Nódulos cutâneos no cão: estudo retrospectivo comparativo de diagnóstico citológico e histopatológico

Orientação : Rute Noiva ; co-orientação : Luís MontenegroOs nódulos são lesões cutâneas encontradas com frequência no cão e a sua etiologia pode ser diversa, sendo uma delas neoplásica. As neoplasias cutâneas são as que mais afectam o cão, motivo pelo qual são de grande importância na área de Oncologia Veterinária. A citologia a histopatologia são os mais importantes meios auxiliares de diagnóstico destas lesões. O presente trabalho teve como objectivo determinar a frequência de neoplasias cutâneas em cães, através de nódulos submetidos a análise num Hospital Veterinário do Grande Porto, durante o período compreendido entre Junho de 2007 e Maio de 2015. Foram ainda avaliados parâmetros como a idade, localização da lesão e, para as neoplasias malignas, o tempo médio de sobrevida dos pacientes. No total foram analisados 668 nódulos cutâneos. Neste estudo, a neoplasia mais diagnosticada por citologia foi o lipoma (26,9%) e a neoplasia que mais se diagnosticou através de histopatologia foi o mastocitoma (14,2%). O mastocitoma foi também a neoplasia maligna mais diagnosticada por ambas as técnicas. Determinou-se que os membros foram a localização anatómica onde mais se desenvolveram nódulos cutâneos. Por fim, verificou-se que existe concordância entre os diagnósticos obtidos por análise citológica e os resultados obtidos por análise histopatológica, quando os casos são submetidos a ambas as técnicas de diagnóstico.Nodules are skin lesions commonly found in dogs and their ethiology might be varied, being neoplastic origin one of them. Skin neoplasms are the ones which most affect the dog, being that one of the reasons that makes them so relevant in Veterinary Oncology. The most important methods to diagnose this kind of lesions are cytology and histopathology. Determining the frequency of skin neoplasms diagnosed in dogs in one Veterinary Hospital of central Oporto, between June 2007 and May 2015, was the main purpose of this study. Besides that, parameters such as age, location of the lesion and, in the case of malignant neoplasms, median survival time were also analysed. In total 668 skin nodules were submitted for analysis. In this study lipoma was the neoplasm most frequently diagnosed using cytology (26,9%) and mast cell tumor was the neoplasm most frequently diagnosed using histopathology (14,2%). Mast cell tumor was also the most diagnosed malignant neoplasm by both techniques. The limbs were the location where most nodules developed. It was also determined that the results of both methods of diagnosis were concordant, in cases submitted to both techniques of diagnosis

Where interaction design and clinical psychology meet

Dissertação de Mestrado em Design de Interação apresentada na Faculdade de Arquitetura em parceria com a Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre.O objetivo deste projeto final de mestrado é encontrar um ponto comum entre design de interação e psicologia clínica através da exploração do espaço entre sessões de terapia. Este processo foi desenvolvido em co-design entre a autora e um psicólogo clínico. A metodologia aplicada envolveu revisão da literatura de todas as áreas: saúde mental, saúde em dispositivos móveis e saúde electrónica e gamificação, aplicada à saúde. Seguidamente, procedemos à escolha e análise de casos de estudo e a entrevistas exploratórias com vários psicólogos clínicos. A fase de projeto consistiu em wireframes e protótipos de vários graus de fidelidade até chegar a protótipos de alta fidelidade que foi posteriormente usado em testes de usabilidade com pacientes em terapia. Hoje em dia, cada vez mais psicólogos providenciam as suas informações de contacto pessoais, como email ou número de telemóvel, para permitir o contacto, caso os pacientes precisem de apoio extra entre consultas. No entanto, a plataforma não vem tentar substituir a terapia mas sim facilitar um espaço ou um local que permita o paciente continuar a trabalhar no seu progresso entre as sessões, através da criação de exercícios e ferramentas, que foram pensadas em conjunto com o psicólogoABSTRACT: The purpose of this final project was to find a common ground between interaction design and clinical psychology through the exploration of the space in between therapy sessions. This process was done through a co-design between the author and a clinical psychologist. Now-a-days, more and more psychologists give contact information and allow for contact outside of therapy sessions because patients often feel the need to have extra support on their day to daily lives. There isn’t however a platform that allows patients to keep on making progress without a dependency from an answer from the psychologist. The methodology applied involves a literature review of all the areas: mental health, mobile and e-health and gamification, applied to health. Followed by the choice and analysis of case studies and exploratory interviews with several clinical psychologists to better understand the needs of patients as users of the system to be developed. An interaction design project was developed, which consist on wireframes and prototypes of all fidelity types until we reach a high fidelity prototype to test in real patients provided by the clinical psychologist in question. As such, this project aimed to create a system, or a platform that allows the space in between therapy sessions to also be a place of personal development and progress, through a tool created with the aid of the clinical psychologistN/

Efeitos da neuregulina-1 nas alterações metabólicas induzidas pela hipertensão arterial pulmonar

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic rare disease, characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) with progressive overload and remodelling of the right ventricle (RV), that eventually leads to right ventricular heart failure (RVHF). These derangements arise from a metabolic switch from glucose oxidation towards glycolysis, the Warburg effect, affecting glucose metabolism at the systemic level. The neuregulin-1 (NRG1), a protein that has been shown to play beneficial effects on PAH and RV hypertrophy, has also been associated with the regulation of glucose metabolism given its role in modulating the expression of glucose transporters (GLUTs). In this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of rhNRG1 chronic treatment on glycolysis pathway genes expression in the RV and skeletal muscle in a monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH animal model and in chronic hypoxia/Sugen5416 model that also reproduces key pathophysiological features from human PAH. We have found that RV GLUT1 and GLUT4 mRNA expression is altered in PAH and was similar between the MCT and hypoxia/Sugen5416 animal models, being this related with the development of RV hypertrophy (RVH). However, the treatment with rhNRG1 only attenuated GLUTs expression toward normal values in MCT-induced PAH model. The expression of GLUT1 and GLUT4 is correlated with cardiac markers of disease, while the glycolytic pathway genes are correlated with the morphophysiological changes resulting from the development of PAH in MCT model. From the analysis of some glycolytic pathway genes, we conclude that beyond GLUTs, several genes are related, not only with the Warburg effect, but also with the disease progression. We also found that the treatment with rhNRG1 attenuated the changes in some glycolytic pathway genes, resulting in an improvement of glucose metabolism. The glucose tolerance evaluation revealed that the animals with PAH from both models are insulin resistant and that the treatment with rhNRG1 regulated systemic glucose concentration in both animal models. In conclusion, the therapeutic effects of NRG1 in experimental PAH may be due, in part, to the regulation of metabolic changes associated with PAH progression and RV dysfunction, which were reflected in the reversion of the ventricular phenotype of the disease.A hipertensão arterial pulmonar (HAP) é uma doença crónica rara, caracterizada pelo aumento da resistência vascular pulmonar (RVP) com sobrecarga progressiva e remodelagem do ventrículo direito (VD), o que pode levar à insuficiência cardíaca do ventrículo direito (ICVD). Estas perturbações surgem na sequência de uma alteração metabólica na oxidação da glicose, um processo designado por efeito de Warburg, que afeta o metabolismo da glicose a nível sistémico. A neuregulina-1 (NRG1), uma proteína que demonstrou ter efeitos benéficos na hipertrofia do VD causada pela HAP, está também associada à regulação do metabolismo da glicose dado seu papel na modulação da expressão dos transportadores de glicose (GLUTs). Neste estudo, o nosso objetivo tinha por base a avaliação do efeito do tratamento crónico com rhNRG1 na expressão de genes da via da glicólise no VD e em músculo esquelético num modelo animal de HAP induzida por monocrotalina (MCT) e num um modelo crónico de hipoxia/Sugen5416, que reproduz algumas das principais características fisiopatológicas da HAP humana. Verificamos que a expressão de mRNA do GLUT1 e do GLUT4 no VD está alterada na HAP e que se demonstrou semelhante entre os modelos animais MCT e hipoxia/Sugen5416, estando relacionada com o desenvolvimento de hipertrofia do VD (HVD). No entanto, o tratamento com rhNRG1 apenas atenuou a expressão dos GLUTs para valores próximos aos normais no modelo de HAP induzida por MCT. Enquanto que a expressão do GLUT1 e do GLUT4 está correlacionada com marcadores cardíacos da doença, os genes da via glicolítica demonstraram estar correlacionados com as alterações morfofisiológicas resultantes do desenvolvimento da HAP no modelo MCT. A partir da análise de alguns genes da via glicolítica, concluímos que, para além dos GLUTs, alguns genes estão relacionados, não só com o efeito de Warburg, mas também com a progressão da doença. Verificamos também que o tratamento com rhNRG1 atenuou as alterações de expressão em alguns genes da via glicolítica, resultando numa melhoria do metabolismo da glicose. A avaliação da tolerância à glicose revelou que os animais com HAP de ambos os modelos são resistentes à insulina e que o tratamento com rhNRG1 regulou a concentração sistémica de glicose em ambos os modelos animais. Em conclusão, os efeitos terapêuticos da NRG1 na HAP experimental podem dever-se, em parte, à regulação das alterações metabólicas que estão associadas à progressão da HAP e à disfunção do VD, e que se refletiram na reversão do fenótipo ventricular da doença.Mestrado em Biologia Molecular e Celula

Looking for the Core of a Knowledge-based Sea Cluster: A Social Network Analysis in a Maritime Region

For more than two decades cluster policies have emerged as a central focus for decision-makers trying to instigate territorial development. The benefits, especially in terms of collective learning, knowledge sharing and other types of agglomeration economies and spill-over effects, are well stressed in the regional science literature. Today the relevance of maritime activities and marine resources to economic development is acknowledged. For several European countries, the Atlantic Ocean is part of their common history, identity and potential for developing advanced economic niches of excellence. There is no surprise that several regions are trying to implement their development strategies based on a broad Sea Cluster notion that encompasses a diversity of economic activities such as fisheries and aquaculture, coastal tourism, marine transports and activities based on marine sciences and maritime technologies. Based on the results of a trans-regional evaluation performed for the Atlantic Area under project KIMERAA, this paper evaluates the consolidation of the Sea Cluster in the Algarve, a Portuguese region internationally known by its coastal tourism. The region has also been experiencing a growing capacity in economic activities linked to marine sciences. This regional cluster did not emerge spontaneously and there are several initiatives to promote it. Interviews to regional actors showed light on two important issues. i) Which organization should be the main mediator to bridge science to market? ii) Who is the actor that is in a better position to assume a pivotal role in the formal consolidation of the cluster? Using social network analysis the main knowledge transfer mediator and the central actors are identified. Their roles and specific policy implications are underlined.

Portuguese households' stress tests : diagnosis and prospective analysis

Mestrado em FinançasA presente investigação analisa a vulnerabilidade financeira das famílias portuguesas e o impacto de choques macroeconómicos nessa vulnerabilidade. A análise empírica tem como base essencial o European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU ? SILC 2010) para Portugal (5.182 famílias). Adoptando o teste de stress como metodologia procede-se à identificação do stress financeiro das famílias, através da adopção de medidas de diferentes níveis de vulnerabilidade baseadas nas margens financeiras. São realizados três tipos de cenários para avaliar o impacto na vulnerabilidade das famílias de três tipos de choques: um aumento da taxa de juro, um aumento da taxa de desemprego e um decréscimo do rendimento. Os resultados empíricos demonstram que a vulnerabilidade das famílias é afectada de modo insignificante por uma subida da taxa de juro. Por contrapartida, um aumento do desemprego e uma redução no nível de rendimento das famílias tem um impacto elevado. Estes resultados convergem com estudos empíricos recentemente realizados em outros países da Europa. A comparação da situação das famílias antes e depois da crise económica e financeira sugere uma degradação significativa da vulnerabilidade financeira das famílias, em particular daquelas pertencentes ao quartil de rendimento inferior e famílias monoparentais ou compostas por dois adultos com filhos menores.This research investigates the financial vulnerability of Portuguese households and the impact of macroeconomic shocks on it. The empirical analysis is mainly based on European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU - SILC 2010) for Portugal (5,182 households). Using stress test methodologies, the financial stress of households is identified, adopting measures of different levels of vulnerability based on financial margins. Three types of scenario are constructed to assess the impact on family vulnerability of three different types of shocks: an increase in the interest rate, an increase in the unemployment rate and a decrease on income. The empirical results show that the vulnerability of households is weakly affected by rises in the interest rate. By contrast, the rise in unemployment and the decline in the level of household income have a high impact. These computed effects converge with other empirical studies recently conducted in other European countries. The comparison between the households' situation before and after the economic and financial crisis suggests a dramatic worsening of the financial vulnerability of households, particularly those in the lowest quartile of income and households composed by a single parent or couples with dependent children

Tourism and the city: urban as a tourist product

The urban tourism is a segment with a relevant expansion, assuming an important role in the revitalization and in the promotion of economic development in cities. The following communication tries to explore some crucial issues in the analysis of the urban dimension and its interconnections with the tourism activities. The evolution of growth urban patterns, the representations and concept of city and models of spatial development are synthetically presented. Urban tourism is presented and discussed, the relations with the tourism system and the affirmation of city as a tourism product. The ideas presented in the communication stress the interest of urban tourism to city planning as a set of economic activities capable of promoting the economic development. The communication also underlines the pertinence in studying these phenomena using transdisciplinary theoretical and methodological frameworks that mix contributes from Economics to Sociology, capturing in a richer way the diversity of tourism in urban areas.City, Urban Tourism, Urban Growth, Tourism System, Tourism Product

The networks and scientific research: the case of the university of algarve in Portugal

Today the importance of networks between actors and institutions is growing. There are several benefits that these networks can create, from the greater dissemination of information through sharing of resources to access to specialized assets. Networks facilitate the sharing of best-practice and inter-organizational learning. In the particular case of scientific research, networks have a very important role. The case of the universities is paradigmatic because they benefit enormously from exchanges that happen with other elements with which establish more sustainable cooperation, which also strengthens the role of promoting regional development. This text aims to highlight the network relations of a peripheral university in Portugal - the University of the Algarve, and how these networks may be restrictions or potentialities to development of the university itself and the territory in which it is inserted.Network, Partnership, Science, Research, Innovation