Mobilizing knowledge about urban change for equity and sustainability: developing 'Change Stories', a multi-country transdisciplinary study.

Background: Health-focused research funders increasingly support multi-country research partnerships that study health, urban development and equity in global settings. To develop new knowledge that benefits society, these grants require researchers to integrate diverse knowledges and data, and to manage research-related aspects of coloniality, such as power imbalances and epistemic injustices. We conducted research to develop a transdisciplinary study proposal with partners in multiple middle and high income countries, aiming to embed equity into the methodology and funding model.

Oral issues and childhood stress in eight-to-ten-year-old schoolchildren: a case-control study.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether oral problems, harmful oral habits, and sociodemographic factors are associated with the occurrence of stress in schoolchildren.

Materials And Methods: A case-control study nested within a cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 375 schoolchildren eight to ten years of age in the city of Diamantina, Brazil. The case group (with childhood stress) and control group (without childhood stress) were matched for age and sex at a 1:4 ratio (75 cases to 300 controls).

Genomic analysis of two penicillin- and rifampin-resistant Corynebacterium rouxii strains isolated from cutaneous infections in dogs.

Although diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease, numerous cases are still reported around the world, as well as outbreaks in countries, including European ones. Species of the Corynebacterium diphtheriae complex are potentially toxigenic and, therefore, must be considered given the possible consequences, such as the circulation of clones and transmission of antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes. Recently, Corynebacterium rouxii was characterized and included among the valid species of the complex.

Leptin signalling altered in infantile nephropathic cystinosis-related bone disorder.

Background: The CTNS gene mutation causes infantile nephropathic cystinosis (INC). Patients with INC develop Fanconi syndrome and chronic kidney disease (CKD) with significant bone deformations. C57BL/6 Ctns mice are an animal model for studying INC.

Phytopathological management through bacteriophages: enhancing food security amidst climate change.

Unlabelled: The increasing global population and climate change pose significant challenges to agriculture, particularly in managing plant diseases caused by phytopathogens. Traditional methods, including chemical pesticides and antibiotics, have become less effective due to pathogen resistance and environmental concerns. Phage therapy emerges as a promising alternative, offering a sustainable and precise approach to controlling plant bacterial diseases without harming beneficial soil microorganisms.

Mapping brain morphology to cognitive deficits: a study on PD-CRS scores in Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment.

Background: The Parkinson's Disease-Cognitive Rating Scale (PD-CRS) is a widely used tool for detecting mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients, however, the neuroanatomical underpinnings of this test's outcomes require clarification. This study aims to: (a) investigate cortical volume (CVol) and cortical thickness (CTh) disparities between PD patients exhibiting mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) and those with preserved cognitive abilities (PD-IC); and (b) identify the structural correlates in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of overall PD-CRS performance, including its subtest scores, within a non-demented PD cohort.

Materials And Methods: This study involved 51 PD patients with Hoehn & Yahr stages I-II, categorized into two groups: PD-IC ( = 36) and PD-MCI ( = 15).

COVID-19-Related Cholangiopathy: Histological Findings.

Unlabelled: Cholangiopathy has been described in survivors of severe COVID-19, presenting significant clinical parallels to the pre-pandemic condition of secondary sclerosing cholangitis in critically ill patients (SSC-CIP). We aimed to examine the liver histopathology of individuals with persistent cholestasis after severe COVID-19.

Methods: We subjected post-COVID-19 cholestasis liver samples to routine staining techniques and cytokeratin 7 immunostaining and semi-quantitatively analyzed the portal and parenchymal changes.

AAV-Mediated Expression of miR-17 Enhances Neurite and Axon Regeneration In Vitro.

Neurodegenerative disorders, including traumatic injuries to the central nervous system (CNS) and neurodegenerative diseases, are characterized by early axonal damage, which does not regenerate in the adult mammalian CNS, leading to permanent neurological deficits. One of the primary causes of the loss of regenerative ability is thought to be a developmental decline in neurons' intrinsic capability for axon growth. Different molecules are involved in the developmental loss of the ability for axon regeneration, including many transcription factors.

Sociocultural Implications in the Development of Early Maladaptive Schemas in Adolescents Belonging to Sexual and Gender Minorities.

Culture is a central theme across various theories and disciplines, influencing behavior and self-perception through interactions within social groups, families, and legal systems. This influence extends to the general population and particularly impacts sexual and gender minorities (SGMs), resulting in minority stress that contributes to mental health issues and the development of Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMSs). Adolescents within these groups face typical developmental stressors-such as hormonal changes and societal pressures-compounded by prejudice, increasing their vulnerability to depression, anxiety, stress, substance abuse, and eating disorders.

Exploring the Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of and Its Clinical Burden.

: Typhoid fever caused by serovar Typhi continues to pose a significant risk to public health in developing countries, including Pakistan. This study investigated the epidemiological factors linked to suspected and confirmed infections in Peshawar's hospital population. : A total of 5735 blood samples of patients with suspected enteric fever were collected from September 2022 to November 2023.

Infection by a multidrug-resistant Corynebacterium diphtheriae strain: prediction of virulence factors, CRISPR-Cas system analysis, and structural implications of mutations conferring rifampin resistance.

Cases of diphtheria, even in immunized individuals, are still reported in several parts of the world, including in Brazil. New outbreaks occur in Europe and other continents. In this context, studies on Corynebacterium diphtheriae infections are highly relevant, both for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease and for controlling the circulation of clones and antimicrobial resistance genes.

Rehabilitation Intervention Is Associated With Improved Neurodevelopment and Modulation of Inflammatory Molecules in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of systematic rehabilitation on both the neuropsychomotor development, and on the peripheral response from immunological and neuroplastic mediators in children with cerebral palsy.

Methods: This is a prospective cohort study with 90 children with cerebral palsy at 18 months of age. Sixty children received rehabilitation for 6 months, and they were compared to 30 children that were placed in the waiting list.

Biocontrol mechanisms of the Antarctic yeast Debaryomyces hansenii UFT8244 against post-harvest phytopathogenic fungi of strawberries.

The use of yeasts has been explored as an efficient alternative to fungicide application in the treatment and prevention of post-harvest fruit deterioration. Here, we evaluated the biocontrol abilities of the Antarctic yeast strain Debaryomyces hansenii UFT8244 against the post-harvest phytopathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea and Rhizopus stolonifer for the protection and preservation of strawberry fruit. The strongest inhibition of germination of B.

Impact of cardiac structure and function on exercise intolerance in Chagas cardiomyopathy: Insights from CPET and echocardiography.

Introduction: Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC), the most severe clinical condition of Chagas disease, often leads to a reduction in functional capacity and the appearance of symptoms such as fatigue and dyspnea on exertion. However, its determinant factors remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate the peak oxygen consumption (VO) in patients with CCC and identify its determining factors.

Influence of distal-end heat treatment in the properties of heat-activated NiTi archwires.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of property changes caused by heating the distal portion of heat-activated nickel-titanium (NiTi) wires.

Methods: Forty preformed heat-activated NiTi archwires (3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA) with a nominal cross-section of 0.018″ were used in this study.

Exploring the hidden hot world of long non-coding RNAs in thermophilic fungus using a robust computational pipeline.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are versatile RNA molecules recently identified as key regulators of gene expression in response to environmental stress. Our primary focus in this study was to develop a robust computational pipeline for identifying structurally identical lncRNAs across replicates from publicly available bulk RNA-seq datasets. In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the pipeline, we utilized the transcriptome of the thermophilic fungus Thermothelomyces thermophilus and assessed the expression pattern of lncRNAs in conjunction with Heat Shock Proteins (HSP), a well-known protein family critical for the cell's response to high temperatures.

Exploring the potential of rapid maxillary expansion and masticatory muscle activity in unilateral posterior crossbite.

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate if rapid maxillary expansion improves the activity of the masticatory muscles (masseter and temporal) in patients with unilateral posterior crossbite.

Material And Methods: Searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and grey literature. A manual search of orthodontic journals was also performed.

Receptor-mediated endocytosis in kidney cells during physiological and pathological conditions.

Mammalian cell membranes are very dynamic where they respond to several environmental stimuli by rearranging the membrane composition by basic biological processes, including endocytosis. In this context, receptor-mediated endocytosis, either clathrin-dependent or caveolae-dependent, is involved in different physiological and pathological conditions. In the last years, an important amount of evidence has been reported that kidney function involves the modulation of different types of endocytosis, including renal protein handling.

Coordination structure and intermolecular interactions in copper(II) acetate complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2'-bipyridine.

The crystal structures of two coordination compounds, (acetato-κO)(2,2'-bipyridine-κN,N')(1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')copper(II) acetate hexahydrate, [Cu(CHO)(CHN)(CHN)](CHO)·6HO or [Cu(bipy)(phen)Ac]Ac·6HO, and (acetato-κO)bis(2,2'-bipyridine-κN,N')copper(II) acetate-acetic acid-water (1/1/3), [Cu(CHO)(CHN)](CHO)·CHO·3HO or [Cu(bipy)Ac]Ac·HAc·3HO, are reported and compared with the previously published structure of [Cu(phen)Ac]Ac·7HO (phen is 1,10-phenanthroline, bipy for 2,2'-bipyridine, ac is acetate and Hac is acetic acid). The geometry around the metal centre is pentacoordinated, but highly distorted in all three cases. The coordination number and the geometric distortion are both discussed in detail, and all complexes belong to the space group P-1.

Extraction and application of lipids from edible insects.

Research on new food sources is a worldwide challenge due to the constant increase in the global population. In this scenario, insects and bug based products have been investigated as feasible food alternatives. They are nutritionally healthy and environmentally sustainable.

Large macular hole and autologous retinal transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Macular holes are breaks in the retinal tissue at the center of the macula, affecting central vision. The standard treatment involves vitrectomy with membrane peeling and gas tamponade. However, for larger or chronic holes, alternative techniques like autologous retinal graft have emerged.