To build a family: exploring preferred paths to parenthood among plurisexual individuals without children.

Aims/background: Limited research has examined family-building strategies among plurisexual individuals. Culture and gender are essential determinants of parenthood prospects among individuals with minoritized sexual identities. For plurisexual individuals, the partner's gender also seems to play a critical role.

Exercise and eating motivation in weight loss maintenance: revisiting the motivational spillover with the NoHoW study.

Objective: Physical activity and nutrition-related behaviors are crucial factors in maintaining weight loss. The interplay between the motivations to consistently engage in both behaviors is a fundamental yet understudied topic. The current study examines the reciprocal effects between exercise and eating motivation and their effect on steps and energy intake over a 12-month period.

Esophageal dysmotility in systemic sclerosis: Relationship with extra-gastrointestinal manifestations and complementary utility of thoracic imaging.

Introduction: The relationship between manometric changes and esophageal dilation on chest high-resolution computed tomography is well established in systemic sclerosis, but its association with extra-esophageal manifestations is inconsistent. This study aims to characterize manometric findings in systemic sclerosis patients and to determine potential associations with esophageal body dysmotility.

Methods: Retrospective single-center study including adult systemic sclerosis patients who underwent conventional or high-resolution esophageal manometry.

Kartagener's syndrome with congenital heart defect.

Introduction: Kartagener's syndrome is a rare subset of primary ciliary dyskinesia, a genetically heterogeneous disorder characterised by chronic sinusitis, bronchiectasis, and . To our knowledge, the association of this syndrome with coarctation of the aorta (CoAo) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) has not been previously reported.

Case Description: We report the case of a 17-year-old female patient with and CoAo surgically corrected at two months of age.

Dietary Macronutrient Composition and Protein Concentration for Weight Loss Maintenance.

Objective: To examine the association between dietary macronutrient composition and 12-month weight loss maintenance (WLM) in adults who achieved initial weight loss (≥ 5%).

Methods: This prospective cohort analysis used 12-month follow-up data from the Navigating to a Healthy Weight trial. Macronutrient composition (%) was assessed using a 4-day, 24-h dietary recall.

C. elegans as a powerful model for neurotoxicity assessment.

The small nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has emerged as a valuable tool in neurotoxicology due to its well-characterized nervous system, genetic tractability, and high conservation of molecular pathways with humans. These characteristics allow to study cellular and molecular mechanisms triggered by neurotoxic substances.

Advance Directives in the Professional Practice of Portuguese Social Workers in Social Facilities for Older People.

This cross-sectional study surveyed 201 Portuguese social workers supporting older adults to assess their knowledge, training, and practices regarding Advance Directives (AD). Although 87.2% considered informing users about AD a professional competence, 78.

Technological resources in the rehabilitation of adult burn patients: A scoping review.

Introduction: The importance of investigating innovative technologies to improve patient rehabilitation is fundamental in the current context of healthcare. This highlights the need to map the technological resources used in the rehabilitation of adult burn patients.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted according to the parameters set by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines and structured using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews).

Effect of humeral rotation on rotator cuff strain, loading and kinematics: an in vitro study.

Background: Despite its main function as abductor, the role of the supraspinatus as stabilizer and rotator cannot be neglected. A supraspinatus tear may not only influence humeral head rotation during abduction but also the strength and loading of the acting (intact) rotator cuff muscles. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of constrained humeral rotation and elevation on rotator cuff loading, strain and kinematics with intact and torn cuff conditions.

The Knowledge Gap in Gut Microbiome Characterization in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Systematic Scoping Review.

Background/objectives: Over the past two decades, the incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EoCRC) has been increasing, although its underlying causes remain unclear. Gut microbiome is known to play a role in carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer. This scoping review aims to systematically map and synthetize current evidence on gut microbiome characterization in EoCRC (vs.

The potential effect of polyphenols in emerging pharmacological liver targets for glucose regulation and insulin resistance: a review.

In type 2 diabetes (DM), there is a combination of impaired insulin secretion and resistance in the target tissues. In the case of the liver, these events lead to decreased insulin effectiveness and increased glucagon levels, resulting in an imbalance that promotes excessive hepatic gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, contributing to hyperglycemia. Effective management of hyperglycemia and insulin resistance is crucial, underscoring the need for innovative liver-specific interventions.

Protective effects of flavonoids against silver nanoparticles-induced toxicity.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are becoming increasingly prevalent in daily life due to their unique properties, which have expanded their application across multiple sectors. This widespread use has led to a marked rise in human exposure to AgNP, raising concerns about their safety and potential health impacts. Studies have demonstrated that AgNP can induce harmful effects, including oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory responses, underscoring the need to identify protective agents to mitigate health risks.

Prediction of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Portuguese Population after Hepatitis C Cure: Comparative Accuracy of Noninvasive Tests (Transient Elastography, FIB-4, and aMAP).

Introduction: Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes 25% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases worldwide, a major cause of morbimortality even after sustained virologic response (SVR). Universal screening to all patients with advanced liver fibrosis is currently recommended. A risk-based strategy could improve the detection rate of early HCC and diminish the surveillance burden.

Unraveling the nutraceutical potential of Salicornia ramosissima by-product - impact of gastrointestinal digestion and intestinal permeability on in vitro bioactivity.

Salicornia ramosissima by-product (SP) is an underexploited antioxidant-rich by-product. This study explored the phytochemical profile, bioaccessibility, and biological activity of SP before and after extraction (SBE and SAE, respectively) upon gastrointestinal simulated digestion and intestinal permeability. The phenolic and flavonoid concentrations increased during digestion, reaching bioaccessibility rates above 95 % for both SBE and SAE.

Systematic development and refinement of a user-centered evidence-based digital toolkit for supporting self-care in gestational diabetes mellitus.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pregnancy complication affecting many women, requiring changes in behaviours, which command them to learn self-care practices shortly. Digital interventions have been developed to support women with GDM. However, they have often overlooked women's needs and characteristics and failed to frame self-care theories into their design.

Magnetic resonance imaging vs. two- and three-dimensional computed tomography scans for assessment of glenoid inclination and version.

Background: Accurate glenoid component placement is crucial for anatomic (aTSA) or reverse (rTSA) total shoulder arthroplasty. Preoperative glenoid assessment in computed tomography (CT) scans with or without planning software seems to be the established method to plan implant positions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can also display the glenoid bone for preoperative assessment while reducing radiation exposure.

A sustainable solution for aquaculture wastewater treatment: Evaluation of tannin-based and conventional coagulants.

The global population faces increasing challenges in securing fresh water and food production. Aquaculture, a key source for obtaining protein, contributes significantly to environmental pollution, releasing suspended solids, organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus into water bodies. Some wastewater treatment methods can be expensive due to high equipment, energy, reagents, and maintenance costs, prompting the search for more sustainable alternatives.

Streamlining model organisms facilities operation: The benefits of a unified management structure.

This article is dedicated to elucidating and showcasing the concept of a unified Core Facility for laboratory animals within a research institute specialized in basic biology and biomedical research. In many research centres, animal facilities operate as autonomous entities. Here, we discuss that the centralization of all animal model units within a consolidated organizational framework offers a multitude of benefits in terms of communication with a variety of institutional stakeholders, including the Direction Board, Operational Logistics (Maintenance, Lab Operations and Safety Units), Procurement and Accounting Offices, Research Funding Affairs, Institutional Communication, and IT Units.

HiDaFernPT: Historical data of spore availability for 121 fern and lycopod taxa in Portugal (1926-2013).

Species phenology is being altered by ongoing climate changes with yet underappreciated consequences for ecological processes and ecosystem stability. Contrary to what happens with some key life events of flowering plants, comparatively little information exists about fern and lycophyte phenology and how it is affected by the current climatic changes. In part, this stems from the lack of long-term datasets.

Emerging applications of quantitative supercritical fluid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for chiral bioanalysis.

Individual stereoisomers of a chiral drug can possess different pharmacokinetic (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD) properties, leading to different therapeutic/toxicological effects. Therefore, chiral bioanalytical methods are required for individual stereoisomers to assess their PK properties and potential chiral inversion in vivo. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has not been a mainstay in bioanalytical labs due to limitations of robustness/reliability of old generations of SFC instrumentation.

Modelling neurodegeneration and inflammation in early diabetic retinopathy using 3D human retinal organoids.

Purpose: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a complication of diabetes and a primary cause of visual impairment amongst working-age individuals. DR is a degenerative condition in which hyperglycaemia results in morphological and functional changes in certain retinal cells. Existing treatments mainly address the advanced stages of the disease, which involve vascular defects or neovascularization.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy associated with active systemic lupus erythematous: Anifrolumab as a potentially successful add-on therapy to intravenous immunoglobulins.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an acquired, autoimmune peripheral neuropathy, rarely reported as being associated with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). We report the case of 53-year-old women with a long history of SLE, diagnosed with CIDP during a lupus flare beginning with progressive muscle weakness of lower and upper limbs, without affection of the central nervous system. She received treatment with steroids, intravenous immunoglobulins and anifrolumab and showed clinical and immunological improvement.

Comparison of the Effects of Oral Hygiene Instruction Methods on Oral Hygiene and Self-Perception in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Age-related conditions, such as being misinformed, having limited oral health literacy, and the loss of manual dexterity, autonomy, or visual acuity, may act as barriers to oral health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two different oral hygiene instruction methods on oral hygiene and the self-perception of oral health in older adults. This randomized controlled trial included participants aged 65 and older who completed a questionnaire on socio-economic factors, self-perceived oral health, and oral hygiene behaviours.

Socio-economic inequalities in oral health among Portuguese older adults: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Although the oral health status has improved in developed countries in recent years, oral diseases are still unequally distributed across socio-economic groups. Research on the impact of socio-economic factors on oral health care among older adults in Europe, including Portugal, remains limited. The main aim of this study was to investigate the association between socio-economic factors and oral health indicators in Portuguese older adults.