O armário: Fruiting phenology data for 4,462 plant taxa in Portugal (1926-2013).

Species phenology - the timing of key life events - is being altered by ongoing climate changes with yet underappreciated consequences for ecosystem stability. While flowering is generally occurring earlier, we know much less about other key processes such as the time of fruit ripening, largely due to the lack of comprehensive long-term datasets. Here we provide information on the exact date and site where seeds of 4,462 taxa were collected for the Index Seminum (seed exchange catalogue) of the Botanic Garden of the University of Coimbra, between 1926 and 2013. Seeds were collected from spontaneous and cultivated individuals across Portugal, including both native and introduced taxa. The database consists of 127,747 curated records with information on the species, or infraspecific taxa (including authority), and the day and site where seeds were collected. All records are georeferenced and provided with a confidence interval for the collection site. Taxonomy was first curated manually by in-house botanists and then harmonized according to the GBIF backbone taxonomy.

An industrialized diet as a determinant of methylation in the 1F region of the NR3C1 gene promoter.

Background: Dietary composition can modify gene expression, favoring the development of chronic diseases via epigenetic mechanisms. Objective: Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary patterns and NR3C1 gene methylation in users of the Brazilian Public Unified Health System (SUS). Methods: We recruited 250 adult volunteers and evaluated their socioeconomic status, psychosocial characteristics, lifestyle, and anthropometrics. Peripheral blood was collected and evaluated for cortisol levels, glycemia, lipid profile, and insulin resistance; methylation of CpGs 40-47 of the 1F region of the NR3C1 gene was also measured. Factors associated with degree of methylation were evaluated using generalized linear models (p < 0.05). Lifestyle variables and health variables were included as confounding factors. Results: The findings of our cross-sectional study indicated an association between NR3C1 DNA methylation and intake of processed foods. We also observed relevant associations of average NR3C1 DNA across the segment analyzed, methylation in component 1 (40-43), and methylation in component 2 (44-47) with a pattern of consumption of industrialized products in relation to BMI, serum cortisol levels, and lipid profile. These results may indicate a relationship between methylation and metabolic changes related to the stress response. Conclusion: These findings suggest an association of methylation and metabolic alterations with stress response. In addition, the present study highlights the significant role of diet quality as a stress-inducing factor that influences NR3C1 methylation. This relationship is further linked to changes in psychosocial factors, lifestyle choices, and cardiometabolic variables, including glucose levels, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia.

Envisaging a global infrastructure to exploit the potential of digitised collections.

Tens of millions of images from biological collections have become available online over the last two decades. In parallel, there has been a dramatic increase in the capabilities of image analysis technologies, especially those involving machine learning and computer vision. While image analysis has become mainstream in consumer applications, it is still used only on an artisanal basis in the biological collections community, largely because the image corpora are dispersed. Yet, there is massive untapped potential for novel applications and research if images of collection objects could be made accessible in a single corpus. In this paper, we make the case for infrastructure that could support image analysis of collection objects. We show that such infrastructure is entirely feasible and well worth investing in.

Optimizing Contraceptive Prescription in Smoking Women: A Quality Improvement Study.

Introduction Family planning is fundamental in primary care (PC), and informed counseling helps to guide contraceptive choices. Combined hormonal contraceptives (CHC) pose cardiovascular risks, particularly when combined with smoking. According to the World Health Organization, the recommended global clinical decision is to refrain from employing CHC in female smokers aged 35 or older. This study aimed to improve contraception prescription for female smokers aged 35-54 in PC. Methods This study was conducted in a Portuguese Family Health Unit (FHU) from October 2021 to August 2022, and it followed the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 2.0) guidelines and the Plan-Do-Study-Act approach. Female smokers aged 35-54 were included and evaluated in three moments: baseline evaluation (October 2021), intermediate evaluation (February 2022), and post-intervention evaluation (August 2022). Interventions involved educating medical staff, creating patient awareness campaigns, and evaluating contraceptive methods. The established quality-defining goal was to decrease the prevalence of female smokers aged 35 or above using CHC to ≤5%. Results CHC prevalence among smoking women aged 35-54 decreased from 16.4% to 8.5% after nine months of the initial intervention. There was an increase in progestogen-only methods usage over time, from 25.7% to 34.0%. Discussion Despite not fully achieving the predefined goal, interventions led to a substantial reduction of CHC use among smoking women aged 35-54. Collaborative efforts between healthcare professionals and patients played a pivotal role in optimizing care and reducing cardiovascular risk. This study underscores the importance of continuous quality improvement, collaborative interventions, and knowledge updates in Family Medicine practice. While conducted in a single FHU, the intervention's multidimensional approach holds the potential for broader applicability. Conclusion In the future, healthcare teams should continue to reflect on achieved results, maintain knowledge, and empower patients in contraceptive method choices. The study contributes to improved care quality and highlights the positive impact on medical practice and patient outcomes.

Methylation of BDNF gene in association with episodic memory in women.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene regulation plays an important role in long-term memory formation, and the DNA methylation (DNAm) level of BDNF promoters has been associated with episodic memory deficits. Our aim was to explore the association between DNAm levels in BDNF promoter IV with verbal learning and memory performance in healthy women. We conducted a cross-sectional study by recruiting 53 individuals. Episodic memory was assessed by using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Clinical interviews, RAVLT, and blood sample collection were assessed in all participants. DNAm was measured on DNA from whole peripheral blood using pyrosequencing. According to generalized linear model (GzLM) analyses, cytosine guanine dinucleotide (CpG) site 5 showed significant associations between learning capacity (LC, p < 0.035), that is, every 1% of DNA methylation at CpG site 5 results in a 0.068 reduction in verbal learning performance. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first to show that BDNF DNAm plays an important role in episodic memory.

Confocal LiDAR for remote high-resolution imaging of auto-fluorescence in aquatic media.

Spatially resolved in situ monitoring of plankton can provide insights on the impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems due to their vital role in the biological carbon pump. However, high-resolution underwater imaging is technically complex and restricted to small close-range volumes with current techniques. Here, we report a novel inelastic scanning confocal light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system for remote underwater volumetric imaging of fluorescent objects. A continuous wave excitation beam is combined with a pinhole in a conjugated detection plane to reject out-of-focus scattering and accomplish near-diffraction limited probe volumes. The combination of bi-directional scanning with remote focusing enables the acquisition of three-dimensional data. We experimentally determine the point spread and axial weighting functions, and demonstrate selective volumetric imaging of obstructed layers through spatial filtering. Finally, we spatially resolve in vivo autofluorescence from sub-millimeter Acocyclops royi copepods to demonstrate the applicability of our novel instrument in non-intrusive morphological and spectroscopic studies of aquatic fauna. The proposed system constitutes a unique tool e.g. for profiling chlorophyll distributions and for quantitative studies of zooplankton with reduced interference from intervening scatterers in the water column that degrade the the performance of conventional imaging systems currently in place.

Psychotropic drug use and suggestive depression symptoms associated with NR3C1 DNA methylation / Uso de drogas psicotrópicas e sintomas sugestivos de depressão associados à metilação do DNA do NR3C1

Introduction: Psychiatric disorders have become a global problem that leads millions of people to use psychotropic medications, especially benzodiazepines. The effects of these substances are widely known regarding tolerance and chemical dependence, however, from epigenetics perspective, there are still little known.Objective: To evaluate the association between psychotropic drug use, NR3C1 gene methylation and its relation with symptoms suggestive of depression in adult individuals assisted in the public health system.Methods: 385 adult volunteers (20-59 years) users of the Brazilian Unified Health System were recruited to evaluate socioeconomic, health, lifestyle conditions in a cross sectional study. BDI-II evaluated symptoms suggestive of depression and pyrosequencing evaluated NR3C1 DNA methylation. Bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression model with robust variance (p < 0.05) evaluated the association between psychotropic drug use and NR3C1 gene methylation.Results: Specific depressive symptoms such as irritability, insomnia and fatigability were associated with psychotropic drug use. Symptoms of past failure, indecision and loss of appetite were associated with hypermethylation patterns in CpGs 40 to 47 of NR3C1 gene. Moreover, psychotropic drug use is associated with 50% reduction in NR3C1 gene methylation, through model adjusted with socioeconomic, health and lifestyle confounding variables.Conclusions: Psychotropic drug use and depressive symptoms was associated with changes in NR3C1 DNA methylation. In this context, epigenetic modification resulting from psychotropic drug use and depressive symptoms could be considered, mainly in population studies with epigenetic evaluation, where these factors may be influencing the findings of future studies.

Introdução: os distúrbios psiquiátricos tornaram-se um problema global que leva milhões de pessoas ao uso de medicamentos psicotrópicos. Os efeitos dessas substâncias são amplamente conhecidos quanto à tolerância e dependência química, porém, do ponto de vista epigenético, ainda são pouco conhecidos.Objetivos: avaliar a associação entre o uso de drogas psicotrópicas, metilação do gene NR3C1 e sua relação com sintomas sugestivos de depressão em indivíduos entre 20 a 59 anos usuários da rede pública de saúde.Método: 385 voluntários de 20-59 anos, usuários do Sistema Único de Saúde brasileiro foram recrutados para avaliação das condições socioeconômicas, de saúde e de estilo de vida em estudo transversal. O BDI-II avaliou sintomas sugestivos de depressão e o pirosequenciamento avaliou a metilação do DNA de NR3C1. Modelo de regressão de Poisson bivariado e multivariado com variância robusta (p < 0,05) avaliou a associação entre o uso de drogas psicotrópicas e metilação do gene NR3C1.Resultados: sintomas depressivos específicos como irritabilidade, insônia e fadiga foram associados ao uso de medicamentos psicotrópicos. Sintomas de fracasso passado, indecisão e perda de apetite foram associados a padrões de hipermetilação nos CpGs 40 a 47 do gene NR3C1. Além disso, o uso de psicofármacos está associado à redução de 50% na metilação do gene NR3C1, por meio de modelo ajustado com variáveis de confusão socioeconômicas, de saúde e estilo de vida.Conclusão: o uso de drogas psicotrópicas e sintomas específicos depressivos foram associados a alterações na metilação do DNA de NR3C1.

Tobacco use modify exon IV BDNF gene methylation levels in depression.

This study aimed to investigate BDNF gene methylation in individuals with depression based on tobacco use. Therefore, 384 adults from southeastern Brazil were recruited to assess depression, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and methylation by pyrosequencing exon IV promoter region of the BDNF gene. The Generalized Linear Model (GzLM) was used to check the effect of depression, tobacco, and the interaction between depression and tobacco use in methylation levels. In addition, the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Dunn's post hoc test, was used to compare methylation levels. Interaction between depression and tobacco use was significant at levels of BDNF methylation in the CpG 5 (p = 0.045), 8 (p = 0.016), 9 (p = 0.042), 10 (p = 0.026) and mean 5-11 (p < 0.001). Dunn's post hoc test showed that individuals with depression and tobacco use compared to those with or without depression who did not use tobacco had lower levels of BDNF methylation in CpG 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, and mean 5-11. Therefore, we suggest that tobacco use appears to interfere with BDNF gene methylation in depressed individuals.

Optimization of Inhalation Technique Knowledge in the Pharmacies of Matosinhos Municipality, Portugal: An Intervention Project.

INTRODUCTION: The therapeutic approach to the most common respiratory diseases, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), involves the use of inhalation devices. Its use is essential, but incorrect use is frequent, and learning and reviewing the technique is necessary for the adequate management of these diseases. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to increase the knowledge of health professionals from pharmacies in the municipality of Matosinhos, Portugal, about the correct inhalation technique. METHODS: The project developed from May 2022 to June 2023 was based on a training session for pharmacy professionals that took place after professionals completed a questionnaire and after evaluating each participant's inhalation technique by the authors using a checklist. Both were reapplied three months after the first evaluation. RESULTS: Fifteen pharmacies in Matosinhos, Portugal, were invited, of which eight agreed to participate, with a total of 16 health professionals (30.8% of professionals in these pharmacies). We found that professionals questioned and taught users more times about the inhalation technique and that a greater number of professionals considered they knew how to correctly perform the inhalation technique in the second assessment. It was also possible to verify statistically significant differences (p<0.001) between the mean of correct steps in the inhalation technique between the first and second assessments. There was also an improvement in the qualitative analysis of errors in the inhalation technique. In the first assessment, the inhalation devices with the lowest percentage of correct steps were Forspiro® and Respimat®. In the second evaluation, the Diskus® and Ellipta® devices obtained 100% correct steps, with the K-haler® being the device with the lowest percentage. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the effectiveness of continuous training for health professionals and the importance of multidisciplinary cooperation in teaching inhalation techniques. Other studies are needed to complement these results, particularly with representative samples of the general population, or assessing the impact of this intervention in patients with respiratory diseases.

Epigenetic alteration of BDNF gene, social and health status as predictors of food and nutrition insecurity among familiar coffee farmers / Alteração epigenética no gene BDNF, status social e de saúde como preditores da insegurança alimentar e nutricional em cafeicultores familiares

ntroduction: state of Food and Nutritional Security (FNS) is one that should guarantee the right of permanent access to quality food and in sufficient quantity without prejudicing access to other basic rights. In Brazil, rural family farming establishments represent 84.4% of total agricultural establishments and contribute to more than 70% of all food consumed by Brazilians. In this context, the production of the coffee commodity stands out. However, despite being food producers, they do not earn a good income. Slow economic activity can lead to loss of wages and income, illness, as well as food insecurity (FNiS). In addition, the molecular effects of FNiS are poorly studied, especially epigenetic.Objective: the objective of the present study is to analyze the association between Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) DNA methylation and socio demographic, lifestyle, and epigenetic factors, among coffee farmers in the Caparaó zone, in Espirito Santo, Southeast Brazil.Methods: the study was carried out in 22 randomly selected coffee producing communities in Zona Caparaó, an area that produces coffee of recognized quality. A total of 570 coffee farming households, 18 to 60 years of age, were included in the study by answering a questionnaire about socioeconomic characteristics, land use and ownership, behavior, health, and working conditions. FNiS evaluation was carried out using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. BDNF exon I methylation was examined by methylation-specific PCR. Body mass index and biochemical analyses were performed. Logistic regression models were used to verify factors associated with FNiS (p<0.05). Data were analyzed using the Stata® statistical software package version 14.Results: the FNiS prevalence found was 23.68%. In multivariable logistic regression, the occurrence of FNiS was associated with hypermethylation of exon I of the BDNF promoter exon I [ORa = 5.03 (95% (1.98, 12.82)] when compared to the unmethylated gene. Moreover, FNiS was associated with excessive workload [ORa = 3.36 (1.23, 9.22)], possession of less land (hectares) [ORa = 0.77 (0.67, 0.90)] and greater number symptoms and / or illnesses in real life [ORa = 1.12 (1.04.1.20)].Conclusion: there is a high prevalence of Food Insecurity in the studied region. This phenomenon was associated with epigenetic factors (BDNF methylation), excessive workload, small land ownership and a greater number of diseases / symptoms. Food insecurity is a psychosocial stressor that can lead to epigenetic changes in the BDNF gene, responsible for regulating cognitive functions, neuronal survival and involved in the genesis of psychiatric diseases.

Introdução: o Estado de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional (SAN) é aquele que deve garantir o direito de acesso permanente à alimentação de qualidade e em quantidade suficiente sem prejudicar o acesso a outros direitos básicos. No Brasil, os estabelecimentos de agricultura familiar rural representam 84,4% do total de estabelecimentos agropecuários e contribuem com mais de 70% de todos os alimentos consumidos pelos brasileiros. Nesse contexto, destaca-se a produção da commodity café. No entanto, apesar de serem produtores de alimentos, não auferem bons rendimentos. A lenta atividade econômica pode levar à perda de salários e renda, doenças e insegurança alimentar (INSAN). Além disso, os efeitos moleculares da INSAN são pouco estudados, sobretudo epigenéticos.Objetivos: o objetivo do presente estudo é analisar a associação entre a metilação do promotor do BDNF e a INSAN e a associação da INSAN com fatores sociodemográficos, de estilo de vida e epigenéticos, em cafeicultores da zona do Caparaó, no Espírito Santo, Sudeste do Brasil.Método: o estudo foi realizado em 22 comunidades cafeeiras selecionadas aleatoriamente na Zona do Caparaó, área que produz café de reconhecida qualidade. Um total de 570 famílias de cafeicultores, entre 18 a 60 anos, foram incluídos no estudo e responderam a um questionário sobre características socioeconômicas, uso e posse da terra, hábitos de vida, saúde e condições de trabalho. A avaliação da INSAN foi realizada por meio da Escala Brasileira de Insegurança Alimentar. A metilação do éxon I do BDNF foi examinada por PCR específica para metilação. Índice de massa corporal e análises bioquímicas foram realizadas. Modelos de regressão logística foram utilizados para verificar os fatores associados à INSAN (p<0,05). Os dados foram analisados usando o software estatístico Stata® versão 14.Resultados: a prevalência de INSAN encontrada foi de 23,68%. Na regressão logística multivariada, a ocorrência de INSAN foi associada a hipermetilação do éxon I do promotor do gene BDNF [ORa = 5,03 (95% (1,98, 12,82)] quando comparado ao gene não metilado. Além disso, a INSAN foi associada a carga de trabalho excessiva [ORa = 3,36 (1,23, 9,22)], posse de menos hectares de terra [ORa = 0,77 (0,67, 0,90)] e maior número de sintomas e/ou doenças da vida real [ORa = 1,12 (1.04.1.20)].Conclusão: o estudo mostrou uma alta prevalência de Insegurança Alimentar na região analisada. Esse fenômeno foi associado a fatores epigenéticos (metilação do gene BDNF), carga horária excessiva, pequena propriedade de terra e maior número de doenças/sintomas. A INSAN pode ser um estressor capaz de promover alterações epigenéticas no gene BDNF, importante gene regulador da cognição, crescimento e sobrevivência neuronal e envolvido com doenças psiquiátricas.

Lifestyle and NR3C1 exon 1F gene methylation is associated with changes in glucose levels and insulin resistance.

AIMS: the present study aimed to investigate how glucose and insulin levels may be associated with changes in NR3C1 gene methylation levels in adults. MAIN METHODS: 375 volunteers users of the Brazilian Public Unified Health System (SUS) were recruited to assess socioeconomic status, lifestyle, anthropometric data, blood glucose and serum cortisol levels, insulin resistance, and NR3C1 gene methylation assessment. Factors associated with glucose levels and insulin resistance were investigated using multivariate analysis GLzM at 5% significance (p<0.05). KEY FINDINGS: our results verified that glucose levels and insulin resistance were directly related to NR3C1 gene methylation and age, while not being overweight and obese and no tobacco consumption were indirectly related to glucose levels and insulin resistance. SIGNIFICANCE: habits and lifestyle may influence NR3C1 gene regulation, revealing the complexity of environmental impacts on NR3C1 methylation. Furthermore, associated risk factors must be taken into account in epigenetic studies as they directly interfere with blood glucose levels and insulin resistance.

A Tunable Hyperspectral Imager for Detection and Quantification of Marine Biofouling on Coated Surfaces.

Fouling control coatings (FCCs) are used to prevent the accumulation of marine biofouling on, e.g., ship hulls, which causes increased fuel consumption and the global spread of non-indigenous species. The standards for performance evaluations of FCCs rely on visual inspections, which induce a degree of subjectivity. The use of RGB images for objective evaluations has already received interest from several authors, but the limited acquired information restricts detailed analyses class-wise. This study demonstrates that hyperspectral imaging (HSI) expands the specificity of biofouling assessments of FCCs by capturing distinguishing spectral features. We developed a staring-type hyperspectral imager using a liquid crystal tunable filter as the wavelength selective element. A novel light-emitting diode illumination system with high and uniform irradiance was designed to compensate for the low-filter transmittance. A spectral library was created from reflectance-calibrated optical signatures of representative biofouling species and coated panels. We trained a neural network on the annotated library to assign a class to each pixel. The model was evaluated on an artificially generated target, and global accuracy of 95% was estimated. The classifier was tested on coated panels (exposed at the CoaST Maritime Test Centre) with visible intergrown biofouling. The segmentation results were used to determine the coverage percentage per class. Although a detailed taxonomic description might be complex due to spectral similarities among groups, these results demonstrate the feasibility of HSI for repeatable and quantifiable biofouling detection on coated surfaces.

The disambiguation of people names in biological collections.

Scientific collections have been built by people. For hundreds of years, people have collected, studied, identified, preserved, documented and curated collection specimens. Understanding who those people are is of interest to historians, but much more can be made of these data by other stakeholders once they have been linked to the people's identities and their biographies. Knowing who people are helps us attribute work correctly, validate data and understand the scientific contribution of people and institutions. We can evaluate the work they have done, the interests they have, the places they have worked and what they have created from the specimens they have collected. The problem is that all we know about most of the people associated with collections are their names written on specimens. Disambiguating these people is the challenge that this paper addresses. Disambiguation of people often proves difficult in isolation and can result in staff or researchers independently trying to determine the identity of specific individuals over and over again. By sharing biographical data and building an open, collectively maintained dataset with shared knowledge, expertise and resources, it is possible to collectively deduce the identities of individuals, aggregate biographical information for each person, reduce duplication of effort and share the information locally and globally. The authors of this paper aspire to disambiguate all person names efficiently and fully in all their variations across the entirety of the biological sciences, starting with collections. Towards that vision, this paper has three key aims: to improve the linking, validation, enhancement and valorisation of person-related information within and between collections, databases and publications; to suggest good practice for identifying people involved in biological collections; and to promote coordination amongst all stakeholders, including individuals, natural history collections, institutions, learned societies, government agencies and data aggregators.

PAI-1 expression in intratumoral inflammatory infiltrate contributes to lymph node metastasis in oral cancer: A cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Immune cells contribute with mediators in the protein expression profile of the tumor microenvironment. Levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) are elevated in non-malignant inflammatory conditions; however, the association between PAI-1 expression and inflammation remains uncertain in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study aimed to investigate PAI-1 expression in mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate in OSCC and its role as a prognostic marker. METHODS: Samples were collected from patients with OSCC, treated surgically, and followed for 24 months after the procedure. Thirty-nine tumoral tissue were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Correlation between protein expression, clinicopathological parameters, and the prognosis was investigated. RESULTS: Positive PAI-1 expression in mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate was significantly associated with lymph node status (p = 0.009) and with the cytoplasmic expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) (p = 0.028). Multivariate analysis revealed weak PAI-1 expression as an independent marker for lymph node metastases, with approximately 8-fold increased risk compared to strong expression (OR = 8.60; CI = 1.54-48.08; p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the strong PAI-1 expression in intratumoral inflammatory infiltrate is an indicator of a better prognosis for patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Food and nutritional insecurity is associated with depressive symptoms mediated by NR3C1 gene promoter 1F methylation.

The aim of this study was to investigate socioeconomic stressors predictive of depressive symptoms and possible epigenetic changes in the glucocorticoid receptor - NR3C1-1F - an encoding gene involved in depressive symptoms. A total of 321 adult volunteers from southeastern Brazil were recruited to evaluate depressive symptoms, socio-demographic and economic factors, including food and nutritional security (FNS) or insecurity (FNiS) status, and NR3C1-1F region methylation by pyrosequencing. Depressive symptom determinants were investigated using a Poisson regression model with robust variance. Mann-Whitney tests and structural mediation equation models were used to evaluate the relationship between NR3C1 DNA methylation, FNiS, and depressive symptoms. Multivariate Poisson regression with robust variance adjusted for sex and FNiS and NR3C1-1F region methylation predicted risk factors for depressive symptoms. Mediation analysis revealed that NR3C1-1F region methylation mediated the relationship between FNiS exposure and depressive symptoms as an outcome, and depressive volunteers and FNiS individuals exhibited a significant increase in NR3C1 methylation when compared to healthy individuals and FNS volunteers, respectively. Therefore, we suggest that stress caused by FNiS may lead to depressive symptoms and that NR3C1-1F DNA methylation can act as a mediator of both FNiS and depressive symptoms.

Alcohol consumption, depression, overweight and cortisol levels as determining factors for NR3C1 gene methylation.

The NR3C1 glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene is a component of the stress response system, which can be regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. NR3C1 methylation has been associated with trauma and mental issues, including depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and personality disorders. Previous studies have reported that stressful events are involved in NR3C1 gene methylation, suggesting that its regulation under environmental effects is complex. The present study aimed to analyze associations involving stressors such as socioeconomic status, health conditions, and lifestyle in relation to NR3C1 methylation in adults. This study included 386 individual users of the Brazilian Public Unified Health System (SUS), and evaluated socioeconomic and health conditions, body mass index, cortisol levels, and lifestyle. Data were correlated with NR3C1 methylation, determined using DNA pyrosequencing. The results showed that alcohol consumption, overweight, and high cortisol levels were related to NR3C1 demethylation, while depression was related to its methylation. Habits, lifestyle, and health status may influence NR3C1 gene regulation via methylation, revealing the complexity of environmental impacts on NR3C1 methylation.

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.

A strategy to digitise natural history collections with limited resources.

The present work is a contribution towards accelerating the digitisation process of natural history collections, usually a slow process. A two-stage process was developed at the herbarium of the University of Coimbra: (i) a new workflow was established to automatically create records in the herbarium master database with minimum information, while capturing digital images; (ii) these records are then used to populate a web-based crowdsourcing platform where citizens are involved in the transcription of specimen labels from the digital images. This approach simplifies and accelerates databasing, reduces specimen manipulation and promotes the involvement of citizens in the scientific goals of the herbarium. The novel features of this process are: (i) the validation method of the crowdsourcing contribution that ensures quality control, enabling the data to integrate the master database directly and (ii) the field-by-field integration in the master database enables immediate corrections to any record in the catalogue.

Pain as a risk factor for suicidal behavior in older adults: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review was to examine whether pain is a risk factor for suicidal behavior (suicide ideation, suicide attempts or suicide) in older adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An extensive search was conducted on the following databases: MEDLINE, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus and PsycARTICLES. Search terms used were "pain", "suicid*" and "elderly". Studies that assessed the relation between pain and suicidal behavior among people aged ≥60 years were included. Two reviewers independently screened the abstracts and applied selection criteria in the full-text of all included articles. RESULTS: Results from 38 original research articles were included and reviewed. Moderate/severe pain increased the risk of suicide ideation from OR = 1.13 (95 %CI = 1.02-1.25) to OR = 2.7 (95 %CI = 1.1-7.0). The influence in suicide attempts ranged between OR = 1.92 (95 %CI 1.17-3.15) and 3.63-fold for extreme pain; and one article reported that the risk of a successful suicide was 4.07-fold higher in pain suffering patients. In most studies, this relation was maintained, even after controlling for other risk factors. Arthritis, back/neck problems and headaches were associated with higher risks of suicidal behavior. Pain was also a stronger predictor for suicide in men (OR = 9.9; 95 %CI = 6.0-16.4) than in women (OR = 3.3; 95 %CI = 1.4-7.7). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest the existence of a relationship between pain and suicidal behavior in older adults. This information may be extremely relevant to inform suicide prevention strategies.