4,816 research outputs found

    Empoderamiento y satisfacciĂłn profesional en EnfermerĂ­a: una revisiĂłn integradora, segĂşn la TeorĂ­a Estructur

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    Context: Power is a central concept in professional development and one of the characteristics of the decision-making process, together with the use of a unique body of knowledge. Through the process of Empowerment, the professional is able to influence others, being considered a key aspect in contemporary organisations. Objectives: To study the relationship between Empowerment and Job Satisfaction, in a first analysis, from a structural perspective. Methodology: An integrative literature review was conducted of articles published in MEDLINE and CINAHL databases between 2005 and 2011, according to the PICOD methodology. Results: Twenty-two articles from different contexts were identified, of which most of them were conducted in America (64%) and Asia (32%). Conclusion: Despite this diversity, a clear and directly proportional association between Empowerment and Job Satisfaction was found. The perception of Empowerment is influenced by age, context of professional performance, and academic and professional qualifications. Our search retrieved no studies conducted in Portugal, thus it is important to further explore this issue..Contexto: Poder é um conceito central para o desenvolvimento profissional, sendo uma das características do processo de tomada de decisões, em conjunto com o recurso a um corpo único de conhecimentos. Através do processo de Empoderamento o profissional está apto a influenciar o outro sendo considerado um elemento chave nas organizações contemporâneas. Objetivos: Estudar a relação existente entre Empoderamento e Satisfação Profissional, numa primeira análise, do ponto de vista estrutural. Metodologia: Procedeu-se a uma revisão integrativa da literatura (2005-2011) de artigos das bases de dados Medline® e CINAHL, de acordo com a metodologia PICOD. Resultados: Foram identificados 22 artigos, provenientes de contextos variados, sendo a maioria efetuados no continente americano (64%) e asiático (32%). Conclusão: Apesar desta diversidade, constata-se a clara relação expressa entre Empoderamento e Satisfação Profissional, sendo diretamente proporcionais. Salienta-se ainda a influência da idade, contexto de desempenho profissional, formação académica e qualificação profissional na percepção de Empoderamento. Dado, da nossa pesquisa, não ter sido possível localizar estudos conduzidos em Portugal, importa o desenvolvimento desta temática.Contexto: El poder es un concepto central para el desarrollo profesional y una de las características del proceso de toma de decisiones, junto con el recurso a un único cuerpo de conocimiento. A través del proceso de empoderamiento, el profesional es capaz de influir en el otro y se le considera un elemento clave en las organizaciones contemporáneas. Objetivos: Estudiar la relación entre el empoderamiento y la satisfacción profesional en un primer análisis, según la teoría estructural. Metodología: Los autores realizaron una revisión integradora de la literatura (2005-2011) de artículos en las bases de datos Medline y CINAHL®, de acuerdo con la metodología PICOD. Resultados: Se identificaron 22 artículos de diversos contextos, la mayoría realizados en el continente americano (64 %) y asiático (32 %). Conclusión: A pesar de esta diversidad, se ha observado una clara relación directamente proporcional entre empoderamiento y satisfacción profesional. Asimismo, es importante destacar la influencia de la edad, el contexto de desempeño profesional, la formación académica y la cualificación profesional en la percepción del empoderamiento. Puesto que, en nuestro estudio, no se han podido localizar los estudios llevados a cabo en Portugal, es importante ir más allá de este tema.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Warm-up for Sprint Swimming: Race-Pace or Aerobic Stimulation? A Randomized Study

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    The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 2 different warm-up intensities on 100-m swimming performance in a randomized controlled trial. Thirteen competitive swimmers performed two 100-m freestyle time-trials on separate days after either control or experimental warm-up in a randomized design. The control warm-up included a typical race-pace set (4 × 25 m), whereas the experimental warm-up included an aerobic set (8 × 50 m at 98-102% of critical velocity). Cortisol, testosterone, blood lactate ([La]), oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2), heart rate, core (Tcore and Tcorenet) and tympanic temperatures, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were monitored. Stroke length (SL), stroke frequency (SF), stroke index (SI), and propelling efficiency (ηp) were assessed for each 50-m lap. We found that V[Combining Dot Above]O2, heart rate, and Tcorenet were higher after experimental warm-up (d > 0.73), but only the positive effect for Tcorenet was maintained until the trial. Performance was not different between conditions (d = 0.07). Experimental warm-up was found to slow SF (mean change ±90% CL = 2.06 ± 1.48%) and increase SL (1.65 ± 1.40%) and ηp (1.87 ± 1.33%) in the first lap. After the time-trials, this warm-up had a positive effect on Tcorenet (d = 0.69) and a negative effect on [La] (d = 0.56). Although the warm-ups had similar outcomes in the 100-m freestyle, performance was achieved through different biomechanical strategies. Stroke length and efficiency were higher in the first lap after the experimental warm-up, whereas SF was higher after control warm-up. Physiological adaptations were observed mainly through an increased Tcore after experimental warm-up. In this condition, the lower [La] after the trial suggests lower dependency on anaerobic metabolism.UBI/FCSH/Santander/2010info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    The Effects of Different Warm-up Volumes on the 100-m Swimming Performance: A Randomized Crossover Study

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    The aim of this study was to compare the effect of 3 different warm-up (WU) volumes on 100-m swimming performance. Eleven male swimmers at the national level completed 3 time trials of 100-m freestyle on separate days and after a standard WU, a short WU (SWU), or a long WU (LWU) in a randomized sequence. All of them replicated some usual sets and drills, and the WU totaled 1,200 m, the SWU totaled 600 m, and the LWU totaled 1,800 m. The swimmers were faster after the WU (59.29 seconds; confidence interval [CI] 95%, 57.98-60.61) and after the SWU (59.38 seconds; CI 95%, 57.92-60.84) compared with the LWU (60.18 seconds; CI 95%, 58.53-61.83). The second 50-m lap after the WU was performed with a higher stroke length (effect size [ES] = 0.77), stroke index (ES = 1.26), and propelling efficiency (ES = 0.78) than that after the SWU. Both WU and SWU resulted in higher pretrial values of blood lactate concentrations [La] compared with LWU (ES = 1.58 and 0.74, respectively), and the testosterone:cortisol levels were increased in WU compared with LWU (ES = 0.86). In addition, the trial after WU caused higher [La] (ES ≥ 0.68) and testosterone:cortisol values compared with the LWU (ES = 0.93). These results suggest that an LWU could impair 100-m freestyle performance. The swimmers showed higher efficiency during the race after a 1200-m WU, suggesting a favorable situation. It highlighted the importance of the [La] and hormonal responses to each particular WU, possibly influencing performance and biomechanical responses during a 100-m race.Santander Totta bank (UBI/FCSH/Santander/2010). COP/Millenium BCPSport Sciences 2014info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Distribution and Etiology of Chronic Respiratory Diseases in Primary Healthcare Departments in Cape Verde

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    Data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) are scarce or unavailable in most African countries. We aimed to determine the prevalence of CRD and associated risk factors in Cape Verde, at the primary healthcare level

    Remote spinal epidural hematoma after spinal anesthesia for caesarean section

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    In the last few decades there has been a widespread of the use of central neuraxial blockages (CNB) in obstetric patients. The complications from the CNB range from the bothersome to the crippling and life-threatening. Spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) is one of such severe complications. A 29-year-old pregnant woman at term, ASA II, was proposed for a caesarean section after inadequate progression of labour. Spinal anesthesia was administered and surgery was uneventful. The patient recovered from the motor and sensitive blockage but, twelve hours after the procedure, she started complaining of paresthesia over the lower limbs that progressed to paraplegia. An urgent magnetic resonance revealed a dorsally located SEH extending from D7 to D9, remote from the site of needle puncture. The patient was transferred and an emergency laminectomy and evacuation of the hematoma was conducted. One year after the event she remained with neurological deficits.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Spectrum and Frequency of GJB2 Mutations in a Cohort of 264 Portuguese Nonsyndromic Sensorineural Hearing Loss Patients

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    OBJECTIVE: To assess the spectrum and prevalence of mutations in the GJB2 gene in Portuguese nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss (NSSHL) patients. DESIGN: Sequencing of the coding region, basal promoter, exon 1, and donor splice site of the GJB2 gene; screening for the presence of the two common GJB6 deletions. STUDY SAMPLE: A cohort of 264 Portuguese NSSHL patients. RESULTS: At least one out of 21 different GJB2 variants was identified in 80 (30.2%) of the 264 patients analysed. Two mutant alleles were found in 53 (20%) of these probands, of which 83% (44/53) harboured at least one c.35delG allele. Twenty-seven (10.2%) of the probands harboured only one mutant allele. Subsequent analysis revealed that the GJB6 deletion del(GJB6-D13S1854) was present in at least 7.4% (2/27) of the patients carrying only one mutant GJB2 allele. Overall, one in five (55/264) of the patients were diagnosed as having DFNB1-related NSSHL, of which the vast majority (53/55) harboured only GJB2 mutations. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides clear demonstration that mutations in the GJB2 gene are an important cause of NSSHL in Portugal, thus representing a valuable indicator as regards therapeutical and rehabilitation options, as well as genetic counseling of these patients and their families

    Oral Administration of GW788388, an Inhibitor of Transforming Growth Factor Beta Signaling, Prevents Heart Fibrosis in Chagas Disease

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    Cardiac damage and dysfunction are prominent features in patients with chronic Chagas disease, which is caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) and affects 10–12 million individuals in South and Central America. Our group previously reported that transforming growth factor beta (TGFß) is implicated in several regulatory aspects of T. cruzi invasion and growth and in host tissue fibrosis. In the present work, we evaluated the therapeutic action of an oral inhibitor of TGFß signaling (GW788388) administered during the acute phase of experimental Chagas disease. GW788388 treatment significantly reduced mortality and decreased parasitemia. Electrocardiography showed that GW788388 treatment was effective in protecting the cardiac conduction system, preserving gap junction plaque distribution and avoiding the development of cardiac fibrosis. Inhibition of TGFß signaling in vivo appears to potently decrease T. cruzi infection and to prevent heart damage in a preclinical mouse model. This suggests that this class of molecules may represent a new therapeutic tool for acute and chronic Chagas disease that warrants further pre-clinical exploration. Administration of TGFß inhibitors during chronic infection in mouse models should be further evaluated, and future clinical trials should be envisaged

    Beyond element-wise interactions: identifying complex interactions in biological processes

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    Background: Biological processes typically involve the interactions of a number of elements (genes, cells) acting on each others. Such processes are often modelled as networks whose nodes are the elements in question and edges pairwise relations between them (transcription, inhibition). But more often than not, elements actually work cooperatively or competitively to achieve a task. Or an element can act on the interaction between two others, as in the case of an enzyme controlling a reaction rate. We call “complex” these types of interaction and propose ways to identify them from time-series observations. Methodology: We use Granger Causality, a measure of the interaction between two signals, to characterize the influence of an enzyme on a reaction rate. We extend its traditional formulation to the case of multi-dimensional signals in order to capture group interactions, and not only element interactions. Our method is extensively tested on simulated data and applied to three biological datasets: microarray data of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, local field potential recordings of two brain areas and a metabolic reaction. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that complex Granger causality can reveal new types of relation between signals and is particularly suited to biological data. Our approach raises some fundamental issues of the systems biology approach since finding all complex causalities (interactions) is an NP hard problem

    Staphylococcus epidermidis glucose uptake in biofilm versus planktonic cells

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    The aim of this work was to compare the glucose uptake of biofilms formed by four different Staphylococcus epidermidis strains as well as to compare between sessile and planktonic cells of the same strain. Biofilm cells showed a lower level of glucose uptake compared to planktonic cells. Moreover, glucose uptake by cells in the sessile form was strongly influenced by biofilm composition. Therefore, this work helps to confirm the phenotypic variability of S. epidermidis strains and the different behaviour patterns between sessile and free cells.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - POCTI/ESP/42688/2001; SFRH/BD/19265/2004
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