An assessment of the social and economic cohesion aspects of the development of the information society in Europe

Neste trabalho pretende consolidar-se a contribuição portuguesa para o estudo comunitário “Na Assessment of the Social and Economic Cohesion Aspects of the Development of the Information Society in Europe” elaborado por um consórcio europeu liderado pela Nexus Europe e em que intervém o ISEGI- Instituto Superior de Estatística e Gestão de Informação, da Universidade Nova de Lisboa, como parceiro nacional português.

Enhancing physical activity coaching through personalized motivational strategies and self-adaptive goal-setting: development of self-adaptive processes in a monitoring and coaching smartphone application

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Mestre em Engenharia Biomédica

The impact of poor power quality in solar photovoltaic microgeneration: technical problems and losses of revenue

This paper presents a critical and quantitative analysis of the influence of the Power Quality in grid connected solar photovoltaic microgeneration installations. First are introduced the main regulations and legislation related with the solar photovoltaic microgeneration, in Portugal and Europe. Next are presented Power Quality monitoring results obtained from two residential solar photovoltaic installations located in the north of Portugal, and is explained how the Power Quality events affect the operation of these installations. Afterwards, it is described a methodology to estimate the energy production losses and the impact in the revenue caused by the abnormal operation of the electrical installation. This is done by comparing the amount of energy that was injected into the power grid with the theoretical value of energy that could be injected in normal conditions. The performed analysis shows that Power Quality severally affects the solar photovoltaic installations operation. The losses of revenue in the two monitored installations M1 and M2 are estimated in about 27% and 22%, respectively.

Desarrollo de fotosensibilizadores con aplicaciones en la inactivación fotodinámica de microorganismos. Development of photosensitizer with applications in the photodynamic inactivation of microorganisms.

El plan propone desarrollar nuevas agentes fotosensibilizadores derivados de macrociclos pirrólicos con aplicaciones en la inactivación fotodinámica (PDI) de microorganismos. La propuesta abarca el desarrollo de procedimientos apropiados para la síntesis de compuestos derivados de porfirinas, subftalocianinas y ftalocianinas sustituidas en la periferia por grupos que permitan aumentar la actividad biológica. Con la finalidad de incrementar la incorporación intracelular y la actividad fotodinámica se evaluarán sensibilizadores con distinta distribución y número de cargas, en los cuales se ha incrementado el carácter anfifílico por la presencia de grupos lipofílicos y catiónicos. La combinación de un fotosensibilizador con un compuesto antifúngico está diseñada para aumentar la eficiencia en la inactivación de hongos. También serán evaluadas superficies antimicrobianas recubiertas con una película de fotosensibilizadores. En primera instancia, la actividad fotodinámica de los nuevos agentes fototerapéuticos serán evaluados en sistemas biomiméticos conteniendo sustratos biológicamente activos. Los estudios in vitro serán realizados en cultivos de bacterias y levaduras. Esta aplicación presenta considerable importancia en la inactivación de microorganismos patógenos que crecen in vivo en un foco localizado de infección, en la desinfección de fluidos biológicos y aguas contaminadas con microbios resistentes.

E3 ubiquitin ligase Praja1 inhibits the development of a neuronal phenotype in PC12 cells

Magdeburg, Univ., Med. Fak., Diss., 2015

Morphology and development of the postcranial skeleton in the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (Ostariophysi: Siluriformes) / Terry Grande, Judith D. Shardo.

n.s. no.99(2002)

The Development of Radiation Oncology Services in Ireland

The Development of Radiation Oncology Services in Ireland The provision of a high quality radiation oncology service is one of the cornerstones of a modern treatment programme for cancer patients. Timely and equitable access to a radiation oncology service of the highest international standard should be available to all cancer patients in Ireland and it was the achievement of this goal that guided and motivated the group in producing this report and its accompanying recommendations. Click here to download PDF 46kb

The Development of Radiation Oncology Services in Ireland

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Elevated energy expenditure and reduced energy intake in obese prepubertal children: paradox of poor dietary reliability in obesity?

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of two common methods used to assess energy intake. A 3-day weighed dietary record and a dietary history were collected and compared with the total daily energy expenditure (TEE) assessed by the heart rate method in a group of 12 obese and 12 nonobese prepubertal children (mean age 9.3 +/- 1.1 years vs 9.3 +/- 0.4 years). The TEE value was higher in obese than in nonobese children (9.89 +/- 1.08 vs 8.13 +/- 1.39 MJ/day; p < 0.01). Energy intake assessed by the dietary record was significantly lower than TEE in the obese children (7.06 +/- 0.98 MJ/day; p < 0.001) but comparable to TEE in the nonobese children (8.03 +/- 0.99 MJ/day; p = not significant). Energy intake assessed by diet history was lower than TEE in the obese children (8.37 +/- 1.35 MJ/day, p < 0.05) but close to TEE in the nonobese children (8.64 +/- 1.54 MJ/day, p = not significant). These results suggest that obese children underreport food intake and that the dietary record and the diet history are not valid means of assessing energy intake in obese prepubertal children.

Effect of the Aedes fluviatilis saliva on the development of Plasmodium gallinaceum infection in Gallus (gallus) domesticus

Effect of Aedes fluviatilis saliva on the development of Plasmodium gallinaceum experimental infection in Gallus (gallus) domesticus was studied in distinct aspects. Chickens subcutaneously infected with sporozoites in the presence of the mosquito salivary gland homogenates (SGH) showed higher levels of parasitaemia when compared to those ones that received only the sporozoites. However, the parasitaemia levels were lower among chickens previously immunized by SGH or non-infected mosquito bites compared to the controls, which did not receive saliva. High levels of anti-saliva antibodies were observed in those immunized chickens. Moreover, 53 and 102 kDa saliva proteins were recognized by sera from immunized chickens. After the sporozoite challenge, the chickens also showed significant levels of anti-sporozoite antibodies. However, the ability to generate anti-sporozoites antibodies was not correlated to the saliva immunization. Our results suggest that mosquito saliva components enhance P. gallinaceum parasite development in naive chickens. However, the prior exposure of chickens to salivary components controls the parasitemia levels in infected individuals.

Development of Schistosoma mansoni worms in mice analyzed by bright field and confocal microscopy

The blood flukes of mammals (Digenea: Schistosomatidae) are among trematodes unique whose adult worms have separeted sexes which are dissimilar in appearance. The developmental features, growth and organogenesis of Schistosoma mansoni were studied in Swiss Webster mice by a digital system for image analysis and confocal microscopy. Data so far obtained showed two phases with significative morphological changes at 3-4 weeks post-infection, and a gradual similar development onwards in the reproductive system and tegument. Our male-dependent phase demonstrated that mating occurs before sexual maturing. At week three, the majority of male worms (59%) had formed the gynaecophoric canal although testicular lobes and tegumental tubercles were absent. By this time, 33% females had an incipient ovary (without cellular differentiation). At week four, 77.2% males presented testicular lobes with few germinative cells while 26% had developing tegumental tubercles. The immature ovary was observed in 69% females. Suckers followed different pattern of growth between male and females. The size of oral and ventral suckers from six-week-old male worms grew abruptly (3.0 fold) more than that of three-week-old. In female worms, maximum growth was attained at week four, reducing in size thereafter. From sixth week onwards, all specimens showed the fully developed reproductive system. Probably, these features are morphological traits which schistosome has experienced from hermaphrodite to dioecy.

Appropriateness of respiratory care: development of evidence-based guidelines in an acute care hospital

Background: Respiratory care is universally recognised as useful, but its indications and practice vary markedly. In order to improve appropriateness of respiratory care in our hospital, we developed evidence-based local guidelines in a collaborative effort involving physiotherapists, physicians, and health services researchers. Methods: Recommendations were developed using the standardised RAND appropriateness method. A literature search was performed for the period between 1995 and 2008 based on terms associated with guidelines and with respiratory care. Publications were assessed according to the Oxford classification of quality of evidence. A working group prepared proposals for recommendations which were then independently rated by a multidisciplinary expert panel. All recommendations were then discussed in common and indications for procedures were rated confidentially a second time by the experts. Each indication for respiratory care was classified as appropriate, uncertain, or inappropriate, based on the panel median rating and the degree of intra-panel agreement. Results: Recommendations were formulated for the following procedures: non-invasive ventilation, continuous positive airway pressure, intermittent positive pressure breathing, intrapulmonary percussive ventilation, mechanical insufflation-exsufflation, incentive spirometry, positive expiratory pressure, nasotracheal suctioning, noninstrumental airway clearance techniques. Each recommendation referred to a particular medical condition, and was assigned to a hierarchical category based on the quality of evidence from literature supporting the recommendation and on the consensus of experts. Conclusion: Despite a marked heterogeneity of scientific evidence, the method used allowed us to develop commonly agreed local guidelines for respiratory care. In addition, this work fostered a closer relationship between physiotherapists and physicians in our institution.

Potential value of biliary CEA assay in early detection of colorectal adenocarcinoma liver metastases.

Elevation of the biliary CEA level in patients with liver metastases from colorectal carcinoma has been reported. The aim of this study is to determine the potential value of biliary CEA assay in the early detection of liver metastases. Biliary and serum CEA levels were determined in patients operated on for a colorectal cancer and in control groups. Among 13 patients with liver metastases from colorectal carcinomas, biliary CEA levels were markedly elevated (> 40 ng/ml) in nine, moderately elevated (5-40 ng/ml) in two and normal (arbitrarily defined as < 5 ng/ml) in two. Of 28 patients with primary colorectal carcinoma without detectable hepatic secondaries, three had marked CEA elevation in the bile, 10 had moderate CEA elevation and 15 had normal levels. Among nine patients with non-malignant hepatobiliary pathology, there was one marked biliary CEA elevation, one moderate elevation and seven normal levels. None of the 13 individuals with no identified hepatobiliary pathology had elevated biliary CEA levels. The follow-up of patients with a primary colorectal tumour, no evidence of hepatic secondaries and a biliary CEA elevation is of particular interest. If subsequent appearance of liver metastases is found in such cases, intra-operative biliary CEA assay could be considered a valuable diagnostic test. Further studies will then have to prove the possible benefit of a specific treatment for this group of patients.