Expanders

BACKGROUND: The vaccination coverage of a population is the usual indicator of the effectiveness of vaccination strategies. The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an organizational and communication network to implement "Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)" vaccination coverage both in males and females in the Center Tuscany Local Health Authority. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In January 2022, a retrospective study was conducted on anti-HPV vaccine coverage (full cycle), of those born from 2007 to 2010, in the Empoli Territorial Area of Florence (240 thousand inhabitants) under the Center Tuscany Local Health Authority...

Temporal dynamics of local cortical rhythms during acute pain remain largely unknown. The current study used a novel approach based on transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalogram (TMS-EEG) to investigate evoked-oscillatory cortical activity during acute pain. Motor (M1) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) were probed by TMS, respectively, to record oscillatory power (event-related spectral perturbation and relative spectral power) and phase synchronization (inter-trial coherence) by 63 EEG channels during experimentally induced acute heat pain in 24 healthy participants...

Second sphere coordination effects ubiquitous in enzymatic catalysis occur through direct interactions, either covalent or non-covalent, with reaction intermediates and transition states. We present herein evidence of indirect second sphere coordination effects in which ligation of water/alkanols far removed from the primary coordination sphere of the active site nevertheless alter energetic landscapes within catalytic redox cycles in the absence of direct physicochemical interactions with surface species mediating catalytic turnovers...

Handedness is an essential attribute of chiral nanocrystals, having a major influence on their properties. During chemical growth, the handedness of nanocrystals is usually tuned by selecting the corresponding enantiomer of chiral molecules involved in asymmetric growth, often known as chiral inducers. We report that, even using the same chiral inducer enantiomer, the handedness of chiral gold nanocrystals can be reversed by using Au nanorod seeds with either single crystalline or pentatwinned structure. This effect holds for chiral growth induced both by amino acids (e...

2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose PET/computed tomography ([18F]FDG PET/CT) has proven to be a sensitive method for the detection and evaluation of hematologic malignancies, especially lymphoma. The increasing incidence and mortality rates of leukemia have raised significant concerns. Through the utilization of whole-body imaging, [18F]FDG PET/CT provides a thorough assessment of the entire bone marrow, complementing the limited insights provided by biopsy samples. In this regard, [18F]FDG PET/CT has the ability to assess diverse types of leukemia The utilization of [18F]FDG PET/CT has been found to be effective in evaluating leukemia spread beyond the bone marrow, tracking disease relapse, identifying Richter's transformation, and assessing the inflammatory activity associated with acute graft versus host disease...

Phthorimaea operculella is a major potato pest of global importance, early warning and detection of which are of significance. In this study, we analyzed the climate niche conservation of P. operculella during its invasion by comparing the overall climate niche from three dimensions, including the differences between native range (South America) and entire invaded region (excluding South America), the differences bwtween native range (South America) and five invaded continents (North America, Oceania, Asia, Africa, and Europe), as well as the differences between native region (South America) and an invaded region (China)...

Endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery is increasingly prevalent, with its scope expanding from pathogens in the midline region to those in the paramedian region. Maximizing anterior sphenoidectomy is important for the median approach, and lateralizing the pterygopalatine fossa is crucial for the paramedian approach. Maximizing the surgical corridor in the nasal cavity and minimizing damage to neurovascular structures are vital for establishing a surgical field with minimal bleeding, ensuring safe, precise, and gentle procedures...

The intensity and sensitivity of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra are highly dependent on the consistency and homogeneity of the nanomaterials. In this study, we developed a large-area three-dimensional (3D) hotspot substrate with good homogeneity and reproducibility in SERS signals. The substrate is based on the synergistic structures of nanoporous gold (NPG) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). NPG was combined with a periodic V-shaped nanocavity array to create nanoporous gold with a V-cavity (NPGVC) array featuring uniform hotspots...

The clinicopathological spectrum of undifferentiated round cell sarcomas of bone and soft tissues is expanding after the 5th edition of the WHO classification. A 23-year-old male patient presented with a lump in his left thigh of 3 months' duration. Radiological examination revealed a well-defined, solid-cystic lobulated, soft tissue lesion in the proximal medial region of his left thigh, measuring 7.7 cm in the largest dimension. The referring diagnosis was an epithelioid sarcoma. Histopathological review of the tumor sections revealed a cellular tumor composed of malignant epithelioid to focally "rhabdoid-like" cells in a variable hyalinized and myxoid stroma with geographic areas of necrosis...

Background: It is poorly understood what cellular types participate in ductular reaction (DR) and whether DR facilitates recovery from injury or accelerates hepatic fibrosis. The aim of this study is to gain insights into the role of hepatic progenitor cell (HPC)-originated DR during fibrotic progression. Methods: DR in liver specimens of PBC, chronic HBV infection (CHB) or NAFLD, and four rodent fibrotic models by different pathogenic processes was evaluated. Gli1 expression was inhibited in rodent models or cell culture and organoid models by AAV-sh Gli1 or treating with GANT61...

Rationale: A mature tissue resident macrophage (TRM) population residing in the peritoneal cavity has been known for its unique ability to migrate to peritoneally located injured tissues and impart wound healing properties. Here, we sought to expand on this unique ability of large peritoneal macrophages (LPMs) by investigating whether these GATA6+ LPMs could also intravasate into systemic circulation and migrate to extra-peritoneally located lungs upon ablating lung-resident alveolar macrophages (AMs) by intranasally administered clodronate liposomes in mice...

BACKGROUND: The Vi-diphtheria toxoid typhoid conjugate vaccine (Vi-DT) has shown promising results in preventing typhoid fever in children under 2 years of age. However, a thorough assessment of its safety and immunogenicity is required to inform vaccination strategies. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the safety and immunogenicity of Vi-DT in children below 2 years. METHODS: We systematically searched multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, for relevant studies published up to September 2023...

BACKGROUND: Microorganisms are crucial in our ecosystem, offering diverse functions and adaptability. The UNGA Science Summit has underscored the importance of understanding microbes in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Bacillus anthracis poses significant challenges among various microorganisms due to its harmful effects on both soil and public health. Our study employed computational techniques to investigate the inhibitory effects of curcumin and mangiferin on Bacillus anthracis , with the aim of presenting a novel bio-based approach to microbial management...

The design and use of superhydrophobic surfaces have gained special attentions due to their superior performances and advantages in many flow systems, e.g., in achieving specific goals including drag reduction and flow/droplet handling and manipulation. In this work, we conduct a brief review of shear flows over superhydrophobic surfaces, covering the classic and recent studies/trends for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. The aim is to mainly review the relevant mathematical and numerical modeling approaches developed during the past 20 years...

Mental health disorders are among the top leading causes of disease burden worldwide and many patients have high levels of treatment resistance. Even though medications offer improvement to some patients, antidepressants are only effective in about half of those treated, and schizophrenia is treatment-refractory in about one-third of patients. One way to combat this disparity is to improve medication development and discovery for psychiatric disorders through evidence-based research. Recently, most psychiatric medications approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are for increased tolerability or extended release...

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) presents a significant challenge in clinical practice, particularly with the rising popularity of herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) in the United States. Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia Jack), a Southeast Asian herb, has garnered attention for its purported health benefits, including enhancing testosterone levels. Here, we present a case of a 47-year-old male with acute liver injury following Tongkat Ali use, the first reported case of its kind in the literature. The patient exhibited worsening scleral icterus, elevated liver enzymes, and jaundice shortly after initiating Tongkat Ali supplementation, prompting hospitalization and subsequent clinical improvement upon discontinuation of the supplement...

Fish diseases pose a significant threat to food security in aquaculture, as they can lead to considerable reductions in fish production, quality, and profitability. Globally, salmon aquaculture is the quickest-expanding food production system. Detecting and diagnosing fish diseases in their early stages is essential to prevent the spread of diseases and reduce the negative impact on aquaculture's economy and environment. To serve this purpose, we introduce the SalmonScan dataset, a novel and comprehensive collection of images of healthy and infected salmon fish, which can be used for various applications in computer science and aquaculture...

Gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (CAs) are widely used to enhance anatomical details in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Significant research has expanded the field of CAs into bioresponsive CAs by modulating the signal to image and monitor biochemical processes, such as pH. In this work, we introduce the modular, dynamic actuation mechanism of DNA-based nanostructures as a new way to modulate the MRI signal based on the rotational correlation time, τ R . We combined a pH-responsive oligonucleotide (i-motif) and a clinical standard CA (Gd-DOTA) to develop a pH-responsive MRI CA...

BACKGROUND: Beta-defensins (BDs) are antimicrobial peptides secreted upon epithelial injury. Both chemotactic and antimicrobial properties of BDs function as initial steps in host defense and prime the adaptive immune system in the body. Psoriasis, a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease, has both visible cutaneous manifestations as well as known associations with higher incidence of cardiometabolic complications and vascular inflammation. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the circulating expression of beta-defensin-2 (BD2) in psoriasis at baseline compared to control subjects, along with changes in BD2 levels following biologic treatment at one-year...

Despite the existence of many interventions to mitigate or adapt to the health effects of climate change, their effectiveness remains unclear. Here, we introduce the Comprehensive Evaluation Framework for Intervention on Health Effects of Ambient Temperature to evaluate study designs and effects of intervention studies. The framework comprises three types of interventions: proactive, indirect, and direct, and four categories of indicators: classification, methods, scope, and effects. We trialed the framework by an evaluation of existing intervention studies...