Application of dental morphological characteristics for medical-legal identification: sexual diagnosis in a portuguese population

Licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0."The main purpose of this work is to investigate the application of dental morphological features as a potential qualitative method of sex classification in medico-legal identification. The classification of 16 non-metric dental traits was performed by ASUDAS (Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System) method. The traits displayed exclusively by the crowns of permanent teeth were analyzed on dental casts of a Portuguese population sample consisting of 53 male and 57 female individuals. No significant differences (p<0.05) were found between males and females for all investigated traits, except for the dental tubercle of tooth 13, for the metaconule of tooth 27 and the canine distal accessory ridge of teeth 33 and 43. Based on the method applied, tooth 43 has proven to be the most dimorphic among the Portuguese population. Further, a gender classification model using significant different traits between both sexes of the teeth 13, 27 and 43 was developed, and it proved to have a reasonable gender classification reliability (with 76.4 percent of correct classification, Cox & Snell’s pseudo R2 equals to 0.344 and Nagelkerke’s pseudo R2 equals to 0.458) although with a significant probability of misclassification.

Os desenhos de Raimund Abraham: da utopia à distopia

Os desenhos do arquiteto austríaco Raimund Abraham sugerem um conjunto de significados ocultos. O desejo de explorá-los impulsionou esta investigação. Até à data, as apreciações que foram feitas aos desenhos revelaram-se parcas e dispersas tendo em conta que o seu potencial é enorme. Proponho-me aqui a investigar os significados desconhecidos da obra do arquiteto. Reuni as críticas existentes dirigidas à sua obra desenhada e realizei um questionário visual a 109 voluntários que me providenciaram uma fonte de dados suficiente para descrever o trabalho do arquiteto. Depois, através de um processo de associação, cruzamento e exclusão de palavras, pude formular uma interpretação fundamentada com base nessas perceções. O trabalho de Raimund Abraham revelou fruir de uma estética característica e de uma sensibilidade especial, revelou relacionar-se com ideias como o espaço sagrado, a paisagem, e manifestando ainda perspetivas própria acerca da memória, da autonomia e do utópico. A investigação também encontrou uma ligação entre os conteúdos dos desenhos e o contexto, origens, aspirações e personalidade do arquiteto. Esta tese introduz informações originais que podem contribuir para o entendimento da produção artística durante o período artístico da vanguarda austríaca. Os resultados providenciam um entendimento mais claro e profundo do arquiteto e da sua obra.The drawings of the austrian architect Raimund Abraham provide a set of hidden meanings. My desire to explore them gave an impetus to this investigation. Up until now, the considerations made to the drawings revealed themselves scattered and meager considering that the potential of the drawings is huge. In this thesis I propose an investigation of the unknown meanings of Abraham's work. I gathered all existing reviews on his drawings. I also conducted a visual quiz on 109 volunteers which provided me a source of information that was sufficient to describe the work of the architect. Then, through a process that combined the association, intersection and exclusion of words, I formulated a solid interpretation based on the perceptions. Raimund Abraham's work revealed to be holding a characteristic aesthetic and a special sensibility, revealed to be relating to ideas like the sacred space and the landscape. He also had a unique perspective on memory, on autonomy and on utopian ideas. The investigation found out a connection between the contents of the drawings and the condition, origins, desires and the personality of the architect. This thesis introduces primary informations which could make a good contribution to the understanding of the artistic production of the Austrian Avant-gard period. The results clarify and deepen the understanding of the architect and his work

Heart rate variability and erectile function in younger men: A pilot study

Erectile dysfunction (ED) in younger men is an increasing concern. In middle aged and older men, ED was related to lower resting heart rate variability (HRV), but research in younger men is lacking. The present study examined, in a nonclinical sample of 105 men between 18 and 39 years, the association of ED with several parameters of resting HRV. Scores of the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) below 22 were considered as indicating ED. Eighteen men (17.1%) reported ED (mild in 16, mild to moderate in 2). Welch's tests revealed that ED was associated with lower low-frequency power (LF), lower high-frequency power (HF), lower standard deviation of interbeat intervals, and lower standard deviation of the heart rate, which is influenced by both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. After removing outliers, ED was unrelated to HF. In younger men, erections might be facilitated by a combination of higher parasympathetic tone and relatively higher sympathetic tone in the heart, as indicated by LF and greater standard deviation of the heart rate, a largely overlooked parameter in HRV research.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Wind power forecasting with machine learning: single and combined methods

In Portugal, wind power represents one of the largest renewable sources of energy in the national energy mix. The investment in wind power started several decades ago and is still on the roadmap of political and industrial players. One example is that by 2030 it is estimated that wind power is going to represent up to 35% of renewable energy production in Portugal. With the growth of the installed wind capacity, the development of methods to forecast the amount of energy generated becomes increasingly necessary. Historically, Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models were used. However, forecasting accuracy depends on many variables such as on-site conditions, surrounding terrain relief, local meteorology, etc. Thus, it becomes a challenge to obtain improved results using such methods. This article aims to report the development of a machine learning pipeline with the objective of improving the forecasting capability of the NWP’s to obtain an error lower than 10%.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comprehensive Assessment of TERT mRNA Expression across a Large Cohort of Benign and Malignant Thyroid Tumours

The presence of TERT promoter (TERTp) mutations in thyroid cancer have been associated with worse prognosis features, whereas the extent and meaning of the expression and activation of TERT in thyroid tumours is still largely unknown. We analysed frozen samples from a series of benign and malignant thyroid tumours, displaying non-aggressive features and low mutational burden in order to evaluate the presence of TERTp mutations and TERT mRNA expression in these settings. In this series, TERTp mutations were found in 2%, only in malignant cases, in larger cancers, and from older patients. TERT mRNA expression was detected in both benign and malignant tumours, with increased frequencies in the malignant tumours with aggressive histotypes, larger tumours, and from older patients. In benign tumours, TERT mRNA expression was found in 17% of the follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA) with increased levels of expression in smaller tumours and associated with the presence of thyroiditis. TERTp mutations and TERT mRNA expression are correlated with worse prognosis features in malignant thyroid tumours, whereas TERT mRNA expression in the benign tumours is associated with the presence of thyroiditis.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Avaliação nutricional de uma população de doentes renais crónicos a realizar diálise peritoneal

[Resumo][Abstract

Previsibilidade da energia eólica

Ponencia presentada en: XXIX Jornadas Científicas de la AME y el VII Encuentro Hispano Luso de Meteorología celebrado en Pamplona, del 24 al 26 de abril de 2006

Influencia del procesado industrial sobre las características químico-físicas y contenido en lípidos y antioxidantes del salvado de arroz

Se investigaron las características químico-físicas de los salvados de arroz en distintos momentos de su procesado industrial, incluyendo materia prima (salvados de arroz blanco y vaporizado), salvado peletizado y salvado desgrasado. Se determinó la humedad, la acidez y el índice de peróxidos. Utilizando extractos en éter de petróleo y cromatografía de gases, se estableció el contenido lipídico total y los perfiles de los ácidos grasos. Mediante HPLC se determinaron los tocoferoles y el γ-orizanol. El salvado de arroz vaporizado mostró la mayor concentración de lípidos y la menor acidez, lo que indica que el vaporizado es el proceso más eficaz para estabilizar el salvado. Los ácidos oleico, linoleico y palmítico fueron los mayoritarios en todas las muestras. El peletizado no produjo pérdidas de lípidos, ni de tocoferoles y γ-orizanol. Todas las muestras de salvado mostraron contenidos altos de α-tocoferol, intermedios de γ-tocoferol y pequeños de δ-tocoferol. Se detectaron nueve componentes del γ-orizanol, con una mayor proporción del componente eluido en cuarta posición, probablemente, ferulato de 24- metilén cicloartenilo. El salvado peletizado presentó el mayor contenido de tocoferoles, mientras que el de arroz vaporizado mostró el mayor contenido de γ-orizanol.A comparative study of the physico-chemical characteristics of rice bran during the successive steps of its industrial processing was carried out and included white and parboiled rice brans and pelletized and defatted rice brans. Moisture, acidity and peroxide index were determined. Using extracts in petroleum ether and gas chromatography, the total fat contents and the profiles of the fatty acids were established. The tocopherols and γ-oryzanol were determined using high performance liquid chromatography. The bran of parboiled rice showed the largest fat content and the lowest acidity, indicating that parboiling is the most effective process for bran stabilization. Oleic, linoleic and palmitic acids predominated in all the samples. Pelletization did not produce a loss in lipids, tocopherols or γ-oryzanol. All the samples showed higher contents of α-tocopherol, intermediate contents of γ-tocopherol and much lower concentrations of δ-tocopherol. Nine components of γ- oryzanol were detected, with a major proportion of the component that eluted in the fourth position, probably ferulate of 24-methylene cycloartenol. Pelletized rice bran showed the highest tocopherol content, whereas parboiled rice bran yielded the largest γ-oryzanol [email protected]

Subjective sleep quality, unstimulated sexual arousal, and sexual frequency

Introduction: REM sleep deprivation increases unstimulated erections in rats, and total sleep deprivation increases erections during audiovisual sexual stimulation in men, but the effects of sleep problems on human unstimulated sexual arousal are unknown. Objective: We examined the associations of subjective sleep quality with unstimulated sexual arousal, satisfaction with sex life, and sexual frequency and desire over the past month. Methods: 275 Portuguese (169 women) reported their anxiety, sexual arousal and sexual desire during a resting state, and completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the sexual satisfaction subscale of the LiSat scale, the Desire dimensions of the Female Sexual Function Index (women only) and International Index of Erectile Function (men only). They additionally reported how many days in the past month they engaged in penile-vaginal intercourse, noncoital sex, and masturbation. Salivary testosterone (T) was assayed by luminescence immunoassays. Results: Poorer sleep quality correlated with greater unstimulated sexual arousal in men with higher T levels and in women with higher T levels not taking oral contraceptives. In women with lower T, poorer subjective sleep quality correlated with greater sexual dissatisfaction. In both sexes, sleep quality was uncorrelated with sexual desire and sexual frequency over the past month. Discussion: Consistently with other studies in humans and animals, the findings are congruent with the notion that lack of sleep can increase sexual arousal, but not sexual frequency. T might play a role in the sexual arousal caused by lack of appropriate sleep.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of dietary Chlorella vulgaris and carbohydrate-active enzymes incorporation on plasma metabolites and liver lipid composition of broilers

Research Areas: Veterinary SciencesBackground: Chlorella vulgaris has been proposed as a sustainable green feedstock in poultry nutrition due to its ease of cultivation, minimal environmental impact and balanced nutritional composition. However, the majority of studies documents the use of C. vulgaris as a dietary supplement in broilers instead of a feed ingredient. To the best of our knowledge, no report has shown the effect of a high-level incorporation (>2 % in the diet) of C. vulgaris on plasma metabolites and hepatic lipid composition of broilers. One hundred and twenty Ross 308 male birds were housed in 40 wired-floor cages and randomly distributed by the following experimental diets at 22 days of age (n = 10) during 15 days: (1) a corn-soybean meal based diet (control); (2) based diet with 10% of C. vulgaris; (3) diet 2 supplemented with 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP; and (4) diet 2 supplemented with 0.01% of a pre-selected four-CAZyme mixture. Results: The inclusion of C. vulgaris at 10% in the diet, regardless of the presence of exogenous CAZymes, changed plasma metabolites but did not compromise broilers growth. Plasma total lipids increased in broilers fed C. vulgaris combined with the two feed CAZymes (p < 0.001) compared with the control diet. Moreover, the supplementation with Rovabio® increased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, while the addition of the four-CAZyme mixture increased triacylglycerols, VLDL-cholesterol and ALP activity. In opposition, HDL-cholesterol levels decreased in broilers fed microalga alone (p = 0.002). Regarding hepatic composition, the inclusion of C. vulgaris in broiler diets, individually or combined with exogenous CAZymes, had a minor effect on fatty acids but improved the n-6/n-3 ratio and total carotenoids. Conclusions: In summary, the inclusion of a high level (10%) of C. vulgaris in broiler´s diet, regardless of the presence of exogenous CAZymes, improved hepatic antioxidant composition and did not impair broiler’s performance. In addition, the feed supplementation with CAZymes increased broilers lipemia. Therefore, dietary C. vulgaris at this incorporation level seems to be safe for animal health and do not compromise performance traits, with no need of CAZymes supplementation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio