Publications by authors named "Velez M"

The brain's primary immune cells, microglia, are a leading causal cell type in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Yet, the mechanisms by which microglia can drive neurodegeneration remain unresolved. Here, we discover that a conserved stress signaling pathway, the integrated stress response (ISR), characterizes a microglia subset with neurodegenerative outcomes.

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Alders are widely distributed riparian trees in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. Recently, a strong reduction of alder stands has been detected in Europe due to infection by species (Stramenopila kingdom). This infection causes a disease known as alder dieback, characterized by leaf yellowing, dieback of branches, increased fruit production, and bark necrosis in the collar and basal part of the stem.

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Study Question: What is the association between infertility with or without fertility treatment and incident onset of systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD) among women who give birth?

Summary Answer: Women who experienced infertility but did not use fertility treatment had a higher incidence of SARD up to 9 years after delivery than those who did not experience infertility, even after accounting for their higher rates of preeclampsia, spontaneous preterm birth, and stillbirth.

What Is Known Already: Infertility is increasingly common and is an under-appreciated risk marker for chronic diseases in women. Despite several studies documenting abnormal immune activity in women with infertility, little is known about the association between infertility and incidence of autoimmune diseases such as SARD which disproportionately develops in reproductive-aged women.

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Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is a rare and aggressive thyroid malignancy typically comprised of undifferentiated tumor cells with various histologic morphologies, which makes the diagnosis challenging. These tumors commonly show loss of thyroglobulin and TTF1 with preservation of cytokeratin (67%) and Paired Box Gene 8 (PAX8) (55%) expression. Identification of a sensitive immunohistochemical stain to aid in the diagnosis of ATC would be beneficial.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study examines the neurobehavioral functioning of neonates exposed to buprenorphine/naloxone during pregnancy, addressing the lack of research on the effects of this medication combination on infants.
  • - Data was collected from mothers undergoing treatment for opioid use disorder, with the neonates assessed at three different points in their first month of life using the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale (NNNS).
  • - Results highlighted various neurobehavioral domains affected in these infants and identified maternal factors, such as high rates of smoking and psychiatric disorders, that may impact neonatal development.
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Tropical floodplain lakes are increasingly impacted by human activities, yet their pathways of spatial and temporal degradation, particularly under varying hydrological connectivity regimes and climate change, remain poorly understood. This study examines surface-sediment samples and Pb-dated sediment cores from six floodplain lakes, representing a gradient in hydrological connectivity in the lower Magdalena River Basin, Colombia. We analysed temporal and spatial variations in several sediment biogeochemical indicators: the concentration and flux of nutrients, heavy metals, and organic matter (OM), and redox conditions, flooding and erosion.

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  • Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is often linked to inherited bleeding disorders (IBDs), but OBGYN residents lack specific training on this topic.
  • A survey of 388 residents revealed that, while most received general training on HMB, only a small percentage felt adequately educated about HMB related to IBDs, leading to decreased confidence in managing such cases.
  • The study highlights the need for improved educational curricula in OBGYN residency programs to enhance residents' skills and confidence in evaluating and treating patients with HMB due to IBDs.
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This paper investigates the feasibility of cross-domain recognition for human activities captured using low-resolution 8 × 8 infrared sensors in indoor environments. To achieve this, a novel prototype recurrent convolutional network (PRCN) was evaluated using a few-shot learning strategy, classifying up to eleven activity classes in scenarios where one or two individuals engaged in daily tasks. The model was tested on two independent datasets, with real-world measurements.

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  • Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor in children and originates from trunk neural crest cells and sympathoadrenal cells.
  • Researchers compared four different protocols for differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (PSC) into sympathoadrenal cells, analyzing their effectiveness in producing the right cell types and tumor markers.
  • They discovered a specific protocol that consistently produces adrenergic neuroblastoma cells, showing high levels of the critical tumor marker PHOX2B, while also noting that not all protocols successfully generated the desired cell types.
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The maritime pine ( Ait.) is a highly valuable Mediterranean conifer. However, recurrent drought events threaten its propagation and conservation.

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Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a zoonotic pathogen associated with severe disease. Cattle are recognized as the primary animal reservoir of STEC. This study reports the occurrence and characterization of STEC from dairy cows and evaluates the inhibition of adherence by cattle anti-STEC antibodies to the HEp-2 cell.

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Background: Use of a gestational ("surrogate") carrier is increasingly common. Risk for maternal and neonatal adversity is largely unknown in this birthing population.

Objective: To determine the risk for severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and severe neonatal morbidity (SNM) in gestational carriers.

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Phonon polaritons (PhPs), light coupled to lattice vibrations, in the highly anisotropic polar layered material molybdenum trioxide (α-MoO) are currently the focus of intense research efforts due to their extreme subwavelength field confinement, directional propagation, and unprecedented low losses. Nevertheless, prior research has primarily concentrated on exploiting the squeezing and steering capabilities of α-MoO PhPs, without inquiring much into the dominant microscopic mechanism that determines their long lifetimes, which is key for their implementation in nanophotonic applications. This study delves into the fundamental processes that govern PhP damping in α-MoO by combining calculations with scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy measurements across a broad temperature range (8-300 K).

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A great number of free radicals have a negative impact on the human body, and an increased interest in the identification of new natural molecules with antioxidant properties has emerged due to concerns about synthetic antioxidants. Here, the antioxidant effect of four exo-polysaccharides (EPS) extracts obtained from submerged cultivation of Nothophellinus andinopatagonicus and Pseudoinonotus crustosus (N and P, respectively) in two culture media (M1 and M2) at 2 concentrations (100 and 250 µg/ml) was studied; then, its relation with the chemical composition of the EPS was evaluated. To assess the antioxidant activities of the extracts, several in vitro assays were performed: DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging, ferric-reducing antioxidant power, chelating ability on ferrous ions, and inhibition of the lipid peroxidation.

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Rectal swabs (122) from pediatric patients were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of EPEC and STEC. STEC isolates were tested for the presence of stx1, stx2, eae, saa and ehxA. All eae-positive samples were tested for the presence of bfpA, and antigen O was determined using the agglutination test.

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Background: Increasing representation in clinical trials is a priority for the National Cancer Institute and Children's Oncology Group (COG). Our survey of COG-affiliated institutions revealed that many sites have insufficient processes and resources to enroll children whose parents use languages other than English (LOE). We describe reported barriers and facilitators to enrolling children in clinical trials when parents use LOE and propose opportunities for improvement.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study evaluated a personalized treatment plan for heart failure patients, focusing on improving their medication regimen and overall health outcomes.
  • The results showed significant improvements in both medication scores and heart function, with many patients experiencing better symptoms and fewer hospitalizations.
  • The approach led to lower mortality rates compared to expected figures, suggesting that this aggressive protocol can effectively bridge the gap between existing medical knowledge and practical treatment for heart failure.
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Context: Robust associations have been identified between fertility during adolescence and the disablement process, including pathologies, impairments, functional limitations and disability. Limited theoretical or empirical research considers how and why such relationships exist generally or with the individual associated components of disablement.

Objective: To consolidate and critically evaluate literature to describe testable, theory-based hypotheses to guide future research on the mechanisms by which fertility during adolescence contributes to disablement.

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  • The study investigates different heart failure (HF) types in patients diagnosed with transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA), revealing that a significant portion present with impaired systolic function, specifically heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF).
  • A retrospective analysis of patients from 2016 to 2022 found that 21.6% had HFrEF, 17.8% had HFmrEF, and 60.6% had heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), indicating a notable prevalence of systolic dysfunction in ATTR-CA cases.
  • The findings suggest that clinicians should maintain a high level of suspicion
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  • Young children have high nutritional needs, especially for lysine, and improving their diets with enriched foods is essential due to their small portion sizes.
  • An enzymatic lysine-α-oxidase (LOx) sensor was developed to measure lysine content in flour mixtures, showing significant increases in lysine concentration with added lablab purpureus.
  • The biosensor successfully quantified lysine levels in various flours, proving to be an effective tool for assessing and enhancing the nutritional quality of these food products.
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Objectives: To evaluate the association between adolescent and young adult (AYA) breast cancer (BC) and the adverse pregnancy outcomes of preterm birth, small for gestational age birth, cesarean delivery, and preeclampsia, and the effect of fertility treatment on this association.

Methods: Population-based cohort study with universal coverage health data for Ontario, Canada. BC was identified from the Ontario Cancer Registry.

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In our pursuit of a fulfilling and contented life, the study of well-being has emerged as a fundamental field of research. Higher levels of well-being are associated with better mental health outcomes. Individuals with better mental health might possess the personal resources necessary to set and pursue meaningful goals, maintain positive expectations, and overcome adversities.

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Background: The loss of laryngeal function affects breathing, swallowing, and voice, thus severely compromises quality of life. Laryngeal transplantation has long been suggested as a solution for selected highly affected patients with complete laryngeal function loss.

Objective: To obtain insights regarding the advantages, weaknesses, and limitations of this procedure and facilitate future advances, we collected uniform data from all known laryngeal transplants reported internationally.

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Climate change-induced hazards, such as drought, threaten forest resilience, particularly in vulnerable regions such as the Mediterranean Basin. Maritime pine ( Aiton), a model species in Western Europe, plays a crucial role in the Mediterranean forest due to its genetic diversity and ecological plasticity. This study characterizes transcriptional profiles of scion and rootstock stems of four graft combinations grown under well-watered conditions.

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