Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block for postoperative pain management after ventral hernia repair: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Postoperative pain remains a common concern following ventral hernia repair (VHR), especially for open procedures. We aim to assess the effectiveness of the Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block for the management of postoperative pain following VHR.

Methods: Cochrane, EMBASE, and PubMED, MEDLINE, and Web of Science were systematically searched for studies comprising adults undergoing VHR with preoperative TAP block, compared to placebo and epidural analgesia.

Geographic inequalities and factors associated with unfavorable outcomes in diabetes-tuberculosis and diabetes-covid comorbidities in Brazil.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 have overwhelmed health systems, especially in the care of chronic disease such as tuberculosis and diabetes. The objective of the study was to analyze the magnitude and relevance of tuberculosis-diabetes and diabetes-COVID-19 comorbidities in spatial risk areas and their factors associated with unfavorable outcomes in the Brazilian population between 2020 and 2022. An ecological study was carried out in Brazilian municipalities.

Sample observed effects: enumeration, randomization and generalization.

We study generalization of intervention effects across several simulated and real-world samples. We start by formulating the concept of the 'background' of a sample effect observation. We then formulate conditions for effect generalization based on a sample's set of (observed and unobserved) backgrounds.

Videolaryngoscope designs for tracheal intubation in adults: a systematic review with network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Introduction: Videolaryngoscopy improves tracheal intubation outcomes compared with direct laryngoscopy in various scenarios. However, the range of videolaryngoscope designs makes it challenging to identify the most effective device. We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to compare different laryngoscope designs when used for tracheal intubation of adults under general anaesthesia.

Effect of print layer thickness and finishing and polishing protocols on the flexural strength, cell adhesion, and surface properties of a 3D printed resin.

Statement Of Problem: Evidence regarding standardization of finishing and polishing protocols for 3-dimensionally (3D) printed interim resins is sparse.

Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the influence of print layer thickness and aging on the flexural strength, cell adhesion, and surface roughness of a 3D printed resin for interim crowns submitted to different finishing and polishing protocols.

Material And Methods: A total of 150 bars were printed (Flash Forge Foto 6.

Role of low-level alternating current and impedance for enhancing microalgae biomass and lipid production.

Microalgae hold significant potential for producing value-added bioproducts in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and biofuel industries, with a global market value estimated at US$ 11.8 billion in 2023. Innovations in culturing systems, such as electric stimulation, aim to enhance growth performance, as it can improve cellular processes, including nutrient uptake and lipid accumulation.

Incidence, characteristics and influencing factors of medical adhesive-related skin injury in the indwelling urinary catheter attachment region in critically ill patients: A longitudinal study.

Background: Medical adhesives are potentially harmful to the skin, depending on the patient's condition, the adhesive agent and the adhesive application and removal technique.

Aim: The objective of the study was to determine the incidence, characteristics and influencing factors of medical adhesive-related skin injury from the indwelling urinary catheter attachment in critically ill patients.

Study Design: This is a longitudinal study.

Chikungunya fever in hospitalized children and adolescents: clinical and epidemiological aspects in a region of northeastern Brazil.

Objective: To describe the clinical spectrum of pediatric and adolescent patients infected with Chikungunya.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with patients aged 0 to 17 years hospitalized with a Chikungunya Fever diagnosis in Ceará, in 2017. Data were collected on the clinical manifestations associated with the condition; significant differences were considered when p < 0.

Efficacy and Safety of Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy in Advanced Vulvar Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Scoping Review.

Introduction: Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) is a rare gynecological tumor with limited treatment options for advanced stages. Current chemotherapy, adapted from cervical cancer protocols, often results in poor outcomes. This scoping review evaluates the efficacy and safety of immunotherapy and targeted therapies in advanced VSCC.

Chitosan/hydroxypropylmethylcellulose based-mucoadhesive gastroretentive microparticles containing curcumin intended for the prevention of gastric ulcers.

Gastric ulcer (GU) is a disease characterized by ulcerative lesions on the surface of the stomach mucosa caused mainly by health-related conditions, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) use, and Helicobacter pylori infections. The treatment for this disease requires that the drug remains in contact with the site of action, however, the residence time of conventional dosage forms in this organ is limited due to gastric emptying. Curcumin (CUR) is a compound obtained from the rhizomes of the Curcuma longa plant and has been used in traditional Indian medicine for many centuries.

Local necrosis induced by intralesional treatment with amphotericin B- deoxycholate.

Intralesional (IL) treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with pentavalent antimonials has greatly reduced the systemic toxicity imposed by the conventional intramuscular and intravenous injections. Nevertheless, therapeutic failure with antimonials can occur due to drug resistance and/or short retention in the inflamed skin. Here we evaluated the safety and efficacy of IL treatment with injectable amphotericin B (AmB), a powerful antileishmanial drug that is less prone to drug resistance, but due to its amphiphilic nature is formulated with the ionic detergent sodium deoxycholate (Deox).

Quality Control Strategies for Differentiation of Kalanchoe Species.

Kalanchoe species products are commercially available in local markets and by internationally accessible online retailers and may exhibit quality issues because of misidentification from similar common names and anatomical similarities among related species used as feedstock. This study proposes an approach using UPLC-MS/MS and HPTLC, coupled with morphoanatomical analysis to establish chemical composition pattern data for five Kalanchoe species. Subsequently, the methods were validated by analyzing commercial products purported to contain 100% Kalanchoe extract.

Low-dose irradiation of the gut improves the efficacy of PD-L1 blockade in metastatic cancer patients.

The mechanisms governing the abscopal effects of local radiotherapy in cancer patients remain an open conundrum. Here, we show that off-target intestinal low-dose irradiation (ILDR) increases the clinical benefits of immune checkpoint inhibitors or chemotherapy in eight retrospective cohorts of cancer patients and in tumor-bearing mice. The abscopal effects of ILDR depend on dosimetry (≥1 and ≤3 Gy) and on the metabolic and immune host-microbiota interaction at baseline allowing CD8 T cell activation without exhaustion.

Degree of food processing and serum poly- and perfluoroalkyl substance concentrations in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003-2018.

Background: Ultra-processed foods account for >50% of total energy consumed among U.S. individuals and may be a source of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure - chemicals linked with cancer/cardiometabolic disorders.

Morphology of the male reproductive apparatus and sperm ultrastructure of Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellape 2006 (Heteroptera: Thaumastocoridae).

In this study, we examine the male reproductive apparatus and sperm morphology of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Thaumastocoridae), a pest of Eucalyptus plantations, to explore its phylogenetic implications using light and transmission electron microscopy. The reproductive apparatus comprises paired testes with three follicles each, dilated efferent ducts acting as seminal vesicles, paired accessory glands, and ejaculatory duct that connects with an aedeagus. Sperm are filiform, around 465 µm long, with short, fusiform nuclei (< 6 µm) and an acrosome observable only under TEM.

Second booster doses of adenoviral- and mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines increase protection against COVID-19 hospitalization: Final analysis from the REFORCO-Brazil real-world effectiveness study during Omicron.

Background: Booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines are required to maintain protection against SARS-CoV-2. However, real-world evidence from South America, needed to inform optimal vaccination strategies, is lacking. Herein, we present the final analysis of REFORCO-Brazil, a large-scale assessment of relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) of second boosters (vs first boosters) against hospitalization with COVID-19.

Spatially resolved composition of bovine dental enamel in permanent incisors.

Objective: To quantify component volumes (mineral, organic, total water, firmly and loosely bound water volumes, and permeability) at histological points in bovine enamel and investigate their association with bovine enamel's optical behavior and fracture toughness (FT).

Design: In vitro, cross-sectional, and experimental study. Longitudinal ground sections of ten permanent bovine incisors were analyzed using microradiography, polarizing microscopy, microhardness tester, and confocal laser fluorescence microscopy (CLFM).

Individual and combined toxicity of personal care products and pharmaceuticals at environmentally relevant concentrations due to chronic exposure of the freshwater microcrustacean Daphnia magna.

Personal care products and pharmaceuticals, namely sodium diclofenac (DCF), octocrylene (OCT), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), are relevant chemical products classified as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). They can enter aquatic ecosystems from various anthropogenic sources. This study examined the acute and chronic toxic effects of exposure to these substances, individually and in binary mixtures (OCT + SDS, SDS + DCF, DCF + SDS).

Effect of non-surgical treatment in diabetes-associated periodontitis on immune/inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers: A pilot study.

Aims: To investigate the effects of non-surgical periodontal treatment on the levels of cytokines, sIgA, antimicrobial peptides, oxidative and antioxidative agents in comparison between patients with and without diabetes.

Methods: A case-control study that included patients (n = 45) with periodontitis who have or do not have diabetes. Cytokine concentrations in crevicular gingival fluid (GCF) and saliva were determined using LUMINEX and ELISA assays, respectively.

Brazilin reduces methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus virulence and pathogenicity by decreasing the secretion of the α-hemolysin.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a super-resistant bacterium with strong pathogenicity, causing broad range of infections in various tissues. α-Hemolysin (Hla) is the main virulence factor of S. aureus.

Parkinson's disease: News on the action of melatonin.

Melatonin has been shown to improve sleep quality in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with good safety and tolerability. Beyond its neurological benefits, emerging evidence suggests that melatonin may exert cardioprotective effects, which could be relevant in the context of sudden unexpected death in PD (SUDPAR). PD is associated with high mortality rates, and autonomic dysfunction and cardiac abnormalities may play a role in SUDPAR.

Detection of adulteration in cupuaçu pulp using spectroscopy in the infrared in conjunction with multivariate techniques.

This study applied Near Infrared (NIR) and Mid Infrared (MIR) Spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to detect and quantify adulteration in cupuaçu pulp. A total of 66 authentic samples, 198 adulterated with sucrose solution (15, 30, and 45 % w/w), and 25 commercial samples were analyzed. Classification models showed high accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, with MIR achieving 100 % accuracy in validation.

Amazonian natural products used as functional food and medicine.

The use of natural products for therapeutic purposes is a common practice since the beginning of time, as it was already known that they contained biological components beneficial to health, which also justifies the growing demand for products made from Amazonian raw materials. The accessibility to information and an aggressive marketing favored the consumption of these products globally. However, the legislation in different countries on how to obtain plant raw materials, process them and subsequently sell them can leave gaps and doubts leading the consumer to make mistakes.

The impact of political assassinations on turnout: Evidence from Colombia.

Although a growing literature has investigated the effects of various types of civil war violence on political behavior, no study has examined the impact of assassinations targeting politicians. This is a critical omission, as violence against local politicians is prevalent across civil war contexts and may be the most consequential form of violence for political participation by affecting both candidate supply and voter demand. Using an original dataset of nearly 2,000 killings of Colombian local politicians between 1980 and 2023, we estimate the impact of this violence on voter turnout.