Quality Control in RT-PCR Viral Load Assays: Evaluation of Analytical Performance for HIV, HBV, and HCV.

Introduction: Quality Control Management (QCM) in clinical laboratories is crucial for ensuring reliable results in analytical measurements, with biological variation being a key factor. The study focuses on assessing the analytical performance of the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) system for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B (HBV), and Hepatitis C (HCV). Five models proposed between 1999 and 2014 offer different approaches to evaluating analytical quality, with Model 2 based on biological variation and Model 5 considering the current state of the art.

How to Promote Gerotranscendence in Older Adults? A Scoping Review of Interventions.

Gerotranscendence is a psychosocial theory that proposes older adults experience a mindset shift in multiple dimensions (cosmic, coherence, solitude), associated with different constructs, such as life satisfaction and well-being. Increasing studies are employing gerotranscendence, but the practical aspects of how gerotranscendence can be developed are still underexplored. This review involved an assessment of the size and scope of the existing literature on interventions related to gerotranscendence and their effect on participants' well-being.

Gerontological social workers' perspectives about the future at the start of a COVID-19 vaccination program: A photovoice study.

Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic is a continuing public health crisis, although it has lessened in its intensity since the start of worldwide vaccination programs. In aged care facilities, gerontological social workers have become frontline professionals facing multiple challenges and demands. One year after the first COVID-19 case in Portugal, during the second major lockdown in the country, and with vaccination starting in these facilities, a photovoice program to identify the experiences of these professionals was developed.

Post-Mortem Diagnosis of Pediatric Dengue Using Minimally Invasive Autopsy during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil.

We report the first pediatric disease in which the use of minimally invasive autopsy (MIA) confirmed severe dengue as the cause of death. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a previously healthy 10-year-old girl living in north-eastern Brazil presented fever, headache, diffuse abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and vomiting. On the fourth day, the clinical symptoms worsened and the patient died.

The Caregiver Support Ratio in Europe: Estimating the Future of Potentially (Un)Available Caregivers.

The caregiver support ratio (CSR) is defined as the number of potential caregivers aged 45-64 years, the most common caregiving age range, for each person aged 80+, the subgroup of older adults most at risk of needing long-term services and support. This study uses data from the CENSUS HUB database and from the UN database to calculate the current (last year available: 2011) and projected (2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050) CSR for a group of European countries. Mediterranean countries, France, Belgium, and Sweden presented the lowest CSR (5:1) in 2011.

To Live or Die: What to Wish at 100 Years and Older.

Previous research has shown that will to live is a strong predictor for survival among older people, irrespective of age, gender, and comorbidities. However, research on whether life at age 100 is perceived as worth living is limited. The available literature has presented evidence for good levels of positive attitudes and life satisfaction at such an advanced age, but it has also suggested that a longing for death is common.

Influence of Active and Healthy Ageing on Quality of Life Changes: Insights from the Comparison of Three European Countries.

This study aimed to analyze the determinants of quality of life (QoL) in older people in three European countries (Portugal, Spain and Sweden). A sample of 7589 participants in waves 4 (2011) and 6 (2015) of the Survey on Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) project, aged 50 and over and living in Portugal, Spain and Sweden, was included. The CASP-12 scale was used to measure QoL.

Anxiety, Depression and Quality of Life in Older Adults: Trajectories of Influence across Age.

This study focuses on the influence of anxiety and depression on individual trajectories of quality of life in old age through a longitudinal approach. A representative sample of adults aged 50+ living in Portugal and participating in wave 4 (W4) and wave 6 (W6) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) project was considered. Participants, 1765 at baseline (W4) and 1201 at follow up (W6), were asked about their quality of life (CASP-12) and emotional status (Euro-D scale; five items from the Beck Anxiety Inventory).

Psychometric Properties of the CASP-12 Scale in Portugal: An Analysis Using SHARE Data.

The purpose of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Control, Autonomy, Self-realization, and Pleasure (CASP)-12 scale used in the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) project. Data were obtained from a representative sample of 1666 people aged ≥50 years living in Portugal and participating in the SHARE wave 6. In addition to the CASP-12 scale, sociodemographic data and health status, activity limitation (GALI), depression (Euro-D) and satisfaction with life scores were collected.

Self-medication in older European adults: Prevalence and predictive factors.

Background/objectives: Self-medication, despite some benefits, carries many risks, especially when practiced by older adults who are polymedicated. Information addressing the prevalence and associated factors of self-medication in older age in a European context is scarce and sometimes contradictory. This paper aims to estimate the prevalence of self-medication among older adults across Europe and to identify its predictive factors.

Further survival at age 100: Findings from the Oporto Centenarian study.

Background: This paper aims to identify the health-related predictors of survival in centenarians.

Methods: A population-based study conducted in North Portugal (PT100) followed 140 individuals from the age of 100+ years. A detailed questionnaire at baseline was completed including information on sociodemographic characteristics, physical health, functional, cognitive, and nutritional status and life-style.

Falls and fear of falling in a sample of centenarians: the role of multimorbidity, pain and anxiety.

Background: To explore the recent history of falls and the existence of fear of falling in a sample of centenarians, and to identify factors associated with both conditions.

Methods: The sample included 109 centenarians from two Portuguese studies. The two main outcomes of this study are fear of falling and history of fall(s).

Thinking About the End of Life When It Is Near: A Comparison of German and Portuguese Centenarians.

This study examined how common thinking of and planning for the end of life (EOL) is among German and Portuguese centenarians, and whether patterns of EOL views are shaped by cultural and individual characteristics. A significant portion of centenarians in both countries reported not thinking about the EOL, not believing in the afterlife, and not having made EOL arrangements. Latent class analysis identified three EOL patterns: Class 1 (), Class 2 (), and Class 3 ().

Objective vs. Subjective Health in Very Advanced Ages: Looking for Discordance in Centenarians.

Living beyond 100 years of age is associated with several functional and health constraints but their impact depends on one's perception of the situation. Associations between self-rated health (SRH) with sociodemographic and psychosocial variables have been explored in several studies, revealing that one's health appraisal depends of factors beyond the objective health condition. There is a large body of literature concerning SRH in later life but lack of evidence about centenarians' perception of health and its associated factors, which could increase the available knowledge on the strengths and resources individuals in very advanced ages have for facing daily life limitations.

Patterns of Physical Activity and Screen Time Among Brazilian Children.

Objective: To investigate the patterns of physical activity (PA) and screen time among children and adolescents attended by the Brazilian National Health System.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil. The sample was composed of 270 children and adolescents attending 5 basic health care units.

Centenarians in Europe.

Objectives: The group of individuals aged 80 and over is growing faster than other segments of the population, and within this group the number of centenarians has risen exponentially worldwide. This paper reports the numbers of centenarians (total, and ratio relative to total population) in 32 European countries and their key characteristics: gender distribution, level of education, and type of residence.

Study Design: Population based study.

Coinfection with influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and dengue virus in fatal cases.

We report on four patients with fatal influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and dengue virus coinfections. Clinical, necropsy and histopathologic findings presented in all cases were characteristic of influenza-dengue coinfections, and all were laboratory-confirmed for both infections. The possibility of influenza and dengue coinfection should be considered in locations where these two viruses' epidemic periods coincide to avoid fatal outcomes.

The Role of Existential Beliefs Within the Relation of Centenarians' Health and Well-Being.

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of existential beliefs in mediating the influence of health on centenarians' well-being. A total of 80 centenarians (mean age 101.1; SD = 1.

Health profile of centenarians in Portugal: a census-based approach.

Background: The number of centenarians is rapidly increasing in Europe. In Portugal, it has almost tripled over the last 10 years and constitutes one of the fastest-growing segments of the population. This paper aims to describe the health and sociodemographic characteristics of Portuguese centenarians as given in the 2011 census and to identify sex differences.

Health Status, Living Arrangements, and Service Use at 100: Findings From the Oporto Centenarian Study.

This paper describes the sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and service use of centenarians living in the community and centenarians residing in an elder care facility/nursing home and examines their main differences. Participants were 140 centenarians from the population-based Oporto Centenarian Study (Mage = 101.2; SD = 1.

Predicting Successful Aging at One Hundred Years of Age.

Objective: The present study is based upon a multidimensional model of successful aging. It aims to identify subgroups of centenarians sharing communalities in successful aging profiles, and determine the role of sociodemographic factors and psychological, social, and economic resources on successful aging.

Methods: A total of 80 centenarians were face-to-face interviewed.

Post-pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus infection in pregnant women in Ceará, Brazil.

Objective: The aim of this study was to present results of the post-pandemic phase of A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infection in pregnant women in Ceará, Brazil, during the January-June 2012 influenza season.

Results: One hundred and fifty-four nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected from pregnant women admitted to hospitals with suspected severe acute respiratory infection (SARI). Fifty-three (34·4%) had laboratory-confirmed A(H1N1)pdm09 virus infection with 15 (28·3%) outpatients and 38 (71·7%) hospitalized.

Successful aging at 100 years: the relevance of subjectivity and psychological resources.

Background: Very old individuals seem to present an admirable capacity to overcome adversities and adapt to the challenges of advanced age. However, studies focusing successful pattern of centenarians found that they may easily fail to be categorized as successful agers when objective criteria are applied. The present study examines if centenarians can be considered successful agers.