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Relaxation is a coping mechanism that helps to regulate emotions and is associated with prosocial responses. This paper included two studies: 1) a randomized clinical trial conducted with 139 university students who participated in a relaxation program and were assessed on interpersonal relationships over time; 2) a correlational study that assessed the relationship between emotional regulation, cognitive functioning, the importance attributed to sociability, and interpersonal relationships. Results revealed that interpersonal relationships did not change over time due to the relaxation intervention. The importance attributed to sociability played a moderating role in the relationship between emotional regulations and interpersonal relationships. The results suggest the need for further studies and emphasises the critical role of emotional regulation skills in university students.

The sustainable growth of cities created the need for better informed decisions based on information and communication technologies to sense the city and quantify its pulse. An important part of this concept of “smart cities” is the characterization of vehicular traffic flows and the prediction of urban mobility. Although there are several sensors that are able to infer the traffic flows in the city, road-mounted traffic counters can measure the number of vehicles in different parts of the roads. However, they are not usually used in traffic city prediction; therefore, we can provide a first step for the usefulness of these sensors in the city management. In this paper we study both statistical and deep learning methods to describe, understand and predict the city traffic profile. Although traffic presents seasonal patterns, in occasional situations these may not be verified. Considering the proposed approaches, statistical algorithms, such as SARIMA, and neural network algorithms, such as FFNN, LSTM, CNN and hybrid LSTM-CNN, we found that statistical models are significantly good to predict the traffic counters data in the short-term, even when anomalous traffic conditions are observed. For long-term predictions, CNNs have shown to be efficient and robust. Long-term and short-term forecasting, in the context of traffic flow prediction, may be a strategy to accomplish different goals. Long-term forecasting can be chosen for traffic flow description, and short-term forecasting can be used to identify and mitigate anomalies.

Mestrado Bolonha em Economia e Gestão de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação Ever since the term “industrial espionage” exists, authors have been struggling with its definition. It is a multi-sided method used mainly for the purpose of obtaining trade secrets from competitors in the market, however, its methods may be numerous. Based on the existing research produced by the scientific community on the subject, we produced a bibliometric review regarding the same. Bibliometrics has an important role in the analysis of research production. Indicators regarding publication output and impact constitute an evidence base that helps to reveal the rhythm and direction of scientific agendas, technical concerns, and socio-economic/political debates. In this dissertation, we focus on a key topic that lies at the intersection of innovation studies and security studies and, we present a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the existing research regarding industrial espionage. For this analysis, publications in the Scopus database were used, analyzing, and processing them using the R studio analysis tool. The number of publications on industrial espionage is still relatively low, but there has been a positive trend in recent years. Through this analysis it was possible to verify the most productive authors and journals in this area, as well as to identify subtopics within industrial espionage that have the potential to be deepened in the future, and which are no longer so relevant for the scientific community. Through the Network analysis it was also concluded that the topic of industrial espionage is very broad, and that it is present in several other backgrounds and areas of study. Desde que o termo "espionagem industrial" existe, autores têm-se debatido com a sua definição. É um método multifacetado utilizado principalmente com o objetivo de obter segredos de negócio dos seus concorrentes, no entanto, os seus métodos podem ser numerosos. Com base na investigação existente, produzida pela comunidade científica sobre o tema, produzimos uma revisão bibliométrica sobre o mesmo. A bibliometria tem um papel fundamental na análise da produção da investigação. Os indicadores relativos à produção e impacto da publicação constituem uma base de evidência que ajuda a revelar o ritmo e a direção das agendas científicas, preocupações técnicas, e debates socioeconómicos ou políticos. Nesta dissertação, concentramo-nos num tema chave que se situa na intersecção de estudos de inovação e estudos de segurança e, apresentamos uma análise qualitativa e quantitativa da pesquisa existente relativamente ao tema de espionagem industrial. Para esta análise, foram utilizadas publicações que se encontravam na base de dados Scopus, analisando e processando os mesmos através da ferramenta de análise R Studio. Verificou-se ainda um número relativamente baixo de publicações concerne espionagem industrial, no entanto há uma tendência positiva nos últimos anos. Através desta análise foi possível verificar os autores e revistas mais produtivos nesta área, bem como identificar subtópicos dentro de espionagem industrial que tem potencial e ser aprofundados no futuro, e quais já não são tão relevantes de análise para a comunidade científica. Através da análise de Network conclui-se também que o tópico de espionagem industrial é muito abrangente, sendo que o mesmo está presente em várias outras backgrounds e áreas de estudo. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Introdução: A osteoporose caracteriza-se pela perda de massa óssea, com consequente aumento da fragilidade do osso e maior suscetibilidade a fraturas. A redução do risco de queda é um ponto crucial na sua prevenção. Objetivo: Analisar a evolução funcional e os ganhos em independência de um utente com fratura osteoporótica que integrou o Programa TO MBO (Terapêutica Ocupacional Multidisciplinar com Benefício na Osteoporose). Métodos: Estudo descritivo, retrospectivo, natureza quantitativa. Instrumentos de avaliação: Time Up and Go Test (TUGT ), Sit to Stand 30 seg, Teste marcha 10m, Índice de Barthel e Escala de Morse, em cinco momentos diferentes: Alta (M0) e Consultas Multidisciplinares (MD2, MD6, MD12 e MD24). Resultados: TUGT - M0: 0, MD2: 19 seg, MD6: 9 seg, MD12: 8 seg e MD24: 7 seg. Sit to Stand 30 seg - M0: 0, MD2: 9, MD6: 10, MD12: 13 e MD24: 14 levantes. Teste marcha 10m - M0: 0,33 m/s, MD2: 0,77 m/s, MD6: 1,25 m/s, MD12: 1,83 m/s e MD24: 1,99 m/s. Escala de Morse - M0: 85, MD2: 50, MD6: 15, MD12: 15 e MD24: 15 seg. Índice de Barthel - M0: 60, MD2: 80, MD6: 100, MD12 e MD24: 100. Conclusão: O utente apresentou melhoria da independência funcional e não voltou a apresentar quedas., Servir, N.º 03 (2022): Serie 2, n.º 03

Introduction: Osteoporosis leads to bone mass loss with increased bone fragility and susceptibility to bone fracture. Reducing fall risk is crucial to prevent fractures. Objective: Analyzing function and independence gains in osteoporotic fracture patients, followed in TO MBO program. Methods: Descriptive, retrospective, quantitative study. Evaluation instruments: Time Up and Go Test (TUGT ), Sit to Stand 30 sec, 10 minute walk test, Barthel index, Morse scale at discharge (M0), multidisciplinary consultations (MD2, MD6, MD12 e MD24). Results: TUGT - M0: 0, MD2: 19 sec e MD6: 8 sec, MD12: 8 seg e MD24: 7 seg. Sit to Stand 30 sec - M0: 0, MD2: 9 e MD6: 10, MD12: 13 e MD24: 14 push-ups. 10 min Walk test - M0: 0,33 m/s, MD2: 0,77 m/s, MD6: 1,25 m/s, MD12: 1,83 m/s and MD24: 1,99 m/s. Morse scale - M0: 85, MD2: 50 e MD6: 15, MD12 and MD24: 15 sec Barthel índex - M0: 60, MD2: 80 and MD6: 100, MD12 and MD24: 100. Conclusion: Patient presented functional gain and diminished fall risk., Introducción: La osteoporosis se caracteriza por la perdida de masa ósea con aumento de la fragilidad del hueso e mayor susceptibilidad a fracturas. La reducción del riesgo de caída es crucial en su prevención. Objetivo: Analizar la evolución funcional e mejoras en independencia de un paciente con fractura osteoporótica que ha integrado el programa TO MBO. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo e cuantitativo. Instrumentos de evaluación: Time Up and Go Test (TUGT ), Sit to Stand 30 seg, prueba de caminada durante 10min, Índice de Barthel e Escala de Morse, en tres momentos: Alta (M0) e Consultas Multidisciplinares (MD2 e MD6). Resultados: TUGT - M0: 0, MD2: 19 seg e MD6: 8 sec. Sit to Stand 30 seg - M0: 0, MD2: 9 e MD6: 10 levantes. Prueba de caminada de 10 min - M0: 0,33 m/s, MD2: 0,77 m/s, MD6: 1,25 m/s, MD12: 1,83 m/s e MD24: 1,99 m/s. Morse Escala de - M0: 85, MD2: 50 e MD6: 15. Índice de Barthel - M0: 60, MD2: 80 e MD6: 100. Conclusión: El paciente presento mejoras de independencia funcional e disminución del riego de caídas., Introdução: A osteoporose caracteriza-se pela perda de massa óssea, com consequente aumento da fragilidade do osso e maior suscetibilidade a fraturas. A redução do risco de queda é um ponto crucial na sua prevenção. Objetivo: Analisar a evolução funcional e os ganhos em independência de um utente com fratura osteoporótica que integrou o Programa TO MBO (Terapêutica Ocupacional Multidisciplinar com Benefício na Osteoporose). Métodos: Estudo descritivo, retrospectivo, natureza quantitativa. Instrumentos de avaliação: Time Up and Go Test (TUGT ), Sit to Stand 30 seg, Teste marcha 10m, Índice de Barthel e Escala de Morse, em cinco momentos diferentes: Alta (M0) e Consultas Multidisciplinares (MD2, MD6, MD12 e MD24). Resultados: TUGT - M0: 0, MD2: 19 seg, MD6: 9 seg, MD12: 8 seg e MD24: 7 seg. Sit to Stand 30 seg - M0: 0, MD2: 9, MD6: 10, MD12: 13 e MD24: 14 levantes. Teste marcha 10m - M0: 0,33 m/s, MD2: 0,77 m/s, MD6: 1,25 m/s, MD12: 1,83 m/s e MD24: 1,99 m/s. Escala de Morse - M0: 85, MD2: 50, MD6: 15, MD12: 15 e MD24: 15 seg. Índice de Barthel - M0: 60, MD2: 80, MD6: 100, MD12 e MD24: 100. Conclusão: O utente apresentou melhoria da independência funcional e não voltou a apresentar quedas.

Relaxation is a coping mechanism that helps to regulate emotions and is associated with prosocial responses. This paper included two studies: 1) a randomized clinical trial conducted with 139 university students who participated in a relaxation program and were assessed on interpersonal relationships over time; 2) a correlational study that assessed the relationship between emotional regulation, cognitive functioning, the importance attributed to sociability, and interpersonal relationships. Results revealed that interpersonal relationships did not change over time due to the relaxation intervention. The importance attributed to sociability played a moderating role in the relationship between emotional regulations and interpersonal relationships. The results suggest the need for further studies and emphasises the critical role of emotional regulation skills in university students., O relaxamento é um mecanismo que ajuda a regular as emoções e está associado a respostas prosociais. Este trabalho incluiu dois estudos: 1) um ensaio clínico randomizado realizado com 139 estudantes universitários que participaram de um programa de relaxamento e foram avaliados sobre as relações interpessoais ao longo do tempo; 2) um estudo correlacional que avaliou a relação entre regulação emocional, funcionamento cognitivo, a importância atribuída à sociabilidade e as relações interpessoais. Os resultados revelaram que as relações interpessoais não mudaram ao longo do tempo devido à intervenção de relaxamento. A importância atribuída à sociabilidade desempenhou um papel moderador na relação entre a regulação emocional e as relações interpessoais. Os resultados sugerem a necessidade de mais estudos e enfatizam o papel crucial das habilidades de regulação emocional nos estudantes universitários.

Fibrinogen (Fg) is a pro-inflammatory protein with pro-healing properties. Previous work showed that fibrinogen 3D scaffolds (Fg-3D) promote bone regeneration, but the cellular players were not identified. Osteoclasts are bone resorbing cells that promote bone remodeling in close crosstalk with osteoblasts. Herein, the capacity of osteoclasts differentiated on Fg-3D to degrade the scaffolds and promote osteoblast differentiation was evaluated in vitro. Fg-3D scaffolds were prepared by freeze-drying and osteoclasts were differentiated from primary human peripheral blood monocytes. Results obtained showed osteoclasts expressing the enzymes cathepsin K and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase colonizing Fg-3D scaffolds. Osteoclasts were able to significantly degrade Fg-3D, reducing the scaffold's area, and increasing D-dimer concentration, a Fg degradation product, in their culture media. Osteoclast conditioned media from the first week of differentiation promoted significantly stronger human primary mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC) osteogenic differentiation, evaluated by alkaline phosphatase activity. Moreover, week 1 osteoclast conditioned media promoted earlier MSC osteogenic differentiation, than chemical osteogenesis inductors. TGF-β1 was found increased in osteoclast conditioned media from week 1, when compared to week 3 of differentiation. Taken together, our results suggest that osteoclasts are able to differentiate and degrade Fg-3D, producing factors like TGF-β1 that promote MSC osteogenic differentiation.

Chemical exposure during the early life stages of development may have long lasting effects on organisms that are rarely studied. The present work intended to evaluate the effect of embryonic exposure to the pesticide carbaryl on adult fish behavior. Zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) embryos were exposed, for 4 days, to sublethal concentrations of carbaryl (0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 mg/L) plus a control and then kept in standard cultivation conditions until adulthood. A battery of behavioral tests was then performed to assess anxiety-like behavior (locomotor activity, thigmotaxis and novel tank diving test), social behavior, and feeding. Developmental exposure of zebrafish to sublethal concentrations of carbaryl produced important behavioral alterations in the adulthood. Main effects included decreased locomotion/hypoactivity (increase in slow movements and decrease of medium and rapid movements), especially in the light periods. Moreover, spatial pattern also changed: while during dark periods control fish increased activity in the outer zone of the tank, this was not observed in exposed fish. Overall, this demonstrated the importance of life stage exposure, clearly demonstrating long lasting effects of a (chemical) stress event at embryonic stages. This data supports the need of considering this scenario in environmental risk evaluations. Further work should focus on the mechanistic effects of developmental disruption responsible for the effects observed.

Background Intra-cardiac masses are always a challenging diagnosis, especially when it involves the right side of the heart. There are multiples aetiologies that can be responsible for these masses, namely thrombosis, neoplasm, or vegetations. Occasionally, these may be related to an autoimmune process not yet diagnosed. We present a case of a 17-year-old patient with an exuberant right ventricular mass due to a not yet diagnosed Behçet’s disease. The best approach and treatment for these patients remains uncertain. Case summary The authors present a case of a 17-year-old patient with a right ventricular mass who presented as an initial manifestation of Behçet’s disease. It was firstly assumed as a thrombotic mass and medicated with anticoagulation, with no resolution. After performing a cardiac magnetic resonance, the case was discussed in a multidisciplinary team, including cardiology, paediatrics, and rheumatology, and the diagnosis of Behçet’s disease with cardiac complication was established. The patient started immunosuppressive therapy with clinical and echocardiographic response. Discussion Behçet’s disease is a multi-systemic autoimmune vasculitis that usually manifests by recurrent oral and genital ulcers as well as ocular symptoms. Cardiac manifestations are rare but important aspects of the course of the disease, especially in what concerns morbidity burden. The treatment of these cardiovascular complications is generally empirical and involves the treatment of the underlying disease.

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic widely used in livestock production. Like many other pharmaceuticals, OTC is not completely metabolized by the organism and thus, increasing amounts of the compound are being detected in the aquatic environment. The assessment of the environmental risk of pharmaceuticals is hindered by their very low concentrations and specific modes of action and thus relevant exposure scenarios and sensitive endpoints are needed. Thus, this work aimed to study the long-term effect of OTC exposure in zebrafish (at behavior and biochemical levels) and associated bacterial communities (fish gut and water bacterial communities). Results revealed that at behavioral level, boldness increase (manifested by increased exploratory behavior of a new environment) was observed in fish exposed to low OTC concentrations. Moreover, changes in fish swimming pattern were observed in light periods (increased stress response: hyperactivity and freezing) probably due to photo-sensibility conferred by OTC exposure. Effects at biochemical level suggest that long-term exposure to OTC interfere with cellular energy allocation mainly by reducing lipids levels and increasing energy consumption. Moreover, evidences of oxidative damage were also observed (reduced levels of TG, GST and CAT). The analysis of water and gut microbiome revealed changes in the structure and diversity of bacterial communities potentially leading to changes in communities' biological function. Some of the effects were observed at the lowest concentration tested, 0.1 μg/L which is a concentration already detected in the environment and thus clearly demonstrating the need of a serious ecotoxicological assessment of OTC effects on non-target organisms.

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens due to worldwide antibiotic use is raising concern in several settings, including aquaculture. In this work, the selection of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) was evaluated after exposure of zebrafish to oxytetracycline (OTC) for two months, followed by a recovery period. The selection of ARB in water and fish was determined using selective media. The abundance of tetA genes was estimated through qPCR. Higher prevalence of ARB was measured in all samples exposed to the antibiotic when compared to control samples, although statistical significance was only achieved five days after exposure. Isolates recovered from samples exposed to the antibiotic were affiliated with Pseudomonas and Stenotrophomonas. Various antibiotic susceptibility profiles were detected and 37% of the isolates displayed multidrug resistance (MDR). The selection of the tetA gene was confirmed by qPCR at the highest OTC concentration tested. Two MDR isolates, tested using zebrafish embryos, caused significant mortality, indicating a potential impact on fish health and survival. Overall, our work highlights the potential impact of antibiotic contamination in the selection of potential pathogenic ARB and ARGS.

Dissertação de mestrado em Direito Administrativo (área de especialização em Direito da Autarquias Locais), O presente trabalho tem como objeto de estudo a descentralização de competências nos domínios da educação a pretexto da Lei n.º 50/2018, de 16 de agosto que consagra a lei-quadro da transferência de competências para as autarquias locais e para as entidades intermunicipais e o seu diploma setorial concretizador na área da educação que estipula, pois, as respetivas competências que vão ser transferidas para os órgãos municipais e para as entidades intermunicipais - Decreto-Lei n.º 21/2019, de 30 de janeiro -. A atualidade que o tema encerra não prescindiu de uma contextualização histórico-legal e até constitucional de forma a aferirmos, em primeiro lugar, o percurso do poder local, sobretudo no pós 25 de abril, mas também fazendo um contraponto com o período que antecede a revolução, percebendo ainda, em matéria de educação, quem foi tendo competências e quais foram essas competências. Como nota fundamental da transferência de competências estão, como não poderia deixar de ser, os princípios basilares que são fruto do Estado de Direito Democrático saído da revolução de abril – o princípio da descentralização, da autonomia das autarquias locais e da subsidiariedade – aos quais foi dada uma especial atenção já que são eles que norteiam e fazem concretizar a transferência de competências do poder central para o poder local. Uma atenção especial foi também dada de forma interligada, e posteriormente de forma individual, ao tema da educação porque percebemos a importância da mesma como decisiva para o desenvolvimento da sociedade, pelo que quisemos enfatizar os seus alicerces através organização do sistema educativo, sob um ponto de vista jurídico, mas também da responsabilização legal e institucional do Estado nos domínios educativos. Desta forma, toda esta contextualização permitiu-nos elaborar um percurso sedimentado e que em muito enriquece o tema da nossa dissertação, deixando também algumas interrogações e incertezas, culminando no novo diploma setorial ao qual dedicamos na íntegra o último capítulo do nosso trabalho e fizemo-lo através de uma análise pormenorizada e comentada., The present work has as study object the decentralization of competencies in the fields of education under the pretext of Law No. 50/2018, of August 16 that enshrines the framework law for the transfer of competencies to local authorities and inter-municipal entities, and its sectoral diploma in the area of education, which stipulates, therefore, the respective competencies that will be transferred to the municipal bodies and inter-municipal entities - Decree-Law No. 21/2019, of January 30 -. The actuality covered by the theme did not dispense a historical-legal contextualization and even constitutional in order to assess, in the first place, the route of local government, especially in the post-April 25, but also making a counterpoint with the period before the revolution, realizing yet, in terms of education, who was acquiring competencies and what were those competencies. As a fundamental note of competencies transfer stay the basic principles that are the result of the Democratic Rule of Law out of the April revolution - the principle of decentralization, autonomy of local authorities, and subsidiarity - to which special attention was given since they are the ones that guide and perform the transfer of competencies from the central government to the local government. Special attention was also given in an interconnected way, and posteriorly in an individual way, to the education topic because we perceive its importance as being decisive for the development of society, whereby we want to emphasize its foundation through the organization of the education system, from a legal point of view, but also through the State's legal and institutional accountability in the educational domains. In this way, all this contextualization allowed us to elaborate a sedimented path that greatly enriches the theme of our dissertation, also leaving some questions and uncertainties, culminating in the new sectoral diploma to which we dedicate in full the last chapter of our work, and we did it through a detailed and remarked analysis of that decree-law.

The reduction of sugar and the addition of healthier ingredients in gummy jellies brings some improved health characteristics to a product that usually is devoid of nutrition. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop gummy jellies using natural ingredients, without added sugars or additives, in two varieties: one including orange juice and slightly sweetened with honey (ORH) and the other including puree made from a mixture of berries (BEM). These were submitted to physicochemical, microbiological, and sensorial analyses. Results of microbiological analyses showed that both gummies were suitable for consumption accordingly to EU legislation. The physicochemical analyses allowed making a nutritional evaluation, so that ORH and BEM presented 73.8 kcal/100 g and 39.8 kcal/100 g, respectively, five and nine times lower than similar commercial products. The contribution of macronutrients of ORH and BEM was as follows: 78.0 and 67% from carbohydrates, 21.7 and 33% from proteins, respectively. Regarding the potential functional properties, the antioxidant capacity was 50.4 ± 4.5 mg/L TE for ORH and 83.7 ± 7.6 mg/L for BEM. Sensorial evaluation showed that although the developed gummy jellies were slightly less appreciated than a commercial counterpart, still they were appreciated by members of a panel and particularly the ORH, which was rated with scores almost equal to those of the commercial sample. In addition, the developed gummies showed lower caloric values and higher antioxidant capacity than similar commercial candies. Overall, ORH and BEM gummy jellies could represent an opportunity to provide consumers with a healthier alternative to the common jelly candies available in the market.

Every year, the amount of data produced in health-care institutions in the field of medical imaging is increasing. The easy accessibility to digital modalities and the proliferation of diagnosis centers working in network of services, creates the need for very large repositories of data. Moreover, the institutions have redundant storage across the network and load balancing mechanism to improve access performance. NoSQL databases provide horizontal scalability which allows the system to grow easily and effortlessly. Document databases are particularly suitable to store the DICOM metadata and the JSON format is already supported by the standard. This paper, we discuss the use of document database model in the medical imaging field, trying to focus on both clinical and research environments. Moreover, we focused on the proposal of an architecture based on MongoDB to distribute the load between multiple nodes. The proposal was integrated with an open-source PACS and validated by simulating multiple operations over data distributed across multiple virtual locations, and the results are promising.

Background The emergence of specific therapies for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (CA) warrants the need for a systematic review of the literature. Methods and Results A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A systematic search was performed on MEDLINE, PubMed, and Embase databases on November 29, 2019. Studies were selected based on the following predefined eligibility criteria: English‐language randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non‐RCTs, or observational studies, which included adult patients with variant/wild‐type transthyretin‐CA, assessed specific therapies for transthyretin‐CA, and reported cardiovascular outcomes. Relevant data were extracted to a predefined template. Quality assessment was based on National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendations (RCTs) or a checklist by Downs and Black (non‐RCTs). From 1203 records, 24 publications were selected, describing 4 RCTs (6 publications) and 16 non‐RCTs (18 publications). Tafamidis was shown to significantly improve all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular hospitalizations and reduce worsening in 6‐minute walk test, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire—Overall Summary score, and NT‐proBNP (N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide) in variant/wild‐type transthyretin‐CA. Patisiran showed promising results in a subgroup analysis of patients with variant transthyretin‐CA, which have to be confirmed in RCTs. Inotersen showed conflicting results on cardiac imaging parameters. The one study on AG10 had only a 1‐month duration and cardiovascular end points were exploratory and limited to cardiac biomarkers. Limited evidence from noncomparative single‐arm small non‐RCTs existed for diflunisal, epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (green tea extract), and doxycycline+tauroursodeoxycholic acid/ursodeoxycholic acid. Conclusions This systematic review of the literature supports the use of tafamidis in wild‐type and variant transthyretin‐CA. Novel therapeutic targets including transthyretin gene silencers are currently under investigation.

A fitomineração é uma fitotecnologia recente, “amiga do ambiente”, que consiste na utilização de plantas hiperacumuladoras (espécies que acumulam grandes concentrações de metais nas partes aéreas), para recuperação de metais valiosos a partir de solos mineralizados ou contaminados. A fitomineração de níquel, em particular, tem recebido muita atenção nos últimos anos por ser bastante promissora. Contudo, existem limitações no processo, sendo que, de forma a tirar um maior partido desta fitotecnologia, é oportuno a realização de estudos com a aplicação de diferentes práticas agrícolas, para que, as que tornam o processo mais rentável sejam incorporadas nestes sistemas no futuro. Nesse sentido, dada a existência de uma espécie hiperacumuladora de níquel (Alyssum pintodasilvae) endémica de Portugal, foi testado o efeito da aplicação de corretivos orgânicos no rendimento da mesma na fitomineração. O principal objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar quais os corretivos mais vantajosos (biochar, lodo industrial e esterco de porco), para otimização do processo de fitomineração com esta espécie. Foram recolhidas sementes da espécie A. pintodasilvae e solos do maciço de Morais, que corresponde a uma área ultramáfica em Portugal. Aplicaram-se diferentes concentrações de corretivos orgânicos aos solos, mais precisamente tratamentos de 1.5 e 3% biochar (B1.5 e B3), que também foram testadas com 1% de lodo industrial (B1.5SL e B3SL) e para outros tratamentos com 1% de esterco de porco (B1.5PS e B3PS). As plantas cresceram nestes solos, em laboratório, sob condições controladas. Posteriormente, foram realizadas diversas análises aos solos e plantas de forma a compreender como os corretivos afetaram o rendimento em biomassa e acumulação em níquel por parte da planta. Concluiu-se que os tratamentos em que foi aplicado biochar juntamente com lodo industrial (B1.5SL e B3SL) são promissores, principalmente o tratamento B3SL, por melhorar as propriedades do solo e proporcionar uma quantidade maior de macro e micronutrientes importantes para as plantas. O biochar isoladamente não surtiu efeito significativo no rendimento da fitomineração e a aplicação de esterco de porco produziu resultados negativos devido à elevada salinidade deste corretivo. Phytomining is a recent, “environment friendly” phytotechnology, that consists in the use of hyperaccumulator plants (species that can accumulate high concentrations of metals in their shoots), for recovery of metals from mineralized or contaminated soils. Particularly, nickel phytomining has received in the last years, much attention due to its promising results. However, there are limitations to the phytomining process and therefore it is important the study of agricultural practices which can be implemented in the future to make the process more profitable. Taking this into account, since there is a nickel hyperaccumulator specie (Alyssum pintodasilvae) endemic to Portugal, we tested the effect of organic amendments in the phytomining yield. The major objective of this work was to determine which are the most appropriate amendments (biochar, industrial sludge and pig slurry), for optimizing the nickel phytomining process with this species. Seeds of A. pintodasilvae and soil samples were collected from the Morais massif, that constitutes an ultramafic area in Portugal. Different concentrations of organic amendments in the soil were tested, resulting in treatments with 1.5 and 3% biochar (B1.5 and B3), that were also tested with 1% industrial sludge (B1.5SL and B3SL) and with 1% of pig slurry for other treatments (B1.5PS and B3PS). The plants were grown in these soils, in the laboratory, under controlled conditions. Afterwards, soils and plants were analysed to determine how the amendments affected the plant biomass and nickel accumulation yield. The treatments in which were introduced both, biochar and industrial sludge (B1.5SL and B3SL), are promising, particularly the one B3SL, since it improves soil properties and provides a higher amount of macro and micronutrients important to plants. While there were no significant differences in the phytomining yield with the application of biochar alone, pig slurry had a negative effect in the plants due to the high salinity levels of this organic amendment. Mestrado em Geomateriais e Recursos Geológicos

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Este estudo teve como objetivo caraterizar os padrões de instrução posológica e a perceção dessas instruções pelo doente dermatológico crónico, dada a importante influência deste fator na adesão ao tratamento tópico. Para esse fim foram desenvolvidos e administrados dois instrumentos para a caraterização dos padrões de instrução posológica em dermatologia aplicados a duas subamostras, a primeira constituída por 44 doentes e a segunda por 91 médicos. Dos resultados obtidos, podemos concluir que existem algumas discrepâncias entre as instruções posológicas fornecidas pelos médicos prescritores e a perceção dos doentes acerca dessas instruções, nomeadamente no que se refere à dose a aplicar, revelando a necessidade de otimizar a comunicação das instruções posológicas. Futuramente, parece-nos que deve ser feito um reforço das instruções posológicas pelos profissionais de sáude, uma vez que o cumprimento do plano terapêutico traçado depende da correta perceção dos doentes das instruções fornecidas e deste modo proporcionar um aumento da adesão ao tratamento tópico em dermatoses crónicas.

Introduction The prognostic value of pharmacologic stress echocardiography has been extensively demonstrated in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery since 42% of the perioperative complications are cardiac. Coronary artery stenoses can became flow-limiting due to hemodynamic fluctuations in this period leading to myocardial ischemia. Purpose Evaluation of prognostic value of pharmacologic stress echocardiography in preoperative risk stratification. Methods Single center retrospective analysis of patients’ data referred to perform a preoperative risk stratification through pharmacological stress echocardiography between January 2014- December 2018. Data was collected regarding clinical and echocardiographic parameters to predict perioperative cardiac complications (myocardial infarction and development of arrythmias) and evaluate the impact of the result of DSE in patients´ clinical management. Results Of 910 pharmacological stress echocardiograms, 106 were performed to evaluate preoperative risk. Patients´ mean age was 66 ± 11 years, 85% males. 64% had hypertension, 45% dyslipidaemia, 38% current smokers and 18% diabetes. 189% had previously myocardial infarction and 9% stroke. All patients were proposed to intermediate-high risk surgeries: 73% to vascular surgery, 14% to kidney transplant and 13% to other type of surgery (especially abdominal surgery). Most of the stress tests (64%) were performed with dobutamine and the others 34% with dipyridamole. 91% of stress echocardiography were negative, 6% positive and 4% inconclusive. The patients with a positive stress test was submitted to coronary angiography to treat relevant lesions and cardiovascular risk factors were optimized. 72% of the patients has already been submitted to the proposed surgery; in this population, there was a 5% rate of cardiac complications following the surgery, all in patients with previous negative stress echocardiography. Complications were non-ST elevation myocardial infarction in 1% and de novo atrial fibrillation in 4%. Half of the patients with a positive stress echocardiography were operated with no cardiac perioperative complications, possibly related to patient´s optimization before the surgery; in the other half it was decided not to perform the surgery due to the potential cardiac risk. Predictor factors for perioperative cardiac complications, evaluated through univariate and multivariate analysis, were age (odds ratios (OR) 1.232, confidence interval (CI) 1.043-1.456, p 0.007) and stroke (OR 0.057, CI 0.947-44.592, p 0.033). Conclusion In our study, patients with a positive stress echocardiography were optimized before the surgery leading to none cardiac perioperative complications, emphasizing the importance of this test in preoperative patients´ management.

Introduction Intracardiac masses are always a challenging diagnosis, especially when it involves the right side of the heart. There are multiples etiologies that can be responsible for these masses, namely thrombosis, neoplasm or vegetations. Occasionally, these may be related to an autoimmune process not yet discovered. Case Report 17-year-old male, with a previous history of genital ulcers, medicated with penicillin with complete resolution of symptoms. In January 2019, he started an history of recurrent fever, associated with right anterior thoracalgia, weight loss and oral afthosis. He went to the emergency department several times, where he was medicated with antibiotic, with partial symptom relief. Three months later, he returned to medical attention due to an episode of abundant hemoptysis, followed by hematemesis and cough. At hospital admission, he was hemodynamically stable, tachycardic (100/min) and with occasional episodes of cough. Cardiac and pulmonary auscultation were unremarkable. Thoracic CT revealed the presence of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) and a large mass in the right ventricle (RV). It was performed an echocardiogram (echo) that confirmed the presence of a large mass in the RV (50x53mm) from which a projecting hypermobile mass appeared to prolapse into the right atrium. Taking into account the diagnosis of PTE and the presence of a right ventricular mass, the patient was hospitalized and started anticoagulation. The case was immediately discussed with cardiac surgery, that confirmed that there was no surgical indication. During hospitalization, there were no more episodes of hemoptysis or hematemesis.Consecutive echos were performed, that did not reveal a significant decrease in mass dimensions despite anticoagulation. Viral serologies and autoimmunity panel were all negative. Cardiac RMI was performed raising the suspicion of a possible mass covered with thrombus. After discussion with rheumatology, and according to clinical signs, the hypothesis of vasculitis was placed, and the patient started treatment with steroids. This treatment had to be suspended after a few days due to an infectious intercurrence. After a course of antibiotic therapy, the patient started therapy with cyclophosphamide with good clinical and echocardiographic response (reduced mass dimensions). It was admitted Behçet’s disease with cardiac complications, and the patient was referred to the rheumatology consultation. Conclusion Behçet’s disease is a multi-system, chronic disorder that behaves like vasculitis.There are some typical clinical manifestations associated with this disease, such as oral and genital afthosis, uveitis, arthritis, skin lesions and nervous system involvement.Presentations with cardiac symptoms are one of the extremely rare manifestations of this disease, posing a challenge for the treating physician. Abstract 475 Figure. Right ventricular mass

A healthy 17-year-old boy was admitted to the emergency department presenting with a pressure-like sternal pain that started during exercise. His physical examination was normal. Twelve-lead ECG and transthoracic echocardiogram suggested a myocardial infarction. The patient was submitted to an invasive coronary angiography, which revealed a distal occlusion of the left anterior descending artery, due to a spontaneous coronary artery dissection. A balloon angioplasty was performed, with good results. Aetiological study did not discover any pathologic condition. Chest pain in paediatric age is a frequent complaint, despite not being usually caused by a serious condition. However, it is important to remember warning signs in order to diagnose life-threatening diseases, as soon as possible.

The virtual reality can be defined as an immersive, interactive and tridimensional experience that occurs in real time. With this work we pretend to answer the following question: “How can the self report measures of game experience and the physiological measures of excitement be correlated?”. The sample was composed by 24 men, with age between 18 and 44. For such, we used a two questionnaires, HTC VIVE, Quiet comfort 15, the Endless Night game, Nexus 10 MKII. The results, showed that the level of heart frequency and electrodynamic activity vary with the difficulty levels of the game. It was possible to find out that there is no correlation between the satisfaction level and the physiological excitement in the different difficulty levels.

Background Stress echocardiography has a 72%-85% sensitivity and an 80%-95% specificity. In this study, we characterized patients who received a false-positive stress echocardiogram result. Methods A total of 5,256 patients underwent a stress echocardiogram (induced by exercise, dobutamine, or dipyridamole) between 2009 to 2018, and 405 patients (7.7%) received a positive result. Among the positive patients, 300 underwent coronary angiography within 12 months, and these patients were included in this study (mean age = 64.9 ± 9.4 years, 230 men [76.7%]). Coronary artery disease was diagnosed by stenosis ≥50% in any epicardial coronary artery. Clinical and echocardiographic variables were compared between patients with true- and false-positive stress echocardiogram results. Results Seventy-two patients (24%) had a false-positive stress echocardiogram, with similar rates across stressor types (p = 0.574). Patients with false positives were less frequently men (63.9% vs. 80.7%, p = 0.003), had lower diabetes mellitus prevalence (15.3% vs. 45.6%, p = 0.001), were similar to true positive patients with regard to body-mass index, arterial hypertension prevalence, hyperlipidemia and smoking, and had lower pre-test probability of coronary artery disease (23% vs. 32%, p = 0.016). The wall motion score index (WMSI) was higher in the true-positive stress group, and wall motion abnormalities were more frequent in the apical segments (70.5% vs. 56.7%, p = 0.034). In a multivariable predictive model, men (odds ratio [OR] = 2.994), diabetes (OR = 5.440), and peak WMSI (OR = 10.690) were associated with a true-positive result. Conclusions Twenty-four percent of our study population received a false-positive stress echocardiogram result, with similar rates across stressor types. Patients with true-positive stress echocardiogram results are more likely to be men, diabetic, and have a high peak WMSI.

Pantanal is a biome characterized by an extraordinary diversity and abundance of wildlife and houses several endemic species such as the freshwater shrimp Macrobrachium pantanalense. However, the increase in agriculture and husbandry activities in the region has contributed with residues of pesticides reaching aquatic systems. The main objective of this study is to assess the sensitivity of the endemic shrimp M. pantanalense compared with other freshwater species: the shrimp M. amazonicum, the crustacean Daphnia similis and the fish Danio rerio. The sensitivity of these organisms was assessed through acute exposure to copper and cypermethrin (through the formulation Barrage®, widely used in Pantanal). For copper the species sensitivity decreased in the following order: D. similis (48 h-EC50 0.051 mg/L) > M. pantanalense > D. rerio > M. amazonicum (48 h-LC50 26.34 mg/L). Copper caused reduced length of shrimps and zebrafish and reduced heartbeat of zebrafish embryos. For cypermethrin the species sensitivity decreased in the following order: M. pantanalense (96 h-LC50 0.05 μg/L) > M. amazonicum > D. similis > D. rerio (144 h-LC50 1680 μg/L). Major effects of cypermethrin included reduced length of shrimps and zebrafish, as well as early hatching and increased incidence of developmental deformities in zebrafish embryos. This study highlights the importance of using endemic species for risk evaluations in sensitive biomes such as Pantanal. Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of testing pesticides toxicity as commercial formulations. Furthermore, we suggest that the endemic shrimp species M. pantanalense can be successfully used as a test species in ecotoxicology.

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common form of congenital heart disease and frequently leads to premature valvular dysfunction. BAV is associated with aortic wall abnormalities and a high prevalence of ascending aorta dilatation and coarctation of the aorta (CoA). Consequently, in patients with BAV a careful assessment of the valve, and also of the aortic root and the ascending aorta, should be performed. The most feared complication is aortic dissection, however, the actual incidence of this complication is low. We report the case of a 58-year-old man who presented with New York Heart Association class III heart failure. The work-up revealed BAV with severe stenosis and severe compromise of left ventricle systolic function. In addition, CoA in the isthmus region, and type B dissection of the aorta were diagnosed. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Introduction Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the main cause of sudden cardiac death in the young and a cause of heart failure (HF) and death at any age. Nevertheless, adverse long-term outcomes are not easy to predict. Objectives To assess the prevalence and prognostic value of right ventricular (RV) involvement in patients (pts) with HCM. Methods Retrospective single-centre study of consecutive pts with HCM evaluated in a specialized consultation. Selected those submitted to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) as the gold-standard for RV assessment. The primary endpoint (PE) was a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, ventricular arrhythmias with hemodynamic instability and unplanned HF admission. Results Of a total of 181 pts, 104 fulfilled the inclusion criteria (mean age at first consultation 62.1±9.7 years, 63.5% male). Septal asymmetric phenotype was the most frequent (73.1%) and 24 pts (23.1%) had rest LV outflow tract obstruction. Mean value of maximum wall thickness was 18.8±4.6 mm. Regarding CMR parameters (Fig A), 5.8% had RV dysfunction and 2.9% RV free wall hypertrophy; no patient presented RV dilation. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) of joint points was observed in 47.1%. During follow-up (FU, mean 56.6±29.5 months), survival free of RV dysfunction was 94.3%. Only 5 pts developed RV compromise assessed by echocardiographic parameters: TAPSE 12.0±3.4 mm and pulsed tissue Doppler systolic annular velocity (tricuspid S') wave 7.3±0.9 cm/s. These pts were significantly older (p Conclusions Although not common, RV dysfunction was associated with a higher rate of cardiovascular events. Average E/E' ratio, as a measure of left ventricular filling pressure, was a risk factor for both RV dysfunction and PE. Higher values of RV ejection fraction were protective of adverse events occurrence. Together, these results support a potential role of RV function in the risk stratification of HCM pts.