The Morphology, Physiology and Pathophysiology of Coronary Microcirculation

The heart is one of the most demanding organs of the human body. The high nutrient and oxygen demands need to be met through an adequate vascularization of the myocardium. In fact, the myocardium vascular supply is achieved through an extensive vascular network that includes larger arteries, also known as coronary arteries, smaller arteries (arterioles) and capillaries. This set of arterioles and capillaries is known as microcirculation. Coronary artery disease is usually associated with larger epicardial coronary arteries. However, several studies have shown an important role of coronary microvascular dysfunction. This review aimed to explore the (a) morphology, with particular interest on the anatomical and histological aspects; (b) physiology, providing an insight on the several endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent regulatory mechanisms; and (c) pathophysiology of the cardiac microcirculation, with a special focus on the changes in the regulatory mechanisms, on the atherogenesis and on the correlation to the systemic cardiovascular disease

Study on project management in Portugal within the scope of the Portuguese Project Management Observatory

The Portuguese Project Management Observatory (PPMO), an initiative of the Portuguese Association of Project Management (APOGEP), is being developed by the University of Minho in partnership with other 17 Higher Education institutions. The main objectives of this research were to understand the tools and techniques most and least used by organizations, the use of agile methodologies, the maturity of each Project Management area, and success dimensions. The method selected for this study was a survey applied through an online questionnaire directed to Portuguese organizations. The results show that the most used Tools and Techniques are Kick-off Meeting, Progress Meetings, Project Work Description, Gantt Chart, and Activity List; and the least used are Monte Carlo Analysis, Decision Tree, Project Management Software for Simulation, Conferences for Bidding, and Parametric Estimation. Statistically significant differences were found between the use of various Tools and Techniques and factors such as gender, age, current position, education level, and activity sector. Agile methodologies are used in a large part of the respondents' organizations, however, no correlation was identified between the use of agile methodologies and the accomplishment of scope, time and cost of projects. The process identified as having the highest maturity is Definition of Activities in the Project Schedule Management area, followed by Project Execution in the Project Integration Management area, and the Schedule Development in the Project Schedule Management area. Customer Satisfaction is the KPI most used.- (undefined

Enquadramento e contabilidade mental no processo de tomada de decisão

Mestrado em GestãoA presente dissertação estuda a temática das finanças comportamentais, que apresenta uma nova abordagem face às teorias financeiras tradicionais contrapondo a ideia de eficiência dos mercados, assim como o pressuposto da racionalidade. Esta nova abordagem recorre à Psicologia e à Sociologia para identificar desvios cognitivos e emocionais que influenciam no processo de tomada de decisão e afastam a decisão tomada da decisão ótima. Dois desses desvios cognitivos são o enquadramento e a contabilidade mental, em que o primeiro defende que as decisões dos indivíduos são afetadas pela forma como as escolhas são enquadradas e o segundo defende que a forma como nos comportamos com o dinheiro não é toda igual pois, sem disso termos noção, categorizamos todo o dinheiro que ganhamos. No presente estudo, procurou-se verificar a existência desses dois desvios através da replicação em Portugal de dois estudos conduzidos por Daniel Kahneman e Amos Tversky em 1981 e em 1986, e ainda se as variáveis género, idade, área de formação e experiência na bolsa são fatores que influenciam os resultados obtidos. Através da resposta de 1285 inquiridos, chegou-se à conclusão de que estes desvios se verificam na amostra recolhida (corroborando os estudos anteriores e salientando mais uma vez a importância da compreensão das consequências destes desvios psicológicos) e, ainda, de que há indícios que as variáveis estudadas apresentam influência nesses desvios.This dissertation studies the issue of behavioral finance, which presents a new approach relatively to the traditional finance theories, opposing the idea of efficient markets, as well as the assumption of rationality. This new approach uses psychology and sociology to identify cognitive and emotional anomalies that influence the decision making process, thus diverting the decision taken from the optimal decision. Two of these cognitive anomalies are the framing effect and mental accounting, whereas the first argues that individuals’ decisions are affected by the way that choices are framed; the second argues that the way we behave with money is not always the same because, without realizing it, we categorize all the money we earn. The present study attempts to verify the existence of these two biases through replication, in Portugal, of two studies conducted by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky in 1981 and 1986, and also if factors such as gender, age, formation background and previous experience in the stock market have influence on the results. Based on responses from 1285 people, it was concluded that these anomalies can be witnessed in the collected sample (confirming the previously mentioned studies and highlighting once again the importance of understanding the psychological consequences of these anomalies) and that there is evidence that the studied factors have influence on these behavioral biases

Application of the PM² Methodology in the project management of the Portuguese project management observatory creation – initiating phase

The Portuguese Project Management Association (APOGEP) launched in September 2020 the project of implementation of the Portuguese Project Management Observatory (PPMO), a non-profit organization with a focus on the status and evolution of project management in Portugal. The project is being managed using the PM2methodology, developed by the European Commission (EC) that has been available, since 2016, free of charge to the general public. The methodology has few scientific references, so this project was used to contribute to filling this gap. The methodology incorporates best practices from other bodies of knowledge, can be easily applied and allows for customization. The initiating phase has been completed and the details of its implementation are focused on in this paper. The client involvement from an early stage was crucial and it was necessary to use more artefacts than those mentioned for this phase. Therefore, this paper presents the tailoring of the PM2methodology to the PPMO project, for the initiating phase.- (undefined

Hematologia, perfil bioquímico e hormônios da tireoide em quatro espécies de arraias de água doce do gênero Potamotrygon

Potamotrygonidae is a family of freshwater stingray endemic in South America. We determined the hematological and serum biochemistry parameters of Potamotrygon motoro and Potamotrygon falkneri from Parana Basin and Potamotrygon orbignyi and Potamotrygon scobina from the Amazon Basin. Blood was collected from 55 specimens of Potamotrygon sp., and these parameters were evaluated: red blood cell count, hematocrit percent, hemoglobin concentration, leucocytes count, trombocytes count, total protein concentration, albumin, uric acid, urea, creatinine, triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein HDL, calcium, phosphorus, calcium/phosphorus relationship, creatine kinase CK, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase GGT, Aspartate transaminase AST, alanine transaminase ALT, globulin, albumin/globulin relationship, alkaline phosphatase AP, sodium, chloride, potassium, triiodothyronine T3, and thyroxine T4 hormones. The hematological indices were similar for all species, except for levels of heterophils in P. orbignyi and P. scobina that were higher. Calcium, phosphorus, calcium/phosphorus relationship, sodium, potassium, chloride, AST, ALT, GGT, CK, albumin/globulin relationship, uric acid, creatinine, urea, triglycerides, HDL, T3, T4 levels had no significant difference between the species. These results suggest that there is low influence of habitat and feeding habits. AP, total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose, and total cholesterol had significant differences between the studied species. These results support the theory that stingrays migrated from the Atlantic Ocean, adapting to different conditions over time and placed themselves geographically distant from each other.Potamotrygonidae e um grupo de raias endêmicas da América do Sul distribuídas nas principais bacias hidrográficas brasileiras, mas informações sobre suas variáveis hematológicas e bioquímicas são escassas. Este estudo teve como objetivo determinar estas variáveis em Potamotrygon motoro e P. falkneri na Bacia do Rio Paraná, Estado do Paraná e de P. orbignyi e P. scobina do Rio Piririm, na Bacia Amazônica, Estado do Amapá. Foi capturado um total de 53 espécimes de Potamotrygon spp. para colheita de sangue e avaliações do hemograma e variáveis bioquímicas séricas. Os valores do hemograma foram próximos para as quatro espécies e os resultados com diferenças significativas entre Potamotrygon falkneri, P. motoro, P. orbigni e P. scobina ocorreram quanto ao número de eritrócitos e heterófilos. Apesar da diversidade geográfica os resultados apresentaram pouca interferência dos diferentes habitats nas variáveis avaliadas. Os níveis de proteínas, globulinas, relação albumina:globulina, acido úrico, creatinina, ureia, HDL-C, relação cálcio:fósforo, sódio, cloreto, AST, ALT, creatinoquinase (CK), fosfatase alcalina, hormônios triiodotironina (T3) e tiroxina (T4) não diferiram entre as espécies de Potamotrygon. Porem, os níveis de albumina, glicose, colesterol total, triglicerídeos e gama glutamil transferase (GGT) apresentaram diferenças. Este fato sugere pouca interferência do habitat nas variáveis avaliadas apesar da diversidade geográfica de origem das raias de vida livre

Para o estudo da evolução do ensino e da formação em administração educacional em Portugal

Estudos sobre a evolução do ensino de disciplinas, na formação de professores em Portugal, são recentes. O controle burocrático centralizado reteve as dimensões do controle político-administrativo. De certo modo, protegeu a esfera educativa das influências modernizantes, do capitalismo industrial e das lógicas mercantis e gerencialistas. Defendeu a educação do domínio político, da intervenção de movimentos sociais, das propagandas de ideais democráticos e da cidadania. A utilização da designação "Administração educacional" ilustra as dificuldades sentidas, ao longo dos últimos anos, em termos da construção acadêmica de uma área, seja pela falta de tradição, seja pelos antecedentes históricos.In Portugal, studies about the evolution of disciplines teaching in the teachers formation are recent. The centralized bureaucratic control has held back the dimensions of politic administrative control. In a certain way, it has protected the education against the new-fashioned influences, manufacturing capitalism, and mercantile and managerial logics. This centralized bureaucratic control has also profected the education against the politic dominion, the intervention of social movements, the advertising of democratic ideals, and against the citizenship. The use of the term "Educational administration" shows the difficulties met by the searchers along the latest years, since there is no tradiction nor historic antecedence

Cirurgia de revascularização coronária: análise de resultados e desenvolvimento de modelos de estratificação de riscos

Apesar dos imensos esforços desenvolvidos na prevenção da doença coronária aterosclerótica, esta tem constituído, durante as últimas décadas e nos países industrializados, a principal doença cardíaca do adulto. Além da sua alta prevalência, a importância da doença resulta igualmente do impacto social e económico originado pela gravidade das suas consequências clínicas, pelo recurso frequente a sofisticados métodos auxiliares de diagnóstico e a terapêuticas paliativas, farmacológicas ou de revascularização, frequentemente requerendo o internamento hospitalar. Para além disso, a doença coronária constitui ainda uma das principais causas de mortalidade nos países mais desenvolvidos. Segundo dados recentemente publicados [1], as doenças do sistema cardiovascular são a principal causa de morte em Portugal, e, dentro destas, a doença cardíaca isquémica representa a segunda causa, apenas ultrapassada pelo acidente vascular cerebral. Na tentativa de reduzir este impacto negativo nas populações, as quatro últimas décadas foram testemunhas de um enorme esforço e progresso no tratamento cirúrgico da doença isquémica cardíaca. A cirurgia de revascularização coronária é, ainda, e apesar do decréscimo provocado pela intervenção cardiológica percutânea, a principal intervenção realizada pelos centros de cirurgia cardíaca em todo o mundo desenvolvido. Daí, a importância da análise que nos propusemos fazer das condições técnicas e dos resultados desta cirurgia, que constitui o principal objectivo desta tese. Como adiante se justificará, pretendemos desenvolver, a partir da nossa base de dados institucional, um modelo de predição de risco de mortalidade e morbilidade em doentes submetidos a cirurgia de revascularização coronária

Prevalence of burnout syndrome in clinical nurses at a hospital of excellence

Background: Burnout syndrome can be defined as long-term work stress resulting from the interaction between constant emotional pressure associated with intense interpersonal involvement for long periods of time and personal characteristics. We investigated the prevalence/propensity of Burnout syndrome in clinical nurses, and the factors related to Burnout syndrome-associated such as socio-demographic characteristics, work load, social and family life, leisure activities, extra work activities, physical activities, and work-related health problems. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional, quantitative, prospective epidemiological study with 188 surgical clinic nurses. We used the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which is a socio-demographic questionnaire and the most widely used instrument to assess Burnout syndrome (three basic dimensions: emotional exhaustion, despersonalization and professional underachievement). The socio-demographic profile questionnaire wascomposed of questions regarding identification, training, time at work, work characteristics and personal circumstances. Results: The prevalence of Burnout syndrome was higher (10.1%) and 55, 4% of subjects had a propensity to develop this syndrome. The analysis of the socio-demographic profile of the nurse sample studied showed that most nurses were childless married women, over 35 years of age, working the day shift for 36 hours weekly on average, with 2-6 years of post-graduation experience, and without extra employments. Factors such as marital status, work load, emotion and work related stress aggravated the onset of the syndrome. Conclusion: The prevalence and propensity of Burnout syndrome were high. Some factors identified can be useful for the adoption of preventive actions in order to decrease the prevalence of the clinical nurses Burnout syndrome