Estudo e implementação de testes de software em desenvolvimento ágil

Dissertação de mestrado em Engenharia de Sistemas

Do stars govern our actions? astrocyte involvement in rodent behavior

Do stars govern our actions? Astrocyte involvement in rodent behavior

Screening for depression and anxiety disorders from pregnancy to postpartum with the EPDS and STAI

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) are widely used self-report measures that still need to be further validated for the perinatal period. The aim of this study was to examine the screening performance of the EPDS and the STAI-S in detecting depressive and anxiety disorders at pregnancy and postpartum. Women screening positive on EPDS (EPDS ≥ 9) or STAI-S (STAI-S ≥ 45) during pregnancy (n = 90), as well as matched controls (n = 58) were selected from a larger study. At 3 months postpartum, 99 of these women were reassessed. At a second stage, women were administered a clinical interview to establish a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) analysis yielded areas under the curve higher than .80 and .70 for EPDS and STAI-S, respectively. EPDS and STAI-S optimal cut-offs were found to be lower at postpartum (EDPS = 7; STAI-S = 34) than during pregnancy (EPDS = 9; STAI-S = 40). EPDS and STAI-S are reasonably valid screening tools during pregnancy and the postpartum.

Anxiety and depression symptoms in women and men from early pregnancy to 3-months postpartum: parity differences and effects

This study aimed to investigate both anxiety and depression symptoms from early pregnancy to 3-months postpartum, comparing women and men and first and second-time parents. Methods: A sample of 260 Portuguese couples (N=520), first or second-time parents, recruited in an Obstetrics Out-patients Unit, filled in the State-Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and the Edinburgh Post-Natal Depression Scale (EPDS) at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd pregnancy trimesters, childbirth, and 3-months postpartum. Results: A decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms from early pregnancy to 3-months postpartum was found in both women and men, as well as in first and second-time parents. Men presented less anxiety and depression symptoms than women, but the same pattern of symptoms over time. Second-time parents showed more anxiety and depression symptoms than first-time parents and a different pattern of symptoms over time: an increase in anxiety and depression symptoms from the 3rd trimester to childbirth was observed in first-time parents versus a decrease in second-time parents. Limitations: The voluntary nature of the participation may have lead to a selection bias; women and men who agreed to participate could be those who presented fewer anxiety and depression symptoms. Moreover, the use of self-report symptom measures does not give us the level of possible disorder in participants. Conclusions: Anxiety and depression symptoms diminish from pregnancy to the postpartum period in all parents. Patterns of anxiety and depression symptoms from early pregnancy to 3-months postpartum are similar in women and men, but somewhat different in first and second time parents. Second-time parents should also be considered while studying and intervening during pregnancy and the postpartum.

Mother's anxiety and depression during the third pregnancy trimester and neonate's mother versus stranger's face/voice visual preference

Background: Neonates show visual preference for their mother's face/voice and shift their attention from their mother to a stranger's face/voice after habituation. Aim: To assess neonate's mother versus stranger's face/voice visual preference, namely mother's anxiety and depression during the third pregnancy trimester and neonate's: 1) visual preference for the mother versus the stranger's face/voice (pretest visual preference), 2) habituation to the mother's face/voice and 3) visual preference for the stranger versus the mother's face/voice (posttest visual preference). Method: Mothers (N=100) filled out the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the State Anxiety Inventory (STAI) both at the third pregnancy trimester and childbirth, and the “preference and habituation to the mother's face/voice versus stranger” paradigm was administered to their newborn 1 to 5 days after childbirth. Results: Neonates of anxious/depressed mothers during the third pregnancy trimester contrarily to neonates of non-anxious/non-depressed mothers did not look 1) longer at their mother's than at the stranger's face/voice at the pretest visual preference (showing no visual preference for the mother), nor 2) longer at the stranger's face/voice in the posttest than in the pretest visual preference (not improving their attention to the stranger's after habituation). Conclusion: Infants exposed to mother's anxiety/depression at the third gestational trimester exhibit less perceptual/social competencies at birth.

Preferência e habituação pela face/voz da mãe vs. estranha em recém-nascidos

O bebé humano, quando nasce, trás consigo uma diversidade de competências que lhe garantem uma pré adaptação e a sua sobrevivência no meio extrauterino. Este estudo tem como objectivo avaliar a preferência e a habituação do recém-nascido pela face/voz da mãe vs. uma pessoa estranha, bem como a identificação de variáveis que possam influenciar estas competências. A amostra, constituída por 50 bebés (com 1 a 5 dias de vida), foi avaliada através do paradigma da “preferência e habituação pela face/voz da mãe vs estranha” - uma situação experimental que envolve a participação da mãe e de duas figuras estranhas ao bebé, com o objectivo de avaliar o tempo que o bebé olha para cada pessoa, em três fases diferentes: 1) preferência, 2) habituação e 3) pós-habituação. Os resultados mostram a preferência pela face/voz da mãe, em detrimento da pessoa estranha. Porém, observa-se que, da fase de preferência para a fase de pós habituação, o tempo que o bebé olha para a mãe diminui e aumenta o tempo que olha para a figura estranha. Algumas características dos bebés (e.g., índice ponderal > 2.50) e das mães (e.g., coabitação, emprego) surgem relacionadas com resultados mais favoráveis (e.g., maior preferência pela face/voz da mãe na fase de preferência do que de pós-habituação e uma mais rápida resposta de habituação ao estímulo materno). Concluímos que, logo nos primeiros dias de vida, são observadas diferenças no comportamento dos recém-nascidos com a mãe e com uma estranha, o que pode condicionar o desenvolvimento do bebé e uma interacção adequada com a mãe.

Development of biomimetic microengineered hydrogel fibers for tendon regeneration

Musculoskeletal diseases are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Tendon injuries are responsible for substantial morbidity, pain and disability. Tissue engineering strategies aim at translating tendon structure into biomimetic materials. The main goal of the present study is to develop microengineered hydrogel fibers through the combination of microfabrication and chemical interactions between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. For this, methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA) and chondroitin sulfate (MeCS) were combined with chitosan (CHT). Hydrogel fibers were obtained by injecting polymer solutions (either MeHA or MeHA/MeCS and CHT) in separate microchannels that join at a y-junction, with the materials interacting upon contact at the interface. To evaluate cell behavior, human tendon derived cells (hTDCs) were isolated from tendon surplus samples during orthopedic surgeries and seeded on top of the fibers. hTDCs adhered to the surface of the fibers, remaining viable, and were found to be expressing CD44, the receptor for hyaluronic acid. The synthesis of hydrogel fibers crosslinkable through both physical and chemical mechanisms combined with microfabrication technology allows the development of biomimetic structures with parallel fibers being formed towards the replication of tendon tissue architecture.

Development of innovative hybrid sandwich panel slabs: Experimental results

The authors appreciate the collaboration of the following labs: Civitest for developing DHCC materials, PIEP for conducting VARTM process (Eng. Luis Oliveira) and Department of Civil Engineering of Minho University to perform the tests (Mr. Antonio Matos and Eng. Marco Jorge).

Potential implications of ketamine anesthesia on zebrafish behavior

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia

Emotional aspects of childhood career development: importance and future agenda

Childhood is a central period for career and social-emotional development. However, the literature covering childhood career development and the role of emotions in careers is scarce. In this article, we advocate for the consideration of emotions in childhood career development. Emotional aspects of children’s career exploration, key-figures and interests, as well as of childhood antecedents of lifelong career processes are presented. Relations between childhood emotion, behavior, functioning and learning are also presented. Conclusions center on a call for focused study of the role of emotion in childhood career development and how such an agenda will advance the literature.

Quality of institutional care and early childhood development

Institutional rearing adversely affects children’s development, but the extent to which specific characteristics of the institutional context and the quality of care provided contribute to problematic development remains unclear. In this study, 72 preschoolers institutionalised for at least 6 months were evaluated by their caregiver using the Child Behavior Checklist and the Disturbances of Attachment Interview. Distal and proximate indices of institutional caregiving quality were assessed using both staff reports and direct observation. Results revealed that greater caregiver sensitivity predicted reduced indiscriminate behaviour and secure-base distortions. A closer relationship with the caregiver predicted reduced inhibited attachment behaviour. Emotional and behavioural problems proved unrelated to caregiving quality. Results are discussed in terms of (non)-shared caregiving factors that influence institutionalised children’s development.

Induced magnetoelectric effect driven by magnetization in BaFe12O19 -/P(VDF-TrFE) composites

Films of BaFe12O19/P(VDF-TrFE) composites with 5, 10 and 20 %wt Barium ferrite content have been fabricated. BaFe12O19 microparticles have the shape of thin hexagonal platelets, the easy direction of magnetization remaining along the c axis, which is perpendicular to the plates. This fact allows for ferrite particles orientation in-plane and out-of-plane within the composite films, as confirmed by measured hysteresis loops. While the in-plane induced magnetoelectric effect (ME) is practically zero, these composite films show a good out-of-plane magnetoelectric effect. with maximum ME coupling coefficient changes of 3, 17 and 2 mV/cm.Oe for the 5, 10 and 20%wt Barium ferrite content films, respectively. We infer that this ME behavior appears as driven by the magnetization process arising when we applied the external magnetic field. We have also measured linear and reversible magnetoelectric effect for low applied bias field, when magnetization process is still reversible.

In vitro mechanical fatigue behavior of poly-ε-caprolactone macroporous scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering: Influence of pore filling by a poly(vinyl alcohol) gel

Polymeric scaffolds used in regenerative therapies are implanted in the damaged tissue and subjected to repeated loading cycles. In the case of articular cartilage engineering, an implanted scaffold is typically subjected to long term dynamic compression. The evolution of the mechanical properties of the scaffold during bioresorption has been deeply studied in the past, but the possibility of failure due to mechanical fatigue has not been properly addressed. Nevertheless, the macroporous scaffold is susceptible to failure after repeated loading-unloading cycles. In this work fatigue studies of polycaprolactone scaffolds were carried by subjecting the scaffold to repeated compression cycles in conditions simulating the scaffold implanted in the articular cartilage. The behaviour of the polycaprolactone sponge with the pores filled with a poly(vinyl alcohol) gel simulating the new formed tissue within the pores was compared with that of the material immersed in water. Results were analyzed with Morrow’s criteria for failure and accurate fittings are obtained just up to 200 loading cycles. It is also shown that the presence of poly(vinyl alcohol) increases the elastic modulus of the scaffolds, the effect being more pronounced with increasing the number of freeze/thawing cycles.

Influence of design parameters on the mechanical behavior and porosity of braided fibrous stents

In spite of all innovations in stent design, commonly used metallic stents present several problems such as corrosion, infection and restenosis, leading to health complications or even death of patients. In this context, the present paper reports a systematic investigation on designing and development of 100% fiber based stents, which can eliminate or minimize the problems with existing metallic stents. For this purpose, braided stents were produced by varying different materials, structural and process parameters such as mono-filament type and diameter, braiding angle and mandrel diameter. The influence of these design parameters on mechanical behavior as well as stent's porosity was thoroughly investigated, and suitable parameters were selected for developing a stentwith mechanical characteristics and porosity matching with the commercial stents. According to the experimental results, the best performance was achieved with a polyester stent designed with 0.27 mm monofilament diameter, braiding angle of 35° and mandrel diameter of 6 mm, providing similar properties to commercial Nitinol stents.

A VEP study in sleeping and awake one-month-old infants and its relation with social behavior

With the present study we aimed to analyze the relationship between infants' behavior and their visual evoked-potential (VEPs) response. Specifically, we want to verify differences regarding the VEP response in sleeping and awake infants and if an association between VEP components, in both groups, with neurobehavioral outcome could be identified. To do so, thirty-two full-term and healthy infants, approximately 1-month of age, were assessed through a VEP unpatterned flashlight stimuli paradigm, offered in two different intensities, and were assessed using a neurobehavioral scale. However, only 18 infants have both assessments, and therefore, these is the total included in both analysis. Infants displayed a mature neurobehavioral outcome, expected for their age. We observed that P2 and N3 components were present in both sleeping and awake infants. Differences between intensities were found regarding the P2 amplitude, but only in awake infants. Regression analysis showed that N3 amplitude predicted an adequate social interactive and internal regulatory behavior in infants who were awake during the stimuli presentation. Taking into account that social orientation and regulatory behaviors are fundamental keys for social-like behavior in 1-month-old infants, this study provides an important approach for assessing physiological biomarkers (VEPs) and its relation with social behavior, very early in postnatal development. Moreover, we evidence the importance of the infant's state when studying differences regarding visual threshold processing and its association with behavioral outcome.