The Quest for Biomarkers from Acute Disease to Disease Resolution

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disease of the pancreas with incompletely known pathogenic mechanisms. This study aimed to explore the temporal changes in serum cytokines in patients with AP and to assess the association of these changes with disease severity. Methods: Fifty patients hospitalized with AP were enrolled, and their serum cytokine levels were analyzed at four different time points. A healthy control (HC) group of 30 outpatients was included. Results: AP patients showed increased levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 at admission when compared with HC. IL-6, VEGF, and EGF remained elevated 1 month after hospitalization and 6 months after discharge. Conclusions the Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) and severity classification of the revised Atlanta classification system, IL-6 and VEGF, determined 48 h after hospitalization, were the two cytokines consistently elevated in the most severe patients. Increased levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-alpha at admission and MCP-1 48 h after admission are also related to the length of hospital stay. Conclusions: Our study highlights the role cytokines play in the pathogenesis of AP and can be useful in the development of future drug trials for AP.publishersversionpublishe

Urticária Colinérgica Associada a Hipohidrose Generalizada Adquirida: Dois Casos Clínicos e Revisão da Literatura

Cholinergic urticaria is a relatively common condition defined by itching, redness and whealing induced by exercise and passive warming. In turn, acquired idiopathic generalized anhidrosis is a rare disorder of unknown pathogenesis, characterized by an impairment in total body sweating despite exposure to heat or exercise. We report two cases of this extremely rare association of cholinergic urticaria and acquired generalized hypohidrosis, and briefly review current knowledge with regard to classification, ethiopathogenesis and therapeutic options.A urticária colinérgica é uma patologia relativamente comum definida por máculo-pápulas eritematosas e pruriginosas induzidas por aumento da temperatura corporal, passivo ou induzido por exercício físico. Pelo contrário, a anidrose generalizada idiopática adquirida é uma doença rara de patogénese desconhecida, caraterizada por um comprometimento da capacidade de sudação, apesar da exposição a calor ou exercício. Descrevem-se dois casos desta associação extremamente rara de urticária colinérgica e hipohidrose generalizada adquirida, e procede-se a uma breve revisão do conhecimento atual no que respeita à classificação, etiopatogenia e opções terapêuticas

B Cells and Double-Negative B Cells (CD27−IgD−) Are Related to Acute Pancreatitis Severity

Funding Information: This research was funded by the Learning Health Hospital da Luz. LH.INV.F2019002. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 by the authors.Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an increasingly frequent disease in which inflammation plays a crucial role. Fifty patients hospitalized with AP were included and peripheral blood samples were analyzed for B and T cell subpopulations at the time of hospitalization and 48 h after diagnosis. The Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) and length of hospital stay were also recorded. A healthy control (HC) group of 15 outpatients was included. AP patients showed higher neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratios and higher percentages of B cells than the HC group. The total B cell percentages were higher in patients with moderate/severe AP than in patients with mild AP. The percentages of B cells as well as the percentages of the CD27−IgD− B cell subset decreased from admission to 48 h after admission. The patients with higher BISAP scores showed lower percentages of peripheral lymphocytes but higher percentages of CD27−IgD− B cells. Higher BISAP scores, N/L ratios, and peripheral blood B cell levels emerged as predictors of hospital stay length in AP patients. Our findings underscore the importance of early markers for disease severity. Additionally, the N/L ratio along with the BISAP score and circulating B cell levels form a robust predictive model for hospital stay duration of AP patients.publishersversionpublishe

Circulating Blood B and T Lymphocytes and Severity of Acute Pancreatitis: A Systematic Review Protocol

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis is an acute inflammatory process of the pancreas with a high prevalence rate and varying degrees of severity that can be potentially life threatening. Much is still unknown about which mechanisms determine the course and severity of acute pancreatitis. The primary objective of this review is to identify the potential association between circulating B and T lymphocytes and the severity of acute pancreatitis. Subgroup analyses will be done according to the severity classification of the Revised Atlanta Classification System as well as according to the distinction between B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes and the severity of acute pancreatitis. Methods: A systematic search will be performed in Medline, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials and ClinicalTrials.gov. Three authors will independently do the selection process as well as data extraction that will be recorded into a flow diagram following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). The pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis is still not fully understood and its evolution is sometimes unpredictable. In this context, through this systematic review, the research team intends to determine what has been described about the role of serum lymphocytes in determining the severity of acute pancreatitis, by identifying a potential indicator of the severity of this acute disease

The interface of science: the case for a broader definition of research management

This paper results from on-going reflection within the practitioners group Plataforma de Interface à Ciência (Platform of Professionals at the Interface of Science), an informal nationwide network in Portugal that brings together professionals involved in a large scope of activities related to research management, knowledge transfer and science communication. Due to the wide scope of functions and profiles of these professionals, they are not publicly nor institutionally recognised as part of the same professional group, which raises barriers for their recognition as relevant players in the research & innovation ecosystem and full achievement of their potential. We take stock of the several definitions of their roles found in the literature and conclude on the need for an inclusive approach to consider these roles as a profession. We propose the designation of Professionals at the Interface of Science (PIoS) to name this wide group of professionals that sits at the interface at all scientific disciplines.This work was supported by European Commission: [EnvMetaGen (grant agreement no 668981)]; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia: [Grant Number LISBOA-01-0145- FEDER-007654,LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007660,POCI-01-0145- FEDER-007274,POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007746,UID/Multi/04423/2013,UID/QUI/50006/2013, UID/IC/4255/2013]; COMPETE2020 – Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI): [Grant Number LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007654, LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-007660,POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274, POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007746,UID/Multi/04423/2013].info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Caso de estudo Angola

A atual configuração do mundo depende exclusivamente em parte da evolução geopolítica da República Popular da China. Será nessa região do globo, que uma potência regional, com crescentes capacidades globais se têm convertido num ator internacional a mencionar. O Império do Meio, relativamente isolado no hemisfério ocidental, alcançou uma projeção hegemónica notável, a sua política externa têm vindo a ser desenvolvida fundamentalmente por motivações internas, e por uma diplomacia económica ativa, quer no plano multilateral como bilateral, combinando assim o exercício do hard power e soft power, como forma de assegurar os seus objetivos primordiais. O reforço da presença chinesa no continente africano constitui uma das principais alterações económicas internacionais, suas motivações inserem-se essencialmente nos recursos energéticos e matérias-primas, porém os aspetos políticos e nomeadamente a questão de Taiwan, são um dos motivos impulsionadores da relação entre China e África. Todavia, será Angola o principal parceiro comercial da República Popular da China no continente africano. A relação entre Angola e China evoluíram de um passado tenso para uma aproximação significativa. Esta relação de cooperação ira beneficiar ambos os Estados, em setores multifacetados, contribuindo assim para satisfazer as necessidades internas de cada Estado.The current world configuration depends exclusively on part of the geopolitical developments of China. Is this part of the world, a regional power, with increasing global capabilities have been converted into an international actor to mention. The Middle Kingdom, relatively isolated in the Western Hemisphere, has achieved a remarkable hegemonic projection; its foreign policy has been developed primarily by internal motivations, and an active economic diplomacy, both multilaterally and bilaterally, thus combining the exercise of hard power and soft power, in order to ensure their primary goals. The strengthening of the Chinese presence in Africa is one of the main economic changes, their motivations essentially fall in energy resources and raw materials, but the political aspects and the particular question of Taiwan, are the reason drivers of the relationship between China and Africa. However, it is Angola's main trading partner of the PRC on the African continent. The relationship between Angola and China has evolved from a past tense to a meaningful approach. This cooperative relationship will benefit both States, multifaceted sectors, thus contributing to the internal needs of each State

Organização e estrutura das redes de comunicação: uma panorâmica actual

Mestrado em Engenharia Electrónica e TelecomunicaçõesO propósito desta dissertação é estudar e analisar o estado actual das redes de comunicação procurando adquirir uma visão integrada e actual da sua organização e estrutura. Nesta abordagem, procura-se ter em consideração alguns dos factores tecnológicos, económicos, políticos e históricos com maior influência na estrutura e organização das actuais redes de comunicação. Fornece-se, assim, uma visão de conjunto privilegiando os aspectos conceptuais subjacentes à generalidade das redes de comunicação sem, no entanto descuidar os aspectos que com maior probabilidade irão influenciar os futuros perfis das referidas redes. No sentido de ajudar à compreensão destes problemas, recorre-se ao caso das redes de comunicação ao serviço da Comunidade Científica, procurando identificar, no seu desempenho e operação, os constrangimentos impostos pela organização e estrutura das mesmas.The aim of this Dissertation is to study and analyse the “state of the art” of the communication networks, trying to acquire an integrated and actual vision of their organization and structure. On this approach, it is taken in consideration some technologic, economic, political and historical factors that have major influence on the structure and organization of present communication networks. It is provided a global, high level vision necessary to the approach of conceptual aspects underlying of the communication networks, without disregard the aspects that probably will influence the profiles of the future networks. To help understanding these problems, it is studied the case of the Scientific Community communication networks, identifying, on their performance and operation, the impact of their organization and structure

Análise do regime transitório de circuitos com linhas de transmissão

This work has the pedagogical objective of showing the value of some signal processing techniques for the determination of the transient regime of circuits composed by transmission lines. The analysis method begins with the sinusoidal steady-state response determination, an approach usually followed in any undergraduate guided wave propagation course. Then, the general time domain transient regime is derived by Fourier transform inversion of the previously obtained frequency domain solution. The theoretical problems of signal transmission on dispersive transmission lines, or time domain reflectrometry, are addressed and illustrated by simulating some simple cases.Este trabalho tem um carácter pedagógico, e destina-se a mostrar como o uso cuidado de algumas técnicas de processamento de sinal pode ser útil à determinação do regime transitório de circuitos que incluem linhas de transmissão. A análise começa pela revisão do regime estacionário sinusoidal, normalmente abordado em todos os cursos básicos de propagação guiada, para, de seguida, obter o regime transitório geral, por simples inversão de Fourier das soluções obtidas no domínio da frequência. Os problemas da transmissão de sinais em linhas dispersivas e da reflectrometria temporal são estudados e ilustrados com simulações de casos simples

Emergency food assistance: a case study of low-income households in municipality of Lisbon

Nutritional status, poor diet, and socioeconomic factors are associated with food insecurity. This article presents the preliminary results of an action-research that intends to make food and nutritional characterization of households receiving emergency food assistance (food bank, community canteen) in Lisbon municipality, for development of adequate strategies to nutritional needs among this population. The study applied anthropometry measures, 24h recall, a food insecurity scale and a questionnaire for amenities and socioeconomic factors. A total of 7 households were fully evaluated, making a total of 18 individuals. Most of the adult population was female (63,6%) and 45,5% were overweight. Similar results were found in children and adolescent (42,9%). Results show 27,3% adults had no level of education, followed by a lower to medium level of education. Monthly household income was ‘less than 425 euros’ (71,4%). Households had received food assistance for at least 1 year. Not all households had amenities like a fridge, a microwave or an oven, but all had a hob. All households were food insecure, with 57,1% in Severe Food Insecurity Level. “Not having money’ was the main reason mentioned for households not always having enough to eat or the food they want or need. This research will allow us to understand which strategies and policies will best suit the nutritional needs of these populations and enhance their resilience.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Barriers and facilitators of a school-based health promotion program: a qualitative approach

«Heróis da Fruta – Lanche Escolar Saudável» Project (HF) is a nationwide school-based health promotion program in Portugal developed and coordinated by a multidisciplinary team, including dietitians. The program is implemented by educators and teachers in a school setting, to promote fruit and vegetable consumption among kindergarten and school-aged children. Present research intended to identify and analyze barriers and facilitators recognized by educators and teachers during the implementation of HF. Authors chose semi-structured interview to identify perceptions of 28 educators and teachers. Interviews were transcribed verbatim. Data were coded and analyzed using thematic analyses. Main barriers identified during implementation of HF were time issues (e.g. implementing activities), extra workload and lack of communication. Facilitators were related to ludic-pedagogic activities (e.g. cross-curricular activities), support (e.g. school staff collaboration) and adaptation (e.g. easy to implement). Such results were also identified in previous studies. The research confirms how important is a qualitative approach to adapt an intervention to its context, as it can soothe barriers that might be considered when developing and implementing a school-based health promotion program.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio