Publications by authors named "Macedo A"

Blood-based biomarkers have been revolutionizing the detection, diagnosis and screening of Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, phosphorylated-tau variants (p-tau, p-tau and p-tau) are promising biomarkers for identifying Alzheimer's disease pathology. Antibody-based assays such as single molecule arrays immunoassays are powerful tools to investigate pathological changes indicated by blood-based biomarkers and have been studied extensively in the Alzheimer's disease research field.

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Objective: To evaluate the influence of edentulism, smoking, microbiota, and oral rehabilitation on the cytokine profile in healthy and hypertensive edentulous individuals using complete dentures.

Design: This case-control study was divided into four groups: normotensives (control group - NH), controlled hypertensives (case group 1 - CH), unreported hypertensives (case group 2 - UnrH), and uncontrolled hypertensives (case group 3 - UncH). The participants were characterized by sociodemographic data, clinical and behavioral information, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

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Objective: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was comparing diagnostic performance of ultrasound elastography (UE), strain UE and shear wave elastography (SWE), with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions.

Methods: Literature search of MEDLINE, Web of Science, SCOPUS and Google Scholar was performed in June 2023. Included studies used Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) and histopathology as reference standard.

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Background: The increasingly fast development of mobile health technologies holds significant value for individuals dealing with mental health conditions. However, inadequate consideration of patients' preferences and expectations undermines real-world outcomes, including sustained adherence. Driven by the belief that specific characteristics, such as youth and higher education, of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder make them suitable for digital adoption, we investigated mHealth-related desirability factors within this patient group.

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Dysfunctional response inhibition, mediated by the striatum and its connections, is thought to underly the clinical manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the exact neural mechanisms remain controversial. In this study, we undertook a novel approach by positing that a) inhibition is a dynamic construct inherently susceptible to numerous failures, which require error-processing, and b) the actor-critic framework of reinforcement learning can integrate neural patterns of inhibition and error-processing in OCD with their behavioural correlates.

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Pyeloplasty at an early age (<2 years) can be treated by a flank open, laparoscopy or robotic approach. We want to demonstrate our strategy and how to construct a very inexpensive pyelostent from a Foley tube. The Ottoni catheter is made from a Foley tube, sectioning the proximal end keeping a plastic circular basement for fixation to the skin.

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Background: Benzodiazepines are the third most misused medication, with many patients having their first exposure during a surgical episode. We sought to characterize factors associated with new persistent benzodiazepine use (NPBU) among patients undergoing cancer surgery.

Patients And Methods: Patients who underwent cancer surgery between 2013 and 2021 were identified using the IBM-MarketScan database.

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Fish may have different sensitivity to pollutants present in the water. We analyzed the liver histology, and P-gp expression in six species of fish from the Doce River basin. Fish were caught at six different points in the Doce River, and liver samples were taken for histological analysis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients with chronic critical illness (CCI) often experience acquired muscle weakness, making optimal protein intake crucial for their recovery, but guidelines on the ideal protein levels remain unclear.
  • A systematic review was conducted by searching major databases for studies comparing high versus low protein intake in critically ill adults who had been in the ICU for more than a week.
  • The analysis included four studies with over 1,700 patients, revealing that higher protein intake (greater than 1.3g/kg/day) significantly reduced early mortality rates in these patients.
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Background: The gastrointestinal microbiota can modulate systemic estrogens, potentially influencing estrogen-induced breast neoplasia development. This study aimed to assess alterations in the gut microbiota in breast cancer patients.

Methods: A search strategy was developed using the terms: "Microbiota," "Gastrointestinal Microbiome," "Breast Cancer," and synonyms.

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The emergence of long-range (LoRa) technology, together with the expansion of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) use in civil applications have brought significant advances to the Internet of Things (IoT) field. In this way, these technologies are used together in different scenarios, especially when it is necessary to have connectivity in remote and difficult-to-access locations, providing coverage and monitoring of greater areas. In this sense, this article seeks to determine the best positioning for the LoRa gateway coupled to the drone and the optimal spreading factor (SF) for signal transmission in a LoRa network, aiming to improve the connected devices (SNR), considering a suburban and densely wooded environment.

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A new species of Culicoides, C. andradinensis Felippe-Bauer & Santarém is described and illustrated based on female specimens from the municipality of Andradina, São Paulo state, Brazil. The new species is placed in the limai species group and compared with their related congeners.

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In this longitudinal brain imaging study, we aimed to characterize hippocampal tau accumulation and subfield atrophy relative to cortical amyloid-β and memory performance. We measured tau-PET in regions associated with Braak stages I to VI, global amyloid-PET burden, hippocampal subfield volumes and memory assessments from 173 participants aged 55-85. Eighty-six of these participants were tested again two years later.

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The quest for novel organic fluorescent materials capable of two-photon absorption (2PA) has intensified in recent years due to their promising applications in biological imaging. Two-photon fluorescence microscopy (2PFM) offers high spatial-temporal resolution, reduced photodamage, and deeper tissue penetration compared to conventional techniques. However, the development of bright two-photon molecular markers remains a challenge, necessitating compounds with high fluorescence quantum yield and 2PA cross-section ().

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare the accuracy of dental casts for fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) made through digital versus traditional (analog) methods, specifically looking at how the shape of the abutment teeth influences this accuracy.
  • Researchers used intraoral scanning and various additive manufacturing techniques to create both digital and plaster casts, assessing their accuracy through measurement deviations compared to a reference model.
  • Results showed that both the manufacturing technique and the geometry of the abutment teeth significantly impacted the accuracy of the casts, indicating that not all methods yield equally precise outcomes depending on these variables.
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Benznidazole (BZ) is the trypanocidal compound of choice for Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease in the Americas. However, this drug often fails to cure the infection. The regulation of gene expression in Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, is based on post-transcriptional mechanisms.

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: Observational studies with data from real-world clinical practice with patients with difficult-to-treat depression (DTD) are rare. This study aims to collect observational data from the real-world clinical practice of a Portuguese community mental health team (CMHT) on the prevalence of DTD and to explore differences between DTD and non-DTD groups. : We conducted a retrospective chart review study using data from Electronic Health Records (EHRs) of adult patients with psychiatric disorders followed by a CMHT from the Department of Psychiatry of the Coimbra Local Health Unit (between 1 December 2020-31 December 2022).

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Vascular calcification (VC) is a complex process involving vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) osteogenic differentiation, inflammation, and extracellular vesicle (EV) calcification and communication networks. Gla rich protein (GRP) is a calcification inhibitor involved in most of these processes. However, the molecular mechanism of GRP in VC and the specific characteristics, cargo, and functionality of calcifying EVs require further elucidation.

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Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS), described by Vladimir Janda, is characterized by postural changes involving the cervical spine and trunk, leading to biomechanical limitations and cervicoscapulobrachial pain. This study proposes a mesotherapy protocol, termed the 8:1 block, to address cervicoscapulobrachialgia by targeting the scapulae and associated musculature. The scapula, central to shoulder girdle kinematics, often exhibits dyskinesis and muscular imbalances, notably the pattern referred to as scapular upper trapping (SUT).

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Article Synopsis
  • The Aussie Current (AC) is a type of electrical current used for pain relief, muscle strengthening, and increasing torque, but its effectiveness is still debated.
  • This systematic review analyzed 21 studies to evaluate the impact of AC on pain, muscle strength, torque, comfort, and functionality, finding a mix of low and high-quality evidence.
  • The prevailing frequency used was 1 kHz, yet the diversity in study methodologies indicates a need for more research to confirm AC's benefits.
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Although screening for distress is recommended by many cancer care guidelines, the uptake of such screening in cancer centers remains limited. Improving the acceptability of screening programs in cancer centers requires a reduction in clinical burden and an improved detection of distress. The purpose of this study was to validate the performance of the two-step screening algorithm used in the Distress Assessment and Response Tool (DART) for identifying cases of anxiety and depression.

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Phenolic compounds found in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) have been associated with various health benefits. Bioavailability studies indicate that the phase I and II metabolites of these phenolic compounds can be detected in human urine and plasma following EVOO consumption. To contribute to the understanding of the biological potential of these phenolic compounds and their metabolites, this study delves into the synthesis, stability, and biological activities of hydroxytyrosol (HT), tyrosol (Tyr), and homovanillic alcohol (HVA), as well as their glucuronide, sulfate, and acetylated metabolites.

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Objectives: To evaluate the accuracy of occlusal splints printed in different orientations by liquid crystal display technology.

Methods: An occlusal splint was digitally designed, and additively manufactured using an LCD printer (Phrozen Sonic 4k, Phrozen) at three orientations relative to the printer building plate: 0, 45, and 70 degrees (n=10). The 3D-printed occlusal splints were digitised using a desktop scanner, resulting in experimental meshes.

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