Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2026-01-01"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 11
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Non-invasive bladder cancer detection: identification of a urinary volatile biomarker panel using GC-MS metabolomics and machine learningPublication . Carapito, Â.; Ferreira, V. S. Fernandes; Ferreira, A. C. Silva; Teixeira-Marques, A.; Henrique, R.; Jerónimo, C.; Roque, A. C. A.; Carvalho, F.; Pinto, J.; Pinho, P. Guedes deEarly detection of bladder cancer (BC) remains a major clinical challenge due to the limitations of current diagnostic methods, which are often invasive, expensive, or insufficiently sensitive, particularly for early-stage disease. Metabolomics approaches, when integrated with machine learning (ML) techniques, offer a powerful platform for identifying novel, non-invasive biomarkers. In this study, urinary volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analysed from 87 BC patients and 90 age- and sex-matched cancer-free controls using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS). Of the 90 VOCs identified, 27 were selected and used to train five ML algorithms—random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and k-nearest neighbors (k-NN). Model performance was evaluated using cross-validation and an independent validation set, with metrics including area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. RF achieved the highest performance using all 27 features (AUC = 0.913; sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy = 85 %). After feature selection, an eight-VOC panel improved performance on the validation set (AUC = 0.872; sensitivity = 89 %, specificity = 92 %, accuracy = 91 %). The panel included ketones, aldehydes, a short fatty alcohol, and a phenol compound—seven elevated in BC, and one (acetone) decreased. This panel outperformed FDA-approved urinary assays and closely matched the specificity of urine cytology. These findings underscore the promise of VOC-based urinary biomarkers, in combination with ML, for the non-invasive detection of BC. Further large-scale validation studies are essential to confirm diagnostic utility and enable clinical translation.
- Beyond growth: reshaping fisheries for a wellbeing economyPublication . Kelling, Ingrid; Bennett, Nathan; Barclay, Kate; Jeffs, Andrew; Pita, Cristina; Troll, Tobias; Krogh-Poulsen, Birgitte; Micha, Evgenia; Weston, Julia Cirne Lima; Black, Iain; Lawan, Ibrahim; Leeper, Alexandra; Pouw, Nicky; Siggs, Melanie; Wakita, K.; Wiese, KatarinaContemporary fisheries have been shaped by a paradigm of perpetual growth, characterized by increasing global production and consumption. While this growth has driven economic benefits and technological progress, it has jeopardized the sustainability of marine ecosystems, with implications for the long-term livelihoods and wellbeing of fishers, consumers and resource dependent coastal populations worldwide. This paper advocates for a shift beyond growth towards a wellbeing economy. It considers how five fundamental principles intrinsic to a wellbeing economy - purpose, nature, fairness, participation and dignity - can help reorient the fisheries sector. The paper then provides ten actionable recommendations for reshaping the composition and structure of economic activity in fisheries to enhance societal wellbeing and equity within ecological boundaries. In a world grappling with the consequences of unchecked economic growth, this paper offers insights into fostering a regenerative fisheries system that safeguards human prosperity and environmental integrity.
- Deep sea mining vs. underwater cultural heritagePublication . Ermida, Maria PenaThis chapter seeks to provide an overview of the legal framework surrounding the protection of UCH as a part of the Marine Environment within the context of Law of the Sea, focusing particularly on the rules regarding deep sea mining. The text seeks to analyse how such an activity may be considered compatible, or not with the protection of the marine environment and in particular how underwater cultural heritage may be addressed within such a context.
- Quit playing games with our lives: layoffs predict road traffic fatalitiesPublication . Gruda, Dritjon; Gonçalves, Ricardo; Zadegan, Milad SharafiEconomic downturns are typically associated with fewer traffic accidents due to reduced driving. However, the psychological and social shocks of sudden job loss may counterintuitively increase risk on the road. In this paper, we examine whether mass layoffs announcements are associated with short-term increases in traffic fatalities in the United States using spatial autoregressive models. Merging monthly U.S. county-level data on mass layoffs with motor vehicle fatality counts, we find a significant uptick in monthly traffic fatalities following major layoff events. This pattern persists after accounting for seasonal trends and regional factors, including unemployment rates and weather conditions. These findings suggest that the stress and disruption caused by mass layoffs can have deadly consequences beyond the workplace. We discuss psychological mechanisms (e.g., distress-related driving impairment) and implications linked to short-term rises in traffic fatalities and public health implications for fatal crash risk.
- Comparative studies of different signal acquisition systems in microfluidic paper-based analytical devices developed for accurate point-of-care analysisPublication . Pereira, Mafalda G.; Brandão, Teresa R. S.; Rangel, António O. S. S.; Mesquita, Raquel B. R.; Cerdà, VíctorThe exponential growth of small, on-hand devices/sensors has been aligned with the increasing use of smartphones as detectors. However, smartphone detection may result in high variability of signal acquisition, due to differences in lighting conditions, consequently compromising accurate and reliable quantification. The use of smartphones for qualitative assessment (“yes/no” response) has been widely employed; however, their use in quantitative assessment has been less reported. For point of care (POC) analysis, the use of smartphones as detectors can be an exceptional advantage; however, it is crucial to ensure that the accuracy of the analysis is not compromised. A critical and structured evaluation of image acquisition systems was performed to evaluate the impact on POC biomarkers quantification with microfluidic paper-based devices (?PADs). Different image acquisition systems were tested for a ?PAD to properly evaluate the impact of lighting conditions when using a smartphone in a specially designed box. The decrease in intensity counts was about 30% from the scanner to the smartphone, but it did not affect the calculated absorbance. We proved that smartphones can be used as reliable detection systems, providing accurate and precise quantification when appropriate attention is given to exterior lighting conditions. When quantifying iodide and nitrite in a sample, a relative error of 5% was observed for both image-acquiring systems, a scanner and a smartphone.
- myAURA: a personalized health library for epilepsy management via knowledge graph sparsification and visualizationPublication . Correia, Rion Brattig; Rozum, Jordan C.; Cross, Leonard; Felag, Jack; Gallant, Michael; Guo, Ziqi; Herr II, Bruce W.; Min, Aehong; Sanchez-Valle, Jon; Rocha, Deborah Stungis; Valencia, Alfonso; Wang, Xuan; Börner, Katy; Miller, Wendy; Rocha, Luis M.Objectives: Report the development of the patient-centered myAURA application and suite of methods designed to aid epilepsy patients, caregivers, and clinicians in making decisions about self-management and care. Materials and Methods: myAURA rests on an unprecedented collection of epilepsy-relevant heterogeneous data resources, such as biomedical databases, social media, and electronic health records (EHRs). We use a patient-centered biomedical dictionary to link the collected data in a multilayer knowledge graph (KG) computed with a generalizable, open-source methodology. Results: Our approach is based on a novel network sparsification method that uses the metric backbone of weighted graphs to discover important edges for inference, recommendation, and visualization. We demonstrate by studying drug-drug interaction from EHRs, extracting epilepsy-focused digital cohorts from social media, and generating a multilayer KG visualization. We also present our patient-centered design and pilot-testing of myAURA, including its user interface. Discussion: The ability to search and explore myAURA’s heterogeneous data sources in a single, sparsified, multilayer KG is highly useful for a range of epilepsy studies and stakeholder support. Conclusion: Our stakeholder-driven, scalable approach to integrating traditional and nontraditional data sources enables both clinical discovery and data-powered patient self-management in epilepsy and can be generalized to other chronic conditions.
- Quality and chemical safety of wheat bread enriched with untreated, milled, and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum fermented red lentils (Lens culinaris L.)Publication . Starkute, Vytaute; Bartkiene, Elena; Mockus, Ernestas; Radvila, Emilis; Matuzeviciute, Daiva; Balynaite, Kamile; Bredikis, Arvydas; Ilgunaite, Gabriele; Juskaite, Akvile; Cho, Vaneck; Rocha, João Miguel; Cernauskas, Darius; Ruibys, Romas; Mozuriene, Erika; Akin, Meleksen; Curtis, Tanya; Klupsaite, DovileThis study investigated the effects of untreated, milled, and fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum No. 122 red lentils (Lens culinaris L.) on the quality and safety parameters of wheat bread (WB). The quantity (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 %) and type of lentils added significantly influenced WB specific volume. Bread with 10 % of fermented non-milled (FNM) and 15 % of fermented milled (FM) lentils exhibited lower porosity (average, 52.4 %), while the highest total titratable acidity (1.12°N) was observed in bread enriched with 25 % of (FM) lentils. Enrichment with red lentils increased acrylamide levels in most breads to 14–44 ?g/kg. A moderate correlation (?0.415–0.449) was found between acrylamide levels and certain VOCs of WB. Breads containing 10 and 15 % (FM) and (FNM) lentils showed overall acceptability scores (average, 4.1) similar to control bread. In conclusion, adding 5 % of non-fermented/fermented lentils to WB allowed for high acceptability without increasing acrylamide concentrations.
- A call for CARE in animal behaviour: an holistic ethical research frameworkPublication . Badihi, Gal; Taylor-O’Connor, Jennifer; Daly, Gabriela Bezerra de Melo; Komeda, Viola; Daoudi-Simison, Sophia; Rodrigues, Evelina D.; Webster, Michael M.; Altschul, Drew M.; Hobaiter, Catherine; Wiltshire, Charlotte; Klein, Harmonie; Freymann, Elodie; Grund, Charlotte; Soldati, Adrian; Henderson, Matthew; Leroux, Maël M.; Slania, Nora E.Despite increasing awareness of animal welfare, there are vast discrepancies between legal protections and recommended practices for different species, in different countries and at different institutions. While many guidelines are now available, they often target specific research contexts or species, leaving a gap in comprehensiveethicaloversight across the entireresearchprocess.Withinanimalbehaviour research,thereis abias for consideringethicsduringonlythemethodologyanddesignphase.This oftenmeansonly the immediate impact onanimalsdirectly involved inthe researchis accountedfor. Conducting ethical researchshould extendbeyond ensuring animal welfare during data collection and include environmentally sustainable research practices, alongsidethe ethicaltreatmentofpeopleworkingwithinandalongsideanimalbehaviour research.Weoffer the Consult,Approve,ResearchandEvaluate(CARE)frameworktoimprovethescientific integrity,transparencyand ethical practices within the field of animal behaviour. CARE encourages researchers and academic bodies to (1) Consult existing (academic and traditional) knowledge on the study species, local human—animal interactions, their environment and previously implemented ethical practices and to reflect on personal experience and biases when approaching a study question; (2) seek Approval from relevant bodies (e.g. institutional ethics committees and local and government authorities) even when not mandatory; (3) uphold ethical standards while carrying out Research and (4) Evaluate the short- and long-term impacts of the specific study. Our framework is designed to distribute accountability at every level of the academic system, from individual researchers to their institutions, funding bodies and publishers. We pitch this framework as a ‘version 1.0’ to recognize the fast-evolving nature of ethical standards in animal behaviour research and to allow space for improvement. CARE provides a necessary infrastructure for addressing systemic biases and ensuring ethically sound, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable animal behaviour research.
- Spirituality in children with life-limiting, life-threatening and/or complex chronic conditions: a scoping reviewPublication . Ferreira, Mónica Santos; Pereira, Diana Gomes; Caldeira, SílviaPurpose: To map available knowledge about spirituality in children with life-limiting, life-threatening and/or complex chronic conditions. Methods: This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. Registration was done with the Open Science Framework. The searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL Complete, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, via EBSCOhost, and in the Portuguese Open Access Scientific Repository, in September 2024. The sample was composed of 48 studies. Results: The concept of spirituality is represented by the relationship established with oneself, with the world, and the notion of transcendence. Spiritual needs relate to developmental stage, relationships, sense of normalcy, meaning, and purpose. The relationship established between spirituality and illness is bidirectional, represented by beliefs, practices, and mechanisms of spiritual adaptation. Spiritual care is about supporting children with insights about beliefs, values and behaviours, addressing needs inherent in the developmental process, setting achievable goals that can support a meaningful life and legacy, fostering connections, mediating communication, improving spiritual coping, alleviating spiritual suffering, managing losses, and redefining hope. Conclusions: This review underlines the complexity, variability, and importance of spirituality while living within a complex, life-threatening or life-limiting paediatric context. However, there is still an urgent need to develop studies on the concept in specific subgroups of this paediatric population. Clinical implications: Spirituality has an undeniable and aggregating role throughout the course of a life-limiting, life-threatening and/or complex chronic condition. Spiritual care and nurturing should be prioritised in care plans within these complex paediatric contexts.
- Wherefore art thou competitors? How situational affordances help differentiate among prosociality, individualism, and competitionPublication . Liu, Yi; Stivers, Adam W.; Murphy, Ryan O.; Doesum, Niels J. Van; Joireman, Jeff; Gallucci, Marcello; Aharonov-Majar, Efrat; Athenstaedt, Ursula; Bai, Liying; Böhm, Robert; Buchan, Nancy R.; Chen, Xiao-Ping; Dumont, Kitty B.; Engelmann, Jan B.; Eriksson, Kimmo; Euh, Hyun; Fiedler, Susann; Friesen, Justin; Gächter, Simon; Garcia, Camilo; González, Roberto; Graf, Sylvie; Growiec, Katarzyna; Hřebíčková, Martina; Karagonlar, Gokhan; Kiyonari, Toko; Kou, Yu; Kuhlman, D. Michael; Lay, Siugmin; Leonardelli, Geoffrey J.; Li, Norman P.; Li, Yang; Maciejovsky, Boris; Manesi, Zoi; Mashuri, Ali; Mok, Aurelia; Moser, Karin S.; Netedu, Adrian; Pammi, Chandrasekhar; Platow, Michael J.; Folmer, Christopher P. Reinders; Reyna, Cecilia; Simão, Cláudia; Utz, Sonja; Meij, Leander van der; Waldzus, Sven; Wang, Yiwen; Weber, Bernd; Weisel, Ori; Wildschut, Tim; Winter, Fabian; Wu, Junhui; Yong, Jose C.; Lange, Paul A. M. VanThe Triple Dominance Measure (choosing between prosocial, individualistic, and competitive options) and the Slider Measure (“sliding” between various orientations, for example, from individualistic to prosocial) are two widely used techniques to measure social value orientation, that is, the weight individuals assign to own and others’ outcomes in interdependent situations. Surprisingly, there is only moderate correspondence between these measures, but it is unclear why and what the implications are for identifying individual differences in social value orientation. Using a dataset of 8021 participants from 31 countries and regions, this study revealed that the Slider Measure identified fewer competitors than the Triple Dominance Measure, accounting for approximately one-third of the non-correspondence between the two measures. This is (partially) because many of the Slider items do not afford a competitive option. In items where competition is combined with individualism, competitors tended to make the same choices as individualists. Futhermore, we demonstrated the uniqueness of competitors. Compared to prosocials and individualists, competitors exhibited lower levels of both social mindfulness and trust. Overall, the present work highlights the importance of situational affordances in measuring personality, the benefits of distinguishing between individualists and competitors, and the importance of utilizing a measure that distinguishes between these two proself orientations.