Effects of Ab501 (certolizumab mice equivalent) in arthritis induced bone loss.

Introduction - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease, which causes local and systemic bone damage. The main goal of this work was to analyze, how treatment intervention with Ab501 (certolizumab mice equivalent) prevents the disturbances on bone structure and mechanics induced by arthritis. Methods - Thirty DBA/1 collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were randomly housed in experimental groups, as follows: arthritic untreated (N=9), preventive intervention (N=10) and treatment intervention (N=11).

CheckAP: Prevalence of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and performance evaluation of the EARP questionnaire in the population of Portuguese patients with psoriasis followed in a dermatology setting.

Background: The percentage of Portuguese psoriasis patients with psoriatic arthritis is unknown but musculoskeletal complaints related to PsA affect up to a third of patients. Dermatologists can identify early PsA as skin symptoms often precede joint symptoms in 80% of patients. Efficient and easy to perform screening tools are needed to help dermatologists effectively discriminate between Pso and PsA patients.

Complex cesarean section: Surgical approach to reduce the risks of intraoperative complications and postpartum hemorrhage.

The incidence of cesarean section is dramatically increasing worldwide, whereas the training opportunities for obstetrician/gynecologists to manage complex cesarean section appear to be decreasing. This may be attributed to changing working hours directives and the increasing use of laparoscopy for gynecological surgical procedures, including in gynecological oncology. Various situations can create surgical difficulties during a cesarean section; however, two of the most frequent are complications from previous cesarean (myometrial defects, with or without placental intrusion and peritoneal adhesions) and the high risk of postpartum hemorrhage (uterine overdistension, abnormal placentation, uterine fibroids).

Impact of Glucocorticoid-Associated Stress-Like Conditions on Aquaporin-4 in Cultured Astrocytes and Its Modulation by Adenosine A Receptors.

Astrocytes participate in brain clearance of extracellular proteins and metabolites, through the activity of the water channel aquaporin-4 (AQP4), which can be deregulated in stress-related disorders, impairing brain waste clearance. The present study investigates the impact of dexamethasone (Dexa), a synthetic glucocorticoid used as a simplified in vitro stress model, on astrocytic AQP4 and its modulation by adenosine A receptors (AR), which blockade reverses conditions related with maladaptive stress, such as anxiety and depression. The clearance of proteins in primary astrocytic cultures, assessed using 5 kDa FITC-dextran and 45 kDa TRITC-dextran uptake, was decreased by a 24 h exposure to 100 nM Dexa.

Spatial frequency of environments and myopia: A systematic review on associated evidence and underlying mechanisms.

Purpose: Previous animal studies have found a relationship between spatial frequency and myopia. New research in humans suggest that reduced high spatial content of the visual environment may be a contributing factor for myopia development. This study aims to review the literature and elucidate the potential biological mechanisms linking spatial frequency and myopia.

Differential Effects of the Type of Physical Exercise on Blood Pressure in Independent Older Adults.

Background: Exercise and its effect on cardiovascular diseases have been extensively studied in the elderly population. The difference in blood pressure (BP) between fit and unfit subjects can be >5 mmHg. It is not well established whether the positive effects of exercising on BP are associated with exercise type, be it aerobic or anaerobic (maximal muscle strength).

Laparoscopic and Endoscopic cooperative surgery as Rescue-treatment for Advanced gastric Cancer in patients Unfit for Surgery (LE-RACUS): protocol for a feasibility study.

Background: The standard treatment for advanced gastric cancer without metastasis is gastrectomy in combination with chemotherapy. Some patients cannot tolerate such treatment because of old age or comorbidities. In this study, we want to test the feasibility of Laparoscopic and Endoscopic Cooperative Surgery (LECS) as a less invasive treatment option.

Efficacy and cost-effectiveness of an ACT and compassion-based intervention for women with breast cancer: study protocol of two randomised controlled trials {1}.

Background: Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and carries a considerable psychosocial burden. Interventions based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and compassion-based approaches show promise in improving adjustment and quality of life in people with cancer. The Mind programme is an integrative ACT and compassion-based intervention tailored for women with breast cancer, which aims to prepare women for survivorship by promoting psychological flexibility and self-compassion.

Self-perceived physical fitness and occurrences of individual levels of autistic traits in adolescents: a cluster association study.

Background: The association between physical fitness and autistic traits in adolescents remains under explored, especially in adolescents. Understanding this relationship can provide strategies to improve the quality of life of these people.

Objective: To identify the association between cluster characteristics derived from levels of self-perceived physical fitness and the occurrences of individual levels of autistic traits in Brazilian adolescents.

Establishing bio-logging data collections as dynamic archives of animal life on Earth.

Rapid growth in bio-logging-the use of animal-borne electronic tags to document the movements, behaviour, physiology and environments of wildlife-offers opportunities to mitigate biodiversity threats and expand digital natural history archives. Here we present a vision to achieve such benefits by accounting for the heterogeneity inherent to bio-logging data and the concerns of those who collect and use them. First, we can enable data integration through standard vocabularies, transfer protocols and aggregation protocols, and drive their wide adoption.

Subdural hematoma as a complication of endoscopic third ventriculostomy in a pediatric patient: a case report and literature review.

Background: Subdural hematoma (SDH) typically occurs due to traumatic brain injury but can arise as a rare complication of procedures like endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV).

Case Presentation: We report an unusual case in a 9-year-old male with previous resection of a fourth-ventricle ependymoma at 2 years of age. Seven years post-surgery, he presented with worsening hydrocephalus and underwent ETV.

The Visual Integration of Semantic and Spatial Information of Objects in Naturalistic Scenes (VISIONS) database: attentional, conceptual, and perceptual norms.

The complex interplay between low- and high-level mechanisms governing our visual system can only be fully understood within ecologically valid naturalistic contexts. For this reason, in recent years, substantial efforts have been devoted to equipping the scientific community with datasets of realistic images normed on semantic or spatial features. Here, we introduce VISIONS, an extensive database of 1136 naturalistic scenes normed on a wide range of perceptual and conceptual norms by 185 English speakers across three levels of granularity: isolated object, whole scene, and object-in-scene.

Addressing inter individual variability in CSF levels of brain derived proteins across neurodegenerative diseases.

Accurate diagnosis and monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases require reliable biomarkers. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins are promising candidates for reflecting brain pathology; however, their diagnostic utility may be compromised by natural variability between individuals, weakening their association with disease. Here, we measured the levels of 69 pre-selected proteins in cerebrospinal fluid using antibody-based suspension bead array technology in a multi-disease cohort of 499 individuals with neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD), behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia, primary progressive aphasias, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), corticobasal syndrome, primary supranuclear palsy, along with healthy controls.

Machine learning based prediction model for bile leak following hepatectomy for liver cancer.

Objective: We sought to develop a machine learning (ML) preoperative model to predict bile leak following hepatectomy for primary and secondary liver cancer.

Methods: An eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model was developed to predict post-hepatectomy bile leak using data from the ACS-NSQIP database. The model was externally validated using data from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) multi-institutional databases.

Reliability of the OMERACT Giant cell arteritis Ultrasonography Score (OGUS): results of a patient-based exercise involving experts and non-experts in vascular ultrasonography.

Objective: To test the reliability of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Giant cell arteritis (GCA) Ultrasonography Score (OGUS) and other composite scores in a patient-based exercise involving experts and non-experts in vascular ultrasonography.

Methods: Six GCA patients were scanned twice (two rounds separated ≥3 hours) by 12 experts and 12 non-experts. Non-experts received 90 min of theoretical and 240 min of practical training between rounds 1 and 2.

Sucking blister in a newborn: atypical localisation.

A meticulous examination of the oral cavity is an essential part of the initial newborn assessment. The differential diagnosis can involve benign and self-limiting lesions to those lesions compromising quality of life. We present a clinical case of a newborn born with a purple, hard tumour on the hard palate that spontaneously regressed, being thus compatible with the case of a sucking blister.

EDENT1FI Master Protocol for screening of presymptomatic early-stage type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents.

Introduction: The identification of type 1 diabetes at an early presymptomatic stage has clinical benefits. These include a reduced risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at the clinical manifestation of the disease and a significant reduction in clinical symptoms. The European action for the Diagnosis of Early Non-clinical Type 1 diabetes For disease Interception (EDENT1FI) represents a pioneering effort to advance early detection of type 1 diabetes through public health screening.

Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

External quality assessment (EQA) enhances patient safety through the evaluation of the quality of laboratory-based and point of care testing. Regulatory agencies and accreditation organizations utilize the results and the laboratory's response to them as part of assessing the laboratory's fitness to practice. In addition, where EQA samples are commutable and the assigned value has been determined using reference measurement procedures (RMPs), EQA data contributes to the verification of metrological traceability of assays as part of the post-market surveillance of diagnostic (IVD) medical devices (IVD-MDs).

The impact on productivity costs of reducing unemployment in patients with advanced breast cancer: A model estimation based on a Portuguese nationwide observational study.

This study aimed to characterize the employment status and work-related conditions of patients with advanced breast cancer (ABC) in Portugal and quantify the productivity costs of premature abandonment of the work market while evaluating strategies to promote employment. The analysis was based on a cumulative incidence model for estimation of ABC prevalence and on a cross-sectional study characterizing the employment status of patients with ABC. This study was conducted in Portuguese hospitals, between Nov2021-Dec2022 and included patients diagnosed with ABC for at least 6 months, aged 66 or less and consenting for a self-answered questionnaire regarding work status.

AI-driven participatory environmental management: Innovations, applications, and future prospects.

The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents unprecedented opportunities for participatory environmental management. This paper explores the integration of AI technologies into participatory approaches, which engage diverse stakeholders in environmental decision-making processes. Using artificial intelligence, a corpus of 80 papers was compiled and subsequently analyzed with text mining tools.

Soil quality under rotational and conventional grazing in Mediterranean areas at desertification risk.

Rotational grazing (RG) could be a valid alternative to continuous grazing (CG) in Mediterranean extensive pastures to fight land degradation. This study aimed to compare soil quality under RG and CG management, in paired RG-CG Portuguese pasture areas under strong aridity stress, with RG sites converted from CG management in 2018. Soils were sampled in 2022, at 10 cm depth, over 71 ha of RG and 37 ha of CG pastures, subdivided in 16 and 10 sampling plots, respectively.

Disentangling Sources of Momentum Fluctuations in Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector.

High-energy nuclear collisions create a quark-gluon plasma, whose initial condition and subsequent expansion vary from event to event, impacting the distribution of the eventwise average transverse momentum [P([p_{T}])]. Disentangling the contributions from fluctuations in the nuclear overlap size (geometrical component) and other sources at a fixed size (intrinsic component) remains a challenge. This problem is addressed by measuring the mean, variance, and skewness of P([p_{T}]) in ^{208}Pb+^{208}Pb and ^{129}Xe+^{129}Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.

Professional liability and litigation in dental medicine: an analysis of the Portuguese context.

The activity of a dentist reveals itself in numerous aspects, and its regulation is determined by the Deontological Code of the Dental Association, which contains a set of rules that dentists are obliged to follow in the exercise of their profession. The regulation of this activity goes beyond following these precepts because, in the legal relationship that is established whenever an agreement is made with a patient to carry out the treatment deemed appropriate, a series of duties and obligations begin for each party, translated into a reciprocal contract, in which the non-compliance of one of them may result in a legal claim. The objective of this study was to research most court decisions delivered in this century, in Portugal, regarding the activity of dentists when faced with patient claims and to outline a framework that better allows us to understand the regulation of this activity within the scope of the contracts established with them.