"Having a family is the new normal": Parenting in neoliberal academia during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has made explicit the burden of care shouldered by academic mothers, in addition to juggling their scholarly commitments. Although discussions are abundant on the impact of caring responsibilities on the careers of women academics, neoliberal academia continues to minimize such struggles. Despite the disruptions to family routines caused by the health crisis, academic institutions have expected academic mothers and fathers to continue undertaking their professional responsibilities at the same level as before, disregarding their parenting demands. This paper contributes to the research on parenthood in academia by looking at how, throughout the pandemic, academic parents have negotiated the tensions between parenthood and academic demands, and by investigating the strategies they use to confront neoliberal culture of academic performativity, even amid the health crisis. The paper engages with the "space invaders" concept used by Puwar (2004) to analyze the "hypervisibility" of academic mothers' and fathers' "bodies out of place" during the pandemic, and to investigate their "renegade acts" against the uncaring attitudes of their institutions. Evidence is drawn from a qualitative study conducted during December 2020 and January 2021 among scholars affiliated to Portuguese academic institutions: 17 in-depth interviews conducted with women, and two mixed-gender focus groups. Our results research reveal how the experiences of academic mothers and fathers were not uniform during the pandemic. In addition, it shows how, despite their commitment to their academic responsibilities, these parents have crafted various resistance strategies to confront the institutional pressure to continue maintain their working routines, and instead positioning themselves as "more than just academics."

Experience of discrimination during COVID-19 pandemic: the impact of public health measures and psychological distress among refugees and other migrants in Europe.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionately hard impact on refugees and other migrants who are often exposed to the virus with limited means to protect themselves. We tested the hypothesis that during the COVID-19 pandemic, refugees and other migrants have suffered a negative impact on mental health and have been unjustly discriminated for spreading the disease in Europe (data collection from April to November 2020). METHODS: Participants in the ApartTogether Survey (N = 8297, after listwise deletion of missing items final N = 3940) provided data regarding to their difficulties to adhere to preventive recommendations against COVID-19 infection (CARE), self-perceived stigmatization (SS), and psychological distress (PD). Structural Equation Modeling was used to investigate PD as a mediator in the pathway linking CARE to SS, while adjusting for the housing and residence status. To improve confidence in the findings, single hold-out sample cross-validation was performed using a train/test split ratio of 0.8/0.2. RESULTS: In the exploratory set (N = 3159) SS was associated with both CARE (B = 0.200, p < 0.001) and PD (B = 0.455, p < 0.001). Moreover, PD was also associated with CARE (B = 0.094, p = 0.001) and mediated the effect of CARE on SS (proportion mediated = 17.7%, p = 0.001). The results were successfully replicated in the confirmation set (N = 781; total effect = 0.417, p < 0.001; proportion mediated = 29.7%, p < 0.001). Follow-up analyses also found evidence for an opposite effect (i.e., from SS to CARE, B = 0.132; p < 0.001), suggesting that there might be a vicious circle between the self-perceived stigmatization and the access to health care and the use of preventive measures against COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Refugees and other migrants who had more difficulties in accessing health care and preventive measures against COVID-19 infection experienced worse mental health and increased discrimination. These negative effects appeared to be stronger for those with more insecure housing and residence status, highlighting from one side the specific risk of insecure housing in the impact of COVID-19 upon mental health and infection protection, and for another side the need to proper housing as a strategy to prevent both COVID-19 and mental distress.

Design of a new cell penetrating peptide for DNA, siRNA and mRNA delivery.

BACKGROUND: Delivery systems, including peptide-based ones, that destabilize endosomes in a pH-dependent manner are increasingly used to deliver cargoes of therapeutic interest, such as nucleic acids and proteins into mammalian cells. METHODS: The negatively charged amphipathic alpha-helicoidal forming peptide named HELP (Helical Erythrocyte Lysing Peptide) is a derivative from the bee venom melittin and was shown to have a pH-dependent activity with the highest lytic activity at pH 5.0 at the same time as becoming inactive when the pH is increased. The present study aimed to determine whether replacement in the HELP peptide of the glutamic acid residues by histidines, for which the protonation state is sensitive to the pH changes that occur during endosomal acidification, can transform this fusogenic peptide into a carrier able to deliver different nucleic acids into mammalian cells. RESULTS: The resulting HELP-4H peptide displays high plasmid DNA, small interfering RNA and mRNA delivery capabilities. Importantly, in contrast to other cationic peptides, its transfection activity was only marginally affected by the presence of serum. Using circular dichroism, we found that acidic pH did not induce significant conformational changes for HELP-4H. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we were able to develop a new cationic histidine rich peptide able to efficiently deliver various nucleic acids into cells.

Mental Health of Refugees and Migrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Experienced Discrimination and Daily Stressors.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a defining global health crisis of our time. While the impact of COVID-19, including its mental health impact, is increasingly being documented, there remain important gaps regarding the specific consequences of the pandemic on particular population groups, including refugees and migrants. This study aims to uncover the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of refugees and migrants worldwide, disentangling the possible role of social and daily stressors, i.e., experiences of discrimination and daily living conditions. Descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the responses of N = 20,742 refugees and migrants on the self-reporting global ApartTogether survey. Survey findings indicated that the mental health of refugees and migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly impacted, particularly for certain subgroups, (i.e., insecure housing situation and residence status, older respondents, and females) who reported experiencing higher levels of increased discrimination and increases in daily life stressors. There is a need to recognize the detrimental mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on particular refugee and migrant groups and to develop interventions that target their unique needs.

Migração: saúde reprodutiva e estereótipo / Human migration: reproductive health and stereotypes

Resumo Introdução A saúde é um direito universal em Portugal garantido pela Lei nº 56/79, artigo 4º, mas fatores sociais de gênero e de nacionalidade têm condicionado o seu acesso, a exemplo do preconceito sofrido pelas brasileiras residentes nesse país e da falta de acesso em relação à saúde reprodutiva vivenciados por elas. Objetivo Analisar a percepção de mulheres imigrantes brasileiras em relação aos serviços de saúde reprodutiva em Portugal. Método Foram realizadas entrevistas com 13 mulheres selecionadas mediante a técnica de amostragem em bola de neve. Resultados As brasileiras revelaram preferência pela cesariana, o que pode colaborar para a existência de preconceito nos serviços públicos (Serviço Nacional de Saúde), alegando que eles fazem apenas parto normal sem o uso de analgesia, além de ser conduzido por enfermeiros. Nos atendimentos particulares, a cesariana normalmente é realizada, e não foi notada a presença de preconceito. Conclusão Tal predileção, provavelmente, não esteja apenas relacionada às dificuldades experimentadas pelas imigrantes no Serviço Nacional de Saúde de Portugal, mas também à cultura favorável à cesariana, sobretudo no estado de São Paulo, que as brasileiras levam consigo ao migrarem, seja por questões de saúde ou de estética

Abstract Background In Portugal, health is a legal universal right (Law no. 56/79, art. 4); however, people's access to it is conditioned by social factors such as gender and nationality, and the case of prejudice against Brazilian women who live in that country, especially regarding their reproductive health, is an example of this conditioning. Objective Analyze the immigrating Brazilian women's perception of the reproductive health services in Portugal. Method Interviews were conducted with 13 women selected using the snowball sampling method. Results The Brazilian women showed a preference for Cesarean section, which may contribute to increasing the prejudice against them in the Portuguese public health system (SNS). They argued that, in the SNS, normal delivery is performed by nurses without the use of anesthetics. Cesarean sections are frequently carried out in the private health system, where the women surveyed did not notice the presence of prejudice. Conclusion This predilection probably is not only related to the difficulties immigrants experience in the SNS, but also to the culture favoring Cesarean section that exists, especially in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, which is carried with these women when they emigrate, due to either health or esthetic issues.

Multicomponent Exercise Training Combined with Nutritional Counselling Improves Physical Function, Biochemical and Anthropometric Profiles in Obese Children: A Pilot Study.

Aerobics or strength exercise plus diet interventions have been shown to counteract childhood obesity. However, little is known with regard to periodized multicomponent exercise interventions combined with nutritional counselling, which might be less demanding but more enjoyable and respectful of children and adolescents' nature. In order to analyze the impact of such a multimodal approach, 18 obese children (10.8 ± 1.6 years; 63% females; z Body Mass Index 3 ± 0.4) trained for 60 min, twice weekly and were measured for body composition, biochemical parameters and physical function. We found that 16 weeks of multimodal intervention (14 of training), based on fun-type skill-learning physical activities and physical conditioning with challenging circuits and games, together with nutritional counselling, led to an attendance > 80%, with significant overall health improvement. Body composition was enhanced (p < 0.01 for z BMI, mid-upper-arm-circumference, waist-to-height ratio, tricipital and subscapular skinfolds, body-fat % by Slaughter equation and Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry body fat% and trunk fat%), as well as metabolic profile (LDL cholesterol, gamma-glutamyl transferase , alanine aminotransferase ; p < 0.05), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; p < 0.05) and inflammatory response (C-Reactive Protein; p < 0.05). Physical fitness was also improved (p < 0.01) through better cardiovascular test scores and fundamental movement patterns (Functional Movement Screen-7, FMS-4). Tailoring multimodal supervised strategies ensured attendance, active participation and enjoyment, compensating for the lack of strict caloric restrictions and the low volume and training frequency compared to the exercise prescription guidelines for obesity. Nutritional counselling reinforced exercise benefits and turned the intervention into a powerful educational strategy. Teamwork and professionals' specificity may also be key factors.

Superdiversity, migration and use of internet-based health information - results of a cross-sectional survey conducted in 4 European countries.

BACKGROUND: Studies of factors associated with the use of Internet-based health information generally focus on general, rather than migrant populations. This study looked into the reasons why Internet-based health information is used and the effects of migration-related factors, other socio-demographic characteristics and health-related factors on the tendency to consult the Internet. METHODS: In a cross-sectional survey conducted in eight superdiverse neighbourhoods - two each in Birmingham, United Kingdom; Bremen, Germany; Lisbon, Portugal and Uppsala, Sweden - participants were presented with six scenarios and asked to indicate the resources they most relied on when addressing a health concern from a given list. The scenarios included establishing the underlying causes of a health concern and seeking information about prescription drugs, treatments and services available as part of the public healthcare system. The list of resources included the public healthcare system, alternative medicine, family and friends, and the Internet. Frequencies for which the Internet was consulted for each different scenario were calculated and compared across the participating cities. The association between consulting Internet-based health information and migration-related factors, and further socio-demographic characteristics as well as health-related factors such as self-reported health and health literacy was assessed using multivariable logistic regressions. RESULTS: Of the 2570 participants from all four cities who were included in the analyses, 47% had a migrant background and 35% originated from non-EU countries. About a third reported relying on Internet-based health information for at least one of the given scenarios. The two most frequently chosen scenarios were to find out about other possible treatments and prescription drugs. Generally, using Internet-based health information was negatively associated with being a first generation migrant (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.46-0.93), having poor local language competency (OR 0.25; 95% CI 0.14-0.45), older age (≥60 years, OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.15-0.31), low education (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.24-0.50) and positively associated with low trust in physicians (OR 2.13; 95% CI 1.47-3.10). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate the need to consider migration background and language competency when promoting the provision of healthcare services via the Internet so that information and services are widely accessible.

'If there were doctors who could understand our problems, I would already be better': dissatisfactory health care and marginalisation in superdiverse neighbourhoods.

How people in community settings describe their experience of disappointing health care, and their responses to such dissatisfaction, sheds light on the role of marginalisation and underlines the need for radically responsive service provision. Making the case for studying unprompted accounts of dissatisfaction with healthcare provision, this is an original analysis of 71 semi-structured interviews with healthcare users in superdiverse neighbourhoods in four European cities. Healthcare users spontaneously express disappointment with services that dismiss their concerns and fail to attend to their priorities. Analysing characteristics of these healthcare users show that no single aspect of marginalisation shapes the expression of disappointment. In response to disappointing health care, users sought out alternative services and to persuade reluctant service providers, and they withdrew from services, in order to access more suitable health care and to achieve personal vindication. Promoting normative quality standards for diverse and diversifying populations that access care from a range of public and private service providers is in tension with prioritising services that are responsive to individual priorities. Without an effort towards radically responsive service provision, the ideal of universal access on the basis of need gives way to normative service provision.

"It's the First Barrier" - Lack of Common Language a Major Obstacle When Accessing/Providing Healthcare Services Across Europe.

International migration is shaping and changing urban areas as well as impacting on healthcare access and provision in Europe. To investigate how residents of superdiverse neighborhoods put together their healthcare, we conducted qualitative interviews with 76 healthcare providers and 160 residents in four European cities - Bremen, Germany; Birmingham, UK; Lisbon, Portugal and Uppsala, Sweden, between September 2015 and April 2017. A common theme arising from the data was language and communication obstacles, with both healthcare providers and users experiencing language difficulties, despite all four countries having interpretation policies or guidelines to address language barriers in healthcare. Official interpreter services were seen to be unreliable and sometimes of poor quality, leading to a reliance on informal interpretation. Some coping strategies used by both service providers and users led to successful communication despite the lack of a common language. Where communication failed, this led to feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration among both users and providers. Language difficulties came up across all participating countries even though this was not prompted by interview questions, which highlights the widespread nature of language barriers and communication barriers and the need to address them in order to promote equal accessibility to good quality healthcare.

Healthcare bricolage in Europe's superdiverse neighbourhoods: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Studies of the relationship between diverse populations, healthcare access and health outcomes have been dominated by approaches focusing on ethno-national groups or specific healthcare sectors. Healthcare bricolage conceptualises the processes by which individuals use multiple resources to address health concerns. It is relevant in superdiverse neighbourhoods with complex populations. This paper is original in its application of mixed methods to examine the extent to which, and the reasons why, individuals engage in healthcare bricolage. METHODS: The study utilized a parallel sequential methodology. Eight superdiverse neighbourhoods were selected, two in each of Bremen, Birmingham, Lisbon and Uppsala. Ethnographic research scoping the nature of each healthcare ecosystem was followed by 160 interviews (20 each neighbourhood) with a maximum variation sample of residents undertaken October 2015 to December 2016. Interviewees were asked to recall a health concern and describe actions taken to attempt resolution. Data was coded with a MAXQDA codebook checked for inter-coder reliability. Interview findings enabled identification of five types of bricolage, the nature of healthcare resources utilised and the factors which influenced residents' tactics. Results were used to design a household survey using new questions and validated epidemiological instruments implemented January to October 2017. Respondents were identified using random address files and interviewed in person or by telephone. Multinomal logistic regressions were used to estimate the effect of changing the values of determinants on the probability of observing an outcome. RESULTS: Age, gender, level of education, migration background and extent of functional limitation were associated with bricolage tactics. Individuals demonstrating high levels of agency were more likely than those with low levels to engage in bricolage. Residents with high levels of trust in physicians were less likely to bricolage than those with lower levels of trust. Levels of health literacy showed no significant effects. CONCLUSIONS: The nature and severity of health concern, trust in physicians and agency shaped residents' bricolage tactics. The concept of bricolage enabled us to make visible the actions and resources utilised around public healthcare systems that would otherwise remain outwith healthcare access research. Actions were frequently undertaken via networks offering insights into healthcare-seeking behaviour.

Social Violence Increases the Risk of Suicidal Ideation Among Undergraduate Medical Students.

BACKGROUND: Depression is highly prevalent worldwide, and may have fatal consequences. Violence is associated to psychopathology and has exponentially increased in some areas of Mexico. Healthcare professionals are vulnerable to increased anxiety, depression, suicide and lately, to violence by organized crime. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety/depression/suicidal ideation and the weight of social violence as a risk factor. METHODS: Cross sectional study in three generations of undergraduate medical students at entry to internship year in our institution. All students voluntarily agreed to participate. All of them answered Beck and HAM-A. Two generations also responded Plutchik suicidal risk inventory. Sex, type of university and degree of violence in their geographic areas were also recorded. Prevalence rates were calculated for each outcome. χ2 tests and odds ratio (OR) for bivariate analysis, and Mantel-Hanezel to adjust according to level of violence. RESULTS: All of the eligible students responded the anxiety and inventories (n = 8,858), and 6,451 also responded the suicide risk test. Overall, 37.2% displayed severe anxiety, 14.9% moderate/severe depression and 8.5% suicidal ideation. Female sex and private university increased the risk for anxiety and depression. High violence, severe anxiety or depression increased the risk for suicidal ideation. Adjusted by violence zone, female sex, being single and the coexistence of depression were associated with a higher risk for suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation are highly prevalent among premedical interns in Mexico. Living in highly violent areas significantly increases the risk for anxiety/depression/suicidal ideation.

Access to healthcare in superdiverse neighbourhoods.

To date little attention has been focused on how the differing features of 'superdiverse' neighbourhoods shape residents' access to healthcare services. Through utilising a cross-national mixed-methods approach, the paper highlights how defining features of superdiverse neighbourhoods - 'newness', 'novelty' and 'diversity' - influence a number of neighbourhood 'domains' and 'rules of access' that regulate access to healthcare. Issues of uncertainty, affordability, compliance, transnationalism and the diversity of community and local sociability are identified as being particularly significant, but which may vary in importance according to the nationality, ethnicity and / or religion of particular individuals.

Sequential Inoculation of Native Non-Saccharomyces and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains for Wine Making.

The use of non-Saccharomyces yeast for wine making is becoming a common trend in many innovative wineries. The application is normally aimed at increasing aromas, glycerol, reducing acidity, and other improvements. This manuscript focuses on the reproduction of the native microbiota from the vineyard in the inoculum. Thus, native selected yeasts (Hanseniaspora uvarum, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Torulaspora delbrueckii, Starmerella bacillaris species and three different strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were inoculated sequentially, or only S. cerevisiae (three native strains together or one commercial) was used. Inoculations were performed both in laboratory conditions with synthetic must (400 mL) as well as in industrial conditions (2000 kg of grapes) in red winemaking in two different varieties, Grenache and Carignan. The results showed that all the inoculated S. cerevisiae strains were found at the end of the vinifications, and when non-Saccharomyces yeasts were inoculated, they were found in appreciable populations at mid-fermentation. The final wines produced could be clearly differentiated by sensory analysis and were of similar quality, in terms of sensory analysis panelists' appreciation.

[Risk factors associated with preterm birth in a second level hospital]. / Factores de riesgo asociados a parto pretérmino en un hospital de segundo nivel de atención.

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth is one of the biggest problems in obstetrics and gynecology, given that it has an incidence of 10-11%. The objective was to identify the risk factors associated with a preterm birth. METHODS: A retrospective, observational, transversal and analytic case-control study was made. All premature birth incidences were determined as study objects and controls were integrated with term deliveries. A sample size of 344 patients with a control per case was calculated. A total of 688 patients were studied. Statistical analysis was descriptive, univariate and bivariate and we used the Pearson chi square test, with a p < 0.05, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: The risk factors associated with a preterm labor were placenta praevia: OR = 10.2 (p = 0.005); previous preterm delivery: OR = 10.2 (p = 0.005); preeclampsia: OR = 6.38 (p = 0.00); twin pregnancy: OR = 5.8 (p = 0.000); oligohydramnios: OR = 5.8 (p = 0.000); tobacco use: OR = 4.6 (p = 0.002); premature rupture of membranes (PROM): OR = 4.1 (p = 0.000); cervicovaginitis: OR = 3 (p = 0.000); urinary tract infections (UTI): OR = 1.5 (p = 0.010). CONCLUSION: Maternal history of prenatal care, preclampsia, PROM, twin pregnancy, placenta praevia, cervicovaginitis, previous preterm delivery and UTI are risk factors with statistical significance associated with preterm delivery.

Introducción: el parto pretérmino es uno de los mayores problemas en obstetricia, pues presenta una incidencia de 10-11%. El objetivo fue identificar los factores de riesgo asociados al parto pretérmino. Métodos: se realizó un estudio de casos y controles, observacional, retrospectivo, transversal y analítico. Los casos estuvieron constituidos por nacimientos prematuros y los controles por los partos a término. Se calculó un tamaño de muestra de 344 pacientes con un control por cada caso. El total de pacientes estudiados fue de 688. El análisis estadístico fue descriptivo, univariante y bivariante mediante la prueba chi cuadrada de Pearson, con una p < 0.05, razón de momios (RM) e intervalos de confianza al 95% (IC 95%). Resultados: los factores de riesgo asociados a parto pretérmino fueron la placenta previa: RM = 10.2 (p = 0.005); el antecedente de parto pretérmino: RM = 10.2 (p = 0.005); la preeclampsia: RM = 6.38 (p = 0.00); el embarazo gemelar: RM = 5.8 (p = 0.000), el oligohidramnios: RM = 5.8 (p = 0.000); el tabaquismo = RM = 4.6 (p = 0.002), la ruptura prematura de membranas: RM = 4.1 (p = 0.000); la cervicovaginitis: RM = 3 (p = 0.000); la infección del tracto urinario: RM = 1.5 (p = 0.010). Conclusión: los antecedentes maternos, como el control prenatal, la preeclampsia, la ruptura prematura de membranas, el embarazo gemelar, la placenta previa, la cervicovaginitis, el parto pretérmino previo y la infección del tracto urinario son los factores de riesgo con mayor significación estadística.

Saúde e migrações: metodologias participativas como ferramentas de promoção da cidadania / Health and Migration: participative methodologies as tools to promote citizenship / Salud y migraciones: metodologías participativas como herramientas de promoción de la ciudadanía

O campo de estudo "saúde e migrações" é relativamente novo, tanto entre as ciências da saúde como nas ciências sociais, quer a problemática seja abordada com metodologias quantitativas e/ou qualitativas tradicionais. O recurso a metodologias participativas tem sido uma exceção, embora estas ofereçam uma oportunidade concreta de intervenção, quer com os usuários dos serviços de saúde como com os profissionais de saúde. Recorrendo a um caso específico de investigação sobre saúde materno-infantil e reprodutiva nas populações migrantes, este artigo pretende contribuir para o debate sobre o uso dessas metodologias e os desafios e as possibilidades que oferecem como ferramenta metodológica em investigação direcionada à mudança social.(AU)

The field of "health and migration" is relatively new, both among health sciences and social sciences, using either traditional quantitative and/or qualitative methodologies. The use of participative methodologies has been an exception although they provide an opportunity for intervention, both with users of health services or with providers. Using an example of research in the field of maternal-child and reproductive health among migrant populations, this paper hopes to contribute to the debate about the use of participative methodologies, their challenges and possibilities as a methodological tool in applying research for social change.(AU)

El campo de estudio "salud y migraciones" es relativamente nuevo, tanto entre las ciencias de la salud como en las ciencias sociales, tanto si la problemática es abordada con metodologías cuantitativas y/o con metodologías cualitativas tradicionales. Recurrir a metodologías participativas ha sido una excepción, aunque ellas ofrezcan una oportunidad concreta de intervención, tanto con los usuarios de los servicios de salud como con los profesionales de salud. Recurriendo a un caso específico de investigación sobre salud materno-infantil y reproductiva en las poblaciones migrantes, este artículo pretende contribuir al debate sobre el uso de estas metodologías y los desafíos y las posibilidades que ofrecen como herramienta metodológica en investigación dirigida al cambio social.(AU)

[Risk factors and clinical features of ectopic pregnancy]. / Factores de riesgo y características clínicas del embarazo ectópico.

BACKGROUND: Ectopic pregnancy (EP) is the most frequent cause of maternal death in the first trimester of pregnancy. The objective was to establish the clinical features and risk factors associated with EP. METHODS: Observational, retrospective, transversal and analytic case-control study. Two groups were included: the cases group (28 patients) and the control group (56 postpartum patients). Univariate and bivariate descriptive statistical analysis were carried out using the Pearson chi-square test, p < 0.05, with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: Statistically significant values (OR) were: smoking: 18.33, history of EP: 11.96, IUD use: 11.9, abdominal surgery: 5.87, being multigravid: 3.80, and having two or more sexual partners: 2. The most common clinical symptom was pelvic pain with 57.1% (16), right ruptured EP 53.6%, tubal pregnancy 82.1% (23), unruptured EP 60.7% (17), hemoperitoneum 60.7% (17). Gestational age for EP was of 4-8 weeks (75%) and surgical treatment 96.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of EP found in our population was 1 in every 122 live births. Risk factors associated with ectopic pregnancy with statistically higher values were: smoking, being multigravid, having a clinical record of EP, IUD use before conception, abdominal surgery. The more frequent clinical characteristics were pelvic pain, right EP, tubal pregnancy, EP with no ruptures, hemoperitoneum < 750 ml, a gestational age between four and eight weeks.

Introducción: el embarazo ectópico (EE) es la causa más frecuente de muerte materna en el primer trimestre de embarazo. Se buscó determinar las características clínicas y los factores de riesgo asociados a EE. Métodos: estudio de casos y controles, observacional, retrospectivo, transversal y analítico. Se incluyeron dos grupos: casos (28 pacientes) y controles (56 pacientes puérperas). Se hizo un análisis estadístico descriptivo con univariante y bivariante mediante chi cuadrada de Pearson (p < 0.05), con razones de momios (RM) e intervalos de confianza al 95% (IC al 95%). Resultados: la RM del hábito tabáquico fue de 18.33, la del antecedente de EE de 11.96, uso de DIU: 11.9, cirugía abdominal: 5.87, ser multigesta: 3.80, tener dos o más parejas sexuales: 2. El síntoma clínico más común fue el dolor pélvico abdominal con 57.1% (16), EE derecho 53.6%, embarazo tubárico 82.1% (23), EE no roto 60.7% (17), hemoperitoneo 60.7% (17). La edad gestacional para EE fue de 4-8 semanas (75%) y el tratamiento quirúrgico de 96.4%. Conclusión: la frecuencia de EE fue de 1 por cada 122 nacidos vivos. Los factores de riesgo para EE con valores estadísticos más altos fueron: consumir tabaco, tener dos o más parejas sexuales, ser multigesta, tener antecedente de EE, usar DIU antes de la concepción, haber sido sometida a cirugías abdominales. Las características clínicas más frecuentes fueron el dolor pélvico abdominal, EE derecho, embarazo tubárico, EE no roto, hemoperitoneo < 750 mL y una edad gestacional entre cuatro y ocho semanas.

Politicy of care in the criticism towards gender stereotypes. / A politicidade do cuidado na crítica aos estereótipos de gênero.

OBJECTIVES:: analyze gender inequalities among Brazilian women in Portugal and in contemporary nursing based on care politicity in the light of gender; disclose oppression of the female produced by the stereotypes that look upon women as natural caregivers; point out politicity to deconstruct gender stereotypes. METHOD:: theoretical reflection with narrative review of literature to analyze classic references in the feminist epistemology combined with the care politicity thesis. RESULTS:: the similarities between the stereotypes of the Brazilian Eves and the Portuguese Maries as either the sexualized or sanctified nurse are inserted in the Jewish-Christian moral genealogy that reaffirms the subservience of the female to the male. CONCLUSION:: by attaching priority to care that needs non-care to expand the possibilities of care giving, the theoretical assumption of politicy of care can contribute to subvert the stereotypical images of Brazilian women in Portuguese lands and in contemporary nursing.

A politicidade do cuidado na crítica aos estereótipos de gênero / La politicidad del cuidado en la crítica a los estereotipos de género / Politicy of care in the criticism towards gender stereotypes

RESUMO Objetivos: analisar as desigualdades de gênero entre mulheres brasileiras em Portugal e na enfermagem moderna, a partir da politicidade do cuidado na perspectiva do gênero; explicitar a opressão sobre o feminino reproduzida pelos estereótipos que essencializam a mulher como cuidadora natural; apontar politicidades para a desconstrução dos estereótipos de gênero. Método: reflexão teórica com revisão narrativa de literatura com o propósito de analisar as referências clássicas da epistemologia feminista na articulação com a tese da politicidade do cuidado. Resultados: as similitudes entre os estereótipos das Evas-brasileiras e das Marias-portuguesas com a enfermeira sexualizada ou santificada se inscrevem na genealogia da moral judaico-cristã que reitera a subserviência do feminino ao masculino. Conclusão: ao priorizar um cuidado que precisa do descuidado para ampliar as possibilidades cuidativas, a premissa teórica da politicidade do cuidado pode contribuir para subverter as imagens essencializadas das brasileiras em solo lusitano e na enfermagem contemporânea.

RESUMEN Objetivos: analizar desigualdades de género entre mujeres brasileñas en Portugal y en enfermería moderna, partiendo de la politicidad del cuidado en la perspectiva del género; explicitar la opresión sobre el género femenino reproducida por los estereotipos que esencializan a la mujer como cuidadora natural; sugerir politicidades para deconstruir estereotipos de género. Método: reflexión teórica con revisión narrativa de literatura, a fin de analizar las referencias clásicas de la epistemología feminista en articulación con la tesis de politicidad del cuidado. Resultados: las similitudes entre los estereotipos de Evas-brasileñas y Marías-portuguesas con la enfermera sexualizada o santificada reproducen la moral judaico-cristiana que replica la sumisión de lo femenino a lo masculino. Conclusión: al priorizar un cuidado que necesita de un descuidado para ampliar posibilidades de cuidar, la premisa teórica de politicidad del cuidado contribuye a subvertir las imágenes de esencialización de las brasileñas en suelo lusitano y en la enfermería contemporánea.

ABSTRACT Objectives: analyze gender inequalities among Brazilian women in Portugal and in contemporary nursing based on care politicity in the light of gender; disclose oppression of the female produced by the stereotypes that look upon women as natural caregivers; point out politicity to deconstruct gender stereotypes. Method: theoretical reflection with narrative review of literature to analyze classic references in the feminist epistemology combined with the care politicity thesis. Results: the similarities between the stereotypes of the Brazilian Eves and the Portuguese Maries as either the sexualized or sanctified nurse are inserted in the Jewish-Christian moral genealogy that reaffirms the subservience of the female to the male. Conclusion: by attaching priority to care that needs non-care to expand the possibilities of care giving, the theoretical assumption of politicy of care can contribute to subvert the stereotypical images of Brazilian women in Portuguese lands and in contemporary nursing.

The transporter and permeability interactions of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and L-arginine with the human blood-brain barrier in vitro.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a biological firewall that carefully regulates the cerebral microenvironment by acting as a physical, metabolic and transport barrier. This selectively permeable interface was modelled using the immortalised human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line (hCMEC/D3) to investigate interactions with the cationic amino acid (CAA) L-arginine, the precursor for nitric oxide (NO), and with asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenously derived analogue of L-arginine that potently inhibits NO production. The transport mechanisms utilised by L-arginine are known but they are not fully understood for ADMA, particularly at the BBB. This is of clinical significance giving the emerging role of ADMA in many brain and cerebrovascular diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target. We discovered that high concentrations of ADMA could induce endothelial dysfunction in the hCMEC/D3s BBB permeability model, leading to an increase in paracellular permeability to the paracellular marker FITC-dextran (40kDa). We also investigated interactions of ADMA with a variety of transport mechanisms, comparing the data with L-arginine interactions. Both molecules are able to utilise the CAA transport system y(+). Furthermore, the expression of CAT-1, the best known protein from this group, was confirmed in the hCMEC/D3s. It is likely that influx systems, such as y(+)L and b(0,+), have an important physiological role in ADMA transport at the BBB. These data are not only important with regards to the brain, but apply to other microvascular endothelia where ADMA is a major area of investigation.

Yeast Biodiversity from DOQ Priorat Uninoculated Fermentations.

Climate, soil, and grape varieties are the primary characteristics of terroir and lead to the definition of various appellations of origin. However, the microbiota associated with grapes are also affected by these conditions and can leave a footprint in a wine that will be part of the characteristics of terroir. Thus, a description of the yeast microbiota within a vineyard is of interest not only to provide a better understanding of the winemaking process, but also to understand the source of microorganisms that maintain a microbial footprint in wine from the examined vineyard. In this study, two typical grape varieties, Grenache and Carignan, have been sampled from four different vineyards in the DOQ Priorat winegrowing region. Afterward, eight spontaneous alcoholic fermentations containing only grapes from one sampling point and of one variety were conducted at laboratory scale. The fermentation kinetics and yeast population dynamics within each fermentation experiment were evaluated. Yeast identification was performed by RFLP-PCR of the 5.8S-ITS region and by sequencing D1/D2 of the 26S rRNA gene of the isolates. The fermentation kinetics did not indicate clear differences between the two varieties of grapes or among vineyards. Approximately 1,400 isolates were identified, exhibiting high species richness in some fermentations. Of all the isolates studied, approximately 60% belong to the genus Hanseniaspora, 16% to Saccharomyces, and 11% to Candida. Other minor genera, such as Hansenula, Issatchenkia, Kluyveromyces, Saccharomycodes, and Zygosaccharomyces, were also found. The distribution of the identified yeast throughout the fermentation process was studied, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to be present mainly at the end of the fermentation process, while Aureobasidium pullulans was isolated primarily during the first days of fermentation in three of the eight spontaneous fermentations. This work highlights the complexity and diversity of the vineyard ecosystem, which contains yeasts from different species. The description of this yeast diversity will lead to the selection of native microbiota that can be used to produce quality wines with the characteristics of the Priorat.