Migrant Pathology Screening in the Pediatric Population: A Five-Year Retrospective Study From a Level II Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: The migrant population residing in Portugal has been growing. In 2015, the pediatrics department at Professor Doutor Fernando Fonseca Hospital, a level II hospital, implemented a screening for endemic pathologies in asymptomatic migrant children to enable their timely diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to identify and characterize the main findings in the migrant pathology screening. METHODS: This was a retrospective and descriptive study of asymptomatic children and adolescents who underwent opportunistic screening for migrant pathology in a hospital setting between January 2016 and April 2021. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel®. RESULTS: A total of 256 individuals were included in the study; 53.5% (137/256) were female, with a median age of eight years and two months (minimum five months; maximum 17 years and 10 months). The majority of the participants were from Guinea-Bissau (29.7%, 76/256), Angola (19.1%, 49/256) and Cape Verde (12.1%, 31/256) and had been residents in Portugal for a median time of five months (minimum two days; maximum three years and five months). A total of 42.6% (109/256) participants did not have the Portuguese vaccination schedule updated. Screening was carried out in an outpatient setting in 71.9% (184/256) of individuals. A total of 38.7% (99/256) presented screening alterations, including 65 anemia cases (18 caused by iron deficiency and one by sickle cell anemia), 5 cases of tuberculosis infection and 1 case of pulmonary tuberculosis, 1 of human immunodeficiency virus infection, 3 hepatitis B virus infection cases, 20 of parasitic infections and 2 cases of female genital mutilations. CONCLUSION: The revised migrant pathology screening protocol enabled the detection of diseases with a significant impact on the health of individual children and adolescents. This protocol serves as a practical tool for accurately monitoring the health status of this population.

Estrogen contamination increases vulnerability of amphibians to the deadly chytrid fungus.

Aquatic contaminants and infectious diseases are among the major drivers of global amphibian declines. However, the interaction of these factors is poorly explored and could better explain the amphibian crisis. We exposed males and females of the Brazilian Cururu Toad, Rhinella icterica, to an environmentally relevant concentration of the estrogen 17-alpha-ethinylestradiol (an emerging contaminant) and to the chytrid infection (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis), in their combined and isolated forms, and the ecotoxicity was determined by multiple biomarkers: cutaneous, hematological, cardiac, hepatic, and gonadal analysis. Our results showed that Cururu toads had many physiological alterations in response to the chytrid infection, including the appearance of cutaneous Langerhans's cells, increased blood leukocytes, increased heart contraction force and tachycardia, increased hepatic melanomacrophage cells, which in turn led to gonadal atrophy. The estrogen, in turn, increased the susceptibility of the toads to the chytrid infection (higher Bd loads) and maximized the deleterious effects of the pathogen: reducing leukocytes, decreasing the contraction force, and causing greater tachycardia, increasing hepatic melanomacrophage cells, and leading to greater gonadal atrophy, which were more extreme in females. The exposure to estrogen also revealed important toxicodynamic pathways of this toxicant, as shown by the immunosuppression of exposed animals, and the induction of the first stages of feminization in males, which corroborates that the synthetic estrogen acts as an endocrine disruptor. Such an intricate relationship is unprecedented and reinforces the importance of studying the serious consequences that multiple environmental stressors can cause to aquatic populations.

Legius Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Pediatric Case Report.

Legius syndrome (LS) is a rare and underrecognized disorder that is often misdiagnosed as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). It is characterized by café-au-lait macules without the tumoral manifestations of NF1. We report the case of an 11-year-old patient with multiple café-au-lait macules and intertriginous freckling who was admitted for bloody stools, joint pain, and weight loss. His clinical and endoscopic findings were consistent with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). He also met the clinical diagnostic criteria for NF1 but not for LS. Genetic testing played a pivotal role in the differential diagnosis and revealed a loss-of-function mutation in the SPRED1 gene, confirming the diagnosis of LS. This is the first reported case of a patient with IBD and LS. The subtle manifestations of LS make it an underdiagnosed disease, which reduces the likelihood of it being diagnosed in association with other diseases, such as IBD. There are, however, 10 published case reports linking IBD and NF1, and some pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed. Continued reporting will help clarify the relationship between IBD and RASopathies such as NF1 and LS.

Coinfection with chytrid genotypes drives divergent infection dynamics reflecting regional distribution patterns.

By altering the abundance, diversity, and distribution of species-and their pathogens-globalization may inadvertently select for more virulent pathogens. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a hotspot of amphibian biodiversity, the global amphibian trade has facilitated the co-occurrence of previously isolated enzootic and panzootic lineages of the pathogenic amphibian-chytrid (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, 'Bd') and generated new virulent recombinant genotypes ('hybrids'). Epidemiological data indicate that amphibian declines are most severe in hybrid zones, suggesting that coinfections are causing more severe infections or selecting for higher virulence. We investigated how coinfections involving these genotypes shapes virulence and transmission. Overall, coinfection favored the more virulent and competitively superior panzootic genotype, despite dampening its transmission potential and overall virulence. However, for the least virulent and least competitive genotype, coinfection increased both overall virulence and transmission. Thus, by integrating experimental and epidemiological data, our results provide mechanistic insight into how globalization can select for, and propel, the emergence of introduced hypervirulent lineages, such as the globally distributed panzootic lineage of Bd.

Creating mindful heroes: a case study with ninth grade students.

The Heroic Imagination Project (HIP) aims to redefine heroism as a set of habits that anyone can achieve. Research findings on the psychological foundations of negative forms of social influence that can lead to bystander behavior are translated into tools that individuals can use in their daily lives. Habits of wise and effective helping behavior are learned, modeled, and encouraged through the training of the "heroic imagination." According to the literature, practicing mindfulness can increase empathy, compassion, and prosocial behaviors. There is empirical evidence that compassion can act as a mediator between mindfulness and prosocial helping behaviors toward strangers, suggesting that mindfulness promotes this behavior and thus helps to overcome the bystander effect. With this hypothesis in mind, we created a program that combined mindfulness and HIP sessions. Five participants volunteered to participate in the "Creating Mindful Heroes" 9-week program. Throughout the sessions, they filled in a diary, and at the end of the program, they answered two feedback questionnaires. They were then invited to participate in individual interviews. The participants reported a positive overall perspective regarding the program, mentioning several improvements in their relationships with their family, peers, and others in society. Moreover, participants reported that the program promoted prosocial behaviors and aided them in developing empathy.

Serum glial fibrillary acidic protein and neurofilament light chain as biomarkers of retinal neurodysfunction in early diabetic retinopathy: results of the EUROCONDOR study.

AIMS: Neurodegeneration and glial activation are primary events in the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. Serum glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) are biomarkers of underlying neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease processes. The aim of the present study was to assess the usefulness of these serum biomarkers for the identification and monitoring of retinal neurodysfunction in subjects with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A case-control study was designed including 38 patients from the placebo arm of the EUROCONDOR clinical trial: 19 with and 19 without retinal neurodysfunction assessed by multifocal electroretinography. GFAP and NfL were measured by Simoa. RESULTS: Serum levels of GFAP and NfL directly correlated with age (r = 0.37, p = 0.023 and r = 0.54, p < 0.001, respectively). In addition, a direct correlation between GFAP and NfL was observed (r = 0.495, p = 0.002). Serum levels of GFAP were significantly higher at baseline in those subjects in whom neurodysfunction progressed after the 2 years of follow-up (139.1 ± 52.5 pg/mL vs. 100.2 ± 54.6 pg/mL; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: GFAP could be a useful serum biomarker for retinal neurodysfunction. Monitoring retinal neurodysfunction using blood samples would be of benefit in clinical decision-making. However, further research is needed to validate this result as well as to establish the best cutoff values.

Characterization of two-year progression of different phenotypes of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

INTRODUCTION: To characterize the two-year progression of risk phenotypes of nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) Phenotype C, or ischemic phenotype, identified by decreased skeletonized retinal vessel density (VD), ≥ 2 SD over normal values, and Phenotype B, or edema phenotype, identified by increased retinal thickness, i.e. subclinical macular edema, and no significant decrease in VD. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal cohort study (CORDIS, NCT03696810) was conducted with 4 visits (baseline, 6-months, one-year and two-year). Ophthalmological examinations included best corrected visual acuity, color fundus photography (CFP) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT Angiography. Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study grading was performed at the baseline and last visits based on 7-fields CFP. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-two eyes from T2D individuals with NPDR fitted in the categories of phenotype B and C and completed the two-years follow-up. Sixty-five (53%) of the eyes were classified as phenotype B and 57 (47%) eyes as phenotype C. Neurodegeneration represented by thinning of the ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer was present in both phenotypes and showed significant progression over the two-year period (p<0.001). In phenotype C, significant progression in the two-year period was identified in decreased skeletonized VD (p=0.01), whereas in phenotype B microvascular changes involved preferentially decreases in perfusion density (PD, p=0.012). Phenotype B with changes in VD and PD (flow) and preferential involvement of the deep capillary plexus (p<0.001) is associated with development of center-involved macular edema. DISCUSSION: In the two-year period of follow-up both phenotypes B and C showed progression in retinal neurodegeneration, with changes at the microvascular level characterized by decreases in PD in phenotype B and decreases in VD in phenotype C.

Breaking Bad News in Obstetrics and Gynecology: We Must Talk About It.

Breaking bad news is common in obstetrics and gynecology (ob-gyn). However, it is difficult, and few doctors receive training on how to deal with this situation. This narrative review aims to gather, analyze, and synthesize part of the knowledge on the area, focused on Ob-Gyn. Among the 16 selected articles, two are randomized controlled intervention studies, and most studies refer to obstetrics. The results found by us pointed out that simulation, feedback/debriefing, lectures, and protocols could improve doctors' performance in communicating bad news. For patients, the context and how the information is transmitted seem to impact more than the content of the news. Ob-Gyn doctors could benefit from specific protocols and education, given the specialty's particularities. There is a lack of evidence about the most effective way to conduct such training. Finding validated ways to quantify and classify studies' results in the area, which would allow for the objective analysis of outcomes, is one of the biggest challenges concerning this topic.

Dar más notícias é comum em obstetrícia e ginecologia. Porém, é difícil e poucos médicos recebem treinamento sobre como lidar com essa situação. Esta revisão narrativa tem como objetivo reunir, analisar e sintetizar parte do conhecimento sobre a área, com foco na obstetrícia. Dentre os 16 artigos selecionados, dois são estudos de intervenção randomizados e controlados, e a maioria dos estudos refere-se à obstetrícia. Os resultados encontrados ressaltaram que simulação, feedback/entrevistas, palestras e protocolos podem melhorar o desempenho dos médicos na comunicação de más notícias. Para os pacientes, o contexto e como as informações são transmitidas parecem ter maior impacto do que o conteúdo das notícias. Os obstetras e ginecologistas poderiam se beneficiar de cursos e protocolos específicos, dadas as particularidades da especialidade. Faltam evidências sobre a forma mais eficaz de realizar esse treinamento. Encontrar formas validadas de quantificar e classificar os resultados dos estudos na área, permitindo uma análise objetiva dos resultados, é um dos maiores desafios neste tema.

Prosocial Tendencies Measure Validation for Portuguese Late Adolescents

O Questionário de Tendências Prossociais (MTP) de Carlo e Randall (2002) é amplamente usado para avaliar tendências prossociais. Partindo do pressuposto de que existem diferenças no comportamento pró-social entre adolescentes e adultos, o presente estudo teve como objetivo validar a versão em português do MTP com uma amostra de adolescentes. Este instrumento avalia seis tipos diferentes de tendências prossociais: altruísta, anónima, emergência, emocional, complacente e pública. Desenhado para confirmar esta estrutura fatorial do MTP com adolescentes portugueses, este estudo recolheu as perceções de um total de 1313 adolescentes a frequentar o ensino secundário. A análise fatorial confirmatória corroborou a estrutura de seis fatores da validação original. Além disso, considerando o ano escolar e o género dos alunos, a análise de invariância foi executada e atestou a invariância configural, métrica (parcialmente para género) e escalar (parcialmente para ano escolar e género) do MTP. Estes resultados demonstram ainda que a versão portuguesa MTP é confiável, aumentando a utilidade deste instrumento para avaliar comportamentos prossociais na adolescência.

The Prosocial Tendencies Measure (PTM; Carlo & Randall, 2002) is widely used for assessing prosocial tendencies. Assuming that there are differences in prosocial behavior between adolescents and adults, the current study aimed to further validate the Portuguese version of the PTM for adolescents. This instrument assesses six different types of prosocial tendencies ­ altruism, anonymous, dire, emotional, compliant and public. Designed to confirm this structure with Portuguese adolescents, this study collected a total of 1313 high school students' prosocial behaviors perceptions. Confirmatory factor analysis corroborated the six-factor structure of the original validation. Furthermore, considering the students' school year and gender, invariance analysis was executed and attested the PTM's configural, metric (partially for gender) and scalar (partially for school year and gender) invariance. These findings further demonstrate that the Portuguese version of the PTM is reliable, enhancing the utility of this instrument to assess prosocial behaviors in adolescence.

Breaking Bad News in Obstetrics and Gynecology: We Must Talk About It / Más notícias em obstetrícia e ginecologia: Devemos falar sobre isso

Abstract Breaking bad news is common in obstetrics and gynecology (ob-gyn). However, it is difficult, and few doctors receive training on how to deal with this situation. This narrative review aims to gather, analyze, and synthesize part of the knowledge on the area, focused on Ob-Gyn. Among the 16 selected articles, two are randomized controlled intervention studies, and most studies refer to obstetrics. The results found by us pointed out that simulation, feedback/debriefing, lectures, and protocols could improve doctors' performance in communicating bad news. For patients, the context and how the information is transmitted seem to impact more than the content of the news. Ob-Gyn doctors could benefit from specific protocols and education, given the specialty's particularities. There is a lack of evidence about the most effective way to conduct such training. Finding validated ways to quantify and classify studies' results in the area, which would allow for the objective analysis of outcomes, is one of the biggest challenges concerning this topic.

Resumo Dar más notícias é comum em obstetrícia e ginecologia. Porém, é difícil e poucos médicos recebem treinamento sobre como lidar com essa situação. Esta revisão narrativa tem como objetivo reunir, analisar e sintetizar parte do conhecimento sobre a área, com foco na obstetrícia. Dentre os 16 artigos selecionados, dois são estudos de intervenção randomizados e controlados, e a maioria dos estudos refere-se à obstetrícia. Os resultados encontrados ressaltaram que simulação, feedback/entrevistas, palestras e protocolos podem melhorar o desempenho dos médicos na comunicação de más notícias. Para os pacientes, o contexto e como as informações são transmitidas parecem ter maior impacto do que o conteúdo das notícias. Os obstetras e ginecologistas poderiam se beneficiar de cursos e protocolos específicos, dadas as particularidades da especialidade. Faltam evidências sobre a forma mais eficaz de realizar esse treinamento. Encontrar formas validadas de quantificar e classificar os resultados dos estudos na área, permitindo uma análise objetiva dos resultados, é um dos maiores desafios neste tema.

Studying the relationships between authentic leadership, structural empowerment, and civility in the palliative care sector in Portugal.

PURPOSE: This paper aims to propose a model studying the relationship of authentic leadership (AL), structural empowerment (SE) and civility in the palliative care sector. This model proposes SE as a mediator between AL and civility. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: Data was collected from 213 employees working in five major public palliative care hospitals in central Portugal. The study sample was predominantly female (80.3%) and the response rate was 42.6%. Variables were measured using the Authentic Leadership Inventory, Workplace Civility Scale and Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire II scales. Hayes' PROCESS macro for mediation analysis in SPSS was used to test the hypothesized model. FINDINGS: Results suggest that AL has a significant positive direct relationship with both SE and civility. Furthermore, SE demonstrated to play a partial mediation effect between AL and civility. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study may be of use for healthcare administration encouraging the development of AL, suggesting that the more leaders are seen as authentic, the more employees will perceive they have access to workplace empowerment structures and a civil environment. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Considering the mainstream literature in healthcare management, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to date to integrate the relation of AL, SE and civility in the palliative care sector. Further, the research model has not previously been introduced when considering the mediating role structural empowerment can play between AL and civility.

Characterization of One-Year Progression of Risk Phenotypes of Diabetic Retinopathy.

INTRODUCTION: We characterized the progression of different diabetic retinopathy (DR) phenotypes in type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: A prospective longitudinal cohort study (CORDIS, NCT03696810) was conducted with three visits (baseline, 6 months, and 1 year). Demographic and systemic data included age, sex, diabetes duration, lipid profile, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Ophthalmological examinations included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), color fundus photography (CFP), and optical coherence tomography (OCT and OCTA). Phenotype classification was performed at the 6-month visit based on microaneurysm turnover (MAT, on CFP) and central retinal thickness (CRT, on OCT). Only risk phenotypes B (MAT < 6 and increased CRT) and C (MAT ≥ 6 with or without increased CRT) were included. ETDRS grading was performed at the baseline visit based on seven-field CFP. RESULTS: A total of 133 T2D individuals were included in the study; 81 (60%) eyes were classified as phenotype B and 52 (40%) eyes as phenotype C. Of these, 128 completed the 1-year follow-up. At baseline, eyes with phenotype C showed greater capillary closure (superior capillary plexus, deep capillary plexus, and full retina, p < 0.001) and increased foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area (p < 0.001), indicating more advanced microvascular disease. Neurodegeneration represented by thinning of the ganglion cell layer + inner plexiform layer (GCL + IPL) was present in both phenotypes. When analyzing the 1-year progression of each phenotype, only phenotype C revealed a significant decrease in BCVA (p = 0.02) and enlargement of the FAZ (p = 0.03). A significant progressive decrease in the vessel density of the deep capillary layer and in MAT occurred in both phenotypes, but these changes were particularly relevant in phenotype C and ETDRS grades 43-47. During the 1-year period, both phenotypes B and C showed progression in GCL + IPL thinning (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In the 1-year period of follow-up, both phenotypes B and C showed progression in retinal neurodegeneration, whereas phenotype C showed more marked disease progression at the microvascular level.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration Staging by Color Fundus Photography vs. Multimodal Imaging-Epidemiological Implications (The Coimbra Eye Study-Report 6).

Epidemiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is based on staging systems relying on color fundus photography (CFP). We aim to compare AMD staging using CFP to multimodal imaging with optical coherence tomography (OCT), infra-red (IR), and fundus autofluorescence (FAF), in a large cohort from the Epidemiologic AMD Coimbra Eye Study. All imaging exams from the participants of this population-based study were classified by a central reading center. CFP images were graded according to the International Classification and Grading System for AMD and staged with Rotterdam classification. Afterward, CFP images were reviewed with OCT, IR, and FAF and stage update was performed if necessary. Early and late AMD prevalence was compared in a total of 1616 included subjects. In CFP-based grading, the prevalence was 14.11% for early AMD (n = 228) and 1.05% (n = 17) for late AMD, nine cases (0.56%) had neovascular AMD (nAMD) and eight (0.50%) geographic atrophy (GA). Using multimodal grading, the prevalence increased to 14.60% for early AMD (n = 236) and 1.61% (n = 26) for late AMD, with 14 cases (0.87%) of nAMD and 12 (0.74%) of GA. AMD staging was more accurate with the multimodal approach and this was especially relevant for late AMD. We propose that multimodal imaging should be adopted in the future to better estimate and compare epidemiological data in different populations.

The Usefulness of Serum Biomarkers in the Early Stages of Diabetic Retinopathy: Results of the EUROCONDOR Clinical Trial.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of serum biomarkers to predict the worsening of retinal neurodysfunction in subjects with type 2 diabetes. For this purpose, we measured selected molecules (N-epsilon-carboxy methyl lysine (CML), laminin P1 (Lam-P1), and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA)) in the serum of 341 participants of the EUROCONDOR study at baseline, 24, and 48 weeks. Retinal neurodysfunction was assessed by measuring implicit time (IT) using multifocal electroretinography, and structural changes were examined by spectral domain-optical coherence tomography. The values of IT at baseline were directly correlated with baseline serum concentrations of CML (r = 0.135, p = 0.013). Furthermore, in the placebo group, increase in CML concentration throughout follow-up correlated with the IT (r = 0.20; p = 0.03). Baseline serum levels of CML also correlated with macular retinal thickness (RT) (r = 0.231; p < 0.001). Baseline Lam-P1 levels correlated with the increase of the RT at the end of follow-up in the placebo group (r = 0.22; p = 0.016). We provide evidence that CML may be a biomarker of both retinal neurodysfunction and RT, whereas Lam-P1 was associated with RT only. Therefore, circulating levels of these molecules could provide a complementary tool for monitoring the early changes of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Using social media to educate women and healthcare providers on endometriosis: preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of our Facebook fan page and compare it to similar pages. METHODS: The authors reviewed page-specific metrics provided by Facebook, including number of fans, their age and sex, and country of origin; number of views, likes, and shares tied to our posts. A search for similar fan pages using keyword "endometriosis" found pages in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. They were analyzed for country of origin, authors, number of fans and posts, and were compared to our page. RESULTS: Our fan page went online on April 2016 and 127 posts have been published up to December 2017. Most of its 1746 fans (89% women; 11% men) were Brazilians (n=1677). Our audience comprised primarily women aged 25-34 (39%) and 35-44 (30%) years. The most viewed posts discussed thrombosis and oral contraceptives (n =11078); continuous use of oral contraceptives (n=6448); deep endometriosis (n=4425); intrauterine levonorgestrel system (n=4045); IVF and endometriosis (n=2885); and endometriosis and cancer (n=2431). Our search found 399 Facebook pages from 44 different countries. The United States (n=81), Brazil (n=49), and the United Kingdom (n=46) topped the list of countries hosting pages, while most of the fan pages were written in English. The majority of the pages were active and 20% claimed they were based on science. Physicians administered four of the 10 most popular pages. Page heterogeneity prevented comparisons between them. CONCLUSION: Men and women have visited our Facebook fan page to obtain information on endometriosis. The pages found in our search were exceedingly heterogeneous and were not compared. Developing pages with sound information is an important step toward educating individuals about endometriosis and helping them make informed choices on available treatments.

O que facilita e dificulta a aprendizagem? a perspetiva de adolescentes / ¿qué facilita y dificulta el aprendizaje? la perspectiva de los adolescentes / What makes learning easier and more difficult? the perspective of teenagers

RESUMO Este estudo qualitativo teve como objetivo analisar as perceções de alunos adolescentes acerca dos aspetos que facilitam e dificultam a sua aprendizagem. O conhecimento das perceções dos alunos sobre a sua aprendizagem permite melhorar a qualidade dos processos de ensino-aprendizagem. A partir de um guião semiestruturado, foram realizados cinco grupos focais, em cinco escolas privadas do Norte de Portugal, tendo participado 32 alunos selecionados aleatoriamente. Os participantes eram alunos do 3º ciclo do Ensino Básico (7º, 8º e 9º anos), com idades compreendidas entre os 12 e os 15 anos. A análise dos dados seguiu um processo semi-indutivo de codificação descritiva. Os resultados realçam o papel fundamental do professor na aprendizagem; a importância da ação vs passividade dos alunos na sala de aula; a relevância da dimensão emocional e relacional para o envolvimento do aluno; e a relevância das estratégias de autorregulação da aprendizagem. Como implicações sugere-se a concretização de ações junto de professores e alunos assente nos dados recolhidos e analisados, que sejam promotoras da metacognição de ambos.

RESUMEN Este estudio cualitativo tuvo como objetivo analizar las percepciones de alumnos adolescentes acerca de los aspectos que facilitan y dificultan su aprendizaje. El conocimiento de las percepciones de los alumnos sobre su aprendizaje permite mejorar la calidad de los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje. A partir de un guión semiestructurado, cinco discusiones en grupos focales se llevaron a cabo en cinco escuelas privadas en el Norte de Portugal, que han participado 32 estudiantes seleccionados aleatoriamente. Los participantes eran alumnos del 3º ciclo de la Enseñanza Básica (7º, 8º y 9º años), con edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 15 años. El análisis de los datos siguió un proceso semi-inductivo de codificación descriptiva. Los resultados subrayan el papel fundamental del profesor para el aprendizaje; la importancia de la acción de los alumnos en el aula versus pasividad; la relevancia de la dimensión emocional y relacional para la participación del alumno y de las estrategias de autorregulación del aprendizaje. Como implicaciones se sugiere la concreción de acciones junto a profesores y alumnos acerca de los datos recogidos y analizados, que sean promotores de la metacognición de ambos.

ABSTRACT This qualitative study aimed to understand the perceptions of adolescent students about what facilitates and hinders their learning. The knowledge of students' perceptions about their learning allows to improve the quality of the learning processes quality. Five focus groups were conducted, with a semi-structured script, in five different private schools from the North of Portugal, having participated in 32 students randomly selected. Participants were students from 7th, 8th and 9th grades, with ages between 12 and 15 years old. The data analysis followed a semi-inductive process and descriptive coding of data. The results highlighted the key role of teachers in students' learning; the importance of students action versus passivity in the classroom; the relevance of emotional and relational dimension to enhance students' engagement, and the relevance of learning self-regulation strategies. As for implications, it is suggested that actions be carried out with teachers and students based on the data collected and analyzed, in order to promote metacognition of both.

Bullfrog farms release virulent zoospores of the frog-killing fungus into the natural environment.

Bullfrog farming and trade practices are well-established, globally distributed, and economically valuable, but pose risks for biodiversity conservation. Besides their negative impacts on native amphibian populations as an invasive species, bullfrogs play a key role in spreading the frog-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in the natural environment. Bullfrogs are tolerant to Bd, meaning that they can carry high infection loads without developing chytridiomycosis. To test the potential of bullfrog farms as reservoirs for diverse and virulent chytrid genotypes, we quantified Bd presence, prevalence and infection loads across approximately 1,500 farmed bullfrogs and in the water that is released from farms into the environment. We also described Bd genotypic diversity within frog farms by isolating Bd from dozens of infected tadpoles. We observed individuals infected with Bd in all sampled farms, with high prevalence (reaching 100%) and high infection loads (average 71,029 zoospore genomic equivalents). Average outflow water volume from farms was high (60,000 L/day), with Bd zoospore concentration reaching approximately 50 million zoospores/L. Because virulent pathogen strains are often selected when growing in tolerant hosts, we experimentally tested whether Bd genotypes isolated from bullfrogs are more virulent in native anuran hosts compared to genotypes isolated from native host species. We genotyped 36 Bd isolates from two genetic lineages and found that Bd genotypes cultured from bullfrogs showed similar virulence in native toads when compared to genotypes isolated from native hosts. Our results indicate that bullfrog farms can harbor high Bd genotypic diversity and virulence and may be contributing to the spread of virulent genotypes in the natural environment. We highlight the urgent need to implement Bd monitoring and mitigation strategies in bullfrog farms to aid in the conservation of native amphibians.

Arthropod-bacteria interactions influence assembly of aquatic host microbiome and pathogen defense.

The host-associated microbiome is vital to host immunity and pathogen defense. In aquatic ecosystems, organisms may interact with environmental bacteria to influence the pool of potential symbionts, but the effects of these interactions on host microbiome assembly and pathogen resistance are unresolved. We used replicated bromeliad microecosystems to test for indirect effects of arthropod-bacteria interactions on host microbiome assembly and pathogen burden, using tadpoles and the fungal amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis as a model host-pathogen system. Arthropods influenced host microbiome assembly by altering the pool of environmental bacteria, with arthropod-bacteria interactions specifically reducing host colonization by transient bacteria and promoting antimicrobial components of aquatic bacterial communities. Arthropods also reduced fungal zoospores in the environment, but fungal infection burdens in tadpoles corresponded most closely with arthropod-mediated patterns in microbiome assembly. This result indicates that the cascading effects of arthropods on the maintenance of a protective host microbiome may be more strongly linked to host health than negative effects of arthropods on pools of pathogenic zoospores. Our work reveals tight links between healthy ecosystem dynamics and the functioning of host microbiomes, suggesting that ecosystem disturbances such as loss of arthropods may have downstream effects on host-associated microbial pathogen defenses and host fitness.

Discovery of Wild Amphibians Infected with Ranavirus in Brazil.

Ranavirus is a double-stranded DNA virus associated with amphibian, fish and reptile die-offs worldwide. International trade of live animals farmed for human consumption, such as the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus), plays a key role in spreading the pathogen. In Brazil, ranavirus has only been reported in captive bullfrog farms. We found infected tadpoles of both native species and the American bullfrog in the wild, and a case of mass mortality of amphibians and fish potentially associated with ranavirus. Dead animals presented skin ulcerations, hemorrhages, and edemas. We also found an overall prevalence of 37% of the amphibian chytrid in the area, and two bullfrog tadpoles were co-infected with both pathogens. We suggest that the interaction between the two pathogens should be investigated to improve global conservation of ectothermic vertebrates.

First-Year Law Students' and Teacher's Questioning in Class.

Classroom questioning can be considered a key factor in the promotion of student engagement. This case study explored classroom questioning practices and perceptions of a group of 47 first-year law students and their teacher. Eight lessons of 90 min were observed and audio-recorded and afterward the students and the teacher answered a questionnaire. The teacher was also interviewed. Researchers examined the number and type of questions asked by the teacher and by the students in the classroom and analyzed the students' and the teacher's perceptions about the importance of classroom questioning. Results indicated that the teacher and most students consider questioning important or very important for student learning. The number of questions posed by students as opposed to by their teacher was not balanced, as the teacher was responsible for 93% of the questions. The analysis of the type of questions posed by the teacher and by the students showed a predominance of low-order questions. Therefore, classroom questioning in this case study did not seem to promote students' autonomous thinking. The current study suggests the importance of examining the teacher and students' patterns of questioning together, analyzing its similarities and discrepancies.