Medicinal chemists continue to be fascinated by chalcone derivatives because of their simple chemistry, ease of hydrogen atom manipulation, straightforward synthesis, and a variety of promising ...biological activities. However, chalcones have still not garnered deserved attention, especially considering their high potential as chemical sources for designing and developing new effective drugs. In this review, we summarize current methodological developments towards the design and synthesis of new chalcone derivatives and state-of-the-art medicinal chemistry strategies (bioisosterism, molecular hybridization, and pro-drug design). We also highlight the applicability of computer-assisted drug design approaches to chalcones and address how this may contribute to optimizing research outputs and lead to more successful and cost-effective drug discovery endeavors. Lastly, we present successful examples of the use of chalcones and suggest possible solutions to existing limitations.
•Microstructure arrays affect mechanical responses of SnBi, SnAg and SnZn alloys.•Mechanical behavior of solder alloys is compared with that of the Sn–40Pb alloy.•Analysis cost/ weight indexes and ...mechanical properties is proposed to select Pb-free alloys.
The aim of this paper is to develop a comparative evaluation of mechanical properties of as-cast Sn–Bi, Sn–Ag and Sn–Zn alloys as a function of the resulting microstructural arrays with a view to application as solder materials. The resulting microstructures, ultimate and yield tensile strengths and elongations of Sn–40wt.% Bi, Sn–3.5wt.% Ag and Sn–9wt.% Zn alloys were examined and compared with the corresponding results of the traditional Sn–40wt.% Pb solder alloy. Tensile tests were carried out using specimens selected from specific positions along the length of the directionally solidified castings and Hall–Petch type correlations have been proposed relating the resulting tensile properties of each alloy to a parametric scale of the microstructure. It was found that all Pb-free alloys examined comply with a compromise between compatible mechanical strength and environmental protection. The Sn–Bi alloy has the highest ultimate tensile strength of all alloys examined, while both Sn–Ag and Sn–Zn alloys are lighter and exhibited higher ductility than the Sn–Pb and Sn–Bi alloys.
Introduction
The emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has had a substantial impact worldwide. NPS mimic the effect of “existing” drugs and are specifically manufactured so that the new ...substances fall out of regulatory frameworks. Although the structural changes might be minimal, NPS often have marked differences in potency and subsequent harm.
The population of the Azores archipelago has been particularly affected by the rapid growing and changing nature of this phenomenon, mainly caused by the introduction and spread of the “newly” synthetic cathinones as a inexpensive and easily available street drug.
Before any educational, public health and socioeconomic policy changes be proposed to accurately tackle the problem, the basic step of knowing how these substances have been affecting their users, specially their neuropsychiatric effects, must be taken.
Objectives
This project aims to characterize the neuropsychiatric side effects caused by the acute intoxication of NPS with a psychostimulant profile, namely synthetic cathinones.
Methods
Description of the neuropsychiatric symptoms of intoxicated users of stimulant NPS that present to non-governmental organizations specialized in addictions and also to the psychiatry emergency department in Sao Miguel - Azores.
Review of the forensic records of the deaths by suicide in 2021 in Sao Miguel, looking for evidence of recent abuse of NPS or previous history of “NPS use disorder”.
Non-systematic review of the recent and relevant scientific literature on this topic.
Results
The desired effects are increased energy, mood enhancement, euphoria, mental clarity, improved concentration, improved sociability, increased talkativeness, empathy inducing effects, amplification of sound and colour and prosexual effects. Nevertheless, in the case of intoxication, the frequent neuropsychiatric side effects tend to be agitation, agressiveness, irritability, altered consciousness, brief psychosis with paranoid delusion, visual and auditive hallucinations, transient mania, enhanced sensorial experiences, headaches, dizzyness, seizures, confusion and amnesia. Usually, the acjute intoxication period tend to be followed by a “crash” with depression, craving, anxiety, panic, suicidal ideation and behaviours. A third of the deaths by suicides in Sao Miguel Island in 2021, 7 out of 21, were in stimulant NPS active or recent users.
Conclusions
Review of the neuropsychiatric effects of New Psychoactive Substances with a psychostimulant profile. Further studies of this population of synthetic cathinone users in the Azores are due, namely studying their socioeconomic background, looking for risk and protective factors, and also the long-term side effects.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
Introduction
There is a current trend towards an increase in the number of elderly prisoners due to the increase in life expectancy and the change in the attitude of society and the judicial system. ...The cut-off for “older offender” is defined from the age of 50, due to the lifestyle previous to prision and premature ageing.
Objectives
The authors intend to understand the challenges of aging in prison and forensic services, highlighting the psychiatric comorbidities of inmates and how these services can adapt to the needs of this population.
Methods
Non-systematic review of the literature.
Results
Studies of elderly in prisons and elderly forensic psychiatric patients are limited. Prisoners have increased physical and psychiatric morbidity and early mortality as they are more exposed to risk factors and more likely to have at least one health problem compared to older adults in the community. Compared to older people in the community, older prisoners are at higher risk for most psychiatric disorders including depression, psychosis, bipolar disorder, cognitive impairment, personality disorder and anxiety. Suicide rates are also higher among elderly prisoners. The inadequacy of the prison system to respond to the unique needs of elderly prisoners has a detrimental impact on their overall experience of incarceration. The development of specific services for elderly prisoners or the adaptation of mixed units for the elderly population is proposed.
Conclusions
The elderly population in prisons is growing and has higher risk of psychiatric pathology compared to community elders. Prison services with difficulties in identifying and meeting these needs.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Introduction
The transition into parenthood is associated with an increased psychopathological vulnerability. Most studies have focused on mothers, although recently, the role of fathers has grown ...more importance. Paternal perinatal depression (PPD) is an episode of major depressive disorder occurring in new or expectant fathers during the perinatal period. PPD is not widely acknowledged and research are rare.
Objectives
The authors intend to review the literature about PPD, focusing on its prevalence, risk factors, clinical features, treatment and consequences.
Methods
Non-systematic review of the literature through PubMed.
Results
A meta-analysis of PPD estimated a prevalence of 10.4%. Risk factors of PPD are multiple and complex. There are sociodemographic factors, such as marital status, monthly income and social support. Psychological factors, for instance history of depression, maternal prenatal anxiety and maternal depression. Some literature also suggests hormonal changes on men like increase estrogen and lower testosterone levels. PPD can present with symptoms of mood alterations, like irritability and restricted emotions, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, loss of appetite. Also common are behavioural disturbances such as interpersonal conflicts, impulsivity, violence, avoidance behaviour, and substance abuse. There are no studies to specific treatments to PPD, so the treatment is the same for women, such as antidepressants and psychotherapy. If untreated, PPD can have an adverse influence on the health and wellbeing of the mother and child.
Conclusions
PPD is still underscreened, underdiagnosed and undertreated. It is fundamental identifying risk factors and the development of specific interventions. Further research on PPD is needed.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Aim
To report the characterization of 120 Alternaria isolates inducing early blight‐like foliar lesions in nine species of five Solanaceae genera collected across all macrogeographical Brazilian ...regions.
Material and Results
Phylogenetic relationships were assessed via analyses of the Alternaria alternata allergenic protein‐coding, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and the calmodulin gene sequences. Most of the tomato isolates were placed into the Alternaria linariae cluster, whereas most of the potato isolates were grouped with Alternaria grandis. Novel host–pathogen interactions were also reported. Seventeen isolates were selected for morphometrical characterization, and a subsample of 13 isolates was employed in pathogenicity assays on tomato, potato, eggplant, scarlet eggplant, Capsicum annuum, Datura stramonium, Physalis angulata and Nicotiana tabacum. Eleven isolates were able to induce foliar lesions in tomatoes but none in C. annuum. Potato was susceptible to a subgroup of isolates but displayed a subset of isolate‐specific interactions. Morphological traits were in overall agreement with molecular and host range data.
Conclusion
Alternaria linariae and A. grandis were confirmed as the major causal agents of tomato and potato early blight, respectively. However other Alternaria species are also involved with early blight in solanaceous hosts in Brazil.
Significance and Impact of the Study
The diversity and host‐specific patterns of the Alternaria isolates from Solanaceae may have practical implications in establishing effective early blight genetic resistance and cultural management strategies especially for tomato and potato crops.
1. Many game-theoretical models assume that the outcome of agonistic interactions depends on morphological and physiological asymmetries between rivals (the RHP-asymmetry hypothesis). However, some ...empirical studies fail at identifying traits linked to fighting capacity and are thus unable to support the role of RHP in contest resolution. Perhaps the role of RHP asymmetries in contest resolution is less general than previously thought. 2. If RHP asymmetries are indeed important, then the actual suite of relevant traits should depend on how costs are accrued during disputes (the functional hypothesis). In species in which contests involve physical contact at some stage, strength-related traits should be important, whereas in species in which disputes do not involve physical contact, persistence-related traits should determine individual fighting ability. 3. We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the generality of morphological and physiological asymmetries between winners and losers in arthropod contests. We also investigated whether the suite of traits determining fighting ability differs between disputes involving physical contact and disputes in which physical contact is absent. 4. We show that RHP asymmetries are a general property of contest settlement among arthropods. However, strength-related traits did not have a greater effect than persistence-related traits in determining the settlement of disputes involving physical contact. Neither did persistence-related traits have a greater role in disputes without physical contact than in those involving physical contact. 5. We provide the first quantitative assessment of the generality and magnitude of RHP asymmetries in contest resolution among arthropods. As different suites of traits were important regardless of the type of dispute, we highlight the importance of considering functionally diverse morphological and physiological traits when trying to identify determinants of fighting ability in agonistic interactions, instead of focusing on a few functionally similar traits. 6. The assumption of fighting capacity differences among rivals in game-theoretical models was supported by our data. Consequently, models predicting contest settlement based on uncorrelated asymmetries are incompatible with the observation that winners and losers consistently differ in certain attributes.
Aims/hypothesis
Skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction has been documented in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus; however, specific respiratory defects and their mechanisms are poorly ...understood. The aim of the current study was to examine oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport chain (ETC) supercomplex assembly in rectus abdominis muscles of 10 obese diabetic and 10 obese non-diabetic individuals.
Methods
Twenty obese women undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery were recruited for this study. Muscle samples were obtained intraoperatively and subdivided for multiple analyses, including high-resolution respirometry and assessment of supercomplex assembly. Clinical data obtained from referring physicians were correlated with laboratory findings.
Results
Participants in both groups were of a similar age, weight and BMI. Mitochondrial respiration rates were markedly reduced in diabetic vs non-diabetic patients. This defect was observed during maximal ADP-stimulated respiration in the presence of complex I-linked substrates and complex I- and II-linked substrates, and during maximal uncoupled respiration. There were no differences in fatty acid (octanoyl carnitine) supported respiration, leak respiration or isolated activity of cytochrome c oxidase. Intriguingly, significant correlations were found between glycated haemoglobin (HbA
1c
) levels and maximal respiration or respiration supported by complex I, complex I and II or fatty acid. In the muscle of diabetic patients, blue native gel electrophoresis revealed a striking decrease in complex I, III and IV containing ETC supercomplexes.
Conclusions/interpretation
These findings support the hypothesis that ETC supercomplex assembly may be an important underlying mechanism of muscle mitochondrial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Introduction
Sleep is a complex physiological process present in all living beings, performing essential functions for various biological functions. The prevalence of sleep disorders has increased ...exponentially, as well as studies relating to sleep patterns of the general population.
University students are especially vulnerable to a decrease in sleep quality, particularly medical students. Even so, the literature on sleep quality in medical students is scarce, especially when referring to Portugal, where studies are almost non-existent.
Objectives
To evaluate sleep quality in medical students and to analyze the differences in sleep quality according to age, sex, cohabitation and physical activity. It is also intended to compare the sleep quality of medical students throughout the various phases of the medical course.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional study involving medical students at the University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal. All medical students were invited to complete the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which has been validated for the portuguese population. First, the scores obtained in each of the components of the PSQI and the global PSQI score were analyzed for the global population. Lastly, the global PSQI score was correlated with each of the sociodemographic variables to verify the existence of a statistically significant relationship.
Results
296 students completed the instrument. Of these, 62.2% classify their sleep quality as good; 42.4% scored 2 in the sleep latency component; 50% reported sleeping 6 to 7 hours; 73.9% stated an adequate sleep efficiency; 85.5% mentioned few or no sleep disturbances; 83,8% said they never used sleep medication; and 60.8% had low or no sleepiness or daytime dysfunction.
As for the overall PSQI score, 72.6% of the students had a score greater than 5, indicating a poor quality of sleep. 74.7% of female respondents have a low quality of sleep, as well as 67.7% of male respondents. Likewise, 91.3% of students who live alone have poor sleep quality, as well as 76.8% of those living with family members and 69.8% of those living with colleagues.
Regarding the course year, 82.4% of the first-year students report a poor quality of sleep, as well as 77.5% of the second-year students, 72.1% of the third-year students, 77.8% of the fourth-year, 65.8% of the fifth-year students and 71.4% of the sixth-year students.
Conclusions
Medical students seem to be more likely to have poor sleep quality, especially when compared to other university students. Thus, further studies are needed to prove this susceptibility as well as therapeutic interventions aimed at improving sleep parameters.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared
Introduction The phenomenon of suicide and self-harm is one of the most intriguing and disturbing human behaviours. Suicide is global public health problem, with multiple and complex contributing ...factors. Global trend show a stabilizing or descending curves in the last years. The Portuguese atlantic archipelago of Azores has had an opposite trend that together with regional proctective and risk factors ought to be addressed for further tailored interventions. Objectives Review of the up-to-date literature on this topic and present the recent suicide-related data in the Azores. Methods Unsystematic review of the most recent and relevant literature. Results Epidemiology, risk and protective factors, preventive and treatment measures were described. The Azores region has a ascending trend in the suicide mortality rate, opposing the portuguese trend. The azorean suicide mortality rate has a bimodal distribution and has higher values in every age group, except for the +75yo, when compared with the portuguese rates. Image: Image 2: Conclusions Multiple complex factors contribute to the suicide phenomenon. Suicide protective and risk factors mostly overlap with mental disorders’ factors and those of other health and socio-economic conditions. Azorean suicide rates are growing against the global and national descending trends. Prevention and treatment strategies to be implemented regionally must be fine tailored, accounting for the most relevant factors in place, in order to be most effective. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
PDF
