Harnessing online digital data in biodiversity monitoring.

Online digital data from media platforms have the potential to complement biodiversity monitoring efforts. We propose a strategy for integrating these data into current biodiversity datasets in light of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Exploring the relationship between emotion regulation, inhibitory control, and eating psychopathology in a non-clinical sample.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to explore the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and deficits in inhibitory control, and the role of these processes in eating psychopathology in a non-clinical sample. We also explored the specificity in which deficits in inhibitory control may underlie eating psychopathology, namely whether they can be conceptualised as context specific or more extensive in nature. METHOD: Participants were 107 healthy individuals recruited at a major Portuguese university, aged between 18 and 43 years-old (M = 21.23, SD = 4.79). Two computerised neuropsychological tasks (i.e., emotional go/no-go and food go/no-go tasks) were used to assess response inhibition in the presence of general versus context-specific stimuli. A set of self-report measures was used to assess variables of interest such as emotion regulation and eating psychopathology. RESULTS: Results indicated higher response inhibition deficits among participants with higher difficulties in emotion regulation comparing to those with lower difficulties in emotion regulation, particularly in the context of food-related stimuli. In addition, the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and eating psychopathology was moderated by inhibitory control deficits in both the context of food and pleasant stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings highlight inhibitory control as an important process underlying the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and eating psychopathology in non-clinical samples. Findings have important implications for clinical practice and the prevention of eating psychopathology in healthy individuals and individuals with eating disorders.

Evaluation of patients' satisfaction with domiciliary biological treatment in severe asthma: a Portuguese survey.

Dear Editor, According to GINA, severe asthma is defined as uncontrolled asthma, despite therapy adherence with an optimized high dose of inhaled corticosteroid plus long-acting ß2-agonist coupled with management of modifiable factors/comorbidities, that worsens when this treatment is decreased. It affects a significant portion of asthmatic patients and imposes a high risk of exacerbations and mortality, which are associated with significant healthcare costs and psychosocial impact...

Unexpected diagnosis: IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis with normal serum IgG4 levels - Unraveling diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

Diagnosing IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis (IgG4-SC) presents significant challenges, especially when serum IgG4 levels are normal and other organs are not involved. We report a case of a 51-year-old patient with typical symptoms of biliary obstruction, including jaundice and abdominal pain. Despite normal serum IgG4 levels, imaging suggested cholangiocarcinoma, leading to extensive surgical intervention. Histological analysis of the surgical specimen revealed extensive lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and numerous IgG4-positive plasma cells, confirming IgG4-SC. This case underscores the difficulty in differentiating IgG4-SC from other biliary diseases such as primary sclerosing cholangitis and cholangiocarcinoma, highlighting the need for thorough histological examination in atypical presentations.

A rare case of pancreatic pseudocyst-portal vein fistula in a patient with chronic pancreatitis.

A 60-year-old female with chronic pancreatitis and a history of splenectomy presented with epigastric pain, vomiting, and asthenia. Elevated pancreatic enzymes and CT imaging revealed a pseudocyst in the pancreatic head with suspected communication to the portal vein, confirmed by MR Cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). EUS-guided puncture revealed high amylase levels. Given her manageable symptoms, a conservative approach was adopted, leading to symptomatic relief and pseudocyst size reduction. Pancreatic pseudocyst-portal vein fistula is a rare pancreatitis complication, challenging to diagnose, with no gold-standard treatment. Endoscopic stenting offers a promising alternative to surgery for severe cases.

Clear cell renal cancer metastasis - A case of delayed diagnosis.

Renal cell carcinoma represents about 90% of all primary renal neoplasms. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma is the most common histological type, characterized by an aggressive clinical course due to its tendency to metastasize. Metastases are typically diagnosed on average 5 years after oncological surgery. Compared to metastasis to other organs, pancreatic metastases are rare. We present a case of clear cell renal carcinoma metastasis to the pancreas and liver, diagnosed 23 years after nephrectomy during the investigation of portal hypertension findings. Evaluating the late recurrence of clear cell renal carcinoma is crucial. There are no guidelines regarding the appropriate follow-up period after nephrectomy, and prospective studies may be useful in the future.

Lumen-apposing metal stent for malignant gastrointestinal stricture.

We present a case of gastro-jejunal anastomotic stenosis due to the progression of malignant disease, successfully treated endoscopically by placing a lumen-apposing metal stent. This case illustrating the successful use of a lumen-apposing metal stent in a complex clinical scenario. This approach can significantly improve patient outcomes, especially in those who are poor surgical candidates or have advanced disease.

Cat scratch colon and cecal barotrauma perforation during colonoscopy with CO2 insufflation.

BACKGROUND: Cecal perforation from barotrauma is a rare complication of colonoscopy, even with the use of CO2 insufflation, which is generally preferred over room air due to its rapid absorption and reduced patient discomfort. CASE REPORT: A 64-year-old woman with hypertension and dyslipidemia underwent a routine colonoscopy with CO2 insufflation. Multiple diverticula were noted, and upon reaching the cecum, several parallel linear lesions with spontaneous bleeding, consistent with "cat scratch" colon, were observed. Hemostasis was achieved with 10 endoscopic clips. A subsequent CT scan revealed pneumoperitoneum and the clips in the cecum. The patient was managed conservatively with bowel rest and intravenous antibiotics, showing a favorable clinical course and was discharged on the fifth day. DISCUSSION: This case highlights the potential for cecal perforation due to barotrauma even with CO2 insufflation during colonoscopy, emphasizing the need for awareness and prompt management of such complications.

The mediating role of self-criticism, experiential avoidance and negative urgency on the relationship between ED-related symptoms and difficulties in emotion regulation.

OBJECTIVE: Difficulties in emotion regulation are thought to play a transdiagnostic role across eating disorders (ED). In the current study, we explored with a path analysis the mediating role of self-criticism, experiential avoidance and negative urgency on the relationship between ED-related symptoms and dimensions of difficulties in emotion regulation. METHOD: Participants were 103 female outpatients recruited at a Portuguese ED hospital unit, diagnosed with an ED, aged 14-60 years old (M = 28.0, SD = 10.5), body mass index (BMI) ranging from 11.72 to 39.44 (M = 20.1, SD = 5.4). RESULTS: The path analysis resulted in a model with an adequate fit to the data (SRMR = 0.05; RMSEA = 0.07 [0.00, 0.12], PCLOSE = 0.269; TLI = 0.97; IFI = 0.99; GFI = 0.95). A final model in which the relationship between ED-related symptoms and dimensions of difficulties in emotion regulation was mediated by self-criticism, experiential avoidance and negative urgency, accounted for a variance of 71% for strategies, 57% for non-acceptance, 62% for impulses, 56% for goals and 20% for clarity. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that self-criticism, experiential avoidance and negative urgency, combined, are relevant in the relationship between ED-related symptoms and difficulties in emotion regulation. ED treatment and emotion regulation skills may be enhanced through the inclusion of specific components that target self-criticism, experiential avoidance and negative urgency, as they become prominent during the therapeutic process.

The factorial structure and psychometric properties of the Committed Action Questionnaire (CAQ-8) in a Portuguese clinical sample with eating disorders.

The Committed Action Questionnaire (CAQ-8) is an instrument developed to measure committed action, an adaptive psychological process. The main goal in the current study was to confirm the factorial structure of the Portuguese version of the CAQ-8 in a transdiagnostic clinical sample of participants diagnosed with an eating disorder (ED). Participants were 102 female outpatients (Mage = 28.1, SD = 10.6; MBMI = 20.0, SD = 5.5) recruited from a clinical setting specialized in the treatment of ED. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the CAQ-8's factorial structure. Both first- and second-order models revealed adequate goodness-of-fit indices (e.g. χ2 /df = 1.545, p = .06; SRMR = 0.049; RMSEA = 0.073; CFI/TLI > 0.95). A moderation model revealed that the conditional effect of weight, shape and eating concerns on experiential avoidance was significantly moderated by increased levels of committed action, F(3, 97) = 23.79, p < .001, accounting for 42% of the final variance. The present study supports the usefulness of the CAQ-8 as a measure of levels of committed action with patients diagnosed with an ED.

The impact of COVID-19 lockdown on disordered eating behaviors: the mediation role of psychological distress.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the early associations between the experienced psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis during lockdown, depressive symptomatology, anxiety/stress levels, and disordered eating behaviors in adults during a first COVID-19 lockdown period. METHODS: This was a community-based cross-sectional study assessing 254 Portuguese adults (82.7% women; 35.82 ± 11.82 years) 1 week after the end of the first mandatory COVID-19 lockdown in Portugal. An online survey was conducted to evaluate psychological distress, disordered eating, and psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pearson correlations and Structural Equation Modeling were performed. RESULTS: Participants reported the presence of meal skipping (52.8%), grazing eating behavior (80.9%), overeating (81.0%), loss of control over eating (47.2%), and binge eating episodes (39.2%) during lockdown. Structural equation modeling analyses, controlling for age and sex, indicated that there was a significant indirect effect of the experienced psychosocial impact of COVID-19 pandemic on disordered eating behaviors mediated through psychological distress. CONCLUSION: The psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis may lead to disordered eating, and this relation may occur through the elevation of psychological distress. These findings can be used to inform interventions, to enhance mental health and manage disordered eating during similar future situations. Level of evidence V: cross-sectional descriptive study.

Topical estrogen, testosterone, and vaginal dilator in the prevention of vaginal stenosis after radiotherapy in women with cervical cancer: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to evaluate the effects of different therapeutic options to prevent the evolution of vaginal stenosis after pelvic radiotherapy in women with cervical cancer. METHODS: open-label randomized clinical trial of 195 women, stage I-IIIB, aged 18-75 years, using topical estrogen (66), topical testosterone (34), water-based intimate lubricant gel (66), and vaginal dilators (29) to assess the incidence and severity of vaginal stenosis after radiotherapy at UNICAMP-Brazil, from January/2013 to May/2018. The main outcome measure was vaginal stenosis assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) scale and percental changes in vaginal volume. The women were evaluated at four different times: shortly after the end of radiotherapy, and four, eight, and 12 months after the beginning of the intervention. Statistical analysis was carried out using Symmetry test, Kruskal-Wallis test and multiple regression. RESULTS: the mean age of women was 46.78 (±13.01) years, 61,03% were premenopausal and 73,84% had stage IIB-IIIB tumors. The mean reduction in vaginal volume in the total group was 25.47%, with similar worsening in the four treatment groups with no statistical difference throughout the intervention period. There was worsening of vaginal stenosis evaluated by CTCAE scale after 1 year in all groups (p < 0.01), except for the users of vaginal dilator (p = 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: there was a reduction in vaginal volume in all treatment groups analyzed, with no significant difference between them. However, women who used vaginal dilators had a lower frequency and severity of vaginal stenosis assessed by the CTCAE scale after one year of treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials, RBR-23w5fv . Registered 10 January 2017 - Retrospectively registered.

Astrocyte regional diversity in ALS includes distinct aberrant phenotypes with common and causal pathological processes.

Astrocytes are major contributors of motor neuron (MN) degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We investigated whether regional and cell maturation differences influence ALS astrocyte malfunction. Spinal and cortical astrocytes from SOD1G93A (mSOD1) 7-day-old mice were cultured for 5 and 13 days in vitro (DIV). Astrocyte aberrancies predominated in 13DIV cells with region specificity. 13DIV cortical mSOD1 astrocytes showed early morphological changes and a predominant reactive and inflammatory phenotype, while repressed proteins and genes were found in spinal cells. Inflammatory-associated miRNAs, e.g. miR-155/miR-21/miR-146a, were downregulated in the first and upregulated in the later ones. Interestingly, depleted miR-155/miR-21/miR-146a in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs/exosomes) was a common pathological feature. Cortical mSOD1 astrocytes induced late apoptosis and kinesin-1 downregulation in mSOD1 NSC-34 MNs, whereas spinal cells upregulated dynein, while decreased nNOS and synaptic-related genes. Both regional-distinct mSOD1 astrocytes enhanced iNOS gene expression in mSOD1 MNs. We provide information on the potential contribution of astrocytes to ALS bulbar-vs. spinal-onset pathology, local influence on neuronal dysfunction and their shared miRNA-depleted exosome trafficking. These causal and common features may have potential therapeutic implications in ALS. Future studies should clarify if astrocyte-derived sEVs are active players in ALS-related neuroinflammation and glial activation.

Assessment of the renal angina index for the prediction of acute kidney injury in patients admitted to a European pediatric intensive care unit.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with worse outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients. The renal angina index (RAI) has been proposed as an early prediction tool for AKI development. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to evaluate outcomes of RAI-positive patients and to compare RAI performance with traditional AKI markers across different patient groups (medical/post-surgical). This was an observational retrospective study. All children admitted to a tertiary hospital PICU over a 3-year period were included. Electronic medical records were reviewed. Day 1 RAI was calculated, as was the presence and staging of day 3 AKI. RESULTS: A total of 593 patients were included; 56% were male, the mean age was 55 months, and 17% had a positive RAI. This was associated with day 3 AKI development and worse outcomes, such as greater need for kidney replacement therapy, longer duration of mechanical ventilation, vasoactive support and PICU stay, and higher mortality. For all-stage kidney injury, RAI presented a sensitivity of 87.5% and a specificity of 88.1%. Prediction of day 3 all-stage AKI by RAI had an AUC=0.878; its performance increased for severe AKI (AUC = 0.93). RAI was superior to serum creatinine increase and KDIGO AKI staging on day 1 in predicting severe AKI development. The performance remained high irrespective of the type of admission. CONCLUSIONS: The RAI is a simple and inexpensive tool that can be used with medical and post-surgical PICU patients to predict AKI development and anticipate complications, allowing for the adoption of preventive measures.

Overexpression of miR-124 in Motor Neurons Plays a Key Role in ALS Pathological Processes.

miRNA(miR)-124 is an important regulator of neurogenesis, but its upregulation in SOD1G93A motor neurons (mSOD1 MNs) was shown to associate with neurodegeneration and microglia activation. We used pre-miR-124 in wild-type (WT) MNs and anti-miR-124 in mSOD1 MNs to characterize the miR-124 pathological role. miR-124 overexpression in WT MNs produced a miRNA profile like that of mSOD1 MNs (high miR-125b; low miR-146a and miR-21), and similarly led to early apoptosis. Alterations in mSOD1 MNs were abrogated with anti-miR-124 and changes in their miRNAs mostly recapitulated by their secretome. Normalization of miR-124 levels in mSOD1 MNs prevented the dysregulation of neurite network, mitochondria dynamics, axonal transport, and synaptic signaling. Same alterations were observed in WT MNs after pre-miR-124 transfection. Secretome from mSOD1 MNs triggered spinal microglia activation, which was unno-ticed with that from anti-miR-124-modulated cells. Secretome from such modulated MNs, when added to SC organotypic cultures from mSOD1 mice in the early symptomatic stage, also coun-teracted the pathology associated to GFAP decrease, PSD-95 and CX3CL1-CX3CR1 signaling im-pairment, neuro-immune homeostatic imbalance, and enhanced miR-124 expression levels. Data suggest that miR-124 is implicated in MN degeneration and paracrine-mediated pathogenicity. We propose miR-124 as a new therapeutic target and a promising ALS biomarker in patient sub-populations.

Unstable malleolar ankle fractures: evaluation of prognostic factors and sports return.

INTRODUCTION: Ankle malleolar fractures are one of the most common surgical fractures. The literature about ankle fracture sport related is reduced. Severe fractures, fractures-dislocations, syndesmosis lesions, associated osteochondral lesions, postoperative complications, as well as age are associated in several studies with worse functional results and may, therefore, also be associated with a lower rate of sports return. This study aims to retrospectively assess the return to physical activity at the level prior to injury in individuals undergoing surgical treatment of unstable malleolar ankle injuries and to identify risk factors associated with a non-return. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated between January 2008 and December 2017, patients with an unstable malleolar fracture of the ankle surgically treated, recreational or competitive sportsman with a minimum follow-up of one year. Demographic data, fracture classification according to AO classification, presence/absence of osteochondral lesion, presence/absence of unstable syndesmosis lesion, associated dislocation, type of surgery, postoperative complications, functional outcome evaluation with the AOFAS score and sports return. RESULTS: 92 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean AOFAS score observed was 90.93 (67-100). 69.7% of patients returned without limitations in performing physical activity. 21.75% returned with limitations and 8.7% did not return to physical activity. No association was observed between age, sex, syndesmosis lesion and greater risk of not returning to physical activity. Patients with bimalleolar or trimalleolar fractures, osteochondral injury, or associated dislocation presented an increased risk of inferior functional score and non-return sporting activity. CONCLUSIONS: Bimalleolar and trimalleolar fractures, associated presence of dislocation and osteochondral lesions are associated with worse clinical outcome and lower return onset.

A preliminary study on the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 lockdown in post-bariatric surgery women: the importance of eating behavior, health care access, and social support.

This study aims to characterize the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 lockdown for post-bariatric surgery (≥ 36 months) women and its association with disordered eating and psychological distress. The medium to long-time follow up is a period of increased susceptibility for poorer weight outcomes which might be triggered by the lockdown. Twenty-four participants responded to an online questionnaire and a telephone interview. About half (n = 14; 58.3%) reported perceived weight gain during the lockdown, 13 (54.1%) limited access to social support, and 12 (50%) limited access to medical care. Co-habiting with a higher number of persons during lockdown was associated with fewer difficulties in dealing with emotionally activating situations, less fear of gaining weight, less fear of losing control over eating, and less disordered eating. The global perceived psychosocial impact of lockdown was significantly correlated with difficulties in dealing with emotionally activating situations and stress symptoms. Results highlight the need to monitor post-bariatric patients, facilitate health care access, and promote social support during the lockdown period. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-01529-6.

Epidemiology of age-dependent prevalence of Bovine Herpes Virus Type 1 (BoHV-1) in dairy herds with and without vaccination.

Many studies report age as a risk factor for BoHV-1 infection or seropositivity. However, it is unclear whether this pattern reflects true epidemiological causation or is a consequence of study design and other issues. Here, we seek to understand the age-related dynamics of BoHV-1 seroprevalence in seasonal calving Irish dairy herds and provide decision support for the design and implementation of effective BoHV-1 testing strategies. We analysed seroprevalence data from dairy herds taken during two Irish seroprevalence surveys conducted between 2010 and 2017. Age-dependent seroprevalence profiles were constructed for herds that were seropositive and unvaccinated. Some of these profiles revealed a sudden increase in seroprevalence between adjacent age-cohorts, from absent or low to close to 100% of seropositive animals. By coupling the outcome of our data analysis with simulation output of an individual-based model at the herd scale, we have shown that these sudden increases are related to extensive virus circulation within a herd for a limited time, which may then subsequently remain latent over the following years. BoHV-1 outbreaks in dairy cattle herds affect animals independent of age and lead to almost 100% seroconversion in all age groups, or at least in all animals within a single epidemiological unit. In the absence of circulating infection, there is a year-on-year increase in the age-cohort at which seroprevalence changes from low to high. The findings of this study inform recommendations regarding testing regimes in the context of contingency planning or an eradication programme in seasonal calving dairy herds.

Eating Disorder Examination - Questionnaire short forms: A comparison.

OBJECTIVE: The Eating Disorder Examination - Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is a widely used self-report measure of eating-disordered behaviors and attitudes. Recent studies utilizing confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) have proposed alternative and shorter forms. The aim of this study was to compare the full-length version of the EDE-Q and several proposed short forms (7-item, 8-item, and 18-item) in terms of their psychometric properties, including concurrent, convergent and discriminant validity, factor structure, and sensitivity to change. METHODS: Participants from two eating-disorder clinical samples (N = 175 and 38) and from a nonclinical sample (N = 3,413) completed a battery of measures, including the Portuguese version of the EDE-Q. Analyses compared psychometric properties of the available short forms of the EDE-Q among each other. RESULTS: All forms of the EDE-Q showed good internal consistency values, correlated highly among each other (r > .90) and with different measures of eating psychopathology (r > .80). All EDE-Q forms were able to distinguish between cases and controls with moderate-to-high accuracy and were sensitive to change. CFA failed to support the proposed factor structure for all the EDE-Q forms, except for the 7-item form. DISCUSSION: The present study provides empirical background for choosing between different forms of the EDE-Q. Findings indicate that for nonclinical and for clinical research, including studies of treatment change and outcome, the short forms of the EDE-Q can be used. A shorter version is a viable alternative when less time-consuming alternatives are needed, such to quickly screen for eating-disorder psychopathology or to perform session-by-session treatment monitoring.

Corrigendum to "Development of the project-level Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI)" [World Development 122 (2019) 675-692].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2019.06.018.].