Differences in the antigenic profile of bloodstream and cell culture derived trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi

A comparative study of the antigenic profile of bloodstream and cell culture derived trypomastigotes showed many differences in their components. Using mouse anti-T. cruzi antibodies the differences were located mostly in the 120 kDa band, whereas using chagasic patient sera the differences were located in the 85 and 52 kDa bands. These findings might explain known physiological differences between trypomatigotes obtained from cell culture and from infected blood. A brief report of this work has already been published9.

Produção em grandes e pequenas organizações culturais : relatório de projecto

Relatório de Estágio submetida(o) à Escola Superior de Teatro e Cinema para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Teatro - especialização em Produção

“We are azorean”: discourses and practices of folk culture in Santa Catarina (Brazil)

Etnográfica, Vol. IX, N.1, pp. 171-193

Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori: comparison of an urease test, histological visualization of curved bacteria and culture

Helicobacter pylori was investigated in 189 patients for culture, microscopic visualization of campylobacter-like organisms (CLO) and a ten minute urease test. In 136 (72%) the bacteria was isolated, and in 98 of them CLO were histologically detected. Specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values of microscopic visualization of CLO were: 0.77, 0.73, 0.97 and 0.51, respectively; 98 culture-positive patients were urease test positive. Specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values of the urease test were: 0.83, 0.72, 0.92 and 0.54, respectively. Comparing the urease test with culture of H. pylori combined with microscopic visualization of CLO, its specificity, sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values were: 0.95, 0.71, 0.98 and 0.48, respectively. Probably, these values are not real, since bacteria different from H. pylori could be misclassified as CLO.

Relações públicas versus marketing no setor da cultura em Portugal EGEAC: um estudo de caso

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Gestão Estratégica das Relações Públicas.

The impact of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots in cells of Medicago sativa in suspension culture

Abstract Background: Nanotechnology has the potential to provide agriculture with new tools that may be used in the rapid detection and molecular treatment of diseases and enhancement of plant ability to absorb nutrients, among others. Data on nanoparticle toxicity in plants is largely heterogeneous with a diversity of physicochemical parameters reported, which difficult generalizations. Here a cell biology approach was used to evaluate the impact of Quantum Dots (QDs) nanocrystals on plant cells, including their effect on cell growth, cell viability, oxidative stress and ROS accumulation, besides their cytomobility. Results: A plant cell suspension culture of Medicago sativa was settled for the assessment of the impact of the addition of mercaptopropanoic acid coated CdSe/ZnS QDs. Cell growth was significantly reduced when 100 mM of mercaptopropanoic acid -QDs was added during the exponential growth phase, with less than 50% of the cells viable 72 hours after mercaptopropanoic acid -QDs addition. They were up taken by Medicago sativa cells and accumulated in the cytoplasm and nucleus as revealed by optical thin confocal imaging. As part of the cellular response to internalization, Medicago sativa cells were found to increase the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in a dose and time dependent manner. Using the fluorescent dye H2DCFDA it was observable that mercaptopropanoic acid-QDs concentrations between 5-180 nM led to a progressive and linear increase of ROS accumulation. Conclusions: Our results showed that the extent of mercaptopropanoic acid coated CdSe/ZnS QDs cytotoxicity in plant cells is dependent upon a number of factors including QDs properties, dose and the environmental conditions of administration and that, for Medicago sativa cells, a safe range of 1-5 nM should not be exceeded for biological applications.

Unsupervised automatic music genre classification

Trabalho apresentado no âmbito do Mestrado em Engenharia Informática, como requisito parcial para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática

Relatório de estágio em marketing corporativo na empresa Insite IT GmbH

Relatório de estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Publicidade e Marketing.

O impacto do branding corporativo na reputação das organizações: o caso Renova

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Publicidade e Marketing.

The portuguese public administration organization

Apresentação realizada no INA por ocasião da visita de uma delegação da República da Sérvia a Portugal.

Os referenciais de segurança da informação e a melhoria contínua: um caso exploratório

Mestrado em Engenharia Informática - Área de Especialização em Arquitecturas, Sistemas e Redes

Liderança e estratégia em contexto de inovação nas organizações de saúde : estudos de caso

RESUMO - A presente investigação procura descrever e compreender como a estratégia influencia a liderança e como esta por sua vez interage nos processos de inovação e mudança, em organizações de saúde. Desconhecem-se estudos anteriores, em Portugal, sobre este problema de investigação e da respectiva problemática teórica. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório e descritivo que envolveu 5 organizações de saúde, 4 portuguesas e 1 espanhola, 4 hospitais (dois privados e uma unidade local de saúde). Utilizou-se uma abordagem mista de investigação (qualitativa e quantitativa), que permitiu compreender, através do estudo de caso, como se articulam a estratégia, a liderança e a inovação nessas cinco organizações de saúde. Os resultados do estudo empírico foram provenientes da recolha de dados efectuada através de observação directa e estruturada, entrevistas com actores-chave, documentos em suporte de papel e digital, e ainda inquérito por questionário de auto-resposta a uma amostra (n=165) de actores do line e do staff (Administradores, Directores de Serviço/Departamento, Enfermeiros Chefe e Técnicos Coordenadores) das cinco organizações de saúde. Tanto o modelo de Miles & Snow (estratégia organizacional), como o modelo dos valores contrastantes de Quinn (cultura organizacional e liderança), devidamente adaptados, mostram-se heurísticos e provam poder aplicar-se às organizações de saúde, apesar a sua complexidade e especificidade. Tanto as organizações do sector público como do sector privado e organizações públicas concessionadas (parcerias público privadas) podem ser acompanhadas e monitorizadas nos seus processos de inovação e mudança, associados aos tipos de cultura, liderança ou estratégia organizacionais adoptadas. As organizações de saúde coabitam num continuum, onde o ambiente (quer interno quer externo) e o tempo são factores decisivos que condicionam a estratégia a adoptar. Também aqui, em função da realidade dinâmica e complexa onde a organização se move, não há tipologias puras. Há, sim, uma grande plasticidade e flexibilidade organizacionais. Quanto aos líderes, exercem habitualmente a autoridade formal, pela via da circular normativa. Não são pares (nem primi inter pares), colocam-se por vezes numa posição de superioridade, quando o mais adequado seria a relação de parceria, cooperação e procura de consensos, com todos os colaboradores, afim de serem eles os verdadeiros protagonistas e facilitadores da mudança e das inovações. Como factores facilitadores da inovação e da mudança, encontrámos nas organizações de saúde estudadas o seguinte: facilidade de aprender; visão/missão adequadas; ausência de medo de falhar; e como factores inibidores: falta de articulação entre serviços/departamentos; estrutura organizacional (no sector público muito verticalizada e no sector privado mais horizontalizada); resistência à mudança; falta de tempo; falha no tempo de reacção (o tempo útil para a tomada de decisão é, por vezes, ultrapassado). --------ABSTRACT - The present research seeks to describe and understand how strategy influences leadership and how this in turn interacts in the process of innovation and change in health organizations. Previous studies on these topics are unknown in Portugal, about this research problem and its theoretical problem. This is an exploratory and descriptive study that involved 5 health organizations, 4 Portuguese and 1 Spanish. We used a mixed approach of research (qualitative and quantitative), which enabled us to understand, through case study, how strategy and leadership were articulated with innovation in these five health organizations. The results of the empirical study came from data collection through direct observation, interviews with key actors, documents and survey questionnaire answered by 165 participants of line and staff (Administrators, Medical Directors of Service /Department, Head Nurses and Technical Coordinators) of the five health organizations. Despite their complexity and specificity, both the model of Miles & Snow (organizational strategy) and the model of the Competing Values Framework of Quinn (organizational culture and leadership), suitably adapted, have proven heuristic power and able to be apply to healthcare organizations. Both public sector organizations, private and public organizations licensed (public-private partnerships) can be tracked and monitored in their processes of innovation and change in order to understand its kind of culture, leadership or organizational strategy adopted. Health organizations coexist in a continuum, where the environment (internal and external) and time are key factors which determine the strategy to adopt. Here too depending on the dynamic and complex reality where the organization moves, there are no pure types. There is indeed a great organizational plasticity and flexibility. Leaders usually carry the formal authority by circular normative. They are not pairs (or primi inter pares). Instead they are, sometimes, in a position of superiority, when the best thing is partnership, collaboration, cooperation, building consensus and cooperation with all stakeholders, in order that they are the real protagonists and facilitators of change and innovation. As factors that facilitate innovation and change, we found in health organizations studied, the following: ease of learning; vision / mission appropriate; absence of fear of failure, and as inhibiting factors: lack of coordination between agencies / departments; organizational structure (in the public sector it is too vertical and in the private sector it is more horizontal); resistance to change; lack of time and failure in the reaction time (the time for decision making is sometimes exceeded).

Dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot-ELISA) for detection of pneumococcal polysaccharide antigens in pleural fluid effusion samples.: Comparison with bacterial culture, counterimmunoelectrophoresis and latex agglutination

A dot-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Dot-ELISA) for pneumococcal antigen detection was standardized in view of the need for a rapid and accurate immunodiagnosis of acute pneumococcal pneumonia. A total of 442 pleural fluid effusion samples (PFES) from children with clinical and laboratory diagnoses of acute bacterial pneumonia, plus 38 control PFES from tuberculosis patients and 20 negative control serum samples from healthy children were evaluated by Dot-ELISA. The samples were previously treated with 0.1 M EDTA pH 7.5 at 90°C for 10 min and dotted on nitrocellulose membrane. Pneumococcal omniserum diluted at 1:200 was employed in this assay for antigen detection. When compared with standard bacterial culture, counterimmunoelectrophoresis and latex agglutination techniques, the Dot-ELISA results showed relative indices of 0.940 to sensitivity, 0.830 to specificity and 0.760 to agreement. Pneumococcal omniserum proved to be an optimal polyvalent antiserum for the detection of pneumococcal antigen by Dot-ELISA. Dot-ELISA proved to be a practical alternative technique for the diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia.

Blood culture as a parameter of treatment effectiveness in experimental histoplasmosis of the hamster

The aim of this study was to determine the value of blood culture as a parameter of treatment effectiveness in experimental histoplasmosis. A total of thirty five hamsters, weighing approximately 120g, were inoculated intracardiacly with 0.1 ml of a suspension containing 4 x 10(7) cells/ml of the yeast phase of H. capsulatum. Treatments were started one week after the infection and lasted for 3 weeks. The azoles, (itraconazole, saperconazole and fluconazole) were administered once a day by gavage, at a dose of 8 mg/kg; Amphotericin B was given intraperitonealy every other day at a dose of 6mg/kg. Blood samples (1 ml) were obtained by heart punction from the 4th day after infection and were seeded in Sabouraud honey-agar and BHI-agar. The hamsters that survived were killed one week after treatment completion and the following criteria were considered for treatment evaluation: 1) rate of spontaneous death, at the end of the experience; 2) microscopic examination of Giemsa smears from liver and spleen and 3) determination of CFU in spleen cultures. Amphotericin B was the most effective drug, with negative blood cultures at day 20, negative spleen cultures in all cases and all the animals survived until the end of the study. Fluconazole was the less effective drug, blood cultures were positive during the whole experience, spleen cultures showed a similar average of CFU when compared with the control animals and 42.8% of these animals died. Saperconazole and itraconazole showed a similar activity, with survival of all hamsters and negative blood cultures at 23 and 26 days respectively. Blood culture seems to be valuable parameter for treatments' evaluation in experimental histoplasmosis of the hamster.