Plastic-Degrading Microbial Consortia from a Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Plastic waste pollution has become a global crisis, with millions of tons of plastic expected to accumulate in landfills and in natural environments, posing a serious threat to wildlife and human health. As current recycling methods remain inefficient, there is an urgent need for innovative enzymatic solutions to break down plastics and enable a circular economy approach. In this study, we explore the plastic-degrading potential of microorganisms enriched from activated sludge (AS) sourced from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)-a known microplastic-contaminated industrial niche.

Correlation of Sarcopenia with Coronary Artery Disease Severity and Pericoronary Adipose Tissue Attenuation: A Coronary CT Study.

Objective: To investigate the association between sarcopenia, as appraised with CT-derived muscle metrics, and cardiovascular status, as assessed via coronary CT angiography (CCTA) using the Coronary Artery Disease-Reporting and Data System (CAD-RADS) and with pericoronary adipose tissue (pCAT) metrics.

Methods: A retrospective observational study conducted on patients who underwent CCTA. The cross-sectional area (CSA) and attenuation values of the paravertebral muscles at the T8 level and the pectoralis major muscles at the T6 level were measured.

Inhibition of zDHHC7-driven protein S-palmitoylation prevents cognitive deficits in an experimental model of Alzheimer's disease.

Protein post-translational modifications (PTM) play a crucial role in the modulation of synaptic function and their alterations are involved in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative disorders. S-palmitoylation is a PTM catalyzed by zinc finger DHHC domain containing (zDHHC) S-acyltransferases that affects both localization and activity of proteins regulating synaptic plasticity and amyloid-β (Aβ) metabolism. Here, we found significant increases of both zDHHC7 expression and protein S-palmitoylation in hippocampi of both 3×Tg-AD mice and post-mortem Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

[Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in acute heart failure: the EMPULSE trial and literature review].

In heart failure management, hospitalization is the main cause of medical costs and is associated with an increased risk of adverse events. This review reports evidence on hospitalization as the ideal setting for disease-modifying therapy implementation, with a particular focus on gliflozins in patients with stabilized acute heart failure. The authors analyze data from the EMPULSE trial, the largest clinical study that evaluated a gliflozin in acute heart failure in patients with both reduced and preserved systolic function.

Clinical course for pancreatic necrosis and pancreatic pseudocysts due to severe acute or chronic pancreatitis.

Background: The acute and chronic pancreatitis (CP) can lead to severe complications like walled-off necrosis, large symptomatic pseudocyst or multiorgan failure. The treatment of these complications is multivariate and can differ from conservative, symptomatic treatment or minimal-invasive, endoscopic transgastral stenting to transgastral necrosectomy.

Objectives: This study aims to analyse the clinical course for patients that develop local complications of severe pancreatitis.

Olfactory stimulation with multiple odorants prevents stress-induced cognitive and psychological alterations.

Acute and chronic stress markedly affects behavior by triggering sympathetic nervous system activation and several hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-dependent responses. Brain regions of the limbic system are responsible for the regulation of stress response, and different reports have demonstrated that their activity can be influenced by olfactory stimuli. Here we report that, in mice exposed to acute restraint stress, olfactory stimulation employing a combination of three odorants, i.

Therapeutic potential of stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles in neurodegenerative diseases associated with cognitive decline.

In the central nervous system, cell-to-cell interaction is essential for brain plasticity and repair, and its alteration is critically involved in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Neural stem cells are a plentiful source of biological signals promoting neuroplasticity and the maintenance of cognitive functions. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent an additional strategy for cells to release signals in the surrounding cellular environment or to exchange information among both neighboring and distant cells.

Automated detection of bone lesions using CT and MRI: a systematic review.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to systematically review the use of automated detection systems for identifying bone lesions based on CT and MRI, focusing on advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

Materials And Methods: A literature search was conducted on PubMed and MEDLINE. Data were extracted and grouped into three main categories, namely baseline study characteristics, model validation strategies, and the type of AI algorithms.

Carbon quantum dots in breast cancer modulate cellular migration via cytoskeletal and nuclear structure.

Carbon nanomaterials have been widely applied for cutting edge therapeutic applications as they offer tunable physio-chemical properties with economic scale-up options. Nuclear delivery of cancer drugs has been of prime focus since it controls important cellular signaling functions leading to greater anti-cancer drug efficacies. Better cellular drug uptake per unit drug injection drastically reduces severe side-effects of cancer therapies.

[Dual pathway inhibition in peripheral arterial disease].

Despite its high worldwide prevalence and the intuitable negative prognostic connotation, for a long time peripheral artery disease (PAD) has not been the subject of particular interest by the cardiac scientific community. The availability of a new therapeutic strategy (low-dose rivaroxaban associated with acetylsalicylic acid) has reignited interest in PAD. The clear evidence derived from the COMPASS and VOYAGER PAD trials, with the possibility of using dual pathway inhibition, has given new energy to the therapeutic front against symptomatic PAD also associated with coronary artery disease.

[Polygenic risk score: a new approach to cardiovascular prevention?].

Long-lasting epidemiological studies showed that prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD) is highly feasible with the management of several conditions called "risk factors", such as hypertension, cholesterol, smoking, etc. Nevertheless, risk stratification for primary prevention using a statistical combination of risk factors is suboptimal, as conventional risk factors are age-dependent, so that their treatment would be too late to be effective. Genetic risk stratification, built on the genetic variants linked to CAD, has the advantage of being embedded in DNA and then it is independent of age.

Recovery after human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) treatment in post-MCAO rats requires repeated handling.

Rehabilitation is the only current intervention that improves sensorimotor function in ischemic stroke patients, similar to task-specific intensive training in animal models of stroke. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising in restoring brain damage and function in stroke models. Additionally, the non-invasive intranasal route allows EVs to reach the brain and target specific ischemic regions.

Feasibility, safety and efficacy of endoscopic single-operator cholangioscopy: a retrospective single-center study.

Background: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) is the standard endoscopic procedure for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the pancreas and bile ducts. Cholangioscopy provides direct visualization of the bile ducts. It offers the possibility of more detailed diagnostic and therapeutic indications.

Thermophilic Hemicellulases Secreted by Microbial Consortia Selected from an Anaerobic Digester.

The rise of agro-industrial activities over recent decades has exponentially increased lignocellulose biomasses (LCB) production. LCB serves as a cost-effective source for fermentable sugars and other renewable chemicals. This study explores the use of microbial consortia, particularly thermophilic consortia, for LCB deconstruction.

Sociodemographic and training profile of nursing professionals in the state of São Paulo in relation to Integrative and Complementary Health Practices.

Objective: to analyze the sociodemographic and training profile of nursing professionals in the state of São Paulo in relation to Integrative and Complementary Practices in Health.

Method: cross-sectional study, developed with 3,794 nursing professionals in the state of São Paulo, from 645 municipalities. To collect data, an online questionnaire was used containing sociodemographic and professional training variables.

Nutraceuticals in Pregnancy: A Special Focus on Probiotics.

The placenta is crucial to fetal development and performs vital functions such as nutrient exchange, waste removal and hormone regulation. Abnormal placental development can lead to conditions such as fetal growth restriction, pre-eclampsia and stillbirth, affecting both immediate and long-term fetal health. Placental development is a highly complex process involving interactions between maternal and fetal components, imprinted genes, signaling pathways, mitochondria, fetal sexomes and environmental factors such as diet, supplementation and exercise.

[Air pollution and cardiovascular disease].

Although there is substantial evidence on the harmful effects of air pollution on human health, these are scarcely considered in the general clinical practice and also in the context of cardiovascular disease prevention. In light of the numerous epidemiological and basic research studies that have demonstrated the unfavorable impact of air pollution on the cardiovascular system, this review aims to bring this aspect to the attention of clinicians. This work describes the main air polluting components that can contribute to the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases.