Ecological Profile of the Flea Beetle Genus Heyden in South Africa (Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini).

In this work, the 25 species of the flea beetle genus Heyden recorded for South Africa are considered. Starting from the updated species distribution and the topographic, temperature, and precipitation variables, as well as the vegetation types in the occurrence sites, through an analysis of ecological niche modelling, a possible ecological profile is provided, both for each species and the entire genus, highlighting some of the factors that drive their occurrence and distribution patterns. Along with the vegetation type, some climatic variables were found to be particularly influential, such as the mean temperature of both the wettest and driest quarters and also the mean precipitation of the wettest period.

Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Among Indigenous People in a Canadian Context: Challenges and Community-Led Solutions.

The historical and ongoing impacts of the influence of colonization are experienced by Indigenous people in systemic racism, inequity in healthcare access, and intergenerational trauma; originating in the disruption of a way of life and seen in a grief response, with links to disparate hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence. Despite this, the focus often remains on the increased incidence without a strengths-based lens. Although HCV is a global concern that can result in cirrhosis, liver failure, or cancer, diagnosing and linking people to care and treatment early can prevent advanced liver disease.

Silibinin-Loaded Amphiphilic PLGA-Poloxamer Nanoparticles: Physicochemical Characterization, Release Kinetics, and Bioactivity Evaluation in Lung Cancer Cells.

Despite its potential against several carcinomas, the pharmacological efficacy of silibinin (SLB) is hampered by poor solubility, absorption, and oral bioavailability. To face these issues, we developed polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) coated with hydrophilic polyethene oxide (PEO) for controlled and targeted SLB delivery. NPs were produced at two different SLB loadings and presented a spherical shape with smooth surfaces and stable size in water and cell culture medium.

Surfactant-derived protein type B: a new biomarker linked to respiratory failure and lung damage in mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant concern due to its impact on human health, particularly through pneumonia-induced lung damage. Surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D) are implicated in COVID-19 lung damage, but the role of surfactant protein B (SP-B) remains unclear.

Methods: We conducted a single-centre, prospective observational study involving 73 hospitalised COVID-19 pneumonia patients.

Apennine-Pyrenees disjunct distribution: an unusual biogeographic pattern revealed in flea beetles of the species-group (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae).

European mountain systems have played a crucial role in shaping the distribution of species and of their genetic diversity during the Quaternary climatic changes, with the establishment of allopatric patterns across main mountain ranges. Here we investigated the evolutionary history of flea beetles of the species-group showing an uncommon disjunct biogeographic pattern across the Apennine and the Pyrenees. We applied a multilocus molecular approach and multispecies coalescent models to establish a phylogenetic and systematic framework for this morphologically homogeneous species-group and to estimate the time of main cladogenetic events underlying the origin of the Apennine-Pyrenees pattern.

How to use efficiently airborne criteria pollutants and radon-222 in source apportionment: A self-organizing maps approach.

Pollutant source apportionment represents one of the fundamental activities in environmental science. Several efficient chemometric tools are available to the scope, mostly based on multivariate techniques and usually applied to aerosol chemical speciation data. In the present work, an alternative source profiling method is proposed, based on the self-organizing maps (SOM) algorithm.

Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Dalbavancin in Plasma of Pediatric and Young Adult Patients.

Background: Dalbavancin, an antimicrobial lipoglycopeptide, is authorized in Europe for treating acute bacterial infections of the skin and skin structures in adults and pediatric patients aged 3 months and older. However, off-label dosing regimens have been proposed for various indications beyond acute bacterial infections of the skin and skin structures. This study presents a novel bioanalytical method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to quantify dalbavancin in low-volume plasma samples (50 μL).

Measurement of 3-O-methyldopa from dried plasma microsamples by high-resolution mass spectrometry: A tool for the diagnosis of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma.

Background: Risk assessment at diagnosis is crucial for neuroblastoma (NB) in order to address patients at high-risk to the most timely and appropriate treatments. 3-O-methyldopa (3-OMD), a direct metabolite of L-Dopa, is a promising biomarker of NB at diagnosis able to stratify high-risk patients.

Methods: We show the development and validation of a method for measuring 3-OMD from dried plasma samples (DPS) and plasma using liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) on a Thermo Fisher Scientific Orbitrap Exploris 120.

Past and current climate as a driver in shaping the distribution of the Longitarsus candidulus species group (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Longitarsus candidulus (Foudras) is a thermophilic flea beetle species widely distributed in the Mediterranean Basin and associated with Daphne gnidium L. and Thymelaea hirsuta (L.).

An evolutionary concept analysis: stigma among women living with hepatitis C.

Background: Stigma is a complex social phenomenon that leads to marginalization and influences the course of illness. In the context of hepatitis C virus (HCV), stigma is a well-documented barrier to accessing care, treatment, and cure. In recent years, HCV rates among women have increased, resulting in an urgent need to address stigma and its harmful effects.

Cefadroxil photodegradation processes sensitized by natural pigments: mechanistic aspects and impact on the antimicrobial function.

Cefadroxil is a widely used antibiotic with a low elimination efficiency in wastewater treatments plants, so it represents a contaminants of emerging concern that should be removed. The photosensitization process that involves natural pigments and visible sunlight can be offered as an environmentally friendly alternative to be considered for Cefadroxil degradation. In this investigation, we carried out a mechanistic and kinetic approach to Cefadroxil photodegradation sensitized by Riboflavin and Humic Acid, in individual and combined processes.

Humoral response to anti SARS-CoV2 vaccination at one and seven months is not different in shift workers and non-shift workers.

Since previous studies, mostly performed in healthy adults, show that sleep restriction around time of vaccination impairs antibody response and shift work affects sleep, aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that the antibody response to vaccination is impaired in shift workers, when compared to non-shift workers. Employees (n = 445; mean age 44 ± 11 years; 35 % men) of the Centro Cardiologico Monzino, IRCCS (Milan, Italy) were vaccinated against SARS-CoV2 in February 2021 with an mRNA-based vaccine. Antibody titers were assayed 1 and 7 months later.

Reported Side Effects and Adherence of Daily HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Users in Ontario, Canada: An Analysis of the Ontario Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Cohort Study.

Side effects are a common concern of current and potential HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) users, potentially leading to missed doses. We examined the relationship between reported side effects and adherence in the Ontario PrEP Cohort Study (ON-PrEP). In total, 600 predominantly gay (87.

Role of advanced CMR features in identifying a positive genotype of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiovascular disease that affects approximately one in 500 people. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has emerged as a powerful tool for the non-invasive assessment of HCM. CMR can accurately quantify the extent and distribution of hypertrophy, assess the presence and severity of myocardial fibrosis, and detect associated abnormalities.

Radiation shielding calculation for interventional radiology: An updated workload survey using a dose monitoring software.

Shielding design is an essential aspect of radiation protection. It is necessary to ensure that barriers safeguard workers, patients, the general public, and the environment from the harmful radiation emitted by X-ray machines. The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP) 147 method is widely accepted within the radiation protection experts' (RPEs) community for structural shielding design for medical X-ray imaging facilities.

Improving Coccidioidomycosis Testing for Emergency Department Patients With Suspect Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Analysis of Provider Attitudes and the Effect of a Targeted Intervention.

Coccidioidomycosis is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in endemic regions. Approximately 20 000 cases of coccidioidomycosis occur annually; however, this statistic is limited by a widespread lack of testing. Here, we analyze emergency medicine provider attitudes toward coccidioidal testing and assess the effect of an intervention to improve testing rates.

Unveiling altered connectivity between cognitive networks and cerebellum in schizophrenia.

Cognitive functioning is a crucial aspect in schizophrenia (SZ), and when altered it has devastating effects on patients' quality of life and treatment outcomes. Several studies suggested that they could result from altered communication between the cortex and cerebellum. However, the neural correlates underlying these impairments have not been identified.

Best practices for hepatitis C linkage to care in pregnant and postpartum women: perspectives from the Treatment In Pregnancy for Hepatitis C Community of Practice.

There is an increasing burden of hepatitis C virus among persons of reproductive age, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, in many regions worldwide. Routine health services during pregnancy present a critical window of opportunity to diagnose and link women with hepatitis C virus infection for care and treatment to decrease hepatitis C virus-related morbidity and early mortality. Effective treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in women diagnosed during pregnancy also prevents hepatitis C virus-related adverse events in pregnancy and hepatitis C virus vertical transmission in future pregnancies.

Differential Gene Expression in the Upper Respiratory Tract following Acute COVID-19 Infection in Ambulatory Patients That Develop Long COVID.

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, or long COVID, is a condition characterized by persistent COVID-19 symptoms. As long COVID is defined by clinical criteria after an elapsed period, an opportunity for early intervention may aid in future prophylactic approaches; however, at present, the pathobiological mechanisms are multifactorial. By analyzing early virally infected upper respiratory tract tissue prior to eventual clinical diagnosis, it may be possible to identify biomarkers of altered immune response to facilitate future studies and interventions.

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis and opportunities for vaccination against hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus: an analysis of the Ontario PrEP cohort study.

Objectives: Populations who seek HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are disproportionately affected by hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV). We examined immunity/vaccination against these infections among participants in the Ontario PrEP cohort study (ON-PrEP).

Methods: ON-PrEP is a prospective cohort of HIV-negative PrEP users from 10 Ontario clinics.

Fully equipped CARs to address tumor heterogeneity, enhance safety, and improve the functionality of cellular immunotherapies.

Although adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T cells has achieved unprecedented response rates in patients with certain hematological malignancies, this therapeutic modality is still far from fulfilling its remarkable potential, especially in the context of solid cancers. Antigen escape variants, off-tumor destruction of healthy tissues expressing tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), poor CAR-T cell persistence, and the occurrence of functional exhaustion represent some of the most prominent hurdles that limit CAR-T cell ability to induce long-lasting remissions with a tolerable adverse effect profile. In this review, we summarize the main approaches that have been developed to face such bottlenecks, including the adapter CAR (AdCAR) system, Boolean-logic gating, epitope editing, the modulation of cell-intrinsic signaling pathways, and the incorporation of safety switches to precisely control CAR-T cell activation.

 Motschulsky from Madagascar with descriptions of six new species (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Galerucinae, Alticini).

The revision of the flea beetle genus Motschulsky, 1860 in Madagascar is provided. Six new species are described: , , and from the northern area; , , and from the central area. A new synonym of Weise, 1895 is established: Weise, 1895, , since is shown to be a chromatic form of .