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The vertical distribution of copepod assemblages, ascertained from the surface down to 1,200 m, was investigated during two sampling periods (rainy and dry seasons), at four depths, in the oligotrophic waters of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Total density, diversity, and richness differed among sampling depths. Copepod density decreased with depth in the two sampling periods, with a maximum at 1 m and a slight decrease at 800 m. Higher diversities were observed at 250 m and 1,200 m during the rainy season and at 1 m and 1,200 m during the dry season. The maximum number of species was found at 1,200 m during the rainy season and at 1 m during the dry season. Various copepod assemblages were delimited in the water column in the two sampling periods. The deeper copepod assemblages occupied a wider range of depths. Salinity and temperature influenced the structure of copepod assemblages and reflected the hydrographic characteristics of the water masses in the region. Candaciapachydactyla (Dana, 1849), Scolecithrixdanae (Lubbock, 1856), and Agetuslimbatus (Brady, 1883) were the indicator species found at 1 m. The effects of different environmental factors on the copepod assemblages suggest that these consortia occupy distinct niches in the ocean.

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a chronic pain syndrome in the lower back region, lasting for at least 3 months. CLBP represents the second leading cause of disability worldwide being a major welfare and economic problem. The prevalence of CLBP in adults has increased more than 100% in the last decade and continues to increase dramatically in the aging population, affecting both men and women in all ethnic groups, with a significant impact on functional capacity and occupational activities. It can also be influenced by psychological factors, such as stress, depression and/or anxiety. Given this complexity, the diagnostic evaluation of patients with CLBP can be very challenging and requires complex clinical decision-making. Answering the question \"what is the pain generator\" among the several structures potentially involved in CLBP is a key factor in the management of these patients, since a mis-diagnosis can generate therapeutical mistakes. Traditionally, the notion that the etiology of 80% to 90% of LBP cases is unknown has been mistaken perpetuated across decades. In most cases, low back pain can be attributed to specific pain generator, with its own characteristics and with different therapeutical opportunity. Here we discuss about radicular pain, facet Joint pain, sacro-iliac pain, pain related to lumbar stenosis, discogenic pain. Our article aims to offer to the clinicians a simple guidance to identify pain generators in a safer and faster way, relying a correct diagnosis and further therapeutical approach.

Background Ensuring health policies are informed by evidence still remains a challenge despite efforts devoted to this aim. Several tools and approaches aimed at fostering evidence-informed policy-making (EIPM) have been developed, yet there is a lack of availability of indicators specifically devoted to assess and support EIPM. The present study aims to overcome this by building a set of measurable indicators for EIPM intended to infer if and to what extent health-related policies are, or are expected to be, evidence-informed for the purposes of policy planning as well as formative and summative evaluations. Methods The indicators for EIPM were developed and validated at international level by means of a two-round internet-based Delphi study conducted within the European project ‘REsearch into POlicy to enhance Physical Activity’ (REPOPA). A total of 82 researchers and policy-makers from the six European countries (Denmark, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, the United Kingdom) involved in the project and international organisations were asked to evaluate the relevance and feasibility of an initial set of 23 indicators developed by REPOPA researchers on the basis of literature and knowledge gathered from the previous phases of the project, and to propose new indicators. Results The first Delphi round led to the validation of 14 initial indicators and to the development of 8 additional indicators based on panellists’ suggestions; the second round led to the validation of a further 11 indicators, including 6 proposed by panellists, and to the rejection of 6 indicators. A total of 25 indicators were validated, covering EIPM issues related to human resources, documentation, participation and monitoring, and stressing different levels of knowledge exchange and involvement of researchers and other stakeholders in policy development and evaluation. Conclusion The study overcame the lack of availability of indicators to assess if and to what extent policies are realised in an evidence-informed manner thanks to the active contribution of researchers and policy-makers. These indicators are intended to become a shared resource usable by policy-makers, researchers and other stakeholders, with a crucial impact on fostering the development of policies informed by evidence.

Prognostic stratification in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relies, mostly, on cytogenetics and molecular features of leukemic blasts. The LeukemiaNet prognostic scoring system has been proposed as a standardized way of evaluating prognosis in AML. We have analysed outcomes in 65 AML cases (median age of 54 years, range 18–82) treated at five hematology centers in Brazil stritified according to the European Leukemia Net (ELN) recommendations for cytogenetic and molecular analysis. We classified patients as favorable (N = 13), intermediate-1 (N = 25), intermediate-2 (N = 15), or adverse risk (N = 9). Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) was performed in 13 patients (21%). Median follow-up was 12 months. The median overall survival (OS) for all patients was 12.4 months. Median OS was 19.8, 12.4, 10.1, and 10.4 months (p = 0.24) for patients in the favorable, intermediate-1, intermediate-2, and adverse groups, respectively. Among patients receiving BMT, median OS was 26.8 months. The ELN is a valuable tool for prognostic stratification of AML patients treated in Brazil. Nevertheless, its usefulness is limited when compared to data from developed countries.

The Caravelas River estuary and adjacent coastal region were studied during the rainy and dry seasons of 2003-2004 to assess the copepod community structure. Abiotic and biotic parameters were measured, and the total density, frequency and percentage of copepod taxa were determined for each sampling period. Copepod densities showed significant differences between sampling periods, with higher densities in the rainy seasons (Mean: 90,941.80 ind.m-3; S.D.: 26,364.79). The sampling stations located to the north and south, in the coastal region adjacent to the Caravelas River estuary presented the lowest copepod density values. The copepod assemblage was composed mainly of estuarine and estuarine/coastal copepods. The seasonal variations in temperature and salinity influenced the abundance of species during the rainy and dry seasons, with the following dominant species alternating: Paracalanus quasimodo Bowman, 1971 in the rainy season of 2003, Parvocalanus crassirostris Dahl, 1894 in the dry season of 2003 and Acartia lilljeborgii Giesbrecht, 1892 in the rainy and dry seasons of 2004. Non-parametric multidimensional scaling indicated differences in copepod assemblages between sampling periods, but not between sampling stations.

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a chronic pain syndrome in the lower back region, lasting for at least 3 months. CLBP represents the second leading cause of disability worldwide being a major welfare and economic problem. The prevalence of CLBP in adults has increased more than 100% in the last decade and continues to increase dramatically in the aging population, affecting both men and women in all ethnic groups, with a significant impact on functional capacity and occupational activities. It can also be influenced by psychological factors, such as stress, depression and/or anxiety. Given this complexity, the diagnostic evaluation of patients with CLBP can be very challenging and requires complex clinical decision-making. Answering the question \"what is the pain generator\" among the several structures potentially involved in CLBP is a key factor in the management of these patients, since a mis-diagnosis can generate therapeutical mistakes. Traditionally, the notion that the etiology of 80% to 90% of LBP cases is unknown has been mistaken perpetuated across decades. In most cases, low back pain can be attributed to specific pain generator, with its own characteristics and with different therapeutical opportunity. Here we discuss about radicular pain, facet Joint pain, sacro-iliac pain, pain related to lumbar stenosis, discogenic pain. Our article aims to offer to the clinicians a simple guidance to identify pain generators in a safer and faster way, relying a correct diagnosis and further therapeutical approach.

In this work a meta-policy on health promotion is analysed, through content analysis of documents and interviews to stakeholders, with the aim of understanding the use of evidence and the knowledge conversion process in a multi-actor policy trajectory. We study the different sources of evidence and their interaction. Among our results, we describe a process of document analysis and classification which leads to the definition of mediated use of research evidence. The analysis of the policy trajectory helps to identify when the use of evidence is driven by the local level, and to recognise 'pivot' individuals in the policy development.

Introduction Discrepant data exist regarding the incidence and severity of clinical problems related to intra-hospital transport of brain-injured patients and no consensus exists whether modern-day intra-hospital transport represents a safe or potentially problematic environment for neurointensive care unit (NICU) patients. Methods We examined the incidence of clinical complications and physiological derangements that occurred in 160 neurologically injured patients (90 males, 70 females, mean age 57 ± 17 years) who underwent intra-hospital transport (288 cases, 237 scheduled, 51 unscheduled) for computed tomography scans. Results Our findings indicate that (1) at least one significant complication (predominantly hemodynamic) occurred in over one-third (36 %) of all transports ( p  = n.s scheduled vs. unscheduled) necessitating the deployment of interventions designed to treat changes in arterial pressure (2) despite the presence of trained medical personnel and availability of specialized equipment, intra-cranial pressure was not adequately monitored during transports (especially in patients with intra-cranial hypertension prior to transport) (3) intra-hospital transfer was associated with minor but statistically significant clinical changes, including a reduction in arterial partial pressure of oxygen ( )/inspired oxygen fraction ( ) (only in the scheduled transport population), decreased arterial lactate levels (scheduled transport population), lowered body temperature (scheduled transport population), and increased arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide ( ) (scheduled transport population). Conclusions Intra-hospital transport of brain-injured NICU patients may present some hazards even if performed by skilled personnel with specialized equipment. In Trauma Centers such as ours, an improvement in the frequency of neuromonitoring [intra-cranial pressure (ICP) and end-tidal CO 2 ( )] during transport is recommended.

O presente relatório foi redigido no âmbito da Unidade Curricular \"Estágio\", que teve lugar no 2º semestre do 5º ano do Mestrado Integrado em Ciências Farmacêuticas (MICF) na Universidade da Beira Interior (UBI). Este relatório encontra-se dividido em dois capítulos.O primeiro capitulo descreve a experiência de investigação laboratorial realizada no Centro de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde da Universidade da Beira Interior (CICS- UBI), intitulada \"Atividade antimicrobiana de uma nanoemulsão inovadora contra estirpes com relevância na acne vulgaris\". Este estudo foi conduzido para avaliar se uma nanoemulsão inovadora, previamente desenvolvida, tinha atividade contra estirpes envolvidas na patofisiologia da doença, nomeadamente Cutibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus aureus e Staphylococcus epidermidis. A atividade antimicrobiana de versões neutras e catiónicas da nanoemulsão inovadora contra essas três estirpes bacterianas foi testada pelo método de microdiluição em caldo, tendo sido avaliada uma gama de concentrações de 1 a 0,02% (v/v) das nanoemulsões originais, que eram compostas por 50% de fase aquosa. Três variações adicionais da formulação mais promissora, cada uma sem um dos ingredientes, foram também testadas para identificar qual o ingrediente responsável pela atividade antimicrobiana da nanoemulsão. As nanoemulsões neutras e catiónicas com polietilenoglicol 4000 a 4% (m/m) na fase externa foram mais eficazes que as preparadas em água, apresentando concentrações minimas inibitórias de 0,25% e 0,12%, respetivamente. Em contrapartida, a formulação sem o Capryol 90 (monocaprilato de propilenoglicol de tipo II) não apresentou atividade antimicrobiana, tendo sido este identificado como o ingrediente responsável pela atividade antimicrobiana da nanoemulsão inovadora. No entanto, esses testes ainda são preliminares e serão necessários estudos complementares para avaliar a verdadeira ação desta nanoemulsão em pele acneica.O segundo capítulo contempla o estágio realizado na Farmácia Nacional em Alcains, de 6 de fevereiro a 23 de junho de 2023. Neste capítulo são abordadas as atividades desempenhadas durante estes cinco meses que vão desde a dispensa de medicamentos e produtos de saúde, ao aconselhamento farmacêutico, à receção e armazenamento das encomendas que chegavam diariamente, bem como ao arquivo de documentos importantes e preparação de medicamentos manipulados. Com este estágio, consegui consolidar e aprofundar na prática, os conhecimentos que adquiri na teórica. Desenvolvi capacidades de comunicação e trabalho em equipa, além de me familiarizar com os procedimentos de back office realizados numa farmácia, sem eles a dispensa de medicamentos não seria possível. Foram meses enriquecedores para o meu percurso académico e pessoa

Evidence shows that regular physical activity is enhanced by supporting environment. Studies are needed to integrate research evidence into health enhancing, cross-sector physical activity (HEPA) policy making. This article presents the rationale, study design, measurement procedures and the initial results of the first phase of six European countries in a five-year research project (2011–2016), REsearch into POlicy to enhance Physical Activity (REPOPA). REPOPA is programmatic research; it consists of linked studies; the first phase studied the use of evidence in 21 policies in implementation to learn more in depth from the policy making process and carried out 86 qualitative stakeholder interviews. The second, ongoing phase builds on the central findings of the first phase in each country; it consists of two sets of interventions: game simulations to study cross-sector collaboration and organizational change processes in the use of evidence and locally tailored interventions to increase knowledge integration. The results of the first two study phases will be tested and validated among policy makers and other stakeholders in the third phase using a Delphi process. Initial results from the first project phase showed the lack of explicit evidence use in HEPA policy making. Facilitators and barriers of the evidence use were the availability of institutional resources and support but also networking between researchers and policy makers. REPOPA will increase understanding use of research evidence in different contexts; develop guidance and tools and establish sustainable structures such as networks and platforms between academics and policy makers across relevant sectors.