Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2025-06-27"
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- Physiotherapy Intervention for Promoting Comfort in Palliative Care Patients: A Focus Group StudyPublication . Domingos, Daniela Filipa dos Santos; Querido, Ana; Pedrosa, VandaBackground/Objectives: Population aging and the rise in chronic diseases challenge healthcare systems to adopt person-centered approaches, especially in palliative care (PC), where symptom management remains limited. Physiotherapy plays a key role in alleviating discomfort but faces inconsistent integration in Portugal due to lack of recognition. Variations in intervention methods hinder uniform care delivery, limiting timely patient access to comfort-focused treatments and knowledge. This study aims to deepen the understanding of physiotherapy’s role in Portuguese PC to improve its integration into teams and enhance patient access to comfort care. Methods: This study used a descriptive qualitative approach with online focus groups (FG), guided by Krueger and Casey’s methodology and adhering to the COREQ checklist. A non-probabilistic convenience sample of physiotherapists working in palliative care across mainland Portugal and the islands was selected based on inclusion criteria. Three FGs were planned with up to ten participants each. However, due to availability and attendance issues, only 15 physiotherapists participated: 5 in FG1 (in-hospital PC units), 6 in FG2 (inpatient units), and 4 in FG3, the minimum appropriate number from community-based units. Results: Physiotherapy plays a crucial yet underrecognized role in PC, emphasizing the need for its full integration into care teams rather than reliance on late, on-call referrals. Techniques such as positioning, mobilization, pain and dyspnea relief, adapted exercises, massage, music therapy, and emotional support are employed. Conventional physiotherapy tools are used and personalized according to the patient’s context, duration, setting, dosage, and individual needs. Conclusions: Physiotherapy should be recognized as a fundamental part of PC, contributing not only to the prolongation of life but also to ensuring comfort and dignity for patients and their families. To achieve this, its role within multidisciplinary teams must be strengthened and supported by regulations that guarantee access and the formal integration of physiotherapists. However, a significant gap remains in patients’ regular access to comfort-focused interventions at the appropriate time, perhaps due to the considerable variation in physiotherapy practices depending on the patient and care setting, which presents a challenge for knowledge development both in Portugal and globally.
- MILLMETER WAVE SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIOPublication . Silva, João Gonçalo Cruz; Mendes, Luís Miguel Moreira; Vaz, João Manuel Torres Caldinhas SimõesThis study presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of an advanced SDR platform that significantly enhances flexibility, performance, and expandability in wireless communication systems. The research encompasses the development of a base SDR platform operating from 100 MHz to 6 GHz, complemented by a mmWave expansion card extending the frequency range up to 40 GHz. The platform’s architecture integrates a powerful signal processing core, featuring both FPGA-based hardware processing and a quad-core ARM CPU, enabling efficient handling of complex signal processing tasks. Key features of the developed SDR platform include a wide frequency range, high bandwidth capabilities of up to 56 MHz, and flexible sampling rates up to 60 MSPS (with potential for 120 MSPS). The system incorporates MIMO 2x2 functionality and an on-board frequency synthesizer operating up to 18 GHz, enhancing its versatility for various wireless applications. The platform’s expandability is demonstrated through the successful integration of the mmWave expansion card, showcasing its readiness for next-generation wireless technologies, including 5G and beyond. Additionally, the SDR’s modular design approach, coupled with multiple power options, such as USB-PD and a high-speed PCIe interface for data offloading, ensures adaptability to diverse research scenarios and future technological advancements. Extensive laboratory and real-environment assessments validate the SDR plat form’s performance, confirming its compliance with and, in some instances, surpass ing initial design specifications. The research highlights the platform’s potential for exploring new modulation schemes, investigating spectrum sharing techniques, and developing novel wireless protocols. This work significantly contributes to the field of software defined radio, providing a robust foundation for future research in wireless communications, from IoT to fixed and cellular communications and radar systems.