Inflorescence Emergence and Flowering Response of Olive Cultivars Grown in Olive Reference Collection of Portugal (ORCP).

In olive trees, fluctuations in the onset of phenological stages have been reported due to weather conditions. The present study analyses the reproductive phenology of 17 olive cultivars grown in Elvas (Portugal) in 3 consecutive years (2012-2014). Through 2017-2022, the phenological observations continued with four cultivars.

Syphilis response policies and their assessments: A scoping review.

Unlabelled: Syphilis is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) worldwide and has shown a rising trend in recent years, according to a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021. Given this problem, the present study aims to develop a scoping review of what has been done in the world after the publication of the global strategy for the elimination of STIs, with a specific focus on syphilis. Thus, we searched for papers on health policies in response to syphilis in Pubmed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and EBSCO by CINAHL, as well as in official documents from international health organizations.

Optimization of COVID-19 vaccination and the role of individuals with a high number of contacts: A model based approach.

We report strong evidence of the importance of contact hubs (or superspreaders) in mitigating the current COVID-19 pandemic. Contact hubs have a much larger number of contacts than the average in the population, and play a key role on the effectiveness of vaccination strategies. By using an age-structures compartmental SEIAHRV (Susceptible, Exposed, Infected symptomatic, Asymptomatic, Hospitalized, Recovered, Vaccinated) model, calibrated from available demographic and COVID-19 incidence, and considering separately those individuals with a much greater number of contacts than the average in the population, we show that carefully choosing who will compose the first group to be vaccinated can impact positively the total death toll and the demand for health services.

Acute Limb Ischemia After Self-Injection of Crushed Morphine Tablets into the Radial Artery: Role of Infrared Thermography in the Assessment of Tissue Perfusion.

BACKGROUND This article presents a case involving complications after intentional injection of crushed tablets into the arterial circulation, its diagnosis, and the treatment adopted. The diagnosis process illustrates the potential of techniques based on thermal imaging as tools to assess tissue perfusion. Inadvertent intravenous injection of crushed tablets is more common, but there are few reports on arterial circulation, and no studies were found on the self-injection of crushed morphine tablets, particularly into the radial artery.

Attack rate and the price of SARS-CoV-2 herd immunity in Brazil.

We introduce a compartmental model with age structure to study the dynamics of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic. The contagion matrix in the model is given by the product of a probability per contact with a contact matrix explicitly taking into account the contact structure among different age groups. The probability of contagion per contact is considered as time dependent to represent non-pharmaceutical interventions, and is fitted from the time series of deaths.

Muscle Mass Assessed by Computed Tomography at the Third Lumbar Vertebra Predicts Patient Survival in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Objective: Muscle mass is a key element for the evaluation of nutritional disturbances in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Low muscle mass is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The assessment of muscle mass by computed tomography at the third lumbar vertebra region (CTMM-L3) is an accurate method not subject to errors from fluctuation in the hydration status.

The association between plasma proteomics and incident cardiovascular disease identifies MMP-12 as a promising cardiovascular risk marker in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background And Aims: Previous proteomics efforts in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have predominantly evaluated urinary protein levels. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the association between plasma levels of 80 cardiovascular disease-related proteins and the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with CKD.

Methods: Individuals with CKD stages 3-5 (eGFR below 60 ml min-1 [1.

Somatic Embryogenesis from Mature Embryos of L. cv. 'Galega Vulgar' and Long-Term Management of Calli Morphogenic Capacity.

Several olive cultivars, characterized by high-quality olive oil show agronomical issues such as excessive vigor, high susceptibility to biotic and abiotic stresses, and low propagation ability. They are strong candidates for breeding based on new technologies to improve their performance in a short period of time. For this reason, the first step is developing efficient somatic embryogenesis (SE) protocols.

Regulation of sterol content and biosynthetic gene expression during flower opening and early fruit development in olive.

Phytosterols are lipophilic membrane components essential not only for diverse cellular functions but also are biosynthetic precursors of the plant hormone, brassinosteroid (BR). However, the interaction between phytosterol and BR during early fleshy-fruit growth remains largely uncharacterized. In olive, phytosterols are important lipids because they affect oil quality, but phytosterol composition during flowering and early fruit development has not been explored.

Modulation of sphingolipid long-chain base composition and gene expression during early olive-fruit development, and putative role of brassinosteroid.

Sphingolipids are abundant membrane components and signalling molecules in various aspects of plant development. However, the role of sphingolipids in early fleshy-fruit growth has rarely been investigated. In this study, we first investigated the temporal changes in sphingolipid long-chain base (LCB) content, composition, and gene expression that occurred during flower opening and early fruit development in olive (Olea europaea L.

Global Prevalence of Protein-Energy Wasting in Kidney Disease: A Meta-analysis of Contemporary Observational Studies From the International Society of Renal Nutrition and Metabolism.

Objective: To better define the prevalence of protein-energy wasting (PEW) in kidney disease is poorly defined.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of PEW prevalence from contemporary studies including more than 50 subjects with kidney disease, published during 2000-2014 and reporting on PEW prevalence by subjective global assessment or malnutrition-inflammation score. Data were reviewed throughout different strata: (1) acute kidney injury (AKI), (2) pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD), (3) nondialyzed CKD 3-5, (4) maintenance dialysis, and (5) subjects undergoing kidney transplantation (Tx).

Multiplex proteomics for prediction of major cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes.

Aims/hypothesis: Multiplex proteomics could improve understanding and risk prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in type 2 diabetes. This study assessed 80 cardiovascular and inflammatory proteins for biomarker discovery and prediction of MACE in type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We combined data from six prospective epidemiological studies of 30-77-year-old individuals with type 2 diabetes in whom 80 circulating proteins were measured by proximity extension assay.

Muscle mass assessment by computed tomography in chronic kidney disease patients: agreement with surrogate methods.

Background/objectives: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are subjected to muscle wasting. Therefore, it is important to investigate surrogate methods that enable the assessment of muscle mass loss in the clinical setting. We aimed to analyze the agreement between computed tomography (CT) and surrogate methods for the assessment of muscle mass in non-dialysis CKD patients.

Visceral Adipose Tissue and Leptin Hyperproduction Are Associated With Hypogonadism in Men With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Objective: Hypogonadism is a common endocrine disorder in men with chronic kidney disease (CKD), but its pathophysiology is poorly understood. We here explore the plausible contribution of abdominal adiposity and leptin hyperproduction to testosterone deficiency in this patient population.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis with all men included the Malnutrition, Inflammation and Vascular Calcification cohort, which enrolled consecutive nondialyzed patients with CKD stages 3-5.

Sarcopenia in chronic kidney disease on conservative therapy: prevalence and association with mortality.

Background: In chronic kidney disease (CKD), multiple metabolic and nutritional abnormalities contribute to the impairment of skeletal muscle mass and function thus predisposing patients to the condition of sarcopenia. Herein, we investigated the prevalence and mortality predictive power of sarcopenia, defined by three different methods, in non-dialysis-dependent (NDD) CKD patients.

Methods: We evaluated 287 NDD-CKD patients in stages 3-5 [59.

Comparison of the malnutrition-inflammation score in chronic kidney disease patients and kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Protein-energy wasting (PEW) is a common condition in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) including dialysis and kidney transplant recipients (TX) and frequently assessed with malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS). We hypothesized that (1) the MIS and PEW parameters are correlated with kidney function and (2) the MIS and PEW parameters are more severe in TX than in non-dialysis (ND) CKD patients with similar eGFR.

Methods: In this study, we matched 203 ND-CKD and 203 TX patients from two independently assembled cohorts of patients based on estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and compared various PEW parameters between the two groups using unadjusted and case-mix adjusted linear regression and conditional logistic regression analysis models.

Diagnostic validation and prognostic significance of the Malnutrition-Inflammation Score in nondialyzed chronic kidney disease patients.

Background: Malnutrition and inflammation are highly prevalent and intimately linked conditions in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients that lead to a state of protein-energy wasting (PEW), the severity of which can be assessed by the Malnutrition-Inflammation Score (MIS). Here, we applied MIS and validated, for the first time, its ability to grade PEW and predict mortality in nondialyzed CKD patients.

Methods: We cross-sectionally evaluated 300 CKD stages 3-5 patients [median age 61 (53-68) years; estimated glomerular filtration rate 18 (12-27) mL/min/1.

Morning blood pressure surge is associated with death in hypertensive patients.

Background: Morning blood pressure surge (MS), defined as the difference between the mean blood pressure (BP) 2 h after waking up and the mean of the three lowest BP values during sleep, has been correlated with increased cardiovascular risk. We sought to evaluate its association with cardiovascular events and death.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 632 hypertensive patients [median age 58 years (50-67 years), 37% men] who underwent ambulatory BP monitoring between January 2005 and December 2006.

Clinical determinants and prognostic significance of the electrocardiographic strain pattern in chronic kidney disease patients.

The electrocardiographic (ECG) strain pattern (Strain) is a marker of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) severity that provides additional prognostic information beyond echocardiography (ECHO) in the community level. We sought to evaluate its clinical determinants and prognostic usefulness in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. We evaluated 284 non-dialysis-dependent patients with CKD stages 3 to 5 (mean age, 61 years [interquartile range, 53-67 years]; 62% men).

Reliability of electrocardiographic surrogates of left ventricular mass in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Objective: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a prevalent condition in chronic kidney disease (CKD) very often underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. Electrocardiography (ECG) is an easily accessible LVH diagnostic tool. We evaluated the usefulness of commonly applied ECG criteria for LVH diagnosis in CKD patients.

Visceral fat and coronary artery calcification in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Abdominal fat is a metabolically active tissue which has been associated with cardiovascular events and death in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. We explore here the association between surrogates of abdominal fat and coronary artery calcium score (CACs).

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 232 non-dialysis-dependent CKD patients Stages 3-5 (median age 60 [25th-75th percentile 52-67] years; 60% men).

Study of the incidence of dialysis in São Paulo, the largest Brazilian city.

Objectives: Chronic kidney disease is a major public health problem worldwide. In Brazil, approximately 100,000 patients (January 2012) receive renal replacement therapy. Nevertheless, data on dialysis incidence in the Brazilian population are scarce.

Comparison of diagnostic criteria for acute kidney injury in cardiac surgery.

Background: There is considerable controversy regarding the diagnosis of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), and there are over 30 different definitions.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors for the development of AKI following cardiac surgery according to the RIFLE, AKIN and KDIGO criteria, and compare the prognostic power of these criteria.

Methods: Cross-sectional study that included 321 consecutively patients (median age 62 [53-71] years; 140 men) undergoing cardiac surgery between June 2011 and January 2012.

Impact on hypertension reclassification by Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) according to the V Brazilian Guidelines on ABPM.

Background: New recommendations on reference values for normal test results in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) were proposed by the V Brazilian Guidelines on Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring, based mainly on the IDACO study.

Objectives: This epidemiological study is aimed at evaluating the impact of adopting these new standards in an arterial hypertension referral center.

Methods: The results of 1,567 ABPM tests carried out between 2005 and 2010 were analyzed; 481 patients were excluded from the sample for not meeting minimum quality criteria of the test.