In vitro 3D co-culture model of human endothelial and smooth muscle cells to study pathological vascular remodeling. / Modelo de cocultivo 3D in vitro de células endoteliales y vasculares de músculo liso humanas para el estudio del remodelado vascular patológico.

Pathological vascular remodeling of the vessel wall refers to the structural and functional changes of the vessel wall that occur in response to injury that eventually leads to cardiovascular disease. The vessel wall is composed of two main types of cells, endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells, whose communication is crucial in both the development of the vasculature and the homeostasis of mature vessels. Changes in the dialogue between endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells are associated with various pathological states that triggers remodeling of the vascular wall. For many years, considerable efforts have been made to develop effective diagnoses and treatments for these pathologies by studying their mechanisms in both in vitro and in vivo models. Compared to animal models, in vitro models can provide great opportunities to obtain data in a more homogeneous, economical and massive way, providing an overview of the signaling pathways responsible for these pathologies. The implementation of three-dimensional in vitro co-culture models for the study of other pathologies has been postulated as a potentially applicable methodology, which determines the importance of its application in studies of cardiovascular diseases. In this article we present a method for culturing human endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells, grown under non-adherent conditions, that generate three-dimensional spheroidal structures with greater physiological equivalence to in vivo conditions. This in vitro modeling could be used as a study tool to identify cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the pathological processes underlying vascular remodeling.

Comparative Clinical Study of Two Tooth Whitening Protocols. A Randomized Clinical Trial. Part 2.

This study aimed to clinically evaluate the efficacy of two different home whitening protocols and to determine which is more effective: applying the whitening gel every 48 hours or every 72 hours for 6 weeks. The differences in terms of tooth sensitivity are also analyzed. A sample of 72 patients was randomly divided into 3 groups of 24 (N=24). Group A: 16% carbamide peroxide applied every 48h for 6 weeks. Group B: 16% carbamide peroxide applied every 72h for 6 weeks. Group C (control group): a placebo gel without peroxide (glycerin gel) was applied every 48h for 6 weeks. To compare the groups, color measurements were made using a spectrophotometer and ANOVA test and Bonferroni test was used. The confidence level was set at 95% (p ≤ 0.05) and no statistically significant differences between applying 16% carbamide peroxide every 48h or every 72h for 6 weeks (p> 0.05) were found. The study concluded that carbamide peroxide 16% is equally effective applied with both protocols, obtaining the same results.

Taxonomic distinctness and diversity patterns of a polychaete (Annelida) community on the continental shelf of the Southern Gulf of Mexico.

The spatial patterns of taxonomic diversity of annelid polychaete species from the continental shelf in the Southern Gulf of Mexico were examined in this study. We used taxonomic distinctness and its spatial variations to explore the diversity patterns and how they change between Southern Gulf of Mexico regions. In addition, using taxonomic distinctness as a dissimilarity measure and Ward's Clustering, we characterized three distinct faunal assemblages. We also investigated patterns of richness, taxonomic distinctness, and distance decay of similarity between sampling stations as a ß-diversity measure. Finally, we examined the spatial relationships between polychaete assemblages and environmental variables to test the relative importance of spatial and environmental components in annelid polychaete community structure from the Southern Gulf of Mexico. We used a combination of eigenvector-based multivariate analyses (dbMEMs) and distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) to quantify the relative importance of these explanatory variables on the spatial variations of taxonomic distinctness. The significance level of spatial and environmental components to the distribution of polychaete species showed that the combined effect of spatial processes and sediment characteristics explained a higher percentage of the variance than those parameters could alone.

Spin-Orbit Torque in Single-Molecule Junctions from ab Initio.

The use of electric fields applied across magnetic heterojunctions that lack spatial inversion symmetry has been previously proposed as a nonmagnetic means of controlling localized magnetic moments through spin-orbit torques (SOT). The implementation of this concept at the single-molecule level has remained a challenge, however. Here, we present first-principles calculations of SOT in a single-molecule junction under bias and beyond linear response. Employing a self-consistency scheme invoking density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's function theory including spin-orbit interaction, we compute the change of the magnetization with the bias voltage and the associated current-induced SOT. Within the linear regime our quantitative estimates for the SOT in single-molecule junctions yield values similar to those known for magnetic interfaces. Our findings contribute to an improved microscopic understanding of SOT in single molecules.

Nanosilver-based materials as feed additives: Evaluation of their transformations along in vitro gastrointestinal digestion in pigs and chickens by using an ICP-MS based analytical platform.

The use of a new nanomaterial in the feed chain requires a risk assessment that involves in vitro gastrointestinal digestions to predict its degradation and oral exposure to nanoparticles. In this study, a nanosilver-based material was incorporated into pig and chicken feed as a growth-promoting additive and subjected to the corresponding in vitro gastrointestinal digestions. An inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) analytical platform was used to obtain information about the silver released in the different digestion phases. It included conventional ICP-MS for total silver determination, but also single particle ICP-MS and coupling to hydrodynamic chromatography for detection of dissolved and particulate silver. The bioaccessible fraction in the intestinal phase accounted for 8-13% of the total silver, mainly in the form of dissolved Ag(I) species, with less than 0.1% as silver-containing particles. Despite the additive behaving differently in pig and chicken digestions, the feed matrix played a relevant role in the fate of the silver.

The beauty of pediatric musculoskeletal ultrasound.

Ultrasound is a powerful technique in pediatric imaging and musculoskeletal (MSK) imaging in many specific clinical scenarios. This article will feature some common and less common spot diagnoses in pediatric musculoskeletal ultrasound.Cases were collected by members of the Educational Committee of the ESSR (European Society of musculoSkeletal Radiology) and the Pediatric Subcommittee of the ESSR with expertise in musculoskeletal ultrasound.Fifteen clinical entities are discussed based on the features that allow diagnosis by ultrasound.Clinical history, location, and ultrasound appearance are the keys to spot diagnoses when performing pediatric musculoskeletal ultrasound. · Ultrasound in pediatric musculoskeletal imaging can achieve a diagnosis in specific clinical settings.. · Clinical history, location, and ultrasound appearance are keys to spot diagnoses.. · Knowledge of spot diagnoses in pediatric musculoskeletal ultrasound facilitates daily clinical practice..

Measured and Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate to Evaluate Rapid Progression and Changes over Time in Autosomal Polycystic Kidney Disease: Potential Impact on Therapeutic Decision-Making.

Autosomal polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is the most common genetic form of kidney failure, reflecting unmet needs in management. Prescription of the only approved treatment (tolvaptan) is limited to persons with rapidly progressing ADPKD. Rapid progression may be diagnosed by assessing glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline, usually estimated (eGFR) from equations based on serum creatinine (eGFRcr) or cystatin-C (eGFRcys). We have assessed the concordance between eGFR decline and identification of rapid progression (rapid eGFR loss), and measured GFR (mGFR) declines (rapid mGFR loss) using iohexol clearance in 140 adults with ADPKD with ≥3 mGFR and eGFRcr assessments, of which 97 also had eGFRcys assessments. The agreement between mGFR and eGFR decline was poor: mean concordance correlation coefficients (CCCs) between the method declines were low (0.661, range 0.628 to 0.713), and Bland and Altman limits of agreement between eGFR and mGFR declines were wide. CCC was lower for eGFRcys. From a practical point of view, creatinine-based formulas failed to detect rapid mGFR loss (-3 mL/min/y or faster) in around 37% of the cases. Moreover, formulas falsely indicated around 40% of the cases with moderate or stable decline as rapid progressors. The reliability of formulas in detecting real mGFR decline was lower in the non-rapid-progressors group with respect to that in rapid-progressor patients. The performance of eGFRcys and eGFRcr-cys equations was even worse. In conclusion, eGFR decline may misrepresent mGFR decline in ADPKD in a significant percentage of patients, potentially misclassifying them as progressors or non-progressors and impacting decisions of initiation of tolvaptan therapy.

What Is Considered Healthy Eating? An Exploratory Study among College Students of Nutrition and Food Science.

In modern industrialized societies, the focus on healthy eating has increased significantly across multiple sectors, including the media, public policy, expert opinion, and public awareness. The aim of this research was to explore the perceptions of healthy eating and the barriers to adopting a healthy diet among undergraduate students in Human Nutrition and Dietetics (HND) and Food Science and Technology (FST) degrees in Spain. An exploratory and descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a qualitative and quantitative methodology and convenience sampling. Two focus groups and a questionnaire were utilized (300 participants from all academic years completed the survey). Differences in definitions of healthy eating and perceived barriers were found between genders and students at different stages of training (p < 0.05). In their understanding of healthy eating, the students placed importance on balance, variety, moderation, and individual factors. Although students considered it easy to follow a healthy diet, family's eating habits, time availability, and emotional states were found to be the main barriers to the implementation of healthy practices. The obtained data supports the need to critically address perceptions of healthy eating throughout the training of nutrition and food science professionals. The insights obtained on the perceived barriers highlight the importance of considering both individual and environmental factors.

Innate biosignature of treatment failure in human cutaneous leishmaniasis.

The quality and magnitude of the immune and inflammatory responses determine the clinical outcome of Leishmania infection, and contribute to the efficacy of antileishmanial treatments. However, the precise immune mechanisms involved in healing or in chronic immunopathology of human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) are not completely understood. Through sequential transcriptomic profiling of blood monocytes (Mo), neutrophils (Nφ), and eosinophils (Eφ) over the course of systemic treatment with meglumine antimoniate, we discovered that a heightened and sustained Type I interferon (IFN) response signature is a hallmark of treatment failure (TF) in CL patients. The transcriptomes of pre-treatment, mid-treatment and end-of-treatment samples were interrogated to identify predictive and prognostic biomarkers of TF. A composite score derived from the expression of 9 differentially expressed genes (common between Mo, Nφ and Eφ) was predictive of TF in this patient cohort for biomarker discovery. Similarly, machine learning models constructed using data from pre-treatment as well as post-treatment samples, accurately classified treatment outcome between cure and TF. Results from this study instigate the evaluation of Type-I IFN responses as new immunological targets for host-directed therapies for treatment of CL, and highlight the feasibility of using transcriptional signatures as predictive biomarkers of outcome for therapeutic decision making.

Strongly Bound Excitons and Anisotropic Linear Absorption in Monolayer Graphullerene.

Graphullerene is a novel two-dimensional carbon allotrope with unique optoelectronic properties. Despite significant experimental characterization and prior density functional theory calculations, unanswered questions remain as to the nature, energy, and intensity of the electronic and optical excitations. Here, we present first-principles calculations of the quasiparticle band structure, neutral excitations, and absorption spectra of monolayer graphullerene and bulk graphullerite, employing the GW-Bethe-Salpeter equation (GW-BSE) approach. We show that strongly bound excitons dominate the absorption spectrum of monolayer graphullerene with binding energies up to 0.8 eV, while graphullerite exhibits less pronounced excitonic effects. Our calculations also reveal a strong linear polarization anisotropy, reflecting the in-plane structural anisotropy from intermolecular coupling between neighboring C60 units. We further show that the presence of Mg atoms, crucial to the synthesis process, induces structural modifications and polarizability effects, resulting in a ∼1 eV quasiparticle gap renormalization and a reduction in the exciton binding energy to ∼0.6 eV.

Conventional Radiography Assessment of the Pediatric Knee: Pearls and Pitfalls.

Knee pain is one of the most common indications for radiography in the evaluation of musculoskeletal disorders in children and adolescents. According to international guidelines, knee radiographs should be obtained when there is the suspicion of an effusion, limited motion, pain to palpation, inability to bear weight, mechanical symptoms (such as "locking"), and persistent knee pain after therapy. When indicated, radiographs can provide crucial information for the clinical decision-making process. Because of the developmental changes occurring in the knee during growth, the assessment of knee radiographs can be challenging in children and adolescents. Radiologists unfamiliar with the appearance of the knee on radiographs during skeletal maturation risk overcalling or overlooking bone lesions. Image acquisition techniques and parameters should be adapted to children. This article describes the most common challenges in distinguishing pathology from the normal appearance of knee radiographs in the pediatric population, offering some pearls and pitfalls that can be useful in clinical practice.

SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis in saliva samples: Usefulness and limitations.

Saliva samples are important for diagnosis, because they are noninvasive and easy to acquire. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the value saliva samples have in detecting SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to nasal swabs and a new system named CovidCheck. A standard methodology identified the virus in 185 nasopharyngeal swabs and saliva samples revealing a sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of 82,100,100 and 94.67%, respectively for saliva samples. Viral presence in saliva samples with the standard methodology in comparison to the CovidCheck system was evaluated in 67 samples with sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values of 68, 81, 68 and 81%, respectively. In conclusion, our results highlight the usefulness saliva samples have in detecting respiratory viral infections. However, presence of viral inhibitors and viral load in saliva, and the patient's clinical status should be considered as they might affect amplifying systems results.

Enhancing Kidney Transplant Outcomes: The Impact of Living Donor Programs.

INTRODUCTION: The protocol for deceased donor kidney transplants has been standardised. The procedure for a living donor has peculiarities derived from the differences in the graft. When a living kidney donor program is implemented, changes occur in both the profile of the kidney transplant candidate and in the postoperative treatments. AIMS: To discover whether a living donor program influences the functional outcomes of kidney grafts in a longstanding classical deceased donor kidney transplant program and to identify the factors associated with transplant outcomes. METHODS: Retrospective observational multicentre study. SAMPLE: Kidney transplant patients in two urology referral centres for renal transplant in Spain between 1994 and 2019. Groups: TV (living transplant): patients given kidney transplants from living donors (n = 150); TCpre11 (deceased transplant previous to 2011): patients given kidney transplants from deceased donors before the living donor program was implemented (n = 650); and TCpost11 (deceased transplant after 2011): patients given kidney transplants from deceased donors after the living donor program was implemented (n = 500). RESULTS: Mean age was 55.75 years (18-80 years), higher in TCpre11. There were 493 female patients (37.92%) and 1007 male patients (62.08%). Mean body mass index (BMI) was 26.69 kg/m2 (17.50-42.78 kg/m2), higher in TCpre11. Mean ischemia time was 17.97 h (6-29 h), higher in TCpost11. Median duration of urethral catheter: 8 days (6-98 days), higher in TCpost11. Median duration of double-J ureteral stent: 58 days (24-180 days), higher in TCpost11. Pretransplant UTIs: 17.77%, higher in TCpre11 (25.69%) than in TV (12%), higher in TV (12%) than TCpost11 (9.2%), and higher in TCpre11 (25.69%) than TCpost11 (9.2%). Acute renal rejection in 9.33% of TV, 14.77% of TCpre11, and 9.8% of TCpost11. Multivariate analysis: TCpost11 featured higher BMI, more smoking, and chronic renal failure progression time. Lower use of nonantibiotic prophylaxis to prevent recurrent urinary tract infections, increased duration of urethral catheters due to obstructive problems, and favoured deterioration of kidney function was observed in the deceased donor program. The living donor (LD) program had a strong influence on deceased donor transplants in the prelysis phase. Implementation of a LD program was associated with a decrease in the likelihood of acute rejection in TCpost11 and an increase in the tendency towards normal kidney function. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing living donor transplant programs affects functional outcomes in deceased donor transplants, reducing the probability of acute rejection and increasing the tendency towards normal kidney function. Preventing recurrent urinary tract infections with measures other than antibiotics, smoking cessation, delaying the removal of the double-J stent from the graft, and pre-emptive transplant (transplant prior to dialysis) are associated with improved renal function of the graft.

Corrigendum to: Calcific Tendinopathy Atypically Located Outside the Rotator Cuff: A Systematic Review.

In the online version of the article, a change was made in the author's affiliation section. The affiliation of Dr. Paolo Spinnato and Dr. Maria Pilar Aparisi Gomez in the online version of the article entitled "Calcific Tendinopathy Atypically Located Outside the Rotator Cuff: A Systematic Review" has been updated in "Current Medical Imaging", 2024; 20: e100423215585 [1]. The original article can be found online at: https://www. eurekaselect.com/article/130811 Original: Federica Delbello1, Paolo Spinnato2,* and Maria Pilar Aparisi Gomez3 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Gervasutta Hospital, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale, Udine, Italy 2Department of Radiology, Auckland City Hospital, 2 Park Road, Grafton, Auckland 1023, New Zealand 3Department of Radiology, IMSKE, Calle Suiza, 11, Valencia 46024, Spain Corrected: Federica Delbello1, Paolo Spinnato2,* and Maria Pilar Aparisi Gomez3,4 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Gervasutta Hospital, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale, Udine, Italy 2IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna Italy 3Department of Radiology, IMSKE, Calle Suiza, 11, Valencia 46024, Spain 4Department of Radiology, Auckland City Hospital, 2 Park Road, Grafton, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.

Phenotypes of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) typically develops as a consequence of liver cirrhosis, but HCC epidemiology has evolved drastically in recent years. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, has emerged as the most common chronic liver disease worldwide and a leading cause of HCC. A substantial proportion of MASLD-associated HCC (MASLD-HCC) also can develop in patients without cirrhosis. The specific pathways that trigger carcinogenesis in this context are not elucidated completely, and recommendations for HCC surveillance in MASLD patients are challenging. In the era of precision medicine, it is critical to understand the processes that define the profiles of patients at increased risk of HCC in the MASLD setting, including cardiometabolic risk factors and the molecular targets that could be tackled effectively. Ideally, defining categories that encompass key pathophysiological features, associated with tailored diagnostic and treatment strategies, should facilitate the identification of specific MASLD-HCC phenotypes. In this review, we discuss MASLD-HCC, including its epidemiology and health care burden, the mechanistic data promoting MASLD, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, and MASLD-HCC. Its natural history, prognosis, and treatment are addressed specifically, as the role of metabolic phenotypes of MASLD-HCC as a potential strategy for risk stratification. The challenges in identifying high-risk patients and screening strategies also are discussed, as well as the potential approaches for MASLD-HCC prevention and treatment.

No evidence tube entrapment distresses rodents in typical empathy tests.

In the first two experiments an empty tube open at one end was placed in different locations. Male hamsters, tested one at a time, tended to stay close to the tube or in it. During the first minute of the first 4 sessions of Experiment 3, the hamster was unrestrained. If it entered the tube, it was locked within the tube. If it did not enter the tube during the first min, it was placed in it, and the tube was locked. Fifteen min later, the tube was opened, and the hamster was unrestrained for a further 20 min. The tube remained open during Session 5. Hamsters spent more time near the tube than predicted by chance and continued to enter the tube although tube-occupancy duration did not differ from chance levels. In Experiment 4, male rats were tested in two groups: rats in one group had been previously trapped in a tube and rats in the other group allowed to freely explore the test space. For the first two min of each of four 20-min sessions, trapped-group subjects were permitted to move about the chamber unless they entered the tube. In that case, they were locked in for the remainder of the session. If, after two min, they did not enter the tube, they were locked in it for the remaining 18 min. Free rats were unrestricted in all sessions. In Session 5, when both groups were permitted to move freely in the chamber, trapped and free rats spent more time in and near the tube than predicted by chance. These data show tube restraint does not seem to distress either hamsters or rats.

Feasibility of a capacity building organizational intervention for worker safety and well-being in the transportation industry: Pivoting to address the COVID-19 pandemic and social and political unrest in Chile.

OBJECTIVE: This study developed, implemented, and evaluated the feasibility of executing an organizational capacity building intervention to improve bus driver safety and well-being in a Chilean transportation company. METHOD: Through an implementation science lens and using a pre-experimental mixed methods study design, we assessed the feasibility of implementing a participatory organizational intervention designed to build organizational capacity. RESULT: We identified contextual factors that influenced the intervention mechanisms and intervention implementation and describe how the company adapted the approach for unexpected external factors during the COVID-19 pandemic and social and political unrest experienced in Chile. CONCLUSIONS: The intervention enabled the organization to create an agile organizational infrastructure that provided the organization's leadership with new ways to be nimbler and more responsive to workers' safety and well-being needs and was robust in responding to strong external forces that were undermining worker safety and well-being.

Reducing Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections in Women with MV140 Impacts Personal Burden of Disease: Secondary Analyses of a Randomized Placebo-controlled Efficacy Study.

Background: Recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) remains a major health burden for women. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (RCT; NCT02543827) reported that female patients with rUTI receiving a sublingual vaccine, MV140, had a reduction in rUTI and increase in UTI-free rate compared with placebo. Objective: To determine the impact of MV140 on the personal burden of disease in women with rUTI using secondary endpoint data from the pivotal RCT evaluating MV140. Design setting and participants: In the primary RCT, female patients with rUTI enrolled in Spain and UK (from October 2015 to April 2019) were randomized to placebo (6 mo) or MV140 (3 or 6 mo), and followed for 12 mo. Individuals analyzed in this secondary analysis included those in the placebo and 3-mo (recommended dose) groups. Intervention: A polybacterial sublingual vaccine, MV140 (four inactivated whole-cell bacteria-Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, and Enterococcus faecalis), or placebo. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: Symptom severity scoring, antibiotic use, safety, and multiple aspects of quality of life (QoL; Short-Form Questionnaire [SF-36]) were assessed. Results and limitations: Compared with the placebo group (n = 76), the 3-mo vaccinated group (n = 74) experienced fewer overall UTI symptoms (mean symptom score 102.2 ± 222.9 vs 194.2 ± 178.8; p = 0.0002), fewer days on antibiotics (12.4 ± 17.7 vs 28.7 ± 25.2; p = 0.0001), and improved total, general, and physical SF-36 QoL improvement (differences in means for total SF-36 score 15.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.80, 22.64; p < 0.0001), with only social function QoL showing no impact (4.07; 95% CI -4.93, 13.08; p = 0.3744). Conclusions: Three months of MV140 is associated with a reduction of the personal burden of UTI by reducing overall UTI symptoms and antibiotic use, improving QoL in women with rUTI. Patient summary: Three months of MV140 vaccine, which has previously been shown to reduce the risk of urinary tract infection safely, is associated with a reduction in the personal burden of disease.

Hearing Performance in Cochlear Implant Users Who Have Facial Nerve Stimulation.

Introduction Facial nerve stimulation (FNS) is a complication in cochlear implant (CI) when the electrical current escapes from the cochlea to the nearby facial nerve. Different management to reduce its effects are available, although changes might result in a less-than-ideal fitting for the CI user, eventually reducing speech perception. Objective To verify the etiologies that cause FNS, to identify strategies in managing FNS, and to evaluate speech recognition in patients who present FNS. Methods Retrospective study approved by the Ethical Board of the Institution. From the files of a CI group, patients who were identified with FNS either during surgery or at any time postoperatively were selected. Data collection included: CI manufacturer, electrode array type, age at implantation, etiology of hearing loss, FNS identification date, number of electrodes that generated FNS, FNS management actions, and speech recognition in quiet and in noise. Results Data were collected from 7 children and 25 adults. Etiologies that cause FNS were cochlear malformation, head trauma, meningitis, and otosclerosis; the main actions included decrease in the stimulation levels followed by the deactivation of electrodes. Average speech recognition in quiet before FNS was 86% and 80% after in patients who were able to accomplish the test. However, there was great variability, ranging from 0% in quiet to 90% of speech recognition in noise. Conclusion Etiologies that cause FNS are related to cochlear morphology alterations. Facial nerve stimulation can be solved using speech processor programming parameters; however, it is not possible to predict outcomes, since results depend on other variables.