of heavy metal management in above and belowground parts of licorice in order to achieve its potential for further sustainable phytoremediation programs and most importantly considering the heavy metal accumulation in rhizomes and roots in accordance with world standards for medicinal and edible consumption. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) is a neuropsychological instrument that is widely used for assessment of executive functioning in both clinical and research settings. The aim of this study was to provide the normative scores for the WCST in a sample of Portuguese healthy adults. The data was collected from archival data in a total sample of 359 individuals, 149 men (41.5%, e = 38.3;  = 20.3) and 210 women (58.5%, e = 52.2;  = 19.4). Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe mean scores, standard-deviation and percentiles of the WCST indexes by gender, age and education. ANOVAs were used to explore the differences between these scores in sociodemographic variables. The normative scores were adjusted for age and educational level. Significant statistical differences in mean scores were found in several WCST indexes, such as, total errors, perseverations, perseverative errors and conceptual level responses regarding age and education. Percentiles for WCST indexes were stratified by age group and educational level. Age and education are important factors explaining performance on the WCST. This is the first study focused on the development of WCST normative scores for the adult Portuguese population, which can be applied in clinical, educational and research contexts.Age and education are important factors explaining performance on the WCST. This is the first study focused on the development of WCST normative scores for the adult Portuguese population, which can be applied in clinical, educational and research contexts. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a promising new nonthermal ablation technology for pulmonary vein (PV) isolation in patients with atrial fibrillation. BIRB 796 research buy Experimental data suggest that IRE ablation produces large enough lesions without the risk of PV stenosis, artery, nerve, or esophageal damage. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of single pulse IRE PV isolation in patients with atrial fibrillation. Ten patients with symptomatic paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation underwent single pulse IRE PV isolation under general anesthesia. Three-dimensional reconstruction and electroanatomical voltage mapping (EnSite Precision, Abbott) of left atrium and PVs were performed using a conventional circular mapping catheter. PV isolation was performed by delivering nonarcing, nonbarotraumatic 6 ms, 200 J direct current IRE applications via a custom nondeflectable 14-polar circular IRE ablation catheter with a variable hoop diameter (16-27 mm). A deflectable sheath (Agilis, Abbott) wasely by single pulse IRE ablation. To explore how rheumatology patients experience the personal impact of an inpatient rehabilitation stay and to elucidate the impact of contextual factors on the outcome. Exploratory qualitative individual interviews were conducted with 15 rheumatology patients (73% female) who had completed a two-week inpatient rehabilitation stay. Data collection, analysis and interpretation of data were performed within a phenomenological-hermeneutic framework inspired by Paul Ricoeur's interpretative philosophy. The analysis derived one core theme, , and five subthemes (1) (2) ; (3) ; (4) and (5) . Patients experience inpatient rehabilitation as a sanctuary, in the following three ways; through individually planned multidisciplinary interventions at the hospital; recognition and compassion from the multidisciplinary staff and through social relationships and interactions with fellow patients. There is a need for improved coordination across primary and secondary health care, to ease coherence and tranor improved coordination across primary and secondary health care, to ease coherence and transfer of learning to the patients' everyday lives. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Patients can find peace and energy to care for themselves because they are away from everyday life when admitted for inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Patients need to be prepared for shared decision-making in order to be able to participate in formulating personal and meaningful goals for rehabilitation. There is a need for awareness of organisational and life transitions, to secure transfer of elements from the rehabilitation stay to the patient's everyday life. Rehabilitation professionals should be aware of the significance of fellow patients and facilitate and support the patient-patient relationships.Background Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) is a common complication after esophagectomy with gastric tube reconstruction. It is still unclear whether a pyloric drainage procedure might reduce the risk of DGE. Methods We identified in our database all patients subjected to Ivor Lewis esophagectomy after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the period 2000-2012. In the period 2000-2009, we performed a routine pyloroplasty (pyloroplasty group, PP group, 15 patients), after 2009 we did not perform any type of pyloric drainage procedure (nonpyloroplasty group, NPP group, 11 patients). We compared the groups with subjective questionnaires to assess the perceived quality of life (QoL) (QLQ-C30 and OES-18) and with objective test to study the gastric tube emptying (timed barium swallow test, scintigraphy, 24 hours' pH-metry). Results No difference was observed in questionnaires QLC-C30 and OES-18 scores 73% of patients in PP group and 63% in NPP group scored their overall QoL as good to excellent (QLC-C30). We did not report difference in timed barium swallow test results and in scintigraphy results. Twenty-four-hour pH-metry results showed in PP group a nonsignificant higher number of acid reflux episodes (NPP group 23.2 ± 9.5 versus PP group 41.3 ± 10.7, P = .29) and a longer time with pH less then 4 (NPP group 0.89% ± 1.6% versus PP group 3.1% ± 2.1%, P = .24). Conclusions In our series, pyloroplasty was not associated with improved long-term QoL nor with better gastric conduit emptying. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.