Flow Diverters Devices for Treatment of Intra-Cranial Aneurysms - Six Months Follow-Up Results

A reconstrução endoluminal com sistemas de derivação de fluxo (flow diverter devices) constitui uma técnica inovadora no tratamento de aneurismas intra-cranianos. Estes novos stents, auto-expansíveis e de reduzida porosidade, são libertados através de microcateterização da artéria portadora do aneurisma, reconstruindo assim a sua parede e excluindo a formação aneurismática da circulação arterial. Neste trabalho mostramos os resultados preliminares obtidos no tratamento de 10 doentes no Hospital de São José, Lisboa. Estes doentes, com aneurismas de colo largo (> 4mm) ou ratio saco/colo não favorável (< 1,5), foram tratados com o sistema PIPELINE®, e estudos angiográficos de controlo foram efectuados aos três e seis meses. Novo controlo será feito aos 12 meses. A idade media dos doentes envolvidos é de 54,3 anos, oito doentes são do sexo feminino e dois doentes do sexo masculino. Os aneurismas foram incidentalmente descobertos em dois doentes e os restantes foram diagnosticados no contexto de investigação imagiológica por cefaleias (n = 3), defeito de campo visual (n = 1), vertigens (n = 1) e parésia de pelo menos um par craniano (n = 2). Em apenas dois doentes foi observada hemorragia subaracnoideia e outros dois doentes foram submetidos a terapêutica endovascular prévia, com espiras metálicas. As localizações dos aneurismas tratados são o segmento M1/M2 da artéria cerebral média (n = 1) e os segmentos da artéria carótida interna para-oftálmico (n = 6), oftálmico (n = 2) e cavernoso (n = 4). Treze aneurismas intra-cranianos foram tratados uma vez que três doentes apresentavam múltiplos aneurismas. Os estudos de controlo efectuados demonstram um grau de oclusão médio aos três meses de 74% e aos seis meses de 86%. Não se observou qualquer redução das dimensões do saco de um dos aneurismas para-oftálmico. A experiência deste serviço é muito favorável a utilização de sistemas de derivação de fluxo no tratamento de aneurismas seleccionados, tendo obtido taxas de oclusão elevadas dados os desafios existentes na terapêutica deste tipo de aneurismas

Using the best linear predictor (BLP) in the selection between and among half-sib progenies of the CMS-39 maize population.

Data of corn ear production (kg/ha) of 196 half-sib progenies (HSP) of the maize population CMS-39 obtained from experiments carried out in four environments were used to adapt and assess the BLP method (best linear predictor) in comparison with to the selection among and within half-sib progenies (SAWHSP). The 196 HSP of the CMS-39 population developed by the National Center for Maize and Sorghum Research (CNPMS-EMBRAPA) were related through their pedigree with the recombined progenies of the previous selection cycle. The two methodologies used for the selection of the twenty best half-sib progenies. BLP and SAWHSP, led to similar expected genetic grains. There was a tendency in the BLP methodology to select a greater number of related progenies because of the previous generation (pedigree) than the other method. This implies that greater care with the effictive size of the population must be taken with this method. The SAWHSP methodology was efficient in isolating tha aditive genetic variance component from the phenotypic component. The pedigree system, although unnecessary for the routine use of the SAWHSP methodology, allowed the prediction of an increase in the inbreeding of the population in the long term SAWHSP selection when recombination is simultaneous to creation of new progenies

HIV-2 viral production and infectivity are affected by APO3 host factors

Poster presented at the 7th Postgraduate iMed.ULisboa Students Meeting. Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 15-16 July 2015.Egas Moniz - Cooperativa de Ensino Superior CRL and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Lisbon, Portuga

The Luminosity Function of Galaxies in Compact Groups

From R-band images of 39 Hickson compact groups (HCGs), we use galaxy counts to determine a luminosity function extending to M_R=-14.0, approximately two magnitudes deeper than previous compact group luminosity functions. We find that a single Schechter function is a poor fit to the data, so we fit a composite function consisting of separate Schechter functions for the bright and faint galaxies. The bright end is best fit with M^*=-21.6 and alpha=-0.52 and the faint end with M^*=-16.1 and alpha=-1.17. The decreasing bright end slope implies a deficit of intermediate luminosity galaxies in our sample of HCGs and the faint end slope is slightly steeper than that reported for earlier HCG luminosity functions. Furthermore, luminosity functions of subsets of our sample reveal more substantial dwarf populations for groups with x-ray halos, groups with tidal dwarf candidates, and groups with a dominant elliptical or lenticular galaxy. Collectively, these results support the hypothesis that within compact groups, the initial dwarf galaxy population is replenished by "subsequent generations" formed in the tidal debris of giant galaxy interactions.Comment: 26 pages, to be published in The Astrophysical Journal, 8 greyscale plates (figures 1 and 2) can be retrieved at http://www.astro.psu.edu/users/sdh/pubs.htm

Development and use of touch-screen computer-assisted self interviewing in Portuguese patients with chronic immune diseases: Evaluation of an electronic version of SF-36v2

Abstract Aim:The major purpose of this study was to evaluate alternative automated methods of collecting data on health related quality of life (HR-QoL). In order to achieve this, we developed a study with the following objectives: (1) to evaluated the feasibility of electronic version in patients with different chronic pathologies of the immune system using Short Form 36version2 (SF-36v2), (2) to evaluate the construct validity of SF-36v2 using the electronic data capture, and (3) to compare electronic version questionnaires with paper questionnaires in terms of patients ´ acceptance, data quality, and reliability. Methods:Out-patients with chronic immune diseases (HIV infection, lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, Behçet and Sjögren), were randomly selected to completed electronic and paper SF- 36v2 (n=50) before consultation in Clinical Immunology Unit, in Hospital Santo António-Centro Hospitalar do Porto (CI-HGSA). Results: There were very high correlations in SF- 36v2 responses (p< .001) between the paper and electronic forms. Internal reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s a) showed good internal consistency for all reported responses in either, computer and paper. There were no missing data in electronic version or paper. About 84% of the patients prefer to use the computer version in future. Conclusion: The electronic HR-QoL assessment is technically possible and it can provide reliable and valid clinically significant information which can either be used in routine care appointments

Metodologia para avaliar os ganhos por seleção recorrente recíproca em populações de milho.

Cinco pares de populacoes de milho braquitico 'Piranao' (A0, A1, A2, A3 e A4) e 'Cimmyt' (B0, B1, B2, B3 e B4), seus 25 hibridos correspondentes e uma testemunha, obtidos pelo programa de selecao recorrente reciproca entre familias de irmaos completos (SRRFIC) da UFV, foram avaliados em latice simples 6 x 6, com duas repeticoes, em dois locais, O objetivo do trabalho foi verificar a eficiencia da SRRFIC, por meio de uma metodologia baseada em alguns parametros geneticos, em produzir populacoes e hibridos superiores, quanto ao incremento das frequencias dos alelos favoraveis e da heterose com o avanco das geracoes de selecao. As maiores partes de ganhos geneticos, nas populacoes, foram devidas aos efeitos aditivos na troca dos alelos desfavoraveis pelos favoraveis do que pelos efeitos de dominancia. Para os hibridos, os dois fatores foram importantes. Com base nas medias ajustadas, observou-se que os hibridos superaram as duas populacoes nos dois locais. Comprovou-se a eficiencia da SRRFIC em promover ganhos, como tambem foram satisfatorios os ganhos geneticos estimados pela metodologia aplicada

Magnetic properties of GdT2T_2Zn20_{20} (T = Fe, Co) investigated by X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy

We investigate the magnetic and electronic properties of the Gd$T_2$Zn$_{20}$ ($T$ = Fe and Co) compounds using X-ray resonant magnetic scattering (XRMS), X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) techniques. The XRMS measurements reveal that the GdCo$_2$Zn$_{20}$ compound has a commensurate antiferromagnetic spin structure with a magnetic propagation vector $\vec{\tau}$ = $(\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2})$ below the N\'eel temperature ($T_N \sim$ 5.7 K). Only the Gd ions carry a magnetic moment forming an antiferromagnetic structure with magnetic representation $\Gamma_6$. For the ferromagnetic GdFe$_2$Zn$_{20}$ compound, an extensive investigation was performed at low temperature and under magnetic field using XANES and XMCD techniques. A strong XMCD signal of about 12.5 $\%$ and 9.7 $\%$ is observed below the Curie temperature ($T_C \sim$ 85 K) at the Gd-$L_2$ and $L_3$ edges, respectively. In addition, a small magnetic signal of about 0.06 $\%$ of the jump is recorded at the Zn $K$-edge suggesting that the Zn 4$p$ states are spin polarized by the Gd 5$d$ extended orbitals

APOBEC3 host factors modulate viral production and infectivity of HIV-2

Poster presented at the 15th European AIDS Conference/EACS. Barcelona, 21-24 October 2015.This work was funded by FCT – SFRH/BD/81921/2011 and Egas Moniz, Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, CRL, Portugal