ARCHAEOLOGICAL GEOPHYSICS IN PORTUGAL – SOME SURVEY EXAMPLES

The first attempts to apply geophysical methods to archaeological sites in Portugal date from the mid-sixties of the last century. Since then, geophysical methods have been used more and more frequently to help on archaeological site recognition, delineating buried structures, and help on excavating strategies. The first geophysical methods used in Portugal were geoelectrical methods followed by magnetic methods; today those two methods are still used; however, georadar and electrical resistivity tomography have also been used on a routine basis whenever the local conditions allow their use. Four archaeological sites will be described as examples on the use of geophysical methods in Archaeology. Two of them are from roman times (the Roman Villa of Tourega, in central Portugal and the Roman town of Troia, in the west coast of Portugal), one is from Neolithic times (a burial mound in central Portugal); the last one is a recent archaeological site (eighteenth century) and has to do with the location of a crypt known to exist in the garden of the Portuguese Legislature in Lisbon. Only electrical resistivity tomography and georadar were used. The sites were chosen because in all of them there were already previously excavated areas or there were plans for future excavation. When choosing those sites the idea was to be able to compare the interpretations of the geophysical data with the results of the excavations

Differences in the prevalence of prediabetes, undiagnosed diabetes and diagnosed diabetes and associated factors in cohorts of Brazilian and English older adults

OBJECTIVE: To analyse differences in the prevalence of prediabetes (PD), undiagnosed diabetes (UDD) and diagnosed diabetes (DD) and associated factors between Brazilian and English older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: England and Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 5301 participants of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing study and 1947 participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging study classified as non-diabetics, PD, UDD and DD. RESULTS: The prevalence of PD, UDD and DD was 48·6, 3 and 9·6 % in England and 33, 6 and 20 % in Brazil. In England, the increase in age, non-white skin colour, smoking, general obesity and abdominal obesity were associated with PD, UDD and DD, whereas hypertriglyceridaemia, low HDL levels, hypertension and stroke were associated with UDD and DD. In Brazil, the increase in age was associated with DD and UDD, non-white skin colour and smoking were associated with UDD and abdominal obesity and hypertriglyceridaemia were associated with all three conditions. CVD in England and schooling in Brazil were associated with PD and DD. A sedentary lifestyle was associated with DD in both samples. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of diabetes was higher in the Brazilian sample. Different associated factors were found in the two samples, which may be related to differences in nutritional transition, access to healthcare services and the use of such services

Perception of hypertensive patients about their non-adherence to the use of medication

This qualitative study aims to analyze the perception of patients with hypertension on their non-adherence to medication. 13 participants were interviewed, classified as non-adherent.The analysis was performed using the technique of thematic content analysis. Data points to contradictions in the approach of what is being adherent or not, the difficulty of adhering to the use of medication due to lifestyle habits, that forgetting is understood as a justification for non-compliance, and reinforces factors that hinder such practice, such as the use of many drugs, the presence of signs and symptoms and changes in daily routine. With complex conditions that involve non-adherence to treatment and the current context of the predominance of chronic diseases, it is essential to invest in innovative strategies of care for such people