Environment and Health in Children Day Care Centres (ENVIRH) - Study Rationale and Protocol

Background: Indoor air quality (IAQ) is considered an important determinant of human health. The association between exposure to volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, house dust mite, molds and bacteria in day care centers (DCC) is not completely clear. The aim of this project was to study these effects. Methods --- study design: This study comprised two phases. Phase I included an evaluation of 45 DCCs (25 from Lisbon and 20 from Oporto, targeting 5161 children). In this phase, building characteristics, indoor CO2 and air temperature/relative humidity, were assessed. A children’s respiratory health questionnaire derived from the ISAAC (International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Children) was also distributed. Phase II encompassed two evaluations and included 20 DCCs selected from phase I after a cluster analysis (11 from Lisbon and 9 from Oporto, targeting 2287 children). In this phase, data on ventilation, IAQ, thermal comfort parameters, respiratory and allergic health, airway inflammation biomarkers, respiratory virus infection patterns and parental and child stress were collected. Results: In Phase I, building characteristics, occupant behavior and ventilation surrogates were collected from all DCCs. The response rate of the questionnaire was 61.7% (3186 children). Phase II included 1221 children. Association results between DCC characteristics, IAQ and health outcomes will be provided in order to support recommendations on IAQ and children’s health. A building ventilation model will also be developed. Discussion: This paper outlines methods that might be implemented by other investigators conducting studies on the association between respiratory health and indoor air quality at DCC.

Recanalizações Tubárias. Resultados de 10 Anos - MAC

Entre Janeiro de 1982 e Setembro de 1991 realizaram-se 24 cirurgias de recanalização tubária na Maternidade Dr. Alfredo da Costa. Os critérios de aceitação para cirurgia foram rigorosamente avaliados. Verificou-se uma taxa de gravidez intra-uterina de 66,7%. Em nove casos, a presença de factores de infertilidade associados influenciou negativamente os resultados encontrados. A localização da zona anastomose influenciou os resultados obtidos (72,7% de GIU nas anastomoses istmo-ístmicas). A histerossalpingografia (HSG) pós-operatória correlacionou-se positivamente com o resultado da cirurgia, tendo a taxa de gravidez nos casos com HSG normal sido de 100%.

MAC regenerative analysis of wireless Ad-Hoc networks

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

A layer 2 multipath fabric using a centralized controller

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores

Energy-efficient diversity combining for different access schemes in a multi-path dispersive channel

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia Electrotécnica e Computadores

Protocol for the psychotherapeutic group intervention for facilitating posttraumatic growth in nonmetastatic breast cancer patients

Breast cancer can be perceived as a traumatic event with disturbing effects on psychological domains such as depression, anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. In contrast, growing evidence has shown that posttraumatic growth can occur as a result of coping with breast cancer. Challenging the assumptive world, deliberate rumination, and emotional disclosure are recognized as strong predictors of posttraumatic growth. Group interventions may also increase social support, distress disclosure, and posttraumatic growth. The aim of this study is to evaluate how group-based interventions can facilitate posttraumatic growth and promote improved psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer. This article describes the study protocol and the applied research methods.

Specification of a partial replication protocol with TLA+

Nowadays, data available and used by companies is growing very fast creating the need to use and manage this data in the most efficient way. To this end, data is replicated overmultiple datacenters and use different replication protocols, according to their needs, like more availability or stronger consistency level. The costs associated with full data replication can be very high, and most of the times, full replication is not needed since information can be logically partitioned. Another problem, is that by using datacenters to store and process information clients become heavily dependent on them. We propose a partial replication protocol called ParTree, which replicates data to clients, and organizes clients in a hierarchy, using communication between them to propagate information. This solution addresses some of these problems, namely by supporting partial data replication and offline execution mode. Given the complexity of the protocol, the use of formal verification is crucial to ensure the protocol two correctness properties: causal consistency and preservation of data. The use of TLA+ language and tools to formally specificity and verify the proposed protocol are also described.

Data quality in biofilm high-throughput routine analysis: intralaboratory protocol adaptation and experiment reproducibility

Biofilm research is growing more diverse and dependent on high-throughput technologies and the large-scale production of results aggravates data substantiation. In particular, it is often the case that experimental protocols are adapted to meet the needs of a particular laboratory and no statistical validation of the modified method is provided. This paper discusses the impact of intra-laboratory adaptation and non-rigorous documentation of experimental protocols on biofilm data interchange and validation. The case study is a non-standard, but widely used, workflow for Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm development, considering three analysis assays: the crystal violet (CV) assay for biomass quantification, the XTT assay for respiratory activity assessment, and the colony forming units (CFU) assay for determination of cell viability. The ruggedness of the protocol was assessed by introducing small changes in the biofilm growth conditions, which simulate minor protocol adaptations and non-rigorous protocol documentation. Results show that even minor variations in the biofilm growth conditions may affect the results considerably, and that the biofilm analysis assays lack repeatability. Intra-laboratory validation of non-standard protocols is found critical to ensure data quality and enable the comparison of results within and among laboratories.

An efficient chronic unpredictable stress protocol to induce stress-related responses in C57BL/6 mice

Exposure to chronic stress can have broad effects on health ranging from increased predisposition for neuropsychiatric disorders to deregulation of immune responses. The chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) protocol has been widely used to study the impact of stress exposure in several animal models and consists in the random, intermittent, and unpredictable exposure to a variety of stressors during several weeks. CUS has consistently been shown to induce behavioral and immunological alterations typical of the chronic stress-response. Unfortunately C57BL/6 mice, one of the most widely used mouse strains, due to the great variety of genetically modified lines, seem to be resistant to the commonly used 4-week-long CUS protocol. The definition of an alternative CUS protocol allowing the use of C57BL/6 mice in chronic stress experiments is a need. Here, we show that by extending the CUS protocol to 8?weeks is possible to induce a chronic stress-response in C57BL/6 mice, as revealed by abrogated body weight gain, increased adrenals weight, and an overactive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis with increased levels of serum corticosterone. Moreover, we also observed stress-associated behavioral alterations, including the potentiation of anxious-like and depressive-like behaviors and a reduction of exploratory behavior, as well as subtle stress-related changes in the cell population of the thymus and of the spleen. The present protocol for C57BL/6 mice consistently triggers the spectrum of CUS-induced changes observed in rats and, thus, will be highly useful to researchers that need to use this particular mouse strain as an animal model of neuropsychiatric disorders and/or immune deregulation related to CUS.

Widespread environmental contamination with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex revealed by a molecular detection protocol

Environmental contamination with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) has been considered crucial for bovine tuberculosis persistence in multi-host-pathogen systems. However, MTC contamination has been difficult to detect due to methodological issues. In an attempt to overcome this limitation we developed an improved protocol for the detection of MTC DNA. MTC DNA concentration was estimated by the Most Probable Number (MPN) method. Making use of this protocol we showed that MTC contamination is widespread in different types of environmental samples from the Iberian Peninsula, which supports indirect transmission as a contributing mechanism for the maintenance of bovine tuberculosis in this multi-host-pathogen system. The proportion of MTC DNA positive samples was higher in the bovine tuberculosis-infected than in presumed negative area (0.32 and 0.18, respectively). Detection varied with the type of environmental sample and was more frequent in sediment from dams and less frequent in water also from dams (0.22 and 0.05, respectively). The proportion of MTC-positive samples was significantly higher in spring (p<0.001), but MTC DNA concentration per sample was higher in autumn and lower in summer. The average MTC DNA concentration in positive samples was 0.82 MPN/g (CI95 0.70-0.98 MPN/g). We were further able to amplify a DNA sequence specific of Mycobacterium bovis/caprae in 4 environmental samples from the bTB-infected area.

Study of Coronary Flow Reserve with Intravenous Use of Microbubbles (Contrast Echocardiography) and Adenosine: Protocol for Clinical Application in Patients Suspected of Having Coronary Heart Disease

OBJECTIVE: To test the feasibility, safety and accuracy of the adenosine protocol in the study of myocardial perfusion with microbubbles contrast echocardiography. METHODS: 81 pts (64 male, 60+11 years) were submitted to contrast echocardiography with PESDA (sonicated solution of albumin 20%-1ml, dextrose 5%-12ml and deca-fluorobutane gas-8ml) to study the myocardial perfusion at rest and after bolus injection of adenosine (6 to 18mg) and to coronary angiography within 1 month each other. For each patient 3 left ventricle perfusion beds were considered (total of 243 territories). 208 territories were analyzed and 35 territories were excluded. PESDA was continuously infused (1-2ml/min), titrated for best myocardial contrast. Triggered (1:1) second harmonic imaging was used. RESULTS: Coronary angiography showed 70 flow limiting (> 75%) lesions and 138 no flow limiting lesions. At rest an obvious myocardium contrast enhancement was seen in at least 1 segment of a territory in all patients. After adenosine injection an unquestionable further increase in myocardial contrast was observed in 136 territories (99%) related to no flow limiting lesions, lasting < 10 s, and a myocardial perfusion defect was detected in 68 territories (97%) related to flow limiting lesions. It was observed only 4 false results. There were no serious complications. CONCLUSION: Myocardial perfusion study with PESDA and adenosine protocol is a practical, safe and accurate method to analyze the coronary flow reserve.

A new proposal to guide velocity and inclination in the ramp protocol for the treadmill ergometer

OBJECTIVE: To suggest criteria to guide protocol prescription in ramp treadmill testing, according to sex and age, based on velocity, inclination, and max VO2 reached by the population studied. METHODS: Prospective study describing heart rate (HR), time, velocity, inclination, and VO2 estimated at maximum effort of 1840 individuals from 4 to 79 years old, who performed a treadmill test (TT) according to the ramp protocol. A paired Student t test was used to assess the difference between predicted and reached max VO2, calculated according to the formulas of the "American College of Sports Medicine". RESULTS: Submaximal HR was surpassed in 90.1% of the examinations, with a mean time of 10.0±2.0 minute. Initial and peak inclination velocity of the exercise and max VO2 were inversely proportional to age and were greater in male patients. Predicted Max VO2 was significantly lower than that reached in all patients, except for female children and adolescents (age < 20 years old). CONCLUSION: Use of velocity, inclination, and maximum VO2 actually reached, as a criterion in prescribing the ramp protocol may help in the performance of exercise in treadmill testing. The ramp protocol was well accepted in all age groups and sexes with exercise time within the programmed 8 to 12 minutes.

Importância da interação entre a integrina Mac-1 dos leucócitos e a glicoproteína Iba das plaquetas para o recrutamento de leucócitos pelas plaquetas e para a resposta inflamatória à lesão vascular

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a importância da interação entre a integrina Mac-1 dos leucócitos (a Mb 2) e a glicoproteína (GP) Iba das plaquetas para o recrutamento de leucócitos após a lesão vascular e o efeito da neutralização da interação Mac-1-GPIba sobre a proliferação celular e a hiperplasia neointimal desencadeadas por lesão vascular. MÉTODOS: Um peptídeo denominado M2 ou anticorpo anti-M2 foi desenvolvido para bloquear a interação Mac-1-GPIba . Esse peptídeo foi injetado e comparado com anticorpo-controle em camundongos C57B1/6J submetidos a lesão vascular da artéria femoral com corda-guia. Um, cinco ou 28 dias após a lesão vascular, as artérias femorais foram retiradas para a realização de morfometria e imuno-histoquímica. RESULTADOS: O bloqueio da interação Mac-1-GPIba promoveu uma redução estatisticamente significativa do número de leucócitos na camada média no primeiro dia após a lesão vascular (controle: 7,9±5,0% do total de células versus anti-M2: 2,0±1,6%, p=0,021), bem como determinou uma diminuição estatisticamente significativa do acúmulo de leucócitos na neoíntima em cinco e 28 dias (controle: 42,3±12,9% versus anti-M2: 24,6±10,8%, p=0,047 e controle: 7,9±3,0% versus anti-M2: 3,3±1,3%, p=0,012; respectivamente). A proliferação celular na camada média do vaso em cinco dias pós-lesão foi reduzida com o bloqueio da interação Mac-1-GPIba (controle: 5,0±2,9% do total de células versus anti-M2: 1,8±0,5%; p=0,043), assim como houve diminuição significativa da proliferação celular na camada íntima do vaso em 28 dias (controle: 3,8±1,7% versus anti-M2: 2,0±1,2%; p=0,047). O bloqueio da interação Mac-1-GPIba também determinou uma redução estatisticamente significativa do espessamento intimal em 28 dias pós-lesão (controle: 10.395±3.549 µm² versus anti-M2: 4.561±4.915 µm²; p=0,012). CONCLUSÃO: O recrutamento de leucócitos após a lesão vascular é dependente da interação Mac-1-GPIba e a neutralização dessa interação inibe a proliferação celular e a formação neointimal.