Retrospective study of the association between neutering status and changes secondary to degenerative mitral valve disease

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina VeterináriaMyxomatous mitral valve disease is the most common cardiovascular disease reported in dogs. Although many patients may remain asymptomatic, some of them progress to left-sided congestive heart failure and develop clinical signs. Little has yet been published regarding the possible influence of the neutering status on changes secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease. This study aims to assess a possible correlation between neutering status and myxomatous mitral valve disease. A retrospective study was conducted and included all the cases diagnosed with myxomatous mitral valve disease, consulted at the Cardiology service of the University of Liverpool. To help assess the association between neutering status and cardiac remodelling, dogs were categorized into four groups: FE (female entire), FN (female neutered), ME (male entire) and MN (male neutered). Retrospective review of echocardiographic data, signalment, and underlying diseases were performed. Echocardiographic measurements were made through offline analysis. Echocardiographic measurements were then compared between groups. Five hundred and eighty-two dogs (n = 582) were included: female entire (n = 24), female neutered (n = 235), male entire (n = 115) and male neutered (n = 208). Left ventricular internal diameter at end diastole (LVIDd), left atrial dimension to the aortic root diameter (LA:Ao) and left atrium maximal dimension to the aortic root dimension (LAmax:Ao) were significantly different between ME and MN, with ME dogs presenting higher mean values for LVIDd and higher median LA:Ao and LAmax:Ao measurements. Left ventricular internal diameter at end systole (LVIDs) was not significantly different between ME and MN. There were no significant differences between FE and FN groups. This study shows that neutering status may influence the development of myxomatous mitral valve disease in male dogs and that entire male dogs could be at higher risk of developing cardiac remodelling secondary to myxomatous mitral valve disease. On the other hand, neutering status doesn’t seem to have an influence on disease progression in female dogs.RESUMO - Estudo retrospetivo da associação entre a esterilização e alterações secundárias à doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral - A doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral é a doença cardiovascular mais prevalente em cães. Apesar da maior parte dos pacientes permanecerem assintomáticos, alguns podem progredir para insuficiência cardíaca esquerda e desenvolver sinais clínicos. Até hoje, existem poucas publicações sobre o possível efeito que a esterilização possa ter no desenvolvimento da doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral. O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar se existe de facto uma relação entre a esterilização e a doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral. Foi realizado um estudo retrospetivo que incluiu todos os casos diagnosticados com doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral consultados no serviço de Cardiologia da Universidade de Liverpool. Para avaliar a relação entre a esterilização e a presença de remodelação cardíaca, os cães foram categorizados em quatro grupos: FE (fêmeas inteiras), FN (fêmeas esterilizadas), ME (machos inteiros) e MN (machos castrados). A história pregressa e os dados ecocardiográficos dos animais foram revistos retrospetivamente e as medidas ecocardiográficas foram obtidas por medição offline. Estas medições foram depois comparadas entre os diferentes grupos. Quinhentos e oitenta e dois cães (n = 582) foram incluídos: fêmeas inteiras (n = 24), fêmeas esterilizadas (n = 235), machos inteiros (n = 115) e machos castrados (n = 208). Nos resultados obtidos, o diâmetro interno do ventrículo esquerdo no final da diástole (LVIDd), o rácio átrio esquerdo-aorta (LA:Ao) e o rácio diâmetro máximo do átrio esquerdo-aorta (LAmax:Ao) foram estatisticamente significativos entre machos inteiros e machos castrados. Os machos inteiros apresentaram não só um LVIDd médio superior, como também uma mediana de LA:Ao e LAmax:Ao superior aos machos castrados. Ao mesmo tempo, o diâmetro interno do ventrículo esquerdo no final da sístole (LVIDs) não mostrou ser estatisticamente significativo entre machos inteiros e machos castrados e nenhum dos parâmetros ecocardiográficos anteriormente referidos revelou ser estatisticamente significativo entre fêmeas inteiras e fêmeas esterilizadas. Este estudo demonstra que a esterilização poderá influenciar o desenvolvimento da doença mixomatosa da válvula mitral e que os cães machos inteiros poderão apresentar um maior risco de desenvolver remodelação cardíaca secundária a esta doença. No entanto, a esterilização não aparenta influenciar a progressão desta doença em cadelas.N/

Private Sector Participation: A Theoretical Justification of the Brazilian Position

The Brazilian position on the issue of private sector participation in the efforts to forestall and resolve emerging markets crises is that there should be an approach of contacting and convincing a large number, but not the totality, of private creditors. They should be convinced that the international public sector loans will allow a transition to stability that is overfinanced in case they voluntarily join in by maintaining their exposure to the country, at the spreads they choose, and with the counterparts they wish to have as clients. We model private sector participation by means of a game. We show that the traditional argument that there is a coordination problem among the private creditors does not exist is in a model without Knightian uncertainty, because there is only one Pareto dominant Nash equilibrium which involves participation. By introducing Knigthian uncertainty, we show that if the degree of uncertainty, as measured by the uncertainty aversion, is high enough, then there is only one Nash equilibrium under uncertainty, which involves nonparticipation. Finally, we show that if there is a large enough number of private creditors who decrease their uncertainty aversion, then again private participation becomes the unique Pareto dominant Nash equilibrium under Knightian uncertainty. If we interpret the approach and convincing of the private creditors as decreasing their uncertainty aversion, then this last result is a justification of the Brazilian position. In fact, the private creditors would voluntarily choose to maintain their exposures, because private sector participation is the unique Pareto dominant Nash equilibrium under uncertainty of the game.

Carbohydrate-based 1,3-oxazoline-2-thiones as original bioactive structures:synthesis and reactivity

Tese de doutoramento, Química (Química Orgânica), 2009, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de CiênciasDisponível no document

Periodic orbits 1-5 of quadratic polynomials on a new coordinate plane

While iterating the quadratic polynomial f_{c}(x)=x^{2}+c the degree of the iterates grows very rapidly, and therefore solving the equations corresponding to periodic orbits becomes very difficult even for periodic orbits with a low period. In this work we present a new iteration model by introducing a change of variables into an (u,v)-plane, which changes situation drastically. As an excellent example of this we can compare equations of orbits period four on (x,c)- and (u,v)-planes. In the latter case, this equation is of degree two with respect to u and it can be solved explicitly. In former case the corresponding equation ((((x^{2}+c)^{2}+c)^{2}+c)^{2}+c-x)/((x^{2}+c)^{2}+c-x)=0 is of degree 12 and it is thus much more difficult to solve

Effects of growth on relative prices in a two-good n-country model

This paper analyses the effect of an increase of the enodwment in a two-good n-country model. It is shown that the endowment of good one can go up and the price of the same good relative to good two can also increase. However, this "perverse" effect cannot occur in both goods if the economy is at a tatonnement stable equilibrium. This is a new restriction in the form of the equilibrium manifold of an exchange economy. It is also shown that this "double perversity" is the case with normal goods when the equilibrium is unstable.

Residents’ perceptions of tourism activity in a rural North-Eastern Portuguese community: a cluster analysis

The recognition of the role of tourism planners in seeking to contribute to local residents’ well-being by mitigating the potential costs of tourism development has been given more attention in the last decades. Several studies on the perception of positive or negative impacts, based on sustainability (namely the three pillars: economic, sociocultural and environmental) have been developed. However, the studies have been somewhat limited in terms of approaches, namely with respect to the contribution and participation of stakeholders. In this study, we attempted to use a bidirectional analysis of involvement and tourism knowledge to segment the residents and analyse their perception of the impacts. A total of 373 valid surveys were applied in a rural mountainous municipality (Boticas) during 2015 and 2016. In this municipality, tourism (activity) is an emergent activity. The results show that more informed and more involved residents have more positive perceptions of tourism than other groups, while less informed and less involved residents have more negative perceptions of it. The study contributes to increasing the knowledge about residents’ perceptions of tourism, adding the aspects of involvement, especially in rural areas. This type of proposal can be applied to any destination to help manage residents’ opinions and, consequently, their support of tourism development. Keywords: rural tourism; perceptions; segmentation; clusters; rural development; botica

Episódio para a série animada universo das canções

PCC(graduação) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Centro de Comunicação e Expressão. Design.O presente trabalho parte da proposta de desenvolver um episódio para a série animada infantil chamada “Universo das Canções”, para o público pré-escolar em idade entre zero a três anos, que possua conteúdo que reforce o aprendizado das crianças. Para a produção do episódio, foram analisadas séries já desenvolvidas para o mesmo público a fim de entender os elementos comuns e tentar reproduzir com o menor custo possível. Pode-se concluir que é possível, desde que haja mais uma pessoa para auxiliar na produção ou tempo maior de produção

Quantum Erasure by Transverse Indistinguishability

We show that the first experiment with double-slits and twin photons detected in coincidence can be understood as a quantum eraser. The ``which path'' information is erased by transverse indistinguishability obtained by means of mode filtering in the twin conjugated beam. A delayed choice quantum eraser based on the same scheme is proposed.Comment: Submitted for publication in Optics Communication

Ler bem para aprender melhor : descrição e fundamentação teórica de um programa de intervenção no âmbito das dificuldades de aprendizagem da leitura

Os problemas na aprendizagem inicial da leitura constituem um factor de risco no desenvolvimento de trajectórias de sucesso. O reconhecimento deste facto tem conduzido à elaboração de programas de intervenção dirigidos a crianças em idade pré-escolar e na fase inicial de alfabetização. Neste artigo apresenta-se um programa, de cariz remediativo, dirigido a alunos com dificuldades na velocidade e acuidade leitora. O programa a ser aplicado em pequenos grupos prevê a realização de um diagnóstico prévio. Foram contemplados no seu delineamento actividades leitura sombra, leituras repetidas, leitura e exploração de histórias, registo dos ganhos individuais. É efectuada um confronto entre as opções tomadas e as orientações da literatura na construção de programas no âmbito das dificuldades de aprendizagem da leitura