Changes in eating habits and lifestyle during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic across metropolitan regions in Brazil and Germany: A survey-based cross-sectional study.

COVID-19 caused profound societal changes to cope rapidly with the new circumstances. The food market changed its quantity, quality, form, and frequency dynamics. Consequently, food-eating habits and lifestyles like physical exercise likely experienced changes.

Reduced exercise capacity occurs before intrinsic skeletal muscle dysfunction in experimental rat models of pulmonary hypertension.

Reduced exercise capacity in pulmonary hypertension (PH) significantly impacts quality of life. However, the cause of reduced exercise capacity in PH remains unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate whether intrinsic skeletal muscle changes are causative in reduced exercise capacity in PH using preclinical PH rat models with different PH severity.

Probiotics supplementation in the treatment of male infertility: A Systematic Review.

Infertility is a widespread global issue that affects approximately 15% of sexually active and active couples, which contributes to about 50% of cases. Currently, the condition remains prevalent and often inadequately treated. This systematic review aims to evaluate existing studies investigating the effects of probiotic supplementation in men.

Distribution of insulin in primate brain following nose-to-brain transport.

Introduction: Nose-to-brain (N2B) insulin delivery has potential for Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapy. However, clinical implementation has been challenging without methods to follow N2B delivery non-invasively. Positron emission tomography (PET) was applied to measure F-18-labeled insulin ([F]FB-insulin) from intranasal dosing to brain uptake in non-human primates following N2B delivery.

Approach using the bath preparation containing rice extract for severe pruritus in a patient receiving hemodialysis: A case report.

Severe pruritus in a hemodialysis patient who had difficulty applying topical medication markedly reduced with the use of bath preparation containing rice extract. The bath preparation could be effective and an option for treating pruritus.

Nanostructured electrocatalysts for organic synthetic transformations.

Organic chemists have made and are still making enormous efforts toward the development of novel green catalytic synthesis. The necessity arises from the imperative of safeguarding human health and the environment, while ensuring efficient and sustainable chemical production. Within this context, electrocatalysis provides a framework for the design of new organic reactions under mild conditions.

Association Between Pharmacy Proximity With Cardiovascular Medication Use and Risk Factor Control in the United States.

Background: Poor neighborhood-level access to health care, including community pharmacies, contributes to cardiovascular disparities in the United States. The authors quantified the association between pharmacy proximity, antihypertensive and statin use, and blood pressure (BP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) among a large, diverse US cohort.

Methods And Results: A cross-sectional analysis of Black and White participants in the REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study during 2013 to 2016 was conducted.

Initiation of oral hepatitis C virus treatment: Which barriers are pertinent for ambulatory individuals with a history of illicit substance use? A qualitative interview study.

Background And Aims: The World Health Organization has set a goal to eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV) by the year 2030. Nonadherence to HCV treatment has substantial economic implications due to high treatment costs, among others. Barriers to start HCV treatment may be critical.

Multimodal nanoparticle-containing modified suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid polymer conjugates to mitigate immune dysfunction in severe inflammation.

Excessive immune activation and immunosuppression are opposing factors that contribute to the dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses seen in severe inflammation and sepsis. Here, a novel analog of the histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi), suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA-OH), was incorporated into immunomodulatory poly(lactic acid)-based nanoparticles (iNP-SAHA) by employing a prodrug approach through the covalent modification of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) with SAHA-OH. iNP-SAHA formulation allowed for controlled incorporation and delivery of SAHA-OH from iNP-SAHA and treatment led to multimodal biological responses including significant reductions in proinflammatory cytokine secretions and gene expression, while increasing the survival of primary macrophages under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge.

Enantioselective Switch and Potential Applications in Biocatalysis.

Enantioselectivity has always been a key feature of enzymatic synthesis. In some cases, when enzymes are not strictly enantioselective, by tuning the reaction conditions it is possible to induce an enantioselective switch. A transaminase from Halomonas elongata (ω-HeWT), while generally S-selective, could be shifted towards generating the R-enantiomer at higher concentrations of amino acceptor or ionic strength, for example.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and associated risk factors during the second wave of infection in a university community in Cameroon.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a public health emergency in all sectors of society, including universities and other academic institutions in Cameroon. However, little is known concerning the real prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections among student communities during the second wave of infection in Cameroon. This study aimed to estimate SARS-CoV-2 antibodies seroprevalence among participants in a university community in Cameroon.

Natural killer cells for pancreatic cancer immunotherapy: Role of nanoparticles.

Advanced pancreatic cancer patients have a dismal prognosis despite advances in integrative therapy. The field of tumor immunology has witnessed significant advancements for cancer treatment. However, immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer is not very effective due to its highly complex tumor microenvironment (TME).

Efficacy and safety of different dual antiplatelet strategies in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is key for preventing ischaemic events post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Various DAPT modifications like the shortened duration or P2Y12 inhibitor (P2Y12i) de-escalation are implemented to reduce bleeding risk. However, these strategies lack direct comparative studies.

Commentary: Making Space for Reading as a Faculty Member.

In academia, significant emphasis is given to the importance of writing. However, reading may be given less prominence in faculty work lives. The purpose of this commentary is to explore the educator's relationship with academic reading, habits that support this practice, and points of reflection for creating space for reading in our professional lives.

Research progress on the effects and mechanisms of anesthetics on neural stem cells.

Exposure to anesthetic drugs has been proven to seriously affect developing animals in terms of neural stem cells' (NSCs') proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. This can severely hamper the development of physiological learning and memory skills. Studies on the effects of anesthetics on NSCs' proliferation and differentiation are thus reviewed here, with the aim to highlight which specific drug mechanisms are the least harmful to NSCs.

Elevated serotonin in mouse spinal dorsal horn is pronociceptive.

Serotonergic neurons in the rostral ventral medulla (RVM) contribute to bidirectional control of pain through modulation of spinal and trigeminal nociceptive networks. Deficits in this pathway are believed to contribute to pathological pain states, but whether changes in serotonergic mechanisms are pro or anti-nociceptive are debated. We used a combination of optogenetics and fiber photometry to examine these mechanisms more closely.

[Unlicensed drugs in Iceland in the years 2020 and 2021 with comparison to Sweden in 2020].

Introduction: Prescriptions of unlicensed drugs along with public discussion have increased in recent years. The cause of this increase is unclear.

Material And Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study of applications of unlicensed drugs in Iceland in the years 2020 and 2021, as well as applications in Sweden for the year 2020.

Estrogen-Related Receptor Gamma Gene Therapy Promotes Therapeutic Angiogenesis and Muscle Recovery in Preclinical Model of PAD.

Background Peripheral arterial disease and critical limb ischemia are cardiovascular complications associated with vascular insufficiency, oxidative metabolic dysfunction, and myopathy in the limbs. Estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRγ) has emerged as a dual regulator of paracrine angiogenesis and oxidative metabolism through transgenic mouse studies. Here our objective was to investigate whether postischemic intramuscular targeting of ERRγ via gene therapy promotes ischemic recovery in a preclinical model of peripheral arterial disease/critical limb ischemia.

Phytochemicals and bioactive compounds effective against acute myeloid leukemia: A systematic review.

This systematic review identified various bioactive compounds which have the potential to serve as novel drugs or leads against acute myeloid leukemia. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematopoietic malignancy that arises from the dysregulation of cell differentiation, proliferation, and cell death. The risk factors associated with the onset of AML include long-term exposure to radiation and chemicals such as benzene, smoking, genetic disorders, blood disorders, advancement in age, and others.