The role of personality dimensions, depressive symptoms and other psychosocial variables in predicting postpartum suicidal ideation: a cohort study.

Suicidability has been associated with neuroticism and psychoticism, but its role during perinatal period has not been analyzed. We explore the association between personality dimensions, depressive symptoms, and other psychosocial variables in postpartum suicidal ideation. A cohort of 1795 healthy Spanish women from the general population was assessed for suicidal ideation (EPDS-Item10) in early postpartum, 8 and 32 weeks postpartum. Sociodemographic, obstetric, and reproductive variables, psychiatric history, social support, stressful life-events during pregnancy, depressive symptoms (EPDS), and the Eysenck's personality dimensions (EPQ-RS) were also assessed at baseline. A major depressive episode (DSM-IV) was confirmed in women with EPDS>10 at follow-up assessments. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted. Adjusted logistic regression analysis was reported as odds ratio (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Seven percent of mothers reported suicidal ideation during the first 8 months postpartum. Sixty-two percent of women with suicidal ideation had a major depressive episode at 8 weeks, and 70% at 32 weeks postpartum. Neuroticism and psychoticism predicted suicidal ideation throughout the first 2 weeks after delivery (OR, 1.03; 95%CI 1.01-1.06; and OR, 1.03; 95%CI 1.01-1.05 respectively). Early postpartum depressive symptoms (OR 1.2; 95%CI 1.11-1.26), personal psychiatric history (OR 2.1; 95%CI 1.33-3.27), and stressful life events during pregnancy (OR 1.88; 95%CI 1.12-3.16) also emerged as predictors of postpartum suicidal ideation. Analysis of women for postpartum suicidal ideation should include not only psychiatric symptoms but also psychosocial assessment (i.e., covering psychiatric history, stressful events, or long-standing personality vulnerabilities) in order to identify those in need of early psychosocial or psychiatric care.

Scalp porocarcinoma and lichen planopilaris.

Porocarcinoma (PC) is a malignant neoplasm arising from the intraepidermal ductal portion of the sweat gland duct. Lichen planopilaris (LPP) is a not so rare variant of cutaneous lichen planus (LP) with a preferential involvement of hair follicles, consisting of a chronic lymphocytic inflammation, leading to cicatricial alopecia. A 42-year-old woman, recently diagnosed with HIV infection, was referred to our clinic because of an alopecic patch of 6 years' duration. In the upper region of the alopecia a 1.5cm nodule was noticed, which the patient stated had started growing soon after the appearance of the hair loss. Biopsy of the alopecia margin confirmed the diagnosis of LPP, whereas biopsy of the nodule revealed an infiltrating tumor consistent with the diagnosis of PC. We present a scalp PC emerging in a background of LPP in an HIV patient. We do not know the role, if any, HIV infection and LPP played in this particular case. Immunosuppression and HIV have been implicated in the etiology of PC. However, her HIV diagnosis was made after the appearance of the scalp nodule. We did not find any association between LPP and PC in the literature. Even though an association by chance cannot be excluded, this deserves further investigation.

Hypermobility and joint hypermobility syndrome in Brazilian students and teachers of ballet dance.

The current literature has been discussing the risks and benefits of joint hypermobility (JHM) for careers in ballet This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of JHM and joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) in a group of ballet teachers and students, looking both at aspects related to the flexibility required to dance, as at the risk of injuries when hypermobility is associated with other symptoms, in the case of JHS. We evaluated ballet teachers and ballet students, with age ranging from 18 to 40 years. All participants completed identification and sociodemographic questionnaires and underwent a physical examination. JHM was assessed using the Beighton score with goniometry. Symptoms of JHS were evaluated according to the Brighton criteria. Final sample consisted of 77 participants, being 44 ballet students and 33 ballet teachers. The prevalence of JHM in the sample as a whole was 58 %. Teachers and students had no significant differences regarding the prevalence of JHM (p = 0.74) (OR 1.21; 95 % CI 0.48-3.07). However, the prevalence of JHS was significantly different (p = 0.04) between students (16 %) and teachers (36 %). Teachers were three times more likely than student to have JHS (OR 3.02; 95 % CI 1.03-8.85). Teachers and students also presented differences in the frequency of specific items of Beighton score and Brighton criteria. These data provide elements to discuss the relationship between hypermobility, ballet technique and selection for dance, suggesting that dancers with JHS could find in ballet teaching an alternative to maintain professional activity with dance, while remaining protected from the higher risk of injury that professional dancers may be exposed to.

Novel gammaherpesvirus functions encoded by bovine herpesvirus 6 (bovine lymphotropic virus).

The genus Macavirus of the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae includes viruses that infect lymphoid cells of domestic and wild ruminants and swine, causing asymptomatic latent infections in reservoir hosts. Here, we describe the genome of bovine herpesvirus 6 (BoHV-6), a macavirus ubiquitous in healthy cattle populations. The BoHV-6 genome exhibited architecture conserved in macaviruses, including a repetitive H-DNA region and unique 141 kbp L-DNA region predicted to encode 77 genes. BoHV-6 encoded, in variable genomic regions, a novel complement of genes relative to other characterized macaviruses, probably contributing to distinctive aspects of BoHV-6 infection biology and host range. Most notably, BoHV-6 encoded the first herpesviral protein (Bov2.b2) similar to cellular ornithine decarboxylase, an enzyme that catalyses the first and rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of polyamines. Bov2.b2 conceivably mediates a novel mechanism by which BoHV-6 promotes cell-cycle-dependent viral replication.

Electromyographic analysis of masseter and temporal muscles, bite force, masticatory efficiency in medicated individuals with schizophrenia and mood disorders compared with healthy controls.

This study aimed to comparatively analyse the electromyographic activity of the masseter and temporal muscles at rest and during mandible postural clinical conditions (right and left laterality, protrusion and maximum voluntary contraction), right and left maximum molar bite forces and the masticatory efficiency of individuals with schizophrenia or mood disorders - all medicated (medicated groups) compared with control group (healthy volunteers) via electromyography. Individuals were distributed into three groups: Group I (Schizophrenia - 20 individuals), Group II (mood disorders - 20 individuals) and Group III (Control - 40 individuals). Basically, the results were only statistically significant for the clinical mandible conditions and bite force. The most unsatisfactory results were observed in the medicated groups in relation to the control group. The group with mood disorders obtained the most unsatisfactory results compared with the group with schizophrenia. It was suggested by these observations that the association of mood disorders and schizophrenia with medication has negatively affected the stomatognathic system in relation to controls when the electromyography and bite force were used for the analysis.

Biological and technical study of a partial-SHARON reactor at laboratory scale: effect of hydraulic retention time.

This study was on the technical and biological characteristics of a partial-SHARON submerged-filter bioreactor of 3 L. The main focus was the influence of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) on biofilms. For this purpose, we used molecular tools based on the partial 16S rRNA genes. The results showed that the HRT may affect the nitrification processes of a bioreactor using synthetic wastewater containing 600 mg/L of ammonia. It was found that an HRT of 0.5 day transformed 100 % of the ammonium into nitrite. However, when the HRT was decreased to 0.4 day, there was a significant reduction (35 %) in the quantity of ammonia transformed, which confirmed the complexity of the system operation. Moreover, a PCR-TGGE approach highlighted the differences observed. The results obtained showed that an HRT of 0.5 day reduced bacterial biodiversity in the biofilms, which were mainly formed by Nitrosomonas and Diaphorobacter. In contrast, an HRT of 0.4 day facilitated the formation of heterogeneous biofilms formed by nitrifying bacteria, such as Nitrosomonas sp., Nitrosospira sp., and Nitrosovibrio sp.).

Microbial indicators of efficient performance in an anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic integrated fixed-film activated sludge (A2O-IFAS) and a two-stage mesophilic anaerobic digestion process.

An analysis of the community structure, diversity and population dynamics of Bacteria and Archaea in the suspended and attached biomass fractions of a pilot-scale anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic integrated fixed-film activated sludge (A2O-IFAS) was executed. Along with this, the effluents of the acidogenic (AcD) and methanogenic (MD) digesters of a two-stage mesophilic anaerobic (MAD) system treating the primary sludge (PS) and waste activated sludge (WAS) generated by the A2O-IFAS were also analyzed. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) and Biota-environment (BIO-ENV) multivariate analyses were performed to link population dynamics of Bacteria and Archaea to operating parameters and removal efficiencies of organic matter and nutrients, in search of microbial indicators associated with optimal performance. In all samples analyzed, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Chloroflexi were the most abundant phyla, while the hydrogenotrophic methanogens Methanolinea, Methanocorpusculum and Methanobacterium were the predominant archaeal genera. BIO-ENV analysis disclosed strong correlations between the population shifts observed in the suspended and attached bacterial communities of the A2O-IFAS and the removal rates of organic matter, N and P. It is noteworthy that the incorporation of carriers combined with a short sludge retention time (SRT = 4.0 ± 1.0 days) enhanced N removal performance of the A2O by favoring the enrichment of bacterial genera able to denitrify (Bosea, Dechloromonas, Devosia, Hyphomicrobium, Rhodobacter, Rhodoplanes, Rubrivivax, and Sulfuritalea) in the attached biomass fraction. In addition, operation at short SRT enabled the generation of a highly biodegradable WAS, which enhanced the biogas and methane yields in the two-stage MAD. An increase in the relative abundance of Acetobacteroides (uncultured Blvii28 wastewater-sludge group of Rikenellaceae family) correlated positively with the volatile solids removal rate (%VSR), CH4 recovery rate and %CH4 in the biogas (r > 0.8), supporting their relevance for an efficient methanogenesis in two-stage systems.

Breast cancer patient-reported outcomes on level 1 and level 2 oncoplastic procedures using BREAST-Q®.

PURPOSE: In breast cancer management not only mortality and surgical morbidity measurements are important but also patient satisfaction indexes. The authors evaluated the satisfaction and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) using the breast-conserving therapy (BCT) and breast reduction (BR) modules of BREAST-Q®. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study that analyzed breast cancer patients consecutively submitted to breast surgery between January 2011 and April 2018 using two modules of BREAST-Q®. 968 patients were contacted and 232 answers were gathered: 171 patients submitted to oncoplastic level 1 surgery answered the BCT module and 61 submitted to oncoplastic level 2 surgery answered the BR module. Clinical data were retrieved from patients' medical records. RESULTS: Among the 232 questionnaires received, the median scores for psychosocial well-being, sexual well-being and (postoperative) satisfaction with breasts for BCT and BR modules were, respectively, 77.0 and 73.5 (p = 0.17); 62.0 and 53.0 (p = 0.14); 72.0 and 66.0 (p = 0.66). The median of adverse effects of radiation in the BCT module was 87.0. The median satisfaction with outcome in the BR module was 86.0. Both groups of patients revealed high scores of satisfaction with care. For the BCT patients, satisfaction with breasts strongly correlated with sexual well-being and was moderately correlated with psychosocial and physical well-being. For the BR patients, the satisfaction with outcome strongly correlated with satisfaction with medical team and moderately correlated with the remaining scales. CONCLUSION: Both oncoplastic surgery levels yielded similar satisfaction outcomes when assessed using BCT and BR modules of BREAST-Q®.

Anti-TNF-alpha induced psoriasiform eruptions with severe scalp involvement and alopecia: report of five cases and review of the literature.

We describe 5 cases of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-α) induced psoriasiform eruptions with severe scalp involvement inducing inflammatory alopecia and review the literature on this subject. All our 5 patients were provided topical therapy, with good results in only 1 case. The remaining 4 were provided systemic therapy (methotrexate ± cyclosporine): 3 concomitantly suspended the anti-TNF-α treatment (2 are currently clear/almost clear but 1 has so far only observed mild improvement) and 1 switched anti-TNF-α (recurrent flare-ups of the disease continue). So far, no patient has developed scarring alopecia. To our knowledge, a total of 15 cases of anti-TNF-α induced psoriatic alopecia have been described. Anti-TNF-α was discontinued in 9 of the 15 patients and systemic therapy was provided to 9 of the 15 patients. Nonetheless, 2 patients developed scarring alopecia. We conclude that in anti-TNF-α induced psoriasiform eruptions some patients may respond to topical treatment, however in cases of severe scalp involvement anti-TNF-α suspension and systemic treatment should be considered in order to avoid scarring alopecia.

Initial experience with targeted axillary dissection after neoadjuvant therapy in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Targeted axillary dissection (TAD) combines sentinel node biopsy (SNB) with the removal of the previously marked metastatic node. TAD is a promising concept for axillary restaging in node-positive breast cancer patients with pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). We aimed to evaluate TAD feasibility in this context. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted in biopsy-confirmed cN1 patients. The removal of the clipped node (CN) was guided by intraoperative ultrasound. SNB used indocyanine green and patent blue V dye. If the CN or sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) had any metastatic foci, or the TAD procedure was unsuccessful, the patient underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients were included. TAD and SNB identification rates were 97.3%. Every retrieved CN was also a SLN. At the individual level, SNB identification rate was 89.2% with indocyanine green and 85.5% with patent blue V dye. The CN identification rate was 81.1%, being higher when the CN was localized on the intraoperative ultrasound (84.4% vs 60.0%). Nodal pCR was achieved by 54.1% of our patients and was more frequent in HER2-positive and triple-negative tumors (p = 0.039). Nineteen patients were spared from ALND. CONCLUSION: TAD with intraoperative ultrasound-guided excision of the CN and SNB with indocyanine green and patent blue V dye is a feasible concept to identify patients without axillary residual disease after NAT, that can be spared from ALND, although the need for marking the biopsied node should be further investigated.

Advanced methods for the elimination of microorganisms in industrial treatments: potential applicability to wastewater reuse.

Because of the growing need to eliminate undesirable microorganisms in different industrial treatments, mainly in the food and agricultural sector and the pharmaceutical industry, a number of increasingly effective systems for disinfection to eliminate microorganisms have been devised. This article analyzes different methods to eliminate and/or significantly reduce the number of microorganisms in industrial contexts and in environmental engineering. Although, in the past, thermal treatments had been used most frequently for microbial elimination, the method is costly and has the disadvantage of modifying the organoleptic and/or physicochemical properties of the food products. For this reason, new technologies rapidly are being developed, such as high-intensity pulsed electric fields, high-pressure systems, ultrasounds, and irradiation, which effectively eliminate microorganisms without deteriorating the properties of the product. These emerging technologies are potentially applicable in the field of environmental engineering.

Associations between oxytocin and empathy in humans: A systematic literature review.

This is a systematic review about the association between empathic behavior and oxytocin (OXT). Searches were conducted in the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, SciELO, and LILACS using the search terms "oxytocin", "empathy", and "empathic". Forty-four studies were reviewed. Scarce findings point to a lack of association between baseline endogenous OXT levels and empathy traits, and for a trend towards a direct relationship between oxytocinergic reactivity and empathic functioning. The results showed that variations in empathy were related to polymorphisms in the OXT receptor gene, especially in rs53576, and that this relationship seems to mediated by individual, ethnic, and cultural characteristics. Most studies on the exogenous administration of OXT tested a single dose (24 IU) with positive effects mainly on the affective domain of empathy. At the neural level, findings were inconsistent. Taken together, the results of the studies reviewed support the existence of a relationship between OXT and empathy that is complex and multifaceted. Robust evidence is still needed to elucidate existing links. Future investigations could benefit from methodological improvements aimed at increasing the reproducibility and applicability of findings, as well as the systematic assessment of the effects of exogenous OXT considering dose and frequency of administration, genotyping, and hormonal availability at the peripheral and central levels. This should lead to significant progress in the understanding of the therapeutic possibilities of OXT in the domain of empathic behavior.

Insights into the removal of pharmaceutically active compounds from sewage sludge by two-stage mesophilic anaerobic digestion.

The removal efficiencies (REs) of twenty-seven pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) (eight analgesic/anti-inflammatories, six antibiotics, four ß-blockers, two antihypertensives/diuretics, three lipid regulators and four psychiatric drugs) were evaluated in a pilot-scale two-stage mesophilic anaerobic digestion (MAD) system treating thickened sewage sludge from a pilot-scale A2O™ wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) which was fed with wastewater from the pre-treatment of the full-scale WWTP Murcia Este (Murcia, Spain). The MAD system was long-term operated using two different sets of sludge retention times (SRTs) for the acidogenic (AcD) and methanogenic (MD) digesters (phase I, 2 and 12 days; and phase II, 5 and 24 days, in AcD and MD, respectively). Quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Illumina MiSeq sequencing were used to estimate the absolute abundance of Bacteria, Archaea, and Fungi and investigate the structure, diversity and population dynamics of their communities in the AcD and MD effluents. The extension of the SRT from 12 (phase I) to 24 days (phase II) in the MD was significantly linked with an improved removal of carbamazepine, clarithromycin, codeine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, lorazepam, and propranolol. The absolute abundances of total Bacteria and Archaea were higher in the MD regardless of the phase, while the diversity of bacterial and archaeal communities was lower in phase II, in both digesters. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) plots showed strong negative correlations among phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes and between genera Methanosaeta and Methanosarcina throughout the full experimental period. Strong positive correlations were revealed between the relative abundances of Methanospirillum and Methanoculleus and the methanogenesis performance parameters (volatile solids removal, CH4 recovery rate and %CH4 in the biogas), which were also related to longer SRT. The REs of several PhACs (naproxen, ketoprofen, ofloxacin, fenofibrate, trimethoprim, and atenolol) correlated positively (r > 0.75) with the relative abundances of specific bacterial and archaeal groups, suggesting their participation in biodegradation/biotransformation pathways.

Social anxiety disorder: what are we losing with the current diagnostic criteria?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the rate of comorbidities and the functional impairment associated with the social anxiety disorder (SAD), with an emphasis on the so-called subthreshold clinical signs and symptoms. METHOD: Psychiatric comorbidities and psychosocial functioning were evaluated in 355 volunteers (college students) who had been diagnosed as SAD (n = 141), Subthreshold SAD (n = 92) or Controls (n = 122). RESULTS: The rate of comorbidities was 71.6% in the SAD group and 50% in subjects with Subthreshold SAD, both significantly greater than Controls (28.7%). Concerning psychosocial functioning, the SAD group had higher impairment than the other two groups in all domains evaluated, and subjects with Subthreshold SAD presented intermediate values. CONCLUSION: The rates of psychiatric comorbidities and the impairment of psychosocial functioning increase progressively along the spectrum of social anxiety. The fact that Subthreshold SAD causes considerable disability and suffering in comparison with control subjects justifies a review of the validity of the diagnostic criteria.

Synthesis and structural studies on (E)-3-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one: a promising nonlinear optical material.

A new fluorinated chalcone (E)-3-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-1-(4-fluorophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one was synthesized in 90% yield and crystallized by a slow evaporation technique. Its full structural characterization and purity were determined by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, 1H, 13C and 19F nuclear magnetic resonance, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Raman microspectroscopy, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Hirshfeld surface (HS) analysis. The fluorinated chalcone crystallized in centrosymmetric space group P21/c stabilized by the C-H⋯O and C-H⋯F interactions and the π⋯π contact. The crystalline environment was simulated through the supermolecule approach where a bulk with 378 000 atoms was built. The electric parameters were calculated at the DFT/CAM-B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level as function of the electric field frequency. The macroscopic parameters such as linear refractive index and third-order nonlinear susceptibility (χ (3)) were calculated, and the results were compared with experimental data obtained from the literature. The χ (3)-value for the chalcone crystal is 369.294 × 10-22 m2 V-2, higher than those obtained from a few similar types of molecule, showing that the chalcone crystal can be considered as a nonlinear optical material. Also, molecular theoretical calculations such as infrared spectrum assignments, frontier molecular orbital analysis and MEP were implemented, revealing that the most positive region is around the hydrogen atoms of the aromatic rings, and electrophilic attack occurs on the carbonyl group.

Imaging of postoperative endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological condition that affects primarily young women. Imaging plays a pivotal role for the diagnosis and pre-surgical mapping of the disease. By comparison, the role of imaging in the identification of disease recurrence and postoperative complications are not well established. The goal of this review is to report the postoperative findings, including normal postoperative findings, initial disease recurrence and complications, with a special emphasis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in women who have undergone surgery for pelvic endometriosis. This review is based on a literature search of manuscripts published between 2000 and 2018. Meta-analyses, systematic reviews and original scientific articles published in English language were included.

Linking microbial diversity and population dynamics to the removal efficiency of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in an anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (A2O) system.

The removal efficiencies (REs) of nineteen pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) (six antibiotics-clarithromycin, ofloxacin, sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim -, four ß-blockers -atenolol, metoprolol, propranolol and sotalol-, two antihypertensives/diuretics -furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide-, three lipid regulators -bezafibrate, fenofibrate and gemfibrozil-, and four psychiatric medications -carbamazepine, diazepam, lorazepam and paroxetine) were ascertained in a pilot-scale anaerobic/anoxic/aerobic (A2O) system treating urban wastewater, long term operated during two experimental phases using different sets of environmental conditions and operating parameters. Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to investigate the structure, diversity and population dynamics of bacteria, archaea and fungi communities in the activated sludge. The results showed that mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) and food-to-microorganisms ratio (F/M) were operational parameters significantly influencing the REs of five of the analyzed PhACs in the A2O system. Biota-environment (BIO-ENV) analysis revealed strong correlations between population shifts of the activated sludge community and the REs of PhACs of the different pharmaceutical families. Increased REs of clarithromycin, furosemide, bezafibrate and gemfibrozil were concomitant to higher relative abundances of bacterial phylotypes classified within the Rhodobacteraceae and Sphingomonadaceae (Alphaproteobacteria), while those of Betaproteobacteria, Chloroflexi and Methanomethylovorans (Euryarchaea) correlated positively with the REs of up to seven PhACs belonging to different therapeutic groups.

Influence of organic matter removal on competitive and noncompetitive adsorption of copper and zinc in acid soils.

We studied competitive and noncompetitive adsorption of copper and zinc in four acid soils, and compared the behavior of the two metals in untreated samples and samples treated with hydrogen peroxide to remove organic matter in the soil. Copper exhibited stronger competitive adsorption than zinc in the untreated samples. However, removal of organic matter reduced copper adsorption to a greater extent than zinc adsorption, the two metals exhibiting a more similar adsorption pattern than the untreated samples. The presence of copper dramatically reduced zinc competitive adsorption in untreated samples; on the other hand, that of zinc only resulted in slightly reduced competitive adsorption of copper. The hydrogen peroxide treatment decreased competitive adsorption in both metals; however, copper continued to be more efficient than zinc in competing for binding sites on adsorbing surfaces. Desorption of Cu occurred much less readily than desorption of Zn and hysteresis is apparent especially for Cu.