Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2021-06"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 41
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Progression of Ganglion Cell-Inner Plexiform layer thickness in the initial stages of diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic patients: a 5-year longitudinal studyPublication . Tavares, Diana; Madeira, Maria H.; Marques, Inês P.; Santos, Torcato; Santos, Ana Rita; Lobo, Conceição; Cunha-Vaz, JoséDiabetic Retinopathy (DR)is a frequent complication of DiabetesMellitus (DM) andthe main cause of vision loss in the working population in western countries. Diabetic Retinopathy has always been considered a microvascular disease, but it has been suggested that neurodegeneration is also associated with this complex pathology[1], although there is evidence indicating that the neurodegenerative process may progress independently[2]. To evaluate this potential association, we have examined the progression of neurodegeneration over a 5-year period of follow-up (considering thinning of ganglion cell + inner plexiform retinal layers (GCL+IPL) in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and nonproliferative DR) and explored whetheritis associated with microaneurysmturnover (MAT), diseaselevel at baseline and severity progression.
- Visceral obesity is associated with lower stage colon tumors in males without survival advantagePublication . Silva, Ana; Gomes, Francisco; S. Pereira, Sofia; P. Monteiro, Mariana; Araújo, António; Faria, GilVisceral obesity and systemic inflammatory response (SIR) were suggested to be closely related to colon cancer (CC) oncological and surgical outcomes. The first by producing several soluble factors involved in carcinogenesis and the second for having a key role in the nutritional and functional decline of patients with cancer. Furthermore, gender differences in relative body composition and adipose tissue regional distribution have also been acknowledged to influence CC. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether visceral adiposity, stratified by gender, influenced CC staging and prognosis. As secondary aim, this study evaluated whether visceral adiposity and SIR markers were associated with CC pathological features so that these could be used in clinical practice to predict disease outcomes and potentially influence therapeutic decisions. Case records from patients (n = 300) submitted to CC surgical resection at a single tertiary hospital were retrospectively reviewed to retrieve clinical, laboratory, imaging and pathological data. Visceral fat area was quantified by computerized morphometric analysis in preoperative tomography scans. Visceral obesity was defined as visceral fat area ≥160 cm2 for men and ≥80 cm2 for women. Preoperative full blood count performed as part of the routine clinical assessment at the hospital laboratory was used to obtain C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and to calculate neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), which were used as SIR markers. One hundred and forty-three (n = 143) patients fulfilled eligibility criteria and were included in the analysis. Patients with high-visceral adipose tissue (vAT) had smaller size CC tumors (p < 0.001), earlier T-stage disease (p = 0.027) and lower nodal involvement (p = 0.039). In gender subgroup analysis, these findings were only confirmed in males. Moreover, male patients with high-vAT also had a lower proportion of metastatic nodes (p = 0.021) and metastatic to dissected lymph node ratio (p = 0.030). Additionally, patients with high-vAT also had lower PLR (p = 0.001). CC survival was not influenced by visceral obesity, gender nor SIR. In conclusion, our study shows that male patients with high visceral adiposity have lower PLR levels and earlier stage tumors. Furthermore, our data suggests that visceral obesity and SIR despite being associated with earlier stage CC tumors do not seem to present a survival advantage.
- Simulação de Sinal ECG PatológicoPublication . Alves, JoaquimNa prática clínica e em particular no processo de diagnóstico, a avaliação das funções cardíaca e respiratória é suportada por eletrocardiograma e auscultação. São exames não invasivos, rápidos e baratos de realizar e fáceis de interpretar. Por esses motivos, esse tipo de avaliação é uma constante no dia a dia do clínico e as informações obtidas são essências para a tomada de decisão. Assim, é imprescindível que durante a sua formação, os estudantes de disciplinas da área da saúde adquiram competências na aquisição e avaliação dos referidos sinais fisiológicos. A simulação, considerando as possibilidades tecnológicas da atualidade, é uma excelente ferramenta de preparação, pois expõe os formandos a contextos próximos dos reais, mas sem os riscos associados. Por estas razões, a simulação de sinais fisiológicos desempenha um papel importante na formação de profissionais de saúde, profissionais de bioengenharia e também no desenvolvimento e calibração de dispositivos médicos. Esta apresentação descreve um projeto de desenvolvimento, no âmbito da unidade curricular de Projeto ou Estágio. O objetivo principal é o de aprimorar um manequim simulador existente no Centro Biomédico de Simulação CHP-ICBAS e teve início há mais de 2 anos. O sistema desenvolvido permite, de forma integrada através de uma interface gráfica, gerar sinais sincronizados de eletrocardiograma (ECG), fonocardiograma (PCG) e de sons respiratórios, sendo possível simular a introdução de diferentes distúrbios nos sinais.
- Real-world data of ADR reports in signal detection - DME perspectivePublication . Marques Rodrigues, N.; Silva, A.The Designated Medical Event (DME) is a serious medical event that isoften causally associated with medicines. This way, EMA has developed a list of DME,through Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA). The list is used bythe EMA and Member States to focus on suspected adverse drug reaction(ADR) re-ports that deserve special attention, irrespective of statistical criteria used to pri-oritise safety reviews. DME search in ADR reports is one of the methods used todetect safety signals. The objective of our study is to identify and characterize thereports of ADR that contain the DME, in Portugal.Methods:A retrospective studywas conducted to identify and characterize the spontaneous ADR reports with DME,occurred in Portugal, between 2014 to 2019. A descriptive analysis was performed forthe following data: type of notifier (consumer or healthcare professional), medicinesclassified by the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Code, ADR coded with MedDRAand description of ADR in the summary of product characteristics (SmPC).Results:During this 5-year period, the Portuguese Pharmacovigilance Systemreceived 15344 reports, of these 1335 correspond to reports with DME (1305 byhealthcare professionals; 30 by consumers). The annual percentage of reports withDME has been increasing, with the exception of the last year. The most frequent ATCgroup with or without DME is“Antiinfectives For Systemic Use”. The most frequentSystem Organ Classes of the reports with the DME is“Skin and subcutaneous tissuedisorders”. Of the 1335 reports with DME terms, 130 of these reports are notdescribed in the SmPC.Conclusions:It is important to obtain real-word data,especially in the area of drug safety, because it is a way to prevent ADR. In this way,notifiers should be made aware of the importance of sharing data related to ADR,thus increasing knowledge about the safety profile of medicines.
- Firefighters occupational exposure assessment: a systematic literature reviewPublication . Teixeira, Tatiana; Dias, Isabel; Santos, Joana; Bustos, Denisse; Guedes, J.C.Over the years, the evolution of forest fires has occurred as a result of the evolution of the human species. However, forest fires are still a major challenge for society, placing firefighters with greater occupational exposure. The present study has as main objective to carry out a systematic review of the literature on the main techniques and variables for assessing the occupational exposure of firefighters, during the fight against forest fires. The systematic review utilised The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statementmethodology. This methodology was applied in the Scopus, Web of Science, Pubmed and Academic Search Complete databases with different keywords. The review will include articles written in English only. In the present study, 34 articles were included, in which it was found that exposure to smoking is the most studied variable, and it was in 2019 that a greater evolution of studies in this area of research was observed. Regarding the variables, the studies were organised in groups. Here it is possible to check the different variables selected by the authors and the methods and equipment applied.Discussion: The fact that firefighters carry out their tasks in diverse scenarios and extreme conditions has hindered the application of innovative equipment. It is necessary to combine different variables and equipment for the assessment of occupational exposure. However, it is not always possible to develop this type of equipment in order to be inserted from the user's perspective, from the perspective of the environment, where it will be applied, and from an economic perspective, making it difficult to effectively apply it in the field. As future perspectives, it is recommended that new variables are introduced together, in order to improve the assessment of occupational exposure, namely, through the use of carbon monoxide (CO) and lactate assessment.
- Association between physical activity, functional fitness and fall risk in the elderly: a cross-sectional population-based study from the Oporto regionPublication . Carmo, Paulo Jorge Quintela Cardoso do; César, Adjane P.; Santos, Rubim; Carvalho, Joana M.Falls among the elderly are important clinical and health problems being one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Its high incidence and functional and social repercussions cause a significant financial burden on older adults, health systems and communities. According to different methodologies, the relationship between fall risk, physical activity and physical fitness found some inconsistent results. This study aims to examine the association between objective physical activity (PA) levels, fall risk (FR) and different components of functional fitness (FF) creating an appropriate model to explain variability in fall risk. Methods: One hundred and seventy elderly adults (72.34±6.70 years old, 124 female), completed a Functional-Fitness-Test (FFT) and a Performance-Orientated-Mobility-Assessment (POMA). Ambulatory-PA was assessed by 7-day accelerometry. Pearson’s correlation was used to verify association between FR, PA and FF. Analyses were adjusted either for gender, age, or both. Inferential stepwise multiple linear regression (MLR) was used to investigate the impact of PA and components of FF on FR. RESULTS: MLR Showed that FR variability was mainly explained by motor agility (46.0%) and also by lower-body strength (14.1%) independently, and 49% when associated. Physical activity and also age were excluded from the models. MLR analysis by gender, only motor agility explains fall risk variability, more in female (45.0%) than in male (23.6%). The authors concluded that low motor agility and lower-body strength may increase fall risk. However, further evidence from a prospective study is required to establish directions of causality between physical activity behavior and risk of falls.
- Integrated shoe upper system for accessing dorsal pressures in the diabetic foot: A preliminary approachPublication . Martins, Pedro; Coelho, Luis; Marques, Maria ArcelinaDiabetic foot is one of the most serious complications affecting the feet of diabetic patients; These patients begin to lose protective skin sensitivity in their feet and are at risk for trauma, infection, ulceration and, in more serious cases, amputation.
- Inclined Substrate Deposition of Nanostructured TiO2 Thin Films for DSSC ApplicationPublication . Meng, Lijian; Yang, TaoNanostructured TiO2 films were deposited onto Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) and glass substrates by dc reactive magnetron sputtering at different substrate inclination angles. The structural and optical properties of the deposited films were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-Vis spectrophotometer, respectively. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) were assembled using these TiO2 films as photoelectrodes and the effect of the substrate inclination angle in the preparing process of TiO2 films on the DSSC conversion efficiency was studied.
- Optimal multi-field functional electrical stimulation parameters for the “Turn on the Light” task and related upper limb kinematics repeatability in post stroke subjectsPublication . Sousa, Andreia; Mesquita, Inês Albuquerque; Silva, Cláudia; Silva, Augusta; Macedo, Rui; Imatz-Ojanguren, Eukene; Hernandez, Erik; Keller, Thierry; Moreira, Juliana; Filipe Pereira da Fonseca, Pedro; Santos, RubimTo characterize the optimal Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) parameters that assist the “turn on the light” task (TOTL) on post stroke participants and to analyze the related upper limb (UL) kinematics repeatability.
- Efeito dos anúncios de fusões e aquisições no retorno acionista de empresas portuguesasPublication . Lobo, Bruno Filipe Silva; Gomes, Luís PereiraMergers and / or acquisitions (M&A) are important business operations that can help companies diversify their businesses, in order to become stronger and more competitive. Most of these operations take place in international markets and between large companies, being the main object of present scientific research. The main objective of this dissertation is to investigate the impact of the announcement of M&A transactions, which have occurred between Portuguese companies since 2000, in the quotation of the respective shares, namely in terms of abnormal returns. The empirical study involves 29 integration operations and the methodology used is that of the study of events. The models proposed by Beaver and Mackinlay were applied to answer the research questions. The results suggest that M&A transactions cause the offering companies to accumulate negative average abnormal returns slightly higher than the average positive abnormal returns over an extended period. Regarding the target companies, the net loss was more pronounced. However, in a more circumscribed analysis, the impact of the news and the accumulation of abnormal returns are clearly identified. The evidence also indicates that the abnormal returns of companies involved in restructuring operations tend to disappear about a week after the announcement date and that they tend to stabilize more quickly in the targeted companies. Moreover, the empirical work also demonstrates that the integration operations provoke strong reactions in the returns of the companies involved. These impacts were more intense in the target companies, especially on the date of the announcement of the operation, with the creation of statistically significant value.