Publications by authors named "Pais J"

Background: Cognitive assessment and the early detection of cognitive impairments have been enhanced by the use of remote digital solutions. The Brain on Track® is one of these digital solutions used in clinical practice for online screening and monitoring of cognitive functioning.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the validity and reliability of the Brain on Track® computerized test on a tablet device in adults.

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Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is essential in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has emerged as a promising exercise intervention for enhancing clinical outcomes in cardiac patients. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two short-term exercise-based programs employing HIIT and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in comparison to a control group concerning blood pressure, body composition, and blood biomarkers in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD).

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Article Synopsis
  • Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious disease affecting vulnerable populations, and researchers have created new compounds called -alkyl nitrobenzamides that show potential against TB by targeting the enzyme DprE1 found in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).
  • The study demonstrated that specific derivatives of these compounds, particularly those with certain chemical structures and chain lengths, exhibited strong antitubercular activity, performing similarly to the existing TB treatment, isoniazid.
  • Evidence from docking studies suggests that these compounds likely work by interacting with the DprE1 enzyme, supporting their potential as viable candidates for TB therapy.
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Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major global health challenge and a leading cause of death from infectious diseases. Inspired by the results from a previous work by our group on antimycobacterial -alkylnitrobenzamides, which are structurally related to the nitrobenzamide family of decaprenylphosphoryl-β-d-ribose oxidase (DprE1) inhibitors, the present study explored a broad array of substituted benzamides. We particularly focused on previously unexplored 3,5-dinitrobenzamide derivatives.

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Background: Neurological disorders as a risk factor for Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) are not well characterized. The aim of the study was to evaluate TTS-associated neurological phenotypes and outcome.

Methods And Results: Patients with TTS enrolled in the international multicenter GEIST (German Italian Spanish Takotsubo) registry were analyzed.

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Beef cattle production in Portugal is an important sector of national agricultural production, with half of the herd being in the Alentejo region. Despite this, animal health is essential for its productivity, which may be compromised by ticks and tick-borne diseases. So far, no study has been conducted in Portugal to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on ticks and tick-borne diseases in cattle, which the authors are aware of.

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Computerized cognitive tests have the potential to cost-effectively detect and monitor cognitive impairments and thereby facilitate treatment for these conditions. However, relatively few of these tests have been validated in a variety of populations. Brain on Track, a self-administered web-based test, has previously been shown to have a good ability to differentiate between healthy individuals and patients with cognitive impairment in Portuguese populations.

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The control of Tropical Theileriosis, a tick-borne disease with a strong impact on cattle breeding, can be facilitated using marker-assisted selection in breeding programs. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using high-density arrays are extremely important for the ongoing process of identifying genomic variants associated with resistance to infection. In this work, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were analyzed in the Portuguese autochthonous cattle breeds Alentejana and Mertolenga.

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Studies have shown that the higher the aerobic capacity, the lower the risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. In the case of cardiac patients, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) seems to be more effective than moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in improving aerobic capacity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two community-based exercise programs using two short-term protocols (HIIT and MICT) on physical fitness and physical activity (PA) levels in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients.

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The indigenous population of the Canary Islands, which colonized the archipelago around the 3 century CE, provides both a window into the past of North Africa and a unique model to explore the effects of insularity. We generate genome-wide data from 40 individuals from the seven islands, dated between the 3-16 centuries CE. Along with components already present in Moroccan Neolithic populations, the Canarian natives show signatures related to Bronze Age expansions in Eurasia and trans-Saharan migrations.

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Background: Evidence suggests an association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and worse performance on cognitive tests, and a higher risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia up to 6 and 12 months after infection, respectively. Longer follow-ups with comparison groups are needed to clarify the potentially increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases in COVID-19 survivors, namely those infected before mass vaccination.

Methods: A prospective study started in July 2022 with four cohorts of 150 individuals each, defined according to SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalisation status between March 2020 and February 2021: cohort 1-hospitalised due to SARS-CoV-2 infection; cohort 2-hospitalised, COVID-19-free; cohort 3-infected, not hospitalised; cohort 4-not infected, not hospitalised.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate an encouragement trial of a Parents as Teachers (PAT) home visitation intervention on the school readiness of preschool children using an innovative analysis to address issues of selective enrollment.

Method: Families were given the opportunity to enroll in a PAT program through a randomized lottery. The PAT program is assessed using standardized measures of school readiness before and after the two-year program.

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Tropical Bovine Theileriosis is an important tick-borne disease. This study aims to assess the occurrence of infection in two indigenous Portuguese cattle breeds. A total of 843 blood samples collected from animals of Alentejana (n = 420) and Mertolenga (n = 423) breeds were analyzed.

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Background: Cognitive impairment is a critical aspect of our aging society. Yet, it receives inadequate intervention due to delayed or missed detection. Dual-task gait analysis is currently considered a solution to improve the early detection of cognitive impairment in clinical settings.

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Bupropion is the only FDA - approved synthetic cathinone, with increasing popularity in clinical practice due to its wide range of action, and lack of sexual side effects. However, its stimulant effect similar to amphetamines has growing the concern regarding its recreational use.

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Esters of weak acids have shown improved antimycobacterial activity over the corresponding free acids and nitro benzoates in particular have previously shown to have a very intriguing activity. To expand the potential of nitro-derivatives of benzoic acid as antimycobacterial drugs and explore the effects of various structural features on the activity of these compounds, we have obtained a library of 64 derivatives containing esters and thioesters of benzoates and studied their activity against , the stability of the compounds, their activation by mycobacterial enzymes and the potential cytotoxicity against human monocytic THP-1 cell line. Our results showed that the most active compounds are those with an aromatic nitro substitution, with the 3,5-dinitro esters series being the most active.

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Objective: Stepping exergames designed to stimulate physical and cognitive skills can provide important information concerning individuals' performance. In this study, we investigated the potential of stepping and gameplay metrics to assess the motor-cognitive status of older adults.

Methods: Stepping and gameplay metrics were recorded in a longitudinal study involving 13 older adults with mobility limitations.

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Livestock behavior and welfare are increasingly recognized to be related, not only to the animals' handling, but also with productivity. The present work was carried out at the Mertolenga Breed Testing Center and its objective was to evaluate the behavior of Mertolenga breed young bulls when exiting the chute, the reaction to novelty and human approach tests, as well as to understand if the responses between these tests are related. Twenty-nine Mertolenga-bred young bulls from 16 different farms, aged between 8 and 13 months, entered the study farm from the end of May to the beginning of June 2021.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effects of beta-blocker therapy on long-term outcomes for patients who have recovered from Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), a condition that can be triggered by stress and involves temporary heart dysfunction.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 970 TTS survivors in Spain, assessing whether those treated with beta-blockers had different rates of mortality and TTS recurrence compared to those who were not treated.
  • Results showed no significant differences in survival or recurrence rates between patients on beta-blockers and those not on them, suggesting that beta-blockers may not be beneficial for improving long-term outcomes in TTS patients.
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Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs' benefits are overall consensual; however, during exercise, progressive physiological effects have not been studied yet in cardiac patients. Our study aims to analyze physiological parameters of thermography, heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, central nervous system (CNS) fatigue, and cortical arousal in heart attack patients (HAP) who belong to CR programs of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Moderate-intensity Continuous Training (MICT) compared to healthy participants.

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Purpose: Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is a chronic and severe infection of the kidney. We aimed to review the main clinical, imaging, and histological findings and to assess predictors of surgical complications or hospitalization >10 days (no deaths reported).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively searched all patients with XGP treated at our institution from 2005 to 2019, with 57 patients enrolled.

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Asphalt rubber mixtures have been used as pavement surface layers due to their ability to prevent early degradation, and are considered a sustainable option. This study performed analysis comparing the fatigue resistance of asphalt rubber mixtures of different combinations of asphalt bases, crumb rubber, and gradation, in order to estimate the performance of asphalt rubber mixtures as pavement surface layers. The methodology was developed in a laboratory and involved asphalt rubber production by continuous and terminal blend systems with different crumb rubbers and asphalt base types.

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Tuberculosis (TB) is currently one of the leading causes of death due to infective agents, and the growing rate of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) cases poses an emergent public health threat. Fluoroquinolones are commonly used in the treatment of both MDR TB and drug-sensitive tuberculosis patients who are intolerant to first-line antitubercular agents. Unfortunately, these drugs have mild side effects, relevant to the prolonged treatment regimens and diminished bioavailability due to binding of metal ions.

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Workers in the construction sector are exposed to high concentrations of particulate matter at their workplace. This increases their susceptibility to various respiratory diseases, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The study reports comparative pulmonary fitness and hematological parameters of the migrant workers in the construction sector versus other sectors in Delhi.

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One interesting approach to fight tuberculosis is the use of prodrugs that often have shown improved biological activities over drugs with poor absorption or difficulty to cross membranes. Previous studies demonstrate that weak acids such as benzoic acid, present antimycobacterial activity. Moreover, esters of those acids revealed to be a viable alternative since they may diffuse more easily through the cell membranes.

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