Barriers and challenges in the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of breast cancer patients

Breast cancer is the most common female cancer worldwide. This disease represents one of the main points of public health concern today, aggravating the situation due to the numerous barriers to preventing, treating, and rehabilitation patients affected by this health condition. In this way, this letter to the editor aims to discuss the barriers and challenges in preventing, treating, and rehabilitating breast cancer patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Classification of the pre-exam anxiety levels in physically inactive students from 48 countries: application of the K-means clustering machine learning algorithm.

Physical inactivity is a behavioral factor that is strongly associated with anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. Anxiety is a disabling condition that reduces academic performance (Kandola et al., 2020).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The power of self-love: an artificial neural network based on neuroscience inference to predict university students self-reported mental health dimensions

Student mental health is a global goal, first because it is health we are talking about and secondly because it has implications in the quality of learning and, consequently, in the adequate preparation of professionals for society. The ANN presented excellent learning performance (> 90%) for all targeted variables, within reasonable to good generalization capacity (60-73%). Finally, the university student’s depressive state was the best-predicted variable (73%).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The power of self-love: an artificial neural network based on neuroscience inference to predict university students self-reported mental health dimensions

In line with the sustainable development goals of the United Nations 2030 agenda, namely goal number 3 – Good health and well-being -, student mental health is a global goal, first because it is health we are talking about and secondly because it has implications in the quality of learning and, consequently, in the adequate preparation of professionals for society. This study aimed to conduct an artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the student’s self-reported mental health dimensions. This is a cross-sectional and observational study enrolling data collected by applying a questionnaire comprising sociodemographic and health state variables from 2050 university students aged (18-30 years). The algorithm predicted the student’s overall mental health state self-perception with 94% accuracy (weighted average= [precision= 0.67%, recall= 0.67%, F-1 score0 0.67%]) and was cross-validated with reasonable accuracy (60%). The student’s depressive state was predicted with 97% accuracy (weighted average= [precision= 0.79%, recall=0.79%, F-1 score0 0.79%], and was cross-validated with good accuracy (73%). The student’s lack of interest in performing their activities of daily living (ADLs) was predicted with 94% accuracy (weighted average= [precision= 0.69%, recall=0.77%, F-1 score0 0.76%], and was cross-validated with reasonable accuracy (67%). The ANN presented excellent learning performance (>90%) for all targeted variables, within reasonable to good generalization capacity (60-73%). Finally, the university student’s depressive state was the best-predicted variable (73%).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Covid-19 and Social Distancing of the Elderly: The Importance of Physical Exercise

The infectious disease COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), appeared at the end of 2019 in China, and spread rapidly throughout the world in the first months of 2020. The elderly or anyone with chronic illnesses such as obesity, high blood pressure, lung disease and diabetes, are considered part of the risk group. Health authorities around the world began to adopt and encouraged behaviors to mitigate the risk of transmission, such as washing hands frequently with soap and water, making social distancing, and staying at home if possible, in order to minimize the infection and thereby relieve the health systems and reduce the number of fatalities. In this review, we discuss the possible effects of social distancing on the health of the elderly and describe different strategies of physical exercise to be performed during the pandemic of COVID-19. Aerobic training, strength training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are effective for improving immune functions, autonomy, functional independence, and mental health in the elderly during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, physical exercise programs must be planned, adapted, and controlled based on the individual capabilities of the elderly, and remotely guided by professionals trained in the prescription of physical exercise. It is necessary that the general population, and especially the elderly, be continuously informed, protected, and oriented about the benefits and the importance of physical exercise practice during the social distancing caused by the pandemic of COVID-19

+ Idade + Saúde – Programa de exercício físico regular para idosos

O número de idosos irá quase triplicar até 2050, e com isso, promover estratégias um envelhecimento ativo a nível mundial são fundamentais. Com isso, no município de Bragança, Norte de Portuga, foi criado o + idade + saúde, um programa de exercício físico regular, do Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB). Objetivo: Promover a saúde física e mental de idosos por meio de exercício físico regular, além de servir de campo para investigações a nível de mestrado e doutoramento. Objetivos: Avaliar, prescrever e orientar a prática de exercício físico adotado para idosos. Métodos: A amostra toral é composta por um grupo de 90 homens e mulheres idosos, que treinam 3 vezes por semana, de 09:00 às 10:00, com duração de 50 minutos cada sessão, sendo divididos em dois grupos, o grupo A (n =30, treino multicomponente, TMC), e o grupo B (n =30, treino intervalado de alta intensidade, HIIT), e grupo de controlo de idosos fisicamente inativos (n =30). Será avaliada a aptidão funcional através do Functional Fitness Test: a força e a resistência dos membros superiores (MS) e inferiores (MI), a flexibilidade dos MI e MS, a agilidade e o equilíbrio dinâmico, a resistência aeróbia; a composição corporal; nível de atividade física, a qualidade de vida, a qualidade do sono, e os índices de solidão dos idosos. Resultados esperados: Esperamos que o treino HIIT (grupo B) surta efeitos maiores e significativos na capacidade funcional, qualidade de vida e bem-estar, e qualidade do sono dos idosos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Wired: impacts of increasing power line use by a growing bird population

Power lines are increasingly widespread across many regions of the planet. Although these linear infrastructures are known for their negative impacts on bird populations, through collision and electrocution, some species take advantage of electricity pylons for nesting. In this case, estimation of the net impact of these infrastructures at the population level requires an assessment of trade-offs between positive and negative impacts. We compiled historical information (1958–2014) of the Portuguese white stork Ciconia ciconia population to analyze long-term changes in numbers, distribution range and use of nesting structures. White stork population size increased 660% up to 12000 breeding pairs between 1984 and 2014. In the same period, the proportion of nests on electricity pylons increased from 1% to 25%, likely facilitated by the 60% increase in the length of the very high tension power line grid (holding the majority of the nests) in the stork's distribution range. No differences in breeding success were registered for storks nesting on electricity pylons versus other structures, but a high risk of mortality by collision and electrocution with power lines was estimated. We discuss the implications of this behavioral change, and of the management responses by power line companies, both for stork populations and for managers

The impact of multicomponent exercise protocols order on the maximum voluntary contraction of older women

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of exercise order in multicomponent training (MCT) on the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of older women. A total of 91 older women, ranging in age from 60 to 85 years, were randomly assigned to either Group A or Group B. Group A performed a warm up followed by aerobic training and resistance training, whereas Group B followed a warm up followed by resistance training and aerobic training. A control group (CG) did not engage in any exercise interventions. Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA for between-group comparisons, and ANOVA was used for repeated measures. The results revealed that Group A demonstrated significant increases in MVC for knee extensors (KEs) between M1 and M3 (p < 0.001) and between M2 and M3 (p < 0.001). Similarly, Group A exhibited significant increases in MVC for knee flexors (KFs) between M1 and M3 (p = 0.001) and between M2 and M3 (p < 0.001). Both Group A and Group B demonstrated significant increases in MVC for elbow flexors (EFs) between M1 and M3 (p < 0.001). Furthermore, Group B showed a significant increase in hand grip strength (HGS) between M1 and M3 (p < 0.001). Overall, the findings suggest that initiating MCT with aerobic training followed by resistance training is the most effective approach for improving muscle strength in older women.This research was funded by national funds via the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. I.P.: grant number UIDB/04748/2020 and grant number UID/04045/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Hábitos de consumo de suplementos de creatina em ginásios da cidade de Bragança

A suplementação de creatina hoje em dia é uma prática muito comum, adotada por atletas e frequentadores de ginásios para um melhor desempenho físico. Com o número de pessoas que frequentam ginásios a aumentar, consequentemente aumentam também os mitos e a desinformação, o que pode levar a sérios problemas de saúde pelo uso indevido da suplementação de creatina Objetivo: Avaliar hábitos de consumo de suplementos de creatina em pessoas que frequentam ginásios. Metodologia: O estudo caracteriza-se como transversal e observacional de carácter quantitativo. Foi aplicado a frequentadores dos ginásios da cidade de Bragança durante o mês de setembro, onde foi divulgado um Qr code de um inquérito eletrónico. Participaram 158 pessoas, dos quais 95 eram consumidores de suplementos de creatina (15,19% homens; 24,68% mulheres). A análise estatística foi conduzida para a descrição amostral e análise comparativa entre os grupos por sexo, sendo aplicado o teste de qui-quadrado de duas proporções simples. Resultados: Constatou-se que 8,47% dos homens e 22,22% das mulheres sentem que não têm informação suficiente sobre este suplemento e 20,34% dos homens e 30,56% das mulheres não conhece os efeitos adversos. A maioria consome estes suplementos para aumentar a força (72,88% dos homens; 72,22% das mulheres) e aumentar a energia (55,93% dos homens; 69,44% das mulheres). O modelo de regressão logística apresentou uma boa capacidade preditiva do uso excessivo de creatina considerando as variáveis sexo, IMC, ser fumador, quantidade de creatina ingerida por dia, nível de informação e conhecimento dos efeitos colaterais. Conclusão: O grupo que tem menos conhecimento sobre a suplementação tem um maior uso da creatina. A informação científica sobre a suplementação de creatina tem de ser divulgada a mais pessoas para que estas possam usar a suplementação de forma mais segura.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Uso de suplementos de creatina por praticantes de exercício físico em ginásios da cidade de Bragança

Com o número crescente de pessoas a frequentar ginásios, aumentam também os mitos e a desinformação acerca da suplementação alimentar, nomeadamente o uso de suplementos de creatina, o que pode implicar sérios problemas de saúde. Objetivos: Avaliar hábitos de consumo de suplementos de creatina em pessoas que frequentam ginásios. Metodologia: Estudo transversal e observacional de carácter quantitativo. Foi aplicado um questionário a 158 frequentadores de ginásios da cidade de Bragança. A análise estatística foi conduzida para descrição amostral e análise comparativa entre os grupos por sexo. Foi aplicado o teste de qui-quadrado de duas proporções simples (X2). Todas as análises estatísticas foram realizadas em linguagem de programação PythonTM. Resultados: Constatou-se que 37,34% dos homens e 22,78% das mulheres consomem creatina, principalmente os que apresentam idades compreendidas entre os 18 a 25 anos. Todos os participantes consomem a creatina sob a forma de pó, maioritariamente numa quantidade diária entre 3 a 5 gramas (57,62% dos homens e 58,33% das mulheres) verificando-se ainda que 25,42% dos homens e 13,89% das mulheres consomem uma quantidade superior ao recomendado no rótulo. 45,76% dos homens, consomem creatina depois do treino enquanto que 58,33% das mulheres consomem antes do treino. A maioria dos participantes começou a tomar suplementação de creatina por iniciativa própria (67,80% homens e 66,67% mulheres). Relativamente às razões do seu uso destaca-se o aumento da força (72,88% dos homens e 72,22% das mulheres) 55,93% dos homens e 69,44% das mulheres para o aumento de energia e 54,24% dos homens e 61,11% das mulheres para o aumento da massa muscular. Conclusões: Considera-se pertinente aumentar a literacia dos frequentadores de ginásios sobre a suplementação de creatina para que possam usar o suplemento de forma mais consciente e segura, com o aconselhamento e monitorização por um profissional de saúde.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio