Stereotactic laser interstitial thermal therapy for the treatment of pediatric drug-resistant epilepsy: indications, techniques, and safety.

Background: MRI-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRgLITT) is a promising alternative to open surgery for treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy, offering significant advantages over traditional approaches for candidate patients, including minimally invasive approach, shorter hospitalization, and decreased patient post-operative discomfort. LITT uses a stereotactically placed fiber optic laser probe to ablate tissue under real-time MR thermometry.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of intraoperative and perioperative characteristics was performed for 28 cases of MRgLITT in 25 pediatric patients, ages 4-21 years old, at our institution between 2019 and 2021.

Anti-SARS-CoV-2 equine F (Ab') immunoglobulin as a possible therapy for COVID-19.

The new outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has infected and caused the death of millions of people worldwide. Intensive efforts are underway around the world to establish effective treatments. Immunoglobulin from immunized animals or plasma from convalescent patients might constitute a specific treatment to guarantee the neutralization of the virus in the early stages of infection, especially in patients with risk factors and a high probability of progressing to severe disease.

Exploring the Link between Oil Exploitation and Cancer in the Indigenous Population of Ecuador: A Scoping Review.

With cancer accounting for 19% of deaths and projected to rise in the coming years, Ecuador's inequities in healthcare coverage remain a major concern for the rural, indigenous populations. While the cancer burden among this vulnerable population has been much publicized in the context of the controversial oil extraction in the Amazon, there is contradictory evidence on its occurrence and determinants. This review critically discusses the available literature on cancer among indigenous people in Ecuador and explores the link between oil exploitation and cancer occurrence among indigenous people using a scoping review approach.

Cerebrospinal fluid fistula after combined spinal-epidural block.

Neuraxial anaesthesia is an essential technique in obstetric anaesthesia practice. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula is a rare complication and there is no consensus about its clinical approach. We present a case of a 28-year-old nulliparous woman that developed a cutaneous CSF fistula following combined spinal and epidural block for caesarean delivery.

Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 still remains the dominant species in open field crops in Brazil.

Among Bemisia tabaci species, the invasive MEAM1 and MED species are key agricultural pests for many crops. In Brazil, most part of B. tabaci population outbreaks were associated with MEAM1, which, since 1990s quickly spread across the entire country.

Biological Characterization of Yellow Fever Viruses Isolated From Non-human Primates in Brazil With Distinct Genomic Landscapes.

Since the beginning of the XXI Century, the yellow fever virus (YFV) has been cyclically spreading from the Amazon basin to Brazil's South and Southeast regions, culminating in an unprecedented outbreak that started in 2016. In this work, we studied four YFV isolated from non-human primates obtained during outbreaks in the states of Rio Grande do Sul in 2008 (PR4408), Goiás (GO05), and Espírito Santo (ES-504) in 2017, and Rio de Janeiro (RJ 155) in 2019. These isolates have genomic differences mainly distributed in non-structural proteins.

Cysteine as a Multifaceted Player in Kidney, the and Its Implications for Precision Medicine.

In this review encouraged by original data, we first provided in vivo evidence that the kidney, comparative to the liver or brain, is an organ particularly rich in cysteine. In the kidney, the total availability of cysteine was higher in cortex tissue than in the medulla and distributed in free reduced, free oxidized and protein-bound fractions (in descending order). Next, we provided a comprehensive integrated review on the evidence that supports the reliance on cysteine of the kidney beyond cysteine antioxidant properties, highlighting the relevance of cysteine and its renal metabolism in the control of cysteine excess in the body as a pivotal source of metabolites to kidney biomass and bioenergetics and a promoter of adaptive responses to stressors.

Pharmacological Inhibition of FAK-Pyk2 Pathway Protects Against Organ Damage and Prolongs the Survival of Septic Mice.

Sepsis and septic shock are associated with high mortality and are considered one of the major public health concerns. The onset of sepsis is known as a hyper-inflammatory state that contributes to organ failure and mortality. Recent findings suggest a potential role of two non-receptor protein tyrosine kinases, namely Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and Proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2), in the inflammation associated with endometriosis, cancer, atherosclerosis and asthma.

Brief intervention for hazardous drinking delivered using text messaging: a pilot randomised controlled trial from Goa, India.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a mobile-based brief intervention (BI), generate preliminary estimates of the impact of the BI and fine-tune the procedures for a definitive randomised controlled trial.

Design: Parallel three-arm single-blind individually randomised controlled pilot trial. Eligible and consenting participants were randomised to receive mobile-based BI, face-to-face BI and information leaflet.

Numerical and experimental simulation of a dynamic-rotational 3D cell culture for stratified living tissue models.

Human tissues and organs are inherently heterogeneous, and their functionality is determined by the interplay between different cell types, their secondary architecture, and gradients of signalling molecules and metabolites. To mimic the dynamics of native tissues, perfusion bioreactors and microfluidic devices are widely used in tissue engineering (TE) applications for enhancing cell culture viability in the core of 3D constructs. Still, mostscreening methods for compound efficacy and toxicity assessment include cell or tissue exposure to constant and homogeneous compound concentrations over a defined testing period.

Potential Anti-Inflammatory Effect of in Preclinical In Vivo Models of Inflammation.

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the potential anti-inflammatory effect of in preclinical in vivo models of inflammation. A search was conducted in the databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, with related keywords. The inclusion criteria were inflammation, plant, and studies on rats or mice; while, the exclusion criteria were reviews, studies with in vitro models, and associated plants.

Use of technology for self-care in surgical wound infection surveillance: integrative review.

Objectives: to synthesize knowledge about technology for self-care in surgical wound infection surveillance.

Methods: integrative review conducted in CINAHL, Embase, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases with the descriptors "surgical wound infection" and "self-care", in addition to manual search in the references of the included studies. The selection and evaluation of the methodological quality of the studies and data collection were performed by two independent reviewers; conflicts were resolved by a third reviewer.

Acute Nephrotic Syndrome and Otosyphilis.

Syphilis, also known as the "the great masquerader," is a re-emerging infectious disease in the Western world, and may present with various signs and symptoms, making it difficult to distinguish from other diseases. Nephrotic syndrome due to syphilis has been rarely reported in modern times. Here, we describe a young male with acute hearing loss and peripheral edema, found to have acute nephrotic syndrome in the setting of otosyphilis.

(L.) Fryxell (Malvaceae): A Promising Source of Bioactive Sulfated Flavonoids Against L.

L. is known as the most relevant vector mosquito for viruses such as yellow fever, chikungunya, dengue, and Zika, especially in places with unplanned urbanization, and erratic water supply. Plants used in folk medicine have become a useful source of active compounds with the potential to control the dissemination of Compounds isolated from Malvaceae have been previously reported as larvicides, repellents, and insecticides.

Formulation of spray dried enzymes for dry powder inhalers: An integrated methodology.

One of the main challenges when developing a spray dried formulation of an inhalable enzyme is the generation of a safe and effective aerosol, able to reach the lungs, while preserving protein function and structural levels of the biologic. Hence, an appropriate excipient selection based on enzyme stabilization, inhalation precedence and spray drying (SD) process development is required to meet this balance. Herein, an integrated methodology is presented to expedite the selection of the best dry powder inhaler excipient system to formulate three model enzymes of increasing molecular mass and structural complexity belonging to the oxidoreductase class and often implicated in oxidative stress: superoxide dismutase, glucose oxidase and catalase.

Nonreciprocal and Non-Hermitian Material Response Inspired by Semiconductor Transistors.

Here, inspired by the operation of conventional semiconductor transistors, we introduce a novel class of bulk materials with nonreciprocal and non-Hermitian electromagnetic response. Our analysis shows that material nonlinearities combined with a static electric bias may lead to a linearized permittivity tensor that lacks the Hermitian and transpose symmetries. Remarkably, the material can either dissipate or generate energy, depending on the relative phase of the electric field components.

Astaxanthin improves the shelf-life of tilapia fillets stored under refrigeration.

Background: Astaxanthin, classified as a xanthophyll, has antioxidant properties about 500 times greater than α-tocopherols and ten times greater than β-carotenes. Based on the antioxidant activity of this carotenoid, this study aimed to evaluate the shelf-life of tilapia fillets (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with astaxanthin, by determining the microbiological quality (colimetry, counts of mesophilic and psychrotrophic microorganisms), physicochemical analyses (colorimetry, pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) and sensory analysis.

Results: Tilapia supplemented with astaxanthin presented a reduction in the counts of microorganisms (mesophiles and psychrotrophics) and lower lipid oxidation index (TBARS), when compared to fillets of control fish.

Effectiveness of "run-ins" at predicting adherence in a behavioral weight loss efficacy trial.

There is limited research on whether run-in procedures predict participant adherence during behavioral efficacy trials. This study examined whether information from behavioral run-ins (food diary completion, questionnaire completion, and staff interview) predict intervention adherence, trial retention, and trial outcomes in a behavioral weight loss trial. Using run-in data, trial staff predicted which participants would have high, moderate, or low trial adherence.

Association of IL-9, IL-10, and IL-17 Cytokines With Hepatic Fibrosis in Human Infection.

This is a case series study to evaluate immunological markers associated with schistosomiasis advanced fibrosis, including 69 patients from an endemic area from the State of Sergipe and from the Hepatology Service of the University Hospital in Sergipe, Brazil. Hepatic fibrosis was classified based on Niamey protocol for ultrasonography (US). Immune response to antigens was evaluated by stimulating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from these patients with either adult worm (SWAP-10 μg/ml) or egg (SEA-10 μg/ml) antigens or purified protein derivative of turberculin (PPD-10 μg/ml) or phytohemagglutinin (PHA-1 μg/ml) for 72 h.

Real-Time 3D Object Detection and SLAM Fusion in a Low-Cost LiDAR Test Vehicle Setup.

Recently released research about deep learning applications related to perception for autonomous driving focuses heavily on the usage of LiDAR point cloud data as input for the neural networks, highlighting the importance of LiDAR technology in the field of Autonomous Driving (AD). In this sense, a great percentage of the vehicle platforms used to create the datasets released for the development of these neural networks, as well as some AD commercial solutions available on the market, heavily invest in an array of sensors, including a large number of sensors as well as several sensor modalities. However, these costs create a barrier to entry for low-cost solutions for the performance of critical perception tasks such as Object Detection and SLAM.

Toxicity of spike fragments SARS-CoV-2 S protein for zebrafish: A tool to study its hazardous for human health?

Despite the significant increase in the generation of SARS-CoV-2 contaminated domestic and hospital wastewater, little is known about the ecotoxicological effects of the virus or its structural components in freshwater vertebrates. In this context, this study evaluated the deleterious effects caused by SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein on the health of Danio rerio, zebrafish. We demonstrated, for the first time, that zebrafish injected with fragment 16 to 165 (rSpike), which corresponds to the N-terminal portion of the protein, presented mortalities and adverse effects on liver, kidney, ovary and brain tissues.

Long-term antibacterial properties of a nanostructured titanium alloy surface: An study.

The demand for joint replacement and other orthopedic surgeries involving titanium implants is continuously increasing; however, 1%-2% of surgeries result in costly and devastating implant associated infections (IAIs). and are two common pathogens known to colonise implants, leading to serious complications. Bioinspired surfaces with spike-like nanotopography have previously been shown to kill bacteria upon contact; however, the longer-term potential of such surfaces to prevent or delay biofilm formation is unclear.

Large-scale migration into Britain during the Middle to Late Bronze Age.

Present-day people from England and Wales have more ancestry derived from early European farmers (EEF) than did people of the Early Bronze Age. To understand this, here we generated genome-wide data from 793 individuals, increasing data from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age in Britain by 12-fold, and western and central Europe by 3.5-fold.

Effectiveness of brief patient information materials for promoting correct beliefs about imaging and inevitable consequences of low back pain: A randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To investigate what format for providing patient information (i.e. written summary, infographic or video animation) is most effective for promoting correct beliefs about imaging and inevitable consequences of low back pain (LBP).