Characterisation of the Faecal Microbiota in Dogs with Mast Cell Tumours Compared with Healthy Dogs.

Mast cell tumours (MCT) are the most common cutaneous neoplasms in dogs, with variable behaviours and patient survival time. Both indolent and aggressive forms have been described, but much remains to be explored regarding prognosis and therapy. Evidence has highlighted the influence of microbiota on multiple health and disease processes, including certain types of cancer in humans.

Communicative Skills Assessment Scale: Contributions to the Validation of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Background And Aims: Speech-language pathologists actively participate in the assessment of pragmatics in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, in Portugal, there is a shortage of valid and reliable instruments to assess this domain in detail. Therefore, it was deemed relevant to help validate the (EAC) (Communicative Skills Assessment Scale) in this population.

Dynamics of soft connective tissues and implications for synthetic biomaterials: interfacing the frequency and time domains.

Soft connective tissues found in the body have a mechanical role to support and transfer load, provide protection, to cells and organs across all physiological systems of the body. They typically function within dynamic loading environments. This review explores the characterisation of soft connective tissues under cyclic loading, with implications for replacement biomaterials.

A Simplified Daily Fit Model to Reduce Costs and Nutrient Intake in Growing-Finishing Pigs.

Precision feeding is an excellent alternative to conventional phase feeding systems for growing-finishing pigs, especially with increasing feeding costs and environmental sustainability concerns. However, precision feeding strategies sometimes require advanced technologies such as electronic devices and the modernization of pig facilities. In addition to hardware implementation, precision feeding is frequently related to mathematical difficulties due to a lack of professionals trained in decision making.

Global Distribution of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis and the Role of the Dog in the Epidemiology of the Disease.

Visceral leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoa of the species (syn = ) and , which are transmitted by hematophagous insects of the genera and . The domestic dog () is considered the main urban reservoir of the parasite due to the high parasite load on its skin, serving as a source of infection for sandfly vectors and, consequently, perpetuating the disease in the urban environment. Some factors are considered important in the perpetuation and spread of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in urban areas, such as stray dogs, with their errant behavior, and houses that have backyards with trees, shade, and organic materials, creating an attractive environment for sandfly vectors.

A Pediatric Gastric Dieulafoy Lesion: A Case Report and Literature Review.

This report presents a case of a 16-year-old male with severe upper gastrointestinal bleeding caused by a Dieulafoy lesion (DL). A DL is a rare but life-threatening condition characterized by sudden and massive bleeding from a small arterial vessel in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Diagnosis is often made through esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which reveals an enlarged submucosal blood vessel.

New Approaches to the Prevention of Visceral Leishmaniasis: A Review of Recent Patents of Potential Candidates for a Chimeric Protein Vaccine.

The development of prophylactic vaccines is important in preventing and controlling diseases such as visceral leishmaniasis (VL), in addition to being an economic measure for public health. Despite the efforts to develop a vaccine against human VL caused by , none is available, and the focus has shifted to developing vaccines against canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). Currently, commercially available vaccines are targeted at CVL but are not effective.

Use of Various Sugarcane Byproducts to Produce Lipid Extracts with Bioactive Properties: Physicochemical and Biological Characterization.

Sugarcane, a globally cultivated crop constituting nearly 80% of total sugar production, yields residues from harvesting and sugar production known for their renewable bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties. Despite previous studies, the intricate interplay of extracts from diverse sugarcane byproducts and their biological attributes remains underexplored. This study focused on extracting the lipid fraction from a blend of selected sugarcane byproducts (straw, bagasse, and filter cake) using ethanol.

Optimizing the management of thyroid specimens to efficiently generate whole slide images for diagnosis.

Transition from optical to digital observation requires an additional procedure in the pathology laboratory, the scanning of glass slides, leading to increased time and digital archive consumption. Thyroid surgical samples often carry the need to collect several tissue fragments that generate many slides to be scanned. This study evaluated the impact of using different inking colours for the surgical margin, section thickness, and glass slide type, in the consumption of time and archive.

Oromandibular Dystonia as a Side Effect of Methotrexate.

Oromandibular dystonia is a focal dystonia characterized by involuntary movements of the jaw, oropharynx, lips, and tongue. The diagnosis of oromandibular dystonia is clinical and can be complex. For effective treatment, it is essential to understand its underlying etiology.

A geometry-based finite element tool for evaluating mitral valve biomechanics.

Mitral valve function depends on its complex geometry and tissue health, with alterations in shape and tissue response affecting the long-term restorarion of function. Previous computational frameworks for biomechanical assessment are mostly based on patient-specific geometries; however, these are not flexible enough to yield a variety of models and assess mitral closure for individually tuned morphological parameters or material property representations. This study details the finite element approach implemented in our previously developed toolbox to assess mitral valve biomechanics and showcases its flexibility through the generation and biomechanical evaluation of different models.

Transmission-Blocking Vaccines for Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis: New Progress and Yet New Challenges.

Dogs with visceral leishmaniasis play a key role in the transmission cycle of to humans in the urban environment. There is a consensus regarding the importance of developing a vaccine to control this disease. Despite many efforts to develop a protective vaccine against CVL, the ones currently available, Leish-tec and LetiFend, have limited effectiveness.

Prognostic impact of red blood cell distribution width in chronic heart failure patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Aims: Red blood cell (RBC) distribution width (RDW) measures RBC variations in size. Higher RDW values have been associated with poor outcome in acute heart failure (HF). We aimed to assess the prognostic impact of the RDW in chronic HF.

Influence of weight variation on long-term mortality of patients with heart failure.

Background: In heart failure, weight loss predicts dismal prognosis. Weight variations have not been addressed in obese patients with heart failure.

Aim: To study the impact of weight variation on heart failure mortality according to body mass index strata.

Accuracy of serological tests in diagnosing mucosal leishmaniasis.

In this serum panel-based study, we evaluated the accuracy of serological tests originally developed for visceral leishmaniasis (VL), for diagnosis of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML). A total of five tests were evaluated, four of which are registered at the National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária-ANVISA) (RIDASCREEN® Leishmania Ab from R-Biopharm AG., Leishmania ELISA IgG + IgM from Vircell S.

Lifestyle Medicine in Diabetes Care: The Lifedoc Health Model.

Introduction: The relevance of lifestyle medicine in diabetes treatment is now incorporated in clinical practice guidelines but finding an exemplar for the creation of a Lifestyle Medicine Program (LMP) is a difficult task.

Aim: To use Lifedoc Health (LDH) as a LMP exemplar by describing their multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to diabetes care along with tactics to address sustainability challenges.

Results: The LDH model facilitates early activation of patients with diabetes and other cardiometabolic risk factors, MDT approaches, and protocols/policies that are able to overcome barriers to equitable healthcare in the community.

Strategies to Assess the Impact of Sustainable Functional Food Ingredients on Gut Microbiota.

Nowadays, it is evident that food ingredients have different roles and distinct health benefits to the consumer. Over the past years, the interest in functional foods, especially those targeting gut health, has grown significantly. The use of industrial byproducts as a source of new functional and sustainable ingredients as a response to such demands has raised interest.

Clinical Manifestations of Human Exposure to Fungi.

Biological particles, along with inorganic gaseous and particulate pollutants, constitute an ever-present component of the atmosphere and surfaces. Among these particles are fungal species colonizing almost all ecosystems, including the human body. Although inoffensive to most people, fungi can be responsible for several health problems, such as allergic fungal diseases and fungal infections.

Cushing's Syndrome Behind Hypokalemia and Severe Infection: A Case Report.

Cushing's syndrome (CS) is a rare condition associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Complications derive from hypercortisolism and are mainly cardiovascular, infectious and thrombotic. Most manifestations are unspecific, and the diagnosis is frequently delayed and made only in the setting of complications.

Sugarcane Straw Polyphenols as Potential Food and Nutraceutical Ingredient.

The sugarcane processing industry generates a large amount of straw, which has a negative environmental impact, and high costs are associated with their elimination, wasting their potential bioactive value attributed to their richness in polyphenols. In this study, an ethanolic extract produced from sugarcane straw was screened for its phenolic compounds content, and the potential use of this extract in the development of a food ingredient was further evaluated. Fifty different secondary metabolites belonging to the hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonoids were identified by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-ultrahigh-resolution-quadrupole time of flight-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-UHR-QqTOF-MS).

Thermofluor-Based Optimization Strategy for the Stabilization of Recombinant Human Soluble Catechol--Methyltransferase.

Catechol--methyltransferase (COMT) has been involved in a number of medical conditions including catechol-estrogen-induced cancers and a great range of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease. Currently, Parkinson's disease treatment relies on a triple prophylaxis, involving dopamine replacement by levodopa, the use of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase inhibitors, and the use of COMT inhibitors. Typically, COMT is highly thermolabile, and its soluble isoform (SCOMT) loses biological activity within a short time span preventing further structural and functional trials.

Effects of the Interculturality and Mindfulness Program (PIM) on University Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Rates of mental health issues have been increasing among university students. This study investigates the effects of the Interculturality and Mindfulness Program (PIM) on academic students on mindfulness, emotional regulation, depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, optimism, positive solitude, and loneliness. A quasi-experimental research was conducted, with pre- and post-test comparative measurements in three groups: in-person (IG), synchronous online (OG), and passive control (CG).

Screening of Natural Molecules as Adjuvants to Topical Antibiotics to Treat from Diabetic Foot Ulcer Infections.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a common result of a complex secondary complication of diabetes . More than half of DFUs become infected due to frequent colonization with . The use of topical antibiotics is proposed, especially in combination with natural adjuvants, to minimize the negative impacts caused by generalized use of systemic antibiotics.