School-Age Child Routines: Adaptation and Validation Studies of the Portuguese Version of the Child Routines Questionnaire

Child routines have been recognized as positive contributors to children's development. However, in Portugal there is still a lack of instruments available to assess school-age child routines. The purpose of this study was to present the translation, adaptation, and validation studies of the Portuguese version of the Child Routines Questionnaire (CRQ), a parent self-report measure developed to assess school-age child routines. A total of 460 parents of children aged between 6 and 12 years-old participated in the study. Two studies were conducted to define the CRQ-PT factor structure. In Study 1 (n = 204 children from 6 to 12 years-old), findings from the exploratory factor analysis provided evidence for a four-factor structure (for 32 items), which explained 43.53% of the total variance. In Study 2 (n = 256 children from 6 to 9 years-old), results from confirmatory factor analysis showed good model fit indices (CFI = 0.84, RMSEA = 0.06). The total scale of the CRQ-PT (α = 0.89) and its subscales showed good internal consistency. Further evidence of construct validity was shown by weak to moderate correlations with measures of parental sense of competence and family mealtime routines. Relevant contributions of the study are underscored, namely the availability and usefulness of a reliable and valid assessment tool to evaluate the routines of Portuguese school-age children for clinical practice and research purposes.

Optimism and fear of COVID-19 in higher education students: the mediating role of general anxiety

Higher education students have faced several changes in their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore the effect of dispositional optimism in students' fear of COVID-19 and to test the mediating role of general anxiety in the relationship between optimism and fear. Using an online survey, data were collected during the second wave of the pandemic in Portugal. The sample included 312 higher education students (76% females) aged 18-25 years old, who completed measures of dispositional optimism, general anxiety and fear of COVID-19. The results showed that higher optimism and lower general anxiety reduce fear of COVID-19. Moreover, the link between optimism and fear is fully mediated by general anxiety, showing that optimism reduces fear of COVID-19 indirectly through the reduction of students' anxiety. The role of optimism, anxiety and fear in higher education students is discussed and topics for further research are presented.

Predictors of anaphylaxis to peanut and tree nuts in a Mediterranean population

Background: Peanuts (PN) and tree nuts (TN) are major causes of anaphylaxis worldwide. We aimed to determine the clinical and demographic characteristics associated with anaphylaxis in patients sensitized to PN and/or TN in a Mediterranean population. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study, which included 198 patients allergic to PN and/or TN (allergy symptoms plus specific immunoglobulin E [sIgE] sensitization), evaluated in consultations from January 2015 to December 2020. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression models were developed, including demographic, clinical, and laboratory data as independent variables, and anaphylaxis to each PN and/or TN as a dependent variables. Results: Anaphylaxis was associated with an earlier age of onset of allergy to PN, cashew and/or pistachio, and pine nut allergy but not to other TN allergies. Gender, atopic comorbidities, and cofactors were not associated with PN and/or TN anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis to PN, cashew and/or pistachio, and pine nut were associated with reactivity to a fewer number of PN and/or TN foods. Although sIgE sensitization to lipid transfer proteins (LTP) was highly prevalent in our population, only seed storage protein (SSP) positivity was associated with anaphylaxis in PN allergy. The absence of pathogenesis-related protein family 10 sensitization correlated with PN and hazelnut anaphylaxis. A higher level of sIgE to almond extract predicted anaphylaxis but the level of sIgE to other PN and/or TN extracts did not predict it. Conclusion: The high prevalence of sensitization to the pan-allergen LTP did not seem to have a significant impact in PN and/or TN allergy severity in our study. Instead, other factors, such as early age of onset and positivity for SSPs, seem to strongly associate with anaphylaxis to specific PN and/or TN. These findings may contribute to individual risk assessment in these populations.

Cytokine expression in bovine PBMC cultures stimulated with Hypoderma lineatum antigens

Hypoderma antigens are involved in host inflammation and immune response, conditioning larvae survival. In this study, peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures from Hypoderma sensitized and unsensitized cattle were performed to determine the effect of H. lineatum antigens and incubation time (18, 24, 48 h) on IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10 and IL-4 mRNA gene expression determined by RT-qPCR. TNF-α and IL-4 gene expression were higher in Hypoderma previously sensitized PBMCs, suggesting that a mixed Th1/Th2 response may play a significant role in host defence reactions against Hypoderma exhibited by previously infested cattle. Incubation time had a significant effect on IL-10 and TNF-α gene expression, which decreased over time. Regarding to H. lineatum antigens, the crude larval extract and the purified fraction hypodermin B (HB) produced a significant reduction of the mRNA expression levels of the proinflammatory cytokine, IFN-γ; moreover, the HB had a stimulating effect on the mRNA gene expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, demonstrating that the parasite would modulate the host defence mechanisms by avoiding harmful immune responses that would limit its survival into the host tissues.

Effect of the treatment with Achyrocline satureioides (free and nanocapsules essential oil) and diminazene aceturate on hematological and biochemical parameters in rats infected by Trypanosoma evansi

This study aimed to verify the effect of the treatment with A. satureioides essential oil (free and nanoencapsulated forms) and diminazene aceturate on hematological and biochemical variables in rats infected by Trypanosoma evansi. The 56 rats were divided into seven groups with eight rats each. Groups A, C and D were composed by uninfected animals, and groups B, E, F and G were formed by infected rats with T. evansi. Rats from groups A and B were used as negative and positive control, respectively. Rats from the groups C and E were treated with A. satureioides essential oil, and groups D and F were treated with A. satureioides nanoencapsulated essential oil. Groups C, D, E and F received one dose of oil (1.5 mL kg(-1)) during five consecutive days orally. Group G was treated with diminazene aceturate (D.A.) in therapeutic dose (3.5 mg kg(-1)) in an only dose. The blood samples were collected on day 5 PI for analyses of hematological (erythrocytes and leukocytes count, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, mean corpuscular and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) and biochemical (glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin, urea and creatinine) variables. A. satureioides administered was able to maintain low parasitemia, mainly the nanoencapsulated form, on 5 days post infection. On the infected animals with T. evansi treated with A. satureioides essential oil (free and nanocapsules) the number of total leucocytes, lymphocytes and monocytes present was similar to uninfected rats, and different from infected and not-treated animals (leukocytosis). Treatment with A. satureioides in free form elevated levels of ALT and AST, demonstrating liver damage; however, treatment with nanoencapsulated form did not cause elevation of these enzymes. Finally, treatments inhibited the increase in creatinine levels caused by infection for T. evansi. In summary, the nanoencapsulated form showed better activity on the trypanosome; it did not cause liver toxicity and prevented renal damage.

Natural lipid nanoparticles containing nimesulide: synthesis, characterization and in vivo antiedematogenic and antinociceptive activities

Lipid nanoparticles are drug delivery systems able to increase bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. They can be prepared with different lipid materials, especially natural lipids. Shea butter is a natural lipid obtained from the Butyrospermum parkii seed and rich in oleic and stearic acids. Nimesulide is a COX 2 selective anti-inflammatory that is poorly soluble in water. The purpose of this study was to develop and characterize shea butter lipid nanoparticles using a new technique and evaluate the in vivo activity of these nanoparticles. Lipid nanoparticles were prepared by melting shea butter and mixing with an aqueous phase using a high shear mixer. The nanoparticles presented pH of 6.9 +/- 0.1, mean particle size of 90 nm and a narrow polydispersity (0.21). Zeta potential was around -20 mV and the encapsulation efficiency was 97.5%. Drug release was evaluated using dialysis bags and presented monoexponential profile with t50% of 4.80 h (free drug t50% was only 2.86 h). Antinociceptive activity was performed by the acetic acid model. Both nimesulide and nimesulide-loaded nanoparticles presented significant activity compared to the control. The in vivo anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by paw edema and was statistically different for the nanoparticles containing nimesulide compared to free nimesulide, blank nanoparticles and saline. In conclusion, the use of shea butter as encapsulating lipid was very successful and allowed nanoparticles to be prepared with a very simple technique. The nanoparticles presented significant pharmacological effects that were not seen for free drug administration.

Lack of an exaggerated inflammatory response on virus infection in cystic fibrosis

Respiratory virus infections play an important role in cystic fibrosis (CF) exacerbations, but underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are poorly understood. We aimed to assess whether an exaggerated inflammatory response of the airway epithelium on virus infection could explain the increased susceptibility of CF patients towards respiratory viruses. We used primary bronchial and nasal epithelial cells obtained from 24 healthy control subjects and 18 CF patients. IL-6, IL-8/CXCL8, IP-10/CXCL10, MCP-1/CCL2, RANTES/CCL5 and GRO-α/CXCL1 levels in supernatants and mRNA expression in cell lysates were measured before and after infection with rhinoviruses (RV-16 and RV-1B) and RSV. Cytotoxicity was assessed by lactate dehydrogenate assay and flow cytometry. All viruses induced strong cytokine release in both control and CF cells. The inflammatory response on virus infection was heterogeneous and depended on cell type and virus used, but was not increased in CF compared with control cells. On the contrary, there was a marked trend towards lower cytokine production associated with increased cell death in CF cells. An exaggerated inflammatory response to virus infection in bronchial epithelial cells does not explain the increased respiratory morbidity after virus infection in CF patients.

Human skin penetration and distribution of nimesulide from hydrophilic gels containing nanocarriers

The objective of this work was to study the in vitro skin penetration of a drug model (nimesulide) from semi-solid topical formulations containing nanospheres, nanocapsules or nanoemulsion. Nanoprecipitation, interfacial deposition and spontaneous emulsification methods were used to prepare the nanostructured suspension. The hydrodynamic diameters were 252nm for the nanoemulsion, 277nm for the nanocapsules and 202nm for the nanospheres containing nimesulide. The different nanocarrier systems were incorporated in the hydrophilic gels and their ability of delivering the drug into the human skin were investigated using stripping technique and Franz-type diffusion cells. The amount of nimesulide released into the stratum corneum (SC) from the gel containing nanocapsules (GNM-NC) and the gel containing nanospheres (GNM-NS) was similar. On the other hand, for the gel containing nanoemulsion (GNM-NE), the nimesulide was not quantified in SC, but it has been directly permeated for the dermis. The penetration of the nimesulide using the gel containing nanocapsules (GNM-NC) was larger in the deeper skin than using the gel containing nanospheres (GNM-NS) or the one containing nanoemulsion (GNM-NE). The gels containing nanocarriers (GNM-NC, GNM-NS and GNM-NE) were able to release the drug in the viable layer of the skin, comparing to a non-particulated nimesulide-loaded formulation at the same concentration.

Polymeric nanoparticles, nanospheres and nanocapsules, for cutaneous applications

This review presents an overview about pharmaceutical and cosmetic topical products containing polymeric nanoparticles (nanospheres and nanocapsules), reporting the main preparation and characterization methods and the studies of penetration and transport of substances through the skin. The penetration and transport extent of those systems through the skin depends on the ingredients chemical composition, on the encapsulation mechanism influencing the drug release, on the size of nanoparticles and on the viscosity of the formulations. The polymeric nanoparticles are able to modify the activity of drugs, delay and control the drug release, and increase the drug adhesivity or its time of permanence in the skin. Briefly, the nanoparticles can be useful as reservoirs of lipophilic drugs to deliver them in the stratum corneum becoming an important strategy to control their permeation into the skin.

Toll-like receptor 7 and MyD88 knockdown by lentivirus-mediated RNA interference to porcine dendritic cell subsets

Sensing of viruses by dendritic cell (DC) pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) represents a critical event during innate antiviral immune responses. Identification of these PRRs has often posed a problem due to difficulties in performing gene function studies in the naturally targeted hosts. Consequently, we developed a lentivirus (LV)-based strategy for specific gene knockdown in porcine DC. Short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) were designed, targeting toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) and the adaptor protein MyD88. As cellular targets, monocyte-derived DC (MoDC) and Flt3 ligand-induced DC (Flt3L-DC), DC precursors including monocytes and haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) as well as plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) were employed. Transduction efficiencies ranged from 40 to 95%. The LV-mediated shRNA delivery was functionally active, reducing TLR7 and MyD88 mRNA in MoDC and conventional Flt3L-DC, and blunting the responsiveness to TLR7 ligands in Flt3L-DC. Although infection of MoDC by the LV did neither influence MHC class II and CD80/86 expressions, nor cytokine responses, the infection of Flt3L-DC induced a phenotypic maturation. Furthermore, the interaction of the LV with pDC induced high levels of interferon-alpha. Taken together, these studies characterize the interaction of the LV with different DC subsets and demonstrate the suitability of LV-mediated small interfering RNA delivery for targeting PRR knockout for MoDC and conventional Flt3L-DC.

Thermomonas hydrothermalis sp. nov., a new slightly thermophilic gamma-proteobacterium isolated from a hot spring in central Portugal

Several non-pigmented bacterial isolates, with an optimum growth temperature of about 50 degrees C, were recovered from the hot spring at São Gemil in Central Portugal. Phylogenetic analyses of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain SGM-6T indicated that this organism represents a new species of the gamma-subclass of the Proteobacteria that is closely related to the newly described slightly thermophilic species Thermomonas haemolytica. The major fatty acids of strains SGM-6T and SGM-7 are C15:0 iso, C16:0 iso, C11:0 iso and C11:0 iso 3OH. Ubiquinone 8 is the major respiratory quinone. The new isolates are strictly organotrophic and aerobic. Strain SGM-6T only assimilated D-glucose, D-maltose, D-cellobiose, D-furanose, L-glutamate, L-glutamine, L-lysine, L-proline, L-ornithine, acetate, L-glutamic acid and pyruvate of sixty-five carbon sources tested. Strain SGM-7 also assimilates L-serine, but does not assimilate L-ornithine. On the basis of the phylogenetic analyses, physiological and biochemical characteristics, we propose that strains SGM-6T and SGM-7 represent a new species most closely related to Thermomonas haemolytica for which we propose the name Thermomonas hydrothermalis.

[Alcoholism in an industrial population: diagnosis, prevalence and conditioning factors]

The pattern of alcohol consumption has been studied among 92 males, workers in a factory of the Lisbon area. In this population there were three groups of ethanol consumers: I--non consumers, 6%; II--medium, up to 80g/day, 68%; III--heavy consumers, more than 80g/day, 26%. Another group (IV) was considered, for reference, with 23 patients with heavy alcoholism in the outpatients of an alcoholic addicts clinic. Besides the clinical questionnaire and medical examination, the following methods have been used and analysed: brief MAST; Le Gô, Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), serum glutamic oxalacetic Trasaminase (SGOT), and gama-glutamyl transpepticlase (gamma GT). The mean ethanol consumption in group IV was significantly higher than in group III (p less than 0.005), and in group III higher than in group II (p less than 0.001). Group IV demarked itself form group III due to a higher prevalence of symptoms of physical dependence (p less than 0.001), and of consumption of tranquilizers (p less than 0.01). In group III the sensitivity of brief MAST has been only 8.5% and of Le Gô 13%. An increased MCV was found in 20% of individuals in group I, 4.9% in group II, 20% in group IV. The SGOT was normal in groups I and II, and increased in 8.7% of group III and 30.4% of group IV (p less than 0.05). The gamma GT was normal in group I and abnormal in 4.7% of group IV (p less than 0.01). In conclusion, approximately 25% of the workers have an excessive ethanol consumption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Histocompatibility antigens: markers of susceptibility to and protection from alcoholic liver disease in a Portuguese population

The distribution of six HLA antigens in a population of 88 Portuguese chronic alcohol abusers with biopsy-proven liver disease was compared to that in 66 Portuguese normal controls. Among the group of 88 alcohol abusers, the presence of HLA antigens A1, A9, A28 and Bw35 marked a significant 2.5- to 3-fold increased estimated risk for the development of alcohol-induced cirrhosis, while the presence of HLA B5 was found to be associated with a significantly decreased risk of alcohol-induced cirrhosis. Further, compared to controls, the estimated risk of any stage of alcohol-induced liver disease was significantly increased in alcoholic individuals with HLA A28 and Bw35, and the protective effect of HLA B5 was again observed. The findings of this study suggest that at least in a relatively homogeneous population group such as the Portuguese, the presence of HLA B5 may confer protection against alcohol-induced liver disease, including cirrhosis. The presence of HLA Bw35 and A28 appear to mark susceptibility to all histologic manifestations of alcohol-induced liver disease, while in addition to Bw35 and A28, A1 and A9 may mark increased risk for cirrhosis in particular.

[Phage pattern of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from the mouth and the nose of healthy people]

Foram analisadas 68 cepas de Staphylococcus aureus isoladas da boca (saliva e língua) e nariz de portadores assintomáticos que albergavam essa bactéria nos três nichos, simultaneamente. Embora os três nichos apresentassem equivalência quanto ao percentual de isolamentos, foi constatado que as cepas isoladas do nariz diferiam, quanto ao seu padrão fágico, principalmente daquelas isoladas da língua. No primeiro caso, as cepas apresentaram-se mais sensíveis aos fagos do grupo I enquanto que, as isoladas do segundo nicho, foram mais sensíveis aos fagos do grupo III. Considerando estas observações é recomendável, quando da detecção de portadores de Staphylococcus aureus, a pesquisa dessa bactéria em material colhido do nariz e da boca, simultaneamente.