Publications by authors named "CASTRO B"

Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have previously been shown to benefit coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-induced smell loss. It is unknown if that benefit is stable over time. The aim of this study was to assess outcomes at 1-year post-intervention.

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Cerebral endothelial cell (EC) injury and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability contribute to neuronal injury in acute neurological disease states. Preclinical experiments have used animal models to study this phenomenon, yet the response of human cerebral ECs to BBB disruption remains unclear. In our Phase 1 clinical trial (NCT04528680), we used low-intensity pulsed ultrasound with microbubbles (LIPU/MB) to induce transient BBB disruption of peri-tumoral brain in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

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This study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of cortical bone canals' network through the analysis of lacunarity (Lac), fractal dimension (FD), and canal morphological parameters in the mandible (IR group, n = 7) of human patients under radiotherapy in comparison with non-irradiated younger (yC group, n = 8) and older (oC group, n = 8) individuals. Patients who underwent mandibular surgery were selected to have bone fragments removed during surgery, and undecalcified histological slides were analyzed by phase-contrast microscopy by two operators. The following morphological parameters were assessed in the Haversian canal (Ca): area (Ca·Ar, μm), perimeter (Ca·Pm, μm), and circularity (Ca.

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Children with intellectual disabilities struggled to perform basic tasks in the educational platform due to their deferred learning pace and individual challenges. To assist such needs, the child's individual education program (IEP) team, spearheaded by the school administrators, continues to offer supplementary educational technologies. However, selecting an appropriate technology does not follow an objective system, making the decision process tedious and unreliable.

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The use of recommender systems in mobile health apps for weight control has grown, but user app uptake and engagement remain limited. The objective of our scoping review was to explore the influence of recommender systems on mHealth app user engagement, identify the theoretical frameworks that have been applied on digital health interventions designed for weight management, and examine the key aspects that support tailoring user engagement through recommender systems. Based on existing literature, we identified 13 articles on recommender systems for weight management.

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Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) mobilizes hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) into the peripheral blood. Donor peripheral blood platelet loss has been observed during both G-CSF mobilization and apheresis collection. This study evaluates two strategies to reduce donor platelet loss, preserve product CD34+ cell yield and collection efficiency and increase volume of whole blood (WB) processed.

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Precision nutrition, an expanding field at the intersection of nutrition science and personalized medicine, is rapidly evolving with metabolomics integration. Metabolomics, facilitated by advanced technologies like mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, facilitates comprehensive profiling of metabolites across diverse biological samples. From the perspective of health care systems, precision nutrition gains relevance due to the substantial impact of prevalent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) on societal well-being, which is directly linked with dietary habits and eating behavior.

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Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the role of fenofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α agonist, in obesity-induced kidney damage (lipotoxicity) in mice with uninephrectomy.

Methods: C57BL/6 mice underwent uninephrectomy and sham surgeries and were fed normocaloric or high-fat diets. After 10 weeks, obese mice were administered 0.

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  • The study investigates the link between metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs), finding a higher prevalence of advanced liver disease in IMID patients compared to a matched control group.
  • Utilizing a case-control design, the research analyzed liver biopsy data and RNA sequencing from patients to identify significant differences in gene expression related to liver disease between IMID and control groups.
  • Results indicate that IMIDs not only increase the risk of advanced steatotic liver disease but also suggest a unique pathway for MASLD development in these patients, separate from traditional metabolic factors.
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Infectious disease caused by exposure to Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is recognized to suppress female fertility. However, the effect of varying low-dose endotoxin exposure during distinct stages of follicle development on immune response, reproductive performance, and lamb performance has yet to be elucidated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate acute phase response, mRNA abundance of inflammatory markers, reproductive performance and lamb growth characteristics of ewes challenged with subclinical doses of LPS.

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Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (TPVR) is complicated in patients without adequate femoral or internal jugular vascular access. Transhepatic vascular access has been shown to be safe and effective across a spectrum of diagnostic and interventional procedures. Closure of the hepatic venous tract can be accomplished with a multitude of readily available vascular occlusion devices.

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  • The persistent sciatic artery is a rare congenital condition affecting the lower limb's blood circulation, with limited documented cases.
  • A case study of a 63-year-old woman revealed severe complications, including cold and pale extremities, requiring emergency intervention.
  • Despite surgical attempts to restore blood flow, the patient developed severe necrosis and ultimately needed a transfemoral amputation, highlighting the serious risks associated with this anomaly.
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Iron is an essential micronutrient for almost every living organism, namely pathogenic bacteria. In an infection scenario, host-pathogen competitive relationships for the element are present and Fe withholding is a well known response of the host. Also, bacterial resistance is a major concern that can compromise public health and the WHO underlines an urgent need to search for new pharmaceutical ingredients or strategies to fight opportunistic bacteria.

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Introduction: Heart transplantation is the gold standard for advanced heart failure treatment. This study examines the survival rates and risk factors for early mortality in adult heart transplant recipients at a Brazilian center.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study involved 255 adult heart transplant patients from a single center in Brazil.

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Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive and malignant brain tumor with limited therapeutic options and a poor prognosis. Despite current treatments, the invasive nature of GBM often leads to recurrence. A promising alternative strategy is to harness the potential of the immune system against tumor cells.

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Background: Recently, we demonstrated that nicorandil inhibits mechanical allodynia induced by paclitaxel. In the present study, we evaluated the effect induced by nicorandil in a model of neuropathic pain induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) in mice. We also investigated putative mechanisms underlying such an effect.

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Aims: Research has associated lack of parental care, physical abuse, and parental substance abuse to homelessness, with the presence of two or more such factors dramatically increasing one's chances of becoming homeless as an adult. Less clear is which (cumulation of) factors may mediate the difference between transitional and recurrent homelessness.

Methods: Quantitative analysis of four risk factors-addiction, weak social network, criminal activity, psychopathology-among 69 transitionally and recurrently homeless (RH) adults, followed by in-depth qualitative analysis of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among 30 selected participants.

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Background: The role of beta calcitonin gene-related peptide (beta-CGRP) in gastrointestinal tract is obscure, but experimental models suggest an effect on the homeostasis of the intestinal mucosa. We measured beta-CGRP circulating levels in a large series of subjects with a recent diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in order to assess the potential role of this neuropeptide in IBD pathogenesis.

Methods: Morning serum beta-CGRP levels were measured by ELISA (CUSABIO, China) in 96 patients recently diagnosed of IBD and compared with those belonging from 50 matched healthy controls (HC) and 50 chronic migraine (CM) patients.

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  • Accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is crucial for plants to defend against pathogens, and it's regulated by phosphorylation and ubiquitination of the RBOHD protein in Arabidopsis.
  • Researchers identified 170 homologs of this regulatory system in tomato and examined how these homologs impact ROS production, protein stability, and disease resistance.
  • Mutational studies and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing in tomatoes showed that altering specific residues increased ROS levels and improved resistance to certain foliar pathogens, suggesting a potential strategy for enhancing plant health without disrupting root interactions.
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Ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) sensing is one of the most promising techniques for assessing the quality of power transformer insulation systems due to its capability to identify failures like partial discharges (PDs) by detecting the emitted UHF signals. However, there are still uncertainties regarding the frequency range that should be evaluated in measurements. For example, most publications have stated that UHF emissions range up to 3 GHz.

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European catfish is a large-bodied apex predator, a key species in native areas, but invasive in others where it negatively impacts local aquatic fauna necessitates catfish regulation. However, traditional ichthyological methods face challenges in capturing it. The study presents a detailed description of the efficient long-line method, refined through 48 sampling campaigns across twelve European water bodies.

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  • Glioblastoma is a challenging brain cancer that often resists standard immunotherapy, but Botensilimab, a specialized antibody, has shown potential in treating this type of cancer.
  • In preclinical studies, a mouse version of Botensilimab demonstrated effectiveness when used alone or with doxorubicin combined with ultrasound techniques, leading to significant immune responses in treatment-resistant glioblastoma.
  • Results indicated that this combination therapy not only effectively targeted and reduced tumor-associated immune cells but also fostered a strong infiltration of harmful T cells, achieving a remarkable cure rate in mice and suggesting promising implications for human treatments.
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Objectives: This work was designed to evaluate maximum platelet contractile force and thrombus area before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in pediatric patients having congenital heart disease (CHD) surgery using a microfluidic device.

Design: A prospective cohort study was designed.

Setting: The work took place at an academic medical center.

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Objective: To analyze the specificity of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) levels, we measured alpha-CGRP circulating levels in a large series of patients with a recent diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who were interviewed regarding comorbid headache.

Background: Several studies have found an association between migraine and IBD.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study performed in an IBD clinic, morning serum alpha-CGRP levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 96 patients who were recently diagnosed with IBD and compared to those from 50 similar patients with chronic migraine (CM) and 50 healthy controls (HC).

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  • Most drugs struggle to effectively treat glioblastoma (GBM) due to limited penetration across the blood-brain barrier, which makes their efficacy low.
  • This study utilizes low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPU) combined with microbubbles (MB) to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier, significantly increasing the delivery of liposomal doxorubicin and PD-1 blocking antibodies (aPD-1) in both human and animal models.
  • Results show that this method improves drug concentrations, enhances immune responses in cells, and contributes to long-term survival in GBM mouse models, highlighting its potential for improving GBM treatments.
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