Cancer-related knowledge and health status among cancer survivors in Portugal

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparação de ferramentas de tópicos em textos sob o paradigma de aprendizado estatístico não supervisionado.

Neste trabalho pretende-se estudar e explorar ferramentas de aprendizado de tópicos hierárquicos, através de coleções textuais e teoria estatísticaCIIC 2014. Nº 14602

Modelling metallothionein induction in the liver of sparus aurata exposed to metal-contaminated sediments

Metallothionein (MT) in the liver of gilthead seabreams (Sparus aurata L., 1758) exposed to Sado estuary (Portugal) sediments was quantified to assess the MT induction potential as a biomarker of sediment-based contamination by copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and arsenic (As). Sediments were collected from two control sites and four sites with different levels of contamination. Sediment Cu, Cd, Pb, As, total organic matter (TOM) and fine fraction (FF) levels were determined. Generalized linear models (GLM) allowed integration of sediment parameters with liver Cu, Cd, Pb, As and MT concentrations. Although sediment metal levels were lower than expected, we relate MT with liver Cd and also with interactions between liver and sediment Cu and between liver Cu and TOM. We suggest integrating biomarkers and environmental parameters using statistical models such as GLM as a more sensitive and reliable technique for sediment risk assessment than traditional isolated biomarker approaches.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mixing and relaxation dynamics of the Henon map at the edge of chaos

The mixing properties (or sensitivity to initial conditions) and relaxation dynamics of the Henon map, together with the connection between these concepts, have been explored numerically at the edge of chaos. It is found that the results are consistent with those coming from one-dimensional dissipative maps. This constitutes the first verification of the scenario in two-dimensional cases and obviously reinforces the idea of weak mixing and weak chaos. Keywords: Nonextensive thermostatistics, Henon map, dynamical systemsComment: 10 pages with 3 fig

Differential mesenteric fat deposition in bovines fed on silage or concentrate is independent of glycerol membrane permeability

© The Animal Consortium 2011In the meat industry, the manipulation of fat deposition in cattle is of pivotal importance to improve production efficiency, carcass composition and ultimately meat quality. There is an increasing interest in the identification of key factors and molecular mechanisms responsible for the development of specific fat depots. This study aimed at elucidating the influence of breed and diet on adipose tissue membrane permeability and fluidity and their interplay on fat deposition in bovines. Two Portuguese autochthonous breeds, Alentejana and Barrosã, recognized as late- and early-maturing breeds, respectively, were chosen to examine the effects of breed and diet on fat deposition and on adipose membrane composition and permeability. Twenty-four male bovines from these breeds were fed on silage-based or concentrate-based diets for 11 months. Animals were slaughtered to determine their live slaughter and hot carcass weights, as well as weights of subcutaneous and visceral adipose depots. Mesenteric fat depots were excised and used to isolate adipocyte membrane vesicles where cholesterol content, fatty acid profile as well as permeability and fluidity were determined. Total accumulation of neither subcutaneous nor visceral fat was influenced by breed. In contrast, mesenteric and omental fat depots weights were higher in concentrate-fed bulls relative to silage-fed animals. Membrane fluidity and permeability to water and glycerol in mesenteric adipose tissue were found to be independent of breed and diet. Moreover, the deposition of cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acids, which may influence membrane properties, were unchanged among experimental groups. Adipose membrane lipids from the mesenteric fat depot of ruminants were rich in saturated fatty acids, and unaffected by polyunsaturated fatty acids dietary levels. Our results provide evidence against the involvement of cellular membrane permeability to glycerol on fat accumulation in mesenteric fat tissue of concentrate-fed bovines, which is consistent with the unchanged membrane lipid profile found among experimental groups.This study was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) through grant PTDC/CVT/2006/66114 and individual fellowships to Ana P. Martins (SFRH/BD/2009/65046), Ana S. H. Costa (SFRH/BD/2009/61068) and Susana V. Martins (SFRH/BPD/2009/63019). Paula A. Lopes is a researcher from the program ‘‘Ciência 2008’’ from FC

Regular physical activity-related awareness and knowledge in Portugal: results from a population-based survey

Background: Previous studies have shown that adequate physical activity (PA, defined as any bodily movement that requires energy expenditure) related awareness and knowledge is crucial to promote regular PA. Therefore, this study aims to characterize PA awareness and knowledge, and to quantify its association with sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy and frequency of exercise. Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted in 2012, a total of 1624 Portuguese-speaking residents of mainland Portugal (16–79 years old) were assessed through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Adjusted prevalence ratios, calculated using Poisson regression, were used to quantify associations with PA awareness and knowledge. Results: The most reported benefits of PA were “reduces abdominal fat accumulation” (95.8%), “reduces myocardial infarction risk” (92.9%) and “improves bone health” (90.7%), these were less referred by older participants, while more often identified by those who exercise daily. The most referred barrier for people to not practice PA regularly was “lack of time” (33.9%) with differences observed by sex, age, education, employment and health literacy. Over two-thirds of participants correctly identified at least 2 of 3 PAs (“running”, “soccer” and “tennis”) that require the most energy, particularly males, those with higher health literacy and who exercise twice or more times a week. Conclusions: An adequate PA-related awareness and knowledge was observed, and differences according to age, health literacy levels and frequency of exercise were found. As such, awareness-raising interventions to increase regular PA through improving physical literacy and motivation should focus on older adults, those with limited health literacy and who do not exercise.Financial support and sponsorship: This study was supported by FEDER funds through Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalization and by national funding from The Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science) within the project (HMSPIISE/SAU-ICT/0004/2009) and the Epidemiology Research Unit – Institute of Public Health, University of Porto (EPIUnit; info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/6817 - DCRRNI ID/UIDB/04750/2020/PT). SM was funded under the scope of the project "NEON-PC - Neuro-oncological complications of prostate cancer: longitudinal study of cognitive decline" (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-032358; Ref. PTDC/SAU-EPI/32358/2017). An individual grant attributed to ARC (SFRH/BD/102181/2014) was co-funded by FCT and the “Programa Operacional Capital Humano” (POCH/FSE). The funding sources had no role in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the article for publication