Catechol-O-methyltransferase gene haplotypes in Mexican and Spanish patients with fibromyalgia

Autonomic dysfunction is frequent in patients with fibromyalgia (FM). Heart rate variability analyses have demonstrated signs of ongoing sympathetic hyperactivity. Catecholamines are sympathetic neurotransmitters. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme, is the major catecholamine-clearing pathway. There are several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the COMT gene associated with the different catecholamine-clearing abilities of the COMT enzyme. These SNPs are in linkage disequilibrium and segregate as 'haplotypes'. Healthy females with a particular COMT gene haplotype (ACCG) producing a defective enzyme are more sensitive to painful stimuli. The objective of our study was to define whether women with FM, from two different countries (Mexico and Spain), have the COMT gene haplotypes that have been previously associated with greater sensitivity to pain. All the individuals in the study were female. Fifty-seven Mexican patients and 78 Spanish patients were compared with their respective healthy control groups. All participants filled out the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ). Six COMT SNPs (rs2097903, rs6269, rs4633, rs4818, rs4680, and rs165599) were genotyped from peripheral blood DNA. In Spanish patients, there was a significant association between three SNPs (rs6269, rs4818, and rs4680) and the presence of FM when compared with healthy controls. Moreover, in Spanish patients with the 'high pain sensitivity' haplotype (ACCG), the disease, as assessed by the FIQ, was more severe. By contrast, Mexican patients displayed only a weak association between rs6269 and rs165599, and some FIQ subscales. In our group of Spanish patients, there was an association between FM and the COMT haplotype previously associated with high pain sensitivity. This association was not observed in Mexican patients. Studies with a larger sample size are needed in order to verify or amend these preliminary results

IMPACT OF THE 2003 CAP REFORM AND THE HEALTH-CHECK IN ALQUEVA IRRIGATED PROJECT

One of the major challenges of the Alqueva Irrigation project is to benefit with irrigation, 110 000 ha. of dryland area. This project has a huge potential because it is located on a traditional agricultural area and has agro-weather conditions favourable to the development of irrigation crops. However, there is some challenges that needed to be overcome, namely the recent developments of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the expected water price increase and the latest guidance in the water management policy. Considering this framework, the main goal of work is to assess the impact of the 2003 CAP Reform and the Health-Check in Alqueva irrigated project. Based on a survey sample of farms of the irrigation scheme of Monte Novo, three representative farms were selected using multivariate statistical methods. To assess the competitiveness of Monte Novo farms, a multi-period programming model was developed that allowed to analyse the inter-temporal nature of investments, optimal crop and livestock activities mix and structural farm changes. The farmer goal was assumed to be the maximization of the final farm net worth. The results showed that 2003 CAP reform and the implementation of Alqueva irrigation project lead to significant changes in the traditional agricultural model. However these changes are not determinant for long run farms competitiveness. The competitiveness is dependent on farmers’ adoption of new technologies and activities, such as vineyard, olives, industrial fruits and legumes

Seguimento a longo prazo da doença hepática avançada após cura do vírus C com antivíricos de ação direta: dados de uma coorte Portuguesa

Background: Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) have revolutionized hepatitis C treatment, with high sustained virological response (SVR) rates reported, even in historically difficult-to-treat groups. SVR is associated with a decreased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), need for transplantation, and overall and liver-related mortality. Data from real-life cohorts on the medium- to long-term outcomes of patients with advanced liver disease and DAA-induced SVR are still missing. Objectives: To report and analyze the long-term outcomes of DAA-induced SVR in a real-life cohort of patients with advanced liver disease. Method: In this retrospective, longitudinal, single-center study, we collected data from patients with chronic hepatitis C infection and advanced liver disease (cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis) that had initiated DAA treatment between February 2015 and January 2017. Results: A total of 237 patients were included. A treatment completion rate of 98.7% and an SVR rate of 97.8% (intention to treat: 96.6%) were found. Of the 229 patients with SVR, 67.2% were cirrhotic (64.2% Child-Pugh class A; 3.1% Child-Pugh class B) and 32.8% had stage F3 fibrosis, with an average follow-up of 28 months. The overall mortality rate was 19/1,000 person-years and the liver-related mortality rate was 9.5/1,000 person-years. The hepatic decompensation incidence rate was 25/1,000 person-years and the HCC incidence rate was 11.6/1,000 person-years. There was a sustained increase in serum platelet values during up to 2 years of follow-up. A history of pretreatment decompensation and baseline platelet and albumin values were significantly associated with the occurrence of adverse liver events after the end of treatment. Conclusions: A DAA-induced SVR remains durable and is associated with an excellent clinical prognosis in patients with compensated advanced liver disease and with improvement or disease stabilization in decompensated patients. SVR is associated with a low risk of - yet does not prevent - HCC occurrence or disease progression, especially in the presence of other causes of liver injury. It is recommended that these patients be kept under surveillance.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Escola e bem-estar subjectivo nas crianças e adolescentes

Revista de Psicologia da Criança e do Adolescente. - ISSN 1647-4120. - N. 1 (Abril 2010). - p. 117-139.A escola é um dos contextos do adolescente. O estudo quer relacionar a percepção que os adolescentes portugueses têm do seu bem-estar, nas vertentes afectivoemocional e cognitiva, com variáveis que caracterizam a sua percepção da escola: capacidade escolar, pressão dos trabalhos escolares, sentimentos pela escola, apoio dos colegas e apoio dos professores. É um estudo descritivo e correlacional de carácter transversal, numa amostra representativa da população das escolas públicas em Portugal continental constituída por 4877 indivíduos, 49.6% do género masculino e 50.4% do género feminino. As idades dos participantes oscilam entre os 10 e os 18 anos, sendo a média de 14 anos e o desvio padrão 1.89. Os adolescentes percepcionam-se com bons níveis de bem-estar e com uma boa relação com a escola, embora exista uma ampla margem para melhorar. As componentes cognitivas e afectivo-emocionais do bem-estar entrelaçam-se entre si e com as variáveis relacionadas com a escola, que mostram relação directa com o bem-estar. Incrementar o bem-estar e a relação com a escola podem/devem acontecer de forma concomitante, parecendo que não se pode investir apenas na técnica e nos âmbitos cognitivos das aprendizagens, mas se deverá igualmente investir em programas de desenvolvimento de competências emocionais e sociais. (António Borges da Silva, Margarida Gaspar de Matos, José Alves Diniz

Definição de parâmetros de dinâmica e qualidade da água para o gerenciamento em reservatório profundo de hidrelétrica subtropical tipo cânion

Spatial and temporal variability patterns of water quality were evaluated through monthly collection of water samples (surface, subsurface and bottom) from 2005 to 2012. Principal Component Analysis was used to define the relative importance of each variable and Anova (two way) to analyze the significance of differences in water quality in the longitudinal axis of the reservoir. The variables: turbidity, Secchi transparency, residence time and temperature have greater importance on water quality. It was observed spatial and temporal gradients, related to the circulation, sedimentation and resuspension processes, and the influence of low flow, high residence time and winter mixing of water column on the cycling of solids and nutrients may explain the variation in these processes. The use of multivariate statistical analysis methods provided important information to understand these processes, it helps the interpretation of complex data to improve monitoring, and use of information to decision makers.Os padrões de variabilidade espacial e temporal da qualidade da água foram avaliados através de coletas mensais de amostras de água (superfície, subsuperfície e fundo) de 2005 a 2012. A Análise de Componentes Principais foi utilizada para definir a importância relativa de cada variável e Anova (bidirecional) para analisar a significância das diferenças na qualidade da água no eixo longitudinal do reservatório. As variáveis: turbidez, transparência de Secchi, tempo de residência e temperatura têm maior importância na qualidade da água. Foram observados gradientes espaciais e temporais, relacionados aos processos de circulação, sedimentação e ressuspensão, e a influência da baixa vazão, alto tempo de residência e mistura invernal da coluna d’água na ciclagem de sólidos e nutrientes pode explicar a variação desses processos. A utilização de métodos de análise estatística multivariada forneceu informações importantes para a compreensão desses processos, auxilia na interpretação de dados complexos para melhorar o monitoramento e uso das informações para os tomadores de decisão

A COMPETITIVIDADE DO REGADIO DE ALQUEVA EM PORTUGAL: O CASO DO BLOCO DE REGA DO MONTE NOVO

O objectivo deste estudo é avaliar a competitividade do regadio de Alqueva no Sul de Portugal na região Alentejo. O estudo foi realizado com base em três grupos de explorações agrícolas representativas seleccionadas de uma amostra de explorações agrícolas do bloco de rega do Monte Novo. Para cada uma delas, foi desenvolvido um modelo de programação matemática multi-período adaptado às suas características específicas. Os principais resultados permitem concluir que a Política Agrícola Comum e a Directiva Quadro da Água condicionam a competitividade do regadio nesta região. No entanto, a adopção de novas tecnologias de produção permitirá contrariar esses efeitos negativos e assegurar a competitividade futura do regadio

Visual encounters on line transect surveys under-detect carnivore species: Implications for assessing distribution and conservation status

We compared the distribution and occurrence of 15 carnivore species with data collected monthly over three years by trained native trackers using both sign surveys and an encounter-based, visual-distance method in a well-preserved region of southern Guyana (Amazon / Guiana Shield). We found that a rigorously applied sign-based method was sufficient to describe the status of most carnivore species populations, including rare species such as jaguar and bush dog. We also found that even when accumulation curves for direct visual encounter data reached an asymptote, customarily an indication that sufficient sampling has occurred to describe populations, animal occurrence and distribution were grossly underestimated relative to the results of sign data. While other researchers have also found that sign are better than encounters or camera traps for large felids, our results are important in documenting the failure of even intensive levels of effort to raise encounter rates sufficiently to enable statistical analysis, and in describing the relationship between encounter and sign data for an entire community of carnivores including felids, canids, procyonids, and mustelids. © Copyright: © 2019 Fragoso et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

MRE11A Polymorphisms Are Associated With Subclinical Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Risk Factors. A Case-Control Study of the GEA Mexican Project

DNA damage and subsequent repair pathways have been involved in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. Meiotic recombination 11 homolog A (MRE11A) gene polymorphisms have been associated with the presence of myocardial infarction. We analyzed five MRE11A gene polymorphisms in 386 individuals with subclinical atherosclerosis and 1093 healthy controls. Under different models, the rs13447720 (Odds ratio = 0.646, Padditive = 0.009; Odds ratio = 0.636, Pdominant = 0.012; Odds ratio = 0.664, Pover–dominant = 0.025; Odds ratio = 0.655, Pcodominant1 = 0.021) and rs499952 (Odds ratio = 0.807, Padditive = 0.032; Odds ratio = 0.643, Pcodominant2 = 0.034) polymorphisms were associated with a lower risk of subclinical atherosclerosis. On the other hand, the rs2155209 polymorphism was associated with a reduced risk of having a coronary artery calcification score ≥ 100 Agatston units. The rs13447720, rs499952, and rs2155209 polymorphisms, as well as the haplotypes that included the five studied polymorphisms were associated with some clinical and metabolic parameters in both subclinical atherosclerosis and healthy individuals. Our results suggest that the rs13447720 and rs499952 polymorphisms are associated with a decreased risk of developing subclinical atherosclerosis, whereas the rs2155209 is associated with a lower subclinical atherosclerosis severity (coronary artery calcification < 100 Agatston units). MRE11A polymorphisms and haplotypes were associated with clinical and metabolic parameters

Prevalence of Hyperuricemia and Its Association with Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Subclinical Target Organ Damage

The role of uric acid levels in the cardiovascular continuum is not clear. Our objective is to analyze the prevalence of hyperuricemia (HU) and its association with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF), subclinical target organ damage (sTOD), and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). We evaluated the prevalence of HU in 6.927 patients included in the baseline visit of the IBERICAN study. HU was defined as uric acid levels above 6 mg/dL in women, and 7 mg/dL in men. Using adjusted logistic regression models, the odds ratios were estimated according to CVRF, sTOD, and CVD. The prevalence of HU was 16.3%. The risk of HU was higher in patients with pathological glomerular filtration rate (aOR: 2.92), heart failure (HF) (aOR: 1.91), abdominal obesity (aOR: 1.80), hypertension (HTN) (aOR: 1.65), use of thiazides (aOR: 1.54), left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) (aOR: 1.36), atrial fibrillation (AFIB) (aOR: 1.29), and albuminuria (aOR: 1.27). On the other hand, being female (aOR: 0.82) showed a reduced risk. The prevalence of HU was higher in men, in patients presenting CVRF such as HTN and abdominal obesity, and with co-existence of LVH, atrial fibrillation (AFIB), HF, and any form of kidney injury. These associations raise the possibility that HU forms part of the early stages of the cardiovascular continuum. This may influence its management in Primary Healthcare because the presence of HU could mean an increased CV risk in the patients