Body composition differences in older adults with and without Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Background: Research on body composition and fat distribution in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has presented conflicting findings.

Objective: Compare body composition and anthropometric measurements in older adults with and without AD.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following Cochrane guidelines and PRISMA standards.

Influence of Disease Knowledge on the Metabolic Control of Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aim:  Diabetes mellitus is a prevalent disease in the Portuguese population and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Its proper therapeutic management is multifactorial, with lifestyle habits having a major impact. Studies show that poorer metabolic control is associated with deficient knowledge related to diabetes, lower self-efficacy, and limited patient empowerment.

Unveiling the enzymatic pathway of UMG-SP2 urethanase: insights into polyurethane degradation at the atomic level.

The recently discovered metagenomic urethanases UMG-SP1, UMG-SP2, and UMG-SP3 have emerged as promising tools to establish a bio-based recycling approach for polyurethane (PU) waste. These enzymes are capable of hydrolyzing urethane bonds in low molecular weight dicarbamates as well as in thermoplastic PU and the amide bond in polyamide employing a Ser-Ser -Lys triad for catalysis, similar to members of the amidase signature protein superfamily. Understanding the catalytic mechanism of these urethanases is crucial for enhancing their enzymatic activity and improving PU bio-recycling processes.

Prognostic Impact of Aetiology in Adult Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: Insights from an Intensive Care Unit Experience.

Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome marked by excessive immune activation. It can be triggered by various factors, including infections, malignancies, and autoimmune diseases, making the diagnosis challenging due to its overlap with other severe conditions.

Case Reports: We discuss two intensive care unit (ICU) cases illustrating the diverse manifestations of HLH and the critical importance of early recognition and treatment.

Cytomegalovirus Infection in an Immunocompetent Host Presenting as Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.

Unlabelled: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a human herpes virus with a worldwide seroprevalence of 60-100%, mainly known to cause severe life-threatening disease in immunocompromised patients. In immunocompetent hosts (IMCh), CMV causes a self-limiting mononucleosis-like infection, and severe pictures are less recognized. We report a case of a previously healthy 62-year-old woman evaluated in the Internal Medicine outpatient clinic for 3 weeks of progressive fatigue, generalised inflammatory arthralgias, hypogastric discomfort and daily persistent fever.

Postpartum Hellp Syndrome Associated With Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome.

Unlabelled: Haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome is a poorly understood, life-threatening multisystemic condition related to pregnancy with a rapid onset, typically observed in patients with severe pre-eclampsia. Various mechanisms may lead to diffuse endothelial damage associated with HELLP and possible brain involvement. A comprehensive review of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases was conducted to examine the clinical, laboratory and radiological features associated with postpartum HELLP syndrome, particularly its potential association with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES).

From Fibrosis to Granuloma: Drug Induced Systemic Sarcoidosis-Like Reaction After Rituximab in a Patient with Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.

Unlabelled: Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic syndrome characterized by non-caseous granulomatous inflammation, although necrotizing sarcoid granulomatosis is considered part of the spectrum of the disease. Drug induced sarcoidosis-like reaction (DISR) is a systemic granulomatous reaction, which is histopathologically identical to primary sarcoidosis - mostly described after the use of biologics like tumour necrosis factor alpha antagonists but also anti-CD20 (rituximab). The authors present the very rare case of a woman with a primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) started on rituximab for disease control, which evolved with a 3-year indolent progressive systemic sarcoid reaction.

The Omics-Driven Machine Learning Path to Cost-Effective Precision Medicine in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) poses a significant and growing global health challenge, making early detection and slowing disease progression essential for improving patient outcomes. Traditional diagnostic methods such as glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria are insufficient to capture the complexity of CKD. In contrast, omics technologies have shed light on the molecular mechanisms of CKD, helping to identify biomarkers for disease assessment and management.

Opicapone as adjunct to levodopa in treated Parkinson's disease without motor complications: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitors are routinely used to manage motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease (PD). We assessed the effect of opicapone on motor symptom severity in levodopa-treated patients without motor complications.

Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, 24-week, placebo-controlled study of opicapone 50 mg as adjunct to levodopa (NCT04978597).

Exploring weight management beliefs during the menopausal transition (ME-WEL project): A qualitative comparative study based on Health Belief Model.

Objectives: While most women experience weight gain during the menopausal transition, a subset successfully maintains a healthy weight. This study explores the determinants influencing different weight experiences during the menopausal transition, using the Health Belief Model (HBM).

Design: Qualitative design.

The Impact of an Orofacial Muscle Strengthening Program on Temporomandibular Muscles and on the Performance of Wind Instrumentalists.

Introduction: Playing a wind instrument is one of the most complex tasks for the musculoskeletal system.

Objective: Verify the effectiveness of a strengthening exercise programme on musical performance and the strength of the temporomandibular muscles.

Methods: The sample was 60 participants (36 men; 24 women), with a mean age of 24.

Spatiotemporal analysis of mosquito-borne infections and mosquito vectors in mainland Portugal.

Background: The incidence of mosquito-borne infections has increased worldwide. Mainland Portugal's characteristics might favour the (re)emergence of mosquito-borne diseases. This study aimed to characterize the spatial distribution of vectors and notification rates of imported cases of mosquito-borne infections in mainland Portugal and demarcate the areas where these geographies overlap.

Effect of Eight Months of Swimming on Bone Quality of Different Anatomical Regions: A Study on Wistar Rat Models.

Swimming is a popular sport with several health benefits, but its effects on bone quality are controversial possibly due to distinct effects on different anatomical regions. Our aim was to investigate the effect of 8-month swimming on bone growth, mass, geometry, trabecular microarchitecture and osteocyte density of the lumbar vertebrae, femur and tibia of male rats. Wistar rat models were assigned to either a swimming (n = 10; 2h/d, 5 d/week) or a physically active control group (n = 10) for 8 months, after which they were sacrificed and their lumbar vertebrae, femur and tibia assessed for bone mass, cortical geometry, trabecular microarchitecture and osteocyte density through µ-CT and histology.

Population genomics and connectivity of Vazella pourtalesii sponge grounds of the northwest Atlantic with conservation implications of deep sea vulnerable marine ecosystems.

Sponges are key ecosystem engineers that shape, structure and enhance the biodiversity of marine benthic communities globally. Sponge aggregations and reefs are recognized as vulnerable marine ecosystems (or VMEs) due to their susceptibility to damage from bottom-contact fishing gears. Ensuring their long-term sustainability, preservation, and ecosystem functions requires the implementation of sound scientific conservation tools.

On the infodynamics of ramifications in constructal design.

Infodynamics is the study of how information behaves and changes within a system during its development. This study investigates the insights that informational analysis can provide regarding the ramifications predicted by constructal design. First, infodynamic neologisms informature, defined as a measure of the amount of information in indeterminate physical systems, and infotropy-contextualized informature representing the degree of transformation of indeterminate physical systems-are introduced.

Harnessing Nature's Palette: Exploring Photosynthetic Pigments for Sustainable Biotechnology.

Photosynthetic microorganisms such as cyanobacteria, microalgae, and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (APB) have emerged as sustainable and economic biotechnology platforms due to their ability to transform energy from light into chemicals through photosynthesis. The light is absorbed by photosynthetic pigment-protein antenna complexes which are composed of pigments such as bacteriochlorophylls (BChl) and carotenoids in APB, and chlorophylls (Chl), phycobiliproteins (PBP), and carotenoids in cyanobacteria and microalgae. These photosynthetic pigments are essential in the physiology of photosynthetic microorganisms and offer significant health benefits due to their potent antioxidant activity, with properties that include anticancer, antiaging, antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects.

The mitochondriotropic antioxidants AntiOxBEN and AntiOxCIN are structurally-similar but differentially alter energy homeostasis in human skin fibroblasts.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation play an import role in different human pathologies. In this context, mitochondrial targeting of potentially protective antioxidants by their coupling to the lipophilic triphenylphosphonium cation (TPP) is widely applied. Employing a six‑carbon (C) linker, we recently demonstrated that mitochondria-targeted phenolic antioxidants derived from gallic acid (AntiOxBEN) and caffeic acid (AntiOxCIN) counterbalance oxidative stress in primary human skin fibroblasts by activating ROS-protective mechanisms.

Exploring in vitro efficacy of rCHAPk with antibiotic combinations, and promising findings of its therapeutic potential for clinical-originated MRSA wound infection.

The increasing threat of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus, which rapidly develops multidrug resistance and commonly colonizes wound surfaces, demands innovative strategies. Phage-encoded endolysins offer a dual-purpose approach as topical therapies for infectious skin wounds and synergistic agents to reduce high-dose antibiotic dependence. This study explores recombinant CHAPk (rCHAPk), efficiently synthesized within 3 h, displaying broad-spectrum antibacterial activity against 11 Gram-positive strains, including resistant variants, with rapid bactericidal kinetics.

Assessment of spiritual care competencies of critical care health professionals: An integrative review.

Objective: The primary aim of the present study was to assess the competencies related to the spiritual care by nurses and health professionals who work in intensive care units, and how these competencies influence clinical practice. As a secondary objective, we have discussed the strengths, weaknesses and threats of incorporating and teaching these competencies among the included studies.

Method: An integrative review of studies published in English, Spanish and Portuguese was performed in the following databases: Embase, Web of Science, Medline/PubMed, PsycInfo, LILACS and Cochrane.

Comparison of fractionation methods to assess Ni impact on anaerobic digestion: Filtration versus DGT.

Excess of trace elements (TE) significantly alters the performances of anaerobic digestors (AD). Due to interactions with organic matter in particular, only a small fraction of TE can effectively interact with the biomass. However, assessing the bioavailable fraction of TE remains an issue.

No match, more sleep: Greater weekend catch-up sleep in youth soccer players on free weekends.

This study aimed to compare young soccer players' week and weekend sleep behaviors in two different microcycle types: with and without an official match (no sporting commitments). Twenty-three youth male players (mean ± SD; age: 17.2 ± 0.

"Actor-critic" dichotomous hyperactivation and hypoconnectivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Dysfunctional response inhibition, mediated by the striatum and its connections, is thought to underly the clinical manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the exact neural mechanisms remain controversial. In this study, we undertook a novel approach by positing that a) inhibition is a dynamic construct inherently susceptible to numerous failures, which require error-processing, and b) the actor-critic framework of reinforcement learning can integrate neural patterns of inhibition and error-processing in OCD with their behavioural correlates.

Detection of Echinococcus spp. and other taeniid species in lettuces and berries: Two international multicenter studies from the MEmE project.

Cystic and alveolar echinococcosis are severe zoonotic diseases characterized by long asymptomatic periods lasting months or years. Viable Echinococcus spp. eggs released into the environment through the feces of canids can infect humans through accidental ingestion via hand-to-mouth contact or consumption of contaminated food or water.

Plastics reset in an adult Procellariform seabird species during the breeding season.

Plastic ingestion has been extensively studied in seabirds. However, knowledge gaps remain in understanding how plastic loads behave over time and their residence inside Procellariforms. This study investigated the temporal dynamics of ingested plastics by adult Cory's shearwaters (Calonectris borealis) during the breeding season to shed light on plastic retention times.