patients with cancer develop a proper HIR. Recent chemotherapy treatment may be associated with weak serological responses among patients with cancer. Patients with cancer have a weaker SARS-CoV-2 antibody response compared with those without cancer. Implications for practice: These results place the spotlight on patients with cancer, particularly those actively treated with chemotherapy. These patients may potentially be more vulnerable to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, so it is important to provide oncologists further theoretical support (with concrete examples and respective mechanistic correlations) for the decision of starting, maintaining, or stopping antineoplastic treatments (particularly chemotherapy) not only on noninfected but also on infected patients with cancer in accordance with cancer type, stage and prognosis, treatment agents, treatment setting, and SARS-CoV-2 infection risks.LtoINNOV), the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/131605/2017), and research4COVID19 (231_596873172, generating SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion assay), with additional support by Sociedade Francisco Manuel dos Santos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio