Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco
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O perfil motor de crianças entre os 24 e os 48 meses de idade de acordo com as habilidades motoras globais e finas.
No full textEste estudo teve como objetivo analisar o perfil motor de crianças entre os 24 e os 48 meses de idade, utilizando a bateria PDMS-2 como instrumento de avaliação. O estudo tem uma amostra de 193 crianças (40.41 ± 8.16 meses), divididos em 3 faixas etárias, 24 meses (N=22, 27.09±0.7 meses), 36 meses (N=78, 38.12±0.9 meses) e 48 meses (N=93, 49.45±1.1 meses), sendo avaliadas as habilidades de Controle Postural, Locomoção, Manipulação de Objetos, Preensão Fina e Integração Visuomotora. A análise estatística foi realizada através do teste de Kruskal-Wallis, complementado pelo cálculo do épsilon quadrado (ε²) como medida de efeito, tendo sido observadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os grupos nas variáveis Controle Postural, Locomoção, Manipulação de Objetos e Integração Visuomotora, enquanto a Preensão Fina não apresentou variações significativas (p = 0.794), sugerindo estabilidade desta competência ao longo do intervalo etário analisado. Os valores obtidos nos Standard Scores indicaram que a Locomoção nos grupos de 24 e 48 meses, bem como a Manipulação de Objetos nos grupos de 36 e 48 meses, se encontram abaixo da média esperada, contrariamente a Integração Visuomotora demonstrou uma tendência de melhoria com o aumento da idade, embora sem significância estatística. Estes resultados apontam para um desenvolvimento motor não homogéneo entre os grupos etários, destacando a Locomoção e a Manipulação de Objetos como áreas com desempenho inferior e que poderão beneficiar de estratégias de intervenção e estimulação motora específicas.This study aimed to analyse the motor profile of children aged between 24 and 48 months, using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales – Second Edition (PDMS-2) as the assessment instrument. The sample consisted of 193 children (40.41 ± 8.16 months), divided into three age groups: 24 months (N = 22, 27.09 ± 0.7 months), 36 months (N = 78, 38.12 ± 0.9 months), and 48 months (N = 93, 49.45 ± 1.1 months). The assessed motor skills included Postural Control, Locomotion, Object Manipulation, Fine Grasp, and Visual-Motor Integration. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis test, complemented by the calculation of epsilon squared (ε²) as a measure of effect size. Statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in the variables Postural Control, Locomotion, Object Manipulation, and Visual-Motor Integration, while Fine Grasp showed no significant variation (p = 0.794), suggesting stability in this skill across the age range analysed. Standard Score values indicated that Locomotion in the 24 and 48 month groups, as well as Object Manipulation in the 36 and 48 month groups, were below the expected average. In contrast, Visual-Motor Integration showed a trend of improvement with increasing age, although without statistical significance. These findings suggest a non-homogeneous pattern of motor development across age groups, highlighting Locomotion and Object Manipulation as areas of lower performance that may benefit from targeted intervention and motor stimulation strategies
Rising threats and evolving trends: Five years of urinary tract infection prevalence in a Portuguese hospital
No full textThe study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Beira Interior (CE-UBI-Pj-2023-020) on 19 April 2023.
Due to ethical restrictions and the protection of participants’ confidentiality, the data are not publicly available. However, the datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Background/Objective: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a significant public health concern worldwide, yet longitudinal data from Portuguese hospital settings remain limited. This study aimed to characterize epidemiological trends, microbial etiology, antimicrobial resistance patterns, and associated risk factors of UTIs over a five-year period (2018–2022) in a central Portuguese hospital.
Methods: In this retrospective observational study, 23,682 positive urine cultures were analyzed from specimens collected between anuary 2018 and December 2022. Data were extracted from the laboratory information system and included patient demographics, clinical service of origin, isolated microorganisms, resistance profiles, and annual antibiotic consumption (Defined Daily Dose (DDD) per 1000 patient-days). UTI prevalence was calculated as the proportion of positive cultures among all urine samples processed annually.
Results: The positivity rate increased from 18.7% in 2018 to 22.7% in 2022, with a peak in 2019. Women represented around 70% of cases throughout the study period. Most infections originated from inpatient wards, followed by emergency services. Escherichia coli remained the leading pathogen (≈62%), followed
by Klebsiella pneumoniae (≈14%) and Enterococcus faecalis (≈8%). Risk factors included catheterization (37.2%), prior UTI history (22.1%), and diabetes mellitus (18.5%). Longer hospital stays (>7 days) were associated with increased positivity. For E. coli, resistance ranged from 2% (amikacin) to 41% (ampicillin), with increasing resistance to ertapenem and fosfomycin and decreasing resistance to several key antibiotics. K. pneumoniae showed 4–36% resistance across antimicrobials, with notable increases for fosfomycin, meropenem, and cefuroxime axetil. Antibiotic usage trends reflected these patterns, with declining use of amikacin and rising use of cefuroxime axetil and meropenem.
Conclusions: Over the five-year period, both UTI prevalence and resistance to critical antimicrobials increased, reinforcing the need to update empirical treatment guidelines. Identified risk factors may inform targeted prevention strategies. Ongoing surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship are crucial to mitigate the rising burden of UTIs and resistanceN/
Gamification and emotional intelligence: Development of a digital application for children
No full textIt is important to work on educating children’s emotional intelligence, namely the re-awareness and control of emotions, both their own and those around them so that they feel empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make conscious decisions. This document describes a proposal for a gamified solution, based on the development of a multimedia product, which aims to help children, parents and teachers in the education of emotional intelligence in children. The solution makes it possible to present everyday scenarios to children, allowing adults to find out how they feel and, based on this information, to work on feelings and social behaviour. The solution was based on research into studies available in scientific databases on children’s emotional intelligence, as well as research into exercises that can help work on this same issue. Once implemented, the solution was tested with children from a primary school, where it was possible to collect feedback from them and their teachers and make improvements. This study presentsthe design, development and evaluation of a gamified application for children focused on emotional intelligence. The methodology used is based on a systematic literature review following the PRISMA protocol and the development of an iterative multimediaproduct. The study sample included around 200 elementary school children, where it was possible to collect qualitative feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of the application. The results obtained made it possible to make improvements to the design of the application and to obtain feedback from the teachers, which was very positive, but transmitted by direct interview.This work was funded by National Funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), I.P., within the scope of the project UIDB/05583/2020 and DOI identifier https://doi.org/10.54499/UIDB/05583/2020. Furthermore, we would like to thank the Research Centre in Digital Services (CISeD) and the Instituto Politécnico de Viseu for their support
A simulation study of walking-workers assignment strategies based on work zones
No full textThis study addresses an “U” shaped assembly line with walking workers and flexible worker assignments. Workers, rather than machines, are the constraining resource in a dual-resource production system. Assignment strategies for walking workers based on Takt Time or restricted time zones of overlap are compared under different production conditions, including processing time variability and worker efficiency conditions. Four strategies have been considered namely: dedicated zoning, relaxed zoning, float zoning, and overlapped zoning. Discrete event simulation is used to assess the performance of these strategies under the controlled release of jobs to the assembly line based on a Constant Work In Process policy. Results show that heterogeneous worker efficiencies strongly impact the performance of all strategies. However, this impact depends on the specific strategy. The study contributes to a better understanding of the behavior of walking workers’ strategies in “U” shaped assembly lines controlled by a Constant Work In Process policy
Digital transformation in accounting: An assessment of automation and AI integration
No full textThe original data presented in this study are openly available inWeb of Science and Scopus databases, according to the procedure presented in Section 3 Methodology of this document.This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature on digital, automated, and AI-assisted accounting systems. The data include documents listed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The analysis identifies the main authors, countries/territories, sources, and thematic trends. The results reveal that the scientific output within this research field has increased since 2018, emphasising the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation, and blockchain technologies in accounting. The findings also suggest that automation enhances efficiency, accuracy, and reliability while also raising concerns about ethics, cybersecurity, and job displacement. This study evaluates the accounting research from early discussions on information systems and automation to current topics such as digital transformation, sustainability, and intelligent decision-making. Furthermore, it contributes to the understanding of the scientific development of digital accounting and addresses future research directions involving AI and machine learning for predictive analytics and fraud detection, blockchain for secure and transparent accounting systems, sustainability through the integration of ESG reporting, and interdisciplinary collaboration between accounting, computer science, and business management to develop intelligent financial systems. The findings provide insights for academics and practitioners aiming to understand the ongoing digital transformation of accounting systems.This research was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia: NECE and by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia), I.P., project reference UIDB/04630/2020 and DOI identifier
10.54499/UIDP/04630/2020
Community surveillance of MRSA and Staphylococcus aureus in rural Portugal: The BI-STAPH Project—Phase 1: Sertã
No full textThis study has the approval of the Ethics Committee of the University of Beira Interior, code no. CE-UBI-Pj-2023-054, approved on 16 January 2024, ensuring that all procedures adopted comply with the established ethical and scientific guidelines.Introduction: Colonization by Staphylococcus aureus—including methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA)—represents a growing public health concern, particularly in community and rural settings. In Portugal, limited data are available regarding its prevalence in populations with agricultural or animal-related exposures.
Objectives: To determine the prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA nasal colonization among adults residing in the municipality of Sertã, Portugal, and to explore potential sociodemographic and behavioral factors associated with colonization.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 292 adult participants from multiple parishes of Sertã. Nasal swabs were collected for microbiological identification of S. aureus and MRSA. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, occupational exposure, animal contact, and recent antibiotic use were collected via structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses (chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests) were performed, and odds ratios were estimated.
Results: The overall prevalence of S. aureus colonization was 19.9% (58/292), with MRSA detected in 4.8% (14/292) of participants, representing 24.1% of all S. aureus carriers. Colonization by S. aureus was slightly more frequent among females (51.7%) and predominantly observed in individuals aged
35–59 years. MRSA was more frequent in participants aged ≥ 60 years and was equally distributed between sexes. 57% of MRSA cases reported recent antibiotic use and all MRSA cases reported daily contact with animals—primarily domestic species. No statistically significant associations were identified between colonization and the analyzed variables, although trends suggested increased risk among individuals with animal contact and moderate to high-risk occupations.
Conclusions: This study revealed a notable prevalence of S. aureus and MRSA colonization in a rural Portuguese population. Although no statistically significant associations were found, with animal contact, occupational exposure, and recent antibiotic use emerged as relevant epidemiological factors. These findings highlight the need for strengthened surveillance and further investigation into zoonotic transmission and occupational risk in rural environments.N/
Jovens como futuros cuidadores: perspetivas dos jovens face ao envelhecimento
No full textTrabalho de Projeto apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Gerontologia Social.Face ao acentuado envelhecimento demográfico crescente e às tensões sociais dele decorrentes, torna-se essencial compreender de que forma as gerações mais jovens percecionam o processo de envelhecimento e quais as repercussões dessas representações nas relações intergeracionais. Este estudo assume-se como uma estratégia pedagógica e socialmente relevante para desconstruir estereótipos associados à velhice e promover a inclusão da população idosa.
O presente estudo, de natureza quantitativa, teve como objetivos analisar a perceção dos estudantes do 1.º ano da Licenciatura em Educação Social sobre o envelhecimento, bem como as suas atitudes perante a população mais velha, o grau de conhecimento sobre políticas públicas e respostas sociais e a valorização do papel do educador social neste domínio. A amostra foi composta por 44 indivíduos, com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os 25 anos. Recorreu-se à estatística descritiva para a análise dos dados obtidos por questionário.
Os resultados evidenciam um contacto regular com pessoas mais velhas, predominantemente em contexto familiar, o que parece favorecer representações mais positivas e empáticas. Ainda assim, foram identificadas perceções ambivalentes, persistência de alguns estereótipos e, sobretudo, um conhecimento limitado sobre os apoios sociais e políticas públicas existentes. Destacaram-se como áreas prioritárias de intervenção, a inclusão social, o combate ao isolamento, a valorização da experiência de vida e o reforço da autonomia da população idosa.
Conclui-se que a perceção que os jovens têm sobre o envelhecimento é fortemente condicionada por fatores pessoais, culturais e sociais, e que a intervenção educativa, quando sustentada em experiências reais e reflexão crítica, pode contribuir significativamente para a construção de uma visão mais informada, justa e comprometida com a dignidade da pessoa idosa.
Neste sentido, foi proposto um projeto de intervenção intitulado “Gerações em Rede”, centrado na aproximação entre os estudantes aos contextos reais de envelhecimento, através de parcerias com entidades comunitárias, nomeadamente a associação ATLAS – People Like Us. O projeto propõe uma intervenção de curta duração, assente em momentos de sensibilização, análise de casos reais e elaboração de propostas práticas, promovendo competências éticas, críticas e técnicas nos futuros profissionais da intervenção social.Abstract: In light of the marked and growing demographic ageing and the resulting social tensions, it is essential to understand how younger generations perceive the ageing process and the repercussions of such representations on intergenerational relationships. This study is framed as both a pedagogical and socially relevant strategy to deconstruct stereotypes associated with old age and to promote the inclusion of older people.
This quantitative study aimed to analyse first-year Social Education students’ perceptions of ageing, their attitudes towards older adults, their level of knowledge about public policies and social support systems, and the value they attribute to the role of the social educator in this field. The sample consisted of 44 individuals, aged between 18 and 25 years. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data collected through a questionnaire.
The results reveal regular contact with older people, mainly within the family context, which appears to foster more positive and empathetic representations. Nevertheless, ambivalent perceptions were identified, as well as the persistence of certain stereotypes and, above all, a limited knowledge of existing social support services and public policies. Key areas for intervention included social inclusion, the fight against isolation, the appreciation of life experience, and the reinforcement of older people's autonomy.
The study concludes that young people's perceptions of ageing are strongly shaped by personal, cultural, and social factors, and that educational intervention, when grounded in real-life experiences and critical reflection, can significantly contribute to building a more informed, fair, and committed view of the dignity of older adults.
In this regard, an intervention project entitled “Gerações em Rede” (“Generations in Network”) was proposed, focusing on connecting students with real-life ageing contexts through partnerships with community organisations, namely the association ATLAS – People Like Us. The project entails a short-term intervention based on awareness-raising activities, analysis of real-life cases, and the development of practical proposals, aiming to foster ethical, critical, and technical competences among future professionals in the field of social intervention
Epidemiological profile and antibiotic resistance in urinary tract infections among elderly women
No full textDue to ethical restrictions and the protection of participants’ confidentiality, the data are not publicly available. However, the datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most prevalent infectious diseases in older women, especially those over 65 years of age. Physiological changes related to aging, comorbidities, and frequent use of medical devices such as urinary catheters increase susceptibility. Increasing antimicrobial resistance further complicates treatment strategies. This study aims to describe the epidemiological profile of UTI in women
over 65 years of age, focusing on the characterization of etiological agents, observed antimicrobial resistance patterns, and commonly reported risk factors. We conducted a retrospective analysis of microbiological and clinical data from elderly women diagnosed with UTIs. Bacterial isolates were identified and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were evaluated over a specified period. A statistical analysis was performed to determine the prevalence of different pathogens and antibiotic resistance trends. Escherichia coli was the predominant uropathogen, consistent across different clinical scenarios and patient conditions. The four most common bacterial strains—E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Enterococcus faecalis—aligned with global epidemiological data. In Escherichia coli a significant increase in resistance to nitrofurantoin was observed, possibly indicating excessive empirical use, while resistance to other antibiotics, such as amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and ertapenem, remained stable or decreased. Institutional antibiotic stewardship programs likely contributed to this trend. The study highlights E. coli as the main etiological agent in elderly women with UTIs. The observed resistance patterns emphasize the need for localized antimicrobial surveillance and personalized therapeutic approaches. Continuous
microbiological monitoring and rational use of antibiotics are crucial to optimize treatment outcomes and control the development of resistance.N/
A epigrafia portuguesa da capela de Nossa Senhora das Neves (Escalos de Baixo, Castelo Branco)
No full textEstudo de duas inscrições portuguesas existentes na capela de Nossa Senhora das Neves em Escalos de Baixo (Castelo Branco)ABSTRACT: Study of two portuguese inscriptions found in the chapel of Nossa Senhora das Neves in Escalos de Baixo (Castelo Branco
Ecosystem services and biodiversity in regional development. The landscape approach.
No full textThe establishment of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment by the United Nations sparked increased interest in Ecosystem Services (ES), leading to the publication of various articles. Currently, the most accepted definition describes ES as the “benefits that people obtain from ecosystems.” An ecosystem is defined as a “dynamic complex of plant, animal, and microorganism communities and the nonliving environment, interacting as a functional unit”. Over time, the occupation and transformation of land use have markedly reduced the extent of natural habitats and significantly increased their fragmentation. This threatens biodiversity and has negatively affected ecosystems’ functions in producing goods and services essential to human societies. Developing and implementing an ecological network (EN) is considered an effective strategy for nature conservation, enhancing biodiversity and fostering ecological connectivity. In this context, EN adopts a comprehensive perspective on spatial planning, positioning it at the heart of a larger Green Infrastructure framework