Search

Neste artigo, propõe-se uma reflexão crítica sobre determinados termos constantes no Dicionário Terminológico que são, no dia-a-dia, ensinados aos discentes dos Ensinos Básico e Secundário. Concretamente, questiona-se a classificação dos relativos cujo(a), cujos(as), onde e quanto(a), quantos(as) como determinantes, advérbio e quantificadores, respetivamente. O termo sujeito nulo, a subordinação adverbial, adjetiva e substantiva e ainda o termo adjetivos numerais são também, aqui, matéria de análise crítica.

Higher blood high density lipoprotein and apolipoprotein A1 levels are associated with reduced risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Title is CSF chemokine alterations related to the clinical course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Blood biomarkers of carbohydrate, lipid, and apolipoprotein metabolisms and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a more than 20-year follow-up of the Swedish AMORIS cohort. [Extracted from the article]

Simulator-based training assumes a very important role in the maritime domain, particularly in the education of Officers Of the Watch (OOW). In the Portuguese Navy, most of the cadet's skills as future OOW rely on the success of this training. Beyond theory and technical training, the development of non-technical skills is a key factor for obtaining officers capable of identifying and solving problems. To optimize the training and development of non-technical skills, using the Portuguese Naval Academy Simulator, a previously designed Behavioral Marker System model was further assessed. The revised model, which comprises new parameters such as the effectiveness of the task, was validated through a set of simulated sessions, where 11 instructors and 48 students participated. After each session, data was collected with questionnaires and focus group discussion, focusing on the quality and usability of the model and on the design of the scenario. The results show that the revised model, positively addresses the limitations found on the previous version, and it has received encouraging feedback from both instructors and cadets. This new model is now under implementation in all the Naval Academy course programs, and future research aims to digitalize the behavior markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing complexity of activities in the maritime domain raised new challenges to all coastal states. In the case of Portugal, it is also required to promptly react to the needs of Portuguese flag vessels around the world. In line with this, the Portuguese Navy developed a study, focused on the requirements assessment for an enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) system. The study started with a review of SA concept models to better understand and analyse the MSA concept used by Portuguese Navy. Maritime Situational Awareness is a concept that has been widely discussed in the maritime surveillance field; on the other hand there are some authors with well-established definitions of Situational Awareness (SA). This paper address three SA concepts and associated models. The first presents an embedded world view with an ecological approach, the second, focuses on a reflective quality with an activity approach and the third focuses on the structure of information processing. These models are later related with the current MSA model used by the Portuguese Navy, considering the strengths and weaknesses of each model. From this comparative analysis, an integrated methodology is proposed to determine requirements for the MSA system of the Portuguese Navy Operational Centre (COMAR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the adoption of crew resource management training for bridge teams over the last decades, the training is still heavily focussed on technical achievements. In an educational context, the situation is more problematical, since with requirement of developing the technical skills, there is a need to build and evaluate the non-technical skills of cadets with little experience in bridge team management. In parallel with the application of team leadership models, the Portuguese Naval Academy conducted a research to improve the development and assessment of non-technical skills in bridge simulators. This paper describes the method used to identify the key non-technical skills required for naval cadets and to develop a behavioural marker system for their measurement. A literature review of behavioural marker systems was supplemented with an analysis of interviews conducted with students and simulator instructors. Additionally, further analysis of Portuguese Navy accidents reports was made, applying the HFACS framework to identify the relevant nontechnical skills involved in the accidents. The resulting rating system covers five skill categories (leadership, situational awareness, communication, team work and decision making), each one with three rating elements. The framework is currently under evaluation tests in bridge simulators sessions, within an educational context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to deliver the minimum safety conditions for movement of the ships towards restricted waters, urgent survey operations are required whenever we deal with natural disasters; unreliable chart information or uncharted areas requires. In recent years, there has been a huge development in positioning and survey technology. Simultaneously, charts production techniques and GIS software are easily accessible. In this circumstance, a research project was made in order to assess the possibility of developing existing capabilities of emergency hydrographic survey. The toolkit was designed to allow the swift production of usable bottom representation and survey of navigational aids, with a focus on navigational safety, rather than bottom contour accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Exposure to ambient air pollution may play a role in the onset of common mental disorders like depressive and anxiety disorders. The association of long-term exposure to particles smaller than 10 μm (PM10) with these diseases remains unclear. This study aimed to estimate the association of long-term exposure to PM10 with mental well-being and the frequency of probable diagnosis of common mental disorders., Methods: A nationally representative cross-sectional study was done in mainland Portugal. Long-term exposure was estimated through one-year average concentrations of PM10, calculated with data from the Portuguese Environment Agency, attributed individually considering individuals' postal codes of residence. The mental well-being and the probable diagnosis of common mental disorders were ascertained through the five-item Mental Health Inventory scale. Linear and Robust Poisson regression models were computed to estimate change percentages, prevalence ratios (PR), and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI)., Results: The median (interquartile range) concentration of PM10 was 18.6 (15.3 - 19.3) μg/m3. The mental well-being score was 72 (56 - 84) points, on a scale from 0 to 100. A probable diagnosis of common mental disorders was found in 22.7% (95% CI: 20.0 to 25.6). Long-term exposure to PM10 was associated with a non-statistically significant decrease in the mental well-being score [for each 10 μg/m³ increment in one-year average PM10 concentrations, there was a 2% (95% CI: -8 to 4) decrease], and with a non-statistically significant increase in the common mental health frequency (PR = 1.012, 95% CI: 0.979 to 1.045)., Conclusion: We did not find statistically significant associations between long-term exposure to PM10 and mental well-being or the frequency of probable diagnosis of common mental disorders. These results may be explained by the reduced variability in the exposure values, given the geographical distribution and functioning of the network of air quality monitoring stations. This study contributes with evidence for low levels of air pollutants, being one of the first to adjust for individual and aggregate-level variables. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this was the first nationally representative, population-based study conducted on the Portuguese population using real-life data. Maintaining a robust and nationwide air quality monitoring network is essential for obtaining quality exposure data.

Introduction: Stigma is one of the most frequently identified help-seeking barriers, but there is a lack of research on the effects of stigma reduction interventions on actual mental health help-seeking behaviors during crucial academic years. This research explores the effects of stigma on university students' mental health care help-seeking behaviors before and during the pandemic., Methods: A randomized control trial spanned from 2019 to 2021 at the University of Porto, along five evaluation moments, with students into one control group and two intervention groups-the interventions aimed to reduce depression stigma., Results: Among the 702 participants (mean age 18.87, 59.4 % female), the intervention groups significantly increased help-seeking behaviors. In 2020, the intervention groups, having reduced stigma, continued to demonstrate to be more prompt to seek mental health help. In 2021, 22 months, the effects of the intervention on help-seeking were no longer significant; however, participants in the intervention groups showed less severe symptomatology., Conclusion: Stigma reduction interventions have a pronounced effect on enhancing help-seeking behaviors among university students, even during times of crisis. This study advocates for prioritizing stigma reduction in academic settings, highlighting its value in promoting mental health access during crucial academic and life challenges., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Fever of unknown origin remains a diagnostic challenge. Aortitis, defined as inflammation of the aorta, has multiple infectious and non-infectious causes. We report the case of an elderly woman with vertigo and bilateral hearing loss, presenting with fever of unknown origin. Blood tests were remarkable for leucocytosis with neutrophilia, elevation of C-reactive protein and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and positive antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor, and an unremarkable search for multiple infectious causes of fever. During admission the patient developed a bilateral red eye. Abdominal and chest computed tomography was performed and demonstrated signs of aortitis. Due to the coexistence of aortitis, ocular inflammation, vertigo and bilateral hearing loss in a patient with persistent fever and elevation of inflammatory parameters, a presumptive diagnosis of Cogan's syndrome was made, with improvement after initiation of steroid therapy., Learning Points: Fever of unknown origin is a diagnostic challenge with an extensive list of possible causes.The coexistence of fever, aortitis, ocular and vestibulo-cochlear symptoms should raise the suspicion of Cogan's syndrome.Steroid therapy is the first-line treatment for Cogan's syndrome., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (© EFIM 2022.)

Background: Stigma is one of the most significant constraints on people living with depression. There is a lack of validated scales in Portugal to measure depression stigma; therefore, the Depression Stigma Scale (DSS) is essential to the depression stigma research in Portugal., Methods: We developed the adaptation process with the ITC Guidelines for Translation and Adapting Tests taken into consideration. We collected the sample as part of the OSPI program-Optimizing suicide prevention programs and their implementation in Europe, specifically within the application in Portugal, and included 1693 participants. Floor-ceiling effects and response ranges were analyzed, and we calculated Cronbach alphas, and Confirmatory Analysis. Validity evidence was tested with two well-documented hypotheses, using data on gender and depression symptoms., Results: The sample was well comparable with the general Portuguese population, indicating its representativeness. We identified a three-factor structure in each subscale (personal and perceived stigma): weak-not-sick, discrimination, and dangerous/unpredictable, with good model fit results. The Cronbach's alphas were satisfactory, and validity was confirmed., Conclusions: This study established the validity and demonstrated good psychometric properties of the DSS in the Portuguese population. The validation of the DSS can be beneficial in exploring stigma predictors and evaluating the effectiveness of stigma reduction interventions., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Depression stigma has been considered a significant barrier to treatment and rehabilitation. This study aimed to understand the effects of gender, previous mental health care, and symptomatology on depression stigma and analyze the impact of depression stigma on help-seeking attitudes. A total of 969 students with a mean age of 18.87 (SD = 1.49) were included in this study and completed the Depression Stigma Scale, the Attitude Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help, the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 questionnaire, and a socio-demographic questionnaire. We analyzed data using SPSS 24.0, with a 95% confidence interval. Participants came from all University schools, and 64.6% were women. Personal stigma and help-seeking attitudes were affected by gender (β(male) = 5.65, CI = 4.07, 7.25) and previous access to mental healthcare services (β(previous help) = -4.35, CI = -5.89, -2.82). Perceived depression stigma was affected gender (β(male) = -2.67, CI = -5.00, -0.34) and symptomatology (β(no symptomatology) = -3.29, CI = -6.09, -0.49). Personal (r = -0.42, p<0.01) and perceived (r = 0.10, p<0.01) depression stigma correlated with help-seeking attitudes, but we detected no direct symptomatology effect on help-seeking attitudes. Personal depression stigma significantly affected help-seeking attitudes (β = -0.15, CI = -0.17, -0.12). Promoting literacy may decrease personal depression stigma and increase professional help-seeking attitudes and behaviors., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

University students are a risk group for developing mental illness, but they do not receive the care they need because of hampered help-seeking induced by stigma. This study evaluates the effects of a video-based stigma reduction intervention and help-seeking attitudes promotion in university students. We randomly distributed a sample of university students among one control group (CG, n = 188) and two intervention groups (IG-1, n = 222 and IG-2, n = 216): IG-1 watched a contact-based video and IG-2 the same video plus a psychoeducational video. The study followed an experimental single-blind randomized control trial design with a pre-test before the intervention (M0), a post-test, and a follow-up test. We evaluated participants using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help Questionnaire, the Depression Stigma Scale, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder. A total of 626 participants with a mean age of 19.85 (SD=1.48) responded to all evaluation moments. At M0, there were no differences between groups on stigma or help-seeking attitudes. Immediately after the intervention, stigma levels significantly decreased, and help-seeking attitudes significantly improved. These effects persisted for the next five months. Video-based depression stigma reduction intervention can be an essential tool to reduce depression stigma and improve help-seeking attitudes., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Abrupt life changes imposed by the lockdown measures, with a direct impact on teaching methodology and social interactions, as well as sleeping patterns, harmed university students' mental health. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between satisfaction with online teaching, social interaction with depression, anxiety symptomatology, and to analyze the effects of the pandemic and the lockdown in mental care access. Methods: The online survey collected demographic data, satisfaction with online teaching, and social interaction. We evaluated the depression and anxiety symptomatology using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder, respectively. For the PHQ-9, we used the cut-off 15 for moderately severe depressive symptoms, whereas for GAD-7, we recurred to the cut-off 10 for moderately severe anxiety symptoms. This study used three data points: October 2019, June 2020, and March 2021. Findings: The study included n = 366 participants from all university study fields, with a mean age of 21.71 (SD = 1.42) in the last survey, and 71.3% were women. Depressive symptoms increased significantly from October 2019 to June 2020, and the mean scores grew until March 2021. Anxiety symptoms also significantly increased from October 2019 to June 2020; however, from June 2020 to March 2021, there was a non-significant decrease in the proportion. Mean scores for satisfaction with online teaching were 38.23% in June 2020 and 34.25% in March 2021, a non-significant difference. Satisfaction with social interaction significantly decreased from 37.35% in 2020 to 24.41% in 2021. Participants with scores above the cut-off of moderately severe and severe depressive and anxiety symptoms showed significantly lower satisfaction with online teaching than students with lower depression and anxiety scores. Despite the significant increase in clinical symptomatology, help-seeking behaviors did not change accordingly, and more than 50% of the students with mild or severe depressive and anxiety symptomatology did not get treatment during the pandemic. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that most students are dissatisfied with online teaching and the type of social interaction they were forced to adopt because of the pandemic. The severity of depressive and anxiety symptomatology significantly increased between October 2019 and March 2021, but help-seeking behaviors did not increase accordingly., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Conceição, Rothes and Gusmão.)

Several predictors may influence children's developmental trajectories with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and parents' concerns may play an important role. This study aimed to investigate developmental trajectories of two groups of children with ASD to understand predictive factors, including parental perception. We examined the clinical features of a sample of 55 children with ASD at 3 and 6 years of age in two moments of evaluation to understand this process. We used the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, (ADOS) in both moments. We selected two groups based on ADOS results at moment two: one group with a worse outcome (ADOS results above 8) and one group with a better outcome (ADOS results below 8 in the second moment). We also selected questions from a questionnaire (elaborated by the authors and used in clinical practice) applied to parents to understand if early parents' concerns may help to predict ASD prognosis. We found a significant association between imitation and playability and the child's prognostic. Also, Interactive Gestures, Beginning of Joint Attention, Reciprocity, and Pleasure in Interaction might help identify positive case evolution. Our findings are significant in early intervention program development, not only with direct intervention with the child but also including the parents' involvement in the intervention., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Mira Coelho and da Conceição.)