Sapientia
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Innate feeding plasticity and animal prey support invasiveness of aquatic species in a southwestern European estuary
Publication . Encarnação, João Pedro da Silva; Dias, Ester; Engelen, Aschwin; Serrao, Ester A.; Morais, Pedro; Teodosio, Maria
Non-indigenous species often rely on trophic plasticity to adjust to available food sources and even to avoid interspecific competition while overcoming environmental constraints during the establishment phase and, eventually, as they become invasive. The Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 is expanding quickly in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa, raising concerns about its impacts. Its feeding ecology in non-native areas is poorly understood, so this study aimed to 1) unveil the diet and feeding strategy used by the Atlantic blue crab in a highly invaded European estuary, 2) evaluate if their invasiveness was facilitated by an invasion meltdown process concerning trophic facilitation, and 3) determine its trophic position. Metagenomic analyses of gut content and stable isotopes showed that the species relied on opportunistic and carnivorous feeding traits and preyed mainly on native animal species, such as fish, shrimps, and oysters. We did not observe evidence of a widespread invasion meltdown process through trophic facilitation mediated by other invaders. The Atlantic blue crab’s trophic niche overlapped with two native crab species, particularly the European green crab Carcinus maenas (Linnaeus, 1758), while it’s high trophic position (4.3±0.5) reflected the reliance on animal prey. These evidence suggests that trophic plasticity likely contributed to the invasiveness of the Atlantic blue crab because of its ability to exploit readily available prey. The Atlantic blue crab metapopulation is expanding and increasing over a vast region, and unfortunately a series of cascading effects throughout the food web can still be expected, as observed elsewhere.
Detection of a pulmonary mass using lung ultrasound in pre-hospital care
Publication . Miravent, Sérgio; Figueiredo, Teresa; Costa Vicente, Bianca Isabel
Although lung ultrasound (LUS) has limitations in detecting pulmonary masses, especially small or deep-seated lesions that may be obscured by rib shadows or lung air content, screening ultrasound can still be a valuable tool for identifying these abnormalities in pre-hospital settings. It is especially helpful in situations where advanced tests like detailed blood analyses, biopsies, and the gold standard of computed tomography (CT) scans are not available. This portable, quick, and noninvasive technology can play a key role in detecting serious conditions and ensuring patients are referred to specialized care without unnecessary delays.
Reporting of participant race and ethnicity from COVID-19 randomized controlled drug and biologicals trials: a scoping review
Publication . Pranić, Shelly Melissa; Estêvão, Maria Dulce da Mota Antunes de Oliveira ; Vasanthan, Lenny T; Pérez-Neri, Iván; Pulumati, Anika; Junior, Fábio Antonio Serra de Lima; Malih, Narges; Mishra, Vinayak; Thompson, Jacqueline; Nnate, Daniel
Racial and ethnic minorities have been disproportionally burdened by hospitalization and death due to COVID-19. Participation of individuals of diverse races and ethnicities in clinical trials, according to study-level characteristics of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that test effectiveness of COVID-19 drugs, could be insightful for future researchers. Our objective for this scoping review was to describe the frequency of race and ethnicity reported as demographic variables and specific reporting of race and ethnicity according to COVID-19 RCT characteristics. We conducted comprehensive searches in PubMed, ProQuest, World Health Organization Database, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and gray literature via preprint servers from January 1, 2020, to May 4, 2022. We included RCTs on emergency- or conditionally approved COVID-19 drug interventions (remdesivir, baricitinib, and molnupiravir) with or without comparators. Self-reported race as American Indian/Pacific Islander, Asian, Black/African American, or White, ethnicity as Hispanic/Latinx, study design characteristics, and participant-relevant data were collected. In total, 17 RCTs with 17 935 participants were included. Most (n = 13; 76%) reported at least 1 race and ethnicity and were US-based, industry-funded RCTs. Asian, Black, Latinx, and White participants were mostly enrolled in RCTs that studied remdesivir. Native American and Hawaiian participants were mostly assessed for progression to high-f low oxygen/noninvasive ventilation. Time to recovery was assessed predominantly in Black and White participants, whereas hospitalization or death was mostly assessed in Asian, Latinx, and multirace participants. Trialists should be aware of RCT-level factors and characteristics that may be associated with low participation of racial and ethnic minorities, which could inform evidence-based interventions to increase minority participation.
Prescribed hospital diet influence on dietary intake of hospitalised patients: a cross-sectional study
Publication . Gameiro, Joana; de Oliveira, Raquel; Baltazar, Ana Lúcia; Rocha, Clara; Pereira, Marta; Martins, Diana; Lima, João P. M.; Mendes, Fernando
The dietary intake of hospitalised patients is often compromised during hospitalisation, which can be a causal factor for hospital malnutrition. This is considered a public health problem worldwide and is associated with an increased risk of other complications. Objectives: Our objective was to determine the dietary intake of hospitalised individuals and if the prescribed diet influences it. Methods: Food intake data were collected from 299 lunches of patients admitted to a hospital, using the visual estimation method with a five-point scale. Three existing diets were considered, and the energy and macronutrient values of the meal were calculated. The minimum energy and protein requirements were also calculated. Results: The components of the tray with the highest intake were soup and dessert; no significant differences were found between the percentage intake of each element and the prescribed diet. More than 50% of the individuals did not meet their minimum energy requirements, and only 36.5% had a protein intake that was within the recommendations. Conclusions: Dietary intake is much lower than prescribed, and nutritionists need to act to reduce the prevalence of hospital malnutrition.
The visible-invisible tension of slum tourism influencers
Publication . Fernandes, Adalberto
Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the tension between the visible and invisible aspects in slum tourism influencers’ content, addressing a gap in the literature regarding this kind of influencers and enhancing visual methodologies by including the analysis of invisible phenomena. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a qualitative analysis of the most-watched slum tourism influencers’ content in Brazilian ‘favelas’ (totaling 24,000,000 views) using Ranieri’s (2004) visual research framework and interpretation of the most frequent words in 27,000 comments on these videos. Findings – Slum tourism influencers often attempt to depict what cannot be shown due to risks to the hosts and influencers. The inability to show certain aspects is compensated by the proliferation of alternative images hinting at the unseen. Comments reveal that while the desire to perceive the unseen may drive viewership, the influencers and locals emerge as the primary visual focal points. Consequently, the marginalized setting of the slum fades into the background, with individuals taking precedence in viewers’ discussions. Originality/value – To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to explore the role of the invisible in slum tourism influencer content and followers’ reactions. It illustrates that rather than imposing restrictions on the visible, the invisible serves as a catalyst for the proliferation of images through alternative means.