Unveiling the Burden: A Six-Year Retrospective Analysis of Pressure Ulcer Epidemiology in a ICU.

Objective: This study describes the epidemiological changes in pressure ulcers (PUs) in a Portuguese intensive care unit (ICU) from January 2017 to June 2023, characterizes critically ill patients with PUs, identifies specific risk factors, and assesses the effectiveness of implemented preventive measures.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted, analyzing records of ICU patients with PUs during the specified period. Data were extracted from the institution's Global Risk Management application and the ICU's electronic PU registry.

The Role of Greek Olive Leaf Extract in Patients with Mild Alzheimer's Disease (the GOLDEN Study): A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

: Olive leaves are a significant source of biophenols, which have a beneficial impact on cognitive performance. : To examine, for the first time, in humans the effect of the daily consumption of a beverage containing olive leaf extract (OLE) versus a Mediterranean diet (MeDi) on patients diagnosed with mild Alzheimer's Disease (AD), in addition to their regular treatment. : A randomized clinical trial compared OLE's effects on cognitive and functional performance in 55 mild AD patients.

Circadian Rhythm and Physical Fatigue Separately Influence Cognitive and Physical Performance in Amateur Athletes.

Background/objectives: Circadian rhythm (CR) influences various physiological functions, including physical and cognitive performance, which fluctuate throughout the day. The present study aimed to investigate the combined and separate effects of CR and physical fatigue on cognitive and physical performance.

Methods: A sample of 18 amateur athletes was subjected to a series of tests at three different times of the day: morning, afternoon, and evening.

A comprehensive library of lifetime physiological equations for PBK models: Enhancing dietary exposure modeling with mercury as a case study.

Dietary risk assessment of food contaminants requires a well-established understanding of the exposure in a heterogeneous population. There are many methods for estimating human exposure to food contaminants, such as intake calculations and internal biomarkers of exposure measured in individuals. However, those methods are expensive, partly invasive, and often provide a momentary exposure snapshot.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cannabis cultivation and use in 18 countries.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying measures to mitigate infection affected many areas of society, including the supply and use of cannabis. This paper explored how patterns of behaviour among people who cultivate cannabis were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions.

Methods: An anonymous web survey of people who cultivated cannabis was conducted from Aug 2020 to Sep 2021, spanning 18 countries and 11 languages (N = 11,479).

Vascular dysfunction is at the onset of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms in mice.

Oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) is an adverse side effect of this chemotherapy used for gastrointestinal cancers. The continuous pain experienced by OIPN patients often results in the reduction or discontinuation of chemotherapy, thereby affecting patient survival. Several pathogenic mechanisms involving sensory neurons were shown to participate in the occurrence of OIPN symptoms.

Chitosan-Functionalized Lithium Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Magnetic Hyperthermia Applications.

In this study, various compositions of α-FeO, LiFeO, where = 0.1, 0.3, and 0.

Role of ryanodine receptor cooperativity in Ca-wave-mediated triggered activity in cardiomyocytes.

Ca waves are known to trigger delayed after-depolarizations that can cause malignant cardiac arrhythmias. However, modelling Ca waves using physiologically realistic models has remained a major challenge. Existing models with low Ca sensitivity of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) necessitate large release currents, leading to an unrealistically large Ca transient amplitude incompatible with the experimental observations.

How sugar types and fabrication methods affect palatability in paediatric-friendly oromucosal pullulan films of chlorpromazine hydrochloride.

Ensuring children adhere to their prescribed medication can be challenging, particularly when a large number of medicines on the market consist of unpalatable drugs and difficult to swallow dosage forms. Sugar-based oromucosal films are easy to administer dosage forms across all age groups within the paediatric population, as they eliminate the need for swallowing or water intake and can contribute to enhancing palatability and medicine adherence. In the current study, electrospun and 3D printed oromucosal films of chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CHZ), a bitter drug, were developed based on pullulan, a natural polysaccharide, and an array of sweeteners.

Understanding Adult's Experiences and Perceptions of How to Maintain Physical Activity: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis.

Background: Many adults do not meet physical activity recommendations for optimal health, and this is often because people find it difficult to maintain physical activity in the long term. This study focuses on identifying and synthesising factors that may influence the maintenance of physical activity in adults with and without known health conditions.

Method: A systematic review and qualitative synthesis using thematic analysis was conducted.

The PrEP cascade in a sample of HIV-negative or unknown status adolescent and young adult transgender women in Peru.

Background: Transgender women are a key population in the HIV epidemic globally, including in Peru. This cross-sectional epidemiological study characterized the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) cascade in adolescent and young adult transgender women in Peru to inform roll-out of early HIV prevention efforts.

Methods: Between February-July 2022, a community-recruited sample of HIV-negative or status unknown young transgender women ( = 140) in Peru completed a socio-behavioral survey and biological testing for HIV and bacterial STIs.

Sensory and affective dimensions in loudness perception: Insights from young adults.

Traditional psychoacoustic measures often lack accuracy in diagnosing hyperacusis and other sound tolerance disorders, possibly due to their reliance on artificial stimuli and unidimensional scales. The aim of this study was to assess loudness across sensory and affective dimensions using natural sounds, drawing on pain research wherein intensity and unpleasantness are assessed separately. We hypothesized that similar distinctions apply to loudness perception.

Falls efficacy scale - Formal caregivers: Adaptation and validation in Portuguese nursing homes.

The literature review shows that the fear of falling is present in older persons', but also in their careers and influences the performance of activities of daily living. The objective of this methodological study was to adapt and validate the Falls Efficacy Scale - Formal Caregivers. The development of the examined scale was based on the Falls Efficacy Scale - International, which was adapted for assessing the fear of falling in formal caregivers.

Modular versus monobloc dual mobility components for primary cementless total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis of implants' survival, complication rates, clinical and radiographic outcomes.

Purpose: The dual mobility cup (DMC) reduces the dislocation rates in total hip arthroplasty (THA). DMC systems include anatomical (non-modular or monoblock) (ADM) and modular dual mobility (MDM) components (Stryker Orthopaedics, Mahwah, NJ, USA). This review aims to assess differences between these two types of DMC implants concerning dislocation and revision rates, as well as patient-reported outcomes.

"How can we help you?": results of a scoping review on the perceived needs of people living with chronic pain regarding physiotherapy.

Background: Physiotherapy is effective to reduce pain and improve the quality of life of people living with chronic pain. To offer high-quality physiotherapy services, these services must be patient-centred and respond to patients' needs. However, few studies seem to target patients' perceived needs, whereas more studies tend to focus on needs assessed by healthcare experts, which are not always in line with patients' perceived needs.

Longitudinal stability of molecular endotypes of knee osteoarthritis patients.

Objective: To assess the longitudinal stability of biomarker-based molecular endotypes of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) participants from APPROACH and to evaluate the consistency of findings in an independent KOA population.

Methods: Nineteen biomarkers were measured longitudinally in 295 KOA participants from the APPROACH cohort. K-means clustering was used to identify the structural damage, inflammation, and low tissue turnover endotypes at the six-, 12-, and 24-month follow-ups.

Structural and functional consequences of non-synonymous SNPs within the LAMA2 protein: a molecular dynamics perspective.

Clinical phenotypic presentations associated with LAMA2 deficiency have shown a variety of manifestations. LAMA2 mutations are mainly linked to congenital muscular dystrophy, but there is also mounting evidence suggesting their presence in inflammatory breast cancer, laryngopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and ventricular tachycardia related to coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy. This study examined the structural and functional impacts of 144 non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) within the LAMA2 gene.

The Effect of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) Supplementation on Clinical Manifestations and Inflammatory Parameters in Individuals with Sjögren's Syndrome: A Literature Review of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials.

Background: Sjögren's syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes dry mouth and eyes and can lead to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 5-10% of cases after 10 years. Clinical trials have shown that the oral administration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) seems to have a beneficial effect on Sjögren's syndrome.

Aim: This literature review provides an overview of the effects of PUFA supplementation on clinical manifestations and inflammatory parameters in Sjögren's syndrome.

Closing Editorial: Advanced Polymeric Materials for Pharmaceutical Applications III.

This Special Issue on "Advanced Polymeric Materials for Pharmaceutical Applications III" brings together innovative research that demonstrates the growing importance of polymeric materials in pharmaceutical sciences [...

Translating the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy v.1 to other languages: the approach used in European Portuguese (BCTTv1-PT).

Background: The Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy v1 (BCTTv1) is the most widely used classification of behaviour change techniques (BCTs), contributing to the accurate report and evaluation of behaviour change interventions and accumulation of evidence. This study reports a structured approach to adapt the BCTTv1 into European Portuguese (BCTTv1-PT).

Methods: A collaborative and iterative approach was used.

Cellular targets of cytotoxic copper phenanthroline complexes: a multimodal imaging quantitative approach in single PC3 cells.

Metal complexes are emerging as promising alternatives to traditional platinum-based cancer treatments, offering reduced side effects. However, understanding their cellular uptake and distribution and quantifying their presence at the single cell level remains challenging. Advanced imaging techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence, and energetic ion beam-based nuclear microscopy (scanning transmission ion microscopy, particle-induced X-ray emission, elastic backscattering spectrometry), allow detailed high-resolution visualization of structure and morphology, high sensitivity for elemental detection with quantification within single cells, and the construction of 3D models of metal distribution, positioning them as powerful tools for assessing the cellular uptake and compartmentalization of complexes.

The Buddy Program: High school students inform the design of a school-based peer support program for concussion.

Prior research provides little guidance on how to support return to school post-concussion. Peer support may be one strategy to enable adolescents to return to school post-concussion. The purpose of this study was to explore what high school students preferred in a school-based peer support program post-concussion.