Publications by authors named "Daniela Martins-Mendes"

Background: Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a serious complication of diabetes and are often difficult to treat. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been proposed as an adjunctive treatment to promote healing, but its long-term clinical and biological effects remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of HBOT on systemic biomarkers, local microvasculature, and clinical outcomes in patients with DFUs.

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Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is the number one chronic liver disorder worldwide. Progression to advanced fibrosis marks the emergence of a significant risk of liver-related negative outcomes. However, only a minority of patients will present at this stage.

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  • Biosynthetic gold nanoparticles (bAuNPs) offer a safer and more sustainable alternative to traditional production methods by reducing hazardous chemicals, with potential applications in cancer treatment.
  • This study focuses on optimizing conditions for bAuNP production, such as growth phase, temperature, pH, and incubation time, and uses DCIP as a redox indicator.
  • Results show that bAuNPs produced under specific conditions (9 h/OD600 = 1, pH 9.0, 24 h at 58 °C) are smaller and less aggregated, displaying little toxicity to healthy cells but significantly reducing viability and migration in cancer cells.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted daily life, impacting relationships, work, and education. This has led to increased stress, anxiety, and depression, along with altered sleep patterns and eating behaviors. Quarantine and isolation have worsened mental health, especially in children and the elderly, due to the loss of activities and physical contact.

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  • Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) significantly affect patients' quality of life and carry high mortality rates, comparable to chronic diseases, but there's a lack of data on their palliative care needs.
  • A cross-sectional study conducted at a Diabetic Foot Clinic analyzed 62 patients (20 with DFU, 42 without) to assess their palliative care requirements using specific assessment tools.
  • Key findings show that DFU patients experience higher anxiety levels and share feelings less frequently with loved ones compared to those without DFU, highlighting the need for enhanced emotional and physical support for this population.
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Despite the primary function of pioglitazone in antidiabetic treatment, this drug is a potent inducer of PPAR-γ, a crucial receptor that is involved in adipocyte differentiation. In this work, we propose an optimized methodology to enhance the differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts into adipocytes. This process is crucial for adipocyte secretome release, which is fundamental for understanding the molecular mechanisms that are involved in obesity for in vitro studies.

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Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a rising global health issue. The influence of muscle in its pathophysiology has recently gained attention. Our aim was to investigate the association of low muscle mass, strength, and performance with the presence and severity of NAFLD.

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Objectives: The burden of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing, with an estimated prevalence in Europe of 20-30%. Although most patients present with simple steatosis, some progress to advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Definite diagnosis and staging require liver biopsy, which is not feasible given the high prevalence of NAFLD.

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Unlabelled: Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a heterogenous group of diseases characterized by abnormal accumulation of eosinophils in the blood or peripheral tissues. It can affect all organs and therefore clinical manifestations are highly variable. We describe the case of a 38-year-old man admitted for febrile polyserositis.

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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease that is becoming a significant global health care problem. Several studies have shown that people with diabetes are more susceptible to oral problems, such as periodontitis and, although the causes are still inconclusive, oral microbiota is considered to play a major role in oral health. This study aimed to characterize the oral microbiome of a sample representing T2DM patients from Portugal and exploit potential associations between some microorganisms and variables like teeth brushing, smoking habits, average blood sugar levels, medication and nutrient intake.

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Objectives: Anticholinergic drugs have several side effects, and they have been associated with adverse outcomes, particularly in older patients. The aim of this study was to analyze anticholinergic burden and its relationship to delirium and mortality in older acutely ill medical patients.

Design: Cohort study.

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Background: Porphyrias are a group of metabolic diseases, individually rare but with an important combined prevalence. Because of their pathological complexity and clinical heterogeneity, they present a challenging diagnosis. The present review aims to provide a clinically based approach to the recognition and treatment of these disorders.

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Background: This study aimed to validate and compare the existing systems developed to stratify subjects with diabetic foot ulcers by risk of consequent lower extremity amputation.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study on a consecutive series of patients (mean age of 68 years; 64% male) with active ulcer who were attending our Hospital Diabetic Foot Clinic (n = 293) from January 2010 to March 2013. At baseline, we collected information on the participants' characteristics and the relevant variables.

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Aims: To estimate 3-year risk for diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), lower extremity amputation (LEA) and death; determine predictive variables and assess derived models accuracy.

Material And Methods: Retrospective cohort study including all subjects with diabetes enrolled in our diabetic foot outpatient clinic from beginning 2002 until middle 2010. Data were collected from clinical records.

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