The bone marrow-mediated protection of myeloproliferative neoplastic cells to Vorinostat and Ruxolitinib relies on the activation of JNK and PI3K signalling pathways

This study was funded by research grants from "Instituto Portugues de Oncologia de Lisboa-Francisco Gentil" (IPOL-FG), "Associacao Portuguesa Contra a Leucemia" (APCL) and "Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro" (LPCC). BAC is a recipient of a Post-Doc fellowship from "Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia" (FCT-SFRH/BPD/79209/2011) and HB from LPCC. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.The classical BCR-ABL-negative Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN) are a group of heterogeneous haematological diseases characterized by constitutive JAK-STAT pathway activation. Targeted therapy with Ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2-specific inhibitor, achieves symptomatic improvement but does not eliminate the neoplastic clone. Similar effects are seen with histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), albeit with poorer tolerance. Here, we show that bone marrow (BM) stromal cells (HS-5) protected MPN-derived cell lines (SET-2; HEL and UKE-1) and MPN patient-derived BM cells from the cytotoxic effects of Ruxolitinib and the HDACi Vorinostat. This protective effect was mediated, at least in part, by the secretion of soluble factors from the BM stroma. In addition, it correlated with the activation of signalling pathways important for cellular homeostasis, such as JAK-STAT, PI3K, JNK, MEK-ERK and NF-kappa B. Importantly, the pharmacological inhibition of JNK and PI3K pathways completely abrogated the BM protective effect on MPN cell lines and MPN patient samples. Our findings shed light on mechanisms of tumour survival and may indicate novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of MPN.publishersversionpublishe

O debate historiográfico sobre a Grande Guerra de 1914-1918

A Grande Guerra ainda não terminou. O impacto deste conflito foi de tal modo profundo na História da Europa que os seus efeitos ainda hoje influenciam a evolução do continente. O mesmo se poderá dizer para a Ásia e o Médio Oriente (onde as ondas do acordo Sykes-Picot ainda hoje alimentam os seu conflitos). Este impacto explica em boa medida que o primeiro centenário da sua eclosão tenha marcado de forma evidente o debate académico e público na Europa durante o ano de 2014. Este artigo procura levantar o véu do profuso debate académico em torno da Grande Guerra, no mundo anglo-saxónico, em França e em Portugal. A primeira parte disseca o debate anglo-saxónico e francês quanto à Grande Guerra, a sua origem e sua evolução. A segunda, lida com o debate português, focado em torno das razões da beligerância nacional.The Great War has not ended, yet. The impact of this conflict was so profound in the history of Europe that its consequences still impact the continent’s evolution. We could argue the same concerning Asia and the Middle East, where the Sykes-Picot agreement still fuel conflicts. This article aims at lifting the veil of the profuse academic debate surrounding the Great War, in the Anglo-Saxon world, in France, and in Portugal. The first part dissects the Anglo-Saxon and French debate over the Great War, its origins and evolution. The second part deals with the Portuguese debate, focusing on the origins of national belligerence

strategic ambition and operational disaster in the Portuguese Great War in Mozambique

UID/HIS/04209/2013publishersversionpublishe

Validity and Reliability of the Smart Groin Trainer for Measuring Hip Adduction Strength

We analyzed the Smart Groin Trainer device's validity and reliability to measure the isometric hip adduction strength during the adductor squeeze strength test. Fifteen professional soccer players (25.33±4.06 years) and fifteen university students (21.60±1.76 years) participated in this study. All participants performed the squeeze strength test using two portable dynamometers: Smart Groin Trainer and Globus Ergometer. Three maximal isometric hip adduction contractions lasting 5s, interspersed by 3min rest intervals, were performed. Reliability was analyzed with intraclass correlation coefficients, standard error of measurements, and minimal detectable change. The absolute percent error and inter-device accuracy were also analyzed. Correlation analysis assessed the inter-device concurrent validity. The results found no significant differences (p>0.05) between devices in the squeeze strength test values in soccer players and university students. Inter-device comparisons revealed excellent levels of reliability and accuracy in soccer players. Concurrent validity measures revealed strong inter-device relationships in soccer players (r=0.89) and very strong relationships in university students (r=0.99). Intra-device analysis using the Smart Groin Trainer showed excellent relative and absolute reliability in tested soccer players. Our data demonstrated excellent levels of agreement between both dynamometers during the squeeze strength test, suggesting the Smart Groin Trainer as a valid, reliable, and accurate device to measure isometric hip adduction strength.This research was funded under the NANOSTIMA project Macro-to-Nano Human Sensing: Towards Integrated Multimodal Health Monitoring and Analytics of operation NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000016, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the NORTE 2020 (North Regional Operational Program 2014/2020) and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P., grant number UID04045/2020, Portugal. Diogo Luís Marques is funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, grant number SFRH/BD/147608/2019.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Strength and Power Performance Changes During an In-Season Resistance Training Program in Elite Futsal Players: A Case Study

In this study, we aimed to analyze (i) the strength and power changes after resistance training (RT) in elite futsal players, and (ii) the associations between the session rate of perceived exertion (sRPE) and perceived total quality recovery (TQR), and the sRPE and TQR with the volume load of the RT program. Ten elite futsal players (24.8 ± 5.4 years; 76.2 ± 7.1 kg; 1.77 ± 0.05 m) performed an in-season 8-week RT program twice per week. RT consisted of 2-3 sets x 3-6 reps at 45-65% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) with maximal velocities in the full squat and complementary exercises with the same volume. We assessed the TQR before every session, while the sRPE was calculated after each RT session. One week before and after the intervention, we measured the countermovement jump (CMJ) height, isometric hip adduction strength (IHAS), 1RM, and peak power (PP) in the full squat progressive loading test. After the 8-week training program, there was a significant improvement in most outcomes, yet the gains (%Δ) remained below the minimal detectable change (MDC), except for IHAS (CMJ: p < 0.05, %Δ = 6.7, MDC% = 7.2; IHAS: p < 0.001, %Δ = 19.1, MDC% = 14.6; 1RM: p > 0.05, %Δ = 9.2, MDC% = 21.5; PP: p < 0.05; %Δ = 14.4, MDC% = 22.4). We also found a significant negative correlation between TQR and the sRPE (r = -0.45, p < 0.001). Our data suggest that RT based on low-volume and low-to-moderate loads may not produce a sufficient stimulus to induce meaningful dynamic strength and power gains in elite futsal players, although it improves isometric strength. Furthermore, monitoring TQR before sessions may show coaches how the elite futsal player will perceive the session's intensity.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Validação do método de Mohr para determinação do teor de Cloreto em águas de consumo humano

O ião Cloreto encontra-se normalmente associado aos catiões sódio, cálcio, magnésio e potássio. Uma concentração excessiva de cloreto na água acelera a corrosão dos metais das redes de distribuição, em função da alcalinidade da água. Validação do método de Mohr (SMEWW 21th Edition 2005), utilizado no Laboratório de Saúde Pública de Bragança para determinação do teor de Cloreto em águas de consumo humano, com base no documento normativo NP EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005, com o objectivo final da Acreditação deste ensaio. Através do estudo de validação efectuado foi possível a Acreditação do método de Mohr (SMEWW, 21th Edition, 2005) para determinação do teor de Cloreto em águas de consumo humano. O reconhecimento da competência técnica para a execução do método referido foi conferido pelo Instituto Português de Acreditação (IPAC) mediante a emissão de um certificado de acreditação n.º L0432

A computer vision based web application for tracking soccer players

Soccer is a sport where everyone that is involved with it make all the efforts aiming for excellence. Not only the players need to show their skills on the pitch but also the coach, and the remaining staff, need to have their own tools so that they can perform at higher levels. Footdata is a project to build a new web application product for soccer (football), which integrates two fundamental components of this sport's world: the social and the professional. While the former is an enhanced social platform for soccer professionals and fans, the later can be considered as a Soccer Resource Planning, featuring a system for acquisition and processing information to meet all the soccer management needs. In this paper we focus only in a specific module of the professional component. We will describe the section of the web application that allows to analyse movements and tactics of the players using images directly taken from the pitch or from videos, we will show that it is possible to draw players and ball movements in a web application and detect if those movements occur during a game. © 2014 Springer International Publishing

Escala de Sentimento de Competência Parental: Análise confirmatória do modelo de medida numa amostra de pais portugueses

A Competência Parental é uma das auto-percepções parentais mais estudadas no âmbito do estudo das cognições parentais com implicações no comportamento parental, nas interacções pais-crianças e no desenvolvimento e comportamento dos filhos. Neste domínio, a Escala de Sentimento de Competência Parental é amplamente utilizada no estudo da eficácia parental e na avaliação de consequências de intervenções na parentalidade. Contudo, diversos estudos têm reportado soluções factoriais distintas, levantando um debate sobre a natureza conceptual e as propriedades psicométricas da medida. Neste estudo, avalia-se através de Análise Factorial Confirmatória (MEE) o ajustamento do modelo de medida da ESCP numa amostra de pais portugueses (n=236). Os resultados mostram que a solução de 3 factores Satisfação, Eficácia e Interesse, revelou melhor ajustamento global e melhor fiabilidade compósita, validade convergente e divergente. Na globalidade, os resultados sustentam a validade discriminatória entre os construtos Satisfação, Eficácia e Interesse e a ideia de que as percepções de competência parental abrangem múltiplos componentes cognitivos modulares e interligados, mas com fontes de variação independentes e origens distintas