A systematic review and meta-analysis of double trophectoderm biopsy and/or cryopreservation in PGT: balancing the need for a diagnosis against the risk of harm.

Background: To prevent the transfer of embryos affected by monogenic conditions and/or chromosomal defects, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) requires trophectoderm biopsy and cryopreservation. In 2-6% of biopsies, the diagnosis may be inconclusive due to DNA amplification failure or low-quality results. In these cases, a round of re-warming, re-biopsy, and re-cryopreservation is required to obtain a genetic diagnosis.

Ca Signalling is a Conserved Game of Contact.

Apicoplasts are critical for the growth of medically important parasites. It is now reported that they form contacts with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via two pore channels thus enabling Ca trafficking. This highlights the dynamic physical association between organelles as a critical motif in Ca signaling.

Double stimulation for the management of poor-prognosis patients: where are we going?

Purpose Of Review: The technical improvements in IVF allowed the implementation of nonconventional ovarian stimulation protocols for some specific patients. Where time is crucial, such as with oncologic patients, poor-prognosis patients, patients with low ovarian reserve, and those with advanced maternal age, access to IVF treatment is even more critical. Some of these protocols might start in the late follicular phase, luteal phase, or involve both stimulations within the same ovarian cycle.

Enhancing retention in care in HIV-infected adolescents during COVID-19 in Mozambique: results from the DREAM program.

Introduction: Around 1,7 million adolescents aged 10-19 years worldwide are infected with HIV, 84% of them living in Sub-Saharan Africa. Mozambique is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of HIV in the world. According to UNAIDS, HIV services for adolescents should be tailored and specifically designed for them.

Male factor infertility and assisted reproductive technologies: indications, minimum access criteria and outcomes.

Background: Infertility, which is defined as the inability to conceive after at least 12 months of regular unprotected sexual intercourses, affects about 15-20% of couples worldwide and a male factor is involved in about half of the cases. The development of assisted reproductive technology (ART) made it possible to conceive also to individuals affected from severe oligospermia or azoospermia. However, the impact of the male factor on embryo development, implantation, prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities, genetic and epigenetic alterations, and clinical and obstetric outcomes is still controversial.

Liposome-based nanoparticles impact on regulatory and effector phenotypes of macrophages and T cells in multiple Sclerosis patients.

Current available treatments of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) reduce neuroinflammation acting on different targets on the immune system, but potentially lead to severe side effects and have a limited efficacy in slowing the progression of the disease. Here, we evaluated in vitro the immunomodulatory potential of a new class of nanoparticles - liposomes, constituted by a double-layer of phosphatidylserine (PSCho/PS), and double-faced, with an outer layer of phosphatidylserine and an inner layer of phosphatidic acid (PSCho/PA), either alone or in the presence of the myelin basic protein (MBP) peptide (residues 85-99) (PSCho/PS-MBP and PSCho/PA-MBP). Results showed that PSCho/PS are equally and efficiently internalized by pro- and anti-inflammatory macrophages (M1 and M2 respectively), while PSCho/PA were internalized better by M2 than M1.

A practical approach to the management of thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy.

Pregnancy has an important impact on the thyroid gland and its function. Thyroid activity changes as a consequence of the novel physiological state of pregnancy and requires a complex hormonal and metabolic adaptation, which is possible only in the presence of a perfectly functioning thyroid gland. In fact, thyroid function is crucial for the success of the implantation and the progression of pregnancy.

Chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in children and adolescents: a systematic review.

Purpose: The present systematic review aims to describe the incidence and severity of chemotherapy-related oral mucositis in children and adolescents affected by hematologic and solid tumors.

Methods: An electronic search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EBSCO up to the 8th November 2020. The PRISMA protocol was followed for the article selection and inclusion.

Advanced computation in cardiovascular physiology: new challenges and opportunities.

Recent developments in computational physiology have successfully exploited advanced signal processing and artificial intelligence tools for predicting or uncovering characteristic features of physiological and pathological states in humans. While these advanced tools have demonstrated excellent diagnostic capabilities, the high complexity of these computational 'black boxes' may severely limit scientific inference, especially in terms of biological insight about both physiology and pathological aberrations. This theme issue highlights current challenges and opportunities of advanced computational tools for processing dynamical data reflecting autonomic nervous system dynamics, with a specific focus on cardiovascular control physiology and pathology.

The translocator protein (TSPO) is prodromal to mitophagy loss in neurotoxicity.

Dysfunctional mitochondria characterise Parkinson's Disease (PD). Uncovering etiological molecules, which harm the homeostasis of mitochondria in response to pathological cues, is therefore pivotal to inform early diagnosis and therapy in the condition, especially in its idiopathic forms. This study proposes the 18 kDa Translocator Protein (TSPO) to be one of those.

Pharmacological advances in mitochondrial therapy.

Mitochondria play a vital role in cellular metabolism and are central mediator of intracellular signalling, cell differentiation, morphogenesis and demise. An increasingly higher number of pathologies is linked with mitochondrial dysfunction, which can arise from either genetic defects affecting core mitochondrial components or malfunctioning pathways impairing mitochondrial homeostasis. As such, mitochondria are considered an important target in several pathologies spanning from neoplastic to neurodegenerative diseases as well as metabolic syndromes.

Epidemiological transition and double burden of diseases in low-income countries: the case of Mozambique.

Epidemiological transition theory aims to describe changes in epidemiological scenarios at the global and national level. The assumption is the shift from infectious diseases (IDs) to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Some authors argue that this theory failed to describe epidemiology in sub-Saharan Africa.

hNGF Peptides Elicit the NGF-TrkA Signalling Pathway in Cholinergic Neurons and Retain Full Neurotrophic Activity in the DRG Assay.

In the last decade, Nerve Growth Factor (NGF)-based clinical approaches have lacked specific and efficient Tyrosine Kinase A (TrkA) agonists for brain delivery. Nowadays, the characterization of novel small peptidomimetic is taking centre stage in preclinical studies, in order to overcome the main size-related limitation in brain delivery of NGF holoprotein for Central Nervous System (CNS) pathologies. Here we investigated the NGF mimetic properties of the human NGF 1-14 sequence (hNGF1-14) and its derivatives, by resorting to primary cholinergic and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons.

Regulation of PDE5 expression in human aorta and thoracic aortic aneurysms.

Aneurysms and dissections affecting thoracic aorta are associated with smooth muscle cell (SMC) dysfunction. NO/cGMP signaling pathway in smooth muscle cells has been shown to be affected in sporadic thoracic aortic aneurysms. We analyzed the mRNA levels of PDE5, a cGMP-hydrolyzing enzyme highly expressed in aortic SMCs, that regulates arterious vascular tone by lowering cGMP levels.

Single cell transcriptomic analysis of human mesenchymal stem cells reveals limited heterogeneity.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a population of multipotent cells with a superior ability to promote tissue repair by regulating regeneration and inflammation. Effective application of MSCs in disease treatment relies on the production of relatively homogeneous cell population. However, the cellular heterogeneity and the differentiation trajectories of in vitro expanded MSCs remain largely unclear.

Correction to: The Medial Septum Is Insulin Resistant in the AD Presymptomatic Phase: Rescue by Nerve Growth Factor-Driven IRS Activation.

The authors, due to the change in one of the University name at the affiliation, hereby correct the proof.

Reduced cortical folding in multi-modal vestibular regions in persistent postural perceptual dizziness.

Persistent postural perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a common functional vestibular disorder that is triggered and sustained by a complex interaction between physiological and psychological factors affecting spatial orientation and postural control. Past functional neuroimaging research and one recent structural (i.e.

The Medial Septum Is Insulin Resistant in the AD Presymptomatic Phase: Rescue by Nerve Growth Factor-Driven IRS Activation.

Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCN) are key modulators of learning and memory and are high energy-demanding neurons. Impaired neuronal metabolism and reduced insulin signaling, known as insulin resistance, has been reported in the early phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which has been suggested to be "Type 3 Diabetes." We hypothesized that BFCN may develop insulin resistance and their consequent failure represents one of the earliest event in AD.

Anxiolytic Therapy: A Paradigm of Successful Mitochondrial Pharmacology.

The complex biochemistry and dynamic structure of mitochondria have prevented them from being prominent pharmacological targets. New mechanistic understanding of cholesterol transport and associated neurosteroidogenesis is providing evidence on therapeutic outcomes in mental disorders that is achievable via mitochondrial pharmacology. This warrants general attention on mitochondrial pharmacology to inform therapies.

A role for TSPO in mitochondrial Ca homeostasis and redox stress signaling.

The 18 kDa translocator protein TSPO localizes on the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM). Systematically overexpressed at sites of neuroinflammation it is adopted as a biomarker of brain conditions. TSPO inhibits the autophagic removal of mitochondria by limiting PARK2-mediated mitochondrial ubiquitination via a peri-organelle accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Responsiveness and Minimal Important Changes of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 Patient Questionnaire in Subjects With Mild Adolescent and Moderate Adult Idiopathic Scoliosis Undergoing Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation.

Study Design: Single-center, prospective study.

Objective: Evaluating the responsiveness and minimal important changes (MICs) for the Scoliosis Research Society-22 Patient Questionnaire (SRS-22) in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and adult idiopathic scoliosis (AS).

Summary Of Background Data: Despite the SRS-22 properties have been investigated in various different languages, there is still a lack of information concerning responsiveness and MIC, limiting the use of SRS-22 for clinical and research purposes.

Management of missing second premolars using miniscrews: an elective solution for critical anchorage conditions.

Growing patients with congenital missing second premolars should be accurately evaluated in order to establish an appropriate treatment plan. The decision whether to close or maintain spaces in dental arches caused by missing teeth should be based on the consideration of biomechanical factors and the aesthetic traits of individual patients. Accordingly, the choice of closing spaces requires an adequate consideration of biomechanical principles in order to avoid detrimental effects on the occlusion and profile.

Use of clear aligners in open bite cases: an unexpected treatment option.

In open bite case treatments, a proper diagnostic differentiation is essential in determining the appropriate corrective procedures. Dental open bites are generally more responsive to treatment with orthodontics alone, whereas skeletal open bites often require a combination of orthodontics and orthognathic surgery. Patient selection and treatment principles for non-surgical open bite treatment routinely include fixed appliances both labial or lingual.

Responsiveness of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia in Italian subjects with chronic low back pain undergoing motor and cognitive rehabilitation.

Purpose: The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) is a commonly used measure for the assessment of kinesiophobia related to spinal diseases. The Italian version showed satisfactory psychometric properties, but its responsiveness has not yet been evaluated. This observational study is aimed at evaluating the responsiveness and minimal important changes (MICs) for the TSK in subjects with chronic low back pain.