Browsing by Author "Moreira, Marta"
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- One year of COVID‐19: a longitudinal study of individual and relational factors of psychological adjustment of individuals living in a romantic relationship in Portugal during the COVID‐19 pandemicPublication . Relvas, Ana Paula; Portugal, Alda; Lacomba‐Trejo, Laura; Major, Sofia; Sotero, Luciana; Agostinho, Rafaela; Moreira, Marta; Randall, Ashley K.; Portugal, AldaAbstractThis longitudinal study explored the impact of COVID‐19 on individuals in romantic relationships. The sample spans three waves: first confinement (n = 52), deconfinement (n = 49), and second confinement (n = 26). The study tested sociodemographic factors, psychological adjustment (anxiety, depression, stress, well‐being), COVID‐19 threat perception, dyadic coping, and relationship quality. Results from repeated measures ANOVA and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) models revealed a decline in anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, coupled with improved relationship quality over time. Well‐being and dyadic coping remained stable, while COVID‐19 threat perception increased. QCA models emphasized the predictive power of initial mental states (anxiety, depression, stress, and well‐being at W1) on subsequent adjustment. Notably, shorter relationship duration, healthcare worker status, and not having children, when combined with prior mental states, explained increased symptoms and diminished well‐being. The study underscores the significance of addressing these factors in individuals navigating romantic relationships during the pandemic.
- Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria: Rickettsiales) infections in isolated aphid populations from oceanic islands of the azores archipelago: revisiting the supergroups M and NPublication . Moreira, Marta; Aguiar, António M. F.; Bourtzis, Kostas; Latorre, Amparo; Khadem, MahnazAphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) have provided a suitable model to study endosymbionts, their community, and dynamics since the discovery of the obligate endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola in these organisms. In previous studies, Wolbachia was found in some aphid species. In the present study, we report the prevalence of Wolbachia in aphids sampled from a geographically isolated region (Azores Islands), aiming at a better understanding and characterization of the two newly reported supergroups, M and N. The description of the supergroup M was based on 16S rRNA as well as some protein-coding genes. However, the assignment of the supergroup N was according to 16S rRNA gene sequences of a very few samples. We collected aphid samples and performed phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene as well as four protein-coding genes (gatB, ftsZ, coxA, and hcpA). The results demonstrate that the 16S rRNA gene data can unambiguously assign the strain supergroup and that the two supergroups, N and M, are equally prevalent in Azorean aphids. The available sequence data for the protein-coding markers can identify supergroup M but the status of supergroup N is inconclusive, requiring further studies. The data suggest that horizontal transmission of Wolbachia (Hertig and Wolbach) between two phylogenetically distant aphid species cohabiting the same plant host.