Antioxidant,antimicrobial and toxicological properties of Schinus molle L. essential oils

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Schinus molle L. has been used in folk medicine as antibacterial, antiviral, topical antiseptic, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumoural as well as antispasmodic and analgesic; however, there are few studies of pharmacological and toxicological properties of S. molle essential oils. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of S. molle leaf and fruit essential oils, correlated with their chemical composition and evaluate their acute toxicity. Materials and methods: The chemical composition of S. molle leaf and fruit essential oils were evaluated by GC-FID and GC-MS. Antioxidant properties were determined using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and β-carotene/linoleic acid methods. Antimicrobial properties were evaluated by the agar disc diffusion method and minimal inhibitory concentration assay. Toxicity in Artemia salina and acute toxicity with behavioural screening in mice were evaluated. Results: The dominant compounds found in leaf and fruit essential oils (EOs) were monoterpene hydrocarbons, namely -phellandrene, β-phellandrene, β-myrcene, limonene and α-pinene. EOs showed low scavenging antioxidant activity by the DPPH free radical method and a higher activity by the β-carotene/linoleic acid method. Antimicrobial activity of EOs was observed for Gram+, Gram– pathogenic bacteria and food spoilage fungi. EOs showed cytotoxicity for Artemia salina and lower toxicity in Swiss mice. Conclusions: The result showed that EOs of leaves and fruits of S. molle demonstrated antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, suggesting their potential use in food or pharmaceutical industries

Scientific evidence in the third sector: follow up Dianova Portugal

What is scientific evidence in the third sector for? This article aims to answer this central question based on a sustained argumentation in a follow-up study carried out at the therapeutic community Quinta das Lapas of the Dianova Association, in Portugal. The study of the integration trajectories of ex-dependents after the therapeutic process carried out at that community between 1999 and 2009, permitted the identification of some critical aspects in the process of social reinsertion. These are the aspects we discuss here, defending that from this analysis and discussion changes will result impacting the level of improvement of the services of treatment and reinsertion, and also the level of related public policies. Thus contributing to a more effective social reintegration of persons in a situation of vulnerability and consequently to the promotion of social cohesion

Raciocínio e comportamento social - Que relaçao? Contributos de um estudo com jovens portugueses

[Resumo] Nas últimas décadas ternos assistido a um crescente interesse, cm Psicologia e Psicopedagogia, pelo estudo do desenvolvimento e do comportamento social, Os estudos sobre «Inteligéncia socíal» preconizados, e.g., por Ford (1982), Gardner(1983). Stemberg (1985) marcam algumas das vias conceptuáis e metodológicas mais significativas relativos a esta temática. É neste contexto que vimos desonvolvendo um projecto sobre a «definiçao e avalía~a da inteligencia social cm jovens» (Candeias & Almeida, 1998. 1999,2000). No ámbito deste projecto, mais amplo, é nosso objectivo apresentar o estudo da relaçáo entre inteligencia social e índices de auto e hetero-percepçáo de competencia social em jovens portugueses. Explorando possíveís interacçoes entre raciocínio social e comportamento social. A finalizar apresentamos algumas implicaçoes psicopedagógicas deste estudo para o desenvolvimento do jovem

The measurement by serological means of the impact of the Hong Kong/68 influenza virus on a population

In order to obtain evidence on the size of the impact of the Hong Kong/68 variant of influenza A2 virus on the population of São Paulo, Brazil, serum samples taken in 1967 before this variant appeared and during successive years after it appeared were examined for their antibody content. Haemagglutination-inhibition tests performed on a total of 2726 serum samples from adults showed a sharp decrease in 1969 of the proportion of sera without antibody to the Hong Kong/68 variant and a corresponding mercase in the proportion with high titres. It was concluded that about three-quarters of the adult population became infected at some time after the variant appeared, the majority in the first year of prevalence.Objetivou-se evidenciar a intensidade da ação da variante Hong Kong/68 do virus da influenza A2 sobre a população de São Paulo, Brasil. Para tanto, foram coletados soros em 1967, antes do aparecimento dessa variante e durante anos seguintes à sua presença, para investigação de seu conteúdo em anticorpos. As provas de inibição da hemaglutinação, levadas a efeito em 2726 amostras de adultos, mostraram acentuada declínio em 1969, relativo à proporção de soros sem anticorpos para Hong Kong/68 e correspondente aumento na proporção com títulos elevados. Conclui-se que cerca de tres quartos da população adulta adquiriu a infecção algum tempo após o aparecimento da variante, a maioria no primeiro ano de prevalência

Persistent Hypothermia and Excessive Sweating Following Intrathecal Morphine Administration in a Teenage Boy: A Case Report

INTRODUCTION: Opioids are used intrathecally to manage surgical pain. There are few reports of hypothermia after spinal morphine injection, none in the pediatric population. We present a teenager's case of mild hypothermia. CASE PRESENTATION: A 15-year-old boy was scheduled for elective abdominal laparotomy. General anesthesia was combined with spinal anesthesia, using levobupivacaine and morphine. In the recovery room, he presented a decreased tympanic temperature (34.4°C) associated with excessive sweating, hyperglycemia, and complained of feeling hot. All other vital signs were normal. It was decided to maintain clinical vigilance and hourly monitoring of temperature and glycaemia values. Despite active warming, he remained hypothermic for 16 hours, with gradual remission of symptoms and normalization of glycemic values. It is unknown how intrathecal morphine causes hypothermia. The most viable hypothesis is its effect on the hypothalamus. In our case the most probable causes of post anesthesia hypothermia were excluded; therefore, we can admit that the cause of hypothermia was the spinal administration of morphine. Some reports used naloxone and lorazepam successfully. In our report, they disappeared spontaneously 16 hours later, which corroborates our diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Children undergoing subarachnoid block with with intrathecal morphine may develop a disruption on thermoregulation, leading to a resistant postoperative hypothermia associated with excessive sweating.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Specificity and performance evaluation of a novel RNA-FISH probe for the identification of Rhodotorula sp.

To distinguish Rhodotorula sp., from other microorganisms that produce the same type of alterations on CH materials, proper identification methods must be applied. RNA-fluorescence and in situ hybridization (RNA-FISH) has the potential to specifically identify the target microorganism of interest in complex microbial communities (it is based on hybridization of fluorescently-labeled oligonucleotide probes targeting to specific regions of the ribosomal RNA). Thus, the aim of this study was to design a novel genus specific RNAFISH probe against Rhodotorula sp., and to evaluate its specificity and performance both in silico and experimentally. This will contribute for facilitating Rhodotorula sp., identification in degraded CH materials by RNA-FISH.This work was co-financed by FCT through PTDC/BBB-IMG/0046/2014 project and SFRH/BPD/100754/2014 grant and by ALT20-03-0246-FEDER-000004-ALENTEJO 2020 project

Prevalence of antibodies to the BK and JC papovaviruses in isolated populations

A total of 173 sera from isolated Brazilian Indian populations, 39 from the Diauarun area, and 68 from the Alto Xingú area, respectively in the North and the South of the Xingú National Park and 66 Kren-Akorore Indians, were examined for hemagglutination - inhibiting (HI) antibodies against BK and JC viruses. The global percentages of positive sera (;>;; 1:40) were 5.2% for BK virus and 1.7% for JC virus. The distribution of positive sera according to the population groups showed one individual to be positive for BK virus in the Diauarun Indians and none of the sera contained HI antibody to JC virus; in the Alto Xingú Indians, 4 were positive for BK virus and 3 others were positive for JC virus; as regards Kren-Akorore Indians none of the sera contained antibody to JC virus, and only 4 were BK positive. Due to the limited number of observations it was neither possible to determine the time of occurrence of seroconversion nor correlate the positivity rates for both viruses in the different tribes with the respective "contact" with the white population.Foram estudados 173 soros de índios brasileiros, sendo 39 da área Diauarum, 68 do Alto Xingú e 66 índios Kren-Akorore. A pesquisa de anticorpos inibidores da hemaglutinação para os papovavirus BK e JC mostrou uma percentagem global de positividade (;>;; 40) para os virus BK de 5,2% e para o virus JC de 1,7%. A distribuição dos soros positivos segundo sua origem foi a seguinte: dos 39 índios Diauarum somente um apresentou titulo significante para o virus BK e nenhum deles foi positivo para o virus JC; dos 68 índios do Alto Xingú, 4 apresentaram título significante para o virus BK e 3 para o virus JC, sendo estes últimos diferentes dos indivíduos positivos para o virus BK; dos 66 índios Kren-Akorore, 4 mostraram possuir título significante para o virus BK, sem positividade para o virus JC. O número reduzido de soros não permitiu estabelecer o momento da ser o conservação, em termos de idade, como não permitiu relacionar as taxas de positividade com o maior ou menor "contato" com a população branca

Questionário de atitudes face à matemática (QAFM) – Desenvolvimento, construção e estudo psicométrico com crianças e jovens do 2.º e 3.º ciclos do ensino básico português.

Enquadramento Conceptual: A matemática é considerada uma das disciplinas fundamentais do currículo escolar. Contudo, é assombrada pelo elevado insucesso dos alunos nos diferentes anos de escolaridade. Na tentativa de explicar este baixo rendimento académico, as investigações apontam para uma relação entre a dimensão afetiva do indivíduo (crenças, atitudes e emoções) e os processos de ensino-aprendizagem da matemática. Objetivo: O objetivo central deste estudo é, primeiro, desenvolver um instrumento de avaliação das atitudes face à matemática para crianças e jovens do 2.º e 3.º Ciclos do Ensino Básico Português, segundo, estudar a relação entre as atitudes face à matemática e variáveis pessoais (sexo e grupo etário) e nível escolar. Metodologia: Neste estudo participaram 307 alunos do 2.º e 3.º Ciclos do Ensino Básico de uma Escola de Évora. Resultados: A partir do estudo psicométrico é possível concluir que o Questionário de Atitudes Face à Matemática (QAFM) apresenta características psicométricas bastante aceitáveis e, por isso, promissoras para fazer face ao diagnóstico das atitudes face à matemática. A análise dos resultados mostra que não existem diferenças estatisticamente significativas em função do sexo quanto à escala atitudes face à matemática total. Contudo, em função do grupo etário e do ano de escolaridade os alunos revelaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas nos fatores interesse e valor percebido, sugerindo que quanto mais experiência académica os alunos têm com a matemática mais desfavoráveis se tornam as suas atitudes. Conclusão: Atendendo ao impacto pessoal, profissional e social da matemática estes resultados devem ser considerados em programas de promoção do rendimento académico a matemática que contribuam para alunos matematicamente desenvolvidos, conscientes da importância e utilidade da mesma

Academic Achievement in Physics-Chemistry: The Predictive Effect of Attitudes and Reasoning Abilities

Science education plays a critical role as political priority due to its fundamental importance in engaging students to pursue technological careers considered essential in modern societies, in order to face scientific development challenges. High-level achievement on science education and positive attitudes toward science constitutes a crucial challenge for formal education. Several studies indicate close relationships between students’ attitudes, cognitive abilities, and academic achievement. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of student’s attitudes toward the school discipline of Physics and Chemistry and their reasoning abilities on academic achievement on that school subject, among Portuguese 9th grade students using the data collected during the Project Academic Performance and Development: a longitudinal study on the effects of school transitions in Portuguese students (PTDC/CPE-CED/104884/2008). The participants were 470 students (267 girls – 56.8% and 203 boys – 43.2%), aged 14–16 years old (m D 14.3 0.58). The attitude data were collected using the Attitude toward Physics-Chemistry Questionnaire (ATPCQ) and, the Reasoning Test Battery (RTB) was used to assess the students reasoning abilities. Achievement was measured using the students’ quarterly (9-week) grades in the physics and chemistry subject. The relationships between the attitude dimensions toward Physics-chemistry and the reasoning dimensions and achievement in each of the three school terms were assessed by multiple regression stepwise analyses and standardized regression coefficients (b), calculated with IBM SPSS Statistics 21 software. Both variables studied proved to be significant predictor variables of school achievement. The models obtained from the use of both variables were always stronger accounting for higher proportions of student’s grade variations. The results show that ATPCQ and RTB had a significantly positive relationship with student’s achievement in Physics-chemistry, indicating that both attitudinal and cognitive variables should be taken into account on science education as well as in educative intervention

Ageing perception in seniors’ formal caregivers

This paper explores the ageing perception of a group of seniors’ caregiver workers, particularly those who have direct contact with the elderly while performing their tasks. Therefore, we analyze the variables that influence this perception and the ones that can be good predictors. One hundred and forty-eight individuals took part in this study (a hundred and thirty- five females and twelve males) with ages between twentyone and sixty-five years old. It was applied the Portuguese versions of the tests Ageing Perception Questionnaire, the Self-Concept Scale (TSCS:2) and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The results showed that the ageing perception is more negative as age advances. On the other hand, individuals with higher education, training in the health field or with a stronger self-concept have a more positive ageing perception. The studied variables that best predict the emotional representation for ageing are the academic qualifications and the academic self-concept.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio