The prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is experiencing a rising incidence and mortality worldwide, emphasizing the need for reliable prognostic markers. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have emerged as a promising biomarker for predicting HNSCC prognosis, yet no systematic reviews have exclusively focused on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, which are routinely used in clinical practice. This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the PRISMA guidelines to examine the prognostic value of TILs in HNSCC using H&E-stained FFPE samples.

Neuropsychiatric disorder as early clinical presentation of marantic endocarditis in patient with newly diagnosed poorly differentiated esophago-gastric junction adenocarcinoma: A case report.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms, depression, and progressive mental confusion should not be overlooked as onset symptoms of multiple cerebral ischemic lesions due to cardiac embolization. Comprehensive clinical evaluation due to progressive anemia led to the diagnosis of poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction as cause of embolizing nonbacterial mitral endocarditis.

Descriptive Analysis of Surgical Outcomes and Stoma Formation for Treating Sacral and Anal Pressure Injuries in Spinal Cord Injury: A Retrospective Study of Selected Cases.

Introduction: Pressure injuries (PIs) arise from sustained pressure on tissue, leading to reduced blood flow to the affected area. In patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs), these PIs can significantly diminish their independence and overall quality of life. This research sought to assess the frequency of surgical complications in treatment regimens for large sacral PIs involving the anus.

Polymer aging affects the bioavailability of microplastics-associated contaminants in sea urchin embryos.

Microplastics (MPs) in the marine environment undergo complex weathering factors that can affect their ability to interact with different coexisting environmental contaminants (termed here co-contaminants). In this study, the influence of artificially aging using UV on the sorption of a complex mixture of co-contaminants onto MPs was investigated in order to provide meaningful hypotheses on their individual and combined toxicities on sea urchin embryos. A mixture of artificially aged MPs (PS particles and PA microfibers) combined with 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), or Cd or Cu, both alone and in a mix, were used to expose embryos of Paracentrotus lividus.

Dolphin whistles can be useful tools in identifying units of conservation.

Background: Prioritizing groupings of organisms or 'units' below the species level is a critical issue for conservation purposes. Several techniques encompassing different time-frames, from genetics to ecological markers, have been considered to evaluate existing biological diversity at a sufficient temporal resolution to define conservation units. Given that acoustic signals are expressions of phenotypic diversity, their analysis may provide crucial information on current differentiation patterns within species.

Signals from the deep-sea: Genetic structure, morphometric analysis, and ecological implications of Cyclothone braueri (Pisces, Gonostomatidae) early life stages in the Central Mediterranean Sea.

Cyclothone braueri (Stomiiformes, Gonostomatidae) is a widely distributed fish inhabiting the mesopelagic zone of marine tropical and temperate waters. Constituting one of the largest biomasses of the ocean, C. braueri is a key element in most of the ecological processes occurring in the twilight layer.

Seascape connectivity of European anchovy in the Central Mediterranean Sea revealed by weighted Lagrangian backtracking and bio-energetic modelling.

Ecological connectivity is one of the most important processes that shape marine populations and ecosystems, determining their distribution, persistence, and productivity. Here we use the synergy of Lagrangian back-trajectories, otolith-derived ages of larvae, and satellite-based chlorophyll-a to identify spawning areas of European anchovy from ichthyoplanktonic data, collected in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea), i.e.

General surface circulation controls the interannual fluctuations of anchovy stock biomass in the Central Mediterranean Sea.

The sustainable exploitation of small pelagic fish populations, characterized by short life span and early age at first reproduction, is typically more influenced by the success of annual recruitment rather than by fishing mortality. Recruitment strength, in turn, is related to the high environmental variability characterizing the pelagic fish habitats, able to strongly affect the survival of early stages, from hatching to recruitment. Here, we consider the case study of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) stock in the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean).

Aberrant gene expression profiles in Mediterranean sea urchin reproductive tissues after metal exposures.

Marine organisms are simultaneously exposed to numerous pollutants, among which metals probably represent the most abundant in marine environments. In order to evaluate the effects of metal exposure at molecular level in reproductive tissues, we profiled the sea urchin transcriptional response after non-lethal exposures using pathway-focused mRNA expression analyses. Herein, we show that exposures to relatively high concentrations of both essential and toxic metals hugely affected the gonadic expression of several genes involved in stress-response, detoxification, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, without significant changes in gonadosomatic indices.

Underwater vocal complexity of Arctic seal Erignathus barbatus in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard).

In this study the description of underwater vocal repertoire of bearded seal in Svalbard (Norway) was extended. Two autonomous passive acoustic recorders were deployed for one year (August 2014-July 2015) in the inner and outer parts of the Kongsfjorden, and 1728 h were recorded and 17 220 vocalizations were found. Nine different vocalization classes were identified and characterized using ten acoustic parameters.

Indigenous traditional medicine and intercultural healthcare in Bolivia: a case study from the Potosi region.

Indigenous peoples have the worst socio-demographic indicators and the largest inequalities in terms of access to social services and health in the Latin American region, Bolivia included. In the last few years, attempts to implement policies that support indigenous people's health rights led to the development of intercultural health approaches. Yet, acceptance and integration of indigenous medicine into the biomedical health system presents a major challenge to intercultural health in Latin America.

Perceptions of the use of complementary therapy and Siddha medicine among rural patients with HIV/AIDS: a case study from India.

Allopathic practitioners in India are outnumbered by practitioners of traditional Indian medicine, such as Ayurveda and Siddha. These forms of traditional medicine are currently used by up to two-thirds of its population to help meet primary healthcare needs, particularly in rural areas. Gandeepam is one of the pioneering Siddha clinics in rural Tamil Nadu that is specialized in providing palliative care to HIV/AIDS patients with effective treatment.

Perceptions and uses of plants for reproductive health among traditional midwives in Ecuador: moving towards intercultural pharmacological practices.

Despite the fact that plants have played an important role in midwifery in many cultures, there are very few in-depth studies on the plants traditionally used by midwives. The aim of this study is to analyse the perceptions and the uses of medicinal plants for reproductive health among indigenous midwives in the city of Otavalo, Ecuador. The article also aims to analyse the perceptions of traditional midwives regarding allopathic drugs for reproductive health and their possible overlapping uses of medicinal plants and allopathic drugs.

Capacity building and education among sex-workers in the Phnom Penh red light district: is peer education the way forward for HIV/AIDS prevention?

There is currently a strong interest in the role of grassroots participation in health promotion and a growing influence of capacity development and related concepts of capacity building in HIV/AIDS related policy programs. Although participatory peer educational approaches have increased in both popularity and practice among sexual health promoters in Asia, they have met with varying degrees of success. A clear understanding of the processes and mechanisms underlying these approaches' successes or failures is still in its infancy.

The influence of Christian conversion in Mapuche traditional medicine in Temuco, Chile: toward a cultural syncretism or a form of ideological assimilation?

The Mapuche communities living in the urban areas of Chile have undergone radical cultural changes due to Christian conversion. This article analyzes the influence of these changes on the Mapuche ideas and practices of the traditional healers (machi) and patients in Temuco (IX Region), Chile, and the changes and adaptations in the perceptions of healing practices and rituals by the patients. The paper shows how, despite some evident challenges, the encounter with the religion of Christianity can create a process of cultural and spiritual syncretism and push traditional medicine toward an increased specialization in the therapeutic practices.

Identification of impurities in artemisinin, their behavior in high performance liquid chromatography and implications for the quality of derived anti-malarial drugs.

Previous work [1] on the HPLC analysis of artemisinin tentatively identified the two impurities present above trace levels. This identification was based on LC-MS results and NMR of impurities isolated from artemisinin. In this work the impurities have been synthesized allowing verification of their identity by LC-MS.

Multicultural social policy and community participation in health: new opportunities and challenges for indigenous people.

Community participation in local health has assumed a central role in the reforms of public healthcare, being increasingly associated with the issue of decentralization of the health system. The aim of this paper is to raise questions regarding the structural approaches to multicultural social policy in Chile and to analyze the results of its implementation. The article analyzes the case study of Makewe Hospital, one of the pioneering experiences of intercultural health initiative in Chile.

Intercultural health practices: towards an equal recognition between indigenous medicine and biomedicine? A case study from Chile.

Over the past few years, intercultural health has become an emerging issue in health policy. Intercultural health is an approach in health that aims at reducing the gap between indigenous and western health systems, on the basis of mutual respect and equal recognition of these knowledge systems. This article questions the applicability of such a concept in the context of Chile.

Health and indigenous people: intercultural health as a new paradigm toward the reduction of cultural and social marginalization?

The precarious socio-economic and health conditions of indigenous populations legitimize claims of marginalization and attest to the inherent inequality that indigenous groups suffer. In the last few years, advocates have urged the use of traditional indigenous health practices as more culturally fitting for most indigenous populations. An intercultural health program can reduce the conditions of social and cultural marginalization in an indigenous population.

Novel analogues of Istaroxime, a potent inhibitor of Na(+),K(+)-ATPase: Synthesis, structure-activity relationship and 3D-quantitative structure-activity relationship of derivatives at position 6 on the androstane scaffold.

We report the synthesis and biological properties of novel analogues of Istaroxime acting as positive inotropic compounds through the inhibition of the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase. We explored the chemical space around the position 6 of the steroidal scaffold by changing the functional groups at that position and maintaining a basic oximic chain in position 3. Some compounds showed inhibitory potencies of the Na(+),K(+)-ATPase higher than Istaroxime and many of the compounds tested in vivo were safer than digoxin, the classic digitalis compound currently used for the treatment of congestive heart failure as inotropic agent.

Enhancing innovation between scientific and indigenous knowledge: pioneer NGOs in India.

Background: Until recently, little attention has been paid to local innovation capacity as well as management practices and institutions developed by communities and other local actors based on their traditional knowledge. This paper doesn't focus on the results of scientific research into innovation systems, but rather on how local communities, in a network of supportive partnerships, draw knowledge for others, combine it with their own knowledge and then innovate in their local practices. Innovation, as discussed in this article, is the capacity of local stakeholders to play an active role in innovative knowledge creation in order to enhance local health practices and further environmental conservation.

Fostering traditional health systems and ethnomedicine practices through a holistic approach: a pioneering community strategy from Southern India.

The ever-presence of traditional medicine and of medical practitioners in remote areas of the world is well documented by anthropological studies. However, the social, cultural, and environmental factors influencing health and traditional health systems have been analyzed separately, ignoring the interlinkages existing between them and the resulting synergies as well as the impact these will have on the multiple aspects of local communities. This case study attempts to overcome this shortcoming, by investigating the interrelationships between biodiversity conservation and the practice of ethnomedicine in Southern India as a basis to implement primary health care, enhance local livelihoods, and contribute to poverty alleviation through community-based entrepreneurial activities.