Quality of Life Predictors and Normative Data

Purpose: Identify predictors and normative data for quality of life (QOL) in a sample of Portuguese adults from general population Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study was undertaken with two hundred and fifty-five (N=255) individuals from Portuguese general population (mean age 43yrs, range 25-84yrs; 148 females, 107 males). Participants completed the European Portuguese version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life short-form instrument (WHOQOL-Bref) and the European Portuguese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Demographic information was also collected. Results: Portuguese adults reported their QOL as good. The physical, psychological and environmental domains predicted 44% of the variance of QOL. The strongest predictor was the physical domain and the weakest was social relationships. Age, educational level, socioeconomic status and emotional status were significantly correlated with QOL and explained 25% of the variance of QOL. The strongest predictor of QOL was emotional status followed by education and age. QOL was significantly different according to: marital status; living place (mainland or islands); type of cohabitants; occupation; health. Conclusions: The sample of adults from general Portuguese population reported high levels of QOL. The life domain that better explained QOL was the physical domain. Among other variables, emotional status best predicted QOL. Further variables influenced overall QOL. These findings inform our understanding on adults from Portuguese general population QOL 2 and can be helpful for researchers and practitioners using this assessment tool to compare their results with normative data

Defining child maltreatment among lay people and community professionals: exploring consensus in ratings of severity

The way in which laypeople and community professionals define child maltreatment in a family context is essential in decision-making on its referral and assessment. Despite differences found in the perspectives of the two groups, operating definitions are needed, which integrate them. The purpose of this work is to define types of maltreatment, integrating both perspectives (study 1) and to analyse the assessment of the severity of these practices (study 2). In study 1, a consensual qualitative research method was used to analyse 123 interviews of laypeople and 9 annual reports of social and health community services. A joint analysis of 1235 record units allowed us to obtain an integrated definition comprised of 6 types and 20 subtypes of maltreatment. In study 2, with the material gathered in study 1, a scale was created with 4 degrees of severity, based on the Maltreatment Classification System. Next, a sample of 159 interns, from health and social science areas with or without contact with situations of maltreatment, evaluated the severity of the items. An analysis of Kendall's coefficient of concordance showed a lack of consensus in 9 of the 20 subtypes, with physical abuse and sexual abuse being the most consensual types, as opposed to psychological abuse and neglect. These studies underscore the importance of understanding this phenomenon at a community level, and suggest that public awareness may facilitate the referral of these practices, minimizing the over-reporting and under-reporting of cases, and encouraging early and preventive intervention.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

First record of the marine snail Xenophora crispa (Gastropoda: Xenophoridae) from Madeira Island (Northeastern Atlantic Ocean)

The marine snail Xenophora crispa (d' Orbigny, 1847) is recorded for the first time in Madeira Island (NE Atlantic). This species is currently distributed throughout the central and western Mediterranean, western Atlantic from France (Gulf of Biscay) to North Africa (up to Morocco), including the Archipelagos of the Azores, Canary Islands, and now Madeira.PR is funded by the project (UIDB/04292/2020) granted to MARE UI&I and partially funded by the Project Observatório Oceânico da Madeira-OOM (M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000001), co-financed by the Madeira Regional Operational Programme (Madeira 14-20), under the Portugal 2020 strategy, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). JCC was funded by national funds through FCT- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the Scientific Employment Stimulus Institutional Call (CEECINST/00098/2018). JGM was supported by a post-doctoral research fellowship by Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação, Tecnologia e Inovação (ARDITI-M1420-09-5369-FSE-000002). Finally, this study had the support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), through the strategic project (UIDB/04292/2020) granted to MARE UI&I.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lateral tests on a two-story CLT house

A two storey full-scale model of a CLT house, of 4.5 m x 9.1 m in-plane, with a height of 5.04 m, was tested under quasi-static monotonic (pushover). The main objectives were to investigate the 3-D system performance of a CLT structure subjected to lateral loads in terms of lateral strength and deformability capacity, global behaviour of the structure, frequency response of the structure, performance of connectors (mainly hold-downs and angle-brackets) and connections between CLT panels. Lateral loads have been applied on the storeys inducing torsion to the building. Loading procedure, number and disposition of connectors varied between tests. With this campaign it is intended to obtain results on: i) load-deformation response of a 3-D CLT structure subjected to lateral loads; ii) global response of the structure, focusing on the performance of CLT slabs subjected to in-plane loads, performance of parallel and perpendicular walls, and response of the structure near openings; iii) failure mechanisms and on the performance of connections between CLT panels and connectors. The outcomes of the full-scale CLT house tests will be used for further analytical and numerical analyses to help implement the new generation of Eurocode 8.- (undefined

Quasi-static tests on a two-story CLT building

A two-story full-scale CLT building of 4.5 m x 9.1 m in plan, with a height of 5.04 m, was tested under quasi-static monotonic and cyclic loading for platform-type construction. The main objectives were to evaluate the global response of the structure, the performance of the shear walls, the behaviour of the connectors (hold-downs and angle brackets) and the frequency response of the structure during the tests. Lateral loads were applied on the storeys inducing torsion to the building. Loading procedure, number and disposition of connectors varied between tests. However, it is important to note that, in order to avoid a possible overlap of effects, the metal connectors hold-downs and angle-brackets only have been placed in CLT shear walls in each loading direction. In terms of performance, longitudinal direction presented a stiffer behaviour when compared to the transverse, where it was possible to verify greater sliding in the longitudinal direction and global rocking in the transverse direction. The results of this experimental campaign will be used for further analytical and numerical analyses, in order to help to implement more detailed seismic analysis, namely pushover, of CLT constructions.The authors thank Stora Enso Wood Products and Simpson Strong Tie for their contribution with all materials used, and to the technicians of the Structures Laboratory of the Civil Engineering Department at University of Minho for the time and dedication given during this experimental progra

Lateral tests on a two-story CLT house

Artigo em ata de conferênciaA two storey full-scale model of a CLT house, of 4.5 m x 9.1 m in-plane, with a height of 5.04 m, was tested under quasi-static monotonic (pushover). The main objectives were to investigate the 3-D system performance of a CLT structure subjected to lateral loads in terms of lateral strength and deformability capacity, global behaviour of the structure, frequency response of the structure, performance of connectors (mainly hold-downs and angle-brackets) and connections between CLT panels. Lateral loads have been applied on the storeys inducing torsion to the building. Loading procedure, number and disposition of connectors varied between tests. With this campaign it is intended to obtain results on: i) load-deformation response of a 3-D CLT structure subjected to lateral loads; ii) global response of the structure, focusing on the performance of CLT slabs subjected to in-plane loads, performance of parallel and perpendicular walls, and response of the structure near openings; iii) failure mechanisms and on the performance of connections between CLT panels and connectors. The outcomes of the full-scale CLT house tests will be used for further analytical and numerical analyses to help implement the new generation of Eurocode 8

Effects of adjunctive eslicarbazepine acetate on serum lipids in patients with partial-onset seizures: Impact of concomitant statins and enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) on lipid metabolism and to determine whether reduced statin exposure during ESL therapy has clinical consequences. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We conducted a post-hoc analysis of pooled data for serum lipids (laboratory values) from three phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of adjunctive ESL therapy (400, 800, or 1200 mg once daily) in patients with treatment-refractory partial-onset seizures. Changes from baseline in serum lipid levels were analyzed according to use of statins and/or enzyme-inducing antiepileptic drugs (EIAEDs) during the baseline period. KEY FINDINGS: In total, 426 and 1021 placebo- and ESL-treated patients, respectively, were included in the analysis. With regard to the changes from baseline in serum concentrations, there were statistically significant differences between the placebo and ESL 1200 mg QD groups, for both total cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), but the effect sizes were small (+4.1 mg/dL and +1.8 mg/dL, respectively). A small but significant difference in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; -5.0 mg/dL) was observed between the ESL 400 mg QD group and the placebo group. In patients not taking a concomitant EIAED, there were no changes with ESL 400 mg QD, but modest and statistically significant increases in cholesterol fractions (TC, LDL-C and HDL-C) with ESL 800 mg QD (/dL) and ESL 1200 mg QD (/dL). ESL had no consistent effect on lipids in patients taking a concomitant EIAED. In patients taking statins during baseline, there were no clinically relevant changes in serum lipids during use of ESL, although the subgroups were small. SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that ESL does not appear to have clinically significant effects on serum lipids, nor does the pharmacokinetic interaction between ESL and statins have an impact on serum lipid concentrations

O uso do ópio na sociedade romana e a dependência do princeps Marco Aurélio

O ópio era conhecido e usado com frequência na sociedade romana. A prática médica reconhecia-lhe utilidade como analgésico, soporífero, anti-tússico ou obstipante, bem como outras sem fundamento científico actual ou revestidas de propriedades quasimágicas. Era ainda utilizado como ingrediente em antídotos, panaceias e venenos. É feita uma compilação não exaustiva do uso do ópio de acordo com os autores, médicos e enciclopedistas da época. As representações mitológicas e literárias da papoila do ópio reflectiam os seus vários usos, sendo associada à prosperidade e fertilidade, ao sono, morte e submundo e à arte da medicina. Apesar do uso livre e frequente não há evidência concreta de fenómenos de dependência, excepto o putativo caso do imperador Marco Aurélio, tido como um dos casos mais prováveis de adição ao ópio

Solid lipid nanoparticles vs. nanostructured lipid carriers: a comparative review

Solid–lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers are delivery systems for the delivery of drugs and other bioactives used in diagnosis, therapy, and treatment procedures. These nanocarriers may enhance the solubility and permeability of drugs, increase their bioavailability, and extend the residence time in the body, combining low toxicity with a targeted delivery. Nanostructured lipid carriers are the second generation of lipid nanoparticles differing from solid lipid nanoparticles in their composition matrix. The use of a liquid lipid together with a solid lipid in nanostructured lipid carrier allows it to load a higher amount of drug, enhance drug release properties, and increase its stability. Therefore, a direct comparison between solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers is needed. This review aims to describe solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers as drug delivery systems, comparing both, while systematically elucidating their production methodologies, physicochemical characterization, and in vitro and in vivo performance. In addition, the toxicity concerns of these systems are focused on.LA/P/0101/2020, LA/P/0140/2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio