Imaging of prolonged BOLD response in the somatosensory cortex of the rat.

Blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI is a widely employed methodology in experimental and clinical neuroscience, although its nature is not fully understood. To gain insights into BOLD mechanisms and take advantage of the new functional methods, it is of interest to investigate prolonged paradigms of activation suitable for long experimental protocols and to observe any long-term modifications induced by these functional challenges. While different types of sustained stimulation paradigm have been explored in human studies, the BOLD response is typically limited to a few minutes in animal models, due to fatigue, anesthesia effects and physiological instability.

HypE-specific nanobodies as tools to modulate HypE-mediated target AMPylation.

The covalent addition of mono-AMP to target proteins (AMPylation) by Fic domain-containing proteins is a poorly understood, yet highly conserved post-translational modification. Here, we describe the generation, evaluation, and application of four HypE-specific nanobodies: three that inhibit HypE-mediated target AMPylation in vitro and one that acts as an activator. All heavy chain-only antibody variable domains bind HypE when expressed as GFP fusions in intact cells.

Brain energy metabolism measured by (13)C magnetic resonance spectroscopy in vivo upon infusion of [3-(13)C]lactate.

The brain uses lactate produced by glycolysis as an energy source. How lactate originated from the blood stream is used to fuel brain metabolism is not clear. The current study measures brain metabolic fluxes and estimates the amount of pyruvate that becomes labeled in glial and neuronal compartments upon infusion of [3-(13)C]lactate.

Scale of knowledge about sexually transmitted infections.

Adherence of adolescents to health practices in the context of sexuality is relevant, not only from the point of view of physical and psychological well-being, but also the model effect of their knowledge of infections transmitted sexually and their behaviours may have on other adolescents and lifestyles adopted. The need thus emerges to work with this target group with issues related with their knowledge of sexually transmitted infections, debating and reflecting on everyday situations of social life in the context of sexuality.

Teens and dating: study of factors that influence attitudes of violence.

Framework: Dating violence is a relevant social problem in adolescent and young adult romantic relationships. Particular attention has begun to be paid to it by the scientific community in the last two decades. It may involve a sexual, physical and psychological dimension, requiring different prevention and intervention strategies.

Anxiety, stress and depression in family caregivers of the mentally ill.

Background: The current policy guidelines on mental health aim to keep the mentally ill within the community, with the development of social support, including families, hence the emergence of the role of the family caregiver.

Objectives: To identify socio-demographic variables influencing anxiety, depression and stress for the informal caregivers of the mentally ill; to determine the influence of family background variables on caregiver anxiety, depression and stress; to analyse the relationship between social support and caregiver overload with caregiver anxiety, depression and stress.

Material And Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study with 104 caregivers, mostly female (62.

Sleep-wake patterns and their influence on school performance in Portuguese adolescents.

Objective: To characterise sleep-wake patterns and their influence on academic performance for a sample of Portuguese adolescents.

Research Design: Cross-sectional, analytical-explanatory, correlational epidemiological research. The protocol includes the composite morningness questionnaire (Barton et al, 1985 adapted by Silva et al, 1985), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (Murray, 1991), chronic fatigue scale (Smith et al, 1995), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Buysse, 1988), Educational Achievement (Fermin, 2005), personal and academic data.

Conflict in adolescent dating relationships: a study of factors involved.

Background: Dating violence is a relevant current social and public health problem, not only due to adolescents exposure to risk of physical and mental injury, but also because it's at this age that romantic relationships begin with the possibility of these patterns of interaction to be perpetuated throughout life. The aim of this study is to characterize behaviours of violence and to identify the factors of conflict in adolescent dating relationships.

Material And Methods: Transversal and correlational study, with a non-probabilistic sample of 243 mostly Portuguese adolescents, 56.

Experiences of motherhood: Unmet expectations of immigrant and native mothers, about the Portuguese health system.

Introduction And Objectives: This study aims to identify the unmet expectations of Portuguese and immigrant women, for the National Health System, during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum.

Participants And Methods: This is a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study, using semi structured interviews and content analysis proposed by Bardin, with the categorization of verbatim interviews of 82 Portuguese and immigrant women, supported by NVivo 10.

Results: Major emerging categories of unmet expectations referred to the accessibility, human resources, incentives to maternity, physical and environmental conditions, and organization of the health system.

Construction and validation of the Scale Sources of Information about AIDS (SSIA).

Objective: To characterize sources of information students of higher education turn to for clarification about AIDS.

Research Design: Cross-sectional, non-experimental research, with the features of descriptive, correlational and explanatory studies. The data collection protocol includes personal and academic data and the sources of information about AIDS scale.

Anxiety and depression in adolescents with hostile behaviour.

Introduction: Adolescents go through a phase characterised by physical, mental, psychological and social changes which justify periods of hostile behaviours. The occurrence and intensity of these behaviours may correspond to a psychopathological condition that will affect their future lives. The aim of this research is to identify the socio-demographic and family background variables that influence hostile behaviours in adolescents and to analyse the influence of depression and anxiety in hostile behaviours in adolescents.

Validation of Emotional Intelligence Measure (MIE) for the Portuguese population.

Objective: To describe the process of validating Emotional Intelligence Measurement (MIE) Scale for Portuguese senior citizens.

Design: Observational, cross-sectional quantitative study.

Framework: Senior citizens attending senior universities and from the community in the district of Viseu.

Indication of endovascular treatment of type B aortic dissection--literature review.

Aortic dissection is a cardiovascular event of high mortality if not early diagnosed and properly treated. In Stanford type A aortic dissection, there is the involvement of the ascending aorta, whereas in type B the ascending aorta is not affected. The treatment of type A aortic dissection is mainly surgical.