O direito da família na União Europeia: formação efeitos e crise da vida comum: relatório português

Direito da família / Casamento / Paternidade / Convenção antenupcial / União de facto / Bens do casal / Direito das sucessões / Portuga

Avaliação do desempenho laboratorial na determinação microbiológica nas areias de praias

Há indicações crescentes em todo o mundo de que areias de praias abrigam microrganismos nocivos para a saúde humana, muitas vezes em concentrações maiores do que na própria água. Atualmente, não existem normas para a monitorização, amostragem, análise, ou gestão da sua qualidade. O Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, como laboratório de referência tem vindo a participar em programas de investigação líderes nesta área, com outros grupos de investigação de expressão internacional. A análise da qualidade microbiológica das areias tem vindo a ser realizada por várias entidades, tendo por base a metodologia publicada por Sabino et al., 2011. Com vista a debater e harmonizar a metodologia, foi implementada a rede MICROAREIAS que englobou 9 laboratórios portugueses (Portugal continental e ilhas) num estudo piloto em 2013

Analysis of organophosphorous pesticides in postmortem biological fluids

Following the intensification of agriculture and the promotion of agro-chemicals in low and middle income countries, acute pesticide poisoning has become a major public health problem with more than 300,000 deaths each year around the world. The easy availability of highly toxic pesticides in the homes of farming communities has made pesticides a preferred choice for suicide with an extremely high case fatality. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that there may be 1 million serious unintentional poisonings each year and in addition 2 million people hospitalized for suicide attempts with pesticides. The goal of this work was the detection and quantification of eight organophosphorous pesticides in blood samples using solid phase extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The studied analytes were omethoate, dimethoate, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, parathion, clorfenvinphos, quinalphos and azinphos. Ethion was used as internal standard (IS). The analytes and IS were extracted by solid-phase extraction using Oasis® HLB extraction cartridges, and the extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-electron ionisation-mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS). Calibration curves were established using a weighed linear calibration model (except for omethoate, for which a power regression was used) between 0.05 and 25.00 μg/mL. The correlation coefficients were higher than 0.991. Precision (intraday and intermediate) and accuracy were in conformity with the criteria normally accepted in bioanalytical method validation. Limits of quantification were 50 ng/mL for all compounds, except for ometoathe, for which 100 ng/mL were obtained. Because of its simplicity and speed, the proposed method can be applied in the determination of these compounds in post-mortem blood samples, and is suitable for application in toxicology routine analysis

Histoplasmosis in Portugal: rare infection?

O Histoplasma capsulatum é o agente etiológico da histoplasmose, apresenta duas variedades com caraterísticas epidemiológicas diferentes var. capsulatum e var. duboisii endémicas no continente americano e no continente africano, respetivamente. Nas últimas décadas têm sido descritos casos de histoplasmose na Europa e em países asiáticos como a China, onde esta infeção não é considerada endémica. A facilidade de movimentação das populações tem contribuído para alterar o padrão epidemiológico desta infeção. Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o número de casos registados em Portugal e chamar a atenção para a importância de melhor se conhecer a epidemiologia desta infeção no nosso país. A histoplasmose não é uma doença de declaração obrigatória, os casos de histoplasmose existentes resultam de diagnósticos clínicos observados no âmbito dos internamentos hospitalares. O número médio de episódios de internamento hospitalar referenciados nos Base de dados de Grupos de Diagnóstico Homogéneo durante o período de 2009 a 2014 foi de 23 episódios/ano. No mesmo período foram descritos na literatura dez casos de Histoplasmose em Portugal, tratando-se sobretudo de apresentações clínicas de interesse científico em que algumas se referem a casos com período de latência de 40 anos após exposição. Apesar de ser considerada uma doença rara na Europa, clínicos e microbiologistas devem estar em alerta e aumentar o seu conhecimento sobre a patogenicidade, os métodos de diagnóstico diferencial, o tratamento e a evolução do padrão epidemiológico desta e de outras infeções fúngicas.Histoplasma capsulatum is the etiologic agent of histoplasmosis; it has two varieties with different epidemiological features: var. capsulatum and var. duboisii, endemic in America and Africa, respectively. In the last decades, several cases of histoplasmosis have been reported in European and Asian countries like China, where this infection is not considered endemic. The continuous flow of populations around the world has contributed to the change the epidemiological pattern of this infection. This work aims to analyze the number of cases registered in Portugal and raise attention to the importance of a better understanding of the epidemiology of this infection in our country. Histoplasmosis is not a notifiable disease and therefore, the existing cases of histoplasmosis in our country result of clinical diagnosis in the context of hospital admissions. The average number of hospitalization episodes referenced in the Homogeneous Diagnostic Group Database during the period 2009-2014 was of 23 episodes/year. In the same period, ten cases of histoplasmosis were published. These publications are mostly clinical presentations of scientific interest, some of which describe histoplasmosis cases with a latent period of 40 years after exposure. Although considered as a rare disease in Europe, physicians and clinical microbiologists should be aware of this infection. An increased knowledge on the pathogenicity, methods of differential diagnosis, and treatment is, therefore, mandatory to understand the evolution of the epidemiological pattern of this and other fungal infections

Algorithm for the diagnosis of deep fungal infections

Amostras de tecidos de doentes com suspeita de infeções fúngicas profundas ou subcutâneas foram analisadas no Laboratório Nacional de Referência de Infeções Parasitárias e Fúngicas do INSA, de acordo com um algoritmo de diagnóstico desenvolvido que apresenta uma abordagem polifásica, que tem por objetivo permitir um diagnóstico laboratorial mais rápido das infeções fúngicas profundas. Quarenta e seis amostras de tecido de 39 doentes com suspeita de infeções fúngicas profundas ou subcutâneas foram analisadas durante um período de 26 meses ( janeiro de 2015-fevereiro de 2017) pelo laboratório do INSA, usando uma abordagem laboratorial que incluiu cultura, PCR panfúngica e PCR dirigida a Aspergillus. Do total de amostras estudadas, 23 foram positivas para fungos (PCR, cultura e/ou histologia). Das 46 amostras, 16 apresentaram resultados positivos para DNA fúngico. Em 12 amostras foi detetado um sinal positivo por PCR panfúngica e em 6 por PCR dirigida a Aspergillus (em 2 das amostras ocorreu deteção pelas duas metodologias). Em 61% (22/36) das amostras estudadas, houve concordância entre os métodos moleculares e culturais. Os agentes etiológicos identificados foram Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, Trichosporon montevideense, Alternaria spp., Exophiala sp., Trichoderma sp., Histoplasma spp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Trichophyton rubrum e Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que a abordagem polifásica proposta parece ser uma boa estratégia na deteção de fungos em amostras de tecidos, permitindo eventualmente um melhor prognóstico. Em estudos posteriores, pretende-se estudar um maior número de amostras clinicas e implementar mais metodologias moleculares que permitam a deteção dirigida a determinados géneros fúngicos.Tissue specimens from patients with suspicion of having deep or subcutaneous fungal infections were analyzed at the National Reference Laboratory for Parasitic and Fungal Infections of INSA, according to a developed diagnostic algorithm comprising a polyphasic approach. This algorithm might allow a faster laboratory diagnosis of deep fungal infections. Fortysix tissue samples from 39 patients suspected of having deep or subcutaneous fungal infections were analyzed during a 26-month period (January 2015-February 2017) by the laboratory of INSA, using a laboratory approach that includes culture, panfungal PCR and Aspergillus-directed PCR. From the total samples studied, 23 were positive for fungi (PCR, culture and/or histology). From the 46 samples, 16 showed positive results for fungal DNA. In 12 samples a positive signal was detected by panfungal PCR and in 6 by Aspergillus-directed PCR (in 2 samples, there was positive detection using both methods). In 61% (22/36) of the samples studied, there was concordance between molecular and cultural methods. The etiological agents identified were Candida albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, Trichosporon montevideense, Alternaria spp., Exophiala sp., Trichoderma sp., Histoplasma spp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Trichophyton rubrum and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. The results showed that the proposed polyphasic approach seems to be a good strategy for the detection of fungi in tissue samples, possibly allowing a better prognosis. In subsequent studies, it is intended to study a higher number of clinical samples and to establish more directed PCRs, allowing the detection of specific fungal genera.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Investigative Journalism in Portugal, Brazil And Angola:A Comparative Study

Investigative Journalism consists ofspecialized news articles that verse on the exposure of erroneous situationsin search of the truth. It is an extremely valuable form of journalism, as these news reports are frequently controversialand inconvenient but of great public interest. More often than not, they bring to light issues that involve serious crimes, corporate wrongdoing or political corruption. This study examinesand contrasts investigative journalism in Portugal, Brazil and Angola, members of the Community of Portuguese-speaking countries, by carrying out a content analysis of twoinvestigative news articlesfrom each country considering their codes of ethics. Complementary interviews to journalists from these countries revealed their perception of the relevance of stories in the media and compliance with the codes of ethics. This study shows that investigative journalism differs from country to country due to the political background of the country, the existence of overt or covert censorship,the working environments of the journalists and their security.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sonoproduction of liposomes and protein particles as templates for delivery purposes

The development of nano and micro delivery systems (DS), so small in size, is growing in importance, such as in drug targeting. In an era where nano is the new trend, micro and nano materials are in the forefront of progress. These systems can be produced by a diversity of methods. However, the use of high-intensity ultrasound offers an easy and versatile tool for nano- and microstructured materials that are often unavailable by conventional methods. Similarly to the synthesis methods that can be used, several starting materials can be applied to produce particulate systems. In this review, the recent strategic development of DS is discussed with emphasis on liposomes and polymer-based, specially protein-based, nanomedicine platforms for drug delivery. Among the variety of applications that materials in the particulate form can have, the control release of drugs is probably the most prominent one, as these have been in the forefront line of interest for biomedical applications. The basic concepts of sonochemical process pertaining to DS are summarized as well as the role of sonochemical procedure to their preparation. The different applications of these systems wrap up this review.We acknowledge the financial support of European project Lidwine (Contract NMP2-CT-2006-026741) and to POPH/FSE for cofinancing and FCT for fellowship SFRH/BPD/38939/2007

Deep learning model for doors detection a contribution for context awareness recognition of patients with Parkinson’s disease

Freezing of gait (FoG) is one of the most disabling motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, which is described as a symptom where walking is interrupted by a brief, episodic absence, or marked reduction, of forward progression despite the intention to continue walking. Although FoG causes are multifaceted, they often occur in response of environment triggers, as turnings and passing through narrow spaces such as a doorway. This symptom appears to be overcome using external sensory cues. The recognition of such environments has consequently become a pertinent issue for PD-affected community. This study aimed to implement a real-time DL-based door detection model to be integrated into a wearable biofeedback device for delivering on-demand proprioceptive cues. It was used transfer-learning concepts to train a MobileNet-SSD in TF environment. The model was then integrated in a RPi being converted to a faster and lighter computing power model using TensorFlow Lite settings. Model performance showed a considerable precision of 97,2%, recall of 78,9% and a good F1-score of 0,869. In real-time testing with the wearable device, DL-model showed to be temporally efficient (~2.87 fps) to detect with accuracy doors over real-life scenarios. Future work will include the integration of sensory cues with the developed model in the wearable biofeedback device aiming to validate the final solution with end-users

A Seda e a criança do pré-escolar

Propomo-nos apresentar, nesta comunicação, uma estratégia de ensino/aprendizagem realizada no âmbito da Educação de Infância, na temática Ciência e Conhecimento do Mundo. Subordinada ao tema Os Materiais na Educação Pré-Escolar e tendo por base a Seda como material a ser explorado numa visão integradora Ciência, Tecnologia e Arte, a estratégia foi desenvolvida, nos dois últimos anos lectivos, com crianças de Jardins-de-infância da cidade de Castelo Branco. Em termos metodológicos salientamos o Ensino Experimental das Ciências pela Resolução de Problemas. É nossa convicção que o processo de ensino/aprendizagem implementado poderá contribuir para proporcionar às crianças uma educação que lhes permita desenvolver conceitos, competências manipulativas e de comunicação, o sentido da precisão e do rigor, atitudes e valores, bem como o gosto por aprender, imprescindíveis à compreensão do mundo que as rodeia

Calidad de Vida de Estudiantes de Enfermería: la construcción de un proceso e intervenciones

Trata-se de uma pesquisa-ação que teve como objetivos: conhecer as percepções dos alunos de graduação em enfermagem, quanto a sua qualidade de vida, compreender e analisar as demandas por eles evidenciadas no resgate das situações vividas e operacionalizar por meio do grupo operativo direcionamentos e estratégias que possam melhorar a sua qualidade de vida. O estudo foi na PUC/SP. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas individuais na primeira fase e nortearam os temas disparadores dos cinco encontros de grupo focal na segunda fase. Os dados dos encontros foram analisados, segundo a análise temática e adaptados do Modelo Ecológico de QVE. Os resultados evidenciaram que a Universidade é um espaço que propicia vivências promotoras e não promotoras de qualidade de vida dos alunos e a necessidade de encontros sistematizados, nos quais alunos e professores discutam a construção individual e coletiva de estratégias de enfrentamento.This is a research-action studies whose objectives were to know Nursing under-graduate students' perceptions concerning their quality of life; to understand and analyze the demands they highlight when rescuing situations they have experienced; and to make operational, by means of the operative group, directions and strategies that can improve their quality of life. The study was carried out at São Paulo's Catholic University. The data were obtained, in a first stage, through individual interviews. The analysis of the topics from this first stage guided the themes of the five meetings of the focus group in the second stage. The data from the work group were analyzed according to the thematic analysis mode and adapted from the Ecological Model of Quality of Life of Students. The results showed that the University is a place that provides experiences that may promote or not students' quality of life. They also showed the need for systematic meetings in which both students and teachers can discuss the individual and collective development of strategies for facing the problems related to life quality.Se trata de una investigación que tuvo como objetivos: conocer las percepciones de los alumnos del pregrado en enfermería, en cuanto a su calidad de vida; comprender y analizar las demandas que ellos evidencian en el rescate de las situaciones vividas y actuar por medio del grupo operativo directivas y estrategias que puedan mejorar su calidad de vida. El estudio se llevó a cabo en la PUC/SP. Los datos fueron obtenidos por medio de entrevistas individuales en la primera fase y orientaron los temas lanzados de los cinco encuentros del grupo focal en la segunda fase. Los datos de los encuentros fueron analizados, según el análisis temático y adaptados del Modelo Ecológico de QVE. Los resultados evidenciaron que la Universidad es un espacio que propicia vivencias promotoras y no promotoras de calidad de vida de los alumnos y la necesidad de encuentros sistematizados, en los cuales alumnos y profesores discutan la construcción individual y colectiva de estrategias de enfrentamiento