Path analysis from COVID‐19 perceptions to psychological health: The roles of critical distance and mastery

Objective: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was previously associated with psychopathological symptoms. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying these associations are largely unexplored. Previous studies suggested associations between metacognitive abilities (e.g., mastery) and symptomatology, which may have impacts on COVID-19 perceptions. This study aims to explore, using path analysis, the mediational role of Critical Distance (differentiation and decentration abilities) and Mastery on the relationships between COVID-19 perceptions and psychological well-being and distress. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 227 participants (M = 34.21, SD = 10.9) filled self-report questionnaires. Results: Metacognitive abilities were negatively correlated with psychopathological symptoms. Both Critical Distance and Mastery mediated the path from COVID-19 perceived severity and anxiety to psychological distress and well-being. Critical Distance seems to augment Mastery which tends to increase psychological well-being and limited psychological distress. Conclusions: Metacognition seems to play a mediational role on the relationship between COVID-19 perceptions and mental health. Clinical psychologists and psychotherapists may enhance psychological interventions regarding COVID-19 psychopathological symptomatology by working on metacognitive Critical Distance and Mastery abilities.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Photodynamic inactivation of Lasiodiplodia theobromae: lighting the way towards an environmentally friendly phytosanitary treatment

The fungus Lasiodiplodia theobromae is one of the main causal agents of trunk canker and dieback of grapevine. The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of L. theobromae with synthetic and natural photosensitizers and irradiation with either sunlight or artificial photosynthetically active radiation. Although the growth of the mycelium could not be completely prevented with natural sunlight irradiation, phenothiazine dyes (methylene blue, MB; toluidine blue O, TBO), riboflavin and a cationic porphyrin (Tetra-Py+-Me) caused complete inhibition under continuous irradiation with artificial light. Free radicals were the main cytotoxic agents in the PDI with MB, indicating the predominance of the type I mechanism. PDI with MB or Tetra-Py+-Me may represent a promising approach for the sanitation of vine material in greenhouse nurseries, in order to reduce the risk of infection upon grafting.publishe

Confirmatory assays for transient changes of omics in soil invertebrates - copper materials in a multigenerational exposure

Environmental risk assessment (ERA) based on effects caused by chronic and longer term exposure is highly relevant. Further, if mechanistic based approaches (e.g. omics) can be included, beyond apical endpoints (e.g. reproduction), the prediction of effects increases. For Cu NMs (and CuCl2) this has been studied in detail, covering multi-omics and apical effects using the soil standard species Enchytraeus crypticus. The intermediate level effects like cell/tissue and organ alterations represent a missing link. In the present study we aimed to: 1) perform long term exposure to Cu materials (full life cycle and multigeneration, 46 and 224 days) to collect samples; 2) perform histology and immunohistochemistry on collected samples at 12 time points and 17 treatments; 3) integrate all levels of biological organization onto an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework. CuO NMs and CuCl2 caused both similar and different stress response, either at molecular initiating events (MIE) or key events (KEs) of higher level of biological organization. Cell/Tissue and organ level, post-transcriptional and transcriptional mechanisms, through histone modifications and microRNA related protein, were similarly affected. While both Cu forms affected the Notch signalling pathway, CuCl2 also caused oxidative stress. Different mechanisms of DNA methylation (epigenetics) were activated by CuO NMs and CuCl2 at the MIE.publishe

Whole exome sequencing of patients with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and calcium pyrophosphate crystal chondrocalcinosis

Objectives: DISH/CC is a poorly understood phenotype characterised by peripheral and axial enthesopathic calcifications, frequently fulfilling the radiological criteria for Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH, MIM 106400), and in some cases associated with Calcium Pyrophosphate Dihydrate (CPPD) Chondrocalcinosis (CC). The concurrence of DISH and CC suggests a shared pathogenic mechanism. In order to identify genetic variants for susceptibility we performed whole exome sequencing in four patients showing this phenotype. Materials and methods: Exome data were filtered in order to find a variant or a group of variants that could be associated with the DISH/CC phenotype. Variants of interest were subsequently confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Selected variants were screened in a cohort of 65 DISH/CC patients vs 118 controls from Azores. The statistical analysis was performed using PLINK V1.07. Results:We identified 21 genetic variants in 17 genes that were directly or indirectly related to mineralization, several are predicted to have a strong effect at a protein level. Phylogenetic analysis of altered amino acids indicates that these are either highly conserved in vertebrates or conserved in mammals. In case-control analyses, variant rs34473884 in PPP2R2D was significantly associated with the DISH/CC phenotype (p=0.028; OR=1.789, 95% CI= 1.060 - 3.021)). Conclusion: The results of the present and preceding studies with the DISH/CC families suggests that the phenotype has a polygenic basis. The PPP2R2D gene could be involved in this phenotype in an as yet unknown way.FRCT: M3.1.2/F/023/2011info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A headspace-gas chromatography method for isopropanol determination in warfarin sodium products as a measure of drug crystallinity

Coumadin® and several generic products of warfarin sodium (WS) contain the crystalline form (clathrate) in which WS and isopropanol (IPA) are associated in a 2:1 molar ratio. IPA is critical in maintaining the WS crystalline structure. Physicochemical properties of the drug and drug product may change when the crystalline drug transforms to amorphous form. A headspace-gas chromatography (HS-GC) method was developed and validated for IPA determination in the WS drug product. n-propanol (NPA) was used as internal standard and the method was validated for specificity, system suitability, linearity, accuracy, precision, range, limits of detection and quantification, and robustness. The method was specific, with good resolution between IPA and NPA peaks. Chromatographic parameters (retention time, IPA/NPA area ratio, tailing factor, theoretical plates, USP symmetry, capacity factor, selectivity and resolution) were consistent over three days of validation. The analytical method was linear from 2–200 µg mL–1 (0.1–10 % IPA present in the drug product). LOD and LOQ were 0.1 and 2 µg mL–1, respectively. Accuracy at low (2 µg mL–1) and high (200 µg mL–1) IPA concentrations of the calibration curve was 103.3–113.3 and 98.9–102.2 % of the nominal value, resp. The validated method was precise, as indicated by the RSD value of less than 2 % at three concentration levels of the calibration curve. The method reported here was utilized to determine accurately and precisely the IPA content in in-house formulations and commercial products. In summary, IPA determination by HS-GC provides an indirect measure of WS crystallinity in the drug product. Nevertheless, it should be confirmed by another analytical method since IPA from the drug substance is not distinguishable from IPA that may be present outside the drug crystals in a dosage form when prepared by wet granulation with IPA

Understanding dengue virus capsid protein interaction with key biological targets

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Supplementary information accompanies this paper at http://www.nature.com/srepDengue virus (DENV) causes over 500,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths worldwide every year. Dengue epidemics now reach temperate regions due to globalization of trade and travel and climate changes. Currently, there are no successful therapeutic or preventive approaches. We previously developed a peptide drug lead, pep14-23, that inhibits the biologically relevant interaction of DENV capsid (C) protein with lipid droplets (LDs). Surprisingly, pep14-23 also inhibits DENV C interaction with very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL). We thus investigated the similarity between the proposed DENV C molecular targets in LDs and VLDL, respectively, the proteins perilipin 3 (PLIN3) and apolipoprotein E (APOE). APOE N-terminal and PLIN3 C-terminal regions are remarkably similar, namely APOE α -helix 4 (APOEα 4) and PLIN3 α -helix 5 (PLIN3α 5) sequences, which are also highly superimposable structurally. Interestingly, APOE α -helical N-terminal sequence and structure superimposes with DENV C α -helices α 1 and α 2. Moreover, the DENV C hydrophobic cleft can accommodate the structurally analogous APOEα 4 and PLIN3α 5 helical regions. Mirroring DENV C-LDs interaction (previously shown experimentally to require PLIN3), we experimentally demonstrated that DENV C-VLDL interaction requires APOE. Thus, the results fit well with previous data and suggest future drug development strategies targeting the above mentioned α –helical structures.We acknowledge the support of Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia – Ministério da Educação e Ciência (FCT-MEC, Portugal) project PTDC/SAU-ENB/117013/2010, and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Portugal). AFF and ICM also acknowledge FCT-MEC fellowship SFRH/BD/77609/2011 and Investigador FCT Program research contract IF/00772/2013, respectively

Report of the Age Calibration Exercise Analysis for Anchovy in Division 9a (IBERAS survey 2018)

In November 2018, a new acoustic survey (IBERAS) coordinated by IEO and IPMA was carried out in order to estimate the strength of sardine and anchovy recruitment in the Atlantic waters of the Iberian Peninsula (ICES Division 9a) and to map its distribution area. As well as determine the main biological characteristics of these species in the area. In January-February 2019, an otolith reading exercise was carried out on the anchovy from the survey to determine its age, with the objective of calibrating the age readings among the anchovy readers of the IEO and the IPMA, and estimating the accuracy and discrepancies in the determination of anchovy age among these readers. As well as, to obtain the age length keys of the surve

Hadron beam test of a scintillating fibre tracker system for elastic scattering and luminosity measurement in ATLAS

A scintillating fibre tracker is proposed to measure elastic proton scattering at very small angles in the ATLAS experiment at CERN. The tracker will be located in so-called Roman Pot units at a distance of 240 m on each side of the ATLAS interaction point. An initial validation of the design choices was achieved in a beam test at DESY in a relatively low energy electron beam and using slow off-the-shelf electronics. Here we report on the results from a second beam test experiment carried out at CERN, where new detector prototypes were tested in a high energy hadron beam, using the first version of the custom designed front-end electronics. The results show an adequate tracking performance under conditions which are similar to the situation at the LHC. In addition, the alignment method using so-called overlap detectors was studied and shown to have the expected precision.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures. Submitted to Journal of Instrumentation (JINST

New WC-Cu composites for the divertor in fusion reactors

ABSTRACT: The requirements for the divertor components of future fusion reactors are challenging and therefore a stimulus for the development of new materials. In this paper, WC-Cu composites are studied for use as thermal barrier between the plasma facing tungsten tiles and the copper-based heat sink of the divertor. Composite materials with 50% vol. WC were prepared by hot pressing and characterized in terms of microstructure, density, expansion coefficient, elastic modulus, Young's modulus and thermal diffusivity. The produced materials consisted of WC particles homogeneously dispersed in a Cu matrix with densifications between 88% and 98%. The sample with WC particles coated with Cu evidenced the highest densification. The thermal diffusivity was significantly lower than that of pure copper or tungsten. The sample with higher densification exhibits a low value of Young's modulus (however, it is higher compared to pure copper), and an average linear thermal expansion coefficient of 13.6 x 10(-6) degrees C-1 in a temperature range between 100 degrees C and 550 degrees C. To estimate the behaviour of this composite in actual conditions, a monoblock of the divertor in extreme conditions was modelled. The results predict that while the use of WC-Cu interlayer leads to an increase of 190 degrees C on the temperature of the upper part of the monoblock when compared to a pure Cu interlayer, the composite will improve and reduce significantly the cold-state stress between this interlayer and the tungsten.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio