Moralidade e plágio : um estudo com alunos do ensino médio

Nosso objetivo foi compreender o juízo da representação da ação de plágio de estudantes do segundo e terceiro anos do ensino médio, provenientes de escolas públicas e particulares de Vitória, Espírito Santo. Participaram 40 discentes entre 16 a 18 anos, que frequentavam três escolas públicas e duas privadas da cidade de Vitória-ES, divididos igualmente quanto a sexo e tipo de instituição. Nosso instrumento de pesquisa foi a um roteiro de entrevista semiestruturado, contendo uma história-fictícia que envolveu o comportamento de plágio. As entrevistas foram realizadas individualmente, em consonância com o método clínico piagetiano e, como procedimento de análise dos protocolos, utilizamos a sistematização de categorias proposta por Delval. Avaliamos os juízos dos adolescentes com relação a representação da ação de plágio do personagem da história-fictícia contada, nos seguintes aspectos: se consideravam a ação certa ou errada, se o plagiário deve ou não ser punido e qual (is) a (s) penalidade (s) sugerida (s). Foram solicitadas as justificativas de todos os aspectos anteriormente mencionados. A partir dos dados encontrados, constatamos que a maior parte dos estudantes: 1) considerou que o plágio é uma atitude errada; 2) justificou ser errado, principalmente pela “negligência do aluno no cumprimento do trabalho”, pela “possibilidade de consequência negativa” e pela “ação ser incorreta”; 3) afirmou que o personagem “deve ser punido”; 4) analisou, como castigo para este ato, “fazer um novo trabalho”, uma “conversa” e “receber nota zero no trabalho” plagiado e, por fim, 5) justificou as sanções sugeridas em virtude da “oportunidade de aprendizado e/ou reflexão do aluno com a punição” da “adequabilidade da punição” e da “possibilidade de consequência negativa para o aluno”. Por outro lado, as razões dos poucos escolares que consideravam que o personagem da história “não deve ser penalizado” foram a favor da “ausência de especificação e/ou proibição pelo docente” e por causa do plágio ser um “fato rotineiro”. De maneira geral, os dados de nossa pesquisa mostram que os participantes sabem que é errado plagiar, reconhecem que não se deve fazer este ato e a maioria dos estudantes penalizou a conduta investigada. Esse trabalho pode contribuir para a ampliação dos estudos na área da moralidade e colaborar com subsídios teóricos para a elaboração de projetos de educação em valores morais que contemplem, de uma forma geral, o enfrentamento da desonestidade acadêmica e, especificamente, o plágio. Consideramos que a inserção desse conteúdo nas propostas de educação em valores morais contemporâneas poderá enriquecer a formação moral dos estudantes. Assim, esperamos, a partir dos resultados encontrados na presente pesquisa, subsidiar e promover a realização de outros estudos e propiciar discussões e ações sobre o referido tema, principalmente na Psicologia e na Educação.

Dispositional optimism is unidimensional or bidimensional? The Portuguese Revised Life Orientation Test

The aim of the study is to adapt and then discuss the appropriateness of the Life Orientation Test as a one or two dimension scale. The research includes two studies; one is composed of a sequential sample of 280 people with multiple sclerosis, 71% female, and another includes a convenience sample of 615 individuals from the community, 51.1% female. Because the construct is built upon a theoretical assumption that has one dimension, we examine the hypothesis of one or two factor solutions through confirmatory factor analysis, and the two-dimension solution premise demonstrates better adjustment for both samples. The other psychometric properties explored show appropriate results for the Portuguese sample, and similar to the original ones; the Test therefore seems appropriate for use in cross cultural studies. Based on our results, we discuss whether the questionnaire is a one or two dimension instrument, concluding that it appears appropriate to accept the recommendations of the original authors to use it as a one-dimensional tool and, when necessary, to use both dimensions. - RESUMO: El objetivo del estudio es adaptar y discutir la adecuación de la prueba de Orientación de la Vida en una o dos escalas de dimensión. La investigación engloba dos estudios, uno constituido por una muestra secuencial de 280 personas con esclerosis múltiple, 71% mujeres y otro con una muestra de conveniencia de la comunidad de 615 individuos, 51,1% del sexo femenino. Como el constructo se asienta sobre la presunción teórica de que tiene una dimensión, inspeccionamos la hipótesis de una o dos soluciones de factor a través del análisis factorial confirmatorio y la hipótesis de dos dimensiones manifiesta un mejor ajuste para ambas muestras. Las otras propiedades psicométricas exploradas muestran los resultados apropiados para la muestra portuguesa, y semejantes a los originales. Parece apropiado para los estudios culturales transversales. Basándonos en nuestros resultados, discutimos si el cuestionario es un instrumento de una o dos dimensiones, concluyéndose que parece conveniente seguir las recomendaciones de los autores originales, para utilizarlo como un instrumento unidimensional y, si fuera necesario necesario, utilizar cada una de las dimensiones.

Unlimited or disrupted communication? How does the development of the mobile phone effect our ability of social action?

The aim of this essay is to discuss the thesis of the German Sociologist Günter Burkhart that in modern societies a phenomenon appeared which he calls “handymania”, an excessive and nearly addictive use of the mobile phones especially from adolescents. After a short overview about the history of the cell phone, I will relate this development to Jürgen Habermas “theory of communicative action”, more precisely to his diagnosis of a pathological society (“lifeworld”) to find out if the “handymania” could be one expression of it. Adjacent I will present social-psychological theories from E.H.Erikson and Tilmann Habermas to ascertain whether juveniles could really be a high-risk group for this kind of addiction. I will focus on the ability to communicate in an Habermasian way that could be seriously harmed by the unregulated usage of cell phones.

From the Lisbon strategy to EU2020: illusion or progress for european economies?

To be published at Krings, Bettina-J. ed. (2011), Brain Drain or Brain Gain? Changes of Work in Knowledge-based Societies, Berlin, Ed. Sigma. The author wants to thanks the comments and suggestions from Bettina Krings and Sylke Wintzer. They are not, however, responsible for the final result.

Reparação Híbrida do Arco Aórtico: Experiência Inicial do Hospital de Santa Marta

Objectives: To retrospectively review the hybrid treatment of the aortic arch with supra-aortic debranching and endo- vascular stent-graft repair in a single institution. Methods: From 2007 to 2010, all patients submitted to aortic debranching procedures were entered into a prospective database analysis. For the present study, only patients with sealing zones 0 and 1, according to the Ishimaru classification, were included. Procedure-related morbimortality was analysed for the open and endovascular procedures. Results: During the study period, we electively performed 6 total aortic debranching and 4 partial aortic debranching procedures in 10 patients. According to the etiology the indications were: 6 aortic arch aneurysms, 2 post-dissection aneu- rysms, 1 false aneurysm and 1 type I endoleak following TEVAR. The proximal sealing zone was Ishimaru zone 0 in six patients and zone 1 in four patients. The TEVAR procedure was delayed in all patients with a completion success of 80% (1 patient died from ruptured aortic aneurysm; 1 patient denied the second procedure and was lost to follow-up). The 30d mortality rate was 10% (patient mentioned above). The main morbidity was: 1 axillar venous thrombosis, 1 case of subclinical myocardial infarction, 1 case of terminal renal insufficiency and 1 case of prolonged ventilation. No permanent cerebral or peripheral neurologic deficit was noted. Conclusions: The hybrid repair of the aortic arch is a feasible and reproducible procedure, and our results are similar to the previously published series. Medium and long-term results are necessary to confirm whether the technique can be regarded as a safe alternative to open surgery in high-risk patients.

Locally Advanced and Metastatic Prostate Cancer Treated with Intermittent Androgen Monotherapy or Maximal Androgen Blockade: Results from a Randomised Phase 3 Study by the South European Uroncological Group

BACKGROUND: Few randomised studies have compared antiandrogen intermittent hormonal therapy (IHT) with continuous maximal androgen blockade (MAB) therapy for advanced prostate cancer (PCa). OBJECTIVE: To determine whether overall survival (OS) on IHT (cyproterone acetate; CPA) is noninferior to OS on continuous MAB. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This phase 3 randomised trial compared IHT and continuous MAB in patients with locally advanced or metastatic PCa. INTERVENTION: During induction, patients received CPA 200 mg/d for 2 wk and then monthly depot injections of a luteinising hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH; triptoreline 11.25 mg) analogue plus CPA 200 mg/d. Patients whose prostate-specific antigen (PSA) was <4 ng/ml after 3 mo of induction treatment were randomised to the IHT arm (stopped treatment and restarted on CPA 300 mg/d monotherapy if PSA rose to ≥20 ng/ml or they were symptomatic) or the continuous arm (CPA 200 mg/d plus monthly LHRH analogue). OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Primary outcome measurement was OS. Secondary outcomes included cause-specific survival, time to subjective or objective progression, and quality of life. Time off therapy in the intermittent arm was recorded. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: We recruited 1045 patients, of which 918 responded to induction therapy and were randomised (462 to IHT and 456 to continuous MAB). OS was similar between groups (p=0.25), and noninferiority of IHT was demonstrated (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.76-1.07). There was a trend for an interaction between PSA and treatment (p=0.05), favouring IHT over continuous therapy in patients with PSA ≤1 ng/ml (HR: 0.79; 95% CI, 0.61-1.02). Men treated with IHT reported better sexual function. Among the 462 patients on IHT, 50% and 28% of patients were off therapy for ≥2.5 yr or >5 yr, respectively, after randomisation. The main limitation is that the length of time for the trial to mature means that other therapies are now available. A second limitation is that T3 patients may now profit from watchful waiting instead of androgen-deprivation therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Noninferiority of IHT in terms of survival and its association with better sexual activity than continuous therapy suggest that IHT should be considered for use in routine clinical practice.

The Use of Statins in People at Risk of Developing Diabetes Mellitus: Evidence and Guidance for Clinical Practice

Reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels using statins is associated with significant reductions in cardiovascular (CV) events in a wide range of patient populations. Although statins are generally considered to be safe, recent studies suggest they are associated with an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes (T2D). This led the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to change their labelling requirements for statins to include a warning about the possibility of increased blood sugar and HbA1c levels and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to issue guidance on a small increased risk of T2D with the statin class. This review examines the evidence leading to these claims and provides practical guidance for primary care physicians on the use of statins in people with or at risk of developing T2D. Overall, evidence suggests that the benefits of statins for the reduction of CV risk far outweigh the risk of developing T2D, especially in individuals with higher CV risk. To reduce the risk of developing T2D, physicians should assess all patients for T2D risk prior to starting statin therapy, educate patients about their risks, and encourage risk-reduction through lifestyle changes. Whether some statins are more diabetogenic than others requires further study. Statin-treated patients at high risk of developing T2D should regularly be monitored for changes in blood glucose or HbA1c levels, and the risk of conversion from pre-diabetes to T2D should be reduced by intensifying lifestyle changes. Should a patient develop T2D during statin treatment, physicians should continue with statin therapy and manage T2D in accordance with relevant national guidelines.

The influence of animation on functional food intake in children

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

Different Electroclinical Manifestations of the Epilepsy Associated with Hamartomas Connecting to the Middle or Posterior Hypothalamus

PURPOSE: The epilepsy associated with hypothalamic hamartomas (HHs) has typical clinical, electrophysiologic, and behavioral manifestations refractory to drug therapy and with unfavorable evolution. It is well known that only sessile lesions produce epilepsy, but no correlation has been established between the different types of sessile hamartomas and the diverse manifestations of the epilepsy. We correlate anatomic details of the hamartoma and the clinical and neurophysiologic manifestations of the associated epilepsy. METHODS: HHs of seven patients with epilepsy (ages 2- 25 years) were classified as to lateralization and connection to the anteroposterior axis of the hypothalamus by using high-resolution brain magnetic resonance imaging. We correlated the anatomic classification with the clinical and neurophysiologic manifestations of the epilepsy as evaluated in long-term (24 h) video-EEG recordings. RESULTS: HHs ranged in size from 0.4 to 2.6 cc, with complete lateralization in six of seven patients. Ictal manifestations showed good correlation with the lobar involvement of ictal/interictal EEGs. These manifestations suggest the existence of two types of cortical involvement, one associated with the temporal lobe, produced by hamartomas connected to the posterior hypothalamus (mamillary bodies), and the other associated with the frontal lobe, seen in lesions connecting to the middle hypothalamus. CONCLUSIONS: A consistent clinical and neurophysiologic pattern of either temporal or frontal lobe cortical secondary involvement was found in the patients of our series. It depends on whether the hamartoma connects to the mamillary bodies (temporal lobe cases) or whether it connects to the medial hypothalamus (frontal lobe cases).

Ranking schools: a step toward increased accountability or a mere discriminatory practice?

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion of the effects of published school rankings based on average scores obtained by students on national exams. We study the effectiveness of this (low-stakes) accountability mechanism; we analyze whether students react to these rankings, by moving in or out of high-schools according to their scores and examine the movements of closing of schools. Our results suggest that families react strongly to published rankings. We also look at the changes in the socio-economic background of students of poorly performing schools in order to evaluate whether the publication of rankings has increased inequality, as feared by many observers. According to our results, published rankings do in fact reinforce stratification by income.

Hepatic pathology in Capillaria hepatica infected mice

Septal fibrosis of the liver regularly develops in rats infected with Capillaria hepatica. To find out whether such fibrosis also occurs in mice, 20 animals were submitted to infection with either 100 or 300 embryonated eggs and histologically examined after several periods of time, from 30 to 110 days afterwards. Results showed that mice developed acute, severe, diffuse and focal hepatic lesions that were soon modulated to focal areas of fibrosis containing eggs and worm remnants, despite the fact that a few worms remained alive, at least up to 110 days after inoculation. Areas of perisinusoidal fibrosis appeared in the proximity and around focal parasitic lesions, but clear-cut septal fibrosis was not observed. Why septal fibrosis forms in rats, but not in mice during C. hepatica infection, only further studies can clarify. Mice seem to show better host/parasite relationship than rats in regard to C. hepatica infection.

Rastreio combinado do 1º trimestre e doenças autoimunes : Impacto das variaveis pré-analíticas na avaliação do risco

RESUMO: Contexto: As anomalias congénitas, com particular destaque para as neuploidias , afectam aproximadamente 2% dos recém-nascidos, constituindo causas frequentes de morbilidade e mortalidade. Actualmente, a avaliação do grau de risco para as aneuploidias mais prevalentes (T21, T13, T18) é efectuada através do “Rastreio Combinado do 1º Trimestre”, devendo as grávidas com risco acrescido ser sujeitas a exames invasivos (ex.biópsia das vilosidades coriónicas,amniocentese). Quanto mais qualidade existir num rastreio, menos falsos positivos existirão e menor o número de exames diagnósticos invasivos desnecessários. As doenças autoimunes são doenças inflamatórias crónicas em cuja fisiopatologia se encontram distúrbios da imunidade humoral e celular, dependentes de factores genéticos, hormonais,psicológicos e ambientais. Atingem mais o sexo feminino e durante a idade fértil,podendo influenciar o outcome da gravidez e a saúde neonatal causando significativa morbilidade e mortalidade. O lúpus eritematoso sistémico para além de potencialmente afectado pelas alterações imunoendócrinas fisiológicas da gravidez, associa-se frequentemente a problemas de fertilidade. Recentemente, foi sugerido que as anormalidades ocorridas durante a invasão precoce do sinciciotrofoblasto, resultando em deficiente diferenciação, deficiente maturação e diminuição na produção de hCG, poderão ser o mecanismo fisiopatológico primário para as perdas fetais no primeiro trimestre, nos doentes com SLE. A ocorrência de níveis elevados de hCG total e ß-hCG livre no rastreio para despiste de síndrome de Down do segundo e do primeiro trimestre foi assinalada em grávidas portadoras de lúpus, mas a escassez de estudos comprovativos e a pequena dimensão das amostras estudadas constituiu uma limitação significativa na fidedignidade dos resultados obtidos. Objectivos: O estudo teve como objectivos i. estabelecer valores normativos Portugueses e de distribuição para as MoM’s dos parâmetros séricos do primeiro trimestre, por semana de gestação:(PAPP-A e ß-hCG livre), ii. avaliar a influência que as doenças autoimunes têm sobre as MoM’s individuais dos parâmetros bioquímicos PAPP-A e/ou ß-hCG livre, utilizados no rastreio pré-natal combinado do 1º trimestre, e iii. saber se as doenças autoimunes podem condicionar um aumento da taxa de resultados falsos positivos, com consequente aumento do número de amniocenteses. Metodologia: Estudo longitudinal prospectivo, consistindo num rastreio pré-natal combinado de 1º trimestre para pesquisa de aneuploidias, em duas amostras provenientes do Reino Unido (n= 45,854) e de Portugal (n=3122). Foram avaliados parâmetros socio-demográficos, ecográficos, laboratoriais, e calculados os indicadores de desempenho do rastreio combinado. A execução analítica dos testes bioquímicos séricos (PAPP-A e ß-hCG livre) foi realizada no autoanalisador Brahms Kryptor e no autoanalizador 6000 Delfia Xpress. Compararam-se os grupos autoimune e não autoimune das amostras. Resultados: Relativamente às características populacionais, o grupo auto imune tinha valores significativamente superiores nas variáveis idade materna e idade gestacional. Comparando os grupos com e sem doença autoimune, constatou-se a existência de uma elevação das MoM’s da ß-hCG livre nas grávidas com doença autoimune, nomeadamente nos casos de lúpus eritematoso sistémico. Conclusões: os resultado obtidos reforçam a indicação do rastreio combinado do 1º trimestre certificado pela FMF nas grávidas com doenças autoimunes, nomeadamente para as doentes com LES; no entanto, devem ser calculados e introduzidos factores de correcção no algoritmo de risco, de modo a evitar a subida no número de resultados falso-positivos, e consequentemente a sobre- utilização de métodos invasivos.------------ ABSTRACT: Context: Congenital anomalies, with particular reference to aneuploidias, affect approximately 2% of newborns, and are frequent causes of morbidity and mortality. Currently, the risk evaluation for the most prevalent aneuploidias (T21, T13, T18) is carried out through the “combined first trimester screening”, and pregnant women with increased risk are subjected to invasive tests (e.g. villus biopsy done, amniocentesis). The more quality exists in a screening, less false positives exists and fewer unnecessary invasive diagnostic exams. Autoimmune diseases are chronic inflammatory diseases in whose pathophysiology are immune humoral and cellular disorders, dependent on genetic factors, hormonal, psychological and environmental factors. The disease is more prevalent among females, during the child-bearing age, and may influence the outcome of pregnancy and neonatal health causing significant morbidity and mortality. Lupus Erythematosus in addition to potentially affected by immunoendocrine physiological changes of pregnancy, is often associated with fertility problems. Recently, it has been suggested that the abnormalities that occurred during the early invasion of the syncytiotrophoblast, resulting in insufficient differentiation, deficient maturation and decrease in production of hCG may be the primary pathophysiological mechanism for fetal losses in the first quarter, in patients with SLE. The occurrence of elevated levels of total hCG and free ß-hCG in screening for Down’s syndrome of the second and first trimester was reported in pregnant women with lupus, but the paucity of supporting studies and the small size of the samples studied constituted a significant limitation on the trustworthiness of the results obtained. Objectives: this study aims to i. establish normative values for the serum parameters MoM’s (PAPP-A and free β-hCG) and it’s distribution, in the first trimester, by week of pregnancy; ii. assess the influence that the autoimmune diseases have on the MoM’s of individual biochemical PAPP-A and/or β-hCG, used in antenatal screening combined for the first trimester, and iii. whether the autoimmune diseases may make an increased rate of false positives, with consequent increase in the number of amniocenteses.Methodology: Prospective longitudinal study, consisting of a combined first trimester antenatal screening for aneuploidies lookup in two samples from the United Kingdom (n=45.854) and Portugal (n= 3.122). Socio-demographic, echographic and laboratory parameters were evaluated, and combined screening performance indicators were calculated. The analytical run of serum biochemical tests (PAPP-A and ß-hCG) was held at the Brahms Kryptor and in Delfia Xpress 6000. Comparisons between autoimmune group and non-autoimmune group were made. Results: Relating to population characteristics, the autoimmune group had significantly diferente values in the variables maternal age and gestational age. Comparing the groups with and without autoimmune disease, it was noted that there is an elevation of the MoM’s of free ß-hCG levels in pregnant women with autoimmune disease, particularly in cases of systemic lupus erythematosus. Conclusions: The results obtained reinforce the indication of FMF certified combined screening in pregnant women with autoimmune diseases, notably to the patients with SLE; However, correction factors should be calculated and entered in the risk algorithm, in order to avoid the rise in the number of false positive results, and consequently the over-use of invasive methods.

Candida dubliniensis does not show phospholipase activity: true or false?

INTRODUCTION: The phospholipase activity in Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis isolated from oral candidiasis cases were studied. METHODS: The phospholipase activity was evaluated in egg yolk agar. RESULTS: All the C. albicans isolates (n = 48) showed phospholipase activity (mean Pz = 0.66). However, none of the C. dubliniensis isolates (n = 24) showed this activity. CONCLUSIONS: The authors discuss whether these findings are a true characteristic of C. dubliniensis or a consequence of the methodology employed, which includes the possibility that NaCl may have inhibited the enzymatic activity of C. dubliniensis.

Molecular analysis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus dissemination among healthcare professionals and/or HIV patients from a tertiary hospital

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a nosocomial pathogen in community settings. MRSA colonized individuals may contribute to its dissemination; the risk of MRSA infection is increased in human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients, although the prevalence of colonization in this group is not well established. The present study addressed this issue by characterizing MRSA isolates from HIV/AIDS patients and their healthcare providers (HCPs) to determine whether transmission occurred between these two populations. METHODS: A total of 24 MRSA isolates from HIV-infected patients and five from HCPs were collected between August 2011 and May 2013. Susceptibility to currently available antimicrobials was determined. Epidemiological typing was carried out by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing, and Staphylococcus cassette chromosome (SCCmec) typing. The presence of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA) and heterogeneous daptomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (hDRSA) was confirmed by population analysis profile. Isolates characterized in this study were also compared to isolates from 2009 obtained from patients at the same hospital. RESULTS: A variety of lineages were found among patients, including ST5-SCCmecII and ST30-SCCmecIV. Two isolates were Panton-Valentine leukocidin-positive, and hVISA and hDRSA were detected. MRSA isolates from two HCPs were not related to those from HIV/AIDS patients, but clustered with archived MRSA from 2009 with no known relationship to the current study population. CONCLUSIONS: ST105-SCCmecII clones that colonized professionals in 2011 and 2012 were already circulating among patients in 2009, but there is no evidence that these clones spread to or between HIV/AIDS patients up to the 7th day of their hospitalization.

A equidade na indeminização dos danos não patrimoniais

This study examines the quantification of compensation for non-pecuniary damage, awarded by means of judicial decisions based on equity, and seeks to verify whether such calculation safeguards legal certainty and predictability when applying the law, as well as whether it observes the principles of proportionality and equality. Firstly, the limits for discretionary judgment permitted to the judge were determined, by evaluating the criteria established under the law. Then, by examining the grounds of the judicial decisions in cases that had been selected beforehand, this study sought to detect operation modes in concrete considerations of equity used by judges. The examination of the grounds on which these judicial decisions are based permitted the comprehension of the calculation method used in each case and the observation that the criteria of compensatory nature, such as the extent of the damage and the respective consequences, assumed a primary role. Despite discrepancies in viewpoints with regard to certain issues of law, the jurisprudence examined reveals that great care is taken to consider the solutions reached in similar cases, in an attempt to ensure that the different criteria applied in the quantification of compensation are given uniform relevance. The comparison of decisions, reported to cases with similar legal contours, did not reveal relevant discrepancies in the calculation criteria used, nor are they disproportionate regarding the amount of compensation awarded, which means that resorting to equity, in determining the compensation to be awarded due to nonpecuniary damage, does not jeopardize legal certainty or predictability when applying the law, and observes the principle of proportionality, which is anchored in the constitutional principle of equality. The study performed, led to the conclusion that the grounds on which judicial decisions are based, by itemising the elements which are taken into account and the criteria adopted by the judge, allow these to be taken into consideration in similar cases, contributing towards uniform interpretation and application of the law, ensuring legal certainty and predictability when resorting to equity while quantifying compensation.