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There's no place like home: stayers are more psychopathic than movers
Publication . Gruda, Dritjon; Jonason, Peter K.
Recent evidence links residential mobility, moving away from one's childhood region, to higher Dark Triad scores. We ask the mirror-image question. In a U.S. adult sample with known childhood and current state ( N = 3958), respondents still living in their childhood state (stayers) scored higher on psychopathy than those who had moved away (movers). The difference was small and survived comparisons within origin state and birth cohort with the current state held fixed. Machiavellianism and narcissism showed no statistically significant adjusted difference. The stayer difference did not depend on sex or on how far movers had gone, and a state-level education proxy gave no sign of socioeconomic selection. Among movers, higher scorers on all three traits went to denser destinations, and higher psychopathy scorers to states with more homicide and inequality. Lifetime immobility and recent mobility thus relate to psychopathy in opposite directions, which is consistent with interstate moves being pulled by opportunities that reach high scorers less often. Individual socioeconomic status and reasons for moving were unmeasured.
Antimicrobial bilayer starch film containing zein electrospun fibers encapsulating thyme essential oil for cherry tomato packaging
Publication . Vitoria, Jéssica Silveira; Schug, Tamires Soares; Fonseca, Laura Martins; Campos, Débora A.; Pintado, Manuela; Gandra, Tatiane Kuka Valente; Zavareze, Elessandra da Rosa; Gandra, Eliezer Avila
Background: This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of thyme essential oil (TEO) encapsulated in electrospun zein fibers for use in bilayer films as active packaging for cherry tomatoes. The antimicrobial activity of TEO and bilayer films with 20%, 40%, and 60% TEO was assessed with agar diffusion and microatmosphere assays. Films containing 60% TEO were tested with viable cell count against microorganisms and applied as bioactive packaging for cherry tomatoes. Weight loss, decay rate, firmness, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, and microbiological quality were analyzed over a 14 day storage period. Results: The free TEO exhibited antimicrobial activity against all tested bacteria and fungi, with the strongest antibacterial activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus and complete fungal inhibition in the microatmosphere assay. The 60% TEO bilayer films completely inhibited S. aureus and Penicillium crustosum. They reduced Escherichia coli growth by 71.5% and Aspergillus flavus growth by 71.3%. As active packaging for cherry tomatoes, after 14 days of storage, the bilayer films reduced weight loss from 14.7% to 6.8% and decay incidence from 83.3% to 33.3% compared with the control, while maintaining total soluble solids (5.0 °Brix), titratable acidity, and pH. The bilayer films also reduced E. coli by approximately 92% and decreased aerobic mesophilic bacteria by approximately 1.8 log colony-forming units (CFU) g−1 and yeasts and molds by approximately 1.5 log CFU g−1 . Conclusion: The results confirm TEO's antimicrobial effectiveness in bilayer films and potential for active packaging, offering a sustainable alternative to extend the shelf life of perishables and a promising technology for industrial fresh produce preservation.
Microbial variation and shelf life of chicken breast fillets: a year-long study across two European producers
Publication . Moen, Birgitte; Silva, Beatriz Nunes; Måge, Ingrid; Teixeira, Paula; Langsrud, Solveig; Berget, Ingunn; Jensen, Merete Rusås; Gaarder, Mari Øvrum; Lian, Ina Aksnes; Fernandes, Dina; Bjørkøy, Solfrid; Ferreira, Diogo; Fagerlund, Annette
Despite extensive research on poultry spoilage, variability across batches, seasons, and facilities remains poorly resolved, limiting evaluation of microbiological data for adaptive, data-driven shelf-life determination. This study examined whether initial microbial status, growth dynamics, microbiota composition, and sensory changes varied systematically over one year in modified atmosphere-packed (MAP) chicken breast fillets from two European producers using different gas compositions (Producer A, Norway; Producer B, Portugal). Fillets were analysed after production and during storage at 4 °C or under a 4 to 8 °C temperature shift. Initial total viable counts (TVC) were lower in fillets from Producer A than B, but both producers showed approximately 2-log variation between batches. Maximum growth rates were similar, but Producer B showed shorter model-derived lag times and reached 7 log10 CFU/g earlier. Within each producer, model-based time to 7 log10 CFU/g tracked most strongly with the model-derived lag parameter, whereas initial aerobic TVC showed limited association. During late storage, microbiota communities converged towards distinct spoilage profiles in products from the two producers, and these profiles were largely stable across production days (A: Lactobacillales , Hafnia-Obesumbacterium ; B: Brochothrix , Yersiniaceae ). Sensory deterioration correlated with TVC and was accelerated but not qualitatively altered by elevated temperature. Overall, initial aerobic TVC was not a reliable predictor of batch-specific shelf life under the MAP conditions studied. Instead, early follow-up measurements after a few days of storage may be needed to capture spoilage-community development and infer batch-specific early growth dynamics, although such indicators require further validation before practical implementation.
Beyond just words: ensuring cultural appropriateness in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) - a design protocol
Publication . Gomes, Ana Filipa; Lee, Christopher; Neves-Amado, João
Benefícios terapêuticos das intervenções surf therapy na saúde mental de migrantes e refugiados : uma revisão sistemática
Publication . Xavier, Margarida Correia; Costa, Diogo André Neto Mendes da
A surf therapy, intervenção estruturada em bluespaces, destaca-se na literatura pela promoção do bem-estar em populações vulneráveis. Esta revisão sistemática, que seguiu as diretrizes PRISMA incluiu 14 estudos identificados nas bases de dados Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, e EBSCO para responder à questão, segundo o esquema PICO: quais os benefícios da surf therapy na saúde mental de migrantes e refugiados? O processo de seleção e extração de dados foi apoiado pelo software Rayyan. Os resultados evidenciaram reduções significativas em sintomas de ansiedade, depressão e perturbação do stress pós-traumático (PTSD), além de melhorias na resiliência, autoestima e aceitação corporal nos participantes dos programas de surf therapy. Estes benefícios são mediados por mecanismos de respite, mestria e conexão social. Os resultados sugerem que a surf therapy poderá ser uma alternativa ou complemento às terapias convencionais, capaz de mitigar o isolamento social e promover o funcionamento positivo. Contudo, existem limitações como a escassez de ensaios clínicos randomizados (RCTs) e a falta de evidência associada à manutenção dos benefícios após o programa de surf therapy, evidenciando a necessidade de futuras pesquisas focarem na manutenção dos benefícios e na eficácia específica nestas populações.