Repositório RCAAP

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Adolescents’ perceptions of their relationship with both parents were examined as mediators linking interparental conflict to their self-representations (SR). Portuguese adolescents (N = 214; 58.4% girls), aged 10-16 years old (M = 13.39), attending public elementary and secondary schools, filled out self-report measures. Multi-mediator path analysis models revealed that interparental conflict predicted less favorable SR in most evaluated domains. This association was mediated by adolescents’ perceptions of (a) support in the mother–adolescent relationship, related to instrumental, social, emotional, physical appearance, and intelligence SR; (b) negative interactions in the mother–adolescent relationship, related to instrumental and physical appearance SR; (c) support in the father–adolescent relationship, related to social and physical appearance SR; and (d) negative interactions in the father–adolescent relationship, related to instrumental SR. This study emphasizes the relevance of interparental conflict and adolescents’ perceptions of their relationship with both parents in their SR construction. Practical implications point to promoting constructive conflict and improving parent–adolescent relationships.

A maioria das linhas celulares de mamífero usadas na produção de biofármacos complexos apresenta um elevado consumo de glucose e acumulação de quantidades significativas de lactato – fenótipo lactogénico associado ao efeito de Warburg – reduzindo a produtividade e qualidade do biofármaco. Este trabalho teve como objectivo a manipulação deste fenótipo, procurando reduzir a acumulação de lactato e aumentar a eficiência do metabolismo energético, com consequente aumento da produtividade e qualidade de partículas virais e anticorpos. As linhas celulares 293 FLEX GFP (produtora de retrovírus), MDCK E1 (produtora de adenovírus) e RPE A6 (produtora de anticorpos monoclonais) foram silenciadas para o factor 1 indutível por hipoxia (HIF1) e cinases 1 e 3 da piruvato desidrogenase (PDK1/3), os principais efectores deste fenótipo. Nas células RPE A6 o silenciamento de HIF1 originou células com baixa capacidade proliferativa sugerindo a reversão da imortalização e entrada em senescência. Sem alterações aparentes no crescimento celular, nas células 293 FLEX GFP observou-se uma diminuição das taxas de consumo de glucose e de produção de lactato aliada a aumentos notáveis na produtividade celular (até 18,2x em partículas totais e até 21,6x em partículas infecciosas) e sua qualidade; o silenciamento adicional de PDK1/3 potenciou estes efeitos, destacando-se o aumento adicional (2,8x) da qualidade do produto final. Nas células MDCK E1 não se obtiveram reduções no consumo de glucose e produção de lactato e os aumentos na produção viral e sua qualidade foram moderados. Adicionalmente, observou-se nas células silenciadas aumento de poder redutor em 293 FLEX GFP e dos níveis de ATP em MDCK E1, suportando a redução do fenótipo lactogénico e aumento de eficiência do metabolismo energético. Estes resultados evidenciam a manipulação do fenótipo lactogénico associado ao efeito de Warburg como potencial ferramenta de engenharia metabólica visando o aumento da produtividade de biofármacos complexos em cultura de células de mamífero.

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Este estudo pretendeu verificar a influência das condições sociais – residir em lar ou frequentar centros de convívio – no declínio mnésico, risco de demência e depressão e no envolvimento social de adultos idosos da Ilha Terceira-Açores. Foram administradas a Escala de Memória de Weschler – 3ª Edição, a Escala de Avaliação da Demência – 2, a Escala de Depressão Geriátrica – 15 e a Escala de Envolvimento Social. Uma análise de variância multivariada revelou que os adultos idosos frequentadores de centros de convívio tiveram melhores resultados do que os institucionalizados relativamente ao declínio mnésico, risco de demência, sintomas depressivos e envolvimento social. Regressões hierárquicas mostraram a condição social como fator importante do declínio mnésico e risco de demência; o envolvimento social como principal fator associado à depressão; e a idade e o sexo como os principais fatores relacionados com o envolvimento social. Estes resultados sugerem a importância de atividades que promovam o envolvimento social de adultos idosos institucionalizados.

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Like many other Small Island Developing States, São Tomé and Príncipe’s economy faces major weaknesses and constraints. These challenges are especially marked on the island of Príncipe, owing to its small size and double insularity. In recent decades, tourism, driven by international investment, has become a strategic sector for territorial development. This study assesses the suitability of this exogenous model and explores the feasibility of adopting a progressive change to a more community-centered tourism development model. Extensive fieldwork and multi-stakeholder collaboration have highlighted the need for a holistic, multi-dimensional strategy to secure this change. Such a strategy would prioritize local skills enhancement, infrastructure improvement, better governance and the diversification of tourism products and experiences. The gradual shift to a more endogenous approach in tourism development aims to strengthen sustainability across its multiple dimensions, ensuring more substantial and direct benefits for the local community and adding value to tourist services and experiences.

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Purpose: To identify, characterize and perform a relative quantification of human transthyretin (TTR) variants in human saliva. Experimental design: Serum and saliva samples were collected from healthy and familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) patients, proteins separated by SDS-PAGE, TTR bands excised, in-gel digested and analyzed by MALDI-FTICR. Results: We identified and performed a relative quantification of mutated and native TTR forms in human saliva, based on FTICR-MS. The results are quantitatively identical to the ones obtained with human serum. In FAP patients subjected to cadaveric liver transplant, the TTR mutant form is no longer detected in saliva, while in patients receiving a domino liver from a FAP donor the mutant form of TTR becomes detectable in saliva, thus demonstrating the serum origin of TTR in saliva. Conclusions and clinical relevance: Saliva TTR originates in serum and the ratio of mutant to native TTR is preserved. The method provides a non-invasive detection of mutated TTR and a relative quantification of TTR forms. Diagnostic and disease prognosis of FAP is crucial at early stages of the disease and after liver transplantation, the only curative therapy. A suitable noninvasive method was developed for monitoring the most important FAP biomarker in human saliva

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Using a theoretical framework that recognises the pervasive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global tourism and events, this study examines the unique complexities of Japanese pop culture events. These events, characterised by their ability to attract large audiences, especially enthusiastic youth, have traditionally flourished through interpersonal interactions. This discrepancy between the interactive nature of events and pandemic-induced measures has necessitated fundamental changes in event management strategies. However, pandemic responses and restrictions contrasted sharply with the nature of these events, posing significant challenges for event organisers. This study analyses qualitative data from seven semi-structured interviews with Japanese theme researchers, journalists, and representatives of the main events on the theme in four countries. The pandemic crisis clearly affected Japanese pop culture events, which were among the most frequently suspended. The interviewees believe that it is easy to return to the normalcy of face-to-face events because the audience for these events is predominantly young and enthusiastic, but this requires adaptations and the care that each country demands. This research sheds light on both the difficulties and setbacks that Japanese pop culture events face, as well as their ability to endure and adjust in response to difficult circumstances. By shedding insight into the complex dynamics and demographic characteristics of these events, it also enables event organisers and policymakers to develop strategies to facilitate the safe and successful recovery of similar events in the future. In addition to connecting with other studies in the event sector, this research contributes to the body of knowledge needed to develop effective responses to unforeseen obstacles by shedding light on exceptional events and their potential resilience pathways.

Adolescents in residential care tend to be socially devalued and are psychosocially vulnerable. For that reason, a rights-based approach must be adopted to empower them and promote their participation. Focus group discussions were developed with 29 adolescents aiming to explore their rights perceptions during the placement in residential care and how it could be related to their well-being. Results from the grounded model showed that youth’s perceptions on the non-fulfilment of their rights are related to perceived emotional and behavioral difficulties. Their psychological functioning seems to be particularly affected when a set of dimensions are perceived as not fulfilled, namely, education, private life, non-discrimination, perceived social image and respect for themselves and their families by the protection system. Also, a set of individual, relational and socio-cognitive variables were identified as conditions and processes that provide additional explanatory potential to this model. These results underpin the relevance of adopting a rights-based approach to understand psychosocial functioning in residential care, strengthening the importance of social influences to human development. Implications for practice are also explored in the present work.

The rising demographic of older adults worldwide has led to an increase in dementia cases. In order to ensure the proper allocation of care and resources to this clinical group, it is necessary to correctly distinguish between simulated versus bona-fide cognitive deficits typical of dementia. Performance Validity Tests (PVTs) are specifically designed to assess a lack of effort and the possible simulation of cognitive impairment. Previous research demonstrates that PVTs may be sensitive to dementia, thus inaccurately classifying real memory impairment as simulation. Here, we analyzed the sensitivity of PVTs in discriminating between dementia and simulation using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. Further, we examined the potential need for adjusting cut-off scores for three stand-alone (Test of Memory Malingering, Rey-15 Item Memory Test, and Coin in Hand-Extended Version) and one embedded (Reliable Digit Span) PVT for Portuguese older adults with dementia. The results showed that (1) all measures, except for the Coin in Hand— Extended version (CIH-EV), were sensitive to one or more sociodemographic and/or cognitive variables, and (2) it was necessary to adjust cut-off points for all measures. Additionally, the Rey-15 Item Memory Test did not demonstrate sufficient discriminating capacity for dementia. These results present important implications for clinical practice and the daily life of patients, as the use of incorrect cut-off points could impede patients from getting the resources they need.

The hands allow for so many magnificent gestures with different meanings and interpretations, and they can vary from country to country, and from time to time. They can mean an insult and give rise to great conflicts, just as they can mean ideas of great importance that bring about unity and understanding. But what motivates this work is the question: Can hands be art? I believe that the ability to use and communicate with your hands is magic, an art. In the technical sense, a language is not necessarily art, but I believe that it is possible to make art through gesture and through my language, the language of the Deaf - Portuguese Sign Language - in the same way that art is created using the Portuguese language in songs, poems and others. I present a research on communication with the hands and, through the language of the Deaf, Portuguese Sign Language, I show that it is possible to use it as a means of artistic exploration. Thus, after contextualizing and framing LGP and gesture, in the project "Poetic art in gesture: the effect of talking hands", I present a set of works exploring gesture as a means of artistic expression mediated by LGP. These works consist of an installation, a panoramic 360 video experienced as virtual reality and sketches of light painting and burst.