Efficacy of GnRH antagonists in the treatment of uterine fibroids: a meta-analysis.

Purpose: Uterine fibroids are the most common pelvic tumors in women, representing the primary indication of hysterectomy. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists represent a new therapeutic option for premenopausal women. The aim of this review is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of GnRH antagonists in the treatment of uterine fibroids (size reduction and symptom control).

Documenting adaptations to an evidence-based intervention in 58 resource-variable pediatric oncology hospitals across implementation phases.

Background: Adaptation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) often occurs when implemented in new local contexts and settings. It is unclear, however, during which phase of implementation adaptations are most frequently made and how these changes may impact the fidelity, effectiveness, and sustainability of the EBI. Pediatric Early Warning Systems (PEWS) are EBIs for early identification of deterioration in hospitalized children with cancer.

Sustainable agricultural practices influence s-metolachlor, foramsulfuron and thiencarbazone-methyl degradation and their metabolites formation.

The effect of sustainable agricultural practices, such as mulching or the application of straw residues as an organic amendment, on the degradation, dissipation and persistence in the soil of S-metolachlor (SMOC), foramsulfuron (FORAM) and thiencarbazone-methyl (TCM) is still unclear. The objective here was to conduct a laboratory experiment to evaluate the impact of milled wheat straw (WS) simulating its individual use as mulch or applied as an organic amendment to two agricultural soils: unamended and WS-amended soils on the degradation kinetics of the herbicides SMOC, FORAM and TCM, and on the formation of their major metabolites at two incubation temperatures (14 °C and 24 °C). The degradation rate of SMOC on WS was 6.

European survey on Paediatric Early Warning Systems, and other processes used to aid the recognition and response to children's deterioration on hospital wards.

Background: Internationally, there is an increasing trend in using Rapid Response Systems (RRS) to stabilize in-patient deterioration. Despite a growing evidence base, there remains limited understanding of the processes in place to aid the early recognition and response to deteriorating children in hospitals across Europe.

Aim: To describe the processes in place for early recognition and response to in-patient deterioration in children in European hospitals.

Distinct clinical phenotypes in paediatric cancer patients with sepsis are associated with different outcomes-an international multicentre retrospective study.

Background: Identifying phenotypes in sepsis patients may enable precision medicine approaches. However, the generalisability of these phenotypes to specific patient populations is unclear. Given that paediatric cancer patients with sepsis have different host response and pathogen profiles and higher mortality rates when compared to non-cancer patients, we determined whether unique, reproducible, and clinically-relevant sepsis phenotypes exist in this specific patient population.

Mulching vs. organic soil amendment: Effects on adsorption-desorption of herbicides.

Mulching and organic soil amendment are two agricultural practices that are being increasingly used to preserve soil from degradation, although they may modify the fate of herbicides when applied in soils subjected to these practices. This study has set out to compare the impact of both agricultural practices on the adsorption-desorption behaviour of the herbicides S-metolachlor (SMOC), foramsulfuron (FORAM), and thiencarbazone-methyl (TCM) involving winter wheat mulch residues at different stages of decomposition and particle size, and unamended soils or those amended with mulch. The Freundlich K adsorption constants of the three herbicides by mulches, and unamended and amended soils ranged between 1.

Optogenetic Stimulation Array for Confocal Microscopy Fast Transient Monitoring.

Optogenetics is an emerging discipline with multiple applications in neuroscience, allowing to study neuronal pathways or serving for therapeutic applications such as in the treatment of anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), or Parkinson's disease. More recently optogenetics is opening its way also to stem cell-based therapeutic applications for neuronal regeneration after stroke or spinal cord injury. The results of optogenetic stimulation are usually evaluated by immunofluorescence or flow cytometry, and the observation of transient responses after stimulation, as in cardiac electrophysiology studies, by optical microscopy.

Changes in vineyard soil parameters after repeated application of organic-inorganic amendments based on spent mushroom substrate.

The changes of physicochemical and biochemical parameters of a silty loam (S1) and sandy loam (S2) vineyard soils added with spent mushroom substrate (SMS) or SMS composted with ophite (OF) as rock dust (SMS + OF) were studied. Two doses of SMS or SMS + OF (25 and 100 Mg ha) were applied for two consecutive years (2020-2021) and changes of soil physicochemical parameters, and dehydrogenase activity (DHA), respiration (RES), microbial biomass (BIO), and the phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) profile were assayed on a temporal basis. The results showed an increase in soil organic carbon (OC) content, total and mineralised N, P, and K, especially when the highest SMS dose was applied to soils.

Organizational characteristics of European pediatric onco-critical care: An international cross-sectional survey.

Background: Intensified treatment protocols have improved survival of pediatric oncology patients. However, these treatment protocols are associated with increased treatment-related morbidity requiring admission to pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We aimed to describe the organizational characteristics and processes of care for this patient group across PICUs in Europe.

The elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mexico: From national health priority to national success story.

Introduction: Mexico was the first country in the Americas and the third in the world to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, as validated by the WHO in 2017.

Objective: To describe the critical elements that favored the elimination of trachoma as a public health problem in Mexico and the public health impact of this success.

Methodology: A revision and compilation of data and information contained in the dossier presented by the country to PAHO/WHO to obtain the validation of trachoma elimination as a public health problem was conducted by a group of delegates from the national and local trachoma prevention and control program.

Feasibility and Utility of the Venous Excess Ultrasound Score to Detect and Grade Central Venous Pressure Elevation in Critically Ill Children.

Objectives: The Venous Excess Ultrasound (VExUS) score has been described as a useful tool to estimate the degree of venous congestion in adult patients. The present study aimed to analyze the feasibility and usefulness of the VExUS score to detect and grade central venous pressure (CVP) elevation in critically ill children.

Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted in a tertiary-care pediatric intensive care unit between November 2020 and June 2021.

Making EHRs Trustable: A Quality Analysis of EHR-Derived Datasets for COVID-19 Research.

One approach to verifying the quality of research data obtained from EHRs is auditing how complete and correct the data are in comparison with those collected by manual and controlled methods. This study analyzed data quality of an EHR-derived dataset for COVID-19 research, obtained during the pandemic at Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre. Data were extracted from EHRs and a manually collected research database, and then transformed into the ISARIC-WHO COVID-19 CRF model.

Mechanical ventilation during cardiopulmonary bypass in neonates improves postoperative outcome.

Objectives: Cardiopulmonary bypass generates a systemic inflammatory response. This inflammatory response is reduced if patients are ventilated during bypass, as evidenced by lower levels of postoperative circulating inflammatory mediators. However, this does not appear to make much clinical difference in adults, at least not consistently, but, to our knowledge, has never been assessed in paediatric cardiac surgery, which is the objective of this study.

Assessment of pesticide residues in waters and soils of a vineyard region and its temporal evolution.

Sustainable agriculture practices and integrated pest management for avoiding environmental pollution are necessary to maintain a high yield in vineyard areas. Pesticide residues in groundwater in a vineyard area of La Rioja (Spain) have been evaluated in previous years, and they could now have varied after farmers have adopted the different measures recommended. Accordingly, this research's objectives were (i) to evaluate the occurrence and seasonal distribution (spring, summer, and autumn samplings) of pesticides (36) plus their degradation products (DP) (11) in water and soil samples (23 + 15) in La Rioja (Northern Spain), and (ii) to compare the current water quality (2019) with that determined previously (2011).

Proteomic Analysis of the Secretome and Exosomes of Feline Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to have therapeutic efficacy in different complex pathologies in feline species. This effect is attributed to the secretion of a wide variety of bioactive molecules and extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes, with significant paracrine activity, encompassed under the concept of the secretome. However, at present, the exosomes from feline MSCs have not yet been studied in detail.

Optogenetic Modulation of Neural Progenitor Cells Improves Neuroregenerative Potential.

Neural progenitor cell (NPC) transplantation possesses enormous potential for the treatment of disorders and injuries of the central nervous system, including the replacement of lost cells or the repair of host neural circuity after spinal cord injury (SCI). Importantly, cell-based therapies in this context still require improvements such as increased cell survival and host circuit integration, and we propose the implementation of optogenetics as a solution. Blue-light stimulation of NPCs engineered to ectopically express the excitatory light-sensitive protein channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2-NPCs) prompted an influx of cations and a subsequent increase in proliferation and differentiation into oligodendrocytes and neurons and the polarization of astrocytes from a pro-inflammatory phenotype to a pro-regenerative/anti-inflammatory phenotype.

Holistic assessment of the microbiome dynamics in the substrates used for commercial champignon (Agaricus bisporus) cultivation.

Microorganisms strongly influence and are required to generate the selective substrate that provides nutrients and support for fungal growth, and ultimately to induce mushroom fructification under controlled environmental conditions. In this work, the fungal and bacterial microbiota living in the different substrates employed in a commercial crop (compost phase I, II and III, flush 1 and 2, and casing material on day 1, 6 and 8 after compost casing and during flush 1 and 2) have been characterized along the different stages of cultivation by metataxonomic analysis (16S rRNA and ITS2), analysis of phospholipid fatty acid content (PLFAs) and RT-qPCR. Additionally, laccase activity and the content of lignin and complex carbohydrates in compost and casing have been quantified.

Staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome in a child with interleukin-17 inhibitor treatment for psoriasis.

A 6-year-old girl presented with fever, skin rash, anuria, and conjunctivitis that rapidly progressed to toxic shock syndrome. Following hospital discharge, she developed a staphylococcal abscess on the lower extremity. She had recently received the first two doses of the interleukin-17 (IL-17) inhibitor secukinumab for resistant plaque psoriasis.

Monitoring and environmental risk assessment of pesticide residues and some of their degradation products in natural waters of the Spanish vineyard region included in the Denomination of Origin Jumilla.

Water pollution by pesticides used in agriculture is currently a major concern both in Spain and in Europe as a whole, prompting the need to evaluate water quality and ecological risk in areas of intensive agriculture. This study involved monitoring pesticide residues and certain degradation products in surface and ground waters of the Denomination of Origin (DO) Jumilla vineyard area in Spain. Sixty-nine pesticides were selected and evaluated at twenty-one sampling points using a multi-residue analytical method, based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS), providing reliable results.

Field measurement and modelling of chlorotoluron and flufenacet persistence in unamended and amended soils.

The dissipation and persistence of two cereals herbicides, chlorotoluron and flufenacet, were studied in a field experiment including three replicated plots of unamended soil (S), soil amended with spent mushroom substrate (S + SMS), and soil amended with green compost (S + GC), during the winter wheat cultivation campaign. The SMS and GC organic residues were applied to the soil at rates of 140 or 85 t residue ha, and herbicides were sprayed as Erturon® and Herold® formulations for chlorotoluron and flufenacet, respectively. Concentrations of both herbicides and of their metabolites were regularly measured in the three soil treatments (0-10 cm) from 0 to 339 days.

Mobility monitoring of two herbicides in amended soils: A field study for modeling applications.

This paper reports the mobility and total balance of chlorotoluron (CTL), flufenacet (FNC) and bromide ion (Br) throughout a sandy soil profile after the application of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) and green compost (GC). Obtaining mobility dataset is crucial to simulate the herbicides' fate under amended soil scenarios by application pesticide leaching models with regulatory application (FOCUS models). The application of organic residues is nowadays increased to improve the crop yields and there is a gap in the simulations of this kind of amended scenarios.

Modelling herbicides mobility in amended soils: Calibration and test of PRZM and MACRO.

Addition of organic residues to soil is a current farming practice but it is not considered in the modelling studies for pesticide risk assessment at regulatory level despite its potential impact on the pesticide dynamics in soil. Thus, the objective of this work was to examine and to compare the ability of PRZM and MACRO pesticide fate models to simulate soil water content, and bromide (Br, tracer), chlorotoluron and flufenacet concentrations in the soil profiles (0-100 cm) of one agricultural soil, unamended (control soil, S), amended with spent mushroom substrate (S + SMS) or amended with green compost (S + GC). Based on a two-year field-scale dataset, the models were first calibrated against measurements of water and solutes contents in the soil profiles (first year) and then tested without any further model calibration by comparison with the field observations of the second year.

Survey of Schistosomiasis in Saint Lucia: Evidence for Interruption of Transmission.

Saint Lucia at one time had levels of schistosomiasis prevalence and morbidity as high as many countries in Africa. However, as a result of control efforts and economic development, including more widespread access to sanitation and safe water, schistosomiasis on the island has practically disappeared. To evaluate the current status of schistosomiasis in Saint Lucia, we conducted a nationally representative school-based survey of 8-11-year-old children for prevalence of infections using circulating antigen and specific antibody detection methods.

Organic carbon nature determines the capacity of organic amendments to adsorb pesticides in soil.

The spread of organic pollutants from soil to other environments is one important source of environmental pollution. The addition of organic amendments to soil is an interesting strategy to control pollutants leaching. However, the contribution of different carbon types of organic amendments to organic pollutants adsorption is not clear.

Transport of C-prosulfocarb through soil columns under different amendment, herbicide incubation and irrigation regimes.

This study sets out to evaluate the effect on the leaching of prosulfocarb through packed soil columns of applying green compost (GC) as an organic amendment (20% w/w), herbicide ageing over 28 days in the soil (incubation vs. no incubation), and two different irrigation regimes (saturated or saturated-unsaturated flows). Peak concentrations decreased after herbicide incubation in the columns for both unamended (S) and amended (S + GC) soils under both flow regimes.