56 research outputs found
The moderating role of self-care behaviors in personal care aides of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new challenges and work changes for formal caregivers such as personal care aides with an impact on their quality of life (QoL). This cross-sectional study aims to analyze the relationships and contribution of sociodemographic and psychological
variables towards QoL including the moderating role of self-care. This study included 127 formal
caregivers from Portugal who were assessed on depression, anxiety and stress (DASS-21); professional
self-care (SCAP); quality of life (SF-12); COVID-19 traumatic stress (COVID-19TSC) and preventive
COVID-19 infection behaviors (PCOVID-19 IBS). Professional self-care was positively associated with
QoL and also moderated the relationship between distress and QoL (p < 0.001). According to results,
nursing homes should provide formal caregivers, such as personal care aides, with the professional
support they need in order to promote their QoL and prevent burnout.This study was conducted at the Psychology Research Centre (PSI/01662), School of Psychology, University of Minho, supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) through the Portuguese State Budget (Ref.: UIDB/PSI/01662/2020
Exploring Metabolic Signatures of Ex Vivo Tumor Tissue Cultures for Prediction of Chemosensitivity in Ovarian Cancer
Predicting patient response to treatment and the onset of chemoresistance are still major challenges in oncology. Chemoresistance is deeply influenced by the complex cellular interactions occurring within the tumor microenvironment (TME), including metabolic crosstalk. We have previously shown that ex vivo tumor tissue cultures derived from ovarian carcinoma (OvC) resections retain the TME components for at least four weeks of culture and implemented assays for assessment of drug response. Here, we explored ex vivo patient-derived tumor tissue cultures to uncover metabolic signatures of chemosensitivity and/or resistance. Tissue cultures derived from nine OvC cases were challenged with carboplatin and paclitaxel, the standard-of-care chemotherapeutics, and the metabolic footprints were characterized by LC-MS. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed metabolic signatures that discriminated high-responder from low-responder tissue cultures to ex vivo drug exposure. As a proof-of-concept, a set of potential metabolic biomarkers of drug response was identified based on the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, comprising amino acids, fatty acids, pyrimidine, glutathione, and TCA cycle pathways. Overall, this work establishes an analytical and computational platform to explore metabolic features of the TME associated with response to treatment, which can leverage the discovery of biomarkers of drug response and resistance in OvC.publishersversionpublishe
Uma boa prática de promoção da saúde e prevenção das demências e fragilidade no concelho de Ponte da Barca
Gabinete de Investigação, Informação e Apoio ao Cuidador e Pessoa com Demência e
Fragilidade (GIIAC) insere-se no Plano IADem (Plano de Investigação e Ação nas
Demências) resultante do Acordo de Cooperação e Parceria entre: Santa Casa da
Misericórdia de Ponte da Barca, Unidade Local de Saúde do Alto Minho, EPE – Unidade
de Cuidados na Comunidade de Ponte da Barca e Centro de Investigação em Psicologia
- Universidade do Minho, baseado na Portaria n.º 194/2014, de 30-09 e despacho nº
5988/2018, de 19-06.
O GIIAC destina-se à pessoa com/suspeita de patologia neurológica/fragilidade e
cuidadores (in)formais, visa identificar precocemente e avaliar continuamente, através
do diagnóstico atempado, acesso a tratamentos farmacológicos/não-farmacológicos e
integração entre CSP e cuidados hospitalares. Até à data intervimos com 800 idosos
crónico-dependentes em visita domiciliária, 250 utentes em ERPI e 600 cuidadores
(in)formais em ações de capacitação/autocuidado, permitindo diagnóstico integral e
planeamento de cuidados
Quality of life in caregivers of patients with multiple myeloma
Objectives: This study aimed to assess the relationship between sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological variables with quality of life (QoL) and the moderating role of caregivers' age and caregiving duration in caregivers of patients with Multiple Myeloma.Method: The sample included 118 caregivers who completed questionnaires that assessed psychological morbidity, satisfaction with social support, coping, burden, unmet needs, and QoL.Results: High psychological morbidity, burden and information, financial and emotional unmet needs were associated with lower QoL, while higher satisfaction with social support and more effective use of coping strategies were associated with better QoL. Women caregivers reported more satisfaction with social support and those who did not choose to care reported greater financial unmet needs and more use of coping strategies. The relationship between caregivers' psychological morbidity/social support and QoL was mediated by emotional needs and double mediated by coping and burden. The caregivers' age moderated the relationship between psychological morbidity/social support and emotional needs.Conclusion: Interventions to support the caregiver's emotional needs to promote their QoL are needed. These should be particularly tailored for older caregivers reporting greater psychological morbidity and younger caregivers less satisfied with their social support, as they have a negative indirect impact on their QoL.Portuguese Associations of Portuguese Association against Leukemia and the PortugueseAssociation of Leukemias and Lymphoma
Comparação entre a concentração de nutrientes das folhas e do folhedo do Jacarandá-da-Bahia (Dalbergia nigra) e da cabreúva (Myroxylon peruiferum).
O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a concentração de nutrientes das folhas e do folhedo do jacarandá-da-Bahia e da cabreúva, cultivados na Estação Experimental de Tupi, no município de Piracicaba-SP, em um Podzólico Vermelho Amarelo distrófico Tb abrupto
Comparison in the Trichoderma longibrachiatum xyloglucanase production using tamarind (Tamarindus indica) and jatobá (Hymenaea courbaril) seeds: factorial design and immobilization on ionic supports
in the control of the stretching and expansion of the plant cell wall. There are five types of enzymes known to be capable of cleaving the linear chain of xyloglucan, the most famous of them being the xyloglucanase (XEG). The immobilization can be used to solve problems related to stability, besides the economic benefits brought by the possibility of repeated use and recovery, decreasing the costs of production. Therefore, this study aims the optimization of the production of a xyloglucanase from Trichoderma longibrachiatum, with the aid of factorial design, using tamarind (Tamarindus indica) and jatobá (Hymenaea courbaril) seeds as carbon source; and the immobilization of the enzyme on ionic supports, such as MANAE (monoamino-N-aminoethyl), DEAE (diethylaminoethyl)-cellulose, CM (carboxymethyl)-cellulose and PEI (polyethyleneimine). High concentrations of carbon source in the culture medium, especially tamarind seeds, were the most favorable conditions for the greater activity of the xyloglucanase from T. longibrachiatum. The scaling up from Erlenmeyer flasks to the bioreactor was an essential strategy to increase the content of secreted enzyme. Regarding the biochemical characterization of the crude extract, the optimal temperature was 50-55 °C and the optimal pH 5.0.
Regarding the stabilities to pH and to temperature, the enzyme was not stable for prolonged periods, which was crucial for the performing of immobilization on ionic resins (CM-cellulose, DEAE-cellulose, MANAE, and PEI), being the first time described in literature the immobilization of a xyloglucanase on these supports.We thank the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do estado de São Paulo (process 2018/07522-6; 2014/50884-5), and Conselho Nacional de Dsenvolvimento Científico (process 301963/2017-7; 465319/2014-9).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Meglumine antimoniate and miltefosine combined with allopurinol sustain pro-inflammatory immune environments during canine leishmaniosis treatment
Research Areas: Veterinary SciencesCanine leishmaniosis (CanL) caused by Leishmania infantum is a zoonotic disease of global concern. Antileishmanial drug therapies commonly used to treat sick dogs improve their clinical condition, although when discontinued relapses can occur. Thus, the current study aims to evaluate the effect of CanL treatments in peripheral blood, lymph node, and bone marrow cytokine profile associated with clinical recovery. Two groups of six dogs diagnosed with CanL were treated with miltefosine combined with allopurinol and meglumine antimoniate combined with allopurinol (MT+A and MG+A), respectively. At diagnosis and after treatment, during a 3-month follow-up, clinical signs, hematological and biochemical parameters, urinalysis results and antileishmanial antibody titers were registered. Furthermore, peripheral blood, popliteal lymph node, and bone marrow samples were collected to assess the gene expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12, TNF-alpha, TGF-beta, and IFN-gamma by qPCR. In parallel, were also evaluated samples obtained from five healthy dogs. Both treatment protocols promoted the remission of clinical signs as well as normalization of hematological and biochemical parameters and urinalysis values. Antileishmanial antibodies returned to non-significant titers in all dogs. Sick dogs showed a generalized upregulation of IFN-gamma and downregulation of IL-2, IL-4, and TGF-beta, while gene expression of IL-12, TNF-alpha, IL-5, and IL-10 varied between groups and according to evaluated tissue. A trend to the normalization of cytokine gene expression was induced by both miltefosine and meglumine antimoniate combined therapies. However, IFN-gamma gene expression was still up-regulated in the three evaluated tissues. Furthermore, the effect of treatment in the gene expression of cytokines that were not significantly changed by infection, indicates that miltefosine and meglumine antimoniate combined therapy directly affects cytokine generation. Both combined therapies are effective in CanL treatment, leading to sustained pro-inflammatory immune environments that can compromise parasite survival and favor dogs' clinical cure. In the current study, anti-inflammatory and regulatory cytokines do not seem to play a prominent role in CanL or during clinical recovery.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Calcium biofortification of Rocha pears, tissues accumulation and physicochemical implications in fresh and heat-treated fruits
Low dietary intake of Ca in humans has been epidemiologically linked to various diseases, which can have
serious health consequences over time. Accordingly, the development of an agronomic itinerary for Ca biofortification
of Rocha pears and the assessment of physicochemical deviations prompted this study. Two orchards
with contrasting soil and water characteristics were selected, characterized through orthophotomaping and,
during fruits development, leaves were sprayed twice with Ca(NO3)2 (0.1, 0.3 and 0.6 kg ha - 1) or CaCl2 (0.4, 0.8
and 1.6 kg ha - 1), followed by pulverization only with CaCl2 (first once with 4 kg ha - 1 and then four times with 8
kg ha - 1). During fruits development net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rates, instantaneous
and water use efficiency, only showed minor deviations, which indicated that the threshold of toxicity was not
surpassed. Calcium contents varied during fruits development and at harvesting the average biofortification
index varied between 47 %–63 % and 24 %–59 % in each of the orchards. Besides, the equatorial region of the
fruits showed for all treatments (substantially in Ca treated samples) higher Ca contents in the epidermal and in
the central regions. Fresh and heat-treated fruits (in a thermomix at 90 ◦C, during 10 min) biofortified with Ca
only revealed minor differences and the sensory acceptability did not vary markedly. It is concluded that,
although prevailing a heterogeneous distribution of Ca in fruit tissues, high indexes of biofortification in Rocha
pears can be prompt in the orchards, without substantial physicochemical changes. Accordingly, agronomic
biofortification with Ca can be used as a strategy for benefiting consumer’s healthinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Dyadic adjustment, family coping, body image, quality of life and psychological morbidity in patients with psoriasis and their partners
Background Psoriasis is an incurable and chronic disease
that includes unpredictable periods of remission and relapse
requiring long-term therapy.
Purpose This paper focuses on the relationship among
family coping, psychological morbidity, body image,
dyadic adjustment and quality of life in psoriatic patients
and their partners.
Method One hundred and one patients with psoriasis and
78 partners comprised the sample. They were regular users
of the Dermatology Service of a Central Northern hospital
in Portugal and a private dermatology clinic. Patients with
psoriasis were assessed on anxiety, depression, body image,
quality of life, dyadic adjustment and family coping.
Partners were assessed on the same measures except body
image and quality of life.
Results A positive relationship among dyadic adjustment,
psychological morbidity and family coping in patients and
their partners was found. Also, patients with lower levels of
quality of life had partners with higher levels of depressive
and anxious symptoms. Better dyadic adjustment predicted
family coping in the psoriatic patient. High levels of dyadic
adjustment in patients and low partners’ trait anxiety
predicted better dyadic adjustment in partners.
Conclusion The results highlight the importance of incorporating
family variables in psychological interventions in
psoriasis’ care, particularly family coping and dyadic
adjustment as well as the need for psychological intervention
to focus both on patients and partners
Temas de investigação em direitos humanos para o século XXI
Edição comemorativa do 10.º aniversário do Mestrado em Direitos Humanos da Universidade do Minho.Este livro é uma celebração do ensino e da investigação em direitos humanos que têm vindo a ser desenvolvidos, na Escola de Direito da Universidade do Minho, há já mais de uma década. A sua publicação num momento em que se avolumam os riscos para valores fundamentais subjacentes à proteção dos direitos humanos – como a igualdade e a não discriminação, a proibição da escravatura e de tratamentos cruéis, desumanos e degradantes, a liberdade de religião ou crença, entre muitos outros –, torna-o especialmente oportuno. Os sinais de aparente retrocesso no consenso das nossas sociedades a respeito desses valores – visíveis no triunfo político de discursos abertamente racistas, xenófobos, sexistas, etc. – recordam-nos que, também no mundo ocidental, os direitos humanos são um work in progress, não um dado adquirido. Os novos riscos para a dignidade da pessoa humana associados aos avanços tecnológicos andam de par com velhas formas de subalternização e de opressão. O campo para a reflexão crítica é muito vasto. Os temas que hoje (pre)ocupam académicos, decisores políticos e ativistas de direitos humanos são também aqueles que estruturam o plano de estudos do Mestrado em Direitos Humanos da Universidade do Minho. Todos estes temas surgem ao longo do presente livro, que reúne contributos de muitos dos membros da comunidade científica e académica que o Mestrado em Direitos Humanos mobilizou e ajudou a dinamizar ao longo da última década, entre docentes do Mestrado, colaboradores em júris de provas públicas e/ou na orientação de mestrandos, oradores convidados e estudantes. Os textos aqui reunidos refletem bem as sinergias interdisciplinares, interinstitucionais e inter-nacionais que o Mestrado em Direitos Humanos foi capaz de criar, não apenas pela variedade de campos disciplinares representados – Direito, Filosofia, Relações Internacionais, Antropologia –, mas também pela participação de autores que são docentes e/ou investigadores em diversas instituições nacionais e estrangeiras, como a Faculdade de Direito da Universidade do Porto, a Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra, a Universidade Federal da Paraíba e a Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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