Extensive intracranial involvement with multiple dissections in a case of giant cell arteritis

A 56-year-old man presented with weight loss, articular pain and minor neurological symptoms progressing over 1 month. Neurosonological evaluation suggested occlusion in intracranial segments of the left vertebral artery (VA) and of both internal carotid arteries (ICA) and hypoechoic halo sign in both superficial temporal arteries. The diagnosis of giant cell arteritis was supported by inflammatory markers and confirmed by biopsy. Despite early steroid initiation, he manifested fluctuant vascular deficits and became lethargic. Brain MRI indicated watershed infarcts and intracranial dissections of left VA and both ICA. The patient was stabilised with the association of prednisolone 2 mg/kg, methotrexate and oral anticoagulation. Since then he has been neurologically asymptomatic and control imaging showed only residual intracranial left VA stenosis, with no signs of temporal artery inflammation or new vascular lesions. This is to the best of our knowledge, the first reported clinical case with such an extensive intracranial involvement with multiple dissections

In welfare we trust? Political trust in Portugal and Spain, 2008-2014

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of gluon number fluctuations on photon - photon collisions at high energies

We investigate the effects of gluon number fluctuations on the total $\gamma\gamma$, $\gamma^*\gamma^*$ cross sections and the photon structure function $F_2^\gamma(x,Q^2)$. Considering a model which relates the dipole-dipole and dipole-hadron scattering amplitudes, we estimate these observables by using event-by-event and physical amplitudes. We demonstrate that both analyses are able to describe the LEP data, but predict different behaviours for the observables at high energies, with the gluon fluctuations effects decreasing the cross sections. We conclude that the study of $\gamma \gamma$ interactions can be useful to constrain the QCD dynamics.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Improved version with two new figures. Version to be published in Physical Review

Doação e transplantes de órgãos: Contribuições dos profissionais sobre o trabalho interprofissional nos programas

Objective: This study aimed to identify the contributions for improvement in the interprofessional working relationship pointed out by professionals involved in organ and tissue procurement and transplantation programs. Method: exploratory study with a quantiqualitative approach conducted over a period of 21 months, with the participation of health professionals invited to complete an online questionnaire on the Google form platform. After collection, the quantitative data were organized and analyzed descriptively, and the qualitative data were categorized and submitted to content analysis. Results: 130 health professionals participated in the study, 84% were female, of which 64% said they were white, between 41-59 years old, and 31% had worked for more than 15 years in the programs. The categories identified were: working conditions; appreciation of non-medical professionals; psychological support to professionals and funding for training of professionals pointed out as improvements in the work relationship in the programs. Conclusion: the study identified that working conditions and greater valorization of the interprofessional team allied to offering psychological support to professionals are necessary and important strategies, and may bring impacts on the satisfaction of professionals, on mental health, in addition to improvements in work processes, impacting transplantation rates.Objetivo: Com este estudo, objetivou-se identificar as contribuições de melhoria na relação de trabalho interprofissional apontadas por profissionais envolvidos nos programas de procura e de transplantação de órgãos e tecidos. Método: estudo exploratório com abordagem quanti-qualitativo realizado no período de 21 meses, com a participação de profissionais da área da saúde convidados a preencher um questionário online da plataforma de formulários do Google. Após a coleta, organizaram-se os dados quantitativos, analisando-os de maneira descritiva e, em categorias, os dados qualitativos, submetendo-os à análise de conteúdo. Resultados:participaram do estudo 130 profissionais de saúde, sendo 84% do gênero feminino, dos quais 64% se declararam de cor de pele branca; de faixa etária entre 41–59 anos, sendo que (31%) trabalhavam há mais de quinze anos nos programas. As categorias identificadas foram: condições de trabalho; valorização dos profissionais não médicos; suporte psicológico e financiamento para capacitação dos profissionais apontadas como melhorias na relação de trabalho nos programas. Conclusão: o estudo possibilitou identificar que na relação de trabalho as condições laborais e maior valorização da equipe interprofissional aliadas ao oferecimento de suporte psicológico aos profissionais são estratégias necessárias, podendo trazer impactos na satisfação dos profissionais, na saúde mental, além de melhorias nos processos de trabalho, impactando as taxas de transplantes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The effect of some processing conditions on the characteristics of biodegradable microspheres obtained by an emulsion solvent evaporation process

Unloaded microspheres were prepared from polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHB-HV) polymers using an oil-in-water emulsion solvent evaporation method. The study was conducted to evaluate how the polymer and some process parameters affect properties of the final microspheres such as particle size, superficial area, zeta potential, surface morphology and microsphere degradation. The variables included surfactant concentration in the emulsion water phase and solvent composition. From the results, it was found that the parameters affecting microsphere size the most were surfactant concentration in the emulsion water phase and solvent composition. Properties such as zeta potential, surface area and surface morphology remained pratically unchanged over the range of the processing conditions studied here.011

γ∗p\gamma^*p cross section from the dipole model in momentum space

We reproduce the DIS measurements of the proton structure function at high energy from the dipole model in momentum space. To model the dipole-proton forward scattering amplitude, we use the knowledge of asymptotic solutions of the Balitsky-Kovchegov equation, describing high-energy QCD in the presence of saturation effects. We compare our results with the previous analysis in coordinate space and discuss possible extensions of our approach.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Estabilidade dos agregados de um Latossolo Vermelho Típico submetido a diferentes usos e manejos.

A qualidade e a conservação do solo e da água dependem dos sistemas de uso e manejo dos solos que afetam diferentemente a sua qualidade física. ° tamanho e a estabilidade dos agregados em água são importantes indicadores dessas alterações, pois espelham a resposta do solo ao manejo imposto sendo acumulativa com o decorrer do tempo. Portanto, conhecer o grau de alteração destes atributos auxilia na avaliação dos manejos e na correção de rumos dentro do planejamento de uso e manejo dos solos agrícolas. Este trabalho foi conduzido na Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, em Sete Lagoas, MG, em um Latossolo Vermelho Típico Dístrófico. A estabilidade e o diâmetro médio ponderado (DMP) dos agregados foram determinados em quatro sistemas de uso e manejo: 1) Cerrado Nativo, 2) Floresta de Pinus, Sistema convencional de preparo de solo com arado de discos e sistema de plantio direto

Plantio direto e sustentabilidade do sistema agrícola.

Trinta anos apos sua introducao em territorio nacional, o Sistema Plantio Direto (SPD) consolida-se como uma tecnologia conservacionista, largamente aceita entre os agricultores, com sistemas adaptados a diversas regioes e aos diferentes niveis tecnologicos, do grande ao pequeno agricultor que usa a tracao animal. Esta fundamentado na mobilizacao minima do solo, numa faixa estreita da superficie do terreno para o plantio, na manutencao de palhada sobre o solo, no controle quimico, de plantas daninhas e na necessidade da sucessao e rotacao de culturas. Requer cuidados na sua implantacao e, depois de estabelecido, seus beneficios estendem-se nao apenas ao solo, mas, consequentemente, ao rendimento das culturas e a competitividade dos sistemas agropecuarios. Alem disso, devido a drastica reducao da erosao, reduz o potencial de contaminacao do meio ambiente e da ao agricultor maior garantia de renda. Assim, a estabilidade da producao e ampliada em comparacao aos metodos tradicionais de manejo de solo. Por seus efeitos beneficos sobre os atributos fisicos, quimicos e biologicos do solo, pode-se afirmar que o SPD e uma ferramenta essencial, para se alcancar a sustentabilidade dos sistemas agropecuarios

Mitochondrial DNA Variants in a Portuguese Population of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder associated with dementia in late adulthood. Mitochondrial respiratory chain impairment has been detected in the brain, muscle, fibroblasts and platelets of AD patients, indicating a possible involvement of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the etiology of the disease. Several reports have identified mtDNA mutations in AD patients, but there is no consensual opinion regarding the cause of the impairment. We have studied mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 nucleotides 3337-3340, searching for mutations. Our study group included 129 AD patients and 125 healthy age-matched controls. We have found alterations in two AD patients: one had two already known mtDNA modifications (3197 T-C and 3338 T-C) and the other a novel transition (3199 T-C) which, to our knowledge, has not been described before