Intensity-modulated radiation therapy for early-stage breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Radiation therapy (RT) is a standard treatment for non-metastatic breast cancer and is associated with acute and late toxicities. Intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) may decrease toxicity and is convenient for patients.

Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of IMRT in women with early stage breast cancer.

Synergistic Pain-Reducing Effects of (Chronic and Chronic In) and Cannabidiol-Rich Extracts in Experimental Pain Models.

The present study aimed to evaluate the potential synergy between pharmaceutical formulations containing L. (granulated-CHR OR and injectable nanodispersion-CHR IN) in conjunction with a cannabidiol (CBD)-rich extract of L. (CSE) on experimental pain models in Wistar rats.

Artificial intelligence in triage of COVID-19 patients.

In 2019, COVID-19 began one of the greatest public health challenges in history, reaching pandemic status the following year. Systems capable of predicting individuals at higher risk of progressing to severe forms of the disease could optimize the allocation and direction of resources. In this work, we evaluated the performance of different Machine Learning algorithms when predicting clinical outcomes of patients hospitalized with COVID-19, using clinical data from hospital admission alone.

Children's right to participation in residential care: A staff-based study in Portugal.

Background: Youth in residential care (RC) reveal high-risk trajectories, which require upholding their rights and providing them with opportunities to participate.

Objective: We aimed to identify staff profiles focused on their perceptions of participation and the association with sociodemographic variables.

Participants And Setting: This study included quantitative analysis of qualitative data collected from 87 professionals in the RC (M = 38.

A scoping review of participatory approaches in child maltreatment research across Europe.

Background: Participatory approaches in child maltreatment (CM) research increasingly focus on involving children, youth, and adults as co-researchers. However, little is known about their use in Europe.

Objective: To review the European literature on participatory approaches in CM research.

Metabolic and Inflammatory Profiles in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background/objectives: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with several coexisting diseases or comorbidities, including inflammatory and metabolic disorders. In fact, ASD symptoms may be associated with immune system dysfunction. However, studies investigating the peripheral blood levels of immune cells are lacking and have provided mixed findings.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis Effusion Index: A Novel Diagnostic Method and Validation of Flow Cytometry-Based Delta Total Nucleated Cells Analysis on the Sysmex XN-1000V.

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led the medical and scientific community to explore the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of coronaviruses. In felines, a widespread coronavirus known as feline coronavirus (FCoV) can lead to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a highly fatal disease characterised by severe systemic inflammation. Diagnosing FCoV remains challenging due to the limited accuracy of the available methods.

Better, Faster, Stronger: Accelerating mRNA-Based Immunotherapies With Nanocarriers.

Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) therapeutics are attracting attention as promising tools in cancer immunotherapy due to their ability to leverage the in vivo expression of all known protein sequences. Even small amounts of mRNA can have a powerful effect on cancer vaccines by promoting the synthesis of tumor-specific antigens (TSA) or tumor-associated antigens (TAA) by antigen-presenting cells (APC). These antigens are then presented to T cells, eliciting strong antitumor immune stimulation.

Willingness and skills among students from non-health academic fields in providing efficient basic life support.

Unlabelled: Education in basic life support is widely proposed to increase survival in out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. The authors aimed to assess knowledge, skills, and attitudes, including willingness to help, regarding myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac arrest among university students of all fields of knowledge.

Methods: An Ethical Research Committee approved this cross-sectional study.

Statistical inference with a manifold-constrained RNA velocity model uncovers cell cycle speed modulations.

Across biological systems, cells undergo coordinated changes in gene expression, resulting in transcriptome dynamics that unfold within a low-dimensional manifold. While low-dimensional dynamics can be extracted using RNA velocity, these algorithms can be fragile and rely on heuristics lacking statistical control. Moreover, the estimated vector field is not dynamically consistent with the traversed gene expression manifold.

Telocytes of the male reproductive system: dynamic tissue organizers.

Telocytes are CD34 interstitial cells that have long cytoplasmic projections (called telopodes), and have been detected in several organs, including those of the male reproductive system. In this brief review we evaluate the role of telocytes in tissue organization of the different organs of the male reproductive system in which these cells were studied. In general terms, telocytes act in the tissue organization through networks of telopodes that separate the epithelia from the stroma, as well as dividing the stroma into different compartments.

Shedding light on cancer immunology at the molecular level: A quantum biochemistry study of representative PD-1/PD-L1 conformations.

Background: Programmed death 1 (PD-1) binding to PD-L1 is a potent mechanism used by immunogenic tumors to evade the immune system and the immune checkpoint PD-1PD-L1 has emerged as a promising target in the search for new drugs to improve cancer treatment. The crystallographic structure of PD-1PD-L1 shed light on the molecular characterization of this system and allowed computational studies to be carried out to characterize structural behaviors.

Methods: This study demonstrated the importance of analyzing the flexibility of protein systems through molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) and its impacts on the interaction energy obtained through quantum biochemistry.

Evaluating BTEX in vehicle exhaust gas: A fast and efficient approach using SPME and GC-BID.

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and the xylene isomers (m, p, and o-xylene) (BTEX) are known for their harmful effects on human health and have been extensively studied across various environmental matrices. However, quantifying BTEX in exhaust gases poses challenges due to the complexity of the matrices. In this study, we investigated a method development strategy involving solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography coupled with a dielectric barrier discharge ionization Detector (BID) for quantifying BTEX emitted from internal combustion engines operating at idle.

Influence of hyaluronic acid and chitosan molecular weight on the adhesion of circulating tumor cell on multilayer films.

CD44 is a cell receptor glycoprotein overexpressed in circulating tumor cells (CTCs), with levels linked to an increase in metastatic capacity of several tumors. Hyaluronic acid (HA), the natural ligand of CD44, has primarily been investigated for tumor cell interaction in self-assembled polyelectrolyte multilayer films, with little attention given to the complementary polycation. In this study, we screened sixteen different polyelectrolyte multilayer assemblies of HA and chitosan (CHI) to identify key assembly parameters and surface properties that control and govern CTCs adhesion.

Cardiovascular benefits of statin plus ezetimibe combination therapy versus statin monotherapy in acute coronary syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The efficacy of adding ezetimibe to statin therapy for event reduction in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) remains a topic of ongoing debate.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing ezetimibe plus statin versus statin monotherapy in patients with ACS. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane for eligible trials.

Development of a User-Friendly Self-Screening Tool for Assessing Metabolic Syndrome Risk in Youths from Economically Challenged Regions.

Background: Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Early identification and management are crucial, especially in economically challenged regions with limited healthcare access.

Aims: To develop nomograms for individualized risk estimation for metabolic syndrome in young people from low-income regions.

Performance of ChatGPT 3.5 and 4 as a tool for patient support before and after DBS surgery for Parkinson's disease.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that involves implanting electrodes into specific areas of the brain to treat a variety of medical conditions, including Parkinson's disease. Doubts and questions from patients prior to or following surgery should be addressed in line with the most recent scientific and clinical practice. ChatGPT emerges as an example of how artificial intelligence can be used, with its ability to comprehend and answer medical questions in an understandable way, accessible to everyone.

Frailty and Health-Related Quality of Life Among European Older Adults: The Moderating Effect of Human Development Index.

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a proxy for the social and economic level of countries, which is related to the health and well-being of older adults. This study aimed to examine the moderating effect of the HDI on the relationship between frailty and health-related quality of life among European older adults. Participants were 23,972 older adults (53.

Understanding the effects of lithium exposure on castor bean (Ricinus communis) plants, a potential bioindicator of lithium-contaminated areas.

As lithium (Li) stands out as a crucial component of batteries, the inappropriate disposal of electronic gadgets might drive Li pollution in environmentally sensitive environments, such as dumps, where castor bean (Ricinus communis) plant communities are usually found. The exposure to high Li concentration is potentially harmful to the environment and humans. Therefore, it is opportune to evaluate the potential of bioindicator species to monitor Li contamination.

The Alliance Negotiation Scale - Therapist Version: Psychometric Properties in a Sample of Portuguese Psychologists.

Background: The transtheoretical conceptualization of the working alliance and the resultant evaluation tools often overestimate the collaboration between therapist and client, while neglecting the negotiation process. The degree to which therapists and clients can negotiate disagreements regarding goals and tasks is an important indicator in establishing and maintaining the alliance. Even though the negotiation concept is not new, there is still a lack of reliable and parsimonious self-report measures of the construct.

Bodies and Bites: a medical school program that teaches anatomy, physiology, and nutrition to elementary school kids.

Undergraduate medical students who participate in community outreach programs gain a multitude of benefits that impact not only their professional development but also the well-being of the communities they serve. At the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine (VTCSOM), students have the opportunity to volunteer in the "Bodies and Bites" program at the West End Center for Youth, an after-school educational center that serves K-12 children in Roanoke, Virginia. The purpose of Bodies and Bites is to teach elementary school children in 2nd to 5th grade how their bodies work and how to keep them healthy through good nutrition and exercise.