Iatrogenic intramural esophageal hematoma during EUS-B-FNA procedure.

Background: Esophageal ultrasound with bronchoscope fine needle aspiration (EUS-B-FNA) is a valuable tool for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer, complementing endobronchial lung ultrasound (EBUS). While generally considered safe, there is a notable lack of comprehensive knowledge within the interventional pulmonology community regarding potential complications.

Case Presentation: We present a case involving a 66-year-old male with squamous cell lung carcinoma undergoing mediastinal staging.

Impact of variables on recovery time in patients undergoing hemodialysis: an international survey.

Background: Dialysis recovery time (DRT) refers to the period during which fatigue and weakness subside following hemodialysis treatment, allowing patients to resume their daily routines. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing DRT in hemodialysis patients in Turkey and Portugal, where the prevalence of chronic kidney disease is notably high.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in a private dialysis center in Turkey and three dialysis centers in Portugal.

Pangenome graphs and their applications in biodiversity genomics.

Complete datasets of genetic variants are key to biodiversity genomic studies. Long-read sequencing technologies allow the routine assembly of highly contiguous, haplotype-resolved reference genomes. However, even when complete, reference genomes from a single individual may bias downstream analyses and fail to adequately represent genetic diversity within a population or species.

Effect of fructooligosaccharides in full-hydrated lactic acid bacteria membrane models during thermal stress: A molecular simulation study.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are a promising choice for cryoprotection of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). However, the mechanism by which this protection takes place is not well understood. Molecular simulation is a key tool for gathering insights into complex physicochemical problems like this.

Bench scale Layer-by-Layer microencapasulation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WCFS1.

Layer-by-Layer (LbL) self-assembly encapsulation is a promising technology for the protection and delivery of lactic acid bacteria. However, laboratory-scale encapsulation is often time-consuming, involves intensive protocols tailored for small-scale operations, requires substantial amounts of energy and water, and results in a low yield of encapsulated biomass. Scaling-up this process to a bench-bioreactor scale is not simply a matter of increasing culture volume as different key parameters (not particularly relevant at lab scale) become critical, including biomass production, the number of polymer layers, and the biomass-to-polymer mass ratio.

Cellular and biochemical alterations induced by diesel oil in the brown algaSargassum cymosumvar.stenophyllumcultured in vitro.

The effect of the in vitro acute exposure to diesel oil (0.001%, 0.01%, 0.

Early Integration of Palliative Care in Non-Oncological Patients: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Palliative care (PALC) is traditionally linked to end-of-life cancer care but also benefits advanced non-oncological diseases.

Objectives: This systematic review evaluated the impact of early PALC on quality of life (QOL), symptom management, advance care planning (ACP), and healthcare resource utilization (HRU) among non-oncological patients.

Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for randomized controlled trials and clinical studies published between January 2018 and April 2023.

Associations Between Movement Behaviors, Cognition, and Academic Achievement in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

Objective: This systematic review summarizes the literature on the associations between movement behaviors (eg, sleep, sedentary behavior, and physical activity [PA]) and cognition, and academic achievement (AA) in children and adolescents.

Methods: Four electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscus) were searched from inception until October 2023.

Results: This systematic review included 24 reports, representing 48,558 youth aged 6-17.

A CRISPR view on genetic screens in Toxoplasma gondii.

Genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR-Cas9, have revolutionised the study of genes in a variety of organisms, including unicellular parasites. Today, the CRISPR-Cas9 technology is vastly applied in high-throughput screens to investigate interactions between the Apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and its hosts. In vitro and in vivo T.

Biodiversity spatial distribution of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages is influenced by anthropogenic disturbances at multiple spatial extents.

Understanding the patterns and mechanisms of biodiversity and its organization in space is essential for developing effective conservation strategies. Zeta diversity is an index of how taxa are shared by several sites, providing information on how ecological filters, including anthropogenic disturbances, influence biodiversity distribution. This study documents how anthropogenic disturbances at multiple spatial extents affect the spatial variation of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in lotic ecosystems.

Microbial activity of the inoculum determines the impact of activated carbon, magnetite and zeolite on methane production.

The conversion of organic matter to methane through anaerobic digestion (AD) process can be enhanced by different materials. However, literature reports show inconsistent results on the effect of materials in different AD systems. In this study, we evaluated the influence of the inoculum's activity on methane production (MP) efficiency in the presence of different materials (activated carbon (AC), magnetite (Mag), and zeolite (Zeo)).

Microplastics in commercial marine bivalves: Abundance, characterization and main effects of single and combined exposure.

Microplastics (MPs) are persistent and ubiquitous pollutants in marine ecosystems, and they can be ingested and accumulated by marine organisms with economic value to humans, such as marine bivalves, which may pose a threat to the marine food chains and to human health. In this literature review, we summarized the recent findings on the abundance and main characteristics (shape, size, color, polymer) of MPs detected in valuable marine bivalve species. Furthermore, we surveyed the major impacts triggered by MP exposure, alone or in combination with other pollutants, in these organisms.

The impacts of alien species on river bioassessment.

The extent of alien taxa impacts on river ecosystem health is unclear, but their frequency continues to rise. We investigated 1) the prevalence of including alien taxa in common bioindicators used in river bioassessment, 2) the effect of alien taxa on the richness and abundance of natives, and 3) whether including alien taxa in bioassessment tools increased their sensitivity to river degradation. In the 17 countries analyzed fish represented the greatest number of alien species (1726), followed by macrophytes (925), macroinvertebrates (556), and diatoms (7).

Neurophysiological Insights into the Pathophysiology of Stiff-Person Spectrum Disorders.

Background: Stiff Person Spectrum Disorders (SPSD) are classically defined by the presence of muscle stiffness, spasms and hyperactivity of the central nervous system. There is a notable correlation between neurophysiological features and the clinical hallmark of SPSD, which has greatly encouraged the use of these techniques for diagnostic purposes. Besides, electrophysiological techniques allow for a functional evaluation of the 'hyperactivity of the CNS', thus offering the opportunity to clarify the mechanisms underlying this disorder.

Comparing adenosine A receptor modulation of cannabinoid CB receptor-mediated inhibition of GABA and glutamate release in rodent striatal nerve terminals.

In corticostriatal nerve terminals, glutamate release is stimulated by adenosine via A receptors (ARs) and simultaneously inhibited by endocannabinoids via CB receptors (CBRs). We previously identified presynaptic AR-CBR heterotetrameric complexes in corticostriatal nerve terminals. We now explored the possible functional interaction between ARs and CBRs in purified striatal GABAergic nerve terminals (synaptosomes) and compared these findings with those on the release of glutamate.

Diminished DNA binding affinity of DMRT1 caused by heterozygous DM domain mutations is a cause of male infertility.

The most severe form of male infertility is idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), a complete sperm absence in the ejaculate. We performed exome sequencing in the Croatian infertile brothers with NOA and found a variant in DMRT1 (Doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1) gene that was further assessed by the EMSA assay and molecular dynamic simulations. We additionally screened for DMRT1 mutations in 1940 infertile men diagnosed with spermatogenic failure, 644 normozoospermic controls, and 105 females with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) recruited to the GEnetics of Male INfertility Initiative (GEMINI) or Estonian Andrology (ESTAND) cohorts.

Horizontal distribution of marine microbial communities in the North Pacific Subtropical Front.

Microbial communities are crucial for important ecosystem functions in the open ocean, such as primary production and nutrient cycling. However, few studies have addressed the distribution of microplankton communities in the remote oligotrophic region of the Pacific Ocean. Moreover, the biogeochemical and physical drivers of microbial community structure are not fully understood in these areas.

Environmental enrichment is associated with favorable memory-related functional brain activity patterns in older adults.

Background: In humans, environmental enrichment (EE), as measured by the engagement in a variety of leisure activities, has been associated with larger hippocampal structure and better memory function. The present cross-sectional study assessed whether EE during early life (13-30 years) and midlife (30-65 years) is associated with better preserved memory-related brain activity patterns in older age.

Methods: In total, 372 cognitively unimpaired older adults (aged ≥60 years old) of the DZNE-Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (DELCODE; DRKS00007966) were investigated.

Synthesizing and assessing influenza vaccine evidence: Strengths and limitations of the recent ECDC report on the effectiveness of new and enhanced influenza vaccines. Communication on: the "European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Systematic review update on the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of newer and enhanced seasonal influenza vaccines for the prevention of laboratory confirmed influenza in individuals aged 18 years and over. Stockholm: ECDC; 2024".

High quality research is critical for evidence-based decision making in public health and fundamental to maintain progress and trust in immunization programs in Europe. In 2024 the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) conducted an update of the 2020 systematic review to capture more recent evidence on of the efficacy, effectiveness of influenza vaccines in individuals aged 18 years and older in the prevention of laboratory-confirmed influenza. While this report was highly anticipated due to the strength of the protocol and processes put in place, during our assessment, we expressed two chief concerns.

Optimizing Home Visit Records as a Way of Improving Quality of Care: A Quality Improvement Study.

Introduction Home visits are a key component of primary care in Portugal, designed for patients unable to visit medical facilities. However, logistical constraints often lead to incomplete real-time clinical records, impacting care quality and safety. This study aimed to improve the quality of home visit records through structural interventions and a continuous quality improvement approach.

Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of supra-molecular aggregate of 2,2,6,6-tetra-methyl-piperidin-1-ium bromide with 1,2,3,4-tetra-fluoro-5,6-di-iodo-benzene.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, CHN·Br·CFI, contains one 2,2,6,6 tetra-methyl-piperidine-1-ium cation, one 1,2,3,4-tetra-fluoro-5,6-di-iodo-benzene mol-ecule, and one uncoordinated bromide anion. In the crystal, the bromide anions link the 2,2,6,6-tetra-methyl-piperidine mol-ecules by inter-molecular C-H⋯Br and N-H⋯Br hydrogen bonds, leading to dimers, with the coplanar 1,2,3,4-tetra-fluoro-5,6-di-iodo-benzene mol-ecules filling the space between them. There is a π-π interaction between the almost parallel benzene rings [dihedral angle = 10.

Bridging the gap: Integrating cutting-edge techniques into biological imaging with deepImageJ.

This manuscript showcases the latest advancements in deepImageJ, a pivotal Fiji/ImageJ plugin for bioimage analysis in life sciences. The plugin, known for its user-friendly interface, facilitates the application of diverse pre-trained convolutional neural networks to custom data. The manuscript demonstrates several deepImageJ capabilities, particularly in deploying complex pipelines, three-dimensional (3D) image analysis, and processing large images.

Supervision of students in a Portuguese veterinary medicine school-students' and supervisors' expectations, perceptions, and supervision impact.

Introduction: The student-supervisor relationship can be a major cause of psychological distress experienced by students during their study programs. Misalignment between students' and supervisors' expectations and perceptions can originate conflicts, highly affecting the wellbeing of students and hindering the progress of their studies. This study was based on a questionnaire focusing on the perceptions of students and supervisors regarding the most important student attributes and outcomes, supervision expectations and perceptions, and supervision impact on mental health of students from a Portuguese Veterinary Medicine School.