Effects of adding graphene fibers to polymethyl methacrylate on biocompatibility and surface characterization.

Statement Of Problem: Interim fixed prostheses are used provisionally to provide esthetics and maintain function until placement of the definitive prosthesis. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) has been widely used as an interim material but has mechanical limitations that can be improved with the addition of nanomaterials such as graphene fibers (PMMA-G). However, studies on the biocompatibility of this material are lacking.

Clinical and serological characteristics of patients allergic to LTP.

Background: Allergy to lipid transfer proteins (LPT) is common in Mediterranean Europe, and it causes severe reactions in patients and affects multiple foods, impairing the quality of life.

Objective: This study aimed to describe the clinical and sensitization profile of patients with LTP syndrome and to determine a clinical pattern of severity. Molecular diagnosis is shown in a broad population through microarrays.

The antimicrobial potential of adarotene derivatives against Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens are severely impacting our ability to successfully treat common infections. Here we report the synthesis of a panel of adarotene-related retinoids showing potent antimicrobial activity on Staphylococcus aureus strains (including multidrug-resistant ones). Fluorescence and molecular dynamic studies confirmed that the adarotene analogues were able to induce conformational changes and disfunctions to the cell membrane, perturbing the permeability of the phospholipid bilayer.

Effectiveness of Mepolizumab in Patients with Severe Eosinophilic Asthma with/without Nasal Polyposis: A Real-Life Study.

Introduction: Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases and affects around 334 million people worldwide. The estimated prevalence of severe asthma is 3-10% of the asthmatic population. Mepolizumab has demonstrated efficacy in reducing exacerbations, oral corticosteroid use, and improving quality of life, asthma control, and lung function in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA).

Validation of clinical exome sequencing in the diagnostic procedure of patients with intellectual disability in clinical practice.

Intellectual disability (ID) has a prevalence of 1-3% and aproximately 30-50% of ID cases have a genetic cause. Development of next-generation sequencing has shown a high diagnostic potential. The aim of this work was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of clinical exome sequencing in 188 ID patients and the economic impact of its introduction in clinical practice.

Serum Vitamins A and E at Mid-Pregnancy and Their Relationships with Both Maternal and Cord Blood Antioxidant Status and Perinatal Conditions: The NELA Cohort.

Introduction: Most of the pregnant women do not achieve the recommended dietary intake of vitamins A and E. These vitamins may counteract oxidative stress involved in some adverse perinatal outcomes. We aimed to assess the associations between maternal vitamin A and E at mid-pregnancy with both maternal and fetal outcomes and to identify possible early biomarkers during pregnancy to predict and prevent oxidative stress in the offspring.

Analysis of response of severe eosinophilic asthmatic patients to benralizumab.

Introduction: Clinical trials and real-life studies have been published showing effectiveness of benralizumab in severe eosinophilic asthmatic patients. The aim of the present study is to describe super-responders to benralizumab in a series of 79 patients who completed at least 1 year of treatment, and to compare super-responders with non super-responders.

Methods: This is a multicenter study of the Register of Severe Asthma of the Region of Murcia (RE-ASGRAMUR) Group performed in eight hospitals under the conditions of routine clinical practice.

The Influence of the Thickness of the Materials for the Provisionalization in Minimally Invasive Restorations.

This in vitro study aimed to determine the flexural strength and modulus of elasticity of two bisacrylic resins for temporary crowns at different thicknesses, i.e., Structur 3 and Structur Premium, and to compare them with each other.

Cytokine production by newborns: influence of sex and season of birth.

Background: Immune signatures at birth could be associated with clinical outcomes and will improve our understanding of immunity prenatal programming.

Methods: Data come from 235 newborns from the cohort study NELA. Production of cytokines was determined using Luminex technology.

Multi-approach LC-MS methods for the characterization of species-specific attributes of monoclonal antibodies from plants.

In this work, an analytical platform based on the use of chromatography and mass spectrometry (MS), has been applied to the characterization of Rituximab (RTX) obtained from two plant expression systems (rice and tobacco) in comparison to the mammalian cell-derived reference monoclonal antibody (mAb). Different chromatographic approaches, hyphenated to high resolution MS (HRMS), were applied to RTX structural investigation both at middle- and peptide level. In particular, cation exchange chromatography (CEX), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), reversed phase (RPLC) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatographic (HILIC) methods were developed and applied on intact mAbs, IdeS-, and trypsin digests in order to address critical attributes such as primary structure, glycan composition, species-related heterogeneity, glycosylation degree, charge variants, aggregation tendency and enzymatic stability.

Development of Lung Function in Preterm Infants During the First Two Years of Life.

Introduction: It remains unclear if prematurity itself can influence post delivery lung development and particularly, the bronchial size.

Aim: To assess lung function during the first two years of life in healthy preterm infants and compare the measurements to those obtained in healthy term infants during the same time period.

Methods: This observational longitudinal study assessed lung function in 74 preterm (30+0 to 35+6 weeks' gestational age) and 76 healthy term control infants who were recruited between 2011 and 2013.

Cytokine profiles in cord blood in relation to prenatal traffic-related air pollution: The NELA cohort.

Background: Outdoor air pollution may disturb immune system development. We investigated whether gestational exposure to traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP) is associated with unstimulated cytokine profiles in newborns.

Methods: Data come from 235 newborns of the NELA cohort.

The burden of asthma, hay fever and eczema in adults in 17 countries: GAN Phase I study.

Aims: Asthma, hay fever and eczema are three common chronic conditions. There have been no recent multi-country data on the burden of these three conditions in adults; the aims of this study are to fill this evidence gap.

Methods: The Global Asthma Network Phase I is a multi-country cross-sectional population-based study using the same core methodology as the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood Phase III.

Risk of mayor and minor birth defects in children conceived by assisted reproductive technology (IVF/ICSI): A prospective controlled cohort study.

Introduction: About 0.2-6.1% of newborns in the developed world have been conceived by assisted reproductive techniques (ART).

The Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) birth cohort study: Rationale, design, and methods.

Background: Primary prevention strategies for asthma are lacking. Its inception probably starts in utero and/or during the early postnatal period as the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) paradigm suggests.

Objectives: The main objective of Nutrition in Early Life and Asthma (NELA) cohort study is to unravel whether the following factors contribute causally to the developmental origins of asthma: (1) maternal obesity/adiposity and foetal growth; (2) maternal and child nutrition; (3) outdoor air pollution; (4) endocrine disruptors; and (5) maternal psychological stress.

Worldwide trends in the burden of asthma symptoms in school-aged children: Global Asthma Network Phase I cross-sectional study.

Background: Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children globally. The Global Asthma Network (GAN) Phase I study aimed to determine if the worldwide burden of asthma symptoms is changing.

Methods: This updated cross-sectional study used the same methods as the International study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) Phase III.

Estimating trunk fat in children according to sex using basic somatic readings: an opportunity for improving evaluation among girls.

Background: The fat mass estimators waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and relative fat mass-pediatric (RFMp) complement the widely accepted body mass index (BMI) in obesity evaluation.

Aims Of The Study: Conduct an easy appraisal of trunk fat and the cardiometabolic risk associated with pediatric obesity.

Methods: A total of 472 children (39% boys in the total sample) were classified as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese (nutritional groups, NGs) according to BMI Z-score after initial anthropometric data were obtained and ad hoc exclusion criteria were applied.

Worldwide time trends in prevalence of symptoms of rhinoconjunctivitis in children: Global Asthma Network Phase I.

Background: The Global Asthma Network (GAN), by using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) methodology, has updated trends in prevalence of symptoms of childhood allergic diseases, including non-infective rhinitis and conjunctivitis ('rhinoconjunctivitis'), which is reported here.

Methods: Prevalence and severity of rhinoconjunctivitis were assessed by questionnaire among schoolchildren in GAN Phase I and ISAAC Phase I and III surveys 15-23 years apart. Absolute rates of change in prevalence were estimated for each centre and modelled by multi-level linear regression to compare trends by age group, time period and per capita national income.

[Risk of mayor and minor birth defects in children conceived by assisted reproductive technology (IVF/ICSI): A prospective controlled cohort study].

Introduction: About 0.2-6.1% of newborns in the developed world have been conceived by assisted reproductive techniques (ART).