Seroprevalence of HSV-2 in multiple subgroups of infertile men with abnormal sperm parameters and those seeking sex selection: a case-control study.

Background: Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) primarily acquired through sexual contact. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) for the first time reported the association of STIs with male infertility. Infertility is described as the inability to achieve a clinical pregnancy after engaging in regular, unprotected sexual intercourse for a year or more.

Novel transfer learning based bone fracture detection using radiographic images.

A bone fracture is a medical condition characterized by a partial or complete break in the continuity of the bone. Fractures are primarily caused by injuries and accidents, affecting millions of people worldwide. The healing process for a fracture can take anywhere from one month to one year, leading to significant economic and psychological challenges for patients.

Effects of conditional cash transfers on tuberculosis incidence and mortality according to race, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors in the 100 Million Brazilian Cohort.

Conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have been implemented globally to alleviate poverty. Although tuberculosis (TB) is closely linked to poverty, the effects of CCT on TB outcomes among populations facing social and economic vulnerabilities remain uncertain. Here we estimated the associations between participation in the world's largest CCT program, the Brazilian Bolsa Família Program (BFP), and the reduction of TB incidence, mortality and case-fatality rates using the nationwide 100 Million Brazilian Cohort between 2004 and 2015.

Effect of in vitro exposure of first-line antiretrovirals on healthy human spermatozoa on kinematics and motility.

Purpose: Contemporary antiretroviral (ARV) medications are used by millions of men for HIV treatment worldwide. Limited data exist on their direct effect on sperm motility. This pilot study hypothesizes that in vitro exposure to ARVs will reduce sperm kinematic and motility parameter values.

Flow prediction in sound-based uroflowmetry.

Sound-based uroflowmetry (SU) offers a non-invasive alternative to traditional uroflowmetry (UF) for evaluating lower urinary tract dysfunctions, enabling home-based testing and reducing the need for clinic visits. This study compares SU and UF in estimating urine flow rate and voided volume in 50 male volunteers (aged 18-60), with UF results from a Minze uroflowmeter as the reference standard. Audio signals recorded during voiding were segmented and machine learning algorithms (gradient boosting, random forest, and support vector machine) estimated flow parameters from three devices: Ultramic384k, Mi A1 smartphone, and Oppo smartwatch.

The two sides of Phobos: Gray and white matter abnormalities in phobic individuals.

Small animal phobia (SAP) is a subtype of specific phobia characterized by an intense and irrational fear of small animals, which has been underexplored in the neuroscientific literature. Previous studies often faced limitations, such as small sample sizes, focusing on only one neuroimaging modality, and reliance on univariate analyses, which produced inconsistent findings. This study was designed to overcome these issues by using for the first time advanced multivariate machine-learning techniques to identify the neural mechanisms underlying SAP.

Comprehensive genomic characterization of early-stage bladder cancer.

Understanding the molecular landscape of nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is essential to improve risk assessment and treatment regimens. We performed a comprehensive genomic analysis of patients with NMIBC using whole-exome sequencing (n = 438), shallow whole-genome sequencing (n = 362) and total RNA sequencing (n = 414). A large genomic variation within NMIBC was observed and correlated with different molecular subtypes.

Implementing a closed loop clinical decision support system for sustainable preoperative care.

Unnecessary preoperative testing poses a risk to patient safety, causes surgical delays, and increases healthcare costs. We describe the effects of implementing a fully EHR-integrated closed-loop clinical decision support system (CDSS) for placing automatic preprocedural test orders at two teaching hospitals in Madrid, Spain. Interrupted time series analysis was performed to evaluate changes in rates of preoperative testing after CDSS implementation, which took place from September 2019 to December 2019.

Circadian clock communication during homeostasis and ageing.

Maintaining homeostasis is essential for continued health, and the progressive decay of homeostatic processes is a hallmark of ageing. Daily environmental rhythms threaten homeostasis, and circadian clocks have evolved to execute physiological processes in a manner that anticipates, and thus mitigates, their effects on the organism. Clocks are active in almost all cell types; their rhythmicity and functional output are determined by a combination of tissue-intrinsic and systemic inputs.

Faces of different socio-cultural identities impact emotional meaning learning for L2 words.

This study investigated how exposure to Caucasian and Chinese faces influences native Mandarin-Chinese speakers' learning of emotional meanings for English L2 words. Participants were presented with English pseudowords repeatedly paired with either Caucasian faces or Chinese faces showing emotions of disgust, sadness, or neutrality as a control baseline. Participants' learning was evaluated through both within-modality (i.

A reduction in effective population size has not relaxed purifying selection in the human population of Eivissa (Balearic Islands).

Ibiza (Eivissa) is one of the main Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean. Recent studies have highlighted the genetic distinctiveness of present-day Eivissans within the region and suggested it could be attributed to the genetic drift caused by recent demographic events. Whether this distinctiveness emerged from a differential demographic history, or rather from a bias for sampling in a small geographic region such as Eivissa, remains an open question, together with the understanding of the functional consequences of demography in the island.

Economic preferences and cognitive abilities among teenagers in Spain.

This dataset originates from TeensLab, a consortium of Spanish Universities dedicated to behavioral research involving Spanish teenagers. The dataset contains data from 33 distinct educational institutions across Spain, accounting for a total of 5,890 students aged 10 to 23 (M = 14.10, SD = 1.

Long-range organization of intestinal 2D-crypts using exogenous Wnt3a micropatterning.

Intestinal epithelial cells are segregated into proliferative crypts and differentiated regions. This organization relies on specific signals, including Wnt3a, which regulates cell proliferation within crypts, and Eph/Ephrin, which dictates cell positioning along the crypt-villus axis. However, studying how the spatial distributions of these signals influences crypt-villus organization is challenging both in vitro and in vivo.

Altered mitochondria-associated ER membrane (MAM) function shifts mitochondrial metabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Mitochondrial function is modulated by its interaction with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recent research indicates that these contacts are disrupted in familial models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We report here that this impairment in the crosstalk between mitochondria and the ER impedes the use of glucose-derived pyruvate as mitochondrial fuel, causing a shift to fatty acids to sustain energy production.

Genomic and phenotypic stability of fusion-driven pediatric sarcoma cell lines.

Human cancer cell lines are the mainstay of cancer research. Recent reports showed that highly mutated adult carcinoma cell lines (mainly HeLa and MCF-7) present striking diversity across laboratories and that long-term continuous culturing results in genomic/transcriptomic heterogeneity with strong phenotypical implications. Here, we hypothesize that oligomutated pediatric sarcoma cell lines mainly driven by a fusion transcription factor, such as Ewing sarcoma (EwS), are genetically and phenotypically more stable than the previously investigated adult carcinoma cell lines.

Maintenance Immunosuppression With Tacrolimus and Everolimus in Heart Transplantation Compared With the Usual Tacrolimus and Micophenolate Protocol: Results From a Retrospective Registry.

Introduction: Real-life data on the long-term use of a maintenance immunosuppressive protocol in heart transplant patients using delayed Everolimus + Tacrolimus are scarce.

Methods: This is a retrospective study that included all heart transplant patients from 2011 to 2021 in two Spanish hospitals. In Hospital A, the preferred immunosuppressive strategy included Everolimus initiation at 2 months post-transplant combined with Tacrolimus and was compared with the results of Hospital B, where a standard Tacrolimus and Mycophenolate mofetil protocol was used.

Mucormycosis Infection in Lung Transplant Patients: Experience in Andalusia, Spain.

Introduction: Mucorales infections in the airways of lung transplant (LT) patients are rare but have a rising incidence in transplanted lungs.

Objective: We present our experience with LT in immediate postoperative infections due to mucormycosis.

Methods: Review of 767 LT performed in Andalusia between 2000 and 2023 identifying Mucorales through microbiological results and histological findings.

High-risk Cytomegalovirus in Heart Transplant: How Can We Improve?

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is associated with worse outcomes after heart transplant (HT). CMV mismatch (donor positive, recipient negative serology, D+/R-) increases the risk of infection. Guidelines recommend 3 to 6 months of antiviral prophylaxis in these patients.

Efficacy and Safety of a Desensitization Treatment With Rituximab and Immunoglobulin in Hyperimmunized Patients Awaiting a Cadaveric Kidney Transplantation.

Background: Patients on a kidney transplant waiting list with antibodies against more than 80% of a panel reactive antibody (PRA) are difficult to transplant, even with national or regional programs. Desensitization treatment with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin and rituximab could be offered to patients with a long waiting time for a cadaveric donor to improve their odds of finding a kidney.

Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center study including all hyperimmunized patients on the waiting list for a cadaveric kidney donor who received a desensitization treatment between 2010 and 2020.

Non-HLA Antibodies and the Risk of Antibody-mediated Rejection without Donor-specific Anti-HLA Antibodies After Lung Transplantation.

Background: Antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) has become one of the leading causes of chronic lung graft dysfunction. However, in lung transplantation, this entity is sometimes difficult and controversial to diagnose. It is mainly caused by the appearance of donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies (DSA), although there are situations with C4d deposits in biopsy in the absence of circulating DSA.

Embracing diversity: macrophage complexity in cancer.

Macrophages are myeloid cells that receive, integrate, and respond to tumoral cues. Tumors evolve and are shaped by macrophages, with tumor-associated macrophage (TAM)-tumor sculpting capacities going beyond an increase in their cellular mass. Longitudinal and local heterogeneity of TAM states is now possible with the use of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics.

Cross-sectional study of the perceived wellbeing of children in palliative care.

Objective: To describe the perceived wellbeing (pWB) and the psychological characteristics of young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions (LLTCs).

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in young people aged 8 years or older with collection of data on demographic and disease-related variables from the health records. In the psychological evaluation, we collected data on emotion regulation, cognitive strategies and risk of depression and anxiety, in addition to the assessment of the pWB through a visual analogue scale.

The impact of hypoalbuminemia on the long-term prognosis of patients with acute heart failure: The modifying role of carbohydrate antigen 125.

Aims: Hypoalbuminemia is frequently found in patients with heart failure (HF), associated with higher morbimortality in acute HF (AHF). Moreover, Carbohydrate Antigen 125 (CA125) is elevated in most of the AHF patients. In this cohort of patients admitted for AHF, our objective was to evaluate the association between hypoalbuminemia and long-term outcomes, including mortality and HF readmissions, stratified by CA125 concentration.

[Translated article] High-risk pediatric medications: A listing proposal by interdisciplinary consensus technique.

Introduction: Pediatric patients are more likely to experience medication-related errors and serious associated harms. The identification of high-risk medications (HRM) and their study in special populations, such as children with excess body weight (EBW), is a part of safety improvement strategies.

Objective: To generate, through a consensus technique structured by an interdisciplinary group of pediatricians and hospital pharmacists, an operational and updated list of HRM for hospital use in children over 2 years of age.