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- Comparative environmental and nutritional sustainability analysis of kabuli and desi chickpea (cicer arietinum l.) types at the farm and product levelPublication . Silva, Beatriz Q.; Silva, Marta Nunes da; Smetana, Sergiy; Vasconcelos, Marta W.Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted to evaluate the environmental impact of cultivating black (Desi type) and white (Kabuli type) chickpeas in Europe under both organic and conventional farming systems. The LCA on a mass basis (1 kg of product) showed that Kabuli chickpea cultivation had a lower global warming potential, water use, and land occupation due to higher yields and more established farming practices for this variety in conventional systems. This study also examined the environmental impact of producing hummus derived from these two raw materials. The LCA on a mass basis (1 kg of product) showed that hummus production generally had a lower environmental impact when using Kabuli chickpeas primarily due to higher yield efficiency and optimised farming practices for the Kabuli type. However, when nutritional LCA is considered, using Nutrient Density as a functional unit (NDU), Desi hummus demonstrates lower environmental impacts in most categories, particularly regarding eutrophication and acidification potential. The study highlights the trade-offs between environmental impacts and nutritional benefits while comparing organic and conventional farming systems, suggesting that incorporating underutilised types such as Desi chickpeas could contribute to a more sustainable and nutritionally diverse food system.
- Correction to: worsening heart failure: progress, pitfalls, and perspectives (Heart Failure Reviews, (2025), 10.1007/s10741-025-10497-z)Publication . Fonseca, Cândida; Baptista, Rui; Franco, Fátima; Moura, Brenda; Pimenta, Joana; Sarmento, Pedro Moraes; Cardoso, José Silva; Brito, DulceThe order of the authors' first and last names was reversed in the original publication. The correct author names are as follows: Incorrect Author List: Fonseca Cândida · Baptista Rui · Franco Fátima · Moura Brenda · Pimenta Joana · Pedro Moraes Sarmento · Silva Cardoso José · Brito Dulce Correct Author List: Cândida Fonseca · Rui Baptista · Fátima Franco · Brenda Moura · Joana Pimenta · Pedro Moraes Sarmento · José Silva Cardoso · Dulce Brito The original article has been corrected.
- Perceções sobre o retrato de conflitos geopolíticos nos media e (des)informações: um estudo junto dos públicos portuguesesPublication . Petrella, Simone; Silveira, Patrícia; Pessôa, ClarisseOs conflitos armados encontram-se no epicentro de uma guerra de informações estimulada por afirmações falsas sobre as motivações dos conflitos e os refugiados. A propagação de narrativas alimentadas particularmente no contexto do online, desafia a União Europeia (EU) e Organizações Internacionais a definir estratégias de combate e a adotar medidas de escrutínio sobre os principais canais de desinformação de modo a impedir que narrativas hostis moldem a opinião pública e influenciem os decisores políticos. A narrativa da crise e do aumento do custo de vida, ou da imigração descontrolada, particularmente no contexto dos países europeus, tende a semear divisão, incerteza e ressentimentos em relação aos refugiados. Tal facto pode ter impacto sobre as decisões das instituições sobre as políticas de migração, legitimando medidas mais restritivas, e colocando em causa a proteção das vítimas de conflito em situação de vulnerabilidade. É no sentido de procurar compreender e analisar as implicações dos discursos mediáticos na formação das representações sociais sobre a guerra Russo-Ucraniana e os conflitos armados, e os refugiados, que este artigo ganha relevância. Parte de um estudo exploratório integrado no Projeto de Investigação e Desenvolvimento (I&D) MeInWar - Estudo sobre os media e as representações sociais acerca do conflito Russo-Ucraniano, financiado pela Universidade Europeia, que tem como principal objeto de estudo a narrativa e o discurso mediático em torno do conflito russo-ucraniano e dos conflitos armados, em sentido lato, assim como as representações sociais sobre a guerra, os refugiados e as políticas migratórias. Através do recurso a um inquérito por questionário, este artigo pretendeu analisar e compreender as opiniões e os pontos de vista dos cidadãos a residir em contexto português, sobre as informações acerca da guerra da Rússia na Ucrânia e os refugiados vítimas deste conflito e, ainda, as suas perspetivas acerca da intervenção da UE nesse processo e do impacto dessa guerra nos seus contextos mais imediatos. As principais conclusões indicam que os inquiridos acompanham as notícias sobre a guerra Russo-Ucraniana principalmente através dos media digitais e da televisão, atribuindo um tom negativo à cobertura mediático do conflito. Há discordância sobre a representação dos refugiados, mas a maioria considera que a intervenção da União Europeia é positiva, embora tema uma nova crise económica. A maioria dos cidadãos inquiridos acredita, ainda, que os refugiados poderão contribuir positivamente para o país de acolhimento.
- Applications of large language models in cardiovascular disease: a systematic reviewPublication . Santos, José Ferreira; Ladeiras-Lopes, Ricardo; Leite, Francisca; Dores, HélderCardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Large language models (LLMs) offer potential solutions for enhancing patient education and supporting clinical decision-making. This study aimed to evaluate LLMs’ applications in CVD and explore their current implementation, from prevention to treatment. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, this systematic review assessed LLM applications in CVD. A comprehensive PubMed search identified relevant studies. The review prioritized pragmatic and practical applications of LLMs. Key applications, benefits, and limitations of LLMs in CVD prevention were summarized. Thirty-five observational studies met the eligibility criteria. Of these, 54% addressed primary prevention and risk factor management, while 46% focused on established CVD. Commercial LLMs were evaluated in all but one study, with 91% (32 studies) assessing ChatGPT. The LLM applications were categorized as follows: 72% addressed patient education, 17% clinical decision support, and 11% both. In 68% of studies, the primary objective was to evaluate LLMs’ performance in answering frequently asked patient questions, with results indicating accurate, comprehensive, and generally safe responses. However, occasional misinformation and hallucinated references were noted. Additional applications included patient guidance on CVD, first aid, and lifestyle recommendations. Large language models were assessed for medical questions, diagnostic support, and treatment recommendations in clinical decision support. Large language models hold significant potential in CVD prevention and treatment. Evidence supports their potential as an alternative source of information for addressing patients’ questions about common CVD. However, further validation is needed for their application in individualized care, from diagnosis to treatment.
- Do cognitive subtypes exist in people at clinical high risk for psychosis? Results from the EU-GEI studyPublication . EU-GEI High Risk Study; Gifford, George; Avila, Alessia; Kempton, Matthew J.; Fusar-Poli, Paolo; Mccutcheon, Robert A.; Coutts, Fiona; Tognin, Stefania; Valmaggia, Lucia; Haan, Lieuwe de; Gaag, Mark van der; Nelson, Barnaby; Pantelis, Christos; Riecher-Rössler, Anita; Bressan, Rodrigo; Barrantes-Vidal, Neus; Krebs, Marie-Odile; Glenthoj, Birte; Ruhrmann, Stephan; Sachs, Gabriele; Rutten, Bart P. F.; Os, Jim van; McGuire, PhilipBackground and Hypothesis: Cognition has been associated with socio-occupational functioning in individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P). The present study hypothesized that clustering CHR-P participants based on cognitive data could reveal clinically meaningful subtypes. Study Design: A cohort of 291 CHR-P subjects was recruited through the multicentre EU-GEI high-risk study. We explored whether an underlying cluster structure was present in the cognition data. Clustering of cognition data was performed using k-means clustering and density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise. Cognitive subtypes were validated by comparing differences in functioning, psychosis symptoms, transition outcome, and grey matter volume between clusters. Network analysis was used to further examine relationships between cognition scores and clinical symptoms. Study Results: No underlying cluster structure was found in the cognitive data. K-means clustering produced “spared” and “impaired” cognition clusters similar to those reported in previous studies. However, these clusters were not associated with differences in functioning, symptomatology, outcome, or grey matter volume. Network analysis identifed cognition and symptoms/functioning measures that formed separate subnetworks of associations. Conclusions: Stratifying patients according to cognitive performance has the potential to inform clinical care. However, we did not fnd evidence of cognitive clusters in this CHR-P sample. We suggest that care needs to be taken in inferring the existence of distinct cognitive subtypes from unsupervised learning studies. Future research in CHR-P samples could explore the existence of cognitive subtypes across a wider range of cognitive domains.
- Video-based categorization system and frequency analysis of gestures in saxophone playingPublication . Moura, Nádia; Fonseca, Pedro; Graça, Jorge; Trovão, Philippe; Goethel, Márcio; Vilas-Boas, João Paulo; Serra, SofiaThe study of gestures in music performance provides valuable insights for instrumental learning. However, gestural vocabularies vary depending on the instrument being played, according to its postural and technical specificities. The goals of this study were twofold: first, to create a gesture categorization system for saxophone players, and second, to analyse their gestural behaviour across contrasting musical excerpts. A criteria-based observational analysis was conducted, considering the type and frequency of gestures identified in a database of 100 video and motion recordings. The categorization system, including 15 gesture types applicable to the case of saxophone playing, was further validated by 2 expert raters. A descriptive appendix is provided for the identification of each gesture type. Results revealed that: (1) knee and trunk flexion, feet elevation, mediolateral sway and flap were the most recurrent gestures among saxophone players; (2) energetic, fast-tempo excerpts led to higher movement frequency; and (3) impulsive gestures (head nods) were idiosyncratic of the excerpt containing repeated accentuated notes. These results present a definition of the gestural behaviour of saxophone players, which constitutes relevant knowledge for the development of future studies in the fields of injury prevention, body expression and historically informed performance.
- Association of statin use on survival outcomes of patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer in the APHINITY trialPublication . Maurer, Christian; Agostinetto, Elisa; Ameye, Lieveke; Lambertini, Matteo; Martel, Samuel; Ponde, Noam; Brandão, Mariana; Poggio, Francesca; Ferreira, Arlindo; Schiff, Rachel; Angelis, Carmine De; Gelber, Richard D.; Dent, Susan; Thomssen, Christoph; Piccart, Martine; Azambuja, Evandro dePurpose There is evidence that statins might improve the outcome of patients with breast cancer. The role of statins in patients with early HER2-positive breast cancer is unknown. Therefore, we explored the association between statin use and survival outcomes in early HER2-positive breast cancer patients in the phase III APHINITY trial (adjuvant pertuzumab/ trastuzumab). Methods All patients (intent-to-treat population, n=4804) were included (6.2 years median follow-up database). The primary objective was to investigate the association of statin use on invasive disease-free survival (IDFS), distant relapse-free interval (DRFI), and overall survival (OS). Patients who received statins at baseline, or started statins within 1 year from randomization were considered statin users. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method. We used a Cox proportional hazards model for multivariate analysis. Results Overall, 423 (8.8%) patients were classifed as statin users. They were older, more often postmenopausal, had a higher body mass index, more often diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease and hyperlipidemia, had smaller sized tumors, were treated more often with breast conserving surgery, and less often with anthracycline-containing regimens. Overall, 508 IDFS events (12.8% among statin users and 10.4% among non-statin users) and 272 deaths (8.5% and 5.4%, respectively) occurred. In multivariate analysis, statin use was not associated with IDFS (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.80–1.52), DRFI (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 0.81–1.81) nor OS (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.78–1.73). Conclusion In APHINITY, statin use was not associated with improved survival outcomes. These results must be interpreted with caution due to the exploratory nature of the analysis and the associated limitations.
- Circular animal protein hydrolysates: a comparative approach of functional propertiesPublication . Monteiro, Marta; Rodrigues-dos-Santos, Luciano; Filipa-Silva, Andreia; Marques, Diana A.; Pintado, Manuela; Almeida, André; Valente, Luisa M. P.The growing demand for nutraceuticals has driven interest in upcycling low-value proteins from processed animal by-products and insect larvae into functional protein hydrolysates. This study evaluated five such hydrolysates in comparison to a high-value commercial reference (CPSP90), assessing the proximate composition, amino acid profile, molecular weight distribution, antioxidant activity, and bacterial growth dynamics. Results revealed a wide variability in the composition and bioactivity, driven by the raw material and processing conditions. All hydrolysates displayed a medium to high crude protein content (55.1–89.5% DM), with SHARK being the most protein-rich. SHARK and SWINE hydrolysates were particularly rich in collagenic amino acids, while FISH and CPSP90 contained higher levels of essential amino acids. FISH and INSECT demonstrated the strongest antioxidant activity, with INSECT also showing the highest protein solubility. INSECT and SWINE further displayed mild, selective antibacterial effects, indicating a potential for disease mitigation. Conversely, SHARK and FISH supported opportunistic bacteria growth, suggesting a potential use as nitrogen sources in microbial media. These findings highlight the nutritional and functional versatility of animal-derived protein hydrolysates and support their integration into sustainable feed strategies within a circular bioeconomy.
- Methacrylated epigallocatechin gallate functionalized dental adhesives: antiproteolytic activity and dentin bonding studiesPublication . Duque, Cristiane; Chrisostomo, Daniela Alvim; Scaffa, Polliana Mendes Candia; Gouveia, Zach; Nascimento, Fabio Dupart; Plotnikov, Sergey V.; Prakki, AnuradhaObjectives: To assess the antiproteolytic effect of EGCG-methacrylate monomers and its inhibitory effect on gelatinolytic activity in the hybrid layer. Also, to investigate the effect of an adhesive material functionalized with EGCG-methacrylate monomers on immediate and long-term dentin-resin bond strength. Methods: Neat EGCG (E0) was reacted with three different ratios of methacryloyl ester and dissolved in ethyl acetate to obtain EGCG-methacrylates with hydroxyl functionalization at 33 % (M-E33), 67 % (M-E67) and 100 % (M-E100) levels. Resin composite blocks were built on human dentin surfaces using self-etching adhesive containing E0, M-E33, M-E67, and M-E100 at 1 wt%. Demineralized human dentin disks were immersed in deionized water (DW) or lactic acid (LA) and subsequently treated with DW, acetone (as controls), E0, M-E33, M-E67 and M-E100 diluted in acetone. Concentrations of solubilized type I collagen C-terminal (CTX and ICTP) and N-terminal (NTX) telopeptides were determined from 7-day extracts of dentin matrix specimens by ELISA assays. In situ zymography of adhesive-dentin interface slices from restored teeth was performed by confocal microscope after 24 h dentin treatment. Microtensile bond strength (µTBS) and failure pattern were evaluated after 24 h and 6 months. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Tukey post hoc test (p < 0.05). Results: All experimental groups statistically reduced the release of solubilized telopeptides from dentin samples in DW and LA. E0 and M-E100 incorporated into the adhesive system reduced the gelatinolytic activity within the hybrid layer. The lowest µTBS values for restored teeth were observed for E0 and M-E100 groups, after 24 h and 6 months, respectively. The most prevalent failure observed was classified as type 4, except for M-E100. Significance: EGCG-methacrylate monomers effectively protected collagen from degradation. When incorporated into adhesive systems, EGCG-methacrylates reduced gelatinolytic activity within the hybrid layer, and did not affect immediate and long-term bond strength values of restorations.
- Parental satisfaction in short-stay paediatric emergency unit: a cross-sectional, descriptive and observational studyPublication . Antunes, Vanessa; Pereira, Paula; Cardoso, Tatiana; Pereira, Célia; Ladeira, Miguel; Antunes, Ricardo; Loureiro, FernandaEvaluating parental satisfaction with nursing care in paediatric emergency departments (PED) is essential for improving service quality and enhancing patient and family care. During short-term hospitalizations, the quality of nursing care is often a determining factor in parental satisfaction, especially in high-stress environments such as the PED. This study aimed to assess parental satisfaction with nursing care during short-term paediatric hospitalization in the emergency department and to identify potential areas for improvement in nursing practice. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in the short-stay unit of a PED. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee for Health of Hospital Garcia de Orta. Data were collected using the validated instrument Citizen Satisfaction with Nursing Care Scale (CSNCS), which measures satisfaction across various dimensions of nursing care. A total of 205 parents of hospitalized children participated in the study. Sociodemographic data of the parents and clinical data of the children were also collected to explore possible associations with satisfaction levels. High levels of parental satisfaction with nursing care in the short-stay unit of the PED were consistently observed. Most parents were female, aged 30 years or older, and employed. The majority of hospitalized children were male, younger in age, including newborns, and were admitted under urgent circumstances. No meaningful associations were observed between satisfaction scores and parental sociodemographic characteristics, suggesting that satisfaction may be more strongly influenced by the quality and nature of the nursing care itself than by background variables. While parents of newborns reported the highest satisfaction scores, the differences across child age groups were not statistically significant. Similarly, employed parents demonstrated slightly higher satisfaction levels compared to their unemployed counterparts, though this difference also lacked statistical significance. Despite this, the observed trends—particularly the higher satisfaction among parents of newborns and those who are employed—may reflect unique expectations, emotional needs, or experiences within these subgroups. These findings point to potential areas for deeper investigation, particularly through qualitative approaches that can capture the nuances of parental satisfaction in the emergency context. The overall high satisfaction scores indicate that nursing care is being delivered effectively within this PED setting. However, to ensure sustained quality and responsiveness, ongoing evaluation that includes both subjective measures (such as satisfaction) and objective clinical outcomes is essential. Integrating structured feedback mechanisms into routine care processes may further enhance the ability of nursing teams to meet the specific needs of parents. Parental satisfaction with nursing care in the short-stay paediatric emergency setting was generally high, independent of sociodemographic differences. While no statistically significant associations were observed, the trends identified suggest that future research—particularly using qualitative methods—may help uncover deeper insights into parental perceptions and improve paediatric nursing care delivery. Fostering a culture of continuous quality assessment and parent engagement is vital for sustaining excellence in emergency paediatric services.