Scientific research relies on computer software, yet software is not always developed following practices that ensure its quality and sustainability. This manuscript does not aim to propose new software development best practices, but rather to provide simple recommendations that encourage the adoption of existing best practices. Software development best practices promote better quality software, and better quality software improves the reproducibility and reusability of research. These recommendations are designed around Open Source values, and provide practical suggestions that contribute to making research software and its source code more discoverable, reusable and transparent. This manuscript is aimed at developers, but also at organisations, projects, journals and funders that can increase the quality and sustainability of research software by encouraging the adoption of these recommendations.

No abstract

This article addresses the design, development, and evaluation of T-shirt prototypes that embed novel textile sensors for the capture of cardio and respiratory signals. The sensors are connected through textile interconnects to either an embedded custom-designed data acquisition and transmission unit or to snap fastener terminals for connection to external monitoring devices. The performance of the T-shirt prototype is evaluated in terms of signal-to-noise ratio amplitude and signal interference caused by baseline wander and motion artefacts, through laboratory tests with subjects in standing and walking conditions. Performance tests were also conducted in a hospital environment using a T-shirt prototype connected to a commercial three-channel Holter monitoring device. The textile sensors and interconnects were realized with the assistance of an industrial six-needle digital embroidery tool and their resistance to wear addressed with normalized tests of laundering and abrasion. The performance of these wearable systems is discussed, and pathways and methods for their optimization are highlighted.

Enquadramento: A ansiedade, a depressão e o stresse são comuns nos doentes durante o internamento, pelo que continua a revelar-se pertinente a sua avaliação em diferentes contextos de saúde. Objetivos: Identificar os níveis de ansiedade, de depressão e de stresse no pré-operatório do doente cirúrgico e analisar a sua associação com algumas variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas. Metodologia: Estudo descritivo e correlacional, numa amostra de 100 doentes, no dia anterior à cirurgia, utilizando um questionário de caracterização sociodemográfica e a Escala de Ansiedade, Depressão e Stresse-21. Resultados: A amostra é constituída maioritariamente por mulheres, casadas, com idade média de 48,41 anos. Apresentam baixos níveis de ansiedade, de depressão e de stresse no pré-operatório, verificando-se diferenças significativas nos três estados emocionais em função do diagnóstico clínico, da depressão em função das habilitações literárias e do tempo de internamento e do stresse em função do tipo de cirurgia. Conclusão: Os resultados encontrados remetem para a necessidade de uma maior proactividade dos enfermeiros na avaliação e intervenção relativas aos estados emocionais.

The blood lipid composition (plasma, platelets and leukocytes), platelet membrane fluidity, apolipoproteins A and B in the plasma of AD patients and control subjects with distinct Apo E genotypes were investigated. No significant differences were found between the Apo E genotype and the cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides and Apo B levels in the plasma; cholesterol and phospholipids levels in platelet and leukocyte membranes; and platelet membrane fluidity of AD and control groups. However, the phospholipid levels in the leukocyte membranes of the control subgroup with the genotypes epsilon3/epsilon3 and epsilon3/epsilon4 and the AD subgroups with the genotypes epsilon2/epsilon3 and epsilon3/epsilon3, epsilon3/epsilon4 and epsilon4/epsilon4 were significantly lower than those observed in the control subgroup with the genotype epsilon2/epsilon3. Moreover, the cholesterol and phospholipid levels in the platelet membranes of the AD subgroup with the epsilon2 allele were significantly higher than those in the AD subgroup without the epsilon2 allele and the control subgroups with and without the epsilon2 allele. A strong correlation was found between cholesterol and phospholipids levels in the platelet membranes of the AD and control subgroups without the epsilon2 allele, but the residual cholesterol level in the platelet membranes of the AD subgroup was twice that observed in the control subgroup. Furthermore, the Apo A levels in the plasma of the AD subgroup with the epsilon3 allele were significantly lower than those observed in the AD subgroup without the epsilon3 allele and the control subgroup with the epsilon3 allele. The results are discussed in terms of involvement of lipid metabolism in the etiopathogenesis of AD.