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Lisbon has been affected by several moderate to strong earthquakes that caused considerable damage and produced significant economic and social impacts (e.g., the November 1st, 1755, earthquake). Studies on the potential damage due to a seismic event have been done considering Lisbon's moderate to high seismic hazard, but the seismic site effects have not yet been investigated at the city scale. The local ground conditions can locally modify the characteristics of surface seismic motion. Based on a multidisciplinary dataset composed of surface geology, a geotechnical database, and a geophysical database that compiles all the available geophysical tests carried out in Lisbon, an integrated approach to seismic ground characterisation was performed. A regression analysis of the shear-wave velocity values compiled in the geophysical database was done for each geological unit. The peak frequency distribution in the city, assessed from the ambient vibration measurements, showed a pattern in peak frequency variation. It decreases from the oldest to the most recent geological formations that outcrop in the SW-NE direction. Three zones based on peak frequency value distribution were proposed. An estimation of the impedance contrast depths was computed through two processes, considering the previous results: (i) the shallower contrast depth was assessed through a sharp variation of NSPT values available in the geotechnical database, and (ii) the deeper contrast depth was estimated based on geology data and deep borehole information. The results showed that for the upper ∼100 m of depth, a consistent relationship between the contrasts identified through different data was obtained, even if uncertainty increased with depth. • A multidisciplinary dataset-based contribution to seismic microzonation. • V S -depth equations defined for each geological formation. • Peak frequency distribution at the city scale. • Impedance contrast depth map based on an integrated approach. • Consistent relationship between the contrasts identified through different data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Introduction Overactive bladder (OAB) is the most prevalent voiding disorder in childhood, and its main manifestation is urinary urgency. In general, urotherapy and anticholinergics are the first choices of treatment. Parasacral Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation (PTENS) was introduced as an alternative for the treatment of detrusor overactivity in children, but treatment protocols described to date require several sessions per week or long-lasting sessions, making it difficult for the child to adhere to the treatment. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of PTENS in single weekly sessions in the treatment of OAB in children. Study design This prospective, randomized controlled trial included 16 children with OAB. Children were divided into two groups: CG (urotherapy and electrical stimulation placebo) and EG (urotherapy and PTENS). For both groups, therapy was delivered in 20 weekly sessions, of duration 20 min each. Placebo electrical stimulation was done in the scapular area. The children were evaluated prior to treatment (T1), at the end of the 20 sessions (T2), and 60 days after the completion of treatment (T3), with a 3-day voiding diary, visual analogue scale (VAS), Rome III diagnostic criteria, and the Bristol Scale. Results The groups were similar in age, gender, and ethnicity. In the initial assessment, all children, in both groups, had urgency and incontinence, 50% in each group had constipation, and enuresis was present in seven children (87.5%) in the EG and six (75%) in the CG. No differences were found between the groups regarding the volumetric measurements made in the voiding diary, urinary frequency and constipation evaluated by the Rome III criteria and the Bristol Scale. Sixty days after treatment, a significant improvement was found in the EG group ( p = 0.03) regarding urgency (Table), as well as an increase in dry nights in those presenting with enuresis ( p = 0.03). No difference was noted regarding urinary incontinence (Table). At the end of 20 sessions and after 60 days of treatment, those responsible for the children in the EG perceived greater improvement in symptoms measured by the VAS ( p = 0.05 and 0.04, respectively). Conclusions Our preliminary results demonstrate that PTENS performed in single weekly sessions is effective in treating the bladder for symptoms of urinary urgency and enuresis, and in the perception of those responsible for the children. Further studies with larger populations are needed to corroborate these results. Table Urgency and urinary incontinence after treatment. Table EG, n (%) CG, n (%) p Urgency T1 Yes 8 (100.00) 8 (100.00) 1.00 No 0 (0) 0 (0) T2 Yes 3 (42.86) 6 (85.71) 0.26 No 4 (57.14) 1 (14.29) T3 Yes 2 (28.57) 6 (85.71) 0.03 No 5 (71.43) 1 (14.29) Urinary incontinence T1 Yes 8 (100.00) 8 (100.00) 1.00 No 0 (0) 0 (0) T2 Yes 2 (28.57) 5 (71.43) 0.28 No 5 (71.43) 2 (28.57) T3 Yes 2 (28.57) 5 (71.43) 0.28 No 5 (71.43) 2 (28.57) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body temperature changes in laboratory mice are often assessed by invasive and stressful methods, which may confound the measurement. Infrared thermography is a possible non-invasive alternative, but the cost of standard thermal cameras, lack of dedicated software for biomedical purposes, and labour-intensiveness of thermal image analysis have limited their use. An additional limitation lies on the scarcity of research on the causing factors of differences between body surface and core body temperature. We propose a method for automatic assessment of mean body surface temperature in freely-moving mice, using dedicated software for thermal image analysis. While skin surface temperature may not necessarily be linearly correlated with core body temperature (in itself an imprecise concept), under standardized environmental conditions, such as those in which laboratory animals are kept, mean body surface temperature can provide useful information on their thermal status (i.e. deviations from normothermia, namely hypo- and hyperthermia). We developed a publicly available software that includes an imaging analysis workflow/algorithm for automatic segmentation of the pixels associated with the animal from the pixels associated with the background, removing the need for manually defining the area of analysis. A batch analysis mode is also available, for automatic and high-throughput analysis of all image files located in a folder. The software is compatible with the most widespread thermal camera manufacturer, 'FLIR Systems', as well as with the low-cost 'Thermal Expert TE-Q1' miniaturized high-resolution thermal camera used for this study. Furthermore, the software has been validated in a mouse model expressing non-transient hypothermia, where the thermal analysis results were compared with readings from implanted thermo-sensitive passive integrated transponders tags. Thermography allows for thermal assessment of laboratory animals without the effect of handling stress on their physiology or behaviour. Our automatic image analysis software also removes observer errors and bias, while speeding up the data processing. • Body temperature variation gives valuable information on animal health and welfare • Thermal assessment of laboratory animals raises technical and welfare challenges • IR thermography is an option, but analysis is laborious and prone to variability • We propose a novel user-friendly software for analysis of thermal images of mice • The new analysis methodology was validated in LPS-injected mice showing hypothermia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Introduction Although the relationship between enuresis and breastfeeding is still poorly documented in the literature, a possible association is speculated as both are strongly associated with children's development. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to evaluate whether there is an association between primary enuresis and the duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Material and methods This is an observational, case-control study, involving 200 children and adolescents from 6 to 14 years old, who were divided into two groups: the enuresis group (EG), composed of 100 children with primary enuresis; and the control group (CG) of 100 matched children without enuresis. The matching criteria were sex, age, and socioeconomic level. Adults responsible for each infant answered a structured questionnaire to identify biological and behavioral factor, as well as the duration of maternal breastfeeding. Children whose parents could not comprehend the questionnaire or children with neurological or psychiatric disorders or secondary enuresis were not included in the study. Results and discussion Evaluating the duration of exclusive breastfeeding, 72% of the subjects of the EG and 42% of the CG had been breastfed for less than 4 months ( p < 0.001) (Figure). In bivariate analysis, there was a strong association between symptoms of enuresis with a positive family history of enuresis and duration of exclusive breastfeeding ( p < 0.001), and also association with full breastfeeding duration ( p = 0.044), number of children ( p = 0.045), and parents' education ( p = 0.045). After logistic regression, primary enuresis continued to be associated with duration of exclusive breastfeeding and family history of enuresis. The proportion of children that had been exclusively breastfed for more than 4 months was significantly higher in the CG 58% (58/100) than in the EG 28% (28/100) ( p < 0.001, OR 4.35, 95% CI 1.99–9.50). Conclusions This study confirmed the association between primary enuresis and various factors that have already been studied, with the addition of a new factor, duration of exclusive breastfeeding for less than 4 months, which is strongly associated with primary enuresis. Figure Time of exclusive breastfeeding in enuresis and control groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Orolingual angioedema (OA) is a well known early complication of treatment with alteplase in ischemic stroke patients. Our aim was to study risk factors for OA in these patients, namely insular cortex ischemia. Methods Retrospective case-cohort study using the prospective registry of all consecutive ischemic stroke patients submitted to intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase. Clinical data was retrieved from the registry and medical records. Two independent observers evaluated early signs of insular cortex ischemia on pre-thrombolysis computed tomography (CT) and of insular cortex infarct on early follow-up imaging. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to identify predictors of OA. Results Of the 659 patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with alteplase, 32 developed OA (4.9%, 95%CI = 3.3–6.6). Frequency of early signs of insular cortex ischemia on pre-thrombolysis CT and of insular cortex infarct on follow-up imaging was similar in patients with and without OA ( p = 0.241 and p = 0.145, respectively). The only independent predictors of OA occurrence were female sex (OR = 5.47, 95%CI = 1.98–15.10) and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) use (OR = 3.87, 95%CI = 1.71–8.75). Conclusions Female sex and ACE-I use are independent risk factors for OA occurrence in ischemic stroke patients treated with alteplase. Early signs of insular cortex ischemia on pre-thrombolysis CT were not significantly associated with OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]