Influência dos cancros ginecológicos e de mama no ajustamento conjugal

Tese de mestrado integrado em Psicologia (Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde - Núcleo de Saúde e Doença), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação, 2008Nesta investigação pretende-se avaliar a influência dos cancros ginecológicos ou de mama no nível de ajustamento conjugal, através da percepção retrospectiva da mulher. A visão prospectiva da mulher acerca do ajustamento marital também é objectivo deste estudo. Desta amostra fizeram parte 17 mulheres com cancro ginecológico ou de mama. Estas encontravam-se em período de internamento depois da cirurgia. Foi aplicada às participantes uma tradução da Revisão da Escala de Ajustamento Diádico (Busby, Christensen, Crane & Larson, 1995) duas vezes, a primeira baseada na fase até o conhecimento do diagnóstico, e a segunda referente ao período desde o conhecimento do diagnóstico até ao pós-cirurgico. Por último, realizou-se uma entrevista semiestruturada, que visava explorar as diferenças nas respostas da Escala nos dois momentos, o apoio do companheiro na doença e a percepção futura do nível de ajustamento conjugal. Os resultados mostraram que existe um aumento no nível de ajustamento marital na fase posterior ao diagnóstico. Ainda que algumas participantes tenham afirmado a inexistência de alterações na vida conjugal depois do diagnóstico, outras manifestaram a implementação de mudanças positivas, como a aproximação do casal. Estas percepções levam a que o futuro do casal não seja uma preocupação para estas mulheres, que reconhecem a importância do apoio do marido neste processo. Apesar das dificuldades com que estes casais se deparam ao longo desta vivência, estas mulheres reconhecem a existência de aspectos positivos que decorrem da mesma.The aim of the present study is to assess the influence of gynaecologic and breast cancer on the marital adjustment level, through a woman’s retrospective perception. The woman’s prospective perception is an additional aim of this study. Data was collected on 17 women with gynaecologic and breast cancer. These women were hospitalised, after the surgery. The participants answered a Portuguese translation of the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS; Busby, Christensen, Crane, & Larson, 1995). This scale was applied twice, the first application was carried out in the period before diagnosis, and the second application took place during the phase since diagnosis knowledge up to the moment after surgery. Finally, a semi-structured interview was conducted to explore the different responses of these two moments assessed by the scale, as well as the husband’s support through the illness and the woman’s future perception of the adjustment marital level. The results indicate that there is an increase in the marital adjustment level in the post-diagnosis phase. Although some participants affirmed that there were no changes in conjugal life after diagnosis, others revealed positive changes like an increase in the couple’s closeness. These perceptions imply that these women are not concerned with the future status of their relationship and that they recognise their husband’s support through this process. In spite of the difficulties encountered by these couples living through the process of this disease, these women are able to recognise the positive outcomes that are derived from it

A Valorização da Enfermagem no Enfrentamento da COVID-19

Currently, Nursing is the profession that represents the largest health workforce in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and was considered, for the 17th consecutive year, according to the research carried out by the Gallup Organization, to most reliable and ethical profession among all evaluated. In Brazil, according to data from the Federal Nursing Council (COFEN), there are more than 2.3 million nursing professionals (including nurses, technicians, assistants and midwives) who work in the scope of care, management, teaching and research.Atualmente a Enfermagem é a profissão que representa a maior força de trabalho na área da saúde no mundo, segundo a Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS), e foi considerada, pelo 17º ano consecutivo, de acordo com a pesquisa realizada pela Organização Gallup, a profissão mais confiável e ética dentre todas as avaliadas. No Brasil, conforme dados com Conselho Federal de Enfermagem (COFEN), existem mais de 2,3 milhões de profissionais da Enfermagem (incluindo enfermeiros, técnicos, auxiliares e parteiras) que atuam no âmbito da assistência, da gestão, do ensino e da pesquisa

Management of the celebrities’ self-brand on social media by celebrity agencies

Social media have brought the opportunity for regular people to become famous. However, it has also given the possibility for celebrities, who were known for being actors, singers, sportsmen, among others, to have a new medium for communication to their audiences. Over the last years, regular celebrities have taken up the role of digital influencers. Celebrities as influencers have millions of people following every post about their private lives or work related. This following has allowed many celebrities to do partnerships with brands, share their daily lives, have a stronger relationship with fans but also throughout to create a self-brand online that helps distinguish themselves from the competition. Agencies of celebrity marketing have an important role in creating a brand for a celebrity. Agents aim for the biggest financial return but also help celebrities on establishing an online brand that is coherent, authentic and the audience connect with it. This dissertation is an overview of celebrities’ presence on social media, but also an analysis of how influencer marketing has renewed the way celebrities are perceived by the public and the significance that a self-brand has for its success. The study focuses on the role that agencies have in developing the celebrities’ brands, with the main research question How do agencies construct the self-brand of a celebrity on social media?. To answer this question, the study has applied two different methods: interviews with agents that work on influencer marketing and content analysis on celebrities’ social media profiles. In this dissertation it was concluded that agencies have an important role on helping celebrities evolve their identities into a self-brand and aid them on the monetization of it. Agencies create a strategy around a celebrity brand and manage it. Agencies advise celebrities in which brands should they work it and how to seem authentic and coherent. Through professional and personal contents, a celebrity defines a brand, and a strategic communication is the tool for sharing it with the public

Determination of Mechanical Properties of Thin Film Materials Used in Oxide TFTs Toward Advanced Material Models

With an increasing demand for improvement and innovation in the field of microelectronics, flexible electronics, driven by applications that range from displays to medical devices, has gained much relevance in recent years. Thin film transistors (TFTs) are the main building block for flexible microelectronic systems, but a better understanding of the mechanical properties of the constituent thin film materials is necessary to design more reliable microelectronic devices to be used in mechanically harsh environments. This work aims to extract a set of mechanical properties of thin film materials used in flexible oxide TFTs and based on that, parameterize material models for Finite Elements Analysis (FEA). To acquire data for these material models, films from different materials are fabricated on silicon substrates. For assessing the impact of thickness and annealing process on the mechanical properties of the thin films, several samples of the same material are fabricated with distinct specifications. This study is divided into two workflows for extracting two distinct sets of parameters. For films composed of metals (Mo), semiconductors (IGZO) and dielectrics (Ta2O5 and Ta2O5/SiO2), the hardness and, as the main parameter, Young´s modulus, are determined by nanoindentation for describing linear elasticity. For the polymeric films (PI), timedependent parameters such as storage modulus, loss modulus and phase angle, which are necessary to describe viscoelasticity, are determined by nanoscale Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (nano-DMA). Based on these experimental results, the linear elastic and viscoelastic material models are parameterized for the Finite Element Method (FEM). Based on these FEM models, now relevant geometries could be simulated. Beyond that, following the methodology of the dissertation, further thin films used in oxide TFTs could be characterized which paves the way for the acquisition of data from other relevant materials and the obtaining of a complete description of the device for product development.Com uma procura crescente por melhoria e inovação no ramo da microeletrónica, a eletrónica flexível, impulsionada por aplicações que vão desde displays a dispositivos médicos, tem vindo a ganhar muita relevância nos últimos anos. Transístores de filme fino (TFTs) são o principal bloco de construção para sistemas microeletrónicos flexíveis. Mas uma melhor compreensão das propriedades mecânicas dos materiais constituintes de filme fino é necessária para projetar dispositivos microeletrónicos mais confiáveis para serem utilizados em ambientes mecanicamente desafiadores. Este trabalho visa extrair um conjunto de propriedades mecânicas de materiais de filmes finos usados em TFTs de óxidos flexíveis e, com base nestas, parametrizar modelos de materiais para Análise de Elementos Finitos. Para adquirir dados para esses modelos de materiais, filmes de diferentes materiais são fabricados em substratos de silício. Para avaliar o impacto de espessura e do processo de recozimento nas propriedades mecânicas dos filmes, várias amostras são fabricadas com especificações distintas. Este estudo é dividido em dois fluxos de trabalho para a extração de dois conjuntos distintos de parâmetros. Para filmes compostos de metais (Mo), semicondutores (IGZO) e dielétricos (Ta2O5 e Ta2O5/SiO2), a dureza e, como parâmetro principal, o módulo de Young, são determinados por nanoindentação para descrever a elasticidade linear. Para os filmes poliméricos (PI), parâmetros dependentes do tempo, como o módulo de armazenamento, o módulo viscoso e o ângulo de fase, necessários para descrever a viscoelasticidade, são determinados por Análise Mecânica Dinâmica em nanoescala (nano-DMA). Com base nesses resultados experimentais, modelos de materiais lineares elástico e viscoelástico são parametrizados para o Método dos Elementos Finitos (MEF). Com base nesses modelos MEF, geometrias relevantes podem agora ser simuladas. Além disso, seguindo a metodologia da dissertação, outros filmes finos usados em TFTs de óxidos podem ser caracterizados, o que abre caminho para a aquisição de dados de outros materiais relevantes e a obtenção de uma descrição completa do dispositivo para o desenvolvimento de produtos

Utilização de um modelo de transfusão de eritrócitos in vitro para monitorizar a divisão e expressão de CD28 em linfócitos T ativados

Introduction: Blood transfusions are associated with transfusion related inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. Although residual leukocytes present in the transfused red blood cell units have been implicated in these effects, clinical trials of leukoreduction have shown conflicting results. Our previous in vitro studies with human T cells have demonstrated that red blood cells (RBC), either autologous or heterologous, have cell growth and survival bioactivities that allow activated T cells to enter consecutive cycles of cell division. However, these studies did not characterize expression of CD28, an important receptor for naïve T cells that is lost by most CD8+ T cells during aging and chronic inflammation. Objective: The purpose of this study was to use our in vitro model of blood transfusion to analyze the extent of proliferation and the expression of CD28 on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from blood samples of regular blood donors and iron overloaded phlebotomized patients after centrifugation over Lymphoprep, labeled with carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester, a fluorescent dye that allows monitoring of cell division, and cultured for 6 days with the polyclonal T cell mitogen phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) in the absence or presence of red blood cells at a 50:1 RBC to PBMC ratio. Afterwards, cells were harvested, labeled with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies against CD4, CD8 and CD28, acquired in a flow cytometer, and proliferation and expression of CD28 determined. Results: T cells proliferated more vigorously when RBC were present in the culture. Dividing CD8+ T cells showed a higher loss of CD28 than CD4+ T cells, namely in cultures with red blood cells. As a result, the percentage of CD8+CD28- T cells increased at the end of the culture period. Finally, a tendency to downregulate CD28 expression with each cell division is seen in cultures with PHA+RBC. In cultures with PHA alone a tendency to increase the values of CD28 is observed in CD4+. Conclusions & Discussion: This preliminary study suggests that red blood cells induce a population of CD8+CD28- T cells by promoting CD28 downregulation. Taking into consideration that CD8+CD28- T cells contain both immunosuppressive and inflammatory lymphocytes, these results may be relevant in the context of human pathologies where blood transfusions are needed.Introdução: As transfusões de eritrócitos estão associadas a efeitos imunomoduladores e inflamatórios. Apesar dos leucócitos residuais presentes nas unidades de sangue transfusional terem sido implicados nestes efeitos, ensaios clínicos com leucorredução mostram efeitos controversos. Estudos prévios realizados pelo nosso grupo demostraram que os eritrócitos, quer autólogos quer heterólogos, possuem bioatividades que favorecem o crescimento e a sobrevivência de linfócitos T activados in vitro, permitindo-lhes entrar em ciclos de divisão consecutivos. Contudo, esses estudos não caracterizaram a expressão de CD28, um receptor importante para a activação de linfócitos T naïve que deixa de ser expresso pela maior parte dos linfócitos T CD8+ com a idade, e em condições inflamatórias. Objetivo: A finalidade deste estudo foi utilizar um modelo in vitro de transfusão de eritrócitos para analisar a proliferação e expressão de CD28 nos linfócitos T CD4+ e CD8+. Métodos: Foram isoladas células mononucleares de sangue periférico de dadores saudáveis e de pacientes flebotomizados após centrifugação sobre um gradiente de densidade (Lymphoprep), marcadas com carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE), um corante fluorescente que permite a monotorização da divisão celular, e cultivadas durante 6 dias com fitohemaglutinina (PHA), um mitogénio policlonal de linfócitos T, na ausência ou presença de eritrócitos numa proporção 50RBC:1PBMC. As células foram colhidas e marcadas com anticorpos conjugados com fluorocromos contra os receptores CD4, CD8 e CD28, e depois adquiridas em um citómetro de fluxo para determinação da proliferação e a expressão de CD28. Resultados: Os linfócitos T proliferaram mais vigorosamente em culturas com eritrócitos. A proliferação esteve associada com a perda do receptor CD28, parecendo mais evidente nos linfócitos T CD8+. Isto resultou num aumento da percentagem de linfócitos CD8+CD28- no fim do período de cultura. Nas culturas com PHA há uma tendência para o aumento na expressão do CD28 nos linfócitos CD4+. Conclusão e Discussão: Este estudo preliminar sugere que os eritrócitos induzem a formação de linfócitos CD8+CD28- através da perda de expressão do receptor CD28. Considerando que os linfócitos T CD8+CD28- contem quer células imunossupressoras quer inflamatórias, estes resultados podem ser relevantes no contexto de patologias humanas onde as transfusões são necessárias

Banks’ capital, regulation and the financial crisis

This paper investigates whether regulatory capital requirements play an important role in determining banks’ equity capital. We estimate equity capital regressions using panel data of a sample of 560 banks for 2004-2010. Our results suggest that regulatory capital requirements are not first order determinants of banks’ capital structure. We document differences on the effect of most factors on banks’ share of equity according to the type of bank and to the region of the bank. Finally, we show that the determinants of this share are sensitive to the recent international financial crisis and to a set of regulatory country factors.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The impact of government-sponsored venture capital (GSVC) on the performance of Portuguese SMEs

This paper studies the impact of financing by a particular set of Government-Sponsored Venture Capital (GSVC) funds, the Revitalizar VC Funds, on the performance of Portuguese SMEs measured by employment, sales and sales to total assets growth. Through an analysis using a control group of non-GSVC-backed SMEs, I conclude that in the short-term GSVC funding seems to hinder efficiency, does not seem to significantly relate to sales growth in high-tech industries and significantly relates to decreases of sales growth in low-tech industries. Contrastingly, GSVC-backed SMEs display a significantly higher performance in terms of employee growth, particularly for the high-tech industries