Acoustic-pressure-driven ultrasonic activation of the mechanosensitive receptor RET and of cell proliferation in colonic tissue.

Ultrasound generates both compressive and shear mechanical forces in soft tissues. However, the specific mechanisms by which these forces activate cellular processes remain unclear. Here we show that low-intensity focused ultrasound can activate the mechanosensitive RET signalling pathway.

Quantitative distribution of essential elements and non-essential metals in breast cancer tissues by LA-ICP-TOF-MS.

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide, making the discovery and quantification of new biomarkers essential for improving diagnostic and preventive strategies to limit dissemination and improve prognosis. Essential trace metals such as Fe, Cu, and Zn may play critical roles in the pathophysiology of both benign and malignant breast tumors. However, due to the high metabolic activity and reduced element selectivity of cancer cells, also non-essential elements may be taken up and may even be implicated with disease progression.

Evaluating deep learning techniques for optimal neurons counting and characterization in complex neuronal cultures.

The counting and characterization of neurons in primary cultures have long been areas of significant scientific interest due to their multifaceted applications, ranging from neuronal viability assessment to the study of neuronal development. Traditional methods, often relying on fluorescence or colorimetric staining and manual segmentation, are time consuming, labor intensive, and prone to error, raising the need for the development of automated and reliable methods. This paper delves into the evaluation of three pivotal deep learning techniques: semantic segmentation, which allows for pixel-level classification and is solely suited for characterization; object detection, which focuses on counting and locating neurons; and instance segmentation, which amalgamates the features of the other two but employing more intricate structures.

Exploring Definitions and Predictors of Response to Biologics for Severe Asthma.

Background: Biologic effectiveness is often assessed as response, a term that eludes consistent definition. Identifying those most likely to respond in real-life has proven challenging.

Objective: To explore definitions of biologic responders in adults with severe asthma and investigate patient characteristics associated with biologic response.

Synergistic effect of human uterine cervical mesenchymal stem cell secretome and paclitaxel on triple negative breast cancer.

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most lethal subtype of breast cancer and, despite its adverse effects, chemotherapy is the standard systemic treatment option for TNBC. Since, it is of utmost importance to consider the combination of different agents to achieve greater efficacy and curability potential, MSC secretome is a possible innovative alternative.

Methods: In the present study, we proposed to investigate the anti-tumor effect of the combination of a chemical agent (paclitaxel) with a complex biological product, secretome derived from human Uterine Cervical Stem cells (CM-hUCESC) in TNBC.

Persons With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and High Levels of Activation Improved Their Physical Activity Skills After an Educational Session.

Background: Daily physical activity is part of the self-management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and didactic information sessions may be insufficient for the provision of these skills. Prior activation can determine sensitivity to these sessions. We evaluated whether the activation in patients with COPD, as measured by the Patient Activation Measure (PAM)-13 questionnaire, determined their responses to an educational group session on physical activity (PA), which were measured with actigraphy by the number of steps/day.

Evaluation of Genetic Variants Associated with the Risk of Thiopurine-Related Pancreatitis: A Case Control Study from ENEIDA Registry.

Introduction: Risk factors for developing pancreatitis due to thiopurines in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are not clearly identified. Our aim was to evaluate the predictive pharmacogenetic risk of pancreatitis in IBD patients treated with thiopurines.

Methods: We conducted an observational pharmacogenetic study of acute pancreatitis events in a cohort study of IBD patients treated with thiopurines from the prospectively maintained ENEIDA registry biobank of GETECCU.

Sequential-contingent strategy for fallopian tube evaluation using hysterosalpingo foam sonography: a cost analysis.

Background: Tubal pathology is the etiological factor in 20% of couples with female infertility. Historically, diagnostic evaluation of the fallopian tubes has been performed by means of hysterosalpingography (HSG). Hysterosonosalpingography with EXEM foam is a recent technique with supposedly comparable effectiveness to HSG, but with better tolerability for patients.

A plasmonic MNAzyme signal amplification strategy for quantification of miRNA-4739 breast cancer biomarker.

A major challenge in the 21st century is the development of point-of-care diagnostic tools capable to detect and quantify disease biomarkers in a straightforward, affordable, sensitive, and specific manner. The remarkable plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have promoted their use for development of simple methodologies for nucleic acid detection in combination with a variety of oligonucleotides amplification techniques. Here, assemblies of AuNPs with Multicomponent Nucleic Acid enzymes (MNAzymes) has been successfully used in the design of a highly sensitive and simple bioassay for rapid spectroscopic detection and quantification of miRNA-4739 in blood samples.

Prognostic Factors of Perceived Disability and Perceived Recovery After Whiplash: A Longitudinal, Prospective Study With One-year Follow-up.

Objectives: The understanding of the role that cognitive and emotional factors play in how an individual recovers from a whiplash injury is important. Hence, we sought to evaluate whether pain-related cognitions (self-efficacy beliefs, expectation of recovery, pain catastrophizing, optimism, and pessimism) and emotions (kinesiophobia) are longitudinally associated with the transition to chronic whiplash-associated disorders in terms of perceived disability and perceived recovery at 6 and 12 months.

Methods: One hundred sixty-one participants with acute or subacute whiplash-associated disorder were included.

Identification of virulence factors and antibiotic resistance in subsp. enterica serovar Javiana (FARPER-220) isolated from broiler chickens.

Genome sequencing of highly virulent subsp. enterica serovar Javiana strain FARPER-220 (ST-1674) isolated from broiler chickens in Peru revealed multiple virulence factors, antibiotic resistance genes, and invasion-related subcategories. The results provide insights into the potential importance of this strain in causing infections in various animals.

Exploration of the clinical course and longitudinal correlations in frozen shoulder: The role of autonomic function, central pain processing, and psychological variables. A longitudinal multicenter prospective observational study.

Background: Altered central pain processing (CPP) and dysautonomia might play a role in the clinical course of frozen shoulder and psychological factors, like pain catastrophizing and hypervigilance, might influence clinical variables in frozen shoulder.

Objectives: To explore the clinical course of frozen shoulder regarding CPP, dysautonomia, pain catastrophizing, and hypervigilance and to explore whether longitudinal correlations between these outcomes and pain intensity were present.

Design: prospective longitudinal observational study.

Electrical dry needling versus a non-invasive multicomponent intervention in the treatment of myofascial trigger points in patients with chronic low back pain: A randomised clinical trial.

Objective: To compare the effects of electrical dry needling with a non-invasive multi-component intervention in patients with chronic low back pain.

Design: A randomised single-blind clinical trial.

Setting: Outpatient Physiotherapy Clinic; home.

Exploration of the clinical course of frozen shoulder: A longitudinal multicenter prospective study of functional impairments.

Background: Contradictory evidence exists regarding the clinical course of frozen shoulder (FS).

Objectives: To explore the clinical course of FS regarding disabilities, pain, range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, scapular upward rotation, and proprioception and to establish longitudinal correlations between these variables.

Methods: Patients with FS were prospectively followed for 9 months at 3-month intervals.

Uncovering the Relationship between Selenium Status, Age, Health, and Dietary Habits: Insights from a Large Population Study including Nonagenarian Offspring from the MARK-AGE Project.

An inadequate selenium (Se) status can accelerate the aging process, increasing the vulnerability to age-related diseases. The study aimed to investigate plasma Se and Se species in a large population, including 2200 older adults from the general population (RASIG), 514 nonagenarian offspring (GO), and 293 GO Spouses (SGO). Plasma Se levels in women exhibit an inverted U-shaped pattern, increasing with age until the post-menopausal period and then declining.

Incidence and severity of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in high responders after gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist trigger in "freeze-all" approach.

Objective: To determine the incidence and severity of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in high responders (25-35 follicles with a diameter of ≥12 mm on day of triggering) who received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist to trigger final follicular maturation.

Methods: We used individual data from women who participated in four different clinical trials and were high responders to ovarian stimulation in a GnRH antagonist protocol in this retrospective combined analysis. All women were evaluated for signs and symptoms of OHSS using identical criteria based on Golan's system (1989).