Glomic Tumour of the Stomach: A Rare Cause of Anaemia

Glomus tumour is a rare benign mesenchymal neoplasm usually located in the dermis and subcutis, and most commonly found in the extremities. Glomus tumour in the gastrointestinal system is rare and its symptoms unspecific. The diagnosis of gastric glomus tumour is challenging due to the lack of specific findings on imaging and blood analysis, and so is usually based on histology and immunochemistry. We describe the case of a 22-year-old man admitted for pallor and anaemia, the diagnostic path, treatment and follow-up. The present case suggests that this rare entity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of gastric lesions

Influence of CO2 laser beam modelling on electronic and electrochemical properties of paper-based laser-induced graphene for disposable pH electrochemical sensors

Funding Information: This work is funded by National Funds through FCT I.P. , under the scope of projects UIDB/50025/2020–2023. Authors also acknowledge funding from project BEST , grant Nos. ALT20–03–0247-FEDER-113469 and LISBOA-01–0247-FEDER-113469 . J. C. acknowledges the Santander/NOVA2021 Collaborative Research Award—Graphene Smart Bandages for Diabetic Foot Ulcer Monitoring, Reference GSBDFULM. T. Pinheiro acknowledges funding from FCT I.P. through the PhD Grant DFA /BD/8606/2020 Publisher Copyright: © 2023Laser-induced graphene (LIG) allows for the fabrication of cost-effective, flexible electrodes on a multitude of recyclable and sustainable substrates, for implementation within electrochemical biosensors. This work expands on current LIG research, by experimentally modeling the effects of several CO2 laser irradiation variables towards resulting conductive and electrochemical properties of paper-derived LIG. Instead of relying on the established paradigm of manipulating power and scan speed of the laser irradiation process for optimized outcomes, modeling of underlying laser operation principles for pulse modulation, regarding pulse repetition frequencies, pulse duration and defocus are presented as the key aspects dominating graphitization processes of materials. This approach shows that graphitization is dominated by appropriate pulse durations, dictating the time the substrate is exposed to each laser pulse, with laser fluence and irradiation defocus influencing the resulting conductive properties, with sheet resistances as low as 14 Ω sq−1. Similarly, fabrication settings controlled by these parameters have a direct influence on the properties of LIG-based electrochemical three-electrode cells, with optimized fabrication settings reaching electrochemically active surface area as high as 35 mm2 and heterogeneous electron transfer rates of 3.4 × 10−3 cm.s−1. As a proof-of-concept, the production of environmentally friendly, accessible, and biocompatible pH sensors is demonstrated, using two modification approaches, employing riboflavin and polyaniline as pH-sensitive elements.publishersversionpublishe

Meios, Vias e Trajetos... Entrar e sair de Lisboa

Antes de ser a Olisipo romana, a da presença fenício/orientalizante e, antes desta, a dos sucessivos povoados que entre colinas e vales testemunham a ocupação humana de um espaço de encontro e travessia entre a fachada norte- -atlântica e sul-mediterrânea peninsular, a “região de Lisboa” cedo é lugar aonde se chega e de onde se parte. Incontornável para moldar e condicionar tal vaivém, o estuário do Tejo será, desde o seu estabelecimento holocénico, porta de entrada e saída, passagem entre margens e progressivamente o fulcro de muitas das acções que contribuirão para o surgimento da realidade a que hoje chamamos Portugal. Neste andamento, o título que abre este segundo número dos “Fragmentos de Arqueologia de Lisboa”, Meios, Vias e Trajectos… Entrar e Sair de Lisboa trata inevitavelmente da própria constituição desta via fluvial e da sua relação com as gentes que pelas duas margens se foram instalando (Pereira, A. R. e Senna-Martinez, J. C.).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Subjective wellbeing, sense of humor and psychological health in hemodialysis patients

Objective: To investigate the relationship between satisfaction with life in general, sense of humor, and anxiety, depression and stress with subjective happiness in chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional and correlational study was developed in two units of the Diaverum dialysis clinic and one hospital unit, with 183 chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis. An instrument was used to characterize the sociodemographic and clinical profile of the sample (age, gender, nationality, education, occupation, marital status, dialysis sessions length, presence of hypertension and diabetes): the subjective happiness scale; the satisfaction with life in general; depression, anxiety and stress scale 21; and multidimensional sense of humor scale. Inferential procedures included Spearman correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression adjusting to age, marital status, professional activity and diabetes.Results: Subjective Happiness was positively correlated with satisfaction with life in general, and the three dimensions of Sense of Humor. Nevertheless, subjective happiness was negatively correlated with stress / anxiety and depression. Satisfaction with life in general, humor production and social use of humor, and attitude towards humor had a positive relationship with subjective happiness. However, depression had a negative relationship with subjective happiness. Conclusions: Higher levels of subjective happiness were associated with higher levels of satisfaction with life in general, and sense of humor, however they were also associated with lower levels of depression in patients undergoing hemodialysis

Clinical characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Portugal

Sem resumo disponível.publishe

Minimal clinically important difference for quadriceps muscle strength in people with COPD following pulmonary rehabilitation

Quadriceps strength training is a key component of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Clinical interpretability of changes in muscle strength following PR is however limited due to the lack of cut-off values to define clinical improvement. This study estimated the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) for the isotonic and isometric quadriceps muscle strength assessed with the one-repetition maximum (1RM) and hand-held dynamometry (HHD) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following PR.A secondary analysis of a real life non-randomised controlled study was conducted in people with COPD enrolled in a 12-week community-based PR programme. Anchor and distribution-based methods were used to compute the MCIDs. The anchors explored were the St. George's respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) and the six-minute walk test (6MWT) using Pearson's correlations. Pooled MCIDs were computed using the arithmetic weighted mean (2/3 anchor, 1/3 distribution-based methods) and reported as absolute and/or percentage of change values.Eighty-nine people with COPD (84% male, 69.9 ± 7.9 years, FEV1 49.9 ± 18.9% predicted) were included. No correlations were found between changes in 1RM and the SGRQ neither between changes in HHD and the SGRQ and 6MWT (p > 0.05). Thus, anchor-based methods were used only in the MCID of the 1RM with the 6MWT as the anchor. The pooled MCIDs were 5.7Kg and 26.9% of change for the isotonic quadriceps muscle strength with 1RM and 5.2KgF for isometric quadriceps muscle strength assessed with HHD.The MCIDs found are estimates to improve interpretability of community-based PR effects on quadriceps muscle strength and may contribute to guide interventions.publishe

MODIFICAÇÕES NO MEIO DE CULTURA, FOTOPERÍODO E TEMPO DE CULTIVO AFETAM O ALONGAMENTO E ENRAIZAMENTO IN VITRO DE BANANEIRA CV. PACOVAN

No intuito de elevar as taxas de sobrevivência durante a etapa de aclimatização e posterior plantio a campo, avaliou-se o enraizamento in vitro de bananeira cv. Pacovan, em diferentes concentrações de sais MS e de sacarose. Utilizou-se DIC, esquema fatorial (6x2x3), com seis meios de cultura [sendo três concentrações de nutrientes do meio MS (100%; 50% de macronutrientes; e 50% dos sais macro e micronutrientes), e duas concentrações de sacarose (1,5/3,0%)], dois fotoperíodos (12/16 h) e três tempos de cultivo (21, 28 ou 35 dias) e seis repetições/tratamento. Analisaram-se: altura da planta, número de folhas/planta, massas frescas e secas das partes aérea e radicular. Para altura da planta, massa fresca da parte aérea e radicular, o meio MS 50% dos sais + sacarose (1,5%) com fotoperíodo de 16 h e tempo de cultivo de 35 dias foi satisfatório. Para massa seca da parte aérea foi MS 50% de sais + sacarose (3%), e para massa seca da parte radicular, MS 100% + sacarose (3%) (em 12hs/28 dias e 16hs/21 dias). Para o alongamento/enraizamento in vitro da bananeira cv. Pacovan sugere-se MS 50% de sais (macro e micronutrientes), redução ou manutenção de sacarose (1,5 ou 3%) em 16h/35 dias de cultivo.Palavra-chave: Musa spp., propagação in vitro, sistema radicular. CHANGES IN CULTURE MEDIUM, PHOTOPERIOD AND TIME OF CULTIVATION AFFECT THE IN VITRO ELONGATION AND ROOTING OF BANANA CV. PACOVAN ABSTRACT:In order to achieve high rates of survival during the acclimatization and later planting in the field, was evaluated the in vitro of banana cv. Pacovan plants under different concentrations of sucrose and MS basal salt mixture. The experiment was assembled in a DIC, in 6x2x3, six different culture media [three different MS salt mixture concentrations (100%; 50% of macronutrients; and 50% of macro/micronutrients) and two sucrose concentrations (1.5/3%)], two photoperiods (12/16 hours) and three cultivation times (21, 28 or 35 days). Each treatment was composed by 6 replicates. Plant height, number of leaves/plant, fresh and dry weight of roots and shoots, were analyzed. Satisfactory results for plant height and shoot and root fresh biomass were observed in MS with macro/micronutrients (50%) + sucrose (3%), 16 hours/35 days. The highest values of shoot dry weight were observed in MS with macro/micronutrients (50%) + sucrose (3%); the highest root dry weight was achieved with MS 100% + sucrose (3%) (12hs/28 and 16hs/21 days). The suggested medium for the in vitro elongation and rooting stage of banana cv. Pacovan is the MS with 50% of salts (macro and micronutrients), reduction or maintenance of sucrose (1.5 or 3%) in 16h/35 days of cultivation.Keywords: Musa spp., in vitro propagation, root system

Development of weCope, a mobile app for illness self-management in schizophrenia

Objective: To describe the development of weCope, a Portuguese mobile app for people with schizophrenia. Methods: The development of weCope followed 4 stages: I-102 people with psychotic disorders completed an online questionnaire; II-a multidisciplinary focus group was conducted among five mental health professionals; III-we developed the app; IV-9 participants used weCope during 8 weeks to assess its efficiency. Results: weCope targets coping with voices, problem solving, goals setting and stress management, and results indicated that: weCope improved symptoms, sense of recovery and personal and social functioning; 59% of the participants were willing to download an application for illness self-management; professionals revealed some concerns about mHealth but enhanced the high importance to develop these apps; usability testing revealed that 89% considered weCope useful for illness self-management. However, the more years with mental illness, the less importance is given to a mobile application for this purpose. Discussion: weCope was developed through a comprehensive development process and may contribute to a subjective perception of the patient’s better well-being and health condition

Functional ability in patients with COPD

Sem resumo disponível.publishe

Validation of the “Life Space Assessment - LSA” Questionnaire in a group of hemiplegic patients

A mobilidade do paciente hemiplégico é uma interação entre a sua habilidade funcional e fatores externos. O questionário “Life Space Assessment” (LSA) é uma ferramenta que avalia essa mobilidade em 5 níveis. Objetivo: Validar o LSA em uma população de hemiplégicos em tratamento fisioterapêutico em um centro de reabilitação, correlacionando-o com medidas de performance física. Método: Instrumentos utilizados na validação concorrente: Teste Timed Up and Go (TUG), Postural Assessment Scale (PASS), Índice de Mobilidade de Rivermead. Estatística: descritiva, Índice de Spearman e Índice de Correlação Intra Classe (ICC). Resultados: Foram avaliados 30 hemiplégicos por sequela de AVE (73% do sexo masculino, idade média 58,6 anos, tempo médio de lesão 1,9 anos). O LSA apresentou correlação significativa (p < 0,01) com a idade, o TUG, o PASS e o Rivermead. Concordância entre examinadores: ICC 0,941 e Intra examinadores 0,981. Conclusão: O LSA se mostrou uma medida válida numa população de hemiplégicos crônicos, com excelente correlação intra e entre examinadores, tendo se correlacionado significativamente com medidas de função e estrutura corporal e atividades (TUG, PASS e Rivermead).The mobility of a hemiplegic patient is an interaction between their functional ability and external factors. The “Life Space Assessment” (LSA) questionnaire is a tool that assesses their mobility on 5 levels. Objective: To validate the LSA in a population of stroke survivors in physical therapy at a rehabilitation center, correlating it with measures of physical performance. Method: Instruments used in concurrent validation: Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Postural Assessment Scale (PASS), Rivermead Mobility Index. Statistics: Descriptive, Spearman Index and Intra Class Correlation (ICC). Results: Thirty hemiplegic patients were assessed (73% male, mean age 58.6 years, mean time since injury 1.9 years). The LSA correlated significantly (p < 0.01) with age, TUG, PASS, and Rivermead. Inter-rater agreement: ICC 0.941 Intra-rater agreement 0.981. Conclusion: The LSA was valid in a population of chronic stroke survivors, with excellent intra and inter-rater correlation measures, correlating significantly with measurements of body structure, function, and motor activities (TUG, PASS, and Rivermead)