The effects of cannabinoid agonism on auditory discrimination.

Recent evidence suggests that cannabis can impair simple auditory processes, and these alterations might be due to cannabinoid agonism. The effect of cannabinoid agonism on relatively complex processes such as auditory discrimination is unknown. The goal of this study was to examine the impact of WIN 55,212-2, a CB1 receptor and CB2 receptor agonism, on auditory discrimination using a go/no-go task.

Dynamics of Histoplasma fungal load in people living with HIV with disseminated histoplasmosis under treatment with liposomal amphotericin B.

Objectives: Disseminated histoplasmosis (DH) is a lethal fungal disease in patients living with HIV in endemic regions of the world. Diagnosis relies mainly on microscopy, culture and antigen detection. Our goal was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of our reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RTqPCR) in blood specimens allowing to quantify the whole nucleic acids (WNA) load.

Synthesis of Co/CoO Heterostructure in N-Doped Porous, Amorphous Carbon: A Superior Electrochemical Sensor for Sensitive Determination of Alectinib in Various Fluids.

Highly crystallized Co and CoO nanoparticles embedded in an N-doped amorphous carbon matrix have been successfully fabricated by the molten-salt-assisted method using KClO and zeolitic imidazolate framework-12 (ZIF-12). Pyrolysis of ZIF-12 with different concentrations of KClO leads to embedded Co and CoO nanoparticles in a conductive amorphous carbon network. The impact of salt concentration on the morphology and electrochemical performance of these composites was investigated for electrochemical sensor applications.

Risk factors of seizure and complex seizure in febrile children: a clinical study.

Purpose: There is some evidence that trace element and mineral deficiencies may promote the occurrence of febrile seizures. However, the role of these elements in the occurrence of complex seizures in children with FS has not been comprehensively investigated. The present study was conducted to evaluate this issue.

A Novel Fluorescent Sensor for Detecting Ag and Hg ions: A Combination of Theoretical and Experimental Studies.

A new fluorescent sensor based on diethylaminosalicylaldehyde-thiosemicarbazide (DST) was studied using a combination of density functional theory calculations and experimental investigations. DST was able to detect the metal ions Ag and Hg in the presence of various competing metal ions and anions, with detection limits of 0.45 and 0.

Why make it if you can take it: review on extracellular cholesterol uptake and its importance in breast and ovarian cancers.

Cholesterol homeostasis is essential for healthy mammalian cells and dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism contributes to the pathogenesis of various diseases including cancer. Cancer cells are dependent on cholesterol. Malignant progression is associated with high cellular demand for cholesterol, and extracellular cholesterol uptake is often elevated in cancer cell to meet its metabolic needs.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) pretreatment attenuates cell death in the hippocampus and cognitive dysfunction due to repeated isoflurane anesthesia in newborn rats.

General anesthetics exposure, particularly prolonged or repeated exposure, is a crucial cause of neurological injuries. Notably, isoflurane (ISO), used in pediatric anesthesia practice, is toxic to the developing brain. The relatively weak antioxidant system at early ages needs antioxidant support to protect the brain against anesthesia.

Reaction of methylene blue with OH radicals in the aqueous environment: mechanism, kinetics, products and risk assessment.

Methylene Blue (MB) is an industrial chemical used in a broad range of applications, and hence its discharge is a concern. Yet, the environmental effects of its degradation by HO˙ radicals have not been fully studied yet. This study employs quantum chemical calculations to investigate the two-step degradation of MB by HO˙ radicals in aqueous environments.

Prevalence and factors associated with hepatitis B susceptibility among men who sex with men on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Northeastern Brazil: a cross-sectional study.

Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with susceptibility to hepatitis B virus (HBV) among cisgender men who have sex with men (MSM) on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Northeastern Brazil.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, analytical study conducted between September 2021 and June 2023. Participants underwent structured interviews to collect sociodemographic and clinical information, including hepatitis B vaccination history, HIV PrEP use and sexual health history.

The detection of pathological parathyroid glands is facilitated by identifying vascular features on ultrasound: the potential benefit of a low-frequency vascular probe.

Purpose: To evaluate the potential benefit of adding a low frequency vascular probe to the conventional pre-operative ultrasound examination of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Methods: A prospective cohort of 136 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism underwent a conventional ultrasound examination of the neck with a high frequency ( > 10 MHz) linear ultrasound probe, followed by an add-on examination with a low frequency vascular probe. For each ultrasound probe, and for every potential parathyroid lesion, the presence of a feeding vessel, a polar placement of the feeding vessel, and the presence of a vascular arch was recorded.

Identification and characterization of early human photoreceptor states and cell-state-specific retinoblastoma-related features.

Human cone photoreceptors differ from rods and serve as the retinoblastoma cell-of-origin, yet the developmental basis for their distinct behaviors is poorly understood. Here, we used deep full-length single-cell RNA-sequencing to distinguish post-mitotic cone and rod developmental states and identify cone-specific features that contribute to retinoblastomagenesis. The analyses revealed early post-mitotic cone- and rod-directed populations characterized by higher THRB or NRL regulon activities, an immature photoreceptor precursor population with concurrent cone and rod gene and regulon expression, and distinct early and late cone and rod maturation states distinguished by maturation-associated declines in RAX regulon activity.

Phosphatidylserine and Tyro3-Axl-Mertk Receptor Tyrosine Kinase level detection in plasma and on plasma-derived extracellular vesicle surface in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a chronic lymphoproliferative disorder characterized by monoclonal B cell proliferation. Studies carried out in recent years suggest that extracellular vesicles (EVs) may be a potential biomarker in cancer. Tyro3-Axl-Mertk (TAM) Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) and Phosphatidylserine (PS) have crucial roles in macrophage-mediated immune response under normal conditions.

Factors associated with hepatitis A susceptibility among men who have sex with men using HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis in Northeastern Brazil: A cross-sectional study.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection has disproportionately affected more men who have sex with men (MSM), occurring in outbreaks, despite being vaccine-preventable. We determined the prevalence and factors associated with HAV susceptibility among cisgender MSM on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in Northeastern Brazil. From September 30, 2021 to June 19, 2023, 282 cisgender MSM receiving HIV PrEP were enrolled into this cross-sectional study.

Outcomes of severely ill patients with AIDS treated with efavirenz or dolutegravir: a multicenter, observational study.

Background: Currently, integrase inhibitors (INIs)-based ART regimens are the preferred initial therapy for AIDS patients. There is scarce information on the use of dolutegravir (DTG) among late-presenter people living with HIV (PLHIV).

Objectives: To compare the effect of DTG- or efavirenz (EFV)-based regimens on the outcomes of patients with advanced AIDS.

Antiradical Activity of Lignans from : Theoretical Insights into the Mechanism, Kinetics, and Solvent Effects.

Sumatranus lignans () isolated from have demonstrated bioactivities, e.g., they were shown to exhibit immunosuppressive properties in previous research.

A Hybrid AI-Based Method for ICD Classification of Medical Documents.

Automatic document classification is a common problem that has successfully been addressed with machine learning methods. However, these methods require extensive training data, which is not always readily available. Additionally, in privacy-sensitive settings, transfer and reuse of trained machine learning models is not an option because sensitive information could potentially be reconstructed from the model.

Bioinspired Photonic Materials from Cellulose: Fabrication, Optical Analysis, and Applications.

Polysaccharides are a class of biopolymers that are widely exploited in living organisms for a diversity of applications, ranging from structural reinforcement to energy storage. Among the numerous types of polysaccharides found in the natural world, cellulose is the most abundant and widespread, as it is found in virtually all plants. Cellulose is typically organized into nanoscale crystalline fibrils within the cell wall to give structural integrity to plant tissue.

The relationship between host defense peptides and adrenal steroids. An account of reciprocal influences.

Aim: β-defensins 2 and -3 (HBD-2 and HBD-3) and cathelicidin LL-37 are host defense peptides (HDPs) that play a crucial role in the immune response against mycobacteria. Given our former studies in tuberculosis patients wherein their plasma levels of such peptides correlated with steroid hormone concentrations, we now studied the reciprocal influence of cortisol and/or dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on HDPs biosynthesis and LL-37 on adrenal steroidogenesis.

Main Methods: Cultures of macrophages derived from the THP-1 line were treated with cortisol (10M) and/or DHEA (10M and 10M) and stimulated with irradiated M.

Single High Dose of Liposomal Amphotericin B in Human Immunodeficiency Virus/AIDS-Related Disseminated Histoplasmosis: A Randomized Trial.

Background: Histoplasmosis is a major AIDS-defining illness in Latin America. Liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmB) is the drug of choice for treatment, but access is restricted due to the high drug and hospitalization costs of the conventional long regimens.

Methods: Prospective randomized multicenter open-label trial of 1- or 2-dose induction therapy with L-AmB versus control for disseminated histoplasmosis in AIDS, followed by oral itraconazole therapy.

Studies on the contribution of PPAR Gamma to tuberculosis physiopathology.

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health problem characterized by an immuno-endocrine imbalance: elevated plasma levels of cortisol and pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators, as well as reduced levels of dehydroepiandrosterone. The etiological agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is captured by pulmonary macrophages (Mf), whose activation is necessary to cope with the control of Mtb, however, excessive activation of the inflammatory response also leads to tissue damage. Glucocorticoids (GC) are critical elements to counteract the immunoinflammatory reaction, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are also involved in this regard.

Evaluation of Surgeon-Performed Ultrasonography With or Without Contrast Enhancement vs Scintigraphy in Patients With Primary Hyperparathyroidism.

Importance: Scintigraphy and ultrasonography are common imaging modalities for the preoperative localization of enlarged parathyroid glands in primary hyperparathyroidism. When comparing the 2 modalities, the benefits of ultrasonography in terms of convenience, patient comfort, duration, cost, and lack of radiation should be taken into account.

Objective: To investigate whether surgeon-performed ultrasonography, with or without contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), is noninferior to scintigraphy for localizing pathological parathyroid glands in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Primary Hyperparathyroidism in Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2A in Denmark 1930–2021: A Nationwide Population-Based Retrospective Study.

Studies of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) shows divergence in frequency, disease definition, reporting of clinical characteristics and traces of selection bias. This is a nationwide population-based retrospective study of PHPT in MEN 2A, suggesting a representative frequency, with complete reporting and a strict PHPT definition. The Danish MEN 2A cohort 1930-2021 was used.