Non-Intrusive Monitoring of Vital Signs in the Lower Limbs Using Optical Sensors.

Invisible health monitoring is currently a topic of global interest within the scientific community. Sensorization of everyday objects can provide valuable health information without requiring any changes in people's routines. In this work, a feasibility study of photoplethysmography (PPG) acquisition in the lower limbs for continuous and real-time monitoring of the vital signs, including heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR), is presented.

Evaluating ChatGPT-4 for the Interpretation of Images from Several Diagnostic Techniques in Gastroenterology.

Several artificial intelligence systems based on large language models (LLMs) have been commercially developed, with recent interest in integrating them for clinical questions. Recent versions now include image analysis capacity, but their performance in gastroenterology remains untested. This study assesses ChatGPT-4's performance in interpreting gastroenterology images.

DNA Methyltransferase Expression (DNMT1, DNMT3a, and DNMT3b) as a Potential Biomarker in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a global cause of vision loss, with limited therapeutic options highlighting the need for effective biomarkers. This study aimed to characterize plasma DNA methyltransferase expression (, , and ) in AMD patients and explore divergent expression patterns across different stages of AMD. : Thirty-eight AMD patients were prospectively enrolled and stratified by disease severity: eAMD, iAMD, nAMD, and aAMD.

Explainable AI in Digestive Healthcare and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

An important impediment to the incorporation of artificial intelligence-based tools into healthcare is their association with so-called black box medicine, a concept arising due to their complexity and the difficulties in understanding how they reach a decision. This situation may compromise the clinician's trust in these tools, should any errors occur, and the inability to explain how decisions are reached may affect their relationship with patients. Explainable AI (XAI) aims to overcome this limitation by facilitating a better understanding of how AI models reach their conclusions for users, thereby enhancing trust in the decisions reached.

Intimate Partner Violence: The Relationship Between the Stages of Change, Maintenance Factors, and the Decision to Keep or Leave the Violent Partner.

Violence in intimate relationships (IPV) is understood as one of the most common forms of violence, being maintained by cultural habits and customs, and legitimized from generation to generation. This study aims at a comprehensive review of the literature on IPV, the relationship between the stages of change, maintenance factors, and the decision to keep or leave the violent partner. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify journal articles focused on IPV, following online databases as well as a manual review from relevant peer-reviewed journals.

Thermodynamic Properties of γ- and δ-Lactones: Exploring Alkyl Chain Length Effect and Ring-Opening Reactions for Green Chemistry Applications.

An extensive thermochemical study of γ-undecanolactone and δ-undecanolactone has been developed using two complementary calorimetric techniques. The combustion energy of each compound was determined by static-bomb combustion calorimetry, and the corresponding enthalpy of vaporization was determined by high-temperature Calvet microcalorimetry, in which both properties of each compound are reported at = 298.15 K.

The Counteracting Effect of Chrysin on Dietary Fructose-Induced Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) in Rats with a Focus on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has been exponentially increasing in recent decades. Thus, there is an increasing need for affordable and natural interventions for this disorder. We explored the effect of chrysin, a dietary polyphenol, on hepatic lipid and glycogen accumulation, metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) activity score and oxidative stress and on hepatic and adipose tissue metabolism in rats presenting metabolic syndrome-associated conditions.

Grape Pomace: A Review of Its Bioactive Phenolic Compounds, Health Benefits, and Applications.

The wine industry generates high amounts of waste, posing current environmental and economic sustainability challenges. Grape pomace, mainly composed of seeds, skins, and stalks, contains significant amounts of bioactive compounds and constitutes the main solid residue of this industry. Various strategies are being explored for its valorization, from a circular economy perspective.

Uncovering the Metabolic Footprint of New Psychoactive Substances by Metabolomics: A Systematic Review.

New psychoactive substances (NPSs) emerged in the 2000s as legal alternatives to illicit drugs and quickly became a huge public health threat due to their easy accessibility online, limited information, and misleading labels. Synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones are the most reported groups of NPSs. Despite NPSs being widely studied, due to their structural diversity and the constant emergence of novel compounds with unknown properties, the development of new techniques is required to clarify their mode of action and evaluate their toxicological effects.

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis as a Tool to Address Aβ Impact on Extracellular Vesicles.

Alzheimer's disease is a challenge in modern healthcare due to its complex etiology and increasing prevalence. Despite advances, further understanding of Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology is needed, particularly the role of Aβ neurotoxic peptide. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has shown potential as a screening tool for several pathologies, including Alzheimer's disease.

Biological and Health-Promoting Potential of Fruits from Three Cold-Hardy Actinidia Species.

Fruits are essential components of the human diet, valued for their diverse bioactive compounds with potential health-promoting properties. This study focuses on three cold-hardy species, namely , , and , examining their polyphenolic content, antioxidant/antiradical activities, scavenging capacity and effects on intestinal cell viability (Caco-2 and HT29-MTX). A comprehensive profile of their phenolic compounds was identified, in descending order of total polyphenol content: > > .

Mechanical Behavior of PEEK and PMMA Graphene and Ti6Al4V Implant-Supported Frameworks: In Silico Study.

A comparative analysis has been carried out between three different dental materials suitable for the prostheses manufacturing. The analysis performed is based on the finite elements method (FEM) and was made to evaluate their performance under three different loading conditions. Three different materials were modeled with 3D CAD geometry, all of them suitable to be simulated by means of a linear elastic model.

Experimental Study of Carbonation and Chloride Resistance of Self-Compacting Concretes with a High Content of Fly Ash and Metakaolin, with and Without Hydrated Lime.

The durability of reinforced concrete is associated with several factors that can trigger the corrosion of reinforcement bars. Among these factors, the most significant are chloride-ion attack and carbonation. This study evaluated, through accelerated testing, self-compacting concretes (SCCs) with reduced cement content in binary, ternary, and quaternary mixtures using high-early-strength Portland cement, fly ash (FA), metakaolin (MK), and hydrated lime (HL).

Structure and Morphological Properties of Cobalt-Oxide-Based (CoO) Materials as Electrodes for Supercapacitors: A Brief Review.

Over the past 15 years, there has been a significant increase in the search for environmentally friendly energy sources, and transition-metal-based energy storage devices are leading the way in these new technologies. Supercapacitors are attractive in this regard due to their superior energy storage capabilities. Electrode materials, which are crucial components of supercapacitors, such as cobalt-oxide-based electrodes, have great qualities for achieving high supercapacitor performance.

Comparison of the Performance of Nonlinear Time-Dependent Constitutive Models Calibrated with Minimal Test Data Applied to an Epoxy Resin.

Epoxy resins are extensively employed as adhesives and matrices in fibre-reinforced composites. As polymers, they possess a viscoelastic nature and are prone to creep and stress relaxation even at room temperature. This phenomenon is also responsible for time-dependent failure or creep fracture due to cumulative strain.

Mechanical Characterization and Computational Analysis of TPU 60A: Integrating Experimental Testing and Simulation for Performance Optimization.

This study investigates the mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) 60A, which is a flexible material that can be used to produce soft robotic grippers using additive manufacturing. Tensile tests were conducted under ISO 37 and ISO 527 standards to assess the effects of different printing orientations (0°, 45°, -45°, 90°, and quasi-isotropic) and test speeds (2 mm/min, 20 mm/min, and 200 mm/min) on the material's performance. While the printing orientations at 0° and quasi-isotropic provided similar performance, the quasi-isotropic orientation demonstrated the most balanced mechanical behavior, establishing it as the optimal choice for robust and predictable performance, particularly for computational simulations.

Tissue Paper Softness: A Comparison Between Different Experimental Assessment Approaches.

In this work, four different experimental assessment approaches, namely, the Tissue Softness Analyzer (TSA), a Subjective Evaluation (SUB), the Kawabata Evaluation System (KES), and an Optical System (OPT), were used for the evaluation of softness on a set of 29 different tissue paper products. After processing and the interpretation of the results given by each one of the used methods, a procedure was implemented in the current work to make a comparison between them. The procedure consists in tracking the position of the tissue paper products on a ranking table, regardless of what values were obtained through each one of the four used methods independently.

The Effects of Disturbance on Plant-Pollinator Interactions in the Native Forests of an Oceanic Island (Terceira, Azores).

The native biodiversity of oceanic islands is threatened by human-driven disturbance and by the growing number of species introductions which often interfere with natural ecological processes. Here, we aim to evaluate the effect of anthropogenic disturbance on plant-pollinator interactions in the native forest communities of an oceanic island (Terceira, Azores, Portugal). We found that native species predominated in preserved sites compared to disturbed ones and that the extant plant-pollinator interactions were mostly dominated by generalist species.

A Novel Large Duplication on the X Chromosome as a Cause of Familial Generalized Dystonia: A Case Report.

Chromosomal aberrations are rare but known causes of movement disorders, presenting with broad phenotypes in which dystonia may be predominant. During the investigation of such cases, chromosomal studies are not often considered as a first approach. In this article, the authors describe a family affected by a generalized form of dystonia, evolving from a focal phenotype, for which a new X chromosome large duplication was found to be the likely causative, therefore highlighting the role of such studies when facing complex movement disorders.

The Effect of Long-Term Cryopreservation on the Properties and Functionality of Platelet-Rich Plasma.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a biological treatment widely used in regenerative medicine for its restorative capacity. Although PRP is typically applied at the time of obtention, long-term storage and preservation could enhance its versatility and clinical applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of long-term freezing on PRP.

AJCR4: A Potential Probiotic in the Fight Against Oral spp. Biofilms.

Oral candidiasis is one of the most common infections in the immunocompromised. Biofilms of species can make treatments difficult, leading to oral infection recurrence. This research aimed to isolate a with anti- effects from the oral cavity.

Influence of Extra-Articular Augmentation on Clinical Outcomes and Survival in Patients Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Pseudorandomized Study.

: Up to 27% of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction cases result in a residual positive pivot shift sign, indicating anteroposterior and rotational instability. This instability can compromise returning to sports and increase the risk of further injuries. The biomechanical role of the anterolateral ligament (ALL) in controlling internal knee rotation is well known.

Chitosan's Ability to Remove the Smear Layer-A Systematic Review of Ex Vivo Studies.

: This systematic review aimed to compare the effect of chitosan in smear layer removal with other commonly used chelators during root canal treatment. : The PRISMA guidelines were followed. Ex vivo studies performed in non-endodontically treated extracted human permanent teeth with a fully formed apex, in which sodium hypochlorite was the main irrigant and chitosan was used as final irrigation to observe its capacity to remove the smear layer using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), were included.

Risk Factors and Circulating Subtypes of spp. and in Hospitalized Children in Mozambique.

spp. and are important diarrheal agents in children in developing countries. Little is known about their molecular epidemiology; as such, the objective of this study was to determine the risk factors and genetic diversity of both parasites in diarrheal samples in Mozambique.

Aquatic Invertebrate Antimicrobial Peptides in the Fight Against Aquaculture Pathogens.

The intensification of aquaculture has escalated disease outbreaks and overuse of antibiotics, driving the global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) provide a promising alternative due to their rapid, broad-spectrum activity, low AMR risk, and additional bioactivities, including immunomodulatory, anticancer, and antifouling properties. AMPs derived from aquatic invertebrates, particularly marine-derived, are well-suited for aquaculture, offering enhanced stability in high-salinity environments.