Meditação e mindfulness: perceções sobre os contributos para a autoconfiança na performance de jogadoras de futebol adolescentes e jovens adultas

A Meditação é uma prática cujos efeitos têm sido alvo de estudo em vários domínios científicos. Existem diferentes tipos de práticas meditativas, mas a autorregulação da atenção é a mais comum entre todas elas. A técnica de Mindfulness, uma prática de Atenção Plena, consiste em observar os próprios pensamentos e sentimentos sem julgamento e sem reagir aos mesmos, cultivando, assim, uma atitude de aceitação e de autocompaixão. No campo da Psicologia do Desporto, tem havido um interesse crescente nos últimos anos em estudar qual o impacto de programas baseados em práticas de Meditação e de Mindfulness nas várias competências psicológicas necessárias à performance desportiva dos atletas, como a concentração, o foco, a redução de ansiedade, a empatia, entre outros. O presente estudo teve como principal objetivo compreender quais as perceções de jogadoras de futebol adolescentes e jovens adultas acerca da prática sistemática de técnicas de Meditação e de Atenção Plena (Mindfulness) sobre a sua autoconfiança para a performance em geral, em situações específicas de treino e de jogo. Para tal, recorrendo a uma abordagem metodológica mista, foi implementado um estudo de caso, de caráter transversal, com uma breve componente psicoeducativa. Sete jogadoras de futebol com idades compreendidas entre os 15 e os 23 anos (M= 18.29; DP = 3.25) participaram no estudo e preencheram quatro instrumentos de avaliação para avaliar competências psicológicas (afeto e sentimento de bem-estar no futebol, competência percebida na performance desportiva, ansiedade antes dos jogos e os cinco atributos do Mindfulness). Posteriormente, participaram numa entrevista no formato focus group para apurar as suas perceções sobre os contributos destas práticas na sua autoconfiança e performance, onde executaram um breve exercício de Meditação (respiração diafragmática), ao que se seguiu discussão e reflexão guiada. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que, na sua maioria, as atletas foram da opinião de que a prática regular destas técnicas pode contribuir para o aumento da sua autoconfiança, do foco e concentração na tarefa, melhorando a sua capacidade para lidar com o erro e com situações adversas e/ou inesperadas, assim como diminuir a sua ansiedade antes dos jogos ou momentos decisivos. Os resultados vão ao encontro dos resultados de estudos anteriores sobre os benefícios da Meditação e de Mindfulness para a prática desportiva. Apesar do pequeno tamanho da amostra do presente estudo, os resultados parecem apontar no sentido da relevância de sensibilizar clubes, equipas técnicas e atletas para o papel destas técnicas nas suas competências psicológicas e performance em geral

Alcoolismo e cirrose hepática

Introdução: A despeito do desenvolvimento científico e tecnológico, ocorrido nas últimas décadas e o facto de todo o conhecimento fisiopatológico da cirrose hepática ter uma marcada influência global e empírica, o avanço na terapêutica tem sido lento, mantendo-se inúmeras áreas “cinzentas”. Concomitantemente, às elevadas taxas de mortalidade numa população demasiado jovem e activa e às taxas de morbilidade que levam a custos económico-sociais crescentes, faz com seja fundamental não só empenhar todo o esforço na uniformização do diagnóstico e tratamento precoces, mas sobretudo nas situações causais potencialmente preveníveis. Material e Métodos: Foi efectuada uma recolha de dados retrospectivos dos casos clínicos de Doença Hepática Alcoólica (número de doentes, idade, sexo, destino e diagnóstico) do ano de 2008 e um estudo comparativo com os mesmos dados de anos anteriores, 2004 - 2008, fornecidos pela Unidade de Alcoologia do Fundão, e posterior tratamento desses mesmos dados, de forma descritiva. Posteriormente, foi efectuada uma busca activa de revisões sistemáticas, meta-análises, estudos controlados e aleatorizados e estudos de Coorte sobre o tema. Resultados: De acordo com a análise descritiva dos dados estatísticos retrospectivos da Unidade de Alcoologia do Fundão, a maioria dos seus doentes no ano de 2008, foi do sexo masculino. O padrão etário prevalente foi entre os [41- 50] anos, seguindo-se a faixa etária dos [51-60] anos. O sexo masculino foi sempre o mais representativo, tendo havido um decréscimo gradual no número de óbitos ao longo dos 5 anos e no número de mulheres que recorreu à Unidade. O diagnóstico predominante foi o Síndrome de Dependência Alcoólica, seguido da Esteatose Hepática e por fim de Cirrose. No sexo feminino apenas foi diagnosticado o Síndrome de Dependência Alcoólica. Discussão: De acordo com os conhecimentos actuais vigentes na comunidade científica, considero em termos gerais, que no estudo efectuado através dos dados estatísticos teoricamente representativos deste concelho, houve concordância na prevalência do alcoolismo em idades socialmente activas [41-60] anos e no facto de apenas um pequeno número de doentes evoluirem de Esteatose Hepátca para Cirrose. Contráriamente, foi discordante, no panorama actual de feminização do álcool e na prevalência em idades jovens (adolescência). Conclusão: Um bom conhecimento da doença, dos factores de risco e do tratamento irá resultar numa melhor prevenção e tratamento da doença. Consensos e Guidelines para a prevenção, diagnóstico, tratamento e complicações da Cirrose hepática alcoólica, sujeitos a actualizações regulares, devem servir de referência a estratégias de actuação, a promover em cada unidade hospitalar.Introduction: Despite the scientific and technological development, which occurred in recent decades and the fact that all the pathophysiological knowledge of liver cirrhosis has a marked global and empirical influence, the progress in therapy has been slow, maintaining many dark areas. Concomitantly, the high mortality rates in a population too young and active and the rates of morbidity leading to rising economic and social costs, it is essential not only to commit all efforts in standardization of early diagnosis and treatment, but especially in the potentially preventable causal situations. Material and Methods: A collection of retrospective data was taken from clinical cases of Alcoholic Liver Disease (number of patients, age, sex, destination and diagnosis) in the year 2008 and a comparative study with the same data from previous years, 2004 - 2008, supplied by the Alcohol Unit of Fundão, and subsequent treatment of these data in a descriptive way. Subsequently, an active search was made of systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and randomized controlled studies and cohort studies on the subject. Results: Accordingly to the descriptive analysis of statistical data back of the Alcohol Unit of Fundão, the majority of their patients in the year 2008, was male. The pattern was prevalent among ages [41 to 50] years, followed by the age of [51-60] years. The male gender was always the most representative, and there was a gradual decrease in the number of deaths over 5 years and the number of women who used the unit. The predominant diagnosis was Alcohol Dependence Syndrome, followed by fatty liver and finally cirrhosis. The females were only diagnosed with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome. Discussion: According to current knowledge in the scientific community, I consider in general terms, that in the study made through the statistical data theoretically representative of this county, there was agreement on the prevalence of alcoholism in socially active ages [41-60] years and the fact that only a small number of patients evolve from Hepatic Steatosis to Cirrhosis. Contrarily, the data were inconsistent in the current picture of feminization of alcohol and the prevalence in young ages (adolescence). Conclusion: A good knowledge of the disease, risk factors and treatment will result in a better prevention and treatment of the disease. Consensus and guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and complications of Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis, subject to regular updates, should be references to performance strategies, to promote in each hospital

“Sharpening Your Mind, Strengthening Your Body” Parental Perceptions on the Use of Strength and Conditioning in Children and Youth

Although strength and conditioning is beneficial and safe for children to engage in there remain myths and misconceptions form parents regarding its use which prevent its widespread take up. This study explored parents’ attitudes and beliefs about strength and conditioning in their children. Thirty-one parents (21 dads, 10 mums) took part in one of four focus groups exploring the topic. Thematic analysis was used resulting in themes and sub themes centred on: Beliefs; Determinants; Coach Education; Coach Communication; and Relationship to the Game. There were also smaller aspects of the focus groups which touched upon autonomy as a concept related to implementation of strength and conditioning specifically. Overall, parents of children who play grassroots sport hold generally positive perceptions on use of strength and conditioning with their children, considering it beneficial for both physical and mental development. Key factors relating to successful implementation of strength and conditioning for children focus on having a qualified coach in that particular area (rather than a generic sports coach), effective communication between coach and parents, and coach and children in terms of the benefits of engaging with strength and conditioning

Time-resolved studies of the photodissociation of adenine

A novel time-resolved velocity map ion imaging (TR-VMI) experiment has been constructed and successfully applied to the study of non-statistical dissociation processes. The photodissociation of NH3 following the population of the ν2 ’ = 4 umbrella vibrational mode of the first electronically excited, Ã1A2”, singlet state, was initially studied. It was clearly observed that the N-H dissociation timescale was inversely proportional to kinetic energy released to the H fragment. Assignment of different kinetic energy regions of the TR-VMI transients to corresponding bending vibrational modes (ν2) of the X2B1 state NH2 photoproduct clearly suggests that dissociation into the vibrationless NH2 occurs in < 50 fs. Low kinetic energy channels, show extended dissociation timescales, strongly indicative of adiabatic dissociation to the first electronically excited state of NH2 (Ã2A1). With an aim of modelling the photodissociation dynamics of adenine, the photodissociation of pyrrole, imidazole, 2-methylimidazole, 4-methylimidazole and 2,4-dimethylimidazole following excitation at 200 nm were studied using time-resolved mass spectrometry (TR-MS) and VMI. In all cases ultrafast H elimination was observed in < 130 fs, consistent with direct dissociation via the repulsive 1πσ* potential energy surfaces. The photodissociation of 1- methyimidazole at this wavelength was also studied. Once again ultrafast H elimination was observed, but with greatly reduced yields, strongly suggesting H elimination from the non-heteroatom co-ordinates (C-H) also partaking in the photodissociation dynamics at this wavelength. TR-MS and VMI have also been applied to the study of the photodissociation of adenine, 9-methyladenine and 6-dimethylaminopurine. In all measured kinetic energy spectra a high kinetic energy channel has been observed, strongly suggesting the participation of 1πσ* potential energy surfaces of both the azole and amino co-ordinates in H elimination following excitation at 200 nm. Power dependence studies at 266 nm suggest H elimination, but subsequent TR-MS measurements seem to suggest that this is not due to the participation of the 1πσ* potential energy surfaces at this excitation wavelength

Functional study of AVE secreted genes during mouse embryogenesis: insights on the role of mADTK1

Tese dout., Biologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2009The vertebrate organisms are characterized by being asymmetrically organized in three different axes, it is important to study the onset of these axes. Several pathways are involved in this crucial event, among them is Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily which comprises several key molecules as Nodal and Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMP). The Anterior Visceral Endoderm (AVE) is a very important structure during mouse embryonic development, where first asymmetries start to show and axes start to be established. Several genes such as mouse cerberus-like, a member of the TGF-β superfamily, and a Nodal and BMP antagonist, are expressed in this tissue and are of major importance for correct development of the embryo. cerl-1 is a critical player in the Nodal signaling pathway, which is of major importance during gastrulation and the onset of axes establishment. Interestingly, the analysis of potential interactions between Cer-l and Nodal co-receptor Cripto, suggested the possibility of a Cripto independent Nodal signaling pathway, in establishing the anterior-posterior (A-P) and dorso-ventral (D-V) axes during embryonic development. In an attempt to further study the AVE a pool of novel genes upregulated in this tissue was discovered by a differential screening. Among these were found shisa and ADTK1. Previous work in Xenopus has shown that Shisa-1 inhibits both FGF and Wnt signaling pathways, by regulating the maturation of their receptors. Downregulation of Shisa-1 leads to defects in anterior structures. In the lab, it was demonstrated that Shisa-2 is involved in the correct development of somites. During this work, it was performed an exhaustive comparative analysis of shisa expression patterns in mouse and chick. Cross-species comparison showed that the expression pattern is conserved in mouse and chick, indicating that the Shisa family genes are typically expressed in tissues known to require the modulation of Wnt and FGF signaling, such as somites, eye and limbs. The largest part of this work consisted of the analysis of ADTK1 role in mouse. A detailed analysis of its expression pattern was performed, indicating several processes in which this gene might be involved in, such as the formation of anterior structures, limb and heart development and neurulation. This hypothesis was consistent with data from Xenopus and chick orthologs, where downregulation of ADTK1 leads to defects in neural tube closure and heart development, respectively. XV In order to evaluate ADTK1 biological function, a targeted inactivation was performed. Although the majority of ADTK1 null mutants presented no visible phenotype, some presented defects in the eye and ear. Skeletal analysis of ADTK1 null mutants demonstrated defects in bone length; these mutants present shorter limbs than their wild-type littermates. Regarding the internal organs, defects in kidney development were detected in all analyzed mutants. ADTK1 mutant kidneys were larger and had a reddish color, comparing to the wild-type littermates. Furthermore, preliminary histological analysis suggests that the kidney medullar region is affected, and that glomerular structures are diminished, when comparing to the wild type. The process of kidney development is a complex one, not yet fully understood. Several signaling pathways, such as Wnts, Shh, BMPs and FGFs, are involved in the process of nephrogenesis. Once again, as it happens with so many genes, ADTK1 null mutants don‟t mimic the defects presented by downregulation in Xenopus and chick orthologs. It is possible that the lack of striking phenotype can be accounted for the fact that, in mammals, there are several genes with redundant activity, preventing, this way, potential anomalies, and overcoming defects that could lead to embryonic development arrest.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT

Patterning in time and space: HoxB cluster gene expression in the developing chick embryo

The developing embryo is a paradigmatic model to study molecular mechanisms of time control in Biology. Hox genes are key players in the specification of tissue identity during embryo development and their expression is under strict temporal regulation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying timely Hox activation in the early embryo remain unknown. This is hindered by the lack of a rigorous temporal framework of sequential Hox expression within a single cluster. Herein, a thorough characterization of HoxB cluster gene expression was performed over time and space in the early chick embryo. Clear temporal collinearity of HoxB cluster gene expression activation was observed. Spatial collinearity of HoxB expression was evidenced in different stages of development and in multiple tissues. Using embryo explant cultures we showed that HoxB2 is cyclically expressed in the rostral presomitic mesoderm with the same periodicity as somite formation, suggesting a link between timely tissue specification and somite formation. We foresee that the molecular framework herein provided will facilitate experimental approaches aimed at identifying the regulatory mechanisms underlying Hox expression in Time and Space.Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal [PTDC/SAU-OBD/105111/2008, UMINHO/BI/7/2014, SFRH/BPD/65652/2009]; Ciencia Program Contract; Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON. 2) [NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000017]; FCT (National and FEDER COMPETE Program) [PTDC/SAU-BID/121459/2010, PTDC/SAU-OBD/099758/2008]; [PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2011]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Identification and functional analysis of novel genes expressed in the Anterior Visceral Endoderm

During early vertebrate development, the correct establishment of the body axes is critical. The anterior pole of the mouse embryo is established when Distal Visceral Endoderm (DVE) cells migrate to form the Anterior Visceral Endoderm (AVE). Symmetrical expression of Lefty1, Cer1 and Dkk1 determines the direction of DVE migration and the future anterior side. In addition to the establishment of the Anterior-Posterior axis, the AVE has also been implicated in anterior neural specification. To better understand the role of the AVE in these processes, we have performed a differential screening using Affymetrix GeneChip technology with AVE cells isolated from cer1P-EGFP transgenic mouse embryos. We found 175 genes which were upregulated in the AVE and 36 genes in the Proximal-posterior sample. Using DAVID software, we characterized the AVE cell population regarding cellular component, molecular function and biological processes. Among the genes that were found to be upregulated in the AVE, several novel genes were identified. Four of these transcripts displaying high-fold change in the AVE were further characterized by in situ hybridization in early stages of development in order to validate the screening. From those four selected genes, one, denominated Adtk1, was chosen to be functionally characterized by targeted inactivation in ES cells. Adtk1 encodes for a serine/threonine kinase. Adtk1 null mutants are smaller and present short limbs due to decreased mineralization, suggesting a potential role in chondrogenesis during limb development. Taken together, these data point to the importance of reporting novel genes present in the AVE.F.C.T.; IGC/FCG; IBB/CBME, L

Immunotherapy around the clock: impact of infusion timing on stage IV melanoma outcomes

© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Although the impact of circadian timing on immunotherapy has yet to be integrated into clinical practice, chronoimmunotherapy is an emerging and promising field as circadian oscillations are observed in immune cell numbers as well as the expression of immunotherapy targets, e.g., programmed cell death protein-1 and its ligand programmed death ligand 1. Concurrent retrospective studies suggest that morning infusions may lead to higher effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and kidney cancer. This paper discusses the results of a retrospective study (2016-2022) exploring the impact of infusion timing on the outcomes of all 73 patients with stage IV melanoma receiving immunotherapy at a particular medical center. While the median overall survival (OS) was 24.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.04-39.8), for a median follow-up of 15.3 months, our results show that having more than 75% of infusions in the afternoon results in shorter median OS (14.9 vs. 38.1 months; hazard ratio 0.45 [CI 0.23-0.86]; p < 0.01) with more expressive impacts on particular subgroups: women, older patients, and patients with a lower tumor burden at the outset of immunotherapy. Our findings highlight the potential benefits of follow-up validation in prospective and translational randomized studies.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Immunotherapy around the Clock: Impact of Infusion Timing on Stage IV Melanoma Outcomes

Although the impact of circadian timing on immunotherapy has yet to be integrated into clinical practice, chronoimmunotherapy is an emerging and promising field as circadian oscillations are observed in immune cell numbers as well as the expression of immunotherapy targets, e.g., programmed cell death protein-1 and its ligand programmed death ligand 1. Concurrent retrospective studies suggest that morning infusions may lead to higher effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and kidney cancer. This paper discusses the results of a retrospective study (2016-2022) exploring the impact of infusion timing on the outcomes of all 73 patients with stage IV melanoma receiving immunotherapy at a particular medical center. While the median overall survival (OS) was 24.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.04-39.8), for a median follow-up of 15.3 months, our results show that having more than 75% of infusions in the afternoon results in shorter median OS (14.9 vs. 38.1 months; hazard ratio 0.45 [CI 0.23-0.86]; p < 0.01) with more expressive impacts on particular subgroups: women, older patients, and patients with a lower tumor burden at the outset of immunotherapy. Our findings highlight the potential benefits of follow-up validation in prospective and translational randomized studies

The transcription factor Ndt80 is a repressor of candida parapsilosis virulence attributes

Candida parapsilosis is an emergent opportunistic yeast among hospital settings that affects mainly neonates and immunocompromised patients. Its most remarkable virulence traits are the ability to adhere to prosthetic materials, as well as the formation of biofilm on abiotic surfaces. The Ndt80 transcription factor was identified as one of the regulators of biofilm formation by C. parapsilosis; however, its function in this process was not yet clarified. By knocking out NDT80 (CPAR2-213640) gene, or even just one single copy of the gene, we observed substantial alterations of virulence attributes, including morphogenetic changes, adhesion and biofilm growth profiles. Both ndt80Δ and ndt80ΔΔ mutants changed colony and cell morphologies from smooth, yeast-shaped to crepe and pseudohyphal elongated forms, exhibiting promoted adherence to polystyrene microspheres and notably, forming a higher amount of biofilm compared to wild-type strain. Interestingly, we identified transcription factors Ume6, Cph2, Cwh41, Ace2, Bcr1, protein kinase Mkc1 and adhesin Als7 to be under Ndt80 negative regulation, partially explaining the phenotypes displayed by the ndt80ΔΔ mutant. Furthermore, ndt80ΔΔ pseudohyphae adhered more rapidly and were more resistant to murine macrophage attack, becoming deleterious to such cells after phagocytosis. Unexpectedly, our findings provide the first evidence for a direct role of Ndt80 as a repressor of C. parapsilosis virulence attributes. This finding shows that C. parapsilosis Ndt80 functionally diverges from its homolog in the close related fungal pathogen C. albicans.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio