Measuring the α-particle charge radius with muonic helium-4 ions.

The energy levels of hydrogen-like atomic systems can be calculated with great precision. Starting from their quantum mechanical solution, they have been refined over the years to include the electron spin, the relativistic and quantum field effects, and tiny energy shifts related to the complex structure of the nucleus. These energy shifts caused by the nuclear structure are vastly magnified in hydrogen-like systems formed by a negative muon and a nucleus, so spectroscopy of these muonic ions can be used to investigate the nuclear structure with high precision. Here we present the measurement of two 2S-2P transitions in the muonic helium-4 ion that yields a precise determination of the root-mean-square charge radius of the α particle of 1.67824(83) femtometres. This determination from atomic spectroscopy is in excellent agreement with the value from electron scattering1, but a factor of 4.8 more precise, providing a benchmark for few-nucleon theories, lattice quantum chromodynamics and electron scattering. This agreement also constrains several beyond-standard-model theories proposed to explain the proton-radius puzzle2-5, in line with recent determinations of the proton charge radius6-9, and establishes spectroscopy of light muonic atoms and ions as a precise tool for studies of nuclear properties.

Salmonella Saintpaul outbreak associated with cantaloupe consumption, the United Kingdom and Portugal, September to November 2023.

In September 2023, the UK Health Security Agency identified cases of Salmonella Saintpaul distributed across England, Scotland, and Wales, all with very low genetic diversity. Additional cases were identified in Portugal following an alert raised by the United Kingdom. Ninety-eight cases with a similar genetic sequence were identified, 93 in the United Kingdom and 5 in Portugal, of which 46% were aged under 10 years. Cases formed a phylogenetic cluster with a maximum distance of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and average of less than one SNP between isolates. An outbreak investigation was undertaken, including a case-control study. Among the 25 UK cases included in this study, 13 reported blood in stool and 5 were hospitalized. One hundred controls were recruited via a market research panel using frequency matching for age. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of food exposures in cases and controls identified a strong association with cantaloupe consumption (adjusted odds ratio: 14.22; 95% confidence interval: 2.83-71.43; p-value: 0.001). This outbreak, together with other recent national and international incidents, points to an increase in identifications of large outbreaks of Salmonella linked to melon consumption. We recommend detailed questioning and triangulation of information sources to delineate consumption of specific fruit varieties during Salmonella outbreaks.

Perceived Health Benefits of Taijiquan and Qigong.

Background: Taijiquan and qigong are traditional Chinese therapeutic disciplines with several health benefits and the ability to improve the quality of life of their practitioners. As traditional vegetative biofeedback therapies, they can activate functional vegetative changes in the body. These neurovegetative actions have been studied in the last few years to better explain the mechanisms through which these techniques of traditional Chinese medicine work. Primary Study Objective: To support current research, it is important to further explore these neurovegetative actions according to contemporary Chinese medicine models to clarify the mechanisms of their working in light of conventional medical terms. This study aims to explore the health benefits that these practices may produce for practitioners. Methods: 345 taijiquan and qigong practitioners were recruited for this study to assess the perceived health benefits of taijiquan and qigong. We conducted a survey to assist in this purpose. Results: Taijiquan combined with qigong may be more beneficial than taijiquan alone. Additionally, these practices seem to produce notable benefits for anxiety, depression, and other emotional disturbances. They also seem to have positive results in addressing arthritis and pain in the back, shoulder, neck, and knees. In addition, taijiquan and qigong may have benefits in managing several digestive, neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases, and provide some assistance in the management of some oncologic conditions. Conclusion: Breathing exercises, slow and controlled movement, self-massage, and directed thought are the therapeutic characteristics that allow this wide range of potential, perceived health benefits. More scientific studies are needed to confirm the mechanisms through which taijiquan and qigong may benefit health. However, it is suggested that these techniques may have an impact on health mainly via the modulation of the autonomic nervous system.

Qigong for the Emotional Exhaustion in Nurses: Implications of a Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Introduction: Burnout is commonly understood as resulting from chronic stress at work. It may have several consequences for the well-being and health of the worker. As a dimension of burnout, emotional exhaustion appears to be predicted mostly by work overload, interpersonal conflicts, and the inadequate use of skills. Emotional exhaustion is considered to be the affective component of burnout and may cause depersonalization. Burnout seems to be highly prevalent among nurses and more so during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the new demands that the pandemic has placed on health care systems, nurses must be provided specific training in stress coping techniques. Qigong is an applied psychophysiological feedback technique that can be done independently by the practitioner; it enables the user to learn how to control their bodily functions and processes. As such, the objective of this study is to understand if qigong can be used as a complementary therapy for emotional exhaustion in nurses and if it can be implemented during critical events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A total of 44 nurses aged between 27 and 54 years (90.9% female), with high levels of emotional exhaustion, were randomized into intervention and control groups. The "white ball" system of qigong, led by a traditional Chinese medicine specialist, was taught to participants in the intervention group for 4 weeks. After this period, participants had 4 weeks for self-practice. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to capture the nurses' level of emotional exhaustion at the beginning and end of the experimental period, as well as after the 4-week self-practice period. Results: The results showed that 70% of the participants in the intervention group had significantly decreased emotional exhaustion levels, which reduced from high to either moderate (55%) or low (15%) after the experimental phase. Moreover, these benefits were maintained after the 4 weeks of self practice. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that qigong may be used as a complementary tool to mitigate burnout (including that induced by COVID-19) among nurses, thus improving health care services and capacity.

Intensity Ratio of Kß/Kα in Selected Elements from Mg to Cu, and the Chemical Effects of Cr Kα1,2 Diagram Lines and Cr Kß/Kα Intensity Ratio in Cr Compounds.

Kα,ß X-ray lines from photon excitation were measured in selected elements from Mg to Cu using a high-resolution double-crystal X-ray spectrometer with a proportional counter, and the Kß/Kα intensity ratio for each element was obtained, after correcting for self-absorption, detection efficiency, and crystal reflectance. This intensity ratio increases rapidly from Mg to Ca but, in the 3d elements region, the increase becomes slower. This is related to the intensity of the Kß line involving valence electrons. The slow increase of this ratio in the 3d elements region is thought to be due to the correlation between 3d and 4s electrons. Moreover, the chemical shifts, FWHM, asymmetry indices, and Kß/Kα intensity ratios of the Cr compounds, due to different valences, were also investigated using the same double-crystal X-ray spectrometer. The chemical effects were clearly observed, and the Kß/Kα intensity ratio was found to be compound-dependent for Cr.

Ongoing monkeypox virus outbreak, Portugal, 29 April to 23 May 2022.

Up to 27 May 2022, Portugal has detected 96 confirmed cases of monkeypox. We describe 27 confirmed cases (median age: 33 years (range: 22-51); all males), with an earliest symptom onset date of 29 April. Almost all cases (n = 25) live in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley health region. Most cases were neither part of identified transmission chains, nor linked to travel or had contact with symptomatic persons or with animals, suggesting the possible previously undetected spread of monkeypox.

Qigong in Perceptual Auditory Attention: Tool to Improve Sound Integration in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Context: Qigong, a mind-body practice in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), can improve cognitive functions, emotional balance, attention, multitask management, stress-coping, and well-being. One limitation of Qigong research is a lack of adequate controls. Objective: The current study intended to evaluate whether a single 5-min practice of a White Ball (WB) Qigong exercise could improve the perceptual auditory attention, divided and focused, in adults and whether obtaining potential effects would require a minimum level of training. Design: The research team designed a prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, and single-blinded study. Setting: The study took place at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS) at the University of Porto in Porto, Portugal. Participants: Participants were 55 students at the University of Porto, 30 of whom were students attending the second year of medical school at ICBAS with no experience in Qigong and 25 of whom were students in the specialization and Master's programs in TCM with experience in Qigong. Intervention: The research team randomly distributed the 30 participants without experience into two groups, a negative control group (n = 15), who watched a wildlife video for 5 min in an orthostatic position, and a positive control group , the verum Qigong group (n = 15), who participated in 5 min of Qigong practice. The Qigong-practitioner group (n = 25), the intervention group, participated in the same 5-min Qigong, doing it with expertise. Outcome Measures: The study measured reaction time (RT) under two experimental conditions, one an auditory RT task and the second an auditory RT task with visual distraction. The procedure was constant for all the studied groups. Results: Postintervention, the reaction time (RT) in the negative control and the verum Qigong groups hadn't changed significantly (P > .05), while that of the Qigong-practitioner group had decreased significantly, with shorter RTs under the two experimental conditions, with P = .006 for the auditory RT and P = .003 for the auditory + visual distraction. Qigong may induce a conditioning effect that comes with regular practice. Conclusions: The WB Qigong had a positive effect on the AA mechanism, with a significant reduction in RT. The results support the importance of practice to achieve positive effects. People with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and ADHD, struggle every day for sensory integration of AA mechanisms. Qigong can be taught and easily learned from the age of 2 years until senior ages, and it's a safe and very low-cost intervention that deserves to be researched further in clinical trials. These potential benefits of Qigong should be confirmed by future studies.

Analytical Approach to Sampling Estimation of Underwater Tunnels Using Mechanical Profiling Sonars.

Hydroelectric power plants often make use of tunnels to redirect the flow of water to the plant power house. Such tunnels are often flooded and can span considerable distances. Periodical inspections of such tunnels are highly desirable since a tunnel collapse will be catastrophic, disrupting the power plant operation. In many cases, the use of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) equipped with mechanical profiling sonars is a suitable and affordable way to gather data to generate 3D mapping of flooded tunnels. In this paper, we study the resolution of 3D tunnel maps generated by one or more mechanical profiling sonars working in tandem, considering synchronization and occlusion problems. The article derives the analytical equations to estimate the sampling of the underwater tunnels using mechanical profiling sonars (scanning sonars). Experiments in a simulated environment using up to four sensors simultaneously are presented. We also report experimental results obtained by a UUV inside a large power plant tunnel, together with a first map of this environment using a single sonar sensor.

The MHC Class II Transactivator CIITA: Not (Quite) the Odd-One-Out Anymore among NLR Proteins.

In this review, we discuss the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II transactivator (CIITA), which is the master regulator of MHC class II gene expression. CIITA is the founding member of the mammalian nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich-repeat (NLR) protein family but stood apart for a long time as the only transcriptional regulator. More recently, it was found that its closest homolog, NLRC5 (NLR protein caspase activation and recruitment domain (CARD)-containing 5), is a regulator of MHC-I gene expression. Both act as non-DNA-binding activators through multiple protein-protein interactions with an MHC enhanceosome complex that binds cooperatively to a highly conserved combinatorial cis-acting module. Thus, the regulation of MHC-II expression is regulated largely through the differential expression of CIITA. In addition to the well-defined role of CIITA in MHC-II GENE regulation, we will discuss several other aspects of CIITA functions, such as its role in cancer, its role as a viral restriction element contributing to intrinsic immunity, and lastly, its very recently discovered role as an inhibitor of Ebola and SARS-Cov-2 virus replication. We will briefly touch upon the recently discovered role of NLRP3 as a transcriptional regulator, which suggests that transcriptional regulation is, after all, not such an unusual feature for NLR proteins.

Assessment of Qigong Effects on Anxiety of High-school Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

CONTEXT: Students are vulnerable to developing anxiety, a psychiatric disorder closely related to emotional stress, when systematically stressed by classes, homework, and evaluations. Qigong integrates physical, respiratory, and mental exercises, inducing vegetative biofeedback with significant effects on physiological regulation. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to assess the potential effects of specific Qigong exercises on students' anxiety levels and evaluate the feasibility of practical integration in a daily school context. DESIGN: The research team developed a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: This study was performed in Cedros and Horizonte private schools located in Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 104 high-school students at the schools. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly divided into three groups: (1) an intervention group, the Qigong (QG) group (n = 34), which performed Qigong exercises; (2) a control group, the TV documentary (TVD) group (n = 34), which watched a TV documentary; and (3) a second control group, the typical school duties (TSD) group (n = 36), which performed regular school duties. OUTCOME MEASURES: Anxiety levels were assessed through a psychological test, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and salivary cortisol tests. RESULTS: Psychological and biochemical variables assessed at baseline and postintervention showed a greater decrease in anxiety levels in the QG group than in the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Qigong seems to be an efficient tool to reduce anxiety and control the stress of high-school students.

SPRED2 deficiency elicits cardiac arrhythmias and premature death via impaired autophagy.

Cardiac functionality is dependent on a balanced protein turnover. Accordingly, regulated protein decay is critical to maintain cardiac function. Here we demonstrate that deficiency of SPRED2, an intracellular repressor of ERK-MAPK signaling markedly expressed in human heart, resulted in impaired autophagy, heart failure, and shortened lifespan. SPRED2-/- mice showed cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, cardiac fibrosis, impaired electrical excitability, and severe arrhythmias. Mechanistically, cardiomyocyte dysfunction resulted from ERK hyperactivation and dysregulated autophagy, observed as accumulation of vesicles, vacuolar structures, and degenerated mitochondria. The diminished autophagic flux in SPRED2-/- hearts was reflected by a reduced LC3-II/LC3-I ratio and by decreased Atg7, Atg4B and Atg16L expression. Furthermore, the autophagosomal adaptors p62/SQSTM1 and NBR1 and lysosomal Cathepsin D accumulated in SPRED2-/- hearts. In wild-type hearts, SPRED2 interacted physically with p62/SQSTM1, NBR1, and Cathepsin D, indicating that SPRED2 is required for autophagolysosome formation in regular autophagy. Restored inhibition of MAPK signaling by selumetinib led to an increase in autophagic flux in vivo. Therefore, our study identifies SPRED2 as a novel, indispensable regulator of cardiac autophagy. Vice versa, SPRED2 deficiency impairs autophagy, leading to cardiac dysfunction and life-threatening arrhythmias.

Morphology and Ontogeny of Statoliths in the Grooved Carpet Shell, Ruditapes decussatus.

Statoliths are nonskeletal calcified structures included in most invertebrates' gravireceptors. They have been identified and characterized in several gastropod and cephalopod molluscs and have proved to be very useful for age estimation, growth studies, and connectivity analysis, among other applications. Beyond the scarce available records on their occurrence in Class Bivalvia, statoliths are yet to be documented in the grooved carpet shell, Ruditapes decussatus, a species of high ecological and commercial value. An easy method for the extraction and processing of R. decussatus statoliths is described herein. The statolith growth was followed from the initial shell length (SL) of 2.5-3.5 mm (seed commercial size T1.5) for a period of 6 months in a nursery facility located in the Ria de Aveiro (an estuarine system in NW Portugal). The relationship between statolith diameter (StD) and SL follows the function StD=14.305 SL0.254 (N=173; r=0.855, p<0.001). All statoliths observed showed similar morphostructure and general chemistry: hard, translucent spheres of crystalline calcium oxalate (whewellite), with a central nucleus delimited by a growth check of 6.7±1.0 µm in diameter, possibly as a result of growth arrest during metamorphosis, a metamorphic ring, as described for their gastropod counterparts. Subsequent studies should validate this and will involve a search for the occurrence of additional checks that may potentially be present in older specimens and if they are, would open a new range of most promising applications for bivalve statoliths.

Nardochinoid B Inhibited the Activation of RAW264.7 Macrophages Stimulated by Lipopolysaccharide through Activating the Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway.

Nardochinoid B (NAB) is a new compound isolated from Nardostachys chinensis. Although our previous study reported that the NAB suppressed the production of nitric oxide (NO) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW264.7 cells, the specific mechanisms of anti-inflammatory action of NAB remains unknown. Thus, we examined the effects of NAB against LPS-induced inflammation. In this study, we found that NAB suppressed the LPS-induced inflammatory responses by restraining the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) proteins and mRNA instead of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein and mRNA in RAW264.7 cells, implying that NAB may have lower side effects compared with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Besides, NAB upregulated the protein and mRNA expressions of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 when it exerted its anti-inflammatory effects. Also, NAB restrained the production of NO by increasing HO-1 expression in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Thus, it is considered that the anti-inflammatory effect of NAB is associated with an induction of antioxidant protein HO-1, and thus NAB may be a potential HO-1 inducer for treating inflammatory diseases. Moreover, our study found that the inhibitory effect of NAB on NO is similar to that of the positive drug dexamethasone, suggesting that NAB has great potential for developing new drugs in treating inflammatory diseases.

Tolerance to multiple metal stressors in emerging non-typhoidal MDR Salmonella serotypes: a relevant role for copper in anaerobic conditions.

OBJECTIVES: Factors driving the expansion of particular MDR Salmonella serotypes/clones are not completely understood. We assessed if emergent MDR Salmonella serotypes/clones were more enriched in metal tolerance genes (e.g. to Cu/Ag) than other less frequent ones, as an additional feature to survive in environments contaminated with metals. METHODS: Metal (Cu pco/Ag,Cu sil/Hg mer/As ars/Te ter) tolerance genes screening (PCR/sequencing), MICs of CuSO4/AgNO3 (aerobiosis/anaerobiosis), genetic element characterization (S1/I-CeuI PFGE) and conjugation assays were performed in a well-characterized Salmonella collection (n = 275 isolates; 2000-14; 49 serotypes/clones). RESULTS: The sil ±â€Špco genes were detected in 37% of isolates from diverse serotypes, mainly in emergent Rissen/ST469 and Typhimurium/ST34 European clone (100%), which are mostly associated with pig settings where Cu is highly used. These genes were frequently co-located with merA ±â€ŠterF and/or antibiotic resistance genes in plasmids (100-270 kb; IncHI2/IncHI1/IncN/IncFIIA; mostly transferable by conjugation) or in the chromosome. Most sil ±â€Špco(+) isolates (77%) were MDR contrasting with sil ±â€Špco(-) ones (48%). The sil ±â€Špco(+) isolates presented significantly higher MICCuSO4 under anaerobiosis (MIC50/MIC90 = 28/32 mM) and MICAgNO3 after previous Ag contact (MIC50/MIC90 > 3 mM) than sil(-) ones (MIC50/MIC90 = 2/8 mM to CuSO4; MIC50/MIC90 = 0.125/0.16 mM to AgNO3). Use of these modified methodological approaches allowed the establishment of CuSO4/AgNO3 tolerance cut-offs to differentiate sil(+) and sil(-) isolates, here firstly proposed. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that acquisition of Cu/Ag tolerance genes (sil/pco genes) might contribute to the emergence of particular clinically relevant MDR Salmonella serotypes/clones by facilitating their survival in diverse metal-contaminated settings, particularly in pig production. Assessment of control measures for the use and/or accumulation of metals in diverse environments are needed to prevent a wider expansion of such strains or the emergence of new ones.

Phenotypic and Molecular Characterization of Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:- R-Type ASSuT Isolates from Humans, Animals, and Environment in Portugal, 2006-2011.

The increase in prevalence of Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:- related infections over the last few years has been considered a public health issue in many European countries, especially as this serovar may be associated with tetraresistance to ampicillin, streptomycin, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines (R-type ASSuT). Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:- isolates (n = 187) obtained by the Portuguese National Laboratory from different sources, including human clinical cases (n = 170), veterinary (n = 10), environmental (n = 6), and food samples (n = 1), were collected from 15 districts between 2006 and 2011. All isolates were serotyped using the slide agglutination method and results were confirmed by multiplex PCR for the monophasic variant. From the confirmed Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:-, R-type ASSuT isolates were selected by disc diffusion and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination for further characterization by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis restriction with XbaI, virulence genes determination by PCR, additional antimicrobial resistance profiling by disc diffusion, and epidemiological distribution evaluation. Out of the 187 serotyped isolates, 133 were confirmed as Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:- with a R-type ASSuT occurrence of 61.7%. Distribution among Portuguese districts showed a higher percentage of reported cases in coastal areas, in particular, in Porto (24.8%), Setúbal (13.5%), and Aveiro (12.8%), probably due to the higher population density. Clonality analysis revealed a high diversity of pulsotypes with the majority of human salmonellosis cases being attributed to sporadic events. All isolates harbored 14 out of the 18 virulence genes evaluated and 87.8% of the isolates showed all the resistance genes frequently associated with the European clone, blaTEM+sul2+straA-straB+tetB+. This study shows that Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:- resistant isolates are widely distributed in Portugal. This may be related to a selective advantage offered by R-type ASSuT profile, the presence of multiple virulent features, including the ability to form biofilms, which along with a high diversity of pulsotypes may be responsible for the dissemination through the country.

Occupational Diseases of Professional Orchestra Musicians from Northern Portugal: A Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: Owing to repetitive movements and a very stressful and competitive lifestyle, musicians are a group that may be prone to suffer from occupational diseases. According to the literature, musicians are affected mainly by two types of occupational diseases: music performance anxiety (MPA) and playing-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMDs). The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of the most common complaints affecting musicians in the three professional orchestras from northern Portugal. METHODS: Professional orchestra musicians (n=112) from the three main professional orchestras from northern Portugal were individually interviewed about their physical and psychological complaints. RESULTS: Results indicated that 94% of musicians interviewed self-reported at least one working-related problem. PRMDs were the most common conditions, affecting 84.8% of musicians. The most affected areas were the shoulder and the cervical and lumbar regions. MPA was reported by 13.2% of musicians. CONCLUSION: The present work covers about 50% of all Portuguese professional orchestra musicians. It raises awareness of the importance of focusing on the high prevalence of professional diseases among musicians.

Crystallinity and microchemistry of Nassarius reticulatus (Caenogastropoda) statoliths: towards their structure stability and homogeneity.

Gastropod statoliths are spherical biocarbonates formed during their lifespan. The stability and homogeneity of these structures' mineral matrix was characterised along their radiuses, using Nassarius reticulatus as a model. Generally, they were proved to be bimineralic. Two of the three CaCO3 crystalline polymorphs occurring in biocarbonates - aragonite and calcite - coexist along statolith radiuses, aragonite being unequivocally the most abundant phase. The presence of a diffuse organic matrix was also perceived by the detection of a weak Raman band between 2800 and 3000 cm(-1) consistently observed along radiuses. Beyond the apparent stability and homogeneity, different crystalline orientations were disclosed by Raman spectroscopy. A change in the intensity pattern of the features related to the lattice and bending modes of aragonite between different radiuses give new insights for a possible spherulitic-like growth of these structures. As expected from the relative homogeneity of both mineral and organic signals, there was no pattern on the distribution of Ca, O, Na and S along radiuses. However, a higher concentration of Sr occurs in growth rings (known as winter tags), corroborating the already described negative correlation between the concentration of this element in statoliths and temperature. Despite the apparent stability and homogeneity of the matrix during its lifespan, the periodic distribution of Sr potentially influences a dissimilar incorporation of trace elements in increments and growth rings. Since gastropod statolith elemental fingerprinting was recently suggested as a new tool to monitor marine environmental changes, the pressing need for further studies on the incorporation of traces in these structures is highlighted.