Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Behavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire – Portuguese Version

Exercise constitutes one of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle (USDHHS, 1996). Paradoxically, more than 40% of Europeans are sedentary (Eurobarometer 213, 2004), although some interventions, at both community and individual levels, have been established to improve this situation. Some of these interventions are based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT: Deci & Ryan, 1985), which state that more internalized types of behaviour regulation lead to feelings of selfdetermination in one’s chosen activities and, consequently, to greater likelihood of behavioural adherence. Today, SDT is one of the most popular approaches to the study of exercise, thus the cross-cultural validation of instruments that can measure its constructs is a necessary step to further advance in the study of exercise motivation.

Pressão, memorização e eficácia publicitária. Para além da repetição: a criatividade como factor potencial de eficácia da comunicação publicitária

Este artigo analisa a questão da eficácia publicitária num contexto de saturação. O reconhecimento da marca ou a recordação da publicidade associada à marca serão sempre, pelo menos, objectivos secundários de uma qualquer campanha publicitária. A eficácia surge assim associada inegavelmente à capacidade de memorização por parte do público-alvo das campanhas. Assim, parece consensual que as bases da eficácia publicitária são a memorização e a frequência publicitária no seu conjunto. Os modelos quantitativos existentes baseados em extensas bases de dados utilizados para estimar os resultados de eficácia utilizam sobretudo a relação cobertura/repetição, mas não chegam para saber qual a real eficácia do anúncio face aos objectivos junto de um determinado target. É possível aumentar a eficácia, através da criatividade, sem aumentar a pressão publicitária. Num contexto de saturação publicitária, o aumento da pressão publicitária não resultará certamente em maior eficácia. A resposta passará pelo poder da criatividade, desde logo nas estratégias do marketing e da comunicação, mas também das próprias mensagens publicitárias e na criatividade ao nível da utilização dos meios, sejam eles mais ou menos tradicionais.

The role of an illiquidity factor in the Portuguese stock market

This study examines the role of illiquidity (proxied by the proportion of zero returns) as an additional risk factor in asset pricing. We use Portuguese monthly data, covering the period between January 1988 and December 2008. We compute an illiquidity factor using the Fama and French [Fama, E. F., and K. R. French (1993), "Common risk factors in the returns on stocks and bonds", Journal of Financial Economics, Vol. 33, Nº. 1, pp. 3-56] procedure and analyze the performance of CAPM, Fama-French three-factor model and illiquidity-augmented versions of these models in explaining both the time-series and the cross-section of returns. Our results reveal that the effect of characteristic liquidity is subsumed by the models considered, but the risk of illiquidity is not priced in the Portuguese stock market.

El estrato socioeconómico como factor predictor del uso constante de condón en adolescentes

OBJETIVO: El estrato socioeconómico juega un rol importante en las desigualdades en salud. En México, la prevalencia más alta de casos de SIDA se encuentra en población de estratos más bajos. El propósito de lo estudio fue describir el estrato socioeconómico (ajustado por variables psicosociales, situacionales y demográficas) como un factor predictor del uso consistente del condón, en adolescentes. MÉTODOS: Se incluyó en el estudio una muestra de una encuesta previa aplicada a 1.410 adolescentes de 15 a 19 años y estratificada por edad, género y estrato socioeconómico de Guadalajara, México. El análisis fue aplicado sobre los 251 adolescentes que reportaron actividad sexual. El análisis estadístico se realizó mediante Ji Cuadrada, t-test, ANOVA y regresión logística. RESULTADOS: La frecuencia de uso consistente de condón fue 30,7% y hubo una prevalencia de uso irregular. El estrato socioeconómico alto fue el principal predictor (OR= 11,1, CI95%= 2,6-47,6). Otros predictores significativos fueron el género masculino, el soporte de los pares y el nivel alto de conocimientos sobre VIH/SIDA. CONCLUSIÓN: El estrato socioeconómico es un importante factor predictor del uso consistente del condón.

Ant colony search algorithm for the optimal power flow problem

To maintain a power system within operation limits, a level ahead planning it is necessary to apply competitive techniques to solve the optimal power flow (OPF). OPF is a non-linear and a large combinatorial problem. The Ant Colony Search (ACS) optimization algorithm is inspired by the organized natural movement of real ants and has been successfully applied to different large combinatorial optimization problems. This paper presents an implementation of Ant Colony optimization to solve the OPF in an economic dispatch context. The proposed methodology has been developed to be used for maintenance and repairing planning with 48 to 24 hours antecipation. The main advantage of this method is its low execution time that allows the use of OPF when a large set of scenarios has to be analyzed. The paper includes a case study using the IEEE 30 bus network. The results are compared with other well-known methodologies presented in the literature.

Microcytic anemia factor no estudo das anemias microcíticas

A anemia ferropénica e a β-Talassemia menor são as anemias microcíticas mais frequentes na prática laboratorial, sendo o seu diagnóstico de extrema importância clínica. O objectivo deste estudo consistiu na análise do poder discriminatório do MAF na caracterização destas anamias. Foi desenvolvido um estudo caso-controlo, tendo sido analisados os hemogramas de um grupo de 47 indivíduos com anemia ferropénica e 37 com β-talassemia, e de um grupo controlo constituído por 58 indivíduos saudáveis. Na diferenciação dos grupos patológicos, apenas a Hemoglobina, o VGM e o RDW apresentaram diferenças significativas. O MAF não demonstrou poder discriminatório relativamente às anemias microcíticas.

A iliteracia financeira como factor de risco para as instituições de crédito portuguesas

Mestrado em Contabilidade e Gestão das Instituições Financeiras

Ant colony system based approach to single machine scheduling problems: weighted tardiness scheduling problem

The paper introduces an approach to solve the problem of generating a sequence of jobs that minimizes the total weighted tardiness for a set of jobs to be processed in a single machine. An Ant Colony System based algorithm is validated with benchmark problems available in the OR library. The obtained results were compared with the best available results and were found to be nearer to the optimal. The obtained computational results allowed concluding on their efficiency and effectiveness.

Cell-specific regulation of acetylcholinesterase expression under inflammatory conditions

Acetylcholine (ACh) has been shown to exert an anti-inflammatory function by down-modulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Its availability can be regulated at different levels, namely at its synthesis and degradation steps. Accordingly, the expression of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), the enzyme responsible for ACh hydrolysis, has been observed to be modulated in inflammation. To further address the mechanisms underlying this effect, we aimed here at characterizing AChE expression in distinct cellular types pivotal to the inflammatory response. This study was performed in the human acute leukaemia monocytyc cell line, THP-1, in human monocyte-derived primary macrophages and in human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). In order to subject these cells to inflammatory conditions, THP-1 and macrophage were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from E.coli and HUVEC were stimulated with the tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Our results showed that although AChE expression was generally up-regulated at the mRNA level under inflammatory conditions, distinct AChE protein expression profiles were aurprisingly observed among the distinct cellular types studied. Altogether, these results argue for the existence of cell specific mechanisms that regulate the expression of acetylcholinesterase in inflammation.

A criação de valor no mercado da saúde enquanto factor diferenciador para a negociação de preços e competitividade em contexto de crise mundial

A criação de valor no mercado da saúde enquanto factor diferenciador para a negociação de preços e competitividade em contexto de crise mundial Numa altura em que o sector da saúde é apontado como uma área crítica de custos, torna-se cada vez mais difícil orientar a contratação em saúde baseada em valor para os pacientes, ou seja, pelos resultados obtidos e não pelo volume de cuidados prestados. Pretendeu-se estudar a criação de valor no mercado da saúde enquanto factor diferenciador para a negociação de preços e competitividade em contexto de crise económica. Procedeu-se à comparação dos resultados operacionais de uma empresa enquanto prestadora de serviços de Oxigenoterapia ao domicílio, tendo por base duas estratégias diferentes: redução directa de preços ou manutenção de preços com criação de valor para o cliente. As propostas foram posteriormente apresentadas para avaliação e votação on-line por um grupo 8 gestores hospitalares. A proposta baseada em valor (Nº2) apresenta melhores resultados operacionais (41%) embora apresente maiores custos. No que se refere à votação das propostas e tendo em conta o cenário apresentado, metade dos gestores optaram pela proposta Nº1 (N=4) e outra metade pela proposta Nº2 (N=4). Contudo, a maioria dos gestores (N=7) consideraram a proposta Nº1 a mais competitiva em contexto de competição com mais fornecedores. Conclui-se que numa negociação de contratos de cuidados de saúde, uma proposta baseada em valor, pode garantir a manutenção dos preços. Todavia, mantendo-se uma situação económica de recessão e num cenário competitivo de vários fornecedores este tipo de propostas pode não eleita, pelo facto de aparentemente não representar ganhos imediatos para a instituição contratante.

Differential expression of the eukaryotic release factor 3 (eRF3/GSPT1) according to gastric cancer histological types

Background: There are now several lines of evidence to suggest that protein synthesis and translation factors are involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and cancer development. Aims: To investigate gene expression patterns of eukaryotic releasing factor 3 (eRF3) in gastric cancer. Methods: RNA was prepared from 25 gastric tumour biopsies and adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa. Real time TaqMan reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to measure the relative gene expression levels. DNA was isolated from tumour and normal tissues and gene dosage was determined by a quantitative real time PCR using SYBR Green dye. Results: Different histological types of gastric tumours were analysed and nine of the 25 tumours revealed eRF3/GSPT1 overexpression; moreover, eight of the 12 intestinal type carcinomas analysed overexpressed the gene, whereas eRF3/GSPT1 was overexpressed in only one of the 10 diffuse type carcinomas (Kruskal-Wallis Test; p , 0.05). No correlation was found between ploidy and transcript expression levels of eRF3/GSPT1. Overexpression of eRF3/GSPT1 was not associated with increased translation rates because the upregulation of eRF3/GSPT1 did not correlate with increased eRF1 levels. Conclusions: Overexpression of eRF3/GSPT1 in intestinal type gastric tumours may lead to an increase in the translation efficiency of specific oncogenic transcripts. Alternatively, eRF3/GSPT1 may be involved in tumorigenesis as a result of its non-translational roles, namely (dis)regulating the cell cycle, apoptosis, or transcription.

Q192R polymorphism of the paraoxonase-1 gene as a risk factor for obesity in Portuguese women

Introduction - Obesity became a major public health problem as a result of its increasing prevalence worldwide. Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is an esterase able to protect membranes and lipoproteins from oxidative modifications. At the PON1 gene, several polymorphisms in the promoter and coding regions have been identified. The aims of this study were i) to assess PON1 L55M and Q192R polymorphisms as a risk factor for obesity in women; ii) to compare PON1 activity according to the expression of each allele in L55M and Q192R polymorphisms; iii) to compare PON1 activity between obese and normal-weight women. Materials and methods - We studied 75 healthy (35.9±8.2 years) and 81 obese women (34.3±8.2 years). Inclusion criteria for obese subjects were body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 and absence of inflammatory/neoplasic conditions or kidney/hepatic dysfunction. The two PON1 polymorphisms were assessed by real-time PCR with TaqMan probes. PON1 enzymatic activity was assessed by spectrophotometric methods, using paraoxon as a substrate. Results - No significant differences were found for PON1 activity between normal and obese women. Nevertheless, PON1 activity was greater (P<0.01) for the RR genotype (in Q192R polymorphism) and for the LL genotype (in L55M polymorphism). The frequency of allele R of Q192R polymorphism was significantly higher in obese women (P<0.05) and was associated with an increased risk of obesity (odds ratio=2.0 – 95% confidence interval (1.04; 3.87)). Conclusion - 55M and Q192R polymorphisms influence PON1 activity. The allele R of the Q192R polymorphism is associated with an increased risk for development of obesity among Portuguese Caucasian premenopausal women.

Modulation of translation factor's gene expression by histone deacetylase inhibitors in breast cancer cells

The histone deacetylase inhibitors sodium butyrate (NaBu) and trichostatin A (TSA) exhibit anti-proliferative activity by causing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The mechanisms by which NaBu and TSA cause apoptosis and cell cycle arrest are not yet completely clarified, although these agents are known to modulate the expression of several genes including cell-cycle- and apoptosis-related genes. The enzymes involved in the process of translation have important roles in controlling cell growth and apoptosis, and several of these translation factors have been described as having a causal role in the development of cancer. The expression patterns of the translation mechanism, namely of the elongation factors eEF1A1 and eEF1A2, and of the termination factors eRF1 and eRF3, were studied in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction after a 24-h treatment with NaBu and TSA. NaBu induced inhibition of translation factors' transcription, whereas TSA caused an increase in mRNA levels. Thus, these two agents may modulate the expression of translation factors through different pathways. We propose that the inhibition caused by NaBu may, in part, be responsible for the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced by this agent in MCF-7 cells.

Mapping non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence: Development and confirmatory factor analysis of the impulse, self-harm and sucidal ideation questionnaire for adolescents (ISSIQ-A)

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is the deliberate, self-inflicted destruction of body tissue without suicidal intent and an important clinical phenomenon. Rates of NSSI appear to be disproportionately high in adolescents and young adults, and is a risk factor for suicidal ideation and behavior. The present study reports the psychometric properties of the Impulse, Self-harm and Suicide Ideation Questionnaire for Adolescents (ISSIQ-A), a measure designed to comprehensively assess the impulsivity, NSSI behaviors and suicide ideation. An additional module of this questionnaire assesses the functions of NSSI. Results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of the scale on 1722 youths showed items' suitability and confirmed a model of four different dimensions (Impulse, Self-harm, Risk-behavior and Suicide ideation) with good fit and validity. Further analysis showed that youth׳s engagement in self-harm may exert two different functions: to create or alleviate emotional states, and to influence social relationships. Our findings contribute to research and assessment on non-suicidal self-injury, suggesting that the ISSIQ-A is a valid and reliable measure to assess impulse, self-harm and suicidal thoughts, in adolescence.