Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2024-07-31"
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- Malaria: the importance of phytochemicals as sources of alternative medicinesPublication . Yu-Ping, Lau; Mendonca, Diana; Sheng-Khai, Lau; Phan-Sing, Yu Audrey; Chimplee, Siriphorn; Chuprom, Julalak; Boonhok, Rachasak; Mahboob, Tooba; Oliveira, Sonia M. R.; Rajagopal, Mogana; Pereira, Maria L.; Girol, Ana P.; Nissapatorn, VeeranootMalaria is a zoonotic disease caused by parasites from the Plasmodium genus. This parasite is transmitted to humans when bitten by female Anopheles mosquitos. Five species of Plasmodium are known to infect humans: P. malariae, P. ovale, P. knowlesi, P. falciparum, and P. vivax. Of these, P. falciparum is associated with the highest probability of severe infection. This parasite's lifecycle involves a sexual stage and an asexual stage. The first takes place in the mosquito and the second in humans. The diagnosis of malaria can be done by microscopy, rapid diagnostic tests or molecular methods, the latter being the most accurate. As for the treatment of this disease, artemisinin, chloroquine, primaquine, and tafenoquine are the principal components used in today's available treatments. Vaccination is also an important factor in the fight against malaria, and, presently, there are two available vaccines, RTS, S/AS01 and R21/Matrix-M. Several phytochemicals effective against malaria are also found in plant species used in traditional medicine. Examples are Azadirachta indica, Gossypium barbadense, Toddalia asiatica, Alstonia scholaris, Carica papaya, Andrographis paniculata, and Strychnos ligustrina. Furthermore, compounds from three wild nutmeg species have also been proven effective against P. falciparum. The medicinal properties of phytochemicals like alkaloids, phenolic compounds and terpenes have even allowed the investigation of drug-resistant malaria strains. When it comes to preventing malaria transmission, insecticide treated nests and indoor residual spraying have been proven to reduce transmission rates. For pregnant women, intermittent preventive treatment of malaria is also recommended. The need for the development of innovative treatment and prevention strategies is urgent due to the emergence of resistant strains. Hence, we present an overview of the available treatment and prevention strategies currently approved and employed while focusing on the potential of phytochemicals as targets for further studies that can lead to the development of new medicines.
- The role of gene-environment interactions on the development of non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate : a systematic reviewPublication . Bastos, Eva Raquel Valente; Santos, Luís Filipe de Sepúlveda Silva; Silva, Raquel Monteiro Marques da; Correia, Patrícia NunesIntroduction: Cleft lip with or without cleft palate affects thousands of children globally and represents a major functional, psychological, and economic burden. Most clefts are non-syndromic, which means they occur spontaneously in a non-Mendelian pattern. Their etiology is complex and multifactorial and involves both genetic and environmental factors and their possible interactions. Objective: To identify all previously associated gene-environment interactions with the development of non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate in the scientific literature. Materials and Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA methodology and PICO criteria. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched using a query that combined keywords and MeSH terms related to broad domains such as gene-environment interaction, genetic predisposition to disease, orofacial cleft, and single nucleotide polymorphism. This review’s protocol was registered on the PROSPERO platform (CRD42024498960). Results: From 23 included studies, we identified 99 significant gene-environment interactions linked to one of five different maternal environmental exposures: smoking, environmental tobacco smoke, vitamin use, alcohol, and agrotoxins. Maternal smoking and environmental tobacco smoke were studied factors in 65.7% of these interactions. In our study, the genes ELAVL2, FGFR2, RUNX2, GRID2, and TP63 were notable for being involved in the highest number of significant interactions. The analysis of the biological functions of these genes highlighted their roles in signaling, development of anatomical structures, and regulation of DNA-templated transcription. Conclusion: Interventions based solely on isolated environmental risk factors may not adequately protect individuals who are genetically more susceptible to NSCL/P. From a public health perspective, the identification of a greater number of gene-environment interactions relevant to the etiology of these defects is highly desirable.
- Gene-environment interactions involving DNA repair SNPs and oral cancer risk : a systematic reviewPublication . Shimi, Jamila; Santos, Luís Filipe de Sepúlveda Silva; Silva, Raquel Monteiro Marques da; Couto, Patrícia Sofia SoaresBackground and purpose: Oral cancer the sixth most predominant cancer worldwide. This systematic review aims to gather all prior evidence and establish an overall understanding about the possible interaction between DNA repair SNPs and environmental factors and the potential role that these interactions could have on oral cancer susceptibility. Method: Our systematic review was carried out through a comprehensive search in MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Case-control studies examining interactions between DNA repair SNPs and environmental factors in oral cancer susceptibility were included with no year or language restrictions. This revision followed the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in Prospero (CRD42020143307). Rayyan and Excel were used for data extraction and analysis. Results: From the 422 GxE interactions that were investigated we observed 34 significant findings, confirming our hypothesis. NER and HR were the pathways most frequently involved in significant interactions. Smoking and, alcohol drinking were the main contributing environmental factors. NER pathway SNPs contributed mostly to interactions with smoking while HR pathway SNPs, were the major contributors to alcohol drinking interactions. ERCC2 rs13181 increased oral cancer risk in smokers (OR = 26.33, 95% CI = 7.87-88.04) and XRCC3 rs861539 interacted with different environmental factors to increase oral cancer risk. Conclusion: The NER and HR pathways interact with smoking or alcohol drinking to increase oral cancer risk. Interactions involving the ERCC2 rs13181 and XRCC3 rs861539 SNPs were the most consistent. Further studies in larger populations of different origins should be performed to confirm these findings.
- Comparative clinical behavior of zirconia versus titanium dental implants: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsPublication . Morena, Danilo; Leitão-Almeida, Bruno; Pereira, Miguel; Resende, Rodrigo; Fernandes, Juliana Campos Hasse; Fernandes, Gustavo Vicentis Oliveira; Borges, TiagoObjective: The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess whether there were clinically relevant differences in the treatment of edentulous areas comparing zirconia (Zr) and titanium (Ti) dental implants. The null hypothesis is that no differences can be observed in terms of the clinical parameters; the positive hypothesis I is that Zr implants have generally better results compared to Ti implants; and the positive hypothesis II is that Ti implants have a generally superior result than Zr implants. Methods: This review work was registered on the PROSPERO platform, and its development was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. The electronic search process was conducted on three databases (PubMed/Scopus/Web of Science), including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from the past 10 years (up to April 2024). Identified articles were analyzed and included/excluded based on pre-defined selection and exclusion criteria. The quality assessment and risk of bias were evaluated using a Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool specifically designed for randomized trials (RoB2). A meta-analysis was conducted to correlate different treatment options based on the described outcomes; a random-effects model was used in the analysis of the variables. The analysis of heterogeneity was conducted by means of Cochran’s Q-test and Higgins’ I2 statistic. Results: Six RCTs were enrolled; 152 patients (90 males and 62 females) and 448 implants (267 Zr and 181 Ti) were included. Dental implant placement involved both the maxillary and mandibular arches. The implant sites showed heterogeneity in receiving Zr and Ti dental implants; in particular, 22 dental implants were placed in the mid-palatal region and 426 dental implants in the alveolar region (255 were in Zr and 171 in Ti). Regarding the success rate, it was better for Zr but with no statistical difference (p > 0.05); bleeding on probing had slight differences between Ti with 0.34% ± 0.42 and Zr with 0.26% ± 0.36 (p > 0.05); plaque score showed 0.46 ± 0.47 for Ti compared to 0.44 ± 0.49 for Zr (p > 0.05); no statistically significant difference was observed for pink esthetic score (PES). Statistically significant results were found for survival rate, which favored Ti implants (77.6%) compared to Zr (70.3%) (p < 0.05), and for marginal bone loss, which showed less loss in Ti implants (0.18 mm ± 0.47) compared to 0.42 mm ± 0.40 in Zr at 12 months (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The present systematic review and meta-analysis identified the positive hypothesis I and rejected the null and positive hypothesis II; it was possible to conclude that Ti dental implants have a better survival rate and less marginal bone loss than Zr dental implants after 1-year follow-up.
- Social justice advocacy in the classroom through service-learning in public relations: welcoming students with legal refugee statusPublication . Müller, NaídeThis study uses classroom ethnography to position service-learning pedagogical approaches in the context of social justice advocacy in public relations. The research focuses on public relations (PR) teaching and learning processes while implementing an advocacy project to welcome students with legal refugee status at a Portuguese university. Findings provide longitudinal evidence that improves the understanding of 1) Students’ challenges in linking theory and practice, 2) Pedagogical approaches that promote greater engagement in social justice advocacy, and 3) Students’ perceptions of the skills acquired in the context of service-learning in PR.
- O bem-estar docente: um estudo exploratório com escolas portuguesas no estrangeiroPublication . Costa, Ana; Dias, Paulo CésarO bem-estar dos docentes é um tema particularmente relevante e tem vindo a receber um interesse crescente. Contudo, são escassos os estudos em escolas no estrangeiro, motivo pelo qual se apresenta este trabalho que pretende explorar do bem-estar destes professores, em particular, descrever o seu bem-estar subjetivo e o bem-estar na escola, explorando o papel de variáveis pessoais e profissionais no bem-estar dos professores. Para isso, participaram neste estudo exploratório quantitativo uma amostra de 58 docentes a lecionar em escolas portuguesas no estrangeiro, na sua maioria mulheres, com idades entre os 27 e os 69 anos que responderam a questionários relativos às variáveis em estudo. Os resultados sugerem um bem-estar subjetivo globalmente positivo, acima do ponto médio, e relações significativas com variáveis organizacionais. Aspectos que são discutidos. Ainda sugeridas novas investigações neste domínio.
- Avaliação de riscos emergentes em géneros alimentíciosPublication . Carvalho, Francisco Fernandes de; Silva, Sara Margarida Bernardes Queda daDesde o ano 2019 que se regista um aumento no número de notificações reportadas no portal RASFF, sistema de alertas rápidos comunitários, aumento que se traduz numa maior necessidade de controlo e segurança da qualidade dos géneros alimentícios proporcionados aos consumidores. Ao longo dos anos, os crescentes e notórios efeitos das alterações climáticas têm sido bastante influentes no tópico de “Riscos Emergentes”, uma vez que afetam uma variada gama de alimentos, desde as fases de produção até às fases de expedição de produto. No presente trabalho, realizou-se uma análise a várias categorias de perigo, presentes no portal RASFF, incidente sobre o ano 2023 e o primeiro trimestre de 2024, que revelaram um aumento na presença de microrganismos patogénicos nos alimentos, ultrapassando a deteção de pesticidas. Adicionalmente, verificou-se um aumento considerável dos problemas relativos a organismos geneticamente modificados, comparativamente com o ano anterior. Por fim, foi concluído que, no ano de 2023, não foram detetados novos riscos emergentes, mas certos compostos foram salientados, de forma a receberem mais atenção, como o Norovirus e a Toxina T-2, uma vez que se poderão tornar focos de problemas mais significativos.
- Aveiro e o caminho para o reconhecimento internacional : estratégias culturais e cidades criativas em focoPublication . Machado, Ana Maria Dias Pinto; Teixeira, Luís Miguel LopesEste trabalho explora a interseção entre o conceito de cidades criativas e o reconhecimento de Capital Europeia da Cultura, com um foco particular na cidade de Aveiro. A investigação questiona como Aveiro e cidades similares empregam a criatividade e a cultura como pilares fundamentais não apenas para obter reconhecimento internacional, mas também promover o desenvolvimento urbano sustentável e inclusivo. O objetivo principal desta dissertação é esclarecer os conceitos de cidades criativas e de Capital Europeia da Cultura, identificar os fatores de sucesso neste contexto, analisar os critérios estabelecidos pela União Europeia para o reconhecimento destas cidades, examinar a estratégia cultural de Aveiro para o período de 2019 a 2030, e avaliar o processo de candidatura de Aveiro a Capital Europeia da Cultura, bem como e o seu reconhecimento como Capital Portuguesa da Cultura em 2024. A metodologia adotada nesta dissertação segue uma abordagem exploratória, combinando análises qualitativas e quantitativas. O estudo inicia-se com a delimitação do problema e uma revisão da literatura relevante, seguida pela análise de documentos oficiais relacionados às candidaturas de Aveiro e às estratégias culturais municipais para o período de 2019 a 2030. A interpretação dos dados coletados para responder à questão de investigação culmina na documentação e divulgação dos resultados obtidos. Como conclusão, destaca-se a importância das Cidades Criativas como impulsionadoras essenciais para o desenvolvimento urbano sustentável e inclusivo. Destaca-se o papel das estratégias culturais bem definidas e o envolvimento da comunidade como elementos cruciais para o sucesso das cidades em se afirmarem-se como centros culturais e criativos de excelência no cenário internacional.