Efficacy and safety of the PHIL embolic agent in the treatment of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas: results of the PHIL-dAVF study.

Background And Purpose: Embolization is the first-line treatment for dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVF). The precipitating hydrophobic injectable liquid (PHIL) embolic agent is a non-adhesive copolymer with specific features and endovascular behavior. This study assessed its safety and efficacy in a prospective real-life cohort.

First pass effect in patients with large core infarcts undergoing mechanical thrombectomy: subgroup analysis of the prospective international ASSIST registry.

Background: Studies have described a first pass effect (FPE) where patients with successful recanalization after one pass experience better outcomes. Few studies have evaluated this in patients with large core infarctions.

Objective: To determine whether patients with large core infarcts undergoing mechanical thrombectomy in which first pass reperfusion is achieved experience improved outcomes compared with those who undergo more than one pass.

Artificial intelligence in rheumatology research: what is it good for?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming rheumatology research, with a myriad of studies aiming to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment prediction, while also showing potential capability to optimise the research workflow, improve drug discovery and clinical trials. Machine learning, a key element of discriminative AI, has demonstrated the ability of accurately classifying rheumatic diseases and predicting therapeutic outcomes by using diverse data types, including structured databases, imaging and text. In parallel, generative AI, driven by large language models, is becoming a powerful tool for optimising the research workflow by supporting with content generation, literature review automation and clinical decision support.

Influenza vaccine outcomes: a meta-analysis revealing morbidity benefits amid low infection prevention.

Background: The morbidity and mortality associated with influenza viruses are a significant public health challenge. Annual vaccination against circulating influenza strains reduces hospitalisations and increases survival rates but requires a yearly redesign of vaccines against prevalent subtypes. The complex genetics of influenza viruses with high antigenic drift create an ongoing challenge in vaccine development to address dynamic influenza epidemiology.

Safety of steroids in severe community-acquired pneumonia.

The systemic use of corticosteroids for patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (sCAP) remains controversial in clinical practice, particularly in terms of the safety profile of these drugs. This narrative review aims to analyse the available literature data concerning the safety of short-term steroid use in the treatment of sCAP, while also highlighting potential future research directions. Several trials and meta-analyses have evaluated corticosteroid therapy as an adjuvant treatment for sCAP, yielding heterogeneous results regarding its efficacy and safety.

A Missed Opportunity? Exploring Changes in Influenza Vaccination Coverage During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Data From 12 Countries Worldwide.

Background: Vaccination is a key measure in influenza control, yet global coverage rates remain low, although previous research reported an increase in influenza vaccination coverage rates (VCR) after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to assess whether these changes were sustained over time by analyzing VCR trends from 2012 to 2023 in the countries included in the FluCov project.

Methods: Data on influenza VCR from 2012 to 2023 for different age and risk groups were extracted from national health organizations and international sources for countries included in the FluCov project.

Comparison of clinical variables and outcome of 2 natural equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy outbreaks induced by equine herpesvirus-1 A2254/N752 strain in sport horses.

Background: Understanding of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) myeloencephalopathy (EHM) is complicated by disparities among studies.

Objective: Compare clinical findings and outcome in horses involved in 2 recent EHM outbreaks.

Animals: Twenty-five and 10 horses affected during 2 natural EHM outbreaks were admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital (VTH) in 2021 and 2023, respectively.

Modulation of Mitochondria-Endoplasmic Reticulum Contacts (MERCs) by Small Molecules as a New Strategy for Restoring Lipid Metabolism in an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Model.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease without effective treatment. The progressive motoneuron death in ALS is associated with alterations in lipid metabolism. As its regulation occurs in mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAMs), modulation of mitochondria-ER contacts (MERCs) is emerging as a crucial factor in MAM formation and lipid metabolism control.

Clinical Benefit of a Conservative Treatment for High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Lesions in Patients with HIV.

Infection with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) shows a higher risk of infection by Human papillomavirus (HPV). We aim to provide evidence about the effect of a -based vaginal gel (Papilocare®) for treating HPV in women with HIV. Women ≥25 years coinfected by endocervical HPV and with low-grade abnormal cervicovaginal cytology were treated for 6 months with Papilocare® in this observational, prospective, non-controlled pilot study.

Benchmarking cross-species single-cell RNA-seq data integration methods: towards a cell type tree of life.

Cross-species single-cell RNA-seq data hold immense potential for unraveling cell type evolution and transferring knowledge between well-explored and less-studied species. However, challenges arise from interspecific genetic variation, batch effects stemming from experimental discrepancies and inherent individual biological differences. Here, we benchmarked nine data-integration methods across 20 species, encompassing 4.

Divergent evolution of opposite base specificity and single-stranded DNA activity in animal and plant AP endonucleases.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonucleases are key enzymes responsible for the repair of base-less nucleotides generated by spontaneous hydrolysis or as DNA repair intermediates. APE1, the major human AP endonuclease, is a druggable target in cancer and its biological function has been extensively studied. However, the molecular features responsible for its substrate specificity are poorly understood.

Feed efficiency and resilience in dairy ewes subjected to a nutritional challenge.

It is currently uncertain how selection of more efficient animals might impact other traits such as resilience (which, in this context, is defined as the ability of an animal to sustain or revert quickly to its previous production level and health status after a disturbance), especially in small ruminants. However, improving, or at least maintaining, resilience is of utmost importance to ensure livestock production in the face of external perturbances, which are expected to become more prevalent in the near future due to climate change and global instability. This study was conducted to investigate whether a nutritional challenge consisting of animals receiving only 70% of their voluntary feed intake (DMI) for 26 d, might differentially affect the response of high- and low-feed efficiency (FE) sheep.

Alveolar ridge preservation with autogenous tooth graft: A histomorphometric analysis of 36 consecutive procedures.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the histomorphometric findings of autogenous tooth grafting (ATG) for alveolar ridge preservation (ARP), using graft material from extracted teeth. Variations by sex, age and location of extracted teeth, as well as any associated complications, were also assessed.

Materials And Methods: This prospective, single-cohort study was conducted using ATG placed in extraction sockets.

Clinical characteristics, management, and malignancy rate of oral lichen planus: a European multicenter study.

Introduction: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory mucocutaneous condition that includes a spectrum of oral clinical manifestations ranging from mild painless white lesions to painful erosions and ulcers. The purpose of this European multicenter study is to describe the general characteristics of OLP lesions, the clinical and histopathological diagnosis, and the management of OLP at different European Oral Medicine and Maxillofacial Surgery centers, in order to minimize selections biases and provide information about the current trends in the treatment of OLP across Europe.

Materials And Methods: Data and histopathological records of patients with OLP were retrospectives revised and only those patients that fulfilled the diagnostic criteria from the 2016 position paper by American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology were included.

Human longevity and Alzheimer's disease variants act via microglia and oligodendrocyte gene networks.

Ageing underlies functional decline of the brain and is the primary risk factor for several neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms that cause functional decline of the brain during ageing, and how these contribute to AD pathogenesis, are not well understood. The objective of this study was to identify biological processes that are altered during ageing in the hippocampus and that modify Ad risk and lifespan, and then to identify putative gene drivers of these programmes.

Electrophysiological dissection of the ion channel activity of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa ionophore protein toxin Tse5.

We present an in-depth electrophysiological analysis of Tse5, a pore-forming toxin (PFT) delivered by the type VI secretion system (T6SS) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The T6SS is a sophisticated bacterial secretion system that injects toxic effector proteins into competing bacteria or host cells, providing a competitive advantage by disabling other microbes and modulating their environment. Our findings highlight the dependency of Tse5 insertion on membrane charge and electrolyte concentration, suggesting an in vivo effect from the periplasmic space.

Mosaicism and intronic variants in RB1 gene revealed by next generation sequencing in a cohort of Spanish retinoblastoma patients.

Constitutional variants in the RB1 gene predispose individuals to the development of Retinoblastoma (RB) and the occurrence of second tumors in adulthood. Detection of causal RB1 gene variants is essential to establish the genetic diagnosis and to performing familial studies and counseling. In our cohort of 579 Spanish RB patients, 15% of cases suspected to have a genetic origin remained negative after traditional Sanger sequencing and Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) of RB1 gene, likely due to the possibility of mosaicism or non-coding variants.

Geochemical insights into plant uptake of Technology-critical elements: A case study on lettuce from European soils.

While vegetable uptake of traditional metal contaminants is a well-studied pathway to human exposure and risk, a paucity of information exists on the uptake of emerging metal contaminants. This study evaluated the uptake of the Technology-critical elements (TCEs) gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), thallium (Tl), and rare earth elements (REEs) into lettuce cultivated in 21 European urban soils. For comparison, the uptake of cadmium (Cd) was also analysed.

POLYSORBATE 80 AND CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE: A DIFFERENT IMPACT ON EPITHELIAL INTEGRITY WHEN INTERACTING WITH THE MICROBIOME.

The consumption of dietary emulsifiers, including polysorbate 80 (P80) and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), has raised safety concerns due to its interaction with the intestinal microbiome. This study demonstrated that increasing concentrations of P80 and CMC added to a dynamic four-stage gut microbiota model (BFBL gut simulator) altered the microbiome composition and impacted epithelial integrity in a dose-dependent manner. 16S rDNA amplicon-based metagenomics analysis revealed that these emulsifiers increased microbial groups with proinflammatory capacities while decreasing microbial taxa known to enhance barrier function.

Evaluation of 9,10-anthraquinone contamination in tea products from Indonesian manufacturers and its carcinogenic risk to consumer health.

This study aimed to determine 9,10-anthraquinone (AQ) levels in Indonesian tea products from different manufacturers and assess the AQ's associated health risks. AQ levels increased significantly during withering and drying stages, using pinewood as a heat source. Generally, black tea was highly contaminated by AQ followed by green tea, oolong tea, and white tea.

Clinical and preclinical evidence of psilocybin as antidepressant. A narrative review.

In the rapidly growing field of psychedelic research, psilocybin (and active metabolite psilocin) has been proposed as a promising candidate in the search for novel treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders. Clinical trials have revealed that psilocybin has a large, rapid, and persistent effect in the improvement of symptoms of depression and anxiety. The safety profile is considered favourable, with low toxicity and good tolerance.

Risk factors for one-year mortality in 440 femoral peri-implant fractures: insights from the PIPPAS prospective, multicentre, observational study.

Aims: The Peri-Implant and PeriProsthetic Survival AnalysiS (PIPPAS) study aimed to investigate the risk factors for one-year mortality of femoral peri-implant fractures (FPIFs).

Methods: This prospective, multicentre, observational study involved 440 FPIF patients with a minimum one-year follow-up. Data on demographics, clinical features, fracture characteristics, management, and mortality rates were collected and analyzed using both univariate and multivariate analyses.

The use of machine learning for the prediction of response to follow-up in spine registries.

Background: One of the main challenges in the maintenance of registries is to keep a high follow-up rate and a reliable strategy to limit dropout is currently lacking. Aim of this study was to utilize machine learning (ML) models to highlight the characteristics of patients who are most likely to drop out, and to evaluate the potential cost effectiveness of the implementation of a follow-up system based on the obtained data.

Methods: All patients recruited in the local spine surgery registry were included and demographic, peri- and postoperative data were collected.