Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-08"
Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Immediate effects of Global Active Stretching on strength and flexibility: Randomised controlled trialPublication . Rodrigues, Elisa; Pontes, A. R.; Brochado, G.; Bessa, Isabel; Carvalho, Paulo; Crasto, CarlosGlobal Active Stretching is a relatively recent yet little studied stretching method. It differs from the most popular methods by targeting muscle chains and integrating stretching with muscle contractions, which may eventually avoid the post-stretching reduction of strength that occurs in other methods. To verify the immediate effects of Global Active Stretching on muscle strength and flexibility in individuals with short hamstrings. A single-blind randomised controlled trial was carried out on 30 volunteers with more than 20° in the active knee extension test, randomly assigned to three groups: the experimental group (Global Active Stretching exercise); the placebo group (Global Active Stretching initial position without stretching); and the control group (lying down). The active knee extension and fingertip-to-floor tests assessed hamstring and posterior chain flexibility. Hamstring and quadriceps strength were assessed using the peak torque evaluation in the Biodex System 4PRO®. Assessments took place before and immediately after the 15-minute intervention. The ANOVA and the paired t test were used (α = 0.05). The experimental group had a significant increase in flexibility in both the fingertip-to-floor test (8.3 cm) and the active knee extension test (6.3°) when compared to the placebo and control groups (p < 0.05), while no differences in strength were observed (p > 0.05). Global Active Stretching immediately increased hamstring flexibility without significantly reducing muscle strength. Thus, individuals seeking to enhance their short-term flexibility can benefit from this programme in a single session without compromising performance.
- Neurophysiological correlates of near-wins in gambling: A systematic literature reviewPublication . Dores, Artemisa Rocha; Peixoto, Miguel; Fernandes, Carina; Geraldo, Andreia,; Griffiths, Mark D.; Barbosa, FernandoIdentification of specific patterns of brain activity related to problem gambling may provide a deeper understanding of its underlying mechanisms, highlighting the importance of neurophysiological studies to better understand development and persistence of gambling behavior. The patterns of cognitive functioning have been investigated through electroencephalography (EEG) studies based on the near-win/near-miss (NW) effect. The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the neurophysiological basis of NWs and their modulation by gambling problems through a systematic review of event-related potentials (ERP) studies elicited by feedback events. The review followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA). A total of 15 studies were included, 12 comprising non-problem gamblers (NPGs) and three comparing problem gamblers (PGs) with matched controls. For the P300 component, the win outcome elicited a larger amplitude than the other outcomes (NW and loss), followed by the NW outcome, which elicited a larger amplitude than loss in some studies. For feedback-related negativity (FRN), the loss outcome evoked a more negative amplitude in several studies, despite eliciting a similar amplitude to NW outcomes in others. For PGs, the NW outcome evoked a higher amplitude of P300 than loss, while NPGs showed a similar amplitude to both outcomes. The present review gathered information from different sources and provides a consistent view of the different studies. However, studies lack systematic and robust methodologies, leading to inconsistent results and making it difficult to reach any definitive conclusions.
- A qualitative study on pharmacists’ perceptions about service innovationPublication . Dores, Artemisa Rocha; Peixoto, Miguel; Carvalho, Irene P.; Castro, Maria; Marques, António da SilvaExpanded services provided at pharmacies show numerous improvements in health outcomes. However, attempts at implementing new services in pharmacies are met with several barriers, among which is the failure to update the pharmacist's role. This study aimed to explore pharmacists’ perceptions about the role of pharmacies and the effects of, and barriers to, service expansion. Four focus groups were conducted with pharmacists from across Portugal, and an inductive content analysis was applied to the transcribed sessions. The content analysis results were organized into three main categories: the Role of Pharmacy, Potentialities of Service Innovation, and Service Innovation. The results emphasize the importance of enhancing pharmacists’ training, establishing supportive legal frameworks, prioritizing funding for technological advancements, promoting interprofessional collaboration, and embracing innovative practices to advance healthcare innovation and improve patient outcomes. The identification of several tasks indicates that, in pharmacists’ perspectives, the Role of Pharmacy ranges from dispensing medication to aiding/monitoring patients at various stages of their health conditions. Expanded services were associated with several emergent Potentialities of Service Innovation, namely, enhancement of health outcomes and help to main healthcare facilities dealing with an increased number of patients. For Service Innovation, several factors emerged that need consideration, such as the conditions and the difficulties found associated with new service implementation. These pertain to pharmacists, legislation, and resources.
- The Role of Participatory Budgeting in the Development of Outermost Regions: the Case of Azores ArchipelagoPublication . Freitas Santos, José; Bernardino, SusanaParticipatory budgeting is a new form of public financing that intends to engage citizens in the political decision-making process. In this descentralized process, the population propose and votes for the most useful projects in a certain location with the aim of obtaining public resources to implement and benefit their own community. Taking the case of Azores, one of the outermost regions of Portugal, the objective is to evaluate how the participatory budgting has been implemented in that region between 2018 and 2022. The Azores archipelago is an autonomous region of Portugal located in the North Atlantic. The archipelago comprises nine islands and several islets which belong to three groups: i) the Western Group (with two islands: Flores and Corvo); ii) the Central Group (with five islands: Faial, Pico, São Jorge, Graciosa and Terceira); and iii) the Eastern Group (with two islands: São Miguel and Santa Maria, and the Formigas islets). To accomplish that goal a statistical analysis of the approved projects is made in order to ascertain the area of intervention, the regional distribution, the financial relevance and the content of projects. Further, the contribution of participatory budgeting for the cohesion of the overall region is evaluated not only from the point of view of each Island (inter island comparasion) but also at the level of municipality (intra island comparasion).