The eye contact effect on naming famous faces

Tese de mestrado, Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 2012A perceção de contacto ocular tem um efeito modulador em vários aspetos do processamento cognitivo, podendo facilitar o reconhecimento facial ou o acesso à memória semântica. Nesse sentido, realizaram-se duas experiências para analisar o efeito do contacto ocular na capacidade de nomeação de faces famosas e a sua variação dependentemente do tipo de tarefa. Na primeira experiência foi apresentado um conjunto de faces famosas masculinas a um grupo de participantes, com mais de 50 anos de idade, sem doença neurológica conhecida.. As faces foram apresentadas aleatoriamente em contacto ocular ou em olhar desviado e foi pedido aos participantes para realizarem uma tarefa de nomeação das faces. Numa segunda tarefa de controlo foi solicitado aos participantes para indicarem a presença ou ausência de contacto ocular, nos estímulos apresentados. Na segunda experiência, repetiram-se as tarefas de nomeação e identificação da direção do olhar, tendo sido acrescentadas um igual número de faces femininas aos estímulos e adicionada uma tarefa de descriminação de género. Em ambas as experiências foi encontrado um efeito facilitador do contacto ocular na nomeação das faces que pertenciam ao mesmo género do participante. Pelo contrário, na tarefa de direção do olhar (na segunda experiência) verificou-se um efeito facilitador do contacto ocular, mas apenas para faces do género oposto ao participante. Na tarefa de género, o contacto ocular conduziu a uma redução no número de acertos para faces do género oposto. Estes resultados mostram um efeito facilitador do contacto ocular na nomeação, e a sua dependência de fatores como o género. A existência de um efeito facilitador do contacto ocular está então, dependente do tipo de tarefa (nomeação, género e descriminação da direção do olhar) e da interação entre a tarefa e o género observador/estímulo. Assim o efeito modulador do contacto ocular, nas diferentes atividades cognitivas é complexo, podendo facilitar ou interferir dependendo da tarefa e da sua interação com outras variáveis. O efeito facilitador, a confirmar em situações patológicas, poderá ser utilizado na reabilitação das dificuldades de nomeação.Awareness of eye contact has a modulatory effect on several cognitive tasks, enhancing facial recognition and encoding, as well as the access to semantic memory related to these faces. To analyse the effect of eye contact on proper name retrieval, and how it may depend upon type of task, two experiments using famous faces as stimuli were designed. In the first experiment a set of well-known public male faces was presented randomly in eye contact or averted gaze. Participants were asked to perform two tasks, one in which they had to name the presented faces and a control task in which they had to discriminate gaze direction. Since in this experiment all stimuli were male, a second experiment added an equal number of female and male faces. In this experiment a gender decision task was added. Participants were adult volunteers with fifty or more years, without known mental or neurological disease. Results from both experiments showed a facilitator effect of eye contact in naming faces of the same sex as the participant. In the gaze direction task of the second experiment, eye contact was easier to discriminate compared to averted gaze but only when the presented face was of the opposite sex than the participant’s. In the gender task, eye contact diminished accuracy but only with opposite-sex faces. These results show that eye contact facilitates proper name retrieval, but that this effect depends upon the sex of the perceiver and the perceived face. The existence of a facilitation effect due to eye contact was shown to be dependent both of task and of the interaction of sex of the stimuli and the participant. The modulator effect of eye contact in different cognitive tasks seems to be complex, either being a facilitator or causing interference depending on type of task and its interaction with other variables. Its facilitator effect, if confirmed in cases of pathology, may be used in rehabilitation settings of proper name retrieval

Síndrome de Cushing cíclica – apresentação de um caso clínico e revisão da literatura

ResumoA síndrome de Cushing cíclica (SCC) é rara e caracteriza‐se por episódios de hipercortisolismo, intercalados com períodos de secreção normal de cortisol. É diagnosticada pela identificação de 3 picos e 2 vales na produção de cortisol. Os autores descrevem um caso de SCC, alertando para os seus desafios e particularidades, e realizam uma revisão da literatura.Doente do sexo feminino, 32 anos, com clínica de hipercortisolismo e avaliação analítica compatível com síndrome de Cushing. No estudo etiológico obteve‐se hormona adrenocorticotrófica (ACTH) doseável (45pg/mL), frenação <50% do cortisol na prova de dexametasona 8mg (44%) e resposta excessiva de ACTH (96%) e cortisol (63%) na prova de CRH. A ressonância magnética nuclear selar foi sugestiva de microadenoma hipofisário. Para confirmacão de doença de Cushing foi programado cateterismo dos seios petrosos inferiores, sem confirmação prévia de hipercortisolismo. Obteve‐se um gradiente de ACTH central/periférico pós CRH < 3, inconclusivo para causa hipofisária. Os exames de localização de tumor ectópico foram negativos. Dada a incerteza diagnóstica, optou‐se inicialmente por vigilância laboratorial, identificando‐se mais de 3 picos e 2 vales na produção de cortisol, sugerindo o diagnóstico de SCC. A clínica foi flutuante, coincidindo com os períodos de hipercortisolismo. Decidiu‐se então por cirurgia transesfenoidal e o exame histológico foi compatível com adenoma hipofisário positivo para ACTH. Constatou‐se remissão da doença.Os autores alertam para a importância de requisitar doseamentos laboratoriais frequentes quando se suspeita de SCC, com o objetivo de identificar picos e vales na produção de cortisol. No momento de realização do cateterismo, a doente provavelmente estaria numa fase de produção normal de cortisol, o que condicionou o resultado inconclusivo e o atraso no diagnóstico e terapêutica. O estudo etiológico deve ser efetuado durante uma fase de excesso de cortisol, exigindo confirmação analítica prévia.AbstractCyclic Cushing's syndrome (CCS) is a rare disorder, characterized by episodes of hypercortisolism, interspersed by periods of normal cortisol secretion. Its diagnosis is made by identifying 3 peaks and 2 troughs of cortisol production. The authors report a case of CCS, addressing its challenges and features, and perform a review of the literature.A 32‐year‐old woman presented with clinical signs of hypercortisolism and biochemical evaluation was consistent with Cushing's syndrome. Tests to define its cause revealed a detectable adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (45pg/mL), <50% cortisol decrease following high dose dexamethasone suppression test (44%) and exaggerated response of ACTH (96%) and cortisol (63%) after CRH stimulation test. Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging identified a pituitary microadenoma. To confirm the diagnosis of Cushing's disease, an inferior petrosal sinus sampling was scheduled without prior confirmation of hypercortisolism. An ACTH petrosal sinus/peripheral ratio < 3 after CRH administration was found, inconclusive for a pituitary origin. Exams to localize an ectopic tumor were negative. Owing to the diagnostic uncertainty, the authors initially decided to monitor the patient and identified more than 3 peaks and 2 troughs of cortisol production, suggesting the diagnosis of CCS. Clinical signs were fluctuating and appeared during periods of hypercortisolism. We then decided to perform a transsphenoidal surgery and histological examination revealed an ACTH positive pituitary adenoma. Disease remission was achieved.The authors highlight the need of frequent laboratory measurements when CCS is suspected, to identify peaks and troughs of cortisol production. When sampling was performed, the patient would probably be in a period of normal cortisol production, contributing to the inconclusive result and the delay in proper diagnosis and therapy. Tests used to determine the cause of CCS should be carried out during a period of cortisol excess, requiring prior confirmation of hypercortisolism

Intervenção em Situações de Violência Doméstica: Atitudes e Crenças de Polícias

ObjetivoO presente estudo visa perceber quais as crenças dos polícias relativamente ao fenómeno da violência doméstica contra a mulher e avaliar de que forma estas podem estar relacionadas com o seu modo de atuação.MétodoA amostra foi constituída por 453 polícias do Comando Metropolitano da Polícia de Segurança Pública do Porto, aos quais foram administradas a Escala de Crenças sobre Violência Conjugal (E.C.V.C.) e a Escala de Intervenção que integra as Escalas de Atitudes da Polícia (E.A.P.).ResultadosOs resultados revelaram uma maior discordância quanto ao conjunto de mitos legitimadores da violência conjugal e uma maior percentagem de sujeitos orientados para executar diligências de serviço (atuação incondicional, independentemente de a vítima querer denunciar o crime), sobretudo quando estão perante situações de violência física. Os resultados correlacionais sugerem que níveis mais elevados de crenças legitimadoras da violência conjugal estão associados a uma atuação policial mais condicionada. A análise comparativa de dois grupos com mais ou menos crenças legitimadoras da violência contra a mulher revelou que não há uma diferenciação estatisticamente significativa quanto ao tipo da ação dos polícias em situações de violência doméstica.ConclusãoOs resultados apoiam a associação entre crenças sobre o fenómeno da violência doméstica e a atuação da polícia nestes casos

Possible protective role of MnSOD gene polymorphism Val/Ala and Ala/Ala in women that never breast fed

Polymorphisms in genes encoding enzymes involved in estrogen metabolism are held to be candidates for associations with breast disease, since there is evidence that circulating estrogens are associated with breast cancer risk. In this study, we evaluated the frequency of different polymorphisms related with estrogen metabolism [ COMT Val158Met, CYP17 (5′UTR, T27C); HSD17β1 Gly313Ser and MnSOD Val16Ala] in a breast cancer resistant population, the Xavante Indians, and the frequencies were compared with the ones reported in other populations where breast cancer case-control studies dealing with these polymorphisms have been carried out. The data obtained showed that, apart from the MnSOD Val16Ala polymorphism where the frequency of the variant allele was much higher than that reported in other populations, all the others were within the range reported in other populations. Considering these data we carried out a case-control study in the Portuguese population (241 cases and 457 controls) in order to evaluate the potential role of this polymorphism in breast cancer susceptibility. The results obtained did not reveal a significant association between individual genotypes and breast cancer risk. However, when the population was stratified for breast feeding, it was observed that for the patients that never breast fed the presence of the variant allele (Ala) was marginally associated with a decreased risk for this pathology (adjusted OR: 0.575 (0.327-1.011). These data seem to suggest that individuals who never breast fed with MnSOD Val16Ala variant allele are at a lower risk for breast cancer, but larger studies are required to confirm these results.publishersversionpublishe

Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

A pedagogical, educational and biological farm as a new line of profitable business

The aim of this article is to provide a business case analysis of educational, pedagogical and biological farm incorporation in the center of Portugal (Penalva do Castelo) taking advantage of all its income potentialities. We conduct a quite large survey (413questionnaires) over two segments of population: random people and teaching community as a potential indirect channel of customers (the schools)to appraise the market opportunity. We applied descriptive analysis, where we used absolute and relative frequency, mean and standard deviation values; inferential analysis, where we used the unilateral, non-parametric Mann-Whitney test (M-W); Factor Analysis; and Structural Equations Model to reach conclusions about the motives of visiting a Pedagogical farm as well about the potential clients‟ features and, consequently, derive about the acceptance of the project. With an area of 173,078 sqm, the educational project of” Pedagogical Farm-The Owl” is based mainly on five services: education, animation, training, health and agriculture, designated by the programs: "The Owl teaches", "The Owl animates", "The Owl trains", “Health Owl” and “The farmer Owl”. The relationship between people's lifestyles and their potential interest in practicing activities related to Pedagogical Farms is also addressed in this study where we conclude that lifestyle influences the motivations to visit a pedagogical farm. This study further provides strong evidence for the acceptance and implementation of the project since it is proved to be viable and profitable with a payback period of 4 years. This project at the end of the second year of activity, with the results obtained, will also allow to expand the business through the creation of residential tourism, although this line of business isn´t studied in detail.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Polymorphisms in base excision repair genes and thyroid cancer risk

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the most frequent endocrine malignancy, accounting however for only 1-2% of all human cancers, and the best-established risk factor for TC is radiation exposure, particularly during childhood. Since the BER pathway seems to play an important role in the repair of DNA damage induced by IR and other genotoxicants, we carried out a hospital-based case-control study in order to evaluate the potential modifying role of 6 BER polymorphisms on the individual susceptibility to non-familial TC in 109 TC patients receiving iodine-131, and 217 controls matched for age (±2 years), gender and ethnicity. Our results do not reveal a significant involvement of XRCC1 Arg194Trp and Arg399Gln, OGG1 Ser326Cys, APEX1 Asp148Glu, MUTYH Gln335His and PARP1 Val762Ala polymorphisms on the individual susceptibility towards TC, mostly in aggreement with the limited available evidence. By histological stratification analyis, we observed that the association between the presence of heterozygozity in the MUTYH Gln335His polymorphism and TC risk almost reached significance for the papillary subtype of TC. This was the first time that the putative association between this polymorphism and TC susceptibility was evaluated. However, since the sample size was modest, the possibility of a type I error should not be excluded and this result should, therefore, be interpreted with caution. More in depth studies involving larger populations should be pursued in order to further clarify the potential usefulness of the MUTYH Gln335His genotype as a predictive biomarker of susceptibility to TC and the role of the remaining BER polymorphisms on TC susceptibility.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Anti-interleukin-21 antibody and liraglutide for the preservation of β-cell function in adults with recent-onset type 1 diabetes: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial

BACKGROUND: Type 1 diabetes is characterised by progressive loss of functional beta-cell mass, necessitating insulin treatment. We aimed to investigate the hypothesis that combining anti-interleukin (IL)-21 antibody (for low-grade and transient immunomodulation) with liraglutide (to improve beta-cell function) could enable beta-cell survival with a reduced risk of complications compared with traditional immunomodulation.METHODS: This randomised, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, double-dummy, double-blind, phase 2 trial was done at 94 sites (university hospitals and medical centres) in 17 countries. Eligible participants were adults aged 18-45 years with recently diagnosed type 1 diabetes and residual beta-cell function. Individuals with unstable type 1 diabetes (defined by an episode of severe diabetic ketoacidosis within 2 weeks of enrolment) or active or latent chronic infections were excluded. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1:1), with stratification by baseline stimulated peak C-peptide concentration (mixed-meal tolerance test [MMTT]), to the combination of anti-IL-21 and liraglutide, anti-IL-21 alone, liraglutide alone, or placebo, all as an adjunct to insulin. Investigators, participants, and funder personnel were masked throughout the treatment period. The primary outcome was the change in MMTT-stimulated C-peptide concentration at week 54 (end of treatment) relative to baseline, measured via the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) over a 4 h period for the full analysis set (intention-to-treat population consisting of all participants who were randomly assigned). After treatment cessation, participants were followed up for an additional 26-week off-treatment observation period. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02443155.FINDINGS: Between Nov 10, 2015, and Feb 27, 2019, 553 adults were assessed for eligibility, of whom 308 were randomly assigned to receive either anti-IL-21 plus liraglutide, anti-IL-21, liraglutide, or placebo (77 assigned to each group). Compared with placebo (ratio to baseline 0·61, 39% decrease), the decrease in MMTT-stimulated C-peptide concentration from baseline to week 54 was significantly smaller with combination treatment (0·90, 10% decrease; estimated treatment ratio 1·48, 95% CI 1·16-1·89; p=0·0017), but not with anti-IL-21 alone (1·23, 0·97-1·57; p=0·093) or liraglutide alone (1·12, 0·87-1·42; p=0·38). Despite greater insulin use in the placebo group, the decrease in HbA1c (a key secondary outcome) at week 54 was greater with all active treatments (-0·50 percentage points) than with placebo (-0·10 percentage points), although the differences versus placebo were not significant. The effects diminished upon treatment cessation. Changes in immune cell subsets across groups were transient and mild (&lt;10% change over time). The most frequently reported adverse events included gastrointestinal disorders, in keeping with the known side-effect profile of liraglutide. The rate of hypoglycaemic events did not differ significantly between active treatment groups and placebo, with an exception of a lower rate in the liraglutide group than in the placebo group during the treatment period. No events of diabetic ketoacidosis were observed. One participant died while on liraglutide (considered unlikely to be related to trial treatment) in connection with three reported adverse events (hypoglycaemic coma, pneumonia, and brain oedema).INTERPRETATION: The combination of anti-IL-21 and liraglutide could preserve beta-cell function in recently diagnosed type 1 diabetes. The efficacy of this combination appears to be similar to that seen in trials of other disease-modifying interventions in type 1 diabetes, but with a seemingly better safety profile. Efficacy and safety should be further evaluated in a phase 3 trial programme.FUNDING: Novo Nordisk