Radon mitigation in the workplace in Spain: a cross-sectional interview-based study.

Objective: To evaluate radon mitigation frequency and possible determinants for mitigation among employers in Spain, before the new regulation came into force. We also aimed to assess the reasons for not mitigating radon.

Method: In this cross-sectional study, participants were systematically identified from all employers in Spain who had previously measured occupational radon through the Galician Radon Laboratory from 2015 until 2022.

Development, content validation and feasibility of a decision aid tool for the treatment of women with menopausal symptoms.

Introduction: Despite research supporting menopause hormonal therapy for menopausal women, its use continues to decline in most European countries and the United States. Experts highlighted the need for global assessment tools to assist clinicians in evaluating treatment for symptomatic menopausal women, which led to the development of the Menopause Treatment Tool, with separate versions for women and healthcare professionals. Both versions of the tool focus on menopausal symptoms, risk levels and suggested actions; the women's tool is administered prior to the consultation, while the clinician tool is administered by the clinician during the clinical consultation.

Nonpharmacological interventions to promote sleep in the adult critical patients unit: A scoping review.

Background: Sleep and circadian rhythms are markedly altered in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Numerous factors related to the patient and the ICU environment affect the ability to initiate and maintain sleep. Therefore, nonpharmacological interventions could play an essential role in improving sleep and circadian rhythm.

A systematic analysis of the literature on the post-COVID-19 condition in Latin America focusing on epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and risk of bias.

This analysis article aimed to identify and analyze all articles published on the post-COVID-19 condition in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and risk of bias. We did a systematic survey of the literature with broad inclusion criteria. The only exclusion criteria were articles referring to post-acute COVID-19 sequelae after an intensive care unit stay, which we distinguish from the post-COVID-19 condition.

Computational exploration of the electrochemical oxidation mechanism of thiocyanate catalyzed by cobalt-phthalocyanines.

In this study, we focused on the mechanism of the electrocatalytic oxidation of thiocyanate, which in traditional electrodes typically requires high overpotentials. As models for reducing these overpotentials and catalyzing the reaction, we used a set of modified cobalt phthalocyanines (CoPc), known as electrocatalysts. Using DFT calculations, we explored how modifications to CoPc by adding electron-donating and withdrawing groups and the coordination of 4-amino thiophenol impact the oxidation process.

Cardio-Obstetrics Practice in Latin America: A Regional Survey of General Cardiologists.

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a leading cause of death in pregnant women globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries including Latin America (LATAM), where there is lack of data on how cardiologists are trained in cardio-obstetrics (CO) and the practice patterns in the care of pregnant patients.

Objectives: The authors aimed to identify CO competency and practice patterns among LATAM general cardiologists.

Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional Google-based electronic survey was sent via email to clinical cardiologists through local American College of Cardiology chapters and CV societies.

Complications in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), despite its effectiveness in restoring knee stability and function, can have associated morbidity. The most frequent complications are technical errors, which have been described during graft harvesting, tunnel placement or graft fixation. The most serious complications are neurovascular injuries, arthrofibrosis and infections.

IRF5 as a potential immunological biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma.

Background: In the clinic, the primary conventional treatments of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. In recent years, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown promise in optimizing therapeutic benefits when combined with other immunotherapies or standard therapies. However, effective biomarkers for distant metastasis or recurrence have yet to be identified, making it difficult to determine the best therapeutic approaches.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid-Mediated Inhibition of LTB Synthesis Suppresses Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Modulating Functional and Tumorigenic Capacities in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer A549 Cells.

Background: Leukotriene B (LTB) plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process associated with tumor progression. The synthesis of LTB is mediated by leukotriene A hydrolase (LTAH), and it binds to the receptors BLT and BLT. Dysregulation in LTB production is linked to the development of various pathologies.

Colorectal and gastric cancer and its association with dietary patterns in Colombia.

Introduction: Cancer is a leading cause of death in the Americas. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer, while stomach cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Tobacco and alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and air pollution are risk factors for these cancers.

Climate change and epigenetics: Unraveling the role of methylation in response to thermal instability in the Antarctic plant Colobanthus quitensis.

Low temperatures are one of the critical conditions affecting the performance and distribution of plants. Exposure to cooling results in the reprogramming of gene expression, which in turn would be mediated by epigenetic regulation. Antarctica is known as one of the most severe ecosystems, but several climate models predict an increase in average temperature, which may positively impact the development of Antarctic plants; however, under warmer temperatures, plants' vulnerability to damages from low-temperature events increases.

Preconditions influencing the development of post-secondary training programs in universities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Background: Research on post-secondary training for individuals with intellectual disabilities has generally focused on programs, with little consideration of the structures and mechanisms that give rise to them. This article adopts a critical realist perspective to comparatively analyse and theorise about the contextual structures contributing to the introduction of post-secondary training programs in universities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Method: Six stages in critical realist explanatory research were followed.

A rare haplotype of the GJD3 gene segregating in familial Meniere's disease interferes with connexin assembly.

Background: Familial Meniere's disease (FMD) is a rare polygenic disorder of the inner ear. Mutations in the connexin gene family, which encodes gap junction proteins, can also cause hearing loss, but their role in FMD is largely unknown.

Methods: We retrieved exome sequencing data from 94 individuals in 70 Meniere's disease (MD) families.

Cyclodehydrogenation of molecular nanographene precursors catalyzed by atomic hydrogen.

Atomically precise synthesis of graphene nanostructures on semiconductors and insulators has been a formidable challenge. In particular, the metallic substrates needed to catalyze cyclodehydrogenative planarization reactions limit subsequent applications that exploit the electronic and/or magnetic structure of graphene derivatives. Here, we introduce a protocol in which an on-surface reaction is initiated and carried out regardless of the substrate type.

Probiotics in inflammatory bowel disease: microbial modulation and therapeutic prospects.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that represents a significant public health challenge worldwide. This multifactorial condition results from complex interactions among genetic, environmental, immune, and microbial factors. Some beneficial microbes, known as probiotics, have been identified as promising therapeutic agents for inflammatory conditions, such as IBD.

Effects of high-intensity laser therapy in patients with De Quervain's tenosynovitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: De Quervain's tenosynovitis (QT) is common among individuals performing repetitive manual tasks and significantly affects daily activities due to pain. While traditional treatments often provide limited relief, high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) shows as a potential analgesic resource.

Purpose: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the analgesic effects of HILT in patients with QT.

Multimodal Inpatient Prehabilitation Prior to Heart or Lung Transplantation in a Latin American Transplant Reference Center.

Introduction: Whether the implementation of a multimodal prehabilitation program is effective and safe for high-risk heart or lung transplantation candidates, whose condition prevents hospital discharge, is unclear.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study at a cardiothoracic transplant center in Chile. Two cohorts of hospitalized patients listed for heart or lung transplant were studied: the first underwent traditional (historical) and nonstructured prehabilitation, and the second underwent protocol-driven multimodal prehabilitation (MP).

Community Views of Determinants of Men's Wellbeing in Guatemala: A Study Using Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping.

Background: In post-conflict Guatemala, Indigenous men's psychological distress has been linked to violence exposure, disrupted social support systems, and structural inequities.

Purpose: We aimed to document how communities themselves understand men's wellbeing and the factors that influence men's wellbeing.

Research Design And Study Sample: Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping with 20 stakeholder groups in Santiago Atitlán and Cuilco, Guatemala defined men's wellbeing in local terms and identified the influences community groups understood to promote and detract from men's wellbeing.

Empirical antibiotic therapy improves outcomes in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19: An emulated targeted trial within a prospective, multicentre cohort study.

Background: Bacterial pulmonary superinfections develop in a substantial proportion of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients and are associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation requirements and an increased mortality. Albeit recommended, evidence supporting the use of empirical antibiotics at intubation is weak and of low quality. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of empirical antibiotics, administered within 24hours of endotracheal intubation, on superinfections, duration of mechanical ventilation, and mortality in mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19.

OPTIMIZING PERIOPERATIVE CARE FOR PERIHILAR CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA: THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY MANAGEMENT, NEOADJUVANT THERAPY, AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY.

Background: Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma presents unique challenges in perioperative management, requiring a comprehensive approach to optimize patient outcomes.

Aims: This case study focuses on the multidisciplinary management and innovative interventions performed in the perioperative care of a patient with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Methods: A comprehensive assessment and treatment strategy involving neoadjuvant therapy and interventional radiology techniques were implemented.

Vaccination coverage, vaccine hesitancy and factors associated with incomplete vaccination: a household survey conducted with children born between 2017 and 2018 in the inland municipalities of Northeastern Brazil.

Objective: To analyze vaccination coverage and factors associated with incomplete vaccination in inland municipalities of Northeastern Brazil.

Methods: This was a household survey using cluster sampling conducted in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia state, Caruaru, Pernambuco state, Sobral, Ceará state and Imperatriz, Maranhão state between 2020 and 2022. Vaccination coverage by valid doses and vaccine hesitancy were analyzed, with the odds ratio (OR) estimated and adjusted using logistic regression.

Vaginal infiltration for relief of neuropathic pain after sacrospinous hysteropexy: First successful mid-term report.

Female genital prolapse, especially apical prolapse, significantly affects women's health and quality of life. Sacrospinous hysteropexy is a widely used surgical procedure to address this condition, presenting few postoperative complications. However, one of the reported complications is neuropathic pain resulting from damage to the branches of the pudendal nerve.

Shell colour luminance of Cuban painted snails, Polymita picta and Polymita muscarum (Gastropoda: Cepolidae).

Climate change is a global environmental threat, directly affecting biodiversity. Terrestrial gastropods are particularly susceptible to alterations in temperature and humidity and have develop morph-physiological and behavioural adaptations in this regard. Shell colour polymorphism and its potential implication for thermoresistance constitute an unexplored field in Neotropical land snails.