Welfare of fish—no longer the elephant in the room

The concept of fish welfare is fairly recent and was overlooked for many years, based on a popular misconception that fish were “stupid” creatures devoid of any kind of sentience or mental capability [...] (excerto da primeira página).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Domestication and Welfare in Farmed Fish

The domestication of fish species is still in its early stages when compared to terrestrial animals. The effects of domestication on welfare of farmed fishes are complex to study because fish differ from livestock in genetics, physiology and behaviour, and experience different sensory worlds. Consequently, empathy with fish and understanding of their needs becomes more problematic than with land animals. Additionally, the acknowledgement and study of mental dimensions of fish existence is very recent. We discuss that higher levels of domestication in fish do not necessarily correspond to better welfare because (1) artificial selection by the aquaculture industry is mostly focused on production-related traits such as growth, and this selection process may have unknown negative effects on welfare-related traits; (2) the number of fish species presently farmed (circa 300) is 10-fold higher than land animals, rendering the establishment of standard welfare guidelines extremely complicated; (3) the current paradigm of the Five Freedoms guiding welfare is out-dated and was designed for livestock; and (4) there are still severe knowledge gaps in the biology of farmed fishes, especially in welfare-related traits. The implementation of humane farming systems should integrate industry, science and ethics in an open dialogue in order to produce relevant results

Automatic miniaturized flow methodology with in-line solid-phase extraction for quinine determination in biological samples

The present work describes an analytical platform based on a multipumping flow injection analysis (MPFS) technique combined with in-line solid-phase extraction (SPE). The flow network has been tested with the determination of quinine in biological samples using fluorometry as the detection technique. Amberlite XAD-4 resin has been used as a solid phase and the implementation of a pH control strategy resulted in a simple and environmental approach for the preconcentration of quinine. Two solenoid valves allowed the deviation of the flow towards the resin column to carry out SPE procedures. The influence of parameters such as concentration, flow rate and volume of the different solutions on the sensitivity and performance of the MPFS was studied. Dynamic calibration ranges (0.78–150 ng mL 1) for quinine determination were applied by using a variable sample volume (120– 1000 mL). The developed methodology provided high relative extraction recoveries from human urine samples (85–115%). The proposed automatic methodology turns out to be very efficient and sustainable compared to the available procedures and it could prove to be an attractive alternative tool to perform in-line sample pre-treatment and subsequent direct determination of relevant organic compounds in pharmaceutical and clinical analyses

Nanoparticle-based assays in automated flow systems: A review

Nanoparticles (NPs) exhibit a number of distinctive and entrancing properties that explain their ever increasing application in analytical chemistry, mainly as chemosensors, signaling tags, catalysts, analytical signal enhancers, reactive species generators, analyte recognition and scavenging/separation entities. The prospect of associating NPs with automated flow-based analytical is undoubtedly a challenging perspective as it would permit confined, cost-effective and reliable analysis, within a shorter timeframe, while exploiting the features of NPs. This article aims at examining state-of-the-art on continuous flow analysis and microfluidic approaches involving NPs such as noble metals (gold and silver), magnetic materials, carbon, silica or quantum dots. Emphasis is devoted to NP format, main practical achievements and fields of application. In this context, the functionalization of NPs with distinct chemical species and ligands is debated in what concerns the motivations and strengths of developed approaches. The utilization of NPs to improve detector's performance in electrochemical application is out of the scope of this review. The works discussed in this review were published in the period of time comprised between the years 2000 and 2013

Validation of the Portuguese version of the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS)

The Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS) is a clinical assessment tool that focuses on the detailed measurement of delusions and hallucinations in patients with psychosis. The goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the PSYRATS. A sample of 92 outpatients suffering from schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders and presenting persistent psychotic symptoms was assessed using the PSYRATS and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Good inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity and internal consistency were found. Factor analysis of the auditory hallucinations scale items disclosed a four-factor solution: emotion characteristics and disruption factor (factor 1), a physical characteristics factor (factor 2), a control characteristics factor (factor 3) and a cognitive attribution factor (factor 4). Regarding the delusions scale items, a two-factor solution was found: cognitive interpretation and disruption factor (factor 1) and an emotional characteristics (factor 2). The Portuguese version of the PSYRATS partially replicates previously published results in other countries.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Combined use of phosphonium-erythrosin B-based nanoGUMBOS, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and chemometrics for discrimination and quantification of proteins

Nanoparticles derived from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (nanoGUMBOS) are considered promising candidates for protein analysis due to their facile synthesis in aqueous media and high tunability. In this study, a phosphonium-erythrosin B-based nanoGUMBOS (i.e., [P4444]2[EB]) was prepared using an ultrasound-assisted reprecipitation method, and its ability to discriminate and quantify proteins was evaluated. Sonication time (30 s, 5 min, and 15 min) and cyclodextrin templating (α-, 2-HP-β-, and γ-CD) were investigated for their effects on discrimination performance of synthesized nanomaterial. Six proteins (albumin, hemoglobin, trypsin, catalase, lysozyme, and cytochrome c) with different abundance levels and physicochemical properties were selected as target analytes. Absorbance response patterns generated from interactions between [P4444]2[EB] nanoGUMBOS and proteins were analyzed using partial least squares discriminant analysis. Percentages of correct protein discrimination ranged from 94.6 to 99.6%, with the latter being the best result obtained using non-templated nanoGUMBOS formed after 5 min sonication. Under optimized conditions, it was possible to discriminate all protein samples with percentages of correct assignments greater than 90% for concentrations as low as 2.0 μg mL−1. The discrimination capability of synthesized nanoGUMBOS was further evaluated using mixtures of different ratios of lysozyme, cytochrome c, and hemoglobin. Finally, partial least squares models were developed for protein quantification and the best performance was observed for albumin. Results support potential use of [P4444]2[EB] nanoGUMBOS in combination with ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and chemometrics for qualitative and quantitative analyses of individual proteins and mixtures of proteins.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Changes in the gene expression profiles of the brains of male European eels (Anguilla anguilla) during sexual maturation

Background: The vertebrate brain plays a critical role in the regulation of sexual maturation and reproduction by integrating environmental information with developmental and endocrine status. The European eel Anguilla anguilla is an important species in which to better understand the neuroendocrine factors that control reproduction because it is an endangered species, has a complex life cycle that includes two extreme long distance migrations with both freshwater and seawater stages and because it occupies a key position within the teleost phylogeny. At present, mature eels have never been caught in the wild and little is known about most aspects of reproduction in A. anguilla. The goal of this study was to identify genes that may be involved in sexual maturation in experimentally matured eels. For this, we used microarrays to compare the gene expression profiles of sexually mature to immature males. Results: Using a false discovery rate of 0.05, a total of 1,497 differentially expressed genes were identified. Of this set, 991 were expressed at higher levels in brains (forebrain and midbrain) of mature males while 506 were expressed at lower levels relative to brains of immature males. The set of up-regulated genes includes genes involved in neuroendocrine processes, cell-cell signaling, neurogenesis and development. Interestingly, while genes involved in immune system function were down-regulated in the brains of mature males, changes in the expression levels of several receptors and channels were observed suggesting that some rewiring is occurring in the brain at sexual maturity. Conclusions: This study shows that the brains of eels undergo major changes at the molecular level at sexual maturity that may include re-organization at the cellular level. Here, we have defined a set of genes that help to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling reproduction in eels. Some of these genes have previously described functions while many others have roles that have yet to be characterized in a reproductive context. Since most of the genes examined here have orthologs in other vertebrates, the results of this study will contribute to the body of knowledge concerning reproduction in vertebrates as well as to an improved understanding of eel biology.Peer Reviewe

The Proximity between Hallucination and Delusion Dimensions: An Observational, Analytic, Cross-Sectional, Multicentre Study

In psychiatric classifications, hallucinations (mainly auditory hallucinations) are one of the fundamental criteria for establishing a schizophrenia diagnosis or any of the related psychotic disorder's diagnoses. The conceptual proximity between delusions and hallucinations was maintained until the end of the XIX century, with several supporters during the XX century. Their limits were not yet definitely defined in terms of Descriptive Psychopathology, and much less so in terms of biochemical and anatomical models. In this article we aimed to analyse the dimensions of both hallucinations and delusions in a sample of patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. We also intend to find the determinants of the main dimensions of hallucinations. One hundred patients with schizophrenia (80) or schizoaffective disorder (20), 64% males, mean age 39.75, from the outpatient and inpatient units of the Psychiatry Department of Hospital de Santa Maria and the Centro Hospitalar Psiquiátrico de Lisboa were assessed by means of the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS) and a structured interview. In this study we designed an empirical based model by means of bivariate Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, and multivariate statistics (linear regression and multiple multivariate linear regression), where the main dimensions of hallucinations are determined by the central dimensions of delusions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Exposure of Phosphatidylserine on Leishmania amazonensis Isolates Is Associated with Diffuse Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and Parasite Infectivity

Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis (DCL) is a rare clinical manifestation of leishmaniasis, characterized by an inefficient parasite-specific cellular response and heavily parasitized macrophages. In Brazil, Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis is the main species involved in DCL cases. In the experimental model, recognition of phosphatidylserine (PS) molecules exposed on the surface of amastigotes forms of L. amazonensis inhibits the inflammatory response of infected macrophages as a strategy to evade the host immune surveillance. In this study, we examined whether PS exposure on L. amazonensis isolates from DCL patients operated as a parasite pathogenic factor and as a putative suppression mechanism of immune response during the infection. Peritoneal macrophages from F1 mice (BALB/c×C57BL/6) were infected with different L. amazonensis isolates from patients with localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) or DCL. DCL isolates showed higher PS exposure than their counterparts from LCL patients. In addition, PS exposure was positively correlated with clinical parameters of the human infection (number of lesions and time of disease) and with characteristics of the experimental infection (macrophage infection and anti-inflammatory cytokine induction). Furthermore, parasites isolated from DCL patients displayed an increased area in parasitophorous vacuoles (PV) when compared to those isolated from LCL patients. Thus, this study shows for the first time that a parasite factor (exposed PS) might be associated with parasite survival/persistence in macrophages and lesion exacerbation during the course of DCL, providing new insights regarding pathogenic mechanism in this rare chronic disease