Objetivos: explorar os níveis de agressividade autopercecionados numa população idosa institucion... more Objetivos: explorar os níveis de agressividade autopercecionados numa população idosa institucionalizada, comparando-os com um grupo de idosos da comunidade; estudar os correlatos sociodemográficos e clínicos da agressividade e as correlações entre a agressividade e a desregulação emocional e a alexitimia. Método: A amostra foi constituída por 326 idosos, sendo 209 da comunidade e com 117 Institucionalizados, com uma média de idades de 75,12 anos (DP = 8,79). Todos os participantes foram avaliados com uma bateria de testes que incluía o Aggression Questionnaire, a Toronto Alexythimia Scale – 20 itens e a Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Resultados: Não foram encontradas diferenças a nível de agressividade entre idosos institucionalizados e da comunidade, foram sim encontrados maiores níveis de alexitimia no grupo de idosos institucionalizados, assim como níveis mais elevados de desregulação emocional. O nível da agressividade autopercecionada em idosos institucionalizados, ...
O período do pós-Processo de Bolonha conduziu a uma reflexão profunda no âmbito dos processos de ... more O período do pós-Processo de Bolonha conduziu a uma reflexão profunda no âmbito dos processos de Garantia da Qualidade interna no ensino superior português. Neste contexto, o IST desenvolveu nos últimos anos um Sistema Integrado de Qualidade (SIQuIST), que, entre outros, pretende adotar as melhores práticas europeias no âmbito da qualidade do ensino. O primeiro passo consistiu no desenvolvimento do sistema de garantia da Qualidade das Unidades Curriculares (QUC), e o passo seguinte na identificação, descrição e categorização das boas práticas pedagógicas dos docentes do IST de acordo com o descrito pelos autores Chickering & Gamson (1987) e Biggs & Tang (2003). As seguintes etapas permitiram testar e identificar as melhores práticas pedagógicas através da aplicação de inquéritos aos Docentes Excelentes do IST que possibilitaram a identificação de 6 perfis de docência, bem como das melhores práticas pedagógicas utilizadas nos diferentes tipos de unidades curriculares. Posteriormente,...
The choroid plexuses (CPs), located in the brain ventricles, form an interface between the blood ... more The choroid plexuses (CPs), located in the brain ventricles, form an interface between the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid named the blood-cerebrospinal barrier, which, by the presence of tight junctions, detoxification enzymes, and membrane transporters, limits the traffic of molecules into the central nervous system. It has already been shown that sex hormones regulate several CP functions, including the oscillations of its clock genes. However, it is less explored how the circadian rhythm regulates CP functions. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of sex hormones and circadian rhythms on the function of CP membrane transporters. The 24 h transcription profiles of the membrane transporters rAbca1, rAbcb1, rAbcc1, rAbcc4, rAbcg2, rAbcg4, and rOat3 were characterized in the CPs of intact male, intact female, sham-operated female, and gonadectomized rats. We found that rAbcc1 is expressed in a circadian way in the CPs of intact male rats, rAbcg2 in the CPs of intact female rats...
Background and Purpose CD40 and CD40 ligand (CD40L) are costimulatory molecules of the tumor necr... more Background and Purpose CD40 and CD40 ligand (CD40L) are costimulatory molecules of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily and well known for their involvement in inflammatory diseases: atherosclerotic mouse models with disrupted CD40 signalling develop lesions of reduced size with a more stable plaque profile. This study investigated the potential of plasma and intraplaque levels of CD40 and CD40L as markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in humans and their association with plaque stability.Methods Soluble CD40 and CD40L (sCD40L) were measured in plasma in 1,437 subjects from The SUrrogate markers for Micro- and Macro-vascular hard endpoints for Innovative diabetes Tools (SUMMIT) cohort. Intra-plaque levels of sCD40 and sCD40L were measured in atherosclerotic plaque homogenates from 199 subjects of the Carotid Plaque Imaging Project (CPIP) cohort. Results Both plasma sCD40 and sCD40L levels were elevated in individuals with prevalent stroke, while sCD40 levels also were h...
Background Carotid atherosclerotic plaques with intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) are associated with ... more Background Carotid atherosclerotic plaques with intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) are associated with elevated stroke risk. IPH is predominantly imaged based on paramagnetic properties of the upstream hemoglobin degradation product methemoglobin. This is an explorative observational study to test the feasibility of a spoiled gradient echo based T2* weighted MRI sequence (3D MEDIC) for carotid plaque imaging, and to compare signs suggestive of the downstream degradation product hemosiderin on 3D MEDIC with signs of methemoglobin on a T1wBB sequence. Methods Patients with recent TIA or stroke were selected based on the presence on non-calcified plaque components on CTA to promote an enriched prevalence of IPH in the material. Patients (n = 42) underwent 3T MRI with 3D MEDIC and 2D turbo spin echo T1w black blood (T1wBB). Images were independently evaluated by two neuroradiologists and Cohens Kappa was used for inter-reader agreement for each sequence. Results The technical feasibility for ...
Accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the brain is thought to derive from the impairment of Aβ cle... more Accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the brain is thought to derive from the impairment of Aβ clearance mechanisms rather than from its overproduction, which consequently contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The choroid plexus epithelial cells constitute an important clearance route for Aβ, either by facilitating its transport from the cerebrospinal fluid to the blood, or by synthesizing and secreting various proteins involved in Aβ degradation. Impaired choroid plexus synthesis, secretion, and transport of these Aβ-metabolizing enzymes have been therefore associated with the disruption of Aβ homeostasis and amyloid load. Factors such as aging, female gender, and circadian rhythm disturbances are related to the decline of choroid plexus functions that may be involved in the modulation of Aβ-clearance mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the impact of age, sex hormones, and circadian rhythm on the expression of Aβ scavengers such as apolipoprotein J, gelsolin,...
The development of new therapeutic approaches for stroke patients requires a detailed understandi... more The development of new therapeutic approaches for stroke patients requires a detailed understanding of the mechanisms that enhance recovery of lost neurological functions. The efficacy to enhance homeostatic mechanisms during the first weeks after stroke will influence functional outcome. Thyroid hormones (TH) are essential regulators of neuronal plasticity, however, their role in recovery related mechanisms of neuronal plasticity after stroke remains unknown. This study addresses important findings of 3,5,3′-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) in the regulation of homeostatic mechanisms that adjust excitability – inhibition ratio in the post-ischemic brain. This is valid during the first 2 weeks after experimental stroke induced by photothrombosis (PT) and in cultured neurons subjected to an in vitro model of acute cerebral ischemia. In the human post-stroke brain, we assessed the expression pattern of TH receptors (TR) protein levels, important for mediating T3 actions.Our results show that ...
The cerebrospinal fluid melatonin is released from the pineal gland, directly into the third vent... more The cerebrospinal fluid melatonin is released from the pineal gland, directly into the third ventricle, or produced de novo in the brain from extrapineal melatonin sources leading to a melatonin concentration gradient in the cerebrospinal fluid. Despite the interest on this topic, the brain areas capable of producing melatonin are not yet clear. Bearing this in mind, we hypothesized that the choroid plexus (CP) could be one of these melatonin sources. We analyzed and confirmed the presence of the four enzymes required for melatonin synthesis in rat CP and demonstrated that arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase shows a circadian expression in female and male rat CP. Specifically, this enzyme co-localizes with mitochondria in rat CP epithelial cells, an organelle known to be involved in melatonin function and synthesis. Then, we demonstrated that melatonin is synthesized by porcine CP explants, although without a circadian pattern. In conclusion, our data shows that the CP is a local sou...
Congenital shunts of the portal venous system are rare entities that can present in children with... more Congenital shunts of the portal venous system are rare entities that can present in children with clinical heterogeneity. To evaluate the clinical course of children with uncommon shunts presenting to our institution and examine the available literature on this topic. Medical records of children with rare forms of congenital shunts were retrospectively reviewed for demographics, symptoms, management, and outcome between 2003 and 2016. Three female patients with congenital shunts, including a congenital mesenterico-portal Rex shunt (n = 1) and congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) (n = 2), were referred for surgical evaluation between ages 4 and 9. Median follow-up was 8 years (range, 6-13 years). One asymptomatic patient did not require treatment and remained disease-free during long-term follow-up. The other 2 patients with CPSS and unusual symptoms, including liver focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) in infancy (n = 1) and bleeding from esophageal varices (n = 1), showed subsequent p...
Objetivos: explorar os níveis de agressividade autopercecionados numa população idosa institucion... more Objetivos: explorar os níveis de agressividade autopercecionados numa população idosa institucionalizada, comparando-os com um grupo de idosos da comunidade; estudar os correlatos sociodemográficos e clínicos da agressividade e as correlações entre a agressividade e a desregulação emocional e a alexitimia. Método: A amostra foi constituída por 326 idosos, sendo 209 da comunidade e com 117 Institucionalizados, com uma média de idades de 75,12 anos (DP = 8,79). Todos os participantes foram avaliados com uma bateria de testes que incluía o Aggression Questionnaire, a Toronto Alexythimia Scale – 20 itens e a Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Resultados: Não foram encontradas diferenças a nível de agressividade entre idosos institucionalizados e da comunidade, foram sim encontrados maiores níveis de alexitimia no grupo de idosos institucionalizados, assim como níveis mais elevados de desregulação emocional. O nível da agressividade autopercecionada em idosos institucionalizados, ...
O período do pós-Processo de Bolonha conduziu a uma reflexão profunda no âmbito dos processos de ... more O período do pós-Processo de Bolonha conduziu a uma reflexão profunda no âmbito dos processos de Garantia da Qualidade interna no ensino superior português. Neste contexto, o IST desenvolveu nos últimos anos um Sistema Integrado de Qualidade (SIQuIST), que, entre outros, pretende adotar as melhores práticas europeias no âmbito da qualidade do ensino. O primeiro passo consistiu no desenvolvimento do sistema de garantia da Qualidade das Unidades Curriculares (QUC), e o passo seguinte na identificação, descrição e categorização das boas práticas pedagógicas dos docentes do IST de acordo com o descrito pelos autores Chickering & Gamson (1987) e Biggs & Tang (2003). As seguintes etapas permitiram testar e identificar as melhores práticas pedagógicas através da aplicação de inquéritos aos Docentes Excelentes do IST que possibilitaram a identificação de 6 perfis de docência, bem como das melhores práticas pedagógicas utilizadas nos diferentes tipos de unidades curriculares. Posteriormente,...
The choroid plexuses (CPs), located in the brain ventricles, form an interface between the blood ... more The choroid plexuses (CPs), located in the brain ventricles, form an interface between the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid named the blood-cerebrospinal barrier, which, by the presence of tight junctions, detoxification enzymes, and membrane transporters, limits the traffic of molecules into the central nervous system. It has already been shown that sex hormones regulate several CP functions, including the oscillations of its clock genes. However, it is less explored how the circadian rhythm regulates CP functions. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of sex hormones and circadian rhythms on the function of CP membrane transporters. The 24 h transcription profiles of the membrane transporters rAbca1, rAbcb1, rAbcc1, rAbcc4, rAbcg2, rAbcg4, and rOat3 were characterized in the CPs of intact male, intact female, sham-operated female, and gonadectomized rats. We found that rAbcc1 is expressed in a circadian way in the CPs of intact male rats, rAbcg2 in the CPs of intact female rats...
Background and Purpose CD40 and CD40 ligand (CD40L) are costimulatory molecules of the tumor necr... more Background and Purpose CD40 and CD40 ligand (CD40L) are costimulatory molecules of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily and well known for their involvement in inflammatory diseases: atherosclerotic mouse models with disrupted CD40 signalling develop lesions of reduced size with a more stable plaque profile. This study investigated the potential of plasma and intraplaque levels of CD40 and CD40L as markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in humans and their association with plaque stability.Methods Soluble CD40 and CD40L (sCD40L) were measured in plasma in 1,437 subjects from The SUrrogate markers for Micro- and Macro-vascular hard endpoints for Innovative diabetes Tools (SUMMIT) cohort. Intra-plaque levels of sCD40 and sCD40L were measured in atherosclerotic plaque homogenates from 199 subjects of the Carotid Plaque Imaging Project (CPIP) cohort. Results Both plasma sCD40 and sCD40L levels were elevated in individuals with prevalent stroke, while sCD40 levels also were h...
Background Carotid atherosclerotic plaques with intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) are associated with ... more Background Carotid atherosclerotic plaques with intraplaque hemorrhage (IPH) are associated with elevated stroke risk. IPH is predominantly imaged based on paramagnetic properties of the upstream hemoglobin degradation product methemoglobin. This is an explorative observational study to test the feasibility of a spoiled gradient echo based T2* weighted MRI sequence (3D MEDIC) for carotid plaque imaging, and to compare signs suggestive of the downstream degradation product hemosiderin on 3D MEDIC with signs of methemoglobin on a T1wBB sequence. Methods Patients with recent TIA or stroke were selected based on the presence on non-calcified plaque components on CTA to promote an enriched prevalence of IPH in the material. Patients (n = 42) underwent 3T MRI with 3D MEDIC and 2D turbo spin echo T1w black blood (T1wBB). Images were independently evaluated by two neuroradiologists and Cohens Kappa was used for inter-reader agreement for each sequence. Results The technical feasibility for ...
Accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the brain is thought to derive from the impairment of Aβ cle... more Accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the brain is thought to derive from the impairment of Aβ clearance mechanisms rather than from its overproduction, which consequently contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The choroid plexus epithelial cells constitute an important clearance route for Aβ, either by facilitating its transport from the cerebrospinal fluid to the blood, or by synthesizing and secreting various proteins involved in Aβ degradation. Impaired choroid plexus synthesis, secretion, and transport of these Aβ-metabolizing enzymes have been therefore associated with the disruption of Aβ homeostasis and amyloid load. Factors such as aging, female gender, and circadian rhythm disturbances are related to the decline of choroid plexus functions that may be involved in the modulation of Aβ-clearance mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the impact of age, sex hormones, and circadian rhythm on the expression of Aβ scavengers such as apolipoprotein J, gelsolin,...
The development of new therapeutic approaches for stroke patients requires a detailed understandi... more The development of new therapeutic approaches for stroke patients requires a detailed understanding of the mechanisms that enhance recovery of lost neurological functions. The efficacy to enhance homeostatic mechanisms during the first weeks after stroke will influence functional outcome. Thyroid hormones (TH) are essential regulators of neuronal plasticity, however, their role in recovery related mechanisms of neuronal plasticity after stroke remains unknown. This study addresses important findings of 3,5,3′-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) in the regulation of homeostatic mechanisms that adjust excitability – inhibition ratio in the post-ischemic brain. This is valid during the first 2 weeks after experimental stroke induced by photothrombosis (PT) and in cultured neurons subjected to an in vitro model of acute cerebral ischemia. In the human post-stroke brain, we assessed the expression pattern of TH receptors (TR) protein levels, important for mediating T3 actions.Our results show that ...
The cerebrospinal fluid melatonin is released from the pineal gland, directly into the third vent... more The cerebrospinal fluid melatonin is released from the pineal gland, directly into the third ventricle, or produced de novo in the brain from extrapineal melatonin sources leading to a melatonin concentration gradient in the cerebrospinal fluid. Despite the interest on this topic, the brain areas capable of producing melatonin are not yet clear. Bearing this in mind, we hypothesized that the choroid plexus (CP) could be one of these melatonin sources. We analyzed and confirmed the presence of the four enzymes required for melatonin synthesis in rat CP and demonstrated that arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase shows a circadian expression in female and male rat CP. Specifically, this enzyme co-localizes with mitochondria in rat CP epithelial cells, an organelle known to be involved in melatonin function and synthesis. Then, we demonstrated that melatonin is synthesized by porcine CP explants, although without a circadian pattern. In conclusion, our data shows that the CP is a local sou...
Congenital shunts of the portal venous system are rare entities that can present in children with... more Congenital shunts of the portal venous system are rare entities that can present in children with clinical heterogeneity. To evaluate the clinical course of children with uncommon shunts presenting to our institution and examine the available literature on this topic. Medical records of children with rare forms of congenital shunts were retrospectively reviewed for demographics, symptoms, management, and outcome between 2003 and 2016. Three female patients with congenital shunts, including a congenital mesenterico-portal Rex shunt (n = 1) and congenital portosystemic shunts (CPSS) (n = 2), were referred for surgical evaluation between ages 4 and 9. Median follow-up was 8 years (range, 6-13 years). One asymptomatic patient did not require treatment and remained disease-free during long-term follow-up. The other 2 patients with CPSS and unusual symptoms, including liver focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) in infancy (n = 1) and bleeding from esophageal varices (n = 1), showed subsequent p...
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