Stresse ocupacional em forças de segurança: um estudo comparativo

Este trabalho compara a experiência de stresse ocupacional em dois grupos de segurança portugueses, um a exercer em contexto público (n=95) e outro em contexto prisional (n=237). Para tal, utilizámos um protocolo de avaliação com medidas do stresse global, “burnout”, comprometimento organizacional, satisfação com a vida, satisfação profissional e desejo de abandonar a profissão. Os indicadores de fidelidade e validade dos instrumentos foram muito aceitáveis. Os resultados de “burnout” por dimensão apontaram níveis apreciáveis de exaustão emocional (valores a oscilar entre os 12% e os 26%), seguidos do cinismo (valores entre 8% e 21%) e do baixo sentimento de eficácia profissional (valores entre 3% e 8%) (apenas um participante registou valores de “burnout” nas três dimensões, em simultâneo). A análise comparativa entre os grupos demonstrou que os profissionais de segurança prisional evidenciaram experiências profissionais mais negativas (e.g., maiores níveis de “burnout” e desejo de abandonar a profissão e menores níveis de comprometimento organizacional, satisfação com a vida e satisfação profissional). No final, os autores discutem os factores que podem ajudar a perceber estas diferenças e possíveis implicações para a investigação futura.(undefined

A importância do Povoado do Pego no Bronze Final do Noroeste de Portugal

Publicado em "Férvedes : Revista de Investigación", n.º 5 (2008)Este trabalho visa dar a conhecer a estação arqueológica do Pego, situada no Noroeste de Portugal, na freguesia de Cunha, distrito de Braga, em plena bacia do Ave. Trata-se de um sítio de pequenas dimensões, delimitado por uma paliçada, que inclui, para além de uma área de presumíveis estruturas de carácter habitacional, uma necrópole de sepulturas planas. Além das particularidades enunciadas, foi possível reconhecer, ainda, deposições de artefactos cerâmicos ao longo da vala de fundação da referida paliçada, que interpretámos como materialidades associadas a fenómenos de ritualização da vida diária. No contexto do povoamento do Bronze Final do Noroeste de Portugal, em geral, e da bacia do Ave, em particular, as especificidades do povoado do Pego tornam-no uma estação paradigmática, cujo significado na rede de povoamento local urge conhecer e compreender.This paper is focused on the settlement of Pego, located at the Northwest of Portugal, in the parish of Cunha, county of Braga, in the Ave basin. This is a small site, delimited by a wood palisade, which includes, in addition to a residential area, a necropolis of flat graves. Beyond the contingencies observed, it was possible to recognize, yet, some depositions of ceramic vessels along the foundation of the palisade, which we have interpreted as materialities associated with the ritualization of the daily life. In the context of the Late Bronze Age settlement of the Northwest of Portugal, in general, and the Ave’s basin, in particular, the specificities of Pego make it a paradigmatic site, whose significance in the system of local settlement is important to know and understand

Age-Dependent Impairment of Neurovascular and Neurometabolic Coupling in the Hippocampus

Neurovascular and neurometabolic coupling are critical and complex processes underlying brain function. Perturbations in the regulation of these processes are, likely, early dysfunctional alterations in pathological brain aging and age-related neurodegeneration. Evidences support the role of nitric oxide (•NO) as a key messenger both in neurovascular coupling, by signaling from neurons to blood vessels, and in neurometabolic coupling, by modulating O2 utilization by mitochondria. In the present study, we investigated the functionality of neurovascular and neurometabolic coupling in connection to •NO signaling and in association to cognitive performance during aging. For this, we performed in vivo simultaneous measurements of •NO, O2 and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the hippocampus of F344 rats along chronological age in response to glutamatergic activation and in correlation with cognitive performance. Firstly, it is evidenced the temporal sequence of events upon glutamate stimulation of hippocampal dentate gyrus, encompassing the local and transitory increase of •NO followed by transitory local changes of CBF and pO2. Specifically, the transient increase of •NO is followed by an increase of CBF and biphasic changes of the local pO2. We observed that, although the glutamate-induced •NO dynamics were not significantly affected by aging, the correspondent hemodynamic was progressively diminished accompanying a decline in learning and memory. Noteworthy, in spite of a compromised blood supply, in aged rats we observed an increased ΔpO2 associated to the hemodynamic response, suggestive of a decrease in the global metabolic rate of O2. Furthermore, the impairment in the neurovascular coupling observed along aging in F344 rats was mimicked in young rats by promoting an unbalance in redox status toward oxidation via intracellular generation of superoxide radical. This observation strengthens the idea that oxidative stress may have a critical role in the neurovascular uncoupling underlying brain aging and dysfunction. Overall, data supports an impairment of neurovascular response in connection with cognition decline due to oxidative environment-dependent compromised •NO signaling from neurons to vessels during aging

Neurometabolic and Electrophysiological Changes During Cortical Spreading Depolarization: Multimodal Approach Based on a Lactate-Glucose Dual Microbiosensor Arrays

Spreading depolarization (SD) is a slow propagating wave of strong depolarization of neural cells, implicated in several neuropathological conditions. The breakdown of brain homeostasis promotes significant hemodynamic and metabolic alterations, which impacts on neuronal function. In this work we aimed to develop an innovative multimodal approach, encompassing metabolic, electric and hemodynamic measurements, tailored but not limited to study SD. This was based on a novel dual-biosensor based on microelectrode arrays designed to simultaneously monitor lactate and glucose fluctuations and ongoing neuronal activity with high spatial and temporal resolution. In vitroevaluation of dual lactate-glucose microbiosensor revealed an extended linear range, high sensitivity and selectivity, fast response time and low oxygen-, temperature- and pH- dependencies. In anesthetized rats, we measured with the same array a significant drop in glucose concentration matched to a rise in lactate and concurrently with pronounced changes in the spectral profile of LFP-related currents during episodes of mechanically-evoked SD. This occurred along with the stereotypical hemodynamic response of the SD wave. Overall, this multimodal approach successfully demonstrates the capability to monitor metabolic alterations and ongoing electrical activity, thus contributing to a better understanding of the metabolic changes occurring in the brain following SD

Electrochemical Evaluation of a Multi-Site Clinical Depth Recording Electrode for Monitoring Cerebral Tissue Oxygen

The intracranial measurement of local cerebral tissue oxygen levels—PbtO2—has become a useful tool for the critical care unit to investigate severe trauma and ischemia injury in patients. Our preliminary work in animal models supports the hypothesis that multi-site depth electrode recording of PbtO2 may give surgeons and critical care providers needed information about brain viability and the capacity for better recovery. Here, we present a surface morphology characterization and an electrochemical evaluation of the analytical properties toward oxygen detection of an FDA-approved, commercially available, clinical grade depth recording electrode comprising 12 Pt recording contacts. We found that the surface of the recording sites is composed of a thin film of smooth Pt and that the electrochemical behavior evaluated by cyclic voltammetry in acidic and neutral electrolyte is typical of polycrystalline Pt surface. The smoothness of the Pt surface was further corroborated by determination of the electrochemical active surface, confirming a roughness factor of 0.9. At an optimal working potential of −0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl, the sensor displayed suitable values of sensitivity and limit of detection for in vivo PbtO2 measurements. Based on the reported catalytical properties of Pt toward the electroreduction reaction of O2, we propose that these probes could be repurposed for multisite monitoring of PbtO2 in vivo in the human brain

Intellectual Capital Change Management in the Construction Industry—The Case of an Inter-Organisational Collaboration

Nowadays, due to the complexity of the relationships with external entities, along with the importance that traditional media and the innovative social media have in creating competitive advantages, it is necessary for companies to collaborate in order to create Intellectual Capital (IC). Although collaboration is crucial to create IC, there is a paucity in literature regarding the effects that a specific type of collaboration may have on the IC of an organisation, specifically a franchising with a mediatic actor. Moreover, literature addressing IC creation and destruction over time is scarce, especially when applied to the construction industry. This paper’s goal is twofold: understanding the longitudinal changes of a construction SME’s Intellectual Capital, regarding its creation and destruction; analysing the impact that a specific inter-organisational collaboration franchising—with a mediatic actor may have on such IC. A single in-depth case study was conducted, allowing to conclude that the actions of an organisation can develop both Intellectual Assets and Intellectual Liabilities. It was also concluded that inter-organisational collaboration, through a franchise with an actor with experience in communication, can generate, in the long term, positive and innovative effects regarding the different IC components, namely the Relational one. More specifically, the paper allowed to ascertain that an organisation’s IC changes over time in a dynamic fashion, i.e., Intellectual Liabilities which emerged before an innovative collaboration can be transformed into Intellectual Assets and create competitive advantages. This paper contributes to stress the importance of managing IC, not only when it is created, but namely in when it can be destroyed, in a context of inter-organisational collaborations applied to a construction SMEinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

On the nature of the (de)coupling of the magnetostructural transition in Er5_5Si4_4

In this report, a successful thermodynamical model was employed to understand the structural transition in Er$_5$Si$_4$, able to explain the decoupling of the magnetic and structural transition. This was achieved by the DFT calculations which were used to determine the energy differences at 0 K, using a LSDA+U approximation. It was found that the M structure as the stable phase at low temperatures as verified experimentally with a $\Delta F_0 = -$0.262 eV. Finally, it was achieved a variation of Seebeck coefficient ($\sim$ 6 $\mu$V) at the structural transition which allow to conclude that the electronic entropy variation is negligible in the transition.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

Cistoadenoma de glándulas salivales menores. Presentación de dos casos y revisión de la literatura

El cistoadenoma es un tumor salival benigno de origen epitelial muy infrecuente que se caracteriza por presentar múltiples proyecciones papilares y espacios microquísticos recubiertos de células cilíndricas o cuboideas. La OMS define el cistoadenoma como una neoplasia salival muy similar al tumor de Warthin, que carece de componente linfoide. La mayoría de cistoadenomas se han descrito a nivel de la laringe, la nasofaringe, así como en la glándula parótida y las glándulas lacrimales. Sin embargo, pueden localizarse con menor frecuencia en las mucosas labial y bucal, en la fosa tonsilar y en el paladar. El 35% se sitúan en las glándulas salivales menores

The potent vasodilator ethyl nitrite is formed upon reaction of nitrite and ethanol under gastric conditions

By acting as a bioreactor, affording chemical and mechanical conditions for the reaction between dietary components, the stomach may be a source of new bioactive molecules. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry we here demonstrate that, under acidic gastric conditions, ethyl nitrite is formed in µM concentrations from the reaction of red wine or distilled alcoholic drinks with physiological amounts of nitrite. Rat femoral artery rings and gastric fundus strips dose-dependently relaxed upon exposure to nitrite:ethanol mixtures. In contrast, when administered separately in the same dose ranges, nitrite evoked only minor vasorelaxation while ethanol actually caused a slight vasoconstriction. Mechanistically, the relaxation effect was assigned to generation of nitric oxide (-NO) as supported by direct demonstration of -NO release from ethyl nitrite and the absence of relaxation in the presence of the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor, ODQ. In conclusion, these results suggest that ethanol in alcoholic drinks interacts with salivary-derived nitrite in the acidic stomach leading to the production of the potent smooth muscle relaxant ethyl nitrite. These findings reveal an alternative chemical reaction pathway for dietary nitrate and nitrite with possible impact on gastric physiology and pathophysiology.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T38-4SCDB0R-4/1/5f2ae4cd1ef8af7eca3f5d4ee8f353a