Repositório RCAAP
The auditory N1 in Schizophrenia: comparative analysis with a monoaural stimuli paradigm
The auditory N1 component has been gaining interest as a possible biomarker in schizophrenia (SCZ). N1 to right (RE) and left ear (LE) amplitudes and latencies were assessed using a monoaural auditory oddball paradigm in 12 SCZ subjects and 15 matched healthy controls (M=40.1±8.53 and 39.4±7.73, respectively). T-student test revealed no differences between RE and LE stimulation for N1 amplitude and latency to both groups. However, there were differences in peak-to-peak N1 amplitudes between the two groups for both LE (t=-3.067; ȡ=0.003) and RE (t=-2.794; ȡ=0.007). These findings strengthen auditory N1 has an electrophysiological biomarker for schizophrenia.
2026-03-06T15:18:11Z
Mota, António Tomé, David Campos, Carlos Rocha, Nuno
Biometrics and quality of life of lymphoma patients: A longitudinal mixed‐model approach
Knowledge Engineering has become essential in the fields of Medical and Health Care with emphasis for helping citizens to improve their health and quality of life. This includes individual methods and techniques in health‐related knowledge acquisition and representation and their application in the construction of intelligent systems capable of using the acquired information to improve the patients' health and/or quality of life. Haemato‐oncological diseases can provide significant disability and suffering, with severe symptoms and psychological distress. They can create difficulties in fulfilling professional, family and social roles, affecting an individual's quality of life. Health related quality of life (HRQoL) is a subjective concept but there is also an objective component related to physiological indicators. Some of these physiological indicators can be easily assessed by wearable technology such heart rate variability (HRV). This paper introduces an intelligent system to assess, in real‐time, potential HRV indices, that can predict HRQoL in lymphoma patients throughout chemotherapy treatment and to account the individuals' variability.
2026-03-06T15:17:10Z
Oliveira, Alexandra Silva, Eliana Aguiar, Joyce Faria, Brigida Monica Reis, Luís Paulo Cardoso, Henrique Gonçalves, Joaquim Sá, Jorge Oliveira e Carvalho Victor, Marques Herlander
The emergency reaction questionnaire: First steps towards a new method
During emergencies, people are more or less capable of performing adequately. Knowledge about human behavior while facing emergencies has become more significant nowadays. This knowledge can help improving our already present defensive responses and natural coping mechanisms when facing imminent dangers, natural disasters, and catastrophes. A new method is here offered to explore the core points of this topic. The Emergency Reaction Questionnaire (ERQ), is proposed for predicting one’s reaction and behaviour in an emergency.
2026-03-06T15:13:22Z
Zsido, Andras N. Csokazi, Krisztina Vincze, Orsolya Coelho, Carlos M.
Feasibility of a mobile app to improve inhaler adherence in real‐world patients with asthma: A multicentre observational study in Portugal and Spain
InspirerMundi app aims to transform adherence into a positive experience through gamification and social support, while allowing objective monitoring of inhaler adherence. This study assessed the feasibility of the app in adolescents and adults with persistent asthma.
2026-03-06T15:17:41Z
Jácome, Cristina Rute, Almeida Amaral, Rita Pereira, Ana Margarida Vidal, Carmen Freire, Sara Lopéz Mendez Brea, Paula Antolín- Amerigo, Dario De La Hoz Caballer, Belen Barra Castro, Alicia González de Olano, David Todo-Bom, Ana Azevedo, João Pinto, Paula Leiria Neuparth, Nuno Todo-Bom, Filipa Costa, A. Loureiro, Cláudia Chaves Maia Santos, L. Arrobas, Ana Maria Valério, M. Cardoso, João Emiliano, Madalena Gerardo, Rita Cidrais Rodrigues, J. C. Oliveira, G. Carvalho, J. Mendes, Ana Lozoya, Carlos Santos, Natacha Menezes, F. Gomes, Ricardo Câmara, R. Rodrigues Alves, Rodrigo Moreira, Ana Sofia Bordalo, Diana Alves, C. Coelho, D. Ferreira, J. A. Lopes, Cristina Vasconcelos, M. J. Teixeira, M. F. Taborda-Barata, L. Cálix, M. J. Alves, A. Almeida Fonseca, J.
Preoperative localisation techniques in breast conservative surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis
The preoperative localisation of non-palpable lesions guided by breast imaging is an important and required procedure for breast-conserving surgery. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature on the comparative impact of different techniques for guided surgical excision of non-palpable breast lesions from reports of clinical or patient-reported outcomes and costs.
2026-03-06T15:18:42Z
Moreira, Inês C. Ventura, Sandra Ramos, Isabel Fougo, José Luís Rodrigues, Pedro Pereira
Building on Surface-Active Ionic Liquids for the Rescuing of the Antimalarial Drug Chloroquine
Ionic liquids derived from classical antimalarials are emerging as a new approach towards the cost-effective rescuing of those drugs. Herein, we disclose novel surface-active ionic liquids derived from chloroquine and natural fatty acids whose antimalarial activity in vitro was found to be superior to that of the parent drug. The most potent ionic liquid was the laurate salt of chloroquine, which presented IC50 values of 4 and 110 nM against a chloroquine-sensitive and a chloroquine-resistant strain of Plasmodium falciparum, respectively, corresponding to an 11- and 6-fold increase in potency as compared to the reference chloroquine bisphosphate salt against the same strains. This unprecedented report opens new perspectives in both the fields of malaria chemotherapy and of surface-active ionic liquids derived from active pharmaceutical ingredients.
2026-03-06T15:19:13Z
Silva, Ana Teresa Lis, Lobo Oliveira, Isabel S. Gomes, Joana Teixeira, Cátia Nogueira, Fátima Marques, Eduardo F. Ferraz, Ricardo Gomes, Paula
Licensing under Cournot vs Bertrand competition
In this paper we consider, on one hand, a differentiated Cournot model, and, on the other hand, a differentiated Bertrand model, when one of the firms engages in an R&D process that gives an endogenous cost-reducing innovation. The aim of the present paper is two-fold. The first is to study the licensing of the costreduction by a per-unit royalty and a fixed-fee in these Cournot and Bertrand models. The second is to do a direct comparison between Cournot model and Bertrand model. We analyse the implications of these types of licensing contracts over the R&D effort, the profits of the firms, the consumer surplus and the social welfare. We show that some previous results for two-part tariff licensing are not robust, in the sense that they can be not true for just either a per-unit royalty contract or a fixed-fee contract. Furthermore, by using comparative static analysis, we conclude that the degree of the differentiation of the goods assumes a great importance in the results. We also discuss the optimal licensing, meaning that which licensing method is preferred, in each of the duopoly models considered.
2026-03-06T15:15:39Z
Ferreira, Fernanda A. Ferreira, Flávio Bode, Oana R.
Scheduling in holonic manufacturing systems
This chapter presents some of the issues with holonic manufacturing systems. It starts by presenting the current manufacturing scenario and trends and then provides some background information on the holonic concept and its application to manufacturing. The current limitations and future trends of manufacturing suggest more autonomous and distributed organisations for manufacturing systems; holonic manufacturing systems are proposed as a way to achieve such autonomy and decentralisation. After a brief literature survey a specific research work is presented to handle scheduling in holonic manufacturing systems. This work is based on task and resource holons that cooperate with each other based on a variant of the contract net protocol that allow the propagation of constraints between operations in the execution plan. The chapter ends by presenting some challenges and future opportunities of research.
2026-03-06T15:15:24Z
Sousa, Paulo Ramos, Carlos Neves, José
“Clicking” an ionic liquid to a potent antimicrobial peptide: on the route towards improved stability
A covalent conjugate between an antibacterial ionic liquid and an antimicrobial peptide was produced via “click” chemistry, and found to retain the parent peptide’s activity against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria, and antibiofilm action on a resistant clinical isolate of Klebsiella pneumoniae, while exhibiting much improved stability towards tyrosinase-mediated modifications. This unprecedented communication is a prelude for the promise held by ionic liquids -based approaches as tools to improve the action of bioactive peptides.
2026-03-06T15:16:40Z
Gomes, Ana Bessa, Lucinda J. Correia, Patrícia Fernandes, Iva Ferraz, Ricardo Gameiro, Paula Teixeira, Cátia Gomes, Paula
Allergic rhinitis characterization in community pharmacy customers: a cross-sectional study
Allergic rhinitis represents a public health problem that is signifcantly prevalent in the global population and has been associated with asthma, a strong desire to sleep and a low quality of life. Objective This study aims to evaluate the prevalence, symptoms, control strategies and treatment, as well as the control of this condition and its impact on the quality of life of customers of community pharmacies with allergic rhinitis.
2026-03-06T15:18:27Z
Hélio, Guedes Morgado, Manuel Rodrigues, Márcio Cruz, Agostinho Fonseca, Cecília Costa, Elísio Araújo, André R. T. S.
Programmed neurocognitive training: proposal of a new approach
The efficacy studies of neurocognitive training have focused on the components of the programmes and general methodological questions, not presenting a rationale for the individualization of the intervention, even though this is an essential factor for efficacy. The main objective of this manuscript is to propose a framework for the individual planning of neurocognitive training sessions based on the results of neuropsychological assessment.
2026-03-06T15:15:24Z
Pinto, Joana O. Dores, Artemisa Rocha Peixoto, Bruno Barbosa, Fernando
Atypical Non-H2S-producing monophasic salmonella typhimurium ST3478 strains from chicken meat at processing stage are adapted to diverse stresses
Poultry products are still an important cause of Salmonella infections worldwide, with an increasingly reported expansion of less-frequent serotypes or atypical strains that are frequently multidrug-resistant. Nevertheless, the ability of Salmonella to survive antimicrobials promoted in the context of antibiotic reducing/replacing and farming rethinking (e.g., organic acids and copper in feed/biocides) has been scarcely explored. We investigated Salmonella occurrence (conventional and molecular assays) among chicken meat at the processing stage (n = 53 batches/29 farms) and characterized their tolerance to diverse stress factors (antibiotics, copper, acid pH, and peracetic acid).
2026-03-06T15:18:42Z
Mourão, Joana Rebelo, Andreia Ribeiro, Sofia Peixe, Luísa Novais, Carla Antunes, Patrícia
Learning.com pedagogical approaches for online higher education
Information and communication technologies have contributed significantly to educational and methodological changes in education. Higher Education institutions have great responsibility in granting teacher and student access to suitable educational technologies as well as in providing the adequate means for the adoption of different tools and in the creation of opportunities for the dissemination of technical knowledge and pedagogical expertise amongst all intervenient. Teachers and students in a collaborative way have to rethink teaching and learning environments in order to meet the needs, curiosity and challenges arising from the knowledge society in a lifelong learning perspective.
2026-03-06T15:16:25Z
Peres, Paula Araújo, Maria José Jesus, Ângelo
Fast and reliable ICP-MS quantification of palladium and platinum-based drugs in animal pharmacokinetic and biodistribution studies
Palladium-(Pd)-based drugs are emerging as alternatives to platinum (Pt) anticancer chemotherapeutics, which increases the need for efficient and suitable procedures of Pd analysis in reduced amounts of pre-clinical animal samples. Herein, an ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry) method was developed and validated for simple and fast analysis of Pd/Pt-based drugs in 11 distinct biological matrices (adipose tissue, muscle, liver, kidney, spleen, testis, heart, lungs, brain, blood and serum).
2026-03-06T15:15:39Z
Vojtek, Martin Pinto, Edgar Gonçalves-Monteiro, Salomé Almeida, Agostinho Marques, M. P. M. Mota-File, Hélder Ferreira, Isabel M. P. L. V. O. Diniz, Carmen
Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) management practices in micro- and small-sized enterprises: The case of the portuguese waste management sector
The waste management sector is dominated by micro and small-sized enterprises. Although it is possible to anticipate that they may face the same problems as other small firms, information about activities related to the prevention of occupational risks in this sector and how this influences Occupational Health & Safety .(OHS) performance is still limited. This study aims to address the issue, contributing to current literature about the protection of employees and the prevention of occupational risks in the waste management sector.
2026-03-06T15:13:06Z
Rodrigues, Matilde Sá, Ana Masi, Donato Oliveira, Alexandra Boustras, Stravoula Guldenmund, Frank
OMICs approaches in diarrhetic shellfish toxins research
Diarrhetic shellfish toxins (DSTs) are among the most prevalent marine toxins in Europe’s and in other temperate coastal regions. These toxins are produced by several dinoflagellate species; however, the contamination of the marine trophic chain is often attributed to species of the genus Dinophysis.
2026-03-06T15:16:25Z
Campos, Alexandre Freitas, Marisa Almeida, André M. de Martins, José Carlos Domínguez-Pérez, Dany Osório, Hugo Vasconcelos, Vitor Costa, Pedro Reis
Effect of one session of aerobic exercise associated with abdominal laser therapy in lipolytic activity, lipid profile, and inflammatory markers
Increased abdominal fat and sedentary lifestyles contribute to cardiovascular disease risk. The combination of exercise and low‐level laser therapy (LLLT) appears to be an innovative method to increase the lipolytic rate of abdominal adipocytes, in order to reduce abdominal fat.
2026-03-06T15:16:40Z
Barbosa, Patrícia Coimbra, Catarina Noites, Andreia Vilarinho, Rui Carvalho, Paulo Amorim, Manuela Moreira, Teresa Melo, Cristina
The acute effects of manual and instrument-assisted cervical spine manipulation on pressure pain threshold, Pressure pain perception, and muscle-related variables in asymptomatic subjects: a randomized controlled trial
The purpose of this study was to compare the immediate effects in asymptomatic participants of manual and instrument-assisted cervical manipulation on pressure pain thresholds, pressure pain perception, and muscle mechanical properties (tone, stiffness, and elasticity) over muscles anatomically related and unrelated to the manipulated level.
2026-03-06T15:18:11Z
Nogueira, Nuno Campelo, Natalia Lopes, Ângela Torres, Rui Sousa, Andreia S. P. Ribeiro, Fernando
Cooperation mechanism for team-work based multi-agent system in dynamic scheduling through meta-heuristics
This paper describes a Multi-agent Scheduling System that assumes the existence of several Machines Agents (which are decision-making entities) distributed inside the Manufacturing System that interact and cooperate with other agents in order to obtain optimal or near-optimal global performances. Agents have to manage their internal behaviors and their relationships with other agents via cooperative negotiation in accordance with business policies defined by the user manager. Some Multi Agent Systems (MAS) organizational aspects are considered. An original Cooperation Mechanism for a Team-work based Architecture is proposed to address dynamic scheduling using Meta-Heuristics.
2026-03-06T15:16:11Z
Madureira, Ana Maria Gomes, Nuno Santos, Joaquim Ramos, Carlos
Associations between trace elements and cognitive decline: an exploratory 5-Year follow-up study of an elderly cohort
Trace elements (TE) homeostasis is crucial in normal brain functioning. Although imbalances have the potential to exacerbate events leading neurodegenerative diseases, few studies have directly addressed the eventual relationships between TE levels in the human body and future cognitive status. The present study aimed to assess how different TE body-levels relate to cognitive decline..
2026-03-06T15:14:38Z
Gerardo, Bianca Pinto, Marina Cabral Nogueira, Joana Pinto, Paula Almeida, Agostinho Pinto, Edgar Marinho-Reis, Paula Diniz, Luísa Moreira, Paula I. Simões, Mário R. Freitas, Sandra