Morpho-physiological and transcriptomic responses of field pennycress to waterlogging.

Field pennycress () is a new biofuel winter annual crop with extreme cold hardiness and a short life cycle, enabling off-season integration into corn and soybean rotations across the U.S. Midwest.

Prostaglandin pathways in equine myometrium regulations: endometrosis progression.

Introduction: Prostaglandins (PG) are important regulators of the myometrial contractility in mammals. Endometrosis, a condition characterized by morphological changes in the equine endometrium, also affects endometrial secretory function. However, it remains unclear whether and how endometrosis affects myometrial function.

Comments on the Hox timer and related issues.

2024 not only marked the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the organizer by Hilde Pröscholdt-Mangold and Hans Spemann, but also the 40th anniversary of the discovery of the homeobox, a DNA region encoding a DNA binding peptide present in several transcription factors of critical importance for the gastrulating embryo. In particular, this sequence is found in the 39 members of the amniote Hox gene family, a series of genes activated in mid-gastrulation and involved in organizing morphologies along the extending anterior to posterior (AP) body axis. Over the past 30 years, the study of their coordinated regulation in various contexts has progressively revealed their surprising regulatory strategies, based on mechanisms acting in-cis, which can translate a linear distribution of series of genes along the chromatin fiber into the proper sequences of morphologies observed along our various body axes.

The time-course changes in postural control variability between neck pain and asymptomatic dental students.

Changes in postural control associated with clinical practice or specific conditions such as the presence of neck pain remain unexplored in dental students. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the time-course changes in postural control complexity among dental students enrolled in clinical practice, comparing those with and without neck pain. We used an online Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire for group allocation and center of pressure (CoP) oscillations with a tri-axial Bertec force plate.

Design, additive manufacturing, and characterization of an organ-on-chip microfluidic device for oral mucosa analogue growth.

Introduction: Α customized organ-on-a-chip microfluidic device was developed for dynamic culture of oral mucosa equivalents (Oral_mucosa_chip-OMC).

Materials And Methods: Additive Manufacturing (AM) was performed via stereolithography (SLA) printing. The dimensional accuracy was evaluated via microfocus computed tomography (mCT), the surface characteristics via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while the mechanical properties via nanoindentation and compression tests.

R4Alz-R: a cutting-edge tool for spotting the very first and subtle signs of aging-related cognitive impairment with high accuracy.

The accurate diagnosis of aging-related neurocognitive disorders as early as possible, even in a phase that is characterized by the absence of clinical symptoms, is nowadays the holy grail of the neurosciences. R4Alz-R is a novel cognitive tool designed to objectively detect the subtle cognitive changes that emerge as the very first result of the aging processes and could be developed and broadened in a continuum from healthy aging to subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), before reaching some type of dementia. The goal of the present study was to examine whether the R4Alz-R battery has the potential to detect these subtle changes.

The Efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Mouse Models Infected with from the Perspective of Metabolic Profiling: A Systematic Review.

: This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in treating infection (CDI) in mouse models using a metabolomics-based approach. : A comprehensive search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar) from 10 April 2024 to 17 June 2024. Out of the 460 research studies reviewed and subjected to exclusion criteria, only 5 studies met all the inclusion criteria and were analyzed.

Advanced oxidation coupled with LC-HRMS: Elucidating transformation products of linezolid, discovering in wastewaters and conducting in silico toxicity assessments.

Antibiotics are prevalent in wastewater treatment plants and are subsequently released into aquatic environments, threatening aquatic organisms and compromising drinking water quality. Consequently, investigating their environmental fate and developing efficient removal processes is crucial. The degradation and fate of the antibiotic drug linezolid were investigated, focusing on the formation of transformation products (TPs).

Knowledge maps as a complementary tool to learn and teach surgical anatomy in virtual reality: A case study in dental implantology.

A thorough understanding of surgical anatomy is essential for preparing and training medical students to become competent and skilled surgeons. While Virtual Reality (VR) has shown to be a suitable interaction paradigm for surgical training, traditional anatomical VR models often rely on simple labels and arrows pointing to relevant landmarks. Yet, studies have indicated that such visual settings could benefit from knowledge maps as such representations explicitly illustrate the conceptual connections between anatomical landmarks.

Do biopsychosocial factors predict the level of physical activity in individuals with persistent shoulder pain?

Objective: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to compare the physical activity level between individuals with and without rotator cuff related shoulder pain (RCRSP), and, in individuals with RCRSP, investigate whether biopsychosocial factors are associated with the physical activity level.

Methods: Seventy-four participants with and 84 participants without RCRSP wore a fitness tracking watch for seven consecutive days to assess physical activity (step count, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)-minutes). Additionally, participants with RCRSP completed questionnaires on their level of pain, disability, and physical activity (short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire [IPAQ]), as well as on biopsychosocial factors, including resilience, stress, catastrophizing, anxiety and depressive symptoms, self-efficacy, and social support.

Accuracy of the Imageless Mode of the ROSA Robotic System for Targeted Resection Thickness in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Prospective, Single Surgeon Case-Series Study.

Background: We investigated the accuracy of targeted resection thickness in patients undergoing primary Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) using the ROSA robotic system.

Methods: Calliper measurements of the distal femur (DF), proximal tibia (PT), and posterior condyles (PC) were taken in 44 patients from June 2023 to January 2024.

Results: Planned and actual resection depth difference was 0.

Retrospective Epidemiology of Dermatomycosis in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, From 2000 to 2023.

Background: Although cutaneous mycoses are a global public health problem, very few data are available in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the retrospective clinical epidemiology of dermatomycosis and their associated risk factors in dermatological consultations in Kinshasa, DRC.

Methods: A retrospective study based on the medical records of patients seen in the departments of dermatology of 2 major hospitals in Kinshasa from March 2000 to August 2023 was carried out.

Telehealth use for sexual and reproductive health promotion and care during the early phase of COVID-19 pandemic: A descriptive-interpretive qualitative study of healthcare providers' perspectives and experiences in Western-Central New York State.

Telehealth emerged as a key option for the provision of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care and promotion during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. However, there is limited research on the perspectives and experiences of healthcare providers (HCPs) in the Western-Central region of New York State. This qualitative interpretive study explored the perspectives and experiences of the HCPs' with telehealth for SRH promotion and care including counselling, testing and treatment for HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in Western New York State.

Risk assessment of oligomers and potentially harmful chemical compounds from food packaging simulated using an in vitro digestion model.

The objective of this study, PLASTOGEST, was to evaluate the risk associated with oligomers and other potentially harmful chemical compounds when consumed by humans through food. This research systematically reviewed existing literature and applies untargeted analysis to assess the fate of non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) and intentionally added substances (IAS) during in vitro digestion. Polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate oligomers and simulation of real food conditions were used to evaluate migration and how these oligomers behave during in vitro digestion.

LipoCLEAN: A Machine Learning Filter to Improve Untargeted Lipid Identification Confidence.

In untargeted lipidomics experiments, putative lipid identifications generated by automated analysis software require substantial manual filtering to arrive at usable high-confidence data. However, identification software tools do not make full use of the available data to assess the quality of lipid identifications. Here, we present a machine-learning-based model to provide coherent, holistic quality scores based on multiple lines of evidence.

Readiness to implement contingency management to promote PrEP initiation and adherence among people who inject drugs: results from a multi-site implementation survey.

Background: Contingency management (CM), an incentive-based intervention to encourage target behaviors, effectively promotes medication adherence. However, efforts to extend CM to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have been lacking. As part of a randomized clinical trial to promote HIV Prevention among people who inject drugs (PWID), we examined the readiness of staff in community-based organizations serving PWID to implement CM for PrEP uptake and adherence in this population.

Biochar supplementation affects the microbiome of recycled manure solids for cow bedding: a metagenomic analysis.

The widespread use of Recycled Manure Solids (RMS) as cow bedding material is not without risks, since cattle manure may act as a vehicle for pathogenic and antimicrobial resistant bacteria dissemination. Thus, our aim was to evaluate RMS-supplemented with a pine biochar produced in Portugal as a new cow bedding material, since the use of biochar has been shown to have the potential to mitigate the impact of relevant bacterial species when added to animal manure microbiota. Our experimental setup consisted on fresh RMS samples that were collected on a commercial dairy farm and placed in naturally-ventilated containers for a total of 4 groups: 1-non-supplemented RMS; 2-RMS supplemented with 2.

Valuation of marine integrated disaster management amidst global warming in Southern Coast of Java, Indonesia.

This research explores the valuation of integrated disaster management in the coastal regions of Southern Java, Indonesia, a locale increasingly threatened by the impacts of global warming, which exacerbates marine disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Employing a choice experiment methodology, the study assesses the willingness to pay among local households for various strategies designed to enhance earthquake preparedness. Three distinct scenarios are examined, each reflecting varying levels of integration and sophistication: (1) Educational empowerment and localized alert integration, which emphasizes community education and rapid, self-directed evacuation practices tailored to the immediate onset of tsunamis following seismic events.

Decrease in provider stigma is associated with improved quality health indicators among individuals receiving methadone in primary care centers in Ukraine.

Introduction: People who inject drugs experience poor health and social outcomes which improve with opioid agonist therapies like methadone, yet provider stigma may influence healthcare utilization. In Ukraine, integrating methadone into primary care centers (PCCs) provides an opportunity to examine provider stigma and its impact on patient outcomes.

Methods: This sub-analysis included patients randomized to receive methadone in PCCs as part of an implementation trial in which the control group received methadone in specialty addiction clinics in Ukraine.

Endometriosis in later life: an intersectional analysis from the perspective of epistemic injustice.

Endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory condition affecting 10% of biological women, is widely understudied and particularly overlooked in later life. Discussions surrounding endometriosis predominantly centre on medical gender bias during reproductive years, with limited attention to intersecting factors of discrimination and the impact of ageism on affected individuals. As endometriosis is framed as a disease of reproductive age, research is lacking when it comes to the effects of the illness on the older population.

OXTR-mediated signaling in astrocytes contributes to anxiolysis.

Astrocytes are an indispensable part of signal processing within the mammalian brain. Thus, the mode of action of a neuropeptide such as oxytocin (OXT) can only be fully understood considering this integral part of the CNS. Here, we show that OXT regulates astrocytic gene expression, intracellular signaling and specific proteins both in vitro and in vivo.

Unravelling the benefits of thermal waters enhancing oral health: a pilot study.

Background: Oral health represents a public health problem due to its remarkable social impact and medical costs. Crenotherapy with sulfur water is shown to be a complementary, less toxic, and traumatizing therapy, but the number of studies that evaluate the effect of natural mineral waters effect on oral health are scarce. The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the impact of thermal water therapy on the oral health of the participants, assessing parameters such as plaque index, gingival bleeding index and periodontal probing depth as well on the perception of symptoms of oral mucosa diseases (OMD).

Health-related quality of life after rehabilitation from knee surgery in rural and urban settings: a quasi-experimental study.

Background: Injury to the knee joint is associated with physical disability, stiffness, pain, restriction of movement and impairment of the person's quality of life, with a few treatment options, including surgery and rehabilitation. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a rehabilitation program on the quality of life reported by patients living in rural and urban areas after knee surgery, using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Methods: This quasi-experimental study with two groups of participants undergoing primary knee surgery was carried out in two rehabilitation centers, one in an urban area and another in a rural one.

Socio-economic inequalities in oral health among Portuguese older adults: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Although the oral health status has improved in developed countries in recent years, oral diseases are still unequally distributed across socio-economic groups. Research on the impact of socio-economic factors on oral health care among older adults in Europe, including Portugal, remains limited. The main aim of this study was to investigate the association between socio-economic factors and oral health indicators in Portuguese older adults.