University of Madeira

Background Nonprimary osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) pose a significant challenge in orthopaedics, with no definitive consensus on optimal surgical treatment. Purpose To consolidate the most recent evidence on operative treatments for nonprimary OLT by assessing patient-reported outcomes (PROs), postoperative complications, and clinical failures. Study Design Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods This review adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 and PRISMA in Exercise, Rehabilitation, Sport medicine and Sports science guidelines. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases through June 2023. Eligible studies evaluated operative outcomes in skeletally mature patients with nonprimary OLT after failed previous surgeries. Primary outcomes included clinical and functional PROs. Secondary outcomes included postoperative complications and clinical failures. Quantitative analyses involved weighted means, mean differences, minimal clinically important differences, success rates (95% binomial proportion confidence interval), and a pre-to-postoperative meta-analysis. Results Out of 3992 identified records, 50 studies involving 806 ankles from 794 patients were included. All operative treatments significantly improved PROs ( P < .05), except osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA) for American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and pain (visual analog scale/numeric rating scale [VAS/NRS]) scores and HemiCAP for pain (VAS/NRS) scores. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) and osteochondral autologous transplantation (OAT) demonstrated the greatest PRO success rates, exceeding 80%. Postoperative complications occurred in 4% of cases, most frequently with HemiCAP. Clinical failures affected 22% of cases, particularly with autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis, OAT, OCA, and HemiCAP. Conclusion Our systematic review demonstrated that ACI and OAT are promising treatments for nonprimary OLT, with ACI showing fewer clinical failures than OAT. Conversely, OCA and HemiCAP exhibited lower effectiveness and higher clinical failure rates, suggesting a need for reassessment.

Caring for a loved one can be challenging and stressful, making it crucial for caregivers to prioritize their own well-being. Listening to nature sounds may provide caregivers with a much-needed respite from their responsibilities. Research indicates that personal preferences significantly influence well-being, as granting autonomy in task selection can positively impact health. In this preliminary study, we explored the effects of selecting nature sounds on mobile phones for the well-being of informal caregivers. Specifically, we compared the effects of chosen sounds versus random sounds. We recruited twenty-eight informal caregivers, primarily women, and used the SAM and PANAS scales to assess well-being at baseline, during random sound exposure, and while listening to chosen sounds. Our findings suggest that nature sounds accessed via mobile phones can enhance the well-being of informal caregivers in at least three key areas: Valence, Positive Affect, and Negative Affect. Notably, the improvements in valence and positive affect were more pronounced when caregivers selected their own nature sounds compared to when they listened to random sounds.

Short amino acid chains known as peptides are widely used in pharmaceutical applications due to their exclusive therapeutic potential and distinct biological activities. These peptides are utilized as therapeutic agents for the treatment of various medical conditions and diseases, peptide hormones for hormone deficiency treatment, peptide vaccines to be utilized as antigens to induce specific immune responses against cancer cells or pathogens, and peptide-based drug delivery systems. However, poor stability, limited oral bioavailability, high immunogenicity leading to reduced efficacy, high cost of production, low target specificity, challenges in formulation and tissue penetration. Recently, nanomaterials, especially nanocomposites, have been utilized for the formulation of therapeutic peptides to improve their efficiency and overcome their limitations. In particular, biocomposite nanomaterials from natural sources are also reported to effectively formulate and deliver therapeutic peptides toward target site. Thus, this chapter is an overview of various biocomposite nanomaterials for the formulation of peptides to improve their efficiency. Additionally, pharmaceutical applications of these biocomposite nanomaterial formulated peptides were also discussed.

Due to their flexibility, Fox-H functions are widely studied and applied to many research topics, such as astrophysics, statistical mechanics, and probability. Well-known special cases of Fox-H functions, such as Mittag-Leffler and Wright functions, find a wide application in the theory of stochastic processes, anomalous diffusions and non-Gaussian analysis. In this paper, we focus on certain explicit assumptions that allow us to use the Fox-H functions as densities. We then provide a subfamily of the latter, called Fox-H densities with all moments finite, and give their Laplace transforms as entire generalized Wright functions. The class of random variables with these densities is proven to possess a monoid structure. We present eight subclasses of special cases of such densities (together with their Laplace transforms) that are particularly relevant in applications, thanks to their probabilistic interpretation. To analyze the existence conditions of Fox-H functions as well as their sign, we derive asymptotic results and their analytic extension.

Starting in the summer 2023 and peaking in late 2023, large amounts of Sargassum were observed floating off the coast of Madeira Islands, Portugal. The analysis of the samples revealed the presence of the three most common morphotypes of the two known species of pelagic Sargassum : S. natans I, S. natans VIII, and S. fluitans III. This is the first record for the subtropical eastern Atlantic Ocean for S. natans VIII and S. fluitans III. Both species were found entangled, and even though the main purpose of the study was to document the occurrence of pelagic Sargassum in the Madeira archipelago, some associated fauna were also recorded: the crab Planes minutus (Linnaeus, 1758), the amphi-Atlantic shrimps Latreutes fucorum (Fabricius, 1798) and Hippolyte coerulescens (Fabricius, 1775), and the nudibranch Scyllaea pelagica Linnaeus, 1758. The last two are new records for the Madeira archipelago.

The climate of western Europe and northwest Africa strongly depends on the Azores anticyclone strength, location, and shape and, locally, also on the characteristics of the Iberia and Sahara summer thermal lows. EC-EARTH3 global simulations are here used to assess the predicted behaviour of these two relevant surface pressure systems and associated surface wind, by the end of XXI century (2071–2100), considering two climate change scenarios. Additionally, a high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) simulation centred on Madeira Island is used to assess the influence of climate change on the surface wind at smaller scales, in a region well known for its perturbed flows. Results indicate a general mean wind speed decrease over a sector of the North-Atlantic, associated with a flatter Azores anticyclone. However, the predicted intensification of the Iberia and Sahara thermal lows imposes an increasing surface wind speed near west Iberia and northwest Africa, in summer. Southwest of Iberia, Madeira Island is also predicted to experience a summer intensification of its tip-jets. The projected changes in low-level wind speed and variability will impact on different sectors of activity, either directly as are the cases of aeronautical operation and offshore renewable energy, or indirectly through changes in the ocean circulation.

Background Lifestyles of contemporary children are largely organised with relatively little time for free play. Aim To compare the growth, maturity status, motor proficiency and physical fitness of non-participants and participants in organised sports 7–10 years. Subjects and methods Height, weight, skeletal age (SA), physical activity, fundamental motor skills, motor coordination and fitness were assessed in 234 boys and 235 girls. Sex-specific comparisons of the characteristics of sport participants and non-participants 7–8 and 9–10 years were evaluated with Student’s t and Mann–Whitney U tests. Results Boys and girls in each age group active in sport had significantly higher levels of sport-related physical activity. At 7–8 years, boys active in sport were significantly taller and heavier than peers not active in sport, while girls not active in sport performed significantly better in ball rolling and balance. At 9–10 years, boys active in sport were more proficient in catching, while girls active in sport were more proficient in hopping and side-to-side jumping. Conclusion SA and performances among children 7–10 years active and not active in sport were largely non-significant statistically, while those active in sport were physically more active.

This study investigates the impact of organic (OF) and conventional farming (CF) on soil fungal communities in banana monoculture plantations on Madeira Island. We hypothesized that OF promotes beneficial fungal groups over harmful ones, sustaining soil health. Soil samples were collected from six plantations (three OF and three CF) for ITS amplicon sequencing to assess fungal diversity. Results showed that OF significantly enhanced fungal alpha-diversity (Shannon–Wiener index) and Evenness. The phylum Ascomycota dominated OF systems, while Basidiomycota prevailed in CF. Mortierella, a beneficial genus, was abundant in OF and is observed in CF but was less evident, being the genus Trechispora the most well represented in CF agrosystems. Additionally, OF was associated with higher soil pH and Mg levels, which correlated positively with beneficial fungal groups. Functional analysis revealed that OF promoted saprotrophic fungi, crucial for the decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling. However, both systems exhibited low levels of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, likely due to high phosphorus levels. These findings suggest that organic practices can enhance soil fungal diversity and health, although attention to nutrient management is critical to further improving soil–plant–fungi interactions.

Aim: The Neogene fossil record of Pinus canariensis C.Sm ex DC. suggests a wider past distribution in Europe, but due to extirpation by past climatic events, today this taxon is restricted to the Canary Islands. Remarkably, the putative oldest P. canariensis fossil for the Canary Islands, found in Gran Canaria is 13.3–13.0 Ma. This palaeobiogeographical information has been cited as proof of the deep-time presence of conifers, the genus Pinus L., P. canariensis and the pine forest ecosystems in the Canary Islands, but also to justify the long-term evolution of P. canariensis within an active insular volcanic environment. Here we present a re-evaluation of the oldest Pinus fossil from the Canary Island. Location: Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. Taxon: Pinus canariensis C.Sm ex DC. Methods: We compiled a citation record for the mentions of the ‘bark fossil’ and conducted a review of the specimen. We compared it with extant P. canariensis and with pyroclasts. Results: The analysis of the specimen demonstrates that it lacks morphological or anatomical characters to identify as a bark or even as a plant fossil. The specimen is best interpreted as a lapilli sized tube pumice, highly altered by mineral deposition promoted by the percolating hydrothermal water. Main Conclusions: The oldest reliable Pinus fossils from the Canary Islands are 3.9–3.1 Ma and ca. 9 to 10 Ma younger than previously claimed. When did Pinus arrive at the Canary Islands is unknown, but this biogeographical question can be approached via focused volcano-stratigraphical and palaeobotanical research in this Archipelago.

Objectives: This study investigates the mediating role of moderate physical activity (MPA), vigorous physical activity (VPA), and self-rated health (SRH) in the association between depression and quality of life (QoL) in a large sample of Europeans aged 50 and over, differentiated by sex. Methods: Data from the 2017 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe were analyzed, including 11,986 individuals (6843 women) aged 50 and older. All information was collected through face-to-face interviews: sociodemographic data, SRH, physical activity levels, depression (EURO-D scale), and QoL (CASP-12). Results: Comparatively, women reported a higher prevalence of depression, a lower perception of QoL, and slightly lower levels of SRH, MPA, and VPA. Parallel mediation models revealed, for both sexes, that an increase in VPA levels was more effective in benefiting SRH; and MPA proved to be a better promoter of QoL. When comparing sexes, only the path depression → VPA → QoL showed a significant difference (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These results provide valuable insights for developing physical activity interventions capable of improving mental health and promoting QoL in older European adults.

Due to the exponential growth in technology, exergames emerged as innovative tools that might be used to promote PA enjoyably. This study describes the development of a virtual reality (VR) exergame and the preliminary implementation results. The system was developed through the Unity3D platform and the HCT Vive, consisting of two mini games: a dance game and a snow skiing game. Five healthy adults (25.2 years) performed one VR exergame session and were monitored for PA intensity and heart rate (HR). After the session, participants were asked to report their perceived exertion and to fill in a system usability questionnaire. During the session, participants spent more time in sedentary activity (≈ 37.5%), followed by light activity (≈ 35.1%), and moderate-to-vigorous activity (≈ 27.4%). An average of 27.2 steps/min and HR of 123.5 bpm were registered while playing. Perceived exertion scores were higher in the dance mini game than in the snow skiing mini game. Regarding usability, participants considered the system easy to use and would like to use it more often. This study summarizes preliminary and promising results on the ability of VR exergames to promote light and moderate PA.

This study provides the first records of the upside-down jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda (Forskål, 1775) in the eastern Atlantic supported by molecular analysis. Specimens were observed, recorded, and sampled in an inland aquaculture facility in September 2023 in Tenerife Island (Canary Islands). This new record officially demonstrates the geographical expansion of C. andromeda, and the introduction of a new potential invasive species in the Macaronesia oceanic island system.

The growing need for effective, personalized, clinically compliant, and engaging rehabilitation-based on methodologies for the progressive restoration of lost functions-can leverage the step-changes offered by interaction technologies to obtain optimal results matching the initial requests of the users (patients and clinicians). Human-Centered Design approaches may disclose the full potential of such solutions, especially considering the impact of smart systems powered by robotic devices and digital settings. In particular, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) constitute a broad sub-class of digital settings, often intertwined with serious games (including exergames devised to promote training activities) and gamification (introducing game features in non-leisure solutions) for sustaining the users' effort over time in repetitive exercises. Furthermore, they can be connected to smart mechatronic systems (especially through their artificial intelligence-AI-features) for achieving higher versatility and efficiency (making rehabilitation more sustainable for the individual and for the healthcare system as a whole, as in telerehabilitation frameworks) (Adlakha et al., 2020; Berton et al., 2020; Mohebbi, 2020; Shahmoradi et al., 2022). Accordingly, this Research Topic aimed at collecting contributions on robotic and digital technologies for starting a wider dialectics on the groundbreaking opportunities offered by such innovations.

The A-type granites are an important component of the Earth's continental crust and play a significant role in understanding crustal evolution and tectonic processes. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of A-type granites from Ataitir El Dehami granites (ADG), which are located in the northwestern part of the Wadi Seih area in South Sinai, using geochemistry, zircon geochemistry and geochronology characteristics. The geochemical analysis reveals that ADG are characterized by high silica content, relatively high FeO* and high alkali concentration, consistent with A-type granites derived from the melting of tonalite sources. Zircons from Ataitir El Dehami granites have high REE contents with Ce enrichment and depletion of Eu, which, together with the high U/Yb ratios, suggest that the studied granites were generated from melting of continental crustal rocks. Zircon U-Pb geochronological data indicate that the granite emplacement occurred around 575-603 Ma throughout continuous exhumation pulses. The isotopic analyses also indicate the presence of inherited zircon grains (735 ± 9 Ma). The present data suggest that the studied granites were formed in a post-collisional setting, and represent the transition stage from convergence to extension that occurred at 600 Ma.

This study focuses on the mediating role of person–environment fit on the relationship between proactive personality and job satisfaction, during the organizational socialization stage. Specifically, it tests the role of person–organization fit and person–job fit, operationalized through its specific subdimensions of demands–abilities fit and needs–supplies (N–S) fit in this relationship. Relying upon a predictive design, a sample of 151 trainees completing their final master’s internship in different organizations was used and data were collected in 2 independent phases, at the beginning and after 5 months of their internships. Results showed a positive, significant link between proactive personality and job satisfaction, supporting the validity of this disposition for predicting this key outcome during organizational onboarding. Further mediation analyses revealed that this relationship is mediated by N–S fit. The main implications of these findings are discussed.

This review aims to improve the full scope of "therapeutic encounters" in palliative care, promoting the well-being and quality of life of patients through narrative therapy and therapeutic writing as a communication tool. Palliative care seeks to alleviate the suffering of terminally ill patients and their families. Narrative interventions help patients and families to construct the experience of disease through the re-signification of symptoms. The PRISMA guided this systematic review. A total of 349 articles were analyzed, and 42 showed insightful results. The results demonstrate the relevance of narrative therapy and the use of therapeutic writing as a way to promote the well-being and quality of life of patients in palliative care, health professionals, and the general population. The focus on reflection, the meaning of the experience, and emotional expression translated into the reduction of anxiety and depression. It highlights the need to reflect and develop psychological research on palliative intervention and the identification of the expressive and communicational value of narrative therapy poetry therapy (poetry), journaling and music in palliative care. ARTICLE HISTORY

Informal caregivers of family members with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) perform an often difficult and emotionally demanding task. The combination of Virtual Natural Environments (VNEs) and some form of social interaction could help meet some caregiver needs but remains unexplored. In this study, we investigate how ADRD informal caregivers envision companionship in the context of VR nature. Through co-design sessions with 15 ADRD informal caregivers, the thematic analysis identified four main themes: companionship needs, physical presence, virtual presence, and characteristics and behaviors. Diverse types of companions were suggested, with a preference for empathetic, credible, and authentic companionship. Design opportunities include integrating physical and virtual companionship within VNEs. This research highlights the importance of designing companions that help caregivers feel understood. Considering informal caregivers’ perspectives is integral to developing interventions that effectively address their emotional and social well-being.

This study examines the application of machine learning to enhance wind nowcasting by using a Kolmogorov-Arnold Network model to improve predictions from the Global Forecast System at Madeira International Airport, a site affected by complex terrain. The research addresses the limitations of traditional numerical weather prediction models, which often fail to accurately forecast localized wind patterns. Using the Kolmogorov-Arnold Network model led to a substantial reduction in wind speed and direction forecast errors, with a performance that reached a 48.5% improvement to the Global Forecast System 3 h nowcast, considering the mean squared error. A key outcome of this study comes from the model’s ability to generate mathematical formulas that provide insights into the physical and mathematical dynamics influencing local wind patterns and improve the transparency, explainability, and interpretability of the employed machine learning models for atmosphere modeling.