Canine primary hyperparathyroidism : clinical approach to hypercalcaemia

Dissertação de Mestrado Integrado em Medicina VeterináriaCanine primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPTH) is an endocrine disorder, where one or more parathyroid glands autonomously produce and secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH), which results in hypercalcaemia (Feldman, 2010). Diagnosis of PHPTH is achieved when there are inappropriate PTH concentrations (normal or increased) in the presence of elevated ionised calcium (iCa) concentration with no other identifiable cause (Skelly, 2012). iCa is the only active fraction of calcium and does not always correlate to total calcium, which is why iCa should be used to assess serum calcium status (Schenck & Chew, 2008). PHPTH is usually diagnosed after detection of hypercalcaemia in a blood analysis performed for unrelated reasons, as clinical signs are often not perceived by the owners (Feldman, Hoar, Pollard, & Nelson, 2005; Feldman, 2015a). Treatment by parathyroidectomy, percutaneous ultrasound-guided ethanol ablation or percutaneous ultrasound-guided heat ablation is curative and prognosis is excellent for treated dogs, but hypocalcaemia is a frequent postoperative complication (Caplan, 2013; Feldman, 2015a; Flanders, 2003; Nelson, 2009; Rasor, Pollard, & Feldman, 2007; Séguin & Brownlee, 2012). The retrospective study had the objective of characterising a sample of six dogs diagnosed with PHPTH at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists and analyse the procedures and tests conducted in the clinical approach to previously identified hypercalcaemia.RESUMO - Hiperparatiroidismo primário canino: abordagem clínica à hipercalcémia - O hiperparatiroidismo primário canino (PHPTH) é uma doença endócrina, na qual uma ou mais glândulas paratiróides produzem e secretam hormona paratiroideia ou paratormona (PTH) autonomamente, o que resulta em hipercalcémia (Feldman, 2010). O diagnóstico de PHPTH é efectuado quando existem concentrações de PTH inapropriadas (normais ou aumentadas) na presença de concentrações aumentadas de cálcio ionizado (iCa) sem outra causa identificável (Skelly, 2012). O iCa é a única fracção activa do cálcio e nem sempre se correlaciona com o cálcio total, motivo pelo qual o iCa deve ser utilizado para avaliar o cálcio em circulação (Schenck & Chew, 2008) O PHPTH é normalmente diagnosticado após a detecção de hipercalcémia numa análise sanguínea efectuada por motivos não relacionados, uma vez que os sinais clínicos normalmente não são identificados pelos donos (Feldman, Hoar, Pollard, & Nelson, 2005; Feldman, 2015a).. O tratamento com paratiroidectomia, ablação percutânea com etanol guiada por ultra-som ou ablação percutânea com calor guiada por ultra-som é curativo e tem um prognóstico excelente para animais tratados, embora a hipocalcémia seja uma complicação póscirurgica frequente (Caplan, 2013; Feldman, 2015a; Flanders, 2003; Nelson, 2009; Rasor, Pollard, & Feldman, 2007; Séguin & Brownlee, 2012). O estudo retrospectivo deste trabalho teve como objectivo a caracterização de uma amostra de seis cães diagnosticados com PHPTH na Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists e analizar os procedimentos e testes efectuados na abordagem clínica à hipercalcémia previamente identificada.N/

Occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium: biomarkers of genotoxicity in human peripheral blood

The hexavalent Chromium [Cr(VI)] is a human carcinogen, which is still authorized for use in several industrial settings because it has been difficult to replace. This was the reasoning to select it as a priority chemical by the European Human Biomonitoring Initiative (HBM4EU, https://www.hbm4eu.eu/), which aims to bridge chemicals human exposure to their possible impact on health. For that purpose, not only exposure was evaluated, but also early effect biomarkers were done to reflect potential health outcomes in several countries across Europe. In Portugal, the study was developed in one aircraft maintenance company since the substitution of Cr(VI) is not expected in the near future. Following the company agreement and the volunteers informed consent, an individual questionnaire was filled in order to obtain personal information, as well as lifestyle habits and occupational issues. Personal air samples were collected in order to assess occupational exposure to Cr(VI) soluble and insoluble compounds. Sampling for effect biomarkers analyses involved blood samples from 50 workers and 26 healthy individuals (controls). Biomarkers of effect involving the analysis of chromosome alterations (micronucleus assay) and DNA damage (comet assay) were studied; the results were statistically compared. Cr(VI)-exposed workers display a significantly higher frequency of micronucleated binucleated cells (p < 0.001) and an increased level of DNA breaks (comet assay) (p < 0.001) when compared with the non-exposed group. Only in the workplaces dedicated to painting exterior surfaces the values (0.4 mg/m3) were higher than the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL of 0.010 mg/m3) currently proposed by the Directive (EU) 2019/130, 16/01/2019. The present results suggest a potential health risk for this group of workers given that an association between an increased micronucleus frequency and cancer risk has been shown. Also, these findings should promote the investment in new risk management measures and the effective application of the ones already in place, such as adequate local ventilation and a frequent use of protective equipment

Protecting the memory of objects from nostalgia

In Das gewöhnliches, Bazon Brock features vulgar objects, inexpensive things used in our everyday lives. Such as Pompey’s artifacts were pivotal to understand life after a historical loss, so do normal objects, our tangible legacy, and our connection with them may very well be what defines our humanity. They not only represent but are also as much cause as they are the consequence of the way we live, contributing to the definition of that lifestyle and thus becoming essential in enhancing social values. Every object has a meaning beyond its materiality, and the shape envisioned by its project promotes a reflection about the way we subsist, depends on our habits, suggests how we can live both individually and collectively, and encompasses a political vision or a rejection of the social organization. Design’s participation in social construction becomes particularly acute in a time that so easily displays the erosion of ethical values, escalatingthedevaluation of truth,theinstitutionalizationof hate speech, and the increasing assemblage of walls. Although history may not repeat itself exactly in the same manner, the warnings should not be ignored, and Design must not withdraw from action. The role of Design in this crossroad becomes particularly emphasized in association with concepts such as memory. If Design’s tolerance is not questioned when considering the respect for culture, the defense of collective knowledge by designers, the familiarity with products with which we have lived throughout generations, it may also become permeable because of that retrospective. Memory seems to entail an inevitable sense of place. When our projects envision evolution but remain a reference to what we know, reminding us of our ancestors’ homes through recognition and emotional value, those objects will inevitably distinguish themselves from others. It is necessary to protect that memory, but the homage to what is local and national is precisely what may become the source of the rhetorical foundation which helps to sustain nationalist discourses. Therefore, the distinction between the notion of memory within Design and ideas such as nostalgia and selective memory becomes imperative, since those are the concepts which may truly feed intolerance. Nevertheless, it is also crucial to demonstrate Design’s intercultural nature, its openness, as well as its contribution to the obliteration of borders and to the absence of possible conflicts between an international perspective and the (conscious or unconscious) resource to the past and to our shared inherited knowledge.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Bond fund runs: The financial crisis case

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Finance from the NOVA – School of Business and EconomicsThis paper studies the monthly flows of bond fund geographically focused on Europe and on the United States in the period between 2002 and 2012, with special attention to the effect of the financial crisis of 2008. Through the usage of the panel quantile regression model, this study aims to identify which funds, in terms of their characteristics, are more likely to suffer a run. The main finding is that the impact of the characteristics of fund flows is not equal for all funds, varying with issuer entity, the state of the economy as well as the focus of the fund. During the financial crisis, runs were more pronounced, situation that still affects funds geographically focused on Europe

Evolutionary history of sympatric rainbow skinks from the australian monsoonal tropics

Tese de doutoramento, Biologia (Biologia Evolutiva), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2018How speciation, range shifting and reticulation through climatic oscillations combine to shape current patterns of local and regional diversity remains a key question in evolutionary biology. This can be investigated by using multi-scale analyses of closely related species assemblages in diverse communities, such as the lizards of Australia’s tropical savannas. An example of these is the understudied group of rainbow skinks (Carlia) that are broadly co-distributed across the Australian Monsoonal Tropics (AMT) region, and that stands out from most well-studied Carlia species occurring along the Australian east coast. The aims of this thesis were to: i) identify lineage diversity between two sympatric and closely related skinks and to use an integrative taxonomic approach to statistically test major lineages as species; ii) compare past responses of species with different climatic niche breadth that experienced the same climatic fluctuations; iii) infer the phylogenetic relationships of the rainbow skinks in a collaborative study; and iv) explore the occurrence of introgression in a group of six species that broadly cooccur in the AMT, using a dataset by target exon capture (>1000 loci). The investigation of lineage diversity discovered cryptic lineages mostly in the Kimberley region (north west of Australia). In an integrative taxonomic approach, these lineages were then statistically validated as new species using multispecies coalescent methods and morphological analyses, and subsequently described as C. insularis sp. nov and C. isostriacantha sp. nov. with genetic and morphological characters. The exploration of how concordant were the species responses with late Pleistocene climatic changes, identified contrasting responses by species with different climatic niches, suggesting that the narrow climatic specialist species was more sensitive to these changes. In addition, using multiple phylogenomic approaches, it contributed to a much improved and well-supported phylogeny for the rainbow skinks in comparison with a previous, poorly resolved tree. The new tree showed that the six Carlia species that co-occur in the AMT are actually closely related. Lastly, the analysis for the presence of introgression between the AMT sympatric species did not detect evidence of recent admixture, but identified patterns of ancestral introgression before the divergence of sister species, and some instances of introgression in the more climatic unstable Kimberley region. It also showed that by accounting for reticulated evolution with phylogenetic networks methods, a distinct topology from the overall well supported species tree can be observed, in this case with the clade inferred as introgressed appearing as more ancestral in the phylogeny. The results of this thesis have implications for the understanding of the processes driving cryptic species diversity and responses to past climatic change across this richm and understudied Australian Monsoonal Tropics biome

Lipoproteins as targets and markers of lipoxidation

Lipoproteins are essential systemic lipid transport particles, composed of apolipoproteins embedded in a phospholipid and cholesterol monolayer surrounding a cargo of diverse lipid species. Many of the lipids present are susceptible to oxidative damage by lipid peroxidation, giving rise to the formation of reactive lipid peroxidation products (rLPPs). In view of the close proximity of the protein and lipid moieties within lipoproteins, the probability of adduct formation between rLPPs and amino acid residues of the proteins, a process called lipoxidation, is high. There has been interest for many years in the biological effects of such modifications, but the field has been limited to some extent by the availability of methods to determine the sites and exact nature of such modification. More recently, the availability of a wide range of antibodies to lipoxidation products, as well as advances in analytical techniques such as liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS), have increased our knowledge substantially. While most work has focused on LDL, oxidation of which has long been associated with pro-inflammatory responses and atherosclerosis, some studies on HDL, VLDL and Lipoprotein(a) have also been reported. As the broader topic of LDL oxidation has been reviewed previously, this review focuses on lipoxidative modifications of lipoproteins, from the historical background through to recent advances in the field. We consider the main methods of analysis for detecting rLPP adducts on apolipoproteins, including their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the biological effects of lipoxidized lipoproteins and their potential roles in diseases

Communicating Bad News: Using Role-Play to Teach Nursing Students

Receiving bad news can have a profound impact on a patient's physical, psychological and social well-being. Therefore, communication of bad news is an essential skill required for health professionals. A good interpersonal relationship based on trust, empathy, and respect can help the psychological adjustment to end-of-life losses. This study presents a simulation-based learning experience designed to teach communication skills to nursing students who care for palliative patients and their family members. The authors suggest adopting Gibbs’ reflective cycle during structured debriefing that enables the students to move logically through the reflective process. A student-centered learning approach can promote responsibility and success in achieving the expected learning outcomes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Therapeutic communication skills in palliative care nursing education: an exploratory study using a role-playing tool

[EN] This study aim to explore the experiences of nursing final-year students on the care of the person in a palliative situation and their family using the role-playing technique. Qualitative, descriptive research developed in October 2020 with 30 third-year nursing students from a palliative care nursing course, in Portugal. Individual debriefing reflections and thematic analysis of the information were conducted. Two main themes emerged: 1) facilitators; and 2) barriers of role-playing in a simulated palliative care context. We concluded that type of simulation allows students to deal with complex palliative care situations from an individual and realistic perspective.Laranjeira, C.; Querido, A.; Afonso, C. (2021). Therapeutic communication skills in palliative care nursing education: an exploratory study using a role-playing tool. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1027-1034. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.13068OCS1027103

Contagion in EU sovereign yield spreads

Since the beginning of the sovereign debt crisis in the Euro Area, a main concern for European leaders is the prevention of the possible contagion from distressed countries. In our research, we assess if there is a spillover effect from those countries and which determinants can be considered transmission mechanisms of the sovereign debt crisis. We use a panel of 13 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom), covering the period Q1:2000 to Q1:2013 and we also analyse each country individually, on the basis of a SUR analysis. We find that those countries with worse macro and fiscal fundamentals are more vulnerable to contagion and are more affected by international liquidity and credit risks.UECE is supported by the Fundacão para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) through the PEst-OE/EGE/UI0436/2011 projec

Ensino e aprendizagem da estatística no 2.º ciclo do ensino básico: uma reflexão sobre as práticas docentes

O presente estudo tem como objetivo principal analisar e refletir sobre as práticas docentes no ensino da estatística e, consequentemente, sobre a aprendizagem dos alunos. Pretende também averiguar se a utilização de Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação promove o processo de ensino e de aprendizagem em estatística, através da utilização do programa Excel. Para tal, foram produzidas três questões orientadoras do estudo: (i) Que conhecimento estatístico do professor de Matemática é revelado nas aulas do 6.º ano? (ii) O conhecimento estatístico do professor de matemática influencia o processo de aprendizagem estatística dos alunos? (iii) O uso das Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação beneficiam o processo de aprendizagem estatística dos alunos? O quadro teórico desta investigação incide-se sobre o conhecimento estatístico do professor de matemática e nas maiores dificuldades em ensinar e aprender estatística. A metodologia desta investigação é de natureza mista, pois os dados foram analisados quantitativamente e, posteriormente, interpretados. A recolha de dados foi feita através de três instrumentos - um pré-teste, o teste de avaliação e um pós-teste – resolvidos por dezasseis alunos de uma turma do 6.º ano e a dezassete de outra turma, sendo estes e a professora titular das turmas, os participantes da investigação. Foram analisadas as respostas dos alunos e agrupadas em quatro temas estatísticos, nos três momentos de avaliação. Os resultados desta investigação demonstram que os alunos possuem muitas dificuldades nos temas estatísticos, principalmente no cálculo das medidas de tendência central, tal como a literatura descreve. Alguns alunos revelaram, depois da utilização do programa do Excel, alguma evolução. Assim, com este estudo, entende-se que, de acordo com os resultados dos alunos obtidos, os professores possuem dificuldades em ensinar os conteúdos de estatística, no 2º ciclo, e que, bem explorado, as Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação podem ser grandes aliados ao processo de ensino-aprendizagem da estatística.The main objective of this study is to analyze and reflect on teaching practices in the teaching of statistics and, consequently, on student learning. It also intends to investigate if the use of Information and Communication Technologies promotes the process of teaching and learning in statistics through the use of the Excel program. For this, three questions were produced: (i) What statistical knowledge of the Mathematics teacher is demonstrated in the classes of the 6th grade? (ii) Does the statistical knowledge of the mathematics teacher influence the students' statistical learning process? (iii) Does the use of Information and Communication Technologies benefit the students' statistical learning process? The theoretical framework of this research is focused on the statistical knowledge of the mathematics teacher and on the greatest difficulties in teaching and learning statistics. The methodology of this investigation is mixed in nature, since the data were analyzed quantitatively and, later, interpreted. The data collection was done through three instruments - a pre-test, the evaluation test and a post-test - solved by sixteen students of a 6th grade class and seventeen of another class, being these and their teacher the participants of the investigation. In the three evaluation moments, the students' answers were analyzed and grouped into four statistical subjects. The results of this research revealed that students have many difficulties in statistical subjects, mainly in the calculation of the central tendency measures, as the literature describes. Some students demonstrated, after using the Excel program, some evolution. With this study, it is understood that, according to the results obtained from the students, teachers have difficulties in teaching the contents of statistics in 5th and 6th grade, and if well explored, Information and Communication Technologies can be a great ally to the statistics teaching-learning process