Publications by authors named "Saraiva J"

High-energy nuclear collisions create a quark-gluon plasma, whose initial condition and subsequent expansion vary from event to event, impacting the distribution of the eventwise average transverse momentum [P([p_{T}])]. Disentangling the contributions from fluctuations in the nuclear overlap size (geometrical component) and other sources at a fixed size (intrinsic component) remains a challenge. This problem is addressed by measuring the mean, variance, and skewness of P([p_{T}]) in ^{208}Pb+^{208}Pb and ^{129}Xe+^{129}Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.

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As ruminants are frequently affected by periodontal diseases, understanding their microbial communities is crucial. In this pilot study, we analyzed subgingival biofilm samples of young cattle across different states: clinically healthy (n=5), gingivitis (n=5), and periodontitis (n=5) using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and co-occurrence network analysis. The findings revealed that Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum across all conditions, with Fusobacteriota constituting 27.

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  • The TAOK proteins are important kinases involved in various cellular functions and are linked to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) like those caused by TAOK1 and TAOK2 variants.
  • A study analyzed clinical and genetic data from individuals with these variants, revealing that TAOK1 variants lead to significant neurodevelopmental issues and some novel characteristics, while TAOK2 variants are tied to neurodevelopmental abnormalities, autism, and obesity.
  • This research expands the understanding of these disorders by presenting the largest cohort of individuals with TAOK1-NDD and identifying new variants and phenotypes associated with both TAOK1 and TAOK2.
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Introduction: Infantile hypotonia with psychomotor retardation and characteristic facies-1 (IHPRF1, MIM#615419) is a rare, birth onset, autosomal recessive disorder caused by homozygous or compound heterozygous truncating variants in gene (MIM#611549) resulting in a loss-of-function effect.

Methods: We enrolled a new IHPRF1 patients' cohort in the framework of an international multicentric collaboration study. Using specialized pathogenicity predictors and structural analyses, we assessed the mechanistic consequences of the deleterious variants retrieved on NALCN structure and function.

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Honey can benefit from non-thermal processing techniques such as high-pressure processing (HPP) to improve its quality and bioactivity. This study investigated the impact of HPP (600 MPa for 5, 10, and 15 min) on honey's quality, including the levels of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), antioxidant activity, total phenolic content (TPC), and phenolic profile. HPP treatment did not significantly affect HMF or TPC levels but led to selective changes in the phenolic profile.

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Pastry products constitute a significant segment of the food market. However, the high amount of fat used in their production poses a challenge when competing for the attention of modern consumers, who are more conscious of the health problems associated with the consumption of high-fat products. With this in mind, the main objective of this study is the reduction of the total fat and saturated fat contents of two bakery products, brioche-type bread and rice cake, by partial substitution of the main fat source with lipid extracts obtained through non-thermal high-pressure extraction (HPE).

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Among the spectrum of gliomas, glioblastoma stands out as the most aggressive brain tumor affecting the central nervous system. In addressing this urgent medical challenge, exploring therapeutic alternatives becomes imperative to enhance the patient's prognosis. In this regard, Butia odorata (BO) fruit emerges as a promising candidate due to its array of bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, and carotenoids, known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor properties.

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When placed in the eye, contact lenses (CLs) disturb the tear fluid and affect the natural tribological behaviour of the eye. The disruption in the contact mechanics between the ocular tissues can increase frictional shear stress and ocular dryness, causing discomfort. Ultimately, continuous CLs wear can trigger inflammation which is particularly critical for people suffering from dry eye.

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Lutzomyia longipalpis (Lutz & Neiva, 1912) constitutes the most epidemiologically relevant vector of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the New World. On October 25, 2023, the Macapá Center for Strategic Information in Health Surveillance registered a case of VL in the Km9 neighborhood, in Macapá. This study aimed to describe the Phlebotominae species in this area to assist the confirmation of the autochthony of the case.

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A search for the exclusive hadronic decays W^{±}→π^{±}γ, W^{±}→K^{±}γ, and W^{±}→ρ^{±}γ is performed using up to 140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions recorded with the ATLAS detector at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=13  TeV. If observed, these rare processes would provide a unique test bench for the quantum chromodynamics factorization formalism used to calculate cross sections at colliders. Additionally, at future colliders, these decays could offer a new way to measure the W boson mass through fully reconstructed decay products.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The ATLAS experiment at the LHC conducted a search for long-lived particles (LLPs) using a large dataset (140 fb^{-1}) from proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV, focusing on LLPs with masses from 5 to 55 GeV that decay within the inner detector.
  • - The study considered scenarios where LLPs are produced from exotic Higgs boson decays and models involving axionlike particles (ALPs).
  • - No significant findings above expected background levels were detected, leading to the establishment of upper limits on various production rates involving the Higgs boson and the top quark related to LLPs and ALPs.
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. Bragg peak measurements play a key role in the beam quality assurance in proton therapy. Used as base data for the treatment planning softwares, the accuracy of the data is crucial when defining the range of the protons in the patient.

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  • Understanding fish behaviors and their environments is crucial for enhancing fish welfare in aquaculture, and the fair-fish database aims to provide a comprehensive overview of this welfare by consolidating ethological knowledge into specific profiles for farmed species.
  • WelfareCheck profiles categorize various indicators of fish welfare, including reproduction, migration patterns, and substrate needs, with classifications that determine the likelihood of good welfare outcomes.
  • The study reveals that while most criteria show similar welfare fulfillment, those related to reproduction, slaughtering practices, and substrate needs stand out for their potential to improve welfare, highlighting the importance of aligning farming practices with the natural behaviors of aquatic species.
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  • The study investigates how factors like species abundance, sequencing depth, and taxonomic relationships affect the recovery of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) in microbial communities.
  • Different recovery pipelines were tested, revealing that the DT pipeline offered the most accurate results, whereas the 8K pipeline produced the most MAGs but with lower accuracy.
  • Findings indicate that simply having more MAGs doesn't reflect true community composition, emphasizing the importance of sequencing depth and caution in interpreting MAG recovery data for biological conclusions.
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  • The study investigates the associated production of Higgs and W bosons, focusing on how the relative signs of the Higgs couplings to W and Z bosons impact the process.
  • Two specific searches were conducted using large amounts of collision data from the LHC to analyze different coupling scenarios: one for opposite-sign couplings and another for same-sign (standard model-like) couplings.
  • The results significantly exclude the opposite-sign coupling hypothesis and set a strict upper limit on the production rate of this process compared to standard model predictions.
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Background And Objectives: Developmental and epileptic encephalopathy 56 (DEE-56) is caused by pathogenic variants in YWHAG and is characterized by early-onset epilepsy and neurodevelopmental delay. This study reports on a cohort of DEE-56 individuals, correlating antiseizure medication usage and comorbidities, to aid in understanding disease evolution.

Methods: We analyzed data from thirty-nine individuals aged 3-40 years with YWHAG variants, including 12 previously unreported individuals (2 of these with recurrent distal 7q11.

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Acute embolic sequential bilateral occlusion is an extremely rare event and can be difficult to detect during mechanical thrombectomy (MT) under general anesthesia (GA). We describe a male with vascular risk factors who was admitted two hours after the sudden onset of aphasia, right-sided central facial palsy, homonymous hemianopsia, and ipsilateral hemiplegia/hypoesthesia. Thrombolytic intravenous treatment was started, and the patient had an allergic reaction and required intubation.

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  • About one-third of Portuguese patients with congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) have a genetic cause linked to 10 different genes, with a small percentage showing oligogenic inheritance.
  • CHH leads to delayed puberty and infertility due to issues with hormones like GnRH, LH, and FSH.
  • In a study involving 81 patients and 263 controls, genetic screening helped identify pathogenic variants, but many variants classified as uncertain complicate the understanding of the disease causes.
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This Letter presents results from a combination of searches for Higgs boson pair production using 126-140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collision data at sqrt[s]=13  TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector. At 95% confidence level (CL), the upper limit on the production rate is 2.9 times the standard model (SM) prediction, with an expected limit of 2.

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This Letter presents the first study of the energy dependence of diboson polarization fractions in WZ→ℓνℓ^{'}ℓ^{'}(ℓ,ℓ^{'}=e,μ) production. The dataset used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140  fb^{-1} of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector. Two fiducial regions with an enhanced presence of events featuring two longitudinally polarized bosons are defined.

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  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) heritability is high at 70-80%, yet many contributing factors remain unexplained, prompting a study to explore inheritance patterns in Portuguese AD patients.
  • The research involved roughly 3,090 participants, examining family history, parental birthplace, and their relationships to AD risk, particularly focusing on gender differences in hereditary influences.
  • Results indicate that men with a maternal history of dementia face higher AD risk, and proximity of parents' birthplaces correlates with increased risk and earlier onset of dementia, suggesting evidence for X-linked inheritance and impacts of consanguinity.
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  • Steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists help patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, but their effectiveness in those with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction is unclear, indicating a need for further research on finerenone.
  • In a double-blind study, patients with heart failure (ejection fraction 40% or greater) were assigned to receive either finerenone or a placebo to assess its impact on heart failure events and cardiovascular death.
  • Results showed that finerenone led to fewer worsening heart failure events and a lower overall rate of primary outcome events compared to placebo, although it also carried a higher risk of hyperkalemia.
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  • The paper reviews recent studies on how high pressure processing (HPP) and hyperbaric storage (HS) affect lipid oxidation in various foods.
  • It finds that HPP increases lipid oxidation in highly perishable foods, while HS, using lower pressure for longer durations, alters the balance of oxidation products, reducing oxidation during storage.
  • The research emphasizes the necessity for a complete analysis of all types of oxidation products, rather than focusing on individual indicators, to better understand lipid oxidation processes.
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