: The present study aims to identify information from health research studies that have used a mixed-methods data collection approach, considering the combination of face-to-face and telephone interviews (referred to as the MMFT approach), specifically focusing on identifying themes, objectives, designs, populations involved, and implementation processes. : A scoping review was developed, with systematic searches performed in March 2024 across five databases, namely, PubMed; SciELO; Scopus; Web of Science; as well as Google Scholar and reference lists. The inclusion criteria were defined under the following categories: "Participants" (observational epidemiological studies, with no restrictions as to where they were carried out, sampling techniques, or sample profiles); "Concept" (use of MMFT in data collection), and "Context" (studies carried out in the health area, with no restrictions on the theme/subject).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGE Port J Gastroenterol
December 2024
Background: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a devastating malabsorptive condition and the most common cause of chronic intestinal failure (CIF). During the intestinal rehabilitation process, patients may need parenteral support for months or years, parenteral nutrition (PN), or hydration/electrolyte supplementation, as a bridge for the desired enteral autonomy.
Summary: Several classification criteria have been highlighted to reflect different perspectives in CIF.
Objective: The objective of this study was to map the instruments used to assess parental support for physical activity and their constructs and psychometric properties.
Data Source: A scoping review was conducted, with searches in seven electronic databases and reference lists, covering articles available until April 2022. Original and cross-sectional studies were sought that used questionnaires, inventories or questions to assess parental support for the practice of physical activity and sports by children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years and that assessed the barriers reported by parents or guardians for not offering support.
Sepsis is a complex disorder caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, with high levels of morbidity and mortality. Treatment aimed to modulate immune response and maintain vascular function is still one of the major clinical challenges. This study was designed to test the effect of the small molecule 1-Piperidine Propionic Acid (1-PPA) as molecular targeted agent to block protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2), one of the major modulators of inflammatory response in LPS-induced experimental endotoxemia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMinerva Pediatr (Torino)
October 2024
Background: Caregivers of children with complex chronic diseases (CCD) or life-limiting conditions (LLC) experience heightened strain. Understanding their concerns is essential for effective support, particularly in pediatric palliative care (PPC) where compassionate support is crucial. Amid substantial growth in PPC services in Portugal, assessing the effectiveness of care in addressing these concerns and adapting to the evolving needs of parents is imperative.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) has surged in recent decades, owing to a substantial reduction in mortality. As individuals with CHD age, they become increasingly susceptible to late complications including arrhythmias. These arrhythmias often arise decades after surgical intervention and significantly impact quality of life, hospitalizations, and mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFXK disease is a very rare, multi-system disease, which can present with a wide spectrum of symptoms. This disorder can also be identified pre-symptomatically with the incidental detection of serological abnormalities when typing erythrocytes in peripheral blood, or on other routine laboratory testing. Increasing awareness of this disorder and improved access to genetic testing are resulting in increasing identification of affected patients and families.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn mammals, enteric salmonellas can use tetrathionate (ttr), formed as a by-product from the inflammatory process in the intestine, as electron acceptor in anaerobic respiration, and it can fuel its energy metabolism by degrading the microbial fermentation product 1,2-propanediol. However, recent studies have shown that this mechanism is not important for Salmonella infection in the intestine of poultry, while it prolongs the persistence of Salmonella at systemic sites in this species. In the current study, we show that ΔttrApduA strains of Salmonella enterica have lower net survival within chicken-derived HD-11 macrophages, as CFU was only 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with an elevated cardiovascular risk, increased daytime sleepiness, cognitive decline, and slower electroencephalographic activity (EEG). This study assesses EEG patterns during wakefulness in OSA patients compared to those without sleep-disordered breathing.
Materials And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 30 OSA patients with an Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI) of 15 or higher, as well as 29 individuals without sleep-disordered breathing (AHI of 5 or lower) who underwent hospital polysomnography and met all inclusion criteria.
Vault ribonucleoprotein particles are naturally designed nanocages, widely found in the eukaryotic kingdom. Vaults consist of 78 copies of the major vault protein (MVP) that are organized in 2 symmetrical cup-shaped halves, of an approximate size of 70x40x40 nm, leaving a huge internal cavity which accommodates the vault poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (vPARP), the telomerase-associated protein-1 (TEP1) and some small untranslated RNAs. Diverse hypotheses have been developed on possible functions of vaults, based on their unique capsular structure, their rapid movements and the distinct subcellular localization of the particles, implicating transport of cargo, but they are all pending confirmation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis article aims to analyse the relationship between physical activity (PA) environment at schools, sex, age, and obesity in children, using a network approach. This is a cross-sectional study, with 1,200 children (8.1±1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFForeign body aspiration (FBA) is a significant cause of accidental death among children, with laryngeal FBA being relatively rare but potentially fatal due to airway obstruction. This report highlights a case of laryngeal FBA in an 11-month-old child, initially misdiagnosed as viral croup. Otolaryngological evaluation, particularly in the case of laryngeal FBA, may facilitate management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPropylene oxide, CHCHOCH, is the first chiral molecule detected in space and the third C3 oxide detected toward the Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2 (N)) molecular cloud, the others being propanal, CHCHCHO, and acetone, (CH)CO. With homochirality being ubiquitous in the building blocks of living matter, the formation and decay paths of propylene oxide in space are of specific interest. Motivated by the significant role of photo- and secondary electrons in astrochemistry, we have studied electron ionization and fragmentation of propylene oxide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApremilast, a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, has shown promise to have a potential beneficial metabolic effect. We conducted a single-centre retrospective study on adult patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who underwent apremilast treatment over at least 12 and 52 weeks, respectively. Baseline characteristics, weight, lipid profile, and fasting glucose levels were collected at baseline and at 12, 24, and 52 weeks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe posttranslational modification of proteins critically influences many biological processes and is a key mechanism that regulates the function of the RNA-binding protein Hu antigen R (HuR), a hub in liver cancer. Here, we show that HuR is SUMOylated in the tumor sections of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in contrast to the surrounding tissue, as well as in human cell line and mouse models of the disease. SUMOylation of HuR promotes major cancer hallmarks, namely proliferation and invasion, whereas the absence of HuR SUMOylation results in a senescent phenotype with dysfunctional mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Preschools may provide opportunities for children to engage in physical activity (PA), to benefit their health, although little is known when concerning low-income preschoolers. This study aimed (1) to describe time spent in PA among low-income children during preschool hours and (2) to analyse how many children meet the PA recommendations during preschool hours.
Methods: A total of 204 low-income preschoolers (4.
Microtubules are essential for intracellular organization and chromosome segregation. They are nucleated by the γ-tubulin ring complex (γTuRC). However, isolated vertebrate γTuRC adopts an open conformation that deviates from the microtubule structure, raising the question of the nucleation mechanism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Prader-Willi syndrome is a serious genetic condition, capable of causing endocrinological imbalance, which has as one of its main treatments the growth hormone therapy. However, this therapy still causes some uncertainty concerning its effects on the respiratory parameters of those patients, especially in cases of obstructive sleep apnea, therefore, presenting a need for the analysis of the relationship between the therapy and the otolaryngologic condition.
Methods: A systematic review following the PRISMA model was developed, with searches for keywords made in the databases PubMed (MEDLINE), Scopus, and Web of Science and registration in the PROSPERO platform (CRD42023404250).
F4-positive enterotoxigenic is associated with diarrhea and poor growth outcomes in neonatal and newly weaned piglets and is thus a major economic and welfare burden in the swine industry. Vaccination of sows with F4 fimbriae protects against the neonatal disease via passive transfer of maternal immunity. However, this strategy does not protect against infection post-weaning.
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