Colagem de fragmentos de dentes anteriores em pacientes odontopediátricos: revisão da literatura

Os traumatismos dentários são bastante frequentes e afetam principalmente crianças e adolescentes em idade escolar. A fratura da coroa dos incisivos maxilares são as mais comuns, afetando emocionalmente o paciente, os pais e/ou acompanhantes. Hoje em dia há um crescente grau de exigência estética, daí a necessidade de procura de métodos e técnicas que solucionem estéticamente o traumatismo. Devolver a estética, a forma e a função de um dente que teve parte da coroa perdida é um desafio para qualquer médico dentista, principalmente em dentes anteriores. As técnicas restauradoras convencionais apresentam diversas desvantagens, daí a necessidade de procura de novas técnicas. A técnica de colagem de fragmentos deveria ser a primeira opção na restauração de dentes fraturados quando temos o fragmento disponível. Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar e discutir a técnica de colagem de fragmentos dentários em pacientes odontopediátricos, restaurando a estética e função do dente.Dental injuries are quite frequent and mainly affect children and adolescents of school age. Fracture of the crown of maxillary incisors are the most common, affecting emotionally the patient, parents and/or companions. Nowadays there is a growing degree of aesthetic demand, hence the need to search for methods and techniques that aesthetically solve the trauma. Returning to the aesthetics, shape and function of a tooth that had part of the crown lost is a challenge for any dentist, especially on previous teeth. Conventional restorative techniques have several disadvantages, hence the need to search for new techniques. The fragment reattachment technique should be the first option in restoring fractured teeth when the fragment is available. This work aims to present and discuss the technique of bonding dental fragments in pediatric dentistry patients, restoring aesthetics and tooth function

Development of 3D in vitro models for prediction of hepatic metabolism and toxicity

The development of human cell models that recapitulate hepatic functionality allows the study of metabolic pathways involved in toxicity and disease. The increased biological relevance, cost-effectiveness and high-throughput of cell models can contribute to increase the efficiency of drug development in the pharmaceutical industry. Recapitulation of liver functionality in vitro requires the development of advanced culture strategies to mimic in vivo complexity, such as 3D culture, co-cultures or biomaterials. However, complex 3D models are typically associated with poor robustness, limited scalability and compatibility with screening methods. In this work, several strategies were used to develop highly functional and reproducible spheroid-based in vitro models of human hepatocytes and HepaRG cells using stirred culture systems. In chapter 2, the isolation of human hepatocytes from resected liver tissue was implemented and a liver tissue perfusion method was optimized towards the improvement of hepatocyte isolation and aggregation efficiency, resulting in an isolation protocol compatible with 3D culture. In chapter 3, human hepatocytes were co-cultivated with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and the phenotype of both cell types was characterized, showing that MSC acquire a supportive stromal function and hepatocytes retain differentiated hepatic functions, stability of drug metabolism enzymes and higher viability in co-cultures. In chapter 4, a 3D alginate microencapsulation strategy for the differentiation of HepaRG cells was evaluated and compared with the standard 2D DMSO-dependent differentiation, yielding higher differentiation efficiency, comparable levels of drug metabolism activity and significantly improved biosynthetic activity. The work developed in this thesis provides novel strategies for 3D culture of human hepatic cell models, which are reproducible, scalable and compatible with screening platforms. The phenotypic and functional characterization of the in vitro systems performed contributes to the state of the art of human hepatic cell models and can be applied to the improvement of pre-clinical drug development efficiency of the process, model disease and ultimately, development of cell-based therapeutic strategies for liver failure.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - (SFRH/BD/70264/ 2010 and PTDC/EBB-BIO/112786/2009

Gamification as an engagement tool in e-Learning websites

Aim/Purpose As e-Learning becomes increasingly pervasive, students’ engagement in online settings emerges as a central challenge, as it is often more demanding to ensure in this context. The core importance of engagement for e-Learning, places a focus on various instruments and strategies that can be deployed to foster its enhancement. Background Gamification is often depicted as a significant instrument to drive engagement, behavior change, and loyalty, which can be of great significance to online learning. This paper aims to examine the relationship between the application of gamification tools and the level of engagement in e-Learning websites. Methodology This research used two methods: the analysis of e-Learning websites and an online survey with a convenience and purposive sample of e-Learning and/or gamification experts. Contribution This paper adds to the existing body of research by placing and emphasis on and examining the positive role of gamification as an engagement instrument with valuable potential for e-Learning. Findings The results showed that the majority of the selected e-Learning websites use gamification and engagement elements and that the tools that are more commonly used were deemed as the most effective, by the experts. It became equally evident that the deployment of a larger number of gamification and engagement elements have positive repercussions in the enhancement of engagement, which can have constructive ramifications for the effectiveness of e-Learning. Recommendations for Practitioners From a practitioner’s viewpoint the findings can assist both learning designers and teachers in the creation of gamification strategies to enhance students’ engagement. As a central challenge of e-Learning courses, engagement requires a multifaceted approach to be addressed effectively and knowing the strategies that have positive outcomes is a step forward in ensuring that the students can enroll in online courses and not be compromised with respect to their engagement. Finally, the lack of engagement can have serious repercussions not only on the learning experience of the students, but also on their actual academic performance. Hence, it is important to guide educators towards good design practices that can maximize engagement in these settings. Recommendation for Researchers From a research perspective, these findings add to a growing body of studies that focus on the benefits of gamification by highlighting its positive repercussions on engagement and identifying which elements are more effective. In addition, the use of different sources of data provided a wider illustration of what is currently the use of gamification elements by functioning e-Learning websites and how those who apply them in practice in their courses perceive these elements. Future Research Future research endeavours can focus on exploring students’ perceptions of gamification and how it influences their leaning performance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Understanding how capping of actin filaments prevents epithelium to mesenchymal like transitions in genetically defined epithelial tissues

Tese de mestrado, Biologia (Biologia Evolutiva e do Desenvolvimento), 2007, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de CiênciasThe actin cytoskeleton has a central role in controlling cell shape and mobility. In epithelia, a circumferential band of actin filaments provides the structural support for cell-cell junctions. When the strength of the epithelium is compromised, cells may undergo epithelium to mesenchymal transition, escape size-control mechanisms, evade cell death and finally acquire the ability to migrate. These features recapitulate all of the hallmarks that characterize cancer malignancy. Interestingly, clones of cells mutant for either subunits of the capping protein ab heterodimer (CP), induced in a heterozygous wild-type background, are extruded from the wing blade epithelium and die. However, depleting the subunit (cpb) by RNA interference (RNAi) in the whole blade leads to a different outcome: epithelium polarity is strongly affected, few apoptotic cells can be observed, while many seem to overproliferate. This differential behavior is unlikely to be due to a dosage effect since RNAi induced-cpb depletion in restricted wing blade domains also induces cell extrusion and death. This suggests that CP prevents tumorigenesis of wing blade cells. However, when CP mutant cells are adjacent to wildtype wing blade neighboring cells, the latest eliminate mutant cells by a process of cell competition. The role of CP in preventing tumorigenesis might be related to its major function, preventing excessive actin polimerization, or to additional functions, such as the maintenance of epithelial cell polarity. The tumor suppressor function of CP appears to be tissue specific since the above cell behavior is only observed in restricted epithelia. This suggests that each epithelium has specific cytoskeleton and/or junctional properties, making cells sensitive or not to mutations that cause abnormal tumor growth. Altogether the presented data highlight the crucial impact of tissue context for the activation of a tumoral processResumo alargado em português disponível no document

Exploring the relation between consumer motivations & engagement with brands in Facebook

This thesis aims to explore the digital consumer behavior and proposes a conceptual framework that allows to comprehend the consumer’s Motivations and Engagement types to interact with brands in Facebook. Specifically, the research goal is to explore the relationship between the two and point out which Motivations better explain Engagement. Lastly, the analysis consists of segmenting Facebook users based on their Motivations and exploring their Engagement levels. The present research addresses the Portuguese Facebook users’ behavior based on Motivational and Engagement variables. Those were chosen with the intention of recognizing their importance in this context and exploring the connection between both. Scales from previous literatures were adapted and used to explore the Motivations, Enginkaya and Yilmaz (2014), and the Engagement, Malciute (2012). A quantitative and exploratory study was conducted and an online questionnaire was applied to a convenience sample of 350 Facebook users. Results indicated that the main Motivations to interact with brands in Facebook are Opportunity Seeking, Conversation and Entertainment. Moreover, the main Consumer Engagement dimension is Emotional. Further, there is a significant relation between Motivations and Engagement, and the Motivations that better help to predict Engagement are Brand Affiliation, Entertainment and Investigation. Moreover, three segments of Facebook users were identified and the main one presents the highest Engagement levels. The framework might serve as a tool for managers to better understand Facebook users’ behaviors regarding brands, thus enabling them to improve the allocation of digital resources, especially regarding Facebook and their marketing strategies with a suitable segmentation approach.Esta tese tem como objetivo explorar o comportamento do consumidor digital e propõe um quadro conceptual que visa facilitar a compreensão das Motivações que levam o consumidor a interagir com as marcas no “Facebook” e o seu “Engagement”. A intenção fulcral desta pesquisa é investigar a relação entre Motivações e “Engagement” e realçar as Motivações que melhor explicam o “Engagement”. O propósito final é segmentar os usuários de “Facebook” consoante as suas Motivações e explorar o seu nível de “Engagement”. A presente pesquisa relativa aos usuários do “Facebook” portugueses tem como base variáveis de Motivação e “Engagement”, sendo que as mesmas foram retiradas e adaptadas do estudo de Enginkaya e Yilmaz (2014) e do de Malciute (2012), respetivamente. Estas variáveis foram selecionadas com a finalidade de verificar a sua importância neste contexto e explorar a relação entre ambas. Um estudo quantitativo e exploratório foi elaborado. Foi aplicado um questionário “online” a uma amostra de 350 usuários de “Facebook”. Os resultados indicam que as principais Motivações são: Procura de Oportunidades, Conversacional e Entretenimento. Relativamente ao “Engagement” a dimensão com maior relevância é a Emocional. Os resultados comprovam a relação entre Motivações e “Engagement” e destacam a Filiação às Marcas, o Entretenimento e a Investigação como sendo as Motivações, que melhor explicam o “Engagement”. O quadro conceptual poderá assim servir como ferramenta para que as marcas compreendam o comportamento do consumidor “facebookiano”, tornando mais eficientes a alocação de recursos “online” e estratégias de marketing com uma boa abordagem de segmentação

How to increase customer loyalty in the newspaper industry in Portugal : the Global Media Group case

The Global Media Group (GMG) is one of the major media groups in Portugal, being the owner of several brands in the Press, Radio and Internet sectors, namely Diário de Notícias, Jornal de Notícias and TSF, among others. In an industry that is now characterized by the increase in online formats as sources of information, in detriment of traditional media formats such as print newspapers, it is essential to understand how to still increase and maintain customer loyalty in this area. Therefore, this dissertation tackles concepts such as loyalty, perceived value and brand trust, and uses both primary and secondary research methods to answer the problem statement. Through a set of in-depth interviews with group management employees, a focus group among consumers, and a public survey, as well as information from the market and the company, this dissertation provides conclusions on what factors influence buying choice, perceived value and brand trust, how consumers can be characterized, and ultimately how to increase customer loyalty for the GMG and the industry in general. Moreover, the dissertation includes recommendations on specific initiatives the group can use to increase the mentioned variable. Finally, the dissertation includes a chapter with notes for using this dissertation for teaching purposes, with suggestions of questions to be made for students.O Global Media Group é um dos maiores grupos de media em Portugal, detendo marcas nos sectores de Imprensa, Rádio e Internet, nomeadamente o Diário de Notícias, Jornal de Notícias e TSF, entre outras. Numa indústria onde o formato online se impõe cada vez mais como fonte de informação, em detrimento de formatos tradicionais como jornais impressos, é essencial perceber como continuar a aumentar e manter a fidelização dos consumidores nesta área. Como tal, esta dissertação aborda conceitos como lealdade do consumidor, valor percecionado e confiança na marca, e usa métodos de investigação tanto primários como secundários para responder ao problema apresentado. Através de entrevistas estruturadas a dirigentes do Grupo, um focus group a consumidores e um questionário público, bem como informação do mercado e da empresa, esta dissertação apresenta conclusões que ajudam a identificar que fatores influenciam a decisão de compra, o valor percecionado e a confiança na marca, como se podem caracterizar os consumidores, e como, em conclusão, se pode aumentar a lealdade dos consumidores do Global Media Group, e na indústria da imprensa como um todo. Para além disso, a presente dissertação inclui recomendações sobre iniciativas concretas que o grupo pode usar para aumentar a variável mencionada. Finalmente, o documento inclui um capítulo com notas de apoio a lecionar, com sugestões de perguntas que podem ser feitas a alunos

Improving the early diagnostic of prostate cancer by multiple biomarker detection with new biosensing devices

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer in men, in Europe (World Health Organization data). The most recent statistics, in Portuguese territory, confirm this scenario, which states that about 50% of Portuguese men may suffer from prostate cancer and 15% of these will die from this condition. Its early detection is therefore fundamental. This is currently being done by Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screening in urine but false positive and negative results are quite often obtained and many patients are sent to unnecessary biopsy procedures. This early detection protocol may be improved, by the development of point-of-care cancer detection devices, not only to PSA but also to other biomarkers recently identified. Thus, the present work aims to screen several biomarkers in cultured human prostate cell lines, serum and urine samples, developing low cost sensors based on new synthetic biomaterials. Biomarkers considered in this study are the following: prostate specific antigen (PSA), annexin A3 (ANXA3), microseminoprotein-beta (MSMB) and sarcosine (SAR). The biomarker recognition may occurs by means of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP), which are a kind of plastic antibodies, and enzymatic approaches. The growth of a rigid polymer, chemically stable, using the biomarker as a template allows the synthesis of the plastic antibody. MIPs show high sensitivity/selectivity and present much longer stability and much lower price than natural antibodies. This nanostructured material was prepared on a carbon solid. The interaction between the biomarker and the sensing-material produces electrical signals generating quantitative or semi-quantitative data. These devices allow inexpensive and portable detection in point-of-care testing

Sistema de avaliação do desempenho em enfermagem: eficiência e eficácia

O presente estudo debruça-se sobre a avaliação do desempenho na carreira de enfermagem (Portugal), tendo como objectivo identificar as percepções de enfermeiros avaliadores e avaliados, sobre um sistema de avaliação do desempenho mais eficiente e eficaz que o corrente. Foi aplicado um questionário a 97 enfermeiros avaliadores e avaliados de um Hospital do Alto Alentejo. Constatou-se a existência de níveis de concordância e satisfação positivos com o sistema de avaliação do desempenho, sucedendo o mesmo para os aspectos legislados. De uma forma geral, verificámos que a percepção dos avaliadores acerca de um sistema de avaliação do desempenho mais eficiente e eficaz que o corrente deverá ser enquadrado numa gestão por objectivos e incluir uma validação social da menção final de avaliação. Por outro lado, os avaliados pretendem um sistema de avaliação que inclua um acompanhamento regular (incidentes críticos), objectivo (gestão por objectivos), e com melhores procedimentos de interacção. Os resultados mostram a importância da distinção entre o sistema instituído e a forma como é aplicado

Macroeconomic determinants of Port and Douro wine exports: An econometric approach

This study analyses recent trends (2006-2018) in Port and Douro wine exports and estimates their macroeconomic determinants. The results of the gravity equation reveal that the purchasing power in importing countries is the most important export determinant of Port and Douro wines. Therefore, in order to increase exports, the strategic decision-makers concerned with the industry should pay special attention to the markets in wealthier countries or with a high potential for economic growth, taking into account issues such as market access, adaptation to the market to wine consumption, and regulation

Corporate investment and currency depreciations: different responses by multinational affiliates and local firms

Dissertação de mestrado em FinançasIn this research, I analyse different responses in investment and other corporate activities to a currency depreciation by subsidiaries of multinational companies and local firms in the Eurozone. The study intends to contribute to the literature on currency crisis and difference of performance between multinational affiliates and domestic-owned companies to the extent that it focuses, conversely to most of previous literature on the matter, on developed host countries. Moreover, most euro depreciations against other currencies happened during world widespread economic and financial crisis. This study finds evidence in line with the previous literature on the difference of performance between multinational affiliates and domestic companies: subsidiaries increase activity more than local companies do when facing a currency crisis. Furthermore, the results also indicate that this difference of performance is aggravated when the host country have a lower real GDP per capita.Nesta pesquisa é analisada a diferença de comportamentos de investimento e atividade entre subsidiarias estrangeiras e empresas locais na Área Euro aquando de uma depreciação do euro. Este estudo pretende contribuir para a literatura existente sobre crises cambiais e diferenças de desempenho entre filiais e empresas domésticas, sendo que, a pesquisa foca em empresas localizadas em países desenvolvidos, ao passo que na maioria dos estudos existentes sobre a matéria, o objeto de análise recai sobre os mercados emergentes. É ainda importante frisar que a maioria das depreciações do euro que são encontradas neste estudo coincidem com anos de crises económicas e financeiras com um impacto a nível global. Os resultados deste estudo vão de encontro à literatura existente sobre diferenças de desempenho entre filiais de multinacionais e empresas locais: filiais estrangeiras aumentam mais a sua atividade do que as empresas locais quando enfrentam uma depreciação. É encontrada também evidencia de que a diferença de desempenho entre empresas estrangeiras e locais é mais acentuada em países com um menor PIB real per capita