A pilot Tuning Project-based national study on recently graduated medical students' self-assessment of competences--the TEST study.

Background: The Tuning Project is an initiative funded by the European Commission that developed core competences for primary medical degrees in Europe. Students' grouped self-assessments are used for program evaluation and improvement of curricula. The TEST study aimed to assess how do Portuguese medical graduates self-assess their acquisition of core competences and experiences of contact with patients in core settings according to the Tuning framework.

HSP90 cleavage associates with oxidized proteins accumulation after oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress, OS, has been associated to a variety of phenomena as cancer progression, neurodegeneration and ageing itself. At a molecular level, OS leads to protein carbonylation, a non-enzymatic irreversible event and common feature of aged cells. Carbonylated proteins are dysfunctional and can accumulate, in the form of protein aggregates that alter cellular functionality.

Clinical and Radiological Characterization of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in HIV-Infected Patients: A Retrospective Analysis and Review of the Literature.

Introduction: Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system caused by John Cunningham virus, mostly associated with immunodeficiency conditions, such as the human immunodeficiency virus infection. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy can have multiple clinical features and usually presents a typical lesion pattern on brain magnetic resonance imaging. Its course may be rapidly progressive, although immunological responsiveness can be associated with an improved prognosis.

Beyond gut microbiota: understanding obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are metabolic diseases that have reached epidemic proportions worldwide. Although their etiology is complex, both result from interplay between behaviour, environment and genetic factors. Within ambient determinants, human overall gut bacteria have been identified as a crucial mediator of obesity and its consequences.

The role of sarcopenia in the risk of osteoporotic hip fracture.

Several common age-related mechanisms and factors influence muscle and bone, affecting functionality of both tissues. Sarcopenia is closely linked with osteoporosis, and their combined effect may exacerbate negative health outcomes. Fall-related fractures are some of the most serious consequences of these two systemic pathologies, with hip fracture being a major complication affecting osteoporotic and sarcopenic elderly.

Combined Influence of EGF+61G>A and TGFB+869T>C Functional Polymorphisms in Renal Cell Carcinoma Progression and Overall Survival: The Link to Plasma Circulating MiR-7 and MiR-221/222 Expression.

The epidermal growth factor (EGF) is responsible for the activation of intracellular signal transducers that act on cell-cycle progression, cell motility, angiogenesis and inhibition of apoptosis. However, cells can block these effects activating opposite signaling pathways, such as the transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFβ1) pathway. Thus changes in expression levels of EGF and TGFB1 in renal cells might modulate the renal cell carcinoma (RCC) development, in consequence of changes in regulatory elements of signaling networks such as the microRNAs (miRNAs).

Secondary rhinoplasty using the technique of Turkish Delight: a case report and a brief review of the literature.

Rhinoplasty is a demanding task, especially when augmentation of the nasal contour is required. Autologous cartilage grafts are challenging. Contour and alignment of the graft are difficult goals.

Etiological agents and antimicrobial susceptibility in hospitalized children with acute pyelonephritis.

Introduction: Antibiotic resistance driven by antibiotic use remains a major public health and professional concern. Our aim was to know the local prevalence of uropathogens and their antimicrobial susceptibility profile in acute pyelonephritis.

Material And Methods: A prospective study of patients admitted in a level III Pediatric Department ward with acute pyelonephritis from 1994 to 2012 was performed in Northern Portugal.

Complete ossification of the stylohyoid chain as cause of Eagle's syndrome: a very rare case report.

Aim: To report on a patient with Eagle's syndrome with a complete and very large ossification of the stylohyoid complex on the right side that to our best knowledge has never been published previously.

Background: Eagle's syndrome is characterized by a set of symptoms that are caused by the irritation of the neurovascular and soft-tissues caused by an elongated styloid process or ossification of stylohyoid ligament.

Case Description: Because of the high discomfort and pain degree as well as limitations of mandibular and head mobility and also the thickness of the ossifed stylohyoid chain, the patient was treated surgically by removing the hypertrophic segment.

Depression and anxiety following deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is effective in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), improving motor symptoms, fluctuations and quality of life. However, adverse psychiatric outcomes have been reported, albeit variably and in an unstandardized fashion. We aimed to summarize the published evidence on the outcomes of anxiety and depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients following DBS, through systematic review and meta-analysis.

Impact of preoperative analytical values on post-operative mortality rate of intertrochanteric fractures.

Introduction: Intertrochanteric fractures incidence has been increasing over the past few years and therefore so have all the problems associated with it. It is important to search for possible ways to reduce comorbidities as well as postoperative mortality. We decided to assess the impact of some routine pre-operative analytical values on post-operative mortality of patients with inter-trochanteric fractures 65 years or older.

Results of the 4th scientific workshop of the ECCO (Group II): markers of intestinal fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease.

The fourth scientific workshop of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organization (ECCO) focused on intestinal fibrosis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The objective was to better understand basic mechanisms and markers of intestinal fibrosis as well as to suggest new therapeutic targets to prevent or treat fibrosis. The results of this workshop are presented in three separate manuscripts.

Clinical, genetic and neuropathological features of frontotemporal dementia: an update and guide.

Introduction: Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration encompasses a group of heterogeneous disorders with shared behavioural and cognitive symptoms, as well as gross pathological features. The genetic underpinnings and histopathological aspects are quite diverse and form the basis of molecular classification, which is not easy to correlate with clinical findings and syndromes. Scientific research has brought to light an array of knowledge, often not easy to keep up with, especially in the last few years with regard to genetics and histopathology.

European consensus on the histopathology of inflammatory bowel disease.

The histologic examination of endoscopic biopsies or resection specimens remains a key step in the work-up of affected inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients and can be used for diagnosis and differential diagnosis, particularly in the differentiation of UC from CD and other non-IBD related colitides. The introduction of new treatment strategies in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) interfering with the patients' immune system may result in mucosal healing, making the pathologists aware of the impact of treatment upon diagnostic features. The European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) and the European Society of Pathology (ESP) jointly elaborated a consensus to establish standards for histopathology diagnosis in IBD.

Stretching the limbs? Tonic spasms in multiple sclerosis.

A 23-year-old man with a clinically isolated syndrome (right optic neuritis) diagnosed 6 months before, presented with recurrent, brief, painful, stereotyped, involuntary posturing movements of the left upper limb. The neurological examination was otherwise unremarkable (except for right optic atrophy). Intravenous methylprednisolone was initiated; the paroxysms persisted and worsened 7 days later, as the left lower limb and hemiface became affected.

Audit of a fetal central monitoring station in a clinical setting.

Objective: To conduct an audit of the Omniview-SisPorto® central monitoring station (CMS) and determine the effect of the measures undertaken to correct identified problems.

Methods: All cardiotocograms (CTGs) recorded in randomly selected days of 2006 and 2009, both in the outpatient clinic and labor ward, were reviewed to assess the following parameters: tracing identification, duration, signal quality, signal loss, acquisition method, and time elapsed between tracing-end and birth. A random sample of cases was compared with original paper recordings and 25% of CTGs were re-retrieved for comparison with first retrieval.

Perineal muco-cutaneous herpes zoster treated with brivudin.

Herpes zoster results from the reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus (VZV) from the dorsal root ganglion of sensory nerves. It is rarely described in the pediatric population. We report the case of an 8-year-old immunocompetent boy with a painful lumbosacral herpes zoster that was treated with brivudin and achieved rapid and sustained improvement in the absence of muco-cutaneous or pharmacological side effects.

Polymorphism C242T of the gene of the p22phox subunit for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase, and erythrocytic antioxidant enzymes, in patients with tetralogy of Fallot.

Background: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase of the vascular cell membrane is an important source of reactive oxygen species. The aim of our study was to evaluate the possible influence of the p22phox C242T gene polymorphism on blood pressure and some markers of oxidative stress in children with tetralogy of Fallot.

Methods: After surgical repair in early life, we recruited 38 children, aged 11.