Motivation: key to a healthy lifestyle in people with diabetes? Current and emerging knowledge and applications

Aim Motivation to take up and maintain a healthy lifestyle is key to diabetes prevention and management. Motivations are driven by factors on the psychological, biological and environmental levels, which have each been studied extensively in various lines of research over the past 25 years. Here, we analyse and reflect on current and emerging knowledge on motivation in relation to lifestyle behaviours, with a focus on people with diabetes or obesity. Structured according to psychological, (neuro‐)biological and broader environmental levels, we provide a scoping review of the literature and highlight frameworks used to structure motivational concepts. Results are then put in perspective of applicability in (clinical) practice. Results Over the past 25 years, research focusing on motivation has grown exponentially. Social–cognitive and self‐determination theories have driven research on the key motivational concepts ‘self‐efficacy’ and ‘self‐determination’. Neuro‐cognitive research has provided insights in the processes that are involved across various layers of a complex cortical network of motivation, reward and cognitive control. On an environmental – more upstream – level, motivations are influenced by characteristics in the built, social, economic and policy environments at various scales, which have provided entry points for environmental approaches influencing behaviour. Conclusions Current evidence shows that motivation is strongly related to a person's self‐efficacy and capability to initiate and maintain healthy choices, and to a health climate that supports autonomous choices. Some approaches targeting motivations have been shown to be promising, but more research is warranted to sustainably reduce the burden of diabetes in individuals and populations

Geosynthetic reinforcement for reflective cracking reduction in asphalt pavements

A survey by the National Confederation of Transportation of Brazil (CNT, 2011) shows that 47.9% of the country’s roads need urgent interventions to recover satisfactory traffic conditions. This paper presents results of an investigation on the use of geosynthetic reinforcement in asphalt pavements with reference to capping of old courses. The use of geosynthetic reinforcement was intended to reduce crack reflection between an old surface course and the new hot mix asphalt (HMA) layer. In order to investigate crack reflection, two prismatic beams of dense HMA were prepared and geogrids or a geocomposite (geogrid with a geotextile coated with bitumen) reinforcement was placed in between them. An initial crack was induced by cutting the lower HMA specimen and a vertical cyclic loading was applied with a steel plate at the center of top layer. The test was interrupted when the vertical displacement at the surface reached 25 mm. The results show that geogrid reinforcement may increase by up to 15 times the number of loading cycles required to reach the pre-established value of vertical displacement (25 mm). In addition, it was noticed that the severity of the cracking mechanism was reduced and that crack reflection to the upper layer was reduced by the reinforcement inclusion

Structure-antifouling activity relationship and molecular targets of bio-inspired(Thio)xanthones

The development of alternative ecological and effective antifouling technologies is still challenging. Synthesis of nature-inspired compounds has been exploited, given the potential to assure commercial supplies of potential ecofriendly antifouling agents. In this direction, the antifouling activity of a series of nineteen synthetic small molecules, with chemical similarities with natural products, were exploited in this work. Six (4, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 17) of the tested xanthones showed in vivo activity toward the settlement of Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae (EC50: 3.53–28.60 µM) and low toxicity to this macrofouling species (LC50 > 500 µM and LC50/EC50: 17.42–141.64), and two of them (7 and 10) showed no general marine ecotoxicity (<10% of Artemia salina mortality) after 48 h of exposure. Regarding the mechanism of action in mussel larvae, the best performance compounds 4 and 5 might be acting by the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity (in vitro and in silico studies), while 7 and 10 showed specific targets (proteomic studies) directly related with the mussel adhesive structure (byssal threads), given by the alterations in the expression of Mytilus collagen proteins (PreCols) and proximal thread proteins (TMPs). A quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model was built with predictive capacity to enable speeding the design of new potential active compounds.This research was supported by national funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology within the scope of UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020 and under the project PTDC/AAG-TEC/0739/2014 (reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016793) supported through national funds provided by FCT and ERDF - European Regional Development Fund through the COMPETE - Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade (POFC) programme and RIDTI - Reforçar a Investigação, o Desenvolvimento Tecnológico e a Inovação (project 9471) and the project NASCEM PTDC/BTA-BTA/31422/2017 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031422) also financed by FCT, COMPETE2020 and PORTUGAL2020

Antimicrobial activity of a library of thioxanthones and their potential as efflux pump inhibitors

The overexpression of efflux pumps is one of the causes of multidrug resistance, which leads to the inefficacy of drugs. This plays a pivotal role in antimicrobial resistance, and the most notable pumps are the AcrAB-TolC system (AcrB belongs to the resistance-nodulation-division family) and the NorA, from the major facilitator superfamily. In bacteria, these structures can also favor virulence and adaptation mechanisms, such as quorum-sensing and the formation of biofilm. In this study, the design and synthesis of a library of thioxanthones as potential efflux pump inhib-itors are described. The thioxanthone derivatives were investigated for their antibacterial activity and inhibition of efflux pumps, biofilm formation, and quorum-sensing. The compounds were also studied for their potential to interact with P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1), an efflux pump present in mammalian cells, and for their cytotoxicity in both mouse fibroblasts and human Caco-2 cells. The results concerning the real-time ethidium bromide accumulation may suggest a potential bacterial efflux pump inhibition, which has not yet been reported for thioxanthones. Moreover, in vitro studies in human cells demonstrated a lack of cytotoxicity for concentrations up to 20 µM in Caco-2 cells, with some derivatives also showing potential for P-gp modulation.This research was supported by national funds through FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) within the scope of UIDB/04423/2020, UIDP/04423/2020 (Group of Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry-CIIMAR), and under the project PTDC/SAU-PUB/28736/2017 (reference POCI-01–0145-FEDER-028736), co-financed by COMPETE 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union through the ERDF and by FCT through national funds and structured program of R&D&I ATLANTIDA (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000040), supported by NORTE2020, through ERDF, and CHIRALBIO ACTIVE-PI-3RL-IINFACTS-2019

Biologia do Curimbatá (Prochilodus lineatus), Pintado (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) e Cachara (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum) na bacia hidrográfica do Rio Miranda, Pantanal do Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.

E analisada a biologia do curimbata (P. lineatus), do pintado (P. corruscans) e da cachara (P. fasciatum) na bacia hidrografia do rio Miranda. Estas especies realizam migracoes ascendentes para reproducao a partir de setembro-outubro. A desova, do tipo total, ocorre nos cursos superiores dos rios Miranda e Aquidauna, principalmente de dezembro a fevereiro. Apos a desova, retornam aos cursos inferiores, onde se espalham pelas areas alagadas, alimentando-se fartamente. Este padrao de migracao esta ligado ao ciclo fluviometrico desses rios. P. lineatus e uma especie detritivora, enquanto P. corruscans e P. fasciatum sao ictiofagas generalistas. Jovens e adultos apresentam distribuicao diferenciada. O crescimento dessas especies e analisado.bitstream/item/37461/1/BP02.pd

Motivation: key to a healthy lifestyle in people with diabetes? Current and emerging knowledge and applications

Aim Motivation to take up and maintain a healthy lifestyle is key to diabetes prevention and management. Motivations are driven by factors on the psychological, biological and environmental levels, which have each been studied extensively in various lines of research over the past 25 years. Here, we analyse and reflect on current and emerging knowledge on motivation in relation to lifestyle behaviours, with a focus on people with diabetes or obesity. Structured according to psychological, (neuro‐)biological and broader environmental levels, we provide a scoping review of the literature and highlight frameworks used to structure motivational concepts. Results are then put in perspective of applicability in (clinical) practice. Results Over the past 25 years, research focusing on motivation has grown exponentially. Social–cognitive and self‐determination theories have driven research on the key motivational concepts ‘self‐efficacy’ and ‘self‐determination’. Neuro‐cognitive research has provided insights in the processes that are involved across various layers of a complex cortical network of motivation, reward and cognitive control. On an environmental – more upstream – level, motivations are influenced by characteristics in the built, social, economic and policy environments at various scales, which have provided entry points for environmental approaches influencing behaviour. Conclusions Current evidence shows that motivation is strongly related to a person's self‐efficacy and capability to initiate and maintain healthy choices, and to a health climate that supports autonomous choices. Some approaches targeting motivations have been shown to be promising, but more research is warranted to sustainably reduce the burden of diabetes in individuals and populations

Municipal solid waste management under Covid-19: Challenges and recommendations

Covid-19 is proving to be an unprecedented disaster for human health, social contacts and the economy worldwide. It is evident that SARS-CoV-2 may spread through municipal solid waste (MSW), if collected, bagged, handled, transported or disposed of inappropriately. Under the stress placed by the current pandemic on the sanitary performance across all MSW management (MSWM) chains, this industry needs to re-examine its infrastructure resilience with respect to all processes, from waste identification, classification, collection, separation, storage, transportation, recycling, treatment and disposal. The current paper provides an overview of the severe challenges placed by Covid-19 onto MSW systems, highlighting the essential role of waste management in public health protection during the ongoing pandemic. It also discusses the measures issued by various international organisations and countries for the protection of MSWM employees (MSWEs), identifying gaps, especially for developing countries, where personal protection equipment and clear guidelines to MSWEs may not have been provided, and the general public may not be well informed. In countries with high recycling rates of MSW, the need to protect MSWEs' health has affected the supply stream of the recycling industry. The article concludes with recommendations for the MSW industry operating under public health crisis conditions

Modulation of autophagy by a thioxanthone decreases the viability of melanoma cells

(1) Background: Our previous studies unveiled the hit thioxanthone TXA1 as an inhibitor of,P-glycoprotein (drug efflux pump) and of human tumor cells growth, namely of melanoma cells. SinceTXA1 is structurally similar to lucanthone (an autophagy inhibitor and apoptosis inducer) and to N10-substituted phenoxazines (isosteres of thioxanthones, and autophagy inducers), this study aimed at further assessing its cytotoxic mechanism and evaluating its potential as an autophagy modulator in A375-C5 melanoma cells; (2) Methods: Flow cytometry with propidium iodide (PI) for cell cycle profile analysis; Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, flow cytometry with Annexin V/PI labeling and Western blot for apoptosis analysis were conducted. A pharmacophore approach was used for mapping TXA1 onto pharmacophores for autophagy induction. Autophagy analyses included transmission electron microscopy for visualization of autophagic structures, fluorescence microscopy for observation of monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining, pattern of LC3 expression in the cells and acridine orange staining, and Western blot for autophagic proteins expression; (3) Results: TXA1 induced autophagy of melanoma cells at the GI50 concentration (3.6 μM) and apoptosis at twice that concentration. Following treatment with TXA1, autophagic structures were observed, together with the accumulation of autophagosomes and the formation of autophagolysosomes. An increase in LC3-II levels was also observed, which was reverted by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) (an early stage autophagy-inhibitor) but further increased by E-64d/pepstatin (late-stage autophagy inhibitors). Finally, 3-MA also reverted the effect of TXA1 in cellular viability; (4) Conclusion: TXA1 decreases the viability of melanoma cells by modulation of autophagy and may, therefore, serve as a lead compound for the development of autophagy modulators with antitumor activity.This work was financed by FEDER—Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional funds through the COMPETE 2020—Operacional Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI), Portugal 2020, and by Portuguese funds through FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia/ Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação in the framework of the project “Institute for Research and Innovation in Health Sciences (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007274)”. The work was also funded by ERDF, COMPETE, and FCT under the projects PTDC/SAU-OSM/101437/2008, PTDC/MAR-BIO/4694/2014, and INNOVMAR—reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035, Research Line NOVELMAR. The authors also thank: FCT for D. Sousa and R.T. Lima grants (PTDC/SAU-FCT/100930/2008 and SFRH/BPD/68787/2010, respectively), QREN for D. Sousa grant (NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000023)

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Incluye contenido parcial de los autoresAbstract.Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecologicalhealth and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carni-vores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide managementand conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropicalregion: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; andUrsidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropicalcarnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTRO-PICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data wereobtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organi-zations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including cameratrapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature(peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated inthis compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n=79,343; 79.7%) butalso includes non-detection data (n=20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data(n=43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute tomacroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspec-tives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distri-bution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans andsafeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combinedwith other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and relatedecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restric-tion for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of theinformation used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data