Family and systems therapy and training in Portugal

"Author's personal copy"The history of systemic family therapy in Portugal since its appearance until the present is discussed. Some data on systemic family therapists' training is provided in the context of the Portuguese Society of Family Therapy and Academic Institutions. In Portugal, family therapy has been extended to various contexts, including medical and community services. Finally, future directions for family and systems therapy practice and training in Portugal are provided emphasizing the importance of family interventions as an important resource to empower families living with health chronic conditions. The Portuguese Family Therapy Society, every 2 years, organizes a scientific Iberian conference with Portuguese and Spanish speakers. This allows the exchange of clinical experience and research about family and systems theory

Interactions between contact lenses and lens care solutions: Influence in optical properties

Purpose: Investigate changes in optical properties of contact lenses materials (transmittance and reflectance) and lens care solutions (absorption and fluorescence) resulting from its interaction. Methods: From an experimental study, triplicate measurements of transmittance and reflectance of five contact lenses (Senofilcon A, Lotrafilcon B, Balafilcon A, Comfilcon A, and Omafilcon A), as well as UV-vis absorption and fluorescence of four lens care solutions (LCS) (ReNu MultiPlus, Biotrue, OPTI-FREE PureMoist, and AOSept Plus), were evaluated before and after 8 h, one day and one week in storage. The outcomes were provided by Shimadzu UV3101-PC UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere, between 200-700 nm, and SPEX-Fluorolog 2 FL3-22 spectrofluorometer. Results: All variables exhibited statistically significant differences over time. Comfilcon A showed the lowest ultraviolet radiation (UVR) A & B attenuation. Balafilcon A and Lotrafilcon B displayed a slight suppression of UVR. Senofilcon A was effective in UVR protection and showed less effect on the fluorescence of lens care solutions. Overall, the reflectance decreased after storage (p < 0.05). AOSept Plus absorbance and fluorescence demonstrated lower interactions than multipurpose solutions (MPS), and Lotrafilcon B induced more remarkable changes in optical properties of LCS than the other materials. Conclusion: The findings suggest that optical variables of lens care solutions and contact lenses changed mutually after storage, probably associated with biochemical and biophysical interactions between components and the release of some polymer compounds. These findings can provide additional information about the interaction of CL materials and LCS in clinical behavior.This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT-Portugal) in the framework of the Strategic Funding of CF-UM-UP (UIDB/04650/2020)

Evaluation of optical properties of different types of contact lenses

The main objective of this work was to attain a deeper knowledge of contact lenses (CL) optical properties and to understand the influence of CL power on other properties which can affect the optical performance and compromise the ocular physiology.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), QREN/FSE/COMPETE

Descritores morfológicos quantitativos de passiflora setacea em cultivos orgânicos e convencionais.

O gênero Passiflora tem como principais características serem plantas trepadeiras herbáceas ou lenhosas de ramos cilíndricos ou quadrangulares, angulosas, suberificadas, glabras ou pilosas (TEIXEIRA, 1994). O Brasil é um dos centros da diversidade de espécies do gênero, com estimativas de que existam mais de 200 espécies muitas distribuídas nas áreas de Cerrado (Souza e Meletti, 1997). A Passiflora setacea é uma dessas espécies nativas encontradas nos biomas Cerrado e Caatinga (OLIVEIRA; RUGIERO, 2005). De acordo com a descrição botânica da espécie, a P. setacea apresenta caule cilíndrico tomentoso com tricomas suaves e macios. Estípulas setáceas, de 5 mm, decíduas. Pecíolos de 3 cm, próximos à base foliar, com um par de glândulas sésseis, medindo cerca de 1 mm de largura. Folhas de 5-8 × 6-10 cm, trilobadas (lóbulos oblongos ou oblongo-lanceolados), serreadas nos bordos, cordadas na base, trinervadas, membranáceas a subcoriáceas, normalmente pilosas em ambas as superfícies; tricomas macios ao tato; raramente glabras em uma das superfícies. Pedúnculos de 8-10 cm, robustos, articulados perto do ápice, tomentosos. Brácteas em número de três, verticiladas, situadas cerca de 1 cm da base floral, oblongo-lanceoladas, acuminadas no ápice, estreitando-se na base; bordo serreado ou da metade para o ápice. Flores com cerca de 10 cm de diâmetro. Tubo do cálice cilíndrico campanulado, de 1,5 cm. Sépalas oblongas, margem verde e centro branco, carenadas (dorsalmente existe uma arista setácea de 1 a 1,5 cm de comprimento), na face abaxial numerosas glândulas sésseis. Pétalas linear-oblongas, alvas. Corona de filamentos em uma única série, de 1 cm de comprimento; filamentos subulados, bandeados de branco e azul. Opérculo membranoso, tubular, ereto, fimbriado no terço superior. Limen cupuliforme, envolvendo frouxamente a base do androginóforo. Ovário elipsoidal, glabro. Fruto ovóide, aveludado. Sementes obovadas, foveoladas (CERVI, 1997). Os descritores morfológicos botânicos têm como objetivo a coleta de dados referentes a características como dimensão, massa e cor de frutos, flores, folhas e sementes. Conhecimento esse que é importante para a caracterização de espécies e variedades e são determinantes para orientar trabalhos de melhoramento genético, alem de gerar subsídios para o sistema de produção e servirem de referência para o registro e proteção de cultivares no Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA). Essas características observadas para a obtenção dos descritores botânicos, podem se alterar de acordo com o ambiente em que a planta esta localiza, já que plantas podem tem respostas diferentes em seu desenvolvimento frente à disponibilidade de nutrientes no solo, luz, água, suscetibilidade a pragas e outras questões ambientais (RAVEN, 1996). Dessa forma uma mesma espécie, quando cultivada em tratamentos orgânicos e convencionais, pode apresentar aspectos morfológicos diferentes entre os seus indivíduos, e como nos últimos anos houve um constante crescimento da demanda por produtos orgânicos e ecologicamente corretos (ORMOND et al, 2002), é indispensável que se tenha noção de como certas espécies se comportam frente a um tratamento orgânico, e se existe viabilidade comercial em sua produção. Portanto o objetivo do presente trabalho foi verificar se indivíduos da espécie Passiflroa setacea apresentam diferenças morfológicas quando submetidos a cultivo convencional ou orgânico

Survival of probiotic microbial strains in a cheese matrix during ripening: Simulation of rates of salt diffusion and microorganism survival

The growth and survival behaviours of Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus acidophilus in a semi-hard Gouda cheese at various axial locations during 9 wk of ripening at 13 °C were assessed using non-linear regression analysis. The final average salt levels ranged in 2–4%(w/w). Viable numbers of both probiotic strains underwent a slow decline during the first 3 wk followed by a sharper decrease towards the end of ripening; such decrease was more substantial for the outer than for the inner cheese portions. Salt transport was successfully described by Fick's second law of diffusion, and the cheese was considered as a finite slab for modelling purposes. Salt diffusivity remained constant with time and was estimated to be 0.2 cm2/day. Theoretical salt concentration profiles were in good agreement with experimental data. The mathematical models postulated and fitted to the microbial viability data encompassed both a linear relationship between specific death rate and salt concentration and a constant death rate, following a methodology of increasing model complexity. Decision on the better model was taken based on a F-test of the ratio of incremental sum of squares of residuals to sum of squares of residuals of the more complex model, and it was concluded that viability of the probiotic strains was better described by a first order process independent of local salt concentration. Prediction of profiles of viable numbers of B. lactis and L. acidophilus in cheese with respect to both ripening time and axial location for several overall salt concentrations is useful in attempts to predict potential viability by the time of consumption

Relationship between the stability and surface tension of the tear film

FCT, QREN and FEDER/COMPETE through CFUM

Portuguese Adaptation of Students Engagement in Schools International Scale (SESIS)

The importance of student’s engagement has been recently pointed out in research. However, there has been a lack of engagement assessment instrument, pertaining psychometric qualities. Objective: This paper presents the Portuguese adaptation of the “Student’s Engagement in School International Scale” (SESIS), drawn up from a12 countries international study (Lam et al., 2012; Lam et al., in press). Method: Psychometric properties of this scale were examined with data from 685 students from different grades (6th, 7th, 9th and 10th), from both sexes, and different regions of the country. Results: Factorial analysis of the results, with varimax rotation, lead to three different factors which explain 50.88% of the variance. The scale integrates the original 33 items, and cognitive, affective and behavioural dimensions. For the external validity study, the relationship between student’s engagement in school results and other school variables — academic performance, self-concept — was considered, and significant relations were observed, as expected. Conclusion: The data presented highlights the qualities of SESIS, as well as its usefulness for research purposes. Suggestion: It is suggested the investigation of the extension of SESIS’s three-dimensionality, in future studiesKeywords: Innovation, technology, research projects, etc. [Arial 10-point, justified alignment]

Development and validation of an HPLC method for the quantitation of 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methylxanthone in biodegradable nanoparticles

A rapid and simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methylxanthone (DHMXAN) in biodegradable poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanosphere and nanocapsule formulations is developed and validated. The method does not require any complex sample extraction procedure. Chromatographic separation is made with a reversed-phase C18 column, using methanol-water (90:10, v/v) containing 1% (v/v) acetic acid as a mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. Identification is made by UV detection at 237 nm. The isocratic system operates at ambient temperature and requires 7.5 min of chromatographic time. The developed method is statistically validated according to ICH guidelines and USP 29 for its specificity, linearity, accuracy, and precision. The assay method proposed in this study is specific for DHMXAN in the presence of nanosphere and nanocapsule excipients. Diode-array analyses confirm the purity of DHMXAN peak in stress conditions (> 99.0%). The method is shown to be linear (r 0.999) over the concentration range of 0.25-3.0 g/mL. Recovery ranges from 99.0% to 102.7% (RSD: 1.49%) and from 98.3% to 101.6% (RSD: 1.07%) for nanospheres and nanocapsules, respectively. Repeatability (intraassay precision) and intermediate precision is acceptable with RSD values ranging from 0.6% to 1.9% and from 0.3% to 2.0%, respectively. The method is shown to be suitable for the evaluation of DHMXAN content entrapped in PLGA nanoparticles