RCAAP Repository

Groundwater is an indispensable resource for humankind and sustainable biomes functioning. Anthropogenic disturbance threatens groundwater ecosystems globally, but to which extent groundwater organisms respond to stressors remains poorly understood. Groundwater animals are rare, with small populations, difficult to find and to breed in the lab, which poses a main challenge to the assessment of their responses to pollutants. Despite the difficulties, assessing the toxicity of a large spectrum of stressors to groundwater organisms is a priority to inform towards appropriate environmental protection of these ecosystems. We tested the sensitivity to CuSO4, diclofenac, and NaCl of a groundwater population of the copepod Diacyclops crassicaudis crassicaudis and compared its sensitivity with the model organism Daphnia magna. We ranked its sensitivity using a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) approach using the feasible data available for groundwater and surface crustaceans. Our results show that the most toxic compound was CuSO4 for which higher amount of data was recorded and wider variability in response was observed. It was followed by diclofenac, largely lacking data for groundwater-adapted organisms, and the least toxic compound was NaCl. The differential sensitivity between D. crassicaudis and D. magna was contaminant-dependent. As a general trend D. crassicaudis was always distributed in the upper part of the SSD curves together with other groundwater-adapted organisms. Our results highlight that the widespread groundwater populations of the D. crassicaudis species complex, which can be successfully breed in the lab, may provide a reasonable approach to assess the ecological effects of anthropogenic stressors in groundwater ecosystems.

Diplura is the sister group to insects and one of the three basal hexapod groups with unique entognathan mouthparts. The order is divided into 10 families, which include 1008 species in 141 genera, with a high proportion of monotypic genera. They are ubiquitous in soils and subsurface terrestrial habitats, as well as have an important role in overall biogeochemical cycles. We present the first comprehensive review of the global biodiversity and ecology of Diplura. We highlight four aspects of this basal hexapod group: diversity in morphological body plans and sizes; ecology in terrestrial environments from soil to caves; food preference and trophic levels, and their biogeographical and paleobiogeographical significance. Diplura depends on high humidity and moderate temperatures. They are presumably very sensitive to anthropogenic pressures and climate change, and therefore are a suitable model for ecophysiological studies and evident priority targets for conservation. We conclude that the future efforts should focus on establishing a molecular phylogeny to clarify the relationships between and within families, as well as to reveal global biogeographical patterns. This will require an increase in sampling effort in several regions of the globe, especially in tropical regions.

The mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) can act as a climatic refuge for invertebrates, as a biogeographic corridor to deeper substrates or as a permanent habitat for some species. This study characterizes the seasonal invertebrate diversity and abundance of MSS ecosystems in central Portugal focusing on Diplopoda, Diplura, Orthoptera and Coleoptera during one year. Sampling was performed with standard MSS pitfalls in scree slopes (colluvial MSS) of karst areas and environmental parameters (temperature, pH, conductivity, water content, organic carbon, nitrate, phosphate and ammonium) were quantified. Our results show that winter was the season with the highest arthropod abundance and that the MSS acts as a permanent habitat for chordeumatidan millipedes and as a climatic refuge for orthopterans and most beetles. All Diplura collected belong to a single species known previously from surface habitats in the Iberian Peninsula, which does not seem to use the Portuguese MSS as a refuge. MSS habitats in central Portugal, classified as western Mediterranean and thermophile deposits protected by the Natura 2000 network based on plant communities and geology, revealed an abundant and diverse invertebrate community that urges characterization and protection.

Diplurans (Hexapoda) are considered the ‘ideal cavernicolous animal’ having one of the highest ratios of cave-adapted vs. non-cave-adapted species. They are successful colonizers of subterranean habitats, thriving in all cryptic, dark, terrestrial environments. Diplurans play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter below the ground and are sensitive to anthropogenic pressures. We present the first comprehensive review about cave Diplura diversity, ecology, evolution, distribution and biogeography. We provide a roadmap for research questions regarding the ecology, aimed at stimulating the pursuit of new studies on this fascinating group. Filling these current knowledge gaps will contribute to conservation efforts for cave ecosystems.

Current standardized laboratory test protocols use model species that have limitations to accurately assess native species responses to stressors. We developed and tested a novel acute in situ protocol for testing field-collected organisms. We used Asellus aquaticus and NaCl as a reference toxicant to test for the effects of location (laboratory vs. in situ), medium (synthetic vs. field water), substrate (presence vs. absence), and protocol replicability. We further tested the protocol using groundwater-adapted isopods: Proasellus assaforensis for the effect of location, P. cavaticus of medium and P. lusitanicus of substrate. Our results showed that A. aquaticus’ lethality obtained with the novel acute in situ protocol did not significantly differ from those from laboratory testing. However, laboratory tested P. assaforensis showed a higher sensitivity, suggesting that its acclimation to laboratory conditions might have pernicious effects. A. aquaticus and P. cavaticus showed a higher mortality using synthetic medium in situ and under laboratory conditions, which overestimated the stressor’s effect. Besides, substrate use had no significant effect. The novel acute in situ protocol allows the use of native species under realistic scenarios. It is particularly well adapted for assessing the risk of groundwater ecosystems but it can be applied to a wide range of ecosystems.

Fire is a key driver of natural ecosystems in Africa. However, human activity and climate change have altered fire frequency and severity, with negative consequences for biodiversity conservation. Angola ranks among the countries with the highest fire activity in sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal trends of the annual burnt area in Angola, from 2001 to 2019, and their association with terrestrial ecoregions, land cover, and protected areas. Based on satellite imagery, we analyzed the presence of significant trends in burnt area, applying the contextual Mann–Kendall test and the Theil–Sen slope estimator. Data on burnt areas were obtained from the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) burnt area product and the analyses were processed in TerrSet. Our results showed that ca. 30% of the country’s area burned every year. The highest percentage of annual burnt area was found in northeast and southeast Angola, which showed large clusters of decreasing trends of burnt area. The clusters of increasing trends were found mainly in central Angola, associated with savannas and grasslands of Angolan Miombo woodlands. The protected areas of Cameia, Luengue-Luiana, and Mavinga exhibited large areas of decreasing trends of burnt area. Conversely, 23% of the Bicuar National Park was included in clusters of increasing trends. Distinct patterns of land cover were found in areas of significant trends, where the clusters of increasing trends showed a higher fraction of forest cover (80%) than the clusters of decreasing trends (55%). The documentation of burnt area trends was very important in tropical regions, since it helped define conservation priorities and management strategies, allowing more effective management of forests and fires in countries with few human and financial resources.

We present an updated bird checklist for the oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea. Their avifauna comprises 146 confirmed species, an increase of 19% in 15 years. Of these, 66 are resident landbird species (32 on Príncipe, 50 on São Tomé and 11 on Annobón), including 29 endemic species, 17 endemic subspecies and 17 possibly non-native species. The remaining avifauna consists of six breeding seabird species, four non-breeding migrants, 62 vagrants and eight species of uncertain status. An additional 51 species have been reported but lack confirmation. Most recent changes reflect increases in observer activity and involve vagrant and unconfirmed species, but a few result from previously overlooked historical records and taxonomic changes. Of the three islands, most changes affected the avifauna of Príncipe, whereas little new information has come from Annobón. Future changes are predicted to arise from new reports and confirmation of vagrants, but also from further taxonomic revision of residents.

Mangroves are some of the most productive coastal systems on the planet and provide valuable ecosystem services (ES). They are especially important in threatened ecosystems and developing countries, where they are likely to have direct impacts on local communities. An approach based on ES allows assessing ecosystems across the domains of ecology, sociology and economy. This study focused on the evaluation of ES in mangroves and started by creating a comprehensive global list of mangrove ES based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. These services were then quantified using the best available indicators for mangrove systems. The mangroves of Diogo Nunes, São João dos Angolares and Malanza, located in the São Tomé Island, were used to illustrate the challenges in applying ES indicators in this type of ecosystems. The obtained results confirmed that mangroves can provide important and diverse services. However, the high variability among mangrove systems affects their ability to deliver ES, requiring caution for the extrapolation across regions. This assessment emphasizes how the ES framework can be used as a tool to develop management plans that integrate conservation goals and human wellbeing.

Se presenta un panorama historiográfico del estudio de las villae romanas en Portugal, desde las primeras excavaciones y estudios, donde Abel Viana es excepción en un panorama general pobre de agenda de investigación y método, hasta el cambio mayor que supuso el proyecto de S. Cucufate / Vidigueira. Con el proyecto de S. Cucufate / Vidigueira comienza un nuevo tiempo, donde el espacio (estudios de territorio) y el tiempo (reconocimiento de dinámicas de poblamiento) se vuelven centrales, con particular destaque para los comienzos de la colonización de los campos y para los cambios de la Tarda Antigüedad. Finalmente, se hace un breve repaso por algunas de las más novedosas líneas de investigación, como la circulación monetaria (también una herencia del proyecto de S. Cucufate / Vidigueira) y los estudios arqueozoológicos, relevantes para el conocimiento del paisaje, de la explotación económica, pero también de los hábitos culturales de los propietarios.

Esta Newsletter (NL) resulta de uma parceria entre o Instituto de Saúde Baseada na Evidência e a Cochrane Portugal, e tem como objectivo disponibilizar informação sobre áreas interessantes para a prática clínica, com base na melhor evidência científica. São incluídos estudos relevantes, criticamente avaliados pela sua validade, importância dos resultados e aplicabilidade prática, resumidos numa óptica de suporte à decisão. É dada prioridade a estudos de causalidade incluindo-se ainda, quando justificado, estudos qualitativos e metodológicos, assim como revisões científicas. O conteúdo da NL é da exclusiva responsabilidade do(s) seu(s) autor(es).

Os incêndios florestais são fenómenos frequentes em Portugal e a sua grande incidência a partir de 2003 tem levado a uma maior consciencialização pública devido, principalmente, aos impactos que causam, entre os quais as consequências que podem ter na saúde da população, através dos poluentes presentes nas plumas de fumo. Viseu é um distrito fortemente fustigado pelos incêndios, destacando-se os anos de 2005 e 2013 pelo elevado número de incêndios registados, e consequentemente, de plumas de fumo, estando as freguesias mais afetadas localizadas a Oeste do distrito. A partir da análise de imagens de satélite MODIS foram identificadas 55 plumas de fumos que afetaram o distrito de Viseu, no período de 2005 e 2015, assim como as massas de ar que influenciam a dispersão do fumo através de trajetórias HySplit. Foi analisada a qualidade do ar em dias quando ocorreram plumas tendo em conta os limiares definidos na diretiva 120/2010, comparando com dias sem incêndios. Para além disso, foi avaliado o nível de risco de inalação de fumo nas freguesias de Viseu, através da análise da população exposta, da frequência de plumas e da análise da vulnerabilidade social. Os poluentes libertados no fumo dos incêndios possuem prazos de vida curtos a médios e podem espalhar-se por muitos quilómetros, afetando não só os locais de origem dos incêndios, mas também as áreas circundantes. Através da comparação dos limiares de poluentes, nomeadamente material particulado (PM), Ozono(O3) e Óxidos de Azoto (NOx), verifica-se que na região de Viseu Dão Lafões, entre os anos de 2005 até 2015, os limites de qualidade do ar pré-estabelecidos pela Comissão Europeia foram ultrapassados, na maioria das situações, devido a incêndios. A libertação destes poluentes com tanta regularidade, devido à ocorrência de incêndios com emissão de plumas, provocam efeitos nocivos na saúde respiratória da população. Viseu não é exceção, levando ao aumento dos internamentos e afetando a população mais vulnerável, como os idosos (com idades superior a 65 anos) e as crianças (idade inferior a 4 anos), nomeadamente nos homens, provocando patologias como bronquites, doenças do aparelho respiratório e com maior frequência pneumonias. A partir da frequência de plumas observadas através de imagens de satélite, e tendo em consideração o número de residentes por freguesia, constata-se que em Viseu a exposição da população à inalação de fumo é elevada, uma vez que todas as freguesias foram afetadas várias vezes entre os anos 2005 e 2015, no mínimo 8 vezes ao longo destes 10 anos em estudo.

Organotypic slice cultures have been widely used to model brain disorders and are considered excellent platforms for evaluating a drug's neuroprotective and therapeutic potential. Organotypic slices are prepared from explanted tissue and represent a complex multicellular ex vivo environment. They preserve the three-dimensional cytoarchitecture and local environment of brain cells, maintain the neuronal connectivity and the neuron-glia reciprocal interaction. Hippocampal organotypic slices are considered suitable to explore the basic mechanisms of epileptogenesis, but clinical research and animal models of epilepsy have suggested that the rhinal cortex, composed of perirhinal and entorhinal cortices, play a relevant role in seizure generation. Here, we describe the preparation of rhinal cortex-hippocampus organotypic slices. Recordings of spontaneous activity from the CA3 area under perfusion with complete growth medium, at physiological temperature and in the absence of pharmacological manipulations, showed that these slices depict evolving epileptic-like events throughout time in culture. Increased cell death, through propidium iodide uptake assay, and gliosis, assessed with fluorescence-coupled immunohistochemistry, was also observed. The experimental approach presented highlights the value of rhinal cortex-hippocampus organotypic slice cultures as a platform to study the dynamics and progression of epileptogenesis and to screen potential therapeutic targets for this brain pathology.

Clinical guidelines are “statements that include recommendations, intended to optimize patient care, that are informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment of the benefits and harms of alternative care options”. Clinical guidelines are increasingly becoming a part of neurology clinical practice, most probably because they may improve patient clinical outcomes. Methods and strategies intended to increase guideline availability include electronic and computable guidelines integrated into process-oriented information systems with clinical decision support tools. The increased availability and the possibility of continuous update (living guidelines) will likely contribute to promoting compliance with guideline recommendations and to the overarching success of guidelines in improving the quality of care in the near future.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected patients with cancer show worse outcomes compared with patients without cancer. The humoral immune response (HIR) of patients with cancer against SARS-CoV-2 is not well characterized. To better understand it, we conducted a serological study of hospitalized patients with cancer infected with SARS-CoV-2. Materials and methods: This was a unicentric, retrospective study enrolling adult patients with SARS-CoV-2 admitted to a central hospital from March 15 to June 17, 2020, whose serum samples were quantified for anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain or spike protein IgM, IgG, and IgA antibodies. The aims of the study were to assess the HIR to SARS-CoV-2; correlate it with different cancer types, stages, and treatments; clarify the interplay between the HIR and clinical outcomes of patients with cancer; and compare the HIR of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients with and without cancer. Results: We included 72 SARS-CoV-2-positive subjects (19 with cancer, 53 controls). About 90% of controls revealed a robust serological response. Among patients with cancer, a strong response was verified in 57.9%, with 42.1% showing a persistently weak response. Treatment with chemotherapy within 14 days before positivity was the only factor statistically shown to be associated with persistently weak serological responses among patients with cancer. No significant differences in outcomes were observed between patients with strong and weak responses. All IgG, IgM, IgA, and total Ig antibody titers were significantly lower in patients with cancer compared with those without. Conclusion: A significant portion of patients with cancer develop a proper HIR. Recent chemotherapy treatment may be associated with weak serological responses among patients with cancer. Patients with cancer have a weaker SARS-CoV-2 antibody response compared with those without cancer. Implications for practice: These results place the spotlight on patients with cancer, particularly those actively treated with chemotherapy. These patients may potentially be more vulnerable to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, so it is important to provide oncologists further theoretical support (with concrete examples and respective mechanistic correlations) for the decision of starting, maintaining, or stopping antineoplastic treatments (particularly chemotherapy) not only on noninfected but also on infected patients with cancer in accordance with cancer type, stage and prognosis, treatment agents, treatment setting, and SARS-CoV-2 infection risks.

Biodiversity varies with elevation and is affected by disturbances. However, little is known about how the associations between the diversities of different bryophyte and macrolichen functional-taxonomic groups are altered along elevational gradients and by disturbances. Knowledge on the associations between these functional-taxonomic groups might be of importance in practical conservation biology, as identifying indicator taxa which are easy to monitor could be useful in estimating a wider biodiversity. We sampled the species richness of bryophytes and macrolichens in 92 plots distributed in disturbed and undisturbed stands along elevational gradients in the laurel forest of Madeira. We then calculated a matrix of correlations for all pairwise combinations of 18 different functional-taxonomic bryophyte and macrolichen groups and tested for average differences in correlations with elevation and disturbance history and whether particular functional-taxonomic groups can be used to estimate the richness of other taxa. Associations between the diversities of functional-taxonomic groups within the bryophyte group and within the macrolichen group were always positive and mainly strong. Although changes in elevation and disturbance history changed the associations between the different bryophyte and macrolichen functional-taxonomic groups, we found the species richness of mosses or liverworts to be suitable for predicting overall bryophyte species richness and the species richness of green-algae macrolichens to be reliable for estimating overall macrolichen species richness. Associations between diversities of bryophyte and macrolichen groups were generally weak, suggesting that the two groups have different ecological requirements and do not share the same environmental drivers. The fact that no single bryophyte taxon can be used to predict the richness of any macrolichen group, and vice versa, points to the need to study both bryophytes and lichens. However, we found indicator taxa that are relatively easy to monitor and therefore could be used to estimate the wider biodiversity.

Background: subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) may have a detrimental effect on speech in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and new stimulation technologies may help in addressing this issue. Objective: to evaluate the STN-DBS acute effect of 30 μs pulse width (30PW) versus conventional 60 μs PW (60PW) on speech and identify the core features of voice modified by 30PW. Methods: seven STN-DBS treated PD patients participated into a pilot cross-sectional study. Motor and speech performances were tested by means of both automatic analysis and blinded clinical evaluations in four stimulation conditions: 30PW and 60PW both at the usual amplitude and at an amplitude just below the threshold for stimulation-related side effects. Results: at the threshold amplitude, 30PW stimulation improved speech intelligibility for both words (p = 0.02) and sentences (p = 0.04), without worsening motor performance. A lower but not statistically significant voice variability and instability and percentage of stuttering disfluencies was also observed. The beneficial effect of 30PW detected by automatic analysis, was confirmed by patients' perception. Conclusions: STN-DBS treated patients experiencing low speech intelligibility may benefit from a 30PW stimulation trial at a higher amplitude. Deep characterization of PD speech profiles may help in a better application of recent DBS hardware advances.

Introduction: Although in some countries, palliative care (PC) still remains poorly implemented, its importance throughout the course of Parkinson's disease (PD) is increasingly being acknowledged. With an emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, growing emphasis has been placed on the palliative needs of people with Parkinson's (PwP), particularly elderly, frail, and with comorbidities.Areas covered: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic poses an enormous challenge on aspects of daily living in PwP and might interact negatively with a range of motor and non-motor symptoms (NMS), both directly and indirectly - as a consequence of pandemic-related social and health care restrictions. Here, the authors outline some of the motor and NMS relevant to PC, and propose a pragmatic and rapidly deployable, consensus-based PC approach for PwP during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, potentially relevant also for future pandemics.Expert opinion: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic poses a considerable impact on PwP and their caregivers, ranging from mental health issues to worsening of physical symptoms - both in the short- and long-term, (Long-COVID) and calls for specific, personalized PC strategies relevant in a lockdown setting globally. Validated assessment tools should be applied remotely to flag up particular motor or NMS that require special attention, both in short- and long-term.

Background: In the last years, several studies were conducted that evaluated biomarkers that could be helpful for cardioembolic stroke diagnosis, prognosis, and the determination of risk of stroke recurrence. Methods: We performed a narrative review of the main studies that evaluated biomarkers related to specific cardioembolic causes: atrial fibrillation, patent foramen ovale, atrial cardiomyopathy, and left ventricular wall motion abnormalities. Results: BNP and NT-proBNP are, among all biomarkers of cardioembolic stroke, the ones that have the highest amount of evidence for their use. NT-proBNP is currently used for the selection of patients that will be included in clinical trials that aim to evaluate the use of anticoagulation in patients suspected of having a cardioembolic stroke and for the selection of patients to undergo cardiac monitoring. NT-proBNP has also been incorporated in tools used to predict the risk of stroke recurrence (ABC-stroke score). Conclusions: NT-proBNP and BNP continue to be the biomarkers most widely studied in the context of cardioembolic stroke. The possibility of using other biomarkers in clinical practice is still distant, mainly because of the low methodological quality of the studies in which they were evaluated. Both internal and external validation studies are rarely performed for most biomarkers.

A 62-year-old woman recently arrived from Angola to start treatment for a papillary adenocarcinoma of the endometrium presented to the emergency room complaining of asthenia and anorexia.

The unique capabilities of gamma-delta (γδ) T cells to recognize cells under stressed conditions, particularly infected or transformed cells, and killing them or regulating the immune response against them, paved the way to the development of promising therapeutic strategies for cancer and infectious diseases. From a mechanistic standpoint, numerous studies have unveiled a remarkable flexibility of γδ T cells in employing their T cell receptor and/or NK cell receptors for target cell recognition, even if the relevant ligands often remain uncertain. Here, we review the accumulated knowledge on the diverse mechanisms of target cell recognition by γδ T cells, focusing on human γδ T cells, to provide an integrated perspective of their therapeutic potential in cancer and infectious diseases.