Prevalence, aetiology and antimicrobial resistance profile of diabetic individuals suffering from community-acquired urinary tract infection.

The rise in antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to global health, particularly among diabetic patients who are prone to urinary tract infections (UTIs). Pathogens that cause UTI among diabetic patients exhibit significant multidrug resistance (MDR) patterns, necessitating more precise empirical treatment strategies..

Simulated microgravity predisposes kidney to injury through promoting intrarenal artery remodeling.

Spaceflight-induced multi-organ dysfunction affects the health of astronauts and the safety of in-orbit flight. However, the effect of microgravity on the kidney and the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In the current study, we used a hindlimb unweighting (HU) animal model to simulate microgravity and employed histological analysis, ischemia-reperfusion experiments, renal ultrasonography, bioinformatics analysis, isometric force measurement, and other molecular experimental settings to evaluate the effects of microgravity on the kidneys and the underlying mechanisms involved in this transition.

Temperature Exposure and Psychiatric Symptoms in Adolescents From 2 European Birth Cohorts.

Importance: Climate change can adversely affect mental health, but the association of ambient temperature with psychiatric symptoms remains poorly understood.

Objective: To assess the association of ambient temperature exposure with internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems in adolescents from 2 population-based birth cohorts in Europe.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study analyzed data from the Dutch Generation R Study and the Spanish INMA (Infancia y Medio Ambiente) Project.

Brain Function Outcomes of Recent and Lifetime Cannabis Use.

Importance: Cannabis use has increased globally, but its effects on brain function are not fully known, highlighting the need to better determine recent and long-term brain activation outcomes of cannabis use.

Objective: To examine the association of lifetime history of heavy cannabis use and recent cannabis use with brain activation across a range of brain functions in a large sample of young adults in the US.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study used data (2017 release) from the Human Connectome Project (collected between August 2012 and 2015).

Enhancing Medication Safety: Reducing Administration Errors in Oncology Setting.

Purpose: This project aimed to minimize medication errors and improve safe medication administration in an oncology setting in Muscat, Oman.

Methods: The study, spanning from the second quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023, employed a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design, assessing key performance indicators (medication error and medication administration errors rates per 1000 patient days) on quarterly basis before and after implementing targeted interventions.  Interventions focused on medication management processes and Healthcare Informatics System (HIS), Environment and equipment, and Education The project utilized the FOCUS PDCA (find, organize, clarify, understand, select, plan, do, check and act) methodology.

The p16 Immunostaining Predicts the Risk of Recurrence in Prostate Cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the influence of p16 immunohistochemical expression on the biochemical recurrence rate of pT2-pT3 prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: A total of 488 pT2-pT3 stage prostate adenocarcinomas undergoing radical prostatectomy were included in this study. Following a review of Gleason classification and retrieval of sociodemographic and clinicopathological data, as well as the date of last consultation and biochemical recurrence, immunohistochemistry for p16 was performed.

Investigation of Genetic Polymorphisms Related GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 Genes and their Association with Radiotherapy Toxicity among Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

Background: In this study we explored the association of polymorphisms of glutathione s transferase gene including GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 with adverse acute normal tissue reactions resulted from radiotherapy in HNC patients. We assessed the association of GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes and Ile105Val of exon-5 and Ala114Val of exon-6 of GSTP1 gene polymorphisms with the risk of acute skin toxicity reactions after therapeutic radiotherapy in HNC patients.

Methods: Four hundred HNC patients administered with Intensity modulated radiation therapy were enrolled in this study for the evaluation of radiotherapy associated toxicity reactions.

Development of optical microneedle-lens array for photodynamic therapy.

Recently, photodynamic therapy (PDT) which involves a photosensitizer (PS), a special drug activated by light, and light irradiation has been widely used in treating various skin diseases such as port-wine stain as well as cancers such as melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. PDT comprises two general steps: the introduction of PS into the body or a specific spot to be treated, and the irradiation process using a light source with a specific wavelength to excite the PS. Although PDT is gaining great attention owing to its potential as a targeted approach in the treatment of skin cancers, several limitations still exist for practical use.

Assessing Preferences of Patients with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria for Injectable Treatment Profiles.

Background: In the context of injectable biologic products approved or in development for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), it is important to capture which treatment attributes matter most to patient and what trade-offs patients are willing to make.

Objectives: The CHOICE-CSU study aimed to quantify patient preferences toward injectable treatment attributes among patients with CSU, inadequately controlled by H1-antihistamines.

Methods: This was a two-phase cross-sectional patient preference study in adult patients with a diagnosis of CSU, inadequately controlled by H1-antihistamines.

Molecular docking and differential rbcl gene expression reveal variation in glyphosate herbicide tolerance of sugarcane varieties.

Background: Glyphosate is an extensively employed herbicide in agriculture, specifically for sugarcane cultivation. The situation is different with the extensive physiological and genetic effects exerted by this herbicide on a range of plant species, including sugarcane, whose model basis is still poorly characterized, although its primary mode of action, which acts on the EPSPS enzyme in the shikimic acid pathway, is completely elucidated. The current study was aimed at investigating the stability of glyphosate formulation, molecular interactions of glyphosate formulation with rbcL enzyme associated with chlorophyll metabolism, and its effects on varieties of sugarcane.

Effectiveness and safety of the use of sodium nitrite in patients with hypertension and pulmonary hypertension: a scoping review.

Evidence suggests that sodium nitrite may be effective in the treatment of hypertension and pulmonary hypertension. However, its use remains debated due to safety concerns. In response, a scoping review was conducted to map current knowledge on the efficacy and safety of sodium nitrite in patients with hypertension or pulmonary hypertension, addressing the question: What evidence supports the effectiveness and safety of using sodium nitrite in these patients? The databases MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and LILACS were searched for clinical studies on hypertensive patients at any disease stage without restrictions on age, sex, ethnicity, publication date, or status.

Apigenin exhibits memory enhancing activity through the restoration of oxido-endocrine balance and upregulation of BDNF/ERK/CREB signalling pathways in stressed mice.

Stress is linked to oxidative imbalance, neuroendocrine system malfunction, and cognitive dysfunction. It is a recognized cause of neuropsychiatric diseases. Natural flavonoid apigenin (API) has neuroprotective and antidepressant properties, but little is known about its potential in restoring memory function under stress-related circumstances.

Comprehensive Echocardiographic Protocol for Pigs with Emphasis on Diastolic Function: Advantages over MRI Assessment.

Swine are increasingly utilized in cardiovascular research due to their anatomical and physiological similarities to humans, particularly for studying diastolic dysfunction. While MRI offers excellent structural imaging, echocardiography provides superior real-time assessment of diastolic parameters. To address the lack of standardized methods and reduce variability across studies, we present a comprehensive guide for performing echocardiography in Yorkshire pigs, detailing anatomical considerations, equipment requirements, and technical approaches.

Photoregulation of the biosynthetic activity of fungus using colloidal solutions of biogenic metal nanoparticles and low-intensity laser radiation.

This article presents new data on the integrated use of colloidal solutions of nanoparticles and low-intensity laser radiation on the biosynthetic activity of the medicinal mushroom . Traditional mycological methods, colloidal solutions of biogenic metals, and unique photobiological methods have also been used. It was found that colloidal solutions of nanoparticles of all metals used increased the growth characteristics of (55-60%), while irradiation of the fungal inoculum with laser light in a medium with nanoparticles reduced the growth activity of mycelia by 12.

Larsucosterol for the Treatment of Alcohol-Associated Hepatitis.

Background: Larsucosterol is a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor in development for alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH), a disease for which there is no approved therapy.

Methods: In this phase 2b trial, patients with severe AH were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive 30 mg or 90 mg of larsucosterol or placebo; a second dose was administered after 72 hours if the patient remained hospitalized. All patients received supportive care as determined by investigators.

Development of Potent and Selective CK1α Molecular Glue Degraders.

Molecular glue degraders (MGDs) are small molecules that facilitate proximity between a target protein and an E3 ubiquitin ligase, thereby inducing target protein degradation. Glutarimide-containing compounds are MGDs that bind cereblon (CRBN) and recruit neosubstrates. Through explorative synthesis of a glutarimide-based library, we discovered a series of molecules that induce casein kinase 1 alpha (CK1α) degradation.

Aging and sex differences in salt sensitivity of blood pressure.

Salt sensitivity of blood pressure (SSBP) is a complex physiological trait characterized by changes in blood pressure in response to dietary salt intake. Aging introduces an additional layer of complexity to the pathophysiology of SSBP, with mitochondrial dysfunction, epigenetic modifications, and alterations in gut microbiota emerging as critical factors. Despite advancements in understanding these mechanisms, the processes driving increased salt sensitivity with age and their differential impacts across sexes remain unclear.

Synthesis and biological investigation of peptidomimetic SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors bearing quinoline-based heterocycles at P.

In the last few years, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been the cause of a worldwide pandemic, highlighting the need for novel antiviral agents. The main protease (M) of SARS-CoV-2 was immediately identified as a crucial enzyme for viral replication and has been validated as a drug target. Here, we present the design and synthesis of peptidomimetic M covalent inhibitors characterized by quinoline-based P moieties.

Hydrocortisone Attenuates the Development of Malformations of the Polymicrogyria Spectrum.

Most of the malformations of the polymicrogyria spectrum are caused by destructive lesions of the neocortex during the third trimester of pregnancy, triggered by hypoxic-ischemic, hemorrhagic or infectious events, with neuroinflammation as a common pathophysiological mechanism. Our study investigated hydrocortisone treatment in attenuating inflammation, malformations development and seizures predisposition in mice subjected to neonatal transcranial freeze lesion. Our results show attenuation of malformation and predisposition to febrile seizures, with concomitant reduction of macrophages/microglia after neonatal freeze lesion, polarizing them towards an anti-inflammatory profile.

Comparative Evaluation of 4% Articaine and 2% Lignocaine Anesthetic Agents in Children: A Split-mouth Randomized Control Trial.

Aim: The objective of the present study is to assess and compare the effectiveness of two different anesthetic agents, namely, 4% articaine and 2% lignocaine, in the extraction of primary molar teeth in children.

Materials And Methods: The study included 25 children requiring bilateral extractions of primary molar, with extraction performed on one side with 4% articaine and the contralateral side extraction with 2% lignocaine at two separate appointments. The anesthetic efficacy was evaluated objectively by assessing pain and the child's behavior at baseline, during injection and during extraction using the sound, eye, and motor (SEM) scale objectively, and subjectively using the faces pain rating scale (FPS).

A Natural Autophagy Activator Castanea crenata Flower Alleviates Skeletal Muscle Ageing.

Background: Sarcopenia, characterized by a gradual decline in skeletal muscle mass and function with age, significantly impacts both quality of life and mortality. Autophagy plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle health. There is growing interest in leveraging autophagy to mitigate muscle ageing effects.

Impact of antibiotic prophylaxis on gut microbiota in colorectal surgery: insights from an Eastern European stewardship study.

Introduction: Antibiotic overuse is driving a global rise in antibiotic resistance, highlighting the need for robust antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) initiatives to improve prescription practices. While antimicrobials are essential for treating sepsis and preventing surgical site infections (SSIs), they can inadvertently disrupt the gut microbiota, leading to postoperative complications. Treatment methods vary widely across nations due to differences in drug choice, dosage, and therapy duration, affecting antibiotic resistance rates, which can reach up to 51% in some countries.

Development and characterisation of a novel complex triple cell culture model of the human alveolar epithelial barrier.

Unlabelled: Owing to increased pressure from ethical groups and the public to avoid unnecessary animal testing, the need for new, responsive and biologically relevant in vitro models has surged. Models of the human alveolar epithelium are of particular interest since thorough investigations into air pollution and the effects of inhaled nanoparticles and e-cigarettes are needed. The lung is a crucial organ of interest due to potential exposures to endogenous material during occupational and ambient settings.

Comparative dissection of transcriptional landscapes of human iPSC-NK differentiation and NK cell development.

Clinical and preclinical research has demonstrated that iPSC-derived NK (iNK) cells have a high therapeutic potential, yet poor understanding of the detailed process of their differentiation and their counterpart cell development has hindered therapeutic iNK cell production and engineering. Here we dissect the crucial differentiation of both fetal liver NK cells and iNK cells to enable the rational design of advanced iNK production protocols. We use a comparative analysis of single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) to pinpoint key factors lacking in the induced setting which we hypothesized would hinder iNK differentiation and/ or functionality.