Molecular Balances as Physical Organic Chemistry Tools to Quantify Noncovalent Interactions.

Noncovalent interactions are present in numerous synthetic and biological systems, playing an essential role in vital processes for life such as stabilization of proteins' structures or reversible binding in substrate-receptor complexes. Their study is relevant, but it presents challenges due to its inherent weak nature. In this context, molecular balances (MBs) are one of the most efficient physical organic chemistry tools to quantify noncovalent interactions, bringing beneficial knowledge regarding their nature and strength.

Prolonged Preservation of up to 24h at 10°C does not Impact Outcomes after Lung Transplantation.

Objective: To determine the impact of prolonged storage of donor lungs at 10°C of up to 24h on outcome after lung transplantation.

Background: An increasing body of evidence suggests 10°C as the optimal storage temperature for donor lungs. A recent study showed that cold ischemic times can be safely expanded to >12h when lungs are stored at 10°C.

Inflammatory Potential of the Diet and Risk of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

Background: Association between dietary factors and the risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been studied extensively. However, identification of deleterious dietary patterns merits further study.

Aim: To investigate the risk of developing Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) according to the inflammatory score of the diet (ISD) in the multinational European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort.

Detecting two circulating antigens - CCA and CAA - in urine and serum to improve diagnosis of human schistosomiasis.

Background: Schistosomiasis is caused by infection with parasitic worms and affects more than 250 million people globally. The detection of schistosome derived circulating cathodic and anodic antigens (CCA and CAA) has proven highly valuable for detecting active infections, causing both intestinal and urinary schistosomiasis.

Aim: The combined detection of CCA and CAA was explored to improve accuracy in detecting infections.

Controversies around the treatment of peritoneal metastases of colorectal cancer.

In this editorial we examine the article by Wu published in the . Surgical resection for peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC) has been gradually accepted in the medical oncology community. A randomized trial (PRODIGE 7) on cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) failed to prove any benefit of oxaliplatin in the overall survival of patients with peritoneal metastases from colorectal origin.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance phosphine.

The conclusions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) following the peer review of the initial risk assessments carried out by the competent authorities of the rapporteur Member State Spain and co-rapporteur Member State Germany for the pesticide active substance phosphine are reported. The context of the peer review was that required by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 844/2012. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of phosphine as a post-harvest indoor insecticide to control insects infesting stored grains (barley, oat, rye, wheat), cacao and coffee beans, tree nuts and oilseeds and dried fruit via gassing application (gas-tight rooms/container).

Echocardiography of the right heart in pulmonary arterial hypertension: insights from the ULTRA RIGHT VALUE study.

Aims: Outcome in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is determined by right ventricular (RV) function adaptation to increased afterload. Echocardiography is easily available to assist bedside evaluation of the RV. However, no agreement exists about the feasibility and most relevant measurements.

Clinical use of molecular methods for infection in endemic and non-endemic countries: Benefits, limitations and challenges.

infection is diagnosed by parasitological, molecular, and serological tests. Molecular methods based on DNA amplification provide a more sensitive alternative to classical parasitological techniques for detecting evidence of parasitemia, and are the preferred tests for congenital and oral transmission cases and parasite reactivation in chronically infected immunosuppressed individuals. In newborns at risk of vertical transmission, simplified diagnostic algorithms that provide timely results can reduce the high follow-up losses observed with current algorithms.

New Potent Inhibitor of Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (TGFβ) Signaling that is Efficacious against Microsatellite Stable Colorectal Cancer Metastasis in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Therapy in Mice.

Blockade of the TGFβ signaling pathway has emerged from preclinical studies as a potential treatment to enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibition in advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) and several other types of cancer. However, clinical translation of first-generation inhibitors has shown little success. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of HYL001, a potent inhibitor of TGFβ receptor 1 (ALK5), that is approximately 9 times more efficacious than the structurally related compound galunisertib, while maintaining a favorable safety profile.

Exit interviews from two randomised placebo-controlled phase 3 studies with caregivers of young children with autism spectrum disorder.

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by difficulty with social communication and restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviour. This study aimed to improve understanding of the ASD patient experience with the treatment (bumetanide) regarding the changes in core symptoms and to assess changes considered as meaningful. To achieve this, qualitative interviews were conducted with caregivers of patients in two phase 3 clinical trials (NCT03715153; NCT03715166) of a novel ASD treatment.

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.

Safety and efficacy of mecapegfilgrastim in preventing neutropenia in patients with head and neck cancer: a multicenter, prospective, observational, real-world study.

Background: Mecapegfilgrastim, a long-acting granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, is approved in China for neutropenia prevention. However, data on its safety and efficacy in patients with head and neck cancer remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of mecapegfilgrastim in preventing neutropenia among these patients undergoing chemotherapy, particularly those receiving chemoradiotherapy or chemoimmunotherapy.

ANFIS-PSO analysis on axisymmetric tetra hybrid nanofluid flow of Cu-CNT-Graphene-Tio with WEG-Blood under linear thermal radiation and inclined magnetic field: A bio-medicine application.

Background: The development of heat transfer devices used for heat conversion and recovery in several industrial and residential applications has long focused on improving heat transfer between two parallel plates. Numerous articles have examined the relevance of enhancing thermal performance for the system's performance and economics. Heat transport is improved by increasing the Reynolds number as the turbulent effects grow.

Deep cascaded registration and weakly-supervised segmentation of fetal brain MRI.

Deformable image registration is a cornerstone of many medical image analysis applications, particularly in the context of fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where precise registration is essential for studying the rapidly evolving fetal brain during pregnancy and potentially identifying neurodevelopmental abnormalities. While deep learning has become the leading approach for medical image registration, traditional convolutional neural networks (CNNs) often fall short in capturing fine image details due to their bias toward low spatial frequencies. To address this challenge, we introduce a deep learning registration framework comprising multiple cascaded convolutional networks.

The Supracerebellar Suprapineal Approach: A Novel Method to Separate Cadaveric Brain Hemispheres and Preserve the Midline Structures.

Objectives: To describe a novel technique for dissecting cadaver brains without damaging medial brain structures and surfaces, ensuring preservation for neuroanatomical study and training.

Methods: Ten adult cadaveric brains were dissected using the supracerebellar suprapineal approach under an operative microscope with 6x to 40x magnification. This approach allowed for the separation of the brain into two hemispheres while providing direct visualization of the third ventricle and preserving midline structures.

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.

Molecular Detection of Tick-Borne Bacterial Pathogens in Patients With Undifferentiated Febrile Illness in India Using a Flow Chip Assay.

Background: Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) play a crucial role in human morbidity and mortality, as ticks are highly effective in spreading diseases by transmitting harmful pathogens to humans and animals. The last few decades have seen an increase in the number of recognized tick-borne pathogens and the incidence of TBD worldwide. Several of these diseases are ubiquitous in India.

Polyoxometalate-ionic liquids (POM-ILs) - a new type of ionic liquid additive family for lubricants.

The focus on energy efficiency to move towards a more sustainable use of resources has intensified efforts to minimize friction and wear in mechanical systems, which account for 23% of the world's energy consumption. In this study, polyoxometalate ionic liquids (POM-ILs) are introduced as environmentally acceptable lubricant additives, for their potential friction-reducing and anti-wear (AW) properties. These compounds, characterized by their complex structures and tunable properties, have been investigated for their tribological performance across base fluids of varying polarities.

Design concepts for advanced-technology intraocular lenses [Invited].

An intraocular lens (IOL) replaces the natural crystalline lens during cataract surgery, and although the vast majority of implants have simple optics, "advanced technology" IOLs have multifocal and extended depth of focus (EDOF) properties. Optical concepts are evaluated here, with image contrast, focal range, and unwanted visual phenomena being the primary concerns. Visual phenomena with earlier bifocal diffractive lenses led to alternative diffractive designs (trifocals, etc.

Stigmatising young people with intellectual disability: Perceptions of the main stakeholders at a Spanish university.

Background: One of the main challenges facing individuals with an intellectual disability is the stigma associated with the various obstacles that hinder their process of full integration. Despite the efforts made, more research is called for to explore the reference environments and reveal how public and self-stigma are perceived in higher education. This scientific paper's overriding aim is to analyse how different university stakeholders (students, lecturers, and admin and service staff) perceive the presence of young people with intellectual disability.

Initiatives to support the school-to-work transition of people with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review.

Background: People with intellectual disabilities may find difficulties in their school-to-work transition. The current study aimed to determine which factors have been investigated and which are relevant to this transition process.

Method: A systematic review was undertaken using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and included studies published between 2011 and 2023 on initiatives that facilitate the school-to-work transition.

How should we support families of people with intellectual disability to promote their self-determination? A Delphi study on critical components for intervention.

Background And Aims: Self-determination related skills are central for achieving a life of quality for people with intellectual disability and develop as the person interacts with his/her contexts, such as home. As such, families are crucial agents in supporting the self-determination of their children with intellectual disability, although to date, little is known about how to support those families.

Methods: To address this need, the present study used a Delphi technique to build and reach a consensus on the critical components that should inform interventions targeting families to promote their children's self-determination.

Carbon-carbon bond formation and cleavage at redox active bis(pyridylimino)isoindole (BPI) germylene compounds.

Redox-active ligands provide alternative reaction pathways by facilitating redox events. Among these, tridentate bis(piridylimino)isoindole (BPI) fragments offer great potential, though their redox-active behaviour remains largely underdeveloped. We describe herein a family of BPI germanium(II) complexes and the study of their redox properties.

Determination of collagen types and mineral contents in fish skin and collagen-containing skin-derived protein hydrolysates before and after simulated digestion.

An digestion model was established to characterize the types of collagens in skin of cod, white fish, and salmon as well as their collagen-containing skin-derived protein hydrolysates (CSPH) before and after digestion. Moreover, the mineral content and their bioaccessibility were evaluated. Finally, the presence of heavy metals was evaluated to assess the safety of these products.