Terrestrial nanoparticles and geospatial optics: Implications for environmental impact from anthropogenic contaminants in the Caribbean region.

Atmospheric contaminants from natural processes and anthropogenic activities pose a major problem to the environment. Here we analyze the dynamics of atmospheric and terrestrial contaminant concentrations in sediments containing chemical elements, such as nanoparticles (NPs) and ultrafine particles in hydrological sources of the Caribbean region of Colombia. Terrestrial sediments were collected from 2022 to 2024, and quantified for major chemical elements in the form of NPs and ultrafine particles in runoff receiving areas along the banks of Colombia's Ciénaga Grande in Santa Marta Bay, on the Isla de Salamanca.

Body composition differences in older adults with and without Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Background: Research on body composition and fat distribution in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has presented conflicting findings.

Objective: Compare body composition and anthropometric measurements in older adults with and without AD.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following Cochrane guidelines and PRISMA standards.

Pterional vs. mini-pterional craniotomy for intracranial aneurysms: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The mini-pterional craniotomy (mPT) was designed to be a minimally invasive alternative to the standard pterional (PT) approach. However, it remains unclear which technique produces better results. Thus, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing functional, surgical, and aesthetic outcomes between mPT and PT in intracranial aneurysms.

Morphological effects of acetylcarvacrol on thyroid of Wistar rats subjected to repeated dose dermal and oral toxicity tests.

Acetylcarvacrol is a semi-synthetic product derived from carvacrol and has known activity against ticks. In vertebrates, the thyroid has been used as a bioindicator in toxicity studies due to its sensitivity to external factors. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the toxic effects of acetylcarvacrol in Wistar rats subjected to repeated dose dermal and oral toxicity tests by means of histopathological analysis of the thyroid.

Assessing azithromycin's ecological toll: Unveiling multifaceted impacts on Poecilia reticulata THROUGH biomarker analysis.

This study investigates the impact of environmentally relevant concentrations of azithromycin on Poecilia reticulata, through biomarkers at different levels. To this end, the somatic indexes of P. reticulata were evaluated, and liver and gill samples were collected and analyzed for biochemical and histopathological alterations.

Differences in lean mass and sarcopenia between individuals with Alzheimer's disease and those without dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Background: Studies have observed that individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) tend to have lower lean mass and higher rates of sarcopenia.

Objective: This review aims to assess differences in lean mass, sarcopenia, and its components between individuals with AD and those without dementia (WD).

Methods: Searches were conducted in the Medline, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus and Latin American and Caribbean Health Scientific Literature.

Ultra-low contrast strategy for routine coronary procedures via distal transradial access: real-world experience with consecutive all-comers patients from the DISTRACTION registry.

Objectives: The association of contrast volume to the risk of contrast-related acute kidney injury (CR-AKI) appears to have resulted in a change in daily practice toward using lower contrast volume for all patients. Distal transradial access (dTRA) has advantages in terms of faster haemostasis and lower rates of proximal radial artery occlusion. The present study aimed to describe the authors' experience with the combination of ultra-low contrast (ULC) strategy and dTRA for routine coronary procedures in a real-world and broad population of all-comers patients.

Tirofiban vs. aspirin in patients with acute ischemic stroke: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Background And Objectives: Antiplatelet therapy is recommended as the standard treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) who, for several reasons, did not receive thrombolysis or thrombectomy. However, whether tirofiban or aspirin provides greater benefits for these patients remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing the functional outcomes and hemorrhagic risks associated with tirofiban and aspirin in the management of AIS.

EMC1 Is Required for the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondrial Functions in the Muscle.

EMC1 is part of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane protein complex, whose functions include the insertion of transmembrane proteins into the ER membrane, ER-mitochondria contact, and lipid exchange. Here, we show that the gene is expressed in the somatic musculature and the protein localizes to the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) network. Muscle-specific RNAi led to severe motility defects and partial late pupae/early adulthood lethality, phenotypes that are rescued by co-expression with an transgene.

The Role of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Pharmacy Education and Practice.

A current major topic of conversation in academic pharmacy is "curricular hoarding," the overloading of the curriculum due to the steady addition of required knowledge and skills without a concomitant subtraction of existing content. It can be tempting to consider addressing hoarding by just reducing content in the foundational biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences or by shifting some foundational content into prerequisites for admission into the Doctor of Pharmacy program. The health care education literature suggests that this approach would negatively impact the development of the critical and clinical thinking skills needed by a modern pharmacist.

A statistical physics-based physicochemical study of L-phenylalanine adsorption on activated carbon.

Context: In this comparative study of the adsorption of L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) on two modified low-activated carbons (ACK and ACZ) at four temperatures (293-313 K), steric and energetic characteristics of adsorption were investigated. An advanced statistical physics multilayer model involving single-layer and double-layer adsorption scenarios was developed to interpret the L-Phe adsorption phenomenon. Modeling results indicate that two and three L-Phe layers were arranged depending on the tested adsorption systems.

Dynamic predictability and activity-location contexts in human mobility.

Human travelling behaviours are markedly regular, to a large extent predictable, and mostly driven by biological necessities and social constructs. Not surprisingly, such predictability is influenced by an array of factors ranging in scale from individual preferences and choices, through social groups and households, all the way to the global scale, such as mobility restrictions in response to external shocks such as pandemics. In this work, we explore how temporal, activity and location variations in individual-level mobility-referred to as -carry a large degree of information regarding the nature of mobility regularities at the population level.

The Enigma of Transcriptional Activation Domains.

Activation domains (ADs) of eukaryotic gene activators remain enigmatic for decades as short, extremely variable sequences which often are intrinsically disordered in structure and interact with an uncertain number of targets. The general absence of specificity increasingly complicates the utilization of the widely accepted mechanism of AD function by recruitment of coactivators. The long-standing enigma at the heart of molecular biology demands a fundamental rethinking of established concepts.

Obesity alters the macrophages' response to Leishmania major in C57BL/6 mice.

Obesity is a global pandemic associated with several comorbidities, such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. It is also a predisposing factor for infectious diseases, increasing mortality rates. Moreover, diet-induced obesity can cause metabolic fluctuations that affect macrophage differentiation in various organs.

Target and non-target screening of biomarkers in wastewater: towards a unique analytical methodology for sample preparation.

This study aims to optimize a single preparation methodology based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) that could fit both target and non-target screening of organic biomarkers in raw wastewater, allowing the cross-comparison of results obtained from a same dataset. The efficiency of SPE sorbents used alone (HLB) or in combination in a multilayer cartridge was evaluated based on (i) the extraction recovery and matrix effect in environmental samples (surface water and wastewater) for a list of biomarkers (pharmaceuticals, licit and illicit drugs, artificial sweeteners, isoprostanes, polyphenols) and (ii) a number of detected features and their intensity in HRMS. The selected method uses a combination of three SPE sorbents mixed together (HLB, X-AW and X-CW) and seems to take full advantage of each, providing satisfactory validation parameters (recovery, instrumental limit of detection, linearity range and limit of quantification) over a large range of physico-chemical properties while ensuring promising results for non-target screening applications.

Albendazole is effective in controlling monogeneans in Colossoma macropomum (Serrasalmidae): therapeutic baths and their physiological and histopathological effects.

In aquaculture worldwide, most of the chemotherapeutic agents used for disease control and treatment are unregulated chemical products derived from agriculture. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of therapeutic baths with albendazole against the monogeneans Anacanthorus spathulatus, Notozothecium janauachensis and Mymarothecium boegeri, which infest the gills of Colossoma macropomum, and the hematological and histopathological effects of this anthelmintic agent on these fish. Albendazole at a concentration of 500 mg/L was used in three baths of 24 hours each, with intervals of 24 hours between these baths.

Resection vs. coagulation of dural attachment in patients with spinal meningioma: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The Simpson grading scale assumes dural resection (grade I) is more effective against recurrence than coagulation (grade II). However, the results of recent studies have raised doubts about this effectiveness in spinal meningiomas. Therefore, we aimed to perform a meta-analysis comparing outcomes between Simpson grades I and II in spinal meningiomas.

Ectoparasite crustaceans of ten fish species from the upper Araguari River in northern Brazil.

Fish parasites are an important part of aquatic biodiversity and knowing these species and their interactions with their hosts helps in monitoring the aquatic biota. The present study investigated the ectoparasite crustacean fauna of ten fish species from the upper Araguari River, in the state of Amapá, northern Brazil. A total of 508 fish were collected and analyzed from July to November 2014, of which 82.

Unravelling the dynamics of child sexual exploitation material circulation on the Dark Web.

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the detection of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), with perpetrators increasingly turning to advanced encryption technologies to conceal their activities. This study delves into data from a Brazilian Federal Police operation on the Tor network, aimed at disrupting these illicit activities. We uncovered patterns indicating strong user preferences for certain content categories, suggesting the existence of distinct groups with shared interests.