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Lewy bodies are a hallmark of Dementia with Lewy Bodies. They can also be found in the sinoatrial node and may be associated with heart disease.We aimed to investigate a possible association between Lewy Body dementia and atrial fibrillation.We performed a case-control study based on our centre's cohort of degenerative dementia (Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Alzheimer's disease) patients. The possible association between Lewy Body dementia and atrial fibrillation was studied through a binomial logistic regression, which adjusted for comorbidity data.We included 461 patients. 45 of the 398 (11.3%) with Alzheimer's disease and 14 of the 63 with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (22.2%) had atrial fibrillation. Heart failure (OR = 3.345, 95%CI = [1.618, 6.916], p = 0.001), hypertension (OR = 2.547, 95%CI = [1,137, 5.703], p = 0.023), stroke (OR = 2.274, 95%CI = [1.013, 5.103], p = 0.046) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (OR = 2.536, 95%CI = [1.105, 5.822], p = 0.028) were associated with atrial fibrillation.We found an association between Dementia with Lewy bodies and Atrial Fibrillation.

Two methods were developed for the As and Cr species determination in different kinds of seafood, exploring the LC-ICP-MS potential and chemometric approach to define the extraction conditions. Adequates separation and sensitivity data by LC-ICP-MS were obtained with 0.01 mol L-1 (NH4)2HPO4 in 1% ethanol (pH 8.0) for arsenic, and 0.015 mol L-1 Na2SO4, 0.005 mol L-1 EDTA, and 0.005 mol L-1 NaH2PO4 (pH 7.0) for chromium. The Doehlert matrix and Box-Behnken design defined the ideal extraction conditions for arsenic and chromium species. For As extraction, the optimized conditions employed 0.1 g of sample and 30 mmol L-1 HNO3 at 90°C for 45 min, and Cr, 0.1 g of sample and 0.045 mol L-1 [EDTA] at 90°C for 40 min. Recoveries from 88 to 106% of arsenobetaine (AsB), arsenite [As(III)], dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), arsenate [As(V)], Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were obtained for all evaluated samples. The limits of quantification provided by the proposed methods were 5.3; 52.1; 16.4; 2.8; 83.3; 113.8; 53.9 ng g-1 for AsB, As(III), DMA, MMA, As(V), Cr(III) and Cr(VI) respectively. The trueness was evaluated using certified reference materials and addition and recovery procedures. The sum of the species agreed with the total concentration of arsenic and chromium contents.

Statin-induced myalgia is defined as muscle pain without elevation of serum creatine phosphokinase levels and is a well-known complaint among statin users. Chronic pain syndromes affect a high percentage of the population. These pain syndromes may confound the reports of statin-induced myalgia.To compare the occurrence of chronic pain among patients on statin therapy who developed myalgia with those who did not.This study included 112 statin-treated patients, who were followed at the lipid center at Sheba Medical Center. Fifty-six patients had a diagnosis of statin-associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) and 56 did not. Verified questionnaires were used to assess the diagnoses of fibromyalgia, pain intensity, functional impairment, anxiety, and depression in the study population.Patients with statin myalgia were more likely to fulfil the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia than patients without statin myalgia (11 [19.6%] vs. 0, respectively). Patients in the SAMS group exhibited higher levels of anxiety and depression compared with the control group. Female sex, higher scores on the Brief Pain Inventory pain intensity scale, and a Hamilton rating scale level indicative of an anxiety disorder were found to be significant predictors for fibromyalgia in patients presenting with statin myalgia.A significant percentage of patients diagnosed with statin myalgia fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for fibromyalgia depression or anxiety disorder. Detection of these patients and treatment of their primary pain disorders or psychiatric illnesses has the potential to prevent unnecessary cessation of effective statin therapy.

Innovation is not a modern concept, nor is it something companies have started looking for. A company's ability to thrive in an innovative role is a success factor. Proof of this is the company studied in this research, looking at the two subjects of innovation, leaders, and employees. Their satisfaction levels were studied to understand the role of incentives in motivating innovation. We came face to face with the reality that financial incentives continue to be overvalued and that a safe environment, with resources and where there is room for error, is the engine of innovation.

The human body is the host of trillions of different prokaryotic microorganisms that colonize the skin and the mucosae. The interaction between human cells and these organisms is mediated by the immune system, sustaining a very complex and fragile balance. The immune cells need to prevent uncontrolled growth of pathogenic microbes and promote tolerance toward the existence of the beneficial ones. Growing evidence associates the disruption of this symbiotic relationship with the development of autoimmune diseases.Human studies led to the identification of gut dysbiosis patterns in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis. Interestingly, the inoculation of pathogenic bacteria in animal models was associated with the development of these autoimmune diseases.A better understanding of the microbiota-human interaction will enable the development of novel treatment choices. Currently, new molecules using helminth compounds are under investigation and have already revealed promising results.

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Psicologia apresentada à Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação Framework: Professionals from the most diverse areas and from different community contexts strive daily to ensure support for families in the demanding exercise of parenthood. However, many of them consider their knowledge and skills insufficient to offer a truly quality answer. This gap has motivated the interest to acquire training in the context of parental education, which offers essential resources for those practitioners to feel more prepared, confident and self-assured in their professional task. Goals: To characterize the participants who attended the three-day certified training for group leaders of the Incredible Years Basic program for Parents (IY-P) that took place in Portugal between 2008 and 2019. In practical terms, we intended to understand the characteristics of the professionals who have attended these trainings, and their motivation to search for them, and, at the same time, to characterize their experience as facilitators (e.g., how many groups of parents, the composition of the groups), identify the obstacles that may have surfaced after the training and compromise the beginning or the continuity of the program implementation. Furthermore, to clarify future plans connected to the context of dynamization. Method: The study involved 221 professionals that attended the training of the IY-P program. They replied to a online survey about the training, an instrument developed with the aim of understanding the way the professionals were using their trained skills. Results: The main motivations of the professionals to take part in the formation were the need to find answers to situations of their daily professional life, the professional valorisation and the interest in the area of the parental education. Almost half of them ended up running groups of parents (one or two groups). Most of the group participants were mothers and the groups were diverse concerning the social-economical aspect and of the targeted children. High levels of adherence to the program protocol were reported (less when regarding babysitting, weekly phone calls and make-up sessions) as well as to the supervision. After the training, the barriers that emerged in the implementation of the program and in the access to the supervision highlighted the lack of financial resources and materials. Many professionals wish in a near future to run a group of parents. Discussion: The results are discussed based on the available scientific literature. The lack of institutional support stands out, compromising the possibility of implementing the IY-P program, including running groups of parents and using supervision. Conclusions: This investigation contributed to emphasize the daily effort of many professionals aiming at giving quality responses in supporting parenthood in different contexts of the community, as well as highlighting the obstacles that they faced as parents’ educators, being a reminder of the need for support and alternatives to facilitate the development of a more efficient work with parents. Enquadramento: Profissionais das mais diversas áreas e provenientes de vários contextos da comunidade empenham-se diariamente para garantir suporte às famílias no exigente exercício da parentalidade. Porém, muitos são os que consideram os seus conhecimentos e competências insuficientes para oferecer uma resposta verdadeiramente de qualidade. Esta lacuna tem motivado o interesse em participar em formações no âmbito da educação parental, que se constituem num recurso indispensável para que estes técnicos se sintam mais instruídos, confiantes e seguros nessa sua tarefa profissional. Objetivos: Caraterizar os participantes que frequentaram as formações certificadas de três dias para dinamizadores do programa Anos Incríveis Básico para Pais, realizadas em Portugal entre 2008 e 2019. Procurou-se, concretamente, compreender as características dos profissionais que têm frequentado estas formações, bem como os motivos que os levaram a procurá-las, procurando-se, de igual modo, caracterizar a experiência enquanto facilitadores do mesmo (e.g., quantos grupos de pais, composição dos mesmos), identificar entraves que tenham surgido após a formação e comprometido o início ou o seguimento da implementação do programa e, ainda, clarificar planos futuros ligados ao contexto de dinamização. Método: Participaram no estudo 221 profissionais que frequentaram a formação para dinamizadores do programa Anos Incríveis Básico para Pais (AI-P). Estes responderam a um questionário online sobre a formação, instrumento desenvolvido com o intuito de compreender o modo como os profissionais estavam a utilizar as competências treinadas no âmbito da mesma. Resultados: As principais motivações que levaram os profissionais a participar na formação foram a necessidade de dar resposta a situações do quotidiano profissional, poder valorizar-se profissionalmente e o interesse na área de educação parental. Quase metade vieram a dinamizar grupos (um ou dois), maioritariamente constituídos por mães, e com características diversas do ponto de vista socioeconómico ou das crianças-alvo. Foram reportados elevados níveis de adesão ao protocolo do programa (menor quanto a disponibilização de babysitting, telefonemas semanais e sessões de revisão) e à supervisão. Após a formação, os entraves encontrados na implementação do programa e no acesso à supervisão vêm chamar a atenção para a escassez de recursos financeiros e materiais. São muitos os profissionais que desejam vir a dinamizar grupos de pais num futuro próximo. Discussão: Os resultados são discutidos com base na literatura científica disponível. Destaca-se a escassez de apoios institucionais que comprometem a implementação do programa AI-P, nomeadamente a dinamização de grupos de pais e o recurso a supervisão. Conclusões: Esta investigação contribuiu para pôr em destaque o esforço diário realizado por diversos profissionais no que concerne ao fornecimento de respostas de qualidade na prestação de apoio à parentalidade em diferentes contextos da comunidade, bem como sinalizar obstáculos que estes enfrentam enquanto educadores parentais, constituindo-se como um alerta para a necessidade de apoios e alternativas, de forma a facilitar o desenvolvimento de um trabalho com pais mais eficaz.

Drug-induced lupus erythematosus is a rare condition associated with the exposure to certain drugs capable of triggering an autoimmune disease similar to systemic lupus erythematosus. Although there are no available diagnostic criteria, clinical and serological findings and its temporal association with the initiation of the suspected drug are important to establish the diagnosis. The withdrawal of the drug usually resolves the symptoms. However, in some cases, therapy with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive agents may be required. We present a 74-year-old female with a bilateral venous thrombosis, ischemic stroke, polyserositis and diarrhea due to drug-induced lupus erythematosus that required immunosuppressive therapy.

Determining the cause of a particular event has been a case of study for several researchers over the years. Finding out why an event happens (its cause) means that, for example, if we remove the cause from the equation, we can stop the effect from happening or if we replicate it, we can create the subsequent effect. Causality can be seen as a mean of predicting the future, based on information about past events, and with that, prevent or alter future outcomes. This temporal notion of past and future is often one of the critical points in discovering the causes of a given event. The purpose of this survey is to present a cross-sectional view of causal discovery domain, with an emphasis in the machine learning/data mining area.

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Classical aphasia evaluation scales are too long to use in the context of acute stroke or as a monitoring tool. The Aphasia Rapid Test is a 26-point scale developed as a bedside assessment to rate aphasia severity in acute stroke patients in less than 3 minutes. We aimed to adapt and validate this scale for European Portuguese.We evaluated 56 acute stroke patients in the first and in the seventh days post-stroke. In the seventh day, patients were evaluated by two independent raters, to evaluate inter-rater agreement. To study concurrent validity, the Lisbon Aphasia Examination Battery was applied to a subset of 20 patients. The predictive ability of the Aphasia Rapid Test was assessed at six months, by the aphasia subscale of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale.Translation to European Portuguese was based in the French and English versions, considering the words' utilization frequency. The Chronbach's alpha was 0.796. The concordance coefficient between the two raters was excellent (0.985). Correlation between Aphasia Rapid Test and the Lisbon Aphasia Examination Battery was strong (r = -0.958, p0.001). The study through Bland-Altman graphs corroborated the good inter-rater agreement and concurrent validity of the test. The Aphasia Rapid Test score in the first day is an independent predictor of long-term outcome.This study provides reliable results for European Portuguese, with adequate internal consistency, inter-rater agreement and concurrent validity.The Aphasia Rapid Test is a good tool for the evaluation and monitoring of aphasia in stroke patients.Introdução: As baterias clássicas de caracterização de afasia são demasiado longas para serem utilizadas no contexto do acidente vascular cerebral agudo ou como ferramenta de monitorização. O Aphasia Rapid Test é uma escala de 26 pontos desenvolvida como teste de cabeceira para avaliar a gravidade da afasia num doente com acidente vascular cerebral em menos de três minutos. O objetivo do estudo é adaptar e validar a escala para o português europeu. Material e Métodos: Foram avaliados 56 doentes com acidente vascular cerebral no primeiro e sétimo dia pós-acidente vascular cerebral. Ao sétimo dia, foram avaliados por dois avaliadores independentes para avaliar o acordo interavaliadores. Para estudar a validade concorrente, a 20 doentes foi aplicada também a Bateria de Avaliação de Afasias de Lisboa. A capacidade preditiva do Aphasia Rapid Test foi avaliada aos seis meses, através do valor da subescala de afasia do National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Resultados: A tradução para o português europeu baseou-se nas versões francesa e inglesa, respeitando a frequência de utilização das palavras. O α de Cronbach foi de 0,796. O coeficiente de concordância entre examinadores foi excelente (0,985). A correlação entre o Aphasia Rapid Test e a Bateria de Avaliação de Afasias de Lisboa é forte (r = -0,958, p0,001). Os gráficos de Bland-Altman corroboram as boas concordâncias interavaliadores e validade concorrente. O Aphasia Rapid Test no primeiro dia é preditor independente do resultado a longo prazo. Discussão: Este estudo apresenta resultados confiáveis para o português europeu, com valores de consistência interna, concordância interavaliadores e validade concorrente adequados. Conclusão: O Aphasia Rapid Test é um bom instrumento para avaliação e monitorização da afasia em doentes com acidente vascular cerebral.

Dissertação de mestrado em Economia (Economia Industrial), apresentado à Faculdade de Economia da Universidade de Coimbra, sob a orientação de Daniel Filipe Viseira Murta. É indiscutível que a crise financeira e económica teve impactos em Portugal, registando-se taxa de crescimento negativas do PIB, aumento na taxa de desemprego, aumento dos preços de combustíveis e a diminuição dos rendimentos das famílias. Dado o interesse do setor dos transportes para o crescimento de um país, o objeto deste trabalho de projeto é o de verificar as alterações decorrentes da atual crise financeira e económica do país, comparando o atual período com o de 1995 a 2000, período no qual se verificou o crescimento do PIB. Em comparação com o período de crescimento do PIB analisado, verificámos que, no decorrer da atual crise financeira e económica, existiu uma diminuição do investimento no setor dos transportes, da venda de novos veículos, do consumo de combustíveis, e do transporte de passageiros e de mercadorias.

A flow system, coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FIA-FAAS), was developed for tannin determination in pigeon pea samples, exploring the precipitation reaction between tannins and proteins. Sample extracts obtained by sonication with a 50% (v/v) methanol solution were introduced into the system and induced to react with a hemoglobin solution. The precipitate produced was retained on a filter located in the analytical flow. A reversed flow of 1% (w/v) sodium dodecyl sulfate solution was used for solubilization of the precipitate from the filter and to conduct the tannin-hemoglobin complex to the FAAS, to quantify the iron ions present in the hemoglobin structure. A tannic acid solution was used to prepare the analytical curve. The proposed method allowed determination of 30 samples per hour, a standard deviation of 9.7% (n=10), and a quantification limit of 0.27 mg L-1 for tannic acid. Um sistema em fluxo acoplado a espectrômetro de absorção atômica com chama (FIA-FAAS) foi desenvolvido para determinação de taninos em amostras de feijão guandu, explorando a reação de precipitação entre os taninos e proteínas. Extratos obtidos pela sonicação das amostras com solução de metanol 50% (v/v), foram introduzidos no sistema e induzidos à reação com hemoglobina, sendo o precipitado produzido pela reação retido em um filtro localizado no percurso analítico. Solução 1% (m/v) dodecil sulfato de sódio, fluindo em sentido inverso ao fluxo de filtração, foi empregado para solubilizar e conduzir o complexo tanino-hemoglobina ao detector, espectrômetro de absorção atômica com chama, para quantificação dos íons ferro presentes na estrutura da hemoglobina. Uma solução de ácido tânico foi utilizada para construção da curva analítica. O método proposto apresentou freqüência analítica de 30 amostras por hora, desvio padrão relativo de 9,7 % (n=10) e limite de quantificação 0,27 mg L-1 de ácido tânico.

The applicability of the recently proposed procedure based on gradual sample addition to microwave-assisted pre-heated concentrated acid is limited by the sample viscosity. In this work, lubricating oil samples with high viscosity were encapsulated and manually added to the microwave-assisted pre-heated concentrated digestion mixture. The procedure was applied for determination of Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Ni, P, Pb, Si, Sn, Sr, V, W, and Zn in lubricating oil by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES). Determined and certified values for Ca, Mg, P, and Zn in lubricating oil were in agreement at a 95% confidence level.