Using the Asymmetric Trimmed Mean as a Core Inflation Indicator

This paper discusses the use of the trimmed mean as a core inflation indicator when the price changes distribution is fat tailed and asymmetric and computes several asymmetric trimmed means that meet all the conditions suggested in Marques et al. (2000). It turns out that the 10 per cent trimmed mean centred on the 51.5th percentile is the one with the lowest volatility and so, its use, as a core inflation indicator, is recommended.

O papel dos neurosteróides na depressão e ansiedade

Monografia realizada no âmbito da unidade de Estágio Curricular do Mestrado Integrado em Ciências Farmacêuticas, apresentada à Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de CoimbraEsteróides neuroativos que são sintetizados no cérebro e no sistema nervoso a partir do colesterol são conhecidos como “Neuroesteroides”. Estas moléculas e os seus derivados sintéticos influenciam a função de múltiplos mecanismos de sinalização incluindo os recetores do ácido gama-aminobutírico e do glutamato, o maior neurotransmissor inibitório e excitatório respetivamente no sistema nervoso central. Estes esteroides exercem funções muito importantes, pois contribuem na mielinização e na organização da conetividade cerebral. Sob situações de stress, as concentrações dos neuroesteroides, tal como da alopregnanolana e alotetrahidroxicorticosterona, estão alteradas. Perante esta situação tem sido sugerido que a desregulação da síntese dos neuroesteroides tem influência nas doenças psiquiátricas relacionadas com o stress, incluindo alterações de humor e ansiedade. Os transtornos depressivos são frequentes e representam uma carga importante para a sociedade contemporânea. Estas alterações psicológicas representam a maior causa de deficiência nas sociedades ocidentais, e compreendem cerca de 40 % das doenças que resultam na incapacidade de trabalhar de forma produtiva. Ao longo do trabalho, irei abordar o papel do ácido gama-aminobutírico e dos neuroesteroides no stress e na depressão e eventuais estratégias na manipulação da sua síntese no Sistema Nervoso Central e os potenciais fins terapêuticos.The neuroactive steroids which are synthesized in the brain and nervous system from cholesterol are known as ‘‘Neurosteroids”. These agents and their synthetic derivatives influence the function of multiple signaling pathways including receptors for γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate, the major inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. These steroids have crucial functions such as contributing to the myelination and organization of the brain connectivity. Under the stressful circumstances, the concentrations of neurosteroid products such as allopregnanolone and allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone alter. It has been suggested that dysregulation of neurosteroid production plays a role in the pathophysiology of stress and stress-related psychiatric disorders, including mood and anxiety disorders. Depressive disorders are frequent, representing an important burden for contemporary society. These mental disorders are among the leading causes of disability in western societies, and comprise approximately 40% of illnesses that result in an inability to work productively. Then, I will review evidence indicating a role for for γ-aminobutyric acid and neurosteroids in stress and depression, and focus on potential strategies that can be used to manipulate central nervous system neurosteroid synthesis and function for therapeutic purposes

Digital marketing plan for Openline Group

Following the curricular internship at the company Openline Group, this report aims to develop a digital marketing plan, taking into account that the Openline Group does not have an active digital marketing plan which is essential for having an impact on the digital presence of any organisation. "Digital marketing is not intended to replace traditional marketing. On the contrary, both should coexist, with interchangeable roles, along the consumer's path" (Kotler et al., 2017, pg.81). Companies in the construction market, such as the Openline Group, are increasingly betting on digital tools to stand out from competitors. It is essential to carefully plan actions so that the company’s digital footprint is consistent with its mission. This work presents a digital marketing plan for Openline Group, which aims to strengthen its digital presence to retain current customers and attract new ones

Sintomatología musculoesquelética en estudiantes de enfermería: un análisis de concepto

Objective: to analyze the musculoskeletal symptomatology concept in undergraduate nursing students through Rodgers' evolutionary method. Method: An integrative review of the literature was performed for the identification and selection of ten articles. A concept analysis was performed according to Rodgers' evolutionary method. Article search was performed using the EBOSCO Host platform, Virtual Health Library and Google scholar for the years from 2004 to 2018. Results: Based on the 3 elements of Rodgers model we found: 1) substitute terms and related concepts, where musculoskeletal disorders and musculoskeletal symptoms were highlighted; 2) as essential attributes of the concept we highlight pain and discomfort, as well as, measurement using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire; and 3) risk factors were identified as antecedents, and the consequences were the impact on students' lives. Conclusions: This study contributes to the knowledge and clarification of the concept of musculoskeletal symptomatology in nursing students

Introducing a salary cap in UEFA´s professional football leagues : would the special status of lex sportiva prevail over EU law?

The relationship between the sporting governing bodies and the EU authorities has long been a tumultuous one. Sporting governing bodies have supported most of their controversial decisions on the doctrine of the specificity of sports, under which it has been hard to define a threshold for the legality of their actions. The introduction of Article 165 TFEU in 2009 and several prominent case law by the CJEU has helped to sustain this unique sui generis status of lex sportiva in the EU. In this context, the financial issues for clubs have arisen as one of the main topics in this controversial matter. This thesis seeks to embrace the specific issue of players’ salaries in European football leagues, which have considerably increased in the recent past, and the acceptance of salary caps by EU law. Players’ salaries represent the largest component of operating costs to club owners and salary caps place a limit on the amount of money that a club can spend on players’ salaries. Salary caps are a unique area for social, economic and legal studies, and its impact has been widely acknowledged. This thesis provides a legal assessment on the current structure of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play Regulations, with the break-even rule being considered as a soft type of salary cap, as well as a legal assessment on the eventual introduction of a hard salary cap. It concludes that the current Financial Fair Play Regulations are most likely in breach of EU law and that a hard salary cap will be a better candidate to qualify for an exemption under EU law and be deemed as legal. Nevertheless, it also concludes that the commonly known US hard salary caps are in fact soft types of salary caps and that the introduction of a truly hard salary cap in European football would be an innovative solution resulting in an uncertain legal assessment provided in a case-by-case analysis by the CJEU

A importância das emoções no processo de escolha de vinhos: uma aplicação ao consumo em restaurantes

O processo de escolha de vinhos é complexo, seja pela importância da qualidade extrínseca, devida, sobretudo, à variabilidade dos atributos que dependem de variáveis condições de produção, seja pela importância da ocasião de consumo no condicionamento da decisão. Este trabalho propõe um modelo em que as reacções afectivas ao ambiente, tal como formuladas por Mehrabian e Russell (1974), enquadram e medeiam os efeitos da qualidade extrínseca e da ocasião de consumo no processo de decisão. Para operacionalizar o modelo, propõe-se a sua aplicação a um conjunto de situações de uso em restaurantes, as quais deverão ser emocionalmente descritasinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Thalidomide surveillance and pharmacovigilance in Brazil – an overview

Introduction:The thalidomide is probably the best-known teratogenic drug and still results in cases of severe physical deformities in children born in Brazil. Objective: To present the overall context of surveillance and pharmacovigilance of thalidomide in Brazil. Method: This article presents a narrative review of current literature concerning thalidomide regulation, policies, and pharmacovigilance in Brazil. Results: New cases of congenital abnormalities whose phenotype is compatible with thalidomide embryopathy were identified in the last ten years, while the approval of thalidomide for new indications was recently updated. The mechanisms of diagnosing thalidomide embryopathy are complex, remaining the challenge in distinguishing this condition from other congenital abnormalities. The increasing number of thalidomide users in Brazil is correlated with the occurrence of embryopathy and the real extension of the rationality of its use is largely unknown. Additionally, our pharmacovigilance and   surveillance systems are predominantly based on voluntary reports, issues that remains over the years. Conclusions: The policies have improved over the years to prevent the fetus from being exposed to thalidomide, and current regulation establishes rules for controlling its distribution, prescription, dispensation, and use. Brazilian surveillance system is manual and pharmacovigilance is supported by voluntary reports. The failure of the system to properly control the thalidomide use and its effects might lead to serious consequences to the community; therefore, this subject deserves constant attention.Título PT: Vigilância e farmacovigilância da talidomida no Brasil - uma visão geral Introdução: A talidomida é, provavelmente, a droga teratogênica mais conhecida e ainda resulta em graves deformidades físicas em crianças nascidas no Brasil. Objetivo: Apresentar o contexto geral de vigilância e farmacovigilância da talidomida no Brasil. Método: Este artigo apresenta uma revisão narrativa da literatura atual sobre regulação, políticas e  farmacovigilância da talidomida no Brasil. Resultados: Novos casos de anormalidades    congênitas cujo fenótipo é compatível com a embriopatia por talidomida foram identificados nos últimos dez anos, enquanto a aprovação da talidomida para novas indicações foi   recentemente atualizada. Os mecanismos de diagnóstico da embriopatia por talidomida são complexos, permanecendo o desafio de distinguir essa condição de outras anormalidades congênitas. O crescente número de usuários de talidomida no Brasil está correlacionado com a ocorrência de embriopatia e a real extensão da racionalidade de seu uso é amplamente desconhecida. Além disso, nossos sistemas de farmacovigilância e vigilância se baseiam predominantemente em notificações voluntárias, questões que permanecem ao longo dos anos. Conclusões: As políticas evoluiram ao longo dos anos para impedir que fetos fossem expostos à talidomida, e a regulamentação atual estabelece regras para controlar sua distribuição, prescrição, dispensação e uso. O sistema de vigilância brasileiro é manual e a farmacovigilância é apoiada por notificações voluntárias. A falha do sistema em controlar adequadamente o uso da talidomida e seus efeitos pode levar a sérias consequências para a comunidade, portanto, esse assunto merece atenção constante

Postanesthetic Severe Oral Angioedema in Patient's Taking Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are the leading cause of a drug-induced angioedema. This occurrence is frequently underdiagnosed, but its relapse can be life-threatening. The authors' intention in reporting this clinical case is to sound a warning about reviewing attitudes and surveillance to try to improve patient perioperative safety

Lead bioremoval by cork residues as biosorbent

The intensification of industrial activity during the last few years has greatly contributed to the increase of heavy metals in the environment, mainly in the aquatic systems [1]. Conventional technologies traditionally used for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions are expensive and inefficient at low metal concentrations [2]. Biosorption, which is a property of different types of biomass (biosorbents) to bind and concentrate heavy metals from even very dilute aqueous solutions, is one of the most promising technologies that can be used for this purpose [3]. The goal of this work was to study the bioremoval process of Pb(II) ions from aqueous dilute solutions by cork granulates (1-2 mm) from a Portuguese cork processing company. The effect of physico-chemical parameters such as initial metal solution, pH, biomass cork pre-treatments and initial metal and biosorbent concentrations on the metal removal efficiency were investigated. The maximum Pb(II) uptake capacity (Qmax) of cork biomass was also determined from the Langmuir isotherm. The results obtained showed that the optimum initial pH for Pb(II) removal was in the range 3-4, leading to removal yields of about 90-100% for initial metal concentrations of 10-100 mg/L. Cork biomass without treatment provided a higher removal yield (93%) than the biomass submitted to previous extraction with deionised water (80%), ethyl acetate (83%) and ethanol (88 %). The Langmuir model showed a very good correlation with experimental results (r2=0.995) and the Qmax was determined as being 5.3 mg Pb(II)/g cork. The optimisation of continuous bioremoval of Pb(II) (10 mg/L) from 25 L of influent, regarding metal uptake yield and volume of effluent containing a Pb(II) concentration 1 mg/L (MAV), was carried out by the factorial design methodology, leading to the establishment of the best operating conditions. In these conditions, two fixed bed-reactors (operational liquid volume of each reactor containing 20g of biosorbent=138 mL) running in sequential mode (feed flow rate - 590 mL/h) were more efficient (effluent volume with [Pb(II)] 1 mg/L=10 L) than one reactor alone (effluent volume with [Pb(II)] 1 mg/L=5 L). Finally, the chemical characterization in terms of CQO, TOC and phenolic compounds of the effluent before discharge showed that all values were lower than the ones allowed by environmental legislation

The effect external and middle ears have in otoacoustic emissions

SummaryCharacteristics of how external and middle ear resonance frequency can impact the capture of otoacoustic emissions. Aim: to study the impact of external and middle ear resonance frequency in otoacoustic emissions. Study Design: Prospective, clinical, series study. Materials and Methods: Microphone-probe measurements were made in the external ear, together with multifrequency timpanometry distortion product transient otoacoustic emissions in 19 right and 20 left ears from male individuals and 23 right and 23 left ears from female individuals with 17 to 30 years of age. The 85 ears were audiologically normal. Results: We did not observe statistically significant associations between the best otoacoustic emission best frequencies and the occluded external and middle ear resonance frequencies. Conclusion: Response levels for both transient and distortion product otoacoustic emissions are not influenced by the external and middle ear resonances alone