Hepatic arterial buffer response: activation in donor fetuses and the effect of laser ablation of intertwin anastomosis.

Objectives: Hepatic arterial buffer response (HABR) is an important defence mechanism for maintaining liver blood flow. It is suspected that HABR is active in monochorionic diamniotic twins (MCDA) with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) where donor compensates a setting of volume depletion and the recipient an overload. The present study investigates whether in TTTS, HABR is active in donor and/or recipient individually and try to determine if the activation of HABR is a direct response to TTTS.

What the Musculoskeletal Radiologist Needs to Know About the Vascular Anatomy of the Spine and Spinal Cord.

This article describes the vascular anatomy of the spine and spinal cord, highlighting key structures and anatomical variations relevant to musculoskeletal radiologists. It covers the arterial and venous drainage systems, along with examples of vascular conditions affecting the spine. Understanding the vascular anatomy of the spine and spinal cord is crucial for accurate interpretation of imaging studies and safe spinal interventional procedures.

IMU Networks for Trajectory Reconstruction in Logistics Applications.

This paper discusses the use of networks of Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) for the reconstruction of trajectories from sensor data. Logistics is a natural application domain to verify the quality of the handling of goods. This is a mass application and the economics of logistics impose that the IMUs to be used must be low-cost and use basic computational devices.

AI-Driven Decision Support for Early Detection of Cardiac Events: Unveiling Patterns and Predicting Myocardial Ischemia.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) account for a significant portion of global mortality, emphasizing the need for effective strategies. This study focuses on myocardial infarction, pulmonary thromboembolism, and aortic stenosis, aiming to empower medical practitioners with tools for informed decision making and timely interventions. Drawing from data at Hospital Santa Maria, our approach combines exploratory data analysis (EDA) and predictive machine learning (ML) models, guided by the Cross-Industry Standard Process for Data Mining (CRISP-DM) methodology.

Consensus recommendations for the treatment and management of patients with Fabry disease on migalastat: a modified Delphi study.

Objective: Fabry disease is a progressive disorder caused by deficiency of the α-galactosidase A enzyme (α-Gal A), leading to multisystemic organ damage with heterogenous clinical presentation. The addition of the oral chaperone therapy migalastat to the available treatment options for Fabry disease is not yet universally reflected in all treatment guidelines. These consensus recommendations are intended to provide guidance for the treatment and monitoring of patients with Fabry disease receiving migalastat.

Prevalence and predictors of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension following severe forms of acute pulmonary embolism.

Introduction And Objectives: The true prevalence of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) after pulmonary embolism (PE) in the Portuguese population remains unknown. We aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of CTEPH two years after a symptomatic high- (HR) or intermediate-high risk (IHR) PE.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted with PE between 2014 and 2019 to a Portuguese referral center for pulmonary hypertension.

The experiences of COVID-19 preprint authors: a survey of researchers about publishing and receiving feedback on their work during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rise in preprinting, triggered by the need for open and rapid dissemination of research outputs. We surveyed authors of COVID-19 preprints to learn about their experiences with preprinting their work and also with publishing their work in a peer-reviewed journal. Our research had the following objectives: 1.

Multitemporal Land Use and Cover Analysis Coupled with Climatic Change Scenarios to Protect the Endangered Taxon subsp. .

Climate change and land use and land cover (LULC) change are impacting the species' geographic distribution, causing range shifts and reducing suitable habitats. subsp. (AbR) is an endangered endemic plant restricted to Serra da Gardunha (Portugal), and knowledge of those changes will help to design conservation measures.

Lithium-Induced Arginine Vasopressin Resistance (AVP-R): A Case of Chronic Exposure to Lithium.

Lithium salts (lithium) is a psychotropic drug widely used as a pharmacological option in managing bipolar disorder. Regular monitoring of serum levels is necessary due to the narrow therapeutic range of lithium. Typically, the diagnosis of lithium intoxication is based on the presence of elevated plasma levels.

Influence of the TAS2R38 Gene Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Metabolism and Anthropometry in Thyroid Dysfunction.

The gene TAS2R38 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs-P49A, A262V and V296I) can condition bitter tasting by PAV (proline-alanine-valine) and non-bitter-tasting by AVI (alanine-valine-isoleucine) homozygosity. We evaluated this polymorphisms association with thyroid function, metabolism and anthropometry parameters determined by: Endpoint analysis (SNPs); DXA (fat mass-%, total fat mass-kg, lean mass-kg); Standard methods (lipid metabolism parameters, HbA1c-%, glycemia-mg/dL, insulinemia-µIU/mL, HOMA-IR, uricemia-mg/dL, calcemia-mg/dL and BMI-kg/m); ELISA (leptinemia-ng/mL); Spectrophotometry (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme activity-UI/L). Statistics: SPSS program; OR [IC95%]; < 0.

Single Femoral Tunnel for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Bone-Patellar Tendon-Bone Graft and Lemaire's Extra-Articular Tenodesis as a Good Alternative for Combined Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Anterolateral Ligament Revision Surgeries.

The literature has shown a significant decrease in failure rates when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction was associated with an extra-articular reinforcement technique such as the anterolateral ligament (ALL) or the iliotibial band tenodesis (ITBT) using the modified Lemaire technique. As much as there is a progressive decrease in the failure rates of ACL reconstructions when the ALL reconstruction technique is associated, there are still and will be cases that will result in graft rupture. These cases will require more alternatives for revision, which are always challenging for the surgeon, where the lateral approaches represent complicating factors, especially because of the distortion of the lateral anatomy (by the previous approach for ALL reconstruction), previous reconstruction tunnels, and the presence of fixation materials.

Women in cardiovascular imaging: a call for action to address ongoing challenges.

Aims: The EACVI Scientific Initiatives Committee and the EACVI women's taskforce conducted a global survey to evaluate the barriers faced by women in cardiovascular imaging (WICVi).

Methods And Results: In a prospective international survey, we assessed the barriers faced at work by WICVi. Three hundred fourteen participants from 53 countries responded.

Primary Central Nervous System Vasculitis: A Rare Cause of Stroke.

Primary central nervous system vasculitis (PCNSV) is a rare cause of ischemic stroke and is considered idiopathic in most cases. PCNSV can present with a wide variety of neurological manifestations and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of ischemic stroke, particularly if the neurological deficit cannot be explained by the affected vascular area or when it is multifocal. The diagnosis of PCNSV is relevant because the required therapy differs from the treatments commonly used for frequent ischemic strokes.

Iodine-Induced Hypothyroidism After Chemoembolization With Ethiodized Oil: A Case of Failure to Escape From Wolff-Chaikoff Effect (WCE).

Wolff-Chaikoff effect (WCE) is an acute physiologic response of the thyroid gland to high levels of iodine. The WCE is usually temporary, and the thyroid gland adjusts to high iodine levels within days or weeks. It is a protective mechanism and a failure to escape from it can result in thyroid dysfunction.

Epipericardial fat necrosis in chest CT and MRI: a case report of an unusual cause of chest pain associated with the initial diagnosis of undifferentiated connective tissue disease.

Background: Epipericardial fat necrosis (EFN) is a benign and self-limited condition of unknown cause with a good prognosis, usually affecting otherwise healthy patients. Clinically, it presents with severe acute left pleuritic chest pain, often leading the patient to the Emergency Room (ER).

Case Presentation: A 23-year-old male, smoker (5 pack-years), was evaluated in the ER due to left pleuritic chest pain, worsening with deep breathing and Valsalva maneuver.

How many biomarker measurements are needed to predict prognosis in Crohn's disease patients under infliximab?-A prospective study.

Background: Timely stratification of Crohn's disease (CD) is essential for patients' management. The use of noninvasive accurate biomarkers is key to monitor treatment and to pursue mucosal healing, the ultimate treatment endpoint in CD.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the performance of readily available biomarkers and develop risk matrices to predict CD progression.

Factors for second non-diagnostic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology in thyroid nodules.

Introduction: Results in fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of thyroid nodules may be non-diagnostic (ND). In these cases, it is recommended to repeat the FNAC. The aim of our study was to evaluate the influence of demographic, clinical and ultrasound (US) characteristics in the recurrence of an ND result in thyroid nodule FNAC.

Influence of physicians' risk perception on switching treatments between high- efficacy and non-high-efficacy disease‑modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis.

Background: The decision of initiating treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) with a high-efficacy DMT (HE DMT) or non-high-efficacy DMT (non-HE DMT) is influenced by several factors, including risk perception of patients and physicians.

Objective: Investigate the influence of physicians' risk perception on decision-making when switching treatments for MS and the reasons for switching.

Methods: Data were drawn from the Adelphi Real-World MS Disease-Specific Program (a retrospective survey) and analysis included people with RMS identified between 2017- 2021.

Sex differences in LDL-C control in a primary care population: The PORTRAIT-DYS study.

Background And Aims: Cardiovascular (CV) diseases show clear differences in clinical manifestation and treatment outcomes between men and women. To reduce sex disparities in achieving lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) goals, a sex-focused assessment is essential and more studies are needed to bring new evidence to clinicians. This study aims to assess the role of sex in attaining low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goals, after correction for age, CV risk category, LLT intensity, and presence of mental health disorder and social deprivation.

Morphological and Molecular Identification of (Nematoda: Spirurida) in a Booted Eagle () from Portugal.

spp. are parasitic nematodes that infect the gastrointestinal tracts of many carnivores and omnivores. Although they are distributed worldwide, spp.