Harnessing Big Heterogeneous Data to Evaluate the Potential Impact of HIV Responses Among Key Populations in Sub-Saharan Africa: Protocol for the Boloka Data Repository Initiative.

Background: In South Africa, there is no centralized HIV surveillance system where key populations (KPs) data, including gay men and other men who have sex with men, female sex workers, transgender persons, people who use drugs, and incarcerated persons, are stored in South Africa despite being on higher risk of HIV acquisition and transmission than the general population. Data on KPs are being collected on a smaller scale by numerous stakeholders and managed in silos. There exists an opportunity to harness a variety of data, such as empirical, contextual, observational, and programmatic data, for evaluating the potential impact of HIV responses among KPs in South Africa.

Efficacy of lactoferrin supplementation in pediatric infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Pediatric infections account for approximately one-third of all deaths in children under 5 globally. Lactoferrin (LF) supplementation has the potential to reduce infection-related morbidity due to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of oral LF supplementation randomized controlled trials (RCT) in population under 18 years old.

Prefrontal 5α-reductase 2 mediates male-specific acute stress response.

A key response to acute stress is the increased brain synthesis of the neurosteroid allopregnanolone (AP). Although the rate-limiting step of this reaction is catalyzed by 5α-reductase (5αR), the role of its two primary isoenzymes, 5αR1 and 5αR2, in stress reactivity remains unclear. Here, we found that acute stress led to increased levels of 5αR2, but not 5αR1, in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of male, but not female, rats.

New spirometry recommendations from the Brazilian Thoracic Association - 2024 update.

The latest pulmonary function guideline from the Brazilian Thoracic Association was published in 2002, since which there have been updates to international guidelines (mainly those from the European Respiratory Society and the American Thoracic Society), as well as new national and international publications on various aspects of the performance, interpretation, and clinical implications of spirometry. Despite those updates, a careful analysis of what applies to the reality in Brazil is essential, because there have been studies that evaluated individuals who are representative of our population and who could show responses different from those of individuals in other regions of the world. This document is the result of the work of a group of specialists in pulmonary function who evaluated relevant scientific articles that could be applicable to the population of Brazil.

Comparison of Lean, Obese, and Weight Loss Models Reveals TREM2 Deficiency Attenuates Breast Cancer Growth Uniquely in Lean Mice and Alters Clonal T Cell Populations.

Obesity is an established risk factor for breast cancer development and poor prognosis. The adipose environment surrounding breast tumors, which is inflamed in obesity, has been implicated in tumor progression, and TREM2, a transmembrane receptor expressed on macrophages in adipose tissue and tumors, is an emerging therapeutic target for cancer. A better understanding of the mechanisms for the obesity-breast cancer association and the potential benefits of weight loss could help inform treatment strategies.

Sex Differences in Long COVID.

Importance: A substantial number of individuals worldwide experience long COVID, or post-COVID condition. Other postviral and autoimmune conditions have a female predominance, but whether the same is true for long COVID, especially within different subgroups, is uncertain.

Objective: To evaluate sex differences in the risk of developing long COVID among adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Perception of Quality of Life by Primary Caregivers of Children with Congenital Zika Syndrome: a Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) of caregivers of children diagnosed with CZS and to assess the association of findings with socioeconomic and CZS-associated variables.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, quantitative study, carried out over three days of multidisciplinary care for patients with CZS. Sixty-four participants underwent a quality of life assessment using the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) in Portuguese.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Stem Cell Therapies for Pain in Diabetic Neuropathy, Osteoarthritis, and Spinal Cord Injuries.

Purpose Of Review: The use of stem cell therapy is a rapidly evolving and progressing frontier of science that has been used to treat illnesses such as malignancies, immunodeficiencies, and metabolic syndromes. This review aims to give an overview of the use of stem cell therapy in the treatment of pain caused by diabetic neuropathy, osteoarthritis, and other spinal cord pathologies.

Recent Findings: Pain is defined as a generalized or localized feeling of distress related to a physical or emotional stimulus and can be caused by a multitude of pathologies.

Chemical and temporal manipulation of early steps in protein assembly tunes the structure and intermolecular interactions of protein-based materials.

The Drosophila intrinsically disordered protein Ultrabithorax (Ubx) undergoes a series of phase transitions, beginning with noncovalent interactions between apparently randomly organized monomers, and evolving over time to form increasingly ordered coacervates. This assembly process ends when specific dityrosine covalent bonds lock the monomers in place, forming macroscale materials. Inspired by this hierarchical, multistep assembly process, we analyzed the impact of protein concentration, assembly time, and subphase composition on the early, noncovalent stages of Ubx assembly, which are extremely sensitive to their environment.

Exploring Cervical Adenocarcinoma: Epidemiological Insights, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenges, and Pathogenetic Mechanisms.

Background: Cervical cancer poses a significant threat to women's health and encompasses various histological types, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), cervical adenocarcinoma (CA), and adenosquamous carcinoma. CA, in particular, presents a formidable challenge in clinical management due to its low early detection rate, pronounced aggressiveness, high recurrence rate, and mortality, compounded by the complexities associated with late-stage treatment. There is limited understanding of the similarities and differences in the pathogenesis mechanisms between CA and SCC, such as tumor heterogeneity and the tumor immune microenvironment (TME).

Trends, Characteristics and Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors With STEMI.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women. While advances in detection and treatment have improved survival, breast cancer survivors face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, limited data exist on cardiac outcomes after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in this population.

Smartphone Thermal Imaging as an Adjunct to Identify Free Flap Perforators and Assisting Flap Design: A Pilot Study.

Background: The main technique for identification of free flap perforator vessels is Doppler sonography, which is not always accurate, user dependent and affected by the patient's body habitus.

Methods: Adult patients undergoing head and neck resection and free flap reconstruction at two academic institutions were enrolled. Doppler sonography was used to identify perforators, and were marked using a skin marker.

Osteoclast visualization: Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity staining using NewFuchsin compatible with non-aqueous mounting and tissue clearing.

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining is widely used to stain osteoclasts in histological bone sections. The red dye formed by the conventional TRAP enzymatic reaction using naphthol AS-MX (or AS-BI) phosphate and fast red-violet (or garnet) chromogens is readily soluble in alcohol or xylene and requires air-drying prior to cover slipping or the use of an aqueous mounting medium. However, the use of an aqueous mounting medium makes it difficult to store stained specimens for a long time.

Characterizing executive functioning and associated behaviors in individuals with dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A () syndrome.

Introduction: , a protein kinase located on human chromosome 21, plays a role in postembryonic neuronal development and degeneration. Alterations to have been consistently associated with cognitive functioning and neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g.

Should we consider microbiota-based interventions as a novel therapeutic strategy for schizophrenia? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder characterized by a variety of symptoms broadly categorized into positive, negative, and cognitive domains. Its etiology is multifactorial, involving a complex interplay of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors, and its neurobiology is associated with abnormalities in different neurotransmitter systems. Due to this multifactorial etiology and neurobiology, leading to a wide heterogeneity of symptoms and clinical presentations, current antipsychotic treatments face challenges, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic approaches.

Clinical and surgical factors influencing screw breakage during hardware removal following periacetabular osteotomy.

Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is a procedure used to treat patients with hip dysplasia. Current literature reports symptomatic hardware removal (HWR) rates of 13.6% following PAO.

Efficacy and safety of Jianpi Qinghua granules for non-erosive reflux disease with spleen deficiency and damp-heat syndrome: a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), the most frequent phenotype of gastroesophageal reflux disease, presents without visible esophageal mucosal damage but significantly impacts patients' quality of life. Current treatments like proton pump inhibitors show limited efficacy for many NERD patients, necessitating alternative approaches. Jianpi Qinghua (JQ) granules, a traditional Chinese medicine, have shown promise in treating NERD by targeting symptoms of spleen deficiency and damp-heat syndrome.

Does Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Use Modify All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Associated with PM and Its Components? A Nationally Representative Cohort Study (2007-2017).

Several studies reported that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use could alleviate subclinical effects of short-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM). However, whether chronic NSAID use could mitigate the long-term effects of PM and its components on population mortality has been unknown. Based on a national representative survey of 47,086 adults (2007-2010) with follow-up information on the primary cause of death (until 2017), we investigated the long-term associations of PM and its major components, including black carbon (BC), ammonium (NH ), nitrate (NO ), organic matter (OM), and sulfate (SO ), with all-cause and cause-specific mortality using the Cox proportional hazards model.

Update on the treatment navigation for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B: expert consensus 2.0.

As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements.

TCF19 Enhances Glioma Cell Proliferation via Modulating the Β-Catenin Signaling Pathway through Accelerating DHX32 Transcription.

Background: Transcription factor 19 (TCF19) is considered a crucial transcription factor and acts as an oncogene in a few cancers. Nevertheless, the effect and mechanism of TCF19 on glioma remain unknown.

Objective: This research aimed to explore the function of TCF19 on glioma progression and clarify the potential mechanism.

Reliability of Central Vein Sign Imaging With 3T FLAIR* in a Multicenter Study.

Background And Purpose: The central vein sign (CVS) is a diagnostic imaging biomarker for multiple sclerosis (MS). FLAIR* is a combined MRI contrast that provides high conspicuity for CVS at 3 Tesla (3T), enabling its sensitive and accurate detection in clinical settings. This study evaluated whether CVS conspicuity of 3T FLAIR* is reliable across imaging sites and MRI vendors and whether gadolinium (Gd) contrast increases CVS conspicuity.

Effects of parental psychological control on mobile phone addiction among college students: the mediation of loneliness and the moderation of physical activity.

Objective: Prior studies have shown that parental psychological control is linked to an increased risk of mobile phone addiction. Nevertheless, few studies have analyzed the potential mechanisms that may mediate or moderate this association. This study aims to investigate the role of loneliness as a mediator in the relationship between parental psychological control and mobile phone addiction, as well as the potential moderating effect of physical activity on this mediation process.

Gross recurrent laryngeal nerve invasion by extranodal extension in thyroid carcinoma.

Background: Lymphatic metastasis commonly occurs in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma and medullary thyroid carcinoma. The clinical and imaging characteristics of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) invasion by extranodal extension (ENE) of metastatic lymph nodes remain understudied. This study aimed to evaluate these characteristics in patients with thyroid carcinoma.

A computational tool to infer enzyme activity using post-translational modification profiling data.

Enzymes play a pivotal role in orchestrating complex cellular responses to external stimuli and environmental changes through signal transduction pathways. Despite their crucial roles, measuring enzyme activities is typically indirect and performed on a smaller scale, unlike protein abundance measured by high-throughput proteomics. Moreover, it is challenging to derive the activity of enzymes from proteome-wide post-translational modification (PTM) profiling data.