Exercise training in frail older adults residing in nursing homes: Exploring the muscle-related mechanisms behind its positive effect on physical function

Abstract Frailty is characterised by reduced physiological reserves and an increased vulnerability to adverse outcomes such as physical function decline, dependency in basic activities of daily living and falls. Exercise is the most effective intervention to manage frailty, as it enhances the function and resilience of multiple physiological systems. However, the biological mechanisms through which exercise exerts such benefits are not fully understood. Evidence on the feasibility and effecti...

From attitudes to self-efficacy: Understanding inclusive practices in physical education teachers

Physical Education (PE) teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy toward the inclusion of students with disabilities are key determinants of effective inclusive education. However, research has been limited by the scarcity of culturally adapted and psychometrically robust instruments and by an incomplete understanding of how sociodemographic factors shape these constructs and their interaction. A quantitative research design was employed with large national samples of in-service (n = 1073; Mage =...

Cardiac Manifestations of Systemic Sclerosis: Unraveling the Role of Exercise Tests in Diagnosis and Staging

Background: Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a autoimmune connective tissue disease characterized by immune-mediated vascular injury and progressive fibrosis affecting multiple organs, including the lungs and heart. Cardiopulmonary complications, particularly pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and primary cardiac involvement, represent leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Early detection remains challenging due to the subclinical onset and overlapping symptomatology of these entities. Fu...

Learning to teach physical education through student-centered approaches: An incursion into physical literacy

The aim of this thesis was to understand how preservice teachers (PSTs) learn to implement student-centered approaches (SCAs) within school-based physical education (PE), and how such pedagogical practices create conditions for the pedagogical development of physical literacy (PL) among students. Particular attention was given to the role of teacher education contexts organized as communities of practice (CoPs), and to how these collaborative environments support PSTs' professional learning a...