Topical Application onto the Eyelid Skin: Is it a Feasible Delivery Route of Ophthalmic Drugs?

Topical application of ophthalmic drugs remains to be the preferred delivery method. Eye drops lead the pharmaceutical forms due to ease of application. Despite the poor bioavailability of drugs administered topically, especially related to the dilution and excretion by tear fluid, the absence of controlled drug delivery, and the poor compliance within pediatric and senior populations, eye drops and ointments are still the first choices in eye--related disorders management.

A Menu for Microbes: Unraveling Appetite Regulation and Weight Dynamics Through the Microbiota-Brain Connection Across the Lifespan.

Appetite, as the internal drive for food intake, is often dysregulated in a broad spectrum of conditions associated with over- and under-nutrition across the lifespan. Appetite regulation is a complex, integrative process comprising psychological and behavioral events, peripheral and metabolic inputs, and central neurotransmitter and metabolic interactions. The microbiota-gut-brain axis has emerged as a critical mediator of multiple physiological processes, including energy metabolism, brain function, and behavior.

Impact of ultrasound settings on lung vertical artefacts: an observational study in mechanically ventilated patients.

Introduction: The number of vertical artefacts (VAs) in lung ultrasound (LUS) impacts patients' clinical management. This study aimed to demonstrate the influence of ultrasound settings on the number of VAs in patients under invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV).

Methods: Patients under IMV were recruited for LUS, including three breathing cycles with a motionless curvilinear probe on the thoracic region with the most VAs.

Cryogenic, but not hypothermic, preservation disrupts the extracellular matrix of cell sheets.

Cell sheet (CS)-based approaches hold significant potential for tissue regeneration, relying on the extracellular matrix (ECM) for success. Like in native tissues, the ECM provides structural and biochemical support for cellular homeostasis and function. Effective preservation strategies that maintain ECM integrity are critical to enhance the therapeutic potential of CS-based approaches.

Long-term monitoring data on (Newman, 1838) (Coleoptera, Rutelidae) across the Azorean Islands.

Background: The Japanese Beetle, Newman, 1838 (Coleoptera, Rutelidae), is a univoltine agricultural pest that poses a serious threat to various agricultural crops. For more than 16 years, the Azorean official authorities have implemented a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) programme that is crucial for understanding the dynamics of insect pests, such as the Japanese Beetle, and their impacts on agricultural ecosystems. The significance of this long-term monitoring extends beyond understanding the pest's life cycle.

Exploring environmental risk in soils: Leveraging open data for non-sampling assessment?

Soil contamination by heavy metals (HM) is a critical area of research. Traditional methods involving sample collection and lab analysis are effective but costly and time-consuming. This study explores whether geostatistical analysis with GIS and open data can provide a faster, more precise, and cost-effective alternative for HM contamination assessment without extensive sampling.

Towards targeted cancer therapy: Synthesis, characterization, and biological activity of a new Cu(II)-ibuprofen-2,2'-dipyridylamine metal complex.

This work reports the synthesis of a copper metal complex with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ibuprofen, and 2,2'-dipyridylamine employing microwave-assisted synthesis (MWAS). To the best of authors knowledge, this is the first study reporting a NSAID-based complex achieved through MWAS. The coordination compound was characterised by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry.

The influence of age on brief motivational intervention for unhealthy alcohol use.

Introduction: The influence of age on brief motivational interventions (BMI) effects remains unknown. In the present study, we explored whether change in alcohol consumption after BMI differs across age groups and whether these differences are reflected in motivational interviewing (MI) counsellor skills.

Method: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial among emergency room (ER) patients screened for unhealthy alcohol consumption.

Mining Druggable Sites in Influenza A Hemagglutinin: Binding of the Pinanamine-Based Inhibitor M090.

Assessing the binding mode of drug-like compounds is key in structure-based drug design. However, this may be challenged by factors such as the structural flexibility of the target protein. In this case, state-of-the-art computational methods can be valuable to explore the linkages between structural and pharmacological data.

Thoracolumbar fractures: Factors predicting failure of percutaneous short- and long-segment posterior fixation.

Introduction: Thoracolumbar (TL) transition trauma is frequent and challenging. Although short- (SSPF) and long-segment posterior fixation (LSPF) are its mainstay treatment, little is known about their failure rates and reasons behind it.

Research Question: understand why TL instrumentations fail and what factors influence it.

Engineered biomimetic cisplatin-polyphenol nanocomplex for chemo-immunotherapy of glioblastoma by inducing pyroptosis.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is characterized by pronounced immune escape and resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Preliminary investigations revealed a marked overexpression of gasdermin E (GSDME) in GBM. Notably, cisplatin (CDDP) demonstrated a capacity of inducing pyroptosis by activating caspase-3 to cleave GSDME, coupled with the release of proinflammatory factors, indicating the potential as a viable approach of inducing anti-tumor immune activation.

Exploring the plant-growth promoting bacterium Herbaspirillum seropedicae as catalyst of microbiome remodeling and metabolic changes in wheat plants.

Inoculation with the PGPB Herbaspirillum seropedicae shapes both the structure and putative functions of the wheat microbiome and causes changes in the levels of various plant metabolites described to be involved in plant growth and health. Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) can establish metabolic imprints in their hosts, contributing to the improvement of plant health in different ways. However, while PGPB imprints on plant metabolism have been extensively characterized, much less is known regarding those affecting plant indigenous microbiomes, and hence it remains unknown whether both processes occur simultaneously.

Comparing the Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasound Elastography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Differentiate Benign and Malignant Breast Lesions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was comparing diagnostic performance of ultrasound elastography (UE), strain UE and shear wave elastography (SWE), with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions.

Methods: Literature search of MEDLINE, Web of Science, SCOPUS and Google Scholar was performed in June 2023. Included studies used Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) and histopathology as reference standard.

Interventions in the Sexuality of Men With Stomas: A Scoping Review.

Aims: To map interventions in the sexuality of men with stomas.

Design: Scoping review, following JBI and PRISMA-ScR guidelines to report results.

Methods: Databases consulted were PubMed, via National Library of Medicine, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, Scientific Electronic Library Online, Brazilian Electronic Library of Thesis and Dissertations, CAPES Catalogue of Thesis and Dissertations and Open Access Scientific Repository of Portugal.

Structural and Dynamic Heterogeneity of Deep Eutectic Solvents Composed of Choline Chloride and Ortho-Phenol Derivatives.

Structural, thermal, and dynamic properties of four deep eutectic solvents comprising choline chloride paired with phenolic derivative hydrogen-bond donors were probed using experiments and molecular simulations. The hydrogen-bond donors include phenol, catechol, -chlorophenol, and o-cresol, in a 3:1 mixture with the hydrogen-bond acceptor choline chloride. Density, viscosity, and pulsed-field gradient NMR diffusivity measurements were conducted over a range of temperatures.

Valorization of natural resources - development of a functional plant-based beverage.

Plant-based beverages are gaining attention due to their potential to offer sustainable and health-promoting alternatives to traditional dairy products. This study aimed to develop a dehydrated functional plant-based beverage composed of tigernut tubers (Cyperus esculentus L.), mukua pulp (Adansonia digitata L.

A graph neural network-based model with out-of-distribution robustness for enhancing antiretroviral therapy outcome prediction for HIV-1.

Predicting the outcome of antiretroviral therapies (ART) for HIV-1 is a pressing clinical challenge, especially when the ART includes drugs with limited effectiveness data. This scarcity of data can arise either due to the introduction of a new drug to the market or due to limited use in clinical settings, resulting in clinical dataset with highly unbalanced therapy representation. To tackle this issue, we introduce a novel joint fusion model, which combines features from a Fully Connected (FC) Neural Network and a Graph Neural Network (GNN) in a multi-modality fashion.

Large clones of Clonal Hematopoiesis affect outcome in Mantle Cell Lymphoma: Results from The FIL MCL0208 Clinical Trial.

Although recent evidence suggests that myeloid clonal hematopoiesis (M-CH) may influence lymphoma clinical outcome, its impact in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) remains unclear. Here, we report a comprehensive NGS-based analysis of the M-CH mutational landscape at baseline and follow-up in patients enrolled in the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) MCL0208 phase 3 trial (NCT02354313), evaluating lenalidomide maintenance versus observation after chemoimmunotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in untreated young MCL patients. Overall, 254/300 (85%) enrolled patients (median age 57 years [32-66]) had a baseline sample available for CH analysis.

Prehospital Interventions to Reduce Discomfort From Spinal Immobilization in Adult Trauma Patients: A Scoping Review.

Background: Spinal immobilization, a widely used trauma prehospital intervention, is known to cause discomfort, yet little is known about interventions to reduce this discomfort.

Objective: This scoping review aims to evaluate prehospital interventions to reduce discomfort from spinal immobilization in adult trauma patients.

Method: This scoping review assessed prehospital pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions to address discomfort from spinal immobilization in adult trauma patients.

A networked station system for high-resolution wind nowcasting in air traffic operations: A data-augmented deep learning approach.

This study introduces a high-resolution wind nowcasting model designed for aviation applications at Madeira International Airport, a location known for its complex wind patterns. By using data from a network of six meteorological stations and deep learning techniques, the produced model is capable of predicting wind speed and direction up to 30-minute ahead with 1-minute temporal resolution. The optimized architecture demonstrated robust predictive performance across all forecast horizons.

Comparative effects of Serendipita indica and a mix of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth, photosynthetic capacity, and proteomics of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi.

Both, Serendipita indica and AMF, show promise as sustainable biofertilizers for reforestation, improving nutrient uptake and stress tolerance, despite contrasting effects on photosynthetic capacity and biomass allocation. Reclaiming degraded areas is essential for biodiversity conservation and enhancing ecosystem services enhancement, especially when using native species. This study investigated Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, a native Brazilian species, and its compatibility with plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM), including an endophytic fungus (Serendipita indica) and a consortium of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), to identify effective strategies for reforestation in nutrient-poor environments.