Beliefs About Psychological Problems Inventory (BAPPI) : development and psychometric properties

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Prof. Paulo Moreira, Instituto de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, Universidade Lusíada, Rua de Moçambique 21 e 71, Porto 4100-348, Portugal. Email: [email protected] clients’ belief systems are components of Effective Therapy Relationships. Thus, it is desirable to include clients’ beliefs about their psychological problems on systematic assessment protocols underlying the process of systematic treatment selection and of tailoring the treatment to the person. However, assessment instruments which specifically capture clients’ beliefs about their psychological problems are scarce. The objective of the studies presented was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Beliefs About Psychological Problems Inventory (BAPPI), an assessment instrument of the clients’ beliefs about their psychological problems. Study 1 (Exploratory Factor Analysis) involved 200 participants, and Study 2 (Confirmatory Factor Analysis and other validity studies), involved 545 participants. Results revealed that the BAPPI presents a stable factorial structure of six dimensions (Psychodynamic, Humanistic, Biomedical, Cognitive-Behavioral, Systemic, and Eclectic/Integrative). Altogether, analyses of items, internal consistency, reliability, and external validity revealed that the BAPPI is a valid assessment instrument for use in mental health research and practice, especially in the process of systematic treatment selection and, therefore, of matching/tailoring the treatment to the client’s characteristics

Mothers' eating styles influence on their feeding practices and on their children's appetite traits

Background: Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents has become an important public health concern in the last decades. To study the way mothers and childrens behavioral factors interact with each other, influencing eating and body weight, may provide information to be used in preventive and treatment strategies.Goals: To study the association of mothers eating style on their feeding behavior and on their childrens eating behavior.Methods: Cross-sectional observational study with a non-probabilistic sample of mother and child dyads (from three schools). Mothers eating behavior (assessed with Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire scale; DEBQ) was classified and they were grouped into three eating styles: restrictive, emotional-external or neutral styles. Mothers feeding restriction, pressure to eat and concern about childs weight were assessed (through the Child Feeding Questionnaire; CFQ). Finally, mothers classified their childs appetite behaviors (with the Childrens Eating Behaviour Questionnaire; CEBQ).Results: Overall, participated 279 mothers, aged between 23 and 59 years (Mean= 38.03 years, SD=5.09) and respective children (n=279), aged between 6 and 13 years (Mean= 9.43 years, SD= 1.35), 140 of those were females (50.2 %). Associations between mothers eating style, their feeding behaviors and childrens appetite traits showed that restrictive and emotional-external eating mothers had higher scores of CFQ and CEBQ items related with obesity, when compared to neutral eating style mothers. Mothers feeding restriction and childrens weight concern associated positively with childrens food approach behaviors (enjoyment of food, food responsiveness, emotional over-eating), and negatively with food avoidance behaviors (satiety responsiveness and slowness in eating). On the contrary, pressure to eat associated positively with food avoidance behaviors and negatively with food approach behaviors. Mothers concern about child weight and feeding restriction were positively associated with CEBQ subscales that reflect food approach and negatively associated with subscales that reflect food avoidance. Pressure to eat had the symmetric associations. Discussion: Results support the hypothesis of the transmission of eating behaviors that promote obesity from mothers to children, and have implications both for prevention and children and adolescents obesity treatment. Therefore, mothers should be a part of the intervention when treating their children obesity</jats:p

Functionalised collagen-MnO2 fibres inhibit oxidative-induced apoptosis in degenerated IVD

Intervertebral disc cell apoptosis has been reported as the major factor responsible in promoting disc degeneration. In this study we hypothesize that collagen fibres with manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoparticles (NPs) can increase oxygen levels by scavenging ROS species and converting it into byproducts. The specific objective of this study is to fabricate collagen fibres incorporating NPs (Fig. 1), with controlled degradability that are able to scavenge ROS species and generate O2 while inhibiting annulus fibrosus (AF) cell apoptosis under inflamed conditions.Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), the European Regional Development Fund (13/RC/2073)Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/81356/2011

The influence of lens material and lens wear on the removal and viability of staphylococcus epidermidis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of lens material and lens wear on the removal capability of Staphylococcus epidermidis. Assessment of viability of remaining adhered bacteria was another goal of this work. Four silicone hydrogel materials (galyfilcon A, balafilcon A, lotrafilcon A, lotrafilcon B) and one conventional hydrogel material (etafilcon A) were assayed. Methods: Detachment studies on S. epidermidis were carried out in a parallel plate flow chamber. Contact lenses (CLs) were fitted to the bottom of the flow chamber and a bacterial suspension was perfused into the system, promoting bacterial adhesion. Afterwards, detachment was stimulated using a multipurpose solution (MPS, ReNu Multiplus®) and the percentage of removed bacteria estimated through microscopic observation and enumeration. Remaining adhered bacteria were stained with propidium iodide (PI) and enumerated in order to assess their viability. Additionally, the worn lenses were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to visualize bacterial distribution along the lens surfaces. Results: Bacterial removal was significant ( p < 0.05) for both unworn and worn galyfilcon A and etafilcon A. Galyfilcon A exhibited a detachment percentage of 59.1 and 63.5 while etafilcon A of 62.6 and 69.3, both for unworn and worn lenses, respectively. As far as bacterial viability is concerned, it was found that worn lenses exhibit a superior amount of non-viable bacteria than unworn CLs. Images obtained by CLSM revealed an irregular bacterial distribution for all lens materials. Conclusions: It appears that surface and/or bulk structure of the lens material affects removal of S. epidermidis while CL wear influences their viability.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Attachment of a clinical strain of Staphylococcus epidermidis to worn and unworn silicone hydrogel contact lenses

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses (CL) are the newest kind of disposable lens commercially available. The copolymerization of silicone elastomers with hydrogels improves the oxygen transmissibility of silicon hydrogel CL when comparing to the conventional hydrogel CL, contributing to a better oxygen supply to the corneal tissues. However, despite this great advantage, this type of CL is usually more hydrophobic and thus is expected to be more prone to microbial colonization. The aim of this work was to study the attachment of a clinical strain of S. epidermidis (9142) to worn and unworn silicone-hydrogel CL through dynamic adhesion assays. The silicone hydrogel CL used in this study were Balafilcon A (Purevision™, Baush&Lomb), Galyfilcon A (Acuvue®Advance™ with Hydraclear, Jonhson&Jonhson Vision Care), Lotrafilcon A (Focus® Night & Day™, Ciba Vision) and Lotrafilcon B (O2Optix™, CibaVision). A conventional hydrogel Etafilcon A (Acuvue®, Jonhson&Jonhson) was also assayed. The worn CL were obtained from a group of human volunteers that used the silicone hydrogels during 1 month and the conventional hydrogel for a period of 15 days, in a daily wear schedule. The attachment assays were performed in a parallel plate flow chamber at laminar flow. The attachment experiments revealed that unworn silicone hydrogels are more prone to bacterial colonization than worn CL. Contact angle measurements, performed with Millipore water, demonstrated that after wear silicone-hydrogel CL become less hydrophobic, which may explain the decrease in the extent of bacterial adhesion to worn CL. In addition the reduction on contact angles formed on this type of lenses may be due to the adsorption of amphiphilic molecules present in the lachrymal tear film such as proteins and lipids. The conventional hydrogel Etafilcon A showed a different behaviour compared with the silicone hydrogels, concerning both hydrophobicity and bacterial attachment. This CL becomes hydrophobic after wear and exhibit an increase in bacterial colonization. This result may be due to a greater loss of the free water content enhancing the interactions between the lens surface and the bacteria

The influence of surface treatment on hydrophobicity, protein adsorption and microbial colonisation of silicone hydrogel contact lenses

Purpose: To evaluate the influence of surface treatment of silicone-hydrogel CL on lens hydrophobicity, protein adsorption and microbial colonisation by studying several silicone hydrogel contact lenses (CL) with and without surface treatment. The lenses used in this study were Balafilcon A, Lotrafilcon A, Lotrafilcon B and Galyfilcon A. A conventional hydrogel CL (Etafilcon A) was also tested. Methods: Hydrophobicity was determined through contact angle measurement using the advancing type technique on air. The type and quantity of proteins adsorbed were assessed through SDS-PAGE and fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. Microbial colonisation was studied by removing the microbes from the lenses through sonication, and counting the colony-forming units on agar plates. Results: Regarding hydrophobicity, both surface and non-surface-treated silicone hydrogel CL were found to be hydrophobic, and the conventional hydrogel CL was found to be hydrophilic. Concerning protein adsorption, different protein profiles were observed on the several lenses tested. Nevertheless, the presence of proteins with the same molecular weight as lysozyme and lactoferrin was common to all lenses, which is probably related to their abundance in tears. In terms of total protein adsorption, silicone hydrogel CL did not exhibit any differences between themselves. However, the conventional hydrogel Etafilcon A adsorbed a larger amount of proteins. Regarding microbial colonisation, Balafilcon A exhibited the greatest amount of colonising microbes, which can be due to its superior hydrophobicity and higher electron acceptor capacity. Conclusion: This study suggests that silicone hydrogel lenses adsorb a lower amount of proteins than the conventional hydrogel lenses and that this phenomenon is independent of the presence of surface treatment. Concerning microbial colonisation, the surface treated Balafilcon A, exhibited a greater propensity, a fact that may compromise the lens wearer’s ocular health.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

RM-Roadmap Mapping professional development opportunities for Research Managers across Europe [poster]

Oliveira, C., Dias, F., Varela, C., Carrapato, A., Trindade, M., Hourmat, B., & Campelo, D. (2024). RM-Roadmap Mapping professional development opportunities for Research Managers across Europe [poster]. 1. Poster session presented at Encontro Ciência 2024, Porto, Portugal. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.27094192 --- RM-ROADMAP has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe programme under grant agreement number 101058475.E-poster presented at Encontro Ciência 2024, showcasing preliminary findings from a survey conducted by NOVA University as part of the RM-Roadmap project (grant agreement number 101058475). The poster highlights how Research Management (RM) professionals across Europe are currently utilizing professional development opportunities.publishersversionpublishe

Polymeric biomaterials for wound healing

Skin indicates a person’s state of health and is so important that it influences a person’s emotional and psychological behavior. In this context, the effective treatment of wounds is a major concern, since several conventional wound healing materials have not been able to provide adequate healing, often leading to scar formation. Hence, the development of innovative biomaterials for wound healing is essential. Natural and synthetic polymers are used extensively for wound dressings and scaffold production. Both natural and synthetic polymers have beneficial properties and limitations, so they are often used in combination to overcome overcome their individual limitations. The use of different polymers in the production of biomaterials has proven to be a promising alternative for the treatment of wounds, as their capacity to accelerate the healing process has been demonstrated in many studies. Thus, this work focuses on describing several currently commercially available solutions used for the management of skin wounds, such as polymeric biomaterials for skin substitutes. New directions, strategies, and innovative technologies for the design of polymeric biomaterials are also addressed, providing solutions for deep burns, personalized care and faster healing.This research was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UIDB/04469/2020 unit, and by LABBELS—Associate Laboratory in Biotechnology, Bioengineering and Microelectromechanical Systems, LA/P/0029/2020. This study was also funded by program Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant (MSCA-RISE; FODIAC; 778388), and by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Competitiveness factors Operational program—Norte 2020, COMPETE and by National Funds through the FCT—under the project AgriFood XXI (NORTE- 01-0145-FEDER-000041)