Publications by authors named "Patricia Macedo"

Background: This study will be the first scoping review dedicated to investigating screening strategies for eating disorders specifically performed in the primary health care setting, as no comprehensive examination has been performed to date. Our primary aim is to explore the available literature and assess and identify validated screening strategies for eating disorders in adolescents and adults within the primary care context.

Methods: The study protocol was developed following the guidance outlined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews.

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Introduction: Despite the effectiveness of exercise-based interventions on symptom management and disease progression, many people with Parkinson's Disease (PwPD) do not exercise regularly. In line with the ubiquitous use of digital health technology, the MoveONParkinson digital solution was developed, comprising a Web Platform and a Mobile App with a Conversational Agent (CA). The interface features were designed based on the principles of Social Cognitive Theory with the goal of fostering behavior change in PwPD for sustained exercise participation and improved disease management.

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Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem, genetic disease with a significantly reduced life expectancy. Despite substantial progress in therapies in the last 10-15 years, there is still no cure. There are dozens of drugs in the development pipeline and multiple clinical trials are being conducted across the globe.

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Evidence-informed interventions for stroke self-management support can influence functional capability and social participation. People with stroke should be offered self-management support after hospital discharge. However, in Portugal, there are no known programs of this nature.

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The aetiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) presents a puzzle for researchers. Recent research has sought to understand the behavioural and neural mechanisms of these patients' persistent choice of calorie restriction. This scoping review aims to map the literature on the contribution of habit-based learning to food restriction in AN.

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Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the relationship between weight stigma experiences and disordered eating behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic is mediated by weight gain concern and psychological distress among university students with and without overweight.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with university students from five regions of Brazil who participated in the baseline assessment of the Online Cohort on Eating Behavior and Health (July/August 2020). Information on the frequency of binge eating episodes, food restriction, and purging, as well as experienced weight stigma, weight gain concern, and psychological distress, were recorded in an online questionnaire.

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Background: Weight stigma is a phenomenon associated with adverse behavioural and psychological consequences. Although experts suggest that its increase during the COVID-19 pandemic may be associated with worse health outcomes for people with obesity, a thorough analysis of the main findings and gaps is still needed when relating to this subject.

Objective: We aim to answer three questions: (1) How does weight stigma manifest in the COVID-19 pandemic? (2) How can weight stigma affect people with overweight or obesity in times of COVID-19? (3) What are the perceptions and experiences of weight stigma during the pandemic in individuals who experience overweight or obesity?

Methods: We conducted a scoping review of studies addressing weight stigma and the COVID-19 pandemic in electronic databases (Medline/PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo, BVS/Lilacs, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and OpenGrey) published until 10th August 2021.

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Article Synopsis
  • Bronchiectasis is a common complication found in patients with primary antibody deficiency (PAD) syndromes, particularly common variable immune deficiency (CVID).
  • A study analyzed patients with CVID and specific antibody deficiency, revealing that the severity of bronchiectasis at diagnosis correlates with higher mortality rates.
  • Factors such as lower FEV (Forced Expiratory Volume), lung colonization, and a COPD diagnosis were also linked to increased mortality in these patients.
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Background: A standardised approach to assessing COVID-19 survivors has not been established, largely due to the paucity of data on medium- and long-term sequelae. Interval chest radiography is recommended following community-acquired pneumonia; however, its utility in monitoring recovery from COVID-19 pneumonia remains unclear.

Methods: This was a prospective single-centre observational cohort study.

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Background: People with cystic fibrosis (CF) report a variety of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, independent of pancreatic enzyme insufficiency (PEI), reminiscent of other chronic GI disorders. There are currently no accepted or validated assessment tools and neither the range, frequency nor severity of GI symptoms has been systematically described in CF. We present results of a cross-sectional study using established tools and compare them to current measures of quality of life (QOL).

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As the life expectancy of patients with cystic fibrosis has increased, greater attention has been paid towards the diagnosis and management of the longer term consequences of the condition. A recognised but rare complication of the disease is the development of secondary amyloidosis. Whilst deposition of amyloid protein has been reported in a high proportion of patients with cystic fibrosis at post-mortem [1] and Serum Amyloid A protein has been shown to correlate with disease activity and response to antibiotics [2], the manifestation of clinical disease remains extremely uncommon.

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Objectives: To evaluate how safflower oil (SFO) influences brain electrophysiology and cortical oxidative status in the offspring, mothers received a diet with SFO during brain development period.

Methods: Beginning on the 14th day of gestation and throughout lactation, rats received safflower (safflower group - SG) or soybean oil (control group - CG) in their diet. At 65 days old, cortical spreading depression (CSD) and cortex oxidative status were analyzed in the offspring.

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This article explores the challenges associated with diagnosing and managing eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa amongst adolescents and adults with cystic fibrosis. It reviews the known risk factors, generic verses disease specific eating disorder risk screening tools and considers the ethical dilemmas associated with critically low body mass indices. A case review is included to illustrate the complexities of managing both conditions in the context of declining respiratory function.

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Background: Chronic cough is commonly associated with asthma, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and postnasal drip, but in a significant proportion, no associated cause can be found. We determined whether examination of bronchial biopsies would be useful in determining the cause associated with chronic cough.

Methods: 100 consecutive patients referred to a specialist cough clinic underwent a systematic assessment including a fiberoptic bronchoscopy for bronchial biopsies.

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Rationale: Pa and Sa are commonly measured in respiratory practice, but arterial oxygen content (Ca) refers to the volume of oxygen delivered to the tissues per unit blood volume. Ca is calculated from Sa and the hemoglobin concentration in blood, recognizing that each gram of hemoglobin can transport approximately 1.34 ml of oxygen when fully saturated.

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There is a growing interest to better understand how lifestyle choices can improve memory functions. Treadmill exercise and long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish oil are able to stimulate hippocampal antioxidant defenses and improve memory. The aim was to test whether fish oil and exercise can improve rat's performance on memory tasks and optimize hippocampal antioxidant state in an age-dependent manner.

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Carthamus tinctorius L. (common name: safflower) is an herb whose extracted oil (safflower oil) has been employed in both alternative and conventional medicine in the treatment of disease. Overnutrition during early postnatal life can increase the lifetime risk of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

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Background: CD8+ T-cells are located in the small airways of COPD patients and may contribute to pathophysiology. CD8+ cells express the chemokine receptor, CXCR3 that binds CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11, which are elevated in the airways of COPD patients. These chemokines are released from airway epithelial cells via activation of receptor associated Janus kinases (JAK).

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Background: Evidence suggests a nutritional transition process in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Obesity, which was once an uncommon occurrence in such patients, has grown in this population at the same prevalence rate as that found in the general population, bringing with it an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Objective The aim of the present study was to determine the nutritional status and occurrence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

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Objectives: Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a gas produced by respiratory cells including smooth muscle cells and may play a role as a cellular gasotransmitter. We evaluated whether H₂S levels in serum or sputum could represent a new biomarker of COPD in a cross-sectional study.

Methods: H₂S levels in sputum and serum samples were measured using a sulfide-sensitive electrode in 64 patients with stable COPD (S-COPD), 29 COPD subjects during acute exacerbation (AE-COPD), 14 healthy smokers and 21 healthy non-smokers.

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A major goal of asthma management is maintaining optimal control. Current assessment is based on symptoms and lung function. We evaluated whether domiciliary daily home exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FeNO) monitoring could be useful as an index of asthma control.

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Background: Although previous studies have implicated tissue CD4(+) T cells in the development and maintenance of the inflammatory response in asthmatic patients, little is known about the role of CD8(+) T cells. There is now accumulating evidence that microRNAs and other noncoding RNAs are important regulators of T-cell function.

Objectives: We sought to use transcriptomics to determine the activation state of circulating CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells in patients with nonsevere and severe asthma.

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Background And Objective: Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN or CD147) induces the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) such as MMP-9, which plays an important role in COPD. We determined its cellular origin and role in MMP-9 production in COPD.

Methods: Bronchial biopsies, alveolar macrophages (AM) and blood monocytes (BM) from patients with COPD, healthy smokers and non-smokers, and bronchial epithelial cells (EC) from surgically resected airways from patients with COPD were stimulated with LPS or CRP in the presence and absence of an anti-EMMPRIN blocking antibody.

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