“EFFECTIVENESS OF AN EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TO ENHANCE SELF-CARE SKILLS AFTER ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY”

The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of an educational program to enhance self-care skills in patients after an acute coronary syndrome. According to the findings of the study, a systematized and structured educational program, is effective in developing self-care skills in patients after an acute coronary syndrome.

Mirror therapy and self-care autonomy after stroke: an intervention program

Background: In patients with middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke, changes in upper limb function lead to dependence on others for self-care. In the process of recovering autonomy/independence, there is evidence on the effectiveness of sensory stimulation techniques in the motor recovery after stroke. Objective: To assess the effect of mirror therapy on the self-care autonomy of patients with hemiplegia/hemiparesis due to MCA stroke. Methodology: Cross-sectional and quasi-experimental study with a quantitative approach, a before-and-after design, and a non-equivalent control group. A nonprobability sample of 30 participants was selected. Results: Gains in grip strength, joint range of motion, and manual dexterity of the upper limb were more significant in the experimental group but without statistically significant differences between groups. Conclusion: Despite the more significant evolution of the experimental group, mirror therapy was not effective in the motor recovery of the upper limb. Further studies are needed in this area using randomized designs, larger samples, and focused on self-care

Alfred Lewis e Katherine Vaz : dois romancistas escrevendo numa encruzilhada

Livro de homenagem à professora Maria Laura Bettencourt Pire

Hope(lessness) : The perceive psychological impact of living a refugee camp

Tese de mestrado, Psicologia (Área de Especialização em Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde - Psicologia Clínica Sistémica), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia, 2020As the migration flow to Europe increases, thousands of people are forced to live in refugee camps whilst awaiting the conclusion of their asylum request. Considering the inadequate conditions in these camps and that the experience of exile may have harmful consequences for mental health, this investigation aims to understand the perspective of humanitarian workers and volunteers regarding Samos’ refugee camp conditions and the psychological well-being of refugees. This research utilized a qualitative methodological approach. Data was collected from 14 participants using semi-structured interviews, sociodemographic questionnaires, photographic analyses and observations within the natural environmental context. The findings suggest that the living conditions, described as the lack of hygiene, shelters, proper food, access to healthcare as well as the overcrowding and lack of safety in the camp, are perceived as having severe psychological implications, including traumas and mental degradation. It is also suggested that the length and uncertainty of the asylum process is a major source of hopelessness and powerlessness. The presence of a support system, resilience and running a business were indicated as coping strategies adopted to deal with the hardships of living in the camp while waiting for the asylum request to be concluded. Finally, the implications of the present investigation are discussed which emphasize the necessity of further research in this area.À medida que o fluxo migratório para a Europa aumenta, milhares de pessoas são forçadas a viver em campos de refugiados enquanto aguardam a conclusão do pedido de asilo. Tendo em consideração as condições inadequadas nos campos e as possíveis consequências prejudiciais à saúde mental, a presente investigação visa compreender a perspetiva de trabalhadores humanitários e voluntários relativamente às condições do campo de refugiados de Samos e o bemestar psicológico dos refugiados. O presente estudo utilizou uma abordagem metodológica qualitativa. A recolha de dados foi realizada através de entrevistas semiestruturadas e questionários sociodemográficos a 14 participantes, análise fotográfica e observações em contexto natural. Os resultados sugerem que as condições de vida, descritas pela falta de higiene, habitação, alimentação adequada, acesso a cuidados de saúde, bem como a superlotação e falta de segurança no campo, são percebidas como tendo implicações psicológicas graves, incluindo traumas e deterioração da saúde mental. Da mesma forma, é sugerido que a duração e a incerteza do processo de asilo são uma importante fonte de perda de esperança e sensação de controlo sobre a vida. A criação e manutenção de uma rede de apoio, a resiliência e a criação de um negócio foram indicadas como estratégias de coping adotadas para lidar com as dificuldades de viver no campo enquanto se aguarda a conclusão do pedido de asilo. Finalmente, são discutidas as implicações da presente investigação que enfatizam a necessidade de novas pesquisas nesta área

Prototyping an app to assist game-based activities: co-design using a qualitative approach

Qualitative approaches have gained prominence in the scientific community being important to develop studies that use them, namely to assist prototyping stages. This article seeks to contribute to the deepening of knowledge in the field of cataloging and evaluating educational games and describes the process of designing an application's wireframes. This allowed the gathering of the app’s functional requirements, using a qualitative methodological approach through co-design: a focus group of eight experts from different fields such as geography, sociology, science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics was constituted. Considering the Communicative Design Paradigm and the Octalysis gamification model, the functional requirements were grouped, after analysis, into six domains – Games, News, Interaction, User, Evaluation and Language. The prototype design emerged from this process enabling the design of 47 wireframes.in publicatio

O princípio da oficialidade e a sua crítica no crime de violência doméstica

Dissertação de Mestrado em Ciências Jurídico-Forenses apresentada à Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Coimbr

Innovation and Environmental Policy: Clean vs. Dirty Technical Change

We study a two sector endogenous growth model with environmental quality with two goods and two factors of production, one clean and one dirty. Technological change creates clean or dirty innovations. We compare the laissez-faire equilibrium and the social optimum and study first- and second-best policies. Optimal policy encourages research toward clean technologies. In a second-best world, we claim that a portfolio that includes a tax on the polluting good combined with optimal innovation subsidy policies is less costly than increasing the price of the polluting good alone. Moreover, a discriminating innovation subsidy policy is preferable to a non-discriminating one. JEL codes: H23, O3, O41Pollution, Endogenous Growth, Innovation, Environmental Policy, Laissez-Faire Equilibrium, Optimal Equilibrium, Discriminating vs. Non-Discriminating Subsidies to R&D

O recurso à acupunctura pela população adulta - idosa

Mestrado em GerontologiaEstudos recentes sugerem que os idosos são consumidores significativos das medicinas complementares e alternativas (MCA). A acupunctura constitui uma das muitas MCA e no contexto nacional aguarda a sua regulamentação conforme prevista na Lei nº 45/2003 – Lei do Enquadramento Base das Terapêuticas Não Convencionais. Esta medicina tem por objectivo restabelecer o estado natural de saúde do corpo através da acção de finíssimas agulhas colocadas nos pontos de acupunctura distribuídos por todo o corpo humano. Constitui um dos elementos da Medicina Tradicional Chinesa (MTC) cuja eficácia é reconhecida pela Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS), a qual recomenda e incentiva a sua utilização. Embora não regulamentada em Portugal, a sua prática é uma realidade, atendendo à sua eficácia no tratamento de múltiplas doenças e/ou sintomas, à ausência de toxicidade, e à sua abordagem holística. O objectivo deste estudo foi conhecer as pessoas com 50 e mais anos que recorrem à acupunctura na cidade do Porto em consultórios privados e identificar as circunstâncias em que o fazem (razões para o recurso, benefícios e grau de satisfação). Para tal procedeu-se à aplicação de um questionário aos consulentes de acupunctura, no período de 11 de Janeiro de 2010 a 11 de Março de 2010 em 12 consultórios. Tendo-se constituído uma amostra de 86 indivíduos, 58 do sexo feminino (67,4%), com níveis de escolaridade e rendimento maioritariamente elevados e com a presença de doença crónica. O controlo da dor foi o principal motivo para o recurso a estes tratamentos, e os benefícios mais mencionados foram o controlo da dor e os benefícios de índole emocional. No geral, a grande maioria dos consulentes (91,7%) encontra-se satisfeita com os cuidados de acupunctura. Os resultados são discutidos com base em estudos nacionais e internacionais e são apontadas áreas que requerem futuras investigações. ABSTRACT: Recent studies suggest that older people are significant consumers of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Acupuncture is one of many CAM. In Portugal acupuncture is not regulated as provided by Law No. 45/2003 (Lei do Enquadramento Base das Terapêuticas Não Convencionais). The aim of this medicine is to restore the body’s natural health state through the action of very fine needles placed in acupuncture points distributed throughout the human body. Acupuncture is an element of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its effectiveness is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) which recommends and encourages its use. Regardless of the fact that acupuncture is still not regulated in Portugal, its practice is a reality, due to its efficacy in the treatment of multiple diseases and symptoms, absence of toxicity, and its holistic approach. The aim of this study was to know the people with 50 years old and over that use acupuncture in private clinics of Oporto and identify the circumstances of their use (reasons, benefits and satisfaction). It was applied a questionnaire on acupuncture patients in the period of 11 January 2010 to 11 March 2010 in 12 clinics. The sample of this study was constituted by 86 individuals, 58 females (67.4%), in most cases with high levels of education and income, and the presence of chronic disease. The control of pain was the main reason for using these treatments, and the benefits most mentioned were the control of pain and emotional benefits. In general, acupuncture users (91.7%) revealed to be satisfied with this TCM. These findings are discussed considering available national and international literature. Further topics of investigation are presented