Evolução da mortalidade materna em Portugal

Este trabalho tem como objetivo a análise da mortalidade materna em Portugal. Na análise consideram-se três questões fundamentais: 1) a definição e a discussão do conceito de mortalidade materna e da respetiva medida de análise; 2) a identificação do percurso evolutivo do fenómeno em Portugal; 3) a consideração dos resultados da mortalidade materna enquanto indicadores das condições sanitárias das populações mas também enquanto indicadores sociais, em função da referenciação da sua evolução à de outros fenómenos, como a mortalidade infantil e a natalidade mas também a morbilidade materna.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Experiments and modelling in N2-H2 capacitively coupled radio-frequency discharges at low pressure

This work uses experiments and simulations to analyze the modifications induced in pure N2 capacitively coupled radio-frequency discharges, running at low pressure (0.6–1.2 mbar) and low power (5–20 W), by the addition of small amounts of H2 (up to 5%). Simulations use a hybrid code coupling a two-dimensional time-dependent fluid module, describing the dynamics of the charged particles, to a zero-dimensional kinetic module, describing the production and destruction of nitrogen and hydrogen neutral species. The discussion is particularly focused on the results obtained for the electron density and the radiative transition intensities with nitrogen species. Model predictions are in qualitative agreement with measurements, for the evolution of these quantities with changes in both the gas pressure and the hydrogen percentage in the gas mixture.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

The Lisbon patient: Exceptional longevity with HIV suggests healthy aging as an ultimate goal for HIV care

In the context of global aging, HIV infection has become a new chronic disease and requires innovative models of care. Treating isolated comorbidities represents a useless and potentially harmful practice at advanced age. Therefore, a patient-centered approach, in which the interventions are focused on the biology and function of the individual, with understanding of the importance of securing social and home environment that provides psychosocial support, better suits unmet health needs. We present a paradigmatic case of healthy aging: the first reported HIV-infected patient who achieved 100th of life - the Lisbon patient. The construct of healthy aging, recently introduced by the World Health Organization, is the best example of this comprehensive model and could represent the fourth target of UNAIDS agenda of the end of AIDS

Modelling of a CCP-RF discharge used for the simulation of Titan’s chemistry

This paper reports the modelling of CCP-RF discharges (13.56 MHz) in pure nitrogen, produced within a cylindrical parallel-plate reactor, similar to a GEC reference cell surrounded by a lateral grounded grid, at 0.1-2 mbar pressures and 10-50 W coupled powers. This study is a first step in simulating Titan’s chemistry at laboratory scale, using the PAMPRE experiment. Modelling results are compared with experimental measurements of the average electrondensity, and the self-bias potential at the polarized electrode

A Monte Carlo simulation of ion transport at finite temperatures

We have developed a Monte Carlo simulation for ion transport in hot background gases, which is an alternative way of solving the corresponding Boltzmann equation that determines the distribution function of ions. We consider the limit of low ion densities when the distribution function of the background gas remains unchanged due to collision with ions. A special attention has been paid to properly treat the thermal motion of the host gas particles and their influence on ions, which is very important at low electric fields, when the mean ion energy is comparable to the thermal energy of the host gas. We found the conditional probability distribution of gas velocities that correspond to an ion of specific velocity which collides with a gas particle. Also, we have derived exact analytical formulas for piecewise calculation of the collision frequency integrals. We address the cases when the background gas is monocomponent and when it is a mixture of different gases. The developed techniques described here are required for Monte Carlo simulations of ion transport and for hybrid models of non-equilibrium plasmas. The range of energies where it is necessary to apply the technique has been defined. The results we obtained are in excellent agreement with the existing ones obtained by complementary methods. Having verified our algorithm, we were able to produce calculations for Ar$^+$ ions in Ar and propose them as a new benchmark for thermal effects. The developed method is widely applicable for solving the Boltzmann equation that appears in many different contexts in physics.Comment: 14 page

The LisbOn KInetics Boltzmann solver

LisbOn KInetics Boltzmann (LoKI-B) is an open-source simulation tool available at: https://github.com/IST-Lisbon/LoKIThe LisbOn KInetics Boltzmann (LoKI-B) is an open-source simulation tool (https://github.com/IST-Lisbon/LoKI) that solves a time and space independent form of the two-term electron Boltzmann equation, for non-magnetised non-equilibrium low-temperature plasmas excited by DC/HF electric fields from different gases or gas mixtures. LoKI-B was developed as a response to the need of having an electron Boltzmann solver easily addressing the simulation of the electron kinetics in any complex gas mixture (of atomic/molecular species), describing first and second-kind electron collisions with any target state (electronic, vibrational and rotational), characterized by any user-prescribed population. LoKI-B includes electron-electron collisions, it handles rotational collisions adopting either a discrete formulation or a more convenient continuous approximation, and it accounts for variations in the number of electrons due to non-conservative events by assuming growth models for the electron density. On input, LoKI-B defines the operating work conditions, the distribution of populations for the electronic, vibrational and rotational levels of the atomic/molecular gases considered, and the relevant sets of electron-scattering cross sections obtained from the open-access website LXCat (http://lxcat.net/). On output, it yields the isotropic and the anisotropic parts of the electron distribution function (the former usually termed the electron energy distribution function), the electron swarm parameters, and the electron power absorbed from the electric field and transferred to the different collisional channels. LoKI-B is developed with flexible and upgradable object-oriented programming under MATLAB (R), to benefit from its matrix-based architecture, adopting an ontology that privileges the separation between tool and data. This topical review presents LoKI-B and gives examples of results obtained for different model and real gases, verifying the tool against analytical solutions, benchmarking it against numerical calculationThis work was funded by Portuguese FCT-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, under projects UID/FIS/50010/2013 and PTDC/FISPLA/1243/2014 (KIT-PLASMEBA)

Capacitively coupled radio-frequency N2 discharges at low pressures

Capacitively coupled radio-frequency discharges (ccrf) in nitrogen mixtures are frequently used for the processing, modification and functionalization of different kinds of materials. Although nitrogen plasmas have been studied for many years, and despite their growing interest in applications, there is only partial knowledge about ccrf nitrogen plasmas. This paper uses experiments and modelling to study ccrf discharges in pure nitrogen, at 13.56 MHz frequency, 0.1–1 mbar pressures and 2–30 W coupled powers [1]. Experiments performed on two similar (not twin) setups, existing in the LATMOS and the GREMI laboratories, include electrical and optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurements. Electrical measurements give the rf-applied and the direct-current-self-bias voltages, the effective power coupled to the plasma and the average electron density. OES diagnostics measure the intensities of radiative transitions with the nitrogen second-positive and first-negative systems, and with the 811.5 nm atomic line of argon (present as an actinometer). In the particular case of non-equilibrium ccrf discharges in nitrogen, a self-consistent modeling strategy must account for the interplay between the transport of particles, in the presence of density gradients and the rf field, and their production/destruction due to kinetic mechanisms involving both electrons and heavy species. Simulations use a hybrid code that couples a two-dimensional timedependent fluid module [2], describing the dynamics of the charged particles (electrons and positive ions N2 + and N4 +), and a zero-dimensional kinetic module, describing the production and destruction of nitrogen (atomic and molecular) neutral species [3]. The coupling between these modules adopts the local mean energy approximation to define space–time-dependent electron parameters for the fluid module and to work out space–time-averaged rates for the kinetic module. The model gives general good predictions for the self-bias voltage and for the intensities of radiative transitions (both average and spatially resolved), underestimating the electron density by a factor of 3–4.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Age of HIV Acquisition Affects the Risk of Multi-Morbidity after 25 Years of Infection Exposure

Introduction: Understanding the intersection of HIV, aging and health is crucial due to the increasing number of people aging with HIV. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of, and risk factors for individual comorbidities and multi-morbidity in people living with HIV with similar duration of HIV infection, notwithstanding a 25-year difference at the time of HIV acquisition. Methods: In a cross-sectional multicentre retrospective study, we compared three match-control age groups. The "Young" were selected from Romania and included HIV-positive patients prenatally infected and assessed at the age of 25-30 years. The "Old" and the "Geriatric" were selected from Italy. These respectively included subjects infected with HIV at the age of 25 years and assessed at the age of 50-55 years, and those infected at the age of 50 years and assessed at the age of 75-80 years. Each group was sex and age matched in a 1: 5 ratio with controls selected from the CINECA ARNO database from Italy. We described non-infectious comorbidities (NICM), including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and multi-morbidity (MM >= 3 NICM). Results: MM prevalence in the "Young" group compared to controls was 6.2% vs 0%, while in the "Geriatric" was "68.2% vs 3.6%. Using "Young" as a reference, in multivariate analyses, predictors for MM were as follows: HIV serostatus (OR=47.75, IQR 14.78-154.25, p<0.01) and "Geriatric" vs "Young" (OR=30.32, IQR 5.89-155.98, p<0.01). Conclusion: These data suggest that age at acquisition of HIV should be considered as a risk factor for NICM and MM