A protein corona modulates the function of mineralization-competent matrix vesicles.

Mineralizing cells release a special class of extracellular vesicles known as matrix vesicles (MV), crucial for bone mineralization. Following their release, MV anchor to the extracellular matrix (ECM), where their highly specialized enzymatic machinery facilitates the formation of seed mineral within the MV's lumen, subsequently releasing it onto the ECM. However, how MV propagate mineral onto the collagenous ECM remains unclear.

Sexual dimorphism of the humerus bones in a French sample: comparison of several statistical models including machine learning models.

Sex estimation is an important part of skeletal analysis and forensic identification. Traditionally pelvic traits are utilized for accurate sex estimation. However, the long bones, especially humerus, have been proved to be as effective for determine the sex of the individual.

Childbirth dynamics in the riverside region of the Brazilian Amazon from the perspective of geospatialization.

Objective: to analyze the spatial-temporal pattern of childbirths and flow of postpartum women assisted at a regional reference maternity hospital.

Methods: ecological study of 4,081 childbirths, between September 2018 and December 2021, at a public maternity hospital in the Baixo Tocantins region, Pará, Brazil. With data collected from five sources, a geographic database was constructed, and spatial analysis was used with Kernel density interpolator.

Association between nursing workload and staff size with the occurrence of adverse events and deaths of patients with COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: The safety of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is significantly impacted by inadequate staffing of nursing professionals to meet the demand for care of critically ill patients. COVID-19 patients increased nurses' workload, particularly in high-intensity care settings like the ICU.

Aim: To evaluate the association of workload and number of patients per nursing professional with the occurrence of adverse events and death in critically ill patients with COVID-19 in the ICU.

Toward improved auricle reconstruction: The role of FDM 3D printing with PCL and TPU materials.

Microtia, along with trauma, represents one of the main causes of external ear malformation. Different clinical techniques were developed for the reconstruction of the auricle, but they all have some drawbacks. This work is focused on the development of an innovative 3D porous scaffold, printed by Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and based on laser-scanned images of the healthy contralateral ear of the patient.

Impact of declared wildfire disasters on survival of lung cancer patients undergoing radiation.

Purpose: Oncological treatments, such as radiotherapy, which requires consistent electricity, the presence of specialized clinical teams, and daily patient access to treatment facilities, are frequently disrupted by extreme weather events, posing several health hazards to patients. This study explores the association between declared wildfire disasters during radiotherapy and overall survival among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: The study population consisted of 202,935 adults with inoperable Stage III NSCLC, who initiated radiotherapy from 2004 through 2019.

Quality of Cancer Recurrence Data in the National Cancer Database: A Reappraisal of Reporting Readiness.

Background: This study evaluated the quality of cancer recurrence data in the National Cancer Database (NCDB) to determine if missingness and reporting consistency have improved enough to support national research.

Methods: This multi-methods study included NCDB analyses and a cancer registry staff survey. Trends in recurrence data missingness from 2004 to 2021 and multivariable analyses of factors associated with missingness from 2017 to 2021 were evaluated for 4,568,927 patients with non-metastatic cancer.

Competing effects of activation history on force and cytosolic Ca in intact single mice myofibers.

The purpose was to investigate the changes in cytosolic Ca and force output during post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) during pre-fatigue and during prolonged low-frequency force depression (PLFFD) following fatigue. Intact single myofibers from the flexor digitorum brevis of mice were electrically stimulated to record force (n = 8) and free cytosolic Ca concentration ([Ca]) with FURA-2 (n = 6) at 32 °C. Initially, force and [Ca] were measured during brief (350 ms) trains of stimuli at 30, 50, 70, and 200 Hz at ~ 2 s intervals (Force-frequency protocol, FFP).

Factors associated with functional health literacy and the quality of life of riverside residents served by the primary care network in the Brazilian amazon: a cross-sectional study.

Background: the riverside population lives in a vulnerable social situation, shaped by geographical, economic, social, and educational aspects that have repercussions on health literacy, the limitations of which can compromise Quality of Life. These specificities influence the actions of Primary Health Care, especially in the rural context. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with Functional Health Literacy and Quality of Life among riverside residents of the Brazilian Amazon who use Primary Health Care.

The DLEU2-miR-15a-16-1 Cluster Is a Determinant of Bone Microarchitecture and Strength in Postmenopausal Women and Mice.

This study explores how select microRNAs (miRNAs) influence bone structure in humans and in transgenic mice. In trabecular bone biopsies from 84 postmenopausal women (healthy, osteopenic, and osteoporotic), we demonstrate that (deleted in lymphocytic leukemia 2)-encoded is strongly positively associated with bone mineral density (BMD) at different skeletal sites. In bone transcriptome analyses, levels correlated positively with the osteocyte characteristic transcripts (encoding sclerostin) and (Matrix Extracellular Phosphoglycoprotein), while the related showed a negative association with BMD and osteoblast markers.

Caffeine intake during gestation and lactation causes long-term behavioral impairments in heterogenic mice offspring in a sex-dependent manner.

Growing evidence has indicated a potential association between maternal consumption of caffeine and impaired cognition and behavior in rodent offspring. However, potential sex differences, as well as caffeine-related effects in subsequent generations are still poorly investigated. We aimed to investigate the impact of pre-and/or neonatal exposition to caffeine on the neurodevelopment of male and female mice offspring.

Antimicrobial Resistance in spp. Isolated from Native Brazilian Fish Species: A Growing Challenge for Aquaculture.

spp. has emerged as a pathogen that is affecting global aquaculture, with , , and causing piscine lactococcosis. While antimicrobials are commonly used to treat diseases in aquaculture, reports of antimicrobial resistance in fish isolates are increasing.

Balance evaluation in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus with and without peripheral neuropathy.

Background And Aims: Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy (PDN) is the major complication of diabetes, and sensory-motor impairments can compromise balance, increasing the risk of falls and consequently can lead to functional disability. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the sensory and motor aspects of balance in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus with and without PDN.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study which analyzed balance in 51 individuals, divided into three groups: G1 - individuals with Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy; G2 - individuals with diabetics and without PDN; and G3 - individuals without Diabetes Mellitus.

Advanced soft tissue visualization in conjunction with bone structures using contrast-enhanced micro-CT.

Purpose: Micro-computed tomography (CT) analysis of soft tissues alongside bone remains challenging due to significant differences in X-ray absorption, preventing spatial inspection of bone remodeling including the cellular intricacies of mineralized tissues in developmental biology and pathology. The goal was to develop a protocol for contrast-enhanced micro-CT imaging that effectively visualizes soft tissues and cells in conjunction with bone while minimizing bone attenuation by decalcification.

Approach: Murine femur samples were decalcified in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and treated with three different contrast agents: (i) iodine in ethanol, (ii) phosphotungstic acid in water, and (iii) Lugol's iodine.

Molecular Heterogeneity and Immune Infiltration Drive Clinical Outcomes in Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

Background And Objective: Molecular classification of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) can provide insight into divergent clinical outcomes and provide a biological rationale for clinical decision-making. As such, we performed multi-omic analysis of UTUC tumors to identify molecular features associated with disease recurrence and response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB).

Methods: Targeted DNA and whole transcriptome RNA sequencing was performed on 100 UTUC tumors collected from patients undergoing nephroureterectomy.

Exploring the depuration of metals in the green shore crab (Carcinus maenas): Studies with radiolabelled calcium, zinc, and nickel.

The depuration of newly accumulated metal from the crab Carcinus maenas (inter-moult stage) was studied, with a particular focus on the carapace, in light of recent findings that it is a major site for direct uptake and incorporation of Ca, Zn, and Ni from the external sea water. Crabs were exposed for 24 h to calcium ([Ca] = 389 mg L or 9.7 mmol L), zinc ([Zn] = 82 μg L or 1.

From Naturalness to Environmental Control: Influences of Transitioning Production Systems on Dairy Farmers' Perceptions of Cow Welfare.

We conducted semi structured in-person interviews with 36 dairy farmers in a dairy producing region in southern Brazil undergoing intensification. Thematic analysis revealed that farmers' perceptions of cow welfare were closely tied to their production environment. Farmers in pasture-based systems emphasized the importance of outdoor access and grazing, associating these with the cows' intrinsic needs and longevity.

Neural mobilisation effects in nerve function and nerve structure of patients with peripheral neuropathic pain: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess the effects of neural mobilisation on nerve function and nerve structure of patients with peripheral neuropathic pain.

Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted. Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform were searched without restrictions.

Sex estimation from patellar measurements in a contemporary Italian population: a machine learning approach.

Biological sex estimation in forensic anthropology is a crucial topic, and the patella has shown promise in this regard due to its sexual dimorphism. This study uses 12 machine learning models for sex estimation based on three patellar measurements (maximum height, breadth, and thickness). Data was collected from 180 skeletons of a contemporary Italian population (83 males and 97 females) as well as from an independent sample of 21 forensic cases (13 males and 8 females).

Contribution of health insurance to racial and ethnic disparities in advanced stage diagnosis of 10 cancers.

For many cancer sites, it is unclear to what extent differences in health insurance coverage contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in stage III-IV diagnoses. Using the National Cancer Database (1,893,026 patients aged 18-64 years, diagnosed between 2013-2019), we investigated a potential mediating role of health insurance (privately insured vs uninsured) in explaining racial and ethnic disparities in stage at diagnosis of 10 cancers (ie, breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, cervical, uterine, bladder, head and neck, skin melanoma), detectable early through screening, physical examination, or clinical symptoms. The analyses provided evidence of mediation of non-Hispanic Black vs White disparities in eight cancers (range of proportions mediated: 4.

Improved visualisation of ACP-engineered osteoblastic spheroids: a comparative study of contrast-enhanced micro-CT and traditional imaging techniques.

This study investigates osteoblastic cell spheroid cultivation methods, exploring flat-bottom, U-bottom, and rotary flask techniques with and without amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) supplementation to replicate the 3D bone tissue microenvironment. ACP particles derived from eggshell waste exhibit enhanced osteogenic activity in 3D models. However, representative imaging of intricate 3D tissue-engineered constructs poses challenges in conventional imaging techniques due to notable scattering and absorption effects in light microscopy, and hence limited penetration depth.