Impact of contrast administration and CT reconstruction plane on Hounsfield units for assessing underlying bone quality in the lumbar spine.

Objective: Hounsfield units (HUs) may better predict biomechanical complications of instrumented fusion than conventional bone quality measures. Typically, noncontrast axial slices are used. This study aims to address the influence of reconstruction plane and contrast administration on measured HUs in patients undergoing lumbar spine imaging.

Intratumoral delivery of lipid nanoparticle-formulated mRNA encoding IL-21, IL-7, and 4-1BBL induces systemic anti-tumor immunity.

Local delivery of mRNA-based immunotherapy offers a promising avenue as it enables the production of specific immunomodulatory proteins that can stimulate the immune system to recognize and eliminate cancer cells while limiting systemic exposure and toxicities. Here, we develop and employ lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs) to intratumorally deliver an mRNA mixture encoding the cytokines interleukin (IL)-21 and IL-7 and the immunostimulatory molecule 4-1BB ligand (Triplet LNP). IL-21 synergy with IL-7 and 4-1BBL leads to a profound increase in the frequency of tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells and their capacity to produce granzyme B and IFN-γ, leading to tumor eradication and the development of long-term immunological memory.

Tacrolimus versus hydrocortisone in management of atopic dermatitis in children, a randomized controlled double-blind study: New insights on TARC, CTACK, TSLP, and E-selectin.

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a type of chronic inflammatory disorder that affects all age groups including children. AD is characterized by elevated inflammatory marker levels.

Aim: To assess the safety and effectiveness of topical tacrolimus ointment versus topical hydrocortisone cream in the treatment of pediatric AD by comparing the two treatments' ability to reduce serum cytokines.

Fenofibrate as an Adjunct Therapy for Ulcerative Colitis: Targeting Inflammation via SIRT1, NLRP3, and AMPK Pathways: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic chronic inflammation of colonic and rectal mucosa. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) has been identified as having protective effects in UC.

Aim: The study aimed to investigate the efficacy of fenofibrate, a PPARα agonist, in UC.

Effects of dietary supplementation with Bacillus velezensis on the growth performance, body composition, antioxidant, immune-related gene expression, and histology of Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei.

In recent decades, probiotics have become an acceptable aquaculture strategy for shrimp growth promotion and immune modulation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Bacillus velezensis on Litopenaeus vannamei following a 60-day trial. L.

Recent advances in COVID-19-induced liver injury: causes, diagnosis, and management.

Since the start of the pandemic, considerable advancements have been made in our understanding of the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the associated COVID-19 on the hepatic system. There is a broad range of clinical symptoms for COVID-19. It affects multiple systems and has a dominant lung illness depending on complications.

A randomized controlled trial comparing tacrolimus versus hydrocortisone for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in children: new perspectives on interferon gamma-induced protein and growth-related oncogene-α.

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a type of chronic inflammatory disorder that affects children.

Aim: To investigate whether hydrocortisone or tacrolimus could be more effective for treating AD in children.

Patients And Methods: This clinical randomized investigation included 100 children with AD who met the eligibility criteria.

Impact of frailty on post-operative outcomes following subarachnoid hemorrhage: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity, particularly among elderly patients. The presence of frailty may impact survival rates in patients with SAH. In this study, we aim to investigate the impact of frailty on the clinical outcomes in SAH patients.

Correlation between depression scores and serum NF-ĸB/NLRP3 axis, biotinidase, and HMGB1 after treatment with isotretinoin in patients with acne vulgaris.

Background: Acne vulgaris (AV) is an inflammatory skin disorder leading to scars and discomfort, its intensity has major psychological consequences such as depression.

Aim: To investigate the effect of isotretinoin (ISO) on NF-κB/NLRP3, biotinidase, and HMGB and correlation with depression.

Patients And Methods: This was a case-control study that involved two groups.

The use of laser photobiomodulation as pre-anesthetic tissue management technique in reducing injection pain in children.

Background: One of the main goals for pediatric dentists is to offer a painless anesthesia experience. Laser photobiomodulation is among the suggested strategies to decrease injection pain. So, this study aimed to assess the impact of laser photobiomodulation on local anesthesia (LA) injection pain in children and its effect on the efficacy of LA during pulpotomy and SSC procedures.

Surgical vs. Conservative Management of Chronic Sciatica (>3 Months) Due to Lumbar Disc Herniation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Sciatica, characterized by leg or back symptoms along the sciatic nerve pathway, often manifests as a chronic condition lasting over 12 weeks. Decision-making between nonoperative treatment and immediate microdiscectomy for chronic sciatica remains challenging, due to the complex relationship between symptom duration, severity, and lumbar discectomy outcomes. In this systematic review, we conducted a comprehensive search across Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, identifying relevant two-arm clinical trials up to September 2023.

Reporting Compliance and Factors Influencing Timeliness of Stroke-Related Trial Results on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Since 2007, research groups are mandated by the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act (FDAAA) to report clinical trial findings to ClinicalTrials.gov within 12 months of trial completion. This observational study aims to analyze compliance data of stroke-related randomized controlled trials subject to these mandates.

Effective impact of nano-plastic-waste incorporated with nanotitina on the physical, mechanical and microstructural properties of white cement pastes composites for progressing towards sustainability.

Plastic waste (PW) has received a lot of attention as a possible additional material for industrial and environmental applications, particularly cement and/or concrete production for a more environmentally and economically sound use of raw materials and energy sources. PW has been investigated as an inert and/or active hydraulic filler for cement and/or concrete by numerous scientists. Plastic garbage is cheap, abundant, and takes long period of time to degrade in the eco-system (soil and water).

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Introduction: Sleep quality is a complex phenomenon with quantitative and subjective aspects that vary during adolescence. The prevalence of sleep disorders is not known in Tunisia due to the lack of validated tools.

Aim: To translate and validate the questionnaire Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) into Tunisian Arabic in middle school students.

Two proteocephalid cestodes in the fish Malapterurus electricus and Heterobranchus bidorsalis from Lake Nasser, Egypt: a morphological, molecular, and histopathological study.

Despite the importance of the electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus) and the African giant catfish (Heterobranchus bidorsalis) in the foodweb of Lake Nasser, Egypt, little is known about their diseases and parasitic fauna. This work describes, for the first time, cestodiasis in M. electricus and H.

Injectable bioactive poly(propylene fumarate) and polycaprolactone based click chemistry bone cement for spinal fusion in rabbits.

Degenerative spinal pathology is a widespread medical issue, and spine fusion surgeries are frequently performed. In this study, we fabricated an injectable bioactive click chemistry polymer cement for use in spinal fusion and bone regrowth. Taking advantages of the bioorthogonal click reaction, this cement can be crosslinked by itself eliminating the addition of a toxic initiator or catalyst, nor any external energy sources like UV light or heat.

Optimization of Zebrafish Larvae 6-OHDA Exposure for Neurotoxin Induced Dopaminergic Marker Reduction.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is clinically assessed by motor symptoms associated with the loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons affecting the quality of life for over 8.5 million people worldwide. The neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) has been used to chemically induce a PD-like state in zebrafish larvae by several laboratories; however, highly variable concentration, methodology, and reagents have resulted in conflicting results suggesting a need to investigate these issues of reproducibility.

Significant Reduction in Bone Density as Measured by Hounsfield Units in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis or Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis.

Multisegmental pathologic autofusion occurs in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). It may lead to reduced vertebral bone density due to stress shielding. This study aimed to determine the effects of autofusion on bone density by measuring Hounsfield units (HU) in the mobile and immobile spinal segments of patients with AS and DISH treated at a tertiary care center.