REPOSITÓRIO P.PORTO
Scientific Repository of the Porto Polytechnic
The Scientific Repository of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto's main goal is to provide all the scientific production of teachers, researchers and students of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto when possible in full text.The mission of the Scientific Repository of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto comprises up between two factors of extreme importance, the availability of scientific information and the preservation of digital information."Key Market": to make available in free access all the scientific production of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto."Contribution": aid students, researchers, teachers and the general public in obtaining reliable scientific production."Distinction": commitment that each user meets their scientific needs.
Recent Submissions
Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on Games-Based Learning
Publication . European Conference on Games-Based Learning; Escudeiro, Paula; Carvalho, Carlos Vaz de
[Excerpt from the Preface] These proceedings represent the work of researchers participating in the 7th European Conference on Games-Based Learning, wich is being organised and hosted this year by the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), Porto, Portugal. The Conference Chair is Dr. Carlos Vaz de Carvalho and the Programme Chair is Dr. Paula Escudeiro, both from the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
The conference will be opened with a keynote from Dr. Baltasar Fernández-Manjón, from Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, on the topic of Learning Analytics Applied to Serious Games. The opening keynote address on the second day is by Paulo Gomes, Game Director and Producer at BIGMOON STUDIOS.
The Conference is a valuable platform for individuals to present their research findings, display their work in progress and discuss conceptual advances in a many different areas and specialties within Games-Based Learning. It also offers the opportunity for like minded individuals to meet, discuss and share knowledge.
Relatório de Estágio. Os instrumentos de regulação e organização do grupo e a participação das crianças
Publication . Gouveia, Inês Santos; Araújo, Sara; Alves, Cristina Isabel
Neste relatório pretende-se descrever o processo de formação da mestranda na Prática Educativa Supervisionada, nos contextos de creche e educação pré-escolar, onde a mestranda contactou com os instrumentos de regulação e organização do grupo. Estes instrumentos são utilizados na educação de infância para organizar a vida diária do grupo, sendo construídos e preenchidos conjuntamente com as crianças. Pretende-se responder à questão “De que forma os instrumentos de regulação e organização do grupo potenciam a autonomia e participação das crianças?”, recorrendo a uma metodologia participativa, de natureza qualitativa e com características de investigação-ação. Solicitou-se a participação das crianças através da realização de um desenho do instrumento favorito, acompanhado da sua verbalização, sendo o mapa de atividades o mais representado nos seus desenhos. Realizou-se um questionário a educadores/as de infância, que permitiu compreender que estes instrumentos são largamente utilizados na sua prática educativa, referindo-se a sua implicação na autonomia das crianças, criando oportunidades de intervenção na vida de grupo e de envolvimento na gestão e avaliação. Observou-se em contexto de educação pré-escolar a implicação destes instrumentos, nomeadamente, dos inventários e do mapa de atividades na autonomia e participação das crianças, permitindo a apropriação do espaço e dos materiais e a sua participação no planeamento das atividades, desenvolvendo a sua capacidade de tomar decisões. Na creche, observou-se que a utilização da agenda semanal com recurso a fotografias de atividades diárias permitia a apropriação da rotina pelas crianças. Este relatório apresenta também projetos realizados com as crianças, provenientes das suas narrativas, no âmbito da Metodologia de Trabalho de Projeto. Em suma, os instrumentos de regulação e organização do grupo são recursos fundamentais para potenciar a autonomia e a participação das crianças, fomentando a tomada de decisões e a participação na vida de grupo.
Monitoring adherence to asthma inhalers using the InspirerMundi App: Analysis of real-world, Medium-term feasibility studies
Publication . Jàcome, Cristina; Amaral, Rita; Amaral, Rita
"Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. InspirerMundi app aims to monitor inhaler adherence while turning it into a positive experience through gamification and social support. We assessed the medium-term feasibility of the InspirerMundi app to monitor inhaler adherence in real-world patients with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). In addition, we attempted to identify the characteristics of the patients related to higher app use. Two real-world multicenter observational studies, with one initial face-to-face visit and a 4-month telephone interview, were conducted in 29 secondary care centers from Portugal. During an initial face-to-face visit, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients took a photo of the medication (inhaler, blister, or others) using the image-based medication detection tool. Medication adherence was calculated as the number of doses taken as a percentage of the number scheduled. Interacting with the app ≥30 days was used as the cut-off for higher app use. A total of 114 patients {median 20 [percentile 25 to percentile 75 (P25–P75) 16–36] years, 62% adults} were invited, 107 (94%) installed the app and 83 (73%) completed the 4-month interview. Patients interacted with the app for a median of 18 [3–45] days, translated on a median use rate of 15 [3–38]%. Median inhaler adherence assessed through the app was 34 [4–73]% when considering all scheduled inhalations
for the study period. Inhaler adherence assessed was not significantly correlated with self-reported estimates. Median adherence for oral and other medication was 41 [6–83]% and 43 [3–73]%, respectively. Patients with higher app use were slightly older (p = 0.012), more frequently taking medication for other health conditions (p = 0.040), and more frequently prescribed long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA, p = 0.024). After 4 months, Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) scores improved (p < 0.001), but no differences between patients interacting with the app for 30 days or less were seen. The InspirerMundi app was feasible to monitor inhaler adherence in patients with persistent asthma. The persistent use of this mHealth technology varies widely. A better understanding of characteristics related to higher app use is still needed before effectiveness studies are undertaken. "
Understanding beliefs about inhaled medication in patients with persistent asthma: a cross-sectional analysis of the INSPIRERS studies
Publication . Novais, Catarina; Cruz, Ana Margarida; Pereira, Ana Margarida; Almeida, Rute; Amaral, Rita; Fonseca, João Almeida; Jácome, Cristina
Identifying factors influencing adherence, such as patients’ beliefs about medication, is essential for effective asthma management. This study aims to assess and gain insight into the beliefs of patients with asthma regarding inhaled medication. This is a secondary analysis of the INSPIRERS studies. Patients aged ≥ 13 y.o., with persistent asthma and a prescription for inhaled controller were recruited from 60 primary and secondary care centres in Portugal from 2017 to 2020. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected in a face-to-face visit. The Specific-Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire was administered 1-week later by telephone interview. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to explore relations between patients’ beliefs and characteristics. A total of 552 participants (mean 32.8 ± 17.3 y.o.; 64.5% female) were analysed. The Necessity score (Median 19 [p25-p75 16,22]) was significantly higher than the Concerns score (15 [16,22], p < 0.001), resulting in a positive Necessity-Concern differential (Median 4 [0,7]). Acceptance (high necessity, low concerns) characterized 61% of participants, while 19% were ambivalent (high necessity, high concerns). Adolescents exhibited lower Necessity (Median 16 vs 20; p < 0.001) and Concerns scores (Median 11 vs 15; p = 0.002) than adults. In primary care setting, patients had significantly lower Necessity (Median 18 vs 19; p = 0.027) and Concerns (Median 14 vs 15; p = 0.05) compared to the secondary care. A predominantly positive perception of inhaled asthma medication necessity was found, although ambivalence or indifference exists in about 1/5 of patients. Our findings highlight the importance of personalized approaches to address beliefs and optimise patient education.
A retrospective study in tumour characteristics and clinical outcomes of overweight and obese women with breast cancer
Publication . Luís, Carla; Dias, João; Firmino‑Machado, João; Fernandes, Rute; Pereira, Deolinda; Baylina, Pilar; Fernandes, Rúben; Soares, Raquel; BAYLINA MACHADO, PILAR; Fernandes, Rúben
Obesity and breast cancer are two major pathologies closely associated with increasing incidence and mortality rates, especially amongst women. The association between both diseases have been thoroughly discussed but much is still to uncover. The aim of this study is to analyse tumour characteristics and clinical outcomes of overweight and obese women to disclosure potential associations and better understand the impact of obesity in breast cancer. Clinicopathological information of 2246 women were extracted from the institutional database of comprehensive cancer centre in Portugal diagnosed between 2012 and 2016. Women were stratifed according to body mass index as normal, overweight, and obese. Patients’ demographic information and tumour features (age, family history, topographic localization, laterality, histological type, and receptor status) were taken as independent variables and overall survival, tumour stage, diferentiation grade and bilaterality were considered clinical outcomes. The main results reveal that overweight and obesity are predominantly associated with worse outcomes in breast cancer patients. Obese patients present larger (p-value: 0.002; OR 1.422; 95% CI 1.134–1.783) and more poorly diferentiated tumours (p-value: 0.002; OR 1.480; 95% CI 1.154–1.898) and tend to have lower overall survival although without statistical signifcance (p-value: 0.117; OR 1.309; 95% CI 0.934–1.833). Overweighted women are more likely to have bilateral breast cancer (p-value: 0.017; OR 3.076; 95% CI 1.225–7.722) than obese women. The results also reveal that overweight women present less distant metastasis (p-value: 0.024; OR 0.525; 95%CI 0.299–0.920). Topographic localization and laterality did not achieve statistical signifcance.