Species of the chewing louse genus Neopsittaconirmus Conci, 1942 are host-specific parasites on Old World and Australasian parrots (Psittaciformes), infesting both wild and captive birds. Despite veterinarian practices that attempt to eliminate parasites from captive hosts, two species, Neopsittaconirmus gracilis Guimarães, 1974 and Neopsittaconirmus vendulae Sychra, 2006, frequently infest captive birds, not only their regular natural hosts, but also other species that are not naturally parasitized. Here we report and discuss additional records of these two species of lice from captive parrots in Brazil, Australia, England, Réunion and the United States of America.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTermination of pregnancy (TOP) in the second trimester accounts for less than 10% of all abortion procedures. Although it can be obtained by a surgical procedure, medical TOP is an effective and safe option. Prostaglandins have been used for cervical ripening in the second trimester but in the presence of uterine scars, the risk of uterine rupture rises.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Acute kidney injury (AKI) in the setting of COVID-19 is associated with worse clinical and renal outcomes, with limited long-term data.
Aim: To evaluate critically ill COVID-19 patients with AKI that required nephrologist consultation (NC-AKI) in a tertiary hospital.
Methods: Prospective single-center cohort of critically ill COVID-19 adult patients with NC-AKI from May 1st, 2020, to April 30th, 2021.
Aims: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement for patients with aortic valve stenosis. The choice between TAVI, surgery, or a conservative approach should be based upon multiple factors including clinical considerations, technical feasibility, and informed patient preference. In this context, engaging patients in a shared decision-making (SDM) process becomes essential, but this practice is generally underused.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF() is a Gram-positive bacterium that causes infections ranging from mild superficial cases to more severe, potentially fatal conditions. Many photosensitisers used in photodynamic therapy are more effective against superficial infections due to limitations in treating deeper tissue infections. Recently, attention to this bacterium has increased due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains, which complicate antibiotic treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Medical consultations play a crucial role in the collaboration between health centers, particularly in primary care settings, when managing complex pathologies beyond their scope. Analyzing the characteristics of consultations and their prioritization is essential for enhancing referrals to higher complexity centers. This study aims to profile the consultations referred from the primary health care of the South East Metropolitan Health Service to the Otorhinolaryngology Service of the Sótero del Río Hospital, while also evaluating the concordance in their prioritization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Immune dysregulation and SARS-CoV-2 plasma viremia have been implicated in fatal COVID-19 disease. However, how these two factors interact to shape disease outcomes is unclear.
Methods: We carried out viral and immunological phenotyping on a prospective cohort of 280 patients with COVID-19 presenting to acute care hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts and Genoa, Italy between June 1, 2020 and February 8, 2022.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a significant global health challenge and affects approximately 50 million people worldwide. This overview of published reviews provides a comprehensive understanding of the intricate correlations between AD and body composition, focusing particularly on obesity. We used a systematic approach to collect and analyze relevant reviews on the topic of obesity and Alzheimer's disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Different studies report that systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) tends to have a more aggressive course in Hispanic patients. In this study, we analysed epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics in a cohort of Hispanic and Caucasian lupus patients in the context of Italian health service, which provides free access to care to all citizens, thus mitigating the impact of socioeconomic factors that negatively influence the course of the disease in ethnic minorities.
Methods: This single-center retrospective study was conducted at the San Martino Hospital "Lupus Clinic" in Genoa, Italy.
The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) with laser on the inflammatory process in an experimental in vitro model of ACO. The groups were: (1) human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B); (2) BEAS-2B cells treated with dexamethasone; (3) BEAS-2B cells irradiated with laser; (4) BEAS-2B cells stimulated with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) + House Dust Mite (HDM); (5) BEAS-2B cells stimulated with CSE + HDM and treated with dexamethasone; (6) BEAS-2B cells incubated with CSE + HDM and irradiated with laser. After 24 h, cytokines were quantified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIt is well known that cardiometabolic dysfunction gradually increases after menopause, and the sedentary lifestyle can aggravate this condition. Therefore, we compared the effects of aerobic exercise training during the premenopausal period and after ovariectomy (OVX) on metabolic, hemodynamic, and autonomic parameters in an experimental rat model of menopause. The female rats were divided into four groups: control (C), sedentary OVX (SO), trained OVX (TO), and previously trained OVX (PTO).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) is characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and failure of specific antibody production due to B-cell defects. However, studies have documented various T-cell abnormalities, potentially linked to viral complications. The frequency of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication in CVID cohorts is poorly studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS Negl Trop Dis
May 2024
Background: Photobiomodulation has exhibited promise in mitigating the local effects induced by Bothrops snakebite envenoming; however, the mechanisms underlying this protection are not yet fully understood. Herein, the effectiveness of photobiomodulation effects on regenerative response of C2C12 myoblast cells following exposure to Bothrops jararacussu venom (BjsuV), as well as the mechanisms involved was investigated.
Methodology/principal Findings: C2C12 myoblast cells were exposed to BjsuV (12.
Spontaneous rupture of the uterine artery is a rare and life-threatening cause of hemoperitoneum in pregnancy, associated with high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. We present a case of a 29-year-old woman, in the 36th week of gestation, with acute abdomen due to hemoperitoneum. Ultrasound revealed free fluid in the abdominal cavity, with no signs of fetal distress, and the patient was mildly hypotensive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe treatment of peri-implantitis is challenging in the clinical practice of implant dentistry. With limited therapeutic options and drug resistance, there is a need for alternative methods, such as photodynamic therapy (PDT), which is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat peri-implantitis. This study evaluated whether the type of photosensitizer used influences the results of inflammatory control, reduction in peri-implant pocket depth, bleeding during probing, and reduction in bone loss in the dental implant region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBergmann's and Allen's rules are two classic ecogeographic rules concerning the physiological mechanisms employed by endotherm vertebrates for heat conservation in cold environments, which correlate with adaptive morphological changes. Thus, larger body sizes (Bergmann's rule) and shorter appendages and limbs (Allen's rule) are expected in mammals inhabiting cold environments (higher latitudes). Both rules may also apply to elevational gradients, due to the decrease in external temperature as elevation increases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This IFSO survey aims to describe the current trends of metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) reporting on the number and types of surgical and endoluminal procedures performed in 2020 and 2021, in the world and within each IFSO chapter.
Methods: All national societies belonging to IFSO were asked to complete the survey form. The number and types of procedures performed (surgical and endoluminal interventions) from 2020 to 2021 were documented.
Recently, we described synthetic sulfolipids named Sulfavants as a novel class of molecular adjuvants based on the sulfoquinovosyl-diacylglycerol skeleton. The members of this family, Sulfavant A (), Sulfavant R (), and Sulfavant S (), showed important effects on triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2)-induced differentiation and maturation of human dendritic cells (hDC), through a novel cell mechanism underlying the regulation of the immune response. As these molecules are involved in biological TREM2-mediated processes crucial for cell survival, here, we report the synthesis and application of a fluorescent analogue of Sulfavant A bearing the 4,4-difluoro-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza--indacene moiety (Me-BODIPY).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGastric Cancer (GC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. As the currently available therapeutic options are invasive, new and more benign options are being explored. One of which is Apigenin (Api), a natural flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables, such as celery, parsley, garlic, bell pepper and chamomile tea.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComplex diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) cover a wide range of biological scales, from genes and proteins to cells and tissues, up to the full organism. In fact, any phenotype for an organism is dictated by the interplay among these scales. We conducted a multilayer network analysis and deep phenotyping with multi-omics data (genomics, phosphoproteomics and cytomics), brain and retinal imaging, and clinical data, obtained from a multicenter prospective cohort of 328 patients and 90 healthy controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Diet-based interventions may be a culturally acceptable option to decrease mercury levels and thus prevent the adverse effects of this metal on population health. Selenium is an element present in Colombian geology that can act as a chelator, decreasing mercury concentrations in the human body.
Objective: To identify potentially useful selenium-rich foods to control the effects of mercury exposure among Afro-Colombians.
Background: Endoscopic tattooing of colorectal lesions has been performed employing several markers. The indocyanine green (ICG) that uses near infrared fluorescence technology, has been recently adopted in laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. This study aims to systematically review the international literature to validate the ICG in laparoscopic colorectal surgery, in order to include the ICG in the therapeutic protocol.
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