Background: Dialysis recovery time (DRT) refers to the period during which fatigue and weakness subside following hemodialysis treatment, allowing patients to resume their daily routines. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing DRT in hemodialysis patients in Turkey and Portugal, where the prevalence of chronic kidney disease is notably high.
Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a private dialysis center in Turkey and three dialysis centers in Portugal.
Large language models (LLMs) are rapidly being adopted in healthcare, necessitating standardized reporting guidelines. We present transparent reporting of a multivariable model for individual prognosis or diagnosis (TRIPOD)-LLM, an extension of the TRIPOD + artificial intelligence statement, addressing the unique challenges of LLMs in biomedical applications. TRIPOD-LLM provides a comprehensive checklist of 19 main items and 50 subitems, covering key aspects from title to discussion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLeishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by protozoans of the Leishmania genus, against which no effective treatment or control is available. Like other eukaryotes, parasite telomeres are maintained by telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein complex vital for genome stability. Its protein component, TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase), presents four structural and functional domains, with the TEN (Telomerase N-terminal) and TRBD (Telomerase RNA-binding) located at its N-terminal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a single 20 mg/kg dose of lotilaner for treating rabbits with concomitant infection by P. ovis and L. gibbus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFhas wild habits with ecological plasticity in anthropized environments. We report the occurrence of this species in several types of artificial containers in 2 fragments of the Atlantic Forest in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 1,428 larvae were collected, in which plastic containers had the highest abundance of immature forms of Li.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Arabian/Persian Gulf, a marginal sea of the northern Indian Ocean, has been significantly impacted by human activities, leading to a rise in harmful algal blooms (HABs). This study investigates the summer blooming of an ichthyotoxic phytoflagellate Chattonella marina var. antiqua and associated fish-kill in Kuwaiti waters, connecting the events to a previous dust storm and eutrophication status in the coastal waters of the Northern Arabian Gulf (NAG).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA female adolescent with no relevant past history was admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Department with two episodes of seizures without trauma, fever, or other symptoms. Head-MRI revealed bilateral subependymal nodular irregularities lining the lateral ventricles, with similar signal evolution to grey matter, confirming the diagnosis of periventricular nodular heterotopias (PVNH). Genetic testing revealed a Filamin A ( variant; family studies were negative.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAugmenting traditional genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with advanced machine learning algorithms can allow the detection of novel signals in available cohorts. We introduce "genome-wide association neural networks (GWANN)" a novel approach that uses neural networks (NNs) to perform a gene-level association study with family history of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In UK Biobank, we defined cases (n = 42 110) as those with AD or family history of AD and sampled an equal number of controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis review aimed to identify and synthesize the perceptions of mental healthcare professionals, family members, and users about mental health crisis interventions for children and adolescents at hospitals and community mental health services. A qualitative systematic review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institution guidelines. The search was performed in 15 databases, with no temporal delimitation, and included studies in Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Chem Chem Phys
January 2025
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has been widely used in plastic products, leading to massive PET waste accumulation in ecosystems worldwide. Efforts to find greener processes for dealing with post-consumer PET waste led to the discovery of PET-degrading enzymes such as PETase (PETase). studies have provided valuable contributions to this field, shedding light on the catalytic mechanisms and substrate interactions in many PET hydrolase enzymes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of bioactive toothpastes in remineralizing eroded enamel surfaces in vitro. Bovine enamel blocks (n = 48) were obtained and classified into untreated, demineralized, and treated areas. Specimens were randomly classified into six groups (n = 8 each): fluoride-free toothpaste (NCT), Colgate Total 12 (PCT), Sensodyne Repair and Protect (SRP), Sensodyne Pronamel (SPE), Regenerador + Sensitive (RGS), and RGS/calcium booster (RCB).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Bed regulation within Brazil's National Health System (SUS) plays a crucial role in managing care for patients in need of hospitalization. In Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, the RegulaRN Leitos Gerais platform was the information system developed to register requests for bed regulation for COVID-19 cases. However, the platform was expanded to cover a range of diseases that require hospitalization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvid Based Dent
January 2025
Aim: The aim of the current systematic review was to investigate differences in the measurement of working length in primary teeth between electronic apex locators (EAL) and radiographic methods (conventional radiography [CR] and digital radiography [DR]).
Methods: A systematic search was conducted in six electronic databases (Medline via PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Virtual Health Library, Scopus and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews). Gray literature and reference lists of included studies were also examined.
Isolates of spp. were cultured from water sources at five different sites in central Iowa in the Midwestern United States and characterized by whole-genome sequencing. Isolates were helix-shaped and motile.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious research has revealed enhanced free recall for neutral items previously associated with disease-causing agents, compared to when they are associated with neutral information; this has been termed the contamination effect. However, it remains unknown whether this effect extends to recognition memory and, if so, on what processes it would rely (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This mini-review discusses the clinical implication of respiratory pathogens in the biofilm on acrylic resin removable dentures in the elderly.
Methods: A search was conducted using the keywords: "dentures", " acrylic resin", "biofilm", "pneumonia", "elderly", "respiratory pathogens", and "respiratory diseases" in databases PubMed/Medline, Lilacs, SciELO and textbooks between 1999 and 2024.
Results: The elderly are more susceptible to chronic diseases and/or life-threatening infections because of senescence itself and functional and degenerative alterations.
Bio-nano interactions have been extensively explored in nanomedicine to develop selective delivery strategies and reduce systemic toxicity. To enhance the delivery of nanocarriers to cancer cells and improve the therapeutic efficiency, different nanomaterials have been developed. However, the limited clinical translation of nanoparticle-based therapies, largely due to issues associated with poor targeting, requires a deeper understanding of the biological phenomena underlying cell-nanoparticle interactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRotavirus group A (RVA) is a major cause of pediatric acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Vaccination is an effective public health strategy and Angola implemented it in 2014. This hospital-based study aimed to estimate the prevalence of RVA infection and the severity of AGE in children under five years of age treated at six hospitals in Luanda Province.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFViruses
November 2024
Hantaviruses are zoonotic pathogens associated with severe human diseases such as hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Despite the extensive study of rodent-borne hantaviruses, research on bat-associated hantaviruses remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence and cross-reactivity of neotropical bat samples with rodent- and bat-associated recombinant hantavirus nucleoproteins (rNPs) to improve hantavirus surveillance in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground/objectives: Cartilage injuries and osteoarthritis are prevalent public health problems, due to their disabling nature and economic impact. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) isolated from different tissues have the immunomodulatory capacity to regulate local joint environment. This translational study aims to compare cartilage restoration from MSCs from the synovial membrane (SM) and dental pulp (DP) by a tissue-engineered construct with Good Manufacturing Practices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChronic pruritus, or persistent itching, is a debilitating condition that severely impacts quality of life, especially in palliative care settings. Traditional treatments often fail to provide adequate relief or are associated with significant side effects, prompting interest in alternative therapies. This review investigates the antipruritic potential of eight medicinal plants: chamomile (), aloe vera (), calendula (), curcumin (), lavender (), licorice (), peppermint (), and evening primrose ().
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHealthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent a major challenge in patient safety that affects services disproportionally. This paper aimed to assess how the HAI prevalence varies between hospital services and what contextual characteristics may explain such variance. A cross-sectional study was conducted on adult patients in Portuguese hospitals, using data from the European point prevalence survey of HAI prevalence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman-driven changes in land cover and use can significantly impact species ants community structures, often leading to a decline in taxonomic diversity or species homogenization. Ant morphology, used as a proxy for ecological function, offers a valuable framework for understanding the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on ant diversity. This study explored the morphological diversity of ant assemblages in agricultural ecosystems and secondary forests in Italy and the Brazilian Amazon, analyzing how these communities are structured and adapted to different environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMaternal severe morbidity and mortality are measures for assessing maternal healthcare, and admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) can be used to study these metrics. Here, we analyze ICU admissions of pregnant or postpartum women in a tertiary hospital. This is a retrospective, single-center, observational cohort study of obstetric intensive care admissions at a Portuguese hospital spanning 15 years.
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