Pediatric endoscopic pilonidal sinus treatment: lessons learned after 100 consecutive cases.

Aim: Pediatric endoscopic pilonidal sinus treatment (PEPSiT) has favorable short-term-outcomes, but there is a lack of reliable data on medium and long-term follow-up. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness and advantages of PEPSiT versus conventional surgery of pilonidal sinus in the pediatric population.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study was carried out in pediatric patients undergoing pilonidal sinus surgery at a single institution from 2019 to 2022.

Circulating biomarkers of myocardial remodelling: current developments and clinical applications.

Myocardial remodelling, entailing cellular and molecular changes in the different components of the cardiac tissue in response to damage, underlies the morphological and structural changes leading to cardiac remodelling, which in turn contributes to cardiac dysfunction and disease progression. Since cardiac tissue is not available for histomolecular diagnosis, surrogate markers are needed for evaluating myocardial remodelling as part of the clinical management of patients with cardiac disease. In this setting, circulating biomarkers, a component of the liquid biopsy, provide a promising approach for the fast, affordable and scalable screening of large numbers of patients, allowing the detection of different pathological features related to myocardial remodelling, aiding in risk stratification and therapy monitoring.

[Strategies and recommendations to face respiratory syncytial virus disease in 2024].

During the winter of 2023, Chile faced a complex situation related to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). After experiencing a decline in RSV circulation during the years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a late outbreak was observed in the spring of 2022 and an early onset of the outbreak in 2023, with a significant increase in the number of serious cases. The ineffectiveness of strategic planning and risk communication contributed to the complexity of the situation.

Biocontrol Is Altered via Temperature and the Control of Bacteria.

Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) attack the vine's wood, devastating vineyards worldwide. Chile is the world's fourth-largest wine exporter, and Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most economically important red wine varieties. Botryosphaeria dieback is an important GTD, and is one of the main pathogenic species.

Effects of PM Airborne Particles from Different Regions of a Megacity on In Vitro Secretion of Cytokines by a Monocyte Line during Different Seasons.

Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that particulate matter (PM) in air pollution can be involved in the genesis or aggravation of different cardiovascular, respiratory, perinatal, and cancer diseases. This study assessed the in vitro effects of PM on the secretion of cytokines by a human monocytic cell line (THP-1). We compared the chemotactic, pro-inflammatory, and anti-inflammatory cytokines induced by PM collected for two years during three different seasons in five different Mexico City locations.

Single-cell eQTL mapping in yeast reveals a tradeoff between growth and reproduction.

Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) provide a key bridge between noncoding DNA sequence variants and organismal traits. The effects of eQTLs can differ among tissues, cell types, and cellular states, but these differences are obscured by gene expression measurements in bulk populations. We developed a one-pot approach to map eQTLs in by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and applied it to over 100,000 single cells from three crosses.

Molecular Recognition of Tyrosine-Containing Polypeptides with Pseudopeptidic Cages Unraveled by Fluorescence and NMR Spectroscopies.

The molecular recognition of Tyr-containing peptide copolymers with pseudopeptidic cages has been studied using a combination of fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies. Fluorescence titrations rendered a reasonable estimation of the affinities, despite the presence of dynamic quenching masking the unambiguous detection of the supramolecular complexes. Regarding NMR, the effect of polypeptide (PP) binding on relaxation and diffusion parameters of the cages is much more reliable than the corresponding chemical shift perturbations.

Different Safety Pattern of an Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CoronaVac) According to Age Group in a Pediatric Population from 3 to 17 Years Old, in an Open-Label Study in Chile.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of vaccinating children against SARS-CoV-2 was rapidly established. This study describes the safety of CoronaVac in children and adolescents between 3- and 17-years-old in a multicenter study in Chile with two vaccine doses in a 4-week interval. For all participants, immediate adverse events (AEs), serious AEs (SAEs), and AEs of special interest (AESIs) were registered throughout the study.

Burn severity and land-use legacy influence bird abundance in the Atlantic-Mediterranean biogeographic transition.

Fire regimes in mountain landscapes of southern Europe have been shifting from their baselines due to rural abandonment and fire exclusion policies. Understanding the effects of fire on biodiversity is paramount to implement adequate management. Herein, we evaluated the relative role of burn severity and heterogeneity on bird abundance in an abandoned mountain range located in the biogeographic transition between the Eurosiberian and Mediterranean region (the Natural Park 'Baixa Limia-Serra do Xurés').

Cardiac Fibrosis in heart failure: Focus on non-invasive diagnosis and emerging therapeutic strategies.

Heart failure is a leading cause of mortality and hospitalization worldwide. Cardiac fibrosis, resulting from the excessive deposition of collagen fibers, is a common feature across the spectrum of conditions converging in heart failure. Eventually, either reparative or reactive in nature, in the long-term cardiac fibrosis contributes to heart failure development and progression and is associated with poor clinical outcomes.

Integration of urban science and urban climate adaptation research: opportunities to advance climate action.

There is a growing recognition that responding to climate change necessitates urban adaptation. We sketch a transdisciplinary research effort, arguing that actionable research on urban adaptation needs to recognize the nature of cities as social networks embedded in physical space. Given the pace, scale and socioeconomic outcomes of urbanization in the Global South, the specificities and history of its cities must be central to the study of how well-known agglomeration effects can facilitate adaptation.

Trajectories of Parental Daily Stress: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study during the COVID-19 Lockdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a source of significant stress due to health and safety concerns and measures to control the virus' spread, such as mobility restrictions. This measure was especially demanding for parents with school aged children, who had to find new work-family balance as their children participate in online education while attempting to work remotely. To evaluate parents' stress trajectories during the pandemic, we conducted Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMAs) during lockdown for 29 days in 68 families in Santiago, Chile.

Inactivated Vaccine-Induced SARS-CoV-2 Variant-Specific Immunity in Children.

Multiple vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been evaluated in clinical trials. However, trials addressing the immune response in the pediatric population are scarce. The inactivated vaccine CoronaVac has been shown to be safe and immunogenic in a phase 1/2 clinical trial in a pediatric cohort in China.

Pseudopeptidic host adaptation in peptide recognition unveiled by ion mobility mass spectrometry.

Complexation of the glutamic-tyrosine-glutamic tripeptide (EYE) with a series of pseudopeptidic cages has been thoroughly investigated using different analytical techniques. The stoichiometry and affinities of the supramolecular host : guest complexes both in aqueous solution and in the gas-phase were obtained from a suitable combination of fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR, and mass spectrometry (MS) methods. The cages bearing basic groups (lysine, ornitine and histidine) display the tightest EYE binding in aqueous media following the order CyHis > CyLys > CyOrn, thus suggesting that Tyr side chain encapsulation is additionally modulated by the identity of the cage side chains and their ability to be engaged in polar interactions with the EYE peptide.

Cooperative action of SP-A and its trimeric recombinant fragment with polymyxins against Gram-negative respiratory bacteria.

The exploration of therapies combining antimicrobial lung proteins and conventional antibiotics is important due to the growing problem of multidrug-resistant bacteria. The aim of this study was to investigate whether human SP-A and a recombinant trimeric fragment (rfhSP-A) have cooperative antimicrobial activity with antibiotics against pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. We found that SP-A bound the cationic peptide polymyxin B (PMB) with an apparent dissociation constant ( ) of 0.

Serological Confirmed Syphilis Among Transgender Women in Dominican Republic.

Purpose: Transgender women (TW) in the Dominican Republic (DR) are at high risk for syphillis infection. Although treatable, infection rates remain at epidemic proportions.

Methods: In 2016, we conducted a national survey, with serological sampling of TW in the DR (=255).

Whole-Genome Sequences of SARS-CoV-2 Isolates from the Dominican Republic.

Here, we report the genome sequences of five severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains that were obtained from symptomatic individuals with travel histories during community surveillance in the Dominican Republic in 2020. These sequences provide a starting point for further genomic studies of gene flow and molecular diversity in the Caribbean nation. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that all genomes correspond to the B.

Transgender Women in Dominican Republic: HIV, Stigma, Substances, and Sex Work.

Exposure to stigma, violence, sex work, and substance use are associated with increased HIV risk, but relationships between these factors have not been fully elucidated among transgender women whose data are often aggregated with men who have sex with men and other sexual and gender minorities. Considering this gap, we aimed to identify a serologically confirmed HIV estimate for transgender women and examine the relationships between stigma, sex work, substance use, and HIV among a national sample of transgender women in Dominican Republic. We analyzed biomarkers and self-report data from the third wave of Dominican Republic's Encuesta de Vigilancia y Comportamiento con Vinculación Serológica, employing logistic and negative binomial regression to estimate models ( = 307).

N -Methyladenosine Negatively Regulates Human Respiratory Syncytial Virus Replication.

N-methyladenosine (mA) is the most abundant internal modification described in eukaryotic mRNA and several viral RNA including human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV). Here, we evaluated the impact of mA writers, erasers and readers on HRSV genomic RNA accumulation and inclusion bodies assembly during viral replication. We observed that the METTL3/METTL14 mA writer complex plays a negative role in HRSV protein synthesis and viral titers, while mA erasers FTO and ALKBH5 had the opposite effect.

Molecular cages for biological applications.

Artificial receptors able to recognise biologically relevant molecules or ions have gained interest in the chemical community because they offer a plethora of posibilities. Molecular cage compounds are polycyclic compounds with a cavity designed for the encapsulation of guest species. Once inside the host cavity, the substrate can be transported through membranes and protected from the action of enzymes or other reactive species, thus offering the possibility of interfering with biological systems.

[Recommendations for the suspected diagnosis and management of Multisystemic Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) in the context of a SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. April 2021].

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19 (MIS-C) is a post-infectious complication described in children and adolescents with previous exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Because of its potential to evolve to severe disease -including cardiovascular impairment and multiple organ failure it requires a prompt diagnosis and appropriate management, including intensive care for most cases. These guidelines compile recent information from scientific literature, from our local clinical experiences during the past pandemic year, and have been discussed by experts.

Hematologic parameters and biomarkers predictors of severity in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children associated with SARS-CoV-2.

Introduction: The multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children associated with SARS-CoV-2 (MIS-C) is cha racterized by a hyperinflammatory state resulting from a cytokine storm, evidenced by alterations in laboratory blood testing and acute-phase proteins.

Objective: to describe the clinical and labora tory characteristics of patients hospitalized due to MIS-C and identify predictive markers of severity.

Patients And Method: Retrospective study of 32 patients.

Gut Microbiome-Derived Uremic Toxin Levels in Hemodialysis Patients on Different Phosphate Binder Therapies.

Introduction: Constipation is prevalent in patients with kidney failure partly due to the use of medication, such as phosphate binders. We hypothesized that serum levels of gut microbiome-derived uremic toxins (UTOX) may be affected by the choice of phosphate binder putatively through its impact on colonic transit time. We investigated two commonly prescribed phosphate binders, sevelamer carbonate (SEV) and sucroferric oxyhydroxide (SFO), and their association with gut microbiome-derived UTOX levels in hemodialysis (HD) patients.