Browsing by Author "Pereira, Paula"
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- Anthropometric and body composition characterisation of competition Portuguese crossfit athletesPublication . Oliveira, João; Fonseca, Luís; Vicente, Filipa; Pereira, Paula
- Artemia salina model: An important tool to screen general toxicity samplesPublication . Ntungwe, Epole; Isca, Vera M. S.; Pereira, Paula; Cebola, Maria-João; Rijo, PatriciaMedicinal plants are a good source of novel therapeutic drugs, due to the phytochemicals present. Artemia, commonly known as brine shrimp, is a tiny halophilic invertebrate belonging to class Crustacean, which plays an important role in saline aquatic and marine eco-systems. Besides its usage in aquaculture, it is also highly valued for its application in toxicity detection and it is used in areas such as Ecology, Physiology, Ecotoxicology, Aquaculture and Genetics. Furthermore, Artemia based lethality assay (brine shrimp lethality assay, BSLA) is rapid, convenient and low cost. Presently, brine shrimp lethality assays are enormously employed in research and applied toxicology. It has been used in the study of natural products as a preliminary toxicity assay to screen a large number of extracts and compounds for drug discovery in medicinal plants. The aim of this review paper is to collect, organize, select and discuss the existing knowledge about the different uses of Artemia salina as a bench-top bioassay for the discovery and purification of bioactive natural products.
- Association between dietary inflammatory index and periodontitis: a cross-sectional and mediation analysisPublication . Machado, Vanessa; Botelho, João; Viana, João; Pereira, Paula; Lopes, Luísa Bandeira; Proença, Luís; Delgado, Ana Sintra; Mendes, José JoãoInflammation-modulating elements are recognized periodontitis (PD) risk factors, nevertheless, the association between dietary inflammatory index (DII) and PD has never been appraised. We aimed to assess the association between DII and PD and the mediation effect of DII in the association of PD with systemic inflammation. Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2010, 2011–2012 and 2013–2014, participants who received periodontal exam and provided dietary recall data were included. The inflammatory potential of diet was calculated via DII. PD was defined according to the 2012 case definition. White blood cells (WBC), segmented neutrophils and C-reactive protein (CRP) were used as proxies for systemic inflammation. The periodontal measures were regressed across DII values using adjusted multivariate linear regression and adjusted mediation analysis. Overall, 10,178 participants were included. DII was significantly correlated with mean periodontal probing depth (PPD), mean clinical attachment loss (CAL), thresholds of PPD and CAL, WBC, segmented neutrophils and DII (p < 0.01). A linear regression logistic adjusted for multiple confounding variables confirmed the association between DII and mean PPD (B = 0.02, Standard Error [SE]: 0.02, p < 0.001) and CAL (B = −0.02, SE: 0.01, p < 0.001). The association of mean PPD and mean CAL with both WBC and segmented neutrophils were mediated by DII (from 2.1 to 3.5%, p < 0.001). In the 2009–2010 subset, the association of mean CAL with serum CRP was mediated by DII (52.0%, p < 0.01). Inflammatory diet and PD may be associated. Also, the inflammatory diet significantly mediated the association of leukocyte counts and systemic inflammation with PD.
- Blood pressure and tooth loss : a large cross-sectional study with age mediation analysisPublication . Mendes, José João; Viana, João; Cruz, Filipe; Pereira, Dinis; Ferreira, Sílvia; Pereira, Paula; Proença, Luís; Machado, Vanessa; Botelho, João; Rua, João; Delgado, Ana SintraWe aimed to investigate the association between blood pressure (BP) and tooth loss and the mediation effect of age. A cross-sectional study from a reference dental hospital was conducted from September 2017 to July 2020. Single measures of BP were taken via an automated sphygmomanometer device. Tooth loss was assessed through oral examination and confirmed radiographically. Severe tooth loss was defined as 10 or more teeth lost. Additional study covariates were collected via sociodemographic and medical questionnaires. A total of 10,576 patients were included. Hypertension was more prevalent in severe tooth loss patients than nonsevere tooth lost (56.1% vs. 39.3%, p < 0.001). The frequency of likely undiagnosed hypertension was 43.4%. The adjusted logistic model for sex, smoking habits and body mass index confirmed the association between continuous measures of high BP and continuous measures of tooth loss (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03–1.06, p < 0.001). Age mediated 80.0% and 87.5% of the association between periodontitis with both systolic BP (p < 0.001) and diastolic BP (p < 0.001), respectively. Therefore, hypertension and tooth loss are associated, with a consistent mediation effect of age. Frequency of undiagnosed hypertension was elevated. Age, gender, active smoking, and BMI were independently associated with raised BP.
- Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire to assess cocoa consumption in university studentsPublication . Vicente, Filipa; Saldaña-Ruíz, Sandra; Rabanal, Manel; Rodríguez-Lagunas, María J; Pereira, Paula; Pérez-Cano, Francisco J.; Castell, Margarida
- Development and validation of an anthropometric equation to predict fat mass percentage in professional and semi-professional male futsal playersPublication . Giro, Rita; Matias, Catarina N.; Campa, Francesco; Santos, Diana A.; Cavaca, Margarida L.; Duque, Pedro; Oliveira, Marco; Matos, Nuno; Vicente, Filipa; Pereira, Paula; Santos, Heitor O.; Tinsley, Grant M.; Teixeira, Filipe J.This study aimed to (i) characterise the body composition of professional and semi-professional male futsal players, (ii) assess the validity of commonly used equations to estimate FM%, (iii) develop and cross-validate a futsal-specific FM% prediction equation. In a cross-sectional design, 78 adult male futsal players were assessed for body mass, stature, skinfolds, and girths as per the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry protocol and completed a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan for reference body composition data. Using paired-sample t-tests, the FM% from the DXA and nine published equations were compared. New sport-specific models were developed by stepwise multiple regression. Existing equations were cross-validated using the least squares regression, concordance correlation coefficient, and the Bland–Altman analyses. New equations were further cross-validated using the PRESS approach. None of the existing equations accurately predicted the DXA-derived FM% (p < 0.001; R2 ≤ 0.76, SEE ≥ 1.59; CCC ≤ 0.83; bias = −8.2% to −1.3%, limited agreement, and varying trends). The novel Bettery® equation: −0.620 + (0.159 ∗ Σ4SKF [triceps, abdominal, iliac crest, and front thigh (mm)]) + (0.120 ∗ waist girth (cm)), demonstrated a high accuracy (R2 = 0.85, SEE = 1.32%), a moderate strength of agreement (CCC = 0.92), no bias (0.2%), good agreement (±2.5%), and no trend (r = −0.157; p = 0.170) against the DXA. The Bettery® equation is the first to allow for a valid and sport-specific assessment of FM% in male futsal players.
- Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a comprehensive review of the evidencePublication . Ramalho, Renata; Pereira, Ana Colaço; Vicente, Filipa; Pereira, PaulaAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is considered the most common behavioural disorder in school-age children. ADHD is a complex and multifactorial disorder characterised by a variety of symptoms, including concentration problems, excessive motor activity and impulsivity which interferes with execution of simple school tasks. Diagnosis has been essentially subjective, since no specific laboratory tests are available. However, ADHD remains overdiagnosed, probably due to social pressures for children to be successful in school from an early age, which leads parents to seek medical support. Although therapeutic approaches for ADHD have been essentially pharmacologic, in recent years several studies were performed to investigate the role of nutrition, especially omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (omega 3-PUFA), in the development and treatment of this disorder. In this review, the authors gathered the most relevant evidence regarding omega 3-PUFA, mainly docosahexaenoic acid, as coadjutant or as a single therapy, in the management of ADHD symptoms. The authors also reviewed this disorder's current medical and therapeutic features.
- Effect of different cooking methods on the content of total vitamin C, ascorbic acid and dehydroascorbic acid of the galega kalePublication . Vieira, Carolina; Silva, Marta da; Simões, Margarida; Rodrigues, Gonçalo; Albuquerque, Tânia; Ramalho, Renata; Pereira, Paula
- Food intake assessment and anthropometric characterisation of teenage gymnastsPublication . Holanda, Marcela; Lavado, Patrícia; Vicente, Filipa; Ramalho, Renata; Pereira, Paula
- Frequência da desnutrição em idosos institucionalizados com doenças neurológicasPublication . Gomes, Rita; Miranda, Diana; Pereira, Paula; Godinho, Catarina; Ferreira, Joaquim J.