Browsing by Author "Alves, Joana"
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- Ensino de atividade física a idosos: Comportamentos pedagógicos e clima de aulaPublication . Alves, Joana; Simões, Vera; Franco, Susana; Varregoso, IsabelIntrodução. A atividade física é um instrumento favorável ao envelhecimento ativo e o papel do técnico, um fator importante no seu ensino. O estudo centra-se nos comportamentos pedagógicos de técnicos que lecionam atividade física a idosos, sendo que o clima de aula resulta das atitudes e comportamentos do técnico, interferindo na satisfação e nas relações estabelecidas (Sabucedo, 2001; Goméz, 2012). Objetivos. Caracterizar e comparar comportamentos pedagógicos dos técnicos que contribuem positiva e negativamente para o clima de aula de sessões em terra e em água. Metodologia. Amostra: 12 sessões com idosos (6 - terra, 6 - água) de 12 técnicos experientes (mais de 5 anos de experiência, M ± DP= 9,5 ± 2,7 anos). Registo vídeo de comportamentos de clima de aula; codificação com sistema de observação (teste fidelidade: Kappa de Cohen); análise descritiva (média e desvio-padrão) e comparativa (t teste ou U-Mann-Whitney). Instrumento: Sistema de Observação do Clima de Aulas de Grupo de Fitness (SOCAGF; Dias, 2015): 19 categorias (dimensão clima positivo) e 16 (dimensão clima negativo); métodos de registo: frequência e duração, mediante as categorias. Resultados e Discussão. Alguns comportamentos de clima positivo foram frequentemente usados (avaliar positivamente a participação do praticante, atenção à intervenção dos praticantes, gracejar, sorrir, interação entre praticantes e incluir no exercício). Alguns comportamentos não foram utilizados (elogiar, aceitar sugestões dos praticantes), sendo importantes na promoção do bom clima de aula (Puente & Anshel, 2010; Franco, Rodrigues & Castañer, 2012). Foram usados alguns comportamentos de clima negativo (indiferença ou afastamento, ausência do espaço - em água; excluir do exercício, indiferença ou afastamento, expressão corporal para clima negativo, avaliar negativamente a participação, ignorar intervenção dos praticantes - em terra).
- Highlighting the biological potential of the brown seaweed Fucus spiralis for skin applicationsPublication . Freitas, Rafaela; Martins, Alice; Silva, Joana; Alves, Celso; Pinteus, Susete; Alves, Joana; Teodoro, Fernando; Ribeiro, Helena Margarida; Gonçalves, Lídia; Petrovski, Zeljko; Branco, Luís; Pedrosa, RuiSkin aging is a biological process influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The last ones, mainly exposure to UV radiation, increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) production leading to a loss of extracellular matrix, also enhanced by enzymatic degradation of matrix supporting molecules. Thus, and with the growing demand for eco-friendly skin products, natural compounds extracted from brown seaweeds revealed to be good candidates due to their broad range of bioactivities, especially as antioxidants. The aim of this study was to assess the dermo-cosmetic potential of di erent fractions obtained from the brown seaweed Fucus spiralis. For this purpose, in vitro antioxidant (Total Phenolic Content (TPC), 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP), Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC)), anti-enzymatic (collagenase, elastase and hyaluronidase), antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory (NO production) and photoprotective (ROS production) capacities were evaluated. Although nearly all fractions evidenced antioxidant e ects, fraction F10 demonstrated the highest antioxidant ability (EC50 of 38.5 g/mL, DPPH assay), and exhibited a strong e ect as an inhibitor of collagenase (0.037 g/mL) and elastase (3.0 g/mL). Moreover, this fraction was also the most potent on reducing ROS production promoted by H2O2 (IC50 of 41.3 g/mL) and by UVB (IC50 of 31.3 g/mL). These bioactivities can be attributed to its high content of phlorotannins, as evaluated by LC-MS analysis, reinforcing the potential of F. spiralis for further dermatological applications.
- Marine endophytic fungi associated with Halopteris scoparia (Linnaeus) Sauvageau as producers of bioactive secondary metabolites with potential dermocosmetic applicationPublication . Calado, Maria da Luz; Silva, Joana; Alves, Celso; Susano, Patrícia; Santos, Débora; Alves, Joana; Martins, Alice; Gaspar, Helena; Pedrosa, Rui; Campos, Maria JorgeMarine fungi and, particularly, endophytic species have been recognised as one of the most prolific sources of structurally new and diverse bioactive secondary metabolites with multiple biotechnological applications. Despite the increasing number of bioprospecting studies, very few have already evaluated the cosmeceutical potential of marine fungal compounds. Thus, this study focused on a frequent seaweed in the Portuguese coast, Halopteris scoparia, to identify the endophytic marine fungi associated with this host, and assess their ability to biosynthesise secondary metabolites with antioxidative, enzymatic inhibitory (hyaluronidase, collagenase, elastase and tyrosinase), anti-inflammatory, photoprotective, and antimicrobial (Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Malassezia furfur) activities. The results revealed eight fungal taxa included in the Ascomycota, and in the most representative taxonomic classes in marine ecosystems (Eurotiomycetes, Sordariomycetes and Dothideomycetes). These fungi were reported for the first time in Portugal and in association with H. scoparia, as far as it is known. The screening analyses showed that most of these endophytic fungi were producers of compounds with relevant biological activities, though those biosynthesised by Penicillium sect. Exilicaulis and Aspergillus chevalieri proved to be the most promising ones for being further exploited by dermocosmetic industry. The chemical analysis of the crude extract from an isolate of A. chevalieri revealed the presence of two bioactive compounds, echinulin and neoechinulin A, which might explain the high antioxidant and UV photoprotective capacities exhibited by the extract. These noteworthy results emphasised the importance of screening the secondary metabolites produced by these marine endophytic fungal strains for other potential bioactivities, and the relevance of investing more efforts in understanding the ecology of halo/osmotolerant fungi.
- Obesity- attributable costs of absenteeism among working adults in PortugalPublication . Destri, Kelli; Alves, Joana; Gregório, Maria João; Dias, Sara Simões; Henriques, Ana Rita; Mendonça, Nuno; Canhao, Helena; Rodrigues, Ana MariaBackground: Obesity leads to poor health outcomes and may adversely afect work productivity. This study, aimed to investigate the obesity- attributable costs of absenteeism among working adults in Portugal. Methods: The study population included individuals actively working at baseline from the Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases Cohort (EpiDoC), a large Portuguese population-based prospective study. Body mass index was measured at baseline and in two follow-up interviews. Absenteeism in each wave of the EpiDoC was assessed by the question “Did you have a sick leave in the previous 12 months? yes/no”, followed by “How many days did you miss work due to sickness in the previous twelve months?”. Body mass index (BMI) was classifed into underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese, based on the standard World Health Organization defnition. Association between obesity and absenteeism was estimated with the negative binomial regression model adjusted for BMI, chronic diseases, and lifestyle. Obesity- attributable costs were calculated using lost gross income during the time absent from work, through the human-capital approach. Results: The EpiDoC included 4338 working adults at baseline. Of these, 15.2% were obese at the beginning of the study and 22.7% of the population had been absent from work in the last 12 months. Participants with obesity missed 66% more days at work (IRR: 1.66; CI 95%:1.13–2.44; (p=0.009.) than those with normal weight. The odds of having been absent from work were 1.4 times higher in obese compared to non-obese individuals (CI 95%: 1.18–1.67; p<0.01) adjusted to sex and type of work. Obese individuals missed 3.8 more days per year than those with normal weight (95%CI: 3.1–4.5). Extrapolating to the entire Portuguese working population, absenteeism due to obesity incurred an additional cost of €238 million per year. Conclusion: Obesity imposes a fnancial burden due to absenteeism in Portugal. Employers and national health regulators should seek efective ways to reduce these costs.
- Unravelling the anti-Inflammatory and antioxidant potential of the marine sponge Cliona celata from the Portuguese coastlinePublication . Gaspar, Helena; Silva, Joana; Alves, Celso; Martins, Alice; Teodoro, Fernando; Susano, Patrícia; Pinteus, Susete; Pedrosa, Rui; Alves, JoanaInflammation is a double-edged sword, as it can have both protective effects and harmful consequences, which, combined with oxidative stress (OS), can lead to the development of deathly chronic inflammatory conditions. Over the years, research has evidenced the potential of marine sponges as a source of effective anti-inflammatory therapeutic agents. Within this framework, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and the anti-inflammatory potential of the marine sponge Cliona celata. For this purpose, their organic extracts (C1–C5) and fractions were evaluated concerning their radical scavenging activity through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and anti-inflammatory activity through a (lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced inflammation on RAW 264.7 cells) model. Compounds present in the two most active fractions (F5 and F13) of C4 were tentatively identified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Even though samples displayed low antioxidant activity, they presented a high anti-inflammatory capacity in the studied cellular inflammatory model when compared to the anti-inflammatory standard, dexamethasone. GC-MS analysis led to the identification of n-hexadecanoic acid, cis-9-hexadecenal, and 13-octadecenal in fraction F5, while two major compounds, octadecanoic acid and cholesterol, were identified in fraction F13. The developed studies demonstrated the high anti-inflammatory activity of the marine sponge C. celata extracts and fractions, highlighting its potential for further therapeutic applications.