Minimizing neurovascular complications during image-guided percutaneous cryoablation of a cervical spinal aneurysmal bone cyst using protective doxycycline sclerotherapy: a case report.

Background: Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC) are rare, locally aggressive bone tumors primarily observed in pediatric patients. Surgical curettage is the treatment of choice. Image-guided percutaneous cryoablation (CYOA) is a recently implemented alternative technique in cases not amenable to surgery. CYOA may be limited if the lesion is close to critical neurovascular structures. In this case report, a cervical spinal ABC was successfully treated using CYOA in combination with complementary and protective image-guided percutaneous doxycycline sclerotherapy (DS) to dissect and treat the portion of the lesion in contact with critical structures. Case Description: A 4-year-old male presented with a symptomatic ABC within the C5 vertebral body, which encompassed the right vertebral artery and contacted the right C5-C6 spinal cord and nerve roots. After ruling out surgery due to the proximity of critical neurovascular structures, treatment with CYOA was performed. However, subsequent follow-up showed recurrence in the part of the lesion contacting critical structures. A second approach was then decided, using DS to dissect and treat the most vulnerable portion and CYOA to treat the remaining tumor. Follow-up showed almost complete sclerosis of the lesion and total resolution of symptoms 3 years after treatment. Conclusions: Using DS to dissect and treat the portion of the lesion in contact with critical neurovascular structures during CYOA treatment of a cervical spinal ABC allowed for a safe and effective approach in our case.

Long-Term Effect of Maternal Antioxidant Supplementation on the Lipid Profile of the Progeny According to the Sow's Parity Number.

Pig feeding prior to the extensive fattening phase might affect the final lipid profile and product quality. This study evaluates how maternal supplementation with vitamin E (VITE) (100 mg/kg), hydroxytyrosol (HXT) (1.5 mg/kg), or combined administration (VE + HXT) affects the piglet's plasma and tissues' fatty acid profiles and lipid stability according to the sow's parity number (PN), as well as the possible changes to the lipid profile after extensive feeding. The sows' PN affected the total fatty acid profile of plasma, muscle, and liver of piglets, with lower Δ-9 and Δ-6 desaturase indices but higher Δ-5 in those from primiparous (P) than multiparous (M) sows. Dietary VITE was more effective at decreasing C16:0 and saturated fatty acids in the muscle of piglets born from M than P sows, and modified the liver phospholipids in a different way. Sows' supplementation with HXT increased C18:2n-6 in triglycerides and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in muscle phospholipids. In the liver, HXT supplementation also increased free-PUFA and free-n-3 fatty acids. However, lipid oxidation of piglets' tissues was not affected by the antioxidant supplementation, and it was higher in the livers of piglets born from M sows. The fatty acid profile in the muscle of pigs after extensive feeding was not affected by the PN, but it was by the sows' antioxidant supplementation, with positive effects on quality by both compounds.

Evaluating the daily modulation of FADD and related molecular markers in different brain regions in male rats.

Fas-Associated protein with Death Domain (FADD), a key molecule controlling cell fate by balancing apoptotic versus non-apoptotic functions, is dysregulated in post-mortem brains of subjects with psychopathologies, in animal models capturing certain aspects of these disorders, and by several pharmacological agents. Since persistent disruptions in normal functioning of daily rhythms are linked with these conditions, oscillations over time of key biomarkers, such as FADD, could play a crucial role in balancing the clinical outcome. Therefore, we characterized the 24-h regulation of FADD (and linked molecular partners: p-ERK/t-ERK ratio, Cdk-5, p35/p25, cell proliferation) in key brain regions for FADD regulation (prefrontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus). Samples were collected during Zeitgeber time (ZT) 2, ZT5, ZT8, ZT11, ZT14, ZT17, ZT20, and ZT23 (ZT0, lights-on or inactive period; ZT12, lights-off or active period). FADD showed similar daily fluctuations in all regions analyzed, with higher values during lights off, and opposite to p-ERK/t-ERK ratios regulation. Both Cdk-5 and p35 remained stable and did not change across ZT. However, p25 increased during lights off, but exclusively in striatum. Finally, no 24-h modulation was observed for hippocampal cell proliferation, although higher values were present during lights off. These results demonstrated a clear daily modulation of FADD in several key brain regions, with a more prominent regulation during the active time of rats, and suggested a key role for FADD, and molecular partners, in the normal physiological functioning of the brain's daily rhythmicity, which if disrupted might participate in the development of certain pathologies.

Imaging of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension before, during and after balloon pulmonary angioplasty.

Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) has recently been elevated as a class I recommendation for the treatment of inoperable or residual chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Proper patient selection, procedural safety, and post-procedural evaluation are crucial in the management of these patients, with imaging work-up playing a pivotal role. Understanding the diagnostic and therapeutic imaging algorithms of CTEPH, the imaging features of patients amenable to BPA, all imaging findings observed during and immediately after the procedure and the changes observed during the follow-up is crucial for all interventional radiologists involved in the care of patients with CTEPH. This article illustrates the imaging work-up of patients with CTEPH amenable to BPA, the imaging findings observed before, during and after BPA, and provides a detailed description of all imaging modalities available for CTEPH evaluation.

Economic evaluation of percutaneous cryoablation vs conventional surgery in extra-abdominal desmoid tumours in the Spanish healthcare system.

BACKGROUND: Desmoid tumours (DTs) or deep fibromatosis are benign soft-tissue tumours, sometimes locally aggressive, requiring intervention on some cases. Surgery has been the gold standard, but new less invasive techniques such as percutaneous cryoablation have proved their effectiveness, reducing health resources and complications. The study aimed to compare the total cost of percutaneous cryoablation and conventional surgery for patients with extra-abdominal and/or abdominal wall DTs, candidates for local ablative treatment in Spain. METHODS: A cost-analysis model was developed. An expert panel provided data about resource consumption for the percutaneous cryoablation technique and validated the epidemiology used for target population estimation. Unitary resources cost (€ 2022) derived from local cost databases. A retrospective analysis of 54 surgical cases in 3 Spanish hospitals was performed to estimate the cost of conventional surgery based on the cost of the Diagnosis-Related group (DRG) codes identified on this patient sample, weighted by each DRG proportion. The total cost for each alternative included intervention cost and complications cost, considering debridement required in 4.5% of cases with percutaneous cryoablation and minor surgery for surgical site infection in 18.0% for conventional surgery. RESULTS: The total cost for percutaneous cryoablation (€ 5774.78/patient-year) was lower than the total cost for conventional surgery (€ 6780.98/patient-year), yielding cost savings up to € 80,002 in 1 year for the entire cohort of 80 patients with DTs eligible for intervention estimated in Spain. One-way sensitivity analyses confirmed the results' robustness. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous cryoablation versus conventional surgery would yield cost savings for the management of DT patients in Spain. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This manuscript provides insight into the economic impact derived from the savings related to the use of percutaneous cryoablation for desmoid-type tumours from the perspective of the Spanish National Healthcare System, providing useful information for the health decision-making process. KEY POINTS: • Desmoid tumours are locally aggressive and may require local therapy. • Percutaneous cryoablation procedure is less invasive than the conventional surgery. • Cost comparison shows savings associated to percutaneous cryoablation use.

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis Presenting as Simultaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

A 37-year-old pregnant woman presented to the emergency department with central facial palsy, ipsilateral right hemiparesis, and seizures. Brain Computed Tomogram (CT) showed intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and bilateral frontal edema. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multifocal hemorrhages consistent with a diagnosis of multiple simultaneous ICH (MSICH) (Figure 1). We suspected cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) and performed a MR angiogram confirming this diagnosis (Figure 2). Upon admission, the patient was treated with low-molecular-weight heparin and transitioned to direct oral anticoagulation at discharge. Non traumatic MSICH is a rare imaging finding with high mortality, usually arterial in origin (1). However, since treatment options vary, cerebral venous thrombosis should always be considered in the differential diagnosis, especially in young female patients with known risk factors, such as pregnancy and puerperium (2-4). MRI modalities (Echo-GRE) are valuable tools in identifying ICH when CT is inconclusive (5).

Imaging in interventional oncology, the better you see, the better you treat.

Imaging and image processing is the fundamental pillar of interventional oncology in which diagnostic, procedure planning, treatment and follow-up are sustained. Knowing all the possibilities that the different image modalities can offer is capital to select the most appropriate and accurate guidance for interventional procedures. Despite there is a wide variability in physicians preferences and availability of the different image modalities to guide interventional procedures, it is important to recognize the advantages and limitations for each of them. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the most frequently used image guidance modalities for interventional procedures and its typical and future applications including angiography, computed tomography (CT) and spectral CT, magnetic resonance imaging, Ultrasound and the use of hybrid systems. Finally, we resume the possible role of artificial intelligence related to image in patient selection, treatment and follow-up.

Primary architecture and energy requirements of Type III and Type IV secretion systems.

Many pathogens use Type III and Type IV protein secretion systems to secrete virulence factors from the bacterial cytosol into host cells. These systems operate through a one-step mechanism. The secreted substrates (protein or nucleo-protein complexes in the case of Type IV conjugative systems) are guided to the base of the secretion channel, where they are directly delivered into the host cell in an ATP-dependent unfolded state. Despite the numerous disparities between these secretion systems, here we have focused on the structural and functional similarities between both systems. In particular, on the structural similarity shared by one of the main ATPases (EscN and VirD4 in Type III and Type IV secretion systems, respectively). Interestingly, these ATPases also exhibit a structural resemblance to F1-ATPases, which suggests a common mechanism for substrate secretion. The correlation between structure and function of essential components in both systems can provide significant insights into the molecular mechanisms involved. This approach is of great interest in the pursuit of identifying inhibitors that can effectively target these systems.

Relación entre la Temperatura de Superficie, la Composición Corporal e Indicadores Antropométricos de Obesidad y Sobrepeso / Relationship Between Surface Temperature, Body Composition and Anthropometric Indicators of Obesity and Overweight

La termografía por infrarrojo (TI) permite evaluar la temperatura corporal, medir los cambios en la disipación del calor corporal en superficie y relacionarlos con las características de composición corporal e índices antropométricos. Aumentar el número de registros de zonas corporales evaluadas con TI y establecer las relaciones de estas temperaturas (32 áreas corporales) con variables de composición corporal e índices antropométricos, como el índice de masa corporal (IMC), índice cintura cadera, índice cintura estatura, en hombres adultos divididos según su estado ponderal. Participaron 60 hombres, adultos sanos, divididos en 2 grupos: grupo 1 (n=30), con IMC ≤ 24,9, edad 23,2 ± 3,9 años, masa corporal 66,5 ± 6,5 kg, y talla 170,5 ± 7,4 cm; y, grupo 2 (n= 30), con IMC > 24,9, edad 29,4 ± 9,9 años, masa corporal 84,5 ± 11,9 kg, y talla 172,0 ± 7,18 cm. Se realizaron evaluaciones antropométricas y de TI. Sujetos con IMC ≤ 24,9 kg/ m2 presentaron valores mayores de temperatura superficial, en todas las zonas estudiadas, a diferencia de los sujetos con niveles de IMC > 24,9 kg/m2, donde la disipación del calor corporal fue menor. Existe una estrecha relación entre la temperatura superficial de la piel y el IMC, donde sujetos con un IMC normal mostraron una disipación de calor y valores de temperatura superficial mayores, en todas las zonas evaluadas, a diferencia de los sujetos con un IMC que se encontraba por encima del límite de normalidad.

SUMMARY: Infrared thermography (IT) makes it possible to assess body temperature, measure changes in body heat dissipation on the surface, and relate them to body composition characteristics and anthropometric indices. The objective of this study was to increase the number of records of body areas evaluated with IT and establish the relationships of these temperatures (32 body areas) with body composition variables and anthropometric indices, such as body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio, waist-height ratio, in adult men divided according to their weight status. A total of 60 healthy adult men participated, divided into 2 groups: group 1 (n=30), with a body mass index (BMI) ≤ 24.9, age 23.2 ± 3.9 years, body mass 66.5 ± 6.5 kg, and height 170.5 ± 7.4 cm; and, group 2 (n = 30), with BMI > 24.9, age 29.4 ± 9.9 years, body mass 84.5 ± 11.9 kg, and height 172.0 ± 7.18 cm. Anthropometric and IT assessments were performed. Subjects with BMI ≤ 24.9 kg/ m2 presented higher values of surface temperature in all areas studied, unlike subjects with BMI levels > 24.9 kg/m2, where body heat dissipation was lower. There is a close relationship between skin surface temperature and BMI, where subjects with a normal BMI showed higher heat dissipation and surface temperature values, in all evaluated areas, unlike subjects with a BMI that was above the normal limit.

Relación entre Índices Antropométricos de Obesidad y Condición Física en Escolares de 9 a 14 Años de la Región de Valparaíso, Chile / Relationship Between Anthropometric Indices of Obesity and Physical Condition in Schoolchildren Aged 9 to 14 Years From the Valparaíso Region, Chile

Los objetivos de este estudio fueron 1) describir factores antropométricos asociados a la obesidad y pruebas de condición física junto con 2) determinar la correlación entre estas variables en un grupo de escolares provenientes de la región de Valparaíso. Participaron un total de 109 escolares divididos por sexo y por grupos de edad. Los escolares fueron divididos en dos grupos entre 9 a 11 años (24 hombres= 47,98 ± 10,4 kg; 145,73 ± 7,3 cm; 25 mujeres= 45,06 ± 11,1 kg; 145,30 ± 6,6 cm) y entre 12 a 14 años (24 hombres= 54,85 ± 13,2 kg; 158,42 ± 8,8 cm; 36 mujeres= 52,21 ± 9,1 kg; 155,36 ± 6,1 cm). Se realizaron evaluaciones de la condición física utilizadas en el proceso de evaluación del Sistema de Medición de la Calidad de la Educación (SIMCE) de educación física para escolares chilenos. Estas evaluaciones incluyeron parámetros de flexibilidad, carrera, salto horizontal, y resistencia muscular. Junto con esto, se evaluaron variables antropométricas como peso, estatura y perímetro de cintura para establecer índices antropométricos de obesidad como el índice de masa corporal (IMC), el perímetro de cintura (PC) y el índice de cintura estatura (ICE). Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los grupos de hombres de los diferentes grupos de edad en las pruebas de condición física, resistencia muscular abdominal (p = 0,001), salto horizontal (p = 0,002) y prueba de carrera (p = 0,003). Entre los grupos de mujeres se encontraron diferencias significativas en las variables de condición física, salto horizontal (p = 0,002) y carrera (p = 0,003). Tanto en hombres como en mujeres del grupo de 9 a 11 años se encontraron correlaciones significativas entre las variables antropométricas con pruebas de salto horizontal y capacidad de carrera (p = 0,03, r = -0,42 - 0,83, moderado a muy fuerte). En este mismo grupo solo las mujeres presentaron una correlación significativa entre parámetros antropométricos y la prueba de resistencia muscular en flexo extensiones de codo (p < 0,05, r = -0,42 - -0,52, moderado a fuerte) y abdominales (p < 0,05, r = -0,57 - -0,60, fuerte). Para el grupo entre 12 y 14 años se obtuvieron correlaciones negativas entre el ICE y la prueba de carrera en hombres (p < 0,016, r = -0,48, moderado), PC y la prueba de carrera en mujeres (p < 0,011, r = -0,41, moderado). Sólo en mujeres fue posible encontrar correlaciones significativas entre PC, IMC e ICE con salto horizontal (p < 0,05, r = 0,38 - 0,48, moderado). Los resultados sugieren una correlación negativa entre parámetros antropométricos de exceso de peso corporal y el rendimiento en pruebas físicas, siendo en el grupo de mayor edad las mujeres quienes presentan mayor cantidad de correlaciones significativas entre variables. Estos datos refuerzan la importancia de incluir abordajes integrales en las clases de educación física considerando estilos de vida activos y saludables en conjunto con la promoción de la actividad física.

SUMMARY: The objectives of this study were 1) to describe anthropometric factors associated with obesity and physical fitness tests and 2) to determine the correlation between these variables in a group of schoolchildren from the Valparaíso region. A total of 109 schoolchildren divided by sex and age groups participated. The schoolchildren were divided into two groups between 9 to 11 years (24 males = 47,98 ± 10,4 kg; 145,73 ± 7,3 cm; 25 females = 45,06 ± 11,1 kg; 145,30 ± 6,6 cm) and between 12 to 14 years (24 males = 54,85 ± 13,2 kg; 158,42 ± 8,8 cm; 36 females = 52,21 ± 9,1 kg; 155,36 ± 6,1 cm). Physical fitness assessments used by the Sistema de Medición de la Calidad de la Educación (SIMCE) evaluation process for physical education for Chilean schoolchildren were performed. These assessments included flexibility, sprint capacity, horizontal jump, and muscular endurance parameters. In addition, anthropometric variables such as weight, height and waist circumference were evaluated to establish anthropometric indices of obesity such as body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-height index (WHI). Significant differences were found between the groups of men in the different age groups in the physical fitness tests, abdominal muscular endurance (p = 0.001), horizontal jump (p = 0.002), sprint test (p = 0.003) and the anthropometric index BMI (p = 0.048). Among the female groups, significant differences were only found in the physical condition variables, horizontal jump (p = 0.002) and sprint (p = 0.003). In both males and females in the 9- to 11- year-old group, significant correlations were found between anthropometric variables and tests of horizontal jumping and sprint ability (p = 0.03, r = -0.42 - 0.83, moderate to very high). In this same group, only females presented a significant correlation between anthropometric parameters and muscular endurance tests in elbow flexion (p < 0.05, r = -0.42 - -0.52, moderate to high) and abdominals (p < 0.05, r = -0.57 - -0.60, high). For the group between 12 and 14 years, negative correlations were obtained between WHI and the sprint test in males (p < 0.016, r = -0.48, moderate), WC and the sprint test in females (p < 0.011, r = -0.41, moderate). Only in women was it possible to find significant correlations between WC, BMI and ICE with a horizontal jump (p < 0.05, r = 0.38 - 0.48, moderate). The results suggest a negative correlation between anthropometric parameters of excess body weight and performance on physical tests, with women in the older age group presenting the highest number of significant correlations between variables. These data reinforce the importance of including integral approaches in physical education classes that consider active and healthy lifestyles together with the promotion of physical activity.

Detection and characterization of circulating microvesicles containing Shiga toxin type 2 in a rat model of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome.

Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are foodborne pathogens that release Shiga toxin (Stx), virulence factor responsible for the development of Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). Stx causes endothelial cell damage, which leads to platelets deposition and thrombi formation within the microvasculature. It has been described that Stx activates blood cells and induces the shedding of proinflammatory and prothrombotic microvesicles (MVs) containing the toxin. In this sense, it has been postulated that MVs containing Stx2 (MVs-Stx2+) can contribute to the physiopathology of HUS, allowing Stx2 to reach the target organs while evading the immune system. In this work, we propose that circulating MVs-Stx2+ can be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of STEC infections and HUS progression. We developed a rat HUS model by the intraperitoneal injection of a sublethal dose of Stx2 and observed: decrease in body weight, increase of creatinine and urea levels, decrease of creatinine clearance and histological renal damages. After characterization of renal damages, we investigated circulating total MVs and MVs-Stx2+ by flow cytometry at different times after Stx2 injection. Additionally, we evaluated the correlation of biochemical parameters such as creatinine and urea in plasma with MVs-Stx2+. As a result, we found a significant circulation of MVs-Stx2+ at 72 and 96 h after Stx2 injection, nevertheless no correlation with creatinine and urea plasma levels were detected. Our results suggest that MVs-Stx2+ may be an additional biomarker for the characterization and diagnosis of HUS progression. A further analysis is required in order to validate MVs-Stx2+ as biomarker of the disease.

FAIR EVA: Bringing institutional multidisciplinary repositories into the FAIR picture.

The FAIR Principles are a set of good practices to improve the reproducibility and quality of data in an Open Science context. Different sets of indicators have been proposed to evaluate the FAIRness of digital objects, including datasets that are usually stored in repositories or data portals. However, indicators like those proposed by the Research Data Alliance are provided from a high-level perspective that can be interpreted and they are not always realistic to particular environments like multidisciplinary repositories. This paper describes FAIR EVA, a new tool developed within the European Open Science Cloud context that is oriented to particular data management systems like open repositories, which can be customized to a specific case in a scalable and automatic environment. It aims to be adaptive enough to work for different environments, repository software and disciplines, taking into account the flexibility of the FAIR Principles. As an example, we present DIGITAL.CSIC repository as the first target of the tool, gathering the particular needs of a multidisciplinary institution as well as its institutional repository.

Ongoing diversification of the global fish pathogen Piscirickettsia salmonis through genetic isolation and transposition bursts.

The management of bacterial pathogens remains a key challenge of aquaculture. The marine gammaproteobacterium Piscirickettsia salmonis is the etiological agent of piscirickettsiosis and causes multi-systemic infections in different salmon species, resulting in considerable mortality and substantial commercial losses. Here, we elucidate its global diversity, evolution, and selection during human interventions. Our comprehensive analysis of 73 closed, high quality genome sequences covered strains from major outbreaks and was supplemented by an analysis of all P. salmonis 16S rRNA gene sequences and metagenomic reads available in public databases. Genome comparison showed that Piscirickettsia comprises at least three distinct, genetically isolated species of which two showed evidence for continuing speciation. However, at least twice the number of species exist in marine fish or seawater. A hallmark of Piscirickettsia diversification is the unprecedented amount and diversity of transposases which are particularly active in subgroups undergoing rapid speciation and are key to the acquisition of novel genes and to pseudogenization. Several group-specific genes are involved in surface antigen synthesis and may explain the differences in virulence between strains. However, the frequent failure of antibiotic treatment of piscirickettsiosis outbreaks cannot be explained by horizontal acquisition of resistance genes which so far occurred only very rarely. Besides revealing a dynamic diversification of an important pathogen, our study also provides the data for improving its surveillance, predicting the emergence of novel lineages, and adapting aquaculture management, and thereby contributes towards the sustainability of salmon farming.

Real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among Colombian adults: A retrospective, population-based study of the ESPERANZA cohort.

COVID-19 vaccines have been essential for reducing the impact of the pandemic; nevertheless, population-based data under real-life conditions are needed to compare their effectiveness in various contexts. The objective of this study was to estimate the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing hospitalization and death from COVID-19 in Colombia under real-life conditions among people aged 18 years and older, according to sex, age, confirmed history of COVID-19 and vaccination series, including the effects of boosters. This investigation was an observational, retrospective, population-based study based on the Colombian cohort "Esperanza". A total of 14,213,409 individuals aged 18 years and older were analyzed, who were matched in a 1:1 ratio of vaccinated to unvaccinated. The study groups consisted of unvaccinated individuals, those with a complete series (CS) and individuals with a CS plus booster. The vaccinated individuals received either homologous or heterologous vaccinations with Ad26.COV2-S, BNT162b2, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, CoronaVac and mRNA-1273 vaccines. Follow-up was conducted between February 2021 and June 2022. Cox proportional hazards models were used, adjusted for potential confounders, to estimate the effectiveness of different vaccination series. For adults aged 18 years and older, the overall effectiveness of the vaccines in preventing hospitalization was 82.7% (95% CI 82.1-83.2) for CS and 80.2% (95%CI 78.7-81.6) for CS + booster. The effectiveness in preventing death was 86.0% (95%CI 85.5-86.5) for CS and 83.1% (95%CI 81.5-84.5) for CS + booster. Effectiveness decreased with age. While all efficacies were high, CoronaVac offered significantly lower protection, although this improved with a booster. Continued mass vaccination is pivotal, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The study highlights both the real-world effectiveness of these vaccines and the challenges in understanding waning immunity and the influence of different VoC(Variants of Concern) on results.

Normative Data for Macular Thickness and Volume for Optical Coherence Tomography in a Diabetic Population without Maculopathies.

PURPOSE: The purpose was to establish normative data for the macular thicknesses and volume using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in a diabetic population without maculopathies for use as a reference in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema screening programs. METHODS: This was an observational study nested in a cohort of diabetics from a telemedicine DR screening program. Each patient underwent SD-OCT centered on the fovea. Macular thickness and volume were described and compared using the built-in normative database of the device. Quantile regression models for the 97.5% percentile were fitted to evaluate the predictors of macular thickness and volume. RESULTS: A total of 3410 eyes (mean age, 62.25 (SD, 0.22) years) were included. Mean (SD) central subfield thickness (CST) was 238.2 (23.7) µm, while center thickness (CT), average thickness (AT), and macular volume (MV) were 205.4 (31.6) µm, 263.9 (14.3) µm, and 7.46 (0.40) mm3, respectively. Para- and perifoveal thicknesses were clinically and statistically significantly thinner in our population than in the normative reference database. The 97.5% percentile of the thickness of all sectors was increased in males and in the para- and perifovea among those with DR. CONCLUSIONS: All ETDRS sectors were thinner in patients with diabetes than in the reference population, except for the CST, which was the most stable parameter that only changed with sex. The upper cutoff limit to detect diabetic macular edema (DME) was different from that of the reference population and was influenced by conditions related to diabetes, such as DR. Therefore, specific normative data for diabetic patients should be used for the screening and diagnosis of DME using SD-OCT.

Radiomic signatures from T2W and DWI MRI are predictive of tumour hypoxia in colorectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND: Tumour hypoxia is a negative predictive and prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer typically assessed by invasive sampling methods, which suffer from many shortcomings. This retrospective proof-of-principle study explores the potential of MRI-derived imaging markers in predicting tumour hypoxia non-invasively in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLM). METHODS: A single-centre cohort of 146 CLMs from 112 patients were segmented on preoperative T2-weighted (T2W) images and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). HIF-1 alpha immunohistochemical staining index (high/low) was used as a reference standard. Radiomic features were extracted, and machine learning approaches were implemented to predict the degree of histopathological tumour hypoxia. RESULTS: Radiomic signatures from DWI b200 (AUC = 0.79, 95% CI 0.61-0.93, p = 0.002) and ADC (AUC = 0.72, 95% CI 0.50-0.90, p = 0.019) were significantly predictive of tumour hypoxia. Morphological T2W TE75 (AUC = 0.64, 95% CI 0.42-0.82, p = 0.092) and functional DWI b0 (AUC = 0.66, 95% CI 0.46-0.84, p = 0.069) and b800 (AUC = 0.64, 95% CI 0.44-0.82, p = 0.071) images also provided predictive information. T2W TE300 (AUC = 0.57, 95% CI 0.33-0.78, p = 0.312) and b = 10 (AUC = 0.53, 95% CI 0.33-0.74, p = 0.415) images were not predictive of tumour hypoxia. CONCLUSIONS: T2W and DWI sequences encode information predictive of tumour hypoxia. Prospective multicentre studies could help develop and validate robust non-invasive hypoxia-detection algorithms. CRITICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Hypoxia is a negative prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer. Hypoxia is usually assessed by invasive sampling methods. This proof-of-principle retrospective study explores the role of AI-based MRI-derived imaging biomarkers in non-invasively predicting tumour hypoxia in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLM).

Nanopore sensing reveals a preferential pathway for the co-translocational unfolding of a conjugative relaxase-DNA complex.

Bacterial conjugation is the main mechanism for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes. A single DNA strand of the conjugative plasmid is transferred across bacterial membranes covalently bound to a large multi-domain protein, named relaxase, which must be unfolded to traverse the secretion channel. Two tyrosine residues of the relaxase (Y18 and Y26 in relaxase TrwC) play an important role in the processing of conjugative DNA. We have used nanopore technology to uncover the unfolding states that take place during translocation of the relaxase-DNA complex. We observed that the relaxase unfolding pathway depends on the tyrosine residue involved in conjugative DNA binding. Transfer of the nucleoprotein complex is faster when DNA is bound to residue Y18. This is the first time in which a protein-DNA complex that is naturally translocated through bacterial membranes has been analyzed by nanopore sensing, opening new horizons to apply this technology to study protein secretion.

Percepción de los usuarios sobre los comportamientos de cuidado humanizado en hospitales públicos de Corrientes / Users' perception of humanized care behaviors in public hospitals in Corrientes

Ante el riesgo de deshumanización de los profesionales que brindan el cuidado al paciente, a causa de la gran reestructuración administrativa de la mayoría de los sistemas de cuidado de salud en el mundo, se hace necesario el rescate del aspecto humano, espiritual y transpersonalObjetivo: describir la percepción de los usuarios sobre los comportamientos de cuidado humanizado en los hospitales públicos de Corrientes en el año 2022.Metodología: Se realizó un estudio descriptivo y transversal, se encuestó a usuarios atendidos en hospitales públicos de la Provincia de Corrientes, se utilizó el cuestionario "Percepción de comportamientos de cuidado humanizado de enfermería (PCHE) Clinicountry ­ 3ª versión. Para el análisis de los datos se utilizaron medidas de tendencia central y de dispersión, frecuencias absolutas y relativas.Resultados: Se encuestaron a 175 usuarios de hospitales públicos de la provincia de Corrientes, la edad media fue de 45, 69 años (DS= 16,97 años), el 64, 4 % es de género femenino. En relación al análisis general de la percepción de comportamientos de cuidado humanizado en los usuarios de servicios de salud atendidos en hospitales públicos, se observó que 131 (74,9%) usuarios percibieron el comportamiento de forma positiva.Conclusión: Se logró describir que la percepción sobre el comportamiento de cuidado humanizado de enfermería en los hospitales públicos de Corrientes fue positiva en la mayoría de los usuarios, se identificaron dimensiones que requieren de estrategias para mejorar el cuidado[AU]

Given the risk of dehumanization in patient care, due to the great administrative restructuring of most health care systems in the world, it is necessary to rescue the human, spiritual and transpersonal aspect.Objective: describe the perception of users about humanized care behaviors in public hospitals in Corrientes in the year 2022.Methodology: A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out, surveying users treated in public hospitals in the Province of Corrientes, using the questionnaire "Perception of humanized nursing care behaviors (PCHE) Clinicountry - 3rd version. for the analysis of the data, measures of central tendency and dispersion, absolute and relative frequencies were used.Results: 175 users of public hospitals in the province of Corrientes were surveyed, the mean age was 45.69 years (SD= 16.97 years), 64.4% are female. In relation to the general analysis of the perception of humanized care behaviors in users of health services treated in public hospitals, it was observed that 131 (74.9%) users perceived the behavior positively.Conclusion: It was possible to describe that the perception of the behavior of humanized nursing care in the public hospitals of Corrientes was positive in the majority of the users, dimensions hat require strategies to improve care were identified[AU]

Diante do risco de desumanização no atendimento ao paciente, devido à grande reestruturação administrativa da maioria dos sistemas de saúde do mundo, é necessário resgatar o aspecto humano, espiritual e transpessoal.Objetivo: descrever a percepção dos usuários sobre condutas de atendimento humanizado em hospitais públicos de Corrientes no ano de 2022.Metodologia: Realizou-se um estudo descritivo e transversal, pesquisando usuários atendidos em hospitais públicos da Província de Corrientes, utilizando o questionário "Percepção de condutas de cuidado humanizado de enfermagem (PCHE) Clinicountry - 3ª versão. para a análise dos dados, foram utilizadas medidas de tendência central e dispersão, frequências absolutas e relativas.Resultados: foram pesquisados 175 usuários de hospitais públicos da província de Corrientes, a idade média foi de 45,69 anos (DP= 16,97 anos), 64,4% são mulheres. Em relação à análise geral da percepção de comportamentos de cuidado humanizado em usuários de serviços de saúde atendidos em hospitais públicos, observou-se que 131 (74,9%) usuários perceberam o comportamento de forma positiva.Conclusão: Foi possível descrever que a percepção do comportamento de cuidado humanizado de enfermagem nos hospitais públicos de Corrientes foi positiva na maioria dos usuários, foram identificadas dimensões que requerem estratégias para melhorar o cuidado[AU]

Expectativas de madres adolescentes sobre el desarrollo de sus hijos prematuros. Corrientes 2022 / Teen mothers' expectations about their premature infant's development. Corrientes 2022

Describir las expectativas de las madres adolescentes sobre el desarrollo de sus hijos prematuros asistidos en maternidad pública de Corrientes capital, año 2022. Metodología: Cuantitativa, descriptiva y transversal; población: madres adolescentes con hijos prematuros internados en neonatología; recolección de datos mediante formulario validado. Resultados: Se estudiaron 62 madres adolescentes; edades 13 a 19 años, promedio 17±1,6; 73% adolescentes tardías. Sobre sus ideas respecto al desarrollo motor grueso sólo 31% tenían expectativas adecuadas al calendario evolutivo. En ideas sobre la habilidad para caminar el 32% expresó expectativas adecuadas; distribuidas por grupo etario, las ideas sobre capacidad de caminar fueron adecuadas en 18% de adolescentes tempranas y 46% de tardías. La capacidad de correr no mostró diferencias de importancia entre las madres tempranas y las tardías. Sobre control de esfínteres, 29% de adolescentes tempranas y 33% de las tardías tenían expectativas adecuadas. En desarrollo motor fino, 45% de las madres tenían expectativas adecuadas, sin mostrar diferencias importantes según grupos etarios maternos. En habilidad de apilar cubos, 35% de las adolescentes tempranas referían ideas adecuadas al calendario, lo que fue algo menor en las tardías (29%). Sobre el lenguaje 36% de las madres tenían expectativas adecuadas; con 21% en las tempranas y 35% en las tardías. Sobre silabeo, ideas adecuadas en 18% en adolescentes tempranas y 24% en tardías. Respecto a desarrollo afectivo, 48% de las madres expresaron ideas adecuadas; lo que alcanzó a 23% en las tempranas y 58% en tardías. Conclusión: gran parte de las madres adolescentes tienen expectativas no adecuadas al desarrollo de sus hijos prematuros, entrelazadas con ideas desajustadas al calendario evolutivo. Expectativas sobre desarrollo motor grueso, fino, lenguaje y afectivo varían según grupos etarios maternos, con ideas menos ajustadas a lo que debería suceder en adolescentes tempranas al compararlas con las tardías[AU]

Describe the expectations of adolescent mothers regarding the development of their premature children assisted in a public maternity hospital in Corrientes capital, year 2022. Methodology: quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional; population: adolescent mothers with premature children hospitalized in neonatology; data collection through validated form. Results: 62 adolescent mothers were studied; ages 13 to 19 years, mean 17±1.6; 73% late adolescents. Regarding their ideas regarding gross motor development, only 31% had adequate expectations to the evolutionary calendar. In ideas about walking ability, 32% expressed adequate expectations. According to age group, ideas about walking ability were adequate in 18% of early adolescents and 46% of late adolescents. The ability to run did not show important differences between the early and late ones. About sphincter control, 29% of early adolescents had adequate expectations and 33% in late ones. In fine motor development, 45% of the mothers 76had adequate expectations, without showing significant differences according to maternal age groups. In the ability to stack cubes, 35% of early adolescents had ideas appropriate to the calendar and it was 29% of late adolescents. Regarding language, 36% of the mothers had adequate expectations; with 21% in the early ones and 35% in the late ones. About syllabication, adequate ideas in 18% in early adolescents and 24% in late adolescents. Regarding affective development, 48% of the mothers expressed adequate ideas; which reached 23% in the early ones and 58% in the late ones. Conclusion: a large part of adolescent mothers have inadequate expectations for the development of their premature children, intertwined with ideas that are not adjusted to the evolutionary calendar. Expectations regarding gross, fine, language, and affective motor development vary according to maternal age groups, with ideas less adjusted to what should happen in early adolescents when compared to late adolescents[AU]

Descrever as expectativas das mães adolescentes quanto ao desenvolvimento de seus filhos prematuros atendidos em uma maternidade pública de Corrientes capital, ano 2022. Metodologia: quantitativa, descritiva e transversal; população: mães adolescentes com filhos prematuros internados em neonatologia; coleta de dados por meio de formulário validado. Resultados: foram estudadas 62 mães adolescentes; idade de 13 a 19 anos, média de 17±1,6; 73% adolescentes tardios. Em relação às suas ideias sobre o desenvolvimento motor grosso, apenas 31% tinham expectativas adequadas ao calendário evolutivo. Nas ideias sobre a capacidade de caminhar, 32% expressaram expectativas adequadas. De acordo com a faixa etária, as ideias sobre a capacidade de andar eram adequadas em 18% dos adolescentes iniciais e 46% dos adolescentes tardios. A capacidade de correr não apresentou diferenças importantes entre os precoces e tardios. Sobre o controle esfincteriano, 29% dos adolescentes iniciais apresentaram expectativas adequadas e 33% dos tardios. No desenvolvimento motor fino, 45% das mães tiveram expectativas adequadas, sem apresentar diferenças significativas de acordo com as faixas etárias maternas. Na capacidade de empilhar cubos, 35% dos adolescentes iniciais tiveram ideias adequadas ao calendário e 29% dos adolescentes tardios. Em relação à linguagem, 36% das mães tiveram expectativas adequadas; com 21% nas precoces e 35% nas tardias. Sobre a silabação, ideias adequadas em 18% no início da adolescência e 24% no final da adolescência. Quanto ao desenvolvimento afetivo, 48% das mães expressaram ideias adequadas; que chegou a 23% nas precoces e 58% nas tardias. Conclusão: grande parte das mães adolescentes apresenta expectativas inadequadas para o desenvolvimento de seus filhos prematuros, entremeadas por ideias que não se ajustam ao calendário evolutivo. As expectativas quanto ao desenvolvimento motor grosso, fino, de linguagem e afetivo variam de acordo com as faixas etárias maternas, com ideias menos ajustadas ao que deveria acontecer no início da adolescência quando comparadas com a adolescência tardia[AU]