Wastewater Monitoring During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Veneto Region, Italy: Longitudinal Observational Study.

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic has affected populations around the world, there has been substantial interest in wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) as a tool to monitor the spread of SARS-CoV-2. This study investigates the use of WBE to anticipate COVID-19 trends by analyzing the correlation between viral RNA concentrations in wastewater and reported COVID-19 cases in the Veneto region of Italy.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the cumulative sum (CUSUM) control chart method in detecting changes in SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in wastewater and its potential as an early warning system for COVID-19 outbreaks.

Prevalence of High-Risk CTA-Based Carotid Plaque-RADS Subtypes in Patients With Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source.

Background: A modified computed tomography angiography (CTA)-based Carotid Plaque Reporting and Data System (Plaque-RADS) classification was applied to a cohort of patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source to test whether high-risk Plaque-RADS subtypes are more prevalent on the ipsilateral side of stroke. With the widespread use of CTA for stroke evaluation, a CTA-based Plaque-RADS would be valuable for generalizability.

Methods: A retrospective observational cross-sectional study was conducted at a single integrated health system comprised of 3 hospitals with a comprehensive stroke center between October 1, 2015, and April 1, 2017.

Sex-Specific Clinical and Genetic Factors Associated With Adverse Outcomes in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Females with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy present at a more advanced stage of the disease and have a higher risk of heart failure and death. The factors behind these differences are unclear. We aimed to investigate sex-related differences in clinical and genetic factors affecting adverse outcomes in the Sarcomeric Human Cardiomyopathy Registry.

Effectiveness of a home-based computerized cognitive training in Parkinson's disease: a pilot randomized cross-over study.

Introduction: Cognitive symptoms are common in Parkinson's Disease (PD), and digital interventions like telerehabilitation other an accessible way to manage these symptoms. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a Home-Based Computerized Cognitive Training (HB-CCT) program in individuals with PD using a pilot randomized cross-over design.

Methods: Twenty-five participants (mean age 69.

Intestinal permeability, food antigens and the microbiome: a multifaceted perspective.

The gut barrier encompasses several interactive, physical, and functional components, such as the gut microbiota, the mucus layer, the epithelial layer and the gut mucosal immunity. All these contribute to homeostasis in a well-regulated manner. Nevertheless, this frail balance might be disrupted for instance by westernized dietary habits, infections, pollution or exposure to antibiotics, thus diminishing protective immunity and leading to the onset of chronic diseases.

Arthroscopic Stabilization of Recurrent Anterior Shoulder Instability Using Two Anchors, One Single-Loaded plus One Double-Loaded; a Prospective Study with Modified Technique.

Objectives: Anterior shoulder instability with minimal glenoid bone loss has several options for Bankart repair. We aimed to evaluate the results of a modified technique using two anchors with double and single loaded suture (three stitches in total) in arthroscopic Bankart surgery.

Methods: Thirty-eight patients underwent arthroscopic Bankart surgery and were assessed after an average 40 months follow-up.

Corrigendum: Bi-specific autoantigen-T cell engagers as targeted immunotherapy for autoreactive B cell depletion in autoimmune diseases.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.

Immune response profiling of HERV-W envelope proteins in multiple sclerosis: potential biomarkers for disease progression.

Introduction: The envelope proteins syncytin-1 and pHERV-W from the Human Endogenous Retroviral family 'W' (HERV-W) have been identified as potential risk factors in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aims to evaluate both humoral and cell-mediated immune response to antigenic peptides derived from these proteins across different clinical forms and inflammatory phases of MS.

Methods: Indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to measure immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses to syncytin-1 and pHERV-W peptides in MS patients.

The experience of Italian student athletes enrolled in a dual career university program: the challenges of employability.

Introduction: In the so-called "new career era," career transitions and employability have attracted growing attention. For elite athletes, the Dual Career experiences may be regarded as a protective factor during various career transitions, with the end-of-career transition being closely linked to employability. This contribution aims to explore the dual career paths of athletes through the lens of graduate employability, as perceived by the individuals themselves.

Evidence for direct dopaminergic connections between substantia nigra pars compacta and thalamus in young healthy humans.

The substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), one of the main dopaminergic nuclei of the brain, exerts a regulatory function on the basal ganglia circuitry via the nigro-striatal pathway but its possible dopaminergic innervation of the thalamus has been only investigated in non-human primates. The impossibility of tract-tracing studies in humans has boosted advanced MRI techniques and multi-shell high-angular resolution diffusion MRI (MS-HARDI) has promised to shed more light on the structural connectivity of subcortical structures. Here, we estimated the possible dopaminergic innervation of the human thalamus via an MS-HARDI tractography of the SNc in healthy human young adults.

Organoids and spheroids: advanced models for liver cancer research.

Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, highlighting the need for innovative approaches to understand its complex biology and develop effective treatments. While traditional animal models have played a vital role in liver cancer research, ethical concerns and the demand for more human-relevant systems have driven the development of advanced models. Spheroids and organoids have emerged as powerful tools due to their ability to replicate tumor microenvironment and facilitate preclinical drug development.

A Novel Homozygous Mutation Causes Ovarian Dysgenesis and Primary Amenorrhea.

Context: Despite a growing number of studies, the genetic etiology in many cases of ovarian dysgenesis is incompletely understood.

Objectives: This work aimed to study the genetic etiology causing absence of spontaneous pubertal development, hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, and primary amenorrhea in 2 sisters.

Methods: Whole-exome sequencing was performed on DNA extracted from peripheral lymphocytes of 2 Palestinian sisters born to consanguineous parents.

Effects of mosquito-proofing storm drains on adult and larvae mosquito abundance: Protocol of the IDAlErt storm drAin randomiSed controlled trial (IDEAS).

and mosquitoes, known for spreading arboviruses like dengue and West Nile, thrive in cities, posing health risks to urban populations. Climate change can create suitable climatic conditions for these vectors to spread further in Europe. Cities contain numerous landscape and infrastructure elements, such as storm drains, that allow stagnant water build-up facilitating mosquito breeding.

Atacama Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (AtLAST) science: Probing the transient and time-variable sky.

The study of transient and variable events, including novae, active galactic nuclei, and black hole binaries, has historically been a fruitful path for elucidating the evolutionary mechanisms of our universe. The study of such events in the millimeter and submillimeter is, however, still in its infancy. Submillimeter observations probe a variety of materials, such as optically thick dust, which are hard to study in other wavelengths.

Determinants of variations in sleep patterns across Brazil: Exploring geographic influences.

Objective: To examine the influence of latitude, longitude, sunrise, and daylight, in conjunction with individual and behavioral factors, on sleep duration, wake time, and bedtime in a country with the world's broadest latitude range, yet characterized by homogeneity in language, cultural traits, and consistent time zones.

Methods: Participants (n = 1440; 18-65y) were part of a virtual population-based survey (2021-22). Sleep patterns were spatially represented through maps using Multilevel B-spline Interpolation.

Claudin 18.2: An attractive marker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a highly aggressive tumor with limited treatment options. Zolbetuximab, a monoclonal antibody against the tight junction protein Claudin 18.2 has recently been developed.

Ultraviolet-Induced Fluorescence Dermoscopy, a Novel Diagnostic Technique in Dermatological Practice: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Ultraviolet-induced fluorescence dermoscopy (UVF dermoscopy) is a novel diagnostic technique for identifying and diagnosing numerous skin tumors, inflammatory dermatoses, and infectious diseases. The ultraviolet (UV) band has a wavelength ranging from 10 to 400 nm. When intense UV radiation with shorter wavelengths strikes a target chromophore, visible light (VL) with a longer wavelength and lower energy is produced in the skin.

Comprehensive evaluation of the toxicological effects of commonly encountered synthetic cathinones using in silico methods.

Synthetic cathinones (SCs), a group of new psychoactive substances (NPS), are designer molecules with hallucinogenic and psychostimulatory effects. Although the structural similarities of SCs to amphetamines suggest that they may have similar toxicity profiles to those of amphetamine congeners, little is known about SCs from a toxicological point of view. In the present study, the toxicity profiles of commonly encountered SCs ( = 65), listed in the 2020 Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), were evaluated using in silico methods.

An overview of heat stress in Chickpea ( L.): effects, mechanisms and diverse molecular breeding approaches for enhancing resilience and productivity.

Unlabelled: Chickpea (. L) holds the esteemed position of being the second most cultivated and consumed legume crop globally. Nevertheless, both biotic and abiotic constraints limit chickpea production.

Somatic mutations and DNA methylation identify a subgroup of poor prognosis within lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes.

Lower risk (LR) myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous hematopoietic stem and progenitor disorders caused by the accumulation of somatic mutations in various genes including epigenetic regulators that may produce convergent DNA methylation patterns driving specific gene expression profiles. The integration of genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic profiling has the potential to spotlight distinct LR-MDS categories on the basis of pathophysiological mechanisms. We performed a comprehensive study of somatic mutations and DNA methylation in a large and clinically well-annotated cohort of treatment-naive patients with LR-MDS at diagnosis from the EUMDS registry (ClinicalTrials.

Long-term Impact of Carotid Endarterectomy on Choroidal and Choriocapillaris Perfusion: The INFLATE Study.

Purpose: When performed for clinically significant carotid artery stenosis (CAS), the long-term impact of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) on choroidal and choriocapillaris (CC) circulation was studied using swept-source OCT angiography.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Participants: Patients with clinically significant CAS undergoing unilateral CEA.