“Let’s Dance”: A Dialogical Proposal for Analyzing Interactions and Positions in Couples Therapy

The dialogical self theory, based on the metaphor of the self as a dialogue between different voices and I-positions, conceptualizes the structure and functioning of the self as a product of communication and relational processes. The dynamics of the dialogical self imply the articulation between the individual self and the self in relationship with others. Yet, the dialogical self theory has been seldom applied to couples therapy. Therefore, in order to understand changes in relationships from a dialogical perspective, we investigated a case study of a couple – Victoria and Alfonso – evolving through four sessions of couple’s therapy.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A regulação das responsabilidades parentais e a autonomia das crianças

A regulação das responsabilidades parentais e aautonomia das criança

Base de dados do potencial eólico em Portugal Continental

Portugal é um dos países com maior capacidade eólica instalada a nível mundial e tem mantido uma tendência de crescimento. A aposta nas renováveis tem permitido aos países reduzir a sua dependência energética do exterior. Neste âmbito, os Sistemas de Informação Geográfica constituem uma mais-valia para o mapeamento georreferenciado do potencial eólico em plataformas padrão, permitindo a gestão e actualização da elevada qualidade de informação disponível. A presente dissertação propõe-se apresentar uma nova e actualizada base de dados do potencial eólico em Portugal Continental, georreferenciada, com a possibilidade de seleccionar dados informativos por zonas de interesse e detalhar informação por parque ou zona de potencial eólico. Torna-se, assim, uma ferramenta útil para empresas, decisores e outros potenciais interessados em explorar este recurso no país. É um projecto inovador que combina duas tecnologias empreendedoras: os sistemas eólicos e os SIG. A relevância deste projecto é do interesse público, possibilitando recolha de informação de forma fácil e sistemática, evidenciando, por isso, a pertinência da sua consecução

Os sistemas de Informação e a eficiência da auditoria

Este estudo tem como principal propósito perceber se os sistemas de informação/tecnologias de informação ajudam na eficiência da realização de uma auditoria. A revisão da literatura foi feita através da pesquisa em diversas fontes, nomeadamente: livros, artigos científicos/académicos, jornais e revistas. A investigação baseou-se essencialmente sobre temáticas relacionadas com o tema em estudo, ou seja, definição de sistemas de informação/tecnologias de informação, relação entre as tecnologias de informação e a auditoria e a formação dos auditores em TI. Procuramos obter várias opiniões sobre o assunto em questão, quer estas fossem coincidentes ou divergentes. Posteriormente, na parte metodológica, optamos pela realização de um questionário, dado que consideramos que o método quantitativo seria o mais assertivo e indicado para dar resposta à problemática em análise. A formulação das questões foi baseada na literatura anteriormente investigada. O questionário foi dirigido a indivíduos que ocupassem cargos relacionados com a profissão de auditoria, incluindo os Revisores Oficiais de Contas, Auditores e Assistentes de Auditoria. Uma vez que a amostra obtida no inquérito não é considerável não devemos generalizar as conclusões retiradas.The purpose of this study is to understand if the information systems/information technologies help in the efficiency of an audit. The literature review was obtained through relentless research from various sources, including books, scholarly/scholarly articles, newspapers and magazines, essentially on topics related to the topic under study, that is definition of information systems/information/technologies, relation between information technologies and auditors and the training of auditors in IT. We try to obtain various opinions on the same subject, whether coincident or divergent. Subsequently, in a methodological part, we decided to prepare a questionnaire because we considered that the quantitative method would be the most the most correct and indicated to answer the a problematic. The formulation of the questions was based on a review of the literature presented. The survey was aimed at individuals who are in charge of the auditor profession, including Certified Official Auditor, Auditors and Audit assistants. Since the sample is not large, this limitation should be considered, not generalizing the conclusions drawn from this study

Implementação do Kaizen Diário e de ferramentas Lean no processo de encerramento contabilístico: estudo de caso numa empresa nacional do ramo da celulose

Na conjuntura económica atual, é crucial que as empresas tenham a capacidade de se adaptar às constantes mudanças do meio no qual operam, para manter e alcançar uma vantagem competitiva. Através da introdução da filosofia Lean é possível conquistar essa vantagem, pois esta permite melhorar os processos, reduzir os desperdícios, obter uma melhor organização e aumentar os níveis de qualidades. O presente projeto enquadra-se na Direção de Contabilidade e Fiscalidade (DCF) de uma Empresa Nacional do ramo da Celulose e tem como objetivo avaliar os resultados da implementação do Kaizen Diário e de Ferramentas Lean no processo de encerramento contabilístico mensal. O presente trabalho, com duração de 12 meses, iniciou-se por uma análise exaustiva dos processos da DCF, identificando os desperdícios e as oportunidades de melhoria. De seguida, é explicado como foram implementadas as ferramentas Lean, nomeadamente, 5S’s; Kanban; normalização; quadro de gestão visual, entre outras. Assim, foi possível concluir que este projeto contribuiu significativamente para a Direção. A nível dos conhecimentos, o projeto permitiu à equipa desenvolver a cultura de melhoria continua e evidenciar que é possível aplicar esta filosofia a atividades não industriais, com sucesso. Por outro lado, em termos práticos, o projeto permitiu proceder à normalização de alguns processos, obter uma melhor organização da equipa e dos espaços físicos e digitais, aprofundamento do conhecimento dos processos e identificação das oportunidades de melhoria futuras. De acordo, com os testemunhos dos stakeholders deste projeto, é evidente que o Lean fez diferença na DCF e melhorou significativamente o seu funcionamento.In the current economic context, it is crucial that companies have the ability to adapt to the changing environment in which they operate to maintain and achieve a competitive advantage. By introducing the Lean philosophy, it is possible to gain that advantage, as it enables the improvement of processes, waste reduction, better organization and increased quality levels. This project was conducted in the Accounting and Tax Division (DCF) in a Portuguese Pulp Company and aims to evaluate the results of the implementation of the Daily Kaizen and Lean Tools in the process of monthly accounting closure. This work, carried out 12 months, began with a thorough analysis of the DCF processes, identifying the waste and opportunities for improvement. Then, the Paper explains how the various Lean tools were implemented, namely: 5S's; Kanban; normalization; visual management framework, among others. Thus, it was possible to conclude that this project contributed significantly to the Division. In terms of knowledge, the project allowed the team to develop a culture of continuous improvement and to show that it is possible to apply successfully this philosophy to non-industrial activities. On the other hand, in practical terms, the project allowed for the standardization of some processes, better organization of the team and the physical and digital spaces, deeper knowledge of the monthly closing processes and identification of future improvement opportunities. According to the testimonials of the stakeholders of this project, it is clear that the Lean made a difference in the DCF and significantly improved its functioning

Os trabalhadores de plataformas digitais e o direito à negociação coletiva

O presente estudo versará a possibilidade de os trabalhadores de plataformas digitais terem acesso ao direito de negociação coletiva. Este tema tem especial relevo nos dias de hoje visto assistirmos a uma tendência para o crescimento das plataformas, ao mesmo tempo que a regulação das relações entre os trabalhadores de plataformas e as plataformas é reduzida. Estudaremos também os desafios que este tema suscita no que respeita à classificação destes trabalhadores e à sua relação com o direito da concorrência.The present study will focus on the possibility of digital platform workers acceding to the right to collective bargaining. Nowadays, this is a particularly pertinent topic since there is a tendency for platforms to grow, while there is still a lack of regulation concerning the relationship between the platform workers and platforms. We will also study the challenges that this issue presents in terms of the classification of platform workers as well as its relation to competition law

Hydrogels and cell based therapies in spinal cord injury regeneration

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a central nervous system- (CNS-) related disorder for which there is yet no successful treatment. Within the past several years, cell-based therapies have been explored for SCI repair, including the use of pluripotent human stem cells, and a number of adult-derived stem and mature cells such as mesenchymal stem cells, olfactory ensheathing cells, and Schwann cells. Although promising, cell transplantation is often overturned by the poor cell survival in the treatment of spinal cord injuries. Alternatively, the therapeutic role of different cells has been used in tissue engineering approaches by engrafting cells with biomaterials. The latter have the advantages of physically mimicking the CNS tissue, while promoting a more permissive environment for cell survival, growth, and differentiation. The roles of both cell- and biomaterial-based therapies as single therapeutic approaches for SCI repair will be discussed in this review. Moreover, as the multifactorial inhibitory environment of a SCI suggests that combinatorial approaches would be more effective, the importance of using biomaterials as cell carriers will be herein highlighted, as well as the recent advances and achievements of these promising tools for neural tissue regeneration.The authors would like to acknowledge the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Grant no. PTDC/SAU-BMA/114059/2009; IF Development Grant to António J. Salgado); Prémios Santa Casa Neurociências for funds attributed to António J. Salgado under the scope of the Prize Melo e Castro for Spinal Cord Injury Research; cofunded by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2—O Novo Norte), ao abrigo do Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional (QREN), através do Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER)

332 Predictors and prognostic value of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing primary angioplasty

PurposeContrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) after coronariography has been associated to increased morbidity and mortality. Patients submitted to primary angioplasty seem to be at higher risk for CIN development, owing in part to hemodynamic status. We sought to determine the prevalence, predictors and prognostic value of CIN occurrence after primary angioplasty.MethodsA total of 141 patients consecutively submitted to primary angioplasty and admitted to our coronary unit were reviewed. CIN was defined as impairment of renal function occurring within 48 hours after administration of contrast media and manifested by an absolute increase in the serum creatinine level of at least 0.5mg/dl or by a relative increase of at least 25% over the baseline value (in the absence of another cause). The primary end points were in-hospital and six-month mortality.ResultsCIN developed in 18.4% of the patients (n=26). Patients with CIN were older (68±13 vs 61±13 years; p<0.05) and more often had diabetes mellitus (38.5% vs 15.7%; p<0.05). Although statistical significance was not reached, there was a trend for higher prevalence of hypertension (61.5% vs 42.6%; p=0.09), female gender (30.8% vs 18.3%; p=0.18) and Killip class higher than one at admission (26.9% vs 16.3%; p=0.1) among patients with CIN. Patients with CIN had an higher mean time from symptoms to reperfusion (304±192 vs 397±206 minutes; p<0.04). By multivariate analysis, independent correlates of CIN were older age (OR=1.04; 95%CI=1.01 − 1.08) and diabetes mellitus (OR=2.99; 95%CI=1.08 − 8.3). Patients with CIN had higher in-hospital (19.2% vs 0.9%; p<0.05) and 6-month mortality (28.6% vs 4.9%; p<0.05).ConclusionsCIN was a frequent complication of primary angioplasty (18.4% of the patients). Independent predictors of CIN after primary angioplasty were older age and diabetes mellitus. Patients with CIN had a worse prognosis, both during in-hospital stay and at 6 months

Exploiting the impact of the secretome of MSCs isolated from different tissue sources on neuronal differentiation and axonal growth

Cell transplantation using Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) secretome have recently been presented as a possible free-based therapy for CNS related disorders. MSC secretome is rich in several bio-factors that act synergically towards the repair of damaged tissues, thus making it an ideal candidate for regenerative applications. Great effort is currently being made to map the molecules that compose the MSC secretome. Previous proteomic characterization of the secretome (in the form of conditioned media - CM) of MSCs derived from adipose tissue (ASC), bone-marrow (BMSC) and umbilical cord (HUCPVC) was performed by our group, where proteins relevant for neuroprotection, neurogenic, neurodifferentiation, axon guidance and growth functions were identified. Moreover, we have found significant differences among the expression of several molecules, which may indicate that their therapeutic outcome might be distinct. Having this in mind, in the present study, the neuroregulatory potential of ASC, BMSC and HUCPVC CM in promoting neurodifferentiation and axonal outgrowth was tested in vitro, using human telencephalon neuroprogenitor cells and dorsal root ganglion explants, respectively. The CM from the three MSC populations induced neuronal differentiation from human neural progenitor cells, as well as neurite outgrowth from dorsal root ganglion explants. Moreover, all the MSC populations promoted the same extent of neurodifferentiation, while ASC CM demonstrated higher potential in promoting axonal growth.The authors acknowledge the financial support by Premios Santa Casa Neurociencias - Prize Melo e Castro for Spinal Cord ^ Injury Research (MC-17-2013 and MC-04-2017); Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (Doctoral fellowships PDE/ BDE/113596/2015 and SFRH/BD/120124/2016 to R.C Assunçao Silva ~ and B. Mendes-Pinheiro, respectively; Post-doctoral fellowhip to F.G. Teixeira and Patrícia Patrício - SFRH/BPD/118408/2016 and SFRH/BPD/116249/2016; IF Starting Grant to L. Pinto and IF Development Grant to A. J. Salgado); Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Engineering (LAB). This work is funded by national funds through FCT under the scope of grante reference TUBITAK/0007/ 2014. This article has been developed under the scope of the project NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013, supported by the Northern Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). This work has been funded by FEDER funds, through the Competitiveness Factors Operational Programme (COMPETE), and by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology, under the scope of the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007038. HUCPVCs and ASCs were kindly provided by Prof. John E. Davies (University of Toronto, Canada) and Prof. Jeff Gimble (LaCell Inc, USA).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Influence of different ECM-like hydrogels on neurite outgrowth induced by adipose tissue-derived stem cells

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed for spinal cord injury (SCI) applications due to their capacity to secrete growth factors and vesicles-secretome-that impacts important phenomena in SCI regeneration. To improve MSC survival into SCI sites, hydrogels have been used as transplantation vehicles. Herein, we hypothesized if different hydrogels could interact differently with adipose tissue-derived MSCs (ASCs). The efficacy of three natural hydrogels, gellan gum (functionalized with a fibronectin peptide), collagen, and a hydrogel rich in laminin epitopes (NVR-gel) in promoting neuritogenesis (alone and cocultured with ASCs), was evaluated in the present study. Their impact on ASC survival, metabolic activity, and gene expression was also evaluated. Our results indicated that all hydrogels supported ASC survival and viability, being this more evident for the functionalized GG hydrogels. Moreover, the presence of different ECM-derived biological cues within the hydrogels appears to differently affect the mRNA levels of growth factors involved in neuronal survival, differentiation, and axonal outgrowth. All the hydrogel-based systems supported axonal growth mediated by ASCs, but this effect was more robust in functionalized GG. The data herein presented highlights the importance of biological cues within hydrogel-based biomaterials as possible modulators of ASC secretome and its effects for SCI applications.This study is funded by Prémios Santa Casa Neurociências—Prize Melo e Castro for Spinal Cord Injury Research. This is also partially funded by EU-FP7-Health-2011-Collaborative Project 278612, Biohybrid—Templates for peripheral nerve regeneration, and Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (IF Development Grant to A. J. Salgado; postdoctoral fellowship to N. A. Silva—SFRH/BPD/97701/2013; PhD fellowships of R. C. Assunção-Silva and E. D. Gomes—PDE/BDE/113596/2015 and SFRH/BD/103075/2014, resp.). This article is a result of the project (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013) supported by the Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); Cofinanciado pelo ProgramaOperacional Regional do Norte(ON.2 SR&TD Integrated Program—NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000021), ao abrigo do Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional (QREN), através do Fundo Europeude Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER); Projeto Estratégico—LA 26–2011-2012 and Projeto Estratégico—LA 26–2013-2014 cofinanciado por fundos nacionais, através da Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (PEst-C/SAU/LA0026/2011; PEst-C/SAU/LA0026/2013), e pelo Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), através do COMPETE (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-022724; FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037298). The authors would like to thank Professor Jeffrey Gimble at the Tulane University Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine and LaCell LLC (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA) for kindly providing the ASCs used in this study.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio