"I will take part in the revolution with our people": a qualitative study of healthcare workers' experiences of violence and resistance after the 2021 Myanmar coup d'etat.

Background: In Myanmar, ongoing conflict since the 2021 military coup d'etat has been characterized by targeted violence against health workers (HWs), particularly those participating in the pro-democracy movement. Existing knowledge about the challenges faced by health workers in Myanmar is scant, including their perspectives on mitigating their suffering and the broader impact on community health. This knowledge gap prompted our study to assess the extent of the violence, its impact on the workers and the community, and identify resource priorities.

Have attacks on healthcare become the new normal? a public health call to action for armed conflicts before it is too late.

The scale of attacks on healthcare has become more visible and its impact greater in recent armed conflicts in Ukraine, Sudan and Myanmar. In these conflicts, combatants systematically target health facilities and ambulances. We need to ensure that attacks on healthcare do not become the new norm amongst governmental troops and non-State armed groups.

Machine learning-based prediction of clinical outcomes after first-ever ischemic stroke.

Background: Accurate prediction of clinical outcomes in individual patients following acute stroke is vital for healthcare providers to optimize treatment strategies and plan further patient care. Here, we use advanced machine learning (ML) techniques to systematically compare the prediction of functional recovery, cognitive function, depression, and mortality of first-ever ischemic stroke patients and to identify the leading prognostic factors.

Methods: We predicted clinical outcomes for 307 patients (151 females, 156 males; 68 ± 14 years) from the PROSpective Cohort with Incident Stroke Berlin study using 43 baseline features.

Underestimating attacks: comparing two sources of publicly-available data about attacks on health care in 2017.

Background: Attacks on health care represent an area of growing international concern. Publicly available data are important in documenting attacks, and are often the only easily accessible data source. Data collection processes about attacks on health and their implications have received little attention, despite the fact that datasets and their collection processes may result in differing numbers.

White matter hyperintensities are an independent predictor of cognitive decline 3 years following first-ever stroke-results from the PROSCIS-B study.

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are the result of cerebral small vessel disease and may increase the risk of cognitive impairment (CI), recurrent stroke, and depression. We aimed to explore the association between selected cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRF) and WMH load as well as the effect of increased WMH burden on recurrent vascular events, CI, and depression in first-ever ischemic stroke patients.

Methods: 431 from the PROSpective Cohort with Incident Stroke (PROSCIS) were included; Age-Related White Matter Changes (ARWMC) score was used to assess WMH burden on FLAIR.

Tumor Derived Extracellular Vesicles Modulate Gene Expression in T cells.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are excreted from all cells in the human body and are heterogeneous lipid bilayer particles containing proteins, RNA, DNA, and other cargo. T cells are primary players of the adaptive immune system and have a significant role in anti-cancer immunotherapies. Tumor derived EVs have diverse effects on host cells including modulating the immune response.

Fluorescence-Based Measurements of Membrane-Bound Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 Activity Using Xenopus Laevis Oocytes.

Functional investigations of enzymes involving cellular expression systems are important for pharmacological studies. The precise control of expression is challenging in transiently transfected mammalian cell lines. Here, we explored the ability of Xenopus laevis oocytes to express a membrane-bound enzyme for functional characterization using standard 96-well plates and a fluorescence-based plate reader assay.

Effects of hypoxic storage on the efficacy of gamma irradiation in abrogating lymphocyte proliferation and on the quality of gamma-irradiated red blood cells in additive solution 3.

Background: Gamma irradiation of blood products is used to prevent transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease by inhibiting the proliferation of lymphocytes that are implicated in the disease. Gamma irradiation also damages the red blood cells (RBCs). It is unknown whether hypoxia reduces the efficacy of gamma irradiation in inhibiting lymphocyte proliferation (LP).

Murine Leukemia-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Elicit Antitumor Immune Response.

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are heterogeneous lipid bilayer particles secreted by cells. EVs contain proteins, RNA, DNA and other cargo that can have immunomodulatory effects. Cancer-derived EVs have been described as having immunomodulating effects in vivo with immunosuppressive and pro-tumor growth capabilities.

Violence against healthcare in conflict: a systematic review of the literature and agenda for future research.

Background: Attacks on health care in armed conflict, including those on health workers, facilities, patients and transports, represent serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Information about these incidents and their characteristics are available in myriad forms: as published research or commentary, investigative reports, and within online data collection initiatives. We review the research on attacks on health to understand what data they rely on, what subjects they cover and what gaps exist in order to develop a research agenda going forward.

Comparison of induced neurons reveals slower structural and functional maturation in humans than in apes.

We generated induced excitatory neurons (iNeurons, iNs) from chimpanzee, bonobo, and human stem cells by expressing the transcription factor neurogenin-2 (NGN2). Single-cell RNA sequencing showed that genes involved in dendrite and synapse development are expressed earlier during iNs maturation in the chimpanzee and bonobo than the human cells. In accordance, during the first 2 weeks of differentiation, chimpanzee and bonobo iNs showed repetitive action potentials and more spontaneous excitatory activity than human iNs, and extended neurites of higher total length.

Effects Induced In Vivo by Exposure to Magnetic Signals Derived From a Healing Technique.

Energy healing is a therapy said to manipulate and balance the flow of "energies" in the body. One such technique, the Bengston Healing Method (BHM), has shown some success in healing malignant tumors in animals and humans, but the mechanism of action and factors influencing therapeutic success of this method are poorly understood. In this study, we tested in vivo the antitumor potential of magnetic signals recorded during BHM healing.

Rethinking access: how humanitarian technology governance blurs control and care.

Surprisingly little attention is paid to the role of digital technology and related forms of data production, storage, processing, and sharing in humanitarian governance. This paper uses Michael Barnett's () conceptualisation of humanitarian governance when arguing for a better accounting of technology in literature on humanitarian governance. Specifically, it proposes a two-fold alertness to governance of (a) the uses of new technology and (b) that which is produced by digital technologies.

Induction of anti-leukemic responses by stimulation of leukemic CD3+ cells with allogeneic stimulator cells.

Background: Immunotherapeutic protocols have focused on identification of stimuli that induce effective anti-leukemic immune responses. One potent immune stimulus is the encounter with allogeneic cells. Our group previously showed that the infusion of haploidentical donor white blood cells (1-2 × 10 CD3+ cells/kg) into patients with refractory hematological malignancies induced responses of varying magnitude in over half of the patients.

Inhibition of Tetraspanin Functions Impairs Human Papillomavirus and Cytomegalovirus Infections.

Tetraspanins are suggested to regulate the composition of cell membrane components and control intracellular transport, which leaves them vulnerable to utilization by pathogens such as human papillomaviruses (HPV) and cytomegaloviruses (HCMV) to facilitate host cell entry and subsequent infection. In this study, by means of cellular depletion, the cluster of differentiation (CD) tetraspanins CD9, CD63, and CD151 were found to reduce HPV16 infection in HeLa cells by 50 to 80%. Moreover, we tested recombinant proteins or peptides of specific tetraspanin domains on their effect on the most oncogenic HPV type, HPV16, and HCMV.

Extracellular vesicles in leukemia.

Extracellular vesicles (EV) are nano-sized membrane enclosed vehicles that are involved in cell-to-cell communication and carry cargo that is representative of the parent cell. Recent studies have highlighted the significant roles leukemia EVs play in tumor progression, and ways in which they can lead to treatment evasion, thus meriting further investigation. Leukemia EVs are involved in crosstalk between the leukemia cell and its surroundings, transforming it into a cancer favorable microenvironment.

Pulmonary vascular changes in extremely preterm sheep after intra-amniotic exposure to Ureaplasma parvum and lipopolysaccharide.

Background: Chorioamnionitis can induce pulmonary inflammation and promote bronchopulmonary dysplasia development, distinguished by alveolar simplification and impaired vascular growth. Chorioamnionitis is more common during the extremely preterm canalicular lung stage (crucial for vascular development); and increases the risk for subsequent sepsis. We hypothesized that single/combined exposure to chronic and/or acute inflammation induces pulmonary inflammatory responses and vascular changes.

Tetraspanins in infections by human cytomegalo- and papillomaviruses.

Members of the tetraspanin family have been identified as essential cellular membrane proteins in infectious diseases by nearly all types of pathogens. The present review highlights recently published data on the role of tetraspanin CD151, CD81, and CD63 and their interaction partners in host cell entry by human cytomegalo- and human papillomaviruses. Moreover, we discuss a model for tetraspanin assembly into trafficking platforms at the plasma membrane.

Immunotherapy of elderly acute myeloid leukemia: light at the end of a long tunnel?

Although it is possible to induce remission in the majority of the patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), many patients still die due to disease relapse. Immunotherapy is an attractive option. It is more specific.

Viral epitope-specific T cell responses induced in chronic, hepatitis C virus-infected patients.

Background: Approximate 180 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). Historically, vaccination has been the most effective strategy for controlling infections of such major health concern. Therapeutic vaccine strategies for HCV, however, have demonstrated negligible success.

Sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis: it's a gut feeling.

Insights in the pathogenesis of vaso-occlusive crisis in patients with sickle cell disease have changed significantly in the last decade. Various laboratory and clinical evidence have provided support to the pivotal role of activated neutrophils in this process. A recent study in murine sickle cell disease indicated that the intestinal microbiota is responsible for regulating the number of aged neutrophils, a subset of neutrophils that are overly activated.

The CD63-Syntenin-1 Complex Controls Post-Endocytic Trafficking of Oncogenic Human Papillomaviruses.

Human papillomaviruses enter host cells via a clathrin-independent endocytic pathway involving tetraspanin proteins. However, post-endocytic trafficking required for virus capsid disassembly remains unclear. Here we demonstrate that the early trafficking pathway of internalised HPV particles involves tetraspanin CD63, syntenin-1 and ESCRT-associated adaptor protein ALIX.