Circulating extracellular vesicles and neutrophil extracellular traps contribute to endothelial dysfunction in preeclampsia.

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complication characterized by hypertension, proteinuria, endothelial dysfunction, and complement dysregulation. Placenta-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), necessary in maternal-fetal communication, might contribute to PE pathogenesis. Moreover, neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a pathogenic role in other complement-mediated pathologies, and their contribution in PE remains unexplored.

Expert Perspective: Management of Relapses in Giant Cell Arteritis.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a relapsing large-vessel vasculitis with risk of serious ischemic manifestations including vision loss and vascular damage in the form of large-artery stenosis, aneurysms and dissections. Approximately 50% of patients treated with glucocorticoid (GC) monotherapy and 30% of patients receiving adjunctive therapy with tocilizumab experience disease relapses, often during the first 2 years after diagnosis. Although most relapses in GCA do not involve life- or organ-threatening presentations and can be controlled successfully, frequent relapses may lead to increased use of GC and consequent treatment-related morbidity, in addition to risk of further vascular damage.

Vaccination coverage and access among children and adult migrants and refugees in the Middle East and North African region: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The Middle East and North African (MENA) region is a major global hotspot for migration with more than 40 million migrants, who may be an under-vaccinated group because of barriers to vaccination within countries of origin, transit, and destination. We systematically synthesised the evidence on coverage, acceptance, drivers of uptake, and policies pertaining to vaccination for children and adult migrants in the region, in order to explore tailored interventions for these groups.

Methods: We searched six databases (including Medline, Embase) for peer-reviewed literature, and other websites (including WHO, IOM, ministries of health) for grey literature on coverage, acceptance, drivers of uptake and policies for any vaccination in migrants in the MENA region from between 2000 and 27 August 2024 in any language.

Deep-amplicon sequencing of the complete beta-tubulin gene in Trichuris trichiura before and after albendazole treatment.

Concerns about the emergence of benzimidazole resistance in soil-transmitted helminths (STH) infections, particularly against Trichuris trichiura, have arisen. Previous studies of veterinary nematodes have linked benzimidazole resistance to single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at three specific codons in the beta-tubulin gene, but similar associations in STH have not been consistently observed. In this work, we screened the complete beta-tubulin gene previously linked to benzimidazole resistance in T.

Impact of oral azithromycin and intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine regimen on child mortality in Sierra Leone: trial protocol for a randomised, two-arm, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial (ICARIA).

Background: Azithromycin has been shown to be beneficial in preventing infectious diseases, including malaria, infectious diarrhoea and pneumonia. A cluster randomised control trial on azithromycin MDA in children in Niger, Malawi and Tanzania found a reduction in all-cause under-five (U5) mortality in communities who received azithromycin compared to placebo. However, the reduction was largest and statistically significant only in Niger.

Influences on androgen deprivation therapy prescribing before surgery in high-risk prostate cancer.

Objectives: To understand how best to further reduce the inappropriate use of pre-surgical androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), we investigated the determinants (influences) of ADT prescribing in urologists in two European countries using an established behavioural science approach. Additionally, we sought to understand how resource limitations caused by COVID-19 influenced this practice. Identification of key determinants, of undistributed and disrupted practice, will aid development of future strategies to reduce inappropriate ADT prescribing in current and future resource-limited settings.

Percutaneous femoral venoarterial ECMO decannulation at the bedside using the Manta vascular closure device.

A case of peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation decannulation using the Teleflex Manta vascular closure device is presented.

Baseline gut microbiota diversity and composition and albendazole efficacy in hookworm-infected individuals.

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections account for a significant global health burden, necessitating mass drug administration with benzimidazole-class anthelmintics, such as albendazole (ALB), for morbidity control. However, ALB efficacy shows substantial variability, presenting challenges for achieving consistent treatment outcomes. We have explored the potential impact of the baseline gut microbiota on ALB efficacy in hookworm-infected individuals through microbiota profiling and machine learning (ML) techniques.

Assessment of Holmium:YAG, Pulsed-Thulium:YAG and Thulium Fiber Lasers for Urinary Stone Ablation. Study.

To evaluate the ablation speed (AS), laser efficiency and direct thermal lesions during urinary stone lithotripsy with the current available laser technologies: Holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG), pulsed-Thulium:YAG (p-Tm:YAG) and thulium fiber laser (TFL) using different laser settings. Ho:YAG, p-Tm:YAG, and TFL laser system were used in an ureteral model with a volume of 125 mm Begostone. The following parameters were tested across all laser devices: 0.

A guide for the generation of repositories of clinical samples for research on Chagas disease.

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects over 6 million people, mainly in Latin America. Two different clinical phases, acute and chronic, are recognised. Currently, 2 anti-parasitic drugs are available to treat the disease (nifurtimox and benznidazole), but diagnostic methods require of a relatively complex infrastructure and trained personnel, limiting its widespread use in endemic areas, and the access of patients to treatment.

Effect of Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction during pregnancy on placental volume and perfusion: A subanalysis of the IMPACT BCN randomized clinical trial.

Introduction: The IMPACT BCN trial-a parallel-group randomized clinical trial where 1221 pregnant women at high risk for small-for-gestational age (SGA) newborns were randomly allocated at 19- to 23-week gestation into three groups: Mediterranean diet, Mindfulness-based Stress reduction or non-intervention-has demonstrated a positive effect of Mediterranean diet and Stress reduction in the prevention of SGA. However, the mechanism of action of these interventions remains still unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Mediterranean diet and Stress reduction on placental volume and perfusion.

Retrospect, advances and challenges in Chagas disease diagnosis: a comprehensive review.

Chagas disease, caused by , affects millions worldwide. The 2030 WHO roadmap aims to eliminate it as a public health concern, emphasising the need for timely diagnosis to enhance treatment access. Current diagnostic algorithms, which rely on multiple tests, have prolonged turnaround times.

Evaluation and validation of a PrintrLab-based LAMP assay to identify Trypanosoma cruzi in newborns in Bolivia: a proof-of-concept study.

Background: Vertical transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi represents approximately 20% of new Chagas disease cases. Early detection and treatment for women of childbearing age and newborns is a public health priority, but the lack of a simple and reliable diagnostic test remains a major barrier. We aimed to evaluate the performance of a point-of-care loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for the detection of T cruzi.

Management of deceased and living kidney donor with lithiasis: a multicenter retrospective study on behalf of the renal transplant group of the Spanish urological association.

Background: To maximize the availability of suitable grafts and ensure effective management, several reports have demonstrated successful outcomes when using kidney grafts with urolithiasis. This multicenter study reports on the management and long-term outcomes of kidney transplantation using renal grafts with lithiasis.

Methods: Retrospective data from three Spanish hospitals were analyzed for kidney transplants involving grafts with nephrolithiasis performed between December 2009 and August 2023.

N-acetylglucosamine supplementation fails to bypass the critical acetylation of glucosamine-6-phosphate required for Toxoplasma gondii replication and invasion.

The cell surface of Toxoplasma gondii is rich in glycoconjugates which hold diverse and vital functions in the lytic cycle of this obligate intracellular parasite. Additionally, the cyst wall of bradyzoites, that shields the persistent form responsible for chronic infection from the immune system, is heavily glycosylated. Formation of glycoconjugates relies on activated sugar nucleotides, such as uridine diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc).

The Mediterranean Diet in Pregnancy: Implications for Maternal Brain Morphometry in a Secondary Analysis of the IMPACT BCN Randomized Clinical Trial.

Introduction: A Mediterranean diet has positive effects on the brain in mid-older adults; however, there is scarce information on pregnant individuals. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a structured Mediterranean diet intervention on the cortical structure of the maternal brain during pregnancy.

Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of the IMPACT BCN, a randomized clinical trial with 1221 high-risk pregnant women randomly allocated into three groups at 19-23 weeks of gestation: Mediterranean diet intervention, a mindfulness-based stress reduction program, or usual care.

How to be a good reviewer: A step-by-step guide for approaching peer review of a scientific manuscript.

Objectives: The peer review process is critical to maintaining quality, reliability, novelty, and innovation in the scientific literature. However, the teaching of scientific peer review is rarely a component of formal scientific or clinical training, and even the most experienced peer reviewers express interest in continuing education. The objective of this review article is to summarize the collective perspectives of experienced journal editors about how to be a good reviewer in a step-by-step guide that can serve as a resource for the performance of peer review of a scientific manuscript.