Clinical Consultation in the Workplace: Are There Implications for Response Attitudes?

The clinical-organizational context (where clinical psychology services are provided in the individuals' professional setting) has still been insufficiently approached in research, namely the influence it may have on the response attitudes of individuals undergoing psychological assessment. Our main goal is to find out if, when psychological assessment occurs in the workplace context, patients being assessed present specific response bias that may have implications for the clinical results and correlative decisions. Five hundred and ten adult participants grouped in two samples of ambulatory patients - Clinical-Organizational Sample (COS = 238) and Clinical Sample (CS = 272) - were assessed with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-RF validity and substantive scales.

Comparative Outcomes of Targeted Versus Nontargeted Angiosome Revascularization for Diabetic Foot Wounds Impact of Target Arterial Path on Wound Healing.

Background: Diabetes is strongly correlated with the development of critical limb ischemia, with a predilection for below-the-knee and below-the-ankle patterns of arterial disease. The angiosome concept, described as a potential framework for targeted revascularization in critical limb ischemia, has generated divergent opinions over the last decades. This study aims to evaluate the implication of angiosome-targeted revascularization in wound healing in diabetic patients.

A Simple Entry to the 5,8-Disubstituted Indolizidine Skeleton via Hetero Diels-Alder Reaction.

The 5,8-disubstituted indolizidines are the largest family of indolizidines isolated from the skin of amphibians. These compounds exhibit interesting biological activities such as noncompetitive blockers of nicotinic receptors. In this paper, we present a short, simple, and general synthesis of these alkaloids based on the hetero Diels-Alder reaction between suitable monoactivated dienes and Δ-pyrroline as the dienophile.

Teaching and learning strategies in Home Enteral Nutritional Therapy: Knowledge gains perceived by caregivers.

Objective: to evaluate how different educational strategies contribute to knowledge gains perceived by caregivers of people using Enteral Nutritional Therapy.

Method: a quasi-experimental study conducted in two stages: the first one included an interactive lecture class (LC) and the second was carried out in two groups: in-situ simulated skills training (ST) and reading of an educational booklet (EB). The caregivers answered a self-administered questionnaire to assess knowledge before and after the interventions; for the analysis, a generalized linear model with Poisson distribution was proposed and the comparisons were carried out using orthogonal contrasts.

Reversibility of glyphosate sorption in pampean loess-derived soil profiles of central Argentina.

There is a growing concern about glyphosate's behavior in the environment. Herbicide behavior in soils greatly depends on adsorption-desorption phenomena, which have shown great variability in soils, although the reversibility of this process has been less examined. The adsorption-desorption behavior of glyphosate was measured on representative soil profiles of the northeast region of Argentinean Pampas, a semi-arid crop cultivating region.

Interpersonal Relationships in Diabetes: Views and Experience of People with Diabetes, Informal Carers, and Healthcare Professionals in Portugal.

Introduction: The increasing burden of diabetes poses a great challenge to healthcare systems and economy worldwide. Although modern therapeutic strategies for diabetes are widely available, most patients still fail to achieve optimal clinical targets and well-being. The primary objective of this study was to assess and explore potential drivers and successful management of diabetes among people with diabetes, family members and healthcare professionals in Portugal, by applying the protocol of the multinational study "Diabetes, Attitudes, Wishes and Needs (DAWN2)".

Ulva lactuca: A bioindicator for anthropogenic contamination and its environmental remediation capacity.

Coastal regions are subjected to degradation due to anthropogenic pollution. Effluents loaded with variable concentrations of heavy metal, persistent organic pollutant, as well as nutrients are discharged in coastal areas leading to environmental degradation. In the past years, many scientists have studied, not only the effect of different contaminants on coastal ecosystems but also, they have searched for organisms tolerant to pollutants that can be used as bioindicators or for biomonitoring purposes.

Transabdominal and transperineal ultrasound vs routine care before instrumental vaginal delivery - A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: The role of intrapartum ultrasound as an ancillary method to instrumental vaginal delivery is yet to be determined. This study aimed to compare the use of transabdominal and transperineal ultrasound with routine clinical care before performing an instrumental vaginal delivery, regarding the incidence of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Material And Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted between October 2016 and March 2019 in two tertiary care maternity hospitals in Lisbon, Portugal.

Production of Lysozyme-PLGA-Loaded Microparticles for Controlled Release Using Hot-Melt Extrusion.

Biopharmaceuticals are usually administered intravenously with frequent dosing regimens which may decrease patient compliance. Controlled-release formulations allow to reduce the frequency of injections while providing a constant dosing of the biopharmaceutical over extended periods. These formulations are typically produced by emulsions, requiring high amounts of organic solvents and have limited productivity.

Effect of simulation-based training on the accuracy of fetal head position determination in labor.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of simulation-based training on the accuracy of fetal head position determination by junior residents during the second stage of labour.

Study Design: This prospective study was conducted in a tertiary care university hospital. During an initial period of 12 weeks, 13 junior residents were asked to routinely evaluate fetal head position by digital examination during the second stage of labour, in women with term singletons in cephalic presentation.

Electrical and Electrochemical Behavior of Carbon Paste Electrodes Modified with Ionic Liquids Based in -Octylpyridinium Bis(Trifluoromethylsulfonyl)Imide. A Theoretical and Experimental Study.

In this work, we studied carbon paste electrodes (CPEs) with two kinds of binders: mineral oil or ionic liquids (IL) derived from N-substituted octyl pyridinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide with the substituents H-, CH-, CN- and CF-. The work aims to study this series of IL and determine a possible effect of the substituent of the cation in the behavior of the IL as a binder of graphite for obtaining IL-CPEs. The electrochemical response and the electrical behavior were measured by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively.

Temporally separated feline calicivirus isolates do not cluster phylogenetically and are similarly neutralised by high-titre vaccine strain FCV-F9 antisera in vitro.

Objectives: Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a highly variable and globally important feline pathogen for which vaccination has been the mainstay of control. Here, we test whether the continued use of FCV-F9, one of the most frequently used vaccine strains globally, is driving the emergence of vaccine-resistant viruses in the field.

Methods: This study made use of two representative panels of field isolates previously collected from cats visiting randomly selected veterinary practices across the UK as part of separate cross-sectional studies from 2001 and 2013/2014.

Positive affect as a predictor of adherence in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

The study was conducted in order to investigate adherence in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), correlating it with other variables such as affect and self-esteem. Seventy-eight patients with RA between 20 and 81 years of age were evaluated. Patients were assessed for Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Measures of Patient Adherence, Rosenberg self-esteem scale and Short Portuguese version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS).

Reduced graphene oxide-coated magnetic-nanoparticles as sorbent for the determination of phthalates in environmental samples by micro-dispersive solid-phase extraction followed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

In this work, the suitability of FeO nanoparticles coated with reduced-graphene oxide as sorbent was evaluated for the extraction of a group of fourteen phthalic acid esters (i.e. benzylbutyl phthalate (BBP), bis-2-n-butoxyethyl phthalate (DBEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), bis-2-ethoxyethyl phthalate (DEEP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), diisononyl phthalate (DINP), bis-isopentyl phthalate (DIPP), bis-(2-methoxyethyl) phthalate (DMEP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), bis-n-pentyl phthalate (DNPP), dipropyl phthalate (DPP)) from environmental samples.

Determination of phthalates in beverages using multiwalled carbon nanotubes dispersive solid-phase extraction before HPLC-MS.

A microdispersive solid-phase extraction method has been developed using multiwalled carbon nanotubes of 110-170 nm diameter and 5-9 μm length for the extraction of a group of nine phthalic acid esters (i.e., bis(2-methoxyethyl) phthalate, bis-2-ethoxyethyl phthalate, dipropyl phthalate, butylbenzyl phthalate, bis-2-n-butoxyethyl phthalate, bis-isopentyl phthalate, bis-n-pentyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, and di-n-octyl phthalate) from tap water as well as from different beverages commercialized in plastic bottles (mineral water, lemon- and apple-flavored mineral water, and an isotonic drink).

Portuguese recommendations for the use of biological therapies in patients with axial spondyloarthritis - 2016 update.

Objective: To update the recommendations for the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) with biological therapies, endorsed by the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology.

Methods: These treatment recommendations were formulated by Portuguese rheumatologists based on literature evidence and consensus opinion. At a national meeting, the 7 recommendations included in this document were discussed and updated.

Relevance of ultrasonography in assessing disease activity in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies.

Aim: Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) comprise a group of rare and heterogeneous diseases difficult to diagnose and follow up. Precise measures for assessing disease activity are not available at the moment. Our objective was to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasonography (US) as a monitoring tool in IIM.

Syphilis in Pregnancy and Congenital Syphilis: Reality in a Portuguese Central University Hospital.

 To evaluate maternal-fetal surveillance and follow-up of infants at risk for congenital syphilis (CS).  Retrospective cohort study in a Portuguese Tertiary Referral Hospital. The main inclusion criterion was a positive syphilis serology.

Systemic sclerosis induced by interferon-alfa treatment of melanoma.

Systemic sclerosis is a connective tissue disease characterized by a complex pathogenesis and a multi organ involvement of unknown etiology. Genetic features and environmental factors, as the use of some drugs, influence the onset of the clinical picture. The authors describe a case of a patient who developed systemic sclerosis after treatment of melanoma with interferon alfa-2b, drug rarely implicated in the induction of this disease.

A multi-national European cross-sectional study of feline calicivirus epidemiology, diversity and vaccine cross-reactivity.

Background: Feline calicivirus (FCV) is an important pathogen of cats for which vaccination is regularly practised. Long-term use of established vaccine antigens raises the theoretical possibility that field viruses could become resistant. This study aimed to assess the current ability of the FCV-F9 vaccine strain to neutralise a randomly collected contemporary panel of FCV field strains collected prospectively in six European countries.

Relationship between clinical evaluation and ultrasound assessment of rheumatoid arthritis patients using a 12 joint score.

Aim: To identify if the use of a systematic ultrasound (US) evaluation has relevance in the determination of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients on biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug treatment.

Methods: A 12 joint US assessment was performed on the same day of the routine clinical examination. Both Grey-scale (GS) and Power Doppler (PD) were graded semi-quantitatively (0-3 scale).

Evaluation of medical devices in thoracic radiograms in intensive care unit - time to pay attention!

Objective: To identify and evaluate the correct positioning of the most commonly used medical devices as visualized in thoracic radiograms of patients in the intensive care unit of our center.

Methods: A literature search was conducted for the criteria used to evaluate the correct positioning of medical devices on thoracic radiograms. All the thoracic radiograms performed in the intensive care unit of our center over an 18-month period were analyzed.