Chronic effects of dredging-induced stress on the clam (Spisula solida): nucleic acid and lipid composition

Responses of the clam Spisula solida to stress imposed by dredging were analyzed in terms of changes in chronic indices of biochemical conditions (RNA/DNA ratio and neutral/polar (N/P) lipid ratio). Cumulative stress on undersized (<25 mm) S. solida from repeated habitat disturbance by dredging was simulated in the laboratory and measured with in situ studies off the southern coast of Portugal, in April and July 1999. Laboratory simulations on undersized bivalves indicated decreases in RNA/DNA and N/P lipid ratios. Responses were sublethal; however, even though survival was not directly threatened, decreases in condition suggest that bivalves are more susceptible to predation when they have been left in the seabed after the dredging activity. Moreover, the in situ study revealed that this effect could be especially critical during spawning

International Centre for Coastal Ecohydrology: applying the ecohydrology approach for the sustainable functioning of coastal ecosystems

Coastal areas are among the most sensitive and productive ecosystems around the world, providing for the subsistence of large numbers of people, particularly in developing countries. Human pressure on coastal areas has dramatically increased during the last decades and climate changes will pose new threats to these areas, as expected from sea-level rise and the decrease in freshwater discharges from rivers (Chicharo et al., 2009). The International Centre for Coastal Ecohydrology (ICCE) a newly approved centre under the auspices of UNESCO, in October 2009, is located in the Algarve region (south Portugal). The centre acts as a facilitator and synergetic structure by providing the articulation of different scientific and institutional stakeholders at national and international levels. ICCE aims are to contribute scientific knowledge, capacity-building, educational and dissemination activities to support, design and implement adaptation and mitigation strategies and policies for coastal zones, including the impacts of climate change, addressing the goals of the Strategic Plan of the 7th Phase of UNESCO-IHP, the Millennium Development Goals (UN-MDGs) and the key themes for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UN-DESD), particularly in African and Mediterranean regions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Direct tissue-sensing reprograms TLR4+ Tfh-like cells inflammatory profile in the joints of rheumatoid arthritis patients

Funding Information: We thank Cláudia Andrade for technical support and Juliana Gonçalves for testing samples for SARS-CoV-2 exposure. We are extremely grateful to all the participants of the study and to the whole rheumatology department at Hospital Egas Moniz that made this study possible. This work was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) PTDC/MEC-REU/29520/2017, by iNOVA4Health UID/Multi/04462 and by Portuguese Society for Rheumatology (SPR) grants to H.S. H.S. is supported by FCT through IF/01722/2013 and CEECIND/01049/2020, DAS and RCT were supported by FCT through PD/BD/137409/2018 and UID/Multi/04462, respectively. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).CD4+ T cells mediate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis through both antibody-dependent and independent mechanisms. It remains unclear how synovial microenvironment impinges on CD4+ T cells pathogenic functions. Here, we identified a TLR4+ follicular helper T (Tfh) cell-like population present in the blood and expanded in synovial fluid. TLR4+ T cells possess a two-pronged pathogenic activity whereby direct TLR4+ engagement by endogenous ligands in the arthritic joint reprograms them from an IL-21 response, known to sponsor antibody production towards an IL-17 inflammatory program recognized to fuel tissue damage. Ex vivo, synovial fluid TLR4+ T cells produced IL-17, but not IL-21. Blocking TLR4 signaling with a specific inhibitor impaired IL-17 production in response to synovial fluid recognition. Mechanistically, we unveiled that T-cell HLA-DR regulates their TLR4 expression. TLR4+ T cells appear to uniquely reconcile an ability to promote systemic antibody production with a local synovial driven tissue damage program.publishersversionpublishe

Morphological and Postural changes in the foot during pregnancy and puerperium : a longitudinal study

The aim of this study is to observe the morphological and postural changes to the foot that take place during pregnancy and the puerperium. Method: In this descriptive, observational, longitudinal study, we analysed 23 pregnant women, with particular attention to morphological and postural aspects of the foot, at three time points during and after pregnancy: in weeks 9-13 of gestation, weeks 32-35 of gestation and weeks 4-6 after delivery. The parameters considered were changes in foot length, the Foot Posture Index (FPI) and the Hernández Corvo Index, which were analysed using a pedigraph and taking into account the Body Mass Index (BMI). The same procedure was conducted in each review. Results: The statistical analyses obtained for each foot did not differ significantly between the three measurement times. A pronator-type footprint was most frequently observed during the third trimester of pregnancy; it was predominantly neutral during the postpartum period. Statistically significant differences between the measurement times were obtained in the right foot for cavus vs. neutral foot type (between the first and third trimesters and also between the first trimester and the puerperium) (in both cases, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Foot length increases in the third trimester and returns to normal in the puerperium. According to FPI findings, the third trimester of pregnancy is characterised by pronation, while the posture returns to neutrality during the postpartum period. During pregnancy, the plantar arch flattens, and this persists during the puerperium. The incidence of cavus foot increases significantly in the third trimester and in the puerperium

Identification of clusters of asthma control: A preliminary analysis of the inspirers studies

This work was funded by ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) through the operations: POCI- -01-0145-FEDER-029130 (“mINSPIRERS—mHealth to measure and improve adherence to medication in chronic obstructive respiratory diseases - generalisation and evaluation of gamification, peer support and advanced image processing technologies”) co-funded by the COMPETE2020 (Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização), Portugal 2020 and by Portuguese Funds through FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia).© 2020, Sociedade Portuguesa de Alergologia e Imunologia Clinica. All rights reserved. Aims: To identify distinct asthma control clusters based on Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) and to compare patients’ characteristics among these clusters. Methods: Adults and adolescents (≥13 years) with persistent asthma were recruited at 29 Portuguese hospital outpatient clinics, in the context of two observational studies of the INSPIRERS project. Demographic and clinical characteristics, adherence to inhaled medication, beliefs about inhaled medication, anxiety and depression, quality of life, and asthma control (CARAT, >24 good control) were collected. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed using CARAT total score (CARAT-T). Results: 410 patients (68% adults), with a median (percentile 25–percentile 75) age of 28 (16-46) years, were analysed. Three clusters were identified [mean CARAT-T (min-max)]: cluster 1 [27(24-30)], cluster 2 [19(14-23)] and cluster 3 [10(2-13)]. Patients in cluster 1 (34%) were characterised by better asthma control, better quality of life, higher inhaler adherence and use of a single inhaler. Patients in clusters 2 (50%) and 3 (16%) had uncontrolled asthma, lower inhaler adherence, more symptoms of anxiety and depression and more than half had at least one exacerbation in the previous year. Further-more, patients in cluster 3 were predominantly female, had more unscheduled medical visits and more anxiety symp-toms, perceived a higher necessity of their prescribed inhalers but also higher levels of concern about taking these inhalers. There were no differences in age, body mass index, lung function, smoking status, hospital admissions or specialist physician follow-up time among the three clusters. Conclusion: An unsupervised method based on CARAT--T, identified 3 clusters of patients with distinct, clinically meaningful characteristics. The cluster with better asthma control had a cut-off similar to the established in the validation study of CARAT and an additional cut-off seems to distinguish more severe disease. Further research is necessary to validate the asthma control clusters identified.publishersversionpublishe

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

Effect of sex on ratios and concentrations of DNA and RNA in three marine species

The aim of the present study was to quantify differences in RNA:DNA ratios between male and female fish Pomatoschistus microps, crustaceans Crangon crangon, and bivalves Ruditapes decussatus. RNA:DNA ratios were greater in females than in males, especially because of a greater RNA content per unit dry weight in females. Sexual dimorphism in addition to physiological and behavioural differences between males and females may account for these results. RNA:DNA ratios of adult marine organisms should be interpreted with caution, because the effect of sex on nucleic acid concentrations may bias results if the sex ratio in the sample from which results were derived is not representative of the population

How to sample larval fish for taxonomical and ecophysiological studies in shallower temperate coastal ecosystems?

Recruitment predictions for fish are often difficult to make due to the intrinsic variability of species and the incomplete sampling procedures. The aim of this study was to analyse the fish larval catches (abundance, diversity, size and damage) from a standard 500 mm ichthyoplankton net and different light traps (structure, size and light intensity) in temperate coastal turbid waters. Catches from different gear were always made on the same date or season, same location and same tidal phase. Results showed that light traps captured significantly bigger larvae (almost post-flexion) than those captured with the ichthyoplankton net, nevertheless the diversity was lower. Clupeidae species were the most represented taxon; nevertheless, the traps also caught Atherinidae, Gobiidae, Sparidae, Soleidae and Labridae. The light traps were less stressful devices, allowing the capture of live and active larvae. This showed other possible uses for the light trap, e.g. larval behavioural and physiological studies. Light traps constitute a good complementary sampling option for post-flexion larvae, being aware of species selectivity associated with their use

Diel variation of the RNA/DNA ratios in Crassostrea angulata (Lamarck) and Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus 1758) (Mollusca : Bivalvia)

The aim of the present study was to quantify differences in RNA:DNA ratios between male and female fish Pomatoschistus microps, crustaceans Crangon crangon, and bivalves Ruditapes decussatus. RNA:DNA ratios were greater in females than in males, especially because of a greater RNA content per unit dry weight in females. Sexual dimorphism in addition to physiological and behavioural differences between males and females may account for these results. RNA:DNA ratios of adult marine organisms should be interpreted with caution, because the effect of sex on nucleic acid concentrations may bias results if the sex ratio in the sample from which results were derived is not representative of the population

Are tidal lagoons ecologically relevant to larval recruitment of small pelagic fish? An approach using nutritional condition and growth rate

There are numerous studies dealing with larvae of Small Pelagic Fish (SPF), but only a few have actually addressed advanced larval phases. Temperate coastal lagoons are particularly understudied, due to the absence of standard method to capture advanced larval fish in these near shore shallow habitats. Accordingly, this study aims to describe abundances, nutritional condition and in situ growth of postflexion (SPF) from the Ria Formosa, a tidal coastal lagoon in southern Portugal. The nutritional condition and in situ growth were determined through cohort analysis and standardized RNA:DNA ratio (sRD), complemented with feeding incidence (gut content) and fatty acids (FAs, trophic biomarkers) of postflexion larvae sampled sequentially with light traps, from spring 2005 to summer 2006. Simultaneously, environmental parameters such as water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll a were measured. Post-larvae of SPF were captured through the year in important numbers. The dominant species were Sardina pilchardus (50.7%), Engraulis encrasicolus and Atherina presbyter (11.4%). These results are distinct from those based on adult/juvenile surveys or early planktonic phases in the Ria Formosa where clupeiformes were occasionally reported. Sardines were captured mainly in winter, spring and early summer and anchovies mainly during summer and autumn. Sand smelt, a resident species, was present throughout the year. In the early summer, the three species were present and during this period some diet overlapping occurred, the feeding incidence of the clupeiformes was very low, but atherinids always exhibited full guts reflecting the different gut morphology or indicating different lifecycle strategies. The bulk of the diet was mollusks, crustaceans and appendicularians, for sand smelts, sardines and anchovies, respectively. The results of FA analyses showed some contribution of phytoplankton to SPF in the area. All SPF exhibited higher condition (sRD) and growth rates in summer, which are explained by the adequate temperature and higher planktonic productivity. This is especially relevant because the successful development of postflexion larvae in these nursery areas largely determines the successful recruitment to adult fish populations