Branching in poly(amine-co-ester) polyplexes impacts mRNA transfection.

Branching is a key structural parameter of polymers, which can have profound impacts on physicochemical properties. It has been demonstrated that branching is a modulating factor for mRNA delivery and transfection using delivery vehicles built from cationic polymers, but the influence of polymer branching on mRNA delivery remains relatively underexplored compared to other polymer features such as monomer composition, hydrophobicity, pKa, or the type of terminal group. In this study, we examined the impact of branching on the physicochemical properties of poly(amine-co-esters) (PACE) and their efficiency in mRNA transfection in vivo and in vitro under various conditions.

Structured Program for Developing the Psychomotor Skills of Institutionalized Children with Special Educational Needs.

Tailoring motor activities to the unique needs of children with special educational requirements has shown considerable efficacy. Our study aimed to develop a structured program specifically designed to enhance psychomotor abilities, focusing on balance and motor-cognitive skills among 28 students (aged 12-14) from two institutional centers in Romania. The program spanned 36 weeks, with biweekly 30 min sessions.

Mesoporous Composite Bioactive Compound Delivery System for Wound-Healing Processes.

Currently, the treatment of wounds is still a challenge for healthcare professionals due to high complication incidences and social impacts, and the development of biocompatible and efficient medicines remains a goal. In this regard, mesoporous materials loaded with bioactive compounds from natural extracts have a high potential for wound treatment due to their nontoxicity, high loading capacity and slow drug release. MCM-41-type mesoporous material was synthesized by using sodium trisilicate as a silica source at room temperature and normal pressure.

The effectiveness of citrates and pyridoxine in the treatment of kidney stones.

The prevalence of nephrolithiasis is increasing across all demographic groups. Apart from the morbidity associated with an acute occurrence, preventative treatment is essential for stone disease, which can become a long-term problem. Simple interventions like fluid intake optimization and dietary modification are effective for most stone types.

Bioactive Low Molecular Weight Keratin Hydrolysates for Improving Skin Wound Healing.

Keratin biomaterials with high molecular weights were intensively investigated but few are marketed due to complex methods of extraction and preparation and limited understanding of their influence on cells behavior. In this context the aim of this research was to elucidate decisive molecular factors for skin homeostasis restoration induced by two low molecular weight keratin hydrolysates extracted and conditioned through a simple and green method. Two keratin hydrolysates with molecular weights of 3758 and 12,400 Da were physico-chemically characterized and their structure was assessed by circular dichroism (CD) and FTIR spectroscopy in view of bioactive potential identification.

Using Social Media Data to Evaluate Urban Parks Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In the context of increasing urbanization and associated economic, social and environmental challenges, cities have increasingly acknowledged the importance of urban parks in delivering social, economic and environmental benefits to the population. The importance has been demonstrated also during the COVID-19 pandemic that generated lockdowns and reduced the capacity of urban inhabitants in accessing such benefits. The present study aims to determine how the presence in urban parks was reflected on social media during the pandemic period of 2020.

Activity concentrations of U, Th, Ra Cs and K radionuclides in honey samples from Romania. Lifetime cancer risk estimated.

Romania is on the first place in Europe with an annual production of honey of 30.9 thousand tons in 2018, while the European Union is on the second place in the world with a total of 283 thousand tons. The most part of the honey production from Romania is exported.

The Motor Impact of the Static Balance in the Up Plank Position on Three Different Balls in Physical Activities of Physical Education Students.

The present study aimed to assess the capacity of stability and motor impact in the development of the balance of student athletes by reducing the support surface on the ball in the up plank position, by using three categories of balls of equal size, but with different elasticity and weight. In this study, the second aim was to investigate the differences in maintaining static balance, on different balls, between those who are practicing individual sports or team sports. The total study sample include 48 students, active athletes (45.

Using Integrative Data Analysis to Investigate School Climate Across Multiple Informants.

Survey research frequently involves the collection of data from multiple informants. Results, however, are usually analyzed by informant group, potentially ignoring important relationships across groups. When the same construct(s) are measured, integrative data analysis (IDA) allows pooling of data from multiple sources into one data set to examine information from multiple perspectives within the same analysis.

From Extraction to Advanced Analytical Methods: The Challenges of Melanin Analysis.

The generic term "melanin" describes a black pigment of biological origin, although some melanins can be brown or even yellow. The pigment is characterized as a heterogenic polymer of phenolic or indolic nature, and the classification of eu-, pheo- and allo- melanin is broadly accepted. This classification is based on the chemical composition of the monomer subunit structure of the pigment.

Examination of Item Quality in a State-Wide Music Assessment Program using Rasch Methodology.

Students' academic performance has been routinely assessed in various subjects, including arts education. The current study uses Rasch methodology to investigate item quality for an annual state-wide arts assessment program administered to 4th grade students. All multiple-choice items were previously analyzed through the true score theory (TST) framework to examine item difficulty, differential item functioning (DIF), and distractor quality.

In Vitro Human Microbiota Response to Exposure to Silver Nanoparticles Biosynthesized with Mushroom Extract.

The ability to orally administer silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in enteric capsules implies a direct interaction with the colon microbiota. The in vitro effect provides a portrayal of the functional properties under conditions. The purpose of this study was to describe a green AgNP synthesis process, using aqueous extract from mushroom, and to characterize the nanomaterial.

High frequency spectral changes induced by single-pulse electric stimulation: Comparison between physiologic and pathologic networks.

Objective: To investigate functional coupling between brain networks using spectral changes induced by single-pulse electric stimulation (SPES).

Method: We analyzed 20 patients with focal epilepsy, implanted with depth electrodes. SPES was applied to each pair of adjacent contacts, and responses were recorded from all other contacts.

Intrusive Thoughts Elicited by Direct Electrical Stimulation during Stereo-Electroencephalography.

Cortical direct electrical stimulation (DES) is a method of brain mapping used during invasive presurgical evaluation of patients with intractable epilepsy. Intellectual auras like intrusive thoughts, also known as forced thinking (FT), have been reported during frontal seizures. However, there are few reports on FT obtained during DES in frontal cortex.

A connectomics approach combining structural and effective connectivity assessed by intracranial electrical stimulation.

In the context of the human brain, the term "connectivity" can refer to structural, functional or effective connectivity. Intracranial electrical stimulation is perhaps the most direct way of investigating the effective connectivity. We propose a method of mapping the effective connectivity, revealed by the electrical stimulation of brain structures, over the structural connectome (SC), obtained through diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI), to form a structural-effective connectome (SEC).

Teacher ratings of child behavior in preschool: A MIMIC investigation of the BESS TRS-P.

The purpose of this study was to conduct further investigations of the latent structure underlying the Behavioral and Emotional Screening System Teacher Rating Scale-Preschool (BESS TRS-P) by examining latent variable differences due to demographic factors of the preschool children being rated. A U.S.

Th17 and IL-17 immunity in chronic hepatitis C infection.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the most important etiologic agents of postransfusional hepatitis and a common cause of chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. T helper (Th)17 cells are a newly discovered Th cell subset with implications in both host defense and autoimmunity. Th17 implications in chronic HCV infection are not well characterized.

IL-17 patterns in synovium, serum and synovial fluid from treatment-naïve, early rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Background: There are actually becoming controversial data regarding the profiles of interleukin-17 (IL-17) in different pathogenical stages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Objectives: To assessing the IL-17 patterns in synovium, serum and synovial fluid from treatment-naïve early RA patients and to identifying potential correlations with disease activity markers and with synovial histopathological profile.

Materials And Methods: Serum samples from 30 treatment-naïve early RA patients were evaluated for C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocytes sedimentation rate (ESR), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (anti-CCP).

Immunohistochemical study of stellate cells in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C genotype 1.

Introduction: Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are key-players in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis, inducing collagen deposition and abnormal extracellular matrix remodeling.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to identify the stellate cells using immunohistochemical techniques and to establish if there is a correlation between the expression of stellate cells and the clinical and histological parameters in patients with chronic viral hepatitis C.

Materials And Methods: The studied group included 30 patients with chronic viral hepatitis C genotype 1, in whom a liver biopsy was performed previous to the antiviral treatment.

Orientation and affective expression effects on face recognition in Williams syndrome and autism.

We sought to clarify the nature of the face processing strength commonly observed in individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) by comparing the face recognition ability of persons with WS to that of persons with autism and to healthy controls under three conditions: Upright faces with neutral expressions, upright faces with varying affective expressions, and inverted faces with neutral expressions. No differences were observed under the upright/neutral expression condition. However, the WS group was more accurate than the autism group when discriminating upright faces with varying affective expressions, whereas the opposite pattern emerged when discriminating inverted faces.

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in homozygous sickle-cell anaemia.

Concurrent sickle-cell disease and diabetes mellitus is rare. The first case of the co-existence of these two disorders to be identified in Nigeria, West Africa, is presented.

Effect of reduced phytate wheat bran on zinc absorption.

The rise in plasma zinc after the ingestion of 765 mumol (50 mg) elemental zinc was measured over 6 h in three groups of healthy subjects who, in a second test, also consumed a standard wheat bran, a reduced phytate, high fibre processed bran or rice-based, low phytate, low fibre breakfast cereal (Rice Krispies). Standard bran, reduced phytate bran and Rice Krispies all significantly decreased the area under the plasma zinc time curve (AUC) compared to the zinc alone test. The AUC obtained with standard bran was significantly lower than that after reduced phytate bran (mean +/- s.

Effects of cimetidine and carbenoxolone on gastric mucus.

The effect of cimetidine on normal human gastric mucus has been compared with that of carbenoxolone, a drug believed to enhance mucus production. Each drug was given for two weeks, the gastric contents aspirated over a timed period and the results assessed in unstimulated and pentagastrin stimulated secretions. The volume, dry weight and the carbohydrate contents of non-diffusable glycoconjugates, high molecular mass glycoproteins and glycopolypeptides were investigated.

Pharmacokinetics of nifedipine after oral administration in chronic liver disease.

Presented are the results of a study in which ten healthy subjects and seven patients with hepatic cirrhosis were given 10 mg nifedipine orally; plasma concentrations of the drug were measured over 24 hours. The drug was also administered intravenously, but those results were unsatisfactory for presentation. The rate of absorption and peak plasma concentrations were similar in the two groups.