Acordo entre informadores na bateria ASEBA, processos e resultados terapêuticos em crianças e adolescentes : estudo exploratório numa clínica universitária

O presente estudo teve como objetivo geral avaliar a associação entre o acordo entre informadores, na bateria ASEBA, variáveis sociodemográficas e clínicas e variáveis de processo e resultado terapêutico numa amostra clínica de crianças e adolescentes em idade escolar. A amostra foi constituída por 39 crianças e adolescentes entre os 6 e os 14 anos. No presente estudo foram considerados os seguintes instrumentos: Ficha de Pedido de Consulta, Ficha de Processo e Child Behavior Checklist 6-18. De forma geral, os resultados permitiram concluir que os níveis de acordo entre informadores parecem ser maiores nos problemas de Externalização do que nos problemas de Internalização e Total de Problemas. Verificou-se ausência de diferenças nos níveis de acordo entre informadores em função de variáveis sociodemográficas, e os resultados permitiram constatar que as dimensões da aliança terapêutica são dinâmicas entre si. Complementarmente, o estado do processo, a perceção do terapeuta face ao sucesso da intervenção e o acordo entre informadores estão associados às dimensões da aliança terapêutica. Verificou-se que a perceção do terapeuta face ao sucesso da intervenção encontra-se associada ao estado do processo. Não se verificaram associações significativas entre o acordo entre informadores e o estado do processo e estas com o sucesso da intervenção.The main goal of the present study was to evaluate the association between the cross-informant agreement in ASEBA battery and process variables and therapeutic outcome in a clinical sample of school aged children and adolescents. The group of participants included 39 participants aged between 6 and 14 years old. For this study, the following instruments were considered: Form to request psychology services, Form to collect information on therapeutic process, and Child Behavior Checklist 6-18. In general, the results allowed to conclude that the levels of cross-informant agreement are higher for Externalizing Problems than for Internalization Problems and Total Problems. There were no differences in cross-informant agreement levels between respondents regarding sociodemographic variables, and the results showed that therapeutic alliance dimensions are associated to each other. Furthermore, process status (finalized vs dropout), therapist's perception of the success of intervention and the agreement between informants are associated with the therapeutic alliance dimensions. It was possible to verify that therapist's perception of success of the intervention is associated to the process status. There were no significant associations among the agreement between informants and the process status and these with the success of intervention

Comparison of indoor air quality during sleep in smokers and non-smokers' bedrooms: a preliminary study

People spend one third of their life sleeping, but the bedroom, as a specific micro-environment, is often neglected when assessing human exposure to air pollutants. However, exposure during sleep may be significant in the long-term to the integrated individual exposure. This study aimed to assess the exposure during sleep, focusing on a multi-pollutant approach (comfort parameters, carbon dioxide - CO2, carbon monoxide - CO, formaldehyde (CH2O), total volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter - PM2.5 and PM10 - and ultrafine particles, particle number concentrations - PNC - and lung deposited surface area - LDSA). For that, the air quality during sleep (in real conditions) was monitored using real-time devices in 12 bedrooms of urban (Lisbon and Vila Franca de Xira) and rural (Ponte de Sor) areas of Portugal for one night. Volunteers were smokers and non-smokers. Considering the Portuguese legislation for indoor air quality (IAQ), 67% of the bedrooms registered CO2 levels above the limit value, while CH2O, VOC, PM10 and PM2.5 thresholds were exceeded in 30, 100, 36, and 45% of cases, respectively. Regarding ultrafine parameters, LDSA and PNC ranged from 7.3 to 95.2 μm2/cm3 and from 0.6 to 4.8 × 103/cm3, respectively. Even with no smoking indoors, smokers' bedrooms were found to have significant higher levels of CO, CH2O, PM2.5, PM10 and LDSA than non-smokers' bedrooms, showing the effect of thirdhand smoke, exhalation of pollutants after smoking and infiltration on the degradation of the air quality in the bedroom. A recent new model of real-time monitor was also used for a wide set of IAQ parameters. Its performance to measure PM2.5 and CO2 was assessed, showing its applicability in real conditions. Although often neglected, these micro-environments should be considered in the integrated individual exposure to air pollutants and further studied. MAIN FINDINGS OF THE WORK: Several pollutants (CO2, PM, VOCs and CH2O) exceeded the guidelines during sleep; smokers are exposed to higher levels of CO, CH2O, PM, and LDSA than non-smokers while sleeping.publishe

Criterion, construct and predictive validity of computerised respiratory sounds in COPD

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The antimicrobial activity of heterotrophic bacteria isolated from the marine sponge Erylus deficiens (Astrophorida, Geodiidae)

Interest in the study of marine sponges and their associated microbiome has increased both for ecological reasons and for their great biotechnological potential. In this work, heterotrophic bacteria associated with three specimens of the marine sponge Erylus deficiens, were isolated in pure culture, phylogenetically identified and screened for antimicrobial activity. The isolation of bacteria after an enrichment treatment in heterotrophic medium revealed diversity in bacterial composition with only Pseudoalteromonas being shared by two specimens. Of the 83 selected isolates, 58% belong to Proteobacteria, 23% to Actinobacteria and 19% to Firmicutes. Diffusion agar assays for bioactivity screening against four bacterial strains and one yeast, revealed that a high number of the isolated bacteria (68.7%) were active, particularly against Candida albicans and Vibrio anguillarum. Pseudoalteromonas, Microbacterium, and Proteus were the most bioactive genera. After this preliminary screening, the bioactive strains were further evaluated in liquid assays against C. albicans, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. Filtered culture medium and acetone extracts from three and 5 days-old cultures were assayed. High antifungal activity against C. albicans in both aqueous and acetone extracts as well as absence of activity against B. subtilis were confirmed. Higher levels of activity were obtained with the aqueous extracts when compared to the acetone extracts and differences were also observed between the 3 and 5 day-old extracts. Furthermore, a low number of active strains was observed against E. coli. Potential presence of type-I polyketide synthases (PKS-I) and non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) genes were detected in 17 and 30 isolates, respectively. The high levels of bioactivity and the likely presence of associated genes suggest that Erylus deficiens bacteria are potential sources of novel marine bioactive compounds

Eco-sustainable recovery of ergosterol-rich bioactive extracts from Pleurotus eryngii (DC.) Quél

Pleurotus eryngii (DC.) Quél. is widely recognized for its organoleptic qualities and health benefits, being commercially produced in great extent in Asia, Europe, and North America [1]. Depending on the size of the mushroom industry, an expressive volume (20 to 35% in weight of fresh mushrooms) of bio-residues are often discarded, even though their content in biomolecules is not necessarily compromised [2]. Hence, there are major opportunities to turn these outcomes into high-value products through the recovery of bioactive compounds, such as ergosterol rich extracts. Ergosterol, one of the main sterols in mushrooms, has been reported to be the major contributor in P. eryngii bio-functionalities [2]. In the present work, P. eryngii bio-residues (PER) and intact mushrooms (PEG) were compared for their ergosterol content. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied using heat-assisted extraction methodology. The combined effect of time (10-150 min) and temperature (30-90°C) was performed using a circumscribed central composite design (CCCD), and the response criteria were extraction yield and ergosterol content using HPLC-UV. The global optimum conditions predicted by the model were 112.7 min, 90°C, and 150 min, 61.8°C for PER and PEG, respectively. Under these conditions, 190.14 and 360.58 mg of ergosterol per 100 g of dry weight sample were recovered from PER and PEG, correspondingly. Even though P. eryngii bio-residues presented up to 53% of PEG ergosterol yield, PER offers sustainable and economic advantages. These results confirm the enormous potential of the under-exploited P. eryingii bio-residues as a valuable source of ergosterol-rich extracts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Integration of biomonitoring and instrumental techniques to assess the air quality in an industrial area located in the coastal of Central Asturias, Spain

Throughout the world, epidemiological studies were established to examine the relationship between air pollution and mortality rates and adverse respiratory health effects. However, despite the years of discussion the correlation between adverse health effects and atmospheric pollution remains controversial, partly because these studies are frequently restricted to small and well-monitored areas. Monitoring air pollution is complex due to the large spatial and temporal variations of pollution phenomena, the high costs of recording instruments, and the low sampling density of a purely instrumental approach. Therefore, together with the traditional instrumental monitoring, bioindication techniques allow for the mapping of pollution effects over wide areas with a high sampling density. In this study, instrumental and biomonitoring techniques were integrated to support an epidemiological study that will be developed in an industrial area located in Gijon in the coastal of central Asturias, Spain. Three main objectives were proposed to (i) analyze temporal patterns of PM10 concentrations in order to apportion emissions sources, (ii) investigate spatial patterns of lichen conductivity to identify the impact of the studied industrial area in air quality, and (iii) establish relationships amongst lichen conductivity with some site-specific characteristics. Samples of the epiphytic lichen Parmelia sulcata were transplanted in a grid of 18 by 20 km with an industrial area in the center. Lichens were exposed for a 5-mo period starting in April 2010. After exposure, lichen samples were soaked in 18-MΩ water aimed at determination of water electrical conductivity and, consequently, lichen vitality and cell damage. A marked decreasing gradient of lichens conductivity relative to distance from the emitting sources was observed. Transplants from a sampling site proximal to the industrial area reached values 10-fold higher than levels far from it. This finding showed that lichens reacted physiologically in the polluted industrial area as evidenced by increased conductivity correlated to contamination level. The integration of temporal PM10 measurements and analysis of wind direction corroborated the importance of this industrialized region for air quality measurements and identified the relevance of traffic for the urban area

Mushrooms bio-residues valorisation: Optimisation of ergosterol extraction using response surface methodology

The bio-residues of Pleurotus ostreatus, Agrocybe cylindracea, and Pleurotus eryingii were stud-ied as sustainable sources of ergosterol. Its extraction was performed by a heat-assistedextraction technique and optimised using response surface methodology. The responseswere: extraction yield of the residual material (R) from the mushroom bio-residues driedweight (%), the quantification of ergosterol in the M dw (mg E/100 g M dw), and in the R (mgE/g R). The most feasible responses for industrial transference were obtained for P. ostreatusbio-residues, at the optimal conditions of 65.6 min at 30◦C and 43.7 min at 90◦C producing43.72 mg E/g R and 290.90 mg E/100 g M dw, respectively. The model satisfactorily fitted theexperimental data for all responses, thus implying a good agreement between the experi-mental values and those predicted by the model. The study proposes a simple and efficientmethod to produce an ergosterol rich extract from mushroom bio-residues.The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Scienceand Technology (FCT, Portugal) for financial support throughnational funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020); thiswork was funded by FEDER through POCI, within the scope ofproject MicoBioExtract (POCI-01-0247-FEDER-033939). L. Bar-ros also thanks the national funding by FCT, P.I., throughthe institutional scientific employment program-contract fortheir contracts. To MICINN for the financial support for theRamón&Cajal researcher of M.A. Prieto.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Chemical and Bioactive Evaluation of Essential Oils from Edible and Aromatic Mediterranean Lamiaceae Plants

The Lamiaceae family, which includes several well-known aromatic plants, is scientifically relevant due to its essential oils (EOs). In this work, four EOs from Mediterranean species, namely Origanum vulgare L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Salvia officinalis L., and Thymus vulgaris L., were evaluated for their volatile profiles and the biological activity in vitro to assess their potential use in the food and cosmetic sector. GC/MS analysis revealed dominant compounds, such as carvacrol, thymol, and eucalyptol. Regarding biological action, the samples exhibited antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antifungal activities, with O. vulgare and T. officinalis standing out. T. vulgaris showed the lowest EC50 in the reducing power assay, and O. vulgare had the lowest EC50 in the DPPH assay. Most EOs also displayed excellent anti-inflammatory responses and antifungal properties, with O. vulgare and T. vulgaris also demonstrating antibacterial activity. All EOs from Mediterranean species showed cytotoxicity against tumoral cell lines. Overall, the selected EOs stood out for their interesting bioactivities, with the obtained results underscoring their potential as natural preservatives and bioactive agents in various industrial applications, including food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.This work was supported by national funding by FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC): CIMO, UIDB/00690/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDB/00690/2020) and UIDP/00690/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDP/00690/2020); national funding by SusTEC, LA/P/0007/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0007/2020); national funding by FCT, P.I., through the institutional and individual scientific employment program-contracts for L. Barros, R. Calhelha, and E. Pereira (2021.03908.CEECIND); and research contracts ofC. Caleja, T. Finimundy, and T.C.S.P. Pires (VIIAFOOD project no. C644929456-00000040) and RafaelMascoloti Sprea (2020.08092.BD)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mobility patterns of scholar communities in Southwestern European countries

The present study aimed to provide an in-depth assessment of the commuting patterns of scholar communities of southwestern European countries and to identify measures to improve their sustainable performance regarding mobility. The adopted methodology characterized the mobility pattern of students as a sustainability indicator and the availability of related infrastructures and local public transport networks. Data were gathered by qualitative (behavioral questionnaires) and quantitative (technical audits) approaches, based on measurable indicators (key performance indicators and scores (ranging between 0–5)). Overall, French schools showed the best sustainable performance regarding mobility (2.0) and Gibraltar had the lowest (1.2). The existence of bike parking and electric car charging points were the main weaknesses founds (with their related mean scores being 0.6 and 0.2, respectively). The score associated with annual CO2 emissions due to students’ mobility had the best performance, where all countries managed to obtain an average of 3.1. The global score, which assessed the sustainable performance of scholar communities regarding mobility, had a mean value of 1.5 for all studied countries, which highlights the potential for improvement of the studied schools, mainly targeting the public transport network optimization and the enhancement of scholar infrastructures concerning bicycle parking and electric cars.This research was funded by the Interreg SUDOE funding program of the European Regional Development Fund, through ClimACT Project (SOE1/P3/P0429). J. Lage acknowledges the support of the FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P. (Portugal) for the contract CEEC-IND/02366/2020 and N. Canha also acknowledges the support of FCT, through the contract 2021.00088.CEECIND. The FCT support is also gratefully acknowledged by C2TN/IST authors (UIDB/04349/2020 + UIDP/04349/2020) and by CESAM author (UIDB/50017/2020+UIDP/50017/2020). The authors also acknowledge the support of H2020 Project ECF4CLIM (Grant agreement ID: 101036505).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio