Sono, morbilidade psicológica, funcionamento familiar, competências sociais e estilo de vida em adolescentes

Tese de doutoramento em Psicologia (área de especialização em Psicologia da Saúde)A adolescência é uma fase marcada por grandes e significativas mudanças na vida do indivíduo. Estas mudanças contemplam esferas biopsicossociais e podem ser percebidas mais especificadamente em relação a arquitectura do sono dos jovens. Além disto, alterações na qualidade ou quantidade do sono podem impactar de forma bastante significativa diversos aspectos da vida do adolescente. A amostra foi composta por 272 adolescentes de idade entre 12 a 18 anos, onde 58% eram do sexo feminino. Os objetivos na presente pesquisa foram divididas em quatro estudos diferentes onde buscou-se: Estudo 1: analisar os melhores preditores de qualidade de sono e comportamentos de saúde em adolescentes e verificar a existência de diferenças em relação à idade e ao género na qualidade do sono, sonolência excessiva diurna, coping do sono familiar, morbidade psicológica e hábitos de sono. Os resultados reveleram que as adolescentes tiveram pior qualidade do sono. Além disso, os adolescentes mais velhos revelaram comportamentos mais saudáveis mas pior qualidade do sono. Os melhores preditores de qualidade do sono foram: sexo, ter um membro da família com problemas de sono, ingestão de café, morbilidade psicológica, sonolência diurna e comportamento do sono familiar. Os preditores dos comportamentos de saúde foram: ter um pai que consome álcool, apresentar morbilidade psicológica e coping do sono familiar. Os resultados evidenciaram a necessidade de implementação de programas preventivos relacionados com a saúde dos jovens com relativa urgência e a extensão destes programas a todo contexo familiar. Estudo 2: verificar se a morbilidade psicológica funciona como variável mediadora na relação entre a sonolência excessiva diurna e a qualidade do sono; sonolência excessiva diurna e comportamento de saúde, e se o coping do sono familiar era uma variável mediadora na relação entre a sonolência excessiva diurna e a qualidade do sono e entre a sonolência diurna excessiva e comportamentos de saúde. Os resultados revelaram que a morbilidade psicológica foi mediadora entre a sonolência excessiva diurna e a qualidade do sono e entre a sonolência excessiva diurna e comportamentos de saúde. Foi possível concluir que a morbilidade psicológica exerce um papel importante na qualidade do sono e que deve ser incluida nos programas de promoção da saúde em adolescentes. Estudo 3: avaliar se as competências sociais eram moderadoras da relação entre coping do sono familiar e qualidade do sono e, entre coping do sono familiar e comportamentos de saúde. Foi ainda testado se os hábitos do sono moderavam a relação entre coping do sono familiar e qualidade do sono e entre coping do sono familiar e comportamentos de saúde. Finalmente estudou-se o papel moderador do género na relação entre morbilidade psicológica e comportamentos de saúde, e se o uso de cafeína funcionava como uma variável moderadora entre a sonolência excessiva diurna e comportamentos de saúde e entre o coping do sono familiar e a sonolência excessiva diurna. Os resultados mostraram que a cafeína modera a relação entre a sonolência excessiva diurna e comportamentos de saúde, e entre o coping do sono familiar e comportamentos de saúde. Além disso, o género moderou a relação entre a morbilidade psicológica e os comportamentos de saúde. Os resultados permitem concluir que a cafeína é uma variável de grande importância na saúde do adolescente e que as intervenções devem ser diferenciadas tendo em conta o sexo dos adolescentes. Estudo 4: discriminar entre adolescentes com boa versus má qualidade do sono. Os resultados revelaram que idade, ingerir café e bebidas energéticas, morbilidade psicológica, sonolência excessiva diurna e coping do sono familiar foram fatores que discriminaram a qualidade do sono entre os adolescentes. Os resultados enfatizam o papel da família na qualidade do sono. Em suma, os diferentes estudos mostram a necessidade de intervenções na promoção da saúde em relação á qualidade do sono que incluam hábitos de sono, comportamentos de saúde, morbilidade psicológica e sintomas como a sonolência excessiva diurna bem como o papel da familia relativamente ao sono, em adolescentes.During adolescence, there are a series of import major changes happening in the individual’s life. These changes include bio psychosocial dimensions that can be understood in relation to young people sleep characteristics. Moreover, alterations in quality or quantity of sleep can have a strong impact on several dimensions of adolescents’ lives. The sample for this study has 272 adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years old. 58% of the participants were female. The aims of this investigation were divided in four different studies. Study 1 – analyzed the best predictors of sleep quality and health behaviors in adolescents and searched for differences in sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, family sleep behaviors, psychological morbidity and sleep habits as function of age and gender. Results showed worst sleep quality among females and found that older adolescents have healthier behaviors but worst sleep quality. The best predictors of sleep quality were: gender, having a member of the family with sleep problems, drinking coffee, psychological morbidity, excessive daytime sleepiness and family sleep behaviors. The predictors of health behaviors were: having a father that drinks alcohol, psychological morbidity and family sleep behaviors. This data shows the need to develop urgent preventive programs that target youngsters’ health and are extended to the family. Study 2 – analyzed if psychological morbidity is a mediator in the relationship between excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep quality and between excessive daytime sleepiness and health behaviors; and if family sleep behaviors is a mediator between excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep quality and between excessive daytime sleepiness and health behaviors. The results showed that psychological morbidity was a mediator in both these relationships. Therefore, psychological morbidity has a major role in sleep quality and should be included in health promotion intervention programs. Study 3 – assessed if social skills were moderators in the relationship between family sleep behaviors and sleep quality and between family sleep behaviors and health behaviors. Also, sleep habits were analyzed as a moderator in the relationship between family sleep behaviors and sleep quality, and between family sleep behaviors and health behaviors, and gender was analyzed as a moderator between psychological morbidity and health behaviors. Caffeine intake was found to be a moderator in the relationship between excessive daytime sleepiness and health behaviors and between family sleep behavior and excessive daytime sleepiness. Results showed that caffeine was a moderator in the relationship between excessive daytime sleepiness and health behaviors and between family sleep behavior and excessive daytime sleepiness. Gender was also a significant moderator between psychological morbidity and health behaviors. These results emphasize that caffeine is an important variable in teenagers’ health. Health interventions for teenagers should be gender specific. Study 4 – discriminated adolescents with good versus bad sleep quality. Results showed that age, caffeine intake and energy drinks, psychological morbidity, excessive daytime sleepiness and family sleep behaviors discriminated quality of sleep in adolescents. These findings emphasize the role of the family on sleep quality. Overall, the results show the need for interventions on health promotion regarding sleep quality including sleep habits, health behaviors, psychological morbidity and symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness, as well as the role of the family on adolescents’ sleep

Los comportamientos relativos a la salud y la calidad del sueño en los adolescentes portugueses: el efecto moderador de la edad y del sexo

Adolescence is marked by changes such as sleep and health behaviors. This study analyzed the relationships and differences on excessive daytime sleepiness, anxiety and depression symptoms, sleep habits, family sleep behaviors, sleep quality and health behaviors in adolescents including the moderating effect of adolescents’ age and gender. Method: The sample included 272 adolescents, 58% being female. Results: Girls and older adolescents reported worse sleep quality. Older adolescents reported healthier behaviors. Female gender, having a family member with sleep quality problems, coffee intake, anxiety and depression symptoms, daytime sleepiness, and family sleep behaviors contributed to worse sleep quality. Father’s alcohol consumption, anxiety and depression symptoms and family sleep behaviors contributed to adolescents’ sleep habits. Being a girl and an older adolescent were moderators in the relationship between the presence of excessive daytime sleepiness and worse sleep quality. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of health promotion programs regarding sleep quality.La adolescencia está marcada por los cambios en el sueño y comportamientos referidos a la salud. Este estudio analizó las relaciones y diferencias en la somnolencia diurna excesiva, los síntomas de ansiedad y depresión, los hábitos de sueño, los comportamientos de sueño familiares, la calidad del sueño, los comportamientos de salud en adolescentes, incluido el efecto moderador de la edad y el sexo de los adolescentes. Método: La muestra de este estudio estaba compuesta por 272 adolescentes, siendo el 58% de sexo femenino. Resultados: Las niñas y los adolescentes mayores indicaron una peor calidad del sueño. Los adolescentes mayores manifestaron comportamientos más saludables. Ser de sexo femenino, tener un familiar con problemas de sueño, consumir café, tener síntomas de ansiedad y depresión, así como somnolencia diurna y conductas de sueño familiares se asocian con una peor calidad del sueño. El consumo de alcohol del padre, los síntomas de ansiedad y depresión y las conductas de sueño familiares se asocian con los hábitos de sueño de los adolescentes. Ser niña y adolescente de mayor edad modera la relación entre la presencia de somnolencia diurna excesiva y peor calidad del sueño. Conclusiones: Los resultados resaltan la importancia de los programas de promoción de la salud en relación con la calidad del sueño

Amino acids of the Sulfolobus solfataricus mini-chromosome maintenance-like DNA helicase involved in DNA binding/remodeling.

Herein we report the identification of amino acids of the Sulfolobus solfataricus mini-chromosome maintenance (MCM)-like DNA helicase (SsoMCM), which are critical for DNA binding/remodeling. The crystallographic structure of the N-terminal portion (residues 2–286) of the Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicum MCM protein revealed a dodecameric assembly with two hexameric rings in a head-to-head configuration and a positively charged central channel proposed to encircle DNA molecules. A structure-guided alignment of the M. thermoautotrophicum and S. solfataricus MCM sequences identified positively charged amino acids in SsoMCM that could point to the center of the channel. These residues (Lys-129, Lys-134, His-146, and Lys-194) were changed to alanine. The purified mutant proteins were all found to form homo-hexamers in solution and to retain full ATPase activity. K129A, H146A, and K194A SsoMCMs are unable to bind DNA either in single- or double-stranded form in band shift assays and do not display helicase activity. In contrast, the substitution of lysine 134 to alanine affects only binding to duplex DNA molecules, whereas it has no effect on binding to single-stranded DNA and on the DNA unwinding activity. These results have important implications for the understanding of the molecular mechanism of the MCM DNA helicase action

Spigelian Hernia in a 14-Year-Old Girl: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Spigelian hernia (SH) is a surgical rarity in children, which occurs through slit-like defects in the anterior abdominal wall adjacent to the semilunar line, the convexity lateral line which joins the nine ribs to the pubic tubercle and signs the limit between the muscular and aponeurotic portion of transversus abdominis muscle. As there are no specific symptoms and signs, the diagnosis is difficult, especially in children. We report a case of SH that comes to our observation: a 14-year-old girl presented recurrent abdominal pain associated to intermittent palpable mass in the paraumbilical region. Starting from our case report, we review the literature of pediatric SH from 2000 to 2013 and we describe the anatomy, etiology, clinical presentation, instrumental diagnosis, and surgical technique of pediatric SH

Epoxy resin doped with Coumarin 6: Example of accessible luminescent collectors

We report on the preparation of luminescent collectors based on epoxy resins containing Coumarin 6 as fluorescent dye. Fluorescent epoxy slabs were obtained by carefully mixing from 60 to 150 ppm of the fluorophore with bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and 4,4′-methylenebis(2-methylcyclohexylamine) as curing agent. Spectroscopic (FT-IR, solid-state NMR, Raman) investigations and calorimetric analysis evidence the success of the preparation procedure in terms of slab homogeneity, fluorophore dispersibility and its role in promoting the crosslinking extent. The concentrating ability and the derived optical efficiencies of the epoxy-based collectors are determined with a properly designed set-up and result greater (∼10%) than that of poly(methyl methacrylate) concentrators with the same fluorophore and geometry. Optical efficiencies as high as 7.4% are obtained and enable the potential use of epoxy resins as bulk thermosetting materials for solar collectors

Espiritualidade nos cuidados paliativos de pacientes oncológicos

A espiritualidade como ferramenta aos cuidados paliativos de pacientes oncológicos vem sendo cada vez mais abordada no contexto acadêmico, como integrante da qualidade de vida. Este estudo analisa de que forma a espiritualidade pode influenciar positivamente no tratamento oncológico e em cuidados paliativos, e contribuir com a melhora da qualidade de vida destes pacientes. Foram selecionados 29 artigos nacionais que evidenciaram a espiritualidade como variável positiva no enfrentamento aos cuidados paliativos, tanto para paciente quanto familiares e equipe multidisciplinar. A espiritualidade é utilizada como ferramenta pela equipe de cuidados paliativos como auxiliadora na compreensão do impacto causado pelo diagnóstico e cuidado integral do paciente, possibilitando ao profissional psicólogo intervir sobre o paciente e sua rede. Ao paciente e sua família, a espiritualidade atua como estratégia de enfrentamento e conforto. Este estudo encontrou limitações acerca de pesquisas com pacientes infantis/adolescestes e sua família

Thermochromic polyethylene films doped with perylene chromophores: experimental evidence and methods for characterization of their phase behaviour

We report on a thermochromic system suitable for sensing temperature changes in the 30-70 degrees C regime based on linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) films doped with N,N'-bis-(1'-phenylethyl)-perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxydiimide (PE-Pery), a fluorescent aggregachromic dye. At low PE-Pery concentration (0.01-0.02 wt%), the dye monomers were well dispersed in the polymer matrix showing their maximum fluorescence intensity at 525 nm. As the dye content was increased, monomers emission quenched whereas dye aggregates prevailed above 0.05 wt% as well as their red fluorescence band at 620-680 nm. Upon heating from 30 to 70 degrees C, all films displayed a thermochromic response, more evident for the less concentrated samples (<0.05 wt%) in which the emission of the dye as a monomer continuously increased with increasing temperature. This phenomenon promoted effective color changes from a dull red-violet at 30 degrees C to a bright yellow-green at 70 degrees C. Combined DSC and variable-temperature Solid State NMR (SSNMR) measurements addressed the thermochromic behavior to the increased amount of the available amorphous phase and to the increased mobility of both the interphase and amorphous components with temperature, which favored PE-Pery dispersion and diffusion, thus recovering their fluorescence. Overall, the present results support the use of PE-Pery-enriched LLDPE films as a chromogenic material suitable for the detection of temperature changes close to the physiological regime

Іконографічні особливості образу Богородиці в східній християнській традиції: релігієзнавчий аспект

Стаття присвячена аналізу іконографічних особливостей образу Богородиці в православній традиції. Розглянуто особливості іконографічного зображення, його відмінність від зображення у творі мистецтва. Проаналізовано чотири основні іконографічні типи й варіанти ікон Богородиці. Показано, що характерною рисою всіх типів ікон Богородиці є їхня христоцентричність та самостійність як духовного атрибута богоспілкування.In the article is analyzed the iconographic features of the Virgin in the Orthodox tradition. The author argues that Christocentric is the main characteristic of the icons of the Virgin