Men's Social Connectedness in Later Life: A Qualitative Study with Older Men.

This qualitative study aimed to understand men's social connectedness in later life in Portugal focusing on their perceptions, obstacles, strategies, and impact on well-being. The sample included 104 older Portuguese men over 65 years of age (Mage = 70.76 years). The qualitative data were the direct transcriptions of the answers given by participants to the electronic interview using thematic analysis. Findings revealed six overarching themes encompassing 18 subcategories: definitions of social connectedness (social support, community identity, mental health promotion, use of community structures), difficulties/obstacles in maintaining social connectedness (ageism, lack of initiative, physical limitations, psychological traits, resources), strategies/actions or resources to establish social connections (use of technology, use of community groups, leisure and sport activities, church/religion), negative impact of difficulties in establishing relevant social connections (mental health, physical health, relationships), positive actions from being socially connected (positive prescriptions to promote social connectedness), and concerns from being socially disconnected (health risks). These findings indicate that the lack of social connectedness creates social vulnerability in later life, and social support is needed to ensure safer aging among older men.

"It's a Lot of Closets to Come Out of in This Life": Experiences of Brazilian Gay Men Living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus at the Time of Diagnosis and Its Biopsychosocial Impacts.

We investigated the experiences of Brazilian gay men with HIV, focusing on the moment of diagnosis and its potential biopsychosocial impacts. This clinical-qualitative study involved 15 participants interviewed online and synchronously by a clinical psychologist in 2021. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. Interpretations were grounded in Minority Stress Theory. Four thematic axes emerged, including "Diagnostic Revelation", "Social and Internalized Stigma", "Biopsychosocial Effects of Living with HIV", and "Gratitude for Treatment Advances and the Brazilian Health System". The diagnosis was often experienced as traumatic, exacerbated by the absence of empathy and emotional support from healthcare providers. Participants commonly reported guilt, fear upon learning of their HIV status, social isolation, loneliness, lack of social support, and damage to affective-sexual relationships. Many also noted a decline in mental health, even those without HIV-related medical complications. Despite over 40 years since the HIV epidemic began, the prevalence of homophobia and serophobia among gay men remains widespread, including within the multidisciplinary teams of specialized services. This indicates that the stigma associated with homosexuality and HIV persists, despite significant biomedical progress in the diagnosis and treatment of the infection, particularly in Brazil.

Threat of mining to African great apes.

The rapid growth of clean energy technologies is driving a rising demand for critical minerals. In 2022 at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), seven major economies formed an alliance to enhance the sustainability of mining these essential decarbonization minerals. However, there is a scarcity of studies assessing the threat of mining to global biodiversity. By integrating a global mining dataset with great ape density distribution, we estimated the number of African great apes that spatially coincided with industrial mining projects. We show that up to one-third of Africa's great ape population faces mining-related risks. In West Africa in particular, numerous mining areas overlap with fragmented ape habitats, often in high-density ape regions. For 97% of mining areas, no ape survey data are available, underscoring the importance of increased accessibility to environmental data within the mining sector to facilitate research into the complex interactions between mining, climate, biodiversity, and sustainability.

Global trends and scenarios for terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem services from 1900 to 2050.

Based on an extensive model intercomparison, we assessed trends in biodiversity and ecosystem services from historical reconstructions and future scenarios of land-use and climate change. During the 20th century, biodiversity declined globally by 2 to 11%, as estimated by a range of indicators. Provisioning ecosystem services increased several fold, and regulating services decreased moderately. Going forward, policies toward sustainability have the potential to slow biodiversity loss resulting from land-use change and the demand for provisioning services while reducing or reversing declines in regulating services. However, negative impacts on biodiversity due to climate change appear poised to increase, particularly in the higher-emissions scenarios. Our assessment identifies remaining modeling uncertainties but also robustly shows that renewed policy efforts are needed to meet the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Chemical Profile of Ocotea delicata (Lauraceae) Using Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry-Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking Workflow.

Ocotea, the largest genus in the Lauraceae family, encompasses numerous species of scientific interest. However, most Ocotea species have only been described morphologically. This study used an untargeted metabolomics workflow with UHPLC-HRMS and GNPS-FBMN to provide the first chemical evaluation of the polar specialized metabolites of O. delicata leaves. Leaves from three O. delicata specimens were extracted using ultrasound-assisted extraction with 70% ethanol. Among the examined samples, 44 metabolites, including alkaloids and flavonoids, were identified. In contrast to other Ocotea species, O. delicata has a wider diversity of kaempferol derivatives than quercetin. The biomass of the specimens showed a significant correlation with the chemical profile. The similarity among specimens was mostly determined by the concentrations of quinic acid, kaempferol glycosides, and boldine. The evaluated specimens exhibited chemical features similar to those of species classified as New World Ocotea, with the coexistence of aporphine and benzylisoquinoline alkaloids.

Identifying Critical Vegetation Types for Biodiversity Conservation in the Americas / Identificación de tipos de vegetación críticos para la conservación de la biodiversidad en las Américas / Identificação de Tipos de Vegetação Críticos para a Conservação da Biodiversidade nas Américas

The Americas contain highly biodiverse yet vulnerable ecosystems, with many threatened species inadequately protected. Finer-scale, localized habitat assessments are crucial for effective conservation planning, but continental-scale high-resolution vegetation maps remain limited. This study addresses this gap by identifying critical vegetation types across the Americas using the standardized framework of the International Vegetation Classification (IVC) system at the macrogroup level, representing the finest vegetation classification available across the region, as well as the highest-resolution Area of Habitat (AOH) maps currently available. By combining these high-resolution IVC macrogroup maps with detailed AOH maps, we highlight at-risk vegetation types based on 1) threatened and macrogroup-associated species (species that have at least 50% of their AOH in one macrogroup), 2) current protection levels, and 3) projected threats from land use changes, and 4) develop a conservation value index (CVI) that accounts for all these factors. The results highlighted the remarkable diversity of high conservation value macrogroups across the Americas, emphasizing their significance in regions such as the Andes, montane Mesoamerica, the Caribbean, Brazil's Cerrado, and the Atlantic Forest. Among the highest-scoring macrogroups, the Northern Andean Montane & Upper Montane Humid Forest emerged as critically important, harboring a high number of threatened and macrogroup-associated species. Other macrogroups of immediate conservation concern include the Brazilian Atlantic Montane Humid Forest, Pacific Mesoamerican Seasonal Dry Forest, Caribbean Lowland Humid Forest, and Central Midwest Oak Forest, Woodland and Savanna. However, the study revealed that nearly three-quarters of the over 300 macrogroups in the Americas fall below the global target of 30% protection. Notably, a fifth of all species were macrogroup-associated species, including over 40% of threatened species. Our findings emphasize the need for targeted conservation strategies that consider finer-scale habitat classifications and paired with high-quality species distribution data to guide conservation strategies for biodiversity across the Americas.

Las Américas contienen ecosistemas altamente biodiversos pero vulnerables, con muchas especies amenazadas insuficientemente protegidas. Las evaluaciones de hábitat hechas a escala más detallada son cruciales para una planificación eficaz de la conservación, pero los mapas de vegetación de alta resolución a escala continental siguen siendo limitados. Este estudio aborda esta brecha, identificando tipos de vegetación críticos en las Américas utilizando el marco estandarizado del sistema de Clasificación Internacional de Vegetación (IVC) a nivel de macrogrupo, que representa la clasificación de vegetación más detallada disponible en toda la región, así como los mapas de Área de Hábitat (AOH) de mayor resolución disponibles en la actualidad Al combinar estos mapas de IVC de alta resolución con mapas de AOH, determinamos los tipos de vegetación en riesgo basados ​​en 1) especies amenazadas y asociadas a macrogrupos (especies que tienen al menos el 50% de su AOH en un macrogrupo), 2) niveles de protección de las especies, y 3) amenazas proyectadas por cambios en el uso del suelo , y 4) desarrollar un índice de valor de conservación (CVI) que tenga en cuenta los tres factores anteriores. Los resultados demuestran la notable diversidad de macrogrupos de alto valor de conservación en las Américas, enfatizando su importancia en regiones como los Andes, la Mesoamérica montañosa, el Caribe, el Cerrado de Brasil y el Bosque Atlántico. Entre los macrogrupos con mayor puntuación, el Bosque Húmedo Montano Norte Andino y Alto Montano emergieron como de importancia crítica, ya que albergan un gran número de especies amenazadas y asociadas a macrogrupos. Otros macrogrupos de interés para la conservación incluyen el Bosque Húmedo Montano Atlántico de Brasil, el Bosque Seco Estacional Mesoamericano del Pacífico, el Bosque Húmedo de Tierras Bajas del Caribe y el Bosque de Robles, Bosques y Sabanas del Medio Oeste Central. Sin embargo, el estudio reveló que casi tres cuartas partes de los más de 300 macrogrupos en las Américas se encuentran por debajo del objetivo global del 30% de protección. En particular, una quinta parte de todas las especies estaban asociadas a un único   macrogrupo, incluidas más del 40% de especies amenazadas. Nuestros hallazgos enfatizan la necesidad de estrategias de conservación específicas que consideren clasificaciones de hábitats a escala detallada y se combinen con datos de distribución de especies de alta resolución para guiar las estrategias de conservación de la biodiversidad en las Américas.

As Américas abrigam ecossistemas altamente biodiversos, porém vulneráveis, com muitas espécies ameaçadas insuficientemente protegidas. Avaliações de habitat em escalas mais detalhadas são cruciais para um planejamento eficaz de conservação, mas mapas de vegetação de alta resolução em escala continental ainda são limitados. Este estudo aborda essa lacuna, identificando tipos críticos de vegetação nas Américas usando o quadro padronizado do sistema de Classificação Internacional de Vegetação (IVC) no nível de macrogrupo, que representa a classificação de vegetação mais detalhada disponível em toda a região, bem como os mapas de Área de Hábitat (AOH) de maior resolução disponíveis atualmente. Ao combinar esses mapas de IVC de alta resolução com mapas de AOH, determinamos os tipos de vegetação em risco com base em 1) espécies ameaçadas e associadas a macrogrupos (espécies que têm pelo menos 50% de sua AOH em um macrogrupo), 2) níveis de proteção das espécies, e 3) ameaças projetadas por mudanças no uso do solo, e 4) desenvolvemos um índice de valor de conservação (CVI) que leva em consideração os três fatores anteriores. Os resultados demonstram a notável diversidade de macrogrupos de alto valor de conservação nas Américas, enfatizando sua importância em regiões como os Andes, a Mesoamérica montanhosa, o Caribe, o Cerrado do Brasil e a Mata Atlântica. Entre os macrogrupos com maior pontuação, o Bosque Úmido Montano Norte Andino e Alto Montano emergiram como de importância crítica, abrigando um grande número de espécies ameaçadas e associadas a macrogrupos. Outros macrogrupos de interesse para a conservação incluem o Bosque Úmido Montano Atlântico do Brasil, o Bosque Seco Estacional Mesoamericano do Pacífico, o Bosque Úmido de Terras Baixas do Caribe e o Bosque de Carvalhos, Florestas e Savanas do Centro-Oeste Central. No entanto, o estudo revelou que quase três quartos dos mais de 300 macrogrupos nas Américas estão abaixo da meta global de 30% de proteção. Em particular, um quinto de todas as espécies estava associado a um único macrogrupo, incluindo mais de 40% das espécies ameaçadas. Nossas descobertas enfatizam a necessidade de estratégias de conservação específicas que considerem classificações de habitats em escala detalhada e se combinem com dados de distribuição de espécies de alta resolução para orientar as estratégias de conservação da biodiversidade nas Américas.

The presence of doping agents in dietary supplements: A glimpse into the Brazilian situation.

Dietary supplements (DS) are intended for healthy people to maintain or improve their overall health. Its consumption is widespread in large part of the general population and at all levels of athletes. Nevertheless, DS use can also pose health risks to individuals and, in the case of athletes, may lead to adverse analytical findings (AAFs) due to the possibility of DS contamination or adulteration with doping agents banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Although educational initiatives are being performed in Brazil to warn the sports community about inadvertent doping cases, AAFs connected to the DS administration have been increasingly growing. The findings of DS analyzed by the Brazilian Doping Control Laboratory (LBCD), between 2017 and 2022, after Testing Authorities (TAs) analysis requests, showed an alarming number of tainted samples. Diuretics were the most common adulterants found in all supplement types. However, the profile of prohibited substances in manufactured and compounded dietary supplements (MDS and CDS, respectively) were distinct, with stimulants being most prevalent in MDS and anabolic agents in CDS products. Additionally, MDS samples generally presented higher estimated concentrations of banned substances (mg/g) than CDS samples (µg/g). The common practice of DS intake by athletes continues to be of great concern for a doping-free sport, given the high prevalence of prohibited substances detected in the analyzed samples by the LBCD. The current Brazilian scenario reinforces the importance of raising awareness in the sports community of the possible consequences of an unintentional doping case linked to DS use.

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Mental Health and Suicidal Behaviors: A Study from Portuguese Language Countries.

Background: Research on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) demonstrates that they can be associated with physical and mental health problems throughout the lifecourse. However, few studies have examined this topic in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLC). Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of ACEs on mental health and suicidal behaviors in a sample of participants from the CPLC. Participants and Setting: The sample consists of 1006 participants aged between 18 and 80 years (mean = 41.76; SD = 14.19). Methods: This study used an online survey that included a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) to assess somatization, depression, and anxiety symptoms, and overall mental functioning, the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R) to assess suicidal behaviors, and the Family Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire to assess ACEs. Results: Emotional abuse was the most reported ACE (32.7%). Participants from Brazil had higher levels of somatization, depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation and attempt, while participants from Portugal had a higher probability of suicide in the future. ACEs were strong and significant predictors of psychological symptoms and the likelihood of suicide in the future, with emotional abuse and emotional neglect being the domains with the greatest contribution, respectively. Conclusions: ACEs are a prevalent and general phenomenon across several countries. It is urgent to alert policymakers and mental health professionals of the need to intervene with children and families to ensure their harmonious and adjusted development, thus promoting quality of life and well-being of populations.

COVID-19: isolamento social e suas consequências na vida de crianças com transtorno do espectro autista / COVID-19: social isolation and consequences in the lives of children with autistic spectrum disorder / COVID-19: el aislamiento social y sus consecuencias en la vida de los niños con trastorno del espectro autista

Objetivo: conhecer as percepções de profissionais de saúde acerca das consequências do isolamento social, causado pela pandemia da COVID-19, no desenvolvimento e na vida de crianças com Transtorno do Espectro Autista. Método: estudo exploratório, descritivo e de abordagem qualitativa, apoiado nos referenciais do Cuidado Centrado na Família e da Análise de Conteúdo de Bardin e aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa. Desenvolvido em municípios do interior paulista, de setembro a outubro/2021, com participação de doze profissionais de saúde. Resultados: as experiências apreendidas estiveram representadas nas categorias temáticas: "Interrupção das terapêuticas e estratégias profissionais", "Implicações da pandemia no desenvolvimento da criança autista" e "Isolamento social da pandemia e a dinâmica familiar da criança com autismo". Conclusão: o isolamento social decorrente da pandemia do coronavírus interferiu na vida das crianças autistas e suas famílias, com consequências ao desenvolvimento social, motor, linguístico e pedagógico.

Objective: to know the guidelines of health professionals about the consequences of social isolation, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, on the development and lives of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Method: field study, exploratory, descriptive and with a qualitative approach, supported by the references of Family-Centered Care and Bardin's Content Analysis and approved by the Research Ethics Committee. Developed in municipalities in the interior of São Paulo, from September to October/2021, with the participation of twelve health professionals. Results: the experiences learned followed instructions in the thematic categories: "Interruption of therapies and professional strategies", "Implications of the pandemic on the development of the autistic child" and "Social isolation of the pandemic and the family dynamics of the child with autism". Conclusion: the social isolation resulting from the coronavirus pandemic interfered in the lives of autistic children and their families, with consequences for social, motor, linguistic and pedagogical development.

Objetivo: conocer las percepciones de los profesionales de la salud en cuanto a las consecuencias del aislamiento social, provocado por la pandemia de la COVID-19, en el desarrollo y la vida de los niños con Trastorno del Espectro Autista. Método: estudio exploratorio, descriptivo y con enfoque cualitativo, apoyado en los referenciales del Cuidado Centrado en la Familia y el Análisis de Contenido de Bardin y aprobado por el Comité de Ética en Investigación. El estudio tuvo lugar en municipios del interior de São Paulo, de septiembre a octubre/2021, contando con la participación de doce profesionales de la salud. Resultados: las experiencias aprendidas se representaron por las categorías temáticas: "Interrupción de terapias y estrategias profesionales", "Implicaciones de la pandemia en el desarrollo del niño autista" y "Aislamiento social de la pandemia y la dinámica familiar del niño con autismo". Conclusión: el aislamiento social resultante de la pandemia del coronavirus interfirió en la vida de los niños autistas y sus familias, con consecuencias para el desarrollo social, motor, lingüístico y pedagógico.

Tailoring evidence into action: using a codesign approach for biodiversity information in the Tropical Andes / Toma de decisiones basadas en la evidencia: un enfoque de codiseño para la información sobre biodiversidad en los Andes tropicales / Tomada de decisão baseada em evidências: uma abordagem de co-design para informações sobre biodiversidade nos Andes tropicais

Biodiversity conservation is a complex and transdisciplinary problem that requires engagement and cooperation among scientific, societal, economic, and political institutions. However, historical approaches have often failed to bring together and address the needs of all relevant stakeholders in decision­making processes. The Tropical Andes, a biodiversity hotspot where conservation efforts often conflict with socioeconomic issues and policies that prioritize economic development, provides an ideal model to develop and implement more effective approaches. In this study, we present a co­design approach that mainstreams and improves the flow of biodiversity information in the Tropical Andes, while creating tailored outputs that meet the needs of economic and societal stakeholders. We employed a consultative process that brought together biodiversity information users and producers at the local, national, and regional levels through a combination of surveys and workshops. This approach identified priority needs and limitations of the flow of biodiversity information in the region, which led to the co­design of user­relevant biodiversity indicators. By leveraging the existing capacities of biodiversity information users and producers, we were able to co­design multiple biodiversity indicators and prioritize two for full implementation ensuring that the data was findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable based on the FAIR principles. This approach helped address limitations that were identified in the stakeholder engagement process, including gaps in data availability and the need for more accessible biodiversity information. Additionally, capacity­building workshops were incorporated for all producers of biodiversity information involved, which aimed to not only improve the current flow of biodiversity information in the region but also facilitate its future sustainability. Our approach can serve as a valuable blueprint for mainstreaming biodiversity information and making it more inclusive in the future, especially considering the diverse worldviews, values, and knowledge systems between science, policy, and practice.

La conservación de la biodiversidad es un problema complejo y transdisciplinario que requiere el compromiso y la cooperación entre instituciones científicas, sociales, económicas y políticas. Sin embargo, los enfoques tradicionales/convencionales  a menudo no logran  reunir y abordar las necesidades de todos los actores relevantes en los procesos de toma de decisiones. Los Andes tropicales, un área clave  de biodiversidad donde los esfuerzos de conservación a menudo entran en conflicto con cuestiones socioeconómicas y políticas que priorizan el desarrollo económico, proporcionan un modelo ideal para desarrollar e implementar enfoques más efectivos. En este estudio, presentamos un enfoque co-diseño que integra y mejora el flujo de información sobre biodiversidad en los Andes tropicales, creando resultados personalizados que satisfacen las necesidades, tanto económicas como sociales, de las partes interesadas. Empleamos un proceso de consulta que reunió a usuarios y productores de información sobre biodiversidad a nivel local, nacional y regional, a través de encuestas y talleres. Este enfoque ha permitido identificar necesidades prioritarias y limitaciones del flujo de información sobre biodiversidad en la región; lo cual llevó al codiseño de indicadores de biodiversidad relevantes para los usuarios. Aprovechando las capacidades existentes de los usuarios y productores de información sobre biodiversidad, pudimos co-diseñar múltiples indicadores de biodiversidad y priorizar dos de estos para su implementación completa, asegurando que los datos sean localizables, accesibles, interoperables y reutilizables, según los principios FAIR. Este enfoque ayudó a abordar las limitaciones que se identificaron en el proceso de participación de las partes interesadas; incluidas las brechas en la disponibilidad de datos y la necesidad de información sobre biodiversidad más accesible. Además, se incorporaron talleres de desarrollo de capacidades para todos los productores de información sobre biodiversidad involucrados, los cuales apuntaron no sólo a mejorar el flujo actual de información sobre biodiversidad en la región, sino también facilitar su sostenibilidad futura. Nuestro enfoque puede servir como un modelo valioso para incorporar la información sobre biodiversidad y hacerla más inclusiva en el futuro; especialmente si consideramos las diversas perspectivas globales, valores y sistemas de conocimiento implicados en las interacciones entre  la ciencia, la política y su aplicación práctica.

A conservação da biodiversidade é um problema complexo e transdisciplinar que requer compromisso e cooperação entre instituições científicas, sociais, económicas e políticas. No entanto, as abordagens tradicionais/convencionais muitas vezes não conseguem reunir e responder às necessidades de todos os intervenientes relevantes nos processos de tomada de decisão. Os Andes tropicais, uma área chave para a biodiversidade onde os esforços de conservação entram frequentemente em conflito com questões socioeconómicas e políticas que dão prioridade ao desenvolvimento económico, fornecem um modelo ideal para desenvolver e implementar abordagens mais eficazes. Neste estudo, apresentamos uma abordagem de co-design que integra e melhora o fluxo de informações sobre biodiversidade nos Andes tropicais, criando resultados personalizados que atendem às necessidades, tanto econômicas quanto sociais, das partes interessadas. Empregamos um processo de consulta que reuniu usuários e produtores de informações sobre biodiversidade nos níveis local, nacional e regional, por meio de pesquisas e workshops. Esta abordagem permitiu identificar necessidades prioritárias e limitações do fluxo de informação sobre a biodiversidade na região; o que levou à concepção conjunta de indicadores de biodiversidade relevantes para os utilizadores. Aproveitando as capacidades existentes dos utilizadores e produtores de informação sobre biodiversidade, fomos capazes de conceber em conjunto vários indicadores de biodiversidade e priorizar dois deles para implementação total, garantindo que os dados sejam localizáveis, acessíveis, interoperáveis ​​e reutilizáveis, de acordo com os princípios FAIR. Esta abordagem ajudou a resolver as limitações identificadas no processo de envolvimento das partes interessadas; incluindo lacunas na disponibilidade de dados e a necessidade de informações mais acessíveis sobre biodiversidade. Além disso, foram incorporados workshops de capacitação para todos os produtores de informação sobre biodiversidade envolvidos, que visaram não só melhorar o fluxo actual de informação sobre biodiversidade na região, mas também facilitar a sua sustentabilidade futura. A nossa abordagem pode servir como um modelo valioso para incorporar informações sobre biodiversidade e torná-las mais inclusivas no futuro; especialmente se considerarmos as diversas perspectivas globais, valores e sistemas de conhecimento envolvidos nas interações entre ciência, política e sua aplicação prática.

Unveiling global species abundance distributions.

Whether most species are rare or have some intermediate abundance is a long-standing question in ecology. Here, we use more than one billion observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to assess global species abundance distributions (gSADs) of 39 taxonomic classes of eukaryotic organisms from 1900 to 2019. We show that, as sampling effort increases through time, the shape of the gSAD is unveiled; that is, the shape of the sampled gSAD changes, revealing the underlying gSAD. The fraction of species unveiled for each class decreases with the total number of species in that class and increases with the number of individuals sampled, with some groups, such as birds, being fully unveiled. The best statistical fit for almost all classes was the Poisson log-normal distribution. This strong evidence for a universal pattern of gSADs across classes suggests that there may be general ecological or evolutionary mechanisms governing the commonness and rarity of life on Earth.

Systematic characterization of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide metabolites in Caenorhabditis elegans by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry.

Psychedelic compounds have gained renewed interest for their potential therapeutic applications, but their metabolism and effects on complex biological systems remain poorly understood. Here, we present a systematic characterization of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) metabolites in the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans using state-of-the-art analytical techniques. By employing ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry, we putatively identified a range of LSD metabolites, shedding light on their metabolic pathways and offering insights into their pharmacokinetics. Our study demonstrates the suitability of Caenorhabditis elegans as a valuable model system for investigating the metabolism of psychedelic compounds and provides a foundation for further research on the therapeutic potential of LSD.

Coordination chemistry applied to anti-doping analysis: Cobalt quantification as its diethyldithiocarbamate complex by liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry.

Cobalt was included on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List in 2015 due to its effect on stimulus of erythropoiesis via stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor. Although it has proven benefits for performance enhancement, the unavailability of inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry on routine of the accredited laboratories is a factor that reduces its applicability in anti-doping analysis. Therefore, an analytical method for quantification of urinary cobalt as its diethyldithiocarbamate complex by liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated. Palladium was proposed as internal standard and rhodium as a complexation control. A microwave-assisted acid digestion of the urine samples was essential, not only to eliminate the matrix effect but mainly to avoid the non-specific bond of cobalt to endogenous molecules. A linear method was obtained over the studied range from a negative urine control to a spiked concentration of 25 ng/mL, with an estimated limit of quantification of 2.5 ng/mL, and an adequate combined standard uncertainty of 11.4%. Considering that all reagents are commercially available, the proposed strategy is feasible to be included on routine sample preparation. Monitoring urinary cobalt concentrations globally opens the perspective to support the anti-doping system to define a suitable threshold value and to understand its potential misuse by athletes seeking for performance improvement.

Human papillomavirus prevalence and frequency of sexually transmitted diseases in encarcered women by self-sampling approach.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the sociodemographic and clinical profile of women deprived of their liberty and to identify the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and human papillomavirus through self-sampling samples. METHODS: This is an epidemiological, cross-sectional, observational, and descriptive study of the prevalence and correlation of the diagnosis of human papillomavirus infection in 268 encarcered women in Amazonas submitted to self-sampling from June 2019 to September 2020 using the genotyping analysis. Patients with positive and inconclusive results were evaluated by commercialized PCR to detect pathogens causing sexually transmitted diseases. The sample size used was based on a convenience sample. RESULTS: In 268 women, human papillomavirus DNA was detected in 87 (32.5%) of them. Sexually transmitted diseases were detected in 30 (34.48%) of the 87 women with a positive or inconclusive result for human papillomavirus. Women with more than three pregnancies had a higher risk of human papillomavirus detection (p=0.004). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of human papillomavirus and other sexually transmitted diseases in encarcered women in Amazonas is 32.5 and 34.48%, respectively. Most women were single (60.4%) and reported having had more than 15 partners (90.8%).

Investigations into Annona fruit consumption as a potential source of dietary higenamine intake in the context of sports drug testing.

Higenamine is prohibited in sports as a ß2 -agonist by the World Anti-Doping Agency. As a key component of a great variety of plants, including the Annonaceae family, one aim of this research project was to evaluate whether the ingestion of Annona fruit could lead to higenamine adverse analytical findings. Single-dose administration studies including three Annona species (i.e., Annona muricata, Annona cherimola, and Annona squamosa) were conducted, leading to higenamine findings below the established minimum reporting level (MRL) of 10 ng/mL in urine. In consideration of cmax values (7.8 ng/mL) observed for higenamine up to 24 h, a multidose administration study was also conducted, indicating cumulative effects, which can increase the risk of exceeding the applicable MRL doping after Annona fruit ingestion. In this study, however, the MRL was not exceeded at any time point. Further, the major urinary excretion of higenamine in its sulfo-conjugated form was corroborated, its stability in urine was assessed, and in the absence of reference material, higenamine sulfo-conjugates were synthesized and comprehensively characterized, suggesting the predominant presence of higenamine 7-sulfate. In addition, the option to include complementary biomarkers of diet-related higenamine intake into routine doping controls was investigated. A characteristic urinary pattern attributed to isococlaurine, reticuline, and a yet not fully characterized bismethylated higenamine glucuronide was observed after Annona ingestion but not after supplement use, providing a promising dataset of urinary biomarkers, which supports the discrimination between different sources of urinary higenamine detected in sports drug testing programs.

Promoting Psychosocial Well-Being and Empowerment of Immigrant Women: A Systematic Review of Interventions.

This systematic review (SLR), based on the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, aims to present a current overview of interventions aimed at promoting the psychosocial well-being and/or empowerment (PWE) of immigrant women in order to guide future projects. Data collection was performed in the SCOPUS and Web of Science databases, with studies published between 2012 and 20 March 2023 in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were based on the PICO guidelines: (P) immigrant women, (I) interventions to improve PWE, (C) comparison between the initial and final phases, and (O) evaluated results for PWE. Risk of bias was assessed, and most of the studies met more than 80% of the JBI bias criteria and had moderate quality on GRADE. Thirteen studies with 585 participants were included, mostly non-randomized, non-equivalent, and with an experimental-control group design. The main components of interventions were health education/psychoeducation, counseling, cognitive restructuring, and expressive therapies. A descriptive synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data was made to evaluate the results of the interventions in PWE. In the experimental studies, results assessed improvements mainly in mood and depression levels, and stress reduction. Empowerment components were less covered. Experimental groups performed better in almost all variables in the comparison with control groups. The strongest interventions were psychoeducation and cognitive restructuring techniques. The main limitations of the studies were the lack of quality of several studies, sample size and representativeness, language, and the possibility of response bias. Even taking this into account, this article makes an original contribution by advocating for evidence-based practice and offering significant implications for health professionals, policy makers, and researchers that work with the integrative health of immigrant women. This SLR is registered in PROPESRO Registration: CRD42023399683. PS is a research fellow of the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) of Portugal.

Diverse approaches to nature recovery are needed to meet the varied needs of people and nature.

Conservation and restoration projects often fail to engage local communities during the planning and implementation stage. In addition, when considering urban boundary ecosystems, there exists a wide range of stakeholders that must be involved in the planning process to ensure social equity in land management outcomes. Traditional methods for assessing future landscape change scenarios have been critiqued for their inability to adequately incorporate the diverse range of stakeholder values. This paper presents a multicriteria mapping study, incorporating a novel application of the Nature Futures Framework, to assess nature recovery scenarios on Brighton and Hove's Downland Estate-an urban boundary landscape surrounding the city of Brighton and Hove in Sussex, South East England. We focus on two key research outcomes. First, we assess the perceived performance of alternative nature recovery options across Nature Future value perspectives and between contrasting stakeholder groups. Second, by mapping stakeholder values from our multicriteria mapping study, we demonstrate that the Nature Futures Framework provides a robust framework within which to assess the diverse values stakeholders hold for land use change. We propose that utilizing the Nature Futures Framework, in combination with the multicriteria mapping interview technique, can form a valuable tool to elicit stakeholder values that may have been hidden, or underrepresented in traditional assessment methods, and to compare the perceived performance of alternative nature recovery scenarios between stakeholder groups. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-023-01337-w.

Maternal high-fat diet decreases milk endocannabinoids with sex-specific changes in the cannabinoid and dopamine signaling and food preference in rat offspring.

Introduction: Maternal high-fat (HF) diet during gestation and lactation programs obesity in rat offspring associated with sex-dependent and tissue-specific changes of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS activation induces food intake and preference for fat as well as lipogenesis. We hypothesized that maternal HF diet would increase the lipid endocannabinoid levels in breast milk programming cannabinoid and dopamine signaling and food preference in rat offspring. Methods: Female Wistar rats were assigned into two experimental groups: control group (C), which received a standard diet (10% fat), or HF group, which received a high-fat diet (29% fat) for 8 weeks before mating and during gestation and lactation. Milk samples were collected to measure endocannabinoids and fatty acids by mass spectrometry. Cannabinoid and dopamine signaling were evaluated in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of male and female weanling offspring. C and HF offspring received C diet after weaning and food preference was assessed in adolescence. Results: Maternal HF diet reduced the milk content of anandamide (AEA) (p<0.05) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) (p<0.05). In parallel, maternal HF diet increased adiposity in male (p<0.05) and female offspring (p<0.05) at weaning. Maternal HF diet increased cannabinoid and dopamine signaling in the NAc only in male offspring (p<0.05), which was associated with higher preference for fat in adolescence (p<0.05). Conclusion: Contrary to our hypothesis, maternal HF diet reduced AEA and 2-AG in breast milk. We speculate that decreased endocannabinoid exposure during lactation may induce sex-dependent adaptive changes of the cannabinoid-dopamine crosstalk signaling in the developing NAc, contributing to alterations in neurodevelopment and programming of preference for fat in adolescent male offspring.

Newborn Feeding Knowledge and Attitudes among Medical Students.

This study sought to assess newborn feeding knowledge and attitudes among medical students. A sample of 649 Portuguese medical students completed an online survey containing a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Newborn Feeding Ability Questionnaire (NFA), and the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitudes Scale (IIFAS). The overall sample showed moderate scores for all variables. Gender analysis identified significant differences only for the dimension related to the benefits of skin-to-skin contact between mother and newborn where women scored higher. Analysis by year of training found that students with more years of training scored higher on all variables of newborn feeding knowledge that were positively correlated and were positive predictors of newborn feeding attitudes. Students with fewer years of training scored higher on work practices interfering with newborn feeding ability, which were negatively correlated and were negative predictors of newborn feeding attitudes. These results demonstrate that medical students with more years of training are the most prepared, however, the moderate results of the sample raise concerns. Our results point to the importance of providing medical students with adequate knowledge in order to influence their attitudes toward newborn feeding and contribute to better working practices for future health professionals.