Self-reported psychosocial factors among In Vitro Fertilization patients interviewed alone or with the partner

"Published online: 07 Nov 2015"

José Anastácio da Cunha e o projeto MAT² : no trilho de uma história extraordinária

A ideia de que as Matemáticas de Portugal (e de Espanha) atravessaram, depois de um período áureo nos Descobrimentos, um longo deserto onde não foi possível florescerem Mestres, nem escolas, nem cultura científica, nem investigação de relevo foi, durante muito tempo, reiteradamente veiculada, inclusivé através de alguns dos nossos mais referenciados historiadores da Matemática, como é o caso de Gomes Teixeira ou de Rey Pastor. Mas a verdade é que o estudo da História das Matemáticas em Portugal tem, na última década, vivido um interesse crescente onde sobressaem, em particular, uma leitura menos enviesada sobre, por exemplo, o papel educativo dos Jesuítas ou a publicação das obras completas de Pedro Nunes. Está-se assim a contribuir para uma compreensão mais completa da História geral de Portugal, de que a História da Ciência e da Cultura faz parte. José Anastácio da Cunha (1744-1787) foi figura de proa no século XVIII português. Sabíamo-lo matemático que, sem nunca ter saído de Portugal, havia sido capaz de antecipar, em mais de 50 anos, os esforços de matemáticos franceses e alemães para fundar a Matemática com rigor. Sabíamo-lo também autor de uma vasta e diversificada obra de inegável importância matemática mas, igualmente, autor de textos poéticos. Agora, com o projecto que denominámos de MAT2, centramo-nos em José Anastácio da Cunha e pretendemos, se possível, ir ainda mais além. Partimos de uma descoberta, árdua mas com final feliz, em um Arquivo de família: o da Casa de Mateus. Sentimo-nos, com esta “sorte”, privilegiados e gratos por nos ter sido gentilmente concedido o acesso a um vasto conjunto de documentos únicos (diários de viagens, notas de aulas e correspondência) que incluem memórias autógrafas e inéditas de Anastácio da Cunha. Organizámo-nos, cientes do trabalho árduo que temos pela frente, multi e interdisciplinarmente englobando a Matemática (nas suas múltiplas especializações) e a História (incluindo a da Matemática) mas também contando com a Física, a Informática, os estudos militares ou a Arquivística e as Humanidades; reunimos académicos, mais e menos veteranos, com investigadores jovens e juntámos valências nacionais e estrangeiras. No presente artigo daremos conta do percurso trilhado, até agora, pelo projecto MAT2.

La dimensione di diritto fondamentale della maternità nel Diritto dell’Unione: politiche europee di conciliazione della vita famigliare e della vita professionale in tempo di crisi

Dissertação de mestrado em Direito da União Europeia

Potential implications of ketamine anesthesia on zebrafish behavior

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia

Formação de professores: uma prática pedagógica frente aos desafios das necessidades educativas especiais: um estudo de caso numa IES Particular em Manaus-Am

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação Especial (área de especialização em Dificuldades de Aprendizagem Específicas)

Couple's willingness to donate embryos for research: a longitudinal study

Introduction. Decision-making on embryo disposition is a source of distress and is subject to change over time. This paper analyses the willingness of couples undergoing in vitro fertilization to donate cryopreserved embryos for research from 15 days after embryo transfer to 12 months later, taking into account the influence of psychosocial, demographic, and reproductive factors. Materials and methods. Prospective longitudinal study, with 74 heterosexual couples undergoing in vitro fertilization in a public fertility centre in Portugal, recruited between 2011 and 2012. Participants were evaluated twice: 15 days after embryo transfer and 12 months later. Results. A significant decrease in patients’ willingness to donate embryos for research over time was observed [86.5% to 73.6%; relative risk (RR) = 0.85; 95% CI 0.76–0.95]. A higher education level (>12 years) [adjusted RR (RRadj) = 0.79; 95% CI 0.64–0.96], considering research on human embryos to be important (vs. very important) (RRadj = 0.59; 95% CI 0.39–0.85) and practicing a religion less than once a month (vs. at least once a month) (RRadj = 0.73; 95% CI 0.53–1.00) seemed associated with unwillingness to donate embryos for research over time. Change towards non-donation happened mainly among couples who first considered that it was better to donate than wasting the embryos. Change towards donation occurred mostly among those stating that their priority at time 1 was to have a baby and who became pregnant in the meantime. Conclusions. Quality of care guided by patients’ characteristics, values, preferences, and needs calls for considering the factors and reasons underlying couples’ willingness to donate embryos for research over time as a topic in psychosocial guidelines for infertility and medically assisted reproductive care.

Factors associated with the donation and non-donation of embryos for research: a systematic review

Background: Systematic knowledge on the factors that influence the decisions of IVF users regarding embryo donation for research is a core need for patient-centred policies and ethics in clinical practice. However, no systematic review has been provided on the motivations of patients who must decide embryo disposition. This paper fills this gap, presenting a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies, which synthesizes the current body of knowledge on the factors and reasons associated with IVF patients’ decisions to donate or not to donate embryos for research. Methods: A systematic search of studies indexed in PubMed, ISIWoK and PsycINFO, published before November 2013, was conducted. Only empirical, peer-reviewed, full-length, original studies reporting data on factors and reasons associated with the decision concerning donation or non-donation of embryos for research were included. Eligibility and data extraction were performed by two independent researchers and disagreements were resolved by discussion or a third reviewer, if required. The main quantitative findings were extracted and synthesized and qualitative data were assessed by thematic content analysis. Results: A total of 39 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. More than half of the studies (n ¼ 21) used a quantitative methodology, and the remaining were qualitative (n ¼ 15) or mixed-methods (n ¼ 3) studies. The studies were derived mainly from European countries (n ¼ 18) and the USA(n ¼ 11). The proportion of IVF users who donated embryos for research varied from 7% in a study in France to 73% in a Swiss study. Those who donate embryos for research reported feelings of reciprocity towards science and medicine, positive views of research and high levels of trust in the medical system. They described their decision as better than the destruction of embryos and as an opportunity to help others or to improve health and IVF treatments. The perception of risks, the lack of information concerning research projects and the medical system and the conceptualization of embryos in terms of personhood were the most relevant motives for not donating embryos for research. Results relating to the influence of sociodemographic characteristics and reproductive and gynaecological history were mostly inconclusive. Conclusions: Three iterative and dynamic dimensions of the IVF patients’ decision to donate or not to donate embryos for research emerged from this review: the hierarquization of the possible options regarding embryo disposition, according to the moral, social and instrumental status attributed to embryos; patients’ understanding of expectations and risks of the research on human embryos; and patients’ experiences of information exchange and levels of trust in the medical-scientific institutions.