Publications by authors named "Rocha P"

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting memory, language, and thinking with no curative treatment. Symptoms appear gradually, and pathological brain changes may occur twenty years before the physical and psychological signs, pointing to the urgent development of preventive interventions. Physical activity has been investigated as a preventive tool to defeat the main biological features of AD: pathological amyloid protein plaques, tau tangles, myelin degeneration, and iron deposits in the brain.

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Objectives: Cough dysfunction is a feature of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The cough sounds carry information about the respiratory system and bulbar involvement. Our goal was to explore the association between cough sound characteristics and the respiratory and bulbar functions in ALS.

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Neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia is more common in Asian-descendent populations, but differences in disease severity are poorly reported. Our study aimed to compare neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia severity between European and Indian subcontinent descendent newborns. We conducted a single-centre retrospective cohort study including newborns admitted with unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia (January 2016 to December 2021).

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Background: Speech production is a possible way to monitor bulbar and respiratory functions in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Moreover, the emergence of smartphone-based data collection offers a promising approach to reduce frequent hospital visits and enhance patient outcomes. Here, we studied the relationship between bulbar and respiratory functions with voice characteristics of ALS patients, alongside a speech therapist's evaluation, at the convenience of using a simple smartphone.

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Introduction: Recent studies have demonstrated an association between hypoglycemic medications and neuroprotective action in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, in this meta-analysis, our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of these medications, compared to placebo, as disease-modifying therapy in patients with PD.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane for studies comparing the use of hypoglycemic drugs and placebo in patients with PD.

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Background: Although water intake (WI) is commonly estimated through self-reporting, its inaccuracy is reported. Water turnover (rHO)-derived WI is the reference method; however, it is costly. The study aimed to validate alternative methods for determining WI in a group of athletes.

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Objective: Fanconi anemia (FA), a rare genetic disorder, has not been comprehensively studied regarding its dental and craniofacial phenotypes. This study aimed to systematically review the available evidence on dental, occlusion, and craniofacial anomalies in individuals with FA and to describe the occurrence of these anomalies in a cohort from two Brazilian referral centers.

Materials And Methods: Electronic searches were conducted across six databases, supplemented by manual searches and gray literature.

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Robotic liver transplantation represents a cutting-edge technique that may surpass traditional open surgery. Nonetheless, it introduces unique anesthetic challenges, including extended pneumoperitoneum, restricted patient access, and a risk of undetected blood loss. This article describes an anesthetic approach and patient outcomes for the first four total robotic liver transplants performed at a tertiary university hospital in Portugal, along with inaugural procedures of their kind in Europe.

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Delta-like Ligand 3 (DLL3) targeting therapies are promising in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) treatment. However, DLL3 expression in SCLC and other neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) is heterogeneous and not well characterized. We describe the landscape of DLL3 at the mRNA and protein levels across SCLC, large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), and non-small cell lung cancer.

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Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Echinodorus macrophyllus is a medicinal plant traditionally used in Brazil to treat rheumatic diseases. It is listed as a priority species for the development of herbal preparations for the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Previous studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and antiedematogenic properties of extracts and fractions from this species, but these preparations were neither standardized nor optimized for anti-arthritis effects.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dermanura gnoma is a bat species native to South America, primarily found in the Amazon Forest, with limited records in other Brazilian ecosystems.
  • This study marks the first identification of D. gnoma in Alagoas state and the Pernambuco Endemism Center, an area notable for its biodiversity and high conservation threat.
  • By analyzing genetic data, the research confirms a connection between D. gnoma populations in the Amazon and the Atlantic Forest, expanding its known range by 758 kilometers and increasing the bat species count in PEC to 71.
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  • Female-biased sexual size dimorphism is common in evolution, often driven by fecundity selection that favors larger females for higher reproductive output.
  • Larger females require more energy, which can limit size growth, but effective foraging strategies may support larger sizes; crab spiders display this pattern.
  • Analysis of 614 crab spider species shows that those with energy-efficient foraging have a significantly greater size difference between females and males, suggesting that foraging efficiency is crucial for SSD evolution.
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Plastics offer versatility, durability and low production costs, but they also pose environmental and health risks due to improper disposal, accumulation in water bodies, low recycling rates and temporal action that causes physicochemical changes in plastics and the release of toxic products to animal health and nature. Some microorganisms may play crucial roles in improving plastic waste management in the future. Cunningamella echinulata has been identified as a promising candidate that remains viable for long periods and produces a cutinase that is capable of degrading plastic.

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Objective: To verify the effect of the educational intervention TIV-Disinfect (Intravenous Therapy-Disinfect) on the knowledge of nursing professionals in pediatric inpatient units.

Method: Quasi-experimental study, with a dependent sample of 65 nursing professionals from pediatric inpatient units. A questionnaire with objective questions regarding the disinfection of venous devices was used, and pre- and post-tests were applied.

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Background: Falls and consequent fractures are an increasing problem among older adults, with low rates of return to previous functional condition and a substantial risk of subsequent falls. This scenario points to the need for an improved response to this population's needs.

Objective: To define the difficulties and needs felt by older adults with hip fractures when returning home.

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Olive pomace (OP) waste, produced in large quantities, contains significant amounts of cellulose and fibers, making it a valuable resource for developing reinforcing ingredients in biodegradable packaging materials. This study aimed to produce nanofibers from OP using enzymatic hydrolysis with hemicellulases and cellulases, and to incorporate these nanofibers into starch films as a reinforcing agent. Cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) were prepared by alkaline pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis (with hemicellulases and cellulases) from olive pomace and applied as reinforcement in starch films in concentrations of 0.

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The aim of this study was to build and validate an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm to predict sleep using data from a portable monitor (Biologix system) consisting of a high-resolution oximeter with built-in accelerometer plus smartphone application with snoring recording and cloud analysis. A total of 268 patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were submitted to standard polysomnography (PSG) with simultaneous Biologix (age: years; body mass index: , apnea-hypopnea index [AHI]: events/h). Biologix channels were input features for construction an ANN model to predict sleep.

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  • A systematic review compared the effectiveness and safety of oral versus topical minoxidil in treating androgenetic alopecia, analyzing data from four randomized clinical trials involving 279 patients.
  • The study found no significant differences between the two forms of minoxidil regarding hair density and diameter, suggesting both treatments are similarly effective.
  • However, oral minoxidil resulted in a higher occurrence of hypertrichosis (excess hair growth), while the incidence of hypotension was not significantly different between the two groups.
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Bisphenol A (BPA) is a plasticizer used to synthesize polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins and is well-known for its endocrine-disrupting action. BPA occurrence in the environment is widespread, and there is a growing concern regarding exposure to this chemical during childhood, given the findings indicating the long-lasting hazards associated with exposure during early life compared to adulthood. We examined urinary BPA concentrations from 319 elementary school-aged Brazilian children, using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry.

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Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a marine biotoxin whose biosynthesis is associated with the pufferfish. Its distribution is primarily focused in Asian and tropical marine areas. Currently, this group of toxins is classified as emerging in Europe, and its presence could be related to climate change.

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  • CTCF motifs act as boundaries in chromatin domains, limiting enhancer activity and affecting gene regulation, but their disruption may only lead to mild dysregulation, making predictions about developmental impact difficult.
  • Researchers targeted a specific chromatin domain in the mouse genome with important developmental genes and found that deleting its boundary cluster caused abnormal interactions with enhancers, resulting in overexpression of FGF genes and severe developmental issues like perinatal lethality and physical malformations.
  • While some chromatin boundary changes led to significant phenotypic effects, not all CTCF clusters displayed the same sensitivity, highlighting the complexity of chromatin structure's influence on gene regulation and the need to consider small sequence variations as potential contributors to developmental and disease-related gene dysreg
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Objectives: Investigate whether and which synoviocytes would acquire trained immunity characteristics that could exacerbate joint inflammation following a secondary Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and S. aureus were separately or double injected (21 days of interval) into the tibiofemoral joint cavity of male C57BL/6 mice.

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Objective: to identify and compare the practice of Nursing professionals regarding the insertion of peripheral vascular access devices, according to professional category.

Method: descriptive sectional study carried out between July 2021 and May 2022 with 2,584 Nursing professionals, using a questionnaire validated by three judges with expertise in intravenous therapy, containing variables related to catheterization and the vascular access device. Descriptive and inferential analysis was carried out.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate if the I-DECIDED tool improves assessment and decision-making related to peripheral intravenous catheters in pediatric patients.
  • Conducted as a quasi-experimental, interrupted time-series study in a Brazilian hospital, data was collected from patients under 15 years old with intravenous catheters across three pre- and three post-intervention time points.
  • Results showed significant improvements after using the I-DECIDED tool, including reduced complications, better dressings, and increased awareness and documentation among patients, families, and healthcare providers.
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