Publications by authors named "Amaral L"

In this study, we synthesized a series of 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone (3,4-HPO) chelators with varying lipophilicity by modifying the length of their alkyl chains. To investigate their interaction with lipid membranes, we employed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy using dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) liposomes as membrane model systems. DSC experiments on DMPC liposomes revealed that hexyl-substituted chelators significantly altered the thermotropic phase behavior of the lipid bilayer, indicating their potential as membrane property modulators.

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Cisplatin (CP) is an antineoplastic drug associated with various cytotoxic adverse effects, including hepatotoxicity. Exercise training may offer hepatoprotection by improving redox status. This study compared the effects of light-intensity continuous training (LICT), moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT), and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on CP-induced hepatotoxicity in female Wistar rats.

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Objective: In onchocerciasis-endemic areas, limited access to antiseizure medications (ASMs) contributes to a high epilepsy burden. This study evaluated the impact of a community-based epilepsy care program in Mahenge, Tanzania, an onchocerciasis-endemic area with high epilepsy prevalence.

Methods: A baseline survey (2017-2018) identified persons with epilepsy (PWE) in four rural villages.

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Introduction: Diabetes, obesity, and CKD collectively impact musculoskeletal health and increase the risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 32 dialysis patients, categorized based on their COVID-19 status. Laboratory assessments included inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α).

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Understanding "how to optimize the production of scientific knowledge" is paramount to those who support scientific research-funders as well as research institutions-to the communities served, and to researchers. Structured archives can help all involved to learn what decisions and processes help or hinder the production of new knowledge. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs), we recently created the first structured digital representation of the historic archives of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

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Background: The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) scale assesses the severity of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD), yet a European Portuguese translation is lacking.

Objectives: To translate, cross-culturally adapt and to examine the psychometric properties (construct validity and reliability) of the TMJ scale.

Methods: Translation and cultural adaptation were carried out according to international recommendations, including initial translation, evaluation of this translation and cultural adaptation by a panel of experts, and back translation.

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The 4T1 model is extensively employed in murine studies to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis of triple-negative breast cancer. Molecular biology serves as a cornerstone in these investigations. However, accurate gene expression analyses necessitate data normalization employing housekeeping genes (HKGs) to avert spurious results.

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Mining of electronic health records (EHR) promises to automate the identification of comprehensive disease phenotypes. However, the realization of this promise is hindered by the unavailability of generalizable ground-truth information, data incompleteness and heterogeneity, and the lack of generalization to multiple cohorts. We present here a data-driven approach to identify clinical states that we implement for 585 critical care patients with suspected pneumonia recruited by the SCRIPT study, which we compare to and integrate with 9,918 pneumonia patients from the MIMIC-IV dataset.

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The development of parasite resistance to both artemisinin derivatives and their partner drugs jeopardizes the effectiveness of the artemisinin combination therapy. Thus, the discovery of new antimalarial drugs, with new mechanisms of action, is urgently needed. We recently disclosed that β-carboline was orally efficacious in -infected mice and that it showed low cross-resistance between susceptible and four different drug-resistant strains.

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Article Synopsis
  • Identifying biomarkers for COVID-19 outcomes is essential for better managing high-risk patients and improving survival chances, particularly through early antiviral medication administration.
  • A study involving 297 COVID-19 patients in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, explored the relationship between hematological parameters and disease severity using statistical analysis and machine learning.
  • Findings indicate that monocyte percentage and granulocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio can effectively predict hospitalization risk, making these simple blood test parameters valuable tools for managing treatment in various healthcare settings.
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Population growth, economic growth, and changes in societal habits have led to significant changes in resource consumption. Therefore, it's crucial to accelerate the "reduce, reuse, recycle, and recover" of resources to ensure the balance of ecosystems, and water is surely one of the most fundamental resources. The acceleration of this approach in the water cycle makes sense only if we combine a circular economy (CE) transition with a sustainable perspective.

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  • Preeclampsia (PE) is linked to hypertension and immune responses during pregnancy, with COVID-19 history potentially increasing PE-like symptoms and cognitive issues in affected individuals.
  • * Researchers isolated CD4+ T cells from women with PE and those without (some with COVID-19 history) and injected them into pregnant rats to study their impact on blood pressure and cognitive function.
  • * The study found that PE, particularly with a COVID-19 history, caused higher blood pressure and cognitive dysfunction in recipient rats, suggesting a significant role of CD4+ T cells in these pregnancy complications.
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  • Parkinson's disease (PD) affects a small percentage of patients with a monogenic form linked to mutations in the alpha-synuclein (aSyn) gene, specifically missense variants that can cause familial PD.
  • A case study highlighted a patient with a novel heterozygous aSyn mutation (G14R) showing complex neurodegenerative symptoms and neuropathological findings typical of frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
  • Research on the G14R mutation indicated structural changes in aSyn, leading to increased inclusion formation and altered fibrillar morphologies, suggesting mechanisms for the observed disease characteristics.
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Objective: This trial analyzes the effects of home-based isometric handgrip training (IHT) and aerobic exercise training (AET) on ambulatory and office blood pressure (BP) in older adults with high normal to established hypertension.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial included 84 participants (46 women, 71.1 ± 3.

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In an increasing water scarcity and climate-vulnerable global context, treated wastewater represents a vital alternative water source, thereby enhancing resource sustainability. Despite its potential, only roughly 2.5 % of the treated wastewater is reused in the European Union, with Portugal's reuse rate being only 1.

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Background: Queiroz et al. showed that the application of cluster methodology for classifying gastric cancer is suitable and efficient within a Brazilian cohort, which is known for its population heterogeneity. The study highlighted the potential utilization of this method within public health services due to its low-cost, presenting a viable means to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer.

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Cisplatin (CDDP) is an antineoplastic drug whose adverse effects include hepatotoxicity. The inflammatory process is crucial in the progression of liver injuries. Exercise is known for its anti-inflammatory effects, but the influence of different training modalities on hepatoprotection is still unclear.

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Background and objective: identifying patients at high risk of avoidable readmission remains a challenge for healthcare professionals. Despite the recent interest in Machine Learning in this topic, studies are scarce and commonly using only black box algorithms. The aim of our study was to develop and validate in silico an interpretable predictive model using a decision tree inference to identify pediatric patients at risk of 30-day potentially avoidable readmissions.

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Purpose: To investigate the associations between physical activity (PA) intensities, sedentary behavior (SB), and blood pressure (BP) in adolescents, according to sex.

Method: This cross-sectional study involved 95 male and female adolescents aged 15-18 years. Accelerometry was used to measure time spent in light-intensity PA (LPA), moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA), and vigorous PA, and SB.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated contamination in raw milk and cheese from small farms in Brazil, focusing on various pathogenic bacteria and their characteristics.
  • Pathogenic strains, including EPEC, STEC, and ExPEC, were found in both milk and cheese, with high antimicrobial resistance to several common antibiotics.
  • Genetic analysis showed that identical virulence genes appeared at different production stages, indicating widespread contamination risks and the urgent need for improved hygiene practices.
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Hemiphractids have a singular mode of reproduction that involves maternal care. The Andean-endemic Gastrotheca marsupiata species group includes direct-developing and tadpole-bearing species, the latter trait being unique among Gastrotheca. Larval morphology has proven to be a valuable source of evidence to understand the taxonomy and evolution of frogs but remains understudied in Hemiphractids.

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The need to increase food production to address the world population growth can only be fulfilled with precision agriculture strategies to increase crop yield with minimal expansion of the cultivated area. One example is site-specific fertilization based on accurate monitoring of soil nutrient levels, which can be made more cost-effective using sensors. This study developed an impedimetric multisensor array using ion-selective membranes to analyze soil samples enriched with macronutrients (N, P, and K), which is compared with another array based on layer-by-layer films.

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This study investigated the antitumoral, anti-inflammatory and oxidative effects of polysaccharides from tucum (Bactris setosa, TUC) using the Ehrlich carcinoma as a tumor model. Additionally, the glycogen content, cytochrome P levels, and gluconeogenesis from lactate were assessed in the liver of healthy animals. Tumor-bearing female mice were orally treated with 50 and 100 mg.

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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons and the presence of Lewy bodies, which predominantly consist of aggregated forms of the protein alpha-synuclein (aSyn). While these aggregates are a pathological hallmark of PD, the etiology of most cases remains elusive. Although environmental risk factors have been identified, such as the pesticides dieldrin and MTPT, many others remain to be assessed and their molecular impacts are underexplored.

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The primary visual cortex (V1) in blindness is engaged in a wide spectrum of tasks and sensory modalities, including audition, touch, language, and memory. This widespread involvement raises questions regarding the constancy of its role and whether it might exhibit flexibility in its function over time, connecting to diverse network functions specific to task demands. This would suggest that reorganized V1 assumes a role like multiple-demand system regions.

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