Hepatic fascioliasis: case report and review

A well documented case of hepatic fascioliasis (HF), successfully treated with triclabendazole, is reported. Predominant clinical manifestations were fever, marked eosinophilia and abdominal pain. Triclabendazole was given as two single oral doses of 10 mg/kg each. Neither side effects nor clinical or parasitological relapses were seen after three months of follow up Based on this experience and few other similar reports in the literature, triclabendazole might be a valid therapeutical alternative in the treatment of human fascioliasis.

Maximizing the Social Welfare of Virtual Power Players Operation in Case of Excessive Wind Power

The integration of growing amounts of distributed generation in power systems, namely at distribution networks level, has been fostered by energy policies in several countries around the world, including in Europe. This intensive integration of distributed, non-dispatchable, and natural sources based generation (including wind power) has caused several changes in the operation and planning of power systems and of electricity markets. Sometimes the available non-dispatchable generation is higher than the demand. This generation must be used; otherwise it is wasted if not stored or used to supply additional demand. New policies and market rules, as well as new players, are needed in order to competitively integrate all the resources. The methodology proposed in this paper aims at the maximization of the social welfare in a distribution network operated by a virtual power player that aggregates and manages the available energy resources. When facing a situation of excessive non-dispatchable generation, including wind power, real time pricing is applied in order to induce the increase of consumption so that wind curtailment is minimized. This method is especially useful when actual and day-ahead resources forecast differ significantly. The distribution network characteristics and concerns are addressed by including the network constraints in the optimization model. The proposed methodology has been implemented in GAMS optimization tool and its application is illustrated in this paper using a real 937-bus distribution network with 20.310 consumers and 548 distributed generators, some of them non-dispatchable and with must take contracts. The implemented scenario corresponds to a real day in Portuguese power system.

Public works policy in Portugal: a case study in unsustainability

International Journal of Engineering and Industrial Management, nº 1, p. 195-208

Environmental pressures and impacts of public sector organizations: the case of the Portuguese Military

Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal, nº 4(5), p. 363-381

The state of environmental performance evaluation in the public sector: the case of the Portuguese defence sector

Journal of Cleaner Production, nº 17, p. 36-52

Parinaud syndrome caused by Bartonella henselae: case report

The authors report a case of Parinaud syndrome (conjunctivitis with pre-auricular satellite adenitis) caused by Bartonella henselae, the etiologic agent of Cat Scratch Disease. The etiologic assessment of this case was performed by serum indirect immunofluorescence reaction and allowed for a better therapeutics and follow up, avoiding ineffective antibiotics and surgical interventions.

Environmental performance policy indicators for the public sector: The case of the defence sector

Journal of Environmental Management, nº 82 p. 410–432

Mapping the quality of life experience in Alfama: a case study in Lisbon, Portugal.

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

SUBCUTANEOUS PHEOHYPHOMYCOSIS CAUSED BY Phoma cava: REPORT OF A CASE AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

We report a case of subcutaneous pheohyphomycosis observed in a male patient presenting pulmonary sarcoidosis and submitted to corticosteroid treatment. He presented nodular erythematous-violaceous skin lesions in the dorsum of the right hand. Histopathological examination of the biopsied lesion revealed dematiaceous hyphae and yeast-like cells, with a granulomatous tissual reaction. The isolated fungus was identified as Phoma cava. A review of the literature on fungal infection caused by different Phoma species, is presented. The patient healed after therapy with amphotericin B, followed by itraconazole

Geospatial database generation from digital newspapers: use case for risk and disaster domains.

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

A case of human rabies in the Urban Area of Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

A 39-year old male patient was admitted to the University Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto with signs and symptoms of sudden dyspnea, generalized myalgia and behavioral disorders. The initial suspicion was alcohol abstinence syndrome and the patient was referred for psychiatric and neurologic care. The evolution of the patient with a worsening of signs and symptoms, presence of crises of tachypnea, agitation, difficulty to swallow, irritability and hydrophobia, and his report of having been bitten by a suspected dog raised the hypothesis of rabies. The diagnosis was confirmed by examination of a corneal impression, biological tests in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and saliva and visualization of Negri bodies in nervous tissue (direct immunofluorescence). The patient evolved with agitation, aggressiveness, and worsening tachypnea intercalating with apnea, and died on the 4th day after admission

Realistic Traffic Scenarios Using a Census Methodology: Vila Real Case Study

This paper presents the first phase of the redevelopment of the Electric Vehicle Scenario Simulator (EVeSSi) tool. A new methodology to generate traffic demand scenarios for the Simulation of Urban MObility (SUMO) tool for urban traffic simulation is described. This methodology is based on a Portugal census database to generate a synthetic population for a given area under study. A realistic case study of a Portuguese city, Vila Real, is assessed. For this area the road network was created along with a synthetic population and public transport. The traffic results were obtained and an electric buses fleet was evaluated assuming that the actual fleet would be replaced in a near future. The energy requirements to charge the electric fleet overnight were estimated in order to evaluate the impacts that it would cause in the local electricity network.

Coccidioidomycosis in Brazil. A case report

Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic infection with a relatively limited geographic distribution: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguai, Argentina and the southwest of the United States. In these countries, the endemic area is restricted to the semiarid desert like regions which are similar to the northeast of Brazil. Case report: The patient is a 32 year-old male, born in the state of Bahia (Northeast of Brazil) and has been living in São Paulo (Southeast) for 6 years. He was admitted at Hospital das Clínicas, at the Department of Pneumology in October 1996, with a 6 month history of progressive and productive cough, fever, malaise, chills, loss of weight, weakness and arthralgia in the small joints. Chest x-rays and computerized tomography disclosed an interstitial reticulonodular infiltrate with a cavity in the right upper lobe. The standard potassium hydroxide preparation of sputum and broncoalveolar lavage demonstrated the characteristic thickened wall spherules in various stages of development. Sabouraud dextrose agar, at 25° C and 30° C showed growth of white and cottony aerial micelium. The microscopic morphology disclosed branched hyphae characterized by thick walled, barrel shaped arthroconidia alternated with empty cells. The sorological studies with positive double immunodiffusion test, and also positive complement fixation test in 1/128 dilution confirmed the diagnosis. The patient has been treated with ketoconazole and presents a favorable clinical and radiological evolution

Hemorrhagic syndrome and Acute renal failure in a pregnant woman after contact with Lonomia caterpillars: a case report

A case of a 37-week pregnant woman who developed a hemorrhagic syndrome and acute renal failure after contact with Lonomia caterpillars is reported. The accident also initiated labour and the patient gave birth to an alive child. Some pathophysiological aspects of the genital bleeding and of the acute renal failure are discussed.

A CASE REPORT OF INTRASPINAL PARACOCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS

The authors report a case of paraplegia caused by a lumbar intraspinal paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) granuloma. Clinical neurological diagnosis of a compressive spinal cord lesion was confirmed by spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Patient was submitted to surgery with total excision of the lesion. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of PCM. Patient is on sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim combined with fluconazole and is experiencing positive neurological recovery.