Carbon monoxide and oxygen uptake by the tissues: a study in the earthworm

Procurou-se determinar se relações de CO/CO2 grandes, agindo através do animal intacto, afetam a respiração celular, conduzindo a um adepressão respiratória global

Diluted antiferromagnet in a ferromagnetic enviroment

The question of robustness of a network under random ``attacks'' is treated in the framework of critical phenomena. The persistence of spontaneous magnetization of a ferromagnetic system to the random inclusion of antiferromagnetic interactions is investigated. After examing the static properties of the quenched version (in respect to the random antiferromagnetic interactions) of the model, the persistence of the magnetization is analysed also in the annealed approximation, and the difference in the results are discussed

Aulas de culinária para crianças

O artigo relata experiência pedagógica que se utiliza das atividades que envolvem o preparo de alimentos. Desenvolve trabalho multidisciplinar no qual, além de Ciências, são tratados conteúdos de Matemática, Português, História e Geografia. As atividades com a culinária permitem unir o grupo, possibilitando que os experimentos e a investigação de possibilidades e hipóteses transcorram de maneira lúdica. O resultado do trabalho deu origem a um livro de receitas, todas testadas e ilustradas por alunos de 1 a 7 anos.The article deals with the pedagogical experience that uses activities involving cooking. It develops a multidisciplinary work where, besides science, Math, Portuguese, History and Geografy are treated. The cooking activities keep the group together, allowing the experiments and the investigation o0f possibilities and hypotesis to be done in a ludic manner. The result of this work was a recipe book, all tested and ilustrated by 1 to 7 year old students.

Implementing the World Mental Health Survey Initiative in Portugal – rationale, design and fieldwork procedures

Background: The World Mental Health Survey Initiative was designed to evaluate the prevalence, the correlates, the impact and the treatment patterns of mental disorders. This paper describes the rationale and the methodological details regarding the implementation of the survey in Portugal, a country that still lacks representative epidemiological data about psychiatric disorders. Methods: The World Mental Health Survey is a cross-sectional study with a representative sample of the Portuguese population, aged 18 or older, based on official census information. The WMH-Composite International Diagnostic Interview, adapted to the Portuguese language by a group of bilingual experts, was used to evaluate the mental health status, disorder severity, impairment, use of services and treatment. Interviews were administered face-to-face at respondent’s dwellings, which were selected from a nationally representative multi-stage clustered area probability sample of households. The survey was administered using computer-assisted personal interview methods by trained lay interviewers. Data quality was strictly controlled in order to ensure the reliability and validity of the collected information. Results: A total of 3,849 people completed the main survey, with 2,060 completing the long interview, with a response rate of 57.3%. Data cleaning was conducted in collaboration with the WMHSI Data Analysis Coordination Centre at the Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School. Collected information will provide lifetime and 12-month mental disorders diagnoses, according to the International Classification of Diseases and to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Conclusions: The findings of this study could have a major influence in mental health care policy planning efforts over the next years, specially in a country that still has a significant level of unmet needs regarding mental health services organization, delivery of care and epidemiological research

Fibroma Esclerótico Solitário

Sclerotic fibroma (SF) or storiform collagenoma is a rare and benign skin tumor. Clinically, it usually presents as an asymptomatic, slowly growing papule or nodule on the skin of the head, neck and upper extremities. Other locations have been described including the trunk, oral mucosa and nail bed. SF can present either as a solitary tumor or as multifocal cutaneous lesions and it may occur sporadically or in association with Cowden syndrome. Herein, we report a case of a solitary SF with typical clinical and histologic features, not associated with Cowden disease.O fibroma esclerótico (FE), também conhecido por colagenoma estoriforme, é um tumor cutâneo benigno e raro, que normalmente se manifesta como uma pápula ou nódulo assintomático e de crescimento lento. É mais comum na cabeça, região cervical e membros superiores, mas tem sido descrito também noutras localizações, como no tronco, mucosa oral e leito ungueal. O FE pode surgir como uma lesão solitária ou múltiplas, podendo ocorrer de forma esporádica ou em associação à síndrome de Cowden. Apresentamos um caso de FE solitário não associado à doença de Cowden com características clínicas e histológicas típicas

Escaras de Inoculação e Febre: Um Caso de Febre da Carraça Africana

African tick bite fever is caused by the intracellular bacteria Rickettsia africae. This bacterium is transmitted through the bite of the Amblyomma tick, which carries a high rate of R. africae infection. African tick bite fever is the second most frequent cause of fever in travelers returning from sub-Saharan Africa.We present the case of a 58-year-old man, returning from South Africa, with a three-day history of fever, generalized headache and cervical myalgia. On physical examination multiple inoculation eschars and tender inguinal lymph nodes were documented.Histological examination of a skin lesion was compatible with spotted fever and the diagnosis of R. africae infection was confirmed through polymerase chain reaction analysis.The global increase in international tourism, particularly to remote areas, predisposes to tick bites. In febrile tourists returning from endemic areas and after a thorough clinical examination, the diagnosis of African tick bite fever should be born in mind.A febre da carraça africana é causada pela bactéria intracelular Rickettsia africae. Esta bactéria é transmitida através da picada da carraça do género Amblyomma, com uma elevada taxa de infeção por R. africae. A febre da carraça africana é já a segunda causa mais frequente de febre em viajantes que regressam da África Subsariana. Apresentamos o caso de um homem de 58 anos, em regresso da África do Sul, com história de febre, cefaleia generalizada e mialgias cervicais. Ao exame objetivo foram documentadas múltiplas escaras de inoculação e adenomegalias inguinais dolorosas.A histopatologia da biópsia cutânea foi compatível com rickettsiose e o diagnóstico de infeção por R. africae foi confirmado por reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR).O aumento global do turismo internacional, particularmente para áreas remotas, predispõe à picada de carraças. A febre da carraça africana deve ser considerada no diagnóstico diferencial de doentes febris com história de viagem recente a zonas endémicas

Pneumonia organizativa – Experiência da consulta de um hospital central

AbstractAim: to characterise outpatients of a Portuguese central hospital diagnosed with organising pneumonia (OP) and compare results with current literature. Methods: medical processes with diagnosis of OP were retrospectively studied as to demographics, aetiology, clinical and radiological features, average time until and date of diagnosis, laboratory and histological changes, treatment and relapse. Results – thirteen patients with a mean follow-up of 171.6weeks (max 334 and min 28 weeks) were evaluated. Nine of these patients (70%) had cryptogenic OP (COP) while 30% had secondary OP (SOP), two with rheumatoid arthritis, one with dermatomyositis and another undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer. Mean age was 55.6 (+-15.3years), 92% female, 77% were non-smokers. Average time until diagnosis was 77.2weeks (min 3 and max 432 weeks). Symptoms at presentation were tiredness (92%), cough (85%), fever (65%), shortness of breath (54%), thoracic pain (23%) and weight loss (23%). At the time of diagnosis, the mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 70mm (max 170mm and min 16mm). C-reactive protein level was increased in eight patients. Significant leucocytosis was absent. Chest X-ray and chest CT scan showed bilateral distribution in 12 patients (92%). Consolidation with an air bronchogram was present in 12 patients and in four (31%), consolidation was migratory. Four patients (30%) underwent transbronchial pulmonary biopsy, all uncharacteristic and eight patients surgical pulmonary biopsy, four showed histological confirmation of SOP. Corticosteroids were started in 11 patients and average treatment was 61.6weeks (16-288 weeks). 15% (2/13) had spontaneous resolution. Four patients (31%) relapsed, one of them five times. Two patients are dependent on a low dose of corticosteroids, one due to underlying disease and another due to multiple relapses. Therapy of relapse was corticosteroids alone in minimum effective dosage or associated to azathioprine or ciclosporin. Discussion and conclusion: such a high incidence in females (92%) may be explained by the limited sample of patients. In 70% of the patients diagnosis were established by clinical and radiology criteria. Mean time to diagnosis was very variable which suggests that in some cases the disease was not diagnosed and treated as another interstitial lung disease or as recurrent pneumonia. Most patients (53.8%) had a favourable clinical course after treatment with corticosteroids with a very low number of relapses (30.8%), much lower than described by other authors (60%). Only in experienced centres should the diagnosis of OP established by clinical and radiological criteria.Rev Port Pneumol 2010; XVI (3): 369-38

Influence of preparation procedures on the phenolic content, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities of green and black teas

The influence of common tea preparation procedures (temperature, infusion time, consumption time interval and tea bag/loose-leaf) and the type of water used, on the total phenolic content (TPC), the radical scavenging activity and the alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity were assessed. Higher TPC and antioxidant activity were obtained when using lower mineralized waters. Tea bags also evidenced higher antioxidant activity than loose-leaf samples. Under the same conditions (90 degrees C and five minutes of infusion time) green tea contains almost twice the quantity of polyphenols and the free radical scavenging ability of black tea. In the alpha-glucosidase assay all infusions were active (97-100 %). Furthermore, HPLC allowed to identify some of the polyphenols present in both teas and to monitor their composition change with time. After twenty-four hours, the antioxidant activity was maintained without significant changes, but a small decrease in enzyme inhibition was observed, although this activity was still very high.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study of the effect of friction between the ossicles of the middle ear

The human ear is a complex biomechanical system and is divided by three parts: outer, middle and inner ear. The middle ear is formed by three ossicles (malleus, incus and stapes), ligaments, muscles and tendons, that amplify the sound, sending the sound waves to the inner ear. In this work, a finite element modelling of the middle ear and ligaments was made. The connection between ossicles was achieved using contact formulation. The modelling of ligaments was based in a hyperelastic model. Studies based in the displacement field of the eardrum and footplate were made, as well as the rotation of the footplate. The stress field in the ligaments to the exterior of the ossicular chain was still analyzed. These studies were done for different friction rates, between the ossicles, and for different acoustic pressure values applied in the eardrum. We can conclude that the connection between the ossicles may be assigned by contact formulation including friction. For simulation proposes, we can assume a quasi-rigid connection between ossicles.Peer Reviewe