Association of Pedagogical Training with the Social Skills of Medical Tutors in Problem-Based Learning Curriculum.

Background: Satisfactory interaction between tutor and student is fundamental to the success of problem-based learning, and social skills (SS) are essential in this context. The factors associated with a better repertoire of teachers' SS are still unclear. Therefore, we aimed to assess tutors' SS and investigate which factors might be related to a better repertoire of SS.

Artificial Intelligence and Cancer Health Equity: Bridging the Divide or Widening the Gap.

Purpose Of Review: This review aims to evaluate the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on cancer health equity, specifically investigating whether AI is addressing or widening disparities in cancer outcomes.

Recent Findings: Recent studies demonstrate significant advancements in AI, such as deep learning for cancer diagnosis and predictive analytics for personalized treatment, showing potential for improved precision in care. However, concerns persist about the performance of AI tools across diverse populations due to biased training data.

Catalyzing sustainable development: insights from the international workshop on STI policies and innovation systems in Central America.

This article examines the landscape of Science, Technology, and Innovation policies in Central America, focusing on Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. These nations face significant challenges in leveraging STI for sustainable development, including financial constraints and limited resources. Additionally, Central America struggles with systemic issues such as corruption, violence, and high levels of emigration, further complicating efforts to advance STI.

ZYG-12/Hook's dual role as a dynein adaptor for early endosomes and nuclei is regulated by alternative splicing of its cargo binding domain.

The microtubule motor cytoplasmic dynein-1 transports and positions various organelles, but the molecular basis of this functional diversity is not fully understood. Cargo adaptors of the Hook protein family recruit dynein to early endosomes (EE) in fungi and human cells by forming the FTS-Hook-FHIP (FHF) complex. By contrast, the Hook homolog ZYG-12 recruits dynein to the nuclear envelope (NE) in the meiotic gonad and mitotic early embryo by forming a Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton (LINC) complex.

An evolutionary perspective on the relationship between kinetochore size and CENP-E dependence for chromosome alignment.

Chromosome alignment during mitosis can occur as a consequence of bi-orientation or is assisted by the CENP-E (kinesin-7) motor at kinetochores. We previously found that Indian muntjac chromosomes with larger kinetochores bi-orient more efficiently and are biased to align in a CENP-E-independent manner, suggesting that CENP-E dependence for chromosome alignment negatively correlates with kinetochore size. Here, we used targeted phylogenetic profiling of CENP-E in monocentric (localized centromeres) and holocentric (centromeres spanning the entire chromosome length) clades to test this hypothesis at an evolutionary scale.

Molecular detection of respiratory viruses: an observational study on respiratory co-infections in children and adults.

Respiratory tract infection (RTI) is the most important cause of visiting both public and private medical care services. During the decade preceding Covid-19, in developing countries, there was a gap in the epidemiology of respiratory viral infections, probably due to the difficulty of detecting viral agents in clinical microbiology laboratories routine, at that time. In this context, the aim of this study was to describe the occurrence of virus, demographic factors associated and the likelihood of coinfections detection by multiplex PCR methods.

Association between procrastination and learning strategies in medical students in a hybrid problem-based and lecture-based learning curriculum.

Background: Procrastination is characterized by the deliberate postponement of assigned educational tasks and is correlated with low academic achievement and depression. Concern about procrastination is particularly high among medical students, as it has a strong association with aspects such as low self-efficacy, lack of organization, low intrinsic motivation, inefficient effort regulation and time management problems. On the other hand, it was found that students' use of study strategies is significantly related to better academic results.

Dexamethasone-loaded chitosan-decorated PLGA nanoparticles: A step forward in attenuating the COVID-19 cytokine storm?

This study aims to develop and characterize poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles decorated with chitosan (CS) for the encapsulation of dexamethasone (DEX) (NP-DEX-CS), targeting improved efficacy in the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) associated with COVID-19. The nanoparticles were systematically characterized for size, zeta potential (ZP), morphology, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro drug release. Incorporation of CS resulted in significant modifications in the nanoparticles' physical properties, notably an increase in size (from 207.

Algal polysaccharides: new perspectives for the treatment of basal ganglia neurodegenerative diseases.

The objective of this review was to verify the therapeutic effect of polysaccharides derived from algae in neurodegenerative disease models involving the basal ganglia. To achieve this goal, a literature search was conducted in PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar databases. The descriptors "neuroprotective or neural regenerative or immunomodulatory activity or neuroprotection," "polysaccharide or carbohydrate or carbohydrate polymers," "marine algae or seaweed," and "basal ganglia" according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology were used.

Protective Effects of Annona Atemoya Extracts on Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Renal Function in Cadmium-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Wistar Rats.

Background: Cadmium (Cd), a highly toxic heavy metal from agricultural activities, and its exposure can lead to impaired renal function by increasing reactive oxygen species. The atemoya fruit is known for its high phenolic and antioxidant compounds. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of atemoya extracts on renal function, oxidative stress parameters, and inflammatory biomarkers in a cadmium-induced nephrotoxicity model.

The proliferation and viability of human periodontal ligament stem cells cultured on polymeric scaffolds can be improved by low-level laser irradiation.

This study assessed the impact of low-level laser irradiation on the viability and proliferation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) cultivated on polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds. hPDLSCs were obtained, characterized, and grown on the surface of PLA films produced via the solvent casting technique. The study involved two groups: the control group, which was not exposed to radiation, and the laser group, which was irradiated with a diode laser (InGaAIP) with a power of 30 mW, a wavelength of 660 nm, and a single dose of 1 J/cm² emitted continuously.

Speedy Component Resolution Using Spatially Encoded Diffusion NMR Data.

Diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) is a powerful tool to analyse mixtures. Spatially encoded (SPEN) DOSY enables recording a full DOSY dataset in just one scan by performing spatial parallelisation of the gradient dimension. The simplest and most widely used approach to processing DOSY data is to fit each peak in the spectrum with a single or multiple exponential decay.

Novel Synthesis of Zinc Oxide on Cotton Fabric by Cathodic Cage Plasma Deposition for Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Performance.

Cotton fabrics with zinc oxide (ZnO) coating are of significant interest due to their excellent antibacterial performance. Thus, they are widely in demand in the textile industry due to their medical and hygienic properties. However, conventional techniques used to deposit ZnO on fabric require long processing times in deposition, complex and expensive equipment, and multiple steps for deposition, such as a separate process for nanoparticle synthesis and subsequent deposition on fabric.

Optimizing Antioxidant Potential: Factorial Design-Based Formulation of Fucoidan and Gallic Acid-Conjugated Dextran Blends.

The role of oxidative stress in health and homeostasis has generated interest in the scientific community due to its association with cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and other diseases. Therefore, extensive research seeks to identify new exogenous antioxidant compounds for supplementation. Polysaccharides are recognized for their antioxidant properties.

Prospecting of the Antioxidant Activity from Extracts Obtained from Chañar () Seeds Evaluated In Vitro and In Vivo Using the Model.

commonly known as Chañar, is a native Chilean plant widely used in folk medicine for its expectorant, pain relief, and antinociceptive properties. This study explored the antioxidant, cytotoxic, and protective effects of its ethanolic (EE) and aqueous (EA) seed extracts against oxidative stress induced by copper sulfate, using both in vitro and in vivo approaches. Phytochemical analyses revealed the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in the extracts.

Parents' or legal guardians' beliefs and attitudes about childhood vaccination: a scoping review.

Objective: to map scientific evidence about perceptions, beliefs, knowledge and attitudes of parents or legal guardians of children under 5 years of age regarding routine childhood vaccination.

Methods: a scoping review, conducted in accordance with the JBI framework. The searches were carried out in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus and LILACS databases.

Bilateral Todd's paralysis in a patient with left fronto-opercular epilepsy.

Postictal paresis ("Todd's paralysis") is commonly observed as a unilateral, transient motor weakness, lasting minutes to hours, after focal or focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures, contralateral to the epileptogenic zone. Bilateral postictal paresis is exceedingly rare and could be misinterpreted, especially if the preceding convulsive phase was not witnessed. An 18-year-old right-handed male patient with refractory focal epilepsy with seizure onset at age 3 years, was admitted for presurgical video-EEG monitoring.

Prenatal stress induces sex- and tissue-specific alterations in insulin pathway of Wistar rats offspring.

Background And Aims: Prenatal stress may lead to tissue and sex-specific cardiometabolic disorders in the offspring through imbalances in the insulin signaling pathway. Therefore, we aimed to determine the sex-specific adaptations of prenatal stress on the insulin signaling pathway of cardiac and hepatic tissue of adult offspring Wistar rats.

Methods: Wistar pregnant rats were divided into control and stress groups.

Mechanism of action and synergistic effect of Eugenia uniflora extract in Candida spp.

The limited arsenal of antifungal drugs have prompted the search for novel molecules with biological activity. This study aimed to characterize the antifungal mechanism of action of Eugenia uniflora extract and its synergistic activity with commercially available antifungal drugs on the following Candida species: C. albicans, C.

Development and Manufacturing of a Fibre Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite Spar Produced by Oven Vacuum Bagging.

The limited recyclability of fibre-reinforced thermoset composites has fostered the development of alternative thermoplastic-based composites and their manufacturing processes. The most common thermoplastic-based composites are often costly due to their availability in the form of prepreg materials and to the high pressure and temperatures required for their manufacturing. Yet, the manufacturing of economic and recyclable composites, made of semi-preg composite materials using traditional composite manufacturing technologies, has only been proved at a laboratory scale through the manufacturing of flat plates.