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Safety learning during threat and adversity is critical for behavioral adaptation, resiliency, and survival. Using a novel mouse paradigm involving thermal threat, we recently demonstrated that safety learning is highly susceptible to social isolation stress. Yet, our previous study primarily considered male mice and did not thoroughly scrutinize the relative impacts of stress on potentially distinct defensive mechanisms implemented by males and females during the thermal safety task. The present study assessed these issues while considering a variety of defensive behaviors related to safety-seeking, escape, coping, protection, ambivalence, and risk-taking. After a two-week social isolation stress period, mice were required to explore a box arena that had thermal threat and safety zones (5 vs. 30°C, respectively). Since visuospatial cues clearly differentiated the threat and safety zones, the majority of the no-stress controls (69-75%) in both sexes exhibited optimal memory formation for the safety zone. In contrast, the majority of the stress-exposed mice in both sexes (69-75%) exhibited robust impairment in memory formation for the safety zone. Furthermore, while the control groups exhibited many robust correlations among various defensive behaviors, the stress-exposed mice in both sexes exhibited disorganized behaviors. Thus, stress severely impaired the proper establishment of safety memory and the structure of defensive behavior, effects that primarily occurred in a sex-independent manner., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Villalon, Felix-Ortiz, Lozano-Ortiz, McCarrey and Burgos-Robles.)

Unintentional weight loss, primarily due to the loss of fat mass rather than muscle mass, is common among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and is associated with poor quality of life and accelerated disease progression. Since transgenic mice overexpressing human wild-type α-synuclein (α-Syn mice) are modestly leaner than control mice, and since diabetes, a metabolic disorder, is a major risk factor for PD, we reasoned that high-fat diet-induced diabetes/metabolic dysregulation in α-Syn mice may serve as a robust tool for exploring how early α-synuclein pathology contributes to metabolic dysregulation, leading to weight loss in PD. Thus, α-Syn and age-matched controls were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) chow (60% fat calories) ad libitum for four months. Compared with controls on HFD (control-HFD), α-Syn mice on HFD (α-Syn-HFD) were dramatically leaner. The resistance to gaining weight in α-Syn-HFD mice was accompanied by improved glucose tolerance, a dramatic decrease in fat mass, and an increase in energy expenditure. Despite this leaner phenotype and better glucose tolerance, the mortality was much higher in male α-Syn-HFD mice than in all controls, but was unaffected in females, suggesting protective effects of female sex hormones, as well as lower α-synuclein levels. Immunoblot analysis of insulin signaling in the olfactory bulb, the proposed initial seeding site of α-synuclein pathology, revealed a decrease of IGF-IRβ, p GSK, and p mTOR in α-Syn-HFD mice. Since GSK-3β and mTOR regulate synaptic plasticity, we assessed levels of PSD-95 and synaptophysin in the olfactory bulb. As anticipated, we observed a significant decrease in the levels of PSD-95, along with a potentially compensatory increase in synaptophysin levels. Our results show that α-Syn mice, when challenged with diet-induced diabetes/metabolic dysregulation, clearly reveal a profile of robust metabolic dysfunction, thus providing a sensitive tool for assessing the underlying mechanism of metabolic dysfunction and its impact on weight loss and disease progression in PD. We propose a role for olfactory dysfunction in PD-related unintentional weight loss and suggest that strategies aimed at increasing body weight/BMI will improve the quality of life and prognosis for people living with PD., Competing Interests: COMPETING INTERESTS All authors declare that they have no financial or non-financial competing interests.

Carbohydrates have a dietary role, but excessive consumption of high-calorie sugars can contribute to an increased incidence of metabolic diseases and dental caries. Recently, carbohydrates with sweetening properties and low caloric value, such as D-tagatose, have been investigated as alternative sugars. D-tagatose is a rare sugar that has nutritional and functional properties of great interest for health. This literature review presents an approach to the biological effects of D-tagatose, emphasizing its benefits for oral health. Studies report that D-tagatose has antioxidant and prebiotic effects, low digestibility, reduced glycemic and insulinemic responses, and the potential to improve the lipid profile, constituting an alternative for diabetes mellitus and obesity. It can also be observed that D-tagatose has an antioxidant action, favoring the elimination of free radicals and, consequently, causing a reduction in cellular oxidative stress. Furthermore, it also has antibacterial potential against oral species. Regarding oral health, studies have shown that D-tagatose efficiently reversed bacterial coaggregations, including periodontopathogenic species, and impaired the activity and growth of cariogenic bacteria, such as S. mutans . D-tagatose significantly inhibited biofilm formation, pH decrease and insoluble glucan synthesis in S. mutans cultures. Salivary S. mutans counts were also significantly reduced by the consumption of chewing gum containing D-tagatose and xylitol. In addition, there is evidence that tagatose is effective as an air-polishing powder for biofilm decontamination. The literature indicates that D-tagatose can contribute to the prevention of systemic diseases, also constituting a promising agent to improve oral health.

Social phobia is highly detrimental for social behavior, mental health, and productivity. Despite much previous research, the behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms associated with the development of social phobia remain elusive. To investigate these issues, the present study implemented a mouse model of social threat conditioning in which mice received electric shock punishment upon interactions with unfamiliar conspecifics. This resulted in immediate reductions in social behavior and robust increases in defensive mechanisms such as avoidance, freezing, darting, and ambivalent stretched posture. Furthermore, social deficits lasted for prolonged periods and were independent of contextual settings, sex variables, or particular identity of the social stimuli. Shedding new light into the neurobiological factors contributing to this phenomenon, we found that optogenetic silencing of the prelimbic (PL), but not the infralimbic (IL), subregion of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during training led to subsequent forgetting and development of lasting social phobia. Similarly, pharmacological inhibition of NMDARs in PL also impaired the development of social phobia. These findings are consistent with the notion that social-related trauma is a prominent risk factor for the development of social phobia, and that this phenomenon engages learning-related mechanisms within the prelimbic prefrontal cortex to promote prolonged representations of social threat.

As the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread throughout the world, millions of positive cases of COVID-19 were registered and, even though there are millions of people already vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, a large part of the global population remains vulnerable to contracting the virus. Massive nasopharyngeal sample collection in Puerto Rico at the beginning of the pandemic was limited by the scarcity of trained personnel and testing sites. To increase SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing availability, we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of self-collected nasal, saliva, and urine samples using the TaqPath reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 kit to detect SARS-CoV-2. We also created a colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) laboratory developed test (LDT) to detect SARS-CoV-2, as another strategy to increase the availability of molecular testing in community-based laboratories. Automated RNA extraction was performed in the KingFisher Flex instrument, followed by PCR quantification of SARS-CoV-2 on the 7500 Fast Dx RT-PCR using the TaqPath RT-PCR COVID-19 molecular test. Data was interpreted by the COVID-19 Interpretive Software from Applied Biosystems and statistically analyzed with Cohen's kappa coefficient (k). Cohen's kappa coefficient (k) for paired nasal and saliva samples showed moderate agreement (0.52). Saliva samples exhibited a higher viral load. We also observed 90% concordance between LifeGene-Biomarks' SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Colorimetric LAMP LDT and the TaqPath RT-PCR COVID-19 test. Our results suggest that self-collected saliva is superior to nasal and urine samples for COVID-19 testing. The results also suggest that the colorimetric LAMP LDT is a rapid alternative to RT-PCR tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. This test can be easily implemented in clinics, hospitals, the workplace, and at home; optimizing the surveillance and collection process, which helps mitigate global public health and socioeconomic upheaval caused by airborne pandemics., (© 2024 LifeGene Biomarks. Immunity, Inflammation and Disease published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Transplantation is a field with unique medical and administrative challenges that involve an equally diverse array of stakeholders. Expectantly, the litigation stemming from this field should be similarly nuanced. There is a paucity of comprehensive reviews characterizing this medicolegal landscape. Design: The Caselaw Access Project Database was used to collect official court briefs of 2053 lawsuits related to kidney, liver, heart, lung, and pancreas transplantation. A thematic analysis was undertaken to characterize grounds for litigation, defendant type, and outcomes. Cases were grouped into policy, discrimination, poor or unsuccessful outcome, or other categories. Results: One hundred sixty-four court cases were included for analysis. Cases involving disputes over policy coverage were the most common across all organ types (N = 55, 33.5%). This was followed by poor outcomes (N = 51, 31.1%), allegations of discrimination against prison systems and employers (N = 37, 22.6%) and other (N = 21, 12.8%). Defendants involved in discrimination trials won with the greatest frequency (N = 29, 90.62%). Defendants implicated in policy suits won 65.3% (N = 32), poor outcomes 62.2% (N = 28), and other 70% (N = 14). Of the 51 cases involving poor outcomes, plaintiffs indicated lack of informed consent in 23 (45.1%). Conclusion: Reconsidering the informed consent process may be a viable means of mitigating future legal action. Most discrimination suits favoring defendants suggested previous concerns of structural injustices in transplantation may not be founded. The prevalence of policy-related cases could be an indication of financial burden on patients. Future work and advocacy will need to substantiate these concerns and address change where legal recourse falls short., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objectives: The demographic disparities among surgeons in academic leadership positions is well documented. We aimed to characterize the present demographic details of abdominal transplant surgeons who have achieved academic and clinical leadership positions., Materials and Methods: We reviewed the 2022-2023 American Society of Transplant Surgeons membership registry to identify 1007 active abdominal transplant surgeons. Demographic details (academic and clinical titles) were collected and analyzed using the chi-square test, the Fisher exact test, and t tests. Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted., Results: Female surgeons (P < .001) and surgeons from racial-ethnic minorities (P = .027) were more likely to be assistants or associates rather than full professors. White male surgeons were more likely to be full professors than were White female (P < .001), Asian female (P = .008), and Asian male surgeons (P = .005). There were no Black female surgeons who were full professors. The frequency of full professorship increased with surgeon age (P < .001). Male surgeons were more likely to hold no academic titles (P < .001). Female surgeons were less likely to be chief of transplant(P = .025), chief of livertransplant (P = .001), chief of pancreas transplant (P = .037), or chair of surgery (P = .087, significance at 10%). Chief of kidney transplant was the most common clinical position held by a surgeon from a racial or ethnic minority group. Female surgeons were more likely to hold no clinical titles (P = .001)., Conclusions: The underrepresentation of women and people from racial and ethnic minority groups in academic and clinical leadership positions in the field of abdominal transplant surgery remains evident. White male physicians are more likely to obtain full professorship, and they comprise most of the clinical leadership positions overall. A continued push for representative leadership is needed.

Learning and adaptation during sources of threat and safety are critical mechanisms for survival. The prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) subregions of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have been broadly implicated in the processing of threat and safety. However, how these regions regulate threat and safety during naturalistic conditions involving thermal challenge still remains elusive. To examine this issue, we developed a novel paradigm in which adult mice learned that a particular zone that was identified with visuospatial cues was associated with either a noxious cold temperature ("threat zone") or a pleasant warm temperature ("safety zone"). This led to the rapid development of avoidance behavior when the zone was paired with cold threat or approach behavior when the zone was paired with warm safety. During a long-term test without further thermal reinforcement, mice continued to exhibit robust avoidance or approach to the zone of interest, indicating that enduring spatial-based memories were formed to represent the thermal threat and thermal safety zones. Optogenetic experiments revealed that neural activity in PL and IL was not essential for establishing the memory for the threat zone. However, PL and IL activity bidirectionally regulated memory formation for the safety zone. While IL activity promoted safety memory during normal conditions, PL activity suppressed safety memory especially after a stress pretreatment. Therefore, a working model is proposed in which balanced activity between PL and IL is favorable for safety memory formation, whereas unbalanced activity between these brain regions is detrimental for safety memory after stress., (Copyright © 2024 Felix-Ortiz et al.)

Background/aims: The evidence suggests that a shorter esophageal length (EL) in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) patients is associated with the presence of hiatal hernia (HH). However, there are no reports of this association in patients with achalasia. The aim is to (1) determine the prevalence of hiatal hernia in achalasia patients, (2) compare achalasia EL with GERD patients and healthy volunteers (HV), (3) measure achalasia manometric esophageal length to height (MELH) ratio, and (4) determine if there are differences in symptoms between patients with and without hiatal hernia., Methods: This retrospective and cross-sectional study consist of 87 pre-surgical achalasia patients, 22 GERD patients, and 30 HV. High-resolution manometry (HRM), barium swallow, and upper endoscopy were performed to diagnose HH. The EL and MELH ratio were measured by HRM. Symptoms were assessed with Eckardt, Eating Assessment Tool, and GERD-health-related quality of life questionnaires., Results: The HH in GERD's prevalence was 73% vs 3% in achalasia patients ( P < 0.001). Achalasia patients had a longer esophagus and a higher MELH ratio than HV and GERD patients ( P < 0.001). GERD patients had a lower MELH ratio than HV ( P < 0.05). EAT-10 ( P < 0.0001) and Eckardt ( P < 0.05) scores were higher in achalasia without HH vs HH., Conclusions: The prevalence of HH in achalasia is significantly lower than in GERD. The longer EL and the higher MELH ratio in achalasia could explain the lower prevalence of HH. Despite the low prevalence of HH in achalasia patients, the surgeon should be encouraged not to rule out HH since the risk of postoperative reflux may increase if this condition is not identified and corrected.

Introduction: Pediatric surgery is a developing specialty with increasing volume in Latin America. However, the research and scientific activity trends carried out in this region in recent years are unknown. This study aimed to analyze and visualize Latin American research in pediatric surgery from 2012 to 2021., Material and Methods: Bibliometric cross-sectional study of scientific articles on pediatric surgery published by Latin American authors from 2012 to 2021 in Scopus was performed. Statistical and visual analysis was performed with R programming language and VOS viewer., Results: 449 articles were found. Observational studies (44.7%; n = 201), case reports (20.4%; n = 92) and narrative reviews (11.4%; n = 51) were found to be the most common study designs. The published articles were predominantly monocentric (73.1%; n = 328), only 17% (n = 76) involved authors from 2 or more countries, and mostly there was no collaboration with high-income countries (80.6%; n = 362). The Journal of Pediatric Surgery was the journal with the highest volume of articles published (n = 37). The most used terms were Laparoscopy, Complications, and Liver Transplantation, and the countries with the highest number of articles published were Brazil and Argentina., Conclusions: This study found a progressive increase in the scientific activity of Latin authors in pediatric surgery from 2012 to 2021. The evidence produced was mainly from observational studies and case reports, predominantly conducted in Brazil. Multinational and international collaboration was low; the most frequent topics of interest were laparoscopy and minimally invasive surgery., Levels of Evidence: IV., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Cocoa is considered a functional food because it is a natural source of macro- and micronutrients. Thus, cocoa is rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, methylxanthines and flavonoids. In addition to favoring the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates, the bioactive components of cocoa can have an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effect, providing numerous benefits for health. This literature review presents an overview of the effects of cocoa, fruit of the Theobroma cacao tree, on systemic and oral health. Several studies report that cocoa intake may contribute to the prevention of cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, immunological, inflammatory, metabolic and bone diseases, in addition to reducing the risk of vascular alterations and cognitive dysfunctions. On oral health, in vitro studies have shown that cocoa extract exerted an inhibitory effect on the growth, adherence and metabolism of cariogenic and periodontopathogenic bacteria, also inhibiting acid production, glycosyltransferase enzyme activity and the synthesis of insoluble polysaccharides. Additionally, administration of cocoa extract reduced biofilm accumulation and caries development in animals infected with cariogenic species. Clinical studies also reported that the use of mouthwashes containing cocoa extract reduced Streptococcus mutans counts in saliva and dental biofilm formation. In short, these studies highlight the nutritional value of cocoa, considering its clinical applicability, stability and economic accessibility.

Molecular biology aims to understand cellular responses and regulatory dynamics in complex biological systems. However, these studies remain challenging in non-model species due to poor functional annotation of regulatory proteins. To overcome this limitation, we develop a multi-layer neural network that determines protein functionality directly from the protein sequence. We annotate kinases and phosphatases in Glycine max. We use the functional annotations from our neural network, Bayesian inference principles, and high resolution phosphoproteomics to infer phosphorylation signaling cascades in soybean exposed to cold, and identify Glyma.10G173000 (TOI5) and Glyma.19G007300 (TOT3) as key temperature regulators. Importantly, the signaling cascade inference does not rely upon known kinase motifs or interaction data, enabling de novo identification of kinase-substrate interactions. Conclusively, our neural network shows generalization and scalability, as such we extend our predictions to Oryza sativa, Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, and Triticum aestivum. Taken together, we develop a signaling inference approach for non-model species leveraging our predicted kinases and phosphatases., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Belatacept may provide benefit in delayed graft function, but its association with infectious complications is understudied. We aim to assess the incidence of CMV and BK viremia in patients treated with sirolimus or belatacept as part of a three-drug immunosuppression regimen after kidney transplantation., Materials and Methods: Kidney transplant recipients from 01/01/2015 to 10/01/2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Maintenance immunosuppression was either tacrolimus, mycophenolate and sirolimus (B 0 ) or tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and belatacept (5.0 mg/kg monthly) (B 1 ). Primary outcomes of interest were BK and CMV viremia which were followed until the end of the study period. Secondary outcomes included graft function (serum creatinine, eGFR) and acute rejection through 12 months., Results: Belatacept was initiated in patients with a higher mean kidney donor profile index (B 0 :0.36 vs. B 1 :0.44, p = .02) with more delayed graft function (B 0 :6.1% vs. B 1 :26.1%, p < .001). Belatacept therapy was associated with more "severe" CMV viremia >25,000 copies/mL (B 0 :1.2% vs. B 1 :5.9%, p = .016) and CMV disease (B 0 :0.41% vs. B 1 :4.2%, p = .015). However, there was no difference in the overall incidence of CMV viremia >200 IU/mL (B 0 :9.4% vs. B 1 :13.5%, p = .28). There was no difference in the incidence of BK viremia >200 IU/mL (B 0 :29.7% vs. B 1 :31.1%, p = .78) or BK-associated nephropathy (B 0 :2.4% vs. B 1 :1.7%, p = .58), but belatacept was associated with "severe" BK viremia, defined as >10,000 IU/mL (B 0 :13.0% vs. B 1 :21.8%, p = .03). The mean serum Cr was significantly higher with belatacept therapy at 1-year follow up (B 0 :1.24 mg/dL vs. B 1 :1.43 mg/dL, p = .003). Biopsy-proven acute rejection (B 0 :1.2% vs. B 1 :2.6%, p = .35) and graft loss (B 0 :1.2% vs. B 1 :0.84%, p = .81) were comparable at 12 months., Conclusions: Belatacept therapy was associated with an increased risk of CMV disease and "severe" CMV and BK viremia. However, this regimen did not increase the overall incidence of infection and facilitated comparable acute rejection and graft loss at 12-month follow up., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report no financial or other conflicts of interest. This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Stimuli-responsive nanomaterials have emerged as a promising strategy for inclusion in anticancer therapy. In particular, pH-responsive silica nanocarriers have been studied to provide controlled drug delivery in acidic tumor microenvironments. However, the intracellular microenvironment that the nanosystem must face has an impact on the anticancer effect; therefore, the design of the nanocarrier and the mechanisms that govern drug release play a crucial role in optimizing efficacy. Here, we synthesized and characterized mesoporous silica nanoparticles with transferrin conjugated on their surface via a pH-sensitive imine bond (MSN-Tf) to assess camptothecin (CPT) loading and release. The results showed that CPT-loaded MSN-Tf (MSN-Tf@CPT) had a size of ca. 90 nm, a zeta potential of -18.9 mV, and a loaded content of 13.4%. The release kinetic data best fit a first-order model, and the predominant mechanism was Fickian diffusion. Additionally, a three-parameter model demonstrated the drug-matrix interaction and impact of transferrin in controlling the release of CPT from the nanocarrier. Taken together, these results provide new insights into the behavior of a hydrophobic drug released from a pH-sensitive nanosystem.

Competing Interests: The authors declare no funding or conflicts of interest.

Taxane-based chemotherapy regimens are used as first-line treatment for breast cancer. Neurotoxicity, mainly taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN), remains the most important dose-limiting adverse event. Multiple genes may be associated with TIPN; however, the strength and direction of the association remain unclear. For this reason, we systematically reviewed observational studies of TIPN pharmacogenetic markers in breast cancer treatment. We conducted a systematic search of terms alluding to breast cancer, genetic markers, taxanes, and neurotoxicity in Ovid, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, Virtual Health, and Web of Science. We assessed the quality of evidence and bias profile. We extracted relevant variables and effect measures. Whenever possible, we performed random-effects gene meta-analyses and examined interstudy heterogeneity with meta-regression models and subgroup analyses. This study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and STrengthening the REporting of Genetic Association Studies (STREGA) reporting guidance. A total of 42 studies with 19,431 participants were included. These evaluated 262 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 121 genes. We conducted meta-analyses on 23 genes with 60 SNPs (19 studies and 6246 participants). Thirteen individual SNPs (ABCB1-rs2032582, ABCB1-rs3213619, BCL6/-rs1903216, /CAND1-rs17781082, CYP1B1-rs1056836, CYP2C8-rs10509681, CYP2C8-rs11572080, EPHA5-rs7349683, EPHA6-rs301927, FZD3-rs7001034, GSTP1-rs1138272, TUBB2A-rs9501929, and XKR4-rs4737264) and the overall SNPs' effect in four genes (CYP3A4, EphA5, GSTP1, and SLCO1B1) were statistically significantly associated with TIPN through meta-analysis. In conclusion, through systematic review and meta-analysis, we found that polymorphisms, and particularly 13 SNPs, are associated with TIPN, suggesting that genetics does play a role in interindividual predisposition. Further studies could potentially use these findings to develop individual risk profiles and guide decision making., (© 2022 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.)

Background/objective: Data on IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) come almost exclusively from cohorts from Asia, Europe, and North America. We conducted this study to describe the clinical presentation, phenotype distribution, and association with sex, ethnicity, and serological markers in a large cohort of Latin American patients with IgG4-RD., Methods: We performed a multicenter medical records review study including 184 Latin American IgG4-RD patients. We assigned patients to clinical phenotypes: group 1 (pancreato-hepato-biliary), group 2 (retroperitoneal/aortic), group 3 (head and neck-limited), group 4 (Mikulicz/systemic), and group 5 (undefined). We focused the analysis on how sex, ethnicity, and clinical phenotype may influence the clinical and serological presentation., Results: The mean age was 50.8 ± 15 years. Men and women were equally affected (52.2% vs 48.8%). Fifty-four patients (29.3%) were assigned to group 1, 21 (11.4%) to group 2, 57 (30.9%) to group 3, 32 (17.4%) to group 4, and 20 (10.8%) to group 5. Male sex was associated with biliary tract (odds ratio [OR], 3.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.36-8.26), kidney (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.28-9.25), and retroperitoneal involvement (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 1.45-20). Amerindian patients presented more frequently with atopy history and gallbladder involvement. Group 3 had a female predominance., Conclusions: Latin American patients with IgG4-RD were younger, and men and women were equally affected compared with White and Asian cohorts. They belonged more commonly to group 1 and group 3. Retroperitoneal and aortic involvement was infrequent. Clinical and serological features differed according to sex, ethnicity, and clinical phenotype., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fibrin, derived from proteins involved in blood clotting (fibrinogen and thrombin), is a biopolymer with different applications in the health area since it has hemostasis, biocompatible and three-dimensional physical structure properties, and can be used as scaffolds in tissue regeneration or drug delivery system for cells and/or growth factors. Fibrin alone or together with other biomaterials, has been indicated for use as a biological support to promote the regeneration of stem cells, bone, peripheral nerves, and other injured tissues. In its diversity of forms of application and constitution, there are platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), Leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF), fibrin glue or fibrin sealant, and hydrogels. In order to increase fibrin properties, adjuvant therapies can be combined to favor tissue repair, such as photobiomodulation (PBM), by low-level laser therapy (LLLT) or LEDs (Light Emitting Diode). Therefore, this systematic review aimed to evaluate the relationship between PBM and the use of fibrin compounds, referring to the results of previous studies published in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science databases. The descriptors "fibrin AND low-level laser therapy" and "fibrin AND photobiomodulation" were used, without restriction on publication time. The bibliographic search found 44 articles in PubMed/MEDLINE, of which 26 were excluded due to duplicity or being outside the eligibility criteria. We also found 40 articles in Web of Science and selected 1 article, 152 articles in Scopus and no article selected, totaling 19 articles for qualitative analysis. The fibrin type most used in combination with PBM was fibrin sealant, mainly heterologous, followed by PRF or L-PRF. In PBM, the gallium-aluminum-arsenide (GaAlAs) laser prevailed, with a wavelength of 830 nm, followed by 810 nm. Among the preclinical studies, the most researched association of fibrin and PBM was the use of fibrin sealants in bone or nerve injuries; in clinical studies, the association of PBM with medication-related treatments osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Therefore, there is scientific evidence of the contribution of PBM on fibrin composites, constituting a supporting therapy that acts by stimulating cell activity, angiogenesis, osteoblast activation, axonal growth, anti-inflammatory and anti-edema action, increased collagen synthesis and its maturation, as well as biomolecules.

The ability to associate temporally segregated information and assign positive or negative valence to environmental cues is paramount for survival. Studies have shown that different projections from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) are potentiated following reward or punishment learning 1-7 . However, we do not yet understand how valence-specific information is routed to the BLA neurons with the appropriate downstream projections, nor do we understand how to reconcile the sub-second timescales of synaptic plasticity 8-11 with the longer timescales separating the predictive cues from their outcomes. Here we demonstrate that neurotensin (NT)-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) projecting to the BLA (PVT-BLA:NT) mediate valence assignment by exerting NT concentration-dependent modulation in BLA during associative learning. We found that optogenetic activation of the PVT-BLA:NT projection promotes reward learning, whereas PVT-BLA projection-specific knockout of the NT gene (Nts) augments punishment learning. Using genetically encoded calcium and NT sensors, we further revealed that both calcium dynamics within the PVT-BLA:NT projection and NT concentrations in the BLA are enhanced after reward learning and reduced after punishment learning. Finally, we showed that CRISPR-mediated knockout of the Nts gene in the PVT-BLA pathway blunts BLA neural dynamics and attenuates the preference for active behavioural strategies to reward and punishment predictive cues. In sum, we have identified NT as a neuropeptide that signals valence in the BLA, and showed that NT is a critical neuromodulator that orchestrates positive and negative valence assignment in amygdala neurons by extending valence-specific plasticity to behaviourally relevant timescales., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Introduction: The diversity among surgical directors for liver, kidney, and pancreas transplant departments has not been previously evaluated. We aim to quantify the sex and racial demographics of transplant department leaders and assess the impact on patient outcomes., Methods: Demographics were collected for 116 liver, 192 kidney, and 113 pancreas transplant directors using Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) directory and program websites. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) 5-tier program outcomes rankings were obtained for each program and matched to leader demographics. A retrospective analysis of transplant recipients from 2010 to 2019 was performed using the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database., Results: 91.5% of transplant surgical directors were male. 55% of departments had a Non-Hispanic White leader. Asian, Hispanic and Black transplant chiefs were at the helm of 23.3%, 9%, and 5% of divisions respectively. Multivariate cox regression analysis did not identify any differences in patient outcomes by transplant director demographics., Conclusion: There is a paucity of female and URM leaders in transplant surgery. Initiatives to promote research, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities for women and URM are necessary to address the current leadership disparity., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

While vaccine hesitancy is well documented in the literature among the Latinx community, little attention or effort is given to the nuances among the members of individual communities, such as country of origin, immigration status, generational status, primary language, race, age, sex, gender, or rural residence and how these complexities affect vaccine messaging and uptake. We have evidence that this heterogeneity causes differences in access to healthcare, attitudes towards vaccines, and degree of health disparities. In this review we will describe their impact on vaccination rates in the Latinx community, highlighting missed opportunities for public health outreach, and how targeted messaging could improve vaccine uptake., (Copyright ©2022, Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.)

There are several treatment methods available for bone repair, although the effectiveness becomes limited in cases of large defects. The objective of this pre-clinical protocol was to evaluate the grafting of hydroxyapatite/tricalcium phosphate (BCP) ceramic biomaterial (B; QualyBone BCP ® , QualyLive, Amadora, Portugal) together with the heterologous fibrin biopolymer (FB; CEVAP/UNESP Botucatu, Brazil) and with photobiomodulation (PBM; Laserpulse ® , Ibramed, Amparo, Brazil) in the repair process of bone defects. Fifty-six rats were randomly divided into four groups of seven animals each: the biomaterial group (G1/B), the biomaterial plus FB group (G2/BFB); the biomaterial plus PBM group (G3/B + PBM), and the biomaterial plus FB plus PBM group (G4/BFB + PBM). After anesthesia, a critical defect was performed in the center of the rats' parietal bones, then filled and treated according to their respective groups. The rats were euthanized at 14 and 42 postoperative days. Histomorphologically, at 42 days, the G4/BFB + PBM group showed a more advanced maturation transition, with more organized and mature bone areas forming concentric lamellae. A birefringence analysis of collagen fibers also showed a more advanced degree of maturation for the G4/BFB + PBM group. In the comparison between the groups, in the two experimental periods (14 and 42 days), in relation to the percentage of formation of new bone tissue, a significant difference was found between all groups (G1/B (5.42 ± 1.12; 21.49 ± 4.74), G2/BFB (5.00 ± 0.94; 21.77 ± 2.83), G3/B + PBM (12.65 ± 1.78; 29.29 ± 2.93), and G4/BFB + PBM (12.65 ± 2.32; 31.38 ± 2.89)). It was concluded that the use of PBM with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) positively interfered in the repair process of bone defects previously filled with the biocomplex formed by the heterologous fibrin biopolymer associated with the synthetic ceramic of hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate.

Flavonoids are natural phytochemicals that have therapeutic effects and act in the prevention of several pathologies. These phytochemicals can be found in seeds, grains, tea, coffee, wine, chocolate, cocoa, vegetables and, mainly, in citrus fruits. Neohesperidin, hesperidin and hesperetin are citrus flavonoids from the flavanones subclass that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential. Neohesperidin, in the form of neohesperidin dihydrochalcone (NHDC), also has dietary properties as a sweetener. In general, these flavanones have been investigated as a strategy to control bone diseases, such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. In this literature review, we compiled studies that investigated the effects of neohesperidin, hesperidin and its aglycone, hesperetin, on bone health. In vitro studies showed that these flavanones exerted an antiosteoclastic and anti- inflammatory effects, inhibiting the expression of osteoclastic markers and reducing the levels of reactive oxygen species, proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinase levels. Similarly, such studies favored the osteogenic potential of preosteoblastic cells and induced the overexpression of osteogenic markers. In vivo, these flavanones favored the regeneration of bone defects and minimized inflammation in arthritis- and periodontitis-induced models. Additionally, they exerted a significant anticatabolic effect in ovariectomy models, reducing trabecular bone loss and increasing bone mineral density. Although research should advance to the clinical field, these flavanones may have therapeutic potential for controlling the progression of metabolic, autoimmune or inflammatory bone diseases.

Introduction: Lithium treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) has been associated with less cognitive impairment and fewer changes in structural brain anatomy compared to other treatments. However, the studies are heterogeneous and few assess whether these effects are related. The objective of this study was to evaluate and relate cognitive performance and structural neuroanatomy in patients treated with and without lithium., Methods: Cross-sectional study that included 48 subjects with BD-I, of which 22 were treated with lithium and 26 without lithium. Performance was assessed on Wechsler III (WAIS III), TMT A and B (Trial Making Test) neuropsychological tests, California verbal learning test (CVLT), Rey complex figure test and Wisconsin card sorting test. Brain structures obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were evaluated. The standardised mean difference (SMD) between both groups was calculated, adjusted for confounding variables using a propensity score, and the Spearman correlation coefficient (ρ) was used to assess the relationship between cognitive performance and neuroanatomical regions., Results: Compared to the group without lithium, the group with lithium had fewer perseverative errors in the Wisconsin test (SMD = -0.69) and greater left and right cortical areas (SMD = 0.85; SMD = 0.92); greater surface area in the left anterior cingulate (SMD = 1.32), right medial orbitofrontal cortex (SMD = 1.17), right superior frontal gyrus (SMD = 0.82), and right and left precentral gyrus (SMD = 1.33; SMD = 0.98); greater volume of the right amygdala (SMD = 0.57), right hippocampus (SMD = 0.66), right putamen (SMD = 0.87) and right thalamus (SMD = .67). In the lithium group, a correlation was found with these errors and the thickness of the left precentral gyrus (ρ = -0.78), the volume of the right thalamus (ρ = -0.44), and the right amygdala (ρ = 0.6)., Conclusions: The lithium group had better cognitive flexibility and greater dimension in some frontal and subcortical cortical regions. Furthermore, there was a moderate to high correlation between performance in this executive function and the thickness of the right precentral gyrus, and the volumes of the thalamus and the right amygdala. These findings could suggest a neuroprotective effect of lithium., (Copyright © 2020 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The immune checkpoint receptor PD-1 on T follicular helper (Tfh) cells promotes Tfh:B cell interactions and appropriate positioning within tissues. Here, we examined the impact of regulation of PD-1 expression by the genomic organizer SATB1 on Tfh cell differentiation. Vaccination of CD4 Cre Satb1 f/f mice enriched for antigen-specific Tfh cells, and TGF-β-mediated repression of SATB1 enhanced Tfh differentiation of human T cells. Mechanistically, high Icos expression in Satb1 -/- CD4 + T cells promoted Tfh cell differentiation by preventing T follicular regulatory cell skewing and resulted in increased isotype-switched B cell responses in vivo. Ovarian tumors in CD4 Cre Satb1 f/f mice accumulated tumor antigen-specific, LIGHT + CXCL13 + IL-21 + Tfh cells and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). TLS formation decreased tumor growth in a CD4 + T cell and CXCL13-dependent manner. The transfer of Tfh cells, but not naive CD4 + T cells, induced TLS at tumor beds and decreased tumor growth. Thus, TGF-β-mediated silencing of Satb1 licenses Tfh cell differentiation, providing insight into the genesis of TLS within tumors., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests J.R.C.-G. has stock options with Compass Therapeutics, Anixa Biosciences, and Alloy Therapeutics, receives honorarium from Anixa Biosciences, Alloy Therapeutics, and Leidos, and has sponsored research with Anixa Biosciences. R.L.: Clinical trial protocol committee–CG oncology; Scientific advisor/consultant–B.M.S., Ferring, Fergene, Arquer Diagnostics. B.A.P. has completed Advisory Board with AstraZeneca and has Research Support from B.M.S. J.R. is currently an employee of STEMCELL Technologies., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Agricultural fields in drylands are challenged globally by limited freshwater resources for irrigation and also by elevated soil salinity and sodicity. It is well known that pedogenic carbonate is less soluble than evaporate salts and commonly forms in natural drylands. However, few studies have evaluated how irrigation loads dissolved calcium and bicarbonate to agricultural fields, accelerating formation rates of secondary calcite and simultaneously releasing abiotic CO 2 to the atmosphere. This study reports one of the first geochemical and isotopic studies of such "anthropogenic" pedogenic carbonates and CO 2 from irrigated drylands of southwestern United States. A pecan orchard and an alfalfa field, where flood-irrigation using the Rio Grande river is a common practice, were compared to a nearby natural dryland site. Strontium and carbon isotope ratios show that bulk pedogenic carbonates in irrigated soils at the pecan orchard primarily formed due to flood-irrigation, and that approximately 20-50% of soil CO 2 in these irrigated soils is calcite-derived abiotic CO 2 instead of soil-respired or atmospheric origins. Multiple variables that control the salt buildup in this region are identified and impact the crop production and soil sustainability regionally and globally. Irrigation intensity and water chemistry (irrigation water quantity and quality) dictate salt loading, and soil texture governs water infiltration and salt leaching. In the study area, agricultural soils have accumulated up to 10 wt% of calcite after just about 100 years of cultivation. These rates will likely increase in the future due to the combined effects of climate variability (reduced rainfall and more intense evaporation), use of more brackish groundwater for irrigation, and reduced porosity in soils. The enhanced accumulation rates of pedogenic carbonate are accompanied by release of large amounts of abiotic CO 2 from irrigated drylands to atmosphere. Extensive field studies and modelling approaches are needed to further quantify these effluxes at local, regional and global scales., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Cell-based therapy is a promising treatment to favor tissue healing through less invasive strategies. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) highlighted as potential candidates due to their angiogenic, anti-apoptotic and immunomodulatory properties, in addition to their ability to differentiate into several specialized cell lines. Cells can be carried through a biological delivery system, such as fibrin glue, which acts as a temporary matrix that favors cell-matrix interactions and allows local and paracrine functions of MSCs. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the potential of fibrin glue combined with MSCs in nerve regeneration. The bibliographic search was performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science and Embase databases, using the descriptors ("fibrin sealant" OR "fibrin glue") AND "stem cells" AND "nerve regeneration", considering articles published until 2021. To compose this review, 13 in vivo studies were selected, according to the eligibility criteria. MSCs favored axonal regeneration, remyelination of nerve fibers, as well as promoted an increase in the number of myelinated fibers, myelin sheath thickness, number of axons and expression of growth factors, with significant improvement in motor function recovery. This systematic review showed clear evidence that fibrin glue combined with MSCs has the potential to regenerate nervous system lesions.

Cell therapy strategies using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) carried in fibrin glue have shown promising results in regenerative medicine. MSCs are crucial for tissue healing because they have angiogenic, anti-apoptotic and immunomodulatory properties, in addition to the ability to differentiate into several specialized cell lines. Fibrin sealant or fibrin glue is a natural polymer involved in the coagulation process. Fibrin glue provides a temporary structure that favors angiogenesis, extracellular matrix deposition and cell-matrix interactions. Additionally, fibrin glue maintains the local and paracrine functions of MSCs, providing tissue regeneration through less invasive clinical procedures. Thus, the objective of this systematic review was to assess the potential of fibrin glue combined with MSCs in bone or cartilage regeneration. The bibliographic search was performed in the PubMed/MEDLINE, LILACS and Embase databases, using the descriptors ("fibrin sealant" OR "fibrin glue") AND "stem cells" AND "bone regeneration", considering articles published until 2021. In this case, 12 preclinical and five clinical studies were selected to compose this review, according to the eligibility criteria. In preclinical studies, fibrin glue loaded with MSCs, alone or associated with bone substitute, significantly favored bone defects regeneration compared to scaffold without cells. Similarly, fibrin glue loaded with MSCs presented considerable potential to regenerate joint cartilage injuries and multiple bone fractures, with significant improvement in clinical parameters and absence of postoperative complications. Therefore, there is clear evidence in the literature that fibrin glue loaded with MSCs, alone or combined with bone substitute, is a promising strategy for treating lesions in bone or cartilaginous tissue.

Introduction : Dental erosion occurs by dissolving dental apatite when exposed to non-bacterial acids. One of the factors that predispose to dental erosion is gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to chronic regurgitation of gastric contents to the oropharynx. Thus, in addition to other extraesophageal symptoms, individuals with GERD may have erosive dental lesions. Areas covered : The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the association and prevalence of erosive wear in patients with GERD. The bibliographic search was performed in the Pubmed and Web of Science databases, using the descriptors 'gastroesophageal reflux disease' AND 'dental erosion', considering clinical studies recently published from 2012 to 2020. Expert opinion : GERD can be considered a risk factor for the development of erosive dental lesions, whose prevalence was significantly higher in this group. However, several other factors can be commonly associated with the prevalence and severity of dental erosion among the world population, such as dietary habits, lifestyle, abrasion and bruxism. Thus, the prevalence and distribution of erosive lesions among healthy and GERD subjects varied widely among studies, which denotes the etiological complexity of dental erosion and reinforces the importance of careful and detailed anamnesis in order to establish an accurate diagnosis.

This retrospective analysis aims to identify differences in surgical outcomes between pancreas and/or kidney transplant recipients compared with the general population undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Using Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data from 2005 to 2014, patients who underwent CABG were stratified by either no history of transplant, or history of pancreas and/or kidney transplant. Multivariate analysis was used to calculate odds ratio (OR) to evaluate in-hospital mortality, morbidity, length of stay (LOS), and total hospital charge in all centers. The analysis was performed for both nonemergency and emergency CABG. Overall, 2,678 KTx (kidney transplant alone), 184 PTx (pancreas transplant alone), 254 KPTx (kidney-pancreas transplant recipients), and 1,796,186 Non-Tx (nontransplant) met inclusion criteria. KPTx experienced higher complication rates compared with Non-Tx (78.3 vs. 47.8%, p  < 0.01). Those with PTx incurred greater total hospital charge and LOS. On weighted multivariate analysis, KPTx was associated with an increased risk for developing any complication following CABG (OR 3.512, p  < 0.01) and emergency CABG (3.707, p  < 0.01). This risk was even higher at transplant centers (CABG OR 4.302, p  < 0.01; emergency CABG OR 10.072, p  < 0.001). KTx was associated with increased in-hospital mortality following emergency CABG, while PTx and KPTx had no mortality to analyze. KPTx experienced a significantly higher risk of complications compared with the general population after undergoing CABG, in both transplant and nontransplant centers. These outcomes should be considered when providing perioperative care., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest None declared., (International College of Angiology. This article is published by Thieme.)

Lipid nanocarriers have a great potential for improving the physicochemical characteristics and behavior of poorly water-soluble drugs, such as aqueous dispersibility and oral bioavailability. This investigation presents a novel nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) based on a mixture of solid lipid glycerides, fatty acid esters of PEG 1500 (Gelucire ® 44/14), and an oil mix composed of capric and caprylic triglycerides (Miglyol ® 812). These NLCs were developed by a simple low-energy method based on melt emulsification to yield highly encapsulating and narrowly distributed nanoparticles (~100 nm, PdI = 0.1, and zeta potential = ~-10 mV). Rhodamine 123 was selected as a poorly water-soluble drug model and owing to its spectroscopic properties. The novel NLCs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and colloidal stability. The drug release was determined through a dialysis bag and vertical Franzs' cells to provide insights about the methods' suitability, revealing similar performance regardless of their different fluid dynamics. Rhodamine 123 followed a characteristic biphasic release profile owing to the swelling of the hydrophilic polymer coating and diffusion process from the lipid core as revealed by the Korsmeyers-Peppas kinetic modeling. Moreover, to elucidate the formation and incorporation of Rhodamine 123 into the NLC core, several molecular dynamics simulations were conducted. The temperature was shown to be an important condition to improve the formation of the nanoparticles. In addition, the liquid lipid incorporation to the formulation forms nanoparticles with imperfect centers, in contrast to nanoparticles without it. Moreover, Miglyol ® 812 improves hydrophobic molecule solubility. These results suggest the potential of novel NLC as a drug delivery system for poorly water-soluble drugs.

Introduction: Minority patients constitute the majority of the kidney transplant waiting list, yet they suffer greater difficulties in listing and longer wait times to transplantation. There is a lack of information regarding targeted efforts by transplant centers to improve transplant care for minority populations., Research Question: Our aim was to analyze all kidney transplant websites in the United States to identify changes over a 5-year period in the number of multilingual websites, reported culturally targeted initiatives, and center and provider diversity., Design: Surveys were developed to analyze center websites of all transplant programs in the United States. Those with incomplete information about their nephrology or surgical teams were excluded, resulting in 174 (73%) sites in 2013 and 185 (76%) in 2018. Results: Few websites were available in a language other than English, 6.3% in 2013 and 9.7% in 2018 (P = 0.24). Only 3 websites (1.3%) in 2013 and 7 (3.7%) in 2018 reported any evidence of a culturally targeted initiative (P = 0.23). In 2018, 35% of centers employed a Hispanic transplant physician, 77% had a transplant physician who spoke a language other than English, and 39% had a transplant physician who spoke Spanish., Discussion: Although minority patients are expected to grow in the United States, decreased access to transplantation continues to vex the transplant community. Very little progress has been made in the development of multilingual websites and culturally targeted initiatives.

Genetic screens have been used to identify genes involved in the regulation of different biological processes. We identified growth mutants in a Flp/FRT screen using the Drosophila melanogaster eye to identify conditional regulators of cell growth and cell division. One mutant identified from this screen, B.2.16 , was mapped and characterized by researchers in undergraduate genetics labs as part of the Fly-CURE. We find that B.2.16 is a non-lethal genetic modifier of the Dark 82 mosaic eye phenotype., (Copyright: © 2021 by the authors.)

Introduction: Lithium treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) has been associated with less cognitive impairment and fewer changes in structural brain anatomy compared to other treatments. However, the studies are heterogeneous and few assess whether these effects are related. The objective of this study was to evaluate and relate cognitive performance and structural neuroanatomy in patients treated with and without lithium., Methods: Cross-sectional study that included 48 subjects with BD-I, of which 22 were treated with lithium and 26 without lithium. Performance was assessed on Wechsler III (WAIS III), TMT A and B (Trial Making Test) neuropsychological tests, California verbal learning test (CVLT), Rey complex figure test and Wisconsin card sorting test. Brain structures obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were evaluated. The standardised mean difference (SMD) between both groups was calculated, adjusted for confounding variables using a propensity score, and the Spearman correlation coefficient (ρ) was used to assess the relationship between cognitive performance and neuroanatomical regions., Results: Compared to the group without lithium, the group with lithium had fewer perseverative errors in the Wisconsin test (SMD = -0.69) and greater left and right cortical areas (SMD = 0.85; SMD = 0.92); greater surface area in the left anterior cingulate (SMD = 1.32), right medial orbitofrontal cortex (SMD = 1.17), right superior frontal gyrus (SMD = 0.82), and right and left precentral gyrus (SMD = 1.33; SMD = 0.98); greater volume of the right amygdala (SMD = 0.57), right hippocampus (SMD = 0.66), right putamen (SMD = 0.87) and right thalamus (SMD=.67). In the lithium group, a correlation was found with these errors and the thickness of the left precentral gyrus (ρ = -0.78), the volume of the right thalamus (ρ =-0.44), and the right amygdala (ρ = 0.6)., Conclusions: The lithium group had better cognitive flexibility and greater dimension in some frontal and subcortical cortical regions. Furthermore, there was a moderate to high correlation between performance in this executive function and the thickness of the right precentral gyrus, and the volumes of the thalamus and the right amygdala. These findings could suggest a neuroprotective effect of lithium., (Copyright © 2020 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The effect of solutions and gels containing a sugarcane-derived cystatin (CaneCPI-5) on the protection against enamel and dentin erosion in vitro was evaluated. Bovine enamel and dentin specimens were divided into 2 groups (n = 135 and 153/group for enamel and dentin, respectively) that were treated with solutions or chitosan gels containing 0.1 or 0.25 mg/mL CaneCPI-5. The positive controls for solutions and gels were Elmex Erosion Protection™ solution and NaF gel (12,300 ppm F), respectively. Deionized water and chitosan gel served as controls, respectively. The solutions were first applied on the specimens for 1 min and the gels for 4 min. Stimulated saliva was collected from 3 donors and used to form a 2-h acquired pellicle on the specimens. Then, the specimens were submitted to an erosive pH cycling protocol 4 times/day for 7 days (0.1% citric acid pH 2.5/90 s, artificial saliva/2 h, and artificial saliva overnight). The solutions and gels were applied again during pH cycling, 2 times/day for 1 min and 4 min, respectively, after the first and last erosive challenges. Enamel and dentin losses (µm) were assessed by contact profilometry. Data were analyzed by 2-way ANOVA and Tukey's test (p < 0.05). All the treatments significantly reduced enamel and dentin loss in comparison with controls. Both CaneCPI-5 concentrations had a similar protective effect against enamel erosion, but only the higher concentration was as effective against dentin erosion as the positive control. Regarding the vehicles, only the 0.1 mg/mL gel performed worse than the positive control for dentin. CaneCPI-5 reduced enamel and dentin erosion to a similar extent as the fluoride-containing vehicles. However, dentin requires higher CaneCPI-5 concentrations, in the case of gels. Solutions or gels containing CaneCPI-5 might be a new approach to protect against dental erosion., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: CFH and HTRA1 are pivotal genes driving increased risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among several populations. Here, we performed a hospital-based case-control study to evaluate the effects of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among Hispanics from Mexico., Materials and Methods: 122 cases and 249 controls were genotyped using Taqman probes. Experienced ophthalmologists diagnosed AMD following the American Association of Ophthalmology guidelines. We studied CFH (rs1329428, rs203687) and HTRA1 (rs11200638) SNPs thoroughly by logistic regression models (assuming different modes of inheritance) and machine learning-based methods (ML)., Results: HTRA1 rs11200638 is the most significant polymorphism associated with AMD in our studied population. In a multivariate regression model adjusted for clinically and statistically meaningful covariates, the A/G and A/A genotypes increased the odds of disease by a factor of 2.32 and 7.81, respectively ( P < .05) suggesting a multiplicative effect of the polymorphic A allele. Furthermore, this observation remains statistically meaningful in the allelic, dominant, and recessive models, and ML algorithms. When stratifying by phenotype, this polymorphism was significantly associated with increased odds for geographic atrophy (GA) in a recessive mode of inheritance (12.4, p < .05)., Conclusions: In sum, this work supports a strong association between HTRA1 genetic variants and AMD in Hispanics from Mexico, especially with GA. Moreover, ML was able to replicate the results of conventional biostatistics methods unbiasedly.

Background: It is unknown whether surgically treated achalasia cases regain or surpass their usual weight into obesity or overweight in the long-term post-operative period. Here, we aimed to assess the incidence of overweight/obesity (Ob/Ow) and the risk for reoccurrence up to 48 months post-laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM)., Methods: We performed a cohort of 114 achalasia cases undergoing LHM. All patients had a confirmed diagnosis of achalasia and had no added comorbidities. We followed up the body mass index (BMI) at the immediate post-operative period, and at one-, six-, 12-, 24-, and 48 months after LHM. We measured the incidence of Ob/Ow and its reoccurrence risk with Cox regression., Key Results and Conclusions: In the immediate post-operative period, the incidence of Ob/Ow was significantly less than the usual BMI (before the onset of symptoms) (28.2% vs 66.3%). From the sixth to the 48th month, there was a progressive increase in the incidence of Ob/Ow and at this timepoint the percent of Ob/Ow was not statistically different from the usual BMI. The most significant hazard for Ob/Ow reoccurrence in the long term following LHM is a usual BMI with obesity grade I or III and males lacking pre-surgical weight loss., Inferences: Achalasia cases undergoing surgical treatment should be monitored closely in the post-operative period for weight regain, regardless of their pre-operative BMI. Notably, males who before the onset of symptoms were obese or overweight are at significantly increased risk of regaining or surpassing their weight, despite most having lost weight pre-surgically., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study assessed in vitro interaction between Bacillus bacteria and microalgae and their posterior in vivo effect on rearing Kumamoto oyster Crassostrea sikamea. The probiotic strains Bacillus licheniformis (MAt32), B. subtilis (MAt43) and B. subtilis (GAtB1) were individually inoculated in triplicate into 250 mL flasks containing 1 × 10 4 colony forming units (CFU) mL -1 of bacteria and 4.5 × 10 4 cell mL -1 of microalgae (Isochrysis galbana or Chaetoceros calcitrans) to evaluate their growth during a 7-day culture. Single cultures of microalgae or bacilli served as control. Additionally, C. sikamea spat was treated for 28 days with four single/combined bacillus treatments in triplicate at a concentration of 1 × 10 6  CFU mL -1 as follows: (a) control, without treatments; (b) combination of two antibiotics (10 mg L -1 ); (c) B. licheniformis; (d) B. subtilis; (e) B. subtilis subtilis and (f) mixed bacilli. The results showed a significantly (P < 0.05) increased growth of Bacillus strains co-cultured with microalgae, while the growth of I. galbana co-cultured with bacteria was not reduced significantly (P > 0.05) compared with the control group. C. sikamea spat treated with Bacillus showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher growth and survival than the control group. In this study, C. calcitrans microalgae were susceptible to the presence of probiotic bacteria. Nonetheless, this reduction in microalgal growth observed in vitro increased growth and survival of C. sikamea spat exposed to probiotic bacteria when compared to spat without probiotics.

Introduction : A biomarker is a biological indicator of normal or pathogenic processes. Identification of biomarkers is useful for the prevention, diagnosis and prognosis of diseases as well as for monitoring the progression of pathological disorders. Several types of molecules present in biological fluids can act as biomarkers such as DNA, coding and non-coding RNA, lipids, metabolites, proteins and even microbes. In this context, saliva emerges as a useful diagnostic tool for the detection of biomarkers involved with oral and systemic diseases, since it reflects the pathophysiological conditions of the organism and allows early, rapid, practical and noninvasive detection of biomarkers. Areas covered : This review discusses the properties of saliva as a diagnostic tool and addresses the main identified biomarkers related to dental caries, periodontal disease, head and neck cancer and other types of cancer of considerable incidence among the world population. Expert commentary : Despite extensive efforts which have been directed toward the identification of one or a combination of biomarkers with good predictive values for the early detection of dental caries, periodontal disease and cancer, these biomarkers still need validation before chairside point-of-care devices can be widely used in the clinic.

Introduction: Procurement practices across organ procurement organizations (OPOs) for donation after cardiac death (DCD) transplants have not been evaluated., Methods: A national telephone survey of all 58 OPOs inquiring about their procurement practices of DCD organs was conducted. Policies concerning maximum donor body mass index (BMI), location of care withdrawal, pre-mortem heparin administration, vasodilator use, wait times after declaration of death before incisions, inclinations between rapid laparotomy and pre-mortem cannulation, and maximum time before aborting DCD procurement were queried., Results: The survey revealed substantial differences across OPOs. Donor BMI restriction was considered by 36 of 58 OPOs, and 23 sites preferred OR for donor withdrawal of care. Pre-mortem heparin was utilized by 53 OPOs. Only 2 recommended vasodilators. Minimum wait time of 5-minutes was implemented by 41 OPOs. Rapid laparotomy was preferred by 57 organizations. 28 OPOs had a 90-minute limit before aborting DCD procurement., Conclusion: There are substantial variations across OPO protocols for procuring DCD organs. Current practices do not conform to ASTS guidelines for DCD procurement. Further investigations are needed to quantify the impact of OPO policies on transplant outcomes., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)