Infusão do programa “Riscos & Desafios” na unidade curricular “Psicologia da comunicação e das relações interpessoais”

Unidade Curricular (UC) “Psicologia da Comunicação e Relações Interpessoais” (PCRI) é dinamizada por docentes da área Ciências Sociais e Humanas, na Escola Superior de Saúde (ESS) do P.PORTO. O seu objetivo geral é promover nos estudantes competências transversais de desenvolvimento pessoal, comunicação e relação interpessoal. Neste trabalho apresentamos a experiência pedagógica de infusão curricular do programa “Riscos & Desafios” (R&D) na UC. Este programa de 8 sessões, desenvolvido pela Divisão de Intervenção nos Comportamentos Aditivos e Dependências, tem por objetivo geral a promoção de comportamentos de proteção e a prevenção de comportamentos de risco para a saúde através do desenvolvimento de competências de vida. É dirigido a estudantes a frequentar o 1º ano do ensino superior, cenário de vivências desafiantes intra e interpessoais para os estudantes, facilitando a transição/adaptação a este nível de ensino. Motivou esta iniciativa o facto de considerarmos que possibilita o acesso dos estudantes a um programa validado com objetivos em parte coincidentes com os da UC, designadamente a capacitação dos estudantes em termos intra e interpessoais, a sua metodologia ativa e participativa, aliada a uma dimensão psicoeducativa/informativa. Adicionalmente, com a infusão deste programa, promovemos a saúde dos estudantes e prevenimos o risco, removendo barreiras à aprendizagem e, como tal, fomentando o sucesso académico. Os resultados foram muito positivos e convidam à replicação da experiência.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Gastrointestinal delivery of codfish skin-derived collagen hydrolysates: deep eutectic solvent extraction and bioactivity analysis

The fishing industry produces substantial by-products, such as heads, skins, bones, and scales, rich in collagen—a prevalent protein in these materials. However, further application of deep eutectic solvent-based extraction remains unexplored. In this study, we extracted collagen with urea: propanoic acid mixture (U:PA; 1:2) with a 2.2% yield, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis with alcalase for 120 min. The resulting bioactive peptides demonstrated notable antioxidant activity (961 µmol TE) and antihypertensive properties (39.3% ACE inhibition). Subsequently, we encapsulated 39.3% of these hydrolysates in chitosan-TPP capsules, which released about 58% of their content, primarily in the intestine, as mimicked in the in vitro model of the gastrointestinal tract. Although the digestion process did not significantly alter the size of the non-encapsulated collagen peptides, it did influence their health benefits. The promising results suggest that further research could optimize the use of collagen from fish by-products, potentially offering a sustainable source for health products.N/

The Field Guide app:Connecting island communities to local conservation through mobile interaction

C&T'21: 10th International Conference on Communities & Technologies: Wicked Problems in the Age of Tech - Seattle, United States, June 20–25, 2021.Here we present Field Guide, a mobile application (app) designed to connect communities to nature-rich environments, which play a crucial role in nature conservation efforts. The app aligns to a mode of science communication that seeks to establish direct contact between publics and specialised scientific communities, most commonly known as the ’ask a scientist’ approach. Field Guide uses a geolocation positioning system to offer users the opportunity to pose questions to scientists whilst exploring a nature conservation site. In this demo, we display the app as a mock-up presentation before its first use by children and teenagers during afield-trip to a nature trail later in 2021.The Field Guide project is funded by The Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), Portugal, grant number PTDC/CEDEDG/31182/2017; IRA was funded by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the Norma Transitória – DL57/2016/CP1375/CT0003.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Ask a Scientist : using place-based mobile learning to promote adolescents’ interest in nature

XVI Congresso de Psicologia Ambiental, Faro, Universidade do Algarve, 11 a 14 de Abril de 2022.Questioning can be an important instrument to promote students' interest in nature. In this study, based on questions from local adolescents about nature, we designed mobile learning materials focused on local nature-rich environments in the form of podcast episodes and tested them, in a quasi-experimental design, with a new group of adolescents to assess their efficacy in promoting participants’ curiosity about nature. Contributions of this study include insights for future research on technological nature and adolescents' interaction with nature and educational developments related to place-based learning for nature conservation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Analysis of microsatellite instability in medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. The presence of microsatellite instability (MSI) in brain tumors, particularly medulloblastomas, has not been properly addressed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of MSI in medulloblastoma carcinogenesis. MSI status was determined in 36 patients using a pentaplex PCR of quasimonomorphic markers (NR27, NR21, NR24, BAT25, and BAT26). Methylation status of mismatch repair (MMR) genes was achieved by methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). In addition, MutS homolog 6 (MSH6) expression was determined by immunohistochemistry. Mutations of 10 MSI target genes (TCF4, XRCC2, MBD4, MRE11, ATR, MSH3, TGFBR2, RAD50, MSH6, and BAX) were studied by pentaplex PCR followed by analysis with GeneScan 3.7 software. Mutation analysis of hotspot regions of beta-catenin (CTNNB1) and BRAF (v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1) oncogenes was performed by PCR single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis followed by direct sequencing. Among the 36 tumors, we found four (11%) cases with instability, one with high MSI and three with low MSI. Methylation analysis of MMR genes in cases presenting shifts on the MSI markers revealed mild hypermethylation of MSH6 in 75% of cases, yet MSH6 was expressed in all the tumors. The MSI target genes MBD4 (methyl-CpG binding domain protein 4) and MRE11 (meiotic recombination 11 homolog A) were mutated in two different tumors. No CTNNB1 or BRAF mutations were found. This study is the most comprehensive analysis of MSI in medulloblastomas to date. We observed the presence of MSI together with mutations of MSI target genes in a small fraction of cases, suggesting a new genetic pathway for a role in medulloblastoma development.M.V.-P. is the recipient of a Ph.D. fellowship (SFRH/BD/29145/2006), and I.A. is the recipient of a research fellowship (SFRH/BI/33160/2007) from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal. This study was partially supported by a grant from Clinical de Radioterapia do Porto, Portugal

Freeform 3D printing using a continuous viscoelastic supporting matrix

Embedded bio-printing has fostered significant advances toward the fabrication of soft complex tissue-like constructs, by providing a physical support that allows the freeform shape maintenance within the prescribed spatial arrangement, even under gravity force. Current supporting materials still present major drawbacks for up-scaling embedded 3D bio-printing technology towards tissue-like constructs with clinically relevant dimensions. Herein, we report a a cost-effective and widely available supporting material for embedded bio-printing consisting on a continuous pseudo-plastic matrix of xanthan-gum (XG). This natural polisaccharide exhibits peculiar rheological properties that have enabled the rapid generation of complex volumetric 3D constructs with out of plane features. The freedom of design within the three orthogonal axes through the independent and controlled bio-printing process opens new opportunities to produce on demand large arbitrary shapes for personalized medicine. Additionally, we have demonstrated the versatile functionality of XG as a photocurable gel reservoir to engineer perfused cell-laden hydrogel constructs, addressing other practical biomedical applications such as in vitro models and organ-on-chip platforms.publishe

A protocol to evaluate retinal vascular response using optical coherence tomography angiography

Copyright © 2019 Sousa, Leal, Moreira, do Vale, Silva-Herdade, Aguiar, Dionísio, Abegão Pinto, Castanho and Marques-Neves. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY).The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these termsIntroduction: Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) is a novel diagnostic tool with increasing applications in ophthalmology clinics that provides non-invasive high-resolution imaging of the retinal microvasculature. Our aim is to report in detail an experimental protocol for analyzing both vasodilatory and vasoconstriction retinal vascular responses with the available OCT-A technology. Methods: A commercial OCT-A device was used (AngioVue®, Optovue, CA, United States), and all examinations were performed by an experienced technician using the standard protocol for macular examination. Two standardized tests were applied: (i) the hypoxia challenge test (HCT) and (ii) the handgrip test, in order to induce a vasodilatory and vasoconstriction response, respectively. OCT-A was performed at baseline conditions and during the stress test. Macular parafoveal vessel density of the superficial and deep plexuses was assessed from the en face angiograms. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA v14.1 and p < 0.05 was considered for statistical significance. Results: Twenty-four eyes of 24 healthy subjects (10 male) were studied. Mean age was 31.8 ± 8.2 years (range, 18–57 years). Mean parafoveal vessel density in the superficial plexus increased from 54.7 ± 2.6 in baseline conditions to 56.0 ± 2.0 in hypoxia (p < 0.01). Mean parafoveal vessel density in the deep plexuses also increased, from 60.4 ± 2.2 at baseline to 61.5 ± 2.1 during hypoxia (p < 0.01). The OCT-A during the handgrip test revealed a decrease in vessel density in both superficial (55.5 ± 2.6 to 53.7 ± 2.9, p < 0.001) and deep (60.2 ± 1.8 to 56.7 ± 2.8, p < 0.001) parafoveal plexuses. Discussion: In this work, we detail a simple, non-invasive, safe, and non-costly protocol to assess a central nervous system vascular response (i.e., the retinal circulation) using OCT-A technology. A vasodilatory response and a vasoconstriction response were observed in two physiologic conditions—mild hypoxia and isometric exercise, respectively. This protocol constitutes a new way of studying retinal vascular changes that may be applied in health and disease of multiple medical fields.This study was supported by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, AstraZeneca Foundation – 14th Grant.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Retinal vascular reactivity in type 1 diabetes patients without retinopathy using optical coherence tomography angiography

Copyright © 2020 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-No-Derivatives 4.0 International License.Purpose: We hypothesize that patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) may have abnormal retinal vascular responses before diabetic retinopathy (DR) is clinically evident. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) was used to dynamically assess the retinal microvasculature of diabetic patients with no clinically visible retinopathy. Methods: Controlled nonrandomized interventional study. The studied population included 48 eyes of 24 T1D patients and 24 demographically similar healthy volunteers. A commercial OCTA device (AngioVue) was used, and two tests were applied: (1) the hypoxia challenge test (HCT) and (2) the handgrip test to induce a vasodilatory or vasoconstrictive response, respectively. The HCT is a standardized test that creates a mild hypoxic environment equivalent to a flight cabin. The handgrip test (i.e., isometric exercise) induces a sympathetic autonomic response. Changes in the parafoveal superficial and deep capillary plexuses in both tests were compared in each group. Systemic cardiovascular responses were also comparatively evaluated. Results: In the control cohort, the vessel density of the median parafoveal superficial and deep plexuses increased during hypoxia (F1,23 = 15.69, P < 0.001 and F1,23 = 16.26, P < 0.001, respectively). In the T1D group, this physiological response was not observed in either the superficial or the deep retinal plexuses. Isometric exercise elicited a significant decrease in vessel density in both superficial and deep plexuses in the control group (F1,23 = 27.37, P < 0.0001 and F1,23 = 27.90, P < 0.0001, respectively). In the T1D group, this response was noted only in the deep plexus (F1,23 = 11.04, P < 0.01). Conclusions: Our work suggests there is an early impairment of the physiological retinal vascular response in patients with T1D without clinical diabetic retinopathy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Um guia digital para a Natureza : promover a floresta dos Açores com aprendizagem baseada no lugar

A secção UAciência é coordenada pelo Professor Universitário Armindo Rodrigues.O projeto Guia de Campo (GC) no âmbito da transformação digital operada nos modos de aprendizagem característicos das sociedades contemporâneas. Hoje, as ferramentas móveis interativas e a aprendizagem baseada no lugar são recursos pedagógicos cada vez mais presentes na educação ambiental. O projeto GC pretende investigar o papel das tecnologias digitais interativas no desenvolvimento da literacia científica, ambiental e da conservação, entre jovens residentes nos Açores, ajudando a tornar mais significativas e apelativas as experiências educativas desenvolvidas em contextos naturais. A instrumentalidade da videofilia na estimulação da biofilia e testada neste projeto, com vista à promoção de conhecimentos, atitudes e práticas conservacionistas, uma vez que vários estudos evidenciam que os jovens só tendem a proteger o que conhecem e entendem, e que a promoção de experiências ativas na natureza (ou sobre esta) estimula a biofilia e a curiosidade das crianças. […].info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evidence for lack of direct causality between pain and affective disturbances in a rat peripheral neuropathy model

[Epub ahead of print]Chronic pain is frequently accompanied by the manifestation of emotional disturbances and cognitive deficits. While a causality relation between pain and emotional/cognitive disturbances is generally assumed, several observations suggest a temporal dissociation and independent mechanisms. We therefore studied Sprague-Dawley rats that presented a natural resistance to pain manifestation in a neuropathy model (spared nerve injury [SNI]) and compared their performance in a battery of behavioral paradigms-anxiety, depression and fear memory-with animals that presented a pain phenotype. Afterward, we performed an extensive volumetric analysis across prefrontal, orbitofrontal and insular cortical areas. The majority of SNI animals manifested mechanical allodynia (low threshold [LT]), but 13% were similar to Sham controls (high threshold [HT]). Readouts of spontaneous hypersensivity (paw flinches) were also significantly reduced in HT and correlated with allodynia. To increase the specificity of our findings, we segregated the SNI animals in those with left (SNI-L) and right (SNI-R) lesions and the lack of association between pain and behavior still remains. Left-lesioned animals, independent of the LT or HT phenotype, presented increased anxiety-like behaviors and decreased well-being. In contrast, we found that the insular cortex (agranular division) was significantly smaller in HT than in LT. To conclude, pain and emotional disturbances observed following nerve injury are to some extent segregated phenomena. Also, HT and LT SNI presented differences in insular volumes, an area vastly implicated in pain perception, suggesting a supraspinal involvement in the manifestation of these phenotypes.This work has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE) and the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020) under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement (project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023). It was also funded by National and International funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the scope of the projects POCI-01-0145- FEDER-007038 and PTDC/NEU-SCC/5301/2014 and by the IASP Early Career Research Grant 2015. Researchers were supported by FCT grant numbers PD/BD/114117/2015 (MRG via Inter-University Doctoral Programme in Ageing and Chronic Disease, PhDOC), SFRH/BD/109111/2015 (AMC via PhD Program in Health Sciences), SFRH/BD/52291/2013 (ME via PhDOC), SFRH/BD/89936/2012 (SB via PhD Program in Health Sciences (Applied)), PDE/BDE/113604/2015 (RM via PhD Program in Health Sciences (Applied)), PDE/BDE/113601/2015 (PSM via PhD Program in Health Sciences (Applied)) and SFRH/BPD/80118/2011 (HA). ARS integrated the Master Programme in Health Sciences of the School of Medicine, University of Minho.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio