Latinas are less likely to receive genetic counseling and genetic testing (GCT) compared to non-Latina Whites because of systemic and patient-level barriers. We developed and tested fotonovelas to increase awareness of GCT among Latinas at-risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). Content for the fotonovelas was drawn from an existing culturally targeted narrative video focused on improving GCT use among Latinas at-risk of HBOC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOptimizing pain management in spinal surgery is crucial for preventing adverse events due to delayed mobilization. Magnesium sulfate has potential benefits in spinal surgery because of its analgesic properties and modulation of neurotransmitters and autonomic nervous system. Existing evidence regarding the use of magnesium sulfate is partial and controversial, necessitating a comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate its efficacy and safety.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBioprocess Biosyst Eng
September 2024
Rhodococcus erythropolis bacterium is known for its remarkable resistance characteristics that can be useful in several biotechnological processes, such as bioremediation. However, there is scarce knowledge concerning the behavior of this strain against different metals. This study sought to investigate the behavior of R.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApicomplexans are a diverse phylum of unicellular eukaryotes that share obligate relationships with terrestrial and aquatic animal hosts. Many well-studied apicomplexans are responsible for several deadly zoonotic and human diseases, most notably malaria caused by Plasmodium. Interest in the evolutionary origin of apicomplexans has also spurred recent work on other more deeply-branching lineages, especially gregarines and sister groups like squirmids and chrompodellids.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
January 2024
With Europe's ageing population and rising demand for palliative care, it is crucial to examine the use of palliative care among older adults during their last years of life and understand the factors influencing their access and end-of-life circumstances. This study employed a cohort of SHARE participants aged 65 years or older who had passed away between Wave 6 (2015) and Wave 7 (2017). Information on death circumstances, palliative care utilization, and associated variables were analysed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Cell Infect Microbiol
October 2023
Granulomas are important immunological structures in the host defense against the fungus , the main etiologic agent of Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a granulomatous systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America. We have performed transcriptional and proteomic studies of yeasts present in the pulmonary granulomas of PCM aiming to identify relevant genes and proteins that act under stressing conditions. C57BL/6 mice were infected with 1x10 yeasts and after 8- and 12-weeks of infection, granulomatous lesions were obtained for extraction of fungal and murine RNAs and fungal proteins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFApproximately 25% to 35% of individuals diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) do not acquire vocal speech and may require an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modality to express their wants and needs. There are various modes of AAC that individuals with limited vocal speech may use (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes utilize a vitamin B-derived cofactor to perform a myriad of chemical transformations on amino acids and other small molecules. Some PLP-dependent enzymes, such as serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT), are promising drug targets for the design of small-molecule antimicrobials and anticancer therapeutics, while others have been used to synthesize pharmaceutical building blocks. Understanding PLP-dependent catalysis and the reaction specificity is crucial to advance structure-assisted drug design and enzyme engineering.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor the first time, the International Symposium on Fungal Stress was joined by the XIII International Fungal Biology Conference. The International Symposium on Fungal Stress (ISFUS), always held in Brazil, is now in its fourth edition, as an event of recognized quality in the international community of mycological research. The event held in São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil, in September 2022, featured 33 renowned speakers from 12 countries, including: Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, México, Pakistan, Spain, Slovenia, USA, and UK.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDigital Health is a subject of extensive discourse when considering its current and future significance. This significance arises from a convergence of various factors, including the escalating capabilities and cost-effectiveness of computing and communication technology, coupled with the mounting demands and challenges faced by healthcare systems. The integration of health and technology, when studied collectively with the purpose of addressing tangible real-world issues, holds the potential to generate substantial outcomes that greatly influence the provision of clinical and social care, thereby enhancing the overall well-being of both individuals and populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Department of Veterans Health Affairs (VHA) has launched 22 multispecialty post-COVID-19 clinics across the US for the growing number of veterans experiencing long-term sequelae after acute COVID-19 infection. While evidence-based treatments for this syndrome are under investigation, there is a critical need to establish and disseminate clinical pathways (CPWs) based on knowledge and experience gained in those clinics. This VHA CPW is intended to guide primary care clinicians who care for patients experiencing dyspnea and/or cough during post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), which includes symptoms and abnormalities persisting or present beyond 12 weeks of the onset of acute COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) concentrations (<30 ng/mL [<50 nmol/L]) have been associated with muscle weakness and impaired physical performance in observational studies. However, the effect of vitamin D supplementation on changes in muscle strength and physical performance in randomized controlled trials has been mixed.
Objectives: To determine the effect of daily vitamin D supplementation on leg power, strength, and physical performance in low-functioning older adults with 25(OH)D concentrations of 18 to <30 ng/mL.
J Genet Couns
October 2023
Genetic counseling and testing (GCT) inform cancer management for persons at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC). Community-based organizations (CBOs) may play a role in identifying at-risk Latinx individuals to connect them to GCT but data are lacking. Two academic centers and their four CBO partners planned to implement a validated questionnaire for HBOC risk screening ("HBOC risk screening tool").
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPractical experiments drive important scientific discoveries in biology, but theory-based research studies also contribute novel-sometimes paradigm-changing-findings. Here, we appraise the roles of theory-based approaches focusing on the experiment-dominated wet-biology research areas of microbial growth and survival, cell physiology, host-pathogen interactions, and competitive or symbiotic interactions. Additional examples relate to analyses of genome-sequence data, climate change and planetary health, habitability, and astrobiology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTelephone genetic counseling (TGC) is accepted as standard clinical care for people seeking hereditary cancer risk assessment. TGC has been shown to be non-inferior to in-person genetic counseling, but trials have been conducted with a predominantly highly educated, non-Hispanic White population. This article describes the process of culturally adapting a TGC protocol and visual aid booklet for Spanish-preferring Latina breast cancer survivors at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a zoonotic apicomplexan parasite that is an important cause of clinical disability in humans. On a global scale, one third of the human population is infected with T.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrev Med
December 2022
The reinforcing characteristics of e-cigarettes could moderate the impact of reducing cigarette nicotine content. In this study, people who smoke daily were recruited from North Carolina and Pennsylvania (US) in 2018 and 2019. Within a randomized 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design, participants received investigational cigarettes and an e-cigarette for 12 weeks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSarcoidosis is a multisystemic inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas in response to persistent stimuli. The long pentraxin PTX3 (pentraxin 3) has emerged as a component of humoral innate immunity with essential functions in the resolution of inflammation, but its role during granuloma formation is unknown. To evaluate PTX3 as a modulator of pathogenic signals involved in granuloma formation and inflammation in sarcoidosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Cariprazine is a third-generation antipsychotic approved in Europe in 2017 for the treatment of schizophrenia. It presents distinct pharmacodynamic properties, such as D3/D2 partial agonism, preferential binding to D3 receptors, antagonism at the serotonin 5-HT2A and 5-HT2B receptors, partial agonism at 5-HT1A receptors, and low affinity to other receptors (including noradrenergic, histaminergic, and cholinergic). It has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia with a safe side effect and metabolic profile.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs the Zika virus protease is an essential and well-established target for the development of antiviral agents, we biochemically screened for inhibitors using a purified recombinantly expressed form of this enzyme. As a result, we were able to identify 10 new Zika virus protease inhibitors. These compounds are natural products and showed strong inhibition in the biochemical assays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfluenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (IAPA) has been reported increasingly since the advent of use of neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors following the 2009 influenza pandemic. We hypothesize that blocking host NA modulates the immune response against . We demonstrate that NA influences the host response against and that oseltamivir increases the susceptibility of mice to pulmonary aspergillosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A decrease in blood pressure, even modestly (ie, 2 mmHg), lowers cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Low patient adherence to antihypertensive medication is the most significant modifiable patient-related barrier to achieving controlled blood pressure. Preliminary studies have shown that SMS text messaging and home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) can be effective in promoting medication adherence and blood pressure control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper presents a process evaluation of a culturally targeted narrative video about hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) for Latina women at risk for HBOC. Spanish-speaking Latina women at risk for HBOC participated in a single arm study (n = 40). Participants watched the video developed by the authors and responded to surveys.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEven after the revolution of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment with biologic agents, this debilitating disease remains a major clinical problem. The outstanding outcomes of the systemic administration of antibodies (Abs) are narrowed by the risk of serious side effects and limited efficacy due to their short half-life. Interleukin-23 (IL-23) is a crucial pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in inflammation that potently enhances the generation of T-helper type-17 (Th17) cells.
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