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Perception of Portuguese and Brazilian Dentists Regarding the Importance of Teeth and Dental Materials After Exposure to High Temperatures: Forensics Perspective

2026-03-21T07:52:14Z

Title: Perception of Portuguese and Brazilian Dentists Regarding the Importance of Teeth and Dental Materials After Exposure to High Temperatures: Forensics Perspective

Mental Health and Alcohol Consumption Among University Students in the Post-Pandemic Context: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal

2026-03-21T07:52:14Z

Title: Mental Health and Alcohol Consumption Among University Students in the Post-Pandemic Context: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal

Impact of female hormonal changes throughout life on oral health: A scoping review

2026-03-15T02:31:41Z

Title: Impact of female hormonal changes throughout life on oral health: A scoping review

The Impact of Genetics on Craniofacial Dysplasias and Consequent Oral Malformations-Integrative Review

2026-03-21T07:52:11Z

Title: The Impact of Genetics on Craniofacial Dysplasias and Consequent Oral Malformations-Integrative Review

Familial Clustering of Migraine: Further Evidence From a Portuguese Study

2026-03-21T07:50:25Z

Title: Familial Clustering of Migraine: Further Evidence From a Portuguese Study Abstract: Objective.-Our aim was to evaluate familial aggregation of migraine in a large group of Portuguese families, and to assess if familial aggregation differs between MA and MO. Methods.-Familial aggregation was evaluated by estimating relative risk (RR) of migraine in 143 first-degree relatives of 50 probands with MA, in 196 first-degree relatives of 94 probands with MO and also in proband's spouses. Probands were enrolled in the study from a clinical sample and a population sample was used as reference. Results.-A significantly increased risk of migraine was found in both first-degree relatives of MO probands (RR = 3.7; 95% CI: 3.2-4.3) and of MA probands ( RR = 3.6; 95% CI: 3.1-4.3), comparatively to the general population. Risk for spouses was not increased. First-degree relatives of MA probands and MO probands had a significantly increased risk of both MA and MO compared to the general population. In the group of MA probands, RR of MA in first-degree relatives reached a significant 4-fold increase when compared with RR of MO (RR(MA|MA) = 12.2, 95% CI: 7.7-19.5; RR(MO|MA) = 3.1, 95% CI: 2.5-3.8), while, in the group of MO probands, RR of MA was not significantly increased when compared with RR of MO (RR(MA|MO) = 5.3, 95% CI: 3.1-9.2; RR(MO|MO) = 4.0, 95% CI: 3.5-4.7). Conclusions.-The present study focus on familial aggregation of migraine in a Portuguese population. Our results demonstrate a substantial familial risk of migraine with evidence of both common and specific etiologic mechanisms for either migraine subtypes.

Antigen specificity of the T cell response to Mycobacterium avium infection in mice

2025-11-14T11:16:25Z

Title: Antigen specificity of the T cell response to Mycobacterium avium infection in mice

Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and the risk of childhood asthma by 10 years of age-Evidence from The Generation XXI birth cohort study

2025-08-03T06:22:21Z

Title: Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and the risk of childhood asthma by 10 years of age-Evidence from The Generation XXI birth cohort study Abstract: BackgroundWe aimed to investigate the association between maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and asthma in children by 10 years of age.MethodsWe considered 5585 mother-child pairs enrolled in a population-based birth cohort. Consumption of regular and decaffeinated coffee, black and green tea, and cola beverages before and during pregnancy was obtained through face-to-face interviews within 72 h after giving birth, and total caffeine intake (mg/day) was estimated. Medical diagnosis of asthma was assessed and spirometry with bronchodilation was performed at 10 years of age. We used adjusted regression models to estimate the association between the caffeine intake/day during pregnancy with asthma by 10 years of age, and a quadratic relationship was verified between them. Consumption of caffeine before pregnancy, gestational age, maternal years of schooling, maternal self-reported medical diagnosis of asthma, smoking status before and during pregnancy, and children's sex were considered as confounders. We used nonlinear least squares models to estimate the knot point and its respective confidence interval (CI).ResultsA higher intake of caffeine/day decreased the odds of having childhood asthma at 10 years of age (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.41; 0.88). The estimated knot point was 92.7 mg of caffeine/day (95% CI: 36.3, 163.3), where the risk was 7.2%, while for no intake (0 mg) the risk was 8.8%.ConclusionMaternal caffeine intake up to an estimated intake of approximately 93 mg/day during pregnancy decreased childhood asthma risk by 10 years of age. Nonetheless, further studies are required to confirm our results.Key MessageMaternal caffeine intake during pregnancy up to an estimated intake of approximately 93 mg/day decreased the risk of asthma in children by 10 years of age, but considering caffeine's potential adverse effects on other health outcomes, further studies are needed to explore its link to childhood asthma.

Validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire: exploring predictors of student misconduct

2025-05-24T06:22:10Z

Title: Validation of the academic misconduct questionnaire: exploring predictors of student misconduct

Age-Friendly Cities Performance Assessment Indicators System hierarchization

2025-04-13T06:21:07Z

Title: Age-Friendly Cities Performance Assessment Indicators System hierarchization Abstract: Este estudo teve como objetivo validar e priorizar um sistema de indicadores para avaliar o desempenho de Cidades Amigas do Idoso. Os procedimentos metodológicos consistiram na aplicação do modelo de validação de conteúdo de indicadores do sistema desenvolvido por Fehring em 1987 e utilizou o método multicritério Analytical Hierarchy Process para priorização. Nestas análises, houve um nível satisfatório de consistência e correspondência entre a posição dos especialistas na priorização de questões de envelhecimento ativo em ambientes urbanos.Palavras-chave: Cidades Amigas dos Idosos; Envelhecimento Ativo; Políticas Públicas; Medidas de Desempenho; Decisão Multicritério.

High-intensity infrasound effects on glucose metabolism in rats

2025-03-26T07:20:57Z

Title: High-intensity infrasound effects on glucose metabolism in rats Abstract: Recent focus has been given on the effects of high-intensity infrasound (HII) exposure, and whether it induces changes in pancreatic morphology and glucose metabolism is still unknown. As such, we have studied the impact of HII exposure on glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, pancreatic islet morphology, muscle GLUT4 and plasma insulin and corticosterone levels. Normal and glucose intolerant wild-type Wistar rats were randomly divided in two groups: one group not exposed to HII and the other continuously exposed to HII. Animals were sacrificed at three timepoints of exposure (1, 6 or 12 weeks). An intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test was performed, blood samples were collected and the pancreas and the quadriceps femoris muscle were excised. Circulating insulin and corticosterone levels were determined and pancreatic and muscular tissue were routinely processed for histochemistry and immunohistochemistry with an anti-GLUT4 antibody. Animals exposed to HII had higher corticosterone levels than animals not exposed. No differences were found on insulin concerning HII exposure or glucose intolerance. Glucose intolerant animals had pancreatic islet fibrosis and no differences were found in GLUT4 ratio concerning HII exposure. In conclusion, we found that continuous exposure to HII increases stress hormone levels without inducing glucose intolerance in rats.

(Re) thinking emotions in visual education activities: student' experiences

2025-02-28T07:23:52Z

Title: (Re) thinking emotions in visual education activities: student' experiences

'Sleeping with the enemy': a cross-sectional study on psychological and emotional violence among couples living in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic

2025-02-14T07:21:00Z

Title: 'Sleeping with the enemy': a cross-sectional study on psychological and emotional violence among couples living in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic

Desalination and removal of organic micropollutants and microorganisms by membrane distillation

2025-01-23T07:21:26Z

Title: Desalination and removal of organic micropollutants and microorganisms by membrane distillation Abstract: The effect of different membranes, membrane modules, feed temperatures, flow rates and solute concentrations on the permeate flux and salt rejection in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) was first studied with synthetic seawater and compared to distilled water. After optimizing these operating conditions, DCMD was tested with real feed samples, namely river water (RW-R), seawater (SW-R), and a secondary effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (MW-R). The permeate flux achieved with MW-R was significantly lower than those obtained with the other feed samples. Two membrane module configurations (H-cell and W-cell) were then studied using SW-S, spiking diphenhydramine (DP) as model organic pollutant in some experiments. The H-cell performed better in terms of permeate quality for the same volume of permeate collected. A long experiment (500 h) was conducted with SW-R employing a larger H-cell. Severe fouling was observed, but high rejections of ion species (> 99%) were recorded together with complete rejections of pharmaceuticals (diclofenac, azithromycin, clarithromycin and erythromycin) detected in SW-R at 9.53-73.53 ng L-1 (detection limits < 0.16 ng L-1). Colonies of Escherichia colt or enterococci were not detected in 100 mL of permeate (distillate) solution, complying with the European Directive for drinking water.

Improving Estuarine Hydrodynamic Forecasts Through Numerical Model Ensembles

2025-01-15T07:22:10Z

Title: Improving Estuarine Hydrodynamic Forecasts Through Numerical Model Ensembles Abstract: Numerical models are essential tools for the study and analysis of the hydrodynamics of estuarine systems. However, the model results contain uncertainties, which need to be minimized to increase the accuracy of predictions. In this work, the ensemble technique is proposed as a solution to improve hydrodynamic forecasts for estuarine regions. Two numerical models, openTELEMAC-MASCARET and Delft3D, were considered for the application of this technique to two Portuguese estuaries. Superensembles for three scenarios (summer, winter, and extreme event) were built to assess the effectiveness of the technique in improving water level prediction. Various weighing techniques were tested in the construction of the ensembles. Weighing techniques that consider the previous performance of each model alone outperformed other techniques. This was observed for all scenarios considered, at all sampling points and in both studied estuaries. The effect of the ensemble size was also analyzed. It was found that the size of the set is directly related to the prediction accuracy, with the best results provided by the superensembles with the highest number of elements. It is concluded that the combined use of several hydrodynamic models reduces the uncertainty of the results and increases the reliability and consistency of predictions for estuarine regions.

Biopsychosocial determinants of sexual health in older age: the role of health-related, relationship, and psychosexual factors

2024-11-30T07:20:29Z

Title: Biopsychosocial determinants of sexual health in older age: the role of health-related, relationship, and psychosexual factors

Patterns of ultra-processed foods consumption throughout childhood and trajectories of growth and adiposity

2024-11-14T07:20:00Z

Title: Patterns of ultra-processed foods consumption throughout childhood and trajectories of growth and adiposity Abstract: Abstract Background: Ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption has been associated with unhealthy outcomes. However, the literature lacks robust longitudinal studies considering its cumulative effect, particularly in young populations. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between UPF consumption patterns throughout childhood with growth and adiposity trajectories. Methods:Participants from the Generation XXI population-based birth cohort (Porto, Portugal) were included. Food frequency questionnaire items at 4, 7 and 10 years were classified according to the processing degree using the NOVA classification. UPF consumption patterns were identified using a probabilistic Gaussian mixture model using participants with complete data and predicting for the total sample (n=8647). To assess whether the outcome trajectories from 4 to 13 years of age [body weight, height, body mass index (BMI) z-score, waist circumference (WC) and fat mass percentage (FM%)] depend on the UPF patterns, a mixed-effects model with linear and quadratic terms for age and adjusted for confounders was used. Participants with at least one measurement at 4, 7, 10 or 13 years were included in this study (n range: 5885-6272). Results: Four UPF consumption patterns were identified: constantly lower consumption(15.4%), constantly intermediate consumption (56.4%), transition from low to high consumption (17.2%), and constantly higher consumption(17.1%). Compared to the constantly lower UPF consumption, the constantly higher consumption pattern was associated with greater acceleration in body weight (ß: 0.119; 95%CI: 0.027;0.212), BMI z-score (ß: 0.014; 95%CI: 0.004;0.023), WC (ß: 0.232; 95%CI: 0.144;0.319) and FM% (ß: 0.200; 95%CI: 0.092;0.308) and with lower acceleration in height (ß: -0.063; 95%CI: -0.111;-0.015). The constantly intermediate UPF consumption pattern was associated with greater acceleration in body weight (ß: 0.123; 95%CI: 0.043;0.203), WC (ß: 0.120; 95%CI: 0.045;0.195) and FM% (ß: 0.146; 95%CI: 0.054;0.238). Conclusions: Constantly higher and constantly intermediate UPF consumption throughout childhood were associated with worse growth and adiposity trajectories until adolescence.

Application of a Latent Transition Model to Estimate the Usual Prevalence of Dietary Patterns

2024-10-11T06:21:25Z

Title: Application of a Latent Transition Model to Estimate the Usual Prevalence of Dietary Patterns Abstract: Background: This study aims to derive habitual dietary patterns of the Portuguese adult population by applying two methodological approaches: a latent class model and a latent transition model. The novel application of the latent transition model allows us to determine the day-to-day variability of diet and to calculate the usual prevalence of dietary patterns. Methods: Participants are from the National Food, Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey of the Portuguese population, 2015-2016 (2029 women; 1820 men, aged >= 18 years). Diet was collected by two 24 h dietary recalls (8-15 days apart). Dietary patterns were derived by: (1) a latent class model using the arithmetic mean of food weigh intake, with concomitant variables (age and sex); (2) a latent transition model allowing the transition from one pattern to another, with the same concomitant variables. Results: Six dietary patterns were identified by a latent class model. By using a latent transition model, three dietary patterns were identified: "In-transition to Western" (higher red meat and alcohol intake; followed by middle-aged men), "Western" (higher meats/eggs and energy-dense foods intake; followed by younger men), and "Traditional-Healthier" (higher intake of fruit, vegetables and fish, characteristic of older women). Most individuals followed the same pattern on both days, but around 26% transited between "In-transition to Western" and "Western". The prevalence of the dietary patterns using a single recall day (40%, 27%, 33%, respectively) is different from the usual prevalence obtained by the latent transition probabilities (48%, 36%, 16%). Conclusion: Three dietary patterns, largely dependent on age and sex, were identified for the Portuguese adult population: "In-transition to Western" (48%), "Western" (36%), and "Traditional-Healthier" (16%), but 26% were transient between patterns. Dietary patterns are, in general, deviating from traditional habits.

A systematic review on psychological interventions for sexual health in older age

2024-09-19T06:17:24Z

Title: A systematic review on psychological interventions for sexual health in older age Abstract: ObjectivesThe present review aims to identify the existing evidence on outcome-treatment studies of psychological sexual health interventions in older age.MethodsA systematic search was conducted for studies published until October 2022. Data search was conducted on EBSCO, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases.ResultsFrom 30,840 screened records, 12 reports were selected. Results were grouped into four categories according to the intervention that was implemented.ConclusionsDespite results presenting some bias concerns, this review suggests that educational and cognitive-behavioral approaches seem to be effective for promoting sexual health in older age.

Learning and the experience of social, civic, and political participation in old age

2024-09-10T06:18:09Z

Title: Learning and the experience of social, civic, and political participation in old age Abstract: espite the increase in life expectancy and the intensification of research with older populations, little is known about the relation between adult learning and engagement in social, civic, and political participation experiences. In this study, we interviewed 18 older adults involved in a diversity of contexts, from senior universities to civic associations or political organizations to explore whether and how these were perceived as learning experiences. Our findings reinforce the vision of social, civic, and political participation as learning experiences with a strong intergenerational component, where teaching and learning coexist. Participants recognize gains in a variety of knowledge and skills, from the more technical to the more interpersonal/social and political. Previous educational background and the lack of learning opportunities in old age are recognized as barriers to participation. Therefore, social, civic, and political participation clearly seems to transcend the strictly feel good and/or recreational perspective, emerging as valid adult education experiences.

Artificial reefs through additive manufacturing: a review of their design, purposes and fabrication process for marine restoration and management

2024-05-07T06:18:44Z

Title: Artificial reefs through additive manufacturing: a review of their design, purposes and fabrication process for marine restoration and management