Decentralization Matters: Association of Adherence to Treatment and Distance for the Management of Non-Communicable Diseases in Rural Tanzania.

Since March 2019, a non-communicable diseases program has been established at hospital level, with enrollment and clinical reassessment every 6 months. Since July 2023, monthly enrollment and visits have also been conducted at health center level. This study aimed at assessing the adherence to scheduled follow-up visits following the decentralization of the integrated NCDs program from Hospital to Health Center level and investigate factors influencing follow-up adherence.

Evaluation and validation of an RT-PCR assay for specific detection of monkeypox virus (MPXV).

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) is a zoonotic orthopoxvirus within the Poxviridae family. MPXV is endemic to Central and West Africa. However, the world is currently witnessing an international outbreak with no clear epidemiological links to travel or animal exposure and with ever-increasing numbers of reported cases worldwide.

Metabolomic Characterization of Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS).

Introduction: PANS is a controversial clinical entity, consisting of a complex constellation of psychiatric symptoms, adventitious changes, and expression of various serological alterations, likely sustained by an autoimmune/inflammatory disease. Detection of novel biomarkers of PANS is highly desirable for both diagnostic and therapeutic management of affected patients. Analysis of metabolites has proven useful in detecting biomarkers for other neuroimmune-psychiatric diseases.

Real-Time Investigation of a Large Nosocomial Influenza A Outbreak Informed by Genomic Epidemiology.

Background: Nosocomial respiratory virus outbreaks represent serious public health challenges. Rapid and precise identification of cases and tracing of transmission chains is critical to end outbreaks and to inform prevention measures.

Methods: We combined conventional surveillance with influenza A virus (IAV) genome sequencing to identify and contain a large IAV outbreak in a metropolitan healthcare system.

Accuracy of Dynamic Navigation System Workflow for Implant Supported Full Arch Prosthesis: A Case Series.

A minimally invasive implant treatment approach for future full arch implant prosthetic rehabilitations of trophic jaws represents a challenge. An optimal implant planning is strongly related with an accurate merge of the prosthetic information and the radiographic data. To comply with that, most computer aided implantology (CAI) systems require additional steps, as radiographic stents or fiducial markers to overlap digital jaw scans to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data.

Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase Polymorphisms and Nitric Oxide Levels in Individuals with Chronic Periodontitis.

This study aimed to investigate whether the -1026(A>C)(rs2779249) and +2087(A>G)(2297518) polymorphisms in the gene were associated with chronic periodontitis (CP) and with salivary levels of nitrite (NO₂) and/or nitrate + nitrite (NOx). A group of 113 mixed-race patients were subjected to periodontal, genetic, and biochemical evaluations (65 CP/48 periodontally healthy subjects). DNA was extracted from oral epithelial cells and used for genotyping by polymerase chain reaction (real-time).

The devitrification of artificial fibers: a multimethodic approach to quantify the temperature-time onset of cancerogenic crystalline phases.

A variety of artificial fibers extensively employed as lining in high-temperature apparatus may undergo a devitrification process that leads to significant changes in the chemical-physical properties of the materials. Among them, the crystallization of carcinogenic minerals, such as cristobalite, has already been documented for alumino-silicate ceramic fibers. Five fibrous samples with different compositions were treated over a wide range of temperatures (20-1500°C) and times (24-336 h) to investigate the rate and the crystalline phases that are formed as well their onset temperatures.

Inactivation of human normal and tumour cells irradiated with low energy protons.

Purpose: To analyse the cell inactivation frequencies induced by low energy protons in human cells with different sensitivity to photon radiation.

Materials And Methods: Four human cell lines with various sensitivities to photon irradiation were used: the SCC25 and SQ20B derived from human epithelium tumours of the tongue and larynx, respectively, and the normal lines M/10, derived from human mammary epithelium, and HF19 derived from a lung fibroblast. The cells were irradiated with y-rays and proton beams with linear energy transfer (LET) from 7 to 33 keV/microm.

RBE-LET relationships for cell inactivation and mutation induced by low energy protons in V79 cells: further results at the LNL facility.

Purpose: RBE-LET relationships for cell inactivation and hprt mutation in V79 cells have been studied with mono-energetic low-energy proton beams at the radiobiological facility of the INFN-Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL), Padova, Italy.

Materials And Methods: V79 cells were irradiated in mono-layer on mylar coated stainless steel petri dishes, in air. Inactivation data were obtained at 7.

Inactivation of C3H10T1/2 cells by low energy protons and deuterons.

Purpose: To determine the RBE-LET relationship for C3H10T1/2 cell inactivation by protons in the LET range 11-33 keV/microm and to compare inactivation frequencies induced in C3H10T1/2 cells by protons and deuterons at two matching LET values in the range 11-20 keV/microm.

Materials And Methods: C3H10T1/2 cells were irradiated with protons and deuterons at the radiobiological facility set up at the 7MV Van de Graaff accelerator at the LNL, Legnaro, Padova. Gamma rays from 60Co were used as reference radiation.

Mutant frequency at the Hprt locus and in minisatellite sequences in Chinese hamster V79 cells irradiated with low-energy protons (31 keV/microm) and ultraviolet light (254 nm).

Ionizing radiations induce mutations which can be detected both in coding sequences (Hprt locus) by measuring the frequency of 6-thioguanine-resistant cells and in minisatellite sequences by DNA fingerprint analysis. We analyzed the effects of irradiation with low-energy protons (31 keV/pm) and, for comparison, with ultraviolet light (254 nm), for which DNA damage and repair mechanisms are better understood, on cultures of Chinese hamster V79 cells with the two methods mentioned above. The results indicate that the frequency of 6-thioguanine-resistant cells was increased significantly, although very differently, by both treatments.

DNA double strand break production and rejoining in V79 cells irradiated with light ions.

Low energy protons and other densely ionizing light ions are known to have RBE>1 for cellular end points relevant for stochastic and deterministic effects. The occurrence of a close relationship between them and induction of DNA dsb is still a matter of debate. We studied the production of DNA dsb in V79 cells irradiated with low energy protons having LET values ranging from 11 to 31 keV/micrometer, i.

DNA double-strand breaks induced by low energy protons in V79 cells.

The initial production of DNA double-strand breaks (dsb) was determined in V79 Chinese hamster cells irradiated with proton beams of 3.24, 1.50 and 0.

Inactivation and mutation induction in V79 cells by low energy protons: re-evaluation of the results at the LNL facility.

During the upgrading of the radiobiological facility at the Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro (LNL) we found that uncorrected values of the proton energy were used in the past. This circumstance prompted us to perform the re-evaluation of the physical parameters for all the proton beams used in our previous radiobiological investigations (Belli et al. 1987) and, subsequently, the re-evaluation of all our previous dose-response curves for inactivation and mutation induction (Belli et al.

Use of track detectors in biomedical sciences.

The CR-39 track detectors have been applied to irradiate the Chinese hamster V79-753B cells for survival studies. The survival curves have given satisfactory results. Energies of the incoming as well as outgoing proton beams evaluated from the track diameters are found to be close to the values found separately by surface barrier detector (SSBD).

Mutation induction and RBE-LET relationship of low-energy protons in V79 cells.

The mutation induction at the HGPRT locus has been studied in V79-753B Chinese hamster cells irradiated with proton beams with energies of 3.36, 1.70 and 1.

Lipoprotein pattern and plasma lipoprotein lipase activities in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Relationship with increase of HDL2 fraction in Lp-X-positive and Lp-X-negative subjects.

Plasma lipids, apoprotein A-I and B in serum and in lipoprotein fractions (VLDL + LDL, HDL2, and HDL3) obtained by preparative ultracentrifugation, as well as postheparin lipoprotein lipase activity (H-TGL and LPL) were evaluated in 17 subjects with primary biliary cirrhosis (stage II and III) subdivided into two groups according to the presence or absence of lipoprotein X (Lp-X). A reduction in total lipoprotein lipase activity was observed in both patient groups, compared to controls (P less than 0.01); the hepatic lipoprotein lipase was significantly reduced (P less than 0.