Internamentos Compulsivos: revisão da casuística dos HUC e HIP no triénio 2006-2008.

ão obstante terem passado mais de 10 anos sobre a publicação da Lei de Saúde Mental, o intenso debate e reflexão ocorridos não foram acompanhados por publicação, igualmente profusa, de investigação clínica sobre a epidemiologia dos internamentos compulsivos. Os autores procuraram caracterizar o arquétipo do doente submetido a internamento involuntário em Portugal, apreciando variáveis demográficas, clínicas e legais. Para esse fim, conduziu-se um estudo retrospectivo dos internamentos compulsivos ocorridos entre 2006 e 2008 em dois hospitais: os Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra (HUC) e o Hospital Infante D. Pedro – Aveiro (HIP). Uma amostra de 384 internamentos foi recolhida e caracterizada, apresentando-se resultados desta investigação e discussão dos dados obtidos

Seasonal proteome variation in intertidal shrimps under a natural setting: connecting molecular networks with environmental fluctuations

The ability of intertidal organisms to maintain their performance via molecular and physiological adjustments under low tide, seasonal fluctuations and extreme events ultimately determines population viability. Analyzing this capacity in the wild is extremely relevant since intertidal communities are under increased climate variability owing to global changes. We addressed the seasonal proteome signatures of a key intertidal species, the shrimp Palaemon elegans, in a natural setting. Shrimps were collected during spring and summer seasons at low tides and were euthanized in situ. Environmental variability was also assessed using hand-held devices and data loggers. Muscle samples were taken for 2D gel electrophoresis and protein identification through mass spectrometry. Proteome data revealed that 55 proteins (10.6% of the proteome) significantly changed between spring and summer collected shrimps, 24 of which were identified. These proteins were mostly involved in cytoskeleton remodelling, energy metabolism and transcription regulation. Overall, shrimps modulate gene expression leading to metabolic and structural adjustments related to seasonal differences in the wild (i.e. abiotic variation and possibly intrinsic cycles of reproduction and growth). This potentially promotes performance and fitness as suggested by the higher condition index in summer-collected shrimps. However, inter-individual variation (% coefficient of variation) in protein levels was quite low (min-max ranges were 0.6-8.3% in spring and 1.2-4.8% in summer), possibly suggesting reduced genetic diversity or physiological canalization. Protein plasticity is relevant to cope with present and upcoming environmental variation related to anthropogenic forcing (e.g. global change, pollution) but low inter-individual variation may limit evolutionary potential of shrimp populations.publishe

Cytotoxicity and Membrane Interaction of Tamoxifen as Affected by Ca2+ and Mg2+: Use of a Bacterial Model System

A strain of Bacillus stearothermophilus was used as a model to study the interaction of tamoxifen (TAM) with the membrane and the cytostatic antiproliferative effects not related to estrogen binding. TAM inhibits the growth of B. stearothermophilus as a function of concentration. The supplementation of the growth medium with Ca2+ or Mg2+ partially relieves the growth inhibition by TAM, allowing growth at TAM concentrations that fully impair growth in the basal medium. Fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) and of its propionic acid derivative (DPH-PA) reveals opposite effects induced by TAM and Ca2+. The addition of Ca2+ to liposomes of bacterial lipids promoted physical ordering as opposed to disordering induced by TAM. Thus, it is predictable that growth impairment induced by TAM is mediated through perturbations at the membrane level.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TCP-3X3K8KK-Y/1/c91ad40c71c69da7245d8f09c634d28

Conjugated linoleic acid reduces permeability and fluidity of adipose plasma membranes from obese Zucker rats

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. July 2010; 398 (2): 199-204.Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a dietary fatty acid frequently used as a body fat reducing agent whose effects upon cell membranes and cellular function remain unknown. Obese Zucker rats were fed atherogenic diets containing saturated fats of vegetable or animal origin with or without 1% CLA, as a mixture of cis(c)9,trans(t)11 and t10,c12 isomers. Plasma membrane vesicles obtained from visceral adi- pose tissue were used to assess the effectiveness of dietary fat and CLA membrane incorporation and its outcome on fluidity and permeability to water and glycerol. A significant decrease in adipose membrane fluidity was correlated with the changes observed in permeability, which seem to be caused by the incor- poration of the t10,c12 CLA isomer into membrane phospholipids. These results indicate that CLA supple- mentation in obese Zucker rats fed saturated and cholesterol rich diets reduces the fluidity and permeability of adipose membranes, therefore not supporting CLA as a body fat reducing agent through membrane fluidification in obese fat consumers

Studies on the association of the Quercus suber decline disease with Phytophthora cinnamomi in Portugal

En Portugal, la enfermedad de la “seca” se ha descrito en los Quercus de hoja perenne (Quercus suber L. and Q.ilex subsp. rotundifolia Lam.) desde el final del siglo XIX. La mortalidad de estas especies afecta, particularmente las regiones centrales y meridionales del país, siendo uno de los problemas forestales más graves. Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands es el principal patógeno responsable de la mortalidad de alcornoques y encinas en Portugal. Se han desarrollado varios estudios teniendo como objetivo una mejor comprensión del efecto de la acción de P. cinnamomi en el decaimiento de los Quercus. El actual trabajo describe resultados preliminares de algunos de estos estudios.___________________________________In Portugal, the decline disease has been described in evergreen oaks (Quercus suber L. and Q.ilex subsp. rotundifolia Lam.) since the end of the 19th century. The mortality of these species affects, particularly the central and southern regions of the country, being one of the most severe forest problems. Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands is the main pathogen responsible for the cork and holm oak mortality in Portugal. Several studies have been developed aiming at a better understanding of the effect of the P. cinnamomi action on the cork oak trees decline. The present work describes preliminary results of some of these studies

Does harvest residue management influence biomass and nutrient accumulation in understory vegetation of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. plantations in a Mediterranean environment ?

The effect of harvest residue management options on biomass and nutrient accumulation in understory vegetation, as well as the contribution of understory to nutrient cycling, were assessed during the early rotation stage of a Eucalyptus globulus Labill. plantation in Central Portugal. The effects of residue management options on early tree growth were also evaluated. Treatments established at the time of plantation and replicated four times in a simple completely randomised design included removal of harvest residues (R), incorporation of residues into the soil by harrowing (I) andmaintenance of residues on the soil surface (S). Understory biomass was sampled in the spring between 2002 and 2006, and every 2 months between March 2006 and March 2007. The latter samples were stratified into biomass, standing dead mass and litter for net above ground primary production (NAPP) assessment. Samples were oven dried, weighed and analysed for nutrient contents. Results showed that understory standing biomass strongly increased from the first to the third year and that quantities of nutrients accumulated in ground vegetation followed similar patterns between the three treatments. Nutrient accumulation in ground vegetation was greater than in tree biomass until at least the second spring after plantation. Bimonthly sampling revealed treatment R to have the largest amounts of standing biomass, standing dead mass, litter and nutrient immobilisation, while treatment S exhibited the lowest values. NAPP (4th–5th year) was 639, 511 and 362 g m 2 year 1, respectively in R, I and S, corresponding the standing biomass increase to 277, 183 and 143 g m 2 year 1. These values are comparable to those observed for litter fall in similar stands (age and tree density) in the same area. The contribution of ground vegetation to nutrient accumulation in the system was unaffected by harvest residue management methods, but further research is necessary in order to establish whether slash management options influence long term tree growth and vegetation dynamics

Validation of the Portuguese Variant of the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQPT)

This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) Ph.D. research Grants PDE/BDE/114584/2016 and PDE/BDE/127787/2016 and the Bial Foundation (135/18).Introduction: Differences in the manner circadian clocks entrain to the 24-h day are expressions of different chronotypes that can range from extreme early to extreme late, from proverbial larks to owls. The Morningness Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) was one of the first to assess daily preference based on subjective self-assessment – a psychological construct. The later developed Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ) uses instead the actual sleep timing to assess chronotype. It calculates the mid-sleep point, halfway between onset and offset on work-free days (MSF), which is then corrected for potential oversleep on free days compensating for sleep debt accumulated over the workweek (MSFsc). MSFsc is expressed in local time and is thought to be a proxy for “phase of entrainment” of the circadian clock. The MCTQ-derived chronotype is therefore a biological construct. In the present report, we validate the Portuguese variant (MCTQPT) of the MCTQ. Portugal is of particular interest, since it is thought to consist of especially late chronotypes. Methods: We have used three methods to assess the timing of daily behavior, namely, the chronotype (MCTQ), the daily preference (rMEQ), and a simple self-assessment (time-of-day type). A total of 80 healthy adults living in Portugal, with age and sex distributed according to the Portuguese population, were recruited. We analyzed 4 weeks of continuous records of actimetry data to validate the MCTQPT and used the rMEQ to compare between a biological chronotype (sleep timing) and a psychological chronotype (daily preference). MCTQ variables were analyzed by descriptive statistics; correspondence between measurements was done by Spearman correlations or cross-tabulation; in a subset of 41 individuals, test–retest reliability was assessed. Results: MCTQ-derived variables (MSF, MSW, MSFsc) correlated highly with their counterparts calculated from actimetry (MSW: rho = 0.697; MSF: rho = 0.747; MSFsc: rho = 0.646; all p < 0.001). The MCTQ assessment of the chronotype showed good test–retest reliability (rho = 0.905; p < 0.001). The rMEQ score correlates with MSFsc (rho = −0.695; p < 0.001), and the agreement for the self-assessment with the MSFsc was fair (kw = 0.386; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The Portuguese variant of the MCTQ revealed to be a reliable questionnaire to assess the chronotype for the Portuguese adult population, as previously reported for other countries.publishersversionpublishe