Novas sub-escalas do halstead category test : estudo com uma amostra normativa

Mestrado: Psicologia - Psicologia Clínica e da SaúdeAs funções executivas são definidas como um conjunto de vários processos indispensáveis para a monitorização e regulação dos processos cognitivos complexos. O funcionamento adequado das áreas frontal e pré-frontal são cruciais para o bom desempenho destes processos executivos. O Halstead Category Test (HCT) é largamente utilizado na prática clínica para a avaliação das funções cognitivas executivas por ser considerado um bom indicador destas funções. O objetivo do estudo passou por avaliar as novas subescalas do HCT a fim de proporcionar dados preliminares sobre a sua validade para a população portuguesa normativa. Para além disso, pretendemos compreender de que forma o estado de saúde mental influencia os diversos indicadores do HCT. Para tal, foram aplicados, para além do HCT, o Inventário de Saúde Mental, Torre de Hanoi, Matrizes Progressivas de Raven (escala geral), California Verbal Learning Test, Symbol Digit Test, Trail Making Test (formas A e B) e Memória de Dígitos. O estudo contou com uma amostra normativa de 50 participantes, 68% do sexo feminino e 32% do sexo masculino, com idades compreendidas entre os 22 e os 59 anos. Os resultados indicam algumas correlações significativas entre as subescalas do HCT e outros instrumentos que avaliam funções cognitivas relacionadas, contribuindo de forma positiva para a validação destes novos indicadores. No entanto, não encontrámos evidência de uma associação entre o estado de saúde mental e os resultados no HCT. Estudos adicionais serão importantes no sentido de alargar a presente amostra, e consolidar os resultados obtidos neste estudo preliminar.Executive functions are defined as a set of several essential processes for the monitoring and regulation of complex cognitive processes. The adequate functioning of the frontal and prefrontal areas is crucial to these executive processes. The Halstead Category Test (HCT) is widely used in the clinical practice for the assessment of executive cognitive functions and it is considered a good indicator of these functions. The aim of the study was to evaluate the new subscales of the HCT to provide preliminary data concerning their validity for the normative Portuguese population. Besides that, we also aimed to understand how the mental health status influences the outcome of the HCT. For that purpose, besides HCT, we applied the Mental Health Inventory, Tower of Hanoi, Raven's Progressive Matrices (general scale), California Verbal Learning Test, Digit Symbol Test, Trail Making Test (Forms A and B) and the Digit Span task. The study relied on a normative sample of 50 participants, being 68% female and 32% male, aged between 22 and 59 years. The results indicate some significant correlations between the subscales of the HCT and other instruments that assess related cognitive functions, contributing positively to the validation of these indicators. However, we found no evidence of an association between mental health status and performance on the HCT. Additional studies will be important to extend the present sample, and consolidate the results obtained in this preliminary study

Empirical evaluation of the potential of low-cost and open source “on-the-person” ECG for cardiopathy pre-screening

Electrocardiographic (ECG) data analysis can reveal crucial information about the cardiovascular physiologi- cal phenomenon, which is modulated by the Autonomic Nervous System. Hereupon, beyond cardiovascular diagnosis, ECG markers can also reflect workload levels, or even physical and mental performance, through Heart Rate Variability (HRV) analysis. Building upon previous work found within the state-of-the-art, this pilot research explores the potential of using a low-cost device for cardiopathy pre-screening, through ECG signal analysis. With the aim of performing the rhythmical analysis, we performed empirical tests from a population of 21 control subjects in a resting position, and an additional 2 subjects, one of them in dynamic condition, in the scope of an exploratory research, using ECG wave segments analysis and HRV features extraction for nu- merical analysis. Results have demonstrated that the signal quality allows reliable ECG acquisition for further rhythmical and HRV analysis, in stationary and dynamic monitoring, for the bipolar leads applied. There was also evidence to suggest a benefit from including ECG morphological analysis with this hardware and software setup for prevention and diagnosis of cardiovascular disorders, although requiring further investigation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Universality in two-dimensional Kardar-Parisi-Zhang growth

We analyze simulations results of a model proposed for etching of a crystalline solid and results of other discrete models in the 2+1-dimensional Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) class. In the steady states, the moments W_n of orders n=2,3,4 of the heights distribution are estimated. Results for the etching model, the ballistic deposition (BD) model and the temperature-dependent body-centered restricted solid-on-solid model (BCSOS) suggest the universality of the absolute value of the skewness S = W_3 / (W_2)^(3/2) and of the value of the kurtosis Q = W_4 / (W_2)^2 - 3. The sign of the skewness is the same of the parameter \lambda of the KPZ equation which represents the process in the continuum limit. The best numerical estimates, obtained from the etching model, are |S| = 0.26 +- 0.01 and Q = 0.134 +- 0.015. For this model, the roughness exponent \alpha = 0.383 +- 0.008 is obtained, accounting for a constant correction term (intrinsic width) in the scaling of the squared interface width. This value is slightly below previous estimates of extensive simulations and rules out the proposal of the exact value \alpha=2/5. The conclusion is supported by results for the ballistic deposition model. Independent estimates of the dynamical exponent and of the growth exponent are 1.605 <= z <= 1.64 and \beta = 0.229 +- 0.005, respectively, which are consistent with the relations \alpha + z = 2 and z = \alpha / \beta.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Ets1 Induces Dysplastic Changes When Expressed in Terminally-Differentiating Squamous Epidermal Cells

BACKGROUND: Ets1 is an oncogene that functions as a transcription factor and regulates the activity of many genes potentially important for tumor initiation and progression. Interestingly, the Ets1 oncogene is over-expressed in many human squamous cell cancers and over-expression is highly correlated with invasion and metastasis. Thus, Ets1 is believed to mainly play a role in later stages of the oncogenic process, but not early events. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To better define the role of Ets1 in squamous cell carcinogenesis, we generated a transgenic mouse model in which expression of the Ets1 oncogene could be temporally and spatially regulated. Upon Ets1 induction in differentiating cells of stratified squamous epithelium, these mice exhibited dramatic changes in epithelial organization including increased proliferation and blocked terminal differentiation. The phenotype was completely reversed when Ets1 expression was suppressed. In mice where Ets1 expression was re-induced at a later age, the phenotype was more localized and the lesions that developed were more invasive. Many potential Ets1 targets were upregulated in the skin of these mice with the most dramatic being the metalloprotease MMP13, which we demonstrate to be a direct transcriptional target of Ets1. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Collectively, our data reveal that upregulation of Ets1 can be an early event that promotes pre-neoplastic changes in epidermal tissues via its regulation of key genes driving growth and invasion. Thus, the Ets1 oncogene may be important for oncogenic processes in both early and late stages of tumor development

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49\ub74% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46\ub74–52\ub70). The TFR decreased from 4\ub77 livebirths (4\ub75–4\ub79) to 2\ub74 livebirths (2\ub72–2\ub75), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83\ub78 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197\ub72% (193\ub73–200\ub78) since 1950, from 2\ub76 billion (2\ub75–2\ub76) to 7\ub76 billion (7\ub74–7\ub79) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2\ub70%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1\ub71% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2\ub75% in 1963 to 0\ub77% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2\ub77%. The global average age increased from 26\ub76 years in 1950 to 32\ub71 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59\ub79% to 65\ub73%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1\ub70 livebirths (95% UI 0\ub79–1\ub72) in Cyprus to a high of 7\ub71 livebirths (6\ub78–7\ub74) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0\ub708 livebirths (0\ub707–0\ub709) in South Korea to 2\ub74 livebirths (2\ub72–2\ub76) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0\ub73 livebirths (0\ub73–0\ub74) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3\ub71 livebirths (3\ub70–3\ub72) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2\ub70% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress. Funding: Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation