Aquatic hyphomycete taxonomic relatedness translates into lower genetic divergence of the nitrate reductase gene

Aquatic hyphomycetes are key microbial decomposers in freshwater that are capable of producing extracellular enzymes targeting complex molecules of leaf litter, thus, being crucial to nutrient cycling in these ecosystems. These fungi are also able to assimilate nutrients (e.g., nitrogen) from stream water, immobilizing these nutrients in the decomposing leaf litter and increasing its nutritional value for higher trophic levels. Evaluating the aquatic hyphomycete functional genetic diversity is, thus, pivotal to understanding the potential impacts of biodiversity loss on nutrient cycling in freshwater. In this work, the inter- and intraspecific taxonomic (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region) and functional (nitrate reductase gene) diversity of 40 aquatic hyphomycete strains, belonging to 23 species, was evaluated. A positive correlation was found between the taxonomic and nitrate reductase gene divergences. Interestingly, some cases challenged this trend: Dactylella cylindrospora (Orbiliomycetes) and Thelonectria rubi (Sordariomycetes), which were phylogenetically identical but highly divergent regarding the nitrate reductase gene; and Collembolispora barbata (incertae sedis) and Tetracladium apiense (Leotiomycetes), which exhibited moderate taxonomic divergence but no divergence in the nitrate reductase gene. Additionally, Tricladium chaetocladium (Leotiomycetes) strains were phylogenetically identical but displayed a degree of nitrate reductase gene divergence above the average for the interspecific level. Overall, both inter- and intraspecific functional diversity were observed among aquatic hyphomycetes.This work was supported by the “Contrato-Programa” UIDB/04050/2020 funded by national funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) I.P and by the project STREAMECO-Biodiversity and eco-system functioning under climate change: from the gene to the stream: PTDC/CTA-AMB/31245/2017 funded by FCT

O gene da nitrato redutase é diverso entre as espécies de hifomicetos aquáticos?

Os hifomicetos aquáticos (AQH) são os principais decompositores microbianos de folhada em ribeiros, sendo capazes de produzir enzimas extracelulares que degradam as moléculas complexas da folhada, desempenhando portanto um papel crucial no ciclo de nutrientes nestes ecossistemas. Estes fungos também assimilam nutrientes (azoto e fósforo) da água, imobilizando-os na folhada em decomposição e aumentando seu valor nutricional para níveis tróficos superiores. A nitrato redutase é a enzima responsável por iniciar o processo metabólico de assimilação de nitrato por meio da conversão de nitrato em nitrito. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a diversidade do gene que codifica a nitrato redutase em espécies de hifomicetos aquáticos. Os resultados revelaram diferenças intra- e interespecíficas entre os isolados fúngicos, tanto no fragmento do gene como na proteína para a qual ele se traduz. Isto levanta questões sobre se estas diferenças genéticas afetam a funcionalidade da enzima, e quais os possíveis impactos para o ciclo do azoto em ecossistemas de água doce.Este trabalho foi suportado pela FCT (projeto STREAMECO - PTDC/CTA-AMB/31245/2017)

Assessing cognitive function in older adults using a videoconference approach

Background: The use of communication technologies is an emerging trend in healthcare and research. Despite efficient, reliable and accurate neuropsychological batteries to evaluate cognitive performance in-person, more diverse and less expensive and time consuming solutions are needed. Here we conducted a pilot study to determine the applicability of a videoconference (VC, Skype (R)) approach to assess cognitive function in older adults, using The Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-Modified - Portuguese version (TICSM-PT). Methods: After inclusion and exclusion criteria, 69 individuals (mean age = 74.90 +/- 9.46 years), selected from registries of local health centers and assisted-living facilities, were assessed on cognitive performance using videoconference, telephone and in-person approaches. Findings: The videoconference administration method yielded comparable results to the traditional application. Correlation analyses showed high associations between the testing modalities: TICSM-PT VC and TICSM-PT telephone (r=0.885), TICSM-PT VC and MMSE face-to-face (r=0.801). Using the previously validated threshold for cognitive impairment on the TICSM-PT telephone, TICSM-PT VC administration presented a sensitivity of 87.8% and a specificity of 84.6%. Interpretation: Findings indicate for the range of settings where videoconference approaches can be used, and for their applicability and acceptability, providing an alternative to current cognitive assessment methods. Continued validation studies and adaptation of neuropsychological instruments is warranted.This work was funded by the European Commission (FP7): "SwitchBox" (Contract HEALTH-F2-2010-259772), and co-financed by the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2 - O Novo Norte), under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), and by the Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian (Portugal) (Contract grant number: P-139977; project "Better mental health during ageing based on temporal prediction of individual brain ageing trajectories (TEMPO)"). TCC and LA are recipients of a doctoral fellowship from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal; SFRH/BD/90078/2012 and SFRH/BD/101398/2014, respectively, the latter from the POCH program and co-financed by the Fundo Social Europeu and MCTES); PSM is supported by the FCT fellowship grant (PDE/BDE/113601/2015 from the PhD-iHES program); and, NCS of a Research Assistantship by FCT through the "FCT Investigator Programme (2008 Ciencia)".info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mental Health and Academic Motivation Among Graduating College Students: A Correlational Study

This study investigates the significant relationship between mental health and academic motivation among graduating students. Thus, the study employed a correlational design to determine if there is a significant relationship between mental health and academic motivation among 150 graduating college students. Hence, the Mental Health Inventory 38 (MHI-38) and Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C28) were employed to measure the study variables. Moreover, statistical analysis reveals that the r coefficient of 0.35 indicates a low positive correlation between the variables. The p-value of 0.00, which is less than 0.05, leads to the decision to reject the null hypothesis

Iron status is associated with mood, cognition, and functional ability in older adults: a cross-sectional study

Several conditions are risk factors for iron deficiency (ID), some of which are highly prevalent in older individuals. Despite the amount of evidence pointing for a role of ID in cognition, mood and physical functional ability, the research addressing these associations in older individuals is still scarce. In the present study, 162 older community-dwelling individuals (29.53% classified as ID) were enrolled in a cross-sectional analysis and characterized regarding cognition, mood, functional ability, general nutritional intake and iron status. Assessment of iron status was performed using several blood biomarkers. Storage and erythropoiesis dimensions were positively associated with memory, along with an interaction (moderator effect) between iron storage and nutritional status. A more depressed mood was negatively associated with (iron) transport, transport saturation and erythropoiesis dimensions, and functional tiredness was positively associated with the erythropoiesis dimension. These observations indicate that lower iron status is associated with depressive mood, functional tiredness and poorer memory ability, with the latter moderated by nutritional status. These findings suggest that using iron as a continuous variable may be useful in finding associations with iron homeostasis, eventually missed when iron levels are considered within the usual classification groups.This work has been funded by National funds, through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)-project UIDB/50026/2020 and UIDP/50026/2020; and by the projects NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000013 and NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000023, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), by the Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian (Portugal) (contract grant number: P-139977; project "Better Mental Health during Ageing based on Temporal Prediction of Individual Brain Ageing Trajectories (TEMPO)") and by the European Commission (FP7): "SwitchBox" (Contract HEALTH-F2-2010-259772). C.P.-N was supported by the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) doctoral scholarship PD/BD/106050/2015 via the Inter-University PhD Programme in Ageing and Chronic Diseases, T.C.C. was a recipient of a doctoral fellowship from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; SFRH/BD/90078/2012), L.A. was a recipient of a doctoral fellowship from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT; SFRH/BD/101398/2014), P.S.M. was supported by the FCT fellowship grant with the reference PDE/BDE/113601/2015 from the PhDiHES program, N.C.S. was a recipient of a research assistantship by the through the FCT Investigator Programme 200 infinity Ciencia

Mental Health and Academic Motivation Among Graduating College Students: A Correlational Study

This study investigates the significant relationship between mental health and academic motivation among graduating students. Thus, the study employed a correlational design to determine if there is a significant relationship between mental health and academic motivation among 150 graduating college students. Hence, the Mental Health Inventory 38 (MHI-38) and Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C28) were employed to measure the study variables. Moreover, statistical analysis reveals that the r coefficient of 0.35 indicates a low positive correlation between the variables. The p-value of 0.00, which is less than 0.05, leads to the decision to reject the null hypothesis

Both SEPT2 and MLL are down-regulated in MLL-SEPT2 therapy-related myeloid neoplasia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A relevant role of septins in leukemogenesis has been uncovered by their involvement as fusion partners in <it>MLL</it>-related leukemia. Recently, we have established the <it>MLL-SEPT2 </it>gene fusion as the molecular abnormality subjacent to the translocation t(2;11)(q37;q23) in therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia. In this work we quantified <it>MLL </it>and <it>SEPT2 </it>gene expression in 58 acute myeloid leukemia patients selected to represent the major AML genetic subgroups, as well as in all three cases of <it>MLL-SEPT2</it>-associated myeloid neoplasms so far described in the literature.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cytogenetics, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and molecular studies (RT-PCR, qRT-PCR and qMSP) were used to characterize 58 acute myeloid leukemia patients (AML) at diagnosis selected to represent the major AML genetic subgroups: <it>CBFB-MYH11 </it>(n = 13), <it>PML-RARA </it>(n = 12); <it>RUNX1-RUNX1T1 </it>(n = 12), normal karyotype (n = 11), and <it>MLL </it>gene fusions other than <it>MLL-SEPT2 </it>(n = 10). We also studied all three <it>MLL-SEPT2 </it>myeloid neoplasia cases reported in the literature, namely two AML patients and a t-MDS patient.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>When compared with normal controls, we found a 12.8-fold reduction of wild-type <it>SEPT2 </it>and <it>MLL-SEPT2 </it>combined expression in cases with the <it>MLL-SEPT2 </it>gene fusion (p = 0.007), which is accompanied by a 12.4-fold down-regulation of wild-type <it>MLL </it>and <it>MLL-SEPT2 </it>combined expression (p = 0.028). The down-regulation of <it>SEPT2 </it>in <it>MLL-SEPT2 </it>myeloid neoplasias was statistically significant when compared with all other leukemia genetic subgroups (including those with other <it>MLL </it>gene fusions). In addition, <it>MLL </it>expression was also down-regulated in the group of <it>MLL </it>fusions other than <it>MLL-SEPT2</it>, when compared with the normal control group (p = 0.023)</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found a significant down-regulation of both <it>SEPT2 </it>and <it>MLL </it>in <it>MLL-SEPT2 </it>myeloid neoplasias. In addition, we also found that <it>MLL </it>is under-expressed in AML patients with <it>MLL </it>fusions other than <it>MLL-SEPT2</it>.</p

COVID-19 symptoms at hospital admission vary with age and sex: results from the ISARIC prospective multinational observational study

Background: The ISARIC prospective multinational observational study is the largest cohort of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. We present relationships of age, sex, and nationality to presenting symptoms. Methods: International, prospective observational study of 60 109 hospitalized symptomatic patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 recruited from 43 countries between 30 January and 3 August 2020. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate relationships of age and sex to published COVID-19 case definitions and the most commonly reported symptoms. Results: ‘Typical’ symptoms of fever (69%), cough (68%) and shortness of breath (66%) were the most commonly reported. 92% of patients experienced at least one of these. Prevalence of typical symptoms was greatest in 30- to 60-year-olds (respectively 80, 79, 69%; at least one 95%). They were reported less frequently in children (≤ 18 years: 69, 48, 23; 85%), older adults (≥ 70 years: 61, 62, 65; 90%), and women (66, 66, 64; 90%; vs. men 71, 70, 67; 93%, each P &lt; 0.001). The most common atypical presentations under 60 years of age were nausea and vomiting and abdominal pain, and over 60 years was confusion. Regression models showed significant differences in symptoms with sex, age and country. Interpretation: This international collaboration has allowed us to report reliable symptom data from the largest cohort of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Adults over 60 and children admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are less likely to present with typical symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are common atypical presentations under 30 years. Confusion is a frequent atypical presentation of COVID-19 in adults over 60 years. Women are less likely to experience typical symptoms than men

A desidratação no idoso: à admissão versus no internamento

Trabalho final do 6º ano médico com vista à atribuição do grau de mestre (área científica de geriatria), apresentado à Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra.Introdução: A desidratação hipertónica é um distúrbio potencialmente grave e comum no idoso, sendo também uma complicação frequente dos internamentos hospitalares. Uma vez que estudos em populações exclusivamente geriátricas são escassos, desenhou-se um estudo cujo objetivo principal foi a comparação entre dois grupos de idosos: um com hipernatrémia à admissão hospitalar e outro que a desenvolveu no internamento, por forma a compreender as diferenças entre estas duas populações, conhecer os seus riscos associados e o seu prognóstico. Métodos: Realizou-se um estudo retrospetivo, descritivo e inferencial, utilizando como amostra populacional os doentes geriátricos internados no serviço de Medicina Interna A do Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, de Janeiro a Dezembro de 2014, com o diagnóstico de desidratação/hipernatrémia e com pelo menos um valor de natrémia superior a 145 mmol/L. Os dados foram obtidos através dos registos de urgência e de enfermagem, cartas de alta, histórias clínicas, diários clínicos médicos, registos de patologia clínica e registo nacional de utentes. O estudo estatístico foi efetuado com o SPSS Statistics. Resultados: Dos 244 doentes da amostra, 61,9% apresentaram hipernatrémia à admissão e 38,1% desenvolveram-na no internamento. Os doentes com hipernatrémia à admissão apresentaram em média picos de sódio superiores (158,23 mmol/L ± 6,898 vs. 152,28 mmol/L ± 5,553, p0,05). Cerca de 60% dos doentes com hipernatrémia à admissão eram do sexo feminino e 59% dos que a desenvolveram no internamento eram homens. A maioria dos idosos desidratados à admissão residia em lar (49,3%), contrariamente aos que desenvolveram desidratação no internamento (maioria residia no domicílio – 53,9%). O Índice de Katz foi significativamente inferior nos doentes com hipernatrémia à admissão (p<0,001), sendo que este grupo apresentou também uma maior percentagem de doentes demenciados (64,6% vs. 44,4%, p=0,002) e com sequelas de AVC (40,1% vs. 25%, p=0,016). Discussão: A maior prevalência de hipernatrémia à admissão contraria a tendência observada em estudos anteriores. Já os valores da natrémia nos dois grupos vão de encontro aos resultados dos referidos estudos. A patologia infeciosa foi o diagnóstico principal mais comum em ambos os grupos, podendo ter sido a causa da desidratação em muitos doentes. Apesar de vários estudos referirem que a desidratação no internamento se associa a maiores complicações e mortalidade, o mesmo não foi identificado neste estudo. Conclusão: Os doentes em risco de se apresentarem desidratados são diferentes nos dois grupos. À admissão hospitalar são essencialmente residentes em lares, mulheres, demenciados, com sequelas de AVC e com elevado grau de dependência de terceiros. Por outro lado, os doentes em risco de desidratarem no internamento são essencialmente provenientes do domicílio, homens e mais autónomos. Independentemente do local onde ocorreu a desidratação, verificaram-se altas taxas de mortalidade hospitalar e a médio prazo. Background: Hypertonic dehydration is a potentially serious and common disorder in the elderly. It is also a common complication of hospital admissions. Since there are a few studies in geriatric populations, the authors have designed a study with the main purpose of comparing two groups of elderly patients: one of them with hypernatremia at hospital admission and another that have developed it during hospitalization, in order to understand the differences between these two populations, know their associated risks and their prognosis. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive and inferential study, using as sample geriatric patients admitted to the internal medicine service of our hospital, from January to December 2014, with the diagnosis of dehydration/hypernatremia and at least one value of serum sodium above 145 mmol/L. Data were obtained through emergency records, nursing records, discharge letters, medical records, clinical medical journals, clinical pathology records and national registration of users. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Statistics. Results: Of the 244 patients in the sample, 61.9% had hypernatremia on admission and 38.1% developed it in the hospital. Patients with hypernatremia on admission showed higher sodium peak (158.23 mmol/L versus 152.28 ± 6.898 mmol/L ± 5.553, p 0.05). About 60% of patients with hypernatremia on admission were women, however, 59% of the patients who developed it in the hospital were men. Most of the elderly who were dehydrated on admission were living in care homes (49.3%) and the majority of who developed dehydration in the hospital were living at their own homes (53.9%). The Katz Index was significantly lower in patients with hypernatremia at admission (p <0.001), and this group also had a higher percentage of patients with dementia (64.6% versus 44.4%, p = 0.002) and stroke sequels (40.1% vs. 25%, p = 0.016). Discussion: The higher prevalence of hypernatremia on admission was the opposite of that reported in previous studies. The values of natremia in both groups, on the other hand, are in agreement with the results of those studies. The infectious disease was the most common primary diagnosis in both groups and may be the cause of dehydration in many patients. Although several studies revealed that dehydration during hospitalization is associated with more complications and higher mortality rates, the same was not identified in this study. Conclusion: Patients at risk of dehydration are different in both groups. The risks associated with dehydration at hospital admission are essentially: living in care homes, women, with dementia, with stroke sequels and with an high dependence from others. On the other hand, patients at risk of dehydration during hospital stay are essentially: living in their own home, men and more autonomous. Regardless where the dehydration in the elderly occurred, the mortality rate was high (in-hospital and at medium term)