Evaluating the Impact of Phosphatidylethanol Testing on Hospital Outcomes.

Background: Alcohol dependence remains a significant global health issue, exacerbated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a direct biomarker of recent alcohol consumption, offers improved specificity, sensitivity, and a longer detection window of 2 - 4 weeks compared to traditional biomarkers. This study evaluates the association between PEth testing and hospital outcomes in hospitalized patients by comparing outcomes among patients with positive PEth and negative PEth test results.

Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Dysregulation of Glycine- and Serine-Coupled Metabolic Pathways in an ALDH1L1-Dependent Manner In Vivo.

ALDH1L1 plays a crucial role in folate metabolism, regulating the flow of one-carbon groups through the conversion of 10-formyltetrahydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate and CO in a NADP-dependent reaction. The downregulation of ALDH1L1 promotes malignant tumor growth, and silencing of ALDH1L1 is commonly observed in many cancers. In a previous study, knockout (KO) mice were found to have an altered liver metabotype, including significant alterations in glycine and serine.

Particulates in CGT guidance survey results - an ISCT process development & manufacturing committee perspective on cell and gene therapy industry knowledge awareness.

The International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy Particulates Working Group has surveyed the global industry on commonly used regulatory guidance documents pertaining to particulates across various cell and gene therapy (CGT) product-based chemistry and manufacturing controls. Responses were collated from academic and industrially based individuals involved in or making decisions for manufacturing, quality control and analytics. Two surveys covering therapy developers and manufacturing suppliers were created and distributed via e-mail, through focus groups and via social media platforms.

Hybrid membranes for wastewater treatment based on polymer-coated barium titanate nanoparticles.

In this work we present a series of hybrid membranes with piezocatalytic properties for wastewater treatment. For this, four types of barium titanate nanoparticles (BTO NPs) with different coatings were synthesized. These NPs were embedded in a polystyrene (PS) matrix to fabricate hybrid, porous membranes using the breath figures (BF) technique.

Survey of Oncology Patients' Perceptions on Integrative Medicine and Awareness of Resources at an Academic Cancer Center.

More cancer centers are offering integrative medicine (IM) therapies. However, it is unclear how many patients are aware of, and are utilizing, these therapies to help manage their symptoms. This survey study examines patients' knowledge, satisfaction with, and perceptions of available IM resources at an academic cancer center.

Development of Polymer Composites Using Surface-Modified Olive Pit Powder for Fused Granular Fabrication.

In this study, olive pit agro-waste from the olive oil industry is valorized by incorporating it as an additive in a polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) matrix to develop bio-based composite materials for large format additive manufacturing (LFAM). The olive pits were first ground into olive pit powder (OPP) and then functionalized by polymerizing poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) PBAT on their surface, resulting in a hydrophobic, modified olive pit powder (MOPP) with enhanced compatibility with the PETG matrix. OPP and MOPP composites were compounded and 3D-printed via Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) using 5, 10, and 15 wt.

Sex-dependent effects of short-term ethanol, energy drinks and acute noise exposure on hippocampal oxidative balance and glutamate transporter EAAT-1 during rat adolescence.

It is known that human adolescents often consume ethanol (EtOH) alone or mixed with energy drinks (ED), especially in noisy environments. Although these agents impact the developing brain, their effects after brief exposure or when presented together remain unclear. Given that few animal studies in this subject are available, this research aimed to study the effects of a brief exposure to these stimuli on the oxidative state and EAAT-1 glutamate transporter levels in the developing rat hippocampus (HC).

Treatment of Synthetic Wastewater Containing Polystyrene (PS) Nanoplastics by Membrane Bioreactor (MBR): Study of the Effects on Microbial Community and Membrane Fouling.

The persistent presence of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in aquatic environments, particularly via effluents from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), poses significant ecological risks. This study investigated the removal efficiency of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs) using a lab-scale aerobic membrane bioreactor (aMBR) equipped with different membrane types: microfiltration (MF), commercial ultrafiltration (c-UF), and recycled ultrafiltration (r-UF) membranes. Performance was assessed using synthetic urban wastewater spiked with PS-NPs, focusing on membrane efficiency, fouling behavior, and microbial community shifts.

Off-Label Use of Buttress Calcaneal Plate in Medial Distal Femoral Fracture to Augment Internal Fixation.

Background: High-energy traumatic fractures represent a challenge for orthopaedic surgeons because there are a great variety of morphologic patterns and associated injuries. Although the incidence is higher in developing countries, these fractures pose a major financial burden all over the world because of their considerable hospital length of stay, time away from work, rate of failure to return to work, complications, and cost of treatment. Since the fracture patterns are so variable, some cases may have a lack of available specific osteosynthesis implants, despite recent advancements in implant engineering.

Application of Recycled Ultrafiltration Membranes in an Aerobic Membrane Bioreactor (aMBR): A Validation Study.

A validation study using recycled ultrafiltration membranes (r-UF) on an aerobic membrane bioreactor (aMBR) was conducted for the first time. Four different polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were tested using synthetic urban wastewater (COD 0.4-0.

Plasmonic Characterization of 3D Printable Metal-Polymer Nanocomposites.

Plasmonic polymer nanocomposites (i.e., polymer matrices containing plasmonic nanostructures) are appealing candidates for the development of manifold technological devices relying on light-matter interactions, provided that they have inherent properties and processing capabilities.

Chitin Nanocomposites for Fused Filament Fabrication: Flexible Materials with Enhanced Interlayer Adhesion.

In this work, we present a series of nanocomposites for Fused filament fabrication (FFF) based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs). The ChNCs were synthesized by acid hydrolysis using HCl or lactic acid (LA). The approach using LA, an organic acid, makes the ChNCs synthesis more sustainable and modifies their surface with lactate groups, increasing their compatibility with the PCL matrix.

Assessment of Hippocampal-Related Behavioral Changes in Adolescent Rats of both Sexes Following Voluntary Intermittent Ethanol Intake and Noise Exposure: A Putative Underlying Mechanism and Implementation of a Non-pharmacological Preventive Strategy.

Ethanol (EtOH) intake and noise exposure are particularly concerning among human adolescents because the potential to harm brain. Unfortunately, putative underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Moreover, implementing non-pharmacological strategies, such as enriched environments (EE), would be pertinent in the field of neuroprotection.

Evidence of population genetic structure in Ecuadorian Andean bears.

Wildlife conservation in Andean countries is a global priority because of the high levels of biodiversity and endemism. Historically, these countries have had limited resources to monitor wildlife (e.g.

Influence of the Carbon Fiber Length Distribution in Polymer Matrix Composites for Large Format Additive Manufacturing via Fused Granular Fabrication.

Many studies assess the suitability of fiber-reinforced polymer composites in additive manufacturing. However, the influence of the fiber length distribution on the mechanical and functional properties of printed parts using these technologies has not been addressed so far. Hence, in this work we compare different composites based on Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate (ASA) and carbon fiber (CF) suitable for large format additive manufacturing (LFAM) technologies based on fused granular fabrication (FGF).

White blood cell subtypes and neutrophil extracellular traps content as biomarkers for stroke etiology in acute ischemic stroke clots retrieved by mechanical thrombectomy.

Background: Lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) associate with stroke risk factors and form a thrombus through different mechanisms. We investigated the total WBCs, WBC subtypes and NETs composition in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) clots to identify possible etiological differences that could help us further understand the process of thrombosis that leads to AIS.

Methods: AIS clots from 100 cases each of atherothrombotic (AT), cardioembolic (CE) and cryptogenic stroke etiology were collected per-pass as part of the CÚRAM RESTORE registry of AIS clots.

Strategies for recruitment and retention of adolescent and young adult cancer patients in research studies.

We conducted a literature review to identify commonly used recruitment and retention strategies in research among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors 15-39 years of age and examine the effectiveness of these strategies based on the reported recruitment and retention rates. We identified 18 publications published after 2010, including 14 articles describing recruitment strategies and four articles discussing retention strategies and addressing reasons for AYA cancer patients dropping out of the studies. In terms of recruitment, Internet and social networking strategies were used most frequently and resulted in higher participation rates of AYA cancer survivors compared to other conventional methods, such as hospital-based outreach, mailings, and phone calls.

[Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer: Evaluation of a cohort in its clinical and colonoscopic characteristics, survival and its causes according to the World Endoscopy Organization].

Post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer (PCCRC) is a tumor that appears after a normal colonoscopy before the established time for the endoscopic follow up. Its origin reflects the quality of the colonoscopy and the different tumoral biologics between the CRC and the CRCPC. Our aim is to describe the characteristics of the PCCRC in our region, to identify risk factors, to discriminate the potential causes according to the World Endoscopý Organization (WEO) and to determine its impact in the patient's survival.

Ethanol-exposed lung fibroblasts cause airway epithelial barrier dysfunction.

Background: Chronic alcohol ingestion predisposes to lung injury and disrepair during sepsis. Our previous studies outlined roles for transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGFβ1) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in epithelial barrier homeostasis and how alcohol perturbs their expression and signaling. Here we hypothesize that ethanol-exposed lung fibroblasts (LF) are a source of dysregulated TGFβ1 and GM-CSF and thereby alter airway epithelial barrier function.

Genome-wide association study reveals candidate genes for traits related to meat quality in Colombian Creole hair sheep.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) allow identifying genomic regions related to traits of economic importance in animals of zootechnical interest. The objective of this research was to conduct a genome-wide association study on meat quality traits using the Illumina OvineSNPs50 BeadChip array. The animals were sampled in the departments of Córdoba, Cesar, and Valle del Cauca.

Glycolytic shift during West Nile virus infection provides new therapeutic opportunities.

Background: Viral rewiring of host bioenergetics and immunometabolism may provide novel targets for therapeutic interventions against viral infections. Here, we have explored the effect on bioenergetics during the infection with the mosquito-borne flavivirus West Nile virus (WNV), a medically relevant neurotropic pathogen causing outbreaks of meningitis and encephalitis worldwide.

Results: A systematic literature search and meta-analysis pointed to a misbalance of glucose homeostasis in the central nervous system of WNV patients.

An Ethical Framework for Research Using Genetic Ancestry.

A wide range of research uses patterns of genetic variation to infer genetic similarity between individuals, typically referred to as genetic ancestry. This research includes inference of human demographic history, understanding the genetic architecture of traits, and predicting disease risk. Researchers are not just structuring an intellectual inquiry when using genetic ancestry, they are also creating analytical frameworks with broader societal ramifications.

Circular Economy in Membrane Technology.

The European Union (EU) produces more than 2 [...