Publications by authors named "Claro A"

Background: Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) is integral to health research. Reporting of PPIE methods and impact is becoming increasingly common in health research. However, reporting on PPIE in studies using large, routinely collected electronic health record data sets is less common.

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Iron gall ink (IGI), renowned for its indelibility, was the most important writing ink in the Western world from the 15th to the late 19th century. However, it is now known that IGIs induce acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and iron-catalyzed oxidation of the cellulose in historical paper documents. These mechanisms of deterioration cause significant damage to the writing support materials, including color alteration and burn-through appearance, and in the worst scenarios, physical disintegration of the supports.

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Background: Viral respiratory infections may precipitate type 1 diabetes (T1D). A possible association between the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, and the incidence of T1D is being determined. This study was carried out using Portuguese registries, aiming at examining temporal trends between COVID-19 and T1D.

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Common psychiatric disorders (CPDs) and depression contribute significantly to the global epidemic of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We postulated a possible pathophysiological mechanism that through Bridge-Symptoms present in depression and CPDs, promotes the establishment of emotional eating, activation of the reward system, onset of overweight and obesity and, ultimately the increased risk of developing T2D. The plausibility of the proposed pathophysiological mechanism is supported by the mechanism of action of drugs such as naltrexone-bupropion currently approved for the treatment of both obesity/overweight with T2D and as separate active pharmaceutical ingredients in drug addiction, but also from initial evidence that is emerging regarding glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists that appear to be effective in the treatment of drug addiction.

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  • Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are tiny structures derived from plant fibers, used in various fields like reinforcement materials and biosensors, and this study focuses on CNCs extracted from bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) using two methods: acidic hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis.
  • The CNCs produced from acid hydrolysis are needle-shaped and negatively charged, while those from the enzymatic method are spherical and positively charged, showing differences in size and stability characteristics.
  • This research is significant as it successfully produces spherical nanoparticles for the first time via enzymatic treatment of BNC, and it also confirms that both types of CNCs are safe for use based on cell line tests.
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  • Growth failure is a significant issue in pediatric chronic kidney disease, with many patients not reaching expected height even after a kidney transplant, prompting a study to evaluate growth patterns and influencing factors post-transplant.
  • A retrospective study of 149 patients over 25 years revealed that while patients showed gradual "catch-up" growth over 5 years, their height remained below target levels at the transition to adult care.
  • Notably, factors like glomerular filtration rate (GFR) after transplant were linked to better growth outcomes, but overall results indicate room for improvement in achieving optimal height for these patients.
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Too little is known about areia de escrever, i.e., blotting sands, the intriguing particles sprinkled on freshly written scripts to accelerate the drying time of the ink.

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(1) Background: In recent years there have been advances in imaging techniques, in addition to progress in the surgery of renal tumors directed towards minimally invasive techniques. Thus, nephron-sparing surgery has become the gold standard for the treatment of T1 renal masses. The aim of this study is to investigate the benefits of robotic partial nephrectomy in comparison with laparoscopic nephrectomy.

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This study aims to characterize a new Ti-25Ta-25Nb-5Sn alloy for biomedical application. Microstructure, phase formation, mechanical and corrosion properties, along with the cell culture study of the Ti-25Ta-25Nb alloy with Sn content 5 mass% are presented in this article. The experimental alloy was processed in an arc melting furnace, cold worked, and heat treated.

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As the development of nanotechnology progresses, organic electronics have gained momentum in recent years, and the production and rapid development of electronic devices based on organic semiconductors, such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), and organic field effect transistors (OFETs), among others, have excelled. Their uses extend to the fabrication of intelligent screens for televisions and portable devices, due to their flexibility and versatility. Lately, great efforts have been reported in the literature to use them in the biomedical field, such as in photodynamic therapy.

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  • A significant portion of historical documents, particularly those from the Portuguese Inquisition, is at risk due to the use of iron-gall ink (IGI).
  • The study employed advanced scientific techniques like SEM/EDS, µ-FT-IR-ATR, and µ-Raman to analyze and characterize these historical records from the 16th to 18th centuries.
  • Findings not only confirmed the presence of IGI but also revealed different ink formulations and the harmful effects caused by the ink's degradation.
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The study of new metallic biomaterials for application in bone tissue repair has improved due to the increase in life expectancy and the aging of the world population. Titanium alloys are one of the main groups of biomaterials for these applications, and beta-type titanium alloys are more suitable for long-term bone implants. The objective of this work was to process and characterize a new TiMoNbZr beta alloy.

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Aims: Common Psychiatric Disorders (CPDs) are associated with the development of overweight and obesity, the strongest risk factors for the onset and maintenance of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2D). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the prevalence of CPDs in patients with T2D in Italy.

Methods: This is a monocentric cross-sectional study; n = 184 T2D patients were screened for CPDs using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ).

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Alcohol use disorder is a complex and heterogeneous phenomenon that can be studied from several points of view by focusing on its different components. Alcohol is a hepatotoxin whose metabolism creates profound alterations within the hepatocyte. The liver is the central organ in the metabolism of alcohol, a process that also involves other organs and tissues such as the brain, heart and muscles, but the most relevant organ is the liver.

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The aim of this paper is to describe the direction of the link between stress, depression, increased inflammation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reduction. We hypothesize that severe stress or prolonged stress can be the driving factor that promote the onset of depression. Both stress and depression, if not resolved over time, activate the production of transcription factors that will switch on pro-inflammatory genes and translate them into cytokines.

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On September 22, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved ruxolitinib for the treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after the failure of one or two lines of systemic therapy in adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older. Approval was based on Study INCB 18424-365 (REACH-3; CINC424D2301; NCT03112603), a randomized, open-label, multicenter trial of ruxolitinib in comparison to best available therapy (BAT) for the treatment of corticosteroid-refractory cGVHD occurring after the allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. A total of 329 patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either ruxolitinib 10 mg twice daily (n = 165) or BAT (n = 164).

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Social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected lifestyles: from sedentary behaviors to reduced physical activity, from disrupted sleep patterns to altered dietary habits. As a consequence, serious mental and emotional responses have been registered. There was a significant decline in physical and other meaningful activities of daily living, leisure, social activity, and education.

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The reuse of açaí seeds is an organic approach for valorizing biomass, encouraging the public policies of circular economy, which reduces the human impact on the production chain processes. This research proposes an alternative for açaí seed as a filler in castor oil-based polyurethane, obtaining eco-sorbent to evaluate the sorption capacity for another impactful food industry by-product: waste cooking oil (WCO). Eco-sorbents were obtained with castor oil based-polyol and isocyanate (MDI) by mass mixing equal to 1:1 (OH:NCO), reinforced with açaí seed residue (5-20 wt%).

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The aims of this work were to evaluate the antibacterial and antiproliferative potential in vitro of the metal complex with 4-aminobenzoic acid (Ag-pABA) and a drug delivery system based on bacterial cellulose (BC-Ag-pABA). The Ag-pABA complex was characterized by elemental analysis, high resolution mass spectrometry and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, which indicated a 1:2 metal/pABA composition plus a nitrate ion coordinated to silver by the oxygen atom, with the coordination formula [Ag (CHNO)(NO)]. The coordination of pABA to the silver ion occurred by the nitrogen atom.

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Antipsychotic drugs (AP) are widely prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia and psychosis. The pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia is often performed with the simultaneous use of two or more antipsychotic agents to achieve the desired control of psychotic symptoms Available AP include both conventional (typical) and new (atypical) antipsychotic medications. Atypical AP, such as quetiapine, now account for the vast majority of AP prescriptions.

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This animal study evaluated the osseointegration level of a new nanotextured titanium surface produced by anodization. Ti-cp micro-implants (1.5 mm diameter by 2.

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