Publications by authors named "Quintas C"

: An emerging practice within the concept of circular beauty involves the upcycling of agro-industrial by-products. Cork processing, for instance, yields by-products like cork powder, which presents an opportunity to create value-added cosmetic ingredients. Building upon our previous research, demonstrating the antioxidant potential of hydroalcoholic extracts derived from two distinct cork powders (P0 and P1), in this work, aqueous extracts were prepared and analyzed.

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Article Synopsis
  • Limited pharmaceutical options for cardiovascular treatments in children and the elderly necessitate customized compounded medications for accurate dosing and adherence.
  • This study evaluated the stability and properties of atenolol and enalapril maleate formulations using a unique oral vehicle called SuspendIt, focusing on factors such as palatability, pH, and injectability.
  • Results showed that the atenolol formulation remained stable for 180 days, while enalapril maleate was stable for 90 days at room temperature and 180 days when stored at a cooler temperature.
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Background And Aim: Inflammatory bowel disease is challenging to diagnose. Fecal biomarkers offer noninvasive solutions. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is implicated in intestinal inflammation.

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Background: Our objective was to determine whether the use of two or more courses of low-dose systemic dexamethasone for extubation of ventilator-dependent preterm infants after the first week of life, as proposed in the DART study, is associated with greater neurodevelopmental harm at two years of corrected age, compared to a single course.

Methods: Retrospective review at seven level III neonatal intensive care units. Preterm infants who underwent only one course of systemic dexamethasone for extubation were grouped into DART-1; those who underwent two or more courses were grouped into DART-2.

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Noradrenaline and adrenaline, and their cognate receptors, are currently accepted to participate in cancer progression. They may also participate in cancer initiation, although their role in this phase is much less explored. The aim of this work was to study the influence of adrenergic stimulation in several processes related to breast cancer carcinogenesis, using several adrenergic agonists in the MCF-10A non-tumorigenic breast cells.

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Depigmenting products are increasingly used to counteract skin hyperpigmentation and related psychosocial issues. This study aimed to compare different depigmenting agents-4-butylresorcinol; bakuchiol; tranexamic acid; ascorbyl glucoside; α-arbutin; and ascorbic acid-for photoreactivity; tyrosinase inhibition; and safety. Photoreactivity was assessed using the Reactive Oxygen Species assay.

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Climate change is a global emergency that is affecting agriculture in Mediterranean countries, notably the production and the characteristics of the final products. This is the case of olive cultivars, a source of olive oil and table olives. Table olives are the most important fermented vegetables in the Mediterranean area, whose world production exceeds 3 million tons/year.

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In the cerebral cortex, glutamate activates NMDA receptors (NMDARs), localized in noradrenergic neurons, inducing noradrenaline release that may have a permissive effect on glutamatergic transmission, and therefore, on the modulation of long-term plasticity. ATP is co-released with noradrenaline, and with its metabolites (ADP and adenosine) is involved in the purinergic modulation of electrically-evoked noradrenaline release. However, it is not known if noradrenaline release evoked by activation of NMDARs is also under purinergic modulation.

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Gene therapies are becoming more abundantly researched for use in a multitude of potential treatments, including for hearing loss. Hearing loss is a condition which impacts an increasing number of the population each year, with significant burdens associated. As such, this review will present the concept that delivering a gene effectively to the inner ear may assist in expanding novel treatment options and improving patient outcomes.

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Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and ACE2 are two major enzymes of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), which control the formation/degradation of angiotensin (Ang) II and Ang1-7, regulating their opposite effects. We aimed at evaluating the catalytic activity of ACE and ACE2 in the intestinal content and corresponding intestinal tissue along the gut of Wistar Han rats.

Methods: Portions of the ileum, cecum, proximal colon, and distal colon, and the corresponding intestinal content were collected from Wistar Han rats.

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The consumption of minimally processed fruit (MPF) has increased over the last decade due to a novel trend in the food market along with the raising consumers demand for fresh, organic, convenient foods and the search for healthier lifestyles. Although represented by one of the most expanded sectors in recent years, the microbiological safety of MPF and its role as an emergent foodborne vehicle has caused great concern to the food industry and public health authorities. Such food products may expose consumers to a risk of foodborne infection as they are not subjected to prior microbial lethal methods to ensure the removal or destruction of pathogens before consumption.

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1,2-Dimethylhydrazine (DMH) is a plant toxicant that enters the food web through the diet. It is biotransformed into azoxymethane, a colon carcinogen, during the first hepatic passage. In mice, this study assessed the role of glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), a key glutaminolysis enzyme in DMH-induced colorectal cancer (CRC).

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Physiologically, β-adrenoceptors are major regulators of lipid metabolism, which may be reflected in alterations in lipid droplet dynamics. β-adrenoceptors have also been shown to participate in breast cancer carcinogenesis. Since lipid droplets may be seen as a hallmark of cancer, the present study aimed to investigate the role of β-adrenoceptors in the regulation of lipid droplet dynamics in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

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Hearing loss impacts a large proportion of the global population. Damage to the inner ear, in particular the sensitive hair cells, can impact individuals for the rest of their lives. There are very limited options for interventions after damage to these cells has occurred.

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This paper aims to support medical decision making on predicting the diagnosis of COVID-19. Thus, a set of Data Mining (DM) models was developed using prediction techniques and classification models. These models try to understand whether the vital signs of patients have a correlation with a diagnosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluated the microbiological quality of various seeds (sesame, flaxseed, chia, pumpkin, and sunflower) and flaxseed flour sold in southern Portugal, focusing on aerobic microorganisms, molds, and yeast counts.
  • The highest levels of aerobic microorganisms were found in flaxseed and flaxseed flour, while chia seeds had the lowest counts for both aerobic microorganisms and filamentous fungi.
  • Despite some samples exceeding acceptable microbial levels, they met EU microbiological standards, and the study highlights the necessity for better processing, storage, and decontamination methods to ensure seed safety.
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Breast cancer is the most common and deadliest type of cancer in women. Stress exposure has been associated with carcinogenesis and the stress released neurotransmitters, noradrenaline and adrenaline, and their cognate receptors, can participate in the carcinogenesis process, either by regulating tumor microenvironment or by promoting systemic changes. This work intends to provide an overview of the research done in this area and try to unravel the role of adrenergic ligands in the context of breast carcinogenesis.

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This research aimed to study the fermentation of white cabbage () replacing salt, totally or partially, with halophyte , to reduce the sodium content in the final products. Three fermentation trials of cabbage were done: A with 2.91% salt (~ 1.

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Fractures of two columns of the acetabulum according to the Letournel classification are among the most common in frequency, indication and surgical complexity. These are mainly the result of lateral compression mechanisms and are characterized by originating a disconnected acetabulum from the axial skeleton. Its surgical treatment may include: isolated anterior or posterior approach; combined, at the same surgical time or not; or broad approaches.

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The authors present a case of fibroma of the tendon sheath with intra-articular location in the knee, more specifically in the infrapatellar fat; with this specific location, this is the fourth case described of an entity that rarely affects large joints. Clinical and epidemiological aspects, but especially the imaging findings on magnetic resonance imaging scans, are essential for the differential and definitive diagnosis, which was nevertheless established only after a histological study of the excised mass by miniarthrotomy.

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Adrenaline, which participates in the neuroendocrine response that occurs during stress and perimenopause, may be tumorigenic. This exploratory study aimed at investigating whether non-tumorigenic and tumorigenic human breast epithelial cell lines are able to synthesize adrenaline. The study was carried out in non-tumorigenic (MCF-10A) and tumorigenic (MCF-7) human breast cell lines.

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Leishmania infected macrophages have conditions to produce adenosine. Despite its known immunosuppressive effects, no studies have yet established whether adenosine alter Leishmania parasitic burden upon macrophage infection. This work aimed at investigating whether endogenous adenosine exerts an autocrine modulation of macrophage response towards Leishmania infection, identifying its origin and potential pharmacological targets for visceral leishmaniasis (VL), using THP-1 differentiated macrophages.

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The consumption of halophytes as healthy gourmet food has increased considerably in the past few years. However, knowledge on the nutritional profile of domesticated halophytes is scarce and little is known on which cultivation conditions can produce plants with the best nutritional and functional properties. In this context, Salicornia ramosissima J.

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Introduction: Several studies assessed the influence of a low birth weight on bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), but not all could find a significant association. Our aim was to assess the association between low birth weight and BPD in preterm infants, prospectively recruited at 11 level III Portuguese neonatal centers.

Methods: Obstetrical and neonatal data on mothers and preterm infants with gestational ages between 24 and 30 weeks, born during 2015 and 2016 after a surveilled pregnancy, were analyzed.

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Cerebral inflammation is a common feature of several neurodegenerative diseases that requires a fine interplay between astrocytes and microglia to acquire appropriate phenotypes for an efficient response to neuronal damage. During brain inflammation, ATP is massively released into the extracellular medium and converted into ADP. Both nucleotides acting on P2 receptors, modulate astrogliosis through mechanisms involving microglia-astrocytes communication.

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