A historical note on an imported case of loiasis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1964

Loiasis is a filarial disease transmitted by the Chrysops spp. tabanid flies in West and Central Africa. It is most commonly diagnosed by the clinical manifestations of Calabar swellings (transient localized inflammatory edema) or, most dramatically, by the appearance of a migrating worm through the conjunctival tissues or the bridge of the nose. We report the case of a 35-year-old resident in the city of Rio de Janeiro who displayed a moving Loa loa in the bulbar conjunctival tissue two years after returning from a six-month trip to Uganda. Surgical removal of the worm was performed.

HISTORICAL SERIES OF PATIENTS WITH VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS TREATED WITH MEGLUMINE ANTIMONIATE IN A HOSPITAL FOR TROPICAL DISEASES, MACEIÓ-AL, BRAZIL

Introduction: Visceral leishmaniasis is an endemic protozoan found in Brazil. It is characterized by fever, pallor, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, and progressive weakness in the patient. It may lead to death if untreated. The drug of choice for treatment is meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime®). The aim of this study was to evaluate patients with visceral leishmaniasis according to criteria used for diagnosis, possible reactions to Glucantime® and blood pressure measured before and after treatment. Methods: 89 patients admitted to the Teaching Hospital Dr. Hélvio Auto (HEHA) in Maceió-AL, in the period from May 2006 to December 2009 were evaluated. Data were collected on age, sex, origin, method of diagnosis, adverse effects of drugs, duration of hospitalization, duration of treatment and dosage up to the onset of adverse effects. Results: There was a predominance of child male patients, aged between one and five years old, from the interior of the State of Alagoas. Parasitological diagnosis was made by bone marrow aspirate; three (3.37%) patients died, 12 (13.48%) had adverse reactions and treatment was changed to amphotericin B, and 74 (83.14%) were cured. Changes that led to replacing Glucantime® were persistent fever, jaundice, rash, bleeding and cyanosis. Conclusion: During the study, 89 patients hospitalized for VL were analyzed: 74 were healed, 12 were replaced by amphotericin B treatment and three died. Most of them were under five years old, male and came from the interior. The dosage and duration of treatment with Glucantime® were consistent with that advocated by the Ministry of Health. Persistence of fever, jaundice, rash, cyanosis and bleeding were the reactions that led the physician to modify treatment. No change was observed in blood pressure before and after treatment. This study demonstrated the work of a hospital, a reference in the treatment of leishmaniasis, which has many patients demanding its services in this area. It demonstrates that this disease is still important today, and needs to be addressed properly to prevent injury and death due to the disease.

The Photoreceptor Cell-Specific Nuclear Receptor Gene (PNR ) Accounts for Retinitis Pigmentosa in the Crypto-Jews from Portugal (Marranos), Survivors from the Spanish Inquisition

The last Crypto-Jews (Marranos) are the survivors of Spanish Jews who were persecuted in the late fifteenth century, escaped to Portugal and were forced to convert to save their lives. Isolated groups still exist in mountainous areas such as Belmonte in the Beira-Baixa province of Portugal. We report here the genetic study of a highly consanguineous endogamic population of Crypto-Jews of Belmonte affected with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (RP). A genome-wide search for homozygosity allowed us to localize the disease gene to chromosome 15q22-q24 (Zmax=2.95 at θ=0 at the D15S131 locus). Interestingly, the photoreceptor cell-specific nuclear receptor (PNR) gene, the expression of which is restricted to the outer nuclear layer of retinal photoreceptor cells, was found to map to the YAC contig encompassing the disease locus. A search for mutations allowed us to ascribe the RP of Crypto-Jews of Belmonte to a homozygous missense mutation in the PNR gene. Preliminary haplotype studies support the view that this mutation is relatively ancient but probably occurred after the population settled in Belmonte.

Historical Roots of Histrionic Personality Disorder

Histrionic Personality Disorder is one of the most ambiguous diagnostic categories in psychiatry. Hysteria is a classical term that includes a wide variety of psychopathological states. Ancient Egyptians and Greeks blamed a displaced womb, for many women's afflictions. Several researchers from the 18th and 19th centuries studied this theme, namely, Charcot who defined hysteria as a "neurosis" with an organic basis and Sigmund Freud who redefined "neurosis" as a re-experience of past psychological trauma. Histrionic personality disorder (HPD) made its first official appearance in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders II (DSM-II) and since the DSM-III, HPD is the only disorder that kept the term derived from the old concept of hysteria. The subject of hysteria has reflected positions about health, religion and relationships between the sexes in the last 4000 years, and the discussion is likely to continue.

Lime-metakaolin mortars for historical buildings repair: study of the hardening reaction

International Conference Durable Structures: from construction to rehabilitation. Lisbon, LNEC, 31 May-1 June 2012

Vista Alegre: the decline of an historical company

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

Chromatic reintegration of historical mortars with lime-based pozzolanic consolidant products

3rd Historic Mortars Conference, 11-14 September 2013, Glasgow, Scotland

Introduction: digital methods and tools for historical research

As an introduction to a series of articles focused on the exploration of particular tools and/or methods to bring together digital technology and historical research, the aim of this paper is mainly to highlight and discuss in what measure those methodological approaches can contribute to improve analytical and interpretative capabilities available to historians. In a moment when the digital world present us with an ever-increasing variety of tools to perform extraction, analysis and visualization of large amounts of text, we thought it would be relevant to bring the digital closer to the vast historical academic community. More than repeating an idea of digital revolution introduced in the historical research, something recurring in the literature since the 1980s, the aim was to show the validity and usefulness of using digital tools and methods, as another set of highly relevant tools that the historians should consider. For this several case studies were used, combining the exploration of specific themes of historical knowledge and the development or discussion of digital methodologies, in order to highlight some changes and challenges that, in our opinion, are already affecting the historians' work, such as a greater focus given to interdisciplinarity and collaborative work, and a need for the form of communication of historical knowledge to become more interactive.

Durability to marine environment of innovative products for consolidation and chromatic reintegration of historical renders

9th International Masonry Conference 2014, 7-9 July, Universidade do Minho, Guimarães

Consolidation and chromatic reintegration of historical renders with lime-based pozzolanic products

Historical renders are exposed to several degradation processes that can lead to a wide range of anomalies,such as scaling, detachments, and pulverization. Among the common anomalies, the loss of cohesion and of adhesion are usually identified as the most difficult to repair; these anomalies still need to be deeply studied to design compatible, durable, and sustainable conservation treatments. The restitution of render cohesion can be achieved using consolidating products. Nevertheless, repair treatments could induce aesthetic alterations, and, therefore, are usually followed by chromatic reintegration. This work aims to study the effectiveness of mineral products as consolidants for lime-based mortars and simultaneously as chromatic treatments for pigmented renders. The studied consolidating products are prepared by mixing air lime,metakaolin, water, and mineral pigments. The idea of these consolidating and coloring products rises from a traditional lime-based technique, the limewash, widely diffused in southern Europe and in the Mediterranean area. Consolidating products were applied and tested on lime-based mortar specimens with a low binder–aggregate ratio and therefore with reduced cohesion. A physico-mechanical, microstructural, and mineralogical characterization was performed on untreated and treated specimens, in order to evaluate the efficacy and durability of the treatments. Accelerated aging tests were also performed to assess consolidant durability, when subjected to aggressive conditions. Results showed that the consolidants tested are compatible, effective, and possess good durability.

Historical analysis of the records of sylvan yellow fever in the State of Amazonas, Brazil, from 1996 to 2009

IntroductionYellow fever is a non-contagious infectious disease, highly lethal, transmitted by the Aedes, Haemagogus and Sabethes.MethodsDescriptive retrospective study of the yellow fever cases in Amazonas, between 1996 and 2009.ResultsForty two cases of yellow fever were confirmed, with 30 deaths, 10% of which were foreigners.ConclusionsThe presence of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in both rural Amazonas and its capital demonstrates the dispersion of these vectors and underscores the need for better and continuous epidemiological and entomological control.

The quest for growth in the German organic food retail market: Historical trends, current strategies, and future outlook

This paper aims to provide strategies for the organic supermarket chain “Alnatura” to shape the demand and its market share of the organic food & beverage (F&B) market in Germany within the next five years. Through the historic evolution and the current market assessment of Germany, compared to a benchmark country (US), as well as prospective trends in Germany, reasons and opportunities for market growth are evaluated. In addition, an industry attractiveness, competitor and company analysis is executed. Based on those findings and a conducted survey, suggestions to adjust Alnatura´s current business strategies are deduced and finally examined on its risk and feasibility.

The Environmental History of Cetaceans in Portugal: Ten Centuries of Whale and Dolphin Records

The history between cetaceans and humans is documented throughout time not only in reports, descriptions, and tales but also in legal documents, laws and regulations, and tithes. This wealth of information comes from the easy spotting and identification of individuals due to their large size, surface breathing, and conspicuous above water behaviour. This work is based on historical sources and accounts accounting for cetacean presence for the period between the 12th and 17th centuries, as well as scientific articles, newspapers, illustrations, maps, non-published scientific reports, and other grey literature from the 18th century onwards. Information on whale use in Portugal's mainland has been found since as early as the 12th century and has continued to be created throughout time. No certainty can be given for medieval and earlier events, but both scavenging of stranded whales or use of captured ones may have happened. There is an increasing number of accounts of sighted, stranded, used, or captured cetaceans throughout centuries which is clearly associated with a growing effort towards the study of these animals. Scientific Latin species denominations only started to be registered from the 18th century onwards, as a consequence of the evolution of natural sciences in Portugal and increasing interest from zoologists. After the 19th century, a larger number of observations were recorded, and from the 20th century to the present day, regular scientific records have been collected. Research on the environmental history of cetaceans in Portugal shows a several-centuries-old exploitation of whales and dolphins, as resources mainly for human consumption, followed in later centuries by descriptions of natural history documenting strandings and at sea encounters. Most cetaceans species currently thought to be present in Portuguese mainland waters were at some point historically recorded.

From "Humanities and Computing" to "Digital Humanities": Digital Humanities in Portugal with a focus on Historical Research

In the following text I will develop three major aspects. The first is to draw attention to those who seem to have been the disciplinary fields where, despite everything, the Digital Humanities (in the broad perspective as will be regarded here) have asserted themselves in a more comprehensive manner. I think it is here that I run into greater risks, not only for what I have mentioned above, but certainly because a significant part, perhaps, of the achievements and of the researchers might have escaped the look that I sought to cast upon the past few decades, always influenced by my own experience and the work carried out in the field of History. But this can be considered as a work in progress and it is open to criticism and suggestions. A second point to note is that emphasis will be given to the main lines of development in the relationship between historical research and digital methodologies, resources and tools. Finally, I will try to make a brief analysis of what has been the Digital Humanities discourse appropriation in recent years, with very debatable data and methods for sure, because studies are still scarce and little systematic information is available that would allow to go beyond an introductory reflection.