Extracting temporal and spatial distributions information about marine mucilage phenomenon based on Modis satellite images; a case study of the Tyrrhenian and the Adriatic Sea, 2010-2012

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies.

American Society of Anesthesiologists Score: Still Useful After 60 Years? Results of the EuSOS Study

OBJECTIVE: The European Surgical Outcomes Study described mortality following in-patient surgery. Several factors were identified that were able to predict poor outcomes in a multivariate analysis. These included age, procedure urgency, severity and type and the American Association of Anaesthesia score. This study describes in greater detail the relationship between the American Association of Anaesthesia score and postoperative mortality. METHODS: Patients in this 7-day cohort study were enrolled in April 2011. Consecutive patients aged 16 years and older undergoing inpatient non-cardiac surgery with a recorded American Association of Anaesthesia score in 498 hospitals across 28 European nations were included and followed up for a maximum of 60 days. The primary endpoint was in-hospital mortality. Decision tree analysis with the CHAID (SPSS) system was used to delineate nodes associated with mortality. RESULTS: The study enrolled 46,539 patients. Due to missing values, 873 patients were excluded, resulting in the analysis of 45,666 patients. Increasing American Association of Anaesthesia scores were associated with increased admission rates to intensive care and higher mortality rates. Despite a progressive relationship with mortality, discrimination was poor, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.658 (95% CI 0.642 - 0.6775). Using regression trees (CHAID), we identified four discrete American Association of Anaesthesia nodes associated with mortality, with American Association of Anaesthesia 1 and American Association of Anaesthesia 2 compressed into the same node. CONCLUSION: The American Association of Anaesthesia score can be used to determine higher risk groups of surgical patients, but clinicians cannot use the score to discriminate between grades 1 and 2. Overall, the discriminatory power of the model was less than acceptable for widespread use.

Evaluation of the impact of L’Oréal’s acquisition of The Body Shop on both brands

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

The economic value of Portuguese pine and eucalyptus forests

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Economics from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Study and characterization of the ZnPc:C60/MoOx interface in organic solar cells by means of photoelectron spectroscopy

Dissertation to obtain the academic degree of Master in materials engineering submitted to the Faculty of science and engineering of Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Electrochemical and quantum chemical investigations of the insecticide fipronil.

This work describes an electrochemical and quantum chemical investigation of the fipronil insecticide. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) experiments were performed over a graphite-polyurethane (GPU) composite electrode. The fipronil molecule presents an one?electron irreversible oxidation reaction. Profiting the SWV signal a square wave stripping voltammetry (SWSV) procedure to determine the fipronil molecule in a 0.10 mol L-1 Britton-Robinson buffer solution, pH 8.0 was developed with accumulation potential and time of 0.50 V and 120 s, respectively. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.80 and 2.67 ?g L-1, respectively. Recovery tests were performed in three natural waters samples with values ranging from 99.67 to 101.37%. Quantum chemical studies showed that the nitrogen atom of the pyrazole group is the most probable oxidation site of the fipronil molecule.

Correction of the anisotropy in resistivity: application to pore pressure prediction

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Geológica (Georrecursos)

Evaluation of the six-minute walk test in patients with chronic heart failure associated with Chagas' disease and systemic arterial hypertension

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate physical capacity as determined by the six-minute walk test (6MWT) in patients with chronic heart failure due to Chagas' disease associated with systemic arterial hypertension (Chagas-SAH). METHODS: A total of 98 patients routinely followed at the Cardiomyopathy Outpatient Service were recruited. Of these, 60 (61%) were diagnosed with Chagas disease and 38 (39%) with Chagas-SAH. RESULTS: The distance walked during 6 min was 357.9 ±98 m for Chagas-SAH patients and 395.8 ± 121m for Chagas cardiomyopathy patients (p >0.05). In patients with Chagas-SAH, a negative correlation occurred between the 6MWT and the total score of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (r= -0.51; p=0.001). No other correlations were determined between 6MWT values and continuous variables in patients with Chagas-SAH. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the 6MWT in Chagas-SAH patients are similar to those verified in Chagas cardiomyopathy patients with chronic heart failure. Coexistence of SAH does not seem to affect the functional capacity of Chagas cardiomyopathy patients with chronic heart failure.

Comparison of the performance of polymerase chain reaction and pp65 antigenemia for the detection of human cytomegalovirus in immunosuppressed patients

INTRODUCTION: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is often reactive in latently infected immunosuppressed patients. Accordingly, HCMV remains one of the most common infections following solid organ and hemopoietic stem cell transplantations, resulting in significant morbidity, graft loss and occasional mortality. The early diagnosis of HCMV disease is important in immunosuppressed patients, since in these individuals, preemptive treatment is useful. The objective of this study was to compare the performance of the in-house qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and pp65 antigenemia to HCMV infection in immunosuppressed patients in the Hospital de Clínicas of Porto Alegre (HCPA). METHODS: A total of 216 blood samples collected between August 2006 and January 2007 were investigated. RESULTS: Among the samples analyzed, 81 (37.5%) were HCMV-positive by PCR, while 48 (22.2%) were positive for antigenemia. Considering antigenemia as the gold standard, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and negative predictive values for PCR were 87.5%, 76.8%, 51.8% and 95.5% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that qualitative PCR has high sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV). Consequently PCR is especially indicated for the initial diagnosis of HCMV infection. In the case of preemptive treatment strategy, identification of patients at high-risk for HCMV disease is fundamental and PCR can be useful tool.

Ecological aspects of the sandfly fauna (Diptera, Psychodidae) in an American cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic area under the influence of hydroelectric plants in Paranapanema river, State of Paraná, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: An epidemiological study was undertaken to identify determinant factors in the occurrence of American cutaneous leishmaniasis in areas under the influence of hydroelectric plants in Paranapanema river, State of Paraná, Brazil. The ecological aspects of the phlebotomine fauna were investigated. METHODS: Sandflies were sampled with automatic light traps from February 2004 to June 2006 at 25 sites in the urban and rural areas of Itambaracá, and in Porto Almeida and São Joaquim do Pontal. RESULTS: A total of 3,187 sandflies of 15 species were captured. Nyssomyia neivai predominated (34.4%), followed by Pintomyia pessoai (32.6%), Migonemyia migonei (11.6%), Nyssomyia whitmani (8.8%), and Pintomyia fischeri (2.7%), all implicated in the transmission of Leishmania. Males predominated for Ny. neivai, and females for the other vector species, with significant statistical differences (p < 0.001). Nyssomyia neivai, Pi. pessoai, Ny. whitmani, Brumptomyia brumpti, Mg. migonei, and Pi. fischeri presented the highest values for the Standardized Species Abundance Index (SSAI). The highest frequencies and diversities were found in the preserved forest in Porto Almeida, followed by forests with degradation in São Joaquim do Pontal and Vila Rural. CONCLUSIONS: Sandflies were captured in all localities, with the five vectors predominating. Ny. neivai had its highest frequencies in nearby peridomestic environments and Pi. pessoai in areas of preserved forests. The highest SSAI values of Ny. neivai and Pi. pessoai reflect their wider dispersion and higher frequencies compared with other species, which seems to indicate that these two species may be transmitting leishmaniasis in the area.

Larvicidal activity of the methanol extract and fractions of the green fruits of Solanum lycocarpum(Solanaceae) against the vector Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

IntroductionThe larvicidal activity of Solanum lycocarpumagainst Culex quinquefasciatus is unknown.MethodsWe evaluated the larvicidal activity of extracts of the green fruits of Solanum lycocarpum against third and fourth instar larvae of C. quinquefasciatus.ResultsDichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions showed the greatest larvicidal effect at 200mg/L (83.3% and 86.7%, respectively). The methanol and dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and hydromethanolic fractions demonstrated larvicidal effects against C. quinquefasciatus, with LC50 values of 126.24, 75.13, 83.15, and 207.05mg/L, respectively.ConclusionsThus, when considering new drugs with larvicidal activity from natural products, S. lycocarpum fruits may be good candidate sources.

Evaluation of the reference value for the Montenegro skin test

Abstract:INTRODUCTION:The Montenegro skin test (MST) has good clinical applicability and low cost for the diagnosis of American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL). However, no studies have validated the reference value (5mm) typically used to discriminate positive and negative results. We investigated MST results and evaluated its performance using different cut-off points.METHODS:The results of laboratory tests for 4,256 patients with suspected ATL were analyzed, and 1,182 individuals were found to fulfill the established criteria. Two groups were formed. The positive cutaneous leishmaniasis (PCL) group included patients with skin lesions and positive direct search for parasites (DS) results. The negative cutaneous leishmaniasis (NCL) group included patients with skin lesions with evolution up to 2 months, negative DS results, and negative indirect immunofluorescence assay results who were residents of urban areas that were reported to be probable sites of infection at domiciles and peridomiciles.RESULTS:The PCL and NCL groups included 769 and 413 individuals, respectively. The mean ± standard deviation MST in the PCL group was 12.62 ± 5.91mm [95% confidence interval (CI): 12.20-13.04], and that in the NCL group was 1.43 ± 2.17mm (95% CI: 1.23-1.63). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis indicated 97.4% sensitivity and 93.9% specificity for a cut-off of 5mm and 95.8% sensitivity and 97.1% specificity for a cut-off of 6mm.CONCLUSIONS:Either 5mm or 6mm could be used as the cut-off value for diagnosing ATL, as both values had high sensitivity and specificity.

Isokinetic assessment of the flexor-extensor balance of the knee in athletes with total rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament

The purpose of this study was to assess the flexor-extensor group of muscles of the knee in young athletes diagnosed with a total rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Eighteen knees of 18 athletes (14 men and 4 women) with an average age of 21.6 years (range 16-32 years) were assessed with a Cybex 6000 model isokinetic apparatus. The average interval between occurrence of the injury and assessment was 10.2 months (range 2 - 48 months). There was an associated meniscal injury in eight of the knees. Athletes with any other kind of associated injury, limitation, or blockage of the movement of the joint, significant pain during the exam, or interval between injury and exam of less than two months were excluded from the study. The parameters studied were the peak torque-velocity and flexor-extensor relationships at the constant angular velocities of 60°/sec and 240°/sec. Previous warming-up was done by means of an ergometric bicycle and adaptation with 3 submaximal repetitions. The contra-lateral side, which presented no injury, was used as control. Peak torque (PT) at the constant velocity of 60°/sec was greater than that at 240°/sec for knees with and without injuries. However, there was no significant difference between the injured and uninjured sides at 60°/sec or at 240°/sec. The average value for the flexor-extensor relationship at 60°/sec on the injured was 60% (( 6), compared to 57% (( 10) on the contra-lateral side. At 240°/sec, the average value was 75% ((10) on the injured side, and 65% ((12) on the contra-lateral side. In conclusion, despite the complete rupture of the ACL of one knee, the average values for the flexor-extensor relationship were similar on the injured and uninjured sides at the velocity of 60°/sec. As the velocity increased, an increase in the values for the flexor-extensor relationship of the knee also occurred, indicating a tendency of the performance of the flexor muscle group to approach that of the extensor muscle group, and this tendency was more pronounced on the side of the injury.

On the influences of the El Niño, La niña and Atlantic Dipole Paterni on the Amazonian Rainfall during 1960-1998

The influence of the large-scale climatic variability dominant modes in the Pacific and in the Atlantic on Amazonian rainfall is investigated. The composite technique of the Amazon precipitation anomalies is used in this work. The basis years for these composites arc those in the period 1960-1998 with occurrences of extremes in the Southern Oscillation (El Niño or La Niña) and the north/south warm (or cold) sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies dipole pattern in the tropical Atlantic. Warm (cold) dipole means positive (negative) anomalies in the tropical North Atlantic and negative (positive) anomalies in the tropical South Atlantic. Austral summer and autumn composites for extremes in the Southern Oscillation (El Niño or La Niña) and independently for north/south dipole pattern (warm or cold) of the SST anomalies in the tropical Atlantic present values (magnitude and sign) consistent with those found in previous works on the relationship between Amazon rainfall variations and the SST anomalies in the tropical Pacific and Atlantic. However, austral summer and autumn composites for the years with simultaneous occurrences of El Niño and warm north/south dipole of the SST anomalies in the tropical Atlantic show negative precipitation anomalies extending eastward over the center-eastern Amazon. This result indicates the important role played by the tropical Atlantic in the Amazon anomalous rainfall distribution.

Polyethylene glycol 8000+ citrate salts aqueous two-phase systems: Relative hydrophobicity of the equilibrium phases

The Gibbs free energy of transfer of a methylene group, G*(CH2), is reported as a measure of the relative hydrophobicity of the equilibrium phases. Furthermore, G*(CH2) is a characteristic parameter of each tie-line, and for that reason can be used for comparing different tie-lines of a given aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) or even to establish comparisons among different ATPSs. In this work, the partition coefficients of a series of four dinitrophenylated-amino acids were experimentally determined, at 23 °C, in five different tie-lines of PEG8000(sodium or potassium) citrate ATPSs. G*(CH2) values were calculated from the partition coefficients and used to evaluate the relative hydrophobicity of the equilibrium phases. PEG8000potassium citrate ATPSs presented larger relative hydrophobicity than PEG8000sodium citrate ATPSs. Furthermore, the results obtained indicated that the PEG-rich phase (top phase) has higher affinity to participate in hydrophobic hydration interactions than the salt-rich phase (bottom phase).