Dependence of Induced Biological Damage on the Energy Distribution and Intensity of Clinical Intra-Operative Radiotherapy Electron Beams.

The survival fraction of epithelial HaCaT cells was analysed to assess the biological damage caused by intraoperative radiotherapy electron beams with varying energy spectra and intensities. These conditions were achieved by irradiating the cells at different depths in water using nominal 6 MeV electron beams while consistently delivering a dose of 5 Gy to the cell layer. Furthermore, a Monte Carlo simulation of the entire irradiation procedure was performed to evaluate the molecular damage in terms of molecular dissociations induced by the radiation.

Advancing health through evidence assisted decisions with health policy and systems research program: a qualitative evaluation of a national health research grant management process in the Philippines.

Background: Health policy and systems research (HPSR) has influenced Philippine policies, including tobacco control, mental health, and COVID-19. The Department of Health (DOH) Philippines and Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) launched the Advancing Health through Evidence-Assisted Decisions (AHEAD) with HPSR program in 2017, aiming to build a community of researchers and decision-makers committed to evidence production and utilization. Research systems employ grant management processes for transparency and accountability in research funding, preventing waste, fraud, and misuse of funds.

Ingestion of marine debris by juvenile Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) in wintering grounds of coastal Argentina.

The occurrence of marine debris in the stomach contents of young male and female Spheniscus magellanicus stranded along the Atlantic coast of northern Argentina during its post-breeding exodus is reported for the first time. Marine debris was found in 15.5 % of 148 dead penguins, with a higher proportion of debris found in females when compared to males.

Target volume delineation for radiotherapy of meningiomas: an ANOCEF consensus guideline.

Purpose: Radiotherapy is, with surgery, one of the main therapeutic treatment strategies for meningiomas. No prospective study has defined a consensus for the delineation of target volumes for meningioma radiotherapy. Therefore, target volume definition is mainly based on information from retrospective studies that include heterogeneous patient populations.

Canagliflozin shares common mTOR and MAPK signaling mechanisms with other lifespan extension treatments.

Long-lived mouse models and treatments that extend lifespan, such as Rapamycin, acarbose and 17α- -estradiol, lead to reduction in mTORC1 activity, declines in cap-dependent translation and increases in cap-independent translation. In addition, these treatments reduce the MEK-ERK-MNK (ERK1-2) signaling cascade, leading to reduction in eIF4E phosphorylation, which also regulates mRNA translation. Here, we report that Canagliflozin, a drug that extends lifespan only in male mice reduces mTORC1 and ERK1-2 signaling in male mice only.

Revealing Active Sites and Reaction Pathways in Methane Non-Oxidative Coupling over Iron-Containing Zeolites.

Non-oxidative coupling of methane is a promising route to obtain ethylene directly from natural gas. We synthesized siliceous [Fe]zeolites with MFI and CHA topologies and found that they display high selectivity (>90 % for MFI and >99 % for CHA) to ethylene and ethane among gas-phase products. Deactivated [Fe]zeolites can be regenerated by burning coke in air.

Dyspnea-induced Limitation (DYSLIM), a new self-administered concise questionnaire to evaluate dyspnea-related activity limitation in chronic respiratory diseases.

Background And Aim: Few questionnaires are available for routine assessment of dyspnea. The study aimed to design a self-administered questionnaire assessing the impact of chronic dyspnea on daily activities, named DYSLIM (Dyspnea-induced Limitation).

Methods: The development followed 4 steps: 1: selection of relevant activities and related questions (focus groups); 2: clinical study: internal and concurrent validity vs.

Prospective cohort study of Torque Teno Virus (TTV) viral load kinetics and the association with graft rejection in renal transplant patients.

Introduction: Graft survival is mainly determined by rejections and infectious complications in transplant recipients. Torque Teno Virus (TTV), a nonpathogenic and ubiquitous single-stranded DNA virus, has been proposed as a biomarker of the immune status in transplant patients. This study aimed to determine the correlation between a Home-Brew TTV PCR and R-GENE®PCR; the TTV viral load kinetics in renal transplant recipients and the association with graft rejection.

Impact of a passive upper-body exoskeleton on muscle activity, heart rate and discomfort during a carrying task.

Objective: The goal of this study was to compare erector spinae muscle fatigue, upper limb muscle activity, body areas discomfort, and heart rate during a 10-min carrying task with and without a passive upper-body exoskeleton (CarrySuitⓇ) while considering sex influences.

Background: Passive exoskeletons are commercially available to assist lifting or carrying task. However, evidence of their impact on muscle activity, fatigue, heart rate and discomfort are scarce and/or do not concur during carrying tasks.

Band edges positions prediction of the of Ag nanocluster-decorated titania surfaces and their relationship to NO and NO interaction from first-principles calculations.

Metal nanoclusters deposited on oxides have been widely used in photocatalysis playing an important role in the design of model catalysts with applications in heterogeneous catalysis. In particular, we are interested in the potential activity of these cluster-supported systems for the removal of nitrogen oxides either by possible catalytic reduction and/or by their adsorption. In this work, using first-principles methods, we evaluate the main characteristics of Ag (n = 1-4) nanoclusters isolated and deposited on anatase TiO(101) and rutile TiO(110) surfaces.

Spatial dynamics of malaria transmission.

The Ross-Macdonald model has exerted enormous influence over the study of malaria transmission dynamics and control, but it lacked features to describe parasite dispersal, travel, and other important aspects of heterogeneous transmission. Here, we present a patch-based differential equation modeling framework that extends the Ross-Macdonald model with sufficient skill and complexity to support planning, monitoring and evaluation for Plasmodium falciparum malaria control. We designed a generic interface for building structured, spatial models of malaria transmission based on a new algorithm for mosquito blood feeding.

Quantifying strategies to minimize aerosol dispersion in dental clinics.

Many dental procedures are aerosol-generating and pose a risk for the spread of airborne diseases, including COVID-19. Several aerosol mitigation strategies are available to reduce aerosol dispersion in dental clinics, such as increasing room ventilation and using extra-oral suction devices and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration units. However, many questions remain unanswered, including what the optimal device flow rate is and how long after a patient exits the room it is safe to start treatment of the next patient.

Lifestyle Medicine in Diabetes Care: The Lifedoc Health Model.

Introduction: The relevance of lifestyle medicine in diabetes treatment is now incorporated in clinical practice guidelines but finding an exemplar for the creation of a Lifestyle Medicine Program (LMP) is a difficult task.

Aim: To use Lifedoc Health (LDH) as a LMP exemplar by describing their multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to diabetes care along with tactics to address sustainability challenges.

Results: The LDH model facilitates early activation of patients with diabetes and other cardiometabolic risk factors, MDT approaches, and protocols/policies that are able to overcome barriers to equitable healthcare in the community.

Warming overrides eutrophication effects on leaf litter decomposition in stream microcosms.

Several human activities often result in increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs to running waters through runoff. Although headwater streams are less frequently affected by these inputs than downstream reaches, the joint effects of moderate eutrophication and global warming can affect the functioning of these ecosystems, which represent two thirds of total river length and thus are of major global relevance. In a microcosm study representing streams from a temperate area (northern Spain), we assessed the combined effects of increased water temperature (10.

Feasibility and Toxicity of Full-Body Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy Technique for High-Dose Total Body Irradiation.

High-dose total body irradiation (TBI) is often part of myeloablative conditioning in acute leukemia. Modern volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT)-based plans employ arcs to the inferior-most portion of the body that can be simulated in a head-first position and use 2D planning for the inferior body which can result in heterogeneous doses. Here, we describe our institution's unique protocol for delivering high-dose TBI entirely with VMAT and retrospectively compare dosimetric outcomes with helical tomotherapy (HT) plans.

SABAs as Reliever Medications in Asthma Management: Evidence-Based Science.

The role of as-needed inhaled short-acting β-agonists (SABAs) in the management of asthma has become a subject of debate due to differing opinions in the professional community relating to the use of SABAs. In this article, we summarize the current position of SABAs when used as reliever medications and examine the challenges to appropriate use including a critique of the data that have led to the condemnation of SABA used as a reliever. We consider the evidence for the appropriate use of SABA as a reliever together with practical solutions to ensure such use, including identifying patients at risk of misusing their SABA relievers and managing issues of inhaler technique and treatment adherence.

Sex differences in blood biomarkers and cognitive performance in individuals with autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Plasma tau phosphorylated at threonine 217 (P-tau217) and neurofilament light (NfL) have emerged as markers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Few studies have examined the role of sex in plasma biomarkers in sporadic AD, yielding mixed findings, and none in autosomal dominant AD.

Methods: We examined the effects of sex and age on plasma P-tau217 and NfL, and their association with cognitive performance in a cross-sectional study of 621 Presenilin-1 E280A mutation carriers (PSEN1) and non-carriers.

Isotope Effect in DO Negative Ion Formation in Electron Transfer Experiments: DO-D Bond Dissociation Energy.

HO/DO negative ion time-of-flight mass spectra from electron transfer processes at different collision energies with neutral potassium yield OH/OD, O, and H/D. The branching ratios show a relevant energy dependence with an important isotope effect in DO. Electronic state spectroscopy of water has been further investigated by recording potassium cation energy loss spectra in the forward scattering direction at an impact energy of 205 eV (lab frame), with quantum chemical calculations for the lowest-lying unoccupied molecular orbitals in the presence of a potassium atom supporting most of the experimental findings.

Solvated dielectrons from optical excitation: An effective source of low-energy electrons.

Low-energy electrons dissolved in liquid ammonia or aqueous media are powerful reducing agents that promote challenging reduction reactions but can also cause radiation damage to biological tissue. Knowledge of the underlying mechanistic processes remains incomplete, particularly with respect to the details and energetics of the electron transfer steps. In this work, we show how ultraviolet (UV) photoexcitation of metal-ammonia clusters could be used to generate tunable low-energy electrons in situ.

Validation of the rCAST score and comparison to the PCAC and FOUR scores for prognostication after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Aim: Early, accurate outcome prediction after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is critical for clinical decision-making and resource allocation. We sought to validate the revised post-Cardiac Arrest Syndrome for Therapeutic hypothermia (rCAST) score in a United States cohort and compare its prognostic performance to the Pittsburgh Cardiac Arrest Category (PCAC) and Full Outline of UnResponsiveness (FOUR) scores.

Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective study of OHCA patients admitted between January 2014-August 2022.