Assessing Cigarette Reduction Tax-Effectiveness in Low Tobacco Expenditure Contexts: An Application to Bolivia.

In this research we show that ambitious increases in tobacco tax rates can substantially reduce tobacco consumption, increase fiscal revenue, and provide net positive social benefits even in contexts of low consumption prevalence and intensity. Low nicotine intake still constitutes a grave disease risk factor, and the effectiveness of tax increases might be questioned if income effects are small. We adapt spatial variation of price methodologies to deal with low prevalence and intensity, censored data, and small samples using the Bolivian case as an illustration.

Enteric Nervous System and Its Relationship with Neurological Diseases.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a fundamental component of the gastrointestinal system, composed of a vast network of neurons and glial cells. It operates autonomously but is interconnected with the central nervous system (CNS) through the vagus nerve. This communication, known as the gut-brain axis, influences the bidirectional communication between the brain and the gut.

Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Hereditary Fructose Intolerance.

Introduction: Hereditary fructose intolerance or hereditary fructosemia is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder caused by a loss of function in the aldolase B gene. This disorder affects 1 in 20,000 people, constituting a rare disease with a favorable prognosis through adherence to a fructose-free diet. Despite dietary management, chronic pathology may manifest, underscoring the importance of early diagnosis to mitigate adverse effects.

Descriptive Analysis of Carrier and Affected Hereditary Fructose Intolerance in Women during Pregnancy.

(1) Background: Hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder resulting from aldolase B deficiency, requiring a fructose, sorbitol and sucrose (FSS)-free diet. Limited information exists on the relationship between pregnancy outcomes and HFI. This study aims to analyze pregnancy-related factors in a cohort of thirty Spanish women, with twenty-three being carriers and seven being HFI-affected (45 pregnancies).

Advances in Cryopreservatives: Exploring Safer Alternatives.

Cryopreservation of cells, tissues, and organs is widely used in the biomedical and research world. There are different cryopreservatives that are used for this process; however, many of them, such as DMSO, are used despite the problems they present, mainly due to the toxicity it presents to certain types of samples. The aim of this Review is to highlight the different types of substances used in the cryopreservation process.

ICAM-1-decorated extracellular vesicles loaded with miR-146a and drive immunomodulation and hinder tumor progression in a murine model of breast cancer.

Tumor-associated immune cells play a crucial role in cancer progression. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), for example, are immature innate immune cells that infiltrate the tumor to exert immunosuppressive activity and protect cancer cells from the host's immune system and/or cancer-specific immunotherapies. While tumor-associated immune cells have emerged as a promising therapeutic target, efforts to counter immunosuppression within the tumor niche have been hampered by the lack of approaches that selectively target the immune cell compartment of the tumor, to effectively eliminate "tumor-protecting" immune cells and/or drive an "anti-tumor" phenotype.

Wettability of Amino Acid-Functionalized PSMA Electrospun Fibers for the Modulated Release of Active Agents and Its Effect on Their Bioactivity.

The ideal treatment for chronic wounds is based on the use of bioactive dressings capable of releasing active agents. However, the control of the rate at which these active agents are released is still a challenge. Bioactive polymeric fiber mats of poly(styrene--maleic anhydride) [PSMA] functionalized with amino acids of different hydropathic indices and L-glutamine, L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine levels allowed obtaining derivatives of the copolymers named PSMA@Gln, PSMA@Phe and PSMA@Tyr, respectively, with the aim of modulating the wettability of the mats.

Surgical Treatment of Obesity. Special Mention to Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Vertical Gastrectomy.

Introduction: The prevalence of obesity has increased exponentially in recent decades, being one of the diseases that most affects global health. It is a chronic disease associated with multiple comorbidities, which lead to a decrease in life expectancy and quality of life. It requires a multidisciplinary approach by a specialized medical team.

TRP Channels as Molecular Targets to Relieve Cancer Pain.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are critical receptors in the transduction of nociceptive stimuli. The microenvironment of diverse types of cancer releases substances, including growth factors, neurotransmitters, and inflammatory mediators, which modulate the activity of TRPs through the regulation of intracellular signaling pathways. The modulation of TRP channels is associated with the peripheral sensitization observed in patients with cancer, which results in mild noxious sensory stimuli being perceived as hyperalgesia and allodynia.

[Knowledge, access and use of the health system by migrant adolescents in Chile: results of an exploratory study].

Objective: To identify the knowledge, access, and use of the health system by migrant adolescents, and the barriers to access and use of the health system in that population in Chile.

Methods: Observational, cross-sectional exploratory study applied in a participatory workshop with migrant adolescents (N=30) in three municipalities of the city of Santiago, Chile. Multimethods study.

Defining 'older people' in Chile: challenges in planning policies for ageing populations.

The concept of older adult is extensively used in day-to-day discussions and public policy. Nonetheless, concrete operational definitions are scarce. This poses a challenge for policymakers when designing initiatives targeted to this population.

[New challenges for health planning: Chile's National Cancer PlanNovos desafios para o planejamento no setor da saúde: o Plano Nacional do Câncer no Chile].

This article describes the process of developing Chile's National Cancer Plan. This process included an initial diagnostic stage in which various stakeholders were called on to provide different perspectives and proposals. Later, the compiled information was systematized and structured by the Ministry of Health in an action plan with detailed initiatives, objectives, and associated indicators.

[The implementation of a Biobank network for Chile].

The concept "Biobank" is relatively new in the scientific literature, and is not yet consensually defined, even for the World Health Organization (WHO). However, the use of human samples in biomedical research is a very old activity. The organized development of Biobanks in different places has grown in the last decade.

Real-time PCR assay for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis.

Introduction: The diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis requires an invasive and time-consuming reference method. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is rapid, but validation in pleural tuberculosis is still weak.

Objective: To establish the operating characteristics of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) hybridization probes for the diagnosis of pleural tuberculosis.

Diagnostic Efficacy of Molecular Techniques for Detection and Identification of Leishmania Species in Human Whole Blood and Skin Samples from Ecuador.

Microscopic examination is the standard method for diagnosis of cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis despite its low sensitivity. This study compared the diagnosis efficacy of microscopic examination versus polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods and DNA sequencing using whole blood and skin lesion samples from patients with suspected leishmaniasis. The presence of Leishmania was determined by microscopy and amplification of 18S ribosomal RNA gene from blood and skin samples of 22 patients.

Acetylsalicylic Acid Exhibits Antitumor Effects in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Cells In Vitro and In Vivo.

Background And Aim: Recent observational studies have shown therapeutic benefits of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in several types of cancer. We examined whether ASA exerts antitumor activity in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC).

Methods: Human EAC cells (OE33) were treated with ASA (0-5 mM) to evaluate proliferation, apoptosis, and migration.

Blood-meal identification in phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Valle Hermoso, a high prevalence zone for cutaneous leishmaniasis in Ecuador.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies of the genus Lutzomyia. In South America, cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in the majority of countries. There are no previous reports of phlebotomine sand fly host feeding sources in Ecuador.

Improved method for extraction and detection of Helicobacter pylori DNA in formalin-fixed paraffin embedded gastric biopsies using laser micro-dissection.

To assess the molecular events exerted by Helicobacter pylori interacting directly with gastric epithelial cells, an improved procedure for microbial DNA isolation from stained hematoxilin-eosin gastric biopsies was developed based on laser micro-dissection (LM) [1]. Few articles have described the use of LM to select and detect H. pylori genome from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded gastric tissue [2].

In vitro osteoinduction of human mesenchymal stem cells in biomimetic surface modified titanium alloy implants.

Interaction between cells and implant surface is crucial for clinical success. This interaction and the associated surface treatment are essential for achieving a fast osseointegration process. Several studies of different topographical or chemical surface modifications have been proposed previously in literature.

New insights into c-Ret signalling pathway in the enteric nervous system and its relationship with ALS.

The receptor tyrosine kinase Ret (c-Ret) transduces the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) signal, one of the neurotrophic factors related to the degeneration process or the regeneration activity of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The phosphorylation of several tyrosine residues of c-Ret seems to be altered in ALS. c-Ret is expressed in motor neurons and in the enteric nervous system (ENS) during the embryonic period.

Effect of aspirin treatment on the prevention of esophageal adenocarcinoma in a rat experimental model.

Aspirin has been proposed in recent years as a candidate for chemoprevention of adenocarcinoma in patients with Barrett's esophagus. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in an experimental model of esophageal adenocarcinoma. An animal model of gastroenteroesophageal reflux was established using Wistar rats undergoing esophagojejunostomy with gastric preservation.

Primary cilia in gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs): an ultrastructural study.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal (non-epithelial) neoplasms of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. They are thought to derive from interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) or an ICC progenitor based on immunophenotypical and ultrastructural similarities. Because ICCs show primary cilium, our hypothesis is based on the possibility that some of these neoplastic cells could also present it.

In vitro osteoinduction of human mesenchymal stem cells in biomimetic surface modified titanium alloy implants.

Interaction between cells and implant surface is crucial for clinical success. This interaction and the associated surface treatment are essential for achieving a fast osseointegration process. Several studies of different topographical or chemical surface modifications have been proposed previously in literature.

Indomethacin but not a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor inhibits esophageal adenocarcinogenesis in rats.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of indomethacin [dual cyclooxygenase (COX)-1/COX-2 inhibitor] and 3-(3,4-difluorophenyl)-4-(4-(methylsulfonyl) phenyl)-2-(5H)-furanone (MF-tricyclic) (COX-2 selective inhibitor) in a rat experimental model of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Methods: A total of 112 surviving post-surgery rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group (n = 48), which did not receive any treatment; the indomethacin group (n = 32), which were given 2 mg/kg per day of the COX-1/COX-2 inhibitor; and the MF-tricyclic group (n = 32), which received 10 mg/kg per day of the selective COX-2 inhibitor. Randomly selected rats were killed either 8 wk or 16 wk after surgery.