Citrate in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: biomarker or therapeutic agent?

Purpose Of Review: This review highlights the latest findings regarding hypocitraturia in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), from both experimental and clinical studies, exploring the underlying pathophysiology and potential therapeutic approach.

Recent Findings: Experimental studies have shown that the lodging of microcrystals in the tubules can trigger cyst formation and growth in polycystic kidney disease (PKD). ADPKD patients are prone to developing hypocitraturia in early stages, which could predispose to calcium microcrystal formation.

Manifestations of the archaic in character within the analytic field: From memories in behaviour to chronic and acute enactments.

The objective of this paper is to discuss the ways in which primitive aspects of the mind, in particular, the archaic elements of character, become manifest within the analytic field. After a review of the concept, it is proposed that a "normal" character manifests through memories in behaviours/feelings, which seek the object to satisfy their needs. The characterological structure keeps primitive traumatic inscriptions under control.

From primordial inscription to word representation.

This work seeks to examine two aspects of the passage from the somato-sensory function to the psyche, in an attempt to explore in greater detail the construction of mental representations. The first aspect is the primordial inscription, which ends in the formation of a pictogram. This is an attempt to represent the "thing".

The work of the human mind: Time and symbolization (in honour of Dana's work and thought).

In order to honour the work of Dana Birksted-Breen I will attempt to show how the reading of her work has impacted on my own thinking and changed it or modified it. I would like to begin by highlighting one of Dana's claims in . I will focus on two areas: (1) the development of symbolic capacity and its connection with temporality, and (2) the concept of reverie as a .

An isolated extra-articular procedure can be indicated for patients with minor instabilities and intact graft after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Background: Some patients submitted to isolated ACL reconstruction may have symptomatic postoperative rotational instability. The objective of this study was to evaluate a population with mild rotatory instability after ACL reconstruction, which was submitted to an isolated extra-articular procedure.

Methods: Patients submitted to an isolated extra-articular procedure after ACL reconstruction were retrospectively evaluated.

Molecular and functional convergences associated with complex multicellularity in Eukarya.

A key trait of Eukarya is the independent evolution of complex multicellular (CM) in animals, plants, fungi, brown algae and red algae. This phenotype is characterized by the initial exaptation of cell-cell adhesion genes followed by the emergence of mechanisms for cell-cell communication, together with the expansion of transcription factor gene families responsible for cell and tissue identity. The number of cell types (NCT) is commonly used as a quantitative proxy for biological complexity in comparative genomics studies.

A protocol for the investigation of the intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution problem: the isomerization of nitrous acid as a case of study.

The conformational isomerization of nitrous acid (HONO) promoted by excitation of the or stretching normal coordinates is the first observed case of an infrared-induced photochemical reaction. The energy captured by the excited normal modes is redistributed into a highly excited vibrational level of the torsion normal coordinate, which is the isomerization reaction coordinate. Herein, we present simple numerical methods to qualitatively investigate the coupling between the normal coordinates and the possible gateways for vibrational energy redistribution leading to the isomerization process.

Microrheological model for Kelvin-Voigt materials with micro-heterogeneities.

We introduce a generalization of the Kelvin-Voigt model in order to include and characterize heterogeneities in viscoelastic semisolid materials. By considering a microrheological approach, we present analytical expressions for the mean square displacement and for the time-dependent diffusion coefficient of probe particles immersed in a viscoelastic material described by this model. Besides validating our theoretical approach through Brownian dynamics simulations, we show how the model can be used to describe experimental data obtained for polyacrylamide and LAPONITE® gels.

Understanding the cost-utility of implementing HIV self-testing with digital-based supports.

Introduction: HIV self-testing (HIVST) is an innovative strategy that has been shown to increase uptake of HIV testing compared to conventional facility-based testing. HIVST implementation with digital-based supports may help facilitate testing accessibility and linkage to care after a reactive self-test. Economic evidence around community-based implementation of HIVST is growing; however, economic evidence around digital-based HIVST approaches remains limited.

Cognitive interventions for healthy older adults: A systematic meta-review.

Objectives: With increasing global life expectancy, cognitive interventions hold promise in mitigating cognitive decline and fostering healthy aging. Despite the demand for evidence-based interventions, there have been few attempts to summarize existing evidence. This study aims to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of unimodal and multimodal cognitive interventions for cognitively healthy older adults.

Instance maps as an organising concept for complex experimental workflows as demonstrated for (nano)material safety research.

Nanosafety assessment, which seeks to evaluate the risks from exposure to nanoscale materials, spans materials synthesis and characterisation, exposure science, toxicology, and computational approaches, resulting in complex experimental workflows and diverse data types. Managing the data flows, with a focus on provenance (who generated the data and for what purpose) and quality (how was the data generated, using which protocol with which controls), as part of good research output management, is necessary to maximise the reuse potential and value of the data. Instance maps have been developed and evolved to visualise experimental nanosafety workflows and to bridge the gap between the theoretical principles of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable) data and the everyday practice of experimental researchers.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Different Delivery Methods for Remineralization Agents in Pediatric Dental Health: A Systematic Review.

Pediatric dental health is critically impacted by enamel demineralization and early-stage caries, with remineralization therapies playing a vital role in preventing progression. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of various delivery methods for remineralization agents in pediatric patients aged 3-15 years, focusing on varnishes, gels, foams, and sprays. Studies were included if they were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, or case-control studies involving pediatric patients with early-stage caries or enamel demineralization, while studies with non-pediatric populations, unrelated treatments, or significant methodological flaws were excluded.

A protein corona modulates the function of mineralization-competent matrix vesicles.

Mineralizing cells release a special class of extracellular vesicles known as matrix vesicles (MV), crucial for bone mineralization. Following their release, MV anchor to the extracellular matrix (ECM), where their highly specialized enzymatic machinery facilitates the formation of seed mineral within the MV's lumen, subsequently releasing it onto the ECM. However, how MV propagate mineral onto the collagenous ECM remains unclear.

Performance of Extracellular Vesicles From () for Serological Diagnosis of Human and Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonotic disease in which dogs are the main reservoirs. Until now, the serological tests do not present satisfactory sensitivity for diagnosis of these hosts. One of the functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is related to immunological host response.

Pouchitis unveiled: exploring clinical features, diagnosis, and cutting-edge treatments.

Last decades led to a revolution in the management of ulcerative colitis (UC), due to the development of novel advanced therapies and the identification of increasingly ambitious therapeutic goals. Nevertheless, a subset of patients, refractory to available therapies, still requires proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). Pouchitis, an inflammatory condition of the ileal pouch, is the most common long-term complication of IPAA, affecting almost one-half of patients in the first 10 years after surgery.

Adipo-on-chip: a microphysiological system to culture human mesenchymal stem cells with improved adipogenic differentiation.

Obesity is associated with several comorbidities that cause high mortality rates worldwide. Thus, the study of adipose tissue (AT) has become a target of high interest because of its crucial contribution to many metabolic diseases and metabolizing potential. However, many AT-related physiological, pathophysiological, and toxicological mechanisms in humans are still poorly understood, mainly due to the use of non-human animal models.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the pelvic organ prolapse and vaginal prolapse among the global population.

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) occurs when one or more pelvic organs (uterus, bowel, bladder or top of the vagina) descend from their normal position and bulge into the vagina. Symptoms include pelvic discomfort, fullness, and changes in bladder or bowel function. Treatment ranges from conservative approaches to surgery, depending on symptom severity.

CONSORT-DEFINE explanation and elaboration: recommendations for enhancing reporting quality and impact of early phase dose-finding clinical trials.

Unlabelled: Early phase dose-finding (EPDF) trials are key in the development of novel therapies, with their findings directly informing subsequent clinical development phases and providing valuable insights for reverse translation. Comprehensive and transparent reporting of these studies is critical for their accurate and critical interpretation, which may improve and expedite therapeutic development. However, quality of reporting of design characteristics and results from EPDF trials is often variable and incomplete.

Electroencephalogram biomarkers as predictors of mortality and functional recovery in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: Protocol study.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global public health condition that causes cognitive and behavioral deficits. This protocol assesses the potential of quantitative electroencephalogram (EEG) biomarkers, associated with inflammatory indicators, to predict mortality and functional recovery in patients with severe TBI. Through continuous monitoring and analysis of abnormal brain activity patterns, the protocol aims to personalize therapeutic interventions and improve patient quality of life.

Transitions through the HIV continuum of care in people enrolling in care with advanced HIV disease in Latin America.

Objectives: Advanced HIV disease (AHD) at HIV care enrollment is common in Latin America and may bias cross-sectional care continuum estimates. We therefore explored the impact of AHD on HIV care continuum outcomes using a longitudinal approach.

Methods: We analyzed trajectories of 26,174 adult people with HIV enrolled at Caribbean, Central and South America network for HIV epidemiology (CCASAnet) sites (2003-2019) using multi-state Cox regression across five stages: (i) enrolled without antiretroviral therapy (no-ART); (ii) on ART without viral suppression (viral load ≥200 copies/m; ART + non-VS); (iii) on ART with viral suppression (viral load <200 copies/ml; ART + VS); (iv) lost to follow-up; (v) death.

Disparities in stage at diagnosis of head and neck tumours in Brazil: a comprehensive analysis of hospital-based cancer registries.

Background: The advanced stage of cancer is a determining factor in poor prognosis. Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are highly incident in Brazil, but similarly to many Low and Middle-Income Countries, data is limited regarding the proportion of tumours diagnosed at advanced clinical stages and the main factors associated with it. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the factors associated with advanced stage of HNSCC in Brazil.

Evaluation of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) milk protein yield prediction model with data from Brazilian commercial farms.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM, 2021) milk protein yield (MPY) prediction equation includes independent and additive effects of digestible energy intake and absorbed EAA. Our objective was to evaluate the NASEM MPY prediction and EAA use efficiency in Holstein cows in pens from commercial farms. Data collected from 12 Brazilian herds were used.

Dairy Victory Platform: A novel benchmarking platform to empower economic decisions on dairy farms.

In the face of diminishing economic margins, dairy farmers globally are compelled to maintain economic competitiveness. Benchmarking emerges as a strategic tool to establish new, achievable improvement objectives that balance ambition with practicality. This typically requires integrating diverse data sources, such as feed, milk production, diet, and market prices.