Neurodevelopment in the First 2 Years of Life Following Prenatal Exposure to Maternal SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Importance: The effects of prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection on child development throughout the first 2 years of life are unknown.

Objective: To evaluate whether prenatal exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with child neurodevelopmental outcomes during the first 2 years of life.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study used data from the longitudinal, population-based pan-Canadian Pregnancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic cohort, which recruited participants from April 2020 to July 2022.

Brazilian Consensus on the Application of Thermal Ablation for Treatment of Thyroid Nodules: A Task Force Statement by the Brazilian Society of Interventional Radiology and Endovascular Surgery (SOBRICE), Brazilian Society of Head and Neck Surgery (SBCCP), and Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM).

There is increasing interest in ultrasound-guided ablation treatments for thyroid diseases, including benign and malignant ones. Surgeons, radiologists, and endocrinologists carry out these treatments, and various organizations within these specialties have recently released multiple international consensus statements and clinical practice standards. The aim of the present consensus statement is to provide guidance, cohesion, and standardization of best practices for thermal ablation procedures of thyroid nodules.

Conquering the common bile duct: outcomes in minimally invasive transcystic common bile duct exploration versus ERCP.

Introduction: Given the increasing interest for surgeons to reclaim the common bile duct in managing choledocholithiasis, there is a growing movement to perform common bile duct exploration (CBDE). Advantages of concomitant CBDE with cholecystectomy include fewer anesthetic events and decreased length of stay. As there is a paucity of literature evaluating the use of the robotic platform for CBDE, our study aims to compare intraoperative and post-operative outcomes between robotic-assisted one-stage and two-stage management of choledocholithiasis.

Enhancing deep visible-light photoelectrocatalysis with a single solid-state synthesis: Carbon nitride/TiO heterointerface.

Visible-light responsive, stable, and abundant absorbers are required for the rapid integration of green, clean, and renewable technologies in a circular economy. Photoactive solid-solid heterojunctions enable multiple charge pathways, inhibiting recombination through efficient charge transfer across the interface. This study spotlights the physico-chemical synergy between titanium dioxide (TiO) anatase and carbon nitride (CN) to form a hybrid material.

Water-hydroxide trapping in cobalt tungstate for proton exchange membrane water electrolysis.

The oxygen evolution reaction is the bottleneck to energy-efficient water-based electrolysis for the production of hydrogen and other solar fuels. In proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE), precious metals have generally been necessary for the stable catalysis of this reaction. In this work, we report that delamination of cobalt tungstate enables high activity and durability through the stabilization of oxide and water-hydroxide networks of the lattice defects in acid.

Correlating activities and defects in (photo)electrocatalysts using in-situ multi-modal microscopic imaging.

Photo(electro)catalysts use sunlight to drive chemical reactions such as water splitting. A major factor limiting photocatalyst development is physicochemical heterogeneity which leads to spatially dependent reactivity. To link structure and function in such systems, simultaneous probing of the electrochemical environment at microscopic length scales and a broad range of timescales (ns to s) is required.

Differences between radiographic and non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis patients in a Mexican cohort.

To compare the demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics, disease onset, and clinical features of radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) and non-radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) patients. All patients who attended outpatient spondylarthritis (SpA) clinics at Hospital General de Mexico and the Instituto Nacional de la Nutrición from 1998 to 2005 and met the rheumatologist diagnostic criteria for SpA were selected. Then the SpA patients were classified by European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group criteria (ESSG).

Assessment of enthesopathy in conventional pelvis radiography: Another tool for spondyloarthritis diagnosis beyond sacroiliitis.

Introduction/objectives: Enthesitis is a cardinal feature of spondylarthritis (SpA), and the pelvis is a common site of enthesitis. This study aimed to establish the association between pelvic enthesis involvement on pelvic X-ray and SpA diagnosis through a radiographic enthesis index (REI) and to assess the reliability and accuracy of this REI.

Materials And Methods: The participants were SpA patients and a control group composed of patients with chronic lumbar pain without SpA.

A Bacterial and Ganglioside-based Nanoparticle Initiates Reprogramming of Macrophages and Promotes Antitumor Phenotypes.

Macrophages represent the most abundant immune component of the tumor microenvironment and often exhibit protumorigenic (M2-like) phenotypes that contribute to disease progression. Despite their generally accepted protumorigenic role, macrophages can also display tumoricidal (or M1-like) behavior, revealing that macrophages can be functionally reprogrammed, depending on the cues received within the tumor microenvironment. Moreover, such plasticity may be achieved by pharmacologic or biologic interventions.

Improved Photoelectrochemical Performance of WO/BiVO Heterojunction Photoanodes via WO Nanostructuring.

WO/BiVO heterojunction photoanodes can be efficiently employed in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells for the conversion of water into molecular oxygen, the kinetic bottleneck of water splitting. Composite WO/BiVO photoelectrodes possessing a nanoflake-like morphology have been synthesized through a multistep process and their PEC performance was investigated in comparison to that of WO/BiVO photoelectrodes displaying a planar surface morphology and similar absorption properties and thickness. PEC tests, also in the presence of a sacrificial hole scavenger, electrochemical impedance analysis under simulated solar irradiation, and incident photon to current efficiency measurements highlighted that charge transport and charge recombination issues affecting the performance of the planar composite can be successfully overcome by nanostructuring the WO underlayer in nanoflake-like WO/BiVO heterojunction electrodes.

A Perovskite Photovoltaic Mini-Module-CsPbBr Photoelectrochemical Cell Tandem Device for Solar-Driven Degradation of Organic Compounds.

Recently, halide perovskites have been widely explored for high-efficiency photocatalysis or photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells. Here, in order to make an efficient photoanode electrode for the degradation of pollutants, concretely 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (MBT), nanoscale cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr) perovskite was directly formed on the surface of mesoporous titanium dioxide (meso-TiO) film using a two-step spin-coating process. This photoelectrode recorded a photocurrent of up to 3.

Type I interferons and Mycobacterium tuberculosis whole cell lysate induce distinct transcriptional responses in M. tuberculosis infection.

Type I interferon (IFN)-induced genes have the potential for distinguishing active tuberculosis (ATB) from latent TB infection (LTBI) and healthy controls (HC), monitoring treatment, and detection of individuals at risk of progression to active disease. We examined the differential effects of IFN-α, IFN-β and Mycobacterium tuberculosis whole cell lysate (Mtb WCL) stimulation on the expression of selected IFN-stimulated genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from individuals with either LTBI, ATB, and healthy controls. Stimulation with IFN-α and IFN-β induced a higher expression of the interrogated genes while Mtb WCL stimulation induced expression similar to that observed at baseline, with the exception of IL-1A and IL-1B genes that were downregulated.

Treatment of Graves' disease in Brazil: results of a survey among endocrinologists.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine how physicians in Brazil manage Graves' disease in different scenarios including extrathyroidal manifestations.

Materials And Methods: This study was conducted via a digital survey. The respondents (n = 573) answered multiple-choice questions based on a clinical case and variations of the case regarding laboratory and imaging evaluation, treatment choice, and follow-up.

Immunogenicity and safety of mixed COVID-19 vaccine regimens in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases: a single-centre prospective cohort study.

Objective: Among persons with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) who received SARSCoV-2 vaccines, we compared postvaccine antibody responses and IMID disease activity/states.

Design: Single-centre prospective cohort study.

Setting: Specialty ambulatory clinics in central Canada.

VSSP-activated macrophages mediate senescence and tumor inhibition in a preclinical model of advanced prostate cancer.

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a standard therapy for prostate cancer (PCa). Though disseminated disease is initially sensitive to ADT, an important fraction of the patients progresses to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). For this reason, the identification of novel effective therapies for treating CRPC is needed.

Genomic analysis of strain PH1009, a potential multi-drug resistant pathogen due to acquisition of toxin genes.

In has increasingly been observed that viral and bacterial coinfection frequently occurs among cultured shrimp and this coinfection could exacerbate the disease phenotype. Here, we describe a newly discovered bacterial strain, PH1009 collected from Masbate Island, Philippines that was found to be co-infecting with the White Spot Syndrome virus in a sample of black tiger prawn, . The genome of PH1009 was sequenced, assembled, and annotated.

Dry food affects the oxidative/antioxidant profile of dogs.

Background: Including adequate concentrations of antioxidants in dog diets has been recommended to reduce their vulnerability to the action of free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Oxidative stress in dogs has been associated with a wide range of diseases and disorders, as well as with ageing. There are few reports about the influence of diet on dog's antioxidant profile and oxidative stress.

Rational Design of Carbon Nitride Photoelectrodes with High Activity Toward Organic Oxidations.

Carbon nitride (CN ) is a light-absorber with excellent performance in photocatalytic suspension systems, but the activity of CN photoelectrodes has remained low. Here, cyanamide-functionalized CN ( CN ) was co-deposited with ITO nanoparticles on a 1.8 Å thick alumina-coated FTO electrode.

Mitigating the prevalence and function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells by redirecting myeloid differentiation using a novel immune modulator.

Background: Immune suppression is common in neoplasia and a major driver is tumor-induced myeloid dysfunction. Yet, overcoming such myeloid cell defects remains an untapped strategy to reverse suppression and improve host defense. Exposure of bone marrow progenitors to heightened levels of myeloid growth factors in cancer or following certain systemic treatments promote abnormal myelopoiesis characterized by the production of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and a deficiency in antigen-presenting cell function.

The role of crystal facets and disorder on photo-electrosynthesis.

Photoelectrochemistry has the potential to play a crucial role in the storage of solar energy and the realisation of a circular economy. From a chemical viewpoint, achieving high conversion efficiencies requires subtle control of the catalyst surface and its interaction with the electrolyte. Traditionally, such control has been hard to achieve in the complex multinary oxides used in PEC devices and consequently the mechanisms by which surface exposed facets influence light-driven catalysts are poorly understood.

Augmenting antibody response to EGF-depleting immunotherapy: Findings from a phase I trial of CIMAvax-EGF in combination with nivolumab in advanced stage NSCLC.

Background: CIMAvax-EGF is an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-depleting immunotherapy which has shown survival benefit as a switch maintenance treatment after platinum-based chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The primary objective of this trial is to establish the safety and recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of CIMAvax-EGF in combination with nivolumab as second-line therapy for NSCLC.

Methods: Patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor-naive metastatic NSCLC were enrolled using a "3+3" dose-escalation design.