Evaluation of Heterogeneity in the Coding Region of BRAF, MAP2K1, and MAP2K2 Genes in Primary and Metastatic Melanomas.

Introduction: The incidence of melanoma has been increasing in recent decades. BRAF mutations appear in 50%-70% of melanomas. The BRAF-targeted therapy increased the disease-free survival of patients with metastatic melanoma, but this response may be short, due to several resistance mechanisms, such as the presence of other subclones with mutations.

Validation of Clinical Protocol of Astigmatism Induction in Pseudophakic Patients.

Purpose: Validate a novel approach for assessing residual astigmatism's impact on visual acuity in pseudophakic patients using defocus curves and spherical equivalent compensation.

Materials And Methods: Thirteen patients over 40 with cataracts and normal ophthalmological examinations were enrolled in a prospective, non-randomized cohort study. The defocus curve method was employed, wherein visual acuity was measured with spherical lenses ranging from -2.

Unveiling Patient Expectations: Insights From a Cross-Sectional Study on Facial Aesthetic Treatments.

Background: Patient expectations play a crucial role in aesthetic treatments, influencing satisfaction of treatment outcomes.

Objective: To explore and assess the expectations of 102 participants undergoing various cosmetic interventions using the FACE-Q expectations scale.

Materials And Methods: Participants, aged 20 to 64 years, seeking different facial aesthetic procedures completed the FACE-Q expectations scale before treatment.

Virtual reality interventions and their effects on the cognition of individuals with Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurocognitive disorder in the world and impacts the individual's cognitive functions and functionality in the early stages of the condition. Virtual reality (VR) interventions can assist in non-pharmacological treatment in a more ecological way, positively impacting cognitive abilities. However, there are few studies on VR exclusively involving people with AD in randomized controlled trials.

Estimated Rates of Retinal Ganglion Cell Loss with Aging.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of aging on estimated retinal ganglion cell (RGC) counts over time in healthy eyes, obtained from a combination of structural and functional information.

Design: Longitudinal observational cohort study.

Participants: One hundred healthy eyes of 50 subjects.

Does Unilateral High-Load Resistance Training Influence Strength Change in the Contralateral Arm Also Undergoing High-Load Training?

Training one limb with a high-load has been shown to augment strength changes in the opposite limb training with a low-load (via cross-education of strength), indicating that within-subject models can be problematic when investigating strength changes. This study examined if the cross-education of strength from unilateral high-load training could augment the strength changes in the opposite arm undergoing the same unilateral high-load training. 160 participants were randomized to one of four groups: (1) training on the dominant arm followed by the non-dominant arm (D + ND), (2) training on the dominant arm only (D-Only), (3) training on the non-dominant arm only (ND-Only), and (4) a non-exercise control.

Increase in beta frequency phase synchronization and power after a session of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to the primary motor cortex.

High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the primary motor cortex (M1) is used to treat several neuropsychiatric disorders, but the detailed temporal dynamics of its effects on cortical connectivity remain unclear. Here, we stimulated four cortical targets used for rTMS (M1; dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex, DLPFC; anterior cingulate cortex, ACC; posterosuperior insula, PSI) with TMS coupled with high-density electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) to measure cortical excitability and oscillatory dynamics before and after active- and sham-M1-rTMS. Before and immediately after active or sham M1-rTMS (15 ​min, 3000 pulses at 10 ​Hz), single-pulse TMS-evoked EEG was recorded at the four targets in 20 healthy individuals.

Eplingiella fruticosa leaf essential oil complexed with β-cyclodextrin exerts a neuroprotective effect in an Alzheimer's disease animal model induced by Streptozotocin.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is physiopathologically marked by an accumulation of beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ), hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, inflammation, and oxidative stress in the brain tissue. While new drugs for AD have been approved, novel treatments are still needed. Eplingiella fruticosa (EF) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which may be beneficial against AD.

Prenatal Ultrasound Markers of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes in Newborns With Simple and Complex Gastroschisis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare prenatal ultrasound markers and perinatal outcomes in newborns with simple and complex gastroschisis.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed on pregnant women with gastroschisis fetuses and their respective newborns between 2009 and 2019. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the best prenatal ultrasound markers of complex gastroschisis and adverse perinatal outcomes.

Psychosocial Impact of Facial Paralysis Following Neck Dissection: A Literature Review.

Facial paralysis, a common complication of neck dissection due to facial nerve injuries, results not only in the loss of facial mimicry but also significantly affects patients' quality of life, particularly in terms of psychosocial perception - an aspect often overlooked by medical teams. This study aims to evaluate the psychosocial impact and perceptions of patients who developed lower third facial paralysis following marginal mandibular nerve injury during neck dissection. A total of 445 postoperative patients who underwent head and neck tumor resection with neck dissection were assessed, of which 217 experienced some degree of facial paralysis.

Clinical and histomorphometric evaluation of the vagina following treatment with CO laser, radiofrequency, and promestriene for genitourinary syndrome of menopause in breast cancer survivors on adjuvant therapy.

Purpose: To perform clinical and histomorphometric evaluations of the vagina before and after treatment for genitourinary syndrome of menopause with CO laser, fractional radiofrequency, and promestriene in breast cancer survivors using adjuvant endocrine therapy.

Methods: The study included women experiencing moderate to severe genitourinary syndrome of menopause. Following pre- and post-treatment protocols, participants graded their symptoms on a visual analog scale and underwent a gynecological examination to evaluate the Vaginal Health Index and obtain a vaginal biopsy.

The Effect of Isometric Handgrip Training With and Without Blood Flow Restriction on Changes in Resting Blood Pressure.

To investigate the effects of high-intensity contractions and low-intensity contractions with and without blood flow restriction on changes in blood pressure and hemodynamic parameters. A total of 179 participants (18-35 years) were randomly assigned to one of three training groups that exercised 3 times per week for six weeks or a non-exercise control group. The groups are as follows: 1) Control [CON,  = 44]; 2) completed 4 sets of two-minute isometric contractions at 30% maximal voluntary contraction [LI,  = 47]; 3) completed 4 sets of two-minute isometric contractions at 30% maximal voluntary contraction with a 12 cm cuff inflated to 50% of arterial occlusion pressure [LI+BFR,  = 41]; or 4) completed 4 maximal isometric contractions lasting 5 seconds [MAX,  = 47].

Challenges in congenital heart disease in the Amazon region countries: A scoping review.

Introduction: This study aimed to systematically analyze and describe the main challenges of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in the countries in the Amazon region.

Methods: The methodology followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist utilizing the Medline, Embase, Lilacs, and Google Scholar databases. The inclusion criteria were articles addressing any topic involving CHD in the Amazon region.

Efficacy of Chitosan-N-Arginine Chitosomes in mRNA Delivery and Cell Viability Enhancement.

Cationic lipid-based carriers are recognized for their ability to complex with mRNA and effectively deliver the mRNA for vaccination and therapeutic purposes. However, the significant cytotoxicity of these carriers often restricts their practical application. In the present study, polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles, termed chitosomes, incorporating chitosan-N-arginine (CSA) with the DOTAP cationic lipid and the DOPE helper lipid, were synthesized and evaluated.

Blood Pressure Control and Clinical Outcomes After Renal Denervation Through Irrigated Catheter Radiofrequency Ablation in Patients with Resistant Hypertension: A Case Series with Up to 10 Years of Follow-Up.

Introduction: The long-term efficacy of renal denervation (RDN) has not been extensively documented.

Aim: To describe the long-term follow-up of patients after RDN.

Methods: We evaluated patients with resistant hypertension (RH) who underwent RDN with irrigated catheter from 2012 to 2014 at a single centre.

Mindfulness and trial-based cognitive therapy for the psychological well-being in the judiciary: A controlled and randomized study protocol.

Introduction: The judiciary sector faces high absenteeism due to mental health issues, yet applying effective therapies like mindfulness and trial-based cognitive therapy (TBCT) remains unexplored.

Objectives: Develop and apply Mindfulness-Integrated Trial-Based Cognitive Therapy (M-TBCT) in the judiciary to assess its acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy in enhancing psychological well-being and reducing depression, anxiety, and improving self-care.

Methods: Conduct a controlled, randomized study in two phases: Phase 1 involves a pilot study to structure the M-TBCT protocol and test its acceptability and feasibility in the judiciary ( = 30); Phase 2, an efficacy trial with 90 participants, comparing M-TBCT to a waitlist.

Surgery and the first 8000 days of life: a review.

The first 8000 days of life, from birth to adulthood, encompasses critical phases that shape a child's health and development. While global health efforts have focused on the first 1000 days, the next 7000 days (ages 2-21) are equally vital, especially concerning the unmet burden of surgical conditions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Approximately 1.

Larvicidal activity of terpenes and their derivatives against Aedes aegypti: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) is the primary arthropod vector responsible for the transmission of dengue, which is present in more than one hundred countries. The application of synthetic larvicides is one of the most common strategies used for dengue control, but their prolonged use can cause larvicide resistance or tolerance, environmental damage, and have toxic effects on human and animal health. Thus, faced with this problem, there have been increasing efforts to find alternative larvicides against Ae.

Effects of multidisciplinary therapy on energy balance, inflammation, and metabolic diseases in adolescents with obesity: A narrative review.

Obesity is a consequence of multiple factors, including genetics, lifestyle and nutritional choices, physical activity, sleep duration, screen time, and mood disorders. These behavioral elements can impair the regulation of energy balance and obesity management that link obesity to a constellation of chronic conditions that lead to a high prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Multidisciplinary therapy is defined as an approach delivered by a multidisciplinary-trained health team covering at least two components of behavior, physical activity/exercise, dietary habits, and/or psychological counseling associated with clinical interventions.

The effects of an educational intervention on women's contraceptive preferences in the immediate postpartum period: A cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To assess postpartum women's contraceptive preferences and the impact of an educational intervention on these preferences, identifying factors motivating method choices.

Method: This cross-sectional quantitative study included women within 48 h after delivery in a public Brazilian hospital. Participants were asked about their contraceptive preferences before and after an educational intervention, which aimed to inform women about the importance of early postpartum contraception, available methods, mechanisms of action, effectiveness, proper use, and side effects.