Bacteriophage PCSE1 as a Potential Strategy Against Enteritidis in Liquid Egg Products.

Background/objectives: The consumption of liquid egg products is rising. While thermal pasteurization improves safety and shelf life, it can affect product quality. Furthermore, egg products continue to cause many foodborne illnesses, especially those caused by subspecies serovar Enteritidis ( Enteritidis).

Systematic review of the use and challenges of electronic health records in physiotherapy practice.

Objective: To synthesise current evidence on physiotherapists' use of electronic health records (EHRs), with a focus on the determinants of adoption, implementation processes and associated implementation outcomes.

Design: A systematic review employing a narrative synthesis approach.

Data Sources: PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus and Web of Science, covering all records from the inception of each database to 10 May 2024.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaire to European Portuguese.

Background: Self-efficacy is recognized as a key determinant in post-stroke adjustment. Adapting the Stroke Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SSEQ) into European Portuguese is needed, due to the lack of reliable and valid measures to assess self-efficacy in post-stroke populations within this context.

Objective: To conduct the cross-cultural adaptation of the SSEQ to European Portuguese and investigate its validity, reliability, and interpretability for the European Portuguese stroke population.

Application of encapsulated tomato by-product extract as a colorant in mascarpone.

Agricultural by-products, often underutilized, represent a significant opportunity to obtain sustainable value-added products to develop new functional foods. In this context, the (typically discarded) aerial parts of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. var.

Genetics of Growth Hormone Deficiency: Insights from a Cohort of 203 Patients.

Context: Growth Hormone (GH) deficiency is a rare disorder characterized by severe short stature, which can result from genetic mutations affecting hypothalamic-pituitary development and function.

Objective: To determine the genetic basis of GH deficiency in a Portuguese cohort.

Design, Setting, Patients: Multicentre cohort of 203 GH-deficient patients (78 with Isolated GH Deficiency (IGHD) and 125 with Combined Pituitary Hormone Deficiency (CPHD)) were analysed.

Attitudes and practices of physiotherapists towards goal-setting for stroke rehabilitation: A wide online survey.

Goal-setting in stroke rehabilitation is poorly understood. This study examined attitudes, practices, and factors related to goal-setting in stroke rehabilitation among Portuguese physiotherapists. An online cross-sectional exploratory survey was conducted, collecting data on sociodemographic and service profiles, patient-centeredness, attitudes and practices of goal-setting, using the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale, and Attitudes toward Goal-Setting and Practices toward Goal-Setting Scales.

A biorefinery approach for the simultaneous obtention of essential oils, organic acids and polyphenols from citrus peels: Phytochemical characterization and bioactive potential.

This investigation evaluates the valorization of citrus peels (lemon, tangerine, and orange) to recover both on-polar and polar fractions simultaneously. Citrus essential oils, abundant in limonene (74.4-33.

Phytochemical diversity and biological activities of Hypericum japonicum and Hypericum sampsonii: potential for natural product-based food applications.

This study characterizes two species of the genus Hypericum to envisage their applicability as effective and versatile functional foods, dietary supplements, and food preservatives. A wide phenolic composition was found in both extracts, highlighting flanovoids for H. japonicum and xanthones for H.

Medicinal plants and their derivatives for skin and hair: a Mediterranean perspective of women care.

Since olden days, medicinal and aromatic plants have been consumed due to their well-known therapeutic, ornamental, culinary, and cosmetic properties. Plant-based cosmetics comprise a growing market offering brands of sustainable products with the ultimate goal of responding to the woman needs to boost their natural beauty, such as soothing, toning, moisturizing and protecting skin and hair. The increasing focus on body and beauty care, combined with a better understanding of the diverse biological effects of plants and their derivatives, has revitalized their significance in aesthetic, cosmetic, and dermatological contexts.

A Review on Recent Trends in Bacteriophages for Post-Harvest Food Decontamination.

Infectious diseases resulting from unsafe food consumption are a global concern. Despite recent advances and control measures in the food industry aimed at fulfilling the growing consumer demand for high-quality and safe food products, infection outbreaks continue to occur. This review stands out by providing an overview of post-harvest food decontamination methods against some of the most important bacterial foodborne pathogens, with particular focus on the advantages and challenges of using phages, including their most recent post-harvest applications directly to food and integration into active food packaging systems, highlighting their potential in providing safer and healthier food products.

Pseudohypoparathyroidism: Challenges in Early Recognition and Diagnosis of a Rare Hereditary Disorder.

Pseudohypoparathyroidism (PHP) is an uncommon endocrine condition marked by an impaired response to parathyroid hormone (PTH), which results in biochemical abnormalities. Clinical manifestations can vary significantly, occasionally resembling other endocrine disorders. Genetic testing plays a critical role in distinguishing PHP from other conditions, as it enables precise diagnosis even when classical features are not initially present.

Effects of a Self-Management Program on Adults with Stroke: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, underscoring the importance of effective self-management programs to improve the quality of life for survivors.

Objectives: This study investigates the impact of the ComVida (Bridges-PT) self-management program on self-efficacy, physical function, health-related quality of life, and emotional state of stroke survivors in Portugal.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 28 participants from hospital and community settings.

Valorisation of pumpkin by-products: Chemical composition and bioactive properties of pumpkin seeds, peels, and fibrous strands from different local landraces of Greece.

This study evaluated the fruit by-products (peels, seeds, and fibrous strands) from 11 pumpkin genotypes cultivated in Greece aiming to valorize them as natural sources of bioactive compounds. Five compounds, including (-)-epicatechin and chicoric acid isomers, were identified in peels, while seeds and fibrous strands mainly contained (-)-epicatechin. Organic acids and tocopherols varied significantly among genotypes, with oxalic, quinic, and malic acids being predominant.

Characterising phages for the control of pathogenic bacteria associated with bivalve consumption.

In the present study, five new bacteriophages (or phages) were characterized, and their efficacy in controlling pathogenic bacteria-Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, Aeromonas hydrophila, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus-associated with bivalve consumption was evaluated. The isolated phages include both siphovirus [vB_EcoS_UALMA_PCEc3 (PCEc3), vB_SeTS_UALMA_PCST1 (PCST1), and vB_VpaS_UALMA_PCVp3 (PCVp3)] and myovirus [vB_SeEM_UALMA_PCSE1 (PCSE1) and vB_AhyM_UALMA_PCAh2 (PCAh2)] morphotypes. Four phages are safe for bacterial control, with only one (PCAh2) showing potential lysogenic characteristics.

Evaluation of the potential of phage phSE-5 to fight Salmonella Typhimurium in milk, liquid whole egg, and eggshell.

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the potential of phage phSE-5 to inactivate Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in milk (at 4, 10, and 25°C), liquid whole egg, and eggshell (at 25°C for both matrices).

Methods And Results: Since the success of phage treatment in food depends on maintaining phage viability towards different food conditions, firstly the stability of phage phSE-5 at different temperatures and pHs was assessed. The effect of phage phSE-5 against S.

Risk Factors for Cervical Hematoma After Thyroid Surgery at a Portuguese Hospital: A Retrospective Study.

Objective: Cervical hematoma post thyroid surgery is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening postoperative complication. Moreover, despite its low incidence, this complication has been a barrier to outpatient surgical care. Assessing postoperative complication rates and their risk factors can improve the safety and cost-effectiveness of these procedures, which is especially useful in promoting outpatient surgical care.

Young men who have sex with men and digital technologies for HIV prevention and care: qualitative findings from the conectad@s study.

Young men who have sex with men in Brazil face vulnerability to HIV and display lower PrEP uptake and adherence. Understanding their engagement with digital technologies can better inform mobile health (mHealth) strategies for HIV prevention and care. As part of the Conectad@s study, a HIV status-neutral prevention and care intervention for young men who have sex with men, we conducted semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 38 participants between January-February 2021.

Jatoba ( L.) Pod Residue: A Source of Phenolic Compounds as Valuable Biomolecules.

This study aimed at investigating the chemical composition and a selected group of bioactivities of jatoba ( L.) pod residue. An aqueous extract (deionized water; AE) and a hydroethanolic extract (ethanol: deionized water, 70:30 /; ETOH) were obtained via maceration.

Isolation and Characterization of Infection of Four New Bacteriophages Infecting a Strain.

Bacteria from genus Vibrio continue to be one of the most common threats to aquaculture sustainability. spp. have been associated with infectious outbreaks in fish, shrimp, bivalves and even algae farms worldwide.

The Potential of Phage Treatment to Inactivate Planktonic and Biofilm-Forming .

is a common cause of hospital-acquired infections and exhibits a strong resistance to antibiotics. An alternative treatment option for bacterial infections is the use of bacteriophages (or phages). In this study, two distinct phages, VB_PaD_phPA-G (phPA-G) and VB_PaN_phPA-Intesti (phPA-Intesti), were used as single suspensions or in a phage cocktail to inactivate the planktonic cells and biofilms of .

Gastrointestinal digestion of yerba mate, rosemary and green tea extracts and their subsequent colonic fermentation by human, pig or rat inocula.

Polyphenolic compounds are common constituents of human and animal diets and undergo extensive metabolism by the gut microbiota before entering circulation. In order to compare the transformations of polyphenols from yerba mate, rosemary, and green tea extracts in the gastrointestinal tract, simulated gastrointestinal digestion coupled with colonic fermentation were used. For enhancing the comparative character of the investigation, colonic fermentation was performed with human, pig and rat intestinal microbiota.

MoveONParkinson: developing a personalized motivational solution for Parkinson's disease management.

Introduction: Despite the effectiveness of exercise-based interventions on symptom management and disease progression, many people with Parkinson's Disease (PwPD) do not exercise regularly. In line with the ubiquitous use of digital health technology, the MoveONParkinson digital solution was developed, comprising a Web Platform and a Mobile App with a Conversational Agent (CA). The interface features were designed based on the principles of Social Cognitive Theory with the goal of fostering behavior change in PwPD for sustained exercise participation and improved disease management.

A game of resistance: War between bacteria and phages and how phage cocktails can be the solution.

While phages hold promise as an antibiotic alternative, they encounter significant challenges in combating bacterial infections, primarily due to the emergence of phage-resistant bacteria. Bacterial defence mechanisms like superinfection exclusion, CRISPR, and restriction-modification systems can hinder phage effectiveness. Innovative strategies, such as combining different phages into cocktails, have been explored to address these challenges.