Predicting extubation failure in neonates: The role of lung ultrasound and corrected gestational age in safe weaning in the NICU.

Unlabelled: To evaluate the accuracy of the lung ultrasound score (LUS) in predicting ventilatory weaning failure during neonatal hospitalization in the NICU and to identify factors associated with weaning failure, including corrected gestational age (CGA). This prospective, longitudinal, pragmatic and observational cohort study included neonates on mechanical ventilation for at least 48 h. The primary outcome was the accuracy of lung ultrasound in predicting 3-day weaning failure, with the ROC curve used to determine the best LUS cutoff (sensitivity and specificity).

Pre-trained artificial intelligence-aided analysis of nanoparticles using the segment anything model.

Complex structures can be understood as compositions of smaller, more basic elements. The characterization of these structures requires an analysis of their constituents and their spatial configuration. Examples can be found in systems as diverse as galaxies, alloys, living tissues, cells, and even nanoparticles.

Effects of photobiomodulation and bethanechol chloride treatment on salivary composition and flow rate in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy: longitudinal interventional experimental clinical study.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) and bethanechol chloride (BC) on the quantity and quality of saliva in patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer.

Methods: Saliva samples were collected from patients before and after RT, who were treated with PBMT or BC. Clinical parameters, including salivary flow rate (SFR), pH, xerostomia, and concentrations of macro and microelements in saliva, were assessed.

What Do We Know About Speech-Language-Hearing Practice in Vocal Care for Transgender People? A Scoping Review.

Objective: To systematically assess the current state of speech-language-hearing (SLH) practices in health services addressing vocal care for transgender individuals, aiming to identify key themes and gaps in the existing body of knowledge.

Methods: This scoping review was based on the Joanna Briggs Institute manual and followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses-Extension for Scoping Reviews. It was registered with the Open Science Framework Open Source 10.

Guidance on the assessment of the functionality of biomaterials for periodontal tissue regeneration: Methodologies and testing procedures.

Innovative biomaterials and tissue engineering strategies show great promise in regenerating periodontal tissues. This guidance provides an overview and detailed recommendations for evaluating the biological functionality of these new biomaterials in vitro, focusing on mineralization, immunomodulatory effects, cellular differentiation, and angiogenesis. Additionally, it discusses the use of in vivo experimental models that mimic periodontitis and scrutinizes methods such as osteogenic differentiation, immunomodulation, and anti-inflammatory responses to assess the effectiveness of these biomaterials in promoting periodontal tissue reconstruction.

Development of a yeast-based sensor platform for evaluation of ligands recognized by the human Free Fatty Acid 2 Receptor.

Yeast-based sensors have shown great applicability for deorphanization of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and screening of ligands targeting these. A GPCR of great interest is free fatty acid 2 receptor (FFA2R), for which short-chain fatty acids such as propionate and acetate are agonists. FFA2R regulates a wide array of downstream receptor signaling pathways in both adipose tissue and immune cells and has been recognized as a promising therapeutic target, having been implicated in several metabolic and inflammatory diseases.

Improving and decentralising neuropaediatric healthcare in Nicaragua by implementing an education programme. A pre-experimental study.

Objective: To improve and decentralize neuropediatric healthcare in Nicaragua by implementing an education program.

Method: This study is carried out as an international cooperation proyecto between September 2018 and June 2019. It has a pre-experimental and before-after design (on a single group) of the implementation of an education program.

Preclinical development of a standardized extract of Ilex paraguariensis A.St.-Hil for the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Obesity is a global epidemic often associated with serious medical complications such as diabetes, hypertension and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis. Considering the multifactorial nature of these diseases, medicinal plants could be a valuable therapeutic strategy as their phytoconstituents interact with multiple and relevant biological targets. In this context, Ilex paraguariensis emerges as a potential alternative to treat obesity and associated metabolic diseases since several studies have demonstrated its anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects.

ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS TO ESTIMATE THE SORPTION AND DESORPTION OF THE HERBICIDE LINURON IN BRAZILIAN SOILS.

Generally, herbicides used in Brazil follow manufacturer's recommendations, which often do not consider soil attributes. Statistical models that include the physicochemical properties of the soil involved in herbicide retention processes could enable greater precision in herbicide dose decision-making. This study evaluated the potential of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict the sorption and desorption of the herbicide linuron in Brazilian soils with different attributes.

Maternal exposure to nicotine causes oxidative stress and inflammatory changes in the ovaries of adult rats' offspring.

Nicotine is one of the most toxic substances found in cigarettes, but also found in chewing tobacco gum, patches and vaping products (electronic cigarettes). In addition to being a highly addictive chemical, it is capable of reducing fertility in men and women. In the ovaries, it can induce morphological changes and impair the formation of follicles, being a possible cause of changes in the reproductive cycle and anticipation of menopause in women whose mothers smoked during pregnancy.

Hospitalizations for depressive disorders in Ecuador: An eight-year nationwide analysis of trends and demographic insights.

Background: Sociodemographic characteristics and limited mental health care access may contribute to higher depression rates in low- and middle-income countries. Aim This study aimed to analyze nationwide depressive disorder hospitalizations in Ecuador.

Methods: We assessed the sociodemographic characteristics, severity, recurrence, and duration of hospitalizations for depressive disorders.

Liver lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation in glutamine-supplemented ob/ob mice.

Glutamine availability may be reduced in chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-induced by obesity. Herein, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and lipid metabolism effects of chronic oral glutamine supplementation in its free and dipeptide form were assessed in ob/ob mice. Adult male C57BL/6J ob/ob mice were supplemented with L-alanyl-L-glutamine (DIP) or free L-glutamine (GLN) in the drinking water for 40 days, whilst C57BL/6J Wild-type lean (WT) and control ob/ob mice (CTRL) received fresh water only.

Validation of an Aerobic Fitness Questionnaire to estimate VO peak in a cohort of adult cardiac patients - Is it enough?

Introduction And Objectives: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is the gold standard for quantifying aerobic functional capacity, yet it is costly and not widely available. The CLINIMEX Aerobic Fitness Questionnaire (C-AFQ) may be a practical alternative as it estimates oxygen consumption at peak exercise (VO peak) based on patients' responses to a list of activities with known energy requirements. However, its applicability in cardiac patients is unclear and has not yet been studied.

Understanding the Concept of Patient Safety Culture: Constitutive and Operational Definitions for Health Care Organizations.

Background: Patient safety culture is crucial for improving health care quality, however, there is no consensus on its definition.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify and update the concept of patient safety culture.

Methods: We employed Norris' 6-step concept clarification method.

Discovery of a DNA methylation profile in individuals with Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome.

Pathogenic heterozygous variants in CHD4 cause Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with brain anomalies, heart defects, macrocephaly, hypogonadism, and additional features with variable expressivity. Most individuals have non-recurrent missense variants, complicating variant interpretation. A few were reported with truncating variants, and their role in disease is unclear.

Sexual function after treatment with non-invasive radiofrequency device for improvement of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause: A multi-arm randomized clinical trial.

Background: Several anatomical and functional changes occur during menopause and lead to female sexual dysfunction (FSD). The use of energy-based devices to improve women's sexual health brings an innovative scenario.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of non-invasive radiofrequency (RF) treatment compared to vaginal estrogen therapy (E) and vaginal moisturizer (M) in postmenopausal women with FSD.

Forest restoration improves habitat and water quality in tropical streams: A multiscale landscape assessment.

Forest restoration has been a common practice to safeguard water quality and stream health but it is unclear to which extent and pace forest restoration recovers stream ecosystem structure and functions. Also, stream health might be affected by the forest restoration type and the quality of the interventions. Here, we sought to evaluate the recovery of stream habitat and water quality through forest restoration in catchments dominated by pasturelands, and explored the relationship between landscape structure and stream ecosystem recovery.

Extreme droughts in the Amazon Basin during cyclic ENSO events coupled with Indian Ocean Dipole modes and Tropical North Atlantic warming.

The teleconnections between El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and Tropical North Atlantic warming (+TNA) play a critical role in characterizing extreme drought events in the Amazon Basin (AB). This study examines the seven most recent drought extreme events up to 2023, using seasonal composites of the sea surface temperature and atmospheric variables over a five-quarter period starting at the austral spring(-1) of the year preceding that when the lowest water level at Manaus port was recorded. Two distinct patterns emerge, driven by consecutive ENSO events with opposite phases, referred to as cyclic La Niña-El Niño and cyclic El Niño-La Niña drought events.

Impedimetric multi-sensor system with gold and silver nanoparticles applied for basic taste assessment compared with human threshold method sensory analysis.

Threshold determination forms an integral part of sensory and consumer studies applied for product control and development. The authors examined the potential of an impedimetric electronic tongue to discriminate basic tastes and consider limitations pertaining to the sensory evaluation process. Three samples at lower, medium, and higher concentration levels of basic taste compounds were prepared and subjected to consumer studies (n = 60) using the difference from-control (DFC) test.

Encapsulation of black soldier fly larvae oil in zein ultrafine fibers via electrospinning: Characterization and antioxidant properties.

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) have several advantages, such as rapid growth and sustainable production. The electrospinning encapsulation shows promise for encapsulating oils, as it does not use high temperatures, preventing degradation. This study analyzed the incorporation of oil (15, 30, and 45 % w/w) from BSFL into fibers by electrospinning using zein (20 and 25 % w/v).

Mismatch negativity in children with developmental Dyslexia.

Objective: To describe and compare the latencies and amplitudes of Mismatch Negativity between children with and without Developmental Dyslexia.

Methods: Cross-sectional and comparative study, consisting of a study group of 52 children with Developmental Dyslexia and a control group of 52 children with typical development, matched by age and sex, aged between 9 years and 11 years and 11 months of both sexes. All participants underwent Otoscopy, Acoustic Immittance Measurements, Pure Tone Audiometry, Speech Audiometry, Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential and Mismatch Negativity.

The burden of dengue in South American countries, 1990-2019: Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019.

Objectives: To describe the main dengue metrics generated by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019 for South American countries between 1990 and 2019.

Study Design: A descriptive study was carried out using the metrics obtained by the GBD Study 2019.

Methods: The metrics of incidence, years of life lost due to premature death (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were evaluated, grouped by sex and country, between 1990 and 2019.

Investigating polychlorinated alkanes in technical chlorinated paraffin mixtures and polymer products available in Vietnam.

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are chemical additives mostly composed of polychlorinated alkanes (PCAs) which may impact on the environment and human health; however, little is known about their presence in Southeast Asia. To fill this knowledge gap, we assessed 74 PCA homolog groups commonly referred to as short-chain (SCCPs: PCAs-C), medium-chain (MCCPs: PCAs-C), and long-chain CPs (LCCPs: PCAs-C) in technical CP mixtures (n = 4) and polymer samples (n = 49), including recycled plastics, collected in Vietnam in 2023. The contents of measured PCA homolog groups in technical CP mixtures were 86,000-930,000 mg/kg for PCAs-C; 85,000-990,000 mg/kg for PCAs-C; and 23,000-180,000 mg/kg for PCAs-C.