Real Options Valuation : an application to the portuguese real estate market

The contribution of real options analysis on the valuation of Portuguese undeveloped building sites is significant on the decision making regarding the apartment-buildings construction. Using the options model developed by Quigg (1993), and including the necessary readjustments for the Portuguese market, it was found that the scale price elasticity parameter and construction expenditures’ elasticity of scale parameter had a strong impact on building sites’ values. The empirical analysis revealed that the option to defer adds value to undeveloped building sites’ valuations. This fact cannot be ignored when deciding upon an investment’s implementation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The structure-function relationship of HIV-1 Vif protein and its regulation

Tese de doutoramento em Farmácia (Microbiologia), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Farmácia, 2008One of the critical determinants of HIV-1 infectivity is the capacity of the virus to infect new cells. The viral Vif protein is one of the critical factors involved in the increase infectivity of the virus. Vif protein is required for HIV to replicate in some human cell types (termed non-permissive' cells), but not others ( permissive' cells). The reason for this is the expression, in non-permissive cells, of a potent antiretroviral enzyme: APOBEC3G (A3G) and its paralog APOBEC3F (A3F). Each of these enzymes contains two RNA-binding motifs and incorporates into assembling HIV-1 capsids where they cause lethal dC-to-dU hypermutations in the single-stranded viral DNA that transiently forms during reverse transcription. One of the mechanisms that Vif uses to overcome this viral block is by reducing A3G/A3F intracellular expression levels recruiting it for polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation in the 26S proteasome. In order to understand how A3G half-life can influence its antiviral activity, both at the level of viral encapsidation and catalytic activity in the cell, we decided to model the intracellular half-life of A3G by targeting it to the N-end rule pathway. This system allowed us to show that A3G variants with different stabilities are capable to be targeted for proteasomal degradation in a Vif-independent manner. Our results confirmed the importance of A3G steady-state expression for the maintenance of its antiretroviral activity indicating that in order to counteract A3G activity, Vif has to act at the very early stages of A3G life-time, probably within the first 13 minutes after its synthesis, in order to impede its incorporation into virions. In addition, we show that active deamination in the cytoplasm does not seem to be important for antiviral activity of A3G and deamination activity does not increase with the half-life of A3G. Identification of protein biding partners between Vif and A3G proteins is one of the major challenges for the development of new antiviral drugs, as disruption of A3G-Vif interaction is predicted to stimulate natural antiviral infectivity. In this work, we used two different approaches to study the interaction of Vif with A3G. One strategy was based on an oligomerization-assisted interaction whereby fragments of Vif and A3G were fused to independently folding and interacting domains of homodimerizing GCN4 leucine zipper-forming sequences. This allowed us to show that the C-terminal region of Vif alone is not sufficient to induce A3G degradation and that binding of Vif to A3G must involve an additional co-factor that is probably linked to the N-terminus of Vif and may be essential for the interaction and consequent degradation of A3G. The other strategy involved a Protein Complementation Assay (PCA). We produced several mutants of both Vif and A3G bearing mutations on key residues that are thought to be crucial for the interaction between these two proteins. By using this strategy we were able to show that some mutations in A3G protein that had been described as being involved in the interaction with HIV-1 Gag, were also important for the interaction with Vif. As a result, we were able to achieve a quantitative assessment of HIV-1 Vif-A3G interactions, which allowed us to do a fine dissection of the regions involved in this interaction. Finally, we found that a region in Vif (DRMR) may be important for the selection of the APOBEC protein to inactivate. By studying the interaction of Vif with A2 protein we reached the conclusion that an additional co-factor may be required in order to A2 to be able to exert antiviral action. Therefore, we provided supporting information for a new direction of the study of Vif-A3 problematic regarding the involvement of anadditional co-factor.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), (SFRH/BD/18805/2004

Neuromuscular electrostimulation vs traditional therapy in the stroke patient with oropharyngeal dysphagia: effects on quality of life - randomized study

Oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is common after stroke. Its presence submits the patient to clinical instability, which can cause complications such as aspiration pneumonia, dehydration, malnutrition and death. The objective was to compare effectiveness of traditional therapy (TT) with associated NMES versus traditional therapy in the rehabilitation of patients with OD after stroke and the effects on their quality of life (QOL). We have observed that in the EG, there is a trend towards a faster recovery of OD, reaching the level 7 of the FOIS scale about a week before the CG. Regarding QOL, it was possible to observe that the patients of both groups, when recovering from DO improved their QOL and that the EG tends to present better results.publishe

Mathematical models for educational simulation of cardiovascular pathophysiology

Tese de doutoramento. Engenharia Biomédica. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto, Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade do Porto. 200

Impact of a simulation-based interprofessional workshop (LINKS) on Portuguese healthcare students’ perception of roles and competencies: a quasi-experimental pilot study

Introduction There is a scarcity of simulation-based interprofessional (IP) programs in Portugal, with a notorious absence in undergraduate education. This paper describes the first step towards the development of an interprofessional education (IPE) undergraduate program, namely the implementation and preliminary assessment of the workshop LINKS – Lifting INterprofessional Knowledge through Simulation. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the educational effect of LINKS, in medical and nursing undergraduate students’ attitudes towards IP teamwork and collaborative practices, and their perception of roles and competencies within an IP team. Methods A total of 23 final-year students participated in the workshop. Teams of three or four elements (medical and nursing students) were exposed to two critical patient management simulation scenarios. To assess the impact of the workshop on students’ perception of IP collaborative practice, two surveys (ATTITUDES and IPEC) were applied before and after the workshop. Additionally, students’ opinion/satisfaction towards the workshop and its curricular integration was explored. Results Students’ awareness of the relevancy of IP learning and self-competency in IP practice improved. For all subdomains and overall scores, statistically significant differences were found when comparing the pre- and post-scores, for both medical and nursing students, in both surveys. All students agreed that the workshop added educational value to their training, and recommended its integration in the formal curriculum, with a first round in the penultimate year and repeated in the last year. Discussion Considering the pre–post test results and anecdotal comments shared during the session, we may infer that this single IPE event contributed to a clearer understanding of the team dynamic and individual role definition, increased the motivation to engage in collaborative practice between physicians and nurses and potentially challenged pre-existent stereotypes of each professional group. These findings corroborate the need for sustainable simulation-based IP programs, integrated in the undergraduate curricula, promoting early clinical interactions of different professional groups. We envision that the results of this study can help to inform future curriculum planning and provide useful insights that can be used within and between Portuguese institutions to develop a common IP undergraduate program.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Decretando a morte: um estudo de caso do protocolo de morte encefálica.

Dissertação apresentada ao Programa de Pós-Graduação Interdisciplinar em Estudos Latino-Americanos da Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana, como requisito parcial à obtenção do título de mestra em Estudos Latino-Americanos. Orientador: Prof. Dr. Antonio de la Peña Garcia.O presente trabalho é resultado de um estudo de caso desenvolvido com uma Comissão Intra-Hospitalar de Doação de Órgãos e Tecidos – CIHDOTT, na cidade de Guarapuava, Paraná, no mês de janeiro de 2016. Foram realizadas entrevistas, observações e conversas com os membros da comissão, enquanto os mesmos realizavam o processo com um paciente. Objetiva descrever como é desenvolvido o Protocolo de Morte Encefálica, a partir da perspectiva dos profissionais que fazem o processo que resulta no documento que atesta a morte do indivíduo, mesmo quando o corpo do paciente apresenta sinais de vida. Através disso, busca-se contribuir com estudos relacionados a influências dos avanços tecnológicos na forma com que vivemos e morremos, além de contribuir para os estudos sobre as questões éticas que permeiam a área médica e apresentar os problemas que permeiam o diagnóstico de morte encefálica. O trabalho é divido em três capítulos: o primeiro deles é dedicado aos aspectos históricos relacionados a morte encefálica. No segundo e terceiro, através das falas dos membros da comissão, é descrito como o protocolo é desenvolvido e quais as dificuldades que permeiam o processo. Optouse por uma metodologia qualitativa para o desenvolvimento dessa pesquisa, compreendendo que esse método oferece um diferencial nas pesquisas realizadas sobre a temática. Como resultado foi possível verificar que o processo de decretar a morte encefálica é de difícil realização. Os profissionais, que atendem uma necessidade imposta pelo capitalismo, onde é atribuída a eles a função de tornar pessoas doentes novamente produtivas, sofrem a pressão pela realização de atividades como a do protocolo de morte encefálica. Nesse processo que vai determinar a morte de alguém cuja funções vitais são mantidas em funcionamento faz com que o paciente assuma a condição de cadáver vivo, cuja a finalidade é a sua fragmentação, para doação de órgãos. Garantindo assim, a possibilidade de outras pessoas se tornarem produtivas beneficiadas pelos seus órgãos que foram retirados.This work is the result of a case study developed with a Hospital-Commission on Organ and Tissue Donation - CIHDOTT, in Guarapuava, Paraná, in January 2016. Interviews were conducted in observations and conversations with members the commission while they performed the procedure with a patient. Aims to describe how developed the Brain Death Protocol, from the perspective of the professionals that make the process that results in the document that certifies the death of the individual, even when the body of the patient shows signs of life. Through this, we seek to contribute to studies related to the influence of technological advances in the way we live and die, and contribute to the study of the ethical issues that permeate the medical field and present the problems that pervade the diagnosis of brain death. The work is divided into three chapters: the first one is dedicated to the historical aspects related to brain death. In the second and third, through the speeches of the members of the committee, is described as the protocol is developed and what difficulties that permeate the process. We chose a qualitative methodology for the development of this research, understanding that this method provides a differential in research conducted on the subject. As a result we found that the process of declaring brain death is difficult to perform. The professionals who serve a necessity imposed by capitalism, which them is attributed to give function over again to become productive sick people are under pressure by carrying out activities such as the brain death protocol. In the process that will determine someone's death whose vital functions are kept in operation causes the patient to assume the condition of the living body, whose purpose is its fragmentation, for organ donation. Thus ensuring the possibility of others becomes productive benefits for their organs that were removed

Usos potenciais das espécies da arborização urbana das praças de Três Rios, RJ

A arborização urbana proporciona conforto visual, áreas para lazer, redução da amplitude térmica, retenção de poluentes atmosféricos, entre outros. Além desses benefícios conhecidos, a arborização urbana pode fornecer alimentos para a população e para a avifauna e remédios naturais. O presente estudo teve como objetivo realizar o levantamento das espécies arbóreas das praças do centro da cidade de Três Rios, RJ, e identificar quais atributos/funções estas podem oferecer para a sociedade. As espécies foram identificadas e contabilizadas por meio de consulta a bibliografia específica e especialistas. Foram identificadas 5 praças, com um total de 310 indivíduos de 44 espécies arbóreas pertencentes a 25 famílias botânicas, sendo que todas (100%) apresentam algum uso potencial. As seis espécies mais abundantes foram: oiti – Licania tomentosa (92 indivíduos); ipê-amarelo, Tabebuia spp (34); manacá-da-serra – Tibouchina mutabilis (24); figueira-benjamina – Ficus benjamina (22); ipê-rosa – Handroanthus impetiginosus (19) e palmeira-imperial – Roystonea oleracea (18). Conclui-se que é importante que a população conheça os atributos que as espécies arbóreas possuem para então usufruir destes e assim participar do planejamento de áreas verdes da cidade e fiscalizar as ações dos governantes sobre este assunto