Sense of coherence, subjective burden, and anxiety and depression symptoms in caregivers of people with dementia: Causal dynamics unveiled by a longitudinal cohort study in Europe.

Background: Sense of coherence (SOC) is a disposition to perceive things as comprehensible, manageable and meaningful. Lower SOC is associated with subjective burden and psychological morbidity in family caregivers, including in dementia. However, the evidence-base mainly comprises small-scale or cross-sectional studies.

Model organisms for investigating the functional involvement of NRF2 in non-communicable diseases.

Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) are most commonly characterized by age-related loss of homeostasis and/or by cumulative exposures to environmental factors, which lead to low-grade sustained generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), chronic inflammation and metabolic imbalance. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (NRF2) is a basic leucine-zipper transcription factor that regulates the cellular redox homeostasis. NRF2 controls the expression of more than 250 human genes that share in their regulatory regions a cis-acting enhancer termed the antioxidant response element (ARE).

Concept mapping to promote clinical reasoning in multimorbidity: a mixed methods study in undergraduate family medicine.

Background: Clinical reasoning significantly impacts physicians' performance and patient care quality. Research into learning transfer within clinical reasoning education, especially in managing multimorbidity in Family Medicine, is crucial. This study evaluates the impact of concept maps (CMs) on promoting clinical reasoning skills among undergraduate students, compared to traditional teaching methods (TM).

Postingestive reward acts through behavioral reinforcement and is conserved in obesity and after bariatric surgery.

Postingestive nutrient stimulation conditions food preferences through striatal dopamine and may be associated with blunted brain responses in obesity. In a cross-sectional study, we tested flavor-nutrient conditioning (FNC) with maltodextrin-enriched yogurt, with maltodextrin previously optimized for concentration and dextrose equivalents (n = 57), and to mask texture cues (n = 102). After conditioning, healthy volunteers (n = 52) increased preference for maltodextrin-paired (+102 kcal, CS+), relative to control (+1.

Insights into circulating CEACAM1 in insulin clearance and disease progression: Evidence from the Portuguese PREVADIAB2 study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and obesity are characterized by altered insulin metabolism and action. Reduced hepatic insulin clearance is increasingly recognized as a key contributor to hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. CEACAM1 promotes hepatic insulin clearance, and its loss in hepatocytes is associated with reduced insulin clearance in mice and men.

Effects of climate change on the distribution of Molossus molossus and the potential risk of Orthohantavirus transmission in the Neotropical region.

Molossus molossus is a widely distributed neotropical bat species in the Americas, often found in urban areas. This study evaluated climate change effects on the potential geographic distribution of M. molossus, a natural host of zoonotic pathogens such as Orthohantavirus, in the Neotropical region.

Tract-specific spinal damage in SCA2, SCA3 and SCA6.

Background: Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by progressive ataxia. Although previous studies have focused on cerebral and cerebellar damage, spinal cord involvement in SCAs remains underexplored.

Objectives: This study aims to characterize spinal cord abnormalities in SCA2, SCA3, and SCA6 and to identify its phenotypic correlates.

Height and weight reference charts for Brazilians with intellectual disabilities aged 7-17.

Objective: It was to develop smoothed height and weight percentiles for boys and girls with IDs between 7 and 17 years old.

Methods: The sample consisted of 1,047 young people (645 boys and 402 girls; 7-17 years old) with ID. A total of 4,059 measurements (height: n = 2,041; weight: n = 2,018) were retrospectively obtained from the period between 2013 and 2018.

Standards for Quality Improvement Registries on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Delphi Consensus Report From VASCUNET and International Consortium of Vascular Registries.

Objective: Outcome registries in vascular surgery are increasingly used to drive quality improvement by vascular societies. The VASCUNET collaboration, within the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS), and the International Consortium of Vascular Registries (ICVR) developed a set of variables for quality improvement registries on abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair as a registry standard.

Methods: Representatives from international vascular registries within VASCUNET, ICVR, and other nations with established registries were invited to provide the variables.

Cardiac Rehabilitation for Fontan Circulation Patients: A Systematic Review, and Meta-Analysis.

: Despite advances in the surgical management of patients with Fontan circulation, their exercise capacity and quality of life remain significantly impaired. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) offers promising improvements in these areas, but the implementation and adherence to these programmes are often inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and optimal exercise modalities for Fontan patients.

GPATCH11 variants cause mis-splicing and early-onset retinal dystrophy with neurological impairment.

Here we conduct a study involving 12 individuals with retinal dystrophy, neurological impairment, and skeletal abnormalities, with special focus on GPATCH11, a lesser-known G-patch domain-containing protein, regulator of RNA metabolism. To elucidate its role, we study fibroblasts from unaffected individuals and patients carrying the recurring c.328+1 G > T mutation, which specifically removes the main part of the G-patch domain while preserving the other domains.

Relative sparing of dopaminergic terminals in the caudate nucleus is a feature of rest tremor in Parkinson's disease.

Resting tremor (RT) is a Parkinson's disease (PD) symptom with an unclear relationship to the dopaminergic system. We analysed data from 432 subjects from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative, 57 additional PD patients and controls and 86 subjects referred for dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography (DaT-SPECT). Caudate binding ratio (CBR), but not putamen binding ratio, was higher in RT patients.

Comparison of two metabolomics-platforms to discover biomarkers in critically ill patients from serum analysis.

Serum metabolome analysis is essential for identifying disease biomarkers and predicting patient outcomes in precision medicine. Thus, this study aims to compare Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in acquiring the serum metabolome of critically ill patients, associated with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), and predicting death. Three groups of 8 patients were considered.

Combination of gold nanoparticles with near-infrared light as an alternative approach for melanoma management.

Melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer and recently approved drugs are often associated with resistance and significant adverse effects. Therefore, the design of more effective and safe options remains imperative. Photothermal therapy (PTT) using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) presents a promising and innovative approach.

Analysis of six consecutive waves of ICU-admitted COVID-19 patients: key findings and insights from a Portuguese population.

Identifying high-risk patients, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs), enhances treatment and reduces severe outcomes. Since the pandemic, numerous studies have examined COVID-19 patient profiles and factors linked to increased mortality. Despite six pandemic waves, to the best of our knowledge, there is no extensive comparative analysis of patients' characteristics across these waves in Portugal.

A scoping review on implementation processes and outcomes of models of care for low back pain in primary healthcare.

Background: To address the societal burden of low back pain (LBP), several health systems have adopted Models of Care (MoCs). These evidence-informed models aim for consistent care and outcomes. However, real-world applications vary, with each setting presenting unique challenges and nuances in the primary healthcare landscape.