Hypertension: protective effects of physical exercise on cognition function, arterial function and brain health

Systemic Arterial Hypertension (SAH) is a chronic condition that requires clinical treatment and is associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. Therefore, strategies with fewer side effects and less invasive procedures are required. Evidence supports that Physical Exercise (PE) has antihypertensive effects and has proven to be an efficient and complementary tool for managing hypertension, reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors, and improving cerebral perfusion in the majority of healthy populations. Much of this cardiovascular-protective effect of PE is probably due to pluripotent effects on the vasculature, including regulation of vascular tone, energy metabolism, microvascular recruitment, and endothelial function (reducing oxidative stress and preserving NO availability). These factors are speculated to work synergistically, thereby reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure and are directly related to improved cerebrovascular function. However, few studies have specifically examined the potential positive effects of PE on the brain in hypertensive individuals. In this brief review, we discuss the potential effect of different PE modalities (aerobic, resistance, and combined) that may act as an effective preventive or therapeutic strategy for reducing blood pressure in hypertensives and, consequently, mitigate the association between hypertension, cognitive impairment and risk of dementia

The rationale/design of the Guimarães/Vizela study : a multimodal population-based cohort study to determine global cardiovascular risk and disease

Background: Cardiovascular disease and dementia are growing medical and social problems in aging societies. Appropriate knowledge of cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline risk factors (RFs) are critical for global CVR health preventive intervention. Many epidemiological studies use case definition based on data collected/measured in a single visit, a fact that can overestimate prevalence rates and distant from clinical practice demanding criteria. Portugal displays an elevated stroke mortality rate. However, population's global CV risk characterization is limited, namely, considering traditional/nontraditional RF and new intermediate phenotypes of CV and renal disease. Association of hemodynamic variables (pulse wave velocity and central blood pressure) with global CVR stratification, cognitive performance, and kidney disease are practically inexistent at a dwelling population level. Study Design and Methods: After reviewing published data, we designed a population-based cohort study to analyze the prevalence of these cardiovascular RFs and intermediate phenotypes, using random sampling of adult dwellers living in 2 adjacent cities. Strict definition of phenotypes was planned: subjects were observed twice, and several hemodynamic and other biological variables measured at least 3 months apart. Results: Three thousand thirty-eight subjects were enrolled, and extensive data collection (including central and peripheral blood pressure, pulse wave velocity), sample processing, and biobank edification were carried out. One thousand forty-seven cognitive evaluations were performed. Conclusions: Seeking for CV risk reclassification, early identification of subjects at risk, and evidence of early vascular aging and cognitive and renal function decline, using the strict daily clinical practice criteria, will lead to better resource allocation in preventive measures at a population level.(undefined

Adult body height is a good predictor of different dimensions of cognitive function in aged individuals: a cross-sectional study

Background: Adult height, weight, and adiposity measures have been suggested by some studies to be predictors of depression, cognitive impairment, and dementia. However, the presence of confounding factors and the lack of a thorough neuropsychological evaluation in many of these studies have precluded a definitive conclusion about the influence of anthropometric measures in cognition and depression. In this study we aimed to assess the value of height, weight, and abdominal perimeter to predict cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms in aged individuals. Methods and Findings: Cross-sectional study performed between 2010 and 2012 in the Portuguese general community. A total of 1050 participants were included in the study and randomly selected from local area health authority registries. The cohort was representative of the general Portuguese population with respect to age (above 50 years of age) and gender. Cognitive function was assessed using a battery of tests grouped in two dimensions: general executive function and memory. Two-step hierarchical multiple linear regression models were conducted to determine the predictive value of anthropometric measures in cognitive performance and mood before and after correction for possible confounding factors (gender, age, school years, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking habits). We found single associations of weight, height, body mass index, abdominal perimeter, and age with executive function, memory and depressive symptoms. However, when included in a predictive model adjusted for gender, age, school years, and lifestyle factors only height prevailed as a significant predictor of general executive function (beta, = 0.139; p < 0.001) and memory (beta = 0.099; p 0.05). No relation was found between mood and any of the anthropometric measures studied. Conclusions and Relevance: Height is an independent predictor of cognitive function in late-life and its effects on the general and executive function and memory are independent of age, weight, education level, gender, and lifestyle factors. Altogether, our data suggests that modulators of adult height during childhood may irreversibly contribute to cognitive function in adult life and that height should be used in models to predict cognitive performance.European Commission (FP7) “SwitchBox” (Contract HEALTH-F2-2010-259772) project and co-financed by the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2—O Novo Norte) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), and by Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian—Inovar em Saúde (“Envelhecimento cognitivo saudável—proporcionar saúde mental no processo biológico do envelhecimento,” Contract P-139977). NCS is supported by a SwitchBox post-doctoral fellowshi

Early Vascular Ageing (EVA): Definitions and Clinical Applicability.

Arterial stiffness has been accumulating evidence as an intermediate cardiovascular endpoint. It has been established as an independent risk marker for cardiovascular disease, and reflects the dissociation between chronologic and biologic age of large arteries-attributing earlier the risk that a normal vascular ageing process had installed to occur several years later. The concept of Early Vascular Ageing (EVA) is developed to establish primordial prevention, identifying individuals whose ageing path has been accelerated either by inherent features, interaction with the environment or arterial exposure to several types of insults that evolve to medial layer morphological changes. Understanding the pathophysiology of vascular ageing, its consequences and therapeutic opportunities is therefore an advantage that could be translated in time of prevention and survival free of cardiovascular disease. As the EVA construct is advancing, new features appear as interesting to better translate it into clinical practice.(undefined)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ethanol production from high-glucose industrial substrates using ethanol-tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Ethanol is well known as a toxic metabolite for yeast cells. Thus, strains that can grow well under high ethanol stress condition are highly desirable. This work aims to select and characterize Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with improved ethanol tolerance. Moreover, it aims to evaluate the feasibility of industrial residues as fermentation media and to optimize the composition of such media. The ethanol production and tolerance of the yeast strains have been evaluated, carrying out batch alcoholic fermentations with high-glucose YP medium. The most ethanol-tolerant strain was able to ferment 300 g/L glucose producing up to 17.4 % (v/v) of ethanol in trials carried out in anaerobic shake-flasks. Aiming to develop a fermentation medium based in industrial substrates, corn steep liquor (CSL) has been tested as medium supplement, in order to replace nutrients that are needed to allow both cellular growth and fermentation. Supplementation of 300 g/L glucose medium with CSL concentrations around 90 - 110 g/L has resulted in fermentation performance similar to that observed in YP medium with the same glucose concentration, thus confirming the feasibility of CSL as peptone and yeast extract substitute

Exploring the factor structure of neurocognitive measures in older individuals

Here we focus on factor analysis from a best practices point of view, by investigating the factor structure of neuropsychological tests and using the results obtained to illustrate on choosing a reasonable solution. The sample (n=1051 individuals) was randomly divided into two groups: one for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and principal component analysis (PCA), to investigate the number of factors underlying the neurocognitive variables; the second to test the "best fit" model via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). For the exploratory step, three extraction (maximum likelihood, principal axis factoring and principal components) and two rotation (orthogonal and oblique) methods were used. The analysis methodology allowed exploring how different cognitive/psychological tests correlated/discriminated between dimensions, indicating that to capture latent structures in similar sample sizes and measures, with approximately normal data distribution, reflective models with oblimin rotation might prove the most adequate.The study is integrated in the ‘‘Maintaining health in old age through homeostasis (SWITCHBOX)’’ (http://www.switchbox-online.eu/) collaborative project funded by the European Commission FP7 initiative (grant HEALTH-F2-2010-259772) and co-financed by the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2 – O Novo Norte) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). NCS is supported by a SwitchBox post-doctoral fellowship, LA and PSM are supported by "MyHealth” project (Contract DoIT-13853)" doctoral fellowships

The role of blockchain technology in ensuring security and immutability of open data in healthcare

Clinical information is highly confidential due to its sensitive nature. Implementing health information systems has raised concerns regarding in teroperability, privacy, and security. The storage and retrieval of this infor mation also present the same problems. Therefore, any effort to introduce healthcare information systems must ensure patient data's safety, privacy, integ rity, and immutability. Blockchain technology and the openEHR open data model have emerged to address these concerns, providing a solution that guar antees data security, interoperability between systems, and the accuracy of stored data queries. Two different architectures were developed and subjected to several performance tests to enhance security and immutability in open data models implemented in healthcare institutions. The results were analysed to de termine which architecture provides more value to a healthcare institution. Sub sequently, a discussion was held to draw appropriate conclusions.This work has been supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R&D Units Project Scope

ESTÁGIO SUPERVISIONADO E FORMAÇÃO: A INFLUÊNCIA DO PROFESSOR REGENTE NOS PRIMEIROS ANOS DE VIDA PROFISSIONAL DE EGRESSOS EM PEDAGOGIA

This article aims to analyze the formative contributions of the regent professors in the supervised curricular internship of the degree in Pedagogy for the teaching exercise of the graduating students in their first years of professional activity. Methodologically, the research is linked to the qualitative approach, the case study method and approximation with reality through unstructured questionnaires. Data analysis allowed us to verify that, despite being surrounded by movements of approximations and distances, the relationship established between interns and regents constitutes a significant formative experience for both. The knowledge built up during the internship and the actions developed in collaboration become references used repeatedly in the early years of exercising the profession, reaffirming the importance of supervised internships in the process of teachers’ identity construction.Este artículo tiene como objetivo analizar los aportes formativos de los docentes regentes en el internado curricular supervisado de la licenciatura en Pedagogía para el ejercicio docente de los egresados ​​en sus primeros años de actividad profesional. Metodológicamente, la investigación se vincula con el enfoque cualitativo, el método de estudio de casos y el acercamiento a la realidad a través de cuestionarios no estructurados. El análisis de los datos permitió constatar que, a pesar de estar rodeada de movimientos de aproximaciones y distancias, la relación que se establece entre pasantes y regentes constituye una experiencia formativa significativa para ambos. Los saberes construidos durante la pasantía y las acciones desarrolladas en colaboración se convierten en referentes utilizados reiteradamente en los primeros años de ejercicio de la profesión, reafirmando la importancia de las pasantías tuteladas en el proceso de construcción de la identidad docente.O presente artigo objetiva analisar as contribuições formativas dos professores regentes no estágio curricular supervisionado do curso de licenciatura em Pedagogia para o exercício da docência dos estudantes egressos em seus primeiros anos de atuação profissional. Metodologicamente, a pesquisa se vincula à abordagem qualitativa, ao método de estudo de caso e à aproximação com a realidade através de questionários não-estruturados. A análise dos dados nos permitiu verificar que, apesar de ser cercada por movimentos de aproximações e distanciamentos, a relação estabelecida entre estagiários e professores regentes constitui-se como uma experiência formativa significativa para ambos. Os conhecimentos construídos durante o estágio e as ações desenvolvidas em colaboração tornam-se referências utilizadas de modo recorrente nos anos iniciais de exercício da profissão, reafirmando a importância dos estágios supervisionados no processo de construção identitária dos professores

“COVID-19 em Sarilhos”: respostas de intervenção na promoção de competências autorregulatórias em período de pandemia

[Excerto] A pandemia COVID-19 desarrumou as nossas vidas sem aviso prévio. A chegada repentina trouxe inúmeros desafios pessoais e sociais com impacto significativo na vida das pessoas e dos contextos. As medidas contra a propagação do vírus (e.g., o encerramento das escolas, teletrabalho) trouxeram mudanças significativas para a vida das famílias. Por exemplo, a noção de casa foi resignificada abruptamente. A ideia de casa como lugar de abrigo das famílias, locus privilegiado para o estabelecimento de laços e desenvolvimento pessoal e de lazer em família, incorporou uma componente profissional. Em muitas casas entrou a sala de aula e o escritório sem a necessária preparação. Muitas casas, muitas vidas familiares, converteram-se em escola a tempo inteiro partilhada com escritório(s) profissional(is) trabalhando a tempo inteiro. Esta mudança brusca de práticas sobrecarregou as famílias, já de si preocupadas e ocupadas em responder às exigências sanitárias da pandemia. [...