Prevalence of entanglements of seabirds in marine debris in the central Portuguese coast.

Plastic pollution and the subsequent entanglement of marine animals is a global and increasing problem. In this study we present an analysis of the seabirds recorded as entangled by a rehabilitation centre and an associated marine animal stranding network, along the central coast of Portugal, between 2008 and 2018. Results show a high annual rate of entangled seabirds (average 6.9%) compared to other studies and fisheries related materials are a relevant cause of seabird entanglement (82%) compared to other debris. When comparing age classes, juveniles were more vulnerable to entanglement than other age classes in the species studied. Regarding the rehabilitation of entangled seabirds, the release rate was higher in non-fishing material entanglement cases. In conclusion, this study highlights the impact of fisheries related material on marine fauna and the need for reinforcement of the existing legislation for protecting seabirds and the implementation of mitigation measures associated with fishing activities.

Engaging with the affiliative system through mindfulness: The impact of the different types of positive affect in psychosis.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore associations between positive and negative symptoms, mindfulness, positive affect, and social safeness; and to understand the mediator role of positive emotions in the relationship between mindfulness and social safeness. METHOD: Fifty-six participants with a psychotic disorder were assessed with measures of mindfulness, negative and positive symptoms, positive affect, and social safeness. RESULTS: All variables were associated with each other except for positive symptoms and active affect. Mindfulness predicted social safeness through safe affect, when controlling for positive and negative symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to knowledge of mechanisms behind social safeness adding the role of mindfulness and activation of positive emotions. The continuing study of mindfulness as an important mechanism for social safeness will allow further improvement of interventions for psychosis.

Microencapsulation of eugenol molecules by ß-cyclodextrine as a thermal protection method of antibacterial action.

Eugenol is natural oil that has excellent antibacterial properties but cannot be used to fabricate many products that require thermal processing. One possible alternative to the use of the eugenol molecules in high-temperature processes is the encapsulation of these molecules in a structure that is not toxic and is resistant to thermal treatment. This work investigated the encapsulation process of eugenol molecules in ß-cyclodextrine and the antibacterial properties of eugenol-ß-cyclodextrine (the eugenol-ßCD complex) against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The FTIR, DSC, MEV and TGA results show that the encapsulation method is an excellent alternative to increase the thermal stability of eugenol molecules. A value of 241.32L.mol-1 was determined for the formation constant (Kc) of the eugenol-ßCD complex, which confirmed the success of the encapsulation process. The MEV analysis shows the formation of approximately 12µm microcapsules. After the thermal treatment of the eugenol-ßCD complex at a temperature of 80°C for 2h, the complex retained significant antibacterial action, which confirms the thermal protection of the eugenol molecules. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and agar diffusion results show that the microcapsules containing 17.08mmol.L-1 of eugenol exhibited excellent antibacterial action against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus after thermal treatment.

Psychometric properties of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) - a contribution to the Portuguese validation of the scale.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia (FM) remains a relatively misunderstood and clinically challenging condition that impact significantly in the individual´s life, impairing global functioning and diminishing quality of life. Management is complex and frequently unsatisfactory, requiring personal tailoring and adaptation of interventions according to the fluctuations of the disease manifestations and their response to therapy. The use of comprehensive and quantified assessment tools constitutes, therefore, an essential component of the management of patients with FM. The Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) is currently one of the most used and well validated instruments to assess functional (in)capacity and global impact of FM and associated symptoms. OBJECTIVES: To translate to Portuguese the FIQR and to study its psychometric properties. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The total sample comprised 103 women with fibromyalgia, defined according to the established criteria for FM. A self-report battery composed by the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR), the Portuguese version of Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and the Profile of Mood States (PoMS) was administered. The FIQR was re-administered to twenty-four participants, six weeks after the first evaluation. Internal reliability was assessed through Cronbach's alpha, corrected item-total score correlations and alpha if item deleted. Spearman and Pearson correlations along with repeated measures tests were computed to assess the temporal stability of the scale. Convergent and divergent validity were assessed via Spearman and Pearson correlations. RESULTS: The FIQR demonstrated a good to very good internal consistency (from α = 0.87 to α = 0.94). All items correlated to a good degree (above 0.30) to the total score and contributed significantly to the overall reliability. Moreover, FIQR presented a good temporal stability (from r = .617 to r = .886, p ≤ .001) and favorable convergent and discriminant validity with depressive symptoms (r > .289, p ≤ .01) and positive (r > -.186, p > .05) and negative affect (r > .206, p ≤ .05). CONCLUSIONS: The Portuguese version of the FIQR demonstrated good psychometric properties, which renders it a proper and valuable tool to be used in different settings.

ERP correlates of error processing during performance on the Halstead Category Test.

The Halstead Category Test (HCT) is a neuropsychological test that measures a person's ability to formulate and apply abstract principles. Performance must be adjusted based on feedback after each trial and errors are common until the underlying rules are discovered. Event-related potential (ERP) studies associated with the HCT are lacking. This paper demonstrates the use of a methodology inspired on Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) applied to EEG signals, to remove high amplitude ocular and movement artifacts during performance on the test. This filtering technique introduces no phase or latency distortions, with minimum loss of relevant EEG information. Importantly, the test was applied in its original clinical format, without introducing adaptations to ERP recordings. After signal treatment, the feedback-related negativity (FRN) wave, which is related to error-processing, was identified. This component peaked around 250ms, after feedback, in fronto-central electrodes. As expected, errors elicited more negative amplitudes than correct responses. Results are discussed in terms of the increased clinical potential that coupling ERP information with behavioral performance data can bring to the specificity of the HCT in diagnosing different types of impairment in frontal brain function.

Profile of depressive symptoms in women in the perinatal and outside the perinatal period: similar or not?

PURPOSES: To analyze which Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and Postpartum Depression Screening Scores (PDSS) total and dimensional scores, as well as symptomatic answers proportions significantly differ between women in the perinatal period (pregnant/postpartum) without major depression, with major depression and women outside the perinatal period. METHODS: 572 pregnant women in the third trimester completed Beck Depression Inventory-II and Postpartum Depression Screening Scale and were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies. 417 of these were also assessed (with the same instruments) at three months postpartum. Ninety non-pregnant women or that did not have a child in the last year (mean age=29.42±7.159 years) also filled in the questionnaires. RESULTS: Non-depressed pregnant women showed lower scores than depressed pregnant women and higher scores than women outside the perinatal period in the BDI-II total score and in its Somatic-Anxiety dimension. Non-depressed postpartum women showed significantly higher scores than women outside the perinatal period only at Sleep/Eating Disturbances. Compared to women outside the perinatal period, pregnant women without depression presented higher scores only in the somatic items. Women with vs. without depression in the postpartum period did not significantly differ and both presented higher scores than women outside the perinatal period in the proportions of loss of energy and sleep changes. LIMITATIONS: Women outside the perinatal period were not diagnosed for the presence of a depressive disorder, but their BDI-II mean score was similar to the figures reported worldwide regarding women in childbearing age. CONCLUSION: In the perinatal period, most particularly at pregnancy, women experience significant somatic changes even if not clinically depressed. Cognitive-affective symptoms are more useful when assessing the presence of perinatal depression.

EEG study on affective valence elicited by novel and familiar pictures using ERD/ERS and SVM-RFE.

EEG signals have been widely explored in emotional processing analyses, both in time and frequency domains. However, in such studies, habituation phenomenon is barely considered in the discrimination of different emotional responses. In this work, spectral features of the event-related potentials (ERPs) are studied by means of event-related desynchronization/synchronization computation. In order to determine the most relevant ERP features for distinguishing how positive and negative affective valences are processed within the brain, support vector machine-recursive feature elimination is employed. The proposed approach was applied for investigating in which way the familiarity of stimuli affects the affective valence processing as well as which frequency bands and scalp regions are more involved in this process. In a group composed of young adult women, results prove that parietooccipital region and theta band are especially involved in the processing of novelty in emotional stimuli. Furthermore, the proposed method has shown to perform successfully using a moderated number of trials.

Individual EEG differences in affective valence processing in women with low and high neuroticism.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, individual differences in brain electrophysiology during positive and negative affective valence processing in women with different neuroticism scores are quantified. METHODS: Twenty-six women scoring high and low on neuroticism participated on this experiment. A support vector machine (SVM)-based classifier was applied on the EEG single trials elicited by high arousal pictures with negative and positive valence scores. Based on the accuracy values obtained from subject identification tasks, the most distinguishing EEG channels among participants were detected, pointing which scalp regions show more distinct patterns. RESULTS: Significant differences were obtained, in the EEG heterogeneity between positive and negative valence stimuli, yielding higher accuracy in subject identification using negative pictures. Regarding the topographical analysis, significantly higher accuracy values were reached in occipital areas and in the right hemisphere (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Mainly, individual differences in EEG can be located in parietooccipital regions. These differences are likely to be due to the different reactivity and coping strategies to unpleasant stimuli in individuals with high neuroticism. In addition, the right hemisphere shows a greater individual specificity. SIGNIFICANCE: An SVM-based classifier asserts the individual specificity and its topographical differences in electrophysiological activity for women with high neuroticism compared to low neuroticism.

Heterogeneous immunoassays in microfluidic format using fluorescence detection with integrated amorphous silicon photodiodes.

Miniaturization of immunoassays through microfluidic technology has the potential to decrease the time and the quantity of reactants required for analysis, together with the potential of achieving multiplexing and portability. A lab-on-chip system incorporating a thin-film amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) photodiode microfabricated on a glass substrate with a thin-film amorphous silicon-carbon alloy directly deposited above the photodiode and acting as a fluorescence filter is integrated with a polydimethylsiloxane-based microfluidic network for the direct detection of antibody-antigen molecular recognition reactions using fluorescence. The model immunoassay used consists of primary antibody adsorption to the microchannel walls followed by its recognition by a secondary antibody labeled with a fluorescent quantum-dot tag. The conditions for the flow-through analysis in the microfluidic format were defined and the total assay time was 30 min. Specific molecular recognition was quantitatively detected. The measurements made with the a-Si:H photodiode are consistent with that obtained with a fluorescence microscope and both show a linear dependence on the antibody concentration in the nanomolar-micromolar range.

Perfectionism and eating behaviour in Portuguese adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: The main objective was to investigate the association between perfectionism and eating behaviour in a non-clinical sample of adolescents of both genders. METHOD: 997 middle and high school students completed the Portuguese versions of the child-adolescent perfectionism scale (CAPS) and of the eating attitudes test -25 (EAT-25). RESULTS: In both genders, the perfectionism total score and the sociallyprescribed perfectionism (SPP) score were positive and significantly correlated with the EAT total score and with all EAT dimensions: Drive for Thinness (DT), Bulimic Related Behaviour (BRB), Social Pressure to Eat (SPE). In girls, self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) was also associated with the EAT total score and its dimensions, whereas in boys it was only associated with EAT total score and DT. In both genders SPP was a useful predictor of the EAT-25 total score and of all its dimensions. In which respects SOP, there were some gender differences showing that in boys this dimension should not be considered a predictor of eating behaviours. CONCLUSION: These results confirm that high levels of perfectionism (SOP and SPP) are associated with abnormal eating behaviour in both genders.

Regulation of immune responses to Strongyloides venezuelensis challenge after primary infection with different larvae doses.

Nematode infections are generally followed by high rates of reinfection, leading to elevated prevalence in endemic areas. Therefore, the effective control of nematode infections depends on understanding the induction and regulation of protective mechanisms. However, most experimental models for protective immune response against nematodes use high parasite exposure, not always reflecting what occurs naturally in human populations. In this study, we tested whether infecting mice with different Strongyloides venezuelensis larvae loads would affect protective responses against reinfection. Interestingly, we found that a previous infection with 10-500 larvae conferred high rate of protection against reinfection with S. venezuelensis in mice, by destroying large numbers of migrating larvae. However, low-dose priming did not abolish adult worm maturation, as detected in high-dose primed group. Results also indicated that a previous low-dose infection delayed the development of cellular infiltrate, while a high inoculum rapidly induced these inflammatory features. Cytokine production by splenocyte cultures of challenge infected mice demonstrated that low-dose priming had increased production of IL-4 and IFN-gamma, while high-dose induced IL-4 production but not IFN-gamma. Our data support the hypothesis that low-dose nematode infection does not induce a polarized type-2 immune response, allowing adult worm survival.

Sleep and behavioral/emotional problems in children: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The potential relationships between sleep-wake behaviors and emotional/disruptive problems in otherwise healthy school-aged children are unclear. METHODS: A parental questionnaire was developed for the epidemiologic survey of children's sleep and wake behavioral patterns. The questions covered a wide range of features including sleep length (school days, weekends), time to fall asleep, night awakenings, bedtime and nighttime sleep-related behaviors, daytime sleepiness, irritability, and tiredness. To assess psychiatric symptomatology, the Rutter Scale B2 was completed by teachers. In addition to the total score, sub-scores of emotional, hyperactivity, and conduct problems were obtained. The representative population sample comprised 779 children (403 girls), with an age range of 6-11 years. RESULTS: Hyperactivity and conduct problems at school in boys were both associated with parental reports of bedtime resistance. Hyperactivity was also associated with longer sleep duration during weekends. Conduct and emotional problems in girls were associated with earlier bedtime during school days. Emotional problems in girls were also associated with longer sleep durations in school days and weekends. CONCLUSION: Bedtime resistance was the only sleep behavior associated with either hyperactivity or conduct problems in children, and longer sleep durations appear to occur more frequently in children with both hyperactive or emotional problems. Information about good sleep hygiene at bedtime may help parents setting sleep limits.

Evaluation of the immune response against Strongyloides venezuelensis in antigen-immunized or previously infected mice.

The present study was carried out to investigate the immune response against Strongyloides venezuelensis infection in Balb/c mice previously immunized with larva-antigens or primed with live-larvae. Our results indicate that all primed mice developed a strong protection against challenge infection that remained active for 45 days. In mice primed with live-larvae the challenge infection resulted in great reduction of migrating larvae and the worms were completely eliminated from the small intestine before maturation. The protection pattern did not alter when the primary infection was aborted by drug treatment. In these experimental groups, the challenge infection was accompanied by a type-2 predominant immune response, intense IgE and reactive IgG1 production, and granulocyte infiltration in skin, lungs and intestine. The challenge infection in antigen-immunized mice also resulted in great reduction of migrating larvae. However, the worms that reached the host intestine matured, produced eggs and were eliminated similarly to the ones from nonimmunized mice. Protective mechanisms after immunization with larva antigen were migrating larva-specific and associated with a strong and mixed Th1 and Th2 response, without tissue granulocyte infiltration. In conclusion, protective immunity induced by a previous infection or antigen-immunization are stage-specific and operate through different effector mechanisms.

[Diastolic dysfunction and left ventricular hypertrophy in familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy: a cause-effect relationship?]. / Disfunção diastólica e hipertrofia ventricular esquerda na polineuropatia amiloidótica familiar: relação causa-efeito?

UNLABELLED: TTR Met30 Familial Amyloidotic Polyneuropathy of the Portuguese type (FAP) is an incapacitating and lethal hereditary disorder that affects predominantly young adults of both genders. Portuguese type FAP patients have sensory, motor and autonomic polyneuropathy. The generalised systemic amyloid infiltration involves the heart, leading to the characteristic granular bright sparkling echocardiographic pattern. LV wall thickening occurs in the late phases of the disease. LV diastolic dysfunction has been reported in the absence of systolic dysfunction; an abnormal diastolic transmitral flow pattern assessed by pulsed wave Doppler (PW) was described. PW is very much dependent on load conditions. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) has been used as a more reliable method to assess long axis diastolic function. OBJECTIVE: 1--To identify the incremental value of TDI in the assessment of diastolic function in FAP. 2--To correlate diastolic pattern abnormalities and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in FAP patients. METHODS: We performed a prospective evaluation of 24 consecutive FAP patients and selected 14 (sinus rhythm, age < 45 years). Diastolic function was assessed by PW and classified as normal (GI-E/A > 1) or abnormal (GII-E/A < 1). TDI was performed in 4 sites of the mitral annulus (septum, lateral, inferior, anterior). Velocities of the rapid filling wave (E') and atrial contraction wave (A') were measured and E'/A' calculated. In each site we considered the TDI as normal (E'/A' > 1) or abnormal (E'/A' < 1). The LVMI was calculated by Devereux's formula. RESULTS: Age, gender and heart rate were similar in both groups. TDI at the septal mitral annulus was normal in all of the GI patients (E'/A': 1.29 +/- 0.19) and suggestive of abnormal LV relaxation in all of the GII patients (E'/A': 0.82 +/- 0.11, p < 0.0001). TDI revealed abnormal diastolic pattern when a restricted number of sites of the mitral annulus were assessed, even in GI patients and before PW abnormalities occurred. Fractional shortening (FS) and LVMI were similar in GI and GII (FS-GI: 45.5 +/- 5.3, GII 43.5 +/- 8.1%, p: NS; LVMI--GI: 66 +/- 9.3, GII: 67 +/- 3.0 g/m2 p: NS). CONCLUSION: The assessment of mitral annulus motion has introduced new data in the study of diastolic function of FAP patients. An abnormal LV relaxation pattern occurred early in the evolution of the disease in patients with normal LVMI and systolic function.

Tissue Doppler imaging in different locations of the mitral annulus: all different or all the same?

BACKGROUND: The assessment of the mitral annulus motion with tissue Doppler imaging is claimed to be an accurate method to quantify global left ventricular systolic and diastolic function. However, it is not yet perfectly defined which site of the annulus must be selected. Familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy of the Portuguese type (FAP) is an hereditary systemic disease in which diastolic dysfunction may occur. AIM: 1--To determine if in FAP patients the mitral annulus motion is independent of the selected site. 2--To compare pulsed wave Doppler parameters with tissue Doppler parameters in the different annular sites. METHODS: Of 24 FAP patients studied, 14 were included. In each patient we performed conventional transmitral pulsed wave Doppler and tissue Doppler in the 4 sites of the mitral annulus and measured the velocities of the rapid filling wave e, of the atrial contraction wave a and calculated e/a ratio. RESULTS: According to the transmitral inflow profile, patients were divided in 2 groups: Group I--normal global diastolic function and Group II--abnormal relaxation. Group I--33% of these patients showed e/a > 1 in the four sites and 67% showed e/a > 1 in at least 1, but not in all the sites. The rate of normal sites per patient was 3.1. Group II--25% of these patients showed e/a < 1 in the 4 sites of the annulus and 75% had e/a < 1 in at least 1, but not in all the sites analysed. The rate of abnormal sites/patient was 3.1. in this group. When conventional and tissue Doppler data were compared (bland and altman) the septal portion of the annulus was the one with the best correlation. CONCLUSIONS: 1--The assessment of the mitral annulus motion with tissue Doppler imaging is dependent on the site selected for study. 2--The septal site was the one that showed the highest correlation and concordance between pulsed wave Doppler and tissue Doppler. 3--The relative number of normal versus abnormal sites was determinant of the transmitral pattern. 4--Tissue Doppler imaging identified: a) among patients until now classified as normal diastolic function, a subgroup of patients with abnormal function in some sites of the annulus and b) among patients with abnormal relaxation, a subgroup with normal diastolic function in some sites of the annulus.

Fosforo x phosphorus: um estudo bioquimico e morfologico da materia medica / Phosphorus x Phosphorus (Homeopatia): a biochemical and morphological study of materia medica

A study of 497 symptoms of Phosphorus was maked on biochemical and morfological bases. The relations between funtional and toxical effects of the element with the homeopathic medicine was searched for.(AU)

[The treatment of obstructive hypertrophic myocardiopathy refractory to medical therapy]. / Terapêutica da miocardiopatia hipertrófica obstrutiva refractária à terapêutica médica.

Until a few years ago, therapy of refractory Hypertrophic Obstructive cardiomyopathy was mainly surgical--Morrow's myotomy/myectomy or mitral valve replacement. Despite the good results of these techniques, they are not free of mortality and morbidity. In the last years a new and promising therapy has been developed: the Dual Chamber Pacemaker. Technically easier and less invasive than surgery, this therapy has achieved better results and lower mortality and morbidity during the follow-up.

[Sudden death in hypertrophic myocardiopathy]. / Morte súbita na miocardiopatia hipertrófica.

Sudden death is a very important event in the natural history of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Although its physiopathology is not still fully understood, there are several potential mechanisms to explain it, such as electrical, ischemic and hemodynamic events. It is thought that these mechanisms vary from patient to patient and that more than one mechanism may coexist in a specific patient. Risk factors for sudden death in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are clinical, genetical and electrical. Risk stratification implies aggressive investigation (electrophysiological study and/or forearm plethysmography during exercise and/or tilt test) in order to identify the most probable mechanism involved in each case and to select individualized preventive measures (pharmacological, surgical, implantable cardioverter defibrillator). The role of amiodarone is still controversial because of contradictory results with this drug in this illness.

[Visualization of thrombi in the left auricular appendix using transesophageal echocardiography. Apropos of a clinical case]. / Visualização de trombos no apêndice auricular esquerdo por ecocardiografia transesofágica. A propósito de um caso clínico.

A case of Transesophageal Echocardiography (T.E.E.) Assessment of "Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis" is presented. T.E.E. has been recently referred as having superior resolution than transthoracic Echocardiography on the detection of thrombi. In the presented case a thrombi was detected in the left atrial appendage. This fact has allowed a better planning of surgery.

Diversity of plasmids in Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from urinary tract infections in women.

A group of 150 Staphylococcus saprophyticus strains isolated from urinary tract infections in women were included in this study. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed that these isolates were sensitive to most antimicrobial agents. All strains were sensitive to penicillin, cephalothin, gentamicin, kanamycin, trimethoprim and nitrofurantoin. Resistance to tetracycline was present in 10.6% of the strains, to chloramphenicol in 4%, to erythromycin in 1.3% and to streptomycin in 1.3%. All strains were resistant to cadmium chloride as well as to novobiocin and nalidixic acid. Plasmid analysis showed that 82% of the strains harboured plasmids, some of them with complex plasmid profiles. Most plasmids were considered to be cryptic, although antibiotic resistance plasmids were identified in 18 isolates. Tetracycline resistance was encoded by a plasmid of c. 2.8 MDa, chloramphenicol resistance by a plasmid of c. 2.9 MDa and erythromycin resistance by a plasmid of c. 1.6 MDa. Streptomycin resistance could not be linked to the presence of any specific plasmid. Plasmid profiling seemed to be a good method for differentiating among S. saprophyticus strains.