Case Report

We report a case of a cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) in a chronic kidney disease patient with three CVT predisposing conditions. A 53 year-old woman on chronic peritoneal dialysis presented to the emergency department with acute headache and vertigo. The neurological examination and head CT scan performed at the emergency department were normal but, three days later, a lateral gait deviation and a horizontal nystagmus were identified. A brain MRI and MRI-venogram confirmed a left lateral sinus thrombosis. Hormonal replacement therapy (HRT), a positive lupus anticoagulante and a homozygous mutation on the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene, with hyperhomocysteinaemia, were the three well-known prothrombotic conditions identified in this patient. HRT was discontinued, the patient started anticoagulation with warfarin and folic acid supplementation and was discharged, 10 days after admission, complaining of a mild vertigo. After six months of therapy the patient had vertigo improvement and maintained a positive lupus anticoagulant. The head MRI and MRI-venography showed a thrombus reduction.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Interplay between the salience and the default mode network in a social-cognitive task toward a close other

Social cognition relies on two main subsystems to construct the understanding of others, which are sustained by different social brain networks. One of these social networks is the default mode network (DMN) associated with the socio-cognitive subsystem (i.e., mentalizing), and the other is the salience network (SN) associated with the socio-affective route (i.e., empathy). The DMN and the SN are well-known resting state networks that seem to constitute a baseline for the performance of social tasks. We aimed to investigate both networks' functional connectivity (FC) pattern in the transition from resting state to social task performance. A sample of 38 participants involved in a monogamous romantic relationship completed a questionnaire of dyadic empathy and underwent an fMRI protocol that included a resting state acquisition followed by a task in which subjects watched emotional videos of their romantic partner and elaborated on their partner's (Other condition) or on their own experience (Self condition). Independent component and ROI-to-ROI correlation analysis were used to assess alterations in task-independent (Rest condition) and task-dependent (Self and Other conditions) FC. We found that the spatial FC maps of the DMN and SN evidenced the traditional regions associated with these networks in the three conditions. Anterior and posterior DMN regions exhibited increased FC during the social task performance compared to resting state. The Other condition revealed a more limited SN's connectivity in comparison to the Self and Rest conditions. The results revealed an interplay between the main nodes of the DMN and the core regions of the SN, particularly evident in the Self and Other conditions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The teas of Portuguese centenarians

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Introduction: Medicinal plants traditional consumption habits, can contribute to longevity. Methods: A sample of 253 centenarian individuals in Portugal, both sexes, median age 100 years, was studied, to verify past habits in relation to medicinal-interest plants use. It was compared with a control group median age 67 year, with a reduced theoretical probability of reaching 100 years. Results: Among the 8 most cited plants, in decreasing frequency order, in centenarian's group: Lemon-balm, barley, lemon-verbena, orange (leaf-flower), linden, whig-plant, pennyroyal and mount-carqueja (Pterospartum-tridentatum); in the control group: Lemon-balm, lemonverbena, chamomile, linden, prince-herb, green-tea, lemon-tea and minttea. Whereas 28% of the control subjects reported not using infusion plants, in the centennial group, only 9.1% reported not routinely use them (χ2¼30,42, po0.001). Among the 8 plants most marked by the centenarians that were not mentioned by the controls, they include barley, whig-plant, pennyroyal and mount-carqueja. Conclusion: the high antioxidant power associated with the use of plants by centenarian individuals, determined by anti-free radical's activity, lipoperoxidation inhibition and antitumor potential, may have contributed to their exceptional longevity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effect of chitosan and Aloe Vera extract concentrations on the physicochemical properties of chitosan biofilms

Chitosan films have been extensively studied as dressings in formulations for the treatment of chronic wounds. The incorporation of aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) into chitosan dressings could potentialize the healing process since aloe vera shows several pharmacological activities. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of aloe vera and chitosan concentrations on the physicochemical properties of the developed films. The films were obtained by casting technique and characterized with respect to their color parameters, morphology, barrier and mechanical properties, and thermal analysis. Results showed that the presence of aloe vera modified the films color parameters, changed barrier properties, increased fluid handling capacity (FHC), and decreased water-vapor permeability (WVP). The reduced elongation at break resulted in more rigid films. Aloe vera concentration did not significantly change film properties, but the presence of this gel increased the films stability at temperatures below 200 °C, showing similar behavior as chitosan films above 400 °C. The results suggest a crosslinking/complexation between chitosan and aloe vera, which combine appropriate physicochemical properties for application as wound dressing materials.This work was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) (2010/17.721-4), Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) through the projects M-ERA-NET/0004/2015 (PAIRED) and UIDB/04469/2020 (strategic fund) funded by national funds, and co-financed Education (FCT/MEC) from national funds and FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT202info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Luria lurida (Gastropoda), a new record for the Pleistocene of Santa Maria, Azores

The cypraeid gastropod Luria lurida (Linnaeus, 1758) is reported for the first time from Pleistocene deposits at the Prainha site, on the island of Santa Maria, Azores archipelago

Genotoxicity assessment of metal-based nanocomposites applied in drug delivery

Nanocomposites as drug delivery systems (e.g., metal nanoparticles) are being exploited for several applications in the biomedical field, from therapeutics to diagnostics. Green nanocomposites stand for nanoparticles of biocompatible, biodegradable and non-toxic profiles. When using metal nanoparticles for drug delivery, the question of how hazardous these virus-sized particles can be is posed, due to their nanometer size range with enhanced reactivity compared to their respective bulk counterparts. These structures exhibit a high risk of being internalized by cells and interacting with the genetic material, with the possibility of inducing DNA damage. The Comet Assay, or Single-Cell Gel Electrophoresis (SCGE), stands out for its capacity to detect DNA strand breaks in eukaryotic cells. It has huge potential in the genotoxicity assessment of nanoparticles and respective cells interactions. In this review, the Comet assay is described, discussing several examples of its application in the genotoxicity evaluation of nanoparticles commonly administered in a set of routes (oral, skin, inhaled, ocular and parenteral administration). In the nanoparticles boom era, where guidelines for their evaluation are still very limited, it is urgent to ensure their safety, alongside their quality and efficacy. Comet assay or SCGE can be considered an essential tool and a reliable source to achieve a better nanotoxicology assessment of metal nanoparticles used in drug delivery.This work was funded by the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (FCT) from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCTES), through the projects UIDB/04469/2020 (CEB strategic fund) and UIDB/04033/2020 (CITAB), co-funded by European Funds (PRODER/COMPETE) and FEDER, under the Partnership Agreement PT2020. The work was also supported by the National Science Centre within the MINIATURA 4 for single research activity (grant No: 2020/04/X/ST5/00789) and by the START 2021 Program of the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) granted to Dr. Aleksandra Zielińskainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fisetin derivatives exhibit enhanced anti-inflammatory activity and modulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress

Fisetin (FST) is a dietary flavonol that is known to possess multiple relevant bioactivities, raising the question of its potential health benefits and even its use in novel pharmacological approaches. To attain this prospect, some limitations to this molecule, namely its poor bioavailability and solubility, must be addressed. Inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are often hand in hand in the context of chronic disease. Both are activated upon perceived disturbances in homeostasis but can be deleterious when intensely or chronically activated. We have synthesized a set of FST derivatives trying to improve the biological properties of the parent molecule. These new molecules were tested along with the original compound for their ability to mitigate the activation of these signaling pathways. FST has proven to be effective against the onset of inflammation, reducing NF-κB activation, cytokine release, inflammasome activation and ROS generation, as well as decreasing the activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). Some of the tested derivatives are also described as new caspase-1 inhibitors, being also capable of reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines and ER stress markers.(undefined

Stability under humidity, UV-light and bending of AZO films deposited by ALD on Kapton

H2020-ICT-2014-1 ERC-CoG-2014 CapTherPV, 647596Aluminium doped zinc oxide (AZO) films were grown by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) on yellow Kapton and transparent Kapton (type CS) substrates for large area flexible transparent thermoelectric applications, which performance relies on the thermoelectric properties of the transparent AZO films. Therefore, their adhesion to Kapton, environmental and bending stability were accessed. Plasma treatment on Kapton substrates improved films adhesion, reduced cracks formation, and enhanced electrical resistance stability over time, of importance for long term thermoelectric applications in external environment. While exposure to UV light intensity caused the films electrical resistance to vary, and therefore their maximum power density outputs (0.3–0.4 mW/cm3) for a constant temperature difference (∼10 °C), humidity exposure and consecutive bending up to a curvature radius above the critical one (∼18 mm) not. Testing whether the films can benefit from encapsulation revealed that this can provide extra bending stability and prevent contacts deterioration in the long term.publishersversionpublishe

Elemental mapping of Portuguese ceramic pieces with a full-field XRF scanner based on a 2D-THCOBRA detector

UID/FIS/04559/2020In this work, we present a novel application of the full-field energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) imaging system based on a MicroPattern Gaseous Detector (2D-THCOBRA) in the cultural heritage field. The detector has an intrinsic imaging capability with spatial resolution of 400μmFWHM, and is energy sensitive, presenting an energy resolution of approximately 1keVFWHM at 5.9keV. The full-field XRF scanner based on the 2D-THCOBRA detector allows mapping the distribution of elements in large area samples with high detection efficiency (75 % at 5.9keV), being a very promising choice for elemental mapping analysis of large area cultural heritage samples. In this work, we have demonstrated the imaging capabilities of the full-field XRF scanner and used it to assess the restoration of a Portuguese faience piece.publishersversionpublishe