Skills of psychologists in palliative care

Os cuidados paliativos pretendem ajudar os doentes terminais a viver tão activamente quanto possível até à sua morte, através de uma abordagem multidisciplinar, incluindo as componentes física, psicológica, social, espiritual, etc., sendo o grande objectivo promover a qualidade de vida e aliviar o sofrimento. Este objectivo estende-se à actuação do psicólogo, porém a intervenção psicológica neste contexto não está claramente definido. Assim, o objectivo deste estudo é averiguar as competências do psicólogo, em cuidados paliativos, na intervenção tanto com o doente, como com a família. Para responder à questão de partida, realizou-se uma revisão sistemática da literatura, com um horizonte temporal entre 2005 e 2014. Como forma de seleccionar a informação importante foram definidos critérios de inclusão e exclusão assim como, descritores de pesquisa, complementando-se com o método PICOD, para a selecção dos artigos. Como resultados apuraram-se os seguintes: na intervenção psicológica com os doentes e os familiares (gestão de sintomas; questões espirituais, de significado e sentido da vida; psicopatologias; no processo de luto/de perda; ajuste de expectativas; resolução de problemas/preocupações); claudicação familiar. Concluiu-se então que existe benefício na existência de, pelo menos um psicólogo, na equipa de cuidados paliativos, as intervenções deverão seguir maioritariamente uma abordagem cognitivo- comportamentais e a necessidade de um investimento na formação dos psicólogos em cuidados paliativos.ABSTRACT: Palliative care intended to help terminally ill patients to live as actively as possible until death, through a multidisciplinary approach, including many components, such as physical, psychological, social and spiritual, etc., with the main objective to promote quality of life and alleviate suffering This objective extends to the action of the psychologist, but the psychological intervention in this context is not clearly defined. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the skills of psychologists in palliative care intervention on both the patient and with the family. To answer the initial question, we carried out a systematic literature review, with a time horizon between 2005 and 2014. In order to select the important information were defined inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as descriptors of research, complementing with PICOD method, for the selection of research articles. The results have established the following: the psychological intervention with patients and family members (management of symptoms,spiritual issues, the significance and meaning of life, psychopathology, intervention in grief/loss process, setting expectations, resolution of problems/concerns); family claudication. It was concluded that there is benefit from the existence of at least one psychologist, the palliative care team, interventions should mostly follow one cognitive-behavioral approach and the need for investment in the training of psychologists in palliative care

Nonlinear sigma model of a spin ladder containing a static single hole

In this letter we extend the nonlinear sigma model describing pure spin ladders with an arbitrary number of legs to the case of ladders containing a single static hole. A simple immediate application of this approach to classical ladders is worked out.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figure

A tool for predicting heating uniformity in industrial radio frequency processing

Radio frequency energy is utilised for heating in a wide range of applications, particularly in the food industry. A major challenge of RF processing is non-uniform heating in loads of variable and angular geometry, leading to reduced quality and product damage. In the study, the specific effects of geometry on the heating profiles of a range of geometrically variable loads in an industrial scale RF system are analysed, and the understanding used to derive a general tool to predict heating uniformity. Potato was selected as a test material for experimental work; dielectric properties were measured using a 44mm coaxial probe. Analysis of simulated and experimental surface temperature profiles and simulated power uniformity indices indicates that the presence of vertices and edges on angular particles, and their proximity to faces perpendicular to the RF electrodes increases localised heating; faces parallel to the electrodes heated less than those faces perpendicular to them. Comparison of the same geometrical shape in different orientations indicates that overall power absorption uniformity can be better even when localised heating of edges is greater. It is suggested, for the first time, that the rotation of angular shapes within a parallel plate electric field can improve heating uniformity, and that this can be achieved through the design of bespoke electrode systems. A Euler characteristic based shape factor is proposed, again for the first time, that can predict heating uniformity for solid, dielectrically homogenous shapes. This provides industry with a tool to quickly determine the feasibility for uniform RF heating of different three dimensional shapes based on geometry alone. This provides a screening method for food technologists developing new products, allowing rapid assessment of potential heating uniformity and reducing the need for early stage specialist computational modelling

Geometrical pinning of magnetic vortices induced by a deficit angle on a surface: anisotropic spins on a conic space background

We study magnetic vortex-like excitations lying on a conic space background. Two types of them are obtained. Their energies appear to be linearly dependent on the conical aperture parameter, besides of being logarithmically divergent with the sample size. In addition, we realize a geometrical-like pinning of the vortex, say, it is energetically favorable for it to nucleate around the conical apex. We also study the problem of two vortices on the cone and obtain an interesting effect on such a geometry: excitations of the same charge, then repealing each other, may nucleate around the apex for suitable cone apertures. We also pay attention to the problem of the vortex pair and how its dissociation temperature depends upon conical geometry.Comment: 13 pages, 06 figures, Latex. Version accepted for PHYSICS LETTERS

Solubility and solid phase studies of isomeric phenolic acids in pure solvents

The solubilities of gallic, protocatechuic, gentisic or α-resorcylic acids were measured in nine pure solvents (water, methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 2-butanone, ethyl acetate, acetonitrile and dimethylformamide) at 298.15 K and 313.15 K, using the analytical isothermal shake-flask method. Additionally, solid phase studies of the selected phenolic acids were carried out using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), giving access to important data on melting properties as well as on the structure of the solid phase before and after the dissolution. The NRTL-SAC model coupled to the reference solvent approach (RSA) were applied to correlate the solubility data in a set of seven solvents and, after used to predict the solubility in 1-propanol and dimethylformamide. Average relative deviations (ARD) between 28 and 40% for the correlation and between 16 and 59% for the predictions were obtained. These values are within the order of magnitude usually found for such type of semi-predictive models, using a limited set of data.This work is supported by: Project “AIProcMat@N2020 - Advanced Industrial Processes and Materials for a Sustainable Northern Region of Portugal 2020”, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006984 – Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM funded by ERDF through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI); Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030463 financed by COMPETE and Portugal2020 and national funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia . We also acknowledge the support of CICECO – Aveiro Institute of Materials, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 (Ref. FCT UID/CTM/50011/2013 ). Appendix Ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Roles of the Taql and Bsml vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in hospital mortality of burn patients

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the roles of the Taql and Bsml vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in hospital mortality of burn patients. METHODS: In total, 105 consecutive burn injury patients over 18 years in age who were admitted to the Burn Unit of Bauru State Hospital from January to December 2013 were prospectively evaluated. Upon admission, patient demographic information was recorded and a blood sample was taken for biochemical analysis to identify the presence of the Taql(rs731236) and Bsml(rs1544410) polymorphisms. All of the patients were followed over their hospital stay and mortality was recorded. RESULTS: Eighteen of the patients did not sign the informed consent form, and there were technical problems with genotype analysis for 7 of the patients. Thus, 80 patients (mean age, 42.5±16.1 years) were included in the final analysis. In total, 60% of the patients were male, and 16.3% died during the hospital stay. The genotype frequencies for the Taql polymorphism were 51.25% TT, 41.25% TC and 7.50% CC; for the Bsml polymorphism, they were 51.25% GG, 42.50% GA and 6.25% AA. In logistic regression analysis, after adjustments for age, gender and total body surface burn area, there were no associations between the Taql (OR: 1.575; CI95%: 0.148-16.745; p=0.706) or Bsml (OR: 1.309; CI95%: 0.128-13.430; p=0.821) polymorphisms and mortality for the burn patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the Taql and Bsml vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms are not associated with hospital mortality of burn patients

Measurement and PC-SAFT modeling of solid-liquid equilibrium of deep eutectic solvents of quaternary ammonium chlorides and carboxylic acids

In this study the solid-liquid equilibria (SLE) of 15 binary mixtures composed of one of three different symmetrical quaternary ammonium chlorides and one of five different fatty acids were measured. The experimental data obtained showed extreme negative deviations to ideality causing large melting-temperature depressions (up to 300 K) that are characteristic for deep eutectic systems. The experimental data revealed that cross-interactions between quaternary ammonium salt and fatty acid increase with increasing alkyl chain length of the quaternary ammonium chloride and with increasing chain length of the carboxylic acid. The pronounced decrease of melting temperatures in these deep eutectic systems is mainly caused by strong hydrogen-bonding interactions, and thermodynamic modeling required an approach that takes hydrogen bonding into account. Thus, the measured phase diagrams were modeled with perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory based on the classical molecular homonuclear approach. The model showed very good agreement with the experimental data using a semi-predictive modeling approach, in which binary interaction parameters between quaternary ammonium chloride and carboxylic acid correlated with chain length of the components. This supports the experimental findings on the phase behavior and interactions present in these systems and it allows estimating eutectic points of such highly non-ideal mixtures.This work was developed in the scope of the project CICECO e Aveiro Institute of Materials, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007679 (Ref. FCT UID/CTM/50011/2013) and LSRE-LCM, POCI-01-0145- FEDER-006984jUID/EQU/50020/2013, financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC and when appropriate co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement. M.A.R.M acknowledges FCT for her PhD grant (SFRH/BD/87084/2012). FCT is also acknowledged for funding the project DeepBiorefinery (PTDC/AGRTEC/ 1191/2014). P.V.A.P., G.J.M., M.D.H. and E.A.C.B thank the national funding agencies CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) (305870/2014-9, 309780/2014, 406856/2013-3), FAPESP (Research Support Foundation of the State of S~ao Paulo) (2014/21252-0, 2016/08566-1), FAEPEX/UNICAMP (Fund for Research, Teaching, and Extension) (0125/16) and CAPES (Coordination of Improvement of Higher Level Personnel) for financial support and scholarships. E.A.C thanks Erasmusþ program of the European Union for co-funding.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio