Background: Portugal introduced freedom of choice for initial specialist consultations in 2016 to boost quality via competition. However, for tangible benefits, specialized care demand must be quality-elastic. This research probes the relation between choosing hospital out the residence area and their quality traits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBfl-1, a member of the Bcl-2 family of proteins, plays a crucial role in apoptosis regulation and has been implicated in cancer cell survival and resistance to venetoclax therapy. Due to the unique cysteine residue in the BH3 binding site, the development of covalent inhibitors targeting Bfl-1 represents a promising strategy for cancer treatment. Herein, the optimization of a covalent cellular tool from a lead-like hit using structure based design is described.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenetic changes arising in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) upon culture may bestow unwanted or detrimental phenotypes to cells, thus potentially impacting on the applications of hPSCs for clinical use and basic research. In the 20 years since the first report of culture-acquired genetic aberrations in hPSCs, a characteristic spectrum of recurrent aberrations has emerged. The preponderance of such aberrations implies that they provide a selective growth advantage to hPSCs upon expansion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDysbiosis is associated with pediatric and adult-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but the role of dysbiosis and the microbiome in very early onset IBD (VEO-IBD) has not yet been described. Here, we aimed to demonstrate the impact of age and inflammation on microbial community structure using shotgun metagenomic sequencing in children with VEO-IBD, pediatric-onset IBD, and age-matched pediatric healthy controls (HC) observed longitudinally over the course of 8 weeks. We found disease-related differences in alpha and beta diversity between HC and children with IBD or VEO-IBD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol
December 2023
Background & Aims: Altered plasma acylcarnitine levels are well-known biomarkers for a variety of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation disorders and can be used as an alternative energy source for the intestinal epithelium when short-chain fatty acids are low. These membrane-permeable fatty acid intermediates are excreted into the gut lumen via bile and are increased in the feces of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Methods: Herein, based on studies in human subjects, animal models, and bacterial cultures, we show a strong positive correlation between fecal carnitine and acylcarnitines and the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae in IBD where they can be consumed by bacteria both in vitro and in vivo.
Int J Health Plann Manage
January 2020
Context: The reduction in inappropriate utilization of hospitals' emergency departments (EDs) is usually an important objective of primary health care (PHC) reforms. Existing literature provides mixed evidence on the effectiveness of PHC reforms in reducing inappropriate utilization of ED. We assess whether the specific PHC reforms ongoing in Portugal since 2005, and in particular the creation of family health units (FHUs), were successful in reducing inappropriate utilization of EDs and provide a contribution to the debate of which PHC models contribute to reduce overuse of EDs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeripheral nerve injury can result in serious problems with a severe functional deficit. Solutions of individual cases vary and proper management based on the physician's sound professional experience is fundamental. In case of motor nerve lesions, time is the crucial factor due to the ongoing deterioration of motor end plates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVasc Endovascular Surg
July 2018
An aggressive periaortic lymphoma could very rarely invade the aortic wall. We present a unique case of a patient with symptomatic thoracic aneurysm and imminent rupture due to the periaortic lymphoma, in which endovascular treatment using stent graft was applied. After stabilization of the aorta and histological confirmation of aggressive B-cell lymphoma by computed tomography-guided biopsy, the antilymphoma therapy was initiated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Medical and scientific publishing in Saudi Arabia has flourished in the last ten years. Such a form of publishing faces its own obstacles and the experience of the Annals of Saudi Medicine if analyzed can delineate such obstacles. The aim of this study is to identify the workflow obstacles facing the Annals of Saudi Medicine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMyotonic dystrophy type 1 is caused by the expansion of a CTG repeat in the 3' UTR of the DMPK gene. A length exceeding 50 CTG triplets is pathogenic. Intermediate alleles with 35-49 triplets are not disease-causing but show instability in intergenerational transmissions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCesk Epidemiol Mikrobiol Imunol
April 1981