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- Electrophysiological responses of the clam (Ruditapes decussatus) osphradium to amino acids and alarm cuesPublication . Rato, Ana Cláudia Nunes; Costa, Joana; Gonçalves, Diana; Matias, Domitília; Joaquim, Sandra; Hubbard, PeterChemical sensing of the surrounding environment is crucial for many aspects of bivalve biology, such as food detection and predator avoidance. Aquatic organisms strongly depend on chemosensory systems; however, little is known about chemosensory systems in bivalves. To understand how the carpet shell clam (Ruditapes decussatus) senses its surrounding chemical environment, we used an electrophysiological technique – the electro-osphradiogram – to assess the sensitivity of the osphradium to different putative odorants (amino acids, bile acids) and odours (predator-released cues and signals from con- and heterospecific bivalves). The clam osphradium was sensitive to most proteinogenic L-amino acids, evoking negative, tonic, and concentration-dependent responses. However, acidic amino acids (L-glutamic and L-aspartic acid), L-arginine and bile acids (cholic, taurocholic and taurolithocholic acid) failed to evoke any response. Surprisingly, while cues from injured bivalves (con- and heterospecific) evoked strong responses, predator-released cues (green crab, Carcinus maenas) failed to elicit any response, whether fed or unfed. That predator-released cues failed to evoke an electrophysiological response in the clam osphradium may indicate that they use cues released by injured prey – alarm cues – to avoid predation and/or that predators are detected by different sensory modalities. Indeed, the behavioural assays, performed to understand how clams make use of such sensory inputs, revealed that the activity index decreased after exposure to water conditioned with injured conspecifics, suggesting the origin of such alarm cues. Further research is needed to identify the chemical nature of these cues. We suggest that the electro-osphradiogram will be a useful tool in this endeavour.
- Association of acute COVID-19 severity and long COVID fatigue and quality of life: prospective cohort multicenter observational studyPublication . Pires, Ligia; Marreiros, Ana; Saraiva, Cátia; Reis, Cláudia; Neves, Djamila; Guerreiro, Cláudia; Tomé, José Boleo; Luz, Maria Inês; Pereira, Margarida Isabel; Barroso, Ana Sofia; Ferreira, Jorge; Gonzalez, Lucía Méndez; Moniri, Armin; Drummond, Marta; Berger-Estilita, JoanaLong COVID, or post-COVID-19 condition, is characterized by symptoms persisting beyond 12 weeks after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, affecting individuals regardless of acute disease severity. Fatigue – often linked with depression and anxiety – is among its most debilitating manifestations. However, the associations between fatigue subtypes (physical vs mental), mental health symptoms, and acute disease severity on long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) remain unclear. This study examines the relationships between long COVID fatigue, depression, anxiety, acute disease severity, and HRQoL in a post-COVID-19 cohort. This prospective observational cohort study was conducted across 5 Portuguese hospitals between November 2020 and June 2022. Adults (≥18 years) with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection ≥6 months prior and fulfilling World Health Organization criteria for long COVID were included. Acute Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity was classified per World Health Organization definitions. The sampling strategy included patients across the severity spectrum. At 3 months postinfection (T1), patients received physician-led clinical assessments. At 6 months (T2), they attended in-person follow-up visits, completing standardized forms and validated questionnaires assessing post-acute sequelae. Fatigue was reported both binarily (yes/no) and via the chalder fatigue scale (11-item version). Anxiety and depression were assessed using the hospital anxiety and depression scale; post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms with the 14-item post-traumatic stress scale; and HRQoL with the EuroQol-5 dimensions. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, chi-square, and correlation analyses (Pearson’s or Spearman’s) were used to evaluate associations. Analyses were performed using SPSS (v27; IBM Corp., Amonk). Among 208 patients, fatigue was significantly associated with anxiety and depression (P < .001). Physical fatigue correlated more strongly with depression (r = 0.65, P < .001) and anxiety (r = 0.58, P < .001) than mental fatigue (r = 0.50 and R = 0.48, respectively; P < .001). Surprisingly, severe acute COVID-19 cases reported lower fatigue (CFQ: 13.3 ± 8.4) than mild (17.7 ± 7.2) or moderate (17.4 ± 8.0) cases (P < .005), and higher HRQoL (EuroQol visual analog scale: 74.3 ± 20.3, P = .002). Anxiety symptoms were more common in mild cases (P < .001); post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms did not differ by severity. Long COVID fatigue – especially physical – is strongly linked to depression and anxiety. Mild/moderate acute COVID-19 cases show greater fatigue and lower HRQoL than severe cases, highlighting the need for tailored long-term care regardless of initial severity.
- Abordagem terapêutica da laminite em equinosPublication . Rito, Catarina de Seruca; Serralheiro, Ana Isabel AzevedoA laminite é uma doença que afeta os membros dos equinos, mais especificamente nos tecidos chamados lâminas, que unem a 3ª falange ao casco. Trata-se de uma doença que causa uma grave claudicação e mal-estar no animal, para além de estar associada a uma elevada taxa de mortalidade. Normalmente a carreira atlética do cavalo termina quando é realizado o diagnóstico, e no pior dos cenários, pode ser mesmo necessária a eutanásia do animal, se este se encontrar em grande sofrimento. Esta patologia pode ser de natureza aguda ou crónica. Atualmente não existe consenso quanto aos seus mecanismos fisiopatológicos, tendo sido propostas várias teorias, entre elas, a teoria inflamatória, a vascular, a enzimática, a metabólica e a traumática. Sabe-se que o seu desenvolvimento advém essencialmente da rutura da integridade estrutural da ligação derma-epidérmica, mais precisamente da perda de aderência das células epiteliais basais das lamelas epidérmicas às lamelas dérmicas subjacentes. A definição da terapêutica mais eficiente para o tratamento da laminite é das questões que mais levanta dúvidas entre médicos veterinários e ferradores. De entre as várias terapêuticas farmacológicas utilizadas destacam-se por exemplo, a terapêutica com fármacos anti-inflamatórios, onde a fenilbutazona e a flunixina meglumina se destacam; analgésicos, sendo os opioides os mais utilizados; fármacos com propriedades vasodilatadoras, como a acetilpromazina e fenoxibenzamina; e finalmente os anti-trombóticos, como a heparina e o ácido acetilsalicílico. Sob o ponto de vista não farmacológico, também são várias as medidas que se podem implementar, como por exemplo a crioterapia, alterações alimentares e suporte biomecânico dos cascos, todas com o intuito de se combinarem com a terapêutica farmacológica.
- Public perception of the portuguese national health service: A social media sentiment analysis approachPublication . Lami Leal, Jorge; Ramos, CeliaAnalysing social media testimonials about public health is vital for understanding public perceptions and emotions, leading to better policy- making and health services. This investigation reviews recent research on sentiment analysis in healthcare, focusing on public perception of the Portuguese National Health Service (NHS) through interactions on its Instagram and Facebook pages. Using a Machine Learning approach, the study finds a negative perception of the NHS, posing a high reputational risk. It recommends persistent institutional mediation through comments and systematic sentiment analysis to monitor social media opinions, improve communication, and refine policies based on real- time feedback.