Search Results (29)

Although consumption is a key engine of economic growth, it is also one of the main drivers of environmental degradation. In this context, a deeper understanding of consumers’ perceptions and behavior regarding sustainable products is essential for promoting a more sustainable future, with behavioral change being crucial to achieving it. This research study explores consumer behavior regarding sustainable egg consumption, a sector where production is frequently associated with environmental and ethical concerns such as animal welfare and intensive resource use. Based on a sample of 197 valid responses from Portuguese egg consumers collected through an online survey distributed between 27 February and 17 March, of the year 2025, and applying the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework through a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, this study finds that consumers’ intention to consume sustainable eggs is influenced by their attitudes and subjective norms. Furthermore, actual consumption behavior is driven by both the intention to consume sustainable eggs and perceived behavioral control. By providing an in-depth analysis of consumer behavior related to sustainable egg consumption, this study contributes to the advancement of the scientific literature on the subject. It also aims to support policymakers and other stakeholders in designing and implementing more effective strategies to promote environmentally responsible consumption practices. Full article

Background/Objectives: Individualized nursing care allows for systematic assessment and intervention; considers a patient’s preferences, values, and context; and contributes to a positive care trajectory. However, its operationalization has proven to be challenging. This research aimed to evaluate nurses’ perceptions of individualized care and analyze their relationship with sociodemographic variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 122 eligible and registered nurses at a Hospital Center, in the Ophthalmology (operating room and inpatient ward) service, the Cardiology service, the Internal Medicine service, and the Medical Emergency Unit, for adults/older adults in Portugal. The nursing version of the Individualized Care Scale (ICS-Nurse) was used for the assessment, including three sub-dimensions: clinical situation, personal life situation, and decisional control over care-related decisions. Cronbach’s alpha and principal component analysis were used for the data analysis. The STROBE checklist was used to report this study. Results: No statistically significant differences were found based on the age, gender, level of education, or years of professional experience of the nurses within the sub-dimensions of individualization. The nurses overall had a good perception of the importance of individualized care (4.06 ± 0.46 ICS-A-NURSE) but faced difficulties in its implementation during the last shift they worked (3.97 ± 0.49 ICS-B-NURSE). Conclusions: The items considered to be of greatest importance were the response to the physical and emotional needs arising from illness and assistance in decision-making through educational instructions. Aspects related to the personal lives of patients, such as family inclusion in an individual’s care plan, everyday habits, and previous experiences of hospitalization, received the lowest scores. Recognizing priority areas for improvement in the individualization of nursing care can contribute to developing training programs and policies that promote a holistic approach. Future studies should consider patient outcomes related to their needs for individualization. Full article

Breakfast cereals play a crucial role in children’s diets, providing essential nutrients that are vital for their growth and development. Children are known to be more susceptible than adults to the harmful effects of food contaminants, with mycotoxins being a common concern in cereals. This study specifically investigated aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), enniatin B (ENNB), and sterigmatocystin (STG), three well-characterized mycotoxins found in cereals. The research aimed to address existing knowledge gaps by comprehensively evaluating the bioaccessibility and intestinal absorption of these three mycotoxins, both individually and in combination, when consumed with breakfast cereals and milk. The in vitro gastrointestinal method revealed patterns in the bioaccessibility of AFB1, ENNB, and STG. Overall, bioaccessibility increased as the food progressed from the stomach to the intestinal compartment, with the exception of ENNB, whose behavior differed depending on the type of milk. The ranking of overall bioaccessibility in different matrices was as follows: digested cereal > cereal with semi-skimmed milk > cereal with lactose-free milk > cereal with soy beverage. Bioaccessibility percentages varied considerably, ranging from 3.1% to 86.2% for AFB1, 1.5% to 59.3% for STG, and 0.6% to 98.2% for ENNB. Overall, the inclusion of milk in the ingested mixture had a greater impact on bioaccessibility compared to consuming the mycotoxins as a single compound or in combination. During intestinal transport, ENNB and STG exhibited the highest absorption rates when ingested together. This study highlights the importance of investigating the combined ingestion and transport of these mycotoxins to comprehensively assess their absorption and potential toxicity in humans, considering their frequent co-occurrence and the possibility of simultaneous exposure. Full article

Biosynthetic gold nanoparticles (bAuNPs) present a promising avenue for enhancing bio-compatibility and offering an economically and environmentally responsible alternative to traditional production methods, achieved through a reduction in the use of hazardous chemicals. While the potential of bAuNPs as anticancer agents has been explored, there is a limited body of research focusing on the crucial physicochemical conditions influencing bAuNP production. In this study, we aim to identify the optimal growth phase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cultures that maximizes the redox potential and coordinates the formation of bAuNPs with increased efficiency. The investigation employs 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP) as a redox indicator. Simultaneously, we explore the impact of temperature, pH, and incubation duration on the biosynthesis of bAuNPs, with a specific emphasis on their potential application as antitumor agents. Characterization of the resulting bAuNPs is conducted using ATR-FT-IR, TEM, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. To gain insights into the anticancer potential of bAuNPs, an experimental model is employed, utilizing both non-neoplastic (HPEpiC) and neoplastic (PC3) epithelial cell lines. Notably, P. aeruginosa cultures at 9 h/OD600 = 1, combined with biosynthesis at pH 9.0 for 24 h at 58 °C, produce bAuNPs that exhibit smaller, more spherical, and less aggregated characteristics. Crucially, these nanoparticles demonstrate negligible effects on HPEpiC cells while significantly impacting PC3 cells, resulting in reduced viability, migration, and lower IL-6 levels. This research lays the groundwork for the development of more specialized, economical, and ecologically friendly treatment modalities. Full article

Vaccine hesitancy tends to exhibit geographical patterns and is often associated with social deprivation and migrant status. We aimed to estimate COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in a high-vaccination-acceptance country, Portugal, and determine its association with sociodemographic risk factors. We used the Registry of National Health System Users to determine the eligible population and the Vaccination Registry to determine individuals without COVID-19 vaccine doses. Individuals older than five with no COVID-19 vaccine dose administered by 31 March 2022 were considered hesitant. We calculated hesitancy rates by municipality, gender, and age group for all municipalities in mainland Portugal. We used the spatial statistical scan method to identify spatial clusters and the Besag, Yorke, and Mollié (BYM) model to estimate the effect of age, gender, social deprivation, and migrant proportion across all mainland municipalities. The eligible population was 9,852,283, with 1,212,565 (12%) COVID-19 vaccine-hesitant individuals. We found high-hesitancy spatial clusters in the Lisbon metropolitan area and the country’s southwest. Our model showed that municipalities with higher proportions of migrants are associated with an increased relative risk (RR) of vaccine hesitancy (RR = 8.0; CI 95% 4.6; 14.0). Social deprivation and gender were not associated with vaccine hesitancy rates. We found COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has a heterogeneous distribution across Portugal and has a strong association with the proportion of migrants per municipality. Full article

Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is a Gram-positive anaerobic facultative bacterium that is part of the human skin commensal microbiome. It colonizes various regions of the body, including the face, back, and chest. While typically a harmless commensal, under certain conditions, C. acnes can become pathogenic, leading to or promoting conditions such as acne vulgaris (AV), post-surgical infections, prostate cancer, and sarcoidosis. Current treatments for C. acnes infections often involve antibiotics, but the rise of antibiotic resistance has raised concerns. This review presents the virulence factors, clinical relevance, and current treatments of C. acnes, highlighting its association with AV, post-surgical infections, and other diseases. It also explores alternative innovative therapies such as phage therapy in development/research that are gaining prominence, with a growing focus on personalized medical approaches. To enhance C. acnes treatment while minimizing side effects and antibiotic prescription concerns, numerous clinical studies have been undertaken. These investigations span various pathological profiles and employ diverse strategies, such as utilizing bacterial extracts and compounds to restore healthy skin flora. The limitations and challenges of current and innovative treatments are also addressed, emphasizing the need for multidisciplinary strategies to combat C. acnes infections effectively. Full article

Increased genetic risk for melanoma can occur in the context of germline pathogenic variants in high-penetrance genes, such as CDKN2A and CDK4, risk variants in low- to moderate-penetrance genes (MC1R and MITF), and possibly due to variants in emerging genes, such as ACD, TERF2IP, and TERT. We aimed to identify germline variants in high- and low- to moderate-penetrance melanoma risk genes in Brazilian patients with clinical criteria for familial melanoma syndrome. We selected patients with three or more melanomas or melanoma patients from families with three tumors (melanoma and pancreatic cancer) in first- or second-degree relatives. Genetic testing was performed with a nine-gene panel (ACD, BAP1, CDK4, CDKN2A, POT1, TERT, TERF2IP, MC1R, and MITF). In 36 patients, we identified 2 (5.6%) with germline pathogenic variants in CDKN2A and BAP1 and 4 (11.1%) with variants of uncertain significance in the high-penetrance genes. MC1R variants were found in 86.5%, and both red hair color variants and unknown risk variants were enriched in patients compared to a control group. The low frequency of germline pathogenic variants in the high-penetrance genes and the high prevalence of MC1R variants found in our cohort show the importance of the MC1R genotype in determining the risk of melanoma in the Brazilian melanoma-prone families. Full article

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) is an opportunistic pathogen, lethal in immunocompromised individuals. The clinical management of PAO1 infections still depends deeply on antibiotic therapy. However, this therapy has been alarmingly overpowered by growing bacterial resistance mechanisms over the years. One of these bacterial mechanisms is quorum sensing (QS). QS is involved in the production of biofilm, rhamnolipids and pyocyanin, among other factors. The present study aimed to study the effect of the mutations in the genes of rubredoxin (Rub A1 and Rub A2) and glutaredoxin (GLRx) in the production of virulence traits and susceptibility of PAO1 to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) and to infection by a phage cocktail. Rub A1, Rub A2, and GLRx showed a decrease in the expression of genes lasI, lasR, mvfR, and rpsL when compared to the wild type, PAO1. Rub A1 and Rub A2 also showed a decrease in the expression of the gene pqsA, while the mutant GLRx showed an increase of over 200% in expression compared to PAO1. The biofilm produced by the mutants Rub A1, Rub A2, and GLRx increased more than 1.5 times in comparison to PAO1, with statistical significance (p < 0.0001). In the viability assay, the mutant strain Rub A2 was the most susceptible to ciprofloxacin in both concentrations tested (p < 0.0001). The production of proteases increased in the mutant strains when compared to PAO1 (p < 0.05). However, there was a decrease in the production of rhamnolipids and pyocyanins in the mutant strains. In the phage assay, we could perceive a reduction in the growth of the mutant strains when compared to PAO1. Additionally, after the addition of the phages, all the strains showed susceptibility to the phage assay (p < 0.0001), observed in the decrease in the absorbance values. These results may highlight the relevance of the genes Rub A1, Rub A2, and GLRX in the proliferation and treatment of infections with PAO1. Overall, this study gives preliminary insights into how gene expression may be helpful in strategies to overcome antibiotic resistance. Full article

The objective of this work is to evaluate the influence of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) in the behavior of breast cell lines (epithelial and tumor type) and related oxidative metabolism. Fruit-based functional foods have been the target of increasing scientific research for their physiological and pathophysiological properties. Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a suitable example with both prophylactic and medicinal effects. MCF-7 cell line from tumor breast carcinoma, and MCF-10A cell line from normal epithelial mammary gland were used and subjected to different concentrations of PPE, ranging from 1 to 5 mM of gallic acid equivalents (GAE). Viability, proliferation, mobility, and cytotoxicity assays were performed along with the quantification of antioxidant enzymes, namely, catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione. We observed a decrease in viability and proliferation of MCF-7 cells, at higher concentrations of PPE, with no influence in epithelial cells. Interestingly, in a concentration-dependent manner, PPE triggered a significant decrease in migration on both cell lines, with a more pronounced effect in breast cancer cell line. Regarding antioxidant enzyme activity, on tumor cells higher concentrations of PPE decreased catalase activity and significantly increased SOD activity. Regarding GSH and GSSG, we observed different expression levels between MCF-7 and MCF-10A, with MCF-7 presenting lower levels compared to MCF-10A. GSH/GSSG ratio was notably higher in MCF-7 at 5 mM GAE. PPE exhibits anti-tumor effects without significantly affecting normal epithelial cells. Our work strengthens the potential antitumoral effect of PPE by reducing MCF-7 cell viability and proliferation through the imbalance of antioxidant enzymes. Full article

This study characterises microplastics in small cetaceans on the coast of Portugal and assesses the relationship between several biological variables and the amount of detected microplastics. The intestines of 38 stranded dead cetaceans were processed in the laboratory, with digestion methods adapted to the amount of organic matter in each sample. The influence of several biological and health variables (e.g., species, sex, body condition) on the amount of microplastics was tested in all analysed species and particularly in common dolphins, due to the larger number of available samples. Most of the analysed individuals had microplastics in the intestine (92.11%), with harbour porpoises revealing a significantly higher median number of microplastics than common dolphins, probably due to their different diets, use of habitat and feeding strategies. None of the other tested variables significantly influenced the number of microplastics. Moreover, the microplastics found should not be enough to cause physical or chemical sublethal effects, although the correlation between microplastic ingestion and plastic additive bioaccumulation in cetacean tissues requires further investigation. Future monitoring in biota should rely on improved and standardised protocols for microplastic analyses in complex samples to allow for accurate analyses of larger samples and spatio-temporal comparisons. Full article

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have garnered attention as a potential alternative to conventional antibiotics due to their innovative antibacterial properties. This study demonstrates the successful production of biosynthetic gold nanoparticles (bAuNPs) using Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) as spherical nanostructures at 58 °C for 24 h, under alkaline pH (9.0). The successful synthesis of bAuNPs was confirmed through UV-Vis spectroscopy, exhibiting a characteristic peak within the 500–600 nm wavelength range, and the evaluation of the main functional groups and morphology were stressed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), respectively. Subsequently, the synthesized bAuNPs were combined with low concentrations of ampicillin and evaluated against Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) through the classical serial dilution method. This innovative approach holds the potential to address the escalating issue of antibiotic resistance, providing a viable and sustainable solution. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted daily life, impacting relationships, work, and education. This has led to increased stress, anxiety, and depression, along with altered sleep patterns and eating behaviors. Quarantine and isolation have worsened mental health, especially in children and the elderly, due to the loss of activities and physical contact. Sleep disorders and negative dreams perpetuate poor sleep quality, increasing the risk of health issues. Sedentary lifestyles and emotional effects contribute to unhealthy eating patterns and obesity, exacerbated by disrupted routines and limited outdoor activities. Addressing these challenges requires prioritizing mental health, promoting healthy sleep habits, and addressing obesity factors. The pandemic has profoundly affected human well-being, but resilience, mental health, sleep, and nutrition can enhance overall well-being and adaptability in the post-COVID era. This comprehensive opinion aims to raise awareness of the wide-ranging impacts of this pandemic on various aspects of human well-being and to emphasize the importance of implementing strategies that prioritize mental health, improve sleep habits, address eating behaviors, and foster resilience to navigate and thrive in the face of future challenges. Full article

The Iberian harbour porpoise population is small and fisheries bycatch has been described as one of its most important threats. Data on harbour porpoise strandings collected by the Portuguese and Galician stranding networks between 2000 and 2020 are indicative of a recent mortality increase in the western Iberian coast (particularly in northern Portugal). Overall, in Portugal and Galicia, individuals stranded due to confirmed fishery interaction represented 46.98% of all analysed porpoises, and individuals stranded due to probable fishery interaction represented another 10.99% of all analysed porpoises. Considering the Portuguese annual abundance estimates available between 2011 and 2015, it was possible to calculate that an annual average of 207 individuals was removed from the population in Portuguese waters alone, which largely surpasses the potential biological removal (PBR) estimates (22 porpoises, CI: 12–43) for the same period. These results are conservative and bycatch values from strandings are likely underestimated. A structured action plan accounting for new activities at sea is needed to limit the Iberian porpoise population decline. Meanwhile, there is an urgent need for a fishing effort reorganization to directly decrease porpoise mortality. Full article

We aim to examine the changes in health-related physical fitness components, before and after COVID-19 social restrictions, in Police Academy cadets by age, sex, and physical activity (PA) level. A longitudinal analysis of 156 cadets (29.5% women) aged 25.4 ± 5.3 years old was conducted. All variables were collected before and after the lockdown period (13 weeks). PA levels were assessed with a self-reported questionnaire. Health-related physical fitness components were assessed based on the standardized protocols of morphological evaluation, speed, agility, strength, flexibility, and aerobic capacity tests. Despite the high correlations between pre- and post-pandemic social restrictions, we found significantly higher values for anthropometric indicators and lower physical fitness levels in post-pandemic restrictions, except for lower-body strength. When stratifying the sample by sex, age, and PA categories, the results indicate that the COVID-19 lockdown tends to differently impact anthropometric indicators and the physical fitness of the cadets, according to their sex, age, and PA categories. Our findings show that our sample reduces several health-related physical fitness components due to the social lockdown, with emphasis on cardiorespiratory fitness in men and upper-limb strength in women, highlighting the need to create effective strategies to keep police officers active during situations of less physical work. Full article