Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2014-05"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 11
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Sleep and quality of life in college students:comparison between sexesPublication . Reis, Anaïs; Miranda, Leonor; Pereira, Ilídio; Oliveira, JoséCollege students are undergoing major academic and psychosocial pressures and show preference for evening activities. Due to the increasing enrollment in higher education and the propensity for sleep problems could jeopardize the health, academic performance and quality of life, the goal was to analyze the relationship between perceptions of quality of sleep (QS) and the perception of quality of life (QoL) among college students, comparing sexes.
- The acute effect on three-dimensional cellular proliferation rate of low dose irradiation exposuresPublication . Costa, Pedro; Lemos, Joana; Cunha, Lídia; Neuparth, Teresa; Genésio, Paula; Ponte, Fernanda; Costa, Paulo; Crespo, Paulo; Metello, LuísLow doses of ionizing radiation are not yet consistently studied and documented. In such context, more advanced and complex biological models should be applied to obtain relevant data. Known limitations of monolayer cellular models and ever increasing difficulties to use some biological models, lead to develop advanced biological models, namely three-dimensional cell cultures.
- Analysis of the alterations induced by working memory tasks in the electroencephalogramPublication . Franco, Joana; Tavares, Diana; Sucena, AnaThe working memory (WM) is an essential cognitive function with limited capability that allows the temporary storage and manipulation of information used in complex cognitive tasks. The Fluid Intelligence (FI) is the ability to engage and respond to new situations, regardless of previous knowledge.
- Organic versus conventional tomatoes: Influence on physicochemical parameters, bioactive compounds and sensorial attributesPublication . Vinha, Ana F.; Barreira, Sérgio V. P.; Costa, Anabela S. G.; Alves, Rita C.; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P. P.The effect of organic and conventional agricultural systems on the physicochemical parameters, bioactive compounds content, and sensorial attributes of tomatoes (‘‘Redondo’’ cultivar) was studied. The influence on phytochemicals distribution among peel, pulp and seeds was also accessed. Organic tomatoes were richer in lycopene (+20%), vitamin C (+30%), total phenolics (+24%) and flavonoids (+21%) and had higher (+6%) in vitro antioxidant activity. In the conventional fruits, lycopene was mainly concentrated in the pulp, whereas in the organic ones, the peel and seeds contained high levels of bioactive compounds. Only the phenolic compounds had a similar distribution among the different fractions of both types of tomatoes. Furthermore, a sensorial analysis indicated that organic farming improved the gustative properties of this tomato cultivar.
- Commercial squids: Characterization, assessment of potential health benefits/risks and discrimination based on mineral, lipid and vitamin E concentrationsPublication . Torrinha, Álvaro; Gomes, F.; Oliveira, M.; Cruz, R.; Mendes, E.; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Casal, S.; Morais, S.The most consumed squid species worldwide were characterized regarding their concentrations of minerals, fatty acids, cholesterol and vitamin E. Interspecific comparisons were assessed among species and geographical origin. The health benefits derived from squid consumption were assessed based on daily minerals intake and on nutritional lipid quality indexes. Squids contribute significantly to daily intake of several macro (Na, K, Mg and P) and micronutrients (Cu, Zn and Ni). Despite their low fat concentration, they are rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentanoic (EPA) acids, with highly favorable ω-3/ω-6 ratios (from 5.7 to 17.7), reducing the significance of their high cholesterol concentration (140–549 mg/100 g ww). Assessment of potential health risks based on minerals intake, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks indicated that Loligo gahi (from Atlantic Ocean), Loligo opalescens (from Pacific Ocean) and Loligo duvaucelii (from Indic Ocean) should be eaten with moderation due to the high concentrations of Cu and/or Cd. Canonical discriminant analysis identified the major fatty acids (C14:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:3ω-3, C20:4ω-6 and C22:5ω-6), P, K, Cu and vitamin E as chemical discriminators for the selected species. These elements and compounds exhibited the potential to prove authenticity of the commercially relevant squid species.
- Cultural adaptation and validation of the portuguese version of the assessment of chronic illness care (ACIC) version 3.5Publication . Leal, Filipe; Morais, Carminda; Pimenta, RuiThe ACIC Version 3.5 was developed by The MacColl Center for Health Care Innovation, resulting from the chronic care model (CCM). This model has influenced many international health systems leveraging improvements in the process of chronic disease management. The ACIC provides scores, which reflect the level of support provided by the organizations of the chronically ill.
- TERT promoter mutations are a major indicator of poor outcome in differentiated thyroid carcinomasPublication . Melo, Miguel; Gaspar Da Rocha, Adriana; Vinagre, João; Batista, Rui; Peixoto, Joana; Tavares, Catarina; Celestino, Ricardo; Almeida, Ana; Salgado, Catarina; Eloy, Catarina; Castro, Patrícia; Prazeres, Hugo; Lima, Jorge; Amaro, Teresina; Lobo, Cláudia; Martins, Maria João; Moura, Margarida; Cavaco, Branca; Leite, Valeriano; Cameselle-Teijeiro, José; Carrilho, Francisco; Carvalheiro, Manuela; Maximo, Valdemar; Sobrinho-Simões, Manuel; Soares, PaulaContext: Telomerase promoter mutations (TERT) were recently described in follicular cell-derived thyroid carcinomas (FCDTC) and seem to be more prevalent in aggressive cancers. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the frequency of TERT promoter mutations in thyroid lesions and to investigate the prognostic significance of such mutations in a large cohort of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs). Design: This was a retrospective observational study. Setting and Patients: We studied 647 tumors and tumor-like lesions. A total of 469 patients with FCDTC treated and followed in five university hospitals were included. Mean follow-up (±SD) was 7.8 ± 5.8 years. Main Outcome Measures: Predictive value of TERT promoter mutations for distant metastasization, disease persistence at the end of follow-up, and disease-specific mortality. Results: TERT promoter mutations were found in 7.5% of papillary carcinomas (PTCs), 17.1% of follicular carcinomas, 29.0% of poorly differentiated carcinomas, and 33.3% of anaplastic thyroid carcinomas. Patients with TERT-mutated tumors were older (P < .001) and had larger tumors (P = .002). In DTCs, TERT promoter mutations were significantly associated with distant metastases (P < .001) and higher stage (P < .001). Patients with DTC harboring TERT promoter mutations were submitted to more radioiodine treatments (P = .009) with higher cumulative dose (P = .004) and to more treatment modalities (P = .001). At the end of follow-up, patients with TERT-mutated DTCs were more prone to have persistent disease (P = .001). TERT promoter mutations were significantly associated with disease-specific mortality [in the whole FCDTC (P < .001)] in DTCs (P < .001), PTCs (P = .001), and follicular carcinomas (P < .001). After adjusting for age at diagnosis and gender, the hazard ratio was 10.35 (95% confidence interval 2.01–53.24; P = .005) in DTC and 23.81 (95% confidence interval 1.36–415.76; P = .03) in PTCs. Conclusions: TERT promoter mutations are an indicator of clinically aggressive tumors, being correlated with worse outcome and disease-specific mortality in DTC. TERT promoter mutations have an independent prognostic value in DTC and, notably, in PTC.
- Organic and inorganic copper feed formulations have a similar impact in the selection of copper tolerant and multidrug resistant Enterococcus faecium from poultry farms and meat available to consumersPublication . Batista, Carina; Rebelo, Andreia; Duarte, Bárbara; Almeida, Marisa; Monteiro, Eulália; Pereira, Beatriz; Ribeiro, Sofia; Freitas, Ana R.; Peixe, Luísa; Antunes, Patrícia; Novais, CarlaCopper-Cu is used as animal feed additive. Inorganic (ITM) or organic (OTM) trace minerals feed formulations with Cu are available (OTM with lower Cu concentrations), but their effect in the selection of Cu tolerant-CuT and multidrug-resistant bacteria-MDR bacteria is unexplored. The impact of ITM/OTM-feed in the occurrence of MDR-CuT E. faecium-Efm in poultry production chain was studied. Broiler feces [n=34; 18 poultry-houses/flocks (10000-64000 animals each); 7 intensive-farms] were collected in each farm from 2 separated poultry-houses using ITM or OTM, at 2-3 days of broilers life (P1) and before slaughter (P2) (2019-2020/Portugal). Meat (n=18) of the same broilers was also collected after slaughter (P3). Samples were plated in Slanetz-Bartley (SL) agar with/without 1mM-CuSO4 (37°C/48h; anaerobiosis). Efm species, tcrB gene coding for CuT were studied by PCR and antibiotics/Cu susceptibility by disk diffusion/microdilution. Results: 256 Efm were from feces-97% and meat-67% samples. Efm-tcrB+ were mostly found in SL+Cu plates (46% of samples vs 15%-SL), with similar rates between OTM and ITM (54% vs 46%). Efm-tcrB+ had an increasing trend between P1 and P2 (56% vs 81%) samples but significantly decrease at P3 (17%). Efm-tcrB+ had a MICCu>12mM (96%), with most being MDR comparing to Efm-tcrB- (98% vs 57%). Efm-tcrB+ were more resistant to tetracycline, erythromycin, quinupristin/dalfopristin or streptomycin than Efm-tcrB- (100%/100%/85%/62% vs 63%/66%/63%/21%). MDR-Efm-tcrB+, including to the clinical-relevant ampicillin or aminoglycosides, were mostly found in feces (P1+P2:47% vs P3:11%), both in OTM and ITM samples (31% vs 38%). MDR-Efm-tcrB+ were similarly detected independently of OTM/ITM feed at poultryfarms but they significantly decreased in carcasses for the consumer. The Cu role in the selection and persistence of MDR-Efm deserves more studies.
- Negotiation mechanism for self-organized scheduling system with collective intelligencePublication . Madureira, Ana; Pereira, Ivo; Pereira, Pedro; Abraham, AjithCurrent Manufacturing Systems challenges due to international economic crisis, market globalization and e-business trends, incites the development of intelligent systems to support decision making, which allows managers to concentrate on high-level tasks management while improving decision response and effectiveness towards manufacturing agility. This paper presents a novel negotiation mechanism for dynamic scheduling based on social and collective intelligence. Under the proposed negotiation mechanism, agents must interact and collaborate in order to improve the global schedule. Swarm Intelligence (SI) is considered a general aggregation term for several computational techniques, which use ideas and inspiration from the social behaviors of insects and other biological systems. This work is primarily concerned with negotiation, where multiple self-interested agents can reach agreement over the exchange of operations on competitive resources. Experimental analysis was performed in order to validate the influence of negotiation mechanism in the system performance and the SI technique. Empirical results and statistical evidence illustrate that the negotiation mechanism influence significantly the overall system performance and the effectiveness of Artificial Bee Colony for makespan minimization and on the machine occupation maximization.
- Multi-elemental analysis of ready-to-eat “baby leaf” vegetables using microwave digestion and high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometryPublication . Santos, J.; Oliva-Teles, M. T.; Delerue-Matos, Cristina; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P. P.The mineral content (phosphorous (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu)) of eight ready-to-eat baby leaf vegetables was determined. The samples were subjected to microwave-assisted digestion and the minerals were quantified by High-Resolution Continuum Source Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HR-CS-AAS) with flame and electrothermal atomisation. The methods were optimised and validated producing low LOQs, good repeatability and linearity, and recoveries, ranging from 91% to 110% for the minerals analysed. Phosphorous was determined by a standard colorimetric method. The accuracy of the method was checked by analysing a certified reference material; results were in agreement with the quantified value. The samples had a high content of potassium and calcium, but the principal mineral was iron. The mineral content was stable during storage and baby leaf vegetables could represent a good source of minerals in a balanced diet. A linear discriminant analysis was performed to compare the mineral profile obtained and showed, as expected, that the mineral content was similar between samples from the same family. The Linear Discriminant Analysis was able to discriminate different samples based on their mineral profile.