The impact of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with left-sided resectable pancreatic cancer: an international multicenter study.

Purpose: To assess the association between neoadjuvant therapy and overall survival (OS) in patients with left-sided resectable pancreatic cancer (RPC) compared to upfront surgery.

Background: Left-sided pancreatic cancer is associated with worse OS compared to right-sided pancreatic cancer. Although neoadjuvant therapy is currently seen as not effective in patients with RPC, current randomized trials included mostly patients with right-sided RPC.

Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection over two epidemic waves in Manaus, Brazil: A serological study of seven thousand blood donors.

Background: Most longitudinal studies of COVID-19 incidence have used unlinked samples. The city of Manaus, Brazil, has a blood donation program which allows sample linkage, and was struck by two large COVID-19 epidemic waves between mid-2020 and early 2021.

Methods: We estimated the changing force of infection, i.

Impact of crack cocaine on salivary nucleic acids, enzymes, esters, and lipids: A fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy study.

Objective: This study aims to analyze saliva composition in crack users using vibrational spectroscopy.

Material And Methods: A total of 90 participants were meticulously selected and divided into three groups, each comprising 30 individuals. All participants met the criterion of having no observable clinical changes in the oral mucosa.

Advancing canopy-level entomological surveillance to monitor vector-borne and zoonotic disease dynamics.

Faced with the increased frequency of zoonotic spillover in recent decades, emerging vector-borne diseases from nonhuman primates pose a significant threat to global public health. Understanding transmission dynamics driven by arthropod vectors between wildlife populations is critical for surveillance, modeling, and mitigation. Elevated canopy-level sampling is a valuable approach for elucidating vector behavior and sylvatic transmission.

Influence of a cardiac rehabilitation programme on the return to work of workers with ischaemic heart disease: Influence of a cardiac rehabilitation programme.

This study aimed to examine the employment status of patients who have experienced ischemic heart disease one year after undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. For this, a quasi-experimental pre-post study without a control group of active workers aged 18 to 65 years diagnosed with ischemic heart disease and included in a cardiac rehabilitation programme was conducted. Sociodemographic and occupational data, cardiovascular risk factors and clinical-therapeutic data on heart disease were collected.

Harnessing plant growth-promoting bacteria (Herbaspirillum seropedicae) from an optimal mineral nitrogen supply: A study on improving nitrogen use efficiency in marandu palisadegrass.

Increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) remains a crucial topic in contemporary agriculture. Inoculation with endophytic diazotrophic bacteria offers a potential solution, but the results vary with the N-fertilization regime. Here, we examined the efficacy of inoculation with Herbaspirillum seropedicae strain HRC54 in enhancing NUE and promoting the growth of Marandu palisadegrass with varying levels of N-urea (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg N kg soil⁻).

Cognition, physical function and life purpose in the rural elderly population: a systematic review.

Introduction: Aging in rural areas is challenging and has very specific characteristics in the way these elderly people live their old age, from the perspectives of cognition, functionality and life purpose. There is a lack of information and data in the literature on how people age in rural areas around the world. The aim of this study was to identify and describe how people age in rural areas, focusing on the following domains: cognition, physical function/functionality and life purpose.

Plasmid Stability Analysis with Open-Source Droplet Microfluidics.

Plasmids play a vital role in synthetic biology by enabling the introduction and expression of foreign genes in various organisms, thereby facilitating the construction of biological circuits and pathways within and between cell populations. For many applications, maintaining functional plasmids without antibiotic selection is critical. This study introduces an open-hardware-based microfluidic workflow for analyzing plasmid retention by culturing single cells in gel microdroplets and quantifying microcolonies using fluorescence microscopy.

Diverticulosis and neoplastic lesions in screening colonoscopy: a large, multicenter study.

Background: Data on the potential association between diverticulosis and colonic neoplastic lesions are still controversial. We investigated this issue in subjects who underwent screening colonoscopy.

Methods: We reviewed the data of subjects with a positive fecal immunological test who underwent a first colonoscopy in the national colorectal screening program.

Predictive factors of health related quality of life in children and adolescents with celiac disease: An Italian multicenter study on behalf of the SIGENP.

Background: In pediatric patients, celiac disease (CD) may influence the health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Aims: The study aimed to assess HRQoL and further characterise the clinical factors associated with reduced HRQoL, in a large multicenter pediatric cohort with CD.

Methods: The disease-specific questionnaire CD Dutch Questionnaire (CDDUX) and the generic questionnaire Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) were used to assess the HRQoL.

The mediating roles of perceived social support and resilience in the relationship between earthquake anxiety and traumatic experiences among earthquake survivors in Turkey.

Background: The devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey have left profound psychological impacts on those affected, with anxiety and trauma being particularly prevalent. Understanding the factors that can mitigate these effects is important for developing effective interventions.

Objective: This study seeks to analyse the intermediary functions of perceived social support (PSS) and resilience within the correlations linking earthquake-induced anxiety and the occurrence of traumatic experiences after the seismic event in Turkey.

Exploring the relationship between upwelling intensity and socio-ecological attributes of marine exploitation areas for benthic resources (MEABRs), along the southern Humboldt Current system.

The Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS) sustains some of the most productive marine systems on Earth. Within each of these systems, the upwelling process exhibits spatial and temporal variation resulting in marked differences in upwelling intensity and seasonality along extensive coastlines. The study of this variation is well needed, given the magnitude of the services provided by upwelling, and the impending impacts of global warming on EBUS.

Population size, income and poor sanitation interact to explain widespread streamwater contamination by antidepressants in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo.

The expansion of urban settlements over native environments may expose biodiversity to a host of emerging contaminants, with unintended ecological effects. This study evaluated patterns of contamination of streamwater by antidepressants in the Upper Tietê River Basin, a watershed of high social, economic and environmental relevance for comprising both the largest urban settlement in South America (the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo) and remnants of a globally important biodiversity hotspot (the Atlantic Rainforest). We sampled 53 third-order streams draining catchments regularly distributed across a gradient in urban cover.

Partial versus radical cystectomy in localized colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: Locally advanced colorectal tumors frequently invade adjacent organs, particularly the urinary bladder in the sigmoid colon and upper rectum, complicating multivisceral resections. This study compared postoperative outcomes of partial cystectomy (PC) and total cystectomy (TC) in patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Central Register of Clinical Trials, and Web of Science for studies published up to November 2024.

Didemnins as marine-derived anticancer agents: mechanistic insights and clinical potential.

Didemnins, a class of cyclic depsipeptides derived from marine organisms exhibit notable anticancer properties. Among them, Didemnin B has been extensively researched for its strong antitumor activity and progression to clinical trials. Nonetheless, its clinical application has been impeded by challenges like poor bioavailability and dose-limiting toxicity.

Nutritional Strategies for Battling Obesity-Linked Liver Disease: the Role of Medical Nutritional Therapy in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) Management.

Purpose Of Review: This narrative review explores the role of Medical Nutritional Therapy (MNT) in managing Metabolic-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), previously known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. It aims to examine the effectiveness of specific nutritional strategies in preventing and treating this obesity-linked liver disease.

Recent Findings: Emerging evidence underscores the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, low-carbohydrate diets, and intermittent fasting in reducing liver fat, improving insulin sensitivity, and mitigating inflammation.

Effect of combined aerobic exercise and resistance training on postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There is no strong evidence demonstrating whether or not aerobic exercise in conjunction with resistance exercise improves metabolic diabetes markers in postmenopausal women.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of aerobic exercise and resistance training on metabolic markers in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: The searches were completed using EMBASE, MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases.

Enhancing Corneal Sensitivity in Diabetic Patients Through an Innovative Ophthalmic Solution: In Vivo and Vitro Results.

: Diabetes is a well-recognised factor inducing a plethora of corneal alterations ranging from dry eye to reduced corneal sensibility, epithelial defects, and reduced cicatrisation. This cohort study aimed to assess the efficacy of a novel ophthalmic solution combining cross-linked hyaluronic acid (CHA), chondroitin sulfate (CS), and inositol (INS) in managing diabetes-induced corneal alterations. Specifically, it evaluated the solution's impact on the tear breakup time (TBUT), the ocular surface disease index (OSDI), and corneal sensitivity after three months of treatment.

The Thermal Ablation with MRgFUS: From Physics to Oncological Applications.

The growing interest in minimal and non-invasive therapies, especially in the field of cancer treatment, highlights a significant shift toward safer and more effective options. Ablative therapies are well-established tools in cancer treatment, with known effects including locoregional control, while their role as modulators of the systemic immune response against cancer is emerging. The HIFU developed with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance enables treatment precision, improves real-time procedural control, and ensures accurate outcome assessment.

Association Between Physical Fitness and Cardiovascular Health in Chilean Schoolchildren from the Metropolitan Region.

Cardiovascular diseases increasingly impact youth, with early development of risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, and inadequate nutrient intake. Proper nutrient intake and physical fitness are vital for reducing these risks, especially in pediatric populations. This study explores the connection between physical fitness, metabolic risk, and nutrient status among 1656 Chilean schoolchildren from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

Nutritional Status of Patients with Neoplasms Undergoing Ambulatory Chemotherapy and Associated Factors.

Background/objectives: Cancer, a leading cause of mortality globally and in Brazil, is influenced by environmental and behavioral factors, often linked to nutritional deficiencies such as low body mass index and muscle wasting, exacerbating prognostic outcomes and mortality rates. Timely nutritional interventions during chemotherapy are pivotal, necessitating continuous nutritional assessment for effective patient care management. This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of non-metastatic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and identify factors influencing their nutritional status.

Lifestyle Factors Associated with Children's and Adolescents' Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Living in Mediterranean Countries: The DELICIOUS Project.

Traditional dietary patterns are being abandoned in Mediterranean countries, especially among younger generations. This study aimed to investigate the potential lifestyle determinants that can increase adherence to the Mediterranean diet in children and adolescents. This study is a cross-sectional analysis of data from five Mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal, Egypt, and Lebanon) within the context of the EU-funded project DELICIOUS (UnDErstanding consumer food choices & promotion of healthy and sustainable Mediterranean Diet and LIfestyle in Children and adolescents through behavIOUral change actionS).

Roles of CDR2 and CDR2L in Anti-Yo Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration: A Literature Review.

Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) is a rapidly progressive, immune-mediated syndrome characterized by the degeneration of Purkinje cells, often associated with the presence of antibodies targeting intracellular antigens within these cells. These autoantibodies are implicated in the induction of cytotoxicity, leading to Purkinje cell death, as demonstrated in in vitro models. However, the precise roles of antibodies and T lymphocytes in mediating neuronal injury remain a subject of ongoing research, with T cells appearing to be the main effectors of cerebellar injury.