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  • Laboratory Assessment of the Effects of AGA@4life Multidisciplinary Intervention on the Inflammatory Profile, MMPs, and TIMPs in a Geriatric Population
    Publication . Lourenço, Ana Patrícia; Freitas, Catarina; Timóteo, Maria Helena; Soares, Maria; Figueiredo, João; Osório, Nádia; Valado, Ana; Trapali, Maria; Pereira, Telmo; Caseiro, Armando
    Abstract: In recent years, the world’s aging population has increased, contributing to the development of age-related pathologies, which have been aggravated by physical inactivity and excessive fat intake. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of implementing a nutritional program (control group—CG) combined with exercise (intervention group—IG) on the inflammatory profile, MMPs, and TIMPs in a group of 34 elderly participants (IG, n = 18; CG, n = 16). Participants underwent a full multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation (T0), with the gathering of clinical information and biochemical and hematological determinations being re-evaluated eight weeks later (T1). A diet manual was made, which provided a selection of different types of diets resulting from the nutritional needs of the different users at the center. The aerobic exercise consisted of two sessions per week with a total duration of 1 h. The laboratory evaluation was performed by slot blot. Statistical analysis included a paired sample t-test and Spearman’s correlation coefficient. We observed that in the IG, there was a significant increase at T1 of TNF-α (p < 0.05) and MMP-2 (p < 0.05), without changes in IL-6 and MMP-9, showing that the intervention did not cause an exacerbated inflammatory response in exercised elderly people. The intervention program implemented showed potential to contribute to better active aging strategies, taking advantage of the known benefits of exercise without inducing a harmful inflammatory response in elderly participants.
    2024-02-21Journal article Open access Show more
  • Coimbra smart city through a public lighting network
    Publication . Costa, Luís Miguel dos Santos; Agreira, Cristina Isabel Ferreira Figueiras Faustino
    The global crisis called "climate change" that is reflected in the climate, more specifi- cally in extreme events worldwide, some with deadly consequences, and the effect of the war in Ukraine on energy costs force us to reflect deeply on two critical issues of our time, energy, and the environment. The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and was approved in September 2015, resulting from the joint work of governments and citizens around the world to create a new global model to end poverty, promote prosperity and well-being for all, protect the environment, and combat climate change. SDG number 11 is on "Sustainable Cities and Com- munities" [1]. The Portuguese Council of Ministers Resolution n. º53/2020, of July 10, approves the National Plan Energy and Climate 2030 (PNEC 2030) that arises in the framework of the obligations established by the Regulation of the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action. The PNEC 2030 characterizes the current situation in Portugal re- garding Energy and Climate, covering five dimensions provided in the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy and Climate Action Union: decarbonization; energy ef- ficiency; security of supply; internal energy market and research; innovation and com- petitiveness [2]. The existence of these two strategic documents and the challenges posed by "energy efficiency," combined with the severe economic crisis that the energy sector is under- going, were the primary motivators for the preparation of this dissertation. The possibility of creating an intelligent system on an existing network, so crucial for human life, especially in terms of safety and comfort, as is the public lighting, using recent technologies and monitoring/reflecting in a living lab in Coimbra, were the final ingredients that gave even more support to the logic of developing this work.
    2024-02-21Master thesis Open access Show more
  • Cross-cultural validation of the portuguese version of the quality of oncology nursing care scale
    Publication . Manuel Gomes, Pedro; Santos Ribeiro, Susana; Miranda Da Silva, Marcelle; Cruchinho, Paulo J. M.; Nunes, Elisabete; Nascimento, Carla; Lucas, P.
    Patients are the center and focus of care delivery, but frequently, their perceptions are overlooked. Patients are vital to promoting optimal oncology nursing care and should be considered in order to provide patient-centered holistic care. The Quality of Oncology Nursing Care Scale was translated and validated cross-culturally for the Portuguese context. In Portugal, there is no instrument that evaluates the quality of nursing care provided to cancer patients, so our study fills this major gap in the scientific evidence. This scale should be used by nurses, nurse managers, and researchers that strive to improve patient, nurse, and organizational outcomes.
    2024-02-21Journal article Open access Show more
  • Communication strategies for adults in palliative care: the speech-language therapists’ perspective
    Publication . Dias, Cátia; Rodrigues, Inês Tello; Gonçalves, Hernâni; Duarte, Ivone
    Background Communication disorders are a challenge that many patients in palliative care (PC) may encounter. This intervention area is emerging for the speech-language therapist (SLT), the professional who works in preventing, assessing, diagnosing, and treating human communication disorders. This study aims to identify and classify the communication strategies considered most important by SLTs for use in PC and evaluate whether there are any differences in perception regarding the importance of strategies between SLTs with and without PC experience. Methods This cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted using a survey, which employed a well-structured, self-completion questionnaire previously validated by a panel of experts with over six years of PC experience. Results The strategies rated as most important within each group were the following: (i) adjust the patient’s position and minimise environmental noise; (ii) establish eye contact and adjust the pace of speech; (iii) adjust the language level and raise one topic at a time; (iv) use images of the patient’s interests and their personal objects; (v) use orality and multimodal form; (vi) use simplified language and structured pauses; and (vii) use tables with images and books with pictures. Conclusions Verbal and non-verbal strategies were rated as highly important. There was no evidence of differences in perception in terms of importance between the SLTs with or without experience in PC, but more studies are needed to support this aspect. The patient’s communication ability is one of the cornerstones of PC quality. Through their actions, speech-language professionals could empower the patient with strategies so that they can autonomously and self-determinedly express their experiences and most significant needs.
    2024-02-21Journal article Open access Show more
  • 2024-02-21Master thesis Open access Show more