370 research outputs found
Fifteen years of experience from a medical school' clinical skills laboratory
Medical Education has evolved being defined as a continuum of the medical training from the pre- to the post-graduate period and through a lifetime of medical practice that is mirrored in the competencies framework that several international institutions have established. This creates a challenge to educational institutions (pre- and post-graduate) that traditionally take separate pathways.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Co-designed FreeRTOS deployed on FPGA
Most embedded systems are bound to real-time
constraints. Two of the critical metrics presented in these systems
are determinism and latency. Due to growing in complexity of
embedded applications, real time operating systems (RTOS) are
needed, not only to hide the increasingly complex hardware,
but also to provide services to the system’s running tasks.
Unfortunately, this new layer on an embedded system puts more
pressure on the aforementioned metrics. One of the ways to cope
with this problem is to offload RTOS run-time services to the
hardware layer.
This paper presents a hybrid hardware/software implementation
of this technique upon the well known FreeRTOS, improving
system’s latency and predictability, by migrating critical runtime
services to hardware. The developed hardware accelerators
were synthesized on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA),
exploiting the point-to-point bus Fast Simplex Link (FSL) to
interconnect to the Xilinx’s Microbaze soft-core processor.This work has been supported by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology within the Project Scope: PEst-OE/EEI/UI0319/2014
Analysis of a vegetable oil performance in a milling process by MQL lubrication
In this work, we carried out a comparison between the dry machining of an aluminum block with conventional cutting oil and a block with vegetable oil. The two oils had different flow rates. Using the Taguchi method, it was possible to determine the matrices for optimizing the best parameters for each group of tests. Then, we studied the utility of using vegetable oil as a cutting lubricant. We found that the vegetable oil studied in this work had good properties in terms of reducing cutting temperatures but was less effective than conventional cutting oil in reducing the surface roughness of the machined part. Tribological tests were carried out to understand the influence of the selected lubricants in reducing friction and wear. After the sliding experiments, which were performed without lubrication in the presence of the same lubricants that were used in the machining tests and in the presence of distilled water, we concluded that vegetable oil has satisfactory lubricating properties that are similar to those of the conventional cutting fluid, indicating a potential for consideration as an effective alternative to the conventional cutting fluid, with economic, environmental, and health advantages.Financial support was provided by Portugal’s national funding FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC)
to Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO) (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020) and
SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2020). Additionally, this work was partially supported by Portuguese FCT,
under the reference projects UIDB/04077/2020, UIDB/00532/2020 and UIDB/04436/2020. This
research was also partially funded by EXPL2021CIMO_01. Inês Afonso acknowledges the financial
support of CIMO through EXPL2021CIMO_01.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Analysis of a vegetable oil performance in a milling process by MQL Lubrication
In this work, we carried out a comparison between the dry machining of an aluminum block with conventional cutting oil and a block with vegetable oil. The two oils had different flow rates. Using the Taguchi method, it was possible to determine the matrices for optimizing the best parameters for each group of tests. Then, we studied the utility of using vegetable oil as a cutting lubricant. We found that the vegetable oil studied in this work had good properties in terms of reducing cutting temperatures but was less effective than conventional cutting oil in reducing the surface roughness of the machined part. Tribological tests were carried out to understand the influence of the selected lubricants in reducing friction and wear. After the sliding experiments, which were performed without lubrication in the presence of the same lubricants that were used in the machining tests and in the presence of distilled water, we concluded that vegetable oil has satisfactory lubricating properties that are similar to those of the conventional cutting fluid, indicating a potential for consideration as an effective alternative to the conventional cutting fluid, with economic, environmental, and health advantages.Financial support was provided by Portugal’s national funding FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC)
to Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO) (UIDB/00690/2020 and UIDP/00690/2020) and
SusTEC (LA/P/0007/2020). Additionally, this work was partially supported by Portuguese FCT,
under the reference projects UIDB/04077/2020, UIDB/00532/2020 and UIDB/04436/2020. This
research was also partially funded by EXPL2021CIMO_01. Inês Afonso acknowledges the financial
support of CIMO through EXPL2021CIMO_01
O epitélio respiratório em ratos Wistar após 48 horas de exposição contínua ao ruído de baixa frequência
ABSTRACTPrevious studies show that exposure to low frequency noise (LFN) (≤500Hz, including infrasound) produces irreversible lesions in Wistar rat respiratory epithelia. Recovery periods for LFN-induced lesions have thus become an object of interest. Changes in the respiratory epithelia of Wistar rats after continuous short-term exposure to LFN are described. Twelve rats were exposed to continuous LFN for 48hrs, and 10 age-matched rats were kept in silence. Animals were treated in accordance with 86/609/CE. After exposure ceased, two rodents were sacrificed immediately, and another two after 6, 12, 24, 48hrs, and 7 days of post-exposure silence. Respiratory epithelial fragments were prepared for light and scanning/ transmission electron microscopy. Six hours after exposure, intense and irregular cellular tumefaction was visible and rosetta structures, formed by secretory cells (SC) centered on a brush cell (BC), were identifiable. Cilia were shorter and shaggy. BC microvilli tended to group, losing the uniform distribution seen in controls. Twelve hours after exposure, cell balooning was still present, BC shape was highly irregular and microvilli were grouped. SC microvilli were still shorter than controls. Seven days after exposure, controls and exposed were indistinguishable. LFN-induced epithelial lesions seem to be reversible if recovery periods are respected.REV PORT PNEUMOL 2003; IX (6): 473-47
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
Arquivo de Memória Oral das Profissões da Comunicação (AMOPC)
O AMOPC designa um repositório de memórias orais dos profissionais das várias áreas da comunicação. O objetivo é a criação de um arquivo audiovisual em formato eletrónico, para recolha, recuperação, catalogação, preservação, disponibilização e aproveitamento de registos de memória histórica sobre as profissões da comunicação, aberto à sociedade civil e à comunidade académica mais alargada. O AMOPC poderá ser acedido e pesquisável através da internet, permitindo a rentabilização de materiais que se constituirão como fonte permanente de informação pedagógica e científica.
Os media constituem um dos elementos mais determinantes das sociedades contemporâneas. À medida que à escala mundial se vai constituindo um híper sector, assistindo-se a fenómenos de convergência e de homogeneização cultural, os estudos na área da comunicação assumem um papel relevante para a compreensão das reconfigurações da esfera pública.
Face à mudança nas atividades profissionais da área da comunicação, em termos tecnológicos, organizacionais e laborais, consideramos como prioridade o resgatar de memórias e vestígios plurais que tendem a ser ignorados e esquecidos, nas fontes oficiais e nos registos institucionais sobre a área da comunicação social.
Optámos aqui por tomar a atividade da comunicação social como um todo, rejeitando a perspectiva de uma análise parcelar, por sector ou por suporte tecnológico, colocando as várias áreas ligadas aos media como um conjunto ocupacional (onde muitas trajetórias de vida cruzam diferentes áreas).
Procuraremos diversificar as “ vozes” que “contam”, a nossa preocupação recairá na inclusão dos diversos grupos de profissionais, do diretor de informação de um canal de televisão, ao tipógrafo, ao gestor de comunicação, ao jornalista, ao account em comunicação, ao diretor do serviço ao cliente, ao revisor, ao assessor de imprensa, ao operador de imagem, ao copyright, ao fotógrafo, ao regente de estúdios, ao sonoplasta, etc.
O caracter interdisciplinar é assegurado por uma equipa que 21 investigadores, de várias instituições do ensino superior, de Portugal e do Brasil. O nosso objectivo é alargar o projeto a outras instituições académicas e associações profissionais da área da comunicação.
O projeto está numa fase de arranque, para a qual obteve financiamento em Dezembro de 2017, no Concurso Anual para Projectos de Investigação, Desenvolvimento, Inovação e Criação Artística do IPL-2016.Este trabalho insere-se no projeto de Investigação, Desenvolvimento, Inovação e Criação Artística do Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa (IDI&CA do IPL – 2016) com a referência IPL/2016/AMOPC_ESCS.N/
Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: prognosis five years after percutaneous revascularization
Fundamentos: O diabetes mellitus (DM) é reconhecidamente fator de risco cardiovascular. Sabendose que a intervenção coronariana percutânea (ICP) melhora o prognóstico da doença coronariana (DC), pretendemos verificar se esse efeito é similar em doentes diabéticos (D) e não diabéticos (ND). Objetivo: Analisar o prognóstico em longo prazo do DM em pacientes submetidos a ICP. Métodos: Estudo de coorte, unicêntrico, retrospectivo, envolvendo pacientes consecutivos submetidos à ICP, eletiva ou de urgência, entre janeiro 2002 e dezembro 2003. Definiram-se dois grupos: pacientes com DM (D) e sem DM (ND). Compararam-se as variáveis clínicas e angiográficas da ICP com o resultado clínico ao final de cinco anos. Definiram-se como eventos maiores cardiovasculares (EMC): morte, nova síndrome coronariana aguda, acidente vascular encefálico (AVE) e nova revascularização cirúrgica ou ICP. Foram ainda avaliadas as taxas de trombose de stent, revascularização do vaso-alvo (RVA) e revascularização da lesão-alvo (RLA). Resultados: O seguimento em cinco anos foi 94%. Foram realizadas 446 ICP em 406 pacientes, média de idade
=63,0±11 anos, 70,4% masculino. Destes, 128 (31,5%) eram do grupo D. Em cinco anos o valor de EMC foi 50,7% para D e 36,7% para N. Encontrou-se mortalidade global de 28,1% vs. 14,4% (p=0,0016) e mortalidade cardiovascular de 15,6% vs. 8,3% (p=0,039), respectivamente, para D vs. ND. Os restantes parâmetros não foram estatisticamente significativos. Não houve diferenças em termos de trombose de stent e tipos de stent utilizados nos dois grupos.Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a recognized cardiovascular risk factor, and knowing that percutaneous
coronary intervention (PCI) improves prognoses of coronary artery disease (CAD), we intend to ascertain
whether this effect is similar in diabetic (D) and nondiabetic (ND) patients. Objective: To analyze the long term impact of DM in patients undergoing PCI. Methods: Retrospective unicentric cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing elective or urgent PCI between January 2002 and December 2003, divided into
two groups: diabetic (D) and non-diabetic (ND). Clinical, angiographic and coronary intervention PCI profiles were compared to clinical outcome at 5 years. Major cardiovascular events (MACE) were defined as death,
new acute coronary syndrome (ACS), stroke (S), and new surgical (CABG) or percutaneous (PCI) revascularization. The stent thrombosis, target vessel revascularization (TVR) and target lesion revascularization (TLR) rates were also evaluated. Results: The five year follow-up rate was 94%. During
the study, 446 PCIs were performed on 406 patients; 63.0±11 years old, 70.4% male. Among them, 128 (31.5%) were D. At the five-year follow-up, the MACE rate was 50.7% for D and 36.7% for ND (p=0.01). The global mortality rates were 28.1% vs 14.4% (p=0.0016) and the cardiovascular mortality rates were 15.6% vs. 8.3% (p=0.039) for D and ND respectively. The remaining parameters were not statistically significant. No
differences were noted between stent thrombosis and the stent types used in both groups.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Human Paraoxonase Gene Polymorphisms and Coronary Artery Disease Risk
Introdução: As doenças complexas como a
doença das artérias coronárias (DAC), a
hipertensão e a diabetes, são usualmente
causadas pela susceptibilidade individual a
múltiplos genes, factores ambientais e pela
interacção entre eles. As enzimas da
paraoxonase humana (PON), particularmente a
PON1, têm sido implicadas na patogenia da
aterosclerose e da DAC. Dois polimorfismos
comuns na região codificante do gene, com
substituição Glutamina (Q) /Arginina (R) na
posição 192 e Leucina /Metionina na posição
55 influenciam a actividade da PON1. Vários
estudos têm investigado a associação entre os
polimorfismos da PON1 e a DAC, com
resultados contraditórios.
Objectivo: 1- Avaliar a associação dos
polimorfismos da PON1 com o risco de DAC.
2-Estudar a interacção destes polimorfismos
com outros situados em genes candidatos
diferentes, na susceptibilidade para o
aparecimento da DAC.
Material e Métodos: Estudámos em 298
doentes coronários e 298 controlos saudáveis,
através de um estudo caso/controlo, o risco de
DAC associado aos polimorfismos da PON1,
192Q/R e 55L/M. Numa segunda fase
avaliámos o risco das interacções polimórficas
PON1 192 RR + MTHFR 1298 AA; PON1
192 R/R + ECA DD; PON1 192 R/R + ECA 8
GG. Finalmente construímos um modelo de
regressão logística (no qual entraram todas as
variáveis genéticas, ambientais e bioquímicas,
que tinham mostrado significância estatística
na análise univariada), para determinar quais
as que se relacionavam de forma significativa e
independente com DAC.
Resultados: Verificámos que o genótipo PON155 MM tinha uma distribuição superior na
população doente mas não atingia significância
estatística como factor de risco para DAC. O
PON1 199 RR apresentou um risco relativo
80% superior relativamente à população que o
não possuía (p=0,04). A interacção da PON1
192 RR e da MTHFR 1298 AA, polimorfismos
sedeados em genes diferentes, apresentou um
risco relativo de DAC de 2,76
(OR=2,76;IC=1,20- 6,47; P=0,009), bastante
superior ao risco de cada polimorfismo isolado,
assim como a associação da PON1 RR + ECA
DD (com polimorfismos também sedeados em
genes diferentes), que apresentou um risco
337% superior relativamente aos que não
possuíam esta associação (OR=4,37;IC=1,47-
13,87; P=0,002). Da mesma forma a associação
entre a PON1 RR e ECA 8 GG, revelou um
risco ainda mais elevado (OR=6;23; IC=1,67-
27,37; P<0,001). Após modelo de Regressão
Logística as variáveis que ficaram na equação
representando factores de risco significativos e
independentes para DAC, foram os hábitos
tabágicos, doença familiar, diabetes,
fibrinogénio, Lp (a) e a associação PON1 192
RR + ECA 8 GG. Esta última associação
apresentou, na regressão logística, um
OR=14,113; p=0,018
Conclusões: O genótipo PON1 192 RR
apresentou, se avaliado isoladamente, um risco
relativo de DAC 80% superior relativamente à
população que não possuía este genótipo. A
associação deste polimorfismo com outros
polimorfismos sedeados em genes diferentes,
codificando para diferentes enzimas e
pertencendo a sistemas fisiopatológicos
distintos (MTHFR1298 AA, ECA DD e ECA 8
GG), aumentou sempre o risco de eclosão da
DAC. Após correcção para os outros factores
de risco clássicos e bioquímicos, a associação
PON1 192 RR + ECA 8 GG, continuou a ser
um factor de risco significativo e independente
para CAD.Background: Complex diseases such as
coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension
and diabetes are usually caused by individual
susceptibility to multiple genes, environmental
factors, and the interaction between them. The
paraoxonase 1 (PON1) enzyme has been
implicated in the pathogenesis of
atherosclerosis and CAD. Two common
polymorphisms in the coding region of the
PON1 gene, which lead to a glutamine
(Q)/arginine (R) substitution at position 192
and a leucine (L)/methionine (M) substitution
at position 55, influence PON1 activity. Studies
have investigated the association between these
polymorphisms and CAD, but with conflicting
results.
Aims: 1) To evaluate the association between
PON1 polymorphisms and CAD risk; and 2) to
study the interaction between PON1
polymorphisms and others in different
candidate genes.
Methods: We evaluated the risk of CAD
associated with PON1 Q192R and L55M
polymorphisms in 298 CAD patients and 298
healthy individuals. We then evaluated the risk
associated with the interaction of the PON1
polymorphisms with ACE DD, ACE 8 GG and
MTHFR 1298AA. Finally, using a logistic
regression model, we evaluated which variables
(genetic, biochemical and environmental) were
linked significantly and independently with
CAD.
Results: We found that the PON1 55MM
genotype was more common in the CAD population, but this did not reach statistical
significance as a risk factor for CAD, while
PON1 192RR presented an 80% higher
relative risk compared to the population
without this polymorphism. The interaction
between PON1 192RR and MTHFR 1298AA,
sited in different genes, increased the risk for
CAD, compared with the polymorphisms in
isolation (OR=2.76; 95% CI=1.20-6.47;
p=0.009), as did the association of PON1
192RR with ACE DD, which presented a
337% higher risk compared to the population
without this polymorphic association
(OR=4.37; 95% CI=1.47-13.87; p=0.002).
Similarly, the association between PON1
192RR and ACE 8 GG was linked to an even
higher risk (OR=6.23; 95% CI=1.67-27.37;
p<0.001). After logistic regression, smoking,
family history, fibrinogen, diabetes, Lp(a) and
the association of PON1 192RR + ACE 8 GG
remained in the regression model and proved
to be significant and independent risk factors
for CAD. In the regression model the latter
association had OR=14.113; p=0.018.
Conclusion: When analyzed separately, the
PON1 192RR genotype presented a relative
risk for CAD 80% higher than in the
population without this genotype. Its
association with other genetic polymorphisms
sited in different genes, coding for different
enzymes and belonging to different
physiological systems, always increased the
risk for CAD. After correction for other
conventional and biochemical risk factors, the
PON1 192RR + ACE 8 GG association
remained a significant and independent risk
factor for CAD.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Ludwig Koch and the Music of Nature
Ludwig Koch was a pioneer of outside broadcast, natural history recording in the first half of the 20th century. This programme explores his methods, techniques and personality through archive recordings and interviews, and includes attempts t recreating his experiments using modern equipment
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