Hand dominance shift during sleep in sexsomnia: a clue to pathophysiology?

Study Objectives: To elucidate whether awake handedness in sexsomnia is retained during sleep to uncover potential clues about the underlying neurophysiologic mechanisms.

Methods: Participants' and observers' self-reported handedness during sexsomnia events.

Results: Case 1: A 22 y/o right-handed female with an eight-year history of nocturnal sleep-related masturbatory behavior (SMB) involving the left hand (LH) exclusively.

Heads and Tails: Comparative Osteology of Nearctic Dipsadid Snakes.

Although numerous studies have addressed some aspects of the cranial osteology of Nearctic dipsadid species, only the species within the genera Heterodon and Carphophis have a formal published description of their skull. Similarly, vertebral data on such species are extremely scarce, and most of the available literature is focused on fossils. Such group has a complex phylogenetic history, being recovered as monophyletic or nonmonophyletic depending on the approach.

Expression and purification of E140 protein antigen fragments of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium berghei for serological assays.

Malaria, a life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, continues to pose a significant global health threat, with nearly 250 million infections and over 600 000 deaths reported annually by the WHO. Fighting malaria is particularly challenging partly due to the complex life cycle of the parasite. However, technological breakthroughs such as the development of the nucleoside-modified mRNA lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP) vaccine platform, along with the discovery of novel conserved Plasmodium antigens such as the E140 protein, present new opportunities in malaria prevention.

Detrimental effects of chronic sugar-sweetened carbonated soft drink consumption on inflammatory response and the size of apical periodontitis: An animal-based study.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of chronic consumption of two sugar-sweetened carbonated soft drinks - one containing caffeine (Coca-Cola®) and one without (Sprite®) - on the progression of periapical lesions and the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in rats.

Methodology: Twelve Wistar rats were divided into three groups (n = 4): Control group, Coca-Cola group and Sprite group. The rats in Coca-Cola and Sprite groups were given ad libitum access to their respective soft drinks for 3 months, while the Control group received filtered water.

Buthionine sulfoximine acts synergistically with doxorubicin as a sensitizer molecule on different tumor cell lines.

The chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin (DOX) has been widely used for treating solid tumors attributed to its antiproliferative effectiveness; however, its clinical use is limited due to side effects, including cardiotoxicity, myelosuppression, and drug resistance. Combining DOX with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a glutathione (GSH) synthesis inhibitor, showed promising results in overcoming these adverse effects, potentially reducing the required DOX dose while maintaining efficacy. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of different concentrations of BSO and DOX, both individually and in combination, utilizing B16/F10 (murine melanoma), SNB-19 (human glioblastoma), S180 (murine sarcoma), and SVEC4-10 (murine endothelial) cell lines.

Electrochemistry and Gold Catalysis: Unusual Allies in Redox Mediated Organic Reactions.

Devising advanced protocols to avoid harsh oxidants is of paramount interest in gold catalyzed redox reactions. To address this issue, electrochemical oxidation of precatalytic Au complexes to catalytically active Au in situ species has started to emerge as a potential alternative. Such endeavours not only unlocked the possibility of direct anodic oxidation of Au to Au, but also enables stepwise oxidation of Au to Au to Au through the mediation of electro-generated organic radicals.

Sleep and circadian rhythms in delayed sleep-wake phase disorder: Phenotypic differences between patients with and without comorbid depression.

Delayed sleep-wake phase disorder involves chronic difficulty going to bed and waking up at conventional times and often co-occurs with depression. This study compared sleep and circadian rhythms between patients with delayed sleep-wake phase disorder with depression (DSWPD-D) and without (DSWPD-ND) comorbid depression. Clinical records of 162 patients with delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (70 DSWPD-D, 92 DSWPD-ND) were analysed, including a subset of 76 patients with circadian phase determined by the dim light melatonin onset.

Bullying in adolescents across three years in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: a repeated cross-sectional and prospective analysis.

Background: Bullying has been identified as a risk factor for many issues among adolescents. Although it was already considered a public health issue in Brazil before the COVID-19 pandemic, little is known about how the pandemic and associated public health measures have affected bullying behavior.

Objective: To explore changes in bullying victimization and perpetration among Brazilian high school students from 2019 to 2022.

Clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with liver cirrhosis - a propensity-matched analysis from a multicentric Brazilian cohort.

Background: Cirrhosis has been pointed out as a clinical entity that leads to worse clinical prognosis in COVID-19 patients. However, this concept is controversial in the literature. We aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes by comparing patients with cirrhosis to those without cirrhosis in a Brazilian cohort.

Copper Tantalate by a Sodium-Driven Flux-Mediated Synthesis for Photoelectrochemical CO Reduction.

Copper-tantalate, CuTaO (CTO), shows significant promise as an efficient photocathode for multi-carbon compounds (C) production through photoelectrochemical (PEC) CO reduction, owing to its suitable energy bands and catalytic surface. However, synthesizing CTO poses a significant challenge due to its metastable nature and thermal instability. In this study, this challenge is addressed by employing a flux-mediated synthesis technique using a sodium-based flux to create sodium-doped CTO (Na-CTO) thin films, providing enhanced nucleation and stabilization for the CTO phase.

Small and medium-scale biorefineries: biomass quantification and its bioeconomic potential in the Southern Coastal Territory of Bahia.

Small and medium-scale biorefineries are processing facilities designed to produce a portfolio of value-added products with applications in different productive sectors. The Territory of the Southern Coast (TSC) of Bahia in Brazil has a high potential to provide agricultural and forest biomass for these bioindustries. This study focuses on quantifying the biomass of key agricultural crops in the TSC from 1999 to 2019, utilizing data from the Municipal Agricultural Production (MAP) survey conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

Resting beat-to-beat blood pressure variability in humans: role of alpha-1 adrenergic receptors.

Purpose: Resting beat-to-beat blood pressure variability is a strong predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. However, its underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Given that the sympathetic nervous system plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular regulation, we hypothesized that alpha-1 adrenergic receptors (the main sympathetic receptor controlling peripheral vasoconstriction) may contribute to resting beat-to-beat blood pressure variability.

Dentoalveolar alterations after interventions to relieve mouth breathing : Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Mouth breathing is related to morphological and functional alterations in growing individuals. Understanding early events that can lead to these changes can prevent or decrease the need for orthodontic treatment.

Objective: The goal was to assess the prognosis for dental alterations evidenced by changes in the incisor inclination and arch width after surgical intervention to normalize the mode of breathing in growing patients.

Hyaluronic Acid Myomodulation in the Treatment of Gummy Smile.

Level of Evidence IV This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors  www.springer.

Optimal timing for post-dialysis blood pressure measurement: relationship with home blood pressure monitoring.

In hemodialysis patients, blood pressure (BP) measured at the postdialysis period (POSBP) can be used to diagnose hypertension. However, the optimal time point for POSBP remains uncertain. This cross-sectional study evaluated 210 long-term dialysis patients (66.

Syntalos: a software for precise synchronization of simultaneous multi-modal data acquisition and closed-loop interventions.

Complex experimental protocols often require multi-modal data acquisition with precisely aligned timing, as well as state- and behavior-dependent interventions. Tailored solutions are mostly restricted to individual experimental setups and lack flexibility and interoperability. We present an open-source, Linux-based integrated software solution, called 'Syntalos', for simultaneous acquisition and synchronization of data from an arbitrary number of sources, including multi-channel electrophysiological recordings and different live imaging devices, as well as closed-loop, real-time interventions with different actuators.

Rational selection of TbpB variants yields a bivalent vaccine with broad coverage against Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an on-going public health problem due in part to the lack of success with efforts to develop an efficacious vaccine to prevent this sexually transmitted infection. The gonococcal transferrin binding protein B (TbpB) is an attractive candidate vaccine antigen. However, it exhibits high levels of antigenic variability, posing a significant obstacle in evoking a broadly protective immune response.

Structure-based Virtual Screening and Drug Design Development of Leishmanicidal Pyrimidines.

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania sp. that causes approximately 1 million cases and 650,000 deaths annually worldwide. Its treatment has several limitations mainly due to high toxicity and clinical resistance, and the search for alternatives is highly desirable.

Clinical and epidemiological characterization of patients with cutaneous tuberculosis treated at a referral center in the Brazilian Amazon: case series.

Background: Cutaneous tuberculosis is a rare form of the disease that defies diagnosis due to the diversity of clinical presentations. This study was based on the reality of a dermatology referral center in the Brazilian Amazon region to detail several characteristics of this disease.

Objective: To describe a series of cases of cutaneous tuberculosis treated at a dermatology service in the Brazilian Amazon region, addressing epidemiological aspects, clinical forms, diagnostic methods, treatment, and outcomes.

Effects of high-intensity laser therapy in patients with De Quervain's tenosynovitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: De Quervain's tenosynovitis (QT) is common among individuals performing repetitive manual tasks and significantly affects daily activities due to pain. While traditional treatments often provide limited relief, high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) shows as a potential analgesic resource.

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the analgesic effects of HILT in patients with QT.

Dysphonia and COVID-19: A Review.

Introduction: Vocal symptoms are frequent in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and may occur during or after infection.

Objective: To conduct a descriptive review on the topic "dysphonia and COVID-19" in order to alert specialists to these symptoms associated with the virus and sequelae.

Methodology: A literature review was carried out in the main databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus, between April 2020 and April 2024 using descriptors that related COVID-19 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) to voice disorders.

Surface Treatment of Polyamide 6 through Enzymatic Hydrolysis and Covalent Incorporation of Chitosan Nanoparticles.

Polyamide (PA) has notable physical and chemical properties and is one of the most versatile synthetic materials in the industrial sector. However, its hydrophobicity creates significant challenges in its beneficiation and modification. Modifications of PA with chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) can improve its undesired properties but are rarely found in the literature due to the weak interaction between the chemical groups of both structures.

Examining the under-representation of black researchers in sports science and sports medicine publications: 'You Can't be what You Can't See'.

Objectives: This study evaluated the representation of black researchers as authors of articles published in four peer-reviewed journals with the highest impact factors (IFs) in the field of sports science and sports medicine.

Methods: An analysis was conducted on articles published between 2018 and 2022 in four leading sports science journals with high IFs (2022): The British Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Sport and Health Science, Sports Medicine and Exercise Immunology Review. Data extraction from the articles included the researcher's names, sex/gender, total number of authors, number of black authors, their position in the author list, publication year, article title and type and digital object identifier.

Surgical Bailout in Patients Undergoing Transfemoral Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Incidence, Trends, and Clinical Outcomes.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) harbors the risk of periprocedural complications that require emergent cardiac surgery, or "surgical bailout." Surgical bailout intends to be lifesaving but is associated with high mortality. This has given rise to discussion on the necessity of surgical backup during TAVR.