Publications by authors named "Maria Lopes"

Introduction: Smoking cessation is important for men and women diagnosed with cancer. Oncology clinicians should encourage all patients to quit and offer resources to help them do so, following the 5As framework (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange follow-up).

Method: This study tests gender differences in self-reported receipt of the 5As by an oncology provider among 306 recently-diagnosed male and female cancer patients.

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Objective: This review discusses the impact of climate change on sleep, anxiety, and eating in the pediatric population.

Data Source: This is a nonsystematic literature review based on a search using PubMed and MeSH terms in titles and abstracts with these keywords: climate change, sleep, greenhouse effect, children, and adolescents.

Data Synthesis: Climate change events are associated with human intervention in the ecosystem, having a strong impact on cognitive functions, physical and mental health, as well as subjective well-being, particularly in youth.

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Metabolic bariatric surgery is considered the most effective treatment for severe obesity, however it may be associated with the development of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and other gastrointestinal symptoms (GIS). This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of probiotics or synbiotics on GIS and SIBO in post- metabolic bariatric surgery patients. Five studies that investigated the effect of probiotics or synbiotics in the treatment of post-surgery GIS were included in the review, with three focusing on SIBO.

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Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate a possible immunomodulatory role of the periodontopathogen Filifactor alocis through the antimicrobial peptide hBD-2 on the expression of chemokines in human gingival keratinocytes.

Materials And Methods: Cells were cultured in the presence or absence of periodontopathogenic bacteria, such as F. alocis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Treponema denticola, to evaluate the regulation of hBD-2, CXCL8 and CCL20.

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Article Synopsis
  • Horses have been shaped by human needs through selective breeding, leading to a very uniform male-specific portion of the Y chromosome (MSY) across modern breeds.
  • The study analyzed 1,517 males from 189 horse breeds, revealing the significant influence of Oriental stallions, especially Arabian and English Thoroughbred, over the past few centuries.
  • Additionally, the research uncovered two major historical waves of horse dissemination, including the "Spanish influence" from the Iberian Peninsula and the spread during the Ottoman Empire's expansion, highlighting the complex ancestry of modern horses.
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Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are commensal bacteria of the human skin and mucosal membranes. The incidence of nosocomial infections caused by these species is on the rise, leading to a potential increase in antibiotic tolerance and resistance. Phages are emerging as a promising alternative to combat CoNS infections.

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Background: The Demand Control Support model is useful for studying work-related stress. The combination of high demand and a low level of control generates "job strain" ("job iso-strain" if poor support is added), with implications for the worker's health and well-being. The aims of this study were to adapt, examine the factor structure of, and determine the reliability of, the Demand Control Support Questionnaire (DCSQ) short version for European Portuguese (DCSQ-PT).

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Background: Critically ill patients are at high risk of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Acquired weakness, which negatively impacts clinical outcomes. Traditional muscle mass and nutritional status assessments are often impractical in the ICU. Ultrasound offers a promising, non-invasive alternative.

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We describe the geographical variation in tree species composition across Amazonian forests and show how environmental conditions are associated with species turnover. Our analyses are based on 2023 forest inventory plots (1 ha) that provide abundance data for a total of 5188 tree species. Within-plot species composition reflected both local environmental conditions (especially soil nutrients and hydrology) and geographical regions.

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  • Pulmonary hypertension (PH) complicates mitral stenosis (MS), and this study investigates the role of pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and right atrial pressure (RAP) in predicting outcomes for patients with rheumatic MS undergoing percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty (PMBV).
  • The study included 58 patients, dividing them based on PVR levels, and assessed outcomes like death and the need for further interventions during follow-up.
  • Results indicated that RAP was a significant independent predictor of adverse outcomes, while PVR did not demonstrate the expected prognostic significance, suggesting that RAP is more critical in monitoring these patients.
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Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the osseointegration of titanium (Ti) implants with micro-nano textured surfaces functionalized with strontium additions (Sr) in a pre-clinical rat tibia model.

Methodology: Ti commercially pure (cp-Ti) implants were installed bilaterally in the tibia of 64 Holtzman rats, divided into four experimental groups (n=16/group): (1) Machined surface - control (C); (2) Micro-nano textured surface treatment (MN); (3) Micro-nano textured surface with Sr2+ addition (MNSr); and (4) Micro-nano textured surface with a higher complementary addition of Sr2+ (MNSr+). In total, two experimental euthanasia periods were assessed at 15 and 45 days (n=8/period).

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Nitrates can cause severe ecological imbalances in aquatic ecosystems, with considerable consequences for human health. Therefore, monitoring this inorganic form of nitrogen is essential for any water quality management structure. This research was conducted to develop a novel Nitrate Portable Measurement System (NPMS) to monitor nitrate concentrations in water samples.

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Objective: To evaluate the workload and severity of patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with COVID-19.

Method: Cross-sectional, analytical study carried out in the ICU of a private hospital. All patients over the age of 18 with a diagnosis of COVID-19 admitted from September 2020 to June 2021 were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • Several clinical trials confirm that dupilumab is effective and safe for treating atopic dermatitis (AD), but there’s limited information on its long-term real-world outcomes.
  • A retrospective study of 312 adult patients in Portugal found a 30-month drug survival rate of 82%, with 12.5% discontinuing treatment mainly due to treatment failure or adverse effects.
  • Significant improvements were observed in skin severity (EASI score), itchiness (NRS), and quality of life (DLQI), showcasing the drug's effectiveness over the follow-up period.
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Sjogren's disease (SjD) is an autoimmune disease that is characterized not only by the sicca symptoms it causes but also by its systemic nature, which is capable of several and not yet fully understood extraglandular manifestations. To gain a clearer understanding of these manifestations as well as a better practical approach, a panel of experts from the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the identification of epidemiologic and clinical features of the extraglandular manifestations present in ESSDAI (EULAR Sjogren´s syndrome disease activity index), followed by a voting panel with recommendations for clinical practice. This publication is complementary to others already published and covers cutaneous and hematological manifestations, with prevalence data generated by a meta-analysis of 13 clinical or laboratory manifestations and 6 clinical management recommendations.

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Objective: To identify the type of feeding and analyze the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge, in the first and in the last follow-up visit of the third stage of the Kangaroo Mother Care among infants admitted to the kangaroo unit.

Method: Longitudinal and retrospective study. A total of 186 infants of gestational age <37 weeks admitted to the kangaroo unit in 2018 and 2019 was included.

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Introduction: Sjögren's disease (SD) is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disease that affects epithelial tissues, mainly salivary and lacrimal glands. It also presents extraglandular manifestations. The main renal manifestation is tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN), which can manifest as renal tubular acidosis (RTA).

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Background: Diagnosing imprinting defects in neonates and young children presents challenges, often necessitating molecular analysis for a conclusive diagnosis. The isolation of genetic material from oral swabs becomes crucial, especially in settings where blood sample collection is impractical or for vulnerable populations like newborns, who possess limited blood volumes and are often too fragile for invasive procedures. Oral swab samples emerge as an excellent source of DNA, effectively overcoming obstacles associated with rare diseases.

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This study aimed to evaluate the osteogenic potential of hydroxyapatite (HA), Alginate (Alg), and Gelatine (Gel) composite in a critical-size defect model in rats. Twenty-four male rats were divided into three groups: a negative control with no treatment (Control group), a positive control treated with deproteinized bovine bone mineral (DBBM group), and the experimental group treated with the new HA-Alg-Gel composite (HA-Alg-Gel group). A critical size defect (8.

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Background: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is the preferred therapy for patients with high-risk or relapsed hematologic malignancies, but may be complicated by psychological distress (e.g., depression, anxiety) and symptom burden (e.

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Introduction: Caffeine is a widely consumed substance with several effects on bone metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the effect of caffeine on the bone tissue of rats submitted to orthodontic movement.

Methods: Twenty-five male Wistar rats underwent orthodontic movement (21 days) of the first permanent maxillary molars on the left side.

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Diabetes mellitus (DM) complications are a burden to health care systems due to the associated consequences of poor glycemic control and the side effects of insulin therapy. Recently. adjuvant therapies, such as vanadium compounds, have gained attention due to their potential to improve glucose homeostasis in patients with diabetes.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study focused on how an anti-sclerostin monoclonal antibody (Scl-Ab) affects bone healing after tooth extraction in ovariectomized rats, which are often used to model osteoporosis.
  • - The research involved three groups of rats: healthy controls, those with induced osteoporosis, and those with osteoporosis treated with Scl-Ab, with all groups undergoing a molar extraction after a period of treatment.
  • - Results showed that while Scl-Ab treatment didn't significantly speed up bone formation, it did enhance the healing quality and collagen content in the post-extraction area compared to the osteoporosis-only group.
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