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Introduction: Similar effects in reducing the symptoms of the mood disorder are reported in the literature compared the action of drugs and aerobic exercise sessions, demonstrating the potential of exercise in the control and mood stabilization. Therefore, there are many reasons to believe that the increased cardiorespiratory fitness (VO 2max ) can be an important means of protection and a reducing potential of physical and mental damage in bipolar disorders (BD). This review will highlight the current pattern of response of exercise on the pathophysiology of BD, relating the possible mechanisms, and hypotheses based on exercises., Areas Covered: The mechanism of monoaminergic action and its relationship with exercise, role of physical conditioning and increased VO 2Max on neurotrophin release, and new perspectives on long-term exercise will be reviewed., Expert Opinion: The adaptations to training, although little explored in the context of BD, can induce the expression of substances that co-regulate several processes related to the pathophysiology of BD. Furthermore, high intensity interval training (HIIT) can also be adjusted to improve the physical fitness and health in patients with BD. Future research is needed to adopt a training strategy that is both time efficient and adequate for the population in question.

This study analyzed independent and codependent effects of task- and ego-involving motivational climates on basic psychological need satisfaction and behavioral regulation (i.e., autonomous and controlled motivation) among young athletes. Participants were young Portuguese female ( n  = 114) and male ( n  = 324) swimmers, nested within four different clubs. Participants completed a multisection survey, assessing motivational climates, basic psychological needs satisfaction, and behavioral regulation. We used polynomial regression analysis with surface response methodology to analyze the interactions between these constructs. We found that perceived task- and ego-involving motivational climates were not mutually exclusive; rather, their relationship depended on how athletes perceived coaches' behaviors and how coaches emphasized one or both climates. Coaches who fostered both motivational climates promoted positive outcomes among male (but not female) athletes.

A series of selenylated-oxadiazoles were prepared and their interaction with DNA was investigated. The photophysical studies showed that all the selenylated compounds presented absorption between 270 and 329 nm, assigned to combined n→π* and π→π* transitions, and an intense blue emission (325-380 nm) with quantum yield in the range of Φ F  = 0.1-0.4. DFT and TD-DFT calculations were also performed to study the likely geometry and the excited state of these compounds. Electrochemical studies revealed the ionization potential energies (-5.13 to -6.01 eV) and electron affinity energies (-2.25 to -2.83 eV), depending directly on the electronic effect (electron-donating or electron-withdrawing) of the substituent attached to the product. Finally, the UV-Vis DNA interaction experiments indicated that the compounds can interact with the DNA molecule due to intercalation, except for 3g (which interacted via electrostatic interaction). Plasmid cleavage assay presented positive results only for 3f that presented the strongest interaction results. These results made the tested selenylated-oxadiazoles as suitable structures for the development of drugs and the design of structurally-related therapeutics., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Grounded in achievement goal theory and self-determination theory, this study aimed to examine the associations of students' perception of learning- and performance-oriented climates created by teachers and peers on basic psychological needs satisfaction, and consequently their relationships with physical education grades. This study had a cross-sectional design, and 589 students aged between 10 and 18 years (M = 12.93; SD = 1.49) were recruited for analysis. Participants completed a multisection survey assessing motivational climates and basic psychological needs, and physical education grades were provided by the physical education teacher. Students' perception of learning-oriented climates created by teachers and peers was positively and significantly associated with basic psychological needs satisfaction. Additionally, these learning-oriented climates presented a significant indirect association with physical education grades. On the other hand, the performance-oriented climate created by teachers had a negative and significant relationship with basic psychological needs satisfaction and displayed a negative indirect relationship with physical education grades. The performance-oriented climate created by peers had a positive and significant relationship with basic psychological needs satisfaction and displayed a positive indirect relationship with physical education grades. The perception of performance-oriented climates created by peers could represent a boost within the students in physical education features. Teachers have the responsibility of promoting task and learning environments in which students experience positive outcomes, not only on a motivational level but also on a cognitive level.

Background: Periodontitis is a multifactorial inflammatory disease of tooth supporting tissues caused by oral biofilms, influenced by environmental and genetic factors, among others. Ethanol consumption has been considered a factor that enhances alveolar bone loss, especially in high doses. The present study aims to investigate the changes promoted by ethanol binge drinking per se or associated with ligature-induced periodontal breakdown on alveolar bone loss., Materials and Methods: Thirty-two Wistar rats were randomly allocated into four groups: control (C), ethanol (3g/kg/day; 3 days On-4 days Off protocol by gavage for 28 days, EtOH), experimental periodontitis (EP) and experimental periodontitis plus ethanol administration (EP+EtOH). On day 14th, periodontitis was induced by ligatures that were placed around the lower first molars. On day 28th, the animals were euthanized and mandibles were submitted to stereomicroscopy for exposed root area analysis and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) for the evaluation of alveolar bone loss and microstructural parameters., Results: The results revealed that ligature-induced alveolar bone loss is aggravated by ethanol binge drinking compared to controls (1.06 ± 0.10 vs 0.77 ± 0.04; p<0.0001). In addition, binge drinking per se altered the alveolar bone quality and density demonstrating a reduction in trabecular thickness, trabecular number parameter and bone density percentual. Periodontal disorder plus ethanol binge drinking group also demonstrated reduction of the quality of bone measured by trabecular thickness., Conclusions: In conclusion, intense and episodic ethanol intake decreased alveolar bone quality in all microstructural parameters analyzed which may be considered a modifying factor of periodontitis, intensifying the already installed disease., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

The Multidimensional Daily Diary of Fatigue-Fibromyalgia-17 (MDF-fibro-17) is an instrument that measures the different components of fibromyalgia-related fatigue symptoms. The current study aims to examine the factor structure of the MDF-fibro-17 in a sample of Portuguese and Brazilian patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Additionally, a cross-cultural analysis was carried out on these samples to understand the multidimensional complexity of examining the different dimensions of fatigue in patients with different cultural backgrounds and how fibromyalgia impacts patients with this syndrome. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to examine the psychometric properties of the measure. Additionally, a multigroup analysis was carried out on the samples of these two cultures to examine measurement invariance. In total, 209 Portuguese women aged between 21 and 75 years (M = 47.44; SD = 10.73) and 429 Brazilians women aged between 16 and 77 years (M = 46.51; SD = 9.24) participated in this study. The results revealed that the measurement model provided an acceptable fit to the data in both the Portuguese and Brazilian samples, also displaying acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. In addition, the model showed acceptable internal consistency and was invariant between cultures. In sum, the MDF-fibro-17 is a valid measure that offers a unique assessment of fatigue symptoms in Portuguese and Brazilian women with fibromyalgia.

Rationale: The nuclear receptor retinoid X receptor (RXR) belongs to a nuclear receptor superfamily that modulates diverse functions via homodimerization with itself or several other nuclear receptors, including PPARα. While the activation of PPARα by natural or synthetic agonists regulates the sleep-wake cycle, the role of RXR in the sleep modulation is unknown., Objectives: We investigated the effects of bexarotene (Bexa, a RXR agonist) or UVI 3003 (UVI, a RXR antagonist) on sleep, sleep homeostasis, levels of neurochemical related to sleep modulation, and c-Fos and NeuN expression., Methods: The sleep-wake cycle and sleep homeostasis were analyzed after application of Bexa or UVI. Moreover, we also evaluated whether Bexa or UVI could induce effects on dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine epinephrine, adenosine, and acetylcholine contents, collected from either the nucleus accumbens or basal forebrain. In addition, c-Fos and NeuN expression in the hypothalamus was determined after Bexa or UVI treatments., Results: Systemic application of Bexa (1 mM, i.p.) attenuated slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep. In addition, Bexa increased the levels of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine epinephrine, adenosine, and acetylcholine sampled from either the nucleus accumbens or basal forebrain. Moreover, Bexa blocked the sleep rebound period after total sleep deprivation, increased in the hypothalamus the expression of c-Fos, and decreased NeuN activity. Remarkably, UVI 3003 (1 mM, i.p.) induced opposite effects in sleep, sleep homeostasis, neurochemicals levels, and c-Fos and NeuN activity., Conclusions: The administration of RXR agonist or antagonist significantly impaired the sleep-wake cycle and exerted effects on the levels of neurochemicals related to sleep modulation. Moreover, Bexa or UVI administration significantly affected c-Fos and NeuN expression in the hypothalamus. Our findings highlight the neurobiological role of RXR on sleep modulation.

Sports research has been focused on the assessment of basic needs satisfaction, considering its absence as a representation of needs frustration. However, recent findings have suggested needs satisfaction and frustration as asymmetrical factors leading to differentiated outcomes. An accurate measurement of needs poses itself as a crucial aspect, facilitating coaches' understanding of athlete's motivational processes. This study aimed to examine the psychometric proprieties of the Basic Psychological Needs Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) in a sample of Portuguese athletes. A multigroup analysis was conducted of gender, sport type, age, and years of sports practice. Additionally, needs satisfaction and needs frustration were tested as predictors of behavioral regulations examining the nomological validity of the BPNSFS. Data from 594 Portuguese athletes (38.6% female; M age = 15.21; SD = 0.97) that represent two different sports (football and swimming) were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling procedures were followed to test the factor structure and nomological validity of the scale, respectively. Analyses indicated that the six-factor model provided an adequate fit (Comparative Fit Index = 0.947, Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.936, Standardized Root Mean Square = 0.039, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.048 (CI 90% = 0.043, 0.054)). Moreover, the multigroup analysis suggested invariance in the observed structure across groups. In addition, findings indicated a strong prediction between needs satisfaction and autonomous forms of motivation, whereas needs frustration predicted significantly controlled forms of motivation. The sport-adapted BPNSFS in a sample of Portuguese athletes seemed to be an adequate measure for the assessment of basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration. Our findings suggested that this scale may be worth testing in future research in the sport context., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Teacher-endorsed supporting behaviors present themselves as key influencers of student adaptive academic and social functions. The objective of this paper was twofold. First, this study sought to test a model in which student-perceived autonomy support was associated with group cohesion, considering the mediating role of basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation. Second, the current study examined the dimensionality of the model across five Western countries, namely Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. A convenience sample of 3033 college students ( M age = 21.51 ± SD = 3.71) were recruited for the analysis. The results revealed that perceived autonomy support was positively associated with needs satisfaction, being consequently associated with intrinsic motivation and, ultimately, with group cohesion. Additionally, a multigroup analysis revealed that the model was invariant across college students from the different countries. The current results are discussed around the promotion of teacher uses of autonomy-supportive behaviors fostering adaptive outcomes in students regarding positive social relations and that the cultures of Ibero-American countries are equivalent in this process., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Objective : The main objective of the present study was to examine the associations between coach-created task-involving climate and athletes' intentions to continue practicing sport, through a serial mediation analysis that included basic psychological needs satisfaction (BPN), self-determined motivation (SDM) and enjoyment. Methods : Seven-hundred and ninety-nine elite swimmers (450 males, 349 females; aged 12-22 years, M  = 16.65, SD  = 2.83) participated in the present study. Groups were created according to age, years of experience, and gender. Results : Serial mediation analysis provided support for the proposed model where BPN's and enjoyment represent the most important mediators between task-involving climate and athletes' intentions to continue sport practice. Conclusion : Enjoyment stands out as the most relevant predictor of intention to persist and as a significant mediator in the relation between task-involvement climate, BPN, SDM, and long-term sports practice. The task-involving climate created by coaches appears to set in motion a sequence where the satisfaction of basic needs and SDM lead to more enjoyment and increased persistence among young athletes.

The clinical translation of the multiple pharmacological effects of resveratrol (RSV) found in preclinical studies has been impaired by its poor bioavailability, due to poor solubility and rapid metabolism and elimination. The inclusion of this molecule in medicines or functional food products will be ineffective unless suitable systems are developed. Zein protein may constitute an inexpensive, safe, and effective choice to produce nanoparticles (NPs) to incorporate hydrophobic molecules and overcome the bioavailability issues of RSV. In this work, we loaded RSV into zein NPs by using a nanoprecipitation method. Unloaded and RSV-loaded NPs presented average diameter values in the range of 120-180 nm, narrow size distribution (polydispersity index < 0.150), and zeta potential of around + 20 mV. The association efficiency of the drug was equal to or greater than 77% for different initial drug loads. Scanning electron microscopy imaging revealed that zein NPs were round-shaped and presented a smooth surface. Aqueous suspensions of zein NPs were stable for at least 1 month when stored at 4 °C. The freeze-drying of zein NPs using sucrose as cryoprotectant allowed an easy re-suspension of NPs in water without significantly changing the initial colloidal properties. RSV-loaded NPs presented low cytotoxicity to the human colorectal Caco-2 and HT29-MTX cell lines. Finally, permeability studies of RSV across Caco-2 and Caco-2/HT29-MTX evidenced some ability of zein NPs to protect RSV from metabolism events. However, further investigation is needed in order to confirm the possible role of zein NPs in the metabolic stability of RSV. Overall, zein NPs may present the potential to circumvent bioavailability issues of RSV. Graphical abstract.

Background: Brazil is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with about 37,000 species of land plants. Part of this biodiversity is within protected areas. The development of online databases in the last years greatly improved the available biodiversity data. However, the existing databases do not provide information about the protected areas in which individual plant species occur. The lack of such information is a crucial gap for conservation actions. This study aimed to show how the information captured from online databases, cleaned by a protocol and verified by taxonomists allowed us to obtain a comprehensive list of the vascular plant species from the "Parque Nacional do Itatiaia", the first national park founded in Brazil. All existing records in the online database JABOT (15,100 vouchers) were downloaded, resulting in 11,783 vouchers identified at the species level. Overall, we documented 2,316 species belonging to 176 families and 837 genera of vascular plants in the "Parque Nacional do Itatiaia". Considering the whole vascular flora, 2,238 species are native and 78 are non-native., New Information: The "Parque Nacional do Itatiaia" houses 13% of the angiosperm and 37% of the fern species known from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Amongst these species, 82 have been cited as threatened, following IUCN categories (CR, EN or VU), seven are data deficient (DD) and 15 have been classified as a conservation priority, because they are only known from a single specimen collected before 1969., (Marina M Moreira, Tatiana T Carrijo, Anderson Alves-Araújo, André M A Amorim, Alessandro Rapini, Andrews V S da Silva, Braz A P Cosenza, Claudia R Lopes, Camila N Delgado, Cíntia Kameyama, Dayvid R Couto, Daniel E F Barbosa, Daniele Monteiro, Diego R Gonzaga, Eduardo C Dalcin, Elsie F Guimarães, Elton John de Lírio, Fernando B Matos, Fátima R G Salimena, Felipe A Oliveira, Gustavo Heiden, João M Lanna, José Fernando Baumgratz, José F B Pastore, Juliana R P M Oliveira, Laísa B Barcelos, Lana S Sylvestre, Leandro Freitas, Leandro L Giacomin, Leandro Pederneiras, Leonardo D Meireles, Lúcia G Lohmann, Luciana C Pereira, Luis Alexandre E Silva, Luiz M Neto, Marcelo C Souza, Marcelo Trovó, Marcos E G Sobral, Mário Luís Garbin, Mario Gomes, Marli P Morim, Michelle Christine A Mota, Paulo H Labiak, Pedro L Viana, Pedro Luís R de Moraes, Renato Goldenberg, Rubens Luiz G Coelho, Samyra G Furtado, Sebastião José da Silva-Neto, Thiago B Flores, Valquíria F Dutra, Vinícius R Bueno, Rafaela C Forzza.)

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the bright and dark sides of motivation, based on self-determination theory, as predictors of enjoyment, intention to continue exercising, and exercise persistence. In addition, we analyzed the mediation role of each variable and tested the model invariance between male and female exercisers., Methods: A total of 575 gym exercisers (female = 230) aged between 18 and 65 years (M = 34.07; SD = 11.47) participated in this study. All participants had at least 6 months of regular exercise practice; exercise frequency of the participants ranged from 2 to 7 sessions per week (M = 3.52; SD = 1.28) and training sessions lasted approximately 30 and 120 minutes (M = 61.54; SD = 17.64). Participants completed a multisection questionnaire assessing interpersonal behaviors, basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration, behavioral regulations, enjoyment, and intentions to continue exercising. Exercise persistence was assessed 6 months after initial assessment using gym computer system attendance records. Several analyses, namely, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, serial mediation analysis, and structural invariance testing, were performed to increase theoretical and empirical knowledge., Results: Positive associations were observed among the bright side of motivation, enjoyment, intention to continue exercising, and persistence. On the other hand, the dark side of motivation was negatively associated with the bright side constructs, enjoyment, intention, and exercise persistence. Both measurement [χ 2 (370) = 1496.708, χ 2 /df = 4.05; B-S P < .001, CFI = 0.907, TLI = 0.901, SRMR = 0.056, RMSEA = 0.073 (CI 90% = 0.063, 0.083)] and structural models [χ 2 (393) = 2484.994, χ 2 /df = 6.323; B-S P < .001, CFI = 0.908, TLI = 0.900, SRMR = 0.075, RMSEA = 0.071 (CI 90% = 0.067, 0.075)] displayed acceptable fit to the data. The results also showed that basic psychological needs satisfaction, autonomous motivation, enjoyment, and intention to continue exercising were significant mediators. However, enjoyment had the highest effect on exercise persistence. In addition, structural model invariance was confirmed between male and female exercisers., Conclusion: Motivational determinants have implications for predicting emotional, cognitive, and behavior-related outcomes. Individuals should perceive exercise instructors as supportive and exercising as a fun activity to endorse long-term exercise persistence., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Decompression sickness (DCS) was first diagnosed in marine turtles in 2014. After capture in net fisheries, animals typically start showing clinical evidence of DCS hours after being hauled on-board, often dying if untreated. These turtles are normally immediately released without any understanding of subsequent clinical problems or outcome. The objectives of this study were to describe early occurrence and severity of gaseous embolism (GE) and DCS in marine turtles after incidental capture in trawl gear, and to provide estimates of on-board and post-release mortality. Twenty-eight marine turtles were examined on-board fishing vessels. All 20 turtles assessed by ultrasound and/or post-mortem examination developed GE, independent of season, depth and duration of trawl and ascent speed. Gas emboli were obvious by ultrasound within 15 minutes after surfacing and worsened over the course of 2 hours. Blood data were consistent with extreme lactic acidosis, reduced glomerular filtration, and stress. Twelve of 28 (43%) animals died on-board, and 3 of 15 (20%) active turtles released with satellite tags died within 6 days. This is the first empirically-based estimate of on-board and post-release mortality of bycaught marine turtles that has until now been unaccounted for in trawl fisheries not equipped with turtle excluder devices.

Surfactants are often used to stabilize aqueous dispersions. For example, surfactants can be used to prevent hydrate particles from forming large plugs that can clog, and sometimes rupture pipelines. Changes in oil composition, however dramatically affect the performance of said surfactants. In this work we demonstrate that aromatic compounds, dissolved in the hydrocarbon phase, can have both synergistic and antagonistic effects, depending on their molecular structure, with respect to surfactants developed to prevent hydrate agglomerations. While monocyclic aromatics such as benzene were found to disrupt the structure of surfactant films at low surfactant density, they are expelled from the interfacial film at high surfactant density. On the other hand, polycyclic aromatics, in particular pyrene, are found to induce order and stabilize the surfactant films both at low and high surfactant density. Based on our simulation results, polycyclic aromatics could behave as natural anti-agglomerants and enhance the performance of the specific surfactants considered here, while monocyclic aromatics could, in some cases, negatively affect performance. Although limited to the conditions chosen for the present simulations, the results, explained in terms of molecular features, could be valuable for better understanding synergistic and antagonistic effects relevant for stabilizing aqueous dispersions used in diverse applications, ranging from foodstuff to processing of nanomaterials and advanced manufacturing.

Background: Individuals who possess passion and perseverance to extensively work and study through challenges and adversity to achieve a set of goals are likely to reach higher achievement compared to others who lack similar facets. However, an under-researched question lingers over the effect of teacher-induced behaviors on academic outcomes such as grades and performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between teacher-induced autonomy support and student academic performance considering the mediating effect of basic psychological needs satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, and grit as two-independent factors., Methods: A convenience sample of 474 Sports Science students ( M age = 21.83 years; SD = 3.91) participated in the study. All participants completed a multi-section survey assessing the variables under analysis., Results: The measurement and structural model displayed acceptable fit, hence direct and indirect effects were examined among the variables of interest. Basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation seem to display a mediating role between perceived autonomy support and academic performance, through perseverance. Contrarily, grit-passion did not exhibit a significant indirect effect., Conclusions: Current results shed new insights on how perseverance can shape student motivation and school success considering the autonomy support induced by teachers.

Cardiac aging affects the heart on the functional, structural, and molecular level and shares characteristic hallmarks with the development of chronic heart failure. Apart from age-dependent left ventricular hypertrophy and fibrosis that impairs diastolic function, diminished activity of cardiac protein-quality-control systems increases the risk of cytotoxic accumulation of defective proteins. Here, we studied the impact of cardiac aging on the sarcomeric protein titin by analyzing titin-based cardiomyocyte passive tension, titin modification and proteasomal titin turnover. We analyzed left ventricular samples from young (6 months) and old (20 months) wild-type mice and healthy human donor patients grouped according to age in young (17-50 years) and aged hearts (51-73 years). We found no age-dependent differences in titin isoform composition of mouse or human hearts. In aged hearts from mice and human we determined altered titin phosphorylation at serine residues S4010 and S4099 in the elastic N2B domain, but no significant changes in phosphorylation of S11878 and S12022 in the elastic PEVK region. Importantly, overall titin-based cardiomyocyte passive tension remained unchanged. In aged hearts, the calcium-activated protease calpain-1, which provides accessibility to ubiquitination by releasing titin from the sarcomere, showed decreased proteolytic activity. In addition, we observed a reduction in the proteasomal activities. Taken together, our data indicate that cardiac aging does not affect titin-based passive properties of the cardiomyocytes, but impairs protein-quality control, including titin, which may result in a diminished adaptive capacity of the aged myocardium., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder associated with various etiologies and characterized by deficits in social interaction, emotional reciprocity, communication, motor skills and cognitive functions. Studies have proposed that limited levels of physical activity and late motor skills and fitness, particularly in children and adolescents with ASD, may accentuate social and emotional deficits. In view of this, exergames, which are active video-games, can be considered a low-cost and safe type of exercise for children and adolescents with ASD, since they are more enjoyable than ordinary physical activities, influencing on treatment adherence. Thus, our study aims to evidence the effects of exergames on physical fitness, cognitive functions, and repetitive behaviors in children and adolescents with ASD. Despite the small number of studies investigating the effects of exergames as new strategy in children and adolescents with ASD, results suggest exergames as potential tool for the treatment of children and adolescents with ASD for improvement in physical fitness, cognitive functions and repetitive behavior. Our review pointed towards the importance of exergames for children and adolescents with ASD. Despite few studies conducted about this issue, we can consider exergames a potential tool to increase physical fitness, cognitive functions and to decrease repetitive behavior in children and adolescents with ASD. Moreover, health professionals should be careful when attempting to help this population, because the current literature is unclear yet about the improvement of ASD features through exergames., (© 2020 Lima et al.)

Background: An unresolved debate lingers over the effect of past behavior on motivational patterns and future behavior stability in the exercise context. Theorists argue that past behavior has a residual effect on future behavior; however, empirical studies have shown that past behavior displays significant power in predicting behavior recurrence in the future. The present research aimed to examine the effect of past behavior and motivational determinants on future exercise adherence., Methods: Data from 437 Portuguese gym exercisers (female = 235; male = 202) aged between 18 and 53 years (M = 31.14; SD = 9.47), with exercise experience ranging from 6 to 12 months (M = 9.41; SD = 1.33) were considered for research. Participants completed a multi-section survey measuring interpersonal behaviors, basic psychological needs, behavioral regulations, and intentions. Data from past behavior and future exercise adherence were collected using computerized records of their attendance at the gym., Results: Positive and significant correlations paths were evidenced among perceived supportive behaviors, needs satisfaction, autonomous motivation, intentions and future exercise adherence. Similar results were presented among perceived thwarting behaviors, needs frustration, and controlled motivation. Regression paths showed that perceived supportive behavior, basic needs satisfaction, and autonomous motivation displayed positive and significant effects on future behaviors; thus, past behavior displayed the highest coefficient on future exercise adherence. Fitness professionals should aim at creating supportive environments, thus, improving the likelihood of being perceived by exercisers as need-supportive individuals. By doing so, as a result, exercisers would experience increased levels of autonomous motivation and higher rates of future exercise attendance at the gym. Hence, exercisers will gradually form their positive past exercise experience, increasing the probability of engaging in an exercise in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Aging is an inevitable process that involves changes across life in multiple neurochemical, neuroanatomical, hormonal systems, and many others. In addition, these biological modifications lead to an increase in age-related sickness such as cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative disorders, and sleep disturbances, among others that affect activities of daily life. Demographic projections have demonstrated that aging will increase its worldwide rate in the coming years. The research on chronic diseases of the elderly is important to gain insights into this growing global burden. Novel therapeutic approaches aimed for treatment of age-related pathologies have included the endocannabinoid system as an effective tool since this biological system shows beneficial effects in preclinical models. However, and despite these advances, little has been addressed in the arena of the endocannabinoid system as an option for treating sleep disorders in aging since experimental evidence suggests that some elements of the endocannabinoid system modulate the sleep-wake cycle. This article addresses this less-studied field, focusing on the likely perspective of the implication of the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of sleep problems reported in the aged. We conclude that beneficial effects regarding the putative efficacy of the endocannabinoid system as therapeutic tools in aging is either inconclusive or still missing., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Motivation plays an important role when it comes to regular physical exercise. Hence, low levels of intentions to continue exercising in the future may ultimately lead to higher rates of exercise dropout. The first objective of the present research was to test a theoretical model considering the dark side of motivational determinants on intentions towards exercising in the future. The second objective consisted in comparing groups with different characteristics, as a way to identify individuals with weaker intention, which is believed to be an indicator of a higher dropout risk. In total, 544 (294 female; 250 male) gym exercisers aged between 18 and 58 years (M = 35.00; SD = 11.57) partook in the present research. Participants were engaged in fitness group classes (n = 273) or in cardio/resistance workouts (n = 271), and their exercise experience ranged from 3 to 120 months (M = 47.41; SD = 7.54). Results showed that the measurement and the structural model had an excellent fit. In addition, the structural model was invariant between gender, fitness activities, and exercise experience. Each group displayed different explained variance in intention to continue exercising. Overall, male, young adults and more experienced exercisers had stronger intentions towards exercising. Fitness instructors should be aware of their own thwarting behaviors, especially when interacting with female, young and less experienced exercisers, since they have weaker intentions to exercise in the future, possibly representing an increased risk of withdrawal., (© 2019 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interestAuthors have nothing to disclose and no conflicts of interest.

The aim of this study was to translate and validate the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale for Portuguese exercisers. In addition, we sought to analyze gender invariance. We collected data from two independent samples of Portuguese respondents-a calibration sample with 316 participants and a validation sample with 632 participants. Results from confirmatory factor analysis supported the original six-factor model in both the calibration sample, χ 2 (237) = 471.814, χ 2 / df  = 1.99; B-S p  < .001, Comparative Fit Index = .935, Tucker-Lewis Index =.924, standard mean root square residual = .047, root mean square error of approximation = .057 (90% confidence interval = [.050, .065]), and the validation sample, χ 2 (237) = 571.796, χ 2 / df  = 2.41; B-S p  < .001, Comparative Fit Index = .948, Tucker-Lewis Index = .940, standard mean root square residual = .038, root mean square error of approximation = .047 (90% confidence interval = [.042, .052]). Moreover, our analysis revealed acceptable internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity of the translated version, and invariance between the two samples and between genders, as differences across latent means showed that magnitude effects were trivial between samples and between male and female exercisers. These results support the use of the adapted scale among both male and female exercisers.

Inactivity is a major issue that causes physical and psychological health problems, especially in people with intellectual disability (ID). This review discusses the beneficial effects of sport intervention programs (SIPs) in people with ID, and aims to provide an overview of the scientific literature in order to identify the main factors influencing the participation of people with ID in SIPs. Twelve papers were analyzed and compared. The results show a large variety in examined SIPs, concerning participants' age and disability, intervention characteristics and context, as well as measures and findings. The main factors essential for people with ID partaking in SIPs appeared to be suitable places for the SIP development, adequate implementation of physical activity (PA) programs in school and extra-school contexts, education, and the training of teachers and instructors. The literature review highlights the relevance of using SIPs in order to improve physical and psychological health, as well as increase social inclusion in populations with ID. SIPs should be included in multifactor intervention programs. Nevertheless, the need is recognized for stakeholders to adopt specific practice and policy in promoting social inclusion in order to organize intervention strategies which are able to provide quality experiences in sport and physical activity for people with ID.

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the original version of the Passion Scale (14 items, two factors). We tested it within a sample of mixed gender Portuguese athletes from different sports, including adapted sports. In addition to demonstrating reliability, validity, and confirmatory factor analyses of the Passion Scale, we sought to analyze the invariance of this measure between males and females and across six types of sports (soccer, futsal, swimming, surf, bodyboard, and adapted sports). We recruited 1,316 athletes to test this scale from both genders (1,109 males; 207 females), aged 14-59 years ( M  = 21.83; SD  = 8.67). Our main results revealed weaknesses in the factor model for the original instrument (14 items and two factors) leading us to reject the model. However, after adapting the model (to eight items and two factors), the psychometric properties of the Passion Scale improved substantially and then exhibited (a) good fit to the data and (b) invariance between gender and across sports. Our new proposed version of the Passion Scale can be used with confidence to analyze the passion athletes feel when practicing their sport.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the motivational climate created by the coach and perceived by a group of young high-performance handball players on their sport motivation, self-determination, sport psychological needs and sport commitment. The study participants were 479 young handball players. The age range was 16-17 years old. Players were administered a battery composed of a Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire, Sport Motivation Scale, the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale and Sport Commitment Questionnaire to measure the above-mentioned theoretical constructs. Results showed that the handball players showed high levels of a task-involving climate, of basic psychological needs satisfaction and of self-determined motivation and commitment. Higher levels of basic psychological needs such as autonomy and competence were associated with a higher task-involving climate, self-determined index and sport commitment (task-involving climate-basic psychological needs (β = 0.55; 95% IC 0.387/0.682; p = 0.001); Ego-involving climate-basic psychological needs (β = 0.06; 95% IC -0.069/0.181; p = 0.387); Basic psychological needs-self-determined index (β = 0.48; 95% IC 0.376/0.571; p = 0.001); Self-determined index-commitment (β = 0.58; 95% IC 0.488/0.663; p = 0.001). The obtained model showed that basic psychological needs mediated the association between a task-involving climate and self-determination, and self-determination mediated the association between basic psychological needs satisfaction and commitment.

Objective: To describe the average values of the nasal anthropometric measurements of Caucasian Mediterranean patients seeking rhinoplasty and evaluate the major nasal deformities., Design: Prospective, observational and cross-sectional study., Setting: Centro Hospitalar do Porto., Participants: A 100 Caucasian Mediterranean patients seeking rhinoplasty., Outcomes: Standardized photography was used to obtain nasal anthropometric measurements and to evaluate the major nasal defects. Data regarding age, gender, skin type and Fitzpatrick scale were also collected., Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the means values of palpebral fissure, intercanthal width, upper lip height, nasal root width, morphological nose width, nose height, nasal tip projection and nasofrontal-hump and nasofrontal-supratip angles between females and males. The major nasal deformity was dorsal hump (78.0%), followed by rinomegalia (53.0%) and boxy bulbous tip (47.0%)., Conclusion: The present study shows statistically significant gender differences between anthropometric nasal measurements and the mean values are greater than standard values obtained on general population. This might be one of the reasons why Caucasian Mediterranean patients seek aesthetical rhinoplasty. On both genders, dorsal hump, rinomegalia and boxy bulbous tip were the major nasal defects. This emphasize the importance of rhinoplasty techniques designed to reconstruct nasal dorsum and nasal tip on Caucasian Mediterranean patients. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first study of digital anthropometric nasal analysis and evaluation of major nasal defects specifically in Caucasian Mediterranean patients who applied for rhinoplasty. With this results, we provide a reference material for the evaluation of the Caucasian and Mediterranean patient when planning a cosmetic nasal surgery., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is amongst motivational frameworks the most popular and contemporary approach to human motivation, being applied in the last decades in several domains, including sport, exercise and physical education (PE). Additionally, Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) has presented evidence of how contextual factors may influence student's behavior in this particular context. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the motivational climate created by the teacher in the classroom, students' satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs (BPN), and how their behavioral regulation could explain PE grades and intention to practice sports in the future., Method: A total of 618 students (290 female; 328 male) from the 6th to the 9th school level, aged between 10 and 18 years (M = 13.3; SD = 1.7) participated in this study. The following surveys were used for the proposed variables: Learning and Performance Orientations in Physical Education Classes Questionnaire (LAPOPECQ); the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale (BPNESp); and the Perceived Locus of Causality (PLOCp). Intentions to practice sport/physical activity in the future were assessed through a single item. Students' PE grade was obtained through his/her teacher final assessment. Structural Equation Analysis was performed via AMOS 23.0., Results: After analyzing modification indices and model adjustment, the final model emerged: learning climate > BPN > autonomous motivation > intentions/PE grade. Results interpretation seems to indicate that i) the satisfaction of BPN are influenced by motivational climate (i.e., learning climate), ii) the individuals' motivation is influenced by the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs (i.e., particularly competence), and iii) the motivational regulations have direct and significant effects with intention to practice sports outside school in the future and PE grades., Discussion & Conclusion: The main results showed that a climate oriented for learning has a positive impact on basic psychological needs satisfaction of students. However, only competence satisfaction had a significant positive relationship with students' autonomous motivation, which in turn had a significant positive relation with PE grade, as well as for intentions for leisure-time sport/physical activity practice., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Recent studies have observed low levels of physical activity in children and adolescents worldwide. Physical activity interventions are increasingly carried out to counteract this development. The school environment is an ideal setting for such interventions to take place as large numbers of children and adolescents can be addressed. With the assumption that motivation is the key to initiate and sustain beneficial health behaviors, theory-based intervention studies apply motivational strategies to increase students' participation in physical activity. The main objective of this systematic review will be to analyze the effects of school-based physical activity interventions on a variety of motivational outcomes towards physical activity in school-aged children and adolescents., Methods: Comprehensive literature searches will be conducted in multiple electronic databases, including MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycINFO, ERIC, PSYNDEX, Physical Education Index, and SPORTDiscus. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies examining the effects of school-based physical activity interventions (e.g., physical activity components during school lessons including physical education, or during morning, lunch and afternoon breaks). Primarily extracurricular physical activity interventions will not be considered. The primary outcomes will be students' motivation, basic psychological needs, goal orientation, enjoyment, and motivational teaching climate in physical education. Secondary outcomes will be the students' physical activity behaviors in-class, during school, and in leisure time. Only peer-reviewed articles published in English will be considered. Three reviewers will independently screen all citations and full-text articles, and two reviewers will abstract data. The quality of the included studies will be assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias for RCTs and the GRADE methodology will be used to assess the certainty of the body of retreived evidence., Discussion: In order to increase and maintain physical activity levels in children and adolescents, motivation towards physical activity should be sustained. It is anticipated that the results of this systematic review will provide information as to which strategies implemented in the school setting are effective in increasing students' motivation towards physical activity, and hence increase their physical activity during school and after-school hours., Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42018110306.

In this paper, we present a case for text entry using a circular keyboard layout for mobile head-mounted displays (HMDs) that is dwell-free and does not require users to hold a dedicated input device for letter selection. To support the case, we have implemented RingText whose design is based on a circular layout with two concentric circles. The outer circle is subdivided into regions containing letters. Selection is made by using a virtual cursor controlled by the user's head movements-entering a letter region triggers a selection and moving back into the inner circle resets the selection. The design of RingText follows an iterative process, where we initially conduct one first study to investigate the optimal number of letters per region, inner circle size, and alphabet starting location. We then optimize its design by selecting the most suitable features from the first study: one letter per region, narrowing the trigger area to lower error rates, and creating candidate regions that incorporate two suggested words to appear next to the current letter region (close to the cursor) using a dynamic (rather than fixed) approach. Our second study compares text entry performance of RingText with four other hands-free techniques and the results show that RingText outperforms them. Finally, we run a third study lasting four consecutive days with 10 participants (5 novice users and 5 expert users) doing two daily sessions and the results show that RingText is quite efficient and yields a low error rate. At the end of the eighth session, the novice users can achieve a text entry speed of 11.30 WPM after 60 minutes of training while the expert (more experienced) users can reach an average text entry speed of 13.24 WPM after 90 minutes of training.

Background: The increasing demand of tooth bleaching has also increased the need of researches focusing on the durability of the resultant color. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a system based on calcium silicate, sodium phosphate and sodium monofluorophosphate (Regenerate™) on color maintenance of bleached enamel considering two waiting times for the contact with a cola drink., Material and Methods: This in vitro study was performed on bovine enamel specimens (n = 100), bleached with 35% H2O2 and treated with: G1 Distilled water; G2 Artificial saliva; G3 RegenerateTM Serum and Toothpaste; G4 RegenerateTM Toothpaste; G5 RegenerateTM Serum. The groups G3, G4 and G5 received one application of the respective products for 3 min, in 3 consecutive days. The color parameters (ΔE, L*, a*, b*) were evaluated by spectrophotometry before and after bleaching and after surface treatments and immersion (15min) in cola drink, on the waiting times of 24 hours (T1) and 7 days (T2). The effect of surface treatments and waiting times was evaluated by Two-Way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon and T test ( p <0.05)., Results: There was no significant effect of the surface treatments ( p =0.57), waiting times ( p =0.97) and their interaction ( p =0.47) considering ΔE. The analysis of repeated measures of the color coordinates L*, a* and b* showed a decrease of chromaticity (a*, b*) for G3, G4 and G5 and an increase of lightness (L*) for G5, after immersion in cola drink, suggesting some protection against bleached enamel pigmentation., Conclusions: RegenerateTM has a potential protective effect on bleached enamel color maintenance. The waiting times of 24 hours and 7 days for the contact with the cola drink did not influence bleached enamel color maintenance. Key words: Tooth bleaching, hydrogen peroxide, spectrophotometry, pigmentation., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement:The authors state there are no conflicts of interest.

This study aimed to analyze measurement invariance of the Behavioral Regulation Sports Questionnaire (BRSQ) across gender and four different sports. In addition, we examined nomological validity via basic psychological needs satisfaction. Participants totaled 1,812 Portuguese athletes (1,220 males and 592 females; aged 15-59 years, Mage = 17.72, SD = 5.51) from football ( n = 596), basketball ( n = 273), swimming ( n = 800), and parasport ( n = 143). The BRSQ measurement model was invariant across gender and these four sports. The scale confirmed nomological validity in that satisfaction of basic psychological needs positively predicted autonomous forms of motivation and negatively predicted more controlled motivation and amotivation as suggested by self-determination theory. In light of this evidence for BRSQ construct validity, composite reliability, nomological validity, and invariance across gender and four different sports, this scale is a useful tool for coaches of the aforementioned sports in their efforts to evaluate their athletes' motivation.

Histone methylation/demethylation plays an important modulatory role in chromatin restructuring, RNA transcription and is essential for controlling a plethora of biological processes. Due to many human diseases have been related to histone methylation/demethylation, several compounds such as 3-deazaneplanocin A (DZNep) or 3-((6-(4,5-Dihydro-1H-benzo[d]azepin-3(2H)-yl)-2-(pyridin-2-yl)pyrimidin-4-yl)amino)propanoic acid; N -[2-(2-pyridinyl)-6-(1,2,4,5-tetrahydro-3H-3-benzazepin-3-yl)-4-pyrimidinyl]-β-Alanine (GSK-J1), have been designed to inhibit histone methylase or suppress histone demethylase, respectively. In the present study, we investigated the effects on the sleep-wake cycle and sleep-related neurochemical levels after systemic injections of DZNep or GSK-J1 given during the light or dark phase in rats. DZNep dose-dependently (0.1, 1.0, or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) prolonged wakefulness (W) duration while decreased slow wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) time spent during the lights-on period with no changes observed in dark phase. In opposite direction, GSK-J1 (0.1, 1.0, or 10 mg/kg, i.p.) injected at the beginning of the lights-on period induced no statistical changes in W, SWS, or REMS whereas if administered at darkness, we found a diminution in W and an enhancement in SWS and REMS. Finally, brain microdialysis experiments in freely moving animals were used to evaluate the effects of DZNep or GSK-J1 treatments on contents of sleep-related neurochemicals. The results showed that DZNep boosted extracellular levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin, adenosine, and acetylcholine if injected at the beginning of the lights-on period whereas GSK-J1 exerted similar outcomes but when administered at darkness. In summary, DZNep and GSK-J1 may control the sleep-wake cycle and sleep-related neurochemicals through histone methylation/demethylation activity.

Sepsis is a big health problem and one of the most common causes of acute lung injury (ALI) leading to high mortality. Pro-resolving mediators play an important role in abrogating the inflammation and promoting tissue homeostasis restoration. ALI treatment is still a clinical health problem, so new therapies are needed. Here, we evaluated the effect of photobiomodulation treatment on the resolution process of ALI induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Male Balb/c mice were submitted to LPS (ip) or vehicle and irradiated or not with light emitting diode (LED) 2 and 6 h after LPS or vehicle injection, and the parameters were investigated 3 and 7 days after the injections. Our results showed that after 3 days of LED treatment the blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells as well as interleukins (IL) including IL-6 and IL-17 were reduced. No differences were observed in the bone marrow cells, tracheal reactivity, and lipoxin A4 and resolvin E2. Indeed, after 7 days of LED treatment the bone marrow cells, lymphocytes, and lipoxin A4 were increased, while IL-6, IL-17, and IL-10 were decreased. No differences were observed in the blood cells and tracheal reactivity. Thus, our results showed that LED treatment attenuated ALI induced by sepsis by modulating the cell mobilization from their reserve compartments. In addition, we also showed later effects of the LED up to 7 days after the treatment. This study proposes photobiomodulation as therapeutic adjuvant to treat ALI.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SSJ) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) correspond to an acute and rare life-threatening mucocutaneous reaction. We describe the etiology, length of stay, comorbidities and mortality of TEN in our hospital in a retrospective study of 12 years. Twenty-one patients were included in the study. The mean age was 66 years: 57.1% were females. One third had mucosal surface involvement. Median TBSA of epidermal detachment was 66% on day 1. Forty-two per cent had a SCORTEN at admission of 3 and 28.6% had a SCORTEN of 4, which performs 70.6% with SCORTEN ≥5. The most common causes of SJS/TEN in this study were antibiotics. There were a total of 15 deaths (71.4%). All the patients in the antibiotic group died. Patients who needed invasive ventilation had higher mortality (91%) than the non-invasive ventilation group (50%) and the group on spontaneous ventilation (42.8%). The most common complications were sepsis (53%) and renal failure (23%). Highest mortality due to sepsis was in the antibiotic group. When SCORTEN score was calculated for each patient, statistical evaluation showed an increase in mortality with increasing final score. The most crucial interventions are discontinuation of the causative drug and immediate referral to a burn unit, which helps in early diagnosis and decreases mortality. Our study provides insights into the confirmation of the risk of SJS/TEN as well as its treatment. When SSJ/TEN is caused by antibiotics, the suspicion of developing fatal sepsis should be high regardless of the patient's medical condition.

Introduction: The MINERVA trial established that atrial preventive pacing and atrial antitachycardia pacing (DDDRP) in combination with managed ventricular pacing (MVP) reduces progression to permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF and bradycardia who need cardiac pacing, compared to standard dual-chamber pacing (DDDR). It was shown that AF-related health care utilization was significantly lower in the DDDRP + MVP group than in the control group. Cost analysis demonstrated significant savings related to this new algorithm, based on health care costs from the USA, Italy, Spain and the UK., Objective: To calculate the savings associated with reduced health care utilization due to enhanced pacing modalities in the Portuguese setting., Methods: The impact on costs was estimated based on tariffs for AF-related hospitalizations and costs for emergency department and outpatient visits in Portugal., Results: The MINERVA trial showed a 42% reduction in AF-related health care utilization thanks to the new algorithm. In Portugal, this represents a potential cost saving of 2323 euros per 100 patients in the first year and 17118 euros over a 10-year period. Considering the number of patients who could benefit from this new algorithm, Portugal could save a total of 75369 euros per year and 555410 euros over 10 years. Additional savings could accrue if heart failure and stroke hospitalizations were considered., Conclusion: The combination of atrial preventive pacing, atrial antitachycardia pacing and an algorithm to minimize the detrimental effect of right ventricular pacing reduces recurrent and permanent AF. The new DDDRP + MVP pacing mode could contribute to significant costs savings in the Portuguese health care setting., (Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Motivation seems to be a fundamental indicator of long-term physical exercise adherence. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) argues that social environment plays a central role in the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, which might directly affect the quality of one's motivation. Individuals who appear to be more self-determined tend to persist longer at certain behaviors. Therefore, this body of work intends to analyze the relationship between motivational variables and behavioral outcomes in the exercise context, having as theoretical background the Self-Determination Theory. Methods: This systematic review was conducted through an electronic search on Web of Science, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO. Data such as instruments, main predictors and results were collected from studies published between 1985 and 2018. A total of 35 empirical studies were considered for a detailed analysis. Results: Results showed the relevance of autonomy support performed by exercise professionals, as well as the major contribution that these behaviors have toward the satisfaction of basic psychological needs, besides the inherent benefits of developing more autonomous regulations. According to the literature, few studies have analyzed interpersonal thwarting behavior and the way this relates to basic psychological needs' frustration. Nether less, there seems to be a negative relationship between less self-determined regulations and exercise practice. Conclusion: Despite the existence of numerous cross-sectional studies that demonstrate positive correlations between SDT and behavioral outcomes in the exercise context, longitudinal research that analyzes all six dimensions of interpersonal behaviors and their relationship with persistence and adherence to exercise proves to be crucial. However, according to this review, interventions based on SDT appear to be fundamental when it comes to promote the maintenance of a long-term exercise practice.

We present PizzaText, a circular keyboard layout technique for text entry in virtual reality (VR) environments that uses the dual thumbsticks of a hand-held game controller. Text entry is a common activity in VR environments but remains challenging with existing techniques and keyboard layouts that is largely based on QWERTY. Our technique makes text entry simple, easy, and efficient, even for novice users. The technique uses a hand-held controller because it is still an important input device for users to interact with VR environments. To allow rapid search of characters, PizzaText divides a circle into slices and each slice contains 4 characters. To enable fast selection, the user uses the right thumbstick for traversing the slices, and the left thumbstick for choosing the letters. The design of PizzaText is based on three criteria: efficiency, learnability, and ease-of-use. In our first study, six potential layouts are considered and evaluated. The results lead to a design with 7 slices and 4 letters per slice. The final design is evaluated in a five-day study with 10 participants. The results show that novice users can achieve an average of 8.59 Words per Minute (WPM), while expert users are able to reach 15.85 WPM, with just two hours of training.

This study has as prime objective to analyze the psychometric properties of the Behavioral Regulation Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-3) in a sample of Portuguese exercisers and invariance across gender. Two independent samples (448 calibration; 374 validation), aged between 16 and 78 years ( M = 40.29; SD = 16.24), of both gender, (495 female; 327 male) were enrolled in this study. The results show that the original model (six factors; 24 items) did not fit to the data in a satisfactory way (χ 2 = 977.49; df = 237; B-S p < 0.001; SRMR = 0.07; NNFI = 0.80; CFI = 0.83; RMSEA = 0.08; 90% CI = 0.08-0.09). After removing six items (one for each factor), the model (six factors; 18 items) adjustment improved in a satisfactory way in both samples: calibration (χ 2 = 331.86; df = 120; B-S p < 0.001; SRMR = 0.06; NNFI = 0.91; CFI = 0.93; RMSEA = 0.06; 90% CI 0.06-0.07) and validation (χ 2 = 254.08; df = 120; B-S p < 0.001; SRMR = 0.04; NNFI = 0.93; CFI = 0.95; RMSEA = 0.06; 90% CI = 0.05-0.06). Results also showed model invariance across gender (ΔCFI ≤ 0.01). The Portuguese version of BREQ-3 (six factors; 18 items) is a valid and reliable measurement instrument to measure behavior regulation underlying self-determination theory in the exercise domain. However, the evidence also indicated that additional studies are needed to address the fragilities of the original model (six factors; 24 items).

This work demonstrates a new method for investigating time-resolved structural changes in protein conformation and oligomerization via photocage-initiated time-resolved X-ray solution scattering by observing the ATP-driven dimerization of the MsbA nucleotide-binding domain. Photocaged small molecules allow the observation of single-turnover reactions of non-naturally photoactivatable proteins. The kinetics of the reaction can be derived from changes in X-ray scattering associated with ATP-binding and subsequent dimerization. This method can be expanded to any small-molecule-driven protein reaction with conformational changes traceable by X-ray scattering where the small molecule can be photocaged.

This study examined the motivational determinants of athletes perceived effort in football considering the four-stage motivational sequence at the contextual level proposed by Hierarchical Model of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation: task-involving climate, basic psychological needs, self-determined motivation (SDM), and perceived effort. Additionally, SEM multi-group analysis across different age-groups (U15, U17, U19, and U21 years) and serial mediation of basic psychological needs (BPNs) and SDM on the task-involving motivational climate and the perceived effort were also analyzed. Two independent samples of male football athletes ( N = 403, N = 403), aged 13-20 years were enrolled in this study. The results support the adequacy of the structural model in explaining the perceived effort of football atheltes in all samples under analysis, and was invariant across U17, U19, and U21. However, it was not invariant across U15 and U17, U19 and U21. Furthermore, results from the serial mediation showed significant indirect effects in all samples, supporting self-determination theoretical assumptions, reinforcing the importance of BPNs satisfaction and behavioral regulation in the relation in analysis. The results show that when coaches promote a task-involving climate, the BPNs satisfaction of athletes improves. This climate will facilitate the regulation of their behaviors toward more autonomous forms of motivation, with positive outcomes in the athletes perceived effort.

The relationship between collective properties and performance of antiagglomerants (AAs) used in hydrate management is handled using molecular dynamics simulations and enhanced sampling techniques. A thin film of AAs adsorbed at the interface between one flat sII methane hydrate substrate and a fluid hydrocarbon mixture containing methane and n-dodecane is studied. The AA considered is a surface-active compound with a complex hydrophilic head that contains both amide and tertiary ammonium cation groups and hydrophobic tails. At a sufficiently high AA density, the interplay between the surfactant layer and the liquid hydrocarbon excludes methane from the interfacial region. In this scenario, we combine metadynamics and umbrella sampling frameworks to study accurately the free-energy landscape and the equilibrium rates associated with the transport of one methane molecule across the AA film. We observe that the local configurational changes of the liquid hydrocarbon packed within the AA film are associated with high free-energy barriers for methane transport. The time scales estimated for the transport of methane across the AA film can be, in some cases, comparable to those reported in the literature for the growth of hydrates, suggesting that one possible mechanism by which AAs delay the formation of hydrate plugs could be providing a barrier to methane transport. Considering the interplay between the structural design and collective properties of AAs might be of relevance to improve their performance in flow assurance.

Background: Pharyngocutaneous fistula is a common complication of laryngopharyngeal surgery, being associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Classical regional and free flaps, frequently used in the treatment of this complication, have several limitations, including bulking, donor site morbidity and long operative time. The supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) is a fasciocutaneous flap and presents as an alternative option with good results and without the previously stated limitations. We describe our experience with SCAIF in pharyngocutaneous and tracheoesophageal fistula closure., Methods: Between April and December 2017, four patients with pharyngocutaneous and two patients with tracheoesophageal fistula underwent fistula closure with SCAIF. Clinical records were retrospectively reviewed., Results: Pharyngocutaneous fistulae were associated with anterior esophageal wall defects ranging from 4 to 13.5 cm 2 . Tracheoesophageal fistulae defects were smaller (approximately 2 cm 2 ). Fistula closure was achieved in all patients, oral diet was started on the 14th day post-operative and there were no signs of recurrence during follow-up. The donor area was complicated with the formation of hematoma in two patients., Conclusions: The SCAIF has unique features that makes it an ideal option for pharyngocutaneous and tracheoesophageal fistula closure, namely, reliable perfusion, quick and simple dissection, pliability and minor donor site morbidity. Local complications do not significantly affect long term morbidity of the donor area and can be avoided with simple measures.

In gas clathrate hydrates, inclusion gas molecules stabilize crystalline water structures. In addition to being fundamentally interesting, gas hydrates attract significant practical attention because of their possible application in various high-tech technologies. However, gas hydrates pose health, safety, and environmental risks when they form within oil and gas pipelines, as well as within hydrocarbon-producing and treatment facilities. Among available strategies to control and sometimes prevent hydrate plug formation is the use of surface-active low-molecular-weight compounds, known as antiagglomerants (AAs). AAs prevent the agglomeration of small hydrate particles into large plugs. It is not clear whether AAs promote or frustrate hydrate growth. We present two molecular mechanisms by which AAs promote and frustrate, respectively, hydrate growth. Our results could lead to innovative methodologies for managing hydrates in high-tech applications, as well as for securing the safety of oil and gas operations.