Validity and reliability of the WHOQOL-BREF in a pregnant population.

BACKGROUND: Physical end emotional changes during pregnancy may not only affect pregnant womens' quality of life, but also how instruments assessing quality of life perform in such populations. To date, there is insufficient evidence on psychometric properties for both generic and condition-specific instruments measuring quality of life during pregnancy. The aim of this study was thus to examine the structural validity, internal consistency, and construct validity of the WHOQOL-BREF in a sample of pregnant women. METHODS: A convenience sample of 1015 pregnant women in Sweden completed the WHOQOL-BREF online. We examined the psychometric properties of the instrument using principal component analysis (PCA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach's alpha, item-domain correlations, correlations with overall QOL and general health, and multiple linear regression with items on overall QOL and general health as outcomes. RESULTS: Principal Component Analysis in a random subsample (n = 502) supported a four-factor model, encompassing the domains physical, psychological, social and environmental quality of life, but with four of the items originally in the environmental domain relocated to the other domains. The proposed domain structure showed good fit in confirmatory factor analysis in the other random subsample (n = 513). The physical and psychological domains showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.885 and 0.826 respectively), while the social and environmental domains were weaker in this regard. All domains showed significant positive correlations with items on overall QOL and general health. The physical and psychological domains were the most evident predictors in the regression models. CONCLUSIONS: We find the Swedish version of the WHOQOL-BREF to have good psychometric properties to be used in samples of pregnant women, and propose an alternative domain structure that might be even more useful for assessing quality of life during pregnancy. The physical and psychological domains showed good internal consistency and construct validity.

Interaction Modes of Microsomal Cytochrome P450s with Its Reductase and the Role of Substrate Binding.

The activity of microsomal cytochromes P450 (CYP) is strictly dependent on the supply of electrons provided by NADPH cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (CPR). The variant nature of the isoform-specific proximal interface of microsomal CYPs implies that the interacting interface between the two proteins is degenerated. Recently, we demonstrated that specific CPR mutations in the FMN-domain (FD) may induce a gain in activity for a specific CYP isoform. In the current report, we confirm the CYP isoform dependence of CPR's degenerated binding by demonstrating that the effect of four of the formerly studied FD mutants are indeed exclusive of a specific CYP isoform, as verified by cytochrome c inhibition studies. Moreover, the nature of CYP's substrate seems to have a modulating role in the CPR:CYP interaction. In silico molecular dynamics simulations of the FD evidence that mutations induces very subtle structural alterations, influencing the characteristics of residues formerly implicated in the CPR:CYP interaction or in positioning of the FMN moiety. CPR seems therefore to be able to form effective interaction complexes with its structural diverse partners via a combination of specific structural features of the FD, which are functional in a CYP isoform dependent manner, and dependent on the substrate bound.

Small is better: comparing the efficiency of two Surber samplers' sizes for biomonitoring programs in tropical headwater streams in the Amazon region.

This study aimed to compare the efficiency of two different sizes of the Surber sampler to assess benthic macroinvertebrates in headwater streams in two Amazonian regions. Two Surber samplers of different sizes were used, one measuring 20 × 20 cm and the other 30 × 30 cm, both with a 0.25-mm net. The number of replicates taken was 6 for the smaller sampler and 3 for the bigger one, maintaining approximately the same total sampled area. The study was carried out in 12 headwater streams with different environmental conditions. Biological metrics were calculated for each size at each site and compared within each stream health category. A two-way analysis of similarities test was performed to compare the community structure assessed by each method at each stream. A normalized sampling effort was used to quantify the number of samples required to correctly sample each site. The data did not show a significant difference between the two sizes regarding the taxonomic recruitment and the community structure sampled at each stream, but differences were found between the two sizes in dominance values and in Shannon index scores for the natural sites. Furthermore, the smaller Surber was able to assess 70% of the estimated richness in all sites, which suggests that it is better to assess benthic macroinvertebrates than the larger Surber. Moreover, the smaller Surber is easier to transport in the field, reducing the effort of the technician, and takes less time to sort the material collected with it, which can reduce the sample processing effort, therefore reducing the cost of the project.

Probing the Role of the Hinge Segment of Cytochrome P450 Oxidoreductase in the Interaction with Cytochrome P450.

NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) is the unique redox partner of microsomal cytochrome P450s (CYPs). CPR exists in a conformational equilibrium between open and closed conformations throughout its electron transfer (ET) function. Previously, we have shown that electrostatic and flexibility properties of the hinge segment of CPR are critical for ET. Three mutants of human CPR were studied (S243P, I245P and R246A) and combined with representative human drug-metabolizing CYPs (isoforms 1A2, 2A6 and 3A4). To probe the effect of these hinge mutations different experimental approaches were employed: CYP bioactivation capacity of pre-carcinogens, enzyme kinetic analysis, and effect of the ionic strength and cytochrome b5 (CYB5) on CYP activity. The hinge mutations influenced the bioactivation of pre-carcinogens, which seemed CYP isoform and substrate dependent. The deviations of Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters uncovered tend to confirm this discrepancy, which was confirmed by CYP and hinge mutant specific salt/activity profiles. CPR/CYB5 competition experiments indicated a less important role of affinity in CPR/CYP interaction. Overall, our data suggest that the highly flexible hinge of CPR is responsible for the existence of a conformational aggregate of different open CPR conformers enabling ET-interaction with structural varied redox partners.

The Hydroalcoholic Extract of Leaves of Mandevilla moricandiana Induces NO-Mediated Vascular Relaxation.

Natural products extracted from plants represent a valuable source of new bioactive substances. Many studies describe the potential of plant products for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Species of the Mandevilla genus have been studied for their biological activities, mainly as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasorelaxant. However, the phytochemical and pharmacological profiles of Mandevilla moricandiana have not been investigated yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vasodilator effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of M. moricandiana, as well as its chemical profile. Chemical analysis and quantification of major compounds were performed by HPLC analysis. Total flavonoid content was quantified based on rutin equivalents, and major compounds were identified based on HPLC-DAD-MS analysis. M. moricandiana leaf extract-induced vasodilation was investigated in rat aortic rings precontracted with phenylephrine. The total flavonoids were quantified as 3.25 ± 0.11 % w/w of the hydroalcoholic leaf extract, and HPLC-DAD-MS allowed for the identification of luteolin and quercetin glycosides. The maximal relaxant effect of the hydroalcoholic leaf extract was 86.07 ± 1.68 % at a concentration of 30 µg/mL (p < 0.05; n = 6). The concentration of hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of M. moricandiana necessary to reduce phenylephrine-induced contractions of the endothelium-intact aorta by 50 % was 0.82 ± 0.10 µg/mL. M. moricandiana leaf extract-induced vasodilation was abolished in aortas pretreated with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester and 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo-[4,3-α]quinoxalin-1-one. In addition, diphenhydramine partially inhibited the effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves of M. moricandiana. Thus, M. moricandiana-induced relaxation depends on the endothelium and on the activation of the nitric oxide/cyclic GMP pathway, with the involvement of endothelial histamine H1 receptors. Luteolin and quercetin glycosides seem to contribute to the extract activity.

BMPs regulate msx gene expression in the dorsal neuroectoderm of Drosophila and vertebrates by distinct mechanisms.

In a broad variety of bilaterian species the trunk central nervous system (CNS) derives from three primary rows of neuroblasts. The fates of these neural progenitor cells are determined in part by three conserved transcription factors: vnd/nkx2.2, ind/gsh and msh/msx in Drosophila melanogaster/vertebrates, which are expressed in corresponding non-overlapping patterns along the dorsal-ventral axis. While this conserved suite of "neural identity" gene expression strongly suggests a common ancestral origin for the patterning systems, it is unclear whether the original regulatory mechanisms establishing these patterns have been similarly conserved during evolution. In Drosophila, genetic evidence suggests that Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) act in a dosage-dependent fashion to repress expression of neural identity genes. BMPs also play a dose-dependent role in patterning the dorsal and lateral regions of the vertebrate CNS, however, the mechanism by which they achieve such patterning has not yet been clearly established. In this report, we examine the mechanisms by which BMPs act on cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) that control localized expression of the Drosophila msh and zebrafish (Danio rerio) msxB in the dorsal central nervous system (CNS). Our analysis suggests that BMPs act differently in these organisms to regulate similar patterns of gene expression in the neuroectoderm: repressing msh expression in Drosophila, while activating msxB expression in the zebrafish. These findings suggest that the mechanisms by which the BMP gradient patterns the dorsal neuroectoderm have reversed since the divergence of these two ancient lineages.

Psychometric Assessment of the Child Surgery Worries Questionnaire Among Portuguese Children.

Worries are common in surgical patients, especially in children. The present study analyzed the factor structure and the psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of the Child Surgery Worries Questionnaire (CSWQ-P) in a Portuguese sample of 490 children. Exploratory factor analysis, conducted via principal axis factoring with oblimin rotation, provided evidence for a four-factor structure of the 21 item questionnaire. A confirmatory factor analysis was also conducted, showing the good fit of this solution. The CSWQ-P proved to have one more subscale than the original Spanish version CSWQ. Correlations with the children's trait anxiety provided evidence of convergent validity for the CSWQ-P. Females also scored higher on worries than males on all subscales. Psychometric properties of this revised version of the CSWQ provided support for use with young children, and indicate the CSWQ-P has value for use in healthcare practice and in clinical research.

Internalized stigma and quality of life domains among people with mental illness: the mediating role of self-esteem.

BACKGROUND: People with mental illness who internalize stigma often experience reduced self-esteem and impaired quality of life (QOL). AIMS: To propose a theoretical model in which self-esteem mediates the effects of internalized stigma on the multidimensional domains comprising QOL. METHOD: In 403 inpatients and outpatients (DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association, 1994), from hospital-based and community mental health facilities, self-report measures of internalized stigma (ISMI), self-esteem (RSES) and QOL (WHOQOL-Bref) were administrated. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling results supported the proposed model. Self-esteem fully mediated the relation between internalized stigma and the physical and the social relationships domains, and partially mediated the relationship between internalized stigma and psychological, environment and level of independence QOL domains. Such results provided empirical support and shed light upon previous research. Specifically the results emphasize the mediating role that self-esteem plays in the degree to which internalized stigma exerts a negative effect on specific QOL domains. CONCLUSIONS: Self-esteem appears to be a core element in reducing the negative effects of internalized stigma on aspects of QOL among people with mental illness. These findings suggest there is a crucial impact regarding clinical mental health interventions along with important theoretical implications.

Characterization of pKP-M1144, a Novel ColE1-Like Plasmid Encoding IMP-8, GES-5, and BEL-1 ß-Lactamases, from a Klebsiella pneumoniae Sequence Type 252 Isolate.

IMP-8 metallo-ß-lactamase was identified in Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 252 (ST252), isolated in a Portuguese hospital in 2009. blaIMP-8 was the first gene cassette of a novel class 3 integron, In1144, also carrying the blaGES-5, blaBEL-1, and aacA4 cassettes. In1144 was located on a ColE1-like plasmid, pKP-M1144 (12,029 bp), with a replication region of limited nucleotide similarity to those of other RNA-priming plasmids, such as pJHCMW1. In1144 and pKP-M1144 represent an interesting case of evolution of resistance determinants in Gram-negative bacteria.

Using an Educational Multimedia Application to Prepare Children for Outpatient Surgeries.

Surgery is a highly stressful event for children and caregivers. Extensive effort has been made to improve preoperative care in order to alleviate worry about the surgical procedure itself. This study tested the impact of an educational multimedia intervention on the cognitive, emotional, and physiological responses of children undergoing surgery, as well as on parental state anxiety. Children (n = 90) were assigned to three different groups: an educational multimedia intervention (experimental group), an entertainment video game intervention (comparison group), and a control group (no intervention). Children who received the educational multimedia intervention reported lower level of worries about hospitalization, medical procedures, illness, and negative consequences than those in the control and in the comparison groups. Parental state anxiety was also lower in the both the educational and the entertainment video game interventions compared to the control group. These findings suggest that providing information to children regarding medical procedures and hospital rules and routines is important to reduce their preoperative worries, and also relevant for parental anxiety.

Will you thrive under pressure or burn out? Linking anxiety motivation and emotional exhaustion.

Can individual differences in the tendency to use anxiety as a source of motivation explain emotional exhaustion? We examined the effects of using anxiety as a source of energy or as a source of information (viewed here as two forms of anxiety motivation) on emotional exhaustion. In Study 1, the use of anxiety as a source of energy predicted decreased emotional exhaustion one year later. Moreover, both forms of anxiety motivation buffered people from the detrimental effects of trait anxiety on later emotional exhaustion. In Study 2, an experiment, participants who were instructed to use anxiety as a source of energy reported lower emotional exhaustion following a stressful task, compared to those instructed to focus on the task or to simply do their best. These findings suggest that using anxiety as a source of motivation may protect people against emotional exhaustion.

The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness: Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Portuguese Version of the ISMI Scale.

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the ISMI scale in a sample of 253 adult psychiatric outpatients. The exploratory factor analysis replicated the five factor structure of the scale. The results revealed good internal consistency. Criterion-related validity supported the variability in response to stigma across clinical diagnoses. Thus, the Portuguese version of the ISMI scale can be considered appropriate to measure and differentiate between stigmatization experiences. Also, in order to design more focused approaches aimed to reduce the negative effects of internalized stigma, its use in institutional and in community-based mental health services is recommended.

In the grip of fear: dissociations in attentional processing of animal fearful individuals.

Using a modified attention paradigm we investigated specific attentional mechanisms in processing animal feared stimuli. In this paradigm arrays of four pictures were displayed and after its disappearance from view a probe (a letter, X or P) then followed unpredictably in the location of one of the four pictures. The results showed that discriminations of probes tended to be impeded by spider stimuli, compared to snake stimuli. This effect was potentiated by high anxiety but only for those individuals fearful of spiders, since no such effect was observed for snake fearful individuals. Moreover, the discrimination of the probes was not facilitated when presented after the feared stimuli. The implications of these findings are discussed as a function of the cognitive bias involved in specific fear.

Attachment style impacts behavior and early oculomotor response to positive, but not negative, pictures.

The present study investigated whether oculomotor behavior is influenced by attachment styles. The Relationship Scales Questionnaire was used to assess attachment styles of forty-eight voluntary university students and to classify them into attachment groups (secure, preoccupied, fearful, and dismissing). Eye-tracking was recorded while participants engaged in a 3-seconds free visual exploration of stimuli presenting either a positive or a negative picture together with a neutral picture, all depicting social interactions. The task consisted in identifying whether the two pictures depicted the same emotion. Results showed that the processing of negative pictures was impermeable to attachment style, while the processing of positive pictures was significantly influenced by individual differences in insecure attachment. The groups highly avoidant regarding to attachment (dismissing and fearful) showed reduced accuracy, suggesting a higher threshold for recognizing positive emotions compared to the secure group. The groups with higher attachment anxiety (preoccupied and fearful) showed differences in automatic capture of attention, in particular an increased delay preceding the first fixation to a picture of positive emotional valence. Despite lenient statistical thresholds induced by the limited sample size of some groups (p < 0.05 uncorrected for multiple comparisons), the current findings suggest that the processing of positive emotions is affected by attachment styles. These results are discussed within a broader evolutionary framework.

Pleiotropy of Progesterone Receptor Membrane Component 1 in Modulation of Cytochrome P450 Activity.

Progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) is one of few proteins that have been recently described as direct modulators of the activity of human cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP)s. These enzymes form a superfamily of membrane-bound hemoproteins that metabolize a wide variety of physiological, dietary, environmental, and pharmacological compounds. Modulation of CYP activity impacts the detoxification of xenobiotics as well as endogenous pathways such as steroid and fatty acid metabolism, thus playing a central role in homeostasis. This review is focused on nine main topics that include the most relevant aspects of past and current PGRMC1 research, focusing on its role in CYP-mediated drug metabolism. Firstly, a general overview of the main aspects of xenobiotic metabolism is presented (I), followed by an overview of the role of the CYP enzymatic complex (IIa), a section on human disorders associated with defects in CYP enzyme complex activity (IIb), and a brief account of cytochrome b5 (cyt b5)'s effect on CYP activity (IIc). Subsequently, we present a background overview of the history of the molecular characterization of PGRMC1 (III), regarding its structure, expression, and intracellular location (IIIa), and its heme-binding capability and dimerization (IIIb). The next section reflects the different effects PGRMC1 may have on CYP activity (IV), presenting a description of studies on the direct effects on CYP activity (IVa), and a summary of pathways in which PGRMC1's involvement may indirectly affect CYP activity (IVb). The last section of the review is focused on the current challenges of research on the effect of PGRMC1 on CYP activity (V), presenting some future perspectives of research in the field (VI).

Biodiversity effects of ecosystem engineers are stronger on more complex ecosystem processes.

The relative importance of species richness and identity for the diversity-function relationship remains controversial. We mechanistically explored the potential contribution of ecosystem processes complexity (EPC; i.e., the number of pathways and mechanisms through which an ecosystem process can be directly and/or indirectly affected by species and/or their interactions) to the resolution of this controversy. We hypothesized that the complementarity effects of biodiversity will be stronger and that the diversity-function relationship will be more dependent on species richness as the EPC increases. Using a benthic bioturbator community as a model system we tested these predictions across ecosystem processes that could be ordered according to their complexity (suspended material flux < PO4-P flux < NH4-N flux < bacterioplankton production). Consistent with our predictions, species richness explained an increasing proportion of data variation as EPC increased, whereas the contrary was observed for species composition. Nontransgressive overyielding was not affected by EPC, but the magnitude of transgressive overyielding increased significantly with EPC, indicating that complementarity may be stronger as EPC increases. Our results highlight the importance of considering the interactive role of the characteristics of ecosystem processes in our theoretical understanding of the diversity-function relationship and its underlying mechanisms.

Study of the epidemiology of Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. suis in abattoir swine in Portugal.

Pneumocystis has been identified in various mammalian species, including domestic, wild and zoo animals. This study's main objectives were: (1) to estimate the prevalence of the Pneumocystis carinii f. sp. suis infection in slaughtered pigs in Portugal, (2) assess the prevalence differences within distinct age groups of animals, (3) determine the possible associations between pulmonary lesions and the infection, and (4) genetically characterize the P. carinii f. sp. suis isolates recovered from infected animals using PCR with DNA sequencing. An epidemiological cross-sectional study was conducted using 215 pig lung tissue samples which demonstrated a global prevalence of 7% (14 positive samples). This value was later validated by statistical analysis as being representative of the national population prevalence. Regarding the assessment of relations between the different variables investigated during the study (age, gender, geographical region, type of farming, weight and pulmonary lesion) and the P. carinii f. sp. suis infection, no significant statistical differences were found, and apparently, no predisposing factors could be defined. Nevertheless, infection by Pneumocystis in pigs is ubiquitous and it can be detected in healthy animals. Thus, the colonization of P. carinii f. sp. suis among healthy individuals suggests that asymptomatic carriers can be an effective reservoir for susceptible animals and participate in the transmission of infection. The present data confirmed that porcine Pneumocystis is genetically distinct from Pneumocystis DNA detected in other mammalian hosts.

The combination of different carbon sources enhances bacterial growth efficiency in aquatic ecosystems.

The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool is composed of several organic carbon compounds from different carbon sources. Each of these sources may support different bacterial growth rates, but few studies have specifically analyzed the effects of the combination of different carbon sources on bacterial metabolism. In this study, we evaluated the response of several metabolic parameters, including bacterial biomass production (BP), bacterial respiration (BR), bacterial growth efficiency (BGE), and bacterial community structure, on the presence of three DOC sources alone and in combination. We hypothesized that the mixture of different DOC sources would increase the efficiency of carbon use by bacteria (BGE). We established a full-factorial substitutive design (seven treatments) in which the effects of the number and identity of DOC sources on bacterial metabolism were evaluated. We calculated the expected metabolic rates of the combined DOC treatments based on the single-DOC treatments and observed a positive interaction on BP, a negative interaction on BR, and, consequently, a positive interaction on BGE for the combinations. The bacterial community composition appeared to have a minor impact on differences in bacterial metabolism among the treatments. Our data indicate that mixtures of DOC sources result in a more efficient biological use of carbon. This study provides strong evidence that the mixture of different DOC sources is a key factor affecting the role of bacteria in the carbon flux of aquatic ecosystems.

Acute toxicity bioassay with the amphipod, Grandidierella bonnieroides S. after exposure to sediments from an urban estuary (Macaé River Estuary, RJ, Brazil).

Acute toxicity to Grandidierella bonnieroides and physicochemical analysis were used for quality assessment of the sediment of the Macaé River urban estuary, located in the Brazilian coast where rapid socioeconomic growth has been induced by offshore oil and gas exploration at the Campos Basin. Sediment samples were collected during four events in four sampling sites of the estuary and also in a control site. Organism mortality after exposure to the estuarine sediments was, on average, 30 % a value higher than in the control site where it was 10 %. This result together with the physicochemical analysis suggests an initial toxicity condition of the sediments from this aquatic coastal environment.

Single Mutations in Cytochrome P450 Oxidoreductase Can Alter the Specificity of Human Cytochrome P450 1A2-Mediated Caffeine Metabolism.

A unique cytochrome P450 (CYP) oxidoreductase (CPR) sustains activities of human microsomal CYPs. Its function requires toggling between a closed conformation enabling electron transfers from NADPH to FAD and then FMN cofactors and open conformations forming complexes and transferring electrons to CYPs. We previously demonstrated that distinct features of the hinge region linking the FAD and FMN domain (FD) modulate conformer poses and their interactions with CYPs. Specific FD residues contribute in a CYP isoform-dependent manner to the recognition and electron transfer mechanisms that are additionally modulated by the structure of CYP-bound substrate. To obtain insights into the underlying mechanisms, we analyzed how hinge region and FD mutations influence CYP1A2-mediated caffeine metabolism. Activities, metabolite profiles, regiospecificity and coupling efficiencies were evaluated in regard to the structural features and molecular dynamics of complexes bearing alternate substrate poses at the CYP active site. Studies reveal that FD variants not only modulate CYP activities but surprisingly the regiospecificity of reactions. Computational approaches evidenced that the considered mutations are generally in close contact with residues at the FD-CYP interface, exhibiting induced fits during complexation and modified dynamics depending on caffeine presence and orientation. It was concluded that dynamic coupling between FD mutations, the complex interface and CYP active site exist consistently with the observed regiospecific alterations.