Choroidal Remodeling After Subthreshold Micropulse Laser in Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: Short-Term Outcomes.

: To evaluate the effects of subthreshold micropulse laser treatment (SMLT) on choroidal architecture in chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) and their correlations with functional outcomes. : This retrospective study included 48 eyes with chronic CSC that were treated with 577 nm SMLT. The choroidal thickness (CT); Sattler's layer and choriocapillaris complex thickness (SLCCT); Haller's layer thickness (HLT); subretinal fluid (SRF); and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were assessed at baseline and at 2 months post treatment.

Sources, levels, and determinants of indoor air pollutants in Europe: A systematic review.

Clean air is a requirement for life, and the quality of indoor air is a health determinant since people spend most of their daily time indoors. The aim of this study was to systematically review the available evidence regarding the sources, determinants and concentrations of indoor air pollutants in a set of scenarios under study in K-HEALTHinAIR project. To this end, a systematic review was performed to review the available studies published between the years 2013-2023, for several settings (schools, homes, hospitals, lecture halls, retirement homes, public transports and canteens), conducted in Europe, where sources and determinants of the indoor pollutants concentrations was assessed.

Creative pathways to comfort: the transformative role of art therapy in palliative and hospice care.

Background: Art therapy offers a creative outlet for patients in palliative and hospice care to express emotions, manage distress and enhance wellbeing by addressing physical, emotional and spiritual challenges.

Aims: This review evaluates the effectiveness, challenges and outcomes of art therapy in improving the quality of life for patients in palliative and hospice care.

Methods: An integrative review.

Role of Age, Comorbidity, and Frailty in the Prediction of Postoperative Complications After Surgery for Vulvar Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study with the Development of a Nomogram.

Surgery is the cornerstone of vulvar cancer treatment, but it is associated with a significant risk of complications that may impact prognosis, particularly in older patients with multiple comorbidities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of age, comorbidities, and frailty in predicting postoperative complications after vulvar cancer surgery and to develop a predictive nomogram. A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including patients who underwent surgery for vulvar cancer at two Italian institutions from January 2018 to December 2023.

Impact of Lower-Volume Training on Physical Fitness Adaptations in Team Sports Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: A small number of reviews have explored lower- versus higher-volume training in non-athletes, but the growing challenge of congested schedules in team sports highlights the need to synthesize evidence specific to team sport athletes. Thus, the objectives of this systematic review with meta-analysis are twofold: (i) to summarize the primary physiological and physical fitness outcomes of lower-volume versus higher-volume training interventions in team sports players; and (ii) to compare the effects of lower-volume training with higher, considering the training modalities used.

Methods: We conducted searches across key databases, including PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science.

Histopathologic Progression and Metastatic Relapse Outcomes in Small Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinomas of the Urinary Tract.

Introduction: Small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the urinary tract (SCNEC-URO) has an inferior prognosis compared to conventional urothelial carcinoma (UC). Here, we evaluate the predictors and patterns of relapse after surgery.

Materials And Methods: We identified a definitive-surgery cohort (n = 224) from an institutional database of patients with cT1-T4NxM0 SCNEC-URO treated in 1985-2021.

The interplay of edentulism, smoking, microbiota, oral rehabilitation on cytokineprofile and different conditions of hypertension.

Objective: To evaluate the influence of edentulism, smoking, microbiota, and oral rehabilitation on the cytokine profile in healthy and hypertensive edentulous individuals using complete dentures.

Design: This case-control study was divided into four groups: normotensives (control group - NH), controlled hypertensives (case group 1 - CH), unreported hypertensives (case group 2 - UnrH), and uncontrolled hypertensives (case group 3 - UncH). The participants were characterized by sociodemographic data, clinical and behavioral information, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Oral vancomycin treatment alters levels of indole derivatives and secondary bile acids modulating the expression of mTOR pathway genes in astrocytes during EAE.

Astrocytes play important roles in the central nervous system (CNS) during health and disease. Prior studies have shown that gut commensals derived indole derivatives as well as secondary bile acids modulate astrocyte function during the late stage of EAE (recovery phase). Here we show that administering vancomycin to mice starting during the early stage of EAE improved disease recovery, an effect that is mediated by the gut microbiota.

Multi-omic Biomarkers Distinguish Rheumatoid Arthritis in Discordant Monozygotic Twins.

Background: Although genetic factors have been identified in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the concordance rate in monozygotic (MZ) twins is low, suggesting that other features contribute to disease development. Further, the relative contribution of such non-genetic elements in identical twins have not been characterized. Here, we aimed to measure differentiating host and microbial biomarkers of RA by studying MZ twins discordant for disease using a multi-omics approach.

From High Protection to Lethal Effect: Diverse Outcomes of Immunization Against Invasive Candidiasis with Different Extracellular Vesicles.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from can elicit immune responses, positioning them as promising acellular vaccine candidates. We characterized EVs from an avirulent cell wall mutant (Δ) and evaluated their protective potential against invasive candidiasis. EVs from the yeast (YEVs) and hyphal (HEVs) forms of the SC5314 wild-type strain were also tested, yielding high survival rates with SC5314 YEV (91%) and YEV immunization (64%).

Choriocapillaris flow in two different patterns of exudative type 1 macular neovascularization.

Background: To compare the characteristics of type 1 macular neovascularization (MNV) and the surrounding choriocapillaris (CC) perfusion in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) versus those with pachychoroid neovasculopathy (PNV) using swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA).

Methods: This retrospective study included 64 treatment-naïve eyes (37 nAMD, 27 PNV) with type 1 MNV. SS-OCTA images were analysed to measure MNV area and perimeter, and CC flow deficits (FD) in five concentric rings surrounding the lesion.

Persisting Gaps in Cytomegalovirus Prevention and Management After Solid Organ Transplantation in a Resource-Limited Setting.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains among the leading complications after solid organ transplantation (SOT). Large international surveys mainly focused on high-income countries, detected considerable variability in the management of this infection after SOT. Limited data are available from resource-limited settings.

Blending deep-learning and observers for improved state of charge estimation in vanadium flow batteries.

This paper presents the design and implementation of a deep-learning-based observer for accurately estimating the State of Charge (SoC) of a vanadium flow battery. The novelty of the proposal lies in its direct use of terminal voltage and the application of a machine learning algorithm to model the battery's overpotentials, leading to greater accuracy and reduced complexity compared to classical models. The overpotentials model consists of a neural network trained using data generated by a classical observer that estimates species concentration using a physical electrochemical model and the open-circuit voltage measurement.

Measurement Properties of Wearable Kinematic-Based Data Collection Systems to Evaluate Ball Kicking in Soccer: A Systematic Review with Evidence Gap Map.

Kinematic assessment of ball kicking may require significant human effort (e.g., traditional vision-based tracking systems).

Can motor competence be influenced by the type of training interventions preschool children are exposed to? A randomized experimental study comparing sports games and psychomotricity activities.

Introduction: This study aimed to compare the effects of structured sports games (SG) and psychomotricity activities (PCM) on the locomotor, stability, and manipulative motor competencies of preschool children.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted over an 8-week period, involving two experimental groups (SG, = 30 and PCM, = 30) and one control group (CG, = 28), with participants attending two intervention sessions per week. A total of 88 5-year-old children participated in the experiment (boys = 48; girls = 40).

Enhancing physical fitness using recreational soccer and basketball: A parallel-controlled 8-week study involving overweight and obese individuals, with consideration of sex-related interactions.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 8-week intervention of recreational soccer (SCG) and basketball (BCG) conditioned games, as compared to self-exercise (SECG) and inactive (ICG) control groups, on aerobic capacity, vertical (VJ) and horizontal jump (SLJ) performance, and handgrip maximal strength (HG) in sedentary overweight and obese men and women. Ninety male and female sedentary overweight and obese volunteers (19.8 ± 1.

A multirange paper-based analytical device for identifying low, moderate, and high P. aeruginosa bacterial loads in sputum samples.

In this article we introduce a multirange analytical device that extends the dynamic range of nanoparticle-based immunoassays thanks to a multisensor design. Multirange devices contain low- and high-range sensors in the same analytical platform. The low-range sensor defines the limit of detection and quantifies low concentrated analytes, whereas the high-range sensor defines the upper limit of the dynamic range.

Two-fold increased risk of cardiovascular events in people with MDR HIV: a matched cohort analysis with data from the PRESTIGIO registry.

Background: Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) may contribute to the high morbidity in people with four-class drug-resistant HIV (4DR-PWH).

Objectives: To explore the probability of MACEs in 4DR-PWH compared with non-4DR controls.

Methods: This was a retrospective, propensity score-matched cohort study on 4DR-PWH (cases) and non-4DR-PWH (controls), on ART, without previous MACEs.

Multivalent GCase Enhancers: Synthesis and Evaluation of Glyco-Gold Nanoparticles Decorated with Trihydroxypiperidine Iminosugars.

The present study reports the preparation of the first multivalent iminosugars built onto a glyco-gold nanoparticle core (glyco-AuNPs) capable of stabilizing or enhancing the activity of the lysosomal enzyme GCase, which is defective in Gaucher disease. An -nonyltrihydroxypiperidine was selected as the bioactive iminosugar unit and further functionalized, via copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition, with a thiol-ending linker that allowed the conjugation to the gold core. These bioactive ligands were obtained with either a linear monomeric or dendritic trimeric arrangement of the iminosugar.

Single Coronary Origin From Right Coronary Sinus With Intraseptal Course: How to Make Diagnosis by Echocardiography.

We describe a rare case of a male adolescent with anomalous aortic origin of the left coronary artery from the right sinus with intraseptal course (L-ACAO-IS), which was diagnosed at transthoracic echocardiography. The case we presented confirms how echocardiography is accurate in the diagnosis of even challenging coronary artery origin anomalies such as L-ACO-IS. Coronary artery origin evaluation should be an integral part of echocardiography examinations in infants, children, and young adults, especially those undergoing physical activity.

Adverse Reactions to Dry Needling Therapy: Insights from Polish Physiotherapy Practice.

: The current study aimed to characterize the adverse reactions associated with dry needling (DN) treatments reported by Polish physiotherapists, with a secondary objective of investigating whether the level of DN experience influences the occurrence of these adverse effects. : A total of 102 Polish physiotherapists, all with regular DN practice, participated in an ad hoc online survey. The participants were categorized by their level of experience in DN treatment: 44 with 0-2 years, 43 with 3-6 years, and 15 with more than 7 years of experience.

Rethinking the physiological cross-sectional area of skeletal muscle reveals the mechanical advantage of pennation.

The shape of skeletal muscle varies remarkably-with important implications for locomotor performance. In many muscles, the fibres are arranged at an angle relative to the tendons' line of action, termed the pennation angle. These pennate muscles allow more sarcomeres to be packed side by side, enabling the muscle to generate higher maximum forces for a given muscle size.