Da Gallaecia a Portugal: a conceção do espaço ocidental peninsular em duas crónicas do século XIII

In the thirteenth century a new political-military scenery in the Iberian Peninsula led the most relevant Hispanic political actors to feel the need to have their actions, achievements and vision of Hispania portrayed. The historiographical discourse, somewhat ‘abandoned’ for decades, was now more than ever essential in the Iberian kingdoms’ politics. For that reason, it was resumed with great vigor in the reign of Fernando III (1217/1230-1252), precisely the monarch who reunited once again the crowns of Castile and Leon. It’s in this context that the chronicles analyzed in this study emerge – the Chronicon Mundi and the De rebus Hispanie. This study aims to analyse the views of both chronicles on the western peninsula’s space/territory and also it’s narrative process concerning what eventually became the kingdom of Portugal.No início do século XIII, um novo cenário político-militar na Península Ibérica levou a que os principais atores políticos sentissem a necessidade de enquadrar a sua atuação, bem como a sua visão da Hispania. O discurso historiográfico, de certa forma ‘abandonado’ durante décadas, torna-se central na política dos reinos ibéricos, motivo pelo qual foi retomado com grande vigor no reinado de Fernando III (1217/1230-1252), precisamente o monarca que agregou uma vez mais as coroas de Castela e Leão. É neste contexto que surgem as crónicas analisadas neste estudo – o Chronicon Mundi e o De rebus Hispanie. O presente estudo procura analisar de uma forma extensiva estas obras, nomeadamente no que diz respeito à conceção de espaço/território e também quanto à narrativa relativamente ao processo que viria a resultar na autonomia do reino de Portugal

Extracção de conhecimento no observatório social de Santa Maria da Feira

Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores (Major Telecomunicações). Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 201

Biological treatment of a contaminated gaseous emission from a paint and varnish plant—from laboratory studies to pilot-scale operation

A Vapour-Phase Bioreactor (VPB), namely a biotrickling filter, was scaled-up and operated in-situ for the treatment of gaseous emissions from a paint and varnish industrial plant. A microbial culture able to degrade the target compounds was enriched and a laboratory-scale VPB was established in order to evaluate the treatment's performance. The VPB presented removal efficiencies higher than 90% when exposed to Organic Loads (OL) of ca 50 g h−1 m−3 of reactor. The VPB was exposed to dynamic conditions often found in-situ (eg night and weekend shutdown periods) and showed a fast capacity to recover, with and without mineral medium recirculation. After a prolonged interruption period (10 months), the VPB was not able to cope with OL of ca 25 g h−1 m−3 of reactor and re-inoculation was required in order to recover the treatment performance. The VPB also showed limited treatment when exposed to higher OL (ca 500 g h−1 m−3 of reactor). The VPB was then scaled-up and a 3 m3 VPB was operated in-situ, showing removal efficiencies higher than 50% when exposed to an OL of c 5 g h−1 m−3 of reactor, thus complying with current legal demands. The addition of a maintenance feed was shown to be a useful tool for VPB pilot-scale operation when shutdown periods occurred. A factorial design of experiments was carried out, which allowed reduction to one-tenth of the initial supply of the main mineral medium constituents, namely phosphate buffer, ammonium and magnesium salts, and also elimination of the metal supplement. Overall, the VPBs were shown to be robust equipment, being able to respond actively to dynamic treatment scenarios, particularly night and weekend shutdown periods. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industr

Reflectance confocal microscopy for the diagnosis of skin infections and infestations

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a noninvasive real-time imaging technique that has been widely used for the diagnosis of skin cancer. More recently, it has been reported as a useful tool for the diagnosis and management of several inflammatory and infectious skin disorders. This article provides an overview of the current available applications of RCM use in cutaneous infections and infestations. PubMed was used to search the following terms in various combinations: reflectance confocal microscopy, skin, hair, nail, infection, parasitosis, mycosis, virus, bacteria. All papers were accordingly reviewed. In most cutaneous infections or infestations, the main alterations are found in the epidermis and upper dermis, where the accuracy of confocal microscopy is nearly similar to that of histopathology. The high resolution of this technique allows the visualization of most skin parasites, fungi, and a few bacteria. Although viruses cannot be identified because of their small size, viral cytopathic effects can be observed on keratinocytes. In addition, RCM can be used to monitor the response to treatment, thereby reducing unnecessary treatments

A Dermatite Atópica em Revisão

With an increasing prevalence during the past decades, atopic dermatitis has become a global health issue. A literature search following a targeted approach was undertaken to perform this non-systematic review, which intends to provide an overview of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, comorbidities, and current therapies for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. In sum, this is a heterogeneous skin disorder associated with variable morphology, distribution, and disease course. Although not completely understood, its pathogenesis is complex and seems to result from a combination of genetic and environmental factors that induce skin barrier dysfunction, cutaneous and systemic immune dysregulation, skin microbiota dysbiosis, and a strong genetic influence. Diagnosis is based on specific criteria that consider patient and family history and clinical manifestations. Overall disease severity must be determined by evaluating both objective signs and subjective symptoms. Therapeutic goals require a multistep approach, focusing on reducing pruritus and establishing disease control. Patients should be advised on basic skin care and avoidance of triggers. Topical anti-inflammatory agents should be considered in disease flares or chronic/recurrent lesions. In case of inadequate response, phototherapy, systemic immunosuppressants and, more recently, dupilumab, should be added. Nevertheless, the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis remains challenging and novel, efficacious, safe and targeted treatments are urgently needed. In conclusion, although the last few years have seen important improvement in the understanding of the disease, future research in atopic dermatitis will continue exploring gene-environment interactions and how it affects pathophysiology, disease severity, and treatment outcomes.Com uma prevalência crescente nas últimas décadas, a dermatite atópica tornou-se um problema de saúde global. Foi realizada uma revisão não sistemática com base numa pesquisa bibliográfica direcionada à epidemiologia, fisiopatologia, características clínicas, comorbilidades e tratamento da dermatite atópica. Em resumo, a dermatite atópica é uma patologia cutânea heterogénea associada a morfologia, distribuição e curso da doença variáveis. A sua patogénese é complexa, combinando fatores genéticos e ambientais que condicionam a disfunção da barreira epidérmica, a desregulação imune cutânea e sistémica e a disbiose do microbioma da pele. O diagnóstico baseia-se em critérios clínicos específicos, incluindo história pessoal e familiar de atopia, evolução da doença e manifestações clínicas. A gravidade da doença é determinada através da avaliação dos sinais objetivos e dos sintomas subjetivos. A sua abordagem deve ser progressiva, focada na redução do prurido e no controlo da doença. Os doentes devem ser aconselhados sobre os cuidados básicos a ter e evicção de agressores externos. Em situações de agudização ou lesões crónico-recidivantes, devem ser aplicados anti-inflamatórios tópicos. Na ausência de resposta ou controlo adequado no médio prazo, deve ponderar-se fototerapia, imunossupressores sistémicos ou, mais recentemente, dupilumab. Contudo, o tratamento da dermatite atópica moderada a grave permanece desafiador, sendo urgente o desenvolvimento de novas terapêuticas, eficazes, seguras e direcionadas. Concluindo, apesar de atualmente haver uma melhor compreensão e um maior conhecimento da doença, as investigações futuras deverão continuar a explorar a interação entre fatores genéticos e ambientais e seus efeitos na fisiopatologia e gravidade da doença, bem como nos resultados do tratamento.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A preliminary comparison of the corrosion behaviour of additively and conventionally manufactured 18Ni300 maraging steel for moulds

ABSTRACT: The corrosion behaviour of a maraging steel 18Ni300 manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) was compared to that of a conventional tool steel. Electrochemical test conditions were chosen to approximate the corrosive environments encountered during injection moulding of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) parts. The corrosion behaviour of the steel produced by both routes was evaluated before and after an ageing treatment at 510 ºC for six hours. Cuboid specimens were fabricated and a polished area of 100 mm2 was immersed in a 0.1M HCl solution for 7 days. Open circuit potential (OCP) and polarization curves were used to monitor the material exposed to the corrosive environment. The obtained results indicate that the conventionally produced aged steel is less susceptible to corrosion and that the steel manufactured by L-PBF (not aged condition) showed better resistance to pitting.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Metodologias Ativas no Ensino e Aprendizagem de Anatomia Humana: Uma Revisão Integrativa / Active Methodologies in Teaching and Learning Human Anatomy: An Integrative Review

O ensino médico tem passado por modificações, com o objetivo de estimular, por parte dos discentes, a busca por conhecimentos, ao explorar atitudes e habilidades fundamentais para a prática profissional. As metodologias ativas proporcionam uma educação crítico-reflexiva, na medida em que estimulam o aprendizado do aluno a partir de uma busca própria pelo conhecimento. Como modelos conservadores e mecanicistas já não são capazes de atingir os propósitos requeridos pela educação atual, o presente estudo objetiva avaliar a contribuição das diferentes estratégias de metodologias ativas no processo de ensino-aprendizagem da anatomia humana. Os resultados mostram que deve haver parcimônia na utilização de metodologias ativas no ensino da disciplina. Algumas metodologias não superaram o ensino tradicional e outras, se destacaram pela simples utilização e grande impacto positivo no processo ensino-aprendizagem de anatomia humana. Concluímos que, independentemente da metodologia de ensino-aprendizagem utilizada, quando os alunos são solicitados e incentivados a construir seus próprios conhecimentos sob a orientação e incentivo dos professores, esse conhecimento é construído em uma base mais profunda e duradoura. A metodologia efetiva nem sempre é a mais cara e de difícil acesso. Metodologias ativas através de atividades manuais se mostram uma excelente opção para a (re)construção de conhecimentos e conceitos de anatomia humana

Epidemiology of Psoriasis in Portugal: A Population-Based Study

Introduction: Psoriasis is a common, chronic, and inflammatory skin disorder with a high personal, social and economic burden and important implications for healthcare systems. The aim of this study was to provide an epidemiological characterization of individuals with psoriasis in Portugal. Material and Methods: A large observational, cross-sectional, nationwide, population-based survey study developed by the Portuguese Psoriasis Group of the Portuguese Society of Dermatology and Venereology (GPP-SPDV). A structured questionnaire was designed and applied by experienced interviewers to a random, representative sample of Portuguese individuals with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis. Patients were considered to have psoriasis if they replied positively to one of the following questions: “Does any physician have ever diagnosed you with psoriasis?” or “Do you have a skin disorder characterized by scaling, reddish skin lesions located in the elbows/knees/scalp?”. Results: A total of 6381 individuals were interviewed, of which 283 met the criteria for psoriasis, corresponding to a prevalence rate of 4.4% (95% CI 3.95 – 4.98). Out of the participants that met psoriasis criteria, 24% had suggestive signs/symptoms but did not have a clinical diagnosis established and were not being monitored by a physician. Although more than 70% of participants had active disease (scaling, erythema, or pruritus) and one third had joint symptoms, only 12% were on systemic treatment. Fifty percent of participants with psoriasis (n = 139) had relevant comorbidities (most frequently depression/anxiety and cardiometabolic diseases). Sixteen percent of participants with psoriasis (n = 46) reported that psoriasis interfered with their daily activities (median impact of 5 in a 0 – 10 scale) and 12% mentioned the disease had an impact in their sexual life (median impact of 5 in a 0 – 10 scale). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the prevalence rate of psoriasis is likely to be high in Portugal, and several gaps exist at different levels of healthcare delivery to these patients, from diagnosis to treatment. This study provides important data for the future planning of interventions targeting the improvement of psoriasis care in Portugal