Publications by authors named "Ana Bravo"

IKKα is known as an essential protein for skin homeostasis. However, the lack of suitable models to investigate its functions in the skin has led to IKKα being mistakenly considered as a suppressor of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) development. In this study, using our previously generated transgenic mouse models expressing exogenous IKKα in the cytoplasm (C-IKKα mice) or in the nucleus (N-IKKα mice) of basal keratinocytes, we demonstrate that at each subcellular localization, IKKα differently regulates signaling pathways important for maintaining the balance between keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, and for the cutaneous inflammatory response.

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Background & Aims: Anti-integrin αvβ6 autoantibodies (anti-αvβ6) are found in more than 50% of individuals with ulcerative colitis (UC). We aimed to determine the prevalence of anti-αvβ6 in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and their association with liver disease severity.

Methods: Four cohorts of pre-liver transplant patients with PSC were recruited.

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  • The study focuses on improving the detection of KRAS mutations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using a technique called ARMS-HRMA, which is more sensitive than traditional methods.
  • It analyzed tumor and plasma samples from 88 newly diagnosed PDAC patients, finding G12D and G12C mutations linked to worse patient outcomes, including shorter progression-free and overall survival.
  • The findings suggest ARMS-HRMA could be a quick and affordable way to help determine prognosis and treatment strategies for PDAC patients.
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Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) is a potentially life-threatening complication of ulcerative colitis (UC) that can lead to significant morbidity and mortality, with a substantial number of patients needing colectomy. Infliximab (IFX) has been increasingly used as a rescue therapy for patients who have failed intravenous steroids and has been more frequently used as an induction and maintenance therapy in moderate-to-severe UC. Therefore, the number of patients admitted with ASUC previously exposed to IFX has been increasing, raising additional challenges in the medical management of these patients to avoid emergent colectomy.

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Background: Previous studies have identified the association between classroom social status and bullying victimization, but it remains unclear how different victimization trajectories relate separately to social status dimensions: preference (acceptance and rejection) and popularity (popular and unpopular), and whether there are differences between victimization trajectory groups. This study assumed a longitudinal approach to explore these research questions.

Method: A total of 3.

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  • Limited data exist on the outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in patients who undergo solid organ transplantation (SOT), and this study examines both pre-existing IBD and newly developed IBD post-transplant.
  • The study included 177 patients, of which 106 had pre-existing IBD, and found that 32% of these patients experienced disease progression after a median of 2.2 years, while 55% of those with de novo IBD progressed within 1.9 years.
  • Key risk factors for progression in pre-existing IBD included having active disease at the time of SOT and extraintestinal manifestations, indicating a significant impact on patient outcomes post-transplant.*
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  • Defending victims of bullying is a significant moral behavior; however, the research lacks clarity on how this behavior develops and changes over time.
  • A study involving 3,303 students identified four distinct trajectories of defending behavior: stable-high, decrease, increase, and stable-low, with the stable-high group showing the highest levels of social and normative adjustment.
  • The findings suggest that bullying prevention programs should focus on fostering positive classroom dynamics to enhance social behaviors and group cohesion among students.
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Introduction: The incidence of chronic progressive diseases is rising and investment on quality of death and dying is of utmost importance to minimize physical and emotional suffering. There is still a gap in palliative care (PC) between patients with cancer and those with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD). Our objectives were to characterize clinical attitudes and therapeutic interventions and to evaluate the differences in end-of-life care between inpatients with cancer and ACLD under gastroenterology care.

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Bullying is a group phenomenon in which schoolchildren take on different roles. Although certain contextual elements play a key role in its evolution, very few longitudinal studies have been carried out to date which investigate how these factors interact. This study aims to explore the different class groupings as regards bullying norms and to examine the effect of the type of norm, social, and normative adjustment and pro-sociality, also of the interaction of group norms with involvement in aggression and victim defence in bullying situations.

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  • The study investigates the risk factors for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) bloodstream infections in children with cancer or post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) over a nine-year period in Colombia.
  • Researchers analyzed data to create and validate three prediction models to identify the risk of CRE based on infection types and antibiotic use.
  • Key findings show that infections from Klebsiella spp. and recent carbapenem use significantly increase CRE risk, with a predictive model demonstrating high specificity and effectiveness for identifying patients who may not need CRE-active treatments.
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Fanconi anemia (FA) patients frequently develop oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This cancer in FA patients is diagnosed within the first 3-4 decades of life, very often preceded by lesions that suffer a malignant transformation. In addition, they respond poorly to current treatments due to toxicity or multiple recurrences.

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  • - The study explores the training intensities of female professional soccer players, comparing them to actual game conditions and analyzing factors like player position and training type across 18 participants.
  • - Researchers found that training sessions were mainly based on small-sided games, leading to a medium-high subjective external intensity, while actual matches had a very high intensity rating.
  • - By using motion devices and heart rate monitors, the study revealed positional differences: defenders had fewer accelerations but higher heart rates, while wingbacks had more dynamic movements, and wingers maintained the lowest heart rate during matches.
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  • - The study focused on how popularity affects friendship choices and how friends influence each other's popularity during early and mid-adolescence.
  • - Involving 4,205 Spanish adolescents, the research found that teens tend to select friends with similar popularity levels, especially valuing highly popular classmates as friends in early adolescence.
  • - The results indicate that popular teens are more selective in their friendships and that having popular friends can increase an adolescent's own popularity, a trend that is more pronounced in mid-adolescence.
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is a relatively uncharacterized gene of the Ras superfamily. It is expressed in ES cells and in the first stages of embryonic development; later on, it is silenced in the majority of cell types and tissues. Although there are several reports showing ERAS expression in tumoral cell lines and human tumor samples, it is unknown if ERAS deregulated expression is enough to drive tumor development.

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  • The study evaluated the quality and transparency of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) related to gestational and congenital toxoplasmosis through a systematic review and analysis of existing guidelines.
  • Researchers reviewed 8651 citations, narrowing it down to eight relevant CPGs, using the AGREE II tool to assess their quality.
  • Findings revealed significant variability in the quality of CPGs, with only two guidelines scoring well enough to be classified as 'recommended', highlighting issues in areas like stakeholder involvement and applicability.
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One Health recognizes the interconnection of people, animals, and the environment and encourages a multidisciplinary approach. Several high-level European and global policy recommendations call for close intersectoral collaboration to better understand and manage health challenges faced today. Academic education has a fundamental role in preparing all health professionals in that respect.

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  • Most studies on victimization look at a single moment, making it hard to understand its long-term effects, leading to this study's focus on how social status and friendships change over time in relation to peer victimization.
  • The study included 1,239 students aged 9 to 18 from southern Spain and gathered data through peer nominations to analyze these relationships.
  • Findings showed that students with sporadic victimization had higher social status and friendship levels, while those with stable victimization experiences had lower levels, highlighting the negative impact of being continuously victimized on social acceptance and support during adolescence.
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  • The study focuses on infections in children after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants in Colombia, highlighting a lack of prior data from developing countries.
  • Researchers analyzed medical records of 144 children from 2012 to 2017, finding that nearly all experienced infections within the first year, especially in the first 30 days.
  • High mortality rates (31.7%) were linked to infections, particularly from drug-resistant bacteria and viruses, emphasizing the need for tailored infection management strategies in resource-limited healthcare settings.
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  • Proctology was significantly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a study aimed at assessing the current status of proctologic practice across three regions in Italy - North, Centre, and South.
  • A survey involving 299 specialists highlighted demographics, with a predominance of men and consultants, and showed that those in the South faced a higher risk of infection.
  • The findings indicate that surgical practice was more likely to continue in areas not solely focused on COVID-19 care, emphasizing the need for targeted management strategies moving forward.
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  • The cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) 2a protein in Arabidopsis thaliana has a dual role, helping control aphid feeding by discouraging them from settling on infected plants (antixenosis).
  • Researchers analyzed the amino acid sequences of 2a proteins from two CMV strains—one inducing antixenosis (Fny-CMV) and one that does not (LS-CMV)—to pinpoint key residues responsible for this effect.
  • The study identified that the crucial amino acid responsible for antixenosis lies between residues 200 and 300, specifically at residue 237, suggesting that valine-237 in the Fny-CMV 2a protein plays a significant role in deterring aphids.
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Odontogenic tumours are a heterogeneous group of lesions that develop in the oral cavity region and are characterized by the formation of tumoural structures that differentiate as teeth. Due to the diversity of their histopathological characteristics and clinical behaviour, the classification of these tumours is still under debate. Alterations in morphogenesis pathways such as the Hedgehog, MAPK and WNT/β-catenin pathways are implicated in the formation of odontogenic lesions, but the molecular bases of many of these lesions are still unknown.

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  • Honey bees are crucial for agriculture, biodiversity, and economic sustainability, yet their veterinary education in Europe varies significantly among institutions.
  • A study of 77 veterinary schools found that 75% teach honeybee medicine, but only about half of those in north-western Europe include it in their core curriculum, unlike schools in eastern and southern regions where it's emphasized more.
  • As honey bees are vital for environmental and crop health, enhancing their veterinary education is essential to improve their care and management by future veterinarians.
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The aim of this study was to examine differences in perceived popularity and social preference of bullying roles and class norms. In total, 1,339 students (48% girls) participated: 674 primary school (M = 10.41 years, SD = 0.

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