Leveraging Synthetic Antibody-DNA Conjugates to Expand the CRISPR-Cas12a Biosensing Toolbox.

We report here the use of antibody-DNA conjugates (Ab-DNA) to activate the collateral cleavage activity of the CRISPR-Cas12a enzyme. Our findings demonstrate that Ab-DNA conjugates effectively trigger the collateral cleavage activity of CRISPR-Cas12a, enabling the transduction of antibody-mediated recognition events into fluorescence outputs. We developed two different immunoassays using an Ab-DNA as activator of Cas12a: the CRISPR-based immunosensing assay (CIA) for detecting SARS-CoV-2 spike S protein, which shows superior sensitivity compared with the traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the CRISPR-based immunomagnetic assay (CIMA).

Laboratory validation of a simplified DNA extraction protocol followed by a portable qPCR detection of M. tuberculosis DNA suitable for point of care settings.

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a treatable and curable disease, and yet remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Diagnosis is essential to reducing the number of cases and starting treatment, but costly tests and equipments that require complex infrastructure hamper their widespread use as a tool to contain the disease in vulnerable populations as well countries lacking resources. Therefore, it becomes necessary to develop new technological approaches to molecular methods as well as screening tests that can be rapidly conducted among people presenting to a health facility to differentiate those who should have further diagnostic evaluation for TB from those who should undergo further investigation for non-TB diagnoses.

Physical activity interventions to improve cognition in first-episode psychosis: What we know so far.

Background: Cognitive impairment is a core feature of psychosis, which adversely affects global functioning and quality of life and has been consistently reported from the early stages of illness. Patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) exhibit deficits in processing speed, short-term memory, attention, working memory, and executive functioning, which respond poorly to psychotropic drugs. Among non-pharmacological approaches, physical activity has shown promise in improving cognitive functioning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Brain metabolic profiling of schizophrenia: a path towards a better understanding of the neuropathogenesis of psychosis.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex psychotic syndrome whose pathogenesis involves countless protagonists, none of which, to date, can fully explain how this disorder develops. In this narrative review, an overview of the biochemical impairment is offered according to several perspectives. Indeed, the metabolic framework behind SCZ dopaminergic hypotheses, glutamate - gamma-amynobutyric acid dysregulation, norepinephrine and serotonin, calcium channel dysfunction is addressed together with the energetic impairment, involving glucose and lipids in SCZ etiopathogenesis, in order to highlight the multilevel pathways affected in this neuropsychiatric disorder.

Psychiatric predictors of quality of life in Parkinson's disease: A three-year longitudinal study.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with worsened quality of life (QOL) over time. Few longitudinal studies exist investigating the relationship of psychiatric comorbidities with QOL in people with PD (PwP). We sought to determine specific psychiatric symptoms associated with decreasing QOL in PwP over time.

Developing a brief telematic cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of social isolation in young adults.

Objective: The present study aims to present a novel cognitive-behavioral intervention protocol focused on treating social isolation through telematic interaction, thus overcoming common barriers characteristic of face-to-face interventions.

Methods: We examined current literature about face-to-face and telematic psychotherapeutic interventions for the treatment of social isolation in early adulthood. Current evidence is mixed, suggesting the need to develop novel interventions focused on patients' cognitive functioning.

Neonatal overfeeding promotes anxiety, impairs episodic-like memory, and disrupts transcriptional regulation of hippocampal steroidogenic enzymes.

The objective of our study was to investigate the impact of neonatal overfeeding on cognitive functions and neurosteroidogenesis in male rats. Offspring were assigned to either small litters (SL; 4 pups/mother), resulting in increased milk intake and body weight gain, or normal litters (NL; 10 pups/mother). On postnatal day (PND) 21, half of the male rats were euthanized, while the remaining were kept under standard conditions (4 rats/cage) until PND70.

Plasma cell-free DNA as a monitoring tool for high-risk pregnancies associated with antiphospholipid syndrome.

Introduction: Despite thromboprophylaxis, women with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) face high-risk pregnancies due to proinflammatory and prothrombotic states. This highlights the need for new monitoring and prognostic tools. Recent insights into the pathophysiological role of neutrophil activation and extracellular trap (NET) formation in this syndrome led to the exploration of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA), a derivative of NETosis, as a promising biomarker.

Relevance of the correlation between tomography findings and laboratory test results in the accuracy of the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Objective: To evaluate the correlation between multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) findings and laboratory test results in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).

Materials And Methods: A total of 57 patients were evaluated. Patients with suspected PTB were divided into groups according to the final diagnosis (confirmed or excluded), and the groups were compared in terms of sociodemographic variables, clinical symptoms, tomography findings, and laboratory test results.

A global meta-analysis reveals a consistent reduction of soil fauna abundance and richness as a consequence of land use conversion.

Land use conversion of natural to production systems is one of the most important threats to belowground communities and to the key ecosystem processes in which they are involved. Available literature shows positive, negative, and neutral effects of land use changes on soil fauna communities; and these varying effects may be due to different characteristics of natural and production systems and soil organisms. We hypothesize that land conversion from high to low plant biomass, diversity, and structural complexity systems may have the most negative impacts on soil fauna.

Integrated transcriptomic analysis reveals immune signatures distinguishing persistent versus resolving outcomes in MRSA bacteremia.

Introduction: bacteremia (SAB) is a life-threatening infection particularly involving methicillin-resistant (MRSA). In contrast to resolving MRSA bacteremia (RB), persistent MRSA bacteremia (PB) blood cultures remain positive despite appropriate antibiotic treatment. Host immune responses distinguishing PB vs.

Antithrombin during veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with heparin anticoagulation: A single-center cohort study.

Introduction: Antithrombin (AT) is a natural anticoagulant essential to enhancing the unfractionated heparin (UFH) anticoagulant effect. Its supplementation in the management of UFH-based anticoagulation during veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) has a strong pathophysiological rationale.

Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective cohort study of adult VV ECMO patients with anticoagulation maintained by UFH targeting an activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) of 40-50 s and AT activity >80%.

Tumor microenvironment and clinical efficacy of first line immunotherapy-based combinations in metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

The impact of tumor microenvironment (TME) in influencing clinical response to first-line immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based treatment in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is unclear. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) could identify biomarkers related to immune checkpoints and immune cell population. This study retrospectively characterized TME from 28 RCC patients who received first line ICI-based therapy through IHC assessment of selected markers and explored preliminary evidence about their possible correlation with treatment efficacy.

Low-cost inkjet-printed nanostructured biosensor based on CRISPR/Cas12a system for pathogen detection.

The escalating global incidence of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria, especially in developing countries, emphasises the urgent need for rapid and portable pathogen detection devices. This study introduces a sensitive and specific electrochemical biosensing platform utilising cost-effective electrodes fabricated by inkjet-printing gold and silver nanoparticles on a plastic substrate. The biosensor exploits the CRISPR/Cas12a system for detecting a specific DNA sequence selected from the genome of the target pathogen.

The cardiovascular pathologist in the aortic team.

Aortic diseases require a multidisciplinary management for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up with better outcomes in referral centers using a team-based approach. The setting up of a multi-disciplinary aortic team for the discussion of complex cases has been already proposed; it is also supported by the ACC/AHA. Surgeons and radiologists, more or less other physicians such as cardiologists, geneticists, rheumatologists/internal medicine specialists and pathologists are involved into such a team.

Reduced graphene oxide electrodes meet lateral flow assays: A promising path to advanced point-of-care diagnostics.

Research in electrochemical detection in lateral flow assays (LFAs) has gained significant momentum in recent years. The primary impetus for this surge in interest is the pursuit of achieving lower limits of detection, especially given that LFAs are the most widely employed point-of-care biosensors. Conventionally, the strategy for merging electrochemistry and LFAs has centered on the superposition of screen-printed electrodes onto nitrocellulose substrates during LFA fabrication.

Harnessing Bioluminescent Bacteria to Develop an Enzymatic-free Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the Detection of Clinically Relevant Biomarkers.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the gold standard technique for measuring protein biomarkers due to its high sensitivity, specificity, and throughput. Despite its success, continuous advancements in ELISA and immunoassay formats are crucial to meet evolving global challenges and to address new analytical needs in diverse applications. To expand the capabilities and applications of immunoassays, we introduce a novel ELISA-like assay that we call Bioluminescent-bacteria-linked immunosorbent assay (BBLISA).

Treponema pallidum PCR with blood and cerebrospinal fluid of newborns exposed and not exposed to syphilis during pregnancy.

Introduction: Congenital syphilis (CS) has severe adverse outcomes, including abortion and death. Diagnosis of CS in asymptomatic newborns remains difficult. This study aims to evaluate an in-house polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples (BS) to identify T.

Glyphosate-based herbicide worsens alterations induced by cafeteria diet on rat uterus.

Exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides (GBH) and consumption of cafeteria (CAF) diet, which are widespread in Western society, seem to be associated with endometrial hyperplasia (EH). Here, we aimed to evaluate the effects of a subchronic low dose of GBH added to the CAF diet on the rat uterus. Female Wistar rats were fed from postnatal day (PND)21 until PND240 with chow (control) or CAF diet.

Cannabis Dependence is Associated with Reduced Hippocampal Subregion Volumes Independently of Sex: Findings from an ENIGMA Addiction Working Group Multi-Country Study.

Males and females who consume cannabis can experience different mental health and cognitive problems. Neuroscientific theories of addiction postulate that dependence is underscored by neuroadaptations, but do not account for the contribution of distinct sexes. Further, there is little evidence for sex differences in the neurobiology of cannabis dependence as most neuroimaging studies have been conducted in largely male samples in which cannabis dependence, as opposed to use, is often not ascertained.

Uterine histopathology and steroid metabolism in a polycystic ovary syndrome rat model.

The aim of this study was to investigate uterine lesions, uterine endocrine status and expression of genes involved in uterine differentiation in a rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The possible involvement of the androgen receptor (AR) was also investigated. PCOS rats showed an increased incidence of uterine epithelial and glandular lesions and elevated serum testosterone level, which was not detected in uterine tissue.

Neural correlates of cognitive behavioral therapy-based interventions for bipolar disorder: A scoping review.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is among the gold-standard psychotherapeutic interventions for the treatment of psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder (BD). While the clinical response of CBT in patients with BD has been widely investigated, its neural correlates remain poorly explored. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to discuss neuroimaging studies on CBT-based interventions in bipolar populations.