Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is one of the principal causes of morbidity worldwide, with respiratory viruses being common etiological agents. Among them, endemic human coronaviruses (hCoVs) including CoV-229E, CoV-OC43, CoV-NL63, and CoV-HKU1 can cause mild ARI but are usually not evaluated in the clinical setting. The aim of this work was to determine the prevalence of all respiratory pathogens, with the focus placed on endemic hCoVs in the pre-pandemic period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKeratinocytes play an essential role in the inflammatory phase of wound regeneration. In addition to migrating and proliferating for tissue regeneration, they produce a large amount of cytokines that modulate the inflammatory process. Previous studies have shown that subthermal treatment with radiofrequency (RF) currents used in capacitive resistive electric transfer (CRET) therapy promotes the proliferation of HaCat keratinocytes and modulates their cytokine production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor migratory birds, events happening during any period of their annual cycle can have strong carry-over effects on the subsequent periods. The strength of carry-over effects between non-breeding and breeding grounds can be shaped by the degree of migratory connectivity: whether or not individuals that breed together also migrate and/or spend the non-breeding season together. We assessed the annual cycle of the White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps chilensis), the longest-distance migrant flycatcher within South America, which breeds in Patagonia and spends the non-breeding season as far north as Amazonia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTorque Teno Virus (TTV) is a nonpathogenic and ubiquitous ssDNA virus, a member of the family. TTV has been postulated as a biomarker in transplant patients. This study aimed to determine the TTV species diversity and variability in renal transplant recipients and to associate species diversity with the corresponding TTV viral load.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAutism is a lifelong condition characterized by repetitive behaviors and social communication differences. The reported cases of autism increased globally in the past years. Detecting autism early and providing appropriate supports promptly are crucial for better outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis
April 2024
The membrane (M) glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 is one of the key viral proteins regulating virion assembly and morphogenesis. Immunologically, the M protein is a major source of peptide antigens driving T cell responses, and most individuals who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 make antibodies to the N-terminal, surface-exposed peptide of the M protein. We now report that although the M protein is abundant in the viral particle, antibodies to the surface-exposed N-terminal epitope of M do not appear to neutralize the virus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Those experiencing houselessness rely on obtaining food from community organizers and donations. Simultaneously, the houseless face disproportionally high rates of medical conditions that may be affected by diet including diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. There is limited literature on the resources and barriers of the houseless community regarding optimal nutrition from an actionable perspective.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Normalizing the eating pattern and weight recovery are the main objectives in treating anorexia nervosa (AN). Eating accompaniment through shared mealtimes is a common strategy in eating disorder management programs. This study aims to examine the impact on weight gain of an internet-delivered meal support group on patients with AN who were under ambulatory treatment with the Eating Disorders Unit of the UC Christus Health Network, Chile.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) is a benign epithelial lesion, being the fourth most common among all odontogenic tumors. Usually presents as slow painless growth that sometimes leads to facial asymmetry. Many cases are detected by radiographic studies, and the indication for biopsy and surgery is secondary to this finding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: 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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) Omicron variant sub-lineages spread rapidly worldwide, mostly due to their immune-evasive properties. This has put a significant part of the population at risk for severe disease and underscores the need for effective anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents against emergent strains in vulnerable patients. Camelid nanobodies are attractive therapeutic candidates due to their high stability, ease of large-scale production, and potential for delivery via inhalation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol
August 2023
Objective: Plasma cell mucositis (PCM) is a non-neoplastic plasma cell disorder of the upper aerodigestive tract with a high impact on life quality. Less than 70 cases were reported in the literature. The objective of this study was to report 2 cases of PCM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To describe characteristics of women with aesthetically ideal buttocks and differentiate them from women with normal buttocks.
Methods: Case-control study comparing anatomy of women with ideal buttocks (buttocks models) to women with normal buttocks using magnetic resonance images, anthropometric measurements and photography.
Results: Comparing to normal women, buttocks models have a narrower waist, narrower iliac crest, wider C point, wider hips and bigger and thicker gluteus maximus muscle (GMM).
COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has become a global pandemic that is still present after more than two years. COVID-19 is mainly known as a respiratory disease that can cause long-term consequences referred to as long COVID. Molecular imaging of SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 patients would be a powerful tool for studying the pathological mechanisms and viral load in different organs, providing insights into the disease and the origin of long-term consequences and assessing the effectiveness of potential COVID-19 treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe explored the association between residence in an area polluted with metals and neurobehavioral performance in children aged 9 to 11. A cross-sectional study was conducted with thirty boys and thirty girls aged 9 to 11 from public schools in a heavily industrialized area, matched by age (±4 months) and gender with 15 boys and 15 girls from public schools in cities without relevant industrial activity. Neurobehavioral performance was assessed with the Behavioral Assessment and Research System.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: ALK rearrangements are present in 5% of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors and identify patients who can benefit from ALK inhibitors. ALK fusions testing using liquid biopsies, although challenging, can expand the therapeutic options for ALK-positive NSCLC patients considerably. RNA inside extracellular vesicles (EVs) is protected from RNases and other environmental factors, constituting a promising source for noninvasive fusion transcript detection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Intrauterine device fracture, as we know it today, is an infrequent event, usually described as isolated cases. The purpose of this study was to look for factors influencing intrauterine fragment retention after device rupture.
Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Estrogen (E2) and Progesterone (Pg), via their specific receptors (ERalpha and PR), are major determinants in the development and progression of endometrial carcinomas, However, their precise mechanism of action and the role of other transcription factors involved are not entirely clear. Using Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells, we report that E2 treatment exposes a set of progestin-dependent PR binding sites which include both E2 and progestin target genes. ChIP-seq results from hormone-treated cells revealed a non-random distribution of PAX2 binding in the vicinity of these estrogen-promoted PR sites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Defibrotide (DF) is a polyribonucleotide with antithrombotic, pro-fibrinolytic, and anti-inflammatory effects on endothelium. These effects and the established safety of DF present DF as a strong candidate to treat viral and post-infectious syndromes involving endothelial dysfunction.
Areas Covered: We discuss DF and other therapeutic agents that have the potential to target endothelial components of pathogenesis in viral and post-infectious syndromes.
Background: Cor triatriatum sinistrum or cor triatriatum sinister is a rare congenital heart disease that accounts for approximately 0.1% of all cardiac abnormalities. It is defined as the presence of an anomalous septum that divides the left atrium into two cavities, and in most cases, it can be asymptomatic or less frequently very severe.
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