Antecipação da estação reprodutiva em ovelhas da raça Churra Galega Bragançana. Inseminação artificial

Este ensaio foi realizado com o intuito de comparar a eficácia de dois tratamentos hormonais distintos na antecipação da estação reprodutiva – progestagénios + eCG (Grupo Controlo) vs. melatonina + progestagénios + eCG (Grupo Melatonina) –, em ovelhas da raça Churra Galega Bragançana. Por outro lado, procurou-se avaliar a aplicabilidade da técnica de inseminação artificial (IA) cervical às ovelhas desta raça. A rentabilidade das explorações ovinas é fortemente condicionada pela sazonalidade reprodutiva. Conhecer os mecanismos fisiológicos subjacentes a esta mesma sazonalidade reprodutiva e saber manipular os factores hormonais e/ou comportamentais capazes de contrapor os seus efeitos negativos é algo particularmente importante. Por outro lado, a escolha da técnica da inseminação artificial, com o intuito de melhorar a gestão produtiva e reprodutiva dos efectivos, deve ter em conta os objectivos a alcançar e a realidade técnica de cada exploração. Na componente experimental deste trabalho foram utilizadas todas as ovelhas do rebanho ovino da ESAB, ou seja, um total de 69 ovelhas da raça Churra Galega Bragançana. No início do mês de Março, 36 destas ovelhas receberam um implante subcutâneo de melatonina (18 mg). Sessenta e cinco dias depois, todas as ovelhas (n = 36) foram tratadas com esponjas vaginais, impregnadas com Acetato de Fluorogestona (20 mg). Doze dias mais tarde, aquando da remoção das esponjas vaginais, as ovelhas foram injectadas, intramuscularmente, com 500 UI de Gonadotropina Coriónica equina. Posteriormente, 20 ovelhas (10 – Grupo Controlo vs. 10 – Grupo Melatonina) foram sujeitas a inseminação artificial cervical. As restantes 49 ovelhas foram beneficiadas por monta natural. Todas as ovelhas foram sujeitas a diagnóstico de gestação, por ultrasonografia, 45 dias depois da realização da inseminação artificial. Nos finais do Inverno, 89,7% das ovelhas Churras Bragançanas estudadas estavam em anestro sazonal. O tratamento com melatonina exógena determinou, relativamente ao tratamento clássico com progestagénios, um aumento das percentagens de ovelhas que manifestaram cio e que ovularam. Setenta e seis porcento das ovelhas cobertas por monta natural e 55,0% das inseminadas artificialmente ficaram gestantes.The main aim of this study was to assess the efficiency of two hormonal treatments – progestagens + eCG vs. melatonine + progestagens + eCG – to anticipate the breeding season in a group of Churra Galega Bragançana ewes. Cervical artificial insemination (AI) effectiveness was also evaluated. By the end of the winter, 89.7% of Churra Galega Bragançana ewes were in seasonal anoestrous. Melatonine treatment induced higher rates of ovulation and ewes in estrus than traditional progestagens treatment. Natural mounting determined a fertility rate of 76.0% while cervical AI originated a fertility rate of 55.0%

Downtown Parking Supply, Work-Trip Mode Choice and Urban Spatial Structure

This paper examines the effects of changes in downtown parking supply on urban welfare, modal choice decisions and urban spatial structure using a spatial general equilibrium model of a closed monocentric city with two transport modes, endogenous residential parking and a form of bottleneck congestion at the CBD. Our analysis shows that parking reforms at the CBD that increase delay congestion costs in the short-run such as parking supply limits can be welfare improving if other commuting externalities such as air pollution can be reduced. In addition, because parking limits can also change location decisions such as where to live and invest they may complement anti-sprawl policies efforts by leading to a more compact urban spatial structure in the long run. We also show that changes in downtown parking supply can have different spatial impacts on the market supply of residential parking by affecting urban residents’ location decisions. Finally, we discuss the role of parking pricing as a complementary tool of congestion pricing to combat congestion in central areas and investigate whether the self-financing theorem of transportation economics holds within the context of our spatial urban model.N/

The influence of cleaning solutions on the retention of overdenture attachments systems

Dental-implant-supported reconstructions provide comfort and improvements in prosthetic function, adaptation, and stability over conventional treatment options. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different denture cleansing solutions and their influence on the deterioration and loss of retention of overdenture attachments in a 12-month clinical-use simulation. In this way, ten specimens each of different brands of retentive caps made of Teflon (OT Equator® (Rhein83, Bologna, Italy), Locator® (Zest Anchors, Escondido, CA, USA), Kerator® (KJ Meditech, Gwangiu, Republic of Korea), and Locator R-Tx® (Zest Anchors, Escondido, CA, USA)) were immersed in five different cleaning solutions (Kukident® (P&G Tech, Oxford Parkway, UK), Benfix® (Laboratorios URGO S.L., Guipúzcoa, Spain), Corega® (Stafford Miller, Waterford, Ireland), and Protefix® (Neuhofer Weiche, Parchim, Germany)), and tap water was used as the control group, in a simulation that lasted 12 months. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and a Tukey HSD. Furthermore, a Levene Test and Shapiro–Wilk tests were performed to assess the validation of the ANOVA assumptions. The statistical analysis was performed using R version 4.2.2 software with the significance level set to p < 0.05. There were significant statistical differences between the different manufacturers regarding the retention forces of the attachment’s retentive caps (F = 322.066, p < 0.001). For the cleaning solution groups, different statistical results between Kukident® (P&G Tech, Oxford Parkway, UK) (p < 0.05) and Benfix® (Laboratorios URGO S.L., Guipúzcoa, Spain) (p < 0.05) were observed. There were no significant statistical differences between Corega® (Stafford Miller, Ireland), Protefix® (Neuhofer Weiche, Parchim, Germany), and tap water, even though the retention forces decreased in all of them

What are the Spatial Effects of Employer-Paid Parking at the CBD?

This paper exploits the theoretical connections between employer-paid parking at the CBD and city size, urban welfare, land rents and car commuting using a spatial general equilibrium model with two transportation modes and endogenous residential parking. Our results show that employer-paid parking at the CBD is an ending parking subsidy that shifts a commuter’s decision towards driving to work by changing the relative costs structure of transport modes. By shifting population densities from locations near downtown towards the suburbs, the subsidy also increases the share of workers driving to work and expands the city size. However, the net impact on residential parking land cannot be signed in general because the effects on housing units and parking spaces per dwelling at a particular location in the city run in opposite directions. In addition, because employer-paid parking leads urban residents to prefer locations farther from the city core, residential land rent close to the downtown district decreases while, the value of residential land at central-suburban and in the suburbs increases. On the other hand, city residents as group generally benefit from employer-paid parking.N/

Homofobia: perceção dos discursos sociais e experiência de vitimação de homossexuais

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Psicologia (área de especialização em Psicologia da Justiça)Este estudo, de caráter exploratório, visa compreender a natureza dos crimes homofóbicos, a partir da perspetiva das vítimas. Mais especificamente, pretende-se caracterizar discursos e práticas de natureza homofóbica, bem como o seu impacto e significação para as vítimas. Para este efeito, constituiu-se uma amostra de conveniência de 13 indivíduos de ambos os sexos, homossexuais ou bissexuais, com experiências de vitimação homofóbica, que responderam a uma entrevista centrada na homofobia e nos discursos culturais sobre a homossexualidade, assim como nos episódios de vitimação experimentados por estes participantes. Os resultados obtidos remetem para discursos pautados pela não-aceitação da homossexualidade e para a inexistência de um perpetrador tipo ou de contextos caraterísticos tendencialmente associados à ocorrência dos episódios de vitimação de motivação homofóbica, prevalecendo, no entanto, as agressões verbais. Neste cenário, as vítimas tendem a mobilizar estratégias de ocultação da sua orientação sexual, recorrendo a vários tipos de suporte social.This study, of exploratory character, aims to understand the nature of homophobic crimes from the perspective of victims. More specifically, we intend to characterize the discourses and practices of homophobic nature, as well as its impact and significance for the victims. For this purpose, is was selected a convenience sample of 13 individuals of both sexes, homosexual or bisexual, with experiences of homophobic victimization, which responded to an interview focused on homophobia and cultural discourses about homosexuality, as well as episodes of victimization experienced by these participants. The results show that social discourses reveal an attitude of non-acceptance of homosexuality and the lack of one perpetrator type or characteristic contexts associated with the occurrence of episodes of victimization with homophobic motivation, prevailing, however, the verbal abuse. In this scenario, the victims tend to mobilize strategies of concealment of sexual orientation, using various types of social support

Utilização de lisinas de bacteriófagos no controlo de bactérias patogénicas gram-positivas

Tese de mestrado, Biologia (Microbiologia Aplicada), 2009, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de CiênciasAs endolisinas ou, simplesmente, lisinas são hidrolases da parede celular bacteriana, sintetizadas na fase final do ciclo lítico de fagos de DNA de cadeia dupla, cuja acção permite a libertação da progenia viral. Diversos estudos recentes demonstraram que as lisinas quando aplicadas exogenamente a bactérias Gram-positivas, como proteínas recombinantes purificadas, têm a capacidade de degradar o peptidoglicano da parede celular, causando a lise rápida da célula bacteriana. Com este trabalho pretendeu-se inicialmente caracterizar, clonar e expressar lisinas activas contra Staphylococcus aureus e Propionibacterium acnes. Para aumentar a solubilidade destas enzimas produziram-se proteínas truncadas, contendo apenas o domínio catalítico e, lisinas quiméricas em que se conjugaram diferentes domínios catalíticos e motivos de ligação à parede celular de origem heteróloga. As lisinas que demonstraram melhor solubilidade e actividade lítica foram purificadas por cromatografia de afinidade. Estas foram uma lisina truncada (Lys161) contendo apenas o domínio de endopeptidase CHAP da lisina Lys87, especifica para S. aureus, e duas lisinas quiméricas (Lys168- 87 e Lys170-87) contendo, respectivamente, os domínios catalíticos endopeptidase CHAP e de Amidase-2 de lisinas de Enterococcus sp., fundidos ao domínio C-terminal de Lys87 que apresenta os motivos de ligação ao peptidoglicano. A avaliação da actividade lítica das lisinas em isolados bacterianos de meios hospitalares e da comunidade evidenciou um elevado potencial lítico das lisinas quiméricas em mais de 90% das estirpes de S. aureus testadas, incluindo uma elevada fracção destas com resistência à meticilina. Estas quimeras demonstraram também capacidade de lise em estirpes de Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Micrococcus luteus e Bacillus spp. A lisina truncada Lys161, comparativamente, apresentou menor actividade lítica, com redução do espectro lítico. Os resultados obtidos demonstram o potencial das lisinas quiméricas produzidas na eliminação de bactérias patogénicas, incluindo estirpes de S. aureus resistentes à meticilina.Endolysins, or simply lysins, are bacterial cell wall hydrolysing enzymes that are produced at the end of the lytic cycle of double stranded DNA phages, to allow the release of viral progeny. Many recent studies have shown that when applied externally to Gram-positive bacteria, as purified recombinant proteins, lysins are capable of degrading the cell wall peptidoglycan, resulting in a rapid bacterial cell lyses. This study initially aimed the characterization, cloning and expression of lysins targeting Staphylococcus aureus and Propionibacterium acnes. To increase their solubility the enzymes were produced in the form of truncated proteins, which exclusively carried the catalytic domain, and chimerical polypeptides where different catalytic and cell wall binding domains of heterologous origin were fused. The lysins that exhibited higher solubility and lytic activity were purified by affinity chromatography. Specifically, these were a truncated derivative of Lys87 (Lys161), containing only a CHAP peptidase domain acting on S. aureus, and two chimerical lysins (Lys168-87 and Lys170-87) comprising, respectively, the functional CHAP peptidase and amidase-2 domains of Enterococcus sp. lysins fused to the cell wall targeting domain of the S. aureus lysin Lys87. The evaluation of lysin bacteriolytic activity on bacterial clinical isolates from hospital and community samples showed a high lytic potential of chimerical lysins, which were able to lyse more than 90% of the tested S. aureus strains, including a high fraction of methicillin-resistant isolates. These chimeras also displayed lytic activity against strains of Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus spp. Truncated lysin Lys161 showed less lytic activity and a narrow spectrum when compared to the chimerical endolysins. Our results demonstrate the potential of chimerical lysins to eliminate pathogenic bacteria, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains

Pesquisa de quitinases com potencial biotecnológico: da caracterização enzimática ao isolamento de genes

Relatório de projecto no âmbito de Bolsa Universidade de Lisboa/Fundação Amadeu Dias (2008/2009)Universidade de Lisboa; Fundação Amadeu Dia

Perturbação de stress pós-traumático em vítimas de acidentes rodoviários

Tese de mestrado em Psicologia, área de especialização de Psicologia da Saúde.Em Portugal a sinistralidade rodoviária é um tema actual, sendo um dos países da Europa com mais vítimas na sequência de acidentes. Apesar disso, investigações realizadas noutros países já reportaram as consequências do envolvimento em acidentes, mas no nosso país escasseiam os estudos sobre o impacto físico e psicológico dos acidentes rodoviários nas vítimas. Verdade incontestável é que todos os cidadãos poderão sofrer acidentes rodoviários enquanto utilizadores da via pública, sejam peões, condutores ou passageiros confrontando-se com as consequências sociais, económicas e na saúde física e psicológica. O desenvolvimento de perturbação psicológica não é raro, podendo co-existir com outras perturbações. Os acidentes são considerados pela literatura como acontecimentos potencialmente traumáticos que ocorrem repentina e inesperadamente, são emocionalmente perturbadores e ameaçam a integridade física dos indivíduos. A presente dissertação visa estudar o impacto psicológico dos acidentes rodoviários nas suas vítimas mais directas, em particular a incidência de Perturbação de Stress Pós-Traumático (PTSD) numa amostra de 42 participantes que estiveram envolvidos em acidentes e necessitaram de cuidados médicos. Esta investigação decorreu em dois momentos, alguns dias após o acidente e 4 meses após a primeira avaliação. Nas avaliações foram administrados como instrumentos de medida o Questionário Sócio-Demografico do Estudo sobre o Impacto dos Acidentes Rodoviários, o Questionário de Experiências Peritraumáticas (na primeira avaliação), uma Lista de Acontecimentos de Vida (CAPS), a Escala de Avaliação de Resposta ao Acontecimento Traumático, o General Health Questionnaire-12 e o Sickness Impact Profile. Os resultados sugerem que 54.8% dos participantes na primeira avaliação e 30.9% na segunda apresentam sintomas compatíveis com o diagnóstico de PTSD. Cerca de 31% dos participantes que na primeira avaliação tinham sintomas da perturbação deixaram de os apresentar na segunda. Daqueles que inicialmente não apresentam os sintomas de PTSD (45.2%) cerca de 7.1% passaram a apresentar esses sintomas na segunda avaliação. Os dados mostram também que a percepção de perigo se relaciona com os sintomas de PTSD em ambos os momentos da avaliação; a dissociação relaciona-se com estado geral de saúde na segunda avaliação, com o funcionamento físico e psicossocial, e com os sintomas de PTSD em ambos os momentos. Os sintomas de PTSD da primeira avaliação, o estado geral de saúde e o funcionamento físico e psicossocial relacionam-se com os sintomas de PTSD da segunda avaliação. Para além das relações estabelecidas, verificamos que a percepção de perigo, as respostas dissociativas, o estado geral de saúde e os sintomas de PTSD (da primeira avaliação) constituem importantes preditores para o desenvolvimento de PTSD 4 meses após o acidente. Estes dados permitem-nos concluir que a prevalência de PTSD em vítimas de acidentes rodoviários não é rara, à qual estão associados factores de âmbito diverso. Destacamos o papel da saúde e o bem-estar emocional no desenvolvimento de perturbação e no comprometimento do funcionamento nas diversas áreas a vida pelo que a intervenção precoce e a prevenção deverão ser objecto de análises e planificações cuidadas pela estrutura politica e social.Although statistics on Portuguese road traffic accidents currently feature na unflatteringly prominent position among those provided by other European countries, there seems to be a lack of research concerning the physical and psychological consequences of such accidents among victims in our country. Unfortunately as pedestrians, drivers, or passengers, people of developed societies are all vulnerable to the socio-economic and health problems (both physical and mental)that can result from traffic accidents. The development of psychological disturbances (sometimes accompanied by other anomalies) is far from rare. Road traffic accidents are generally seen in literature as potentially traumatic events that can suddenly and unexpectedly occur, bringing emotional distress and threatening individuals’ physical integrity. The present dissertation aims to study the psychological impact of road accidents on the victims, in particular the incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in a sample of 42 participants who, following their involvement in traffic accidents, required medical attention. This research took place in two separate moments, the first some days after the accident and the second 4 months later. The following instruments were used: the Socio-Demographic Questionnaire from the Study into the Impact of Road Traffic Accidents, the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (in the first assessment only), a Life Events List (CAPS), the Scale of Traumatic Experiences Response (EARAT), the General Health Questionnaire – 12 (G.H.Q.-12) and the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP). The obtained results suggested that 54.8% of the participants in the first assessment and 30.9% in the second, present symptoms compatible with a diagnosis of PTSD. About 31% of those who in the first assessment had shown symptoms of PTSD ceased to do so in the second. Of those (45%) who had not presented symptoms of PTSD initially, 7.1% began to show symptoms in the second assessment. These results also show that perception of danger is correlated with PTSD symptoms in both instances of assessment; dissociation is correlated with the general state of health (at the second assessment), with physical and psychosocial functioning and with PTSD symptoms at both assessment times. PTSD symptoms, general state of health and physical and psychosocial functioning in the first moment are correlated with PTSD symptoms at the second assessment. It was also found that perception of danger, dissociation, general state of health, and PTSD symptoms (from the first assessment) are important predictors of the development of PTSD 4 months later. Based on this evidence it can be concluded that the prevalence of PTSD in road traffic accident victims is not rare, and that the condition is accompanied by a host of wide-ranging, associated variables. The general state of physical and emotional health plays a key role in determining the rate, extent and nature of the onset of stress disorder and of compromised functioning in various areas of life. Therefore, the earliest possible intervention, as preventive as possible in nature, should be carefully analysed by political and civil authorities

Healthcare- associated infections: an analysis of costs in a Portuguese Hospital

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) delay healing, prolong Hospital stay, and increase both Hospital costs and risk of death. This study aims to estimate the extra length of stay and mortality rate attributable to each of the following HAIs: wound infection (WI); bloodstream infection (BSI); urinary infections (UI); and Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). The study population consisted of patients discharged in CHLC in 2014. Data was collected to identify demographic information, surgical operations, development of HAIs and its outputs. The study used regressions and a matched strategy to compare cases (infected) and controls (uninfected). The matching criteria were: age, sex, week and type of admission, number of admissions, major diagnostic category and type of discharge. When compared to matched controls, cases with HAI had a higher mortality rate and greater length of stay. WI related to hip or knee surgery, increased mortality rate by 27.27% and the length of stay by 74.97 days. WI due to colorectal surgery caused an extra mortality rate of 10.69% and an excess length of stay of 20.23 days. BSI increased Hospital stay by 28.80 days and mortality rate by 32.27%. UI caused an average additional length of stay of 19.66 days and risk of death of 12.85%. HAP resulted in an extra Hospital stay of 25.06 days and mortality rate of 24.71%. This study confirms the results of the previous literature that patients experiencing HAIs incur in an excess of mortality rates and Hospital stay, and, overall, it presents worse results comparing with other countries

Magnetic nanoparticles as a versatile solid-support for fusion protein purification and antimicrobial assays

Magnetic nano-and microparticles are unique platforms for the development of bioseparation and antimicrobial devices. This work explored the application of magnetic particles for the purification of fusion proteins through the use of magnetic adsorbents coupled to novel affinity ligands towards peptidic and proteic tags. Furthermore, and in view of the novelty of these ligands, molecular modeling and simulation techniques were employed to explain the key structuralfeatures involved inthe binding of two affinity pairs: GFP/LA-A4C7 and RK-GFP/LR-A7C1.The results showed that the interaction between GFP and LA-A4C7 is mainly hydrophobicwhile the interaction between RK-GFP and LR-A7C1 is mostly driven byhydrogen bonds. Moreover, the same modeling techniques have been used to idealize a theoretical second generation library with view of maximizing the estimated free energy of binding and the correspondent affinity constant. When immobilizing the biomimetic ligands LA-A4C7 and LR-A7C1 onto magnetic nanoparticles, it was possibleto bind the protein of interest and recover pure elution fractions. The best elution condition for GFP elution was 0.1mM glycine-NaOH pH9 50% (v/v) ethylene glycoland the best elution condition for RK-GFP elution was PBS pH 7.4, 500mM arginine, which are in accordance with the theoretical results described previously. Final binding constants for the studied systems (Ka=0.83×105M-1and Qmax=4mg/g for GFP/LA-A4C7, Ka=3.21×105M-1and Qmax=2mg/g for RK-GFP/LR-A7C1) show promising results for an affinity-based protein purification system.Magnetic particleswere also functionalized with (RW)3, an peptidewith antimicrobial properties, by different routes. We were able to develop a novel antimicrobial nanodevice based on the EDC-coupling of (RW)3that has shown antimicrobial activity against Escherichiacoliand Bacillussubtilis