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- Celiac disease gut microbiome studies in the third millennium: reviewing the findings and gaps of available literaturePublication . Luz, Vanessa C. C.; Pereira, Sónia GonçalvesCeliac disease is an autoimmune enteropathy caused by the ingestion of minute amounts of gluten in a subset of genetically predisposed individuals. Its onset occurs at different ages and with variable symptoms. The gut microbiome may contribute to this variability. This review aims to provide an overview of the available research on celiac disease gut microbiome and identify the knowledge gap that could guide future studies. Following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), four electronic databases were searched for literature from January 2000 to July 2023 addressing celiac disease gut microbiome characterization using next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches. From the 489 publications retrieved, 48 publications were selected and analyzed, focusing on sample characterization (patients, controls, and tissues) and methodologies used for NGS microbiome analysis and characterization. The majority of the selected publications regarded children and adults, and four were randomized clinical trials. The number of participants per study greatly varied and was typically low. Feces were the most frequently tested sample matrix, and duodenal samples were analyzed in one-third of the studies. Incomplete and diverse information on the methodological approaches and gut microbiome results was broadly observed. While similar trends regarding the relative abundance of some phyla, such as Pseudomonadota (former Proteobacteria), were detected in some studies, others contradicted those results. The observed high variability of technical approaches and possibly low power and sample sizes may prevent reaching a consensus on celiac disease gut microbiome composition. Standardization of research protocols to allow reproducibility and comparability is required, as interdisciplinary collaborations to further data analysis, interpretation, and, more importantly, health outcome prediction or improvement.
- Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour on Cardiovascular Risk and Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults: A Systematic ReviewPublication . Santos, Beatriz; Monteiro, Diogo; Silva, Fernanda; Flores, Gonçalo; Bento, T.; Duarte-Mendes, PedroBackground: This systematic review analysed the association between objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour with cardiovascular risk and HRQoL in adults without previous CVD. Additionally, we analysed the impact of the intensity of the physical activity in this association. Methods: The search was carried out in three electronic databases with access until February 2023 to find studies with an observational design. For quality assessment, we used The National Institute of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results: We identified 5819 references, but only five studies were included. One study shows a positive association between physical activity and HRQoL, while sedentary behaviour was negatively related to HRQoL. Another study showed an association between high-intensity physical activity with a better physical component of HRQoL and low-intensity physical activity with a better mental component of HRQoL. Three studies concluded that higher levels of physical activity are associated with lower levels of cardiovascular risk and higher levels of sedentary behaviour are associated with higher levels of cardiovascular risk. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that people who spend more time being active and spend less time being sedentary appear to have lower cardiovascular risk and higher HRQoL.
- Exercise intensity agreement, need satisfaction, and exercise behavior: A sex-moderated mediation modelPublication . Teixeira, D. S.; Andrade, A. J.; Faria, J.; Marques, P.; Bastos, V.; Rodrigues, F.; Sousa, A. M.; Pereira, H. V.Several theoretical frameworks have been used to understand exercise adherence. Basic psychological needs (BPN), grounded on self‐determination theory, have received large attention for this purpose. More recently, the hedonic theory and the assumptions related to the exercise characteristics (e.g., intensity) that can bolster positive affective responses have been revitalized. This study aimed to explore the associations between the agreement of current exercise intensity and the one individually preferred, BPN satisfaction/frustration, enjoyment, the intention to continue exercise, and exercise frequency. Additionally, an exploration of the direct and indirect effects while testing sex as a moderator was performed. A sample of 369 exercisers (Mage = 43.6, standard deviation = 12.96; 214 females) enrolled in 26 health clubs participated in this study voluntarily. Data were received in a firstapproach descriptive and correlational analyses. Next, a moderated mediation was performed using model 15 (PROCESS v.4.2). As a result, agreement in preference for exercise intensity was positively associated with enjoyment (r = 0.35), intention (r = 0.43), and all needs satisfaction (ranging from r = 0.12 to r = 0.45) and negatively associated with all needs frustration (ranging from r = −0.15 to r = −0.31). In the moderated mediation analysis, the same pattern of results emerged in direct effects. Indirect effects were significant for autonomy in the enjoyment and frequency models. Findings suggest that promoting an individually adjusted training intensity may foster BPN satisfaction. It appears to be present an independent (of needs) and positive association with exercise enjoyment and intention to continue exercising.
- Boas Práticas de Gestão Cultural na Rede de Teatros e Cineteatros Portugueses. Pesquisa, Identificação e reflexãoPublication . Peixoto, André Neves Gomes da Silva; Albuquerque, Luísa Arroz CorreiaNesta dissertação pretendemos pesquisar, identificar e reflectir sobre o que são boas práticas de gestão cultural nas instituições da Rede de Teatros e Cineteatros Portugueses. No seu desenvolvimento recorremos a fontes primárias e secundárias através das quais efetuámos uma recolha de dados e uma análise documental. O foco desta dissertação e fenómeno em estudo foi o primeiro programa de apoio à programação da Rede de Teatros e Cineteatros Portugueses (RTCP). Procedemos à análise das variáveis, os recursos detidos pelas instituições, e de indicadores, referentes a práticas desenvolvidas, que nos possibilitaram caracterizar as entidades e identificar as práticas em comum tidas pelas estruturas. Posteriormente discutimos os resultados e reflectimos sobre a adequação das mesmas para com os objectivos da RTCP. Na caracterização das instituições podemos observar que todas detêm um grande auditório e mais de metade um pequeno auditório. Em relação a espaços complementares, 77% das entidades possuem uma sala de ensaios e espaço para residências artísticas. Em termos de recursos humanos a média perfaz 20 elementos e desenvolvem as seguintes funções ou valências: direcção artística ou programação, coordenação técnica, equipa técnica, produção, comunicação e mediação de públicos. Em relação às práticas em comum identificámos o desenvolvimento de coproduções e de residências artísticas, a dinamização de um serviço educativo e de mediação bem como a aposta e apoio aos artistas e companhias emergentes e o apoio à profissionalização. Estas práticas são quase unânimes nas instituições em análise e estão em consonância com os objectivos da RTCP.