Publications by authors named "Luis Sousa"

Objective: To explore how the development of research skills through postgraduate training is transferred to the use of research in clinical nursing practice.

Method: This was a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study developed based on a focus group in October 2021, using an intentional sample of eight postgraduate nurses from a healthcare institution in the region of Baixo Alentejo, Portugal. Bardin's content analysis was performed to analyze data.

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  • - The study aimed to evaluate the resilience of individuals with traumatic spinal cord injuries using two specific resilience scales (CD-RISC-10 and RS-14) and to assess the relationship between resilience and various demographic factors.
  • - Conducted with 254 adults, the research found that the average resilience scores were moderate, with significant correlations between the two scales, but no associations with sociodemographic factors like gender or income.
  • - The findings highlight the importance of understanding resilience in spinal cord injury patients to improve care but indicate that resilience levels aren't influenced by common demographic variables.
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The literature review shows that the fear of falling is present in older persons', but also in their careers and influences the performance of activities of daily living. The objective of this methodological study was to adapt and validate the Falls Efficacy Scale - Formal Caregivers. The development of the examined scale was based on the Falls Efficacy Scale - International, which was adapted for assessing the fear of falling in formal caregivers.

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Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of rocks is one of the main parameters required in the design of geotechnical projects such as tunnels, dams, or rock slopes. According to the literature, there are a large number of predictive regression equations to evaluate the UCS from the point load index (PLI) and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS). However, the equations developed in previous studies have different accuracies in UCS prediction.

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance in fecal isolates from wildlife is crucial for monitoring the spread of this microorganism in the environment and for developing effective AMR control strategies. Wildlife can act as carriers of AMR bacteria and spread them to other wildlife, domestic animals, and humans; thus, they have public health implications. A total of 128 isolates were obtained from 66 of 217 fecal samples obtained from different wild animals using media without antibiotic supplementation.

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Background: Longevity increases pose public health challenges, especially in managing falls and their psychological impacts on older adults. Limited evidence exists on the relationship between a fear of falling (FOF), previous falls, and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults.

Objective: To evaluate the association between falls, FOF, and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults.

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BackgroundIn 2022, a global monkeypox virus (MPXV) clade II epidemic occurred mainly among men who have sex with men. Until early 1980s, European smallpox vaccination programmes were part of worldwide smallpox eradication efforts. Having received smallpox vaccine > 20 years ago may provide some cross-protection against MPXV.

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Roads are an important source of human economic progress, but also a threat to wildlife populations and natural habitats. Roads are responsible for the direct mortality of hundreds of millions of animals worldwide, with special negative effects for amphibians. Since the middle of the twentieth century, various types of mitigation measures have been constructed to reduce the negative effects of roads.

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  • Regular physical activity is essential for overall health, but understanding how endurance exercise affects molecular signaling is still a work in progress.
  • The MoTrPAC project aims to explore these molecular responses by conducting structured endurance training on Fischer 344 rats of different ages and sexes, analyzing various tissues and other biological samples.
  • The study found significant improvements in muscle function and fitness markers within just a few weeks of exercise, highlighting age- and sex-related differences and providing valuable resources for future research on exercise responses.
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Monitoring the levels of amino acids (AAs) in biological cell cultures provides key information to understand the regulation of cell growth and metabolism. Saccharomyces cerevisiae can naturally excrete AAs, making accurate detection and determination of amino acid levels within the cultivation medium pivotal for gaining insights into this still poorly known process. Given that most AAs lack ultraviolet (UV) chromophores or fluorophores necessary for UV and fluorescence detection, derivatization is commonly utilized to enhance amino acid detectability via UV absorption.

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The challenges experienced in the context of the pandemic have required a significant reconciliation between work and family domains due to confinement and the need to spend more time at home, which may have increased the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression, making it necessary to use resilient coping strategies to overcome the difficulties felt. This study examined the effect of resilient coping on the relationship between work-family conflict and stress, anxiety, and depression in this context. Data were collected using a self-report protocol from a sample of Portuguese workers ( = 476).

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Background: Addressing informal caregivers' needs is essential for ensuring quality healthcare and promoting citizen-centred care. This systematic review assessed current knowledge about programmes aimed at meeting the needs of informal caregivers of adults who are dependent on others for daily life activities.

Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, the electronic databases EBSCOhost Research Platform, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and The Virtual Health Library were searched for randomized experimental studies published between 2012 and 2022 that implemented programmes addressing informal caregivers' needs to improve their experiences, health, and well-being.

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Background: The literature review notes that people in need of care from Rehabilitation Programs do not always see their continuity ensured.

Objective: This study aim to analyze the perspective of Specialists Nurse in Rehabilitation Nursing in relation to the organization and specialized intervention of transitional care for older people in need of rehabilitation programs.

Methods: This is a qualitative study within the interpretivist paradigm.

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Background: Cancer patients experience distress as a result of their health condition, which, in turn, contributes to the progression of the disease. Moreover, their daily activities, well-being, and health status are significantly impacted by pain and other symptoms. In this context, empowering these patients with self-care and pain management skills can greatly contribute to effective symptom control.

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One of the methods used to discover the development of deterioration in bricks used as a construction material in a building is the monitoring of the bricks' strength characteristics over time. However, measuring the strength characteristics of bricks used in a building requires sampling for performing laboratory tests, which is not possible in some cases. As an alternative, ultrasonic wave velocity can be a useful, nondestructive tool for the indirect assessment of the strength characteristics of the bricks.

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Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 infection usually presents similarly to other respiratory viral pathogens. Children and adolescents do not present as a group that is highly affected by the disease, having low infection rates. However, limited publications are associated with the findings of pneumonia in pediatric patients with COVID-19.

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Monitoring cell viability is critical in cell biology, pathology, and drug discovery. Most cell viability assays are cell-destructive, time-consuming, expensive, and/or hazardous. Herein, we present a series of newly synthesized 2,4,5-triaminopyrimidine derivatives able to discriminate between live and dead cells.

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  • Patient-centered care focuses on building strong relationships among patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations.
  • It emphasizes the importance of personal interactions to improve care quality.
  • This approach aims to create a supportive environment that enhances patient experiences and outcomes.
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In the face of an increasingly aging population, nurses have to design and implement programs aimed at the elderly in order to keep them healthy and maintain their quality of life. Structured physical exercise and overall physical activity play a major role in maintaining an active lifestyle, improving health, preventing disease, and helping to maintain older people's quality of life. To investigate the importance of implementing physical exercise programs for the older person in the community, taking into account the perspective of the rehabilitation nurse specialist, this is a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive study with nine rehabilitation nurses from various regions of Portugal who have experience of implementing physical exercise programs with the elderly.

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The aim of this research work is to study the effect of salt mist ageing on the physico-mechanical properties of two ignimbrites from the Canary Islands (Spain). Due to their insular nature and extensive coastlines, these regions are highly susceptible to atmospheric salt aerosols, which is a significant weathering agent for building materials. The ignimbrites analysed are marketed under the names "Azul Lomo Tomás de León" and "Marrón de Abades" and are widely used as building stones.

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The selection of ornamental stones for specific applications requires technical guidance since it should be based on the durability, service life, and aesthetic value of the stones. In most cases, these fundamentals provide quantitative data on the usability and performance of ornamental stones. The present study attempts to put forward a quantitative classification system for natural stone products concerning critical rock properties.

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  • Hoof diseases in dairy cattle significantly impact animal welfare and farming economics, and addressing these issues requires enhanced management and breeding practices, backed by genetic research.
  • This study utilized high-density genetic markers from North American Holsteins to conduct genome-wide association studies for 8 hoof-related traits and a hoof health index, identifying numerous significant genetic markers linked to these conditions.
  • The research uncovered important genomic insights, indicating that hoof health traits are connected to other critical health and productivity traits in cattle, and highlighted potential candidate genes related to bone development and immune response.
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Introduction: Infertility, the inability to conceive, constitutes a major problem in modern societies. It affects 10 to 15 percent of couples in the United States. Evaluation of infertile men is usually complex and often demands a testicular biopsy.

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Adequate cannulation technique (CT) methods and successful puncture are essential for hemodialysis (HD) and arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maintenance. This systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to identify which CT allows better AVF primary patency and lower rates of complications in HD patients. The search was carried out on the CINAHL, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Joanna Briggs Institute Library databases to identify all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing clinical outcomes of buttonhole (BH) versus rope ladder cannulation (RL) from 2010 to 2022.

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SARS-CoV-2 infection and its resulting sequelae have increased the prevalence of people with respiratory symptoms, with impacts on functional capacity, quality of life, anxiety, depression, and mental health. To mitigate this problem, one challenge has been the design and implementation of interventions that simultaneously allow for education, rehabilitation, and monitoring of people with long COVID, at a time when health services were on the verge of rupture due to the volume of people with active COVID and in need of intensive care. Telerehabilitation emerged as a mode for providing rehabilitative care that brought professionals closer to patients and enabled continuity of care.

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