Emotional distress and affective knowledge representation one year after the COVID-19 outbreak.

This study examines whether the detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the affectivity of the population extend one year after the outbreak. In an online-mobile session, participants completed surveys (i.e.

Characteristics of ChatGPT users from Germany: Implications for the digital divide from web tracking data.

A major challenge of our time is reducing disparities in access to and effective use of digital technologies, with recent discussions highlighting the role of AI in exacerbating the digital divide. We examine user characteristics that predict usage of the AI-powered conversational agent ChatGPT. We combine behavioral and survey data in a web tracked sample of N = 1376 German citizens to investigate differences in ChatGPT activity (usage, visits, and adoption) during the first 11 months from the launch of the service (November 30, 2022).

Kidney and gallbladder stones and the risk of prostate cancer: Results from the EPICAP study.

Background: Prostate cancer remains the most frequent cancer among men, representing a significant health burden. Despite its high morbidity and mortality rates, the etiology of prostate cancer remains relatively unknown, with only non-modifiable established risk factors. Chronic inflammation has emerged as a potential factor in prostate carcinogenesis.

Quality Diversity under Sparse Interaction and Sparse Reward: Application to Grasping in Robotics.

Quality-Diversity (QD) methods are algorithms that aim to generate a set of diverse and highperforming solutions to a given problem. Originally developed for evolutionary robotics, most QD studies are conducted on a limited set of domains'mainly applied to locomotion, where the fitness and the behavior signal are dense. Grasping is a crucial task for manipulation in robotics.

Walking or hanging: the role of habitat use for body shape evolution in lacertid lizards.

Differences in habitat use impose ecological constraints which in turn lead to functional and morphological differences through adaptation. In fact, a convergent evolutionary pattern is evident when species exhibit similar responses to similar environments. In this study we examine how habitat use influences the evolution of body shape in lizards from the family Lacertidae.

Lack of context modulation in human single neuron responses in the medial temporal lobe.

In subjects implanted with intracranial electrodes, we use two different stories involving the same person (or place) to evaluate whether and to what extent context modulates human single-neuron responses. Nearly all neurons (97% during encoding and 100% during recall) initially responding to a person/place do not modulate their response with context. Likewise, nearly none (<1%) of the initially non-responsive neurons show conjunctive coding, responding to particular persons/places in a particular context during the tasks.

The Novel HLA-DPB1*1617:01 Allele Characterised by Two Different Sequencing-Based Typing Techniques.

The novel allele HLA-DPB1*1617:01 differs from HLA-DPB1*05:01:01:01 by one non-synonymous nucleotide substitution in exon 2.

Antiparasitic Activities of Plants from the Traditional Senegalese Pharmacopoeia: Isolation of Antitrypanosomal and Antileishmanial ellagic acid derivatives from Terminalia avicennioides.

Parasitic diseases such as trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis pose significant health challenges in Africa. The Senegalese Pharmacopoeia, known for its many medicinal plants with anti-infectious properties, can be a source of antiparasitic natural products. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antiparasitic activities of 33 methanolic extracts from 24 ethnopharmacologically selected plants against Trypanosoma brucei brucei and Leishmania mexicana mexicana, as well as their cytotoxic activities on WI-38 cells.

The Second Round of a Population-Based Seroprevalence Study of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and COVID-19 Vaccination Assessment in the Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, after five waves of COVID-19 and 1 year after introduction of vaccination to better understand the true extent of the COVID-19 pandemic in the population of the Republika Srpska and role of vaccination in achieving herd immunity.

Methods: The population-based study was conducted from December 2021 to February 2022 in a group of 4463 individuals in the Republika Srpska. Total anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were determined in serum specimens using the Wantai total antibody ELISA assay.

An Overview of In Vitro Models of Alcohol-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption is the leading cause of death due to chronic liver disease. Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) encompasses a broad spectrum of clinical and pathological features, ranging from asymptomatic and reversible pathologies to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a highly prevalent and deadly liver cancer. Indeed, alcohol consumption is one of the main worldwide etiologies of HCC.

The Novel HLA-B*40:02:39 Allele Characterised by Two Different Sequencing-Based Typing Techniques.

The novel allele HLA-HLA-B*40:02:39 differs from HLA-B*40:02:01:01 by one synonymous nucleotide substitution in exon 2.

Enlightening the invisible: Applications, limits and perspectives of intraoperative fluorescence in neurosurgery.

Introduction: The introduction of intraoperative fluorophores represented a significant advancement in neurosurgical practice. Nowadays they found different applications: in oncology to improve the visualization of tumoral tissue and optimize resection rates and in vascular neurosurgery to assess the exclusion of vascular malformations or the permeability of bypasses, with real-time intraoperative evaluations.

Research Question: A comprehensive knowledge of how fluorophores work is crucial to maximize their benefits and to incorporate them into daily neurosurgical practice.

Coronal alignment in normal individuals and moderate scoliosis: Normative values, variation with age and comparison with sagittal alignment.

Introduction: Global coronal alignment is mainly assessed by C7 plumbline and central sacral vertical line (CSVL), pelvic obliquity and shoulder alignment. A detailed analysis is mandatory when treating spinal deformity. It remains unclear to what extent mild scoliosis influences global coronal alignment.

Extracellular vesicles: from intracellular trafficking molecules to fully fortified delivery vehicles for cancer therapeutics.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as viable tools in cancer treatment due to their ability to carry a wide range of theranostic activities. This review summarizes different forms of EVs such as exosomes, microvesicles, apoptotic bodies, and oncosomes. It also sheds the light onto isolation methodologies, characterization techniques and therapeutic applications of all discussed EVs.

Common insect pests in homes and cultural heritage sites.

Insect pests represent a threat to the integrity of historic buildings and homes, causing serious losses and irreversible damage. These pests can cause extensive damage to organic materials, including wood, textiles, and paper. Beetles, termites, booklice, moths, and cockroaches are just some of the main insect pests that are frequently found in historic buildings and homes.

synthesis of degradable polymer prodrug nanoparticles.

The synthesis of degradable polymer prodrug nanoparticles is still a challenge to be met, which would make it possible to remedy both the shortcomings of traditional formulation of preformed polymers (, low nanoparticle concentrations) and those of the physical encapsulation of drugs (, burst release and poor drug loadings). Herein, through the combination of radical ring-opening polymerization (rROP) and polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) under appropriate experimental conditions, we report the successful preparation of high-solid content, degradable polymer prodrug nanoparticles, exhibiting multiple drug moieties covalently linked to a degradable vinyl copolymer backbone. Such a rROPISA process relied on the chain extension of a biocompatible poly(ethylene glycol)-based solvophilic block with a mixture of lauryl methacrylate (LMA), cyclic ketene acetal (CKA) and drug-bearing methacrylic esters by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization at 20 wt% solid content.

Unusual Cause of Ventricular Arrhythmia.

Although relatively rare, cardiac metastases represent a significant clinical challenge because of their impact on cardiac function and overall patient prognosis. This case presents a rare and atypical presentation of a patient with ventricular arrhythmia revealing a metastatic cancer in the heart. A 59-year-old man with lung cancer was admitted for chest tightness and episodes of syncope.

Clinical Presentation and Percutaneous Treatment of Hemolytic Anemia Associated With Paravalvular Leak After TAVR.

Paravalvular leak (PVL) following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is an established complication, albeit rarely associated with hemolytic anemia. This report details 3 cases of significant hemolytic anemia attributed to TAVR-induced PVL, each with distinct clinical presentations and manifestations. These cases underscore the diverse and occasionally subtle clinical presentation of aortic PVL-associated hemolytic anemia.

Evaluation of two methods for counting residual leukocytes in leukoreduced packed red cells: Flow cytometry and fully automated cell counter.

Background And Objectives: Objective of the study is to explore the possibility of utilization of seven part fully automated hematology analyzer for enumeration of residual leukocytes (residual white blood cells [rWBCs]) in leukoreduced packed red cells (LR-PRCs) prepared from whole blood at a blood center as an alternate to the gold standard method, flow cytometry. In this study, we evaluate the performance characteristic of hematology analyzer against flow cytometry for the estimation of rWBCs in 39 LR-PRC units.

Materials And Methods: PRCs prepared from whole blood donations by 39 donors were leukoreduced and their volumes were noted.

Fine-Scale Genetic Structure of Small Fish Populations in Islands: The Case of Brook Charr (Mitchill, 1814) in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (France).

Island ecosystems, particularly vulnerable to environmental challenges, host many endangered native species. Diadromous fish, in particular, are threatened throughout their marine and freshwater habitats. The conservation of these species requires an in-depth understanding of their genetic diversity and structure, to better understand their adaptive potential.

Homologous In-Radiolabeled Platelet Survival and Sequestration Exploration for Refractory Immunologic Thrombocytopenic purpura in Children: A Strategy to Avoid Unnecessary Splenectomy.

Immunologic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a condition that affects four to 18 per 100 000 children every year. In most cases, spontaneous remission occurs, but splenectomy may be proposed. Exploring the site of platelet sequestration can help to better predict potential poor responders to splenectomy, but In-radiolabeled platelet scintigraphy (IPS) can be difficult to perform in children with very few platelets.

Neonatal Giant Cardiac Fibroma With Coronary Involvement: Successful Surgical Treatment.

Cardiac fibroma is the second most common childhood cardiac tumor. Coronary arteries are typically unaffected. A 5-month-old infant received a diagnosis of giant cardiac fibroma with coronary involvement.