Comparative Investigation of Thromboelastometry and Thrombin Generation for Patients Receiving Direct Oral Anticoagulants or Vitamin K Antagonists.

. Alterations induced by direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) or vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) to thromboelastometry and thrombin generation are not well defined. We performed a simultaneous investigation of thromboelastometry and thrombin generation for patients who were chronically anticoagulated with DOACs or VKAs.

Screening the carotenoid in vitro bioaccessibility of purple corn breakfast cereal consumed with milk and plant-based milk.

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD), such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer, dominate global mortality, besides compromising the quality of life. Unhealthy habits like sedentary lifestyles and poor diets escalate NCD risks. Conversely, the consumption of phenolic compounds and carotenoids has shown promise in reducing NCD risks.

Perspective on the role of pharmacogenetic testing in mental health care in Slovakia.

Background: The pathophysiology of mental illnesses is not fully understood, leading to insufficient remission, frequent adverse drug reactions, and treatment resistance. Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing, a personalized approach recently adopted also in psychiatry, can guide effective drug therapy and minimize side effects. The objective of this study was to determine the perspective of Slovak clinicians regarding the integration of PGx testing in psychiatric clinical practice.

Investigating the effects of a daily multidisciplinary intensive outpatient rehabilitation program on innovative biomarkers in people with Parkinson's disease: Study protocol for a phase III randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: To date, there has been no medication that has prevented the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Many benefits of intensive and multidisciplinary rehabilitation program for PD are supported by clinical, epidemiological, and experimental data. The main question is whether high-intensity motor and cognitive exercises have an effect on the disease's biological mechanisms.

A complex remodeling of cellular homeostasis distinguishes RSV/SARS-CoV-2 co-infected A549-hACE2 expressing cell lines.

Concurrent infections with two or more pathogens with analogous tropism, such as RSV and SARS-CoV-2, may antagonize or facilitate each other, modulating disease outcome. Clinically, discrepancies in the severity of symptoms have been reported in children with RSV/SARS-CoV-2 co-infection. Herein, we propose an co-infection model to assess how RSV/SARS-CoV-2 co-infection alters cellular homeostasis.

Intravitreal faricimab for treatment naïve patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a real-world prospective study.

Background: Intravitreal faricimab, a bispecific antibody targeting both angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), was recently introduced for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), diabetic macular oedema and cystoid macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion. The aim of our study was to assess the efficacy, safety and durability of intravitreal faricimab in a real-world cohort of treatment-naïve patients with nAMD.

Methods: Single-centre, prospective cohort study of 21 eyes from 19 treatment-naïve nAMD patients who were treated with intravitreal faricimab from October 2022 to April 2024.

One-Year Real-World Outcomes of Intravitreal Faricimab for Previously Treated Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Introduction: This study assessed the efficacy, durability, and safety of faricimab in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), previously treated with aflibercept or ranibizumab with unsatisfactory results.

Methods: This was a single-center, prospective cohort study of all consecutive patients with nAMD switched to intravitreally administered faricimab from traditional anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatments between September 2022 and April 2023 because of unsatisfactory response (maximal fluid-free interval ≤ 8 weeks). Faricimab was administered with a loading dose of four 4-weekly injections, followed by a treat-and-extend regimen.

HLA-A, -B, -C and -DRB1 Association with Autism Spectrum Disorder Risk: A Sex-Related Analysis in Italian ASD Children and Their Siblings.

Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) are diagnosed more often in males than in females, by a ratio of about 3:1; this is likely to be due to a difference in risk burden between the sexes and/or to "compensatory skills" in females, that may delay the diagnosis of ASD. Identifying specific risk factors for ASD in females may be important in facilitating early diagnosis. We investigated whether HLA- class I: -A, -B, -C and class II -DRB1 alleles, which have been suggested to play a role in the development of ASD, can be considered as sex-related risk/protective markers towards the ASD.

Immunopathology of lung transplantation: from infection to rejection and vice versa.

Lung transplantation offers a lifesaving option for patients with end-stage lung disease, but it is marred by a high risk of post-transplant infections, particularly involving multidrug-resistant bacteria, Cytomegalovirus, and fungal pathogens. This elevated infection rate, the highest among solid organ transplants, poses a significant challenge for clinicians, particularly within the first year post-transplantation, where infections are the leading cause of mortality. The direct exposure of lung allografts to the external environment exacerbates this vulnerability leading to constant immune stimulation and consequently to an elevated risk of triggering alloimmune responses to the lung allograft.

Serum miR-34a-5p, miR-103a-3p, and miR-376a-3p as possible biomarkers of conversion from relapsing-remitting to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Relapsing-remitting (RR) Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common form of the disease; RRMS patients can maintain their clinical phenotype throughout life or can develop a secondary progressive (SP) course over time. We investigated whether circulating miRNAs can predict RR-to-SPMS conversion. A serum miRNAs profile was initially analyzed in a cross-sectional study by qPCR in 16 patients (8 RRMS and 8 SPMS) (Discovery cohort).

Optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose extracted from bamboo culm for bioethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae modified via CRISPR/Cas9.

In the context of biorefinery, researchers have been looking for lignocellulosic biomasses and ideal treatments to produce economically viable biofuels. In this scenario, the bamboo culm appears as a plant matrix of great potential, given the high cellulose content of low crystallinity. Thus, the objective and differential of this work was to determine the best conditions for enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose extracted from bamboo culm and to evaluate its potential application in the production of bioethanol through Separate Hydrolysis and Fermentation (SHF) and Saccharification and Simultaneous Fermentation (SSF) by Saccharomyces cerevisiae modified via CRISPR/Cas9.

Biomarkers of neural integrity and immunoglobulin genes influence neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease.

Compelling evidence has been presented in favor of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) being one of the causative agents of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The success of HSV1 as a pathogen relates to its sophisticated strategies to evade host immunosurveillance. One strategy involves encoding a decoy Fcγ receptor (FcγR) that thwarts the Fcγ-mediated effector functions, such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), a potent host immunosurveillance mechanism against virally infected cells.

The interplay between borderline personality disorder and oxytocin: a systematic narrative review on possible contribution and treatment options.

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex mental health condition marked by instability in mood, relationships, self-image, and behavior. Individuals with BPD often struggle with intense emotions, impulsivity, and maintaining stable relationships. Oxytocin, known as the "love hormone" or "bonding hormone," plays a crucial role in social bonding, trust, empathy, and emotional regulation and its dysregulation may contribute to BPD difficulties.

Exo1 cooperates with Tel1/ATM in promoting recombination events at DNA replication forks.

Tel1/ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) kinase plays multiple functions in response to DNA damage, promoting checkpoint-mediated cell-cycle arrest and repair of broken DNA. In addition, Tel1 stabilizes replication forks that arrest upon the treatment with the topoisomerase poison camptothecin (CPT). We discover that inactivation of the Exo1 nuclease exacerbates the sensitivity of Tel1-deficient cells to CPT and other agents that hamper DNA replication.

Influence of post-migration living difficulties on mental health among refugees and asylum seekers: A scoping-review on clinical tools.

Background: The literature indicates an increasing interest in the mental health of refugees (R) and asylum seekers (AS) - particularly how it could be affected by previous exposure to trauma and violence - but less has been written about the issues they are forced to face during the post-migration period and how these also can affect mental health. Research shows that the mental health of R/AS is highly influenced by their post-migration conditions and may deteriorate due to post-migration social health-related determinants; in addition, a lack of language skills, discrimination, separation from family, poverty, and other stressors can contribute to social isolation. The difficulty in asking for help in case of psychological distress and, consequently, in accessing care, contributes to the worsening of their clinical condition.

Alpha-synuclein shapes monocyte and macrophage cell biology and functions by bridging alterations of autophagy and inflammatory pathways.

Abnormal spreading of alpha-synuclein (αS), a hallmark of Parkinson's disease, is known to promote peripheral inflammation, which occurs in part via functional alterations in monocytes/macrophages. However, underlying intracellular mechanisms remain unclear. Herein we investigate the subcellular, molecular, and functional effects of excess αS in human THP-1 monocytic cell line, THP-1-derived macrophages, and at least preliminarily, in primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs).

Increased concentrations of P2X7R in oligodendrocyte derived extracellular vesicles of Multiple sclerosis patients.

Activation of the purinergic receptor P2X7 (P2X7R) is believed to be deleterious in autoimmune diseases and it was hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of MS. P2X7R is an ATP-gated non-selective cationic channel; its activation can be driven by high concentrations of ATP and leads to the generation of large, cytolytic conductance pores. P2X7R activation can also result in apoptosis as a consequence of the activation of the caspase cascade via P2X7R-dependent stimulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Clinical Factors Associated with Binge-Eating Episodes or Purging Behaviors in Patients Affected by Eating Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential associations between clinical/socio-demographic variables and the presence of purging/binge-eating episodes in eating disorders (EDs). Clinical/socio-demographic variables and psychometric scores were collected. Groups of patients were identified according to the presence or absence of purging or objective binge-eating episodes (OBEs) and compared through -test and chi-square tests.

Mild Photochemical Reduction of Alkenes and Heterocycles via Thiol-Mediated Formate Activation.

The reduction of alkenes to their respective alkanes is one of the most important transformations in organic chemistry, given the abundance of natural and commercial olefins. Metal-catalyzed hydrogenation is the most common way to reduce alkenes; however, the use of H gas in combination with the precious metals required for these conditions can be impractical, dangerous, and expensive. More complex substrates often require extremely high pressures of H, further emphasizing the safety concerns associated with these hydrogenation reactions.