Effect of caloric restriction with probiotic supplementation on body composition, quality of life, and psychobiological factors of obese men: A randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background & Aims: Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by an excess of fat mass. It is accompanied by a low-grade chronic systemic inflammation state that leads to numerous health disorders. To counteract this scenario, dietary-derived caloric restriction (CR) is the principal intervention for weight loss.

Service robots in caring for older adults: Uncovering the current conceptual and intellectual structures and future research agenda.

Service robots have supported human activity, mainly caring for older adults, for many years. However, a new generation of service robots empowered by artificial intelligence and other novel technologies indicates an increasing use of service robots in our society. Thus, this article aims to synthesize and integrate current research on service robots in caring for older adults, identifying its conceptual and intellectual structures and future research opportunities.

Artificial intelligence applied in identifying left ventricular walls in myocardial perfusion scintigraphy images: Pilot study.

This paper proposes the use of artificial intelligence techniques, specifically the nnU-Net convolutional neural network, to improve the identification of left ventricular walls in images of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, with the objective of improving the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease. The methodology included data collection in a clinical environment, followed by data preparation and analysis using the 3D Slicer Platform for manual segmentation, and subsequently, the application of artificial intelligence models for automated segmentation, focusing on the efficiency of identifying the walls of the left ventricular. A total of 83 clinical routine exams were collected, each exam containing 50 slices, which is 4,150 images.

Stone-event-free survival after retrograde intrarenal surgery: is the stone-free-status so relevant for the future outcomes?

Introduction: The primary aim of stone treatment is to achieve stone-free status. Residual fragments can cause stone growth, recurrence, urinary tract infections, and ureteric obstruction. Our goal was to describe the natural history of stone burden after retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) based on stone-free status (SFS), evaluating stone growth and stone-events.

Should patients with encrusted JJ stents involving the proximal/renal loop undergo primarily endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery?

Background: Ureteral stents are one of the most used devices in Urology, allowing drainage of the upper urinary system, and can be used either in elective or emergency procedures. However, as a foreign body inside the urinary system, they are subject to encrustation. Encrustation is one of the burdens seen with double-J stents and, to date, there is no consensus about its best management.

Neurovascular complications of antiphospholipid syndrome: a narrative review.

Background:  Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by thrombosis, pregnancy complications, and other nonthrombotic manifestations in the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies. Neurovascular complications, including ischemic stroke, cerebral venous thrombosis and cognitive impairment, pose significant challenges in management.

Objective:  To comprehensively review relevant and updated clinical aspects of neurovascular manifestations of APS.

Improved production of palitantin by design of experiments and semi-synthesis of palitantin derivatives for bioactivity assessment.

A new method for the production and isolation of (+)-palitantin (1) is herein reported, from cultures of the fungal strain Penicillium sp. AMF1a. (+)-Palitantin was isolated in 160 mg/L yield, as an alternative procedure to obtain 1 at a larger scale.

Botulinum toxin A dampened inflammatory response in BV-2 microglial cells.

Our previous studies have demonstrated the analgesic effects of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) in a pre-clinical model of rheumatoid arthritis of the temporomandibular joint, where we proposed that BoNT/A decreases the neurogenic milieu after reaching the subnucleus caudalis. However, it is unknown whether BoNT/A directly regulates microglial cell activity. Therefore, the present study investigates the effects of BoNT/A on a microglial murine cell lineage (BV-2) in different inflammatory conditions.

Association Between Objective Sleep and Clinical Outcomes in Older Adults With Low Back Pain Receiving Physical Therapy Care: A Secondary Analysis of a Responsiveness Study.

Background/objectives: Sleep seems to be associated with worse low back pain (LBP) outcomes in older adults; however, studies investigating the association of objective sleep with future changes in LBP outcomes are lacking. The objectives of this study are as follows: (a) to investigate the association between objectively measured sleep with changes in clinical outcomes in older adults with LBP receiving physical therapy care and (b) to examine the cross-sectional association between sleep and pain catastrophizing.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort study.

SURVIVAL AND PROGNOSTIC FACTORS OF ANAL CANCER: A STUDY BASED ON DATA FROM THE HOSPITAL-BASED CANCER REGISTRY OF A HIGH-COMPLEXITY ONCOLOGY CARE CENTER.

Background: Anal cancer is a relatively rare disease, and there is a lack of survival data from low- and middle-income countries.

Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the survival rates and prognostic factors of anal cancer cases treated at a High-Complexity Oncology Care Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 665 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus/anal canal treated from 2000 to 2016.

Behavioral changes and transcriptional regulation of mesolimbic dopaminergic genes in a mouse model of binge eating disorder by diet intermittent access.

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is among the most prevalent eating disorders worldwide. It is characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive consumption of palatable foods in short periods, accompanied by a sense of loss of control and distress around the episode, which tends to worsen over time. The mesolimbic dopaminergic system influences on reinforcement and reward-seeking behaviors is implicated in the disorder's pathogenesis.

The Application of ImageJ Software for Roughness Analysis of Dental Implants.

ImageJ software is a versatile, open-source software for visualizing, processing, and analyzing images, which has contributed to its widespread adoption in the scientific community. A notable application of this software is its integration with scanning electron microscope images, where surface roughness can be quantified. This study aims to highlight the need for knowledge and standardization of the technique selected for analysis to ensure the viability of ImageJ software as a reliable alternative for evaluating the surface roughness of dental implants.

Fatality from COVID-19 does not affect palliative care duration among patients with advanced cancer: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Jomar et al. demonstrated that death due to COVID-19 did not affect the time under exclusive palliative care among patients with advanced cancer, even during the first year of the pandemic caused by a hitherto little-known disease.

Background: ◼ Fatality due to COVID-19 does not alter the time under oncological palliative care.

Laparoscopic vs open transcapsular adenomectomy (Millin): a comparative study of perioperative outcomes and complications.

Introduction: Laparoscopic adenomectomy for prostates larger than 80 mL is still a topic of debate. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the perioperative outcomes and complications between open Millin (OM) and laparoscopic Millin (LM) adenomectomy.

Material And Methods: Perioperative data and complications were retrospectively collected from patients submitted to Millin procedure from August 2019 to August 2022 in a tertiary centre, and OM and LM were compared.

Postprandial hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes is reduced by raw insoluble fiber: A randomized trial.

Background And Aims: A lower risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with the intake of insoluble fiber. This contradicts the postulate that insoluble fibers do not decrease postprandial glycemic response and that only viscous gel-forming soluble fibers would do this. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a dose of insoluble fibers that meets dietary recommendations on postprandial hyperglycemia in T2DM patients.

Almond protein as Pickering emulsion stabilizer: Impact of microgel fabrication method and pH on emulsion stability.

We evaluated the ability of almond proteins to produce Pickering emulsions (EM) stabilized by microgels (MG) fabricated by three different methods (heat treatment-HT, crosslinking with transglutaminase-TG or calcium-CA), at two pH levels (pH 3 or 7). Compared to pH 7, acidic pH significantly denatured almond proteins (ellipticity ∼0 mdeg), decreased absolute zeta potential values (10.5 to 18.

The unexpected silent manifestation of myocardial infarctions in ischemic heart failure patients: Insights from a case-control study.

Background: Recent studies show Silent Myocardial Infarction (SMI) as a quite frequent event. However, regarding severe tertiary care patients that frequently present consequences of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Left Ventricular Dysfunction (LVD), the occurrence of this manifestation is unexpected and its associated factors aren't clear in the literature.

Aim: To compare clinical, laboratorial, ventricular and angiographic factors between silent and classical presentation of MI in patients with CAD and LVD.

Development of a new scale for self-reported procedural patient comfort during endovascular therapy for acute stroke.

Introduction: In stroke patients with acute large vessel occlusion, endovascular therapy (EVT) may be performed with or without sedation. Our aim is to describe self-reported intraprocedural comfort in patients undergoing EVT depending on sedation type.

Methods: We performed a prospective observational single-center study of patients undergoing EVT.

Differential susceptibility of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to single versus pyramided Bt traits in Brazilian soybean: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger?

Background: Lepidopteran pest control in agriculture has become heavily dependent on cultivars that express Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins as 'plant-incorporated protectants'. However, populations of Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) in Brazil appear resistant to the Bt traits currently available in commercial soybean cultivars.

Results: This study evaluated S.

Artificial intelligence-based pulmonary embolism classification: Development and validation using real-world data.

This paper presents an artificial intelligence-based classification model for the detection of pulmonary embolism in computed tomography angiography. The proposed model, developed from public data and validated on a large dataset from a tertiary hospital, uses a two-dimensional approach that integrates temporal series to classify each slice of the examination and make predictions at both slice and examination levels. The training process consists of two stages: first using a convolutional neural network InceptionResNet V2 and then a recurrent neural network long short-term memory model.

Structure and Biosynthesis of Perochalasins A-C, Open-Chain Merocytochalasans Produced by the Marine-Derived Fungus sp. M16.

Novel open-chain merocytochalasans, perochalasins A-C (-), containing an unusual N-O six-membered heterocyclic moiety, were isolated from cultures of the marine-derived sp. M16 fungus, along with cytochalasin Z (), cytochalasin Z (), [12]-cytochalasin (), and phenochalasin B (). The structures of compounds - were established by analysis of the spectroscopic data.

Streamlined integrated protein isoelectric focusing using microfluidic paper-based device.

An innovative integrated paper-based microdevice was developed for protein separation by isoelectric focusing (IEF), allowing for robust design thanks to a 3D-printed holder integrating separation channel, reservoirs, and electrodes. To reach robustness and precision, the optimization focused on the holder geometry, the paper nature, the reservoir design, the IEF medium, and various focusing parameters. A well-established and stable pH gradient was obtained on a glass-fiber paper substrate with simple sponge reservoirs, and the integration of the electrodes in the holder led to a straightforward system.