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The ability to empathize with another person's inner experience is believed to be a central element of our social interactions. Previous research has focused on cognitive (e.g., theory of mind) and emotional (e.g., emotional contagion) empathy, and less on behavioral factors (i.e., the ability to respond empathically). Recent studies suggest that the Default Mode Network (DMN) mediates individual variability in distinct empathy-related behaviors. However, little is known about DMN activity during actual empathic responses, understood in this study as the ability to communicate our understanding of the others' experience back to them. This study used an empathy response paradigm with 28 participants (22-37 years old) to analyze the relationship between the quality of empathic responses to 14 empathy-eliciting vignettes and patterns of attenuation in the DMN. Overall, the results suggest that high levels of empathic response, are associated with sustained activation of the DMN when compared with lower levels of empathy. Our results demonstrate that the DMN becomes increasingly involved in empathy-related behavior, as our level of commitment to the other's experience increases. This study represents a first attempt to understand the relation between the capacity for responding in a supportive way to others' needs and the intra-individual variability of the pattern of the DMN attenuation. Here we underline the critical role that the DMN plays in high-level social cognitive processes and corroborate the DMN role in different psychiatric disorders associated with a lack of empathy.

The peripersonal space (PPS) is a multisensory representation of the near-body region of space where objects appear at hand. It also represents a buffer zone protecting the body from external threats and as such it contributes to the organization of social interactions. However, how the combination of embodied objects processing and constraints inherent to social interactions contributes to PPS representation remains an open issue. By using a cooperative task where two male (N = 22) or female (N = 18) participants, sharing the same action space, were requested to select a number of stimuli on a touch-screen table, we investigated the effect of non-uniform distribution of reward-yielding stimuli on selection strategy and perceptual judgments of reachability, used as a proxy of PPS representation. The probability to select a reward-yielding stimulus (50% of the stimuli) was 75% in the proximal space of one of the two confederates. Results showed that participants initially prioritized stimuli in their proximal space and were progressively influenced by the spatial distribution of reward-yielding stimuli, thus invading their confederate’s action space when associated with higher probability of reward. The distribution of reward-yielding stimuli led to an increase of reachability threshold, but only when biased towards the participants’ distal space. Although the invasion of others’ PPS was more pronounced in male participants, the biased distribution of reward-yielding stimuli altered the reachability threshold similarly in males and females. As a whole, the data revealed that reward expectations in relation to motor actions influence both PPS exploration and representation in social context, but differently in males and females., This work was funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR-11-EQPX-0023) and also supported by European funds through the program FEDER SCV-IrDIVE. M-F G was supported by a Ph.D. grant from the University of Lille and Région Hauts-de-France.

The Self-Report Psychopathy Scale-Short Form (SRP-SF) is a brief measure of psychopathy, developed via model-based test theory. The SRP-SF has a 4-factor structure with items reflecting affective, interpersonal, lifestyle, and antisocial domains, in line with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), which can be aggregated to form the traditional F1 and F2 dimensions of psychopathy. Previous research indicates the SRP is a viable tool for examining the prevalence of psychopathic propensities and their correlates in nonoffender populations. Currently, a substantial amount of nonoffender research on psychopathy is conducted in North America. Here, we inspect the psychometric properties of the SRP-SF and probe its association with general personality and empathy in a large southern European (Portuguese) community sample. Consistent with previous studies, results indicated good fit for the 4-factor model, including for separate female and male subsamples, good internal consistency across its scales and subscales, and the predicted pattern of associations with the correlates of psychopathy. The results of this cross-cultural study provide further evidence of the validity of the SRP-SF in the assessment of psychopathy in community samples, and help to extend the nomological net on the larger construct to a southern European sample., Preparation of this article was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) grants awarded to Ana Seara-Cardoso (PTDC/MHC-PCN/2296/2014; SFRH/BPD/94970/2013), co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016747). Joana Coutinho was supported during the writing of this article by an FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/75014/2010). This work was conducted at Psychology Research Center (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho, supported by the FCT, cofinanced by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653). This study was not preregistered.

There is long-standing evidence that thyroid disease and kidney disease have a two-way relationship, as they can aggravate and lead to each other. The exact nature of this association and its clinical implications have been a matter of debate, as co-sharing of risk factors and appropriate prospective studies that allow for causal relationships to be inferred are lacking. Hypothyroidism is currently regarded by the American Heart Association as a modifiable cardiovascular risk factor and a reversible cause of heart failure. Among the nephrology community, while hypothyroidism has been an increasingly prevalent issue, formal guidelines on how to proceed when such association occurs are lacking and its clinical implications are often underappreciated among practitioners. Whether renal disease caused the thyroid disturbance or vice-versa, there is evidence pointing to thyroid dysfunction being a risk factor for incident chronic kidney disease and its progression and it is linked to increased overall mortality in CKD patients. The authors provide a review of current scientific evidence on this complex relationship.

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text., Background: Despite large investments to prevent mother-to-child-transmission (PMTCT), pediatric HIV elimination goals are not on track in many countries. The Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach (SAIA) study was a cluster randomized trial to test whether a package of systems engineering tools could strengthen PMTCT programs. We sought to (1) define core and adaptable components of the SAIA intervention, and (2) explain the heterogeneity in SAIA's success between facilities. Methods: The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) guided all data collection efforts. CFIR constructs were assessed in focus group discussions and interviews with study and facility staff in 6 health facilities (1 high-performing and 1 low-performing site per country, identified by study staff) in December 2014 at the end of the intervention period. SAIA staff identified the intervention's core and adaptable components at an end-of-study meeting in August 2015. Two independent analysts used CFIR constructs to code transcripts before reaching consensus. Results: Flow mapping and continuous quality improvement were the core to the SAIA in all settings, whereas the PMTCT cascade analysis tool was the core in high HIV prevalence settings. Five CFIR constructs distinguished strongly between high and low performers: 2 in inner setting (networks and communication, available resources) and 3 in process (external change agents, executing, reflecting and evaluating). Discussion: The CFIR is a valuable tool to categorize elements of an intervention as core versus adaptable, and to understand heterogeneity in study implementation. Future intervention studies should apply evidence-based implementation science frameworks, like the CFIR, to provide salient data to expand implementation to other settings.

Social interactions require the capacity to understand both our and other’s internal states. These semi-independent skills, the ability to understand oneself and others, seem to rely on the same type of representations and recruit similar brain areas. In this study, we looked at the neural basis of self and other processing in the context of an interaction with a significant other. Fourty-two participants in a monogamous relationship completed an fMRI task in which they watched a set of video-vignettes of his/her romantic partner expressing emotional contents. Participants were asked to elaborate on his/her spouse´s experience (other condition) and on his/her own experience when watching the video-vignettes (self-condition). The results showed a significant overlap in the brain activation for both conditions (e.g. anterior insula, posterior cingulate/precuneus, inferior frontal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule). In addition, the self-condition recruited brain areas associated with interoceptive processing and affect sharing (e.g., posterior insula), whereas the other-condition engaged brain areas involved in the cognitive representation of another’s internal states and self-other distinction (e.g., fusiform, supramarginal gyrus, angular gyrus and temporoparietal junction)., This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [UID/CEC/00319/2019].

Previous studies about romantic relationships have shown that the reciprocal influence between partners occurs not only at the behavioral and socio-emotional levels, but also at the psychophysiological level. This reciprocal influence is expressed in a pattern of physiological synchrony between partners (i.e., coordinated dynamics of the physiological time series). The main aim of the present study was to explore the presence of a pattern of physiological synchrony in electrodermal activity (EDA) during a couple interaction task. A second objective was to compare the synchrony levels during a negative interaction condition versus a positive interaction condition. Finally, we analyzed the association between synchrony and self-perception of empathy, dyadic empathy, and relationship satisfaction. Thirty-two couples (64 individuals) participated in this study. Each couple performed a structured interaction task while the EDA of both partners was being registered. The quantification of synchrony was based on the cross-correlation of both members' EDA time-series. In order to control for coincidental synchrony, surrogate datasets were created by repeatedly shuffling the original data of spouses X and Y of a dyad and computing synchronies on the basis of the shuffled data (pseudosynchrony values). Our results confirmed the presence of significant EDA synchrony during the interaction. We also found that synchrony was higher during the negative interactions relative to the positive interactions. Additionally, physiological synchrony during positive interaction was higher for those couples in which males scored higher in dyadic empathy. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed., This study was funded by BIAL Foundation (Grant number 87/12); by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science through National Funds and cofinanced by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01- 0145-FEDER-007653).

Neuroimaging studies in social neuroscience have largely relied on functional connectivity (FC) methods to characterize the functional integration between different brain regions. However, these methods have limited utility in social-cognitive studies that aim to understand the directed information flow among brain areas that underlies complex psychological processes. In this study we combined functional and effective connectivity approaches to characterize the functional integration within the Default Mode Network (DMN) and its role in self-perceived empathy. Forty-two participants underwent a resting state fMRI scan and completed a questionnaire of dyadic empathy. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) showed that higher empathy scores were associated with an increased contribution of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to the DMN spatial mode. Dynamic causal modelling (DCM) combined with Canonical Variance Analysis (CVA) revealed that this association was mediated indirectly by the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) via the right inferior parietal lobule (IPL). More specifically, in participants with higher scores in empathy, the PCC had a greater effect on bilateral IPL and the right IPL had a greater influence on mPFC. These results highlight the importance of using analytic approaches that address directed and hierarchical connectivity within networks, when studying complex psychological phenomena, such as empathy., This study was funded by BIAL Foundation (Grant number 87/12); by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science through national funds and co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653); by the postdoctoral scholarship UMINHO/BPD/18/2017 and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science Doctoral scholarship (PD/BD/105963/2014). This work was conducted at Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho.

This study had the financial support by Research and Technological Development Incentive Program – Algavalue Project n.º 17680 – Valorização dos subprodutos do processo biotecnológico de produção de esqualeno e DHA pela microalga Aurantiochytrium sp. – and the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE. Aurantiochytrium sp. is a heterotrophic microalgae that, in certain growth conditions, besides producing significant amounts of squalene, may potentially produce other bioactive compounds with high value and commercial interest such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), carotenoids, among others. Antioxidant compounds, naturally occurring in microalgae sources, have been identified as free radical or active oxygen scavengers, with beneficial effects on oxidation and oxidative damage inhibition in human body and foods. Several in vitro methodologies have been proposed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity, such as free radicals: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2 -azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+), and reactive species including hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), singlet oxygen (O2), and superoxide anion (O2-) (Balboa et al., 2013). The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Aurantiochytrium sp., by means of different methodologies: reducing and scavenging activity by total phenolics content (TPC, Singleton & Rossi, 1965), DPPH (Custódio et al., 2012), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC, Dávalos et al., 2004). The obtained results indicated that the microalgae Aurantiochytrium sp. is rich in antioxidant compounds, by reducing activity through total phenolics and DPPH, as well as scavenging activity by ORAC. Moreover, it is evident the higher selectivity of ethanol as solvent for the extraction of antioxidants compounds. The potential of this microalgae biomass as a good, natural and sustainable source for use as a functional food ingredient is evident, representing an opportunity with additional benefits due to the antioxidant role in diseases prevention and treatment. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Empathy is an important concept in psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Despite the controversy around its definition, most researchers would agree that empathy is a multidimensional phenomenon which involves a vicarious experience of another person's affective state and an understanding of another person's affective experience. Self-report measures of empathy constitute an important tool for both research and clinical practice. The main goal of this study was to adapt and study the psychometric properties of the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE), a worldwide used measure of empathy, in a Portuguese community sample (N = 562). Confirmatory factor analyses supported the factor structure of the original QCAE. Results show that the Portuguese version of the QCAE has sound psychometric properties, with good structural validity and internal consistency for both scales (i.e., affective and cognitive) and respective subscales of the instrument (i.e., Emotion Contagion, Proximal Responsivity, Peripheral Responsivity, Perspective Taking and Online Simulation). We tested both a five correlated factor structure (Model 1) and a second-order model that postulates the affective and cognitive dimensions (Model 2). Our results show that while both models present acceptable goodness of fit indices, Model 1 performs slightly better. In conclusion, the Portuguese version of the QCAE may prove a useful tool for future cross-cultural assessments of empathy in both research and clinical practice., This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) grants awarded to ASC (PTDC/MHC-PCN/2296/2014; SFRH/BPD/94970/2013), co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016747). JC was supported during the writing of this paper by an FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/75014/2010) and by BIAL foundation (87/12). This work was conducted at Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho, supported by the FCT, co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653).

This study had the financial support by Research and Technological Development Incentive Program – Algavalue Project n.º 17680 – Valorização dos subprodutos do processo biotecnológico de produção de esqualeno e DHA pela microalga Aurantiochytrium sp – and the strategic project UID/MAR/04292/2013 granted to MARE. Mayonnaise, a food product widely consumed since the 1900s, traditionally prepared from a mixture of oil, egg yolk and vinegar, has a reduced shelf-life primarily due to lipid oxidation (Kwon et al., 2015). The addition of synthetic antioxidants like BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), BHA (butylated hydroxyl anisole), and EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) has been used to control this problem (Gray, 1978). However, these synthetic antioxidants showed several disadvantages such as the easily decomposition at higher temperatures, and an increased health risk for chronic consumers (Martinez-Tome et al., 2001). Natural antioxidants, derived from marine algae, show great potential for improving oxidative stability, extending the shelf-life of stored food products with additional health-promoting benefits (Hermund et al., 2015). Since 2004, the DHA-rich oil derived from the microalgae Aurantiochytrium sp. has been recognized as safe, available for food use and for dietary supplements. In general, Aurantiochytrium sp. became a popular source of protein-rich biomass and of valuable compounds like pigments, antioxidants and essential fatty acids. The potential of heterotrophic microalgae Aurantiochytrium sp. as a source of functional ingredient applied in mayonnaise product has not been evaluated yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of mayonnaise enriched with Aurantiochytrium extract by colour (L*, a*, b*, and ºh), texture (hardness, adhesiveness, resilience, cohesion, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness) and antioxidant capacity (DPPH and total phenolics content). The mayonnaise without extract was used as control sample. Colour results indicated that the luminosity of mayonnaise enriched with extract increased and the a* and b* colour parameters decreased, promoting a colour enhancement. Also, with the addition of Aurantiochytrium extract, a decrease in all texture attributes obtained by TPA profile test, with exception of cohesion and springiness, was observed. A correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolics content was denoted, in all samples. The high antioxidant capacity can be related to high radical scavenging activity, high total phenolic content, and high carotenoid content of the extract. This study demonstrates that Aurantiochytrium sp extracts have the potential to be used as a nutraceutical/functional ingredient in mayonnaise, a product widely consumed by different age groups. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

CONTEXTO: As dificuldades de regulação emocional estão presentes em vários quadros psicopatológicos, sendo necessário o recurso a um instrumento que as possa medir adequadamente. OBJECTIVOS: Fazer a adaptação para o português da Escala de Dificuldades de Regulação Emocional e analisar as suas qualidades psicométricas. Um segundo objectivo do estudo era o de explorar a associação entre as dimensões da DERS e sintomas psicopatológicos específicos. MÉTODO: A escala original foi traduzida para o português e preenchida por uma amostra de 324 sujeitos que também preencheram o Inventário Breve de Sintomas. RESULTADOS: Os resultados revelam uma estrutura factorial muito semelhante à da versão original, bons valores de estabilidade temporal, de consistência interna (Cronbach's α = ,93) e bons níveis de validade externa com o BSI. A análise realizada com o subgrupo de 115 sujeitos que compuseram a amostra clínica revelou que os indivíduos com psicopatologia apresentam mais dificuldades de regulação emocional do que os indivíduos normais. Por meio da análise de correlação entre as diferentes subescalas da DERS e do BSI, verificamos que as subescalas Estratégias e Objectivos apresentam o valor mais elevado de associação com todos os sintomas psicopatológicos. DISCUSSÃO: Esses resultados sugerem que essas duas dimensões são transversais às várias perturbações psicopatológicas e poderiam, por isso, ser incluídas em intervenções psicológicas focadas na capacidade de regulação emocional.BACKGROUND: Emotion dysregulation is a unifier dimension of several psychopathological symptoms thus an instrument that measures it is needed. OBJECTIVES: To adapt to Portuguese the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and study its psychometric qualities. A second goal was to explore the association between DERS dimensions and specific types of psychopathology symptoms. METHOD: The original measure was translated to Portuguese and completed by a sample of 324 individuals who also completed the Brief Symptom Inventory. RESULTS: The results show a very similar factor structure to the original measure: good testretest stability, very good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = ,93) and good external validity with BSI. The analysis performed with the subset of 115 individuals that composed the clinical sample showed that psychopathologic individuals present more difficulties in emotion regulation than normal individuals. Through the correlation analysis between the different DERS and BSI subscales, we found that the Strategies and Goals subscales present the highest level of association with all the psychopathological symptoms. DISCUSSION: This may suggest that these two dimensions are present in various psychological disorders and could, therefore, be included in psychological interventions focused on emotion regulation skills.

The resting state brain networks, particularly the Default Mode Network (DMN), have been found to be altered in several psychopathological conditions such as depression and anxiety. In this study we hypothesized that cortical areas of the DMN, particularly the anterior regions - medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex - would show an increased functional connectivity associated with both anxiety and depression. Twenty-four healthy participants were assessed using Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scales and completed a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Multiple regression was performed in order to identify which areas of the DMN were associated with anxiety and depression scores. We found that the functional connectivity of the anterior portions of DMN, involved in self-referential and emotional processes, was positively correlated with anxiety and depression scores, whereas posterior areas of the DMN, involved in episodic memory and perceptual processing were negatively correlated with anxiety and depression scores. The dissociation between anterior and posterior cortical midline regions, raises the possibility of a functional specialization within the DMN in terms of self-referential tasks and contributes to the understanding of the cognitive and affective alterations in depressive and anxiety states., This research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT): PIC/IC/83290/2007, which is supported by FEDER (POFC - COMPETE). Joana Coutinho was funded by a FCT postdoctoral grant (number: SFRH/BPD/75014/2010)- POPH program and Bial Foundation (grant number 87/12)Liliana Maia is supported by the Competitive Factors Operational Programme-COMPETE-, by national funds from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (grant PTDC/PSI-PCL/115316/2009)., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Obsessive-compulsive personality (OCPD) disorder is characterized by a pattern of excessive self-control, perfectionism and behavioral and cognitive rigidity. Despite the fact that OCPD is the most common personality disorder in the general population, published studies looking at the brain correlates of this disorder are practically nonexistent. The main goal of this study was to analyze the presence of brain alterations in OCPD when compared to healthy controls, specifically at the level of the Default Mode Network (DMN). The DMN is a well-established resting state network which was found to be associated with psychological processes that may play a key role in OCPD (e.g., self-awareness, episodic future thinking and mental simulation). Ten individuals diagnosed with OCPD and ten healthy controls underwent a clinical assessment interview and a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquisition. The results show that OCPD patients presented an increased functional connectivity in the precuneus (i.e., a posterior node of the DMN), known to be involved in the retrieval manipulation of past events in order to solve current problems and develop plans for the future. These results suggest that this key node of the DMN may play an important role in the pathophysiology of OCPD., This study was conducted at Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science through national funds and co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653).Joana Coutinho was funded by a FCT postdoctoral grant (number: SFRH/BPD/75014/2010) and Bial Foundation (grant number 87/12)., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

This paper explores the development of therapeutic collaboration in Person-Centered Therapy (PCT). It presents a good outcome case - "Mary" - selected from York I Depression Study, treated with PCT. The study examined how therapist and client worked together throughout the therapy, using the Therapeutic Collaboration Coding System (TCCS). The TCCS assumes that effective therapeutic collaboration occurs within the client's therapeutic zone of proximal development (TZPD), defined as the distance between the actual and the potential client's developmental level. It consists of a transcript-based method by which therapist's interventions and client's responses are analyzed on a moment-to moment basis. Two independent trained judges coded 15 sessions of this case, using the TCCS. Results showed that the therapeutic dyad worked most of the time within the client's TZPD, thus suggesting a collaborative pattern throughout the therapy process. In addition, the results showed that the client proactively interacted with the therapist, moving forward in her TZPD., (undefined)

This study compared two methods of detecting ruptures in therapy sessions, a procedure based on a self-report measure, the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI), and an observational Rupture Resolution Rating System (3RS). We anticipated that the 3RS would detect more ruptures than the WAI. We examined the longitudinal data of 38 patient-therapist dyads in a cognitive-behavioral therapy condition. The sample included cases that did not complete treatment (dropped cases) as well as good-outcome and poor-outcome cases. At the end of each session, patients completed the WAI self-report questionnaire. Six judges were trained to observe and detect the occurrence of ruptures, and then rated 201 videotaped sessions. Longitudinal statistical models were applied to the data retrieved from the WAI questionnaires completed by patients. We found discrepancies in the ability of the two methods to detect rupture events with the observational 3RS detecting more ruptures than the WAI. Thus, the use of observational systems for the detection of alliance ruptures is crucial for effectively assessing the quality of the therapeutic alliance over the course of treatment. Furthermore, observational systems proven to detect ruptures can be used to improve clinical practice and training of new clinicians., (undefined)

Mestrado em Biotecnologia - Biotecnologia Industrial e Ambiental Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) production from industrial wastes and open mixed cultures (OMC) is a way to reduce process costs. OMC produce PHA from short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which composition determines the final composition of the polymer and consequently its characteristics. So it is important to understand which operational conditions influence SCFA production during acidogenic fermentation of industrial wastes such as hardwood sulphite spent liquor (HSSL) and cheese whey. This work began with the evaluation of the acidogenic fermentation capacity of HSSL in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR), with emphasis on the influence of the organic loading rate (OLR) and temperature on the process. In the end of the fermentation it was possible to produce a stream with acetic, lactic, propionic and butyric acids and ethanol. The profile of SCFA changed with the OLR, with hydraulic retention time (HRT) and with the age of the culture. A PHA accumulation test was performed with the effluent of the end of the fermentation. With this batch experiment was possible to achieve 32% PHA on dry cell weight, with a 75:25 proportion on 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate, respectively. In the second part of this work, the acidogenic fermentation of cheese whey in a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) was studied in order to explore the process in a reactor for biomass retention. The influence of the available surface area, associated with biomass concentration, was studied. The carriers with the largest surface area allowed more biomass growth and consequently more SCFA production. However, an increase in the number of carriers in the reactor does not translate into higher yields possibly due to various limitations of the system. A model based on Michaelis-Menten equation was conceived to evaluate other MBBR designs for fermentation of cheese whey. These results demonstrate the potential of reactors for biomass retention for the acidogenesis of industrial residues. A produção de polihidroxialcanoatos (PHA) a partir de resíduos industriais e a utilização de culturas mistas microbianas (OMC) constitui-se como hipóteses para diminuir os custos de produção desta classe de bioplásticos. As OMC produzem PHA a partir de ácidos orgânicos voláteis (AOV) cuja composição permite manipular a composição final do polímero e consequentemente as suas características. Neste sentido, é importante compreender quais as condições operacionais que influenciam a produção de AOV por fermentação acidogénica a partir de subprodutos industriais como o licor de cozimento ao sulfito ácido (HSSL) e o permeado do soro de leite. Este trabalho iniciou-se com os testes à capacidade fermentativa do HSSL num reactor contínuo perfeitamente agitado, com ênfase no estudo da influência da carga orgânica (OLR) e da temperatura no processo. No fim da fermentação foi possível produzir um efluente contendo os ácidos acético, láctico, propiónico e butírico e etanol. O perfil dos AOV mudou com a OLR, o tempo de retenção hidráulico (HRT) e com a idade da cultura. O efluente final a fermentação foi utilizado num teste de acumulação de PHA. Com este teste em reactor descontínuo foi possível obter 32% de PHA em peso seco, com uma proporção de 75:25 em 3-hidroxibutirato e 3-hidroxivalerato, respectivamente. Na segunda parte deste trabalho estudou-se a fermentação acidogénica de permeado de queijo num reactor de biofilme, de maneira a explorar a potencialidade do processo num reactor para retenção de biomassa. Estudouse a influência da área superficial, associada à concentração de biomassa. Concluiu-se que os carriers com maior área superficial permitiram maior crescimento de biomassa, e consequentemente a maior produção de AOV. No entanto, maior número de carriers não permitiu um maior rendimento possivelmente devido a limitações do sistema. Foi concebido um modelo baseado na equação de Michaelis-Menten para avaliar outros desenhos de MBBR para fermentação de permeado de queijo. Assim, os resultados obtidos demonstram a potencialidade dos sistemas para retenção de biomassa para a acidogénese de resíduos industriais.

Of the five personality dimensions described by the Big Five Personality Model (Costa and McCrae 1992), Extraversion and Agreeableness are the traits most commonly associated with a pro-social orientation. In this study we tested whether a pro-social orientation, as expressed in terms of Extraversion and Agreeableness, is associated with a specific grey matter phenotype. Fifty-two healthy participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and completed the NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), a self-report measure of the Big Five personality traits. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to investigate the correlation between brain structure and the personality traits of Agreeableness and Extraversion. We found that Extraversion was negatively correlated with grey matter density in the middle frontal and orbitofrontal gyri while Agreeableness was negatively correlated with grey matter density in the inferior parietal, middle occipital and posterior cingulate gyri. No positive correlations were found. These results suggest that pro-social personality traits seem to be associated with decreases in grey matter density in more frontal regions for Extraversion, and more posterior regions for Agreeableness., This research was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT): PIC/IC/83290/2007, which is supported by FEDER (POFC - COMPETE), and postdoctoral grant number: SFRH/BPD/75014/2010.

Aim: We explored therapists’ and clients’ experiences of alliance rupture events for the first 15 sessions of each of eight cases; therapists were each paired with one client who had a personality disorder. Method: All sessions were videotaped and rated with the Rupture Resolution Rating System. Approximately 1 week after a rupture, clients and therapists were individually interviewed about the causes of the rupture, how the rupture evolved, the impact of the rupture on the therapeutic process, and experiences during the event. The interviews were analyzed by five judges using consensual qualitative research (CQR; Hill, 2011). Results: Typically, rupture events involved a repetition of a previous rupture event, the rupture emerged when the client was not prepared to respond to the therapist’s intervention, both therapists and clients felt confused and ambivalent, and confrontation events activated intense and negative feelings. We discuss the implications for practice, training, and research., Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia

An experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the effects of feeding frozen Artemia diets differing in arachidonic acid-to-eicosapentaenoic acid ratios (ARA/EPA) on growth, survival and stress coping ability of Senegalese sole post-larvae (19-31 days after hatch). Two experimental diets presenting high ('High'; 3. 0) or low ('Low'; 0. 7) ARA/EPA ratios were tested under two rearing conditions: undisturbed (C) and stressed by a 2-min air exposure every two days (S). Growth, survival and basal cortisol levels were similar between groups indicating that independently of dietary ARA/EPA ratios, fish were able to cope with the repeated stress imposed. Also, cortisol levels at 3 h past air exposure were determined in all groups at the end of the experiment. Among fish fed the 'Low' diet, C groups seemed to present a quicker recovery from the acute stress (basal-like levels) than S groups. Repeated stress effects were not apparent in fish fed the 'High' diet and, relative to basal levels, twofold higher cortisol concentrations were detected at 3 h, in both C and S groups. This study suggests the importance of ARA in steroidogenesis regulation and the modulatory role of EPA in this process. Despite the tolerance to a wide range of dietary ARA/EPA as indicated by growth and survival results, acute stress coping response may be more efficient in Senegalese sole post-larvae fed low ARA/EPA ratios and, under these particular conditions, a faster recovery of cortisol to basal values could be indicative of rearing conditions (undisturbed vs. repeatedly stressed). © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V., This study was funded by project EFARFish—‘A New Method for the Study of Essential Fatty Acid Requirements in Fish Larvae’ (PTDC/MAR/67017/2006), granted by ‘Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia’, (FCT), Portugal, with the support of FEDER, and by the project FUNDIGEST (AGL2007-64450-C02-01), granted by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) with the support of FEDER. Dulce Alves Martins and Sofia Engrola were supported by grants SFRH/BPD/32469/2006 and SFRH/BPD/49051/2008, respectively (FCT, Portugal). This publication benefits from participation in LARVANET COST action FA0801.

Despite the large progress obtained in recent years, Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) production of high quality juveniles is still a bottleneck. This paper examines the effect of larval and post-larval lipid nutrition on juvenile performance and quality. Four dietary treatments were tested: A—enriched Artemia spp. (EA); B—non-enriched Artemia spp. (NEA); C—EA during the pelagic larval period and NEA after larval settlement; D—50% EA and 50% NEA. Juvenile fatty acid profile at 60 days after hatching (DAH) clearly reflected the larval and post-larval diet composition. Feeding sole larvae on NEA (poor in lipids and essential fatty acids-EFA) had a negative effect, reducing growth (total length and dry weight) after 30 DAH and decreasing digestive enzyme activity at the end of the rearing period (60 DAH). However, relatively good performance compared to the EFA-richest treatment (A) was obtained when larvae were fed 50% EA and 50% NEA (D) or even EA only during the pelagic larval period followed by NEA after larval settlement (C). Malpigmentation was not affected by the dietary regimes and its incidence was very low. However, skeletal deformities were prevalent, particularly in the caudal complex, independently of diet. The results confirm that Senegalese sole appear to have lower larval EFA requirements than most cultured marine species and potentially even lower requirements during the post-larval stage. The importance of studying the impact of early nutrition on later juvenile stages was clearly highlighted in this study.

This article presents the basic theoretical assumptions of a Relational Approach to Psychotherapy, particularly in what concerns the interpersonal roots of psychopathology and consequently the way the relational experience therapy provides, may serve to change the client’s dysfunctional interpersonal schema subjacent to symptoms. In the second part of the article we present the clinical implications of the concept of Ruptures in Therapeutic Alliance, seen as a tension or breakdown in the collaborative relationship between therapist and patient. Following Bordin’s conceptualization of the alliance, ruptures may consist of a disagreement about the tasks or the goals of treatment or a strain in the bond. The most important findings that have been collected about the way these interpersonal cycles between therapist and patient can lead to change when efficiently addressed, or to poor outcome or unilateral termination when unresolved, are reviewed. Having already accumulated enough evidence about the importance of the therapeutic alliance, a second generation of alliance researchers is now trying to understand the way the alliance is a mechanism of change. The findings we review suggest that the process of repairing weakened alliances may offer an answer to that question., Este artigo apresenta as premissas básicas de uma abordagem relacional em psicoterapia, nomeadamente no que diz respeito às origens de natureza interpessoal da psicopatologia e consequentemente ao modo como a experiencia relacional que a psicoterapia oferece, pode servir para alterar os esquemas interpessoais disfuncionais do paciente subjacentes aos sintomas. Na 2ª parte do artigo, apresentamos as implicações clínicas do conceito do conceito de Rupturas na Aliança Terapêutica, entendidas como um comprometimento ou quebra na relação colaborativa entre terapeuta e paciente. Seguindo a conceptualização de Aliança de Bordin, as rupturas podem consistir num desacordo ao nível das tarefas ou objectivos do processo ou numa tensão no vínculo. São revistos os resultados mais relevantes que têm sido encontrados sobre o modo como estes ciclos interpessoais entre terapeuta e paciente podem conduzir à mudança quando eficazmente geridos, ou a resultados pobres ou finalizações unilaterais quando não resolvidos. Tendo já acumulado evidência para a importância da aliança terapêutica, uma segunda geração de investigadores na aliança, tem procurado compreender o modo como a aliança é, em si mesma, um mecanismo de mudança. Os resultados que aqui são revistos sugerem que o processo de reparação de alianças enfraquecidas pode oferecer uma resposta a esta questão., Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT)