Search Results (106)

Background/Objectives: Given the heterogeneous nature of long COVID, its treatment and management remain challenging. This study aimed to investigate whether poor pre-pandemic sleep quality, its deterioration during the peak of the pandemic, and circadian preference increase the risk of long COVID symptoms. Methods: An online survey was conducted between 9 October and 12 December 2022, with 384 participants who had recovered from COVID-19 at least three months prior to data collection. Participants were categorized based on the presence of at least one long COVID symptom. Logistic regression models assessed associations between sleep-related variables and long COVID symptoms. Results: Participants with long COVID symptoms reported significantly poorer sleep quality, higher perceived stress, greater somatic and cognitive pre-sleep arousal, and elevated levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, depression, and aggression. Fatigue (39.8%) and memory problems (37.0%) were the most common long COVID symptoms. Sleep deterioration during the pandemic peak was reported by 34.6% of respondents. Pre-pandemic poor sleep quality, its deterioration during the pandemic, and poor sleep at the time of the survey were all significantly associated with long COVID. An extreme morning chronotype consistently predicted long COVID symptoms across all models, while an extreme evening chronotype was predictive only when accounting for sleep quality changes during the pandemic. COVID-19 frequency, severity, financial impact, and somatic pre-sleep arousal were significant predictors in all models. Conclusions: Poor sleep quality before the pandemic and its worsening during the pandemic peak are associated with a higher likelihood of long COVID symptoms. These findings underscore the need to monitor sleep health during pandemics and similar global events to help identify at-risk individuals and mitigate long-term health consequences, with important clinical and societal implications. Full article

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of deacidifying treatments for the restoration of textiles used as supports for works of art, with particular attention to the chemical stability, colour variation and mechanical resistance of the materials over time. The present study involved the analysis of two products: Bookkeeper^TM, containing magnesium oxide, and Nanorestore^TM, a dispersion of calcium hydroxide in alcoholic solutions of ethanol and 2-propanol. The products were applied to a series of tests on cotton, linen and jute fabrics. The experimental approach comprised an artificial degradation process of the fabrics, followed by the application of the treatments and an accelerated ageing cycle. A series of parameters were monitored throughout the experiment, encompassing surface pH, chromatic shifts ascertained through colorimetric measurements and the morphological transformations of the fabrics, as elucidated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS). The findings yielded from this study have enabled the delineation of the behaviour exhibited by the treated materials over an extended timeframe. This underscores the significance of a judicious selection of treatments, contingent upon the particular chemical and physical attributes inherent to the fabrics in question. Full article

Background/Objectives: Drugs for human use require several studies for the assessment of their efficacy and safety. An important property is cytotoxicity, which should be tested in different environments and models in closer proximity to the final use of the drug, with greater reliability. Thus, we proposed to evaluate the toxicity of rifampicin, the only bactericidal drug in the anti-leprosy multidrug therapy, using skin cells and skin explant cultures. Methods: Cell viability was tested by the MTT method using primary keratinocytes and fibroblasts and immortalized skin cells (HaCaT and 3T3) at 24, 48, and 72 h of treatment. For the skin explant, we used the TTC assay to determine viability (24, 48, 72, and 96 h), hematoxylin and eosin staining to analyze the structure and architecture of the tissue, and TUNEL to assess apoptotic cells at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. Results: Regarding the toxicity of primary and immortalized cells, viability was above 70% up to a concentration of 50 μg/mL at 24, 48, and 72 h, and at the concentration of 200 μg/mL, all cells showed greater sensitivity, especially at 72 h. Tissue viability analysis revealed a high percentage (above 96%) of viable tissue at the concentrations of 100, 150, and 200 μg/mL at the time points studied. Histological analysis showed that tissue architecture was maintained, with no apoptotic cells being observed. Conclusions: Thus, our results showed the importance of evaluating drug toxicity using different cell types, with the ex vivo skin model proving to be an alternative to animal use. Full article

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) presents a significant challenge due to its wide range of motor, non-motor, and treatment-related symptoms. Non-invasive interventions like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are being explored for potential therapeutic benefits. This study aimed to assess if a high-frequency repetitive TMS protocol (HF-rTMS) consisting of 10 trains of 100 pulses of rTMS at 25 Hz over the motor cortex (M1) at 80% of the resting motor threshold could be effective in treating motor or non-motor symptoms in patients with PD with levodopa-induced dyskinesias. Methods: A randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled pilot trial was conducted with eleven PD patients. Nine patients received HF-rTMS, while two received sham stimulation. Patients were exhaustively evaluated using validated clinical scales to assess motor and non-motor symptoms. The study followed a rigorous protocol to avoid bias, with assessments conducted by a neurologist specialized in single-blinded movement disorder. Results: The HF-rTMS group experienced a statistically significant slight worsening in both motor and non-motor symptoms, particularly in the mood/cognition and gastrointestinal domains. However, positive effects were observed in some non-motor symptoms, specifically reduced excessive sweating and weight. No adverse effects were reported. Conclusions: Although HF-rTMS did not produce significant motor improvements, its potential benefit on specific non-motor symptoms, such as autonomic regulation, warrants further investigation. Full article

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic, autosomal-recessive disorder caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, leading to thickened secretions that affect multiple organ systems. This study examines the effectiveness of Georgia’s national CF screening program, which was initiated in 2012 and includes the measurement of immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) levels at birth. An analysis of data from 2022 and 2023 revealed a decrease in follow-up attendance for sweat chloride testing among newborns with elevated IRT levels, from 59.9% to 51.2%. The birth prevalence of cystic fibrosis in Georgia varied, suggesting a need to improve both the accessibility of free testing and the quality of follow-up care. Identified barriers include limited access to screening results for pediatricians and the cost of follow-up tests. Recommendations include incorporating free sweat chloride and genetic testing into the national program, as well as improving community education and coordination with social agencies. The identification of 29 CFTR mutations in patients underscores the importance of continued genetic counseling. Overall, while the screening program shows promise, addressing these barriers is essential to improve outcomes and ensure the timely diagnosis and management of cystic fibrosis in Georgia. Full article

The applicability of RHT in the treatment and supportive care of tumors has been discussed for years in many publications. There are hundreds of articles that have reported on the good acceptance and feasibility of HT, as well as its value in terms of controlling malignant diseases, enhancing response and, in some randomized controlled trials (RCTs), clear improvements in OS. Despite this, HT has never fully been accepted as a standard treatment among radiation and medical oncologists. The increased activity that HT offers in the context of chemotherapy (CHT), radiotherapy (RT), chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and immunotherapy, thus facilitating programmed cell death (PCD), has been documented in many studies. This aspect has been demonstrated in many tumors, including soft tissue sarcoma, cancers of the cervix, esophagus, stomach, colon/rectum, pancreas, breast, head and neck, and prostate, and bone metastases. HT improves cancer cell death through many modalities, targeting both the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer cells directly. Targeted HT increases the temperature of the primary tumor and surrounding tissues to 39–43 °C, causing the tumor cells to become more immune-responsive. HT can also activate the immune response of the TME through inducing heat shock proteins (HSPs), which also promote an immunological response and PCD. HT can oxygenate hypoxic tumors, facilitating RT-induced DNA damage in cancer cells. At present, it seems that the combination of HT and RT, CHT, and immunotherapy might lead to immune enhancement effects in the TME, making cancer cells more responsive to immunotherapies. This narrative review presents the novel aspects of HT reported in recent years. Full article

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) contains mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), but their contribution to PTC progression is not clear. In this study, we compared the transcriptional signatures of normal thyroid (NT) and PTC-derived MSCs with the aim of determining if these have distinct transcriptomes that might influence PTC progression. We used flow cytometry in combination with a panel of MSC clusters of differentiation (CD) markers and showed that both thyroid MSC populations expressed MSC markers and lacked expression of markers not normally expressed by MSCs. In addition, we determined that both MSC populations could differentiate to adipocytes and osteocytes. Analysis of single cell RNA sequencing data from both MSC populations revealed, regardless of tissue of origin, that both contained similar numbers of subpopulations. Cluster analysis revealed similarity in expression of both MSC populations for stromal markers, the vascular marker VEGFA and the smooth muscle marker CALD1, while smaller subpopulations expressed markers of more lineage-committed thyroid cells. PTC MSCs also showed upregulated expression of 28 genes, many of which are known to be involved in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and/or disease progression in several types of cancers, including but not limited to breast cancer, gastric cancer, cervical carcinoma, bladder cancer and thyroid cancer. This included several members of the S100 and IGFBP gene families. Taken together, these data support a role for PTC MSCs in PTC progression. Full article

This study employs density functional theory (DFT) simulations to systematically investigate the structural and optoelectronic modifications induced by the substitution of metal ions (Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Mn²⁺, Fe²⁺/³⁺, Co²⁺, and Ni²⁺) in kaolinite. First-principles calculations reveal distinct substitution behaviors: Na-Ni (II)-1 exhibits the lowest cell energy, indicating superior structural stability, while Na-Mn (II)-1 demonstrates the most favorable substitution energy (−5.44 eV). XRD simulations of divalent substitutions show a positive correlation between atomic number and diffraction intensity at 8.778° and 9.774°, suggesting a spectral marker for substitution detection. Electronic structure analysis identifies significant bandgap reduction, with Na-Fe (II)-4 achieving an ultranarrow gap of 1.014 eV, attributed to spin-polarized d-orbital contributions. X-ray absorption fine-structure (XAFS) simulations further reveal metal-specific bond elongation, with Fe³⁺ substitutions preserving near-pristine coordination distances. These findings establish a comprehensive framework linking metal substitution to structural distortion and optoelectronic response, providing theoretical insights for optimizing kaolinite-based material properties through computational feature extraction. Full article

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) share similar working principles with lithium-ion batteries while demonstrating cost advantages. However, the current understanding of their safety characteristics remains insufficient, and the thermal runaway mechanisms of different SIB systems have not been fully elucidated. This study investigated the following two mainstream sodium-ion battery systems: polyanion-type compound (PAC) and layered transition metal oxide (TMO) cathodes. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was employed to evaluate the thermal stability of cathodes and anodes, examining the effects of state of charge (SOC), cycling, and overcharging on electrode thermal stability. The thermal stability of electrolytes with different compositions was also characterized and analyzed. Additionally, adiabatic thermal runaway tests were conducted using an accelerating rate calorimeter (ARC) to explore temperature–voltage evolution patterns and temperature rise rates. The study systematically investigated heat-generating reactions during various thermal runaway stages and conducted a comparative analysis of the thermal runaway characteristics between these two battery systems. Full article

Reducing losses during pig transport is essential for breeders and transporters, particularly in semi-arid regions, where high temperatures exacerbate transport-related stress and risk of losses. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of transport duration (short vs. long trips) on animal welfare and production losses during the commercial transport of weaner pigs in a semi-arid region. A total of 20 commercial journeys were monitored, with transport times of 30 min (15 km) and 150 min (170 km). Upon arrival, physiological and behavioral stress indicators were assessed in 960 weaner pigs (26.4 ± 2.8 kg body weight, 48 per journey). Production losses were determined by calculating the percentage of injured pigs (NAI), fatigued pigs (NANI), and those that were dead on arrival (DOA), whereas the total loss was expressed by the sum of NAI + NANI + DOA. Weaner pigs transported for 30 min exhibited significantly higher (p < 0.05) rectal temperature, respiratory rate, and stress biomarkers (cortisol and creatine kinase levels). Additionally, this group showed a higher percentage (p < 0.05) of “sitting” pigs and a lower percentage of “lying” pigs in transit, as well as a higher frequency of agonistic behavior after transport compared to those transported for 150 min. Furthermore, higher production losses were recorded in the 30 min transport group, primarily due to the increased percentage of fatigued pigs and DOA pigs. Therefore, shorter transport operations in the Brazilian semi-arid region increased the risk to animal welfare and productive losses, likely due to handling-induced stress during loading. Full article

Background: Gentamicin (GM) is extensively used as an antibiotic for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria. Oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines are implicated in GM-induced renal damage. Chrysin (CH), also known as 5,7-dihydroxyflavone, has been used in traditional medicine to treat various kidney disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effects of CH against nephrotoxicity induced by GM. Methods: Male rats were separated into four equal groups: a negative control group (NC), a CH-treated group (100 mg/kg/day per os), a group treated with GM (100 mg/kg/day IM), and a group treated with both GM and CH (100 mg/kg/day), for 10 days. Blood and urine renal markers were investigated. Results: GM caused increases in the serum creatinine and urea levels and decreases in creatinine clearance, urine flow, and urine volume in the GM-treated rats. Moreover, there were increases in the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-18, and MDA in the renal tissues, with an augmented expression of NF-κB/KIM-1, as well as decreases in antioxidant marker (GSH, GPx, CAT, and SOD) activities and decreased expressions of the anti-inflammatory transcription factors Nrf2 and AKT. The simultaneous treatment with CH in the GM-treated group protected renal tissues against the nephrotoxicity induced by GM, as demonstrated by the normalization of renal markers and improvement in histopathological damage. Conclusions: This study reveals that CH may attenuate GM-induced renal toxicity in rats. Full article

Native Hawaiians (NHs) are a historically oppressed population disproportionately burdened by diabetes and related complications. The Kilolani Project, a patient navigator-centered, chronic disease management program, targets upstream drivers of health among vulnerable NH adult patients with diabetes within an urban academic safety-net clinic. To investigate the impact of the Kilolani Project, we performed a qualitative study to examine patient perspectives. Our goal is to ensure that their values, needs, and priorities drive future navigator-based strategies and healthcare delivery. Fifteen current Kilolani Project patients participated in one of three focus group sessions. Each session followed a semi-structured format with open-ended questions regarding their experiences with the Kilolani Project, patient navigators, and healthcare in general. Iterative transcript readings and coding revealed seven core themes: (1) Humanistic approach, (2) Trusting relationships, (3) Improved access, (4) Trauma-informed care, (5) Self-efficacy, (6) Resilience, and (7) Ethnic concordance. The Kilolani Project created a safe and culturally relevant experience for NH patients. They felt seen, heard, and valued, which resulted in an improved healthcare experience, engagement, and empowerment. Importantly, trust was the cornerstone to building a provider–patient relationship. Such culturally informed approaches are necessary to close the gap in health disparities faced by our NH communities. Full article

Mental health disorders are devastating illnesses, often misdiagnosed due to overlapping clinical symptoms. Among these conditions, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder are particularly difficult to distinguish, as they share alternating positive and negative mood symptoms. Accurate and timely diagnosis of these diseases is crucial to ensure effective treatment and to tailor therapeutic management to each individual patient. In this context, it is essential to move beyond standard clinical assessment and employ innovative approaches to identify new biomarkers that can be reliably quantified. We previously identified a panel of RNA editing biomarkers capable of differentiating healthy controls from depressed patients and, among depressed patients, those with major depressive disorder and those with bipolar disorder. In this study, we integrated Adenosine-to-Inosine RNA editing blood biomarkers with clinical data through machine learning algorithms to establish specific signatures for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. This groundbreaking study paves the way for the application of RNA editing in other psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. It represents a first proof-of-concept and provides compelling evidence for the establishment of an RNA editing signature for the diagnosis of these psychiatric conditions. Full article

The present study aimed to evaluate the kinetics of the phenotypic profile and integrative networks of T/B-cells in severe COVID-19 patients, categorized according to disease outcome, during the circulation of the B.1.1.28 and B.1.1.33 SARS-CoV-2 strains in Brazil. Peripheral blood obtained at distinct time points (baseline/D0; D7; D14-28) was used for ex vivo flow cytometry immunophenotyping. The data demonstrated a decrease at D0 in the frequency of CD3⁺ T-cells and CD4⁺ T-cells and an increase in B-cells with mixed activation/exhaustion profiles. Higher changes in B-cell and CD4⁺ T-cells at D7 were associated with discharge/death outcomes, respectively. Regardless of the lower T/B-cell connectivity at D0, distinct profiles from D7/D14-28 revealed that, while discharge was associated with increasing connectivity for B-cells, CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T-cells death was related to increased connectivity involving B-cells, but with lower connections mediated by CD4⁺ T-cells. The CD4⁺CD38⁺ and CD8⁺CD69⁺ subsets accurately classified COVID-19 vs. healthy controls throughout the kinetic analysis. Binary logistic regression identified CD4⁺CD107a⁺, CD4⁺T-bet⁺, CD8⁺CD69⁺, and CD8⁺T-bet⁺ at D0 and CD4⁺CD45RO⁺CD27⁺ at D7 as subsets associated with disease outcomes. Results showed that distinct phenotypic timeline kinetics and integrative networks of T/B-cells are associated with COVID-19 outcomes that may subsidize the establishment of applicable biomarkers for clinical/therapeutic monitoring. Full article

Objectives: Cytoreductive nephrectomy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) is a standard of care. Partial nephrectomy (PN) in the setting of metastatic disease is an uncommon occurrence, and we aimed to characterize its utilization in a modern cohort. Methods: The National Cancer Database was reviewed for patients with mRCC from 2010 to 2017. Patients with cTanyNanyM1 who underwent cytoreductive surgery in the form of PN or radical nephrectomy (RN) were compiled. Our primary outcome was survival outcome for patients who underwent PN compared to RN. Secondary outcomes included 30-day readmission, length of stay, and survival outcomes. Results obtained: A total of 13,896 patients with mRCC who underwent cytoreductive surgery were identified. In total, 13,242 underwent RN and 654 underwent PN. The RN population was more likely to have cN positive disease, while the PN population was more likely to have cT1 disease. Length of stay, readmission and 30-day mortality were not significantly different between PN and RN, but overall mortality and 90-day mortality favored PN (p < 0.001). Cox regression for death showed PN with improved overall survival (HR 0.782, p < 0.001). Logistic regression for predictors of cytoreductive PN revealed cT1 and cN0 as significant factors. Overall survival, as seen on KM analysis, identified that PN exhibited improved 2-year (67.1% vs. 52.0%) and 5-year (40.7% vs. 29.2%) overall survival relative to RN (p < 0.001). Conclusions: PN is an infrequent treatment with mRCC and its utilization is stable from 2010 to 2017. Overall survival is significantly better for those undergoing PN, likely due to their favorable oncologic disease characteristics. Full article