O temporal de 3 a 6 de Dezembro de 1739 em Portugal - reconstituição a partir de fontes documentais descritivas

THE WEATHER IN PORTUGAL BETWEEN 3 AND 6 DECEMBER 1739 (BASED ON DESCRIPTIVE DOCUMENTAL SOURCES). Instrument-based meteorological observations in mainland Portugal started to be gathered in the 1770s. Weather in Portugal before that time can therefore only be reconstructed based on descriptive documental sources in which generally only extreme weather events are recorded. Due to the subjectivity of this type of information, critical analysis of the sources, their diversity and data crossing prove essential in order to be able to assess their trust-worthiness. Here we have chosen to analyse a gale that swept across much of mainland Portugal between 3 and 6 December 1739. The violent winds coming from the South, which according to reports may have reached speeds of 120km/h, were accompanied by heavy, continuous rain that produced flooding in the basins of the rivers Tagus, Mondego and Douro. Large-scale damage would have occurred, backed up by references to the death of many animals and the loss of human lives. As nowadays, these storm events were originated from winds coming from the South

Temperature and precipitation reconstruction in southern Portugal during the late Maunder Minimum (AD 1675–1715)

This paper discusses the research carried out to check the climatic characteristics of the late Maunder Minimum (LMM) (AD 1675–1715) in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula and as an aid towards pressure patterns reconstruction in the NE Atlantic and Europe. Documentary evidence reveals that interannual precipitation variability was similar to the present one, although some very severe dry periods occurred (particularly one in 1694). On the other hand, during the LMM there was a higher percentage of cold winter months, some of them with snowfall. A brief comparison is made with other areas from the Mediterranean. The relationships between weather similarities and differences for particular months is analysed in the light of the reconstructed synoptical patterns, and further research into historical climatic change of southern Europe is suggested.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Temperature and precipitation reconstruction in southern Portugal during the late Maunder Minimum (AD 1675–1715)

This paper discusses the research carried out to check the climatic characteristics of the late Maunder Minimum (LMM) (AD 1675–1715) in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula and as an aid towards pressure patterns reconstruction in the NE Atlantic and Europe. Documentary evidence reveals that interannual precipitation variability was similar to the present one, although some very severe dry periods occurred (particularly one in 1694). On the other hand, during the LMM there was a higher percentage of cold winter months, some of them with snowfall. A brief comparison is made with other areas from the Mediterranean. The relationships between weather similarities and differences for particular months is analysed in the light of the reconstructed synoptical patterns, and further research into historical climatic change of southern Europe is suggested.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

House dust fungal communities’ characterization: a double take on the six by sixty by six project (6x60x6)

Fungi are a group microbes, that are found with particular incidence in the indoor environment. Their direct toxicity or capability of generating toxic compounds has been associated with a large number of adverse health effects, such as infectious diseases, allergies and other toxic effects. Given that in modern society people spend a large part of their time indoors; fungal communities’ characterization of this environmental compartment assumes paramount importance in the comprehension of health effects. House dust is an easy to obtain, time-integrative matrix, being its use in epidemiological studies on human exposure to environmental contaminants highly recommended. Furthermore, dust can carry a great variety of fungal content that undergoes a large number of processes that modulate and further complexify human exposure. Our study aims to quantify and identify the fungal community on house dust samples collected using two different methodologies (an approach not often seen in the literature): active (vacuum cleaner bags) and passive sampling (dust settled in petri dishes). Sampling was performed as part of the ongoing 6x60x6 Project in which six houses from Covilhã (Portugal), with building dates representative of six decades, were studied for a period of sixty days.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pi3k Inhibition Synergizes With Glucocorticoids But Antagonizes With Methotrexate In T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

The PI3K pathway is frequently hyperactivated in primary T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cells. Activation of the PI3K pathway has been suggested as one mechanism of glucocorticoid resistance in T-ALL, and patients harboring mutations in the PI3K negative regulator PTEN may be at increased risk of induction failure and relapse. By gene expression microarray analysis of T-ALL cells treated with the PI3K inhibitor AS605240, we identified Myc as a prominent downstream target of the PI3K pathway. A significant association was found between the AS605240 gene expression signature and that of glucocorticoid resistance and relapse in T-ALL. AS605240 showed anti-leukemic activity and strong synergism with glucocorticoids both in vitro and in a NOD/SCID xenograft model of T-ALL. In contrast, PI3K inhibition showed antagonism with methotrexate and daunorubicin, drugs that preferentially target dividing cells. This antagonistic interaction, however, could be circumvented by the use of correct drug scheduling schemes. Our data indicate the potential benefits and difficulties for the incorporation of PI3K inhibitors in T-ALL therapy.613105-1311

Patient-physician discordance in assessment of adherence to inhaled controller medication: a cross-sectional analysis of two cohorts

We aimed to compare patient's and physician's ratings of inhaled medication adherence and to identify predictors of patient-physician discordance.(SFRH/BPD/115169/2016) funded by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT); ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) through the operations: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029130 ('mINSPIRERS—mHealth to measure and improve adherence to medication in chronic obstructive respiratory diseases—generalisation and evaluation of gamification, peer support and advanced image processing technologies') cofunded by the COMPETE2020 (Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização), Portugal 2020 and by Portuguese Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rhinitis associated with asthma is distinct from rhinitis alone: TARIA‐MeDALL hypothesis

Asthma, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis (AD) are interrelated clinical phenotypes that partly overlap in the human interactome. The concept of “one-airway-one-disease,” coined over 20 years ago, is a simplistic approach of the links between upper- and lower-airway allergic diseases. With new data, it is time to reassess the concept. This article reviews (i) the clinical observations that led to Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA), (ii) new insights into polysensitization and multimorbidity, (iii) advances in mHealth for novel phenotype definitions, (iv) confirmation in canonical epidemiologic studies, (v) genomic findings, (vi) treatment approaches, and (vii) novel concepts on the onset of rhinitis and multimorbidity. One recent concept, bringing together upper- and lower-airway allergic diseases with skin, gut, and neuropsychiatric multimorbidities, is the “Epithelial Barrier Hypothesis.” This review determined that the “one-airway-one-disease” concept does not always hold true and that several phenotypes of disease can be defined. These phenotypes include an extreme “allergic” (asthma) phenotype combining asthma, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The climate of southern Portugal during the 18th century reconstruction based on descriptive and instrumental sources

A Climatologia Histórica não é um domínio de estudo com tradição no nosso país. Para além do trabalho de inventariação de observações meteorológicas instrumentais anteriores à fundação do Observatório do Infante D. Luís, realizado por Ferreira nos anos quarenta do século passado, os primeiros estudos surgem apenas na última década do século XX e foram desenvolvidos, quase exclusivamente, no âmbito do projecto europeu ADVICE. Neste contexto, o presente relatório mais não representa do que o resultado de uma sondagem, um esboço de reconstituição dos ritmos térmico e pluviométrico, em Portugal, no século XVIII, não devendo ser encarado senão como um contributo inicial para o conhecimento do clima do Sul de Portugal, num período para o qual não se dispunha, até ao presente, de qualquer informação sistematizada. Em Portugal continental, as observações meteorológicas instrumentais têm o seu início apenas nas últimas décadas do século XVIII. Deste modo, o presente estudo apoia-se, maioritariamente, em fontes documentais descritivas. A pesquisa empreendida veio revelar a extraordinária riqueza em informação meteorológica e climática dispersa nas fontes documentais históricas portuguesas, desde as institucionais, às particulares, bem como na própria imprensa da época, e o seu inegável valor para a reconstituição do clima do passado em Portugal. Raramente se utilizaram notícias que não fossem explícitas quanto ao objecto da investigação, isto é, que não aludissem de forma directa e inequívoca a estados do tempo, a condições da atmosfera e a elementos meteorológicos. A aplicação deste tipo de informação encerra, contudo, alguns problemas, que passam pela subjectividade dos testemunhos, particularmente dos referentes às condições térmicas, pelo carácter esporádico, não sistemático, dos assentamentos e pela diversa resolução temporal das notícias. No sentido de se aferir a qualidade da informação, utilizaram-se vários procedimentos, desde o exame biográfico, no caso dos registos particulares, à diversificação e cruzamento de fontes, passando pela análise semântica dos conteúdos e pela confrontação da informação qualitativa com os registos instrumentais. De um modo geral, são os excessos climáticos (secas prolongadas, violentos episódios pluviométricos, prolongados períodos de chuva, calores extremos ou inusitadas quedas de neve), que surgem mencionados nos diversos géneros de fontes utilizadas. O maior volume e fiabilidade das notícias relativas a fenómenos hídricos permitiram a sua “semi-quantificação” e transformação em índices mensais, numa escala compreendida entre -1 (mês “seco”) e +1 (mês “chuvoso”) e em que o valor 0 (mês “normal”) foi atribuído sempre que não foi encontrada informação ou as notícias apontavam para condições normais. Dadas as características dos registos, baseados em acontecimentos excepcionais e com impacto sócio-económico, os índices são aqui interpretados como uma medida do comportamento dos fenómenos extremos (chuvas intensas ou prolongadas e secas), mais do que dos valores médios da precipitação. Ainda que mais escassa, a informação recolhida referente à temperatura permite que se teçam algumas considerações. As duas primeiras décadas de Setecentos terão sido particularmente frias, quando comparadas com as restantes. Entre 1720 e 1799, não só diminuem as referências a “frio” e a fenómenos associados, como se circunscrevem praticamente ao Inverno e à Primavera. O estudo de algumas vagas de calor ocorridas na Primavera, particularmente em Março, como, por exemplo, as de 1734 e 1781, parece permitir concluir, aliás em conformidade com o que se passa na actualidade, da sua relação com a fase positiva da NAO. Nessa situação, grande parte da Europa ocidental e central regista anomalias térmicas positivas. Os exemplos dos invernos de 1708/1709, 1739/1740 e de 1788/1789, mostram, por outro lado, que as crises de frio no continente Europeu e, em particular, no território de Portugal continental, podem estar relacionadas com diferentes padrões, de larga escala, da pressão ao nível do mar. Contudo, essas vagas de frio, durante o século XVIII como na actualidade, aparecem invariavelmente relacionadas com situações de bloqueio da circulação de Oeste e com a advecção de ar frio de Norte, de Nordeste e mesmo de Leste, associadas quer ao desenvolvimento em latitude do anticiclone atlântico (como terá acontecido nos meses de Abril de 1713 e de 1754), quer ao seu posicionamento em latitudes mais setentrionais, nomeadamente sobre as Ilhas Britânicas (como em Março de 1700 e Janeiro de 1740), quer ainda a uma extensão para ocidente do anticiclone continental, por vezes com ligação ao anticiclone atlântico, de que é representativo o mês de Janeiro de 1714. O índice NAO dos meses para os quais existe informação relativa a vagas de frio em Portugal apresenta, invariavelmente, valores negativos e parece relacionar-se, maioritariamente, com um padrão do campo de pressão ao nível do mar caracterizado pela presença de um centro anticiclónico localizado sensivelmente sobre as Ilhas Britânicas, associado a um centro depressionário sobre o Mediterrâneo central. Ilustram esta situação mês de Março de 1700 (índice NAO=-1.35), Janeiro de 1740 (-3.36), Março de 1754 (-2.00) e Dezembro de 1788 (-3.5). A circulação atmosférica em altitude, nestes meses, ter-se-á, provavelmente, caracterizado pela presença de uma crista anticiclónica sobre a fachada atlântica do continente europeu e por um vale depressionário imediatamente a Leste, com eixo de orientação sensivelmente Sudoeste-Nordeste. A precipitação, no Sul de Portugal, registou uma forte variabilidade ao longo do século XVIII, parecendo indicar os valores do coeficiente de correlação que a variabilidade da chuva, à escala anual, se relacionou principalmente com a verificada durante o trimestre de Primavera (r=0.91) e, em segundo lugar, com a do Inverno (r=0.81). Nos primeiros anos do século XVIII, pelas suas características extremas, são de destacar três períodos. O primeiro foi dominado pela ocorrência de chuvas persistentes ao longo de um intervalo de tempo considerável (Inverno de 1706/1707-Verão de 1709, apenas interrompido pela escassez pluviométrica do Verão e do Outono de 1707). Os segundo e terceiro (Inverno de 1711/1712 e o período compreendido entre a Primavera de 1714 e o Outono de 1715) foram marcados por uma situação distinta, ou seja, por um défice hídrico, particularmente prolongado no último caso. Nos anos trinta, o Sul do país ter-se-á caracterizado por uma forte variabilidade da chuva. A validar também esta conclusão, o conhecimento que se tem da realização de manifestações litúrgicas Pro Pluvia em três anos (1734, 1737 e 1738) e Pro Serenitatem em dois (1732 e 1736), o que faz desta década uma das mais ricas neste género de cerimónias litúrgicas, no Sul de Portugal. Como representativos de uma situação de seca, destacam-se dois períodos: o primeiro, compreendido entre os Invernos de 1733/1734 e 1734/1735 e o segundo com início em Fevereiro de 1737 e prolongando-se até Fevereiro de 1738. Separando aqueles dois, ocorreu um período, entre o Outono de 1735 e a Primavera de 1736, caracterizado por um excesso pluviométrico. A situação que, no Sul de Portugal, merece um maior destaque nas últimas décadas do século XVIII, período relativamente ao qual se dispõe já de alguns registos instrumentais, nomeadamente para a região de Lisboa, é o ciclo de anos chuvosos, iniciado em 1783 e que se deverá ter prolongado até ao final dos anos oitenta, princípio da década de noventa. Esta flutuação da precipitação no Sul do país, deduzida a partir das observações instrumentais de Lisboa e de Mafra e, também, das notícias recolhidas em fontes documentais descritivas, parece ser correlacionável com os distúrbios climáticos que afectaram algumas regiões da Europa durante a década de oitenta. Outros aspectos que merecem ser referidos são a forte concentração da precipitação, tanto em Lisboa como em Mafra, verificada no mês de Dezembro. Relativamente a Mafra (1783-1787), a análise da direcção do vento permite concluir que, muito embora os ventos dominantes tivessem sido os de N, NE e NW, foram os ventos de SW, S e SE que estiveram relacionados com cerca de dois terços da precipitação registada em Mafra durante aqueles anos. São também aqueles rumos, particularmente os de SE e S, que estiveram associados às precipitações mais intensas. Como tem sido demonstrado por vários autores, a Oscilação do Atlântico Norte é, no presente como no passado, um factor determinante para o regime da precipitação invernal na Península Ibérica. No sentido de se avaliar a relação existente, no Sul de Portugal, durante o século XVIII, entre a precipitação e o índice NAO foram efectuadas várias regressões simples. Os valores de r mais elevados foram, invariavelmente, obtidos para a Primavera (Março-Maio). Atendendo a que, tanto o volume como a qualidade da informação em que se suporta o presente estudo não apresentam características homogéneas ao longo do século XVIII, realizaram-se também regressões para diversos períodos. Tentou-se, deste modo, verificar quando terá sido mais forte a relação entre o índice NAO e a precipitação no Sul do país. Os melhores resultados foram alcançados para o conjunto de anos formado pelos períodos 1728-1764 e 1779-1799. Trata-se, se não se considerarem os primeiros quinze anos do século, dos intervalos para os quais se dispõe de um maior volume de notícias e, simultaneamente, de informação mais fiável, o que poderá explicar os valores de r mais elevados, inclusive no Inverno. Para finalizar, importa salientar, de novo, que o estudo aqui apresentado não possibilita senão uma visão descontínua da variabilidade climática, particularmente da precipitação, no Sul de Portugal, durante o século XVIII. No sentido de se ampliar e aprofundar o conhecimento do clima de Portugal no passado, é de extremo interesse dar continuidade à pesquisa e inventariação das fontes documentais históricas, estendendo a prospecção a bibliotecas e arquivos de outros pontos do país, bem como prosseguir o seu estudo e análise sistemáticos, que deverão ser empreendidos à luz de uma estratégia concertada e de uma perspectiva interdisciplinar.Historical Climatology has not been a privileged area of study in Portugal. Besides the organisation of the meteorological observations with the use of instruments prior to the foundation of the Infante D. Luís Observatory carried out by Ferreira in the nineteen forties, the first studies emerged only in the last decade of the twentieth century and were almost exclusively developed within the European project ADVICE. This report presents no more than the result of a survey of the reconstruction of the temperature and rainfall rhythms in the 18th century in Portugal. Hence, it should not be regarded as other than an initial contribution to the knowledge of Southern Portugal’s climate. Meteorological observations with the use of instruments began in Portugal only in the latter decades of the 18th century. This study is to a great extent based in descriptive documental sources. The research carried out revealed an extraordinary wealth of meteorological and climatic information, dispersed among the Portuguese historical documental sources, of which some were institutional, some private, as well as the press. News that was not explicitly within the object of investigation was rarely used. In other words, news that did not allude directly and undeniably to weather conditions, to atmosphere conditions, and to meteorological elements was not used. The application of this type of information reveals some problems relating to the subjectivity of the accounts, particularly those referring to thermal conditions, due to the sporadic and non-systematic character of the records. Several procedures were used in order to evaluate the quality of the information. These included biographical examinations for every private record, diversification and intersection of sources as well as semantic analysis and comparison of qualitative information with the instrumental data. It is generally the extreme climatic situations (prolonged droughts, violent rainfall, long-lasting rainfall periods, extreme heat or fierce snowfall) that were mentioned in the several types of sources used. The biggest volume and reliability of news relating to rainfall phenomena allowed for its “semi-quantification” and transformation into a monthly index divided between –1 (“dry” month) and +1 (“rainy” month) and in which the value 0 (“normal” month) was attributed every time information was missing or the news indicated normal conditions. Considering that the records were based on extreme situations with socio-economic impact, the indices are interpreted as a measurement for the behaviour of extreme phenomena (intense and prolonged rainfall or droughts), rather than for the average precipitation. Although more sparse, the information relating to temperature allow for some considerations. The two first decades of 18th century were particularly cold when compared with the others. Between 1720 and 1799, not only did the references to “cold” diminish, they were also confined to the winter and spring. After the study of some heat waves that occurred in spring, particularly in March (e.g. 1734 and 1781), one seems to reach the conclusion that, in conformity with the present time, they are related to the positive phase of the NAO index. Accordingly, a great part of western and central Europe registers positive temperature anomalies. The 1708/1709, 1739/1740 and 1788/1789 winters show that the cold temperature crisis in the European continent, and specifically in mainland Portugal, may be related to different patterns at a large index of the pressure at sea level. However, in the past as in the present, these cold waves are invariably related to blocking situations of the western circulation and with the advection of North, Northeast and East cold air, associated to the latitudinal development of the Atlantic anticyclone (as happened in April 1713 and 1754) and to its position in more northern latitudes, namely on the British Isles (as happened in March 1700 and January 1740). It is also associated to an occidental extension of the continental anticyclone, sometimes connected to the Atlantic anticyclone; such is the case of January 1714. The NAO index for the months with information regarding cold waves in Portugal always presents negative values. Furthermore, it seems to be greatly related to a pattern of pressure field at sea level characterised by the presence of an anticyclonic centre located on the British Isles associated to a low pressure centre over the central Mediterranean. March 1700 exemplifies that situation (NAO index = -1.35), January 1740 (-3.36), March 1754 (-2.00) and December 1788 (-3.5). The atmospheric circulation at high altitude in those months was probably characterised by the presence of an anticyclonic ridge over the Atlantic rim of Europe and by a valley immediately to the East , with a Southwest-Northeast axis. The precipitation in southern Portugal was very variable throughout the 18th century. The correlation coefficient indicates that the yearly variability of rain was mainly related to the one that occurred during the spring trimester (r=0.91) and secondly with the winter one (r=0.81). In the early 18th century three periods stand out due to their extreme characteristics. The first period was characterised by the occurrence of persistent rain throughout an extensive period of time (winter of 1706/1707 – summer of 1709 only interrupted by the scarce precipitation of the summer and winter autumn of 1707). The second and third periods (winter of 1711/1712 and the period between the spring of 1714 and the autumn of 1715), were characterised by a distinct situation, that is, by a precipitation deficit, particularly prolonged in the last case. Strong rainfall variability in the south of the country characterised the 30’s. The liturgical manifestations Pro Pluvia in three years (1734, 1737 and 1738) and Pro Serenitate in two (1732 and 1736) support that conclusion. In fact, that decade was one of the most important for those kind of liturgical ceremonies in southern Portugal. Two periods stand out as drought situations: firstly, the one between winter of 1733/1734 and the winter of 1734/1735; secondly, the one from February 1737 until February 1738. A period with precipitation excess occurred between those two periods (between the autumn of 1735 and the spring of 1736). The most relevant situation in southern Portugal in the latter 18th century (period in which there were already some instrumental records) is the cycle of rainy years initiated in 1783, which must have been prolonged until the late 80’s / early 90’s.The unbalanced precipitation in the south of the country deduced after the Lisbon and Mafra instrumental observations and after the news in the descriptive documental sources, seems to be connected to the climatic disturbance that affected some European regions during the 80’s. Other aspects that merit reference are, for instance, the strong concentration of precipitation in Lisbon and in Mafra that occurred in December. Regarding Mafra (1783-1787), the analysis of the wind direction leads to the conclusion that despite the fact that the main winds were from North, Northeast and Northwest, it was the winds from Southwest, South and Southeast that were related to around two thirds of Mafra’s precipitation during those years. The most intense precipitation was also associated with those wind directions, particularly the Southeast and South ones. As demonstrated by several authors, the winter precipitation in the Iberian Peninsula in the past as in the present is correlated with the North Atlantic oscillation. Several simple regressions were made in order to evaluate the relation between the precipitation and the NAO index in the 18th century in southern Portugal. The r higher values were invariably obtained in spring (March-May). The volume and the quality of the information supporting this study are not consistent throughout the 18th century. For that reason, some regressions were also made for several periods. Attempts were made in order to verify when the relation between the NAO index and the precipitation in Southern Portugal was the strongest. The periods 1728-1764 and 1779-1799 achieved the best results, if one neglects the first fifteen years of the century, that were periods with the longest array of news and, simultaneously, more reliable information, which may explain the higher r values including in the winter. In conclusion it is relevant to emphasize again that this study does not allow for more than a fragmented understanding of the climatic variability, particularly the precipitation, in the 18th century in southern Portugal. In order to increase and deepen the knowledge of the past climate in Portugal it is extremely important to continue the research and the systematisation of the records and historic documental sources. That work should be extended to the investigation in libraries and archives around the country. Furthermore, the study and the systematic analysis should be undertaken under a joint strategy and an interdisciplinary perspective.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio