Brain tissue integrity in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder through T1-w/T2-w ratio, MTR and DTI.

Background: The presence of diffuse brain damage in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) and gray matter (NAGM) in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) remains controversial. We aimed to address this controversy by applying a multiparametric MRI approach. Additionally, the association between MRI metrics and clinical variables was explored.

Antifungal susceptibility, clinical findings, and biofilm resistance of Fusarium species causing keratitis: a challenge for disease control.

Fusarium keratitis (FK) is an important clinical condition that can lead to blindness and eye loss, and is most commonly caused by the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC). This study evaluated the susceptibility of planktonic cells and biofilms of FSSC (n = 7) and non-FSSC (n = 7) isolates obtained from patients with keratitis from a semi-arid tropical region to amphotericin B (AMB), natamycin (NAT), voriconazole (VRZ), efinaconazole (EFZ), and luliconazole (LCZ). Analysis of clinical data showed that trauma was the most common risk factor for FK patients.

Parosmia: Pathophysiology and Management.

Purpose Of Review: Parosmia is a qualitative olfactory disorder in which there is a mismatch between the memory of an odor and the actual experience triggered by an odor. There has been a surge in parosmia-related publications since the COVID-19 pandemic. This review summarizes the latest clinical findings, theories on pathophysiology and potential treatment options.

Environmental risk assessment methodology for urban tropical lagoons based on feasible lines of evidence under limited resources conditions: Jacarepaguá Lagoon/Brazil.

Determining environmental risk levels posed to different urban lagoon can provide an important overview regarding the relative severity of the environmental degradation of these ecosystems, increasing the risks visibility, which can be used as an important decision-making tool to prioritize investments. Jacarepaguá Lagoon (JPAL) is part of a coastal lagoon system comprising four interconnected lagoons in Rio de Janeiro city, Southeastern Brazil. Real estate speculation and insufficient sanitation infrastructure resulted in untreated sewage discharge into this ecologically sensitive lagoon system.

Pediatric Formulation Optimization Using a Rational Design: Exploring Amorphous Solid Dispersion Technology with Terbinafine Hydrochloride as a Case Study.

Developing orally administered pediatric formulations presents significant challenges due to the unique characteristics of pediatric patients. Terbinafine hydrochloride (TER), a powerful antifungal agent, is effective against various fungal infections, including Tinea capitis, which is common in children. However, its low aqueous solubility necessitates innovative pharmaceutical strategies to enhance its effectiveness.

Dynamic Culture of Bioprinted Liver Tumor Spheroids in a Pillar/Perfusion Plate for Predictive Screening of Anticancer Drugs.

Recent advancements in three-dimensional (3D) cell culture technologies, such as cell spheroids, organoids, and 3D bioprinted tissue constructs, have significantly improved the physiological relevance of in vitro models. These models better mimic tissue structure and function, closely emulating in vivo characteristics and enhancing phenotypic analysis, critical for basic research and drug screening in personalized cancer therapy. Despite their potential, current 3D cell culture platforms face technical challenges, which include user-unfriendliness in long-term dynamic cell culture, incompatibility with rapid cell encapsulation in biomimetic hydrogels, and low throughput for compound screening.

Direct Evidence of Microbial Sunscreen Production by Scum-Forming Cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea.

Mycosporine-like amino acids are water-soluble secondary metabolites that protect photosynthetic microorganisms from ultraviolet radiation. Here, we present direct evidence for the production of these compounds in surface scums of cyanobacteria along the Baltic Sea coast. We collected 59 environmental samples from the southern coast of Finland during the summers of 2021 and 2022 and analysed them using high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Optimizing Thermal Stability: Evaluating the Impact of Heterofunctional Hydrophobic Supports on Immobilized Flaxseed Lipase.

Lipases have catalytic capacity in various processes such as hydrolysis. Those derived from plant sources, such as linseed, offer an economical alternative. The immobilization process facilitates the recovery and reuse of lipase, providing advantages such as resistance to high temperatures and difficulties in recovering and reusing free lipases, which makes product separation difficult.

Metabolomic Analysis and Computational Biology Reveal the Potential Metabolic Pathways for Improvement of Fucoxanthin and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) Biosynthesis in Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

This work aims to provide a basis for the enhancement of fucoxanthin (FCX) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) biosynthesis in the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum using metabolomics and computational biology. To achieve this, both targeted (UHPLC and GC-FID) and untargeted (FTIR and NMR) analyses were conducted throughout various stages of cell cultivation. Targeted analyses revealed that EPA concentrations peaked at the end of the logarithmic growth phase, while fucoxanthin levels remained consistent from the onset of this phase through to the stationary phase.

Experimental setup for labyrinth seals: Pressure, temperature, mass flow rate, rotation velocity, and pressure drop simultaneous measurement.

Labyrinth seals (LSs) in turbomachinery are used to minimize leaks. This study presents an experimental setup designed to test and validate LS designs. The test bench (TB) described in this paper can evaluate different LS designs obtained through various methods to find better solutions to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Can the Urban Lifestyle Impact on Children BMI and Healthy Sleep?

Objectives: This study aimed to (i) compare children's lifestyle by urbanization level and (ii) examine the association between children's body mass index (BMI) and the risk of having unhealthy sleep (American Academy of Pediatrics).

Methods: Eight thousand one hundred fifty-nine children (4124 females) aged 6-9 years were observed and classified as urban or nonurban. Height and weight were measured, and the BMI was calculated.

When agricultural waste are promoted as nutritional sources in rabbit nutrition.

This study was carried out with the objective of evaluating the use of sweet potato vines (SPV) in replacement of alfalfa hay in diets for growing rabbits. For this, data on: performance, composition and color of the meat, digestive enzymes, intestinal morphology and economic viability were analyzed. Fifty New Zealand White rabbits were used, weaned at 35 days with a body weight of ± 585 g, for 49 days.

WT161, a selective HDAC6 inhibitor, decreases growth, enhances chemosensitivity, promotes apoptosis, and suppresses motility of melanoma cells.

Purpose: Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) plays a critical role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, contributing to proliferation, chemoresistance, and cell motility by regulating microtubule architecture. Despite its upregulation in melanoma tissues and cell lines, the specific biological roles of HDAC6 in melanoma are not well understood. This study aims to explore the functional effects and underlying mechanisms of WT161, a selective HDAC6 inhibitor, in melanoma cell lines.

Percutaneous Cryoablation Therapy for Abdominal wall Endometriosis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Purpose: Abdominal wall endometriosis consists of endometrial tissue between the peritoneum and the abdominal wall. The established treatment involves amenorrheic drugs-not always successful and tolerated-or invasive surgery. In this scenario, minimally invasive techniques such as cryoablation are a potential option.

Ancient reticulation, incomplete lineage sorting and the evolution of the pyrenoid at the dawn of hornwort diversification.

Background And Aims: Resolving the phylogeny of hornworts is critical in understanding the evolution of key morphological characters that are unique to the group, including the pyrenoid. Extensive phylogenomic analyses have revealed unexpected complexities in the placement of Leiosporoceros, the previously identified sister taxon to other hornworts. We explore the role of incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and ancient reticulation in resolving interrelationships and comprehending the diversification and evolutionary processes within hornworts.

Sustainable development through eco-innovation: A focus on small and medium enterprises in Colombia.

This study examines the impact of eco-innovation on the economic, social, and environmental performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Colombia. SMEs are pivotal to Colombia's economic landscape, contributing significantly to job creation, economic growth, and regional development. The research utilizes structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze data collected from 568 SMEs through an electronic survey.

Advanced practice nursing in Brazil: bibliometric analysis of dissertations and theses.

Objective: To analyze the scientific production on Advanced Practice Nursing based on dissertations and theses published in Brazil.

Method: A bibliometric study, with a descriptive approach based on documents, carried out in the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel Theses and Dissertations Bank, Scientific Electronic Library Online, Virtual Health Library, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences and institutional repositories, from October to November 2023.

Results: Of the 25 scientific productions identified, 16 are dissertations and nine are theses.

Hygienic-sanitary quality of donated human milk in terms of the donor profile and pumping site.

Objective: To analyze the factors associated with the hygienic-sanitary quality of donated human milk in terms of the donor profile and pumping site.

Method: Cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection of records of human milk samples donated to a Human Milk Bank in São Paulo, Brazil, from 2014 to 2019. Characteristics of human milk donors, pumping site, and hygienic-sanitary quality were analyzed based on the Standards of the Brazilian Human Milk Bank Network.

Revisiting the neuroanatomy of Massetognathus pascuali (Eucynodontia: Cynognathia) from the early Late Triassic of South America using Neutron Tomography.

This paper analyzes the paleoneurology (cranial endocast and maxillary canal) of Massetognathus pascuali, an iconic non-mammaliaform cynodont from the early Late Triassic of South America, using Neutron Tomography. The application of neutron tomography holds the potential for uncovering more refined anatomical and quantitative data. The newly examined cranial endocast shows a forebrain with a tubular shape without an interhemispheric fissure, presence of a pineal body (with a closed parietal foramen), and a marked unossified zone.

First report of a cat (Felis catus) infected by Leishmania (Viannia) guyanensis from Southeastern Brazil.

Feline leishmaniasis is increasingly recognized as a disease affecting cats worldwide, with notable prevalence in regions surrounding the Mediterranean Basin and in Brazil. An approximately one-year-old domestic shorthair cat was presented with small papules and nodules (2 mm) on the nasal planum. Physical examination and routine blood analyses were normal.

Biofabricated 3D Intestinal Models as an Alternative to Animal-Based Approaches for Drug Toxicity Assays.

Background: The main challenge in new drug development is accurately predicting the human response in preclinical models.

Methods: In this study, we developed three different intestinal barrier models using advanced biofabrication techniques: (i) a manual model containing Caco-2 and HT-29 cells on a collagen bed, (ii) a manual model with a Caco-2/HT-29 layer on a HDFn-laden collagen layer, and (iii) a 3D bioprinted model incorporating both cellular layers. Each model was rigorously tested for its ability to simulate a functional intestinal membrane.

Pasteurized waste milk vs. milk replacer at the same crude protein:metabolizable energy ratio with different energy sources (fat vs. lactose) to pre-weaning Holstein calves: Effects on growth performance, feeding behavior, and health.

The improved growth performance of calves at weaning results from an effective pre-weaning feeding strategy. The type and pasteurization process of liquid feed are among the most variable feeding practices affecting calves' growth and health. In previous studies that compared waste milk (WM) vs.

Trends in the prevalence of obesity and estimation of the direct health costs attributable to child and adolescent obesity in Brazil from 2013 to 2022.

Introduction: Childhood obesity is a major global public health issue globally and in Brazil. The impacts of childhood obesity include higher risk of disease during childhood and of obesity and non-communicable diseases in adulthood and represent an important epidemiological and economic burden to countries. This study aims to analyze the trends and to estimate the direct healthcare costs of childhood and adolescent obesity to the National Health System from 2013 to 2022.

Endometrial scratching before euploid embryo transfer: a case-control study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of endometrial scratching on in vitro fertilization (IVF) success rates in women undergoing frozen embryo transfer with preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A).

Methods: Biopsy was performed at oocyte retrieval in cases and compared to those who did not undergo scratching (controls). Endpoints included pregnancy loss, total pregnancy, clinical pregnancy rate (CPR), ongoing pregnancy rate/live birth rate (OPR), and the incidence of chronic endometritis (CE).