Levodopa Impairs Lysosomal Function in Sensory Neurons In Vitro.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. Patients are diagnosed based upon movement disorders, including bradykinesia, tremor and stiffness of movement. However, non-motor signs, including constipation, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, smell deficits and pain are well recognized.

miR-193b-5p and miR-374b-5p Are Aberrantly Expressed in Endometriosis and Suppress Endometrial Cell Migration In Vitro.

(1) Background: Endometriosis is a highly prevalent gynecological disease affecting 10% of women of reproductive age worldwide. miRNAs may play a role in endometriosis, though their exact function remains unclear. This study aimed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in endometriosis and study their functions in the disease.

High Serum Irisin Concentration Is Associated with More Disturbed Behavioural Eating Pattern in Adolescent Rhythmic Gymnasts.

: There are strict demands on body weight and shape in highly trained adolescent female athletes, and they are in the highest risk group for the development of eating disorders. This study aims to compare the behavioural eating patterns between highly trained female adolescent athletes and untrained controls (UCs), and to describe the associations between behavioural eating patterns and different energy homeostasis hormones. : A total of 33 rhythmic gymnasts (RGs), 20 swimmers (SWs), and 20 UCs ( = 20) that were 14 to 18 years old participated in this investigation.

Empowering Veterinary Herd Health Management: Insights into Education, Implementation, and Regulation Across Europe.

In recent years, integrated veterinary herd health management (VHHM), improving animal health, welfare, food safety, public health, farm management, and economics, has become ever-more important in the European Union due to structural and regulatory advancements. A mixed-methods study analyzed the current state and gaps in VHHM education and training across Europe. Data from 41 European veterinary institutions showed that 83% ( = 34/41) offered VHHM education, either as standalone courses and/or integrated into other subjects.

Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among European Healthcare Workers and Effectiveness of the First Booster COVID-19 Vaccine, VEBIS HCW Observational Cohort Study, May 2021-May 2023.

European countries have included healthcare workers (HCWs) among priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination. We established a multi-country hospital network to measure the SARS-CoV-2 incidence and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among HCWs against laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. HCWs from 19 hospitals in 10 countries participated in a dynamic prospective cohort study, providing samples for SARS-CoV-2 testing at enrolment and during weekly/fortnightly follow-up.

Structural, Mechanical, and Optical Properties of Laminate-Type Thin Film SWCNT/SiON Composites.

The development of new encapsulating coatings for flexible solar cells (SCs) can help address the complex problem of the short lifespan of these devices, as well as optimize the technological process of their production. In this study, new laminate-type protective composite coatings were prepared using a silicon oxynitride thin-film matrix obtained by curing the pre-ceramic polymer perhydropolysilazane (PHPS) through two low-temperature methods: (i) thermal annealing at 180 °C and (ii) exposure to UV radiation at wavelengths of 185 and 254 nm. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were used as fillers via dry transfer, facilitating their horizontal orientation within the matrix.

Wheat field earthworms under divergent farming systems across a European climate gradient.

Earthworms are a key faunal group in agricultural soils, but little is known on how farming systems affect their communities across wide climatic gradients and how farming system choice might mediate earthworms' exposure to climate conditions. Here, we studied arable soil earthworm communities on wheat fields across a European climatic gradient, covering nine pedo-climatic zones, from Mediterranean to Boreal (S to N) and from Lusitanian to Pannonian (W to E). In each zone, 20-25 wheat fields under conventional or organic farming were sampled.

Male hysteria in theory and practice: Analyzing patient records of the Tartu Psychiatric Hospital (Estonia), 1881-1895.

During 1881-1895, a small number of male patients-18 in total-were diagnosed with hysteria at the University of Tartu Psychiatric Hospital. Rather than constituting an obscure psychiatric institution on the margins of European medical traditions, Tartu during these years witnessed the arrival of several influential psychiatrists: Hermann Emminghaus (1845-1904), Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926), and Vladimir Chizh (1855-1922). Yet, when comparing patient case records of male hysteria written by doctors who also published journal articles and medical textbooks on the topic, one can detect a clear inconsistency between the theory and practice of psychiatry at an important moment of its formation.

Safe and well-tolerated long-term parenteral nutrition regimen: Omega-3-fatty-acid-enriched medium chained/ long chained triglycerides emulsion.

Background And Aims: A limited number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have examined the use of lipid emulsions (LEs) of different compositions in home parenteral nutrition (HPN), and there are very few data on the long-term use of omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The study's objective was to assess safety and tolerability of an n-3 PUFA-enriched LE in adult patients suffering from chronic intestinal failure (CIF) requiring long-term HPN.

Methods: In this prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicentre, international clinical trial, which was conducted at eleven sites, adult patients in need of HPN including lipids received either the investigational product, an n-3 PUFA-enriched medium/long-chain triglyceride (MCT/LCT) LE, or the reference product, a standard MCT/LCT LE, for an average duration of eight weeks.

Automated extrusion-based dispensing: Personalized dosing and quality control of clopidogrel tablets for pediatric care.

The exploration of three-dimensional (3D) printing inspired technologies in pharmaceutical compounding reveals a promising frontier in personalized medicine manufacture. This study focuses on the development of clopidogrel bisulphate tablets, with doses ranging from 2 mg to 20 mg per tablet, suitable for pediatric use. The study explored a semi-solid extrusion-based deposition technology already being used in compounding pharmacies across several European locations.

Perceptions and Practices of Primary Care Providers in Europe and the US in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Multinational Survey.

Background: The knowledge and proficiency of primary care practitioners (PCPs) in diagnosing and managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) remain generally low and variable internationally. This variability is partly due to a lack of familiarity with the Rome Foundation diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines for this condition.

Methods: We conducted an electronic survey of PCPs in the United States and nine European countries to assess their understanding of IBS pathophysiology; the use of Rome IV criteria in diagnosis, knowledge of and frequency in prescribing various recommended treatments; and the likelihood of referring patients with suspected IBS to subspecialists.

The genomic portrait of the Picene culture provides new insights into the Italic Iron Age and the legacy of the Roman Empire in Central Italy.

Background: The Italic Iron Age is characterized by the presence of various ethnic groups partially examined from a genomic perspective. To explore the evolution of Iron Age Italic populations and the genetic impact of Romanization, we focus on the Picenes, one of the most fascinating pre-Roman civilizations, who flourished on the Middle Adriatic side of Central Italy between the 9 and the 3 century BCE, until the Roman colonization.

Results: More than 50 samples are reported, spanning more than 1000 years of history from the Iron Age to Late Antiquity.

Distribution and evidence of co-infection of the two microsporidian parasites and in complex in Northern and Central Italy.

complex is an endangered freshwater crayfish species in Europe and the assessment of the health status of its wild populations is essential for conservation purposes. The two microsporidia and have been reported to cause in complex a chronic parasitic infection, known as ‘porcelain disease’, which reduces population fitness and leads the host to death. Due to the similar macroscopic signs produced, molecular biology analyses are required to unambiguously distinguish between these microsporidia.

Population Digital Health: Continuous Health Monitoring and Profiling at Scale.

This paper introduces population digital health (PDH)-the use of digital health information sourced from health internet of things (IoT) and wearable devices for population health modeling-as an emerging research domain that offers an integrated approach for continuous monitoring and profiling of diseases and health conditions at multiple spatial resolutions. PDH combines health data sourced from health IoT devices, machine learning, and ubiquitous computing or networking infrastructure to increase the scale, coverage, equity, and cost-effectiveness of population health. This contrasts with the traditional population health approach, which relies on data from structured clinical records (eg, electronic health records) or health surveys.

Leveraging large-scale multi-omics evidences to identify therapeutic targets from genome-wide association studies.

Background: Therapeutic targets supported by genetic evidence from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) show higher probability of success in clinical trials. GWAS is a powerful approach to identify links between genetic variants and phenotypic variation; however, identifying the genes driving associations identified in GWAS remains challenging. Integration of molecular quantitative trait loci (molQTL) such as expression QTL (eQTL) using mendelian randomization (MR) and colocalization analyses can help with the identification of causal genes.

History and genetic diversity of African sheep: Contrasting phenotypic and genomic diversity.

Domesticated sheep have adapted to contrasting and extreme environments and continue to play important roles in local community-based economies throughout Africa. Here we review the Neolithic migrations of thin-tailed sheep and the later introductions of fat-tailed sheep into eastern Africa. According to contemporary pictorial evidence, the latter occurred in Egypt not before the Ptolemaic period (305-25 BCE).

Widespread Misinterpretation of p Terminology for Zwitterionic Compounds and Its Consequences.

The acid dissociation constant (p), which quantifies the propensity for a solute to donate a proton to its solvent, is crucial for drug design and synthesis, environmental fate studies, chemical manufacturing, and many other fields. Unfortunately, the terminology used for describing acid-base phenomena is sometimes inconsistent, causing large potential for misinterpretation. In this work, we examine a systematic confusion underlying the definition of "acidic" and "basic" p values for zwitterionic compounds.