Avaliação dos Resultados do Cross-Linking de Colagénio Corneano em Doentes com Queratocone: a Nossa Experiência

Objectivo: Avaliar os resultados visuais e queratométricos do tratamento com cross-linking de colagénio corneano (CXL) no queratocone progressivo realizado no Centro Hospitalar de Entre Douro e Vouga durante o período de 1 ano. Material e Métodos: Estudo retrospetivo no qual foram incluídos 15 olhos (15 doentes) com queratocone progressivo. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos ao tratamento com CXL com riboflavina e luz ultravioleta-A segundo o protocolo de Dresden. 8 olhos completaram 12 meses de seguimento e, 7 olhos completaram 6 meses. Avaliámos a acuidade visual com e sem correcção, cilindro refractivo e equivalente esférico, topografia corneana e paquimetria com Pentacam®, assim como os parâmetros obtidos com o Ocular Response Analyzer®. Resultados: Verificou-se uma melhoria da melhor acuidade visual corrigida média de 0.56 +/- 0.18 para 0.60 +/- 0.18 aos 3 meses, atingindo aos 6 meses 0.69, diferença estatisticamente significativa (p=0.007) e aos 12 meses 0.72 (p=0.003). Os valores do cilindro refractivo e equivalente esférico diminuíram após o procedimento mas sem significado estatístico. Em todos os olhos tratados verificou-se estabilização da progressão. A média da queratometria máxima diminui significativamente de 51.11D pré-operatório para 49.63D (p=0.002) aos 6 meses e para 50.0 D aos 12 meses (p=0.01). Conclusões: O CXL de colagénio é um tratamento promissor para o queratocone evolutivo pois permite atrasar a progressão da doença e, em alguns casos, melhorar os parâmetros visuais, refractivos e topográficos. Os nossos resultados mostram uma melhoria funcional e morfológica, com a estabilização da progressão da doença, sendo necessário, no entanto, resultados a longo prazo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Three new species of Neocamarosporium isolated from saline environments: N. aestuarinum sp. nov., N. endophyticum sp. nov. and N. halimiones sp. nov.

Neocamarosporium species are typically halotolerant, being commonly found in saline environments like saline water, hypersaline soils and especially in association with halophytes. Several isolates were obtained from saline water, dead leaves of the seaweed Zostera noltii and live tissues of the halophyte Halimione portulacoides. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS sequence data placed these isolates into three clades within the genus Neocamarosporium distinct from the currently known species. Isolates from each clade showed clear differences in conidial morphology. Three new species N. aestuarinum sp. nov., N. endophyticum sp. nov. and N. halimiones sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Our results show that the salt marsh plant H. portulacoides harbours a high diversity of Neocamarosporium species.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A_4-based neutrino masses with Majoron decaying dark matter

We propose an A_4 flavor-symmetric SU(3)xSU(2)xU(1) seesaw model where lepton number is broken spontaneously. A consistent two-zero texture pattern of neutrino masses and mixing emerges from the interplay of type-I and type-II seesaw contributions, with important phenomenological predictions. We show that, if the Majoron becomes massive, such seesaw scenario provides a viable candidate for decaying dark matter, consistent with cosmic microwave background lifetime constraints that follow from current WMAP observations. We also calculate the sub-leading one-loop-induced decay into photons which leads to a mono-energetic emission line that may be observed in future X-ray missions such as Xenia.Comment: 16 pages, 6 eps figures. Minor corrections. To appear in Phys. Rev.

Paratuberculosis in Sheep from Serra da Estrela Region

Being Paratuberculosis a chronic disease of difficult diagnosis and having suspicious of her presence in Serra da Estrela ovine’s effectives, it’s essential to prove this fact and establish a fast, efficient and viable diagnosis protocol, to be able to identified flock’s carriers of disease cases and, subsequently, being developed an eradication plane that allows her control. Therefore, in this work were tested several diagnosis’ methods but this report reflects mostly on the histopatological diagnosis’ methods, including the general condition observation before necropsy elaboration, necropsy, histopathological exam and Ziehl-Neelsen’s stain method, as well as Immunohistochemical`s method. A analogy with serological diagnosis was made. Of the 46 animals sent to necropsy, 20 showed positive reaction to ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay), 2 doubtful reaction and 21 were negative. The AGID was only positive in 4 animals. The symptoms were compatible in 34 animals. The macroscopic’s exam was compatible in 40 animals. The histopathology was compatible in 26 animals. The Ziehl-Neelsen’s stain of tissues revealed acid fast bacterias in 20 animals. In Immunohistochemical method 20 animals were positives

Traumatic brain injury patients: does frontal brain lesion influence basic emotion recognition?

Adequate emotion recognition is relevant to individuals' interpersonal communication. Patients with frontal traumatic brain injury (TBI) exhibit a lower response to facial emotional stimuli, influencing social interactions. In this sense, the main goal of the current study was to assess the ability of TBI patients in recognising basic emotions. Photographs of facial expressions of five basic emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, anger, and surprise) were presented to 32 TBI patients and 41 healthy controls. Emotion recognition was measured by accuracy and reaction time. Overall performance of the TBI group was poorer than control group for emotion recognition, both in terms of accuracy and reaction time. It is suggested that TBI patients show impairment on emotion recognition, and this relation seems to be moderated by the lesion localization

Changes in social emotion recognition following traumatic frontal lobe injury

WOS:000299915100004Changes in social and emotional behaviour have been consistently observed in patients with traumatic brain injury. These changes are associated with emotion recognition deficits which represent one of the major barriers to a successful familiar and social reintegration. In the present study, 32 patients with traumatic brain injury, involving the frontal lobe, and 41 age- and education-matched healthy controls were analyzed. A Go/No-Go task was designed, where each participant had to recognize faces representing three social emotions (arrogance, guilt and jealousy). Results suggested that ability to recognize two social emotions (arrogance and jealousy) was significantly reduced in patients with traumatic brain injury, indicating frontal lesion can reduce emotion recognition ability. In addition, the analysis of the results for hemispheric lesion location (right, left or bilateral) suggested the bilateral lesion sub-group showed a lower accuracy on all social emotions