Predictors of poor 6-week outcome in a cohort of major depressive disorder patients treated with antidepressant medication: the role of entrapment.

BACKGROUND: Only a small number of consistent processes predict which depressed patients will achieve remission with antidepressant medication. One set of processes is that of social ranking strategies/variables that are related to life events and severe difficulties. Particularly, defeat and entrapment predict poorer response to antidepressants. However, results are inconsistent. AIM: The current study aimed to evaluate evolutionary strategies, childhood maltreatment, neglect and life events and difficulties (LEDs) as predictors of remission in depressed patients undergoing pharmacological treatment in a psychiatric outpatient sample. METHODS: A cohort of 139 depressed outpatients undergoing pharmacological treatment was followed prospectively in a naturalistic study for 6 weeks. Two major evaluations were considered at baseline and 6 weeks. We allocated patients to a pharmacological treatment algorithm for depression - the Texas Medication Algorithm Project. Variables evaluated at baseline and tested as predictors of remission included demographic and clinical data, severity of depression, social ranking, evolution informed variables, LEDs and childhood maltreatment. RESULTS: Of the 139 patients, only 24.5% were remitted at week 6. In univariate analyses, non-remitted patients scored significantly higher in all psychopathology and vulnerability scales except for submissive behaviour and internal entrapment. For the logistic regression, a higher load of LEDs of the entrapment and humiliation dimension in the year before the index episode (OR = 6.62), and higher levels external entrapment in the Entrapment Scale (OR = 1.10) predicted non-remission. These variables accounted for 28.7% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: Multivariate analysis revealed that external entrapment was the only predictor of non-remission.

Estimating absolute aortic pressure using MRI and a one-dimensional model.

Aortic blood pressure is a strong indicator to cardiovascular diseases and morbidity. Clinically, pressure measurements are done by inserting a catheter in the aorta. However, imaging techniques have been used to avoid the invasive procedure of catheterization. In this paper, we combined MRI measurements to a one-dimensional model in order to simulate blood flow in an aortic segment. Absolute pressure was estimated in the aorta by using MRI measured flow as boundary conditions and MRI measured compliance as a pressure law for solving the model. Model computed pressure was compared to catheter measured pressure in an aortic phantom. Furthermore, aortic pressure was estimated in vivo in three healthy volunteers.

Prevenção do tabagismo nos alunos do 9º ano das escolas dos concelhos de Loures e Odivelas / Prevention of smoking in 9th grade students from schools in the municipalities of Loures and Odivelas

O tabagismo, segundo a Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS), foi responsável pela morte de 100 milhões de pessoas no século XX e estima-se que mate quase 6 milhões de pessoas a cada ano (OMS,2014). Este é um grave problema de saúde pública que necessita de intervenção de enfermagem. Com apoio na teoria das Transições de Meleis, e com recurso à metodologia de planeamento em saúde foi elaborado o presente projeto - "Vida Sem Tabaco é Mais Vida" - que visou a prevenção do tabagismo ao nível dos alunos do 9º ano das escolas dos concelhos de Loures e Odivelas. O empoderamento dos jovens com habilidades de treino na tomada de decisão e recusa, juntamente com as abordagens multidimensionais dirigidas à família e à comunidade, parecem ser as intervenções mais eficazes na redução da prevalência do tabagismo; identificadas por meio da revisão sistemática da literatura através da metodologia PI[C]O

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco killed 100 million people in the XX century and kills nearly 6 million people each year (WHO, 2014). It is a serious problem of public health that needs nursing intervention using innovative and individualized programs for each person and population. This project - " Life Without Tobacco is More Life " - focused on the tobacco prevention at the 9th graders of schools from Loures and Odivelas. It was done according to the Meleis theory and using the health planning methodology. The empowerment of young people with social skills decision-making and multidimensional approaches directed to the family and community seem to be the most effective interventions to reduce the prevalence of smoking; identified through the systematic literature review based on PI[C]O methodology