"The Mystery of the Cell Kingdom": an online game to improve the learning of thyroid physiology.

Games and analogies can significantly enrich the learning experience when integrated with traditional expository teaching methods. With this aim, we developed "The Mystery of the Cell Kingdom," an online game designed to enhance understanding of the physiology of thyroid hormones through a medieval analogy. In the game, students are challenged to apply their knowledge of endocrine physiology to solve a series of relevant questions on the topic.

Triplet Exciton Sensitization of Silicon Mediated by Defect States in Hafnium Oxynitride.

Singlet exciton fission has the potential to increase the efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cells beyond the conventional single junction limit. Perhaps the largest obstacle to achieving this enhancement is uncertainty about energy coupling mechanisms at the interfaces between silicon and exciton fission materials such as tetracene. Here, the previously reported silicon-hafnium oxynitride-tetracene structure is studied and a combination of magnetic-field-dependent silicon photoluminescence measurements and density functional theory calculations is used to probe the influence of the interlayer composition on the triplet transfer process across the hafnium oxynitride interlayer.

A Comprehensive Approach to the Diagnosis of Leigh Syndrome Spectrum.

Background: Leigh syndrome spectrum (LSS) is a novel nomenclature that encompasses both classical Leigh syndrome and Leigh-like phenotypes. Given the heterogeneity of disease presentation, a new consensus published recently addressed the main issues and proposed general guidelines towards diagnosis. Based on these recommendations, we developed a simple pipeline that can be useful in the diagnosis of LSS.

Expression levels of ACE and ACE2 in the placenta and white adipose tissue of lean and obese pregnant women.

Background: This study evaluated the expression of ACE and ACE2 in the placenta and white adipose tissue in lean and obese women, and correlated their levels with anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory parameters, and tissue count of inflammatory cells.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was performed with 49 pregnant women and their respective newborns. Samples of placenta and adipose tissue were used for measuring mRNA expression for ACE and ACE2 through qRT-PCR.

Does Perceived Nuisance Abundance of Water Plants Match with Willingness-to-Pay for Removal? Contrasts Among Different User Categories.

Dense beds of water plants can be perceived as nuisance, but this perception, however, may not be similar for different user categories, and this may affect their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for plant removal. A questionnaire survey was used to test this for residents and visitors and find underlying socio-cultural or economic drivers. We studied five cases where nuisance water plant growth is managed: the rivers Otra (Norway) and Spree (Germany), and the lakes Kemnade (Germany), Grand-Lieu (France), and Hartbeespoort Dam (South Africa).

Mental health in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional study.

The increased prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has placed a significant emotional and psychological burden on mothers. We explored the association between the severity of ASD symptoms in children and the mental health of their mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study included 1,924 mothers of children with ASD, enrolled in a web-based cross-sectional survey over 85 consecutive days to gather clinical and sociodemographic data.

High triglyceride-glucose index and HOMA-IR are associated with different cardiometabolic profile in adults from the ELSA-Brasil study.

Background And Aims: Insulin resistance (IR) is a risk factor for several cardiometabolic disorders; however, there is conflicting evidence about the reliability of certain IR markers. In this context, the triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) has been proposed as a surrogate marker for IR. This study aimed to compare the TyG index and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

Effects of a passive upper-body exoskeleton on whole-body kinematics, leg muscle activity, and discomfort during a carrying task.

Objective: To compare whole-body kinematics, leg muscle activity, and discomfort while performing a 10-min carrying task with and without a passive upper-body exoskeleton (CarrySuitⓇ), for both males and females.

Background: Diverse commercial passive exoskeletons have appeared on the market claiming to assist lifting or carrying task. However, evidence of their impact on kinematics, muscle activity, and discomfort while performing these tasks are necessary to determine their benefits and/or limitations.

Association between leisure-time physical activity and arterial stiffness in adults of the ELSA-Brasil study: a mediation analysis.

Objectives: We aimed at defining the direct and the mediated pathways for the association between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), and also to identify whether these effects are influenced by sex and age.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from 13 718 adults (35-74 years) were obtained at the baseline of the ELSA-Brasil study. The cf-PWV was obtained by measuring the pulse transit time and the distance traveled by the pulse between the carotid and the femoral, as well as clinical and anthropometric parameters were measured.

Salt Intake in Adults with Diabetes and Hypertension: The Longitudinal Study of Adult Health-Brasil Study.

Hypertension and type-2 diabetes are strong risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, and their management requires lifestyle changes, including a shift in dietary habits. The consumption of salt has increased in the last decades in some countries, but its association with type-2 diabetes remains unknown. Thus, we aimed to estimate the amount of salt intake among adults with and without diabetes and to assess whether concomitant hypertension and diabetes are associated with higher salt intake.

The interacting effect of climate change and herbivory can trigger large-scale transformations of European temperate forests.

In many regions of Europe, large wild herbivores alter forest community composition through their foraging preferences, hinder the forest's natural adaptive responses to climate change, and reduce ecosystem resilience. We investigated a widespread European forest type, a mixed forest dominated by Picea abies, which has recently experienced an unprecedented level of disturbance across the continent. Using the forest landscape model iLand, we investigated the combined effect of climate change and herbivory on forest structure, composition, and carbon and identified conditions leading to ecosystem transitions on a 300-year timescale.

Improved Process for the Continuous Acylation of 1,3-Benzodioxole.

The acylation of 1,3-benzodioxole was studied in a continuous process using a recyclable heterogeneous substoichiometric catalyst. In a short time period (30 min), at 100 °C, the conversion rate was 73%, with a selectivity of 62% of the desired acylated product; the reaction was run continuously for 6 h, showing excellent stability and selectivity. Moreover, the unreacted starting material, 1,3-benzodioxole, can be easily separated by distillation and recycled.

Low-level laser for the management of head-and-neck burn wounds.

Burn injuries are of serious concern worldwide not only because of the physical impact but also because of severe mental and emotional distress and reduced quality of life. The usual management comprises topical and systemic medications, and supportive care; however, conventional therapy may be expensive and insufficient for many cases. Thus, we describe herein a unique case in which a low-level laser was used concomitantly with the conventional approach for the management of head and neck burn wounds and could improve the patient's clinical condition within a short period.

Diagnosis of Epidermoid Carcinoma of the Tongue after Treatment of Epidermoid Carcinoma of the Esophagus.

In the present case report, a patient with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) developed a second primary tumor in the tongue at the same time. Stage III middle esophageal SCC was discovered in a 60-year-old Caucasian male patient who was institutionalized, a smoker, and had previously struggled with alcoholism. Following treatment, the patient was admitted to the hospital for 15 days due to dysphagia and malnutrition.

Adjunctive phototherapies for oral manifestation of HIV-related histoplasmosis and leishmaniasis: An unusual case report.

Background: Secondary infections of leishmaniasis and histoplasmosis in patients with advanced HIV are still a concern in low- and middle-income countries. The most common drugs for the treatment of both infections may be problematic mainly due to their toxicity.

Aim And Case Report: The present study aimed to report a case in which a concurrent oral manifestation of leishmaniasis and histoplasmosis in a hospitalized patient with HIV was managed with a combination of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) as an adjuvant treatment.

Leigh Syndrome Spectrum: A Portuguese Population Cohort in an Evolutionary Genetic Era.

Mitochondrial diseases are the most common inherited inborn error of metabolism resulting in deficient ATP generation, due to failure in homeostasis and proper bioenergetics. The most frequent mitochondrial disease manifestation in children is Leigh syndrome (LS), encompassing clinical, neuroradiological, biochemical, and molecular features. It typically affects infants but occurs anytime in life.

The high salt intake in adults with metabolic syndrome is related to increased waist circumference and blood pressure: the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health study (ELSA-Brasil).

Objectives: The association between metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors, and salt consumption has fed intense debate in recent years, although it is yet to be fully elucidated. We aimed to evaluate whether individuals with MetS have a high salt consumption and to identify which components of the MetS diagnosis could be independently related to high salt consumption.

Methods: We analyzed data from 11 982 adults, ages 35 to 74 y, from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) cohort study, from which clinical and anthropometric data were assessed, and a validated 12-h overnight urine collection was used to estimate salt intake.

Fasting Glucose, Glycated Hemoglobin, and 2h Post-load Blood Glucose Are Independently Associated With Arterial Stiffness in Diabetes: The ELSA-Brasil Study.

The association of diabetes with increased large artery stiffness is not definitively established. We aimed to describe the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) in participants with and without diabetes and whether the cf-PWV could vary among the different laboratory-based criteria used. A cross-sectional analysis using baseline data from 13,912 adults was used.

HIV-1 remission and possible cure in a woman after haplo-cord blood transplant.

Previously, two men were cured of HIV-1 through CCR5Δ32 homozygous (CCR5Δ32/Δ32) allogeneic adult stem cell transplant. We report the first remission and possible HIV-1 cure in a mixed-race woman who received a CCR5Δ32/Δ32 haplo-cord transplant (cord blood cells combined with haploidentical stem cells from an adult) to treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Peripheral blood chimerism was 100% CCR5Δ32/Δ32 cord blood by week 14 post-transplant and persisted through 4.

Functional evaluation of optimal index finger proximal interphalangeal joint fusion angle using a simulated joint arthrodesis.

This study aims at qualitatively and quantitatively evaluating the effects of simulated index finger proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint fusion angles on hand kinematic function and performance. Although arthrodesis of the index finger PIP joint is an effective medical procedure that produces a durable, pain-free, and stable joint, it permanently immobilizes the joint. Twenty healthy subjects performed basic functional hand activities with the index finger PIP joint unconstrained (UC) and constrained to selected angles under surveillance of a motion capture system.

Phototherapies for the management of a large painful facial cutaneous lesion from human monkeypox infection.

Background: The management of patients with Monkeypox (MPX) infection is generally symptomatic as there has been no approved antiviral drug so far. Despite being generally a self-limited disease, some complications may be encountered such as severe pain and the formation of permanent skin scarring.

Aim: To present a case report in which a combination of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) was used for a large facial cutaneous lesion in an MPX patient.