Publications by authors named "Roca C"

Germline copy number variants (CNVs) play a significant role in hereditary diseases. However, the accurate detection of CNVs from targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) gene panel data remains a challenging task. Several tools for calling CNVs within this context have been published to date, but the available benchmarks suffer from limitations, including testing on simulated data, testing on small datasets, and testing a small subset of published tools.

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frequently causes chronic lung infection in individuals with muco-obstructive airway diseases (MADs). Chronic infections are difficult to treat, primarily owing to antibiotic treatment failure, which is often observed in the absence of antimicrobial resistance. In MADs, forms biofilm-like aggregates within the luminal mucus.

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Article Synopsis
  • There is a significant need for standardized tools tailored to assess functional communication disorders in Spanish and Catalan populations, particularly for individuals with aphasia.
  • The study focuses on adapting the Communication Activities of Daily Living 3rd edition (CADL-3) into two versions: European Spanish (CADL-3VE) and Catalan (CADL-3VC), with testing conducted on 152 participants in Catalonia.
  • The results indicate that both new versions of the test are reliable, strongly correlate with external criteria, and effectively differentiate between patients with aphasia and control groups, aiding in creating personalized treatment plans.
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  • - CXCR4 is a chemokine receptor that plays key roles in immune cell movement, organ development, and various diseases, including cancer and HIV-1 infection, with only one blocker, plerixafor, currently used clinically.
  • - Recent research shows that when activated by CXCL12, CXCR4 changes its structure, reducing membrane-bound units and forming larger immobile clusters necessary for cells to respond to chemical signals.
  • - Using molecular modeling, scientists discovered a compound, AGR1.137, that disrupts these CXCR4 clusters without interfering with CXCL12 binding, effectively blocking cellular response to chemical gradients in laboratory settings.
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Introduction: Previous research suggests that e-cigarettes can alter immune function, including in the nasal mucosa, in unique ways. The respiratory microbiome plays a key role in respiratory host defense, but the effects of e-cigarettes on the respiratory or nasal microbiome, are not well understood.

Aims And Methods: Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on nasal samples from adult e-cigarette users, smokers, and nonsmokers, we determined that e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking are associated with differential respiratory microbiome dysbiosis and substantial sex-dependent differences in the nasal microbiome, particularly in e-cigarette users.

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The tissues are the site of many important immunological reactions, yet how the immune system is controlled at these sites remains opaque. Recent studies have identified Foxp3 regulatory T (Treg) cells in non-lymphoid tissues with unique characteristics compared with lymphoid Treg cells. However, tissue Treg cells have not been considered holistically across tissues.

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Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria have become one of the most important health problems. We aimed to assess whether international travel may facilitate their spread through the colonization of asymptomatic travelers. A cross-sectional study was conducted (November 2018 to February 2022).

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COVID-19 affects children less seriously than adults; however, severe cases and deaths are documented. This study objective is to determine socio-demographic, clinical and laboratory indicators associated with severe pediatric COVID-19 and mortality at hospital entrance. A multicenter, retrospective, cross-sectional study was performed in 13 tertiary hospitals in Bolivia.

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Background: The aim of our study is to analyse the trends in the diagnosis of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We conducted an observational retrospective population-based study using data from primary care electronic health records spanning from January 2016 to December 2022 (involving 5.1 million people older than 14 years).

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Unlabelled: The airway milieu of individuals with muco-obstructive airway diseases (MADs) is defined by the accumulation of dehydrated mucus due to hyperabsorption of airway surface liquid and defective mucociliary clearance. Pathological mucus becomes progressively more viscous with age and disease severity due to the concentration and overproduction of mucin and accumulation of host-derived extracellular DNA (eDNA). Respiratory mucus of MADs provides a niche for recurrent and persistent colonization by respiratory pathogens, including , which is responsible for the majority of morbidity and mortality in MADs.

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We report a case of non-traumatic, multicanal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) in a premenopausal, osteopenic 35-year-old female with corresponding low bone mineral density. Dix-Hallpike and supine roll tests confirmed unilateral posterior canal (PC) BPPV from 2012-2014, and later, a rare presentation of multicanal BPPV with specifically ipsilateral horizontal canals (HC) and anterior canals (AC) affected in 2015. Heel scans displayed T-scores within the osteopenia range in 2012 until levels normalized one year later.

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Saliva is a readily accessible and inexpensive biological specimen that enables investigation of the oral microbiome, which can serve as a biomarker of oral and systemic health. There are two routine approaches to collect saliva, stimulated and unstimulated; however, there is no consensus on how sampling method influences oral microbiome metrics. In this study, we analyzed paired saliva samples (unstimulated and stimulated) from 88 individuals, aged 7-18 years.

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Background: Most breastfeeding individuals take at least one prescription drug, yet limited data from lactation studies are available to inform the safety of these drugs during breastfeeding. As a result, healthcare providers (HCPs) rely on available information about safety of drugs used during pregnancy or on personal experiences to inform prescribing/counseling decisions for breastfeeding individuals. To improve risk communication regarding drugs used during lactation, the U.

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Unlabelled: The airway milieu of individuals with muco-obstructive airway diseases (MADs) is defined by the accumulation of dehydrated mucus due to hyperabsorption of airway surface liquid and defective mucociliary clearance. Pathological mucus becomes progressively more viscous with age and disease severity due to the concentration and overproduction of mucin and accumulation of host-derived extracellular DNA (eDNA). Respiratory mucus of MADs provides a niche for recurrent and persistent colonization by respiratory pathogens, including , which is responsible for the majority of morbidity and mortality in MADs.

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Background: older adults are increasing in number and frequently seek hospital care for acute illness. This study aimed to measure the utilization and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients aged 85 and older in our hospital.

Methods: a single-site, retrospective, observational and descriptive study was performed.

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  • This Letter presents a precise measurement of the antineutrino spectrum from a reactor fueled exclusively with ^{235}U, using data from the PROSPECT-I detector.
  • The analysis doubled the previous measurements by utilizing previously unused segments of the detector, leading to a more accurate reconstruction of the antineutrino energy spectrum.
  • A notable excess in the antineutrino counts is observed in the 5-7 MeV energy range, indicating that the behavior of antineutrinos from ^{235}U cannot exclusively account for this anomaly compared to commercial reactors.
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Objectives: Ménière disease (MD) is an idiopathic disorder that affects hearing and inner ear balance. Intratympanic gentamicin (ITG) is recognized as an effective treatment for uncontrolled MD characterized by persistent vertigo attacks despite therapy. The video head impulse test (vHIT) and skull vibration-induced nystagmus (SVIN) are validated.

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Background: Data on SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine immunogenicity in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) and discordant immune response (DIR) are currently limited. Therefore, we compare the immunogenicity of these vaccines in DIR and immunological responders (IR).

Methods: A prospective cohort that enrolled 89 participants.

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Motivation: Germline variant classification allows accurate genetic diagnosis and risk assessment. However, it is a tedious iterative process integrating information from several sources and types of evidence. It should follow gene-specific (if available) or general updated international guidelines.

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The hazards of nanomaterials/nanoparticles (NMs/NPs) are mostly assessed using individual NMs, and a more systematic approach, using many NMs, is needed to evaluate its risks in the environment. Libraries of NMs, with a range of identified different but related characters/descriptors allow the comparison of effects across many NMs. The effects of a custom designed Fe-doped TiO NMs library containing 11 NMs was assessed on the soil model Enchytraeus crypticus (Oligochaeta), both with and without UV (standard fluorescent) radiation.

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  • High-dimensional single-cell data has led to the need for dimensionality-reduction tools like t-SNE and UMAP, which enable visualization of complex datasets.
  • Despite their popularity, t-SNE and UMAP have primarily served as visualization tools due to a lack of robust statistical methods for comparison.
  • A new statistical test using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test allows for the evaluation of differences between dimensionality-reduced datasets, providing a valid way to quantify biological variation and compare multiple samples effectively.
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