Divergent androgenic modulation of SARS-CoV-2 infection cooperates with dysregulated immune response to dictate worse COVID-19 outcomes in men.

Background: Sex-determined differences are rarely addressed in the management of diseases, despite well-known contrasting outcomes between female and male patients. In COVID-19 there is a remarkable disparity, with higher rates of mortality and more severe acute disease in men compared to women, who are mostly affected by long COVID-19. Furthermore, whether androgens play a protective or detrimental role in COVID-19 is still a matter of debate.

Venous Tortuosity in -Associated Gould Syndrome.

Mutations in collagen-encoding genes have been linked to numerous systemic diseases. Specifically, pathologic alterations in have been linked to Gould syndrome, a hereditary angiopathy affecting the brain, kidneys, and eyes. However, the ocular phenotype associated with -associated disease has yet to be fully characterized.

Public-private partnership in the Portuguese health sector.

Since 2001, in Portugal, constant reforms in hospital management have accompanied the transformations in the management models applied to public administration, intending to ensure a higher quality of services and, simultaneously, a more significant economic efficiency. This study aims to analyse, for the period between 2012 and 2021, the economic and financial results (value-for-money) of the PPP model, compared with the public management hospitals (PMH). It used a mixed research approach based on multiple case studies and archival research.

Antimicrobial Resistance, Genetic Lineages, and Biofilm Formation in Isolated from Human Infections: An Emerging One Health Concern.

() is a leading nosocomial pathogen and has great versatility due to a complex interplay between antimicrobial resistance and virulence factors. has also turned into one the most relevant model organisms for the study of biofilm-associated infections. The objective of the study focused on analyzing the antimicrobial susceptibility, resistance genes, virulence factors, and biofilm formation ability of thirty-two isolates of isolates were characterized by the following analyses: susceptibility to 12 antimicrobial agents, the presence of resistance genes and virulence factors in PCR assays, and the quantification of biofilm production as evaluated by two distinct assays.

Reliability and Validity of the Geriatric Depression Scale in a Sample of Portuguese Older Adults with Mild-to-Moderate Cognitive Impairment.

Although the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) is a well-established instrument for the assessment of depressive symptoms in older adults, this has not been validated specifically for Portuguese older adults with cognitive impairment. The objective of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of two Portuguese versions of the GDS (GDS-27 and GDS-15) in a sample of Portuguese older adults with mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment. Clinicians assessed for major depressive disorder and cognitive functioning in 117 participants with mild-to-moderate cognitive decline (76.

Human and Feline Sporotrichosis in a Reference Center of Southeastern Brazil: Genetic Differentiation, Diversity, and Antifungal Susceptibility of Species.

Sporotrichosis is a neglected subcutaneous fungal infection that affects humans and animals worldwide caused by species belonging to the genus . This study aims to examine the range of genetic variations, assess molecular epidemiology significance, and explore potential modes of transmission of the species associated with the current sporotrichosis outbreaks in Espírito Santo, Brazil. In this investigation, 262 samples were evaluated, including 142 from humans and 120 from felines, collected between 2016 and 2021.

Ultrasound-Guided Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment for Superficial Peroneal Nerve Entrapment in a Professional Handball Player.

Peripheral nerve injury in athletes is rare but deleterious to their performance, entrapment being one of the most frequent causes. Isolated injury to the superficial peroneal nerve (SPN) is rare and often underdiagnosed. The authors reported a clinical case of a 34-year-old handball athlete who presented with neuropathic pain in the inferolateral third of the leg and dorsum of the foot, with three months of evolution, after an ankle sprain, refractory to conservative treatment.

Extensive topographic remapping and functional sharpening in the adult rat visual pathway upon first visual experience.

Understanding the dynamics of stability/plasticity balances during adulthood is pivotal for learning, disease, and recovery from injury. However, the brain-wide topography of sensory remapping remains unknown. Here, using a first-of-its-kind setup for delivering patterned visual stimuli in a rodent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner, coupled with biologically inspired computational models, we noninvasively mapped brain-wide properties-receptive fields (RFs) and spatial frequency (SF) tuning curves-that were insofar only available from invasive electrophysiology or optical imaging.

Hydrogel Bioinks of Alginate and Curcumin-Loaded Cellulose Ester-Based Particles for the Biofabrication of Drug-Releasing Living Tissue Analogs.

3D bioprinting is a versatile technique that allows the fabrication of living tissue analogs through the layer-by-layer deposition of cell-laden biomaterials, viz. bioinks. In this work, composite alginate hydrogel-based bioinks reinforced with curcumin-loaded particles of cellulose esters (CEpCUR) and laden with human keratinocytes (HaCaT) are developed.

Comparative Molecular Characterization and Pharmacokinetics of IgG1-Fc and Engineered Fc Human Antibody Variants to Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 Receptor (IGF2R).

Novel therapeutic approaches are much needed for the treatment of osteosarcoma. Targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) and radioimmunotherapy (RIT) are promising approaches that deliver therapeutic radiation precisely to the tumor site. We have previously developed a fully human antibody, named IF3, that binds to insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R).

Immediate Effect of Hoof Trimming on Hoof and Thoracic Joint Angles in Mangalarga Mares.

It is important to understand the effects of hoof trimming on hoof and limb conformation to maximize its benefits on the health of the appendicular skeleton of horses, thus promoting improvements in athletic performance and sporting longevity with regard to athletic horses. There is little information on possible changes in the angulation of the thoracic limb joints after hoof trimming and correlations between the angulation of the thoracic limb joints with hoof measurements. To that purpose, nineteen Mangalarga mares received routine hoof trimming.

Plasma Sphingomyelin Disturbances: Unveiling Its Dual Role as a Crucial Immunopathological Factor and a Severity Prognostic Biomarker in COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers distinct patterns of disease development characterized by significant alterations in host regulatory responses. Severe cases exhibit profound lung inflammation and systemic repercussions. Remarkably, critically ill patients display a "lipid storm", influencing the inflammatory process and tissue damage.

Volumetry after botulinum toxin A: the impact on abdominal wall compliance and endotracheal pressure.

Purpose: Botulinum toxin type A (BTA) is an adjuvant tool used in the preoperative optimization of complex hernias before abdominal wall reconstruction (AWR). This study aims to investigate changes in the abdominal cavity and hernia sac dimensions after BTA application.

Method: A prospective study with 27 patients with a hernia defect of ≥ 10 cm and loss of domain (LOD) ≥ 20% underwent AWR.

Lipopeptides from an isolate of Bacillus subtilis complex have inhibitory and antibiofilm effects on Fusarium solani.

Bacillus subtilis species complex is known as lipopeptide-producer with biotechnological potential for pharmaceutical developments. This study aimed to identify lipopeptides from a bacterial isolate and evaluate their antifungal effects. Here, we isolated and identified a lipopeptide-producing bacterium as a species of Bacillus subtilis complex (strain UL-1).

Characterization and photocatalytic performance of cement mortars with incorporation of TiO and mineral admixtures.

As the main components of the building envelope, construction materials have a straight relation with air contaminants from anthropogenic origins. Titanium dioxide has been recently applied in construction industry products since its photocatalytic properties can be used for pollutant degradation purposes. This study evaluated the performance of cement-based mortars with the incorporation of TiO nanoparticles and mineral admixtures.

Augenblickdiagnose in neurology: Revisiting 'diagnosis in the blink of an eye'.

Background And Purpose: The art of diagnosis in clinical neurology requires attentive listening and careful observation. In certain situations, a fragment of the history or a physical sign may be so distinctive that it allows clinicians to evoke a specific diagnosis. This quick mental process was previously referred to as 'Augenblickdiagnose' ('diagnosis in the blink of an eye') in a seminal paper by Dr.

Anandamide reduces the migration of lymphocytes to the intestine by CB2 activation and reduces TNF-α in the target organs, protecting mice from graft-versus-host disease.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a serious inflammatory illness that often occurs as a secondary complication of bone marrow transplantation. Current therapies have limited effectiveness and fail to achieve a balance between inflammation and the graft-versus-tumor effect. In this study, we investigate the effects of the endocannabinoid anandamide on the complex pathology of GVHD.

Açaí ( Mart.) Seed Oil Exerts a Cytotoxic Role over Colorectal Cancer Cells: Insights of Annexin A2 Regulation and Molecular Modeling.

Açaí, Mart., is a native plant from the Amazonian and is rich in several phytochemicals with anti-tumor activities. The aim was to analyze the effects of açaí seed oil on colorectal adenocarcinoma (ADC) cells.

Spectrophotometric Analysis of Coronal Discoloration In Vitro Induced by Bioceramic Cements.

The aim of this study was to evaluate and quantify, in vitro, the extent of coronal discoloration induced by bioceramic materials over time. In total, 44 human monoradicular teeth were divided into four groups ( = 11), according to the applied material: Negative control (NC); White MTA ProRoot (WMTAP); Biodentine (BD); and TotalFill BC RRM Putty (TF). Teeth were immersed in saline solution and incubated at 37 °C; the following periods of time were defined: before incubation: [t0]-without bioceramic material, t1-immediately after the bioceramic material placement; after incubation: t24h-24 h, t7d-7 days, and 30d-30 days.

Mucinous Cystadenoma Arising in a Uterine Isthmocele: A Case Report.

Isthmocele is a discontinuation of the myometrium at the uterine scar site in a patient with a previous cesarian section (CS). The cause of isthmocele appears to be multifactorial. Poor surgical technique, low incision location, uterine retroflection, obesity, smoking, inadequate healing of scars, and maternal age are possible related factors.