Morphological and molecular characterization of a Sarcocystis bovifelis-like sarcocyst in American beef.

Background: Parasites in the apicomplexan genus Sarcocystis infect cattle worldwide. Assessing the economic importance of each such parasite species requires proper diagnosis. Sarcocystis cruzi, a thin-walled species, infects virtually all cattle.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a single home-based fall prevention program: a prospective observational study based on questionnaires and claims data.

Background: Fall prevention programmes are essential interventions in societies with aging populations. This study assessed the fall rate and other health outcomes, as well as the cost-effectiveness of a home-based fall prevention programme for community-dwelling older people. In a single home visit, trained physical or occupational therapists performed fall risk assessments, eliminated environmental risk factors, and provided tailored exercises.

Pharmacists as independent prescribers in community pharmacy: A scoping review.

Background: There has been a growing interest in granting prescribing rights to pharmacists as a strategy to improve healthcare access. Researchers continue to explore the impact and implementation of pharmacist prescribing. Given the recent international changes in this field, an overview of current territories allowing pharmacist independent prescribing would provide a comprehensive understanding for researchers and policymakers.

Brain macrophages in vascular health and dysfunction.

Diverse macrophage populations inhabit the rodent and human central nervous system (CNS), including microglia in the parenchyma and border-associated macrophages (BAMs) in the meninges, choroid plexus, and perivascular spaces. These innate immune phagocytes are essential in brain development and maintaining homeostasis, but they also play diverse roles in neurological diseases. In this review, we highlight the emerging roles of CNS macrophages in regulating vascular function in health and disease.

Monitoring low-value care in medical patients from Swiss university hospitals using a Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR) national data stream and patient and public involvement: LUCID study protocol.

Introduction: Healthcare practices providing minimal or no benefit to recipients have been estimated to represent 20% of healthcare costs. However, defining, measuring and monitoring low-value care (LVC) and its downstream consequences remain a major challenge. The purpose of the National Data Stream (LUCID NDS) is to identify and monitor LVC in medical inpatients using routinely collected hospital data.

Inequalities in ownership and availability of home-based vaccination records in 82 low- and middle-income countries.

Introduction: Home-based records (HBRs) are widely used for recording health information including child immunisations. We studied levels and inequalities in HBR ownership in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) using data from national surveys conducted since 2010.

Methods: We used data from national household surveys (Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS)) from 82 LMICs.

A Double-Blind Randomized Crossover Trial Comparing the Esthetic Outcomes Of CAD-CAM Provisional Restorations Fabricated Using CBCT And IOS Acquisition Methods.

Objectives: This double-blind randomised crossover trial aimed to compare the aesthetic outcomes of CAD-CAM manufactured provisional restorations created using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and intraoral scanners (IOS) acquisition methods.

Methods: Twelve participants (mean-age: 38 ± 5 years) requiring full mouth rehabilitation were included in this crossover trial. Two sets of identical CAD-CAM provisional restorations, differing only in the method of data acquisition (A: CBCT, B: IOS), were fabricated.

Effect of Medium Chain Triglycerides and Whey Protein Isolate Preloads on Glycaemia in Type 2 Diabetes: A randomised crossover study.

Background: Small nutritional preloads can reduce postprandial glucose excursions in individuals with and without metabolic syndrome or T2D. However, most studies have focused on preloads administered before single meals and have predominantly used protein-based preloads.

Objective: To investigate the effects of sequential consumption of medium chain triglycerides (MCT) and whey protein isolate (WPI) preloads before breakfast lunch and dinner on postprandial, diurnal and 24h glycaemia in individuals with T2D.

Clinical Spectrum and Prognosis of Atypical Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease Caused by Monoallelic Pathogenic Variants of IFT140.

Rationale & Objective: Monoallelic predicted Loss-of-Function (pLoF) variants in IFT140 have recently been associated with an autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD)-like phenotype. This study sought to enhance the characterization of this phenotype.

Study Design: Case series.

Conceptualizing patient-level adverse effects in implementation trials.

Identifying and monitoring adverse effects (AEs) are integral to ensuring patient safety in clinical trials. Research sponsors and regulatory bodies have put into place a variety of policies and procedures to guide researchers in protecting patient safety during clinical trials. However, it remains unclear how these policies and procedures should be adapted for trials in implementation science.

Sling is Not-Inferior to Brace Immobilization Following Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of immobilizing the upper limb with a brace versus a less-constrained sling in the rehabilitation after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR), by documenting clinical and radiological results.

Methods: ARCR was performed in 110 patients (54.9±8.

Guidance reconciliation and practice question prioritization for a World Health Organization's Ebola and Marburg Disease guideline.

Objective: To describe the processes of reconciling overlapping guidance and prioritizing practice questions for a World Health Organization (WHO) guideline on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) for Ebola and Marburg disease.

Methods: This work involved the reconciliation of guidance, the generation of potential practice questions and the prioritization of those questions. Contributors included the WHO secretariat, the WHO steering group, the guideline methodologists, and the guideline development group (GDG).

Physiological Characteristics of Freestyle Snowboard and Freeski Athletes.

Purpose: To investigate the physiological characteristics of freestyle snowboard and freeski athletes and explore potential differences between males and females.

Methods: National-team athletes, snowboard (9 males, 21 [2.3] y; 8 females, 20 [4.

Women Upward-Sex Differences in Uphill Performance in Speed Climbing, Ski Mountaineering, Trail Running, Cross-Country Skiing, and Cycling.

Introduction: Women have generally lower body size and lean- to fat-mass ratio, lower maximal anaerobic power due to a lower muscle mass, and fewer fast-twitch fibers, although they can show higher resistance to fatigue or greater metabolic flexibility than men. These factors are well known and explain the sex differences in endurance sports such as distance running (10%-12%). Several of these factors-particularly the differences in body composition and skeletal-muscle characteristics-may directly impact vertical displacement and uphill performance.

Nucleosomal asymmetry shapes histone mark binding and promotes poising at bivalent domains.

Promoters of developmental genes in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are marked by histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and H3K27me3 in an asymmetric nucleosomal conformation, with each sister histone H3 carrying only one of the two marks. These bivalent domains are thought to poise genes for timely activation upon differentiation. Here, we show that asymmetric bivalent nucleosomes recruit repressive H3K27me3 binders but fail to enrich activating H3K4me3 binders, thereby promoting a poised state.

Splenic fibroblasts control marginal zone B cell movement and function via two distinct Notch2-dependent regulatory programs.

Innate-like splenic marginal zone (MZ) B (MZB) cells play unique roles in immunity due to their rapid responsiveness to blood-borne microbes. How MZB cells integrate cell-extrinsic and -intrinsic processes to achieve accelerated responsiveness is unclear. We found that Delta-like1 (Dll1) Notch ligands in splenic fibroblasts regulated MZB cell pool size, migration, and function.

Suboptimal dietary patterns are associated with accelerated biological aging in young adulthood: A study with twins.

Background & Aims: Suboptimal diets increase morbidity and mortality risk. Epigenetic clocks are algorithms that can assess health and lifespan, even at a young age, before clinical manifestations of diseases. We investigated the association between dietary patterns and biological aging in young adult twins.

Longitudinal determinants of thriving in Puerto Rican climate crisis migrants on the U.S. mainland: A structural equation model.

Climate-related disasters pose significant risks to mental health and well-being globally. Individuals from disaster-prone regions, such as Puerto Rico, are at even greater risk. The devastating effects of recurrent hurricanes, compounded with pre-existing structural disparities (e.

Benzimidazole analogues active against adult Schistosoma mansoni: SAR analyses, In vivo efficacy in mice, and preliminary mechanistic studies as potential inhibitors of hemozoin formation.

For over three decades, praziquantel (PZQ) has been the mainstay chemotherapy for prevention and treatment of schistosomiasis. The excessive use of PZQ, coupled with the lack of advanced drug candidates in the current anti-schistosomiasis drug development pipeline, emphasizes the genuine need for new drugs. In the current work, we investigated the antischistosomal potential of a new series of compounds derived from the privileged benzimidazole scaffold, which exhibited low micromolar IC potency in the range of 1.

Continuous Characterization of Insoluble Particles in Ice Cores Using the Single-Particle Extinction and Scattering Method.

This study presents the integration of the single-particle extinction and scattering (SPES) method in a continuous flow analysis (CFA) setup. Continuous measurements with the instrument allow for the characterization of water-insoluble particles in ice cores at high resolution with a minimized risk of contamination. The SPES method can be used to investigate particles smaller than 1 μm, which previously could not be detected by instruments typically used in CFA.

Outliers of Treatment Frequency in Retinal Vein Occlusion: 24-Month Comparative Analysis of Fight Retinal Blindness! Practitioners.

Background: We aimed to describe a 2-year outcome of eyes managed by practitioners benchmarked using a funnel plot by their frequency of treatment using vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors for naive retinal vein occlusion (RVO).

Methods: A multicentre, international, observational study of 29 doctors in 12 countries managing 1110 eyes with RVO commencing VEGF inhibitors between 1 January 2012-2022 tracked in the Fight Retinal Blindness! registry.

Results: We identified 3 outlying 'intensive' practitioners (managing 350/1110 eyes [32%]), 22 'typical' practitioners (604/1110, [54%]) and 4 outlying 'relaxed' practitioners (156/1110, [14%]) with respective 24-month outcomes in Branch and Central RVO including the primary outcome, mean adjusted change in visual acuity (VA) in BRVO: +16.

Annual Banned-Substance Review 17th Edition-Analytical Approaches in Human Sports Drug Testing 2023/2024.

The 17th edition of the annual banned-substance review on analytical approaches in human sports drug testing is dedicated to literature published between October 2023 and September 2024. As in previous years, focus is put particularly on new or enhanced analytical options in human doping controls as well as investigations into the metabolism and elimination of compounds of interest, which represent central (while not exclusive) cornerstones of the global anti-doping mission. New information published within the past 12 months on established doping agents as well as new potentially relevant substances are reviewed and discussed in the context of the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2024 Prohibited List.

Sterilization and Filter Performance of Nano- and Microfibrous Facemask Filters - Electrospinning and Restoration of Charges for Competitive Sustainable Alternatives.

Facemask materials have been under constant development to optimize filtration performance, wear comfort, and general resilience to chemical and mechanical stress. While single-use polypropylene meltblown membranes are the established go-to material for high-performing mask filters, they are neither sustainable nor particularly resistant to sterilization methods. Herein an in-depth analysis is provided of the sterilization efficiency, filtration efficiency, and breathing resistance of selected aerosol filters commonly implemented in facemasks, with a particular focus on the benefits of nanofibrous filters.