1. |
- Jacome, Cristina, et al.
(författare)
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Feasibility and Acceptability of an Asthma App to Monitor Medication Adherence : Mixed Methods Study
- 2021
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Ingår i: JMIR mhealth and uhealth. - : JMIR Publications. - 2291-5222. ; 9:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma, and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. The InspirerMundi app aims to monitor adherence while providing a positive experience through gamification and social support. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the InspirerMundi app to monitor medication adherence in adolescents and adults with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). Methods: A 1-month mixed method multicenter observational study was conducted in 26 secondary care centers from Portugal and Spain. During an initial face-to-face visit, physicians reported patients' asthma therapeutic plan in a structured questionnaire. During the visits, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients registered the intake (inhaler, blister, or other drug formulation) by using the image-based medication detection tool. At 1 month, patients were interviewed by phone, and app satisfaction was assessed on a 1 (low) to 5 (high) scale. Patients were also asked to point out the most and least preferred app features and make suggestions for future app improvements. Results: A total of 107 patients (median 27 [P25-P75 14-40] years) were invited, 92.5% (99/107) installed the app, and 73.8% (79/107) completed the 1-month interview. Patients interacted with the app a median of 9 (P25-P75 1-24) days. At least one medication was registered in the app by 78% (77/99) of patients. A total of 53% (52/99) of participants registered all prescribed inhalers, and 34% (34/99) registered the complete asthma therapeutic plan. Median medication adherence was 75% (P25-P75 25%-90%) for inhalers and 82% (P25-P75 50%-94%) for other drug formulations. Patients were globally satisfied with the app, with 75% (59/79) scoring >= 4,; adherence monitoring, symptom monitoring, and gamification features being the most highly scored components; and the medication detection tool among the lowest scored. A total of 53% (42/79) of the patients stated that the app had motivated them to improve adherence to inhaled medication and 77% (61/79) would recommend the app to other patients. Patient feedback was reflected in 4 major themes: medication-related features (67/79, 85%), gamification and social network (33/79, 42%), symptom monitoring and physician communication (21/79, 27%), and other aspects (16/79, 20%). Conclusions: The InspirerMundi app was feasible and acceptable to monitor medication adherence in patients with asthma. Based on patient feedback and to increase the registering of medications, the therapeutic plan registration and medication detection tool were redesigned. Our results highlight the importance of patient participation to produce a patient-centered and engaging mHealth asthma app.
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2. |
- Jacome, Cristina, et al.
(författare)
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Monitoring Adherence to Asthma Inhalers Using the InspirerMundi App : Analysis of Real-World, Medium-Term Feasibility Studies
- 2021
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Medical Technology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2673-3129. ; 3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: 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.Objective: 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.Methods: 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.Results: 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.Conclusions: 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.
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3. |
- Neves, Ana Luisa, et al.
(författare)
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Determinants of the Use of Health and Fitness Mobile Apps by Patients With Asthma : Secondary Analysis of Observational Studies
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Medical Internet Research. - : JMIR Publications. - 1438-8871. ; 23:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Health and fitness apps have potential benefits to improve self-management and disease control among patients with asthma. However, inconsistent use rates have been reported across studies, regions, and health systems. A better understanding of the characteristics of users and nonusers is critical to design solutions that are effectively integrated in patients' daily lives, and to ensure that these equitably reach out to different groups of patients, thus improving rather than entrenching health inequities. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the use of general health and fitness apps by patients with asthma and to identify determinants of usage. Methods: A secondary analysis of the INSPIRERS observational studies was conducted using data from face-to-face visits. Patients with a diagnosis of asthma were included between November 2017 and August 2020. Individual-level data were collected, including age, gender, marital status, educational level, health status, presence of anxiety and depression, postcode, socioeconomic level, digital literacy, use of health services, and use of health and fitness apps. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the probability of being a health and fitness app user. Statistical analysis was performed in R. Results: A total of 526 patients attended a face-to-face visit in the 49 recruiting centers and 514 had complete data. Most participants were <= 40 years old (66.4%), had at least 10 years of education (57.4%), and were in the 3 higher quintiles of the socioeconomic deprivation index (70.1%). The majority reported an overall good health status (visual analogue scale [VAS] score>70 in 93.1%) and the prevalence of anxiety and depression was 34.3% and 11.9%, respectively. The proportion of participants who reported using health and fitness mobile apps was 41.1% (n=211). Multivariate models revealed that single individuals and those with more than 10 years of education are more likely to use health and fitness mobile apps (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.22, 95%CI 1.05-4.75 and aOR 1.95, 95%CI 1.12-3.45, respectively). Higher digital literacy scores were also associated with higher odds of being a user of health and fitness apps, with participants in the second, third, and fourth quartiles reporting aORs of 6.74 (95%CI 2.90-17.40), 10.30 (95%CI 4.28-27.56), and 11.52 (95%CI 4.78-30.87), respectively. Participants with depression symptoms had lower odds of using health and fitness apps (aOR 0.32, 95%CI 0.12-0.83). Conclusions: A better understanding of the barriers and enhancers of app use among patients with lower education, lower digital literacy, or depressive symptoms is key to design tailored interventions to ensure a sustained and equitable use of these technologies. Future studies should also assess users' general health-seeking behavior and their interest and concerns specifically about digital tools. These factors may impact both initial engagement and sustained use.
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4. |
- Amaral, Rita, et al.
(författare)
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Profiling Persistent Asthma Phenotypes in Adolescents : A Longitudinal Diagnostic Evaluation from the INSPIRERS Studies
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 18:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We aimed to identify persistent asthma phenotypes among adolescents and to evaluate longitudinally asthma-related outcomes across phenotypes. Adolescents (13-17 years) from the prospective, observational, and multicenter INSPIRERS studies, conducted in Portugal and Spain, were included (n = 162). Latent class analysis was applied to demographic, environmental, and clinical variables, collected at a baseline medical visit. Longitudinal differences in clinical variables were assessed at a 4-month follow-up telephone contact (n = 128). Three classes/phenotypes of persistent asthma were identified. Adolescents in class 1 (n = 87) were highly symptomatic at baseline and presented the highest number of unscheduled healthcare visits per month and exacerbations per month, both at baseline and follow-up. Class 2 (n = 32) was characterized by female predominance, more frequent obesity, and uncontrolled upper/lower airways symptoms at baseline. At follow-up, there was a significant increase in the proportion of controlled lower airway symptoms (p < 0.001). Class 3 (n = 43) included mostly males with controlled lower airways symptoms; at follow-up, while keeping symptom control, there was a significant increase in exacerbations/month (p = 0.015). We have identified distinct phenotypes of persistent asthma in adolescents with different patterns in longitudinal asthma-related outcomes, supporting the importance of profiling asthma phenotypes in predicting disease outcomes that might inform targeted interventions and reduce future risk.
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5. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(författare)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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6. |
- Bernal, Ximena E., et al.
(författare)
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Empowering Latina scientists
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 363:6429, s. 825-826
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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7. |
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8. |
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- 2019
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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9. |
- Mendieta-Leiva, Glenda, et al.
(författare)
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EpIG-DB: A database of vascular epiphyte assemblages in the Neotropics
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Vegetation Science. - : Wiley. - 1100-9233 .- 1654-1103. ; 31, s. 518-528
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vascular epiphytes are a diverse and conspicuous component of biodiversity in tropical and subtropical forests. Yet, the patterns and drivers of epiphyte assemblages are poorly studied in comparison with soil-rooted plants. Current knowledge about diversity patterns of epiphytes mainly stems from local studies or floristic inventories, but this information has not yet been integrated to allow a better understanding of large-scale distribution patterns. EpIG-DB, the first database on epiphyte assemblages at the continental scale, resulted from an exhaustive compilation of published and unpublished inventory data from the Neotropics. The current version of EpIG-DB consists of 463,196 individual epiphytes from 3,005 species, which were collected from a total of 18,148 relevés (host trees and ‘understory’ plots). EpIG-DB reports the occurrence of ‘true’ epiphytes, hemiepiphytes and nomadic vines, including information on their cover, abundance, frequency and biomass. Most records (97%) correspond to sampled host trees, 76% of them aggregated in forest plots. The data is stored in a TURBOVEG database using the most up-to-date checklist of vascular epiphytes. A total of 18 additional fields were created for the standardization of associated data commonly used in epiphyte ecology (e.g. by considering different sampling methods). EpIG-DB currently covers six major biomes across the whole latitudinal range of epiphytes in the Neotropics but welcomes data globally. This novel database provides, for the first time, unique biodiversity data on epiphytes for the Neotropics and unified guidelines for future collection of epiphyte data. EpIG-DB will allow exploration of new ways to study the community ecology and biogeography of vascular epiphytes.
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10. |
- Basso, Marcos Fernando, et al.
(författare)
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Overexpression of a soybean Globin (GmGlb1-1) gene reduces plant susceptibility to Meloidogyne incognita
- 2022
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Ingår i: Planta. - : SPRINGER. - 0032-0935 .- 1432-2048. ; 256:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Non-symbiotic globin class #1 (Glb1) genes are expressed in different plant organs, have a high affinity for oxygen, and are related to nitric oxide (NO) turnover. Previous studies showed that soybean Glb1 genes are upregulated in soybean plants under flooding conditions. Herein, the GmGlb1-1 gene was identified in soybean as being upregulated in the nematode-resistant genotype PI595099 compared to the nematode-susceptible cultivar BRS133 during plant parasitism by Meloidogyne incognita. The Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum transgenic lines overexpressing the GmGlb1-1 gene showed reduced susceptibility to M. incognita. Consistently, gall morphology data indicated that pJ2 nematodes that infected the transgenic lines showed developmental alterations and delayed parasitism progress. Although no significant changes in biomass and seed yield were detected, the transgenic lines showed an elongated, etiolation-like growth under well-irrigation, and also developed more axillary roots under flooding conditions. In addition, transgenic lines showed upregulation of some important genes involved in plant defense response to oxidative stress. In agreement, higher hydrogen peroxide accumulation and reduced activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification enzymes were also observed in these transgenic lines. Thus, based on our data and previous studies, it was hypothesized that constitutive overexpression of the GmGlb1-1 gene can interfere in the dynamics of ROS production and NO scavenging, enhancing the acquired systemic acclimation to biotic and abiotic stresses, and improving the cellular homeostasis. Therefore, these collective data suggest that ectopic or nematode-induced overexpression, or enhanced expression of the GmGlb1-1 gene using CRISPR/dCas9 offers great potential for application in commercial soybean cultivars aiming to reduce plant susceptibility to M. incognita.
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11. |
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12. |
- Ribeiro, Ana Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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P-cadherin functional role is dependent on E-cadherin cellular context : a proof of concept using the breast cancer model
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Pathology. - : Wiley. - 0022-3417 .- 1096-9896. ; 229:5, s. 705-718
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- P-cadherin overexpression is associated with worse breast cancer survival, being a poor prognostic marker as well as a putative therapeutic target for the aggressive triple-negative and basal-like carcinomas (TNBCs). Previously, we have shown that P-cadherin promotes breast cancer invasion of cells where membrane E-cadherin was maintained; however, it suppresses invasion in models without endogenous cadherins, like melanomas. Here, we investigated if P-cadherin expression would interfere with the normal adhesion complex and which were the cellular/molecular consequences, constituting, in this way, a new mechanism by which E-cadherin invasive-suppressor function was disrupted. Using breast TNBC models, we demonstrated, for the first time, that P-cadherin co-localizes with E-cadherin, promoting cell invasion due to the disruption caused in the interaction between E-cadherin and cytoplasmic catenins. P-cadherin also induces cell migration and survival, modifying the expression profile of cells expressing wild-type E-cadherin and contributing to alter their cellular behaviour. Additionally, E- and P-cadherin co-expressing cells significantly enhanced in vivo tumour growth, compared with cells expressing only E- or only P-cadherin. Finally, we still found that co-expression of both molecules was significantly correlated with high-grade breast carcinomas, biologically aggressive, and with poor patient survival, being a strong prognostic factor in this disease. Our results show a role for E- and P-cadherin co-expression in breast cancer progression and highlight the potential benefit of targeting P-cadherin in the aggressive tumours expressing high levels of this protein.
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13. |
- Amorim, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Changes in Vocal Emotion Recognition Across the Life Span
- 2021
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Ingår i: Emotion. - : American Psychological Association (APA). - 1528-3542 .- 1931-1516. ; 21:2, s. 315-325
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ability to recognize emotions undergoes major developmental changes from infancy to adolescence, peaking in early adulthood, and declining with aging. A life span approach to emotion recognition is lacking in the auditory domain, and it remains unclear how the speaker’s and listener’s ages interact in the context of decoding vocal emotions. Here, we examined age-related differences in vocal emotion recognition from childhood until older adulthood and tested for a potential own-age bias in performance. A total of 164 participants (36 children [7–11 years], 53 adolescents [12–17 years], 48 young adults [20 –30 years], 27 older adults [58 – 82 years]) completed a forced-choice emotion categorization task with nonverbal vocalizations expressing pleasure, relief, achievement, happiness, sadness, disgust, anger, fear, surprise, and neutrality. These vocalizations were produced by 16 speakers, 4 from each age group (children [8 –11 years], adolescents [14 –16 years], young adults [19 –23 years], older adults [60 –75 years]). Accuracy in vocal emotion recognition improved from childhood to early adulthood and declined in older adults. Moreover, patterns of improvement and decline differed by emotion category: faster development for pleasure, relief, sadness, and surprise and delayed decline for fear and surprise. Vocal emotions produced by older adults were more difficult to recognize when compared to all other age groups. No evidence for an own-age bias was found, except in children. These findings support effects of both speaker and listener ages on how vocal emotions are decoded and inform current models of vocal emotion perception.
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14. |
- Andersson, Lars Gustaf, et al.
(författare)
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Spaces of becoming: the Stockholm Film Workshop as a transnational site of film production
- 2018
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Ingår i: Transnational Cinema at the Borders : Borderscapes and the Cinematic Imaginary - Borderscapes and the Cinematic Imaginary. - 9781138091108 ; , s. 40-51
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An account of the Stockholm Film Workshop (1973 - 2001) and how it became a site of film production by immigrant filmworkers, primarily from Latin America and Greece.
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15. |
- Bishnoi, Shahana, et al.
(författare)
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Adjustable polysaccharides-proteins films made of aqueous wheat proteins and alginate solutions
- 2022
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Ingår i: Food Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0308-8146 .- 1873-7072. ; 391, s. 133196-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Large amount of wheat proteins by-products are produced during wheat starch manufacture. This work aimed to develop edible films of cast aqueous wheat proteins (WP) and alginate (Al) solutions. The investigation of the microstructure of Al/WP films revealed a more compacted cross-section and homogeneous surface, comparatively to Al films. Those properties could be modified with the increase of WP concentration from 4 to 8 % w/v, as result of electrostatic interactions between WP and Al. Furthermore, the incorporation of WP provided UltraViolet-blocking behaviour (4-fold decrease in the Ultra-Violet-B region). Additionally, the incorporation of WP in the films reduced the water solubility of the Al films. It was also found that by incorporating different amounts of WP the mechanical and Water Vapor Transmission rate (WVTR) properties could also be modified, so the film composition could be adjusted to suit different types of foods and applications (e.g. coatings and packaging).
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16. |
- Coelho, Helena L., et al.
(författare)
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The mediating role of shame and fear of compassion on the relationship between major life events and depressive symptoms
- 2021
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Ingår i: Current Psychology. - : Springer. - 1046-1310 .- 1936-4733. ; 40:9, s. 4553-4562
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An extensive body of research has showed the impact of major life events on depressive symptoms. However, the underlying psychological processes that contribute to this association are still unclear. The present study aims to explore the mediating role of external shame and fears of receiving compassion on the associations of the number of major life events and their appraisals by the individual with depressive symptoms. Participants were 400 Portuguese-speaking adults from the general population (121 men and 279 women) with ages between 18 and 65 years, that completed self-report measures. Correlation analysis showed significant and positive associations between the number of major life events that occurred in the previous year and the positive and negative appraisal of such events, external shame, fears of receiving compassion, and depressive symptoms. Path analysis revealed that external shame and fears of receiving compassion fully mediated the effects of number of life events on depressive symptoms. Furthermore, results showed a direct effect of negative appraisal of major life events on depressive symptoms. This study sheds light on the psychological processes that may underlie the relationship between the cumulative number of major life events and depressive symptoms. Specifically, it suggests that the occurrence of major life events can impact on depressive symptoms when associated with feelings of shame and fears of receiving compassion from others.
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17. |
- Dallora Moraes, Ana Luiza, et al.
(författare)
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A decision tree multifactorial approach for predicting dementia in a 10 years’ time
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Dementia is a complex neurological disorder, to which little is known about its mechanisms and no therapeutic treatment was identified, to date, to revert or alleviate its symptoms. It affects the older adults population causing a progressive cognitive decline that can become severe enough to impair the individuals' independence and functioning. In this scenario, the prognosis research, directed to identify modifiable risk factors in order to delay or prevent its development, in a big enough time frame is substantially important.Objective: This study investigates a decision tree multifactorial approach for the prognosis of dementia of individuals, not diagnosed with this disorder at baseline, and their development (or not) of dementia in a time frame of 10 years. Methods: This study retrieved data from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care, which consisted of 726 subjects (313 males and 413 females), of which 91 presented a diagnosis of dementia at the 10-year study mark. A K-nearest neighbors multiple imputation method was employed to handle the missing data. A wrapper feature selection was employed to select the best features in a set of 75 variables, which considered factors related to demographic, social, lifestyle, medical history, biochemical test, physical examination, psychological assessment and diverse health instruments relevant to dementia evaluation. Lastly, a cost-sensitive decision tree approach was employed in order to build predictive models in an stratified nested cross-validation experimental setup.Results: The proposed approach achieved an AUC of 0.745 and Recall of 0.722 for the 10-year prognosis of dementia. Our findings showed that most of the variables selected by the tree are related to modifiable risk factors, of which physical strength was an important factor across all ages of the sample. Also, there was a lack of variables related to the health instruments routinely used for the dementia diagnosis that might not be sensitive enough to predict dementia in a 10 years’ time.Conclusions: The proposed model identified diverse modifiable factors, in a 10 years’ time from diagnosis, that could be investigated for possible interventions in order to delay or prevent the dementia onset.
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18. |
- Dallora Moraes, Ana Luiza, et al.
(författare)
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Bone age assessment with various machine learning techniques : A systematic literature review and meta-analysis
- 2019
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 14:7
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background The assessment of bone age and skeletal maturity and its comparison to chronological age is an important task in the medical environment for the diagnosis of pediatric endocrinology, orthodontics and orthopedic disorders, and legal environment in what concerns if an individual is a minor or not when there is a lack of documents. Being a time-consuming activity that can be prone to inter- and intra-rater variability, the use of methods which can automate it, like Machine Learning techniques, is of value. Objective The goal of this paper is to present the state of the art evidence, trends and gaps in the research related to bone age assessment studies that make use of Machine Learning techniques. Method A systematic literature review was carried out, starting with the writing of the protocol, followed by searches on three databases: Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science to identify the relevant evidence related to bone age assessment using Machine Learning techniques. One round of backward snowballing was performed to find additional studies. A quality assessment was performed on the selected studies to check for bias and low quality studies, which were removed. Data was extracted from the included studies to build summary tables. Lastly, a meta-analysis was performed on the performances of the selected studies. Results 26 studies constituted the final set of included studies. Most of them proposed automatic systems for bone age assessment and investigated methods for bone age assessment based on hand and wrist radiographs. The samples used in the studies were mostly comprehensive or bordered the age of 18, and the data origin was in most of cases from United States and West Europe. Few studies explored ethnic differences. Conclusions There is a clear focus of the research on bone age assessment methods based on radiographs whilst other types of medical imaging without radiation exposure (e.g. magnetic resonance imaging) are not much explored in the literature. Also, socioeconomic and other aspects that could influence in bone age were not addressed in the literature. Finally, studies that make use of more than one region of interest for bone age assessment are scarce. Copyright: © 2019 Dallora et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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19. |
- De Marco, O., et al.
(författare)
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The messy death of a multiple star system and the resulting planetary nebula as observed by JWST
- 2022
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Ingår i: Nature Astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2397-3366. ; 6:12, s. 1421-1432
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Planetary nebulae—the ejected envelopes of red giant stars—provide us with a history of the last, mass-losing phases of 90% of stars initially more massive than the Sun. Here we analyse images of the planetary nebula NGC 3132 from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Early Release Observations. A structured, extended hydrogen halo surrounding an ionized central bubble is imprinted with spiral structures, probably shaped by a low-mass companion orbiting the central star at about 40–60 au. The images also reveal a mid-infrared excess at the central star, interpreted as a dusty disk, which is indicative of an interaction with another closer companion. Including the previously known A-type visual companion, the progenitor of the NGC 3132 planetary nebula must have been at least a stellar quartet. The JWST images allow us to generate a model of the illumination, ionization and hydrodynamics of the molecular halo, demonstrating the power of JWST to investigate complex stellar outflows. Furthermore, new measurements of the A-type visual companion allow us to derive the value for the mass of the progenitor of a central star with excellent precision: 2.86 ± 0.06 M⊙. These results serve as pathfinders for future JWST observations of planetary nebulae, providing unique insight into fundamental astrophysical processes including colliding winds and binary star interactions, with implications for supernovae and gravitational-wave systems.
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20. |
- Ferreira, Cláudia, et al.
(författare)
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Do shame and perfectionistic self-presentation explain the link between early affiliative memories and eating psychopathology?
- 2018
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Ingår i: Psychology, Health & Medicine. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1354-8506 .- 1465-3966. ; 23:5, s. 628-634
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study tested a model examining the impact that early affiliative memories (both with family and peers) on eating psychopathology, and whether these links are carried by the mechanisms of external shame and body image-related perfectionistic self-presentation, in a sample of 480 female college students. Path analyses' results revealed that this model accounted for 48% of disordered eating's variance and suggests that the lack of early positive emotional memories is associated with higher levels of shame (feelings of inferiority and unattractiveness), and with higher tendency to adopt body image-related perfectionistic strategies, that seem to explain excessive eating concern and rigid control of one's eating behaviors. This study offers important insights for future research and for the development of intervention programs, by revealing the importance of assessing and targeting shame and perfectionistic strategies and suggesting the importance of promoting adaptive emotion regulation strategies.
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21. |
- Ferreira, Cláudia, et al.
(författare)
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How do warmth, safeness and connectedness-related memories and experiences explain disordered eating?
- 2018
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Ingår i: Eating and Weight Disorders. - : Springer. - 1124-4909 .- 1590-1262. ; 23:5, s. 629-636
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Literature suggested that the recall of early positive experiences have a major impact on the promotion of feelings of connectedness and social safeness, and seems to protect individuals against psychopathology. Recent research has also demonstrated that the absence of these positive rearing memories play a key role on disordered eating-related behaviours. The impact of early affiliative memories on disordered eating do not seem to be direct, and the mechanisms underlying this relationship are scarcely investigated. The present study aimed to clarify how memories of warmth and safeness explain the adoption of disordered eating attitudes, and tested the mediator role of social safeness, external shame and appearance-focused social comparison on aforementioned relationship, in a sample of 277 young women. The tested model explained 36% of eating psychopathology's variance and presented an excellent fit. Path analysis results indicated that the impact of rearing memories on eating psychopathology was fully mediated through the mechanisms of social safeness, external shame and appearance-focused social comparison. Specifically, these findings suggested that the extent to which positive rearing memories are associated with lower levels of disordered eating attitudes is influenced by the current feelings of social safeness and connectedness, which in turn are totally carried by decreased feelings of external shame and by lower endorsement on unfavourable comparison based on physical appearance with proximal targets (peers). These results seem to offer important insights for research and clinical work on body image and eating-related difficulties, suggesting the relevance of promoting warm and safe interactions with others.Level of evidenceLevel V, descriptive study.
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22. |
- Ferreria Kunrath, Marcel, 1988, et al.
(författare)
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Unveiling the consequences of early human saliva contamination on membranes for guided bone regeneration
- 2024
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF PERIODONTAL RESEARCH. - 0022-3484 .- 1600-0765.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: GBR membranes have various surface properties designed to elicit positive responses in regenerative clinical procedures; dental clinicians attempt to employ techniques to prevent the direct interaction of contaminated oral fluids with these biomaterials. However, saliva is uninterruptedly exhibited in oral surgical procedures applying GBR membranes, suggesting a persistent interaction with biomaterials and the surrounding oral tissues. This fundamental study aimed to investigate potential alterations in the physical, chemical, and key biological properties of membranes for guided bone regeneration (GBR) caused by isolated early interaction with human saliva. Methods: A reproducible step-by-step protocol for collecting and interacting human saliva with membranes was developed. Subsequently, membranes were evaluated for their physicochemical properties, protein quantification, DNA, and 16S rRNA levels viability of two different cell lines at 1 and 7 days, and ALP activity. Non-interacted membranes and pure saliva of donors were applied as controls. Results: Qualitative morphological alterations were noticed; DNA extraction and 16S quantification revealed significantly higher values. Furthermore, the viability of HGF-1 and MC3T3-E1 cells was significantly (p < .05) reduced following saliva interaction with biodegradable membranes. Saliva contamination did not prejudice PTFE membranes significantly in any biological assay. Conclusions: These outcomes demonstrated a susceptible response of biodegradable membranes to isolated early human saliva interaction, suggesting impairment of structural morphology, reduced viability to HGF-1 and MC3T3-E1, and higher absorption/adherence of DNA/16S rRNA. As a result, clinical oral procedures may need corresponding refinements.
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23. |
- Fonseca, Soraia, et al.
(författare)
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The buffer role of psychological flexibility against the impact of major life events on depression symptoms
- 2020
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Ingår i: Clinical Psychologist. - : Taylor & Francis. - 1328-4207 .- 1742-9552. ; 24:1, s. 82-90
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Major life events have been positively associated with depression symptoms. Although psychological flexibility has been associated with adaptive coping skills and negatively linked with depression symptoms, it remains unclear whether psychological flexibility may be a protective process against the pervasive impact of major life events. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the association between the cumulative number of major life events and their negative appraisal with depression symptoms.Methods: Four hundred and one participants (280 females and 121 males), aged between 18 and 65 years old, completed a set of self-report measures assessing the number of major life events that had occurred in the previous 12 months and their appraisal, as well as psychological flexibility, and depression symptoms.Results: Correlation analyses showed a negative and strong association between psychological flexibility and depression symptoms. Path analyses revealed that psychological flexibility attenuated the effect of the cumulative number of major life events and their perceived negative impact on depression symptoms.Conclusions: This study highlights the buffer role of psychological flexibility on the association of number of major life events and their negative appraisal, with depression symptoms. These findings suggest that being able to be in contact with the present moment with an accepting and non-judging attitude towards internal experiences, and to engage in valued-based action, may protect individuals against the negative impact of major life events with regards to depression symptoms.
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24. |
- Graça, Inês, et al.
(författare)
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Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Nodulated and Non-Nodulated Casuarina glauca Sieb. ex Spreng. Grown under Salinity Conditions Using Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS)
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Molecular Sciences. - : MDPI AG. - 1661-6596 .- 1422-0067. ; 21:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Casuarina glauca displays high levels of salt tolerance, but very little is known about how this tree adapts to saline conditions. To understand the molecular basis of C. glauca response to salt stress, we have analyzed the proteome from branchlets of plants nodulated by nitrogen-fixing Frankia Thr bacteria (NOD+) and non-nodulated plants supplied with KNO3 (KNO3+), exposed to 0, 200, 400, and 600 mM NaCl. Proteins were identified by Short Gel, Long Gradient Liquid Chromatography coupled to Tandem Mass Spectrometry and quantified by Sequential Window Acquisition of All Theoretical Mass Spectra -Mass Spectrometry. 600 proteins were identified and 357 quantified. Differentially Expressed Proteins (DEPs) were multifunctional and mainly involved in Carbohydrate Metabolism, Cellular Processes, and Environmental Information Processing. The number of DEPs increased gradually with stress severity: (i) from 7 (200 mM NaCl) to 40 (600 mM NaCl) in KNO3+; and (ii) from 6 (200 mM NaCl) to 23 (600 mM NaCl) in NOD+. Protein-protein interaction analysis identified different interacting proteins involved in general metabolic pathways as well as in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites with different response networks related to salt stress. Salt tolerance in C. glauca is related to a moderate impact on the photosynthetic machinery (one of the first and most important stress targets) as well as to an enhancement of the antioxidant status that maintains cellular homeostasis.
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25. |
- Herrgård, Markus J, et al.
(författare)
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A consensus yeast metabolic network reconstruction obtained from a community approach to systems biology
- 2008
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Ingår i: Nature Biotechnology. ; 26:10, s. 1155-1160
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genomic data allow the large-scale manual or semi-automated assembly of metabolic network reconstructions, which provide highly curated organism-specific knowledge bases. Although several genome-scale network reconstructions describe Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolism, they differ in scope and content, and use different terminologies to describe the same chemical entities. This make comparisons between them difficult and underscores the desirability of a consolidated metabolic network that collects and formalizes the 'community knowledge' of yeast metabolism. We describe how we have produced a consensus metabolic network reconstruction for S. cerevisiae. In drafting it, we placed special emphasis on referencing molecules to persistent databases or using database-independent forms, such as SMILES or InChl strings, as this permits their chemical structure to be represented unambiguously and in a manner that permits automated reasoning. The reconstruction is readily available via a publicly accessible database and in the Systems Biology Markup Language (http://www.comp-sys-bio.org/yeastnet). It can be maintained as a resource that serves as a common denominator for studying the systems biology of yeast. Similar strategies should benefit communities studying genome-scale metabolic networks of other organisms.
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26. |
- Magalhães, Ana, et al.
(författare)
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Fut2-null mice display an altered glycosylation profile and impaired BabA-mediated Helicobacter pylori adhesion to gastric mucosa
- 2009
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Ingår i: Glycobiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0959-6658 .- 1460-2423. ; 19:12, s. 1525-1536
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Glycoconjugates expressed on gastric mucosa play a crucial role in host-pathogen interactions. The FUT2 enzyme catalyzes the addition of terminal alpha(1,2)fucose residues, producing the H type 1 structure expressed on the surface of epithelial cells and in mucosal secretions of secretor individuals. Inactivating mutations in the human FUT2 gene are associated with reduced susceptibility to Helicobacter pylori infection. H. pylori infects over half the world's population and causes diverse gastric lesions, from gastritis to gastric cancer. H. pylori adhesion constitutes a crucial step in the establishment of a successful infection. The BabA adhesin binds the Le(b) and H type 1 structures expressed on gastric mucins, while SabA binds to sialylated carbohydrates mediating the adherence to inflamed gastric mucosa. In this study, we have used an animal model of nonsecretors, Fut2-null mice, to characterize the glycosylation profile and evaluate the effect of the observed glycan expression modifications in the process of H. pylori adhesion. We have demonstrated expression of terminal difucosylated glycan structures in C57Bl/6 mice gastric mucosa and that Fut2-null mice showed marked alteration in gastric mucosa glycosylation, characterized by diminished expression of alpha(1,2)fucosylated structures as indicated by lectin and antibody staining and further confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. This altered glycosylation profile was further confirmed by the absence of Fucalpha(1,2)-dependent binding of calicivirus virus-like particles. Finally, using a panel of H. pylori strains, with different adhesin expression profiles, we have demonstated an impairment of BabA-dependent adhesion of H. pylori to Fut2-null mice gastric mucosa, whereas SabA-mediated binding was not affected.
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27. |
- Marote, Ana, et al.
(författare)
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Cellular Aging Secretes : a Comparison of Bone-Marrow-Derived and Induced Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Their Secretome Over Long-Term Culture
- 2023
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Ingår i: Stem Cell Reviews and Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2629-3269 .- 2629-3277. ; 19:1, s. 248-263
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold promising therapeutic potential in several clinical applications, mainly due to their paracrine activity. The implementation of future secretome-based therapeutic strategies requires the use of easily accessible MSCs sources that provide high numbers of cells with homogenous characteristics. MSCs obtained from induced pluripotent stem cells (iMSCs) have been put forward as an advantageous alternative to the gold-standard tissue sources, such as bone marrow (BM-MSCs). In this study, we aimed at comparing the secretome of BM-MSCs and iMSCs over long-term culture. For that, we performed a broad characterization of both sources regarding their identity, proteomic secretome analysis, as well as replicative senescence and associated phenotypes, including its effects on MSCs secretome composition and immunomodulatory action. Our results evidence a rejuvenated phenotype of iMSCs, which is translated into a superior proliferative capacity before the induction of replicative senescence. Despite this significant difference between iMSCs and BM-MSCs proliferation, both untargeted and targeted proteomic analysis revealed a similar secretome composition for both sources in pre-senescent and senescent states. These results suggest that shifting from the use of BM-MSCs to a more advantageous source, like iMSCs, may yield similar therapeutic effects as identified over the past years for this gold-standard MSC source. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].
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28. |
- Mendes, Ana Cristina, et al.
(författare)
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Walls and fortresses : Borderscapes and the cinematic imaginary
- 2015
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Ingår i: Transational Cinemas. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2040-3526 .- 2040-3534. ; 6:2, s. 117-122
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In tandem with a postnational imaginary nurtured by an ever-present promise of deterritorialized mobility and burgeoning migratory fluxes, walls and fences separating nation states multiply. This is a burning issue: even though nation states at the centre of the global order increasingly present themselves as postnational, calls for tighter border security (prompted by traumatic events such as the London Underground bombings, the riots in Paris’s banlieues, the September 11 attacks and the massive number of refugees and migrants drowning in the Mediterranean and being hit by trains after stepping over fences to enter in the Eurotunnel area, in Calais) undermine utopian notions of both a borderless New Europe and the USA as the Promised Land. This editorial of Transnational Cinemas introduces the special issue ‘Walls and fortresses: borderscapes and the cinematic imaginary’, which includes essays focusing on the interrelated motifs of borderscapes as they are represented in transnational cinematographies, from Palestine to Sweden, Spain, Finland and France, and as constituting premises of cinematic production. Through this critical movement, this special issue analyses the ways various cinematic practices, technologies and crossmedia developments impact questions of perception, experience and representation of borderscapes.
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29. |
- Mendes, Ana Laura, et al.
(författare)
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The central role of self-reassurance to explain body and eating attitudes
- 2019
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Ingår i: Eating and Weight Disorders. - : Springer. - 1124-4909 .- 1590-1262. ; 24:5, s. 861-868
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Literature has emphasized the significant role of social acceptance and connectedness in well-being and the benefits of cultivating a positive body image in the prevention and treatment of body and eating-related difficulties. The current study aims to examine whether strategies of self-reassurance and body-image appreciation mediate the association of feelings of social safeness and acceptance with the "core" dimensions of body and eating-related psychopathology (restraint, eating concern, weight concern, and shape concern), while controlling the effects of body mass index (BMI). Participants were 309 Portuguese women, aged between 18 and 50 years that completed self-report measures. Results from the performed path analysis revealed that self-reassurance and body-image appreciation mediated the impact of feelings of social safeness and acceptance on eating psychopathology- related dimensions. Results seem to suggest that women who perceive the self as acceptable and desirable tend to adopt self-reassurance strategies. These strategies in turn seem to predict a protective and caring relationship with one's own body and decreased severity of eating psychopathology symptoms. This path model explained 22%, 27%, 51%, and 47% of restraint, eating concern, weight concern, and shape concern, respectively, and showed an excellent model fit. Our findings appear to offer significant insights in the field of body and eating-related psychopathology and seem to support the pertinence of creating intervention programs for women from the general community with body and eating-related difficulties that encourage the adoption of self-reassurance strategies and promote a positive and respectful relationship with one's own body image.
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30. |
- Mendes-Santos, Cristina, et al.
(författare)
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Validation of the Portuguese version of the supportive care needs survey short-form questionnaire (SCNS-SF34-Pt) and the breast cancer supplementary module (SCNS-BR8-Pt)
- 2024
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Ingår i: Journal of psychosocial oncology. - : ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD. - 0734-7332 .- 1540-7586. ; 42:4, s. 486-505
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectiveThis study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Portuguese Supportive Care Needs Survey-Short Form-34 (SCNS-SF34-Pt) and its breast cancer-specific complementary module (SCNS-BR8-Pt). A further aim was to characterize Portuguese Breast Cancer Survivors (BCS) unmet supportive care needs, using these measures.MethodsA convenient sample of BCS was recruited from five hospitals in Portugal and invited to complete SCNS-SF34-Pt and SCNS-BR8-Pt, EORTCQLQC30 and QLQBR23, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and the Patient Health-Questionnaire. The validity (i.e. convergent, discriminant and convergent validity) and reliability of SCNS-SF34-Pt and SCNS-BR8-Pt were statistically evaluated. BCS unmet supportive care needs were descriptively assessed.Findings336 BCS participated in the study. A four-factor solution was produced for SCNS-SF34-Pt. This solution included the Physical and daily living needs, Psychological needs, Sexuality needs, and Health system, information, and patient support needs dimensions (73% of the total variance; Cronbachs alpha=.82 to .97). SCNS-SF34-Pt demonstrated good convergent validity. It could also discriminate between known-groups regarding age, disease staging, treatment performed, and ECOG performance status. SCNS-BR8-Pt revealed a single-factor structure (62% of the total variance; Cronbachs alpha=.91).Portuguese BCS most prevalent unmet supportive care needs were associated with the Psychological, and Physical and daily living domains. Fear of cancer spreading, the inability to do things as usual, and lack of energy/tiredness were perceived as issues requiring further supportive care.Findings336 BCS participated in the study. A four-factor solution was produced for SCNS-SF34-Pt. This solution included the Physical and daily living needs, Psychological needs, Sexuality needs, and Health system, information, and patient support needs dimensions (73% of the total variance; Cronbachs alpha=.82 to .97). SCNS-SF34-Pt demonstrated good convergent validity. It could also discriminate between known-groups regarding age, disease staging, treatment performed, and ECOG performance status. SCNS-BR8-Pt revealed a single-factor structure (62% of the total variance; Cronbachs alpha=.91).Portuguese BCS most prevalent unmet supportive care needs were associated with the Psychological, and Physical and daily living domains. Fear of cancer spreading, the inability to do things as usual, and lack of energy/tiredness were perceived as issues requiring further supportive care.ConclusionsSCNS-SF34-Pt and the SCNS-BR8-Pt are valid and reliable tools to assess Portuguese BCS unmet supportive care needs. Fear of cancer spreading and lack of energy/tiredness concerns should be a target of supportive care services.
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31. |
- Moraes, Ana Luiza Dallora, et al.
(författare)
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Machine learning and microsimulation techniques on the prognosis of dementia : A systematic literature review
- 2017
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 12:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Dementia is a complex disorder characterized by poor outcomes for the patients and high costs of care. After decades of research little is known about its mechanisms. Having prognostic estimates about dementia can help researchers, patients and public entities in dealing with this disorder. Thus, health data, machine learning and microsimulation techniques could be employed in developing prognostic estimates for dementia. Objective The goal of this paper is to present evidence on the state of the art of studies investigating and the prognosis of dementia using machine learning and microsimulation techniques. Method To achieve our goal we carried out a systematic literature review, in which three large databases -Pubmed, Socups and Web of Science were searched to select studies that employed machine learning or microsimulation techniques for the prognosis of dementia. A single backward snowballing was done to identify further studies. A quality checklist was also employed to assess the quality of the evidence presented by the selected studies, and low quality studies were removed. Finally, data from the final set of studies were extracted in summary tables. Results In total 37 papers were included. The data summary results showed that the current research is focused on the investigation of the patients with mild cognitive impairment that will evolve to Alzheimer's disease, using machine learning techniques. Microsimulation studies were concerned with cost estimation and had a populational focus. Neuroimaging was the most commonly used variable. Conclusions Prediction of conversion from MCI to AD is the dominant theme in the selected studies. Most studies used ML techniques on Neuroimaging data. Only a few data sources have been recruited by most studies and the ADNI database is the one most commonly used. Only two studies have investigated the prediction of epidemiological aspects of Dementia using either ML or MS techniques. Finally, care should be taken when interpreting the reported accuracy of ML techniques, given studies' different contexts. © 2017 Dallora et al.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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32. |
- Moraes, Ana Luiza Dallora, et al.
(författare)
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Multifactorial 10-year prior diagnosis prediction model of dementia
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 17:18, s. 1-18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dementia is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the older adult population. To date, no cure or treatment to change its course is available. Since changes in the brains of affected individuals could be evidenced as early as 10 years before the onset of symptoms, prognosis research should consider this time frame. This study investigates a broad decision tree multifactorial approach for the prediction of dementia, considering 75 variables regarding demographic, social, lifestyle, medical history, biochemical tests, physical examination, psychological assessment and health instruments. Previous work on dementia prognoses with machine learning did not consider a broad range of factors in a large time frame. The proposed approach investigated predictive factors for dementia and possible prognostic subgroups. This study used data from the ongoing multipurpose Swedish National Study on Aging and Care, consisting of 726 subjects (91 presented dementia diagnosis in 10 years). The proposed approach achieved an AUC of 0.745 and Recall of 0.722 for the 10-year prognosis of dementia. Most of the variables selected by the tree are related to modifiable risk factors; physical strength was important across all ages. Also, there was a lack of variables related to health instruments routinely used for the dementia diagnosis.
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33. |
- Moraes, Ana Louiza Dallora, et al.
(författare)
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Prognosis of dementia employing machine learning and microsimulation techniques : a systematic literature review
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Conference on ENTERprise Information Systems/International Conference on Project MANagement/International Conference on Health and Social Care Information Systems and Technologies, CENTERIS/ProjMAN / HCist 2016. - : Elsevier. ; , s. 480-488, s. 480-488
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to investigate the goals and variables employed in the machine learning and microsimulation studies for the prognosis of dementia. METHOD: According to preset protocols, the Pubmed, Socups and Web of Science databases were searched to find studies that matched the defined inclusion/exclusion criteria, and then its references were checked for new studies. A quality checklist assessed the selected studies, and removed the low quality ones. The remaining ones (included set) had their data extracted and summarized. RESULTS: The summary of the data of the 37 included studies showed that the most common goal of the selected studies was the prediction of the conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's Disease, for studies that used machine learning, and cost estimation for the microsimulation ones. About the variables, neuroimaging was the most frequent used. CONCLUSIONS: The systematic literature review showed clear trends in prognosis of dementia research in what concerns machine learning techniques and microsimulation.
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34. |
- Paulino Mendes, Ana Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Outdoor environmental effects on cleanrooms – A study from a Swedish hospital pharmacy compounding unit
- 2022
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Ingår i: European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics. - : Elsevier. - 0939-6411 .- 1873-3441. ; 177, s. 100-106
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study we examined how outdoor climate affects indoor conditions of a cleanroom used for the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals in the Uppsala university hospital pharmacy, Sweden. Further objectives were to identify associated risk factors to ensure a consistent extemporaneous manufacturing process. Data for two years from the facility monitoring system (with one minute resolution for temperature, relative humidity (%RH), differential pressure) were compared with meteorological outdoor data from Uppsala (Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, 60-minute mean data for temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and air pressure). The findings of this study indicate a linear relationship between indoor and outdoor temperature for the autumn, winter and spring seasons. The typical summer outdoor diurnal pattern is also seen for indoor temperature. During the study period, the minimum outdoor temperature was −17.5 °C and the maximum 31.4 °C. This wide temperature range also entails a wide range of air humidity from 10 %RH to 100 %RH indoors. Cleanroom temperature and %RH are factors that may affect the quality of medications, especially the risk of microbiological growth in aseptic processes, stability of medications during storage but also may affect handling of for example uncoated tablets or weighing of powder, especially at high %RH for hygroscopic drugs or at low %RH due to static electricity. Further the risk of damage on electrical equipment from electrostatic discharge at low %RH is discussed with a focus on the need for humidity control of cleanrooms and/or systems for mitigation of electrostatic discharge in climates with outdoor temperature in the wintertime below freezing point.
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35. |
- Pena Gralle, Ana Paula Bruno, et al.
(författare)
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Job strain and binge eating among Brazilian workers participating in the ELSA-Brasil study : does BMI matter?
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Occupational Health. - 1341-9145 .- 1348-9585. ; 59:3, s. 247-255
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between job strain and binge eating as well as the effect-modifying influence of body mass index (BMI) on this association.METHODS: A total of 11,951 active civil servants from the multicenter Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) was included in this cross-sectional analysis. Job strain was assessed using the Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire. Binge eating was defined as eating a large amount of food with a sense of lack of control over what and how much is eaten in less than 2 hours at least twice a week. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the association between binge eating and job strain as well as its interaction with BMI.RESULTS: After adjustment, and using low-strain job as the reference category, binge eating was associated with high-strain job (high demand/low control: odds ratio [OR]=1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-1.98), active job (high demand/high control: OR=1.35, 95% CI 1.07-1.70), and passive job (low demand/low control: OR=1.24, 95% CI 1.01-1.53). Psychological job demands were positively associated with binge eating (OR=1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07), while greater job control and social support at work were each inversely associated with binge eating (OR=0.95, 95% CI 0.92-0.97 and OR=0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.98, respectively). BMI modified the association between job strain and binge eating: Heavier psychological job demands were associated with higher odds of binge eating among obese participants, while a stronger inverse association between job control and binge eating was seen among slimmer participants.CONCLUSIONS: Job strain increases the odds of binge eating and this association is modified by BMI.
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36. |
- Pereira, Ana Margarida, et al.
(författare)
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What Do Physicians Think About the Use of Telemedicine to Recruit and Assess Participants in mHealth-Related Clinical Studies as a Consequence of the COVID-19 Pandemic?
- 2022
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Ingår i: Telemedicine journal and e-health. - : Mary Ann Liebert. - 1530-5627 .- 1556-3669. ; 28:9, s. 1386-1392
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To evaluate physician's opinion and availability to participate in mHealth-related clinical studies with patient recruitment and assessment via telemedicine and to identify characteristics associated with the willingness to participate.Methods: Cross-sectional, observational study, based on an anonymous web survey conducted in May-Jun of 2020 to 237 physicians, from Portugal and Spain that collaborated with an asthma mHealth project (INSPIRERS).Results: Response rate was 51% (n = 120). Most (74%, n = 89) physicians were available to participate in such studies, but 62% anticipated lower recruiting capacity and 40% increased difficulty in obtaining quality data. Physicians aged <= 40 years, from secondary care (vs. general practitioners) and that used apps in personal life or clinical practice were more likely to be available.Conclusions: Three-quarters of the physicians were available to participate in mHealth-related clinical studies with patient recruitment and assessment through telemedicine. Age group, medical specialty, and app use were associated with the willingness to participate.
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37. |
- Pie, Marcio R., et al.
(författare)
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Phylogenetic diversity and the structure of host-epiphyte interactions across the Neotropics
- 2023
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Ingår i: PeerJ. - 2167-8359. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the mechanisms driving community assembly has been a major focus of ecological research for nearly a century, yet little is known about these mechanisms in commensal communities, particularly with respect to their historical/evolutionary components. Here, we use a large-scale dataset of 4,440 vascular plant species to explore the relationship between the evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) (as measured by the’species evolutionary history’ (SEH)) of host species and the phylogenetic diversity (PD) of their associated epiphyte species. Although there was considerable variation across hosts and their associated epiphyte species, they were largely unrelated to host SEH. Our results mostly support the idea that the determinants of epiphyte colonization success might involve host characteristics that are unrelated to host SEH (e.g., architectural differences between hosts). While determinants of PD of epiphyte assemblages are poorly known, they do not appear to be related to the evolutionary history of host species. Instead, they might be better explained by neutral processes of colonization and extinction. However, the high level of phylogenetic signal in epiphyte PD (independent of SEH) suggests it might still be influenced by yet unrecognized evolutionary determinants. This study highlights how little is still known about the phylogenetic determinants of epiphyte communities.
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38. |
- Pinto, Catarina, et al.
(författare)
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Social safeness and disordered eating : Exploring underlying mechanisms of body appreciation and inflexible eating
- 2017
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Ingår i: Eating and Weight Disorders. - : Springer. - 1124-4909 .- 1590-1262. ; 22:2, s. 303-309
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Feelings of social safeness and connectedness have been associated with adaptive emotion regulation processes and well-being indicators. Further, literature has demonstrated that interpersonal experiences play an important role in the etiology and maintenance of body and eating psychopathology. However, the study of the role of social variables and emotion regulation processes in the engagement in inflexible eating rules and eating psychopathology is still in its early stages. The current study aims to fill some gaps within the literature and explore the mediator role of body appreciation and inflexible eating rules in the link between social safeness and disordered eating. Participants were 253 women, aged between 18 and 50 years old, who completed a series of online self-report measures. Results from the tested path analysis model showed that social safeness holds a significant effect on eating psychopathology, through the mechanisms of body appreciation and inflexible eating rules. Also, results suggested that women who present higher levels of social safeness tend to present a more positive and respectful attitude towards their body and decreased adoption of inflexible eating rules, which seem to explain lower levels of disordered eating behaviours. These findings seem to present empirical support for the development of intervention programs that promote a positive, affectionate and healthy relationship with one's body image, in order to prevent the inflexible adherence to eating rules and disordered eating behaviours.
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39. |
- Ring, Irene, et al.
(författare)
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Chapter 6: Options for governance and decision-making across scales and sectors
- 2018
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Ingår i: IPBES. - Bonn : Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem services. - 9783947851089 ; , s. 661-802
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Within the generic scope of the Regional Assessments of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, the key policy‑relevant questions of the Europe and Central Asia Assessment concern options and opportunities with regard to biodiversity and ecosystem services and their role for human well-being. The assessment examines the opportunities for sectoral policies and policy instruments; managing production, consumption and economic development; and ecological infrastructures and ecological technologies. It explores opportunities to promote food security, economic development and equality while avoiding land and aquatic degradation and conserving cultural landscapes.
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40. |
- Ring, Irene, et al.
(författare)
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Options for governance and decision-making across scales and sectors
- 2018
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Ingår i: The IPBES regional assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for Europe and Central Asia. - Bonn : Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). - 9783947851089 ; , s. 661-802
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)
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41. |
- Rodrigues, Mariana Teixeira, et al.
(författare)
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Lysicamine Reduces Protein Kinase B (AKT) Activation and Promotes Necrosis in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
- 2023
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Ingår i: Pharmaceuticals. - : MDPI. - 1424-8247. ; 16:12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is an aggressive form of thyroid cancer (TC), accounting for 50% of total TC-related deaths. Although therapeutic approaches against TC have improved in recent years, the survival rate remains low, and severe adverse effects are commonly reported. However, unexplored alternatives based on natural compounds, such as lysicamine, an alkaloid found in plants with established cytotoxicity against breast and liver cancers, offer promise. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the antineoplastic effects of lysicamine in papillary TC (BCPAP) and ATC (HTH83 and KTC-2) cells. Lysicamine treatment reduced cell viability, motility, colony formation, and AKT activation while increasing the percentage of necrotic cells. The absence of caspase activity confirmed apoptosis-independent cell death. Necrostatin-1 (NEC-1)-mediated necrosome inhibition reduced lysicamine-induced necrosis in KTC-2, suggesting necroptosis induction via a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-independent mechanism. Additionally, in silico analysis predicted lysicamine target proteins, particularly those related to MAPK and TGF-beta signaling. Our study demonstrated lysicamine's potential as an antineoplastic compound in ATC cells with a proposed mechanism related to inhibiting AKT activation and inducing cell death.
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42. |
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Transnational Cinema at the Borders : Borderscapes and the Cinematic Imaginary
- 2018
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (refereegranskat)abstract
- In tandem with a postnational imaginary which is nurtured by the ever-present promise of deterritorialized mobility and burgeoning migratory fluxes, walls and fences separating nation-states multiply. This is a burning issue: even though nation states at the centre of the global order increasingly present themselves as postnational, calls for tighter border security undermine utopian notions of both a borderless New Europe and the USA as the Promised Land. This collection investigates the urgent issue of borderscapes and the cinematic imaginary by bringing together a range of new approaches in the field of film and media studies, crossing over into sociology, migration studies and artistic research. The contributions focus on the interrelated motifs of borderscapes as they are represented and used in transnational cinematographies, from Palestine to Sweden, Spain, Finland, Italy, Iran, Iraq, France, the UK and US, and as constituting premises of cinematic production. The chapters in this book were originally published in the Transnational Cinemas journal.
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43. |
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44. |
- Trindade, Inês A., 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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The moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the link between learned helplessness and depression symptomatology : A preliminary study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. - : Elsevier. - 2212-1447. ; 15, s. 68-72
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: In accordance to ACT theory, psychological inflexibility may influence the well-known link between learned helplessness and depression symptomatology. This exploratory preliminary study aims to analyse whether psychological flexibility moderates the relationship between these variables.Methods: A community sample of 84 Portuguese participants (30 men and 54 women), with a mean age of 33.98 (SD = 11.05), completed the LHS, CompACT, and DASS-21. The moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the relationship between learned helplessness and depression symptomatology was calculated using the PROCESS computation macro.Results: The interaction term between learned helplessness and psychological flexibility was significant (b = -0.01, SE = 0.00, p < 0.001), pointing out psychological flexibility as a moderator of the association between learned helplessness and depression symptoms. The total model explained 55% of the variance of depression symptomatology. For the same level of learned helplessness, participants who reported higher psychological flexibility, presented less depression symptomatology. The buffer effect of psychological flexibility is stronger when learned helplessness is higher.Discussion: Higher psychological flexibility seems to be protective for depression symptomatology, in particular for those individuals who experience higher levels of learned helplessness. Individuals who are most likely to struggle with learned helplessness are potentially those who could benefit the most of an intervention targeting psychological flexibility as a way to ameliorate depressive symptomatology. Future studies with larger and clinical samples are required to confirm these preliminary findings.
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