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Liveability is determined by characteristics of a place including walkability and access to natural environments. These two attributes can be quantified at a fine spatial scale providing insights into liveability. Most liveability studies focus on metropolitan areas, and we identified a research gap in regional liveability research. Using a case study on two towns in Indigo Shire in regional Victoria and focusing on older residents, we examined walkability and access to and attitudes about the natural environment. We found that opportunities for walking in regional towns can be limited, and that only a small number of older people walk regularly. Despite being largely surrounded by nature in regional towns, connection to nature and sense of community is sometimes lacking. In addition, measures of walkability and access to natural environments designed to be used in metropolitan environments do not translate well to regional areas. However, the data and insights gathered in this research helped build a context-specific understanding of liveability in each community and allowed us to provide useful recommendations to local government. While these recommendations are specific to the study area, the methodologies used, and insights gained are applicable to regional and rural towns in a wide range of contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moving as a French or Dutch citizen to Belgium should be easy, given the freedom of movement of EU citizens. Reality paints a different picture, however. This paper analyses the practices of Belgian municipalities and the Immigration Office as to the registration of EU workers, self-employed, jobseekers and their family members. It is based on a desk study, a survey among a sample of municipalities as well as semi-structured interviews with municipal officials, the Immigration Office and other stakeholders. The paper adopts a legal understanding of 'procedural justice', focusing on dimensions of equal treatment and transparency. It shows that the achievement of procedural justice for EU citizens is impaired by divergent and at times questionable practices by street-level bureaucrats. These practices indicate, among others, that varying levels of 'deservingness' of residence in Belgium can be observed within the category of mobile EU workers. Furthermore, increased digitalization and the use of intermediaries in the registration procedure facilitate and reinforce differential treatments among EU citizens and their family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to ongoing debates on human-animal relations by analyzing dog walking in contemporary Western cities as an extension of the traditional division of social studies on the one hand and animal studies on the other. Taking dogs, owners, lawns, and other objects as networks, the article illustrates how non-human entities can play a role during walking on par with the human actors involved. This discussion is taken forward by observing interactions between several of these knots on the network and by questioning what forms of networks of dog walkers can unfold in urban life. In this way, the article is to be understood as an encouragement for sociologists to empirically consider non-human-animals as part of their research on everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, consequences and factors associated with drug use among individuals over 50 years of age, from the perspective of their families, with particularly reference to cocaine use. Cross-sectional study based on secondary data with 624 family members of substance users who sought family support in 14 units of the Recomeço Família Program in São Paulo, Brazil. The participants were predominately men, aged 50 to 59 years (68%); cocaine users (inhaled and/ or smoked); living alone; with a low level of education and were unemployed. They were likely to use family money to pay for their substance use, with a history of theft and aggression against strangers, and were not in treatment. Unlike other participants [≥ 60 years (31.1%)]; who were better educated and retired. In this latter group, 32.8% are alcohol users, 14.8% cocaine users (inhaled and smoked), 32.6% has physically assaulted their family, 39.7% had assaulted someone else and 18.3% had stolen objects or money from home. The population has peculiar characteristics of vulnerability (cocaine use and violence) that remain under investigated; not only do routes into treatment for older adults (≥ 60) but appropriate treatment packages need to be developed too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major challenge for humankind is to reduce global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to avoid the most harmful impacts of climate change. The transport sector is responsible for almost 1/4 of the world's energy-related emissions, with road transportation representing around 1/5 of the fuel consumption. Electric vehicles (EVs) may help to reduce CO2 emissions, but their diffusion is uncertain due to market barriers. This paper investigates the electric vehicle (EV), which has a smaller ecological footprint, as an alternative capable of meeting the needs of personal transport in Brazil. To carry out this evaluation, the study considers socio-techno-economic and political-environmental-innovation aspects to assess the challenges and opportunities facing the adoption of electric vehicles. The analysis was carried out based on a survey administered to a wide range of stakeholders. A SWOT analysis was performed to understand the most critical factors affecting the future of EVs in Brazil, which is a top-ten automotive manufacturer worldwide and a leader in sugar cane ethanol production. The results suggest light-duty electric vehicles (LDEV) as a first option for low-carbon passengers' mobility and that EVs expansion will require market regulation, incentive policies and adequate charging infrastructure. Both consumers and society in general will benefit most from the expansion of EVs due to low emissions and total cost of ownership (TCO). The results show where decision-makers should focus their attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate policies in the European Union require a substantial reduction in carbon emissions from road transport. However, in the last decades the system of automobility has expanded considerably, establishing a process of path dependence that is very difficult to reverse. Changes in current patterns of automobility may increase oil vulnerability of citizens dependent on the use of the car, aggravating forms of social inequity. Based on an analysis of how television news framed a period of oil price rises in a country highly dependent on car use, the article shows that oil vulnerability may resonate with socially shared sociocultural meanings such as lack of trust in political leaders, which may aggravate the social perception of unfairness and compromise public support for energy transitions toward sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays there is an increasing effort for raising global awareness for the importance of soils to ensure food security, to improve agricultural and environmental planning and monitoring, and to establish effective and sustainable land management policies to counteract soil degradation. This study presents the INFOSOLO legacy database as the first effort to develop a soil information system in Portugal, suitable to compile soil data produced in the country, and to support stakeholders and land managers in decision-making. The database currently includes soil data from a set of 9934 horizons/layers studied in 3461 soil profiles across the country between 1966 and 2014. Data was extracted from scattered soil surveys, research projects, and academic studies carried out by public Portuguese and other European institutions, with a series of validation tests and harmonization procedures being implemented in order to access and improve the quality of the data. The importance of the INFOSOLO legacy dataset was discussed and exemplified with the analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of selected soil properties, namely the organic carbon content, pH, and cation exchange capacity. For these properties, 1 km grid maps were also developed for the topsoil horizons/layers in Portugal using different spatial modelling approaches. To highlight the importance of using INFOSOLO for soil characterization, the EU-wide soil database LUCAS was used to compare both datasets in terms of data distributions, spatial continuity and accuracy of modelling outputs. The comparison also included the digital soil maps provided by the SoilGrids product for Portugal. The comparison results highlighted specific areas in the country for which INFOSOLO is capable to deliver accurate but also more reliable predictions when compared with the LUCAS and SoilGrids results. Thus, INFOSOLO provides the basis for improving soil information in the country and for raising national awareness of the importance of soil resources to the country's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researching media coverage of climate change may shed light on the different configurations of global and domestic factors affecting journalism and politics. This article analyzes climate change coverage in Portugal from 2007 to 2014 in comparison with 14 other countries. It shows that the Portuguese press tends to reproduce the global political agenda on climate change, mainly focusing on international events associated with global political decision-making processes, instead of providing a domesticated coverage, as observed in other countries. National and local levels of action are thus obscured. The interplay between global and domestic factors—including characteristics of Portugal’s press and politics, such as national political leaders’ lack of mobilization and communication on climate change, media’s deference to powerful sources, and reliance on international news feeds—creates the conditions for global politics to play an hegemonic role in media representations, which is likely to influence public engagement with climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Drawing on a post-Foucauldian conceptual framework we look at the rationalities that inform the organization of the Portuguese school meals and the implementation of these rationalities to transform and normalize children eating habits. The empirical material is drawn from a thematic documental analysis of the school meals regulatory framework from the 1970s up until nowadays. The objectives are threefold 1) to describe the continuities and discontinuities of official discourses on school meals institutional practices; 2) to look at the ways children, health and food are placed and interpreted in those documents; 3) to describe and explain trajectories of school meals governmentalities and its plural arrangements. It was possible to identify five types of school meals governmental regimes the "Authoritarian"; the "Democratic", the "Modern", the "Consumer" and the "Obesity and Risk". These regimes are intertwined and organize in multiple ways the contexts that govern children's eating practices in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various articles within the issue on topics related to the importance of engaging citizens in sustainable energy transitions, connection between energy systems and social structures, and relations between culture and nature.

In a time of economic crisis the need to adopt energy conservation practices comes to the fore. It is helpful to evaluate the role of young people as both consumers and potential agents of change bridging the gap between school and family to encourage lower household energy consumption. Based on two surveys of parents and students of a secondary school in Lisbon, plus in-depth interviews with parents, this article analyzes the complexity of this challenge, highlighting adults' perceptions of their children's contribution to energy saving. Results show that parents see young people as major energy consumers. Young people's engagement with electronic equipment as essential components of their lifestyles and their belief in technology as a solution to energy problems thwart them from being promoters of energy saving. In this context of scarcity, parents try to protect their children's well-being and opportunities in life by accepting their children's unrestricted energy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Accurate estimates of soil hydraulic properties are needed for modelling. [•] Soil hydraulic properties can be measured in different data supports. [•] We used block sequential simulation to integrate data with different supports. [•] We obtained the spatial distribution of SHP and associated uncertainty. [•] Block sequential simulation performed better than direct sequential simulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: Review of the available data on the currently available single-tablet regimens (STRs), from the analysis of efficacy and safety to the key points of value in terms of adherence, quality of life and pharmacoeconomic evaluation. Methods: For this narrative review, literature searches have been performed in PubMed, IndexRevMed and Cochrane, using the search terms HIV, single-tablet, one-pill, single dose, fixed-dose, and STR. These have been reviewed and complemented with the most recent publications of interest. Results: Fixed-dose combinations are a significant advance in antiretroviral treatment simplification, contributing to an increase in compliance with complex chronic therapies, thus improving patients' quality of life. Reducing the number of pills and daily doses is associated with higher adherence and better quality of life. As a fixeddose combination tablet given once daily, EFV/FTC/TDF was the first available STR combining efficacy, tolerability and convenience, with the simplest dosing schedule and smallest numbers of pills of any ART combination therapy. The RPV/FTC/TDF is a next-generation NNRTI-based STR, a once daily complete ART regimen for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Recently the combination of EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF was also approved by the European Commission, and is the first integrase inhibitor-based STR. Receiving antiretroviral therapy as once daily STR is associated with both clinical and economic benefits, which confirms previous research. Conclusions: The associated benefits of STRs provide a valid strategy for the treatment of HIV-infected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil contamination assessments can be improved with new methods aimed at the accurate estimation of the volume and extension of contaminated soil to be remediated. Geostatistical models that use secondary information to characterize soil contamination are incorporated into a new integration model to provide accurate three-dimensional maps. The proposed integration model is based on a stochastic inversion approach and uses sequential indicator simulation. A two-dimensional reference image representing the areal extension of the contamination is combined with local measurements of contamination in the vertical direction, to render a three-dimensional contamination map. To demonstrate how well the integration model performs, the case study presented focuses on geophysical data and how it can be integrated with soil contamination measurements to improve the characterization of a contaminated site. The results show that the model reproduces successfully the reference image thus providing an accurate three-dimensional contamination map. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are essential for the maintenance of the immune system's equilibrium, by dampening the activation of potential auto-reactive T cells and avoiding excessive immune activation. To correctly perform their function, Tregs must be maintained at the right proportion with respect to effector T cells. Since this equilibrium is frequently disrupted in individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), we hypothesize that its deregulation could hamper immune reconstitution in patients with poor CD4+ T cell recovery under highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). We analysed Tregs percentages amongst CD4+ T cells in 53 HIV-infected patients under HAART, with suppression of viral replication and distinct levels of immune reconstitution. As controls, 51 healthy individuals were also analysed. We observed that amongst the patients with Nadir values (the lowest CD4+ T cell counts achieved) <200 cells/µL, the individuals with high Tregs percentages (≥10% of total CD4+ T cells) had the worse CD4+ T cell reconstitution. In accordance, the well-described direct correlation between the Nadir value and CD4+ T cell reconstitution is clearly more evident in individuals with high Tregs proportions. Furthermore, we observed a strong negative correlation between Tregs percentages and CD4+ T cell recovery among immunological non-responder HIV+ individuals. All together, this work shows that high Tregs frequency is an important factor associated with sub-optimal CD4+ T cell recovery. This is particularly relevant for immunological non-responders with low Nadir values. Our results suggest that the Tregs proportion might be of clinical relevance to define cut-offs for HAART initiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Soil data acquisition and assessment are crucial phases in the evaluation of soil degradation scenarios. To overcome the lack of field data, flexible sampling approaches can be used to complement conventional soil sampling. For the assessment of soil quality, it is necessary to integrate different soil support data and to provide a coherent spatial characterization of soil properties. This study proposes a new model to combine soil data from two different supports: “point” data, which refers to the concentration measured in the topsoil layer, and “bulk” data, which refers to the concentration measured for the whole soil depth sampled. The method developed uses a geostatistical co-simulation algorithm based on the experimental bi-distribution between both types of soil supports to compute co-simulated values. This new approach was applied to assess Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) availability in the topsoil. The results were used to identify critical areas in the Left Margin of the Guadiana River; an area in the South of Portugal with a high susceptibility to desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of stochastic simulation for different environmental and earth sciences applications creates new theoretical problems that motivate the improvement of existing algorithms. In this context, we present the implementation of a new version of the direct sequential co-simulation (Co-DSS) algorithm. This new approach, titled Co-DSS with joint probability distributions, intends to solve the problem of mismatch between co-simulation results and experimental data, i.e. when the final biplot of simulated values does not respect the experimental relation known for the original data values. This situation occurs mostly in the beginning of the simulation process. To solve this issue, the new co-simulation algorithm, applied to a pair of covariates Z1( x) and Z2( x), proposes to resample Z2( x) from the joint distribution F( z1, z2) or, more precisely, from the conditional distribution of Z2( x0), at a location x0, given the previously simulated value $z_{1}^{(l)}(x_{0})$ ( $F(Z_{2}|Z_{1}=z_{1}^{(l)}(x_{0})$ ). The work developed demonstrates that Co-DSS with joint probability distributions reproduces the experimental bivariate cdf and, consequently, the conditional distributions, even when the correlation coefficient between the covariates is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the changing nature of spatial discourses and the dynamics of grassroots organizing in the migrant squatter settlement of Cova da Moura, in the periphery of Lisbon. It focuses on official discourses on this neighbourhood and the ways in which these have shaped local collective organizing. The first part of the paper maps out the origins and development of the settlement, focusing on the emergence of migrant neighbourhood-based organizations. The second part explores how dominant official discourses and policies have produced, in the last three decades, an ideology of illegality and of ghettoization. The discourses of space are understood in relation to the concrete social and historical conditions in which they emerge. In the third part, special emphasis is given to the processes of negotiation, and resistance produced by local collective mobilization. It is argued that the ideologies of illegality and ghettoization have been a major driving force in shaping power relations and the nature of social action and collective consciousness. At the broader level, the paper draws on the case study of Cova da Moura to illustrate how grassroots mobilizing in slum neighbourhoods needs to be understood in the battleground of competing forces for the social production of space. This spatial politics constitutes the meeting place where domination meets resistance, where collective struggles become expressions of a greater awareness for the intersection of oppression, marginalization, exploitation and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs) were isolated from callus culture that were established from seed explants of Abrus pulchellus. Cotyledon segments of immature seeds were inoculated in basal medium MS supplemented with different concentrations of auxin (2,4-D), citokinin (kinetin and BA) and sucrose in order to determine the best callus induction. A. pulchellus type 2 RIP (pulchellin) expression was monitored in callus cultures by RT-PCR and biological activity. The calli obtained after 35 days were freeze dried, macerated and submitted to extraction of total RNA and proteins (0.1 M Tris–HCl pH 7.6 buffer, containing 0.15 M NaCl, 3 h at room temperature). A specific DNA fragment codifying the A-chain pulchellin was amplified from callus RNA suggesting the presence of the protein. This was confirmed in the calli crude extract that showed haemagglutinating activity against rabbit blood cells and a high intraperitoneal toxicity to mice. The crude extract was also submitted to affinity chromatography on a Sepharose-4B column. The retained protein, peak released by 0.1 M galactose, appeared to be composed of two main bands in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, in denaturating conditions, with a similar pattern to that obtained with seeds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article examines the multidimensional problem of energy poverty, focusing on its connections to climate change and its manifestation at rural and urban scales across selected European countries and Israel. The study examined 31 locations in eight countries with diverse geographical and economic backgrounds: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, North Macedonia, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, and Israel. The article aims to understand how winter energy vulnerability in rural and urban locations in these countries could be identified using selected energy poverty indicators and how it evolves under the influence of climate change. A set of sociodemographic, infrastructural, and economic variables, combined with climate analysis, were selected and assessed for their impact on energy poverty. We found that energy poverty in most countries depends significantly on location and regional development. Due to a combination of factors influencing energy poverty, rural households tend to be more vulnerable. Furthermore, climate change consequences will likely leave rural areas more likely to experience energy poverty in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Portable X-ray fluorescence data contributes to accurate soil contamination assessment. • Data uncertainty tackled using local probability distributions to map contamination. • Novel geostatistical modeling strategy supports the use of pXRF data. A significant reduction in the costs associated with contamination assessments can be achieved if traditional soil sampling for contaminated-site characterization is complemented by real-time sampling using proximal soil sensors. Real-time sampling using a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) device is a cheap and fast sampling method to provide more data and reduce the time needed to map soil contamination. The main disadvantage of using pXRF is the degree of uncertainty of these in situ measurements due to the technology's indirect nature, and its sensitivity to soil heterogeneity and soil moisture content. This study evaluates the potential of using both pXRF and traditional soil sampling measurements to accurately map soil contamination due to the presence of heavy metals. The approach proposed uses geostatistical sequential simulation with local probability distributions to characterize and integrate pXRF uncertainty at each sampling location. The resulting maps agree with the contamination map obtained using traditional laboratory data only, in terms of mapping accuracy and extent of contaminated areas. This study shows that with few collocated pXRF and laboratory analytical data it is possible to identify contaminated areas accurately, thus providing a cost-effective solution to work with pXRF data directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Energy poverty is analyzed in a country highly vulnerable to cold and heat at home. • Methods include energy poverty vulnerability index and interviews with households. • Mapping shows extent and variability of energy poverty throughout Portugal. • Interviews show households' practices and acceptance of thermal discomfort at home. • Insights on designing measures to tackle energy poverty are presented. Energy poverty seriously affects living conditions and health. In spite of its mild climate, Portugal has been pointed out as one of the most vulnerable countries in the European Union. Due to the multidimensionality of energy poverty, attention needs to be paid to specific factors contributing to it in different contexts. This paper contributes to a better understanding of energy poverty by providing results from a study combining the use of an energy poverty vulnerability index and mapping - based on a detailed quantitative analysis of all 3092 civil parishes -, with interviews conducted with 100 households in ten hotspots across the country. The sample of interviewees includes both rural and urban dwellers, several family types, and individuals of different ages, social and economic status, and living in different types of buildings. Results show the extent, but also variability, of vulnerability to energy poverty throughout the country. Findings also show that households may consider normal and acceptable to feel both cold and hot at home, either in winter or in summer. This can hinder the social recognition of the energy poverty problem and the need to tackle its negative consequences on the well-being and health of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of virtual species to test species distribution models is important for understanding how aspects of the model development process influence model performance. Typically, virtual species are simulated by defining their niche as a function of environmental variables and simulating occurrence probabilistically via Bernoulli trials. This approach ignores endogenous processes known to drive species distribution such as dispersal and population dynamics. To understand whether these processes are important for simulating virtual species we compared the probabilistic simulation approach to those incorporating endogenous processes. This comparison was done by evaluating changes in the relationship between species occurrence and habitat suitability over a number of landscapes with varying spatial structure. We found that the combined effects of population dynamics and dispersal meant the probability of occurrence of a single cell was not only dependent on habitat suitability, but also the number of occupied cells nearby. This resulted in a dependence on the size of clusters of high suitability cells (analogous to patch size) to maintain populations, increased residual spatial autocorrelation and non‐stationarity of the species response between landscapes. These data characteristics are attributes of real species distribution data and are not present in probabilistic simulations. Researchers using virtual species should consider the importance of these characteristics to their study objectives to decide whether the inclusion of endogenous processes is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Dolutegravir plus lamivudine (2-DR) is suggested as an initial and switch option in HIV-1 treatment. The aim of this study was to analyze the effectiveness, durability, and safety of 2-DR compared to bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (3-DR). Patients and methods: This was an observational, ambispective study that included all treatment-naïve (TN) and treatment-experienced (TE) people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH), who started 2-DR or 3-DR between 01 July 2018, and 31 January 2022. The primary endpoint was non-inferiority, at 24 and 48 weeks, of 2-DR vs 3-DR regarding the percentage of PLWH with viral load (VL)<50 and 200 copies/mL in TN (12% margin) and VL≥50 and 200 copies/mL in TE (4% margin). Durability of response and safety were also measured. Results: 292 PLWH were included (39 TN and 253 TE). In TN PLWH, non-inferiority was not achieved at 24 weeks (17; 95% CI -17 to 51 p = 0.348). By week 48, all PLWH on 3-DR maintained VL<50 copies/mL compared to 70% of PLWH on 2-DR although without reaching statistical significance (-33; 95% CI -60 to -10 p = 0.289). Non-inferiority was not achieved in TE PLWH either at 24 (0.4; 95% CI -9 to 10 p = 1) or at 48 weeks (4.5; 95% CI -0.5 to 9 p = 0.132). In TN, the risk of treatment discontinuation was similar between groups (HR: 0.31, p = 0.07); similar rates were also found in TE (HR: 1.3, p = 0.38). TE PLWH on 2-DR showed a better safety profile compared to 3-DR (p = 0.017). Conclusion: Our results did not show non-inferiority in terms of virological effectiveness. Additionally, durability and safety of 2-DR were confirmed to be similar to 3-DR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Health professionals treating sexual dysfunction and relational dissatisfaction recognize that they are multifactorial phenomena, and depression can be bidirectionally associated with both. Aim The purpose of this study was to investigate sexual dysfunction in heterosexual couples in relation to the quality of their marital relationship and depression symptoms. Methods The sample consisted of 100 heterosexual couples recruited in Brazil. Both partners of each couple completed the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction and the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Marital Satisfaction, which were translated and adapted, and the Beck Depression Inventory, which was validated for the Brazilian population. Both partners completed their questionnaires separately, and the couple's surveys were linked to preserve conjugal data for dyadic analysis. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to understand how sexual dysfunction in couples is related to depression and relationship quality among and between partners. Results Sexual dysfunction was found to be strongly associated with dissatisfaction in the relationship (husbands, β = 0.57, P  < 0.001; wives, β = 0.60, P  < 0.001), and a positive association was found between depressive symptoms and marital dissatisfaction (husbands, β = .32, P  < .001; wives β = .40, P  < .001). Clinical Implication The results suggest that it is important for health professionals to be aware of the dyadic impact of struggles with both sex and the relationship and the presence of depression symptoms in patients who seek care for sexual complaints or depression and who are in a marital relationship. Strengths and Limitations The different results found for men and women may shed light on the biopsychosocial dimensions of human sexuality. When treated as a purely physical experience, sex is myopic. In this study we demonstrated psychosocial aspects associated with gender and sexuality, and the partner's variables were found to have a greater impact on women than they did on the men. A limitation of this study is that the sample is not generalizable as it is not demographically representative of all socioeconomic groups in Brazil. Furthermore, the participants in this sample did not have clinical levels of depression, so the results cannot be extended to couples in which one or both spouses have depressive disorder. Conclusion It was found that sexual dysfunction is strongly associated with the quality of the couple relationship, and that the quality of relationship plays a mediating role between depression and marital quality, especially for the women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is a drug product's biologically active chemical substance that produces the desired therapeutic effects. Most APIs are small organic molecules commercially available as a crystalline solid phase. Crystalline drugs are preferred in oral dosage formulations for their high purity and stability. However, some commercial drugs have low aqueous solubility, reducing their bioavailability and requiring high doses of API. Thus, discovering/investigating solid crystalline forms or controlling/designing more soluble forms with optimized pharmaceutical properties can be challenging or suitable for the pharmaceutical industry and academia. In this sense, the present work proposes a new physicochemical approach consisting of the average framework energy (Eframework) which is the average intermolecular interaction in crystalline solids to predict the modification of API solubility in new solid forms. This way, it was possible to correlate the intermolecular interactions of a given crystalline solid-state with its respective aqueous solubility. Overall, 60 crystalline forms are involved in this investigation derived from 25 distinct APIs. The results indicate that the average energy framework calculated and the aqueous solubility display a linear upward trend in the distribution of points, meaning that the greater the solubility, the lower the interaction energy. Such an approach is more evident in box plot-based drugs grouped by solubility range indicating a handy predictive model for drug solubility estimation based exclusively on energy framework features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spondias purpurea L., popularly known as ciriguela, is native and widespread tree from Mexico through Northern Peru and Brazil, particularly in semi-arid zones. This tree exudes a water soluble polysaccharide, constituted of a (1→3) linked galactan backbone substituted at C6 with d-galactose, d-xylose, l-arabinose, l-rhamnose and glucuronic acid units. Brazilian polysaccharide differs from Venezuelan on the amount of acid and arabinose as well as the presence of fucose and glucose as minor sugar. The d-galactose substitution (1→6) confers to the polysaccharide the peculiar capacity of binding α-d-galactose specific lectins after cross-linking with epichlorohydrin. The gel obtained was able to specifically retain d-galactose-binding-lectins, among with those from Artocarpus incisa, Artocarpus integrifolia, Erythrina velutina and Ricinus communis. On the other hand, no glucose-binding-lectins were retained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Equilibrium data for the extraction of-phenylglycine and aspartic acid from dilute aqueous solutions at 30°C, using Amberlite XAD resin impregnated with tri-alkyl-methyl-ammonium chloride (TOMAC), were experimentally studied. The effects of the polymeric support, the amino acid concentration and the pH of aqueous solutions containing individual and binary mixtures of the amino acids were investigated. Amino acid extraction was highest at using Amberlite XAD-4 impregnated with TOMAC. Equilibrium models, which take account of the simultaneous reactive extraction of the amino acids and the co-extraction of hydroxyl ions by the TOMAC immobilized inside the particle pores, showed good correlation with the experimental data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Spatial predictions from SDMs are sensitive to sample prevalence. • Accuracy metrics like AUC are unreliable indicators of spatial prediction accuracy. • SDMs should also be assessed on stability and consistency of geographic prediction. Species distribution modelling (SDM) is an important tool for ecologists, but different algorithms and different sampling strategies produce different results. Using virtual species with differing characteristics, this study investigated the effect of sampling strategy choices on SDM predictions across multiple algorithms and species, including the impacts of different sample size and prevalence choices, and the effects of validating models using presence and background data as opposed to true absences. We also assessed the consistency of predictions between algorithms, and investigated the effectiveness of using stability assessment of spatial predictions in geographic space to evaluate SDM predictions. Maxent performed most consistently under all scenarios both in regards to performance metrics and spatial prediction stability, and should be considered for most scenarios either on its own or as part of a model ensemble, in particular when true absences are not available. A key recommendation of this study is the use of metrics to assess agreement between replicate predictions as a measure of spatial stability, rather than relying solely on performance metrics such as area under the curve (AUC). Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Terms and criteria to classify people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy who fail to achieve satisfactory CD4+ T-cell counts are heterogeneous, and need revision and summarization. Methods: We performed a systematic review of PubMed original research articles containing a set of predefined terms, published in English between January 2009 and September 2018. The search retrieved initially 1360 studies, of which 103 were eligible. The representative terminology and criteria were extracted and analyzed. Results: Twenty-two terms and 73 criteria to define the condition were identified. The most frequent term was "immunological nonresponders" and the most frequent criterion was "CD4+ T-cell count <350 cells/µL after ≥24 months of virologic suppression." Most criteria use CD4+ T-cell counts as a surrogate, either as an absolute value or as a change after a defined period of time [corrected]. Distinct values and time points were used. Only 9 of the 73 criteria were used by more than one independent research team. Herein we propose 2 criteria that could help to reach a consensus. Conclusions: The high disparity in terms and criteria here reported precludes data aggregation and progression of the knowledge on this condition, because it renders impossible to compare data from different studies. This review will foster the discussion of terms and criteria to achieve a consensual definition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key challenge in fishery restoration strategies is prioritising fish passage remediation efforts to achieve optimal ecological and socio-economic outcomes. Various methodologies have been developed for assessing and prioritising the mitigation of fish passage barriers, but they have been designed for developed countries where site data and/or other resources are often readily available. We evaluated a new practical, low-cost basin-scale approach — referred to as the Fish Barrier Prioritisation Support System (FBPSS) — for assessing and prioritising the remediation of fish passage barriers of all types (i.e. large dams, small irrigation structures and road crossings) in resource-deficient settings, like those typical of developing countries. The FBPSS applies a five-stage decision-support framework to prioritise barriers for remediation based on geospatial, biological and socio-economic criteria. The stages involve identifying all potential barriers within the target basin using satellite imagery; conducting GIS analysis to rank the barriers for further investigation; field-validating the highest ranked barriers to ground-truth the GIS analysis results; identifying the highest priority field-validated barriers affecting fisheries productivity; and further refining the list according to socio-economic considerations. We applied the FBPSS to the Bago catchment in Myanmar as a case study, and then validated its effectiveness by comparing the fragmentation impacts (as measured by the Dendritic Connectivity Index) of the FBPSS-prioritised large dams with those of all large dams. The FBPSS successfully identified 876 potential barriers in the Bago catchment, and then systematically assessed these barriers using its filters to produce a prioritised list of 23 barriers for cost-effectively achieving optimal fishery and community benefits. The validation analysis revealed that the high priority FBPSS-combined barriers were responsible for 97–100% of the fragmentation of the combined barriers (with all large dams included). Our findings suggest that the FBPSS could be used as a practical decision support tool, in conjunction with expert knowledge, for prioritising the mitigation of fish passage barriers in resource-deficient settings. Future research could compare the results of the FBPSS with those of an optimisation model to assess how the two approaches perform under different scenarios, and to identify key modelling features that could potentially be integrated into the FBPSS. • Fish passage prioritisation tools that perform in resource-poor settings are vital. • We evaluate a new, practical, low-cost, GIS-based tool for such settings. • The tool considers geospatial, biological and socio-economic assessment criteria. • Our results confirm that it performs effectively in resource-poor settings. • Future research could compare the effectiveness of the tool with other approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this review is to present the beliefs related to sexual activity during pregnancy. We identified 13 studies (3,122 participants). The main positive beliefs about sex in pregnancy were that it makes labor easier, promotes marital harmony, prevents infidelity, and improves fetal well-being. Negative beliefs were more frequent: that sex could harm the unborn child (cause injuries, miscarriage, or fetal infection) and endanger the pregnancy or maternal health (cause membrane rupture, bleeding, preterm labor, and maternal infection). These findings are useful to clinicians and educational program developers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HIV-infected patients may present an unforeseen clinical worsening after initiating antiretroviral therapy known as immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). This syndrome is characterized by a heightened inflammatory response toward infectious or non-infectious triggers, and it may affect different organs. Diagnosis of IRIS involving the central nervous system (CNS-IRIS) is challenging due to heterogeneous manifestations, absence of biomarkers to identify this condition, risk of long-term sequelae and high mortality. Hence, a deeper knowledge of CNS-IRIS pathogenesis is needed.Case Presentation: A 37-year-old man was diagnosed with AIDS and cerebral toxoplasmosis. Anti-toxoplasma treatment was initiated immediately, followed by active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) 1 month later. At 2 months of HAART, he presented with progressive hyposensitivity of the right lower limb associated with brain and dorsal spinal cord lesions, compatible with paradoxical toxoplasmosis-associated CNS-IRIS, a condition with very few reported cases. A stereotactic biopsy was planned but was postponed based on its inherent risks. Patient showed clinical improvement with no requirement of corticosteroid therapy. Routine laboratorial analysis was complemented with longitudinal evaluation of blood T cell subsets at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 6 months upon HAART initiation. A control group composed by 9 HIV-infected patients from the same hospital but with no IRIS was analysed for comparison. The CNS-IRIS patient showed lower percentage of memory CD4+ T cells and higher percentage of activated CD4+ T cells at HAART initiation. The percentage of memory CD4+ T cells drastically increased at 1 month after HAART initiation and became higher in comparison to the control group until clinical recovery onset; the percentage of memory CD8+ T cells was consistently lower throughout follow-up. Interestingly, the percentage of regulatory T cells (Treg) on the CNS-IRIS patient reached a minimum around 1 month before symptoms onset.Conclusion: Although both stereotactic biopsies and steroid therapy might be of use in CNS-IRIS cases and should be considered for these patients, they might be unnecessary to achieve clinical improvement as shown in this case. Immunological characterization of more CNS-IRIS cases is essential to shed some light on the pathogenesis of this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article attempts to explain the swift development of renewable energy, in particular wind energy, in Portugal, by assessing the socio-political, community and market acceptance of renewables. We examine, on the one hand, the institutional and policy framework, the approaches to planning, and the ownership of facilities, and, on the other hand, the attitudes of Environmental Non-Governmental Organisations and citizens towards renewable energy in general and local windfarms in particular. Results show that a highly attractive feed-in tariff system and a system of planning decisions at the national level has led to an expansion of wind power, regardless of a less than enthusiastic public opinion and a sceptical environmental movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schmidt, L., Delicado, A., Gomes, C., Granjo P., Guerreiro, S., Horta, A., Mourato, J., Prista, P., Saraiva, T., Truninger, M., O'Riordan, T., Santos, F.D., and Penha-Lopes, G. 2013. Change in the way we live and plan the coast: stakeholders discussions on future scenarios and adaptation strategies A scenario of increased risks due to climate change and coastal erosion, coupled with a stringent economic recession, is threatening the Portuguese coast. Three particular locations are the focus of CHANGE - Changing Coasts, Changing Climate, Changing Communities, a 3-year study (2010-2013) that aims to understand social perceptions about coastal risks and to examine new ways of adaptive management. The project involved assessing peoples' representations about the coastal present and possible coastal futures and discussed coastal change with local populations, in a country in which the protection of vulnerable coast to date has had little public involvement. The three coastal stretches studied face increasing coastal risks and the perspective of reduced public spending, fuelling uncertainty about their future. Public participation in coastal management has been almost entirely absent, which makes the social science based contribution of this research even more relevant. This research combines: a) scientific assessments on the past and future evolution of the shoreline, taking into account the impacts of climate change; b) interviews with policy-makers, coastal experts and stakeholders, as well as local public opinion surveys; c) the outputs of a model for coastal governance and community building, based on local discussions through focus groups and workshops. This paper is based on the surveys and focus groups undertaken in the case-study area most at risk from coastal change, Vagueira. We conclude that there is a growing perception of coastal threat and potential for the development of adaptive coastal management, taking advantage of local knowledge and initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Performance of feasibility studies in mining projects is poor which could be due to omission of quantitative uncertainty assessments in public reporting. • JORC 2012 standards require quantitative uncertainty assessment for geological and spatial domain models. • Current methodologies of quantitative uncertainty assessment and communication exist and can be used in early-stage mining projects. • Professional development and incorporating software and process workflows could be the way to go to improve current reporting practice. Sustainability of mining projects is linked to informed investment decisions based on public reporting of exploration and mineral resource estimation results. In Australia, guidelines for public reporting are established by the Joint Ore Reserves Committee reporting code through the JORC Code (2012). Although assessment of uncertainty in the results reported is a requirement, this is often communicated in a qualitative manner and subjectively evaluated. This can become a liability if not communicated effectively, particularly in early stages of mining projects when spatial domains of geological interpretation and mineralization envelopes influence reliability of resource estimates. This review describes methodologies for quantitative uncertainty assessment and communication, and explores how they could be applied in public reporting practice. The complexity, cost and additional work of doing a quantitative assessment could hinder a straightforward implementation. This could be overcome if mining companies budget for quantitative uncertainty assessment and associated professional development. A compulsory requirement for inclusion of uncertainty assessments in public reporting or use of standardized subjective language would improve industry practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Concomitant use of ledipasvir and boosted protease inhibitors (PIs) may increase the risk of tenofovir (TDF) nephrotoxicity, since both these drugs increase TDF levels. Our aim was to evaluate glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) evolution during HCV treatment with sofosbuvir/ledipasvir (SOF/LDV) in HCV/HIV coinfected patients, according to their antiretroviral treatment (ARV).Methods: Observational prospective study of HCV/HIV coinfected patients treated with SOF/LDV. eGFR evolution was evaluated during and 12 weeks after HCV treatment. Patients were categorized in three groups based on ARV regimen: non TDF, non-boosted TDF and TDF + boosted PI.Results: We included 273 patients: 145 were receiving a non-TDF regimen, 78 a non-boosted TDF scheme and 50 were receiving TDF + boosted PI. We observed a statistically significant decrease in eGFR during treatment in all groups (non TDF p = 0.03, 95%CI [0.23-3.86], non-boosted TDF p < 0.01, 95%CI [3.36-7.44], TDF + PI p = 0.01, 95%CI [1.09-7.53]). The decrease was more pronounced in those receiving unboosted TDF (- 5.40 ml/min/1.73m2), but differences in eGFR decrease between the three groups were small and not statistically different (p = 0.06). eGFR decrease was greater in patients treated for 24 weeks (p = 0.009) and in cirrhotic patients (p = 0.036). At the end of follow up a recovery of eGFR was observed in all groups.Conclusion: We observed a significant decrease in eGFR during treatment in all study groups, that was small and reversible after SOF/LDV discontinuation. TDF was not associated with an increase in renal toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]