Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is associated with potentially fatal lymphoproliferations such as post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), a serious complication of transplantation. The viral mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of EBV+ B cell lymphomas remain elusive but represent attractive therapeutic targets. EBV modulates the expression of host microRNAs (miRs), non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression, to promote survival of EBV+ B cell lymphomas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The main objective of the PROFRUVE study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a TPB-based intervention program at increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in schoolchildren aged 7-10.
Methods: Eight eligible classrooms were randomly assigned to the intervention (classrooms n = 4; children n = 90) or control group (classrooms n = 4; children n = 95). The intervention group received 14 sessions of 1 h during an academic year (from October to June) but the control group did not.
We present the first catalog of gamma-ray sources emitting above 56 and 100 TeV with data from the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory, a wide field-of-view observatory capable of detecting gamma rays up to a few hundred TeV. Nine sources are observed above 56 TeV, all of which are likely galactic in origin. Three sources continue emitting past 100 TeV, making this the highest-energy gamma-ray source catalog to date.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer (BC) comprises all the four PAM50 molecular subtypes. Among these, the HER2-Enriched (HER2-E) appear to be associated with higher pathological complete response (pCR) rates following anti-HER2-based regimens. Here, we present a meta-analysis to validate the association of the HER2-E subtype with pCR following anti-HER2-based neoadjuvant treatments with or without chemotherapy (CT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and their derivatives have become one of the most important classes of therapeutic drugs. Their multiple applications increased the interest for understanding their complex structure. In vivo, animal cells are able to fold mAbs correctly (Song et al, J Biosci Bioeng 110:135-40, 2010), whereas previous in vitro approaches were scarce and mostly unsuccessful.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe HER2-enriched (HER2-E) subtype within HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer is highly addicted to the HER2 pathway. However, ∼20-60% of HER2+/HER2-E tumors do not achieve a complete response following anti-HER2 therapies. Here we evaluate gene expression data before, during and after neoadjuvant treatment with lapatinib and trastuzumab in HER2+/HER2-E tumors of the PAMELA trial and breast cancer cell lines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe examined whether cognitive reserve (CR) impacts level of, or rate of change in, biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and small-vessel cerebrovascular disease in >250 individuals who were cognitively normal and middle-aged and older at the baseline. The four primary biomarker categories commonly examined in studies of AD were measured longitudinally: cerebrospinal fluid measures of amyloid (A) and tau (T); cerebrospinal fluid and neuroimaging measures of neuronal injury (N); and neuroimaging measures of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) to assess cerebrovascular pathology (V). CR was indexed by a composite score including years of education, reading, and vocabulary test performance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInvasive aspergillosis (IA) is the most common invasive fungal infection following a hematopoietic cell transplant, with emerging cryptic species exhibiting resistance to commonly used antifungals such as azoles. These species have been increasingly found after the introduction of anti-mold prophylaxis. We report a case of a 56-year-old female with primary myelofibrosis whose allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant was complicated by disseminated fungal infection (skin, lung) due to Aspergillus calidoustus, a cryptic specie.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Recent studies suggest that white matter hyperintensities (WMH) on MRI, which primarily reflect small vessel cerebrovascular disease, may play a role in the evolution of Alzheimer disease (AD). In a longitudinal study, we investigated whether WMH promote the progression of AD pathology, or alter the association between AD pathology and risk of progression from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
Methods: Two sets of analyses were conducted.
Despite advances in medical care, cancer remains a major threat to human health. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a promising targeted therapy to overcome adverse side effects to normal tissues. In this field, the current challenge is obtaining homogeneous preparations of conjugates, where a defined number of drugs are conjugated to specific antibody sites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBioactive antioxidant agents present in selected plants are known to provide the first line of biological defense against oxidative stress. In particular, soluble vitamin C, E, carotenoids and phenolic compounds have demonstrated crucial biological effects in cells against oxidative damage, preventing prevalent chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. The reported wide range of effects that included anti-aging, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity were studied against degenerative pathologies of the brain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe role of robotic surgery in radical nephrectomy is controversial with detractors claiming no benefit over standard or hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy with increased cost. We routinely offered robotic radical nephrectomy (RRN) for all renal masses not amenable to partial nephrectomy regardless of size or complexity and evaluated the success rate for massive tumors (≥15 cm) to assess whether RRN may be justifiable in such cases. We reviewed our prospective database of RRN by an experienced robotic surgeon (R.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Over the past two decades, we have seen a nationwide increase in the use of medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) to address health disparities affecting vulnerable populations. These partnerships increase medical teams' capacity to address social and environmental threats to patients' health, such as unsafe housing conditions, through partnership with legal professionals. Despite expansions in the use of MLP care models in health care settings, the health outcomes efficacy of MLPs has yet to be examined, particularly for complex chronic conditions such as HIV.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFollowing a gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only treatment for celiac disease. This diet must ensure the absence of gluten but also needs to be nutritionally balanced. Dietitians working in this field cannot properly evaluate energy and nutrient intake of celiac people because dietary programs available on the market do not contain the nutritional composition of gluten-free products (GFP).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAbout 30% of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) suffer from cognitive impairment and 10-15% suffer from frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Due to the patients' reduced motor function, a neuropsychological assessment with a low motor demand can be an advantage when evaluating patients, aiding its application. The present work has studied the usefulness of the Faces subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale in 42 patients with ALS and 42 healthy volunteers applying Holdnack's Two-High Threshold model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChili pepper ( spp.) is one of the most important horticultural crops worldwide, and its unique organoleptic properties and health benefits have been established for centuries. However, there is little knowledge about how metabolites are distributed throughout fruit parts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Adoption of robotic retroperitoneal surgery has lagged behind robotic surgery adoption in general due to unique challenges of access and anatomy. We evaluated our initial results with robotic retroperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy (RRPN) after transitioning from exclusively transperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy (TRPN) to evaluate safety and any identifiable learning curve.
Methods: We evaluated our single-surgeon (RA) prospective partial nephrectomy database since adopting RRPN routinely for posterior tumors in 2017.
A novel method for noninvasive, three-dimensional temperature characterization in microfluidic devices is presented. A specially designed confocal microscope was built and used to measure water temperature by sensing the Raman spectrum variations of the liquid. This is achieved by splitting the spectrum in the isosbestic point and detecting it with two photon counters.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA focus error method photothermal microscope was designed for the characterization of absorptance homogeneity in thin-film coatings for high-power lasers. The technique relies on the detection of the thermal lens induced by the local absorption of a light power focused laser. The detailed design of the instrument is presented.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTreatment guidelines differ in their recommendation to determine baseline resistance associated substitutions (RAS) before starting a first-line treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Here we analyze the efficacy of DAA treatment with baseline RAS information. We conducted a prospective study involving 23 centers collaborating in the GEHEP-004 DAA resistance cohort.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The temporal lobe is an important and complex anatomic region of the brain. Accurate knowledge of anatomic relationships becomes extremely relevant when deciding surgical strategy, such as epilepsy or oncologic surgery, involving this lobe. To our knowledge, there is no strong literature highlighting the relationship between white matter tracts and craniometric landmarks applied to temporal lobe surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to create a valid and reliable instrument to measure people with disabilities' perceptions regarding the extent of application of international standards issued by the Council of Europe, International Labour Organization, and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health in vocational rehabilitation centers in the Basque country, Spain. The instrument items were selected from international recommendations and conventions issued by the International Labour Organization, Council of Europe, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, and a vocational rehabilitation literature review. The instrument was translated from English to Spanish, and the content validity index of an expert panel survey was used to assess content validity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Myasthenic crisis (MC) is a potentially life-threatening complication of myasthenia gravis. Its precipitating factors include surgical procedures, particularly thymectomy. The role of preoperative intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in preventing MC in patients scheduled for thymectomy and other surgery with general anaesthesia is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe United States (US) has experienced a surge of anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric, raising concerns about the influence on health outcomes for immigrants living in the US. We conducted qualitative interviews (n = 20) with health care and social service providers, attorneys, and legal/policy experts in California to understand how agencies were maintaining access to HIV care and prevention for immigrant clients. We conducted a thematic analysis to describe the role of medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) and document best practices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF