Concerns and coping mechanisms during the first national COVID-19 lockdown: an online prospective study in Portugal.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore concerns and coping mechanisms during the first national COVID-19 lockdown in Portugal. The general population provided statements via an open comment box as part of an online prospective study. STUDY DESIGN: This was an Internet-based open cohort study. METHODS: Individuals aged ≥16 years were eligible to participate in this study. Inductive content analysis was performed on completed questionnaires submitted between 23 and 29 March 2020 and 27 April and 3 May 2020 (corresponding with the early and late phases of the first national lockdown, respectively). RESULTS: Data suggest the prominence of behavioural and emotional responses to COVID-19; namely, self-compliance with measures promoted by the government; adopting practices of self-care and supporting/protecting others; and enacting hope (both currently and for the future). Concerns were related to the perception of vulnerabilities for oneself, family and others and to challenging situations presenting in society (e.g. physical and mental health, academic/professional careers, income, social inequality, potential discrimination and stigmatisation, inconsistent information and negative approach to the news), coupled with criticism, scepticism or doubts about government policy and performance of the healthcare system. Expressions of fear and worry and non-compliance with mitigation measures by others (e.g. close relatives, employees and general population) emerged as additional concerns. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous assessment of behavioural and emotional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic is needed to support effective communication and public health policies that are sensitive to the concerns, motivations and expectations of the population. Awareness of changing public opinions enables governments to continue to effectively mobilise the population to take recommended actions to reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

A Histopathological Study Reveals New Insights Into Responses of Chestnut (Castanea spp.) to Root Infection by Phytophthora cinnamomi.

The European chestnut (Castanea sativa) is threatened by the hemibiotrophic oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi, the causal agent of ink disease. Chestnut species have different susceptibility levels to P. cinnamomi, with the Asian species (C. crenata; C. mollissima) exhibiting the highest level of resistance. A histological approach was used to study the responses exhibited by susceptible and resistant chestnut genotypes by characterizing the early stages of P. cinnamomi infection and the cellular responses it induces in roots. C. sativa (susceptible) and C. crenata (resistant) plantlets were inoculated with a P. cinnamomi virulent isolate with a zoospore suspension or by direct contact with mycelia agar pieces. Root samples were collected at 0.5, 3.5, 24, 48, and 72 h after inoculation (hai) for microscopic observations. Penetration was observed in both species at 0.5 and 3.5 hai with mycelium and zoospore inoculations, respectively. In both inoculation methods, following penetration into the rhizodermis, P. cinnamomi hyphae grew inter- and intracellularly through the cortex and into the vascular cylinder. C. crenata cells displayed a delay in the pattern of infection by having fewer cell layers colonized compared with C. sativa. At 72 hai, the collapse of the first layers of C. sativa cortical cells was observed, indicating the beginning of necrotrophy. C. crenata was able to respond more efficiently to P. cinnamomi than C. sativa by restricting the pathogen's growth area through the early activation of resistance responses such as callose deposition around some intracellular hyphae, hypersensitive response-like cell death, cell wall thickening, and accumulation of phenolic-like compounds.

What influences public views on forensic DNA testing in the criminal field? A scoping review of quantitative evidence.

BACKGROUND: Forensic DNA testing is a powerful tool used to identify, convict, and exonerate individuals charged of criminal offenses, but there are different views on its benefits and risks. Knowledge about public views on forensic DNA testing applied in the criminal field is socially valuable to practitioners and policymakers. This paper aims to synthesize quantitative evidence about the factors that influence public views on forensic DNA testing in the criminal field. Based on a systematic search conducted in January 2019, a scoping review was performed, targeting studies presenting original empirical data that were indexed in Web of Science and PubMed. The two authors performed eligibility and data extraction. RESULTS: The 11 studies were conducted mainly in European countries (Italy, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland) and the remaining derived from the USA and New Zealand. Non-representative samples were mostly used to explore the benefits and risks of criminal DNA databases, criteria for insertion and retention of DNA samples and profiles, knowledge, willingness to donate a DNA sample, and custody. The value of forensic DNA databases in protecting society from crime was emphasized. Concerns about improper access to forensic genetic data and risks to civil liberties associated with its uses were expressed. The scarce literature on Forensic DNA Phenotyping and familial searching revealed the same trend of positively valuing forensic DNA testing. Only factors related with socioeconomic position were assessed by more than two studies. Results suggested that public views on forensic DNA testing are influenced by the level of education, age, and exposure to law enforcement occupations although not in a straightforward manner. CONCLUSION: Further empirical research should assess standardized factors related with social and structural levels (e.g., scientific literacy, public trust in the justice system and concerns about victimization or police activity) and be performed in different national jurisdictions to enable generalization and comparison of findings. It is needed to expand empirical studies on public views about the commercialization of forensic science and the use of recent controversial techniques and new transparency and accountability models.

Patterns of exchange of forensic DNA data in the European Union through the Prüm system.

This paper presents a study of the 5-year operation (2011-2015) of the transnational exchange of forensic DNA data between Member States of the European Union (EU) for the purpose of combating cross-border crime and terrorism within the so-called Prüm system. This first systematisation of the full official statistical dataset provides an overall assessment of the match figures and patterns of operation of the Prüm system for DNA exchange. These figures and patterns are analysed in terms of the differentiated contributions by participating EU Member States. The data suggest a trend for West and Central European countries to concentrate the majority of Prüm matches, while DNA databases of Eastern European countries tend to contribute with profiles of people that match stains in other countries. In view of the necessary transparency and accountability of the Prüm system, more extensive and informative statistics would be an important contribution to the assessment of its functioning and societal benefits.

Factors associated with willingness to donate embryos for research among couples undergoing IVF.

Between 2011 and 2012, 213 heterosexual couples undergoing fertility treatments in a Portuguese public fertility centre were systematically recruited to assess factors associated with willingness to donate embryos for research. Data were collected by questionnaire. Most couples (87.3%; 95% CI 82.1 to 91.5) were willing to donate embryos for research, citing benefits for science, health and infertile patients. Almost all couples (94.3%; 95% CI 89.8 to 96.7) reached consensus about the decision. Willingness to donate was more frequent in women younger than 36 years (adjusted OR 3.06; 95% CI 1.23 to 7.61) and who considered embryo research to be very important (adjusted OR: 6.32; 95% CI 1.85 to 21.64), and in Catholic men (adjusted OR 4.16; 95% CI 1.53 to 11.30). Those unwilling to donate reported conceptualizing embryos as children or living beings and a lack of information or fears about embryo research. Men with higher levels of trait anxiety (adjusted OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.84 to 0.96) were less frequently willing to donate. Future research on embryo disposition decision-making should include the assessment of gender differences and psychosocial factors. Ethically robust policies and accurate information about the results of human embryo research are required.

Couples' willingness to donate embryos for research: a longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Decision-making on embryo disposition is a source of distress and is subject to change over time. This paper analyzes the willingness of couples undergoing in vitro fertilization to donate cryopreserved embryos for research from 15 days after embryo transfer to 12 months later, taking into account the influence of psychosocial, demographic, and reproductive factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospective longitudinal study, with 74 heterosexual couples undergoing in vitro fertilization in a public fertility centre in Portugal, recruited between 2011 and 2012. Participants were evaluated twice: 15 days after embryo transfer and 12 months later. RESULTS: A significant decrease in patients' willingness to donate embryos for research over time was observed [86.5% to 73.6%; relative risk (RR) = 0.85; 95% CI 0.76-0.95]. A higher education level (>12 years) [adjusted RR (RRadj ) = 0.79; 95% CI 0.64-0.96], considering research on human embryos to be important (vs. very important) (RRadj = 0.59; 95% CI 0.39-0.85) and practicing a religion less than once a month (vs. at least once a month) (RRadj = 0.73; 95% CI 0.53-1.00) seemed associated with unwillingness to donate embryos for research over time. Change towards non-donation happened mainly among couples who first considered that it was better to donate than wasting the embryos. Change towards donation occurred mostly among those stating that their priority at time 1 was to have a baby and who became pregnant in the meantime. CONCLUSIONS: Quality of care guided by patients' characteristics, values, preferences, and needs calls for considering the factors and reasons underlying couples' willingness to donate embryos for research over time as a topic in psychosocial guidelines for infertility and medically assisted reproductive care.

Mycorrhizal synthesis between Lactarius deliciosus and Arbutus unedo L.

Arbutoid mycorrhizae were synthesized in vitro between Arbutus unedo L. and two isolates of Lactarius deliciosus. The fungal isolates were obtained from sporocarps collected under Pinus sylvestris and in a mixed forest stand of Quercus suber and Pinus pinea. Synthesis tubes filled with a mixture of sterilized peat, vermiculite, and perlite imbibed with nutrient solution were used. Two inoculation methods using solid and liquid media were tested. Shoots from an adult selected clone of A. unedo were used after in vitro rooting by auxin dipping. After 3 months of shoots transfer to the substrate, the root systems were examined for arbutoid mycorrhizae formation and later on ex vitro conditions, 9 months after acclimatization. The inoculum treatment with liquid medium improved the mycorrhizal development for both isolates, in vitro. Sterilized substrate for plant acclimatization increased the mycorrhizal development. The arbutoid mycorrhizae were observed in vitro as well as 9 months after acclimatization. Standard arbutoid mycorrhiza features were observed: pale yellow mantle, typical cruciform appearance, Hartig net (HN), and intracellular hyphal complexes, both confined to the epidermis. L. deliciosus mycorrhizae synthetized in vitro persisted 9 months after plant acclimatization. Morphological observations were confirmed by molecular techniques.

Self-reported psychosocial factors among in vitro fertilization patients interviewed alone or with the partner.

The purpose of this study was to compare the sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics reported by female in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients interviewed alone or with the partner in heterosexual couples. During 12 months (2011-2012), all patients undergoing IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection at one public reproductive medicine unit, in Portugal, were interviewed on the day of the diagnosis of pregnancy, being recruited 221 women interviewed with the partner and 92 interviewed alone. Interviewers collected data on sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics; and anxiety, depression, social support and partner relationship were collected by self-administered questionnaires. χ2 test was used to assess the independent association between the categorical variables and being interviewed alone or with the partner. For continuous variables, mean or median differences were compared by the t-test or the Mann-Whitney test, according to data distribution. No statistically significant differences were found in the self-reporting of depression, anxiety, social support and partner relationship or in sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics between women interviewed alone or with the partner. Although women interviewed alone were older and more frequently had children than women interviewed with the partner, no significant associations were observed. Thus, having a male partner present in the research setting during a self-administered questionnaire seems not to influence women's responses to psychosocial measures. Other outcomes and settings need to be evaluated to support evidence-based guidelines for research on infertility.

Patients' views on the embryo storage time limits.

The establishment of the length of embryo storage has been based on socio-political criteria. There are different regulations, guidelines and health care policies worldwide. This mixed-methods study aimed to assess the opinion of patients about the embryo storage time limit, and the perception of the criteria underlying the establishment of the storage period offered to them. Between August 2011 and December 2012, 534 IVF patients from Portugal participated in a quantitative questionnaire and 34 couples were interviewed. Overall, 38% of participants preferred the duration of 4-5 years, 38% extended it beyond 5 years and 23% indicated 3 years. Having experienced at least one previous cycle was directly associated with agreeing with a duration of storage longer than 5 years, for both women and men. Having children was inversely associated with longer duration of storage, among women. One-third of the 34 interviewed couples stated that their knowledge concerning embryo storage was insufficient. Nevertheless, all the interviewees reported at least one possible reason for the legal establishment of the storage period offered to them, highlighting financial costs and decreased embryo quality. There are misconceptions and gaps in awareness of cryopreservation, which may shape patients' opinions. Accurate information regarding policy on storage of embryos is needed.

Public participation in genetic databases: crossing the boundaries between biobanks and forensic DNA databases through the principle of solidarity.

The ethical aspects of biobanks and forensic DNA databases are often treated as separate issues. As a reflection of this, public participation, or the involvement of citizens in genetic databases, has been approached differently in the fields of forensics and medicine. This paper aims to cross the boundaries between medicine and forensics by exploring the flows between the ethical issues presented in the two domains and the subsequent conceptualisation of public trust and legitimisation. We propose to introduce the concept of 'solidarity', traditionally applied only to medical and research biobanks, into a consideration of public engagement in medicine and forensics. Inclusion of a solidarity-based framework, in both medical biobanks and forensic DNA databases, raises new questions that should be included in the ethical debate, in relation to both health services/medical research and activities associated with the criminal justice system.

Performing publics of science in the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study in Austria, Bolivia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Portugal.

Research about science and publics in the COVID-19 pandemic often focuses on public trust and on identifying and correcting public attitudes. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 209 residents in six countries-Austria, Bolivia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, and Portugal-this article uses the concept of performativity to explore how participants understand, and relate to science, in the COVID-19 context. By performativity, we mean the ways by which participants understand themselves as particular sorts of publics through identification with, and differentiation from, various other actors in matters that are perceived as controversies surrounding science: COVID-19 vaccination, media communication of science, and the interactions between governments and scientists. The criteria used to construct the similarities and differences among publics were heterogeneous and fluid, showing how epistemic beliefs about the nature of, and trust in, scientific knowledge are intermingled with social and cultural memberships embedded in specific contexts and across disparate places.

Perspectives on the COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout in 17 Countries: Reflexive Thematic and Frequency Analysis Based on the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Framework.

BACKGROUND: As the SARS-CoV-2 virus created a global pandemic and rapidly became an imminent threat to the health and lives of people worldwide, the need for a vaccine and its quick distribution among the population was evident. Due to the urgency, and on the back of international collaboration, vaccines were developed rapidly. However, vaccination rollouts showed different success rates in different countries and some also led to increased vaccine hesitancy. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the role of information sharing and context sensitivity in various vaccination programs throughout the initial COVID-19 vaccination rollout in different countries. Moreover, we aimed to identify factors in national vaccination programs related to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, safety, and effectiveness. Toward this end, multidisciplinary and multinational opinions from members of the Navigating Knowledge Landscape (NKL) network were analyzed. METHODS: From May to July 2021, 25 completed questionnaires from 27 NKL network members were collected. These contributors were from 17 different countries. The responses reflected the contributors' subjective viewpoints on the status and details of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in their countries. Contributors were asked to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (ie, SWOT) of the respective vaccination programs. The responses were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, followed by frequency analysis of identified themes according to the represented countries. RESULTS: The perspectives of NKL network members showed a link between organizational elements of the vaccination rollout and the accompanying societal response, both of which were related to strengths and weaknesses of the process. External sociocultural variables, improved public communication around vaccination-related issues, ethical controversies, and the spread of disinformation were the dominant themes related to opportunities and challenges. In the SWOT 2×2 matrix, Availability and Barriers emerged as internal categories, whereas Transparent communication and promotion and Societal divide emerged as key external categories. CONCLUSIONS: Inventory of themes and categories inspired by elements of the SWOT framework provides an informative multidisciplinary perspective for effective implementation of public health strategies in the battle against COVID-19 or any future pandemics of a similar nature.

The ADnet Bayesian belief network for alder decline: Integrating empirical data and expert knowledge.

The globalization in plant material trading has caused the emergence of invasive pests in many ecosystems, such as the alder pathogen Phytophthora ×alni in European riparian forests. Due to the ecological importance of alder to the functioning of rivers and the increasing incidence of P. ×alni-induced alder decline, effective and accessible decision tools are required to help managers and stakeholders control the disease. This study proposes a Bayesian belief network methodology to integrate diverse information on the factors affecting the survival and infection ability of P. ×alni in riparian habitats to help predict and manage disease incidence. The resulting Alder Decline Network (ADnet) management tool integrates information about alder decline from scientific literature, expert knowledge and empirical data. Expert knowledge was gathered through elicitation techniques that included 19 experts from 12 institutions and 8 countries. An original dataset was created covering 1189 European locations, from which P. ×alni occurrence was modeled based on bioclimatic variables. ADnet uncertainty was evaluated through its sensitivity to changes in states and three scenario analyses. The ADnet tool indicated that mild temperatures and high precipitation are key factors favoring pathogen survival. Flood timing, water velocity, and soil type have the strongest influence on disease incidence. ADnet can support ecosystem management decisions and knowledge transfer to address P. ×alni-induced alder decline at local or regional levels across Europe. Management actions such as avoiding the planting of potentially infected trees or removing man-made structures that increase the flooding period in disease-affected sites could decrease the incidence of alder disease in riparian forests and limit its spread. The coverage of the ADnet tool can be expanded by updating data on the pathogen's occurrence, particularly from its distributional limits. Research on the role of genetic variability in alder susceptibility and pathogen virulence may also help improve future ADnet versions.

Forensic DNA phenotyping and its politics of legitimation and contestation: Views of forensic geneticists in Europe.

Forensic DNA Phenotyping (FDP) is a set of techniques that aim to infer externally visible characteristics in humans - such as eye, hair and skin color - and biogeographical ancestry of an unknown person, based on biological material. FDP has been applied in various jurisdictions in a limited number of high-profile cases to provide intelligence for criminal investigations. There are on-going controversies about the reliability and validity of FDP, which come together with debates about the ethical challenges emerging from the use of this technology in the criminal justice system. Our study explores how, in the context of complex politics of legitimation of and contestation over the use of FDP, forensic geneticists in Europe perceive this technology's potential applications, utility and risks. Forensic geneticists perform several forms of discursive boundary work, making distinctions between science and the criminal justice system, experts and non-experts, and good and bad science. Such forms of boundary work reconstruct the complex positioning vis-à-vis legal and scientific realities. In particular, while mobilizing interest in FDP, forensic geneticists simultaneously carve out notions of risk, accountability and scientific conduct that perform distance from FDP' implications in the criminal justice system.

Narratives about distributed health literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The promotion of health literacy was a key public health strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the role of social networks and relationships for support with health literacy-related tasks in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic is scarcely understood. Moving beyond traditional notions of health literacy, which focus on individual skills and knowledge, this study uses the concept of distributed health literacy to explore how individuals make meaning of and respond to health literacy and make their literacy skills available to others through their relational and socially situated and lived experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on 89 semi-structured interviews conducted in three European countries (Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland) between October and December 2021, we found narratives of stabilization, hybridization, and disruption that show how health literacy concerning COVID-19 is a complex social construct intertwined with emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses distributed among individuals, communities, and institutions within socioeconomic and political contexts that affect their existence. This paper opens new empirical directions to understand the critical engagement of individuals and communities toward health information aimed at making sense of a complex and prolonged situation of uncertainty in a pandemic.

Criminal genomic pragmatism: prisoners' representations of DNA technology and biosecurity.

BACKGROUND: Within the context of the use of DNA technology in crime investigation, biosecurity is perceived by different stakeholders according to their particular rationalities and interests. Very little is known about prisoners' perceptions and assessments of the uses of DNA technology in solving crime. AIM: To propose a conceptual model that serves to analyse and interpret prisoners' representations of DNA technology and biosecurity. METHODS: A qualitative study using an interpretative approach based on 31 semi-structured tape-recorded interviews was carried out between May and September 2009, involving male inmates in three prisons located in the north of Portugal. The content analysis focused on the following topics: the meanings attributed to DNA and assessments of the risks and benefits of the uses of DNA technology and databasing in forensic applications. RESULTS: DNA was described as a record of identity, an exceptional material, and a powerful biometric identifier. The interviewees believed that DNA can be planted to incriminate suspects. Convicted offenders argued for the need to extend the criteria for the inclusion of DNA profiles in forensic databases and to restrict the removal of profiles. CONCLUSIONS: The conceptual model entitled criminal genomic pragmatism allows for an understanding of the views of prison inmates regarding DNA technology and biosecurity.

Ethical challenges of merging criminal identification and civil identification within the Prüm system.

The so-called Prüm system made mandatory for all EU Member States to join the pan-European network for the exchange of fingerprints, DNA profiles and motor vehicle information for stepping up on cross-border cooperation, particularly in combating terrorism and cross-border crime. Taking into consideration the number of DNA profiles archived in the national databases of the operational countries, more than 13 million DNA profiles can potentially be exchanged. Plans for "next-generation Prüm" that may soon be introduced aim to exchange additional forensic modalities, namely facial recognition data (FRD). This commentary highlights the ethical and social problems of merging DNA profiles of convicted persons, suspects and crime stains (targeting criminal identification) with DNA profiles from missing persons, relatives of missing persons, unidentified persons and unidentified human remains (oriented to civil identification). In a complementary manner, we also discuss the problematic amendments of the so-called "next-generation Prüm" that may soon be introduced that includes plans to exchange additional forensic modalities, namely facial recognition data (FRD).

Benefits and Risks of Sharing Genomic Data for Research: Comparing the Views of Rare Disease Patients, Informal Carers and Healthcare Professionals.

Assessing public and patients' expectations and concerns about genomic data sharing is essential to promote adequate data governance and engagement in rare diseases genomics research. This cross-sectional study compared the views of 159 rare disease patients, 478 informal carers and 63 healthcare professionals in Northern Portugal about the benefits and risks of sharing genomic data for research, and its associated factors. The three participant groups expressed significantly different views. The majority of patients (84.3%) and informal carers (87.4%) selected the discovery of a cure for untreatable diseases as the most important benefit. In contrast, most healthcare professionals revealed a preference for the development of new drugs and treatments (71.4%), which was the second most selected benefit by carers (48.3%), especially by the more educated (OR (95% CI): 1.58 (1.07-2.34)). Lack of security and control over information access and the extraction of information exceeding research objectives were the two most often selected risks by patients (72.6% and 50.3%, respectively) and carers (60.0% and 60.6%, respectively). Conversely, professionals were concerned with genomic data being used to discriminate citizens (68.3%), followed by the extraction of information exceeding research objectives (54.0%). The latter risk was more frequently expressed by more educated carers (OR (95% CI): 1.60 (1.06-2.41)) and less by those with blue-collar (OR (95% CI): 0.44 (0.25-0.77) and other occupations (OR (95% CI): 0.44 (0.26-0.74)). Developing communication strategies and consent approaches tailored to participants' expectations and needs can benefit the inclusiveness of genomics research that is key for patient-centred care.

Evolution of the Family Equidae, Subfamily Equinae, in North, Central and South America, Eurasia and Africa during the Plio-Pleistocene.

Studies of horse evolution arose during the middle of the 19th century, and several hypotheses have been proposed for their taxonomy, paleobiogeography, paleoecology and evolution. The present contribution represents a collaboration of 19 multinational experts with the goal of providing an updated summary of Pliocene and Pleistocene North, Central and South American, Eurasian and African horses. At the present time, we recognize 114 valid species across these continents, plus 4 North African species in need of further investigation. Our biochronology and biogeography sections integrate Equinae taxonomic records with their chronologic and geographic ranges recognizing regional biochronologic frameworks. The paleoecology section provides insights into paleobotany and diet utilizing both the mesowear and light microscopic methods, along with calculation of body masses. We provide a temporal sequence of maps that render paleoclimatic conditions across these continents integrated with Equinae occurrences. These records reveal a succession of extinctions of primitive lineages and the rise and diversification of more modern taxa. Two recent morphological-based cladistic analyses are presented here as competing hypotheses, with reference to molecular-based phylogenies. Our contribution represents a state-of-the art understanding of Plio-Pleistocene Equus evolution, their biochronologic and biogeographic background and paleoecological and paleoclimatic contexts.