"I Know What I Have to Do, but I Don't Do It": The Relationship Between Knowledge and Adherence to Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings.

This study aims to analyze the correlation between healthcare professionals' knowledge of hand hygiene protocols and their actual adherence to these practices. Specifically, we investigate whether higher knowledge levels correspond to better compliance, and we examine potential influencing factors such as professional role, gender, and prior training in infection control. A non-probabilistic, convenience sample was composed of 51 healthcare professionals working in patient care.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 Improves Wound Healing in Diabetes by Decreasing Inflammation and Promoting M2 Macrophage Polarization.

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a devastating complication of diabetes, presenting limited treatment success rates due to their complex pathophysiology. Bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) confers tissue protective and regenerative functions, but its potential role in diabetic wound healing is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of topical BMP7 treatment in wound healing using a streptozotocin-induced diabetic mouse model.

Sub-Immunosuppressive Tacrolimus Ameliorates Amyloid-Beta and Tau Pathology in 3xTg-AD Mice.

Tacrolimus (TAC) has emerged as a potential therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD), with the challenge of balancing its therapeutic benefits against its immunosuppressive effects. This study explores the efficacy of a sub-immunosuppressive TAC dosing regimen to ameliorate AD-related pathologies. TAC was administered daily for 14 days, with drug concentrations measured via liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in whole blood and hippocampal tissue from C57BL6J mice, while immunofluorescence analyses and Western blotting (performed on hippocampal extracts) were conducted in 10-12 month old 3xTg-AD mice to evaluate levels of tau and amyloid-beta (Aβ) proteins.

Eco-Friendly Biocomposites from Chestnut Waste: Production, Optimization, Characterization, and Application.

This study explores the valorization of non-commercial chestnut waste from the Portuguese chestnut industry to develop biocomposites. The composites were obtained by hot compression molding, and a Box-Behnken Design model was employed to optimize the mechanical, thermal, and water resistance properties of the chestnut-based composite, using fruit and shell fibers, respectively, as the polymeric matrix and reinforcement agent. The optimal formulation, comprising 70% chestnut, no glycerol, a molding temperature of 120 °C, and applying a pressure of 2.

Identifying distinct prognostic and predictive contributions of tumor epithelium versus tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer.

Background: Accumulating evidence has suggested that cancer progression and therapeutic response depend on both tumor epithelium (EPI) and tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the dependency of clinical outcomes on the tumor EPI vs. the TME has neither been clearly defined nor quantified.