Sweet's Syndrome and Relapsing Polychondritis Signal Myelodysplastic Syndrome

Certas dermatoses, pertencentes ao grupo das síndromes paraneoplásicas mucocutâneas, podem ser o prenúncio de uma neoplasia previamente não conhecida. Tanto a síndrome de Sweet como a policondrite recidivante incluem-se neste grupo. A síndrome de Sweet e a PR são raramente encontradas em um mesmo paciente. A presença de policondrite recidivante e síndrome de Sweet em um mesmo paciente tem se revelado mais frequente em pacientes com neoplasias associadas, sobretudo hematológicas. Relata-se o caso de paciente do sexo masculino, 79 anos, com síndrome de Sweet e policondrite recidivante, em quem, subsequentemente, foi diagnosticada uma síndrome mielodisplásica. Palavras-chave: Policondrite recidivante; Síndrome de Sweet; Síndromes paraneoplásica

Authentic leadership’s effect on customer orientation and turnover intention among Portuguese hospitality employees: the mediating role of affective commitment

Purpose: Hospitality employees’ attitudes and behaviors play a crucial role in enhancing customer satisfaction and service quality and ultimately firms’ success; therefore, organizations must have skilled, customer-oriented staff. More research is required to help hospitality managers gain insights into the best strategies to promote and retain customer-oriented employees. This study specifically sought to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the ways that authentic leadership (AL) can affect employees’ customer orientation and turnover intention, including exploring affective commitment’s (AC) potential mediating role. Design/methodology/approach: The sample included 350 employees from different hospitality organizations in Portugal. Data were collected using anonymously completed structured questionnaires available online or in a paper-and-pencil format. Findings: The results demonstrate that AL has a positive effect on customer orientation and a negative effect on turnover intention. Moreover, they indicate that AC mediates the relationships between AL and both customer orientation and turnover intention. All hypotheses received empirical support. Practical implications: Hotel managers can increase employees’ AC and customer orientation by engaging in AL behaviors. Similarly, management can avoid having employees voluntarily leave their jobs using more AL styles and strengthening employees’ affective bonds to their organization. Originality/value: Prior hospitality studies have rarely focused on AL. This study is the first to analyze AL’s effect on customer orientation and AC’s role as a mediator variable in the relationships between AL and customer orientation and turnover intention, thus integrating all these variables into a single research model.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Stellate Ulceration in a Nonuremic Patient

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Role of advanced technology in the detection of sight-threatening eye disease in a UK community setting.

Background/aims: To determine the performance of combinations of structural and functional screening tests in detecting sight-threatening eye disease in a cohort of elderly subjects recruited from primary care. Methods: 505 subjects aged ≥60 years underwent frequency doubling technology (FDT) perimetry, iVue optical coherence tomography (iWellness and peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) scans) and intraocular pressure with the Ocular Response Analyzer, all performed by an ophthalmic technician. The reference standard was a full ophthalmic examination by an experienced clinician who was masked to the index test results. Subjects were classified as presence or absence of sight-threatening eye disease (clinically significant cataract, primary open-angle glaucoma, intermediate or advanced age-related macular degeneration and significant diabetic retinopathy). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association between abnormal screening test results and the presence of sight-threatening eye disease. Results: 171 subjects (33.8%) had one or more sight-threatening eye diseases. The multivariate analysis found significant associations with any of the target conditions for visual acuity of <6/12, an abnormal FDT and peripapillary RNFL thickness outside the 99% normal limit. The sensitivity of this optimised screening panel was 61.3% (95% CI 53.5 to 68.7), with a specificity of 78.8% (95% CI 74.0 to 83.1), a positive predictive value of 59.5% (95% CI 53.7 to 65.2) and an overall diagnostic accuracy of 72.9% (95% CI 68.8 to 76.8). Conclusions: A subset of screening tests may provide an accurate and efficient means of population screening for significant eye disease in the elderly. This study provides useful preliminary data to inform the development of further larger, multicentre screening studies to validate this screening panel

Hábitos alimentares de utentes adultos do centro de saúde de Castelo Branco

Em Portugal têm vindo a revelar-se alguns erros alimentares praticados por grande parte da população. Esses erros cometem-se por excesso de ingestão de certo tipo de alimentos que, consequentemente, levam a problemas no organismo, como é o caso da obesidade, diabetes, hipertensão arterial, entre outras doenças

Intraepidermal Epidermotropic Metastatic Melanoma: a Clinical and Histopathological Mimicker of Melanoma in Situ Occurring in Multiplicity

The distinction between primary melanoma and melanoma metastatic to the skin has major prognostic implications. We report a case of a 67-year-old male with a diagnosis of a superficial spreading melanoma (stage IB) rendered 6 years earlier who presented clinically with an atypical nevus on his left thigh. Histopathological examination showed an intraepidermal melanocytic proliferation that was interpreted as melanoma in situ. Subsequently, 45 additional pigmented macules appeared in crops over a 9-month period. Clinically and dermoscopically, these lesions were extremely polymorphic. Histopathological findings were compatible with melanoma in situ, as each lesion consisted of a wholly intraepidermal proliferation of markedly atypical melanocytes arranged singly and in nests. A complete gastrointestinal study showed multiple pigmented metastatic lesions throughout the stomach and small bowel, which supported a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma with gastrointestinal and epidermotropic skin involvement. Monosomy of chromosome 9 and a BRAF V600E mutation were detected in the primary tumor sample and in macro-dissected secondary lesions. No CDKN2A or CDK4 germline mutations were found. Intraepidermal epidermotropic metastases of melanoma have been rarely described in literature. In this case, histopathology alone was insufficient to distinguish metastatic melanoma from multiple in situ melanomas. The recognition of epidermotropic metastases should be based on the correlation between clinical, dermoscopic, histopathological and molecular findings

Antioxidant properties and fruit quality during long-term storage of “rocha” pear: effects of maturity and storage conditions

Free radical scavenging activity and the content of ascorbic acid and glutathione were investigated during long-term storage of the pear (Pyrus communis L. ‘Rocha’) fruit harvested at different maturity stages, stored in air or under controlled atmosphere and subjected to postharvest treatments with diphenylamine (DPA) and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Harvest maturity had a significant effect on storage disorders, fruit firmness, soluble solids content and acidity. Differences in ascorbate content and free radical scavenging activity at harvest did not persist during storage. Controlled atmosphere and DPA strongly reduced the incidence and severity of browning disorders and superficial scald, whereas 1-MCP provided the most effective control. Neither DPA nor 1-MCP affected the free radical scavenging activityinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

High pressure effects on the activities of cathepsins B and D of mackerel and horse mackerel muscle

6 páginas, 4 figurasWe determined high pressure processing (HPP) effects on the activities of cathepsins B and D in the muscles of mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus). In mackerel, the cathepsin B activity decrease reached 40% at 450 MPa while in horse mackerel, low and intermediate pressures (150 and 300 MPa) caused an activity increase (30%) but at 450 MPa a decrease of up to 60%. In both species, cathepsin D activity increased after a 300 MPa treatment (up to 2-fold for mackerel and 60% for horse mackerel) and decreased on a 450 MPa treatment. The activity increase is probably due to HPP damage of lysosome releasing enzymes into the fish muscle. Based on the HPP effects on the activities of cathepsins B and D, 450 MPa may be used to reduce the proteolytic activity of cathepsin B prior to chilled or frozen storage of these fish speciesSupported by the Xunta de Galicia, Spain Project 10TAL402001PR, 2010-2012, and FCT (Portugal), European Union, QREN, FEDER and COMPETE thorough QOPNA research unit, Project PEst-C/QUI/UI0062/2013; FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037296. Also supported by he USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Grants No. 2011-31200-06041 and 2012-31200-06041Peer reviewe

Differential responses of the antioxidant defence system and ultrastructure in a salt-adapted potato cell line

Changes in lipid peroxidation and ion content and the possible involvement of the antioxidant system in salt tolerance at the cellular level was studied in a potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) callus line grown on 150 mM NaCl (salt-adapted) and in a non-adapted line exposed to 150 mM NaCl (salt-stressed). Salinity reduced the growth rate and increased lipid peroxidation in salt-stressed line, which remained unaltered in the adapted line. Na+ and Cl− content increased due to salinity in both lines, but the adapted line displayed greater K+/Na+ ratio than the stressed one. Total superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), ascorbate peroxidase (APX, EC 1.11.1.11), and glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2) activities decreased in both salt-exposed lines; catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) activity did not change in the adapted line, but decreased in the stressed cell line. Salinity caused the suppression of one GR isoform, while the isozyme patterns of SOD, APX, and CAT were not affected. Ascorbate and reduced glutathione increased in both salt-exposed calli lines. α-Tocopherol increased as a result of salt exposure, with higher levels found in adapted calli. Electron microscopy showed that neither the structural integrity of the cells nor membrane structure were affected by salinity, but plastids from adapted cells had higher starch content. The results suggest that the enzymic and non-enzymic components of the antioxidant system are differentially modulated by salt. Different concentrations of antioxidant metabolites are more relevant to the adaptive response to salinity in potato calli than the differences in activity of the antioxidant enzymes.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Pagamento por serviços ambientais hídricos no Brasil: experiências iniciais e os desafios do monitoramento.

Ao avaliar os projetos de pagamentos por serviços ambientais (PSA) no Brasil, observase dificuldades recorrentes relacionadas à falta de consolidação das metodologias para a seleção de áreas prioritárias e, sobretudo, para o monitoramento das áreas de prestação de serviços. A estratégia de pagamentos por serviços ambientais é cada vez mais presente nas políticas ambientais, a partir de um reconhecimento da necessidade de novos mecanismos de estímulo à conservação e à manutenção de serviços essenciais à vida, como a provisão de água. A partir da análise das experiências vivenciadas em projetos de Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais (PSA) relacionado à água de alguns estados brasileiros, pretende-se proporcionar um panorama destas experiências, de maneira a identificar as tendências, os gargalos e, sobretudo, questões relacionadas às metodologias de monitoramento aplicadas