Microvascular abnormalities in skin capillaries of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

This is the first study aimed to detect morphological abnormalities in vivo in the skin capillaries of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients (ALS). Videocapillaroscopy assessed subungueal capillaries in 28 ALS patients (cases) and 35 controls (p = 0.42).

Adenosine A and dopamine D receptor interaction controls fatigue resistance.

Caffeine and the selective A receptor antagonist SCH58261 both have ergogenic properties, effectively reducing fatigue and enhancing exercise capacity. This study investigates in male Swiss mice the interaction between adenosine A receptors and dopamine D receptors controlling central fatigue, with a focus on the striatum where these receptors are most abundant. We employed DPCPX and SCH58261 to antagonize A and A receptors, caffeine as a non-competitive antagonist for both receptors, and haloperidol as a D receptor antagonist; all compounds were tested upon systemic application and caffeine and SCH58261 were also directly applied in the striatum.

Hemodiafiltration versus Hemodialysis in End-Stage Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Rationale & Objective: The use of hemodiafiltration (HDF) as a kidney replacement therapy (KRT) in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) has sparked a debate regarding its advantages over conventional hemodialysis (HD). The present study aims to shed light on this controversy by comparing mortality rates and cause-specific deaths between ESKD patients receiving HDF and those undergoing HD.

Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

REDCapDM: An R package with a set of data management tools for a REDCap project.

Background: Research Electronic Data CAPture (REDCap) is a web application for creating and managing online surveys and databases. Clinical data management is an essential process before performing any statistical analysis to ensure the quality and reliability of study information. Processing REDCap data in R can be complex and often benefits from automation.

The striatum drives the ergogenic effects of caffeine.

Caffeine is one of the main ergogenic resources used in exercise and sports. Previously, we reported the ergogenic mechanism of caffeine through neuronal AR antagonism in the central nervous system [1]. We now demonstrate that the striatum rules the ergogenic effects of caffeine through neuroplasticity changes.

Insights into the removal of microplastics and microfibres by Advanced Oxidation Processes.

Water treatment plants' effluents are hotspots of microplastics (MPs) and microfibres (MFs) released into the aquatic environment because they were not designed to capture these particles. Special attention should be given to MFs, since they mainly come from laundry and are related to one of the main MP shapes detected in water and wastewater treatment plants. In this sense, Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) could be a feasible solution for tackling MP and MF pollution, however, it is still premature to extract conclusions due to the limited number of studies on the degradation of these particles (specifically MFs) using AOPs.

Immediate vocal effects produced by the Shaker® device in women with and without vocal complaints.

Purpose: To evaluate the acoustic and self-perception modifications obtained after the first, third, fifth and seventh minutes of voice oral high-frequency oscillation practice accomplished with the Shaker® device.

Methodology: Twenty-seven women aged between 18 and 41 years with and without vocal complaint participated in the study. The sustained vowel / ε / was recorded at maximum phonation time before (pre-exercise) and after the first, third, fifth and seventh minutes of voice oral high-frequency oscillation practice accomplished with Shaker®.

Fenton pre-oxidation of natural organic matter in drinking water treatment through the application of iron nails.

This study investigated for the first time the efficiency of an advanced oxidation process (AOP) zero valent iron/hydrogen peroxide (ZVI/HO) employing iron nails for the removal of Natural Organic Matter (NOM) from natural water of Regent's Park lake, London, UK. The low cost of nails and their easy separation from the water after the treatment make this AOP attractive for water utilities in low- and middle-income countries. The process was investigated as a pre-oxidation step for drinking water treatment.

Phytoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in mangrove sediments using Rhizophora mangle.

A phytoremediation experiment was carried out in mesocosms to investigate the performance of Rhizophora mangle in the remediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in mangrove sediment contaminated with crude oil. The water pH of the experiments (phytoremediation and natural attenuation) ranged from 4.9 to 8.

Soybean Embryonic Axis Transformation: Combining Biolistic and -Mediated Protocols to Overcome Typical Complications of Plant Regeneration.

The first successful attempt to generate genetically modified plants expressing a transgene was preformed via T-DNA-based gene transfer employing mediated genetic transformation. Limitations over infectivity and tissue culture led to the development of other DNA delivery systems, such as the biolistic method. Herein, we developed a new one-step protocol for transgenic soybean recovery by combining the two different transformation methods.

Effect of ultraviolet (UV-C) radiation on spores and biofilms of Alicyclobacillus spp. in industrialized orange juice.

Bacteria of the genus Alicyclobacillus pose serious quality problems for the juice processing industries that have sought effective alternatives for its control. The present study evaluated the effect of UV-C radiation on the reduction of spores and biofilm formation of Alicyclobacillus spp. on stainless steel and rubber surfaces using industrialized orange juice as a culture medium.

In vitro cytotoxicity and phototoxicity of surface-modified gold nanoparticles associated with neutral red as a potential drug delivery system in phototherapy.

The surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) was modified, improving their interaction with neutral red (NR), by using sodium thioglycolate (TGA) as a covering agent. The resulting NR-AuNPTGA system was evaluated as a potential drug delivery system for photodynamic therapy (PDT). The associations of NR with the gold nanoparticles were evaluated using UV-vis spectrometry and measurement of their zeta potential and size distribution.