3,960 results on '"Serra, A"'
Search Results
2. LOXL2‐mediated chromatin compaction is required to maintain the oncogenic properties of triple‐negative breast cancer cells.
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Serra‐Bardenys, Gemma, Blanco, Enrique, Escudero‐Iriarte, Carmen, Serra‐Camprubí, Queralt, Querol, Jessica, Pascual‐Reguant, Laura, Morancho, Beatriz, Escorihuela, Marta, Tissera, Natalia Soledad, Sabé, Anna, Martín, Luna, Segura‐Bayona, Sandra, Verde, Gaetano, Aiese Cigliano, Riccardo, Millanes‐Romero, Alba, Jerónimo, Celia, Cebrià‐Costa, Joan Pau, Nuciforo, Paolo, Simonetti, Sara, and Viaplana, Cristina
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TRIPLE-negative breast cancer , *LYSYL oxidase , *CHROMATIN , *CANCER cells , *COMPACTING - Abstract
Oxidation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4ox) is catalyzed by lysyl oxidase homolog 2 (LOXL2). This histone modification is enriched in heterochromatin in triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and has been linked to the maintenance of compacted chromatin. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this maintenance is still unknown. Here, we show that LOXL2 interacts with RuvB‐Like 1 (RUVBL1), RuvB‐Like 2 (RUVBL2), Actin‐like protein 6A (ACTL6A), and DNA methyltransferase 1associated protein 1 (DMAP1), a complex involved in the incorporation of the histone variant H2A.Z. Our experiments indicate that this interaction and the active form of RUVBL2 are required to maintain LOXL2‐dependent chromatin compaction. Genome‐wide experiments showed that H2A.Z, RUVBL2, and H3K4ox colocalize in heterochromatin regions. In the absence of LOXL2 or RUVBL2, global levels of the heterochromatin histone mark H3K9me3 were strongly reduced, and the ATAC‐seq signal in the H3K9me3 regions was increased. Finally, we observed that the interplay between these series of events is required to maintain H3K4ox‐enriched heterochromatin regions, which in turn is key for maintaining the oncogenic properties of the TNBC cell line tested (MDA‐MB‐231). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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3. Effectiveness and safety of a simple catheter securement device aimed at preventing catheter‐associated urinary tract infection in intensive care unit patients: A randomized controlled trial.
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Calpe‐Damians, Neus, Wennberg‐Capellades, Laia, Ventura‐Rosado, Arminda, Gonzalez‐Engroba, Remei, Enríquez‐Pérez, Nuria, Vicario‐Martos, Concepción, Roldos‐Gales, Anabel, Guri‐López, Thais, Rafart‐Aguado, Sonia, Ramírez‐Ramon, Angie, and Llauradó‐Serra, Mireia
- Abstract
Background: Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention of catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) recommend urinary catheter securement in critical patients although there is scant research on its effectiveness. Aim: To analyse whether securement of an indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) reduces the risk of CAUTI and meatal pressure injury among intensive care unit (ICU) patients and assess medical adhesive‐related skin injury (MARSI) associated with the securement device. Study Design: Open randomized controlled trial involving patients admitted to two ICUs in Spain. In the intervention group (n = 169 patients), the IUC was secured to the thigh using an in‐house device piloted as part of this trial. Controls (n = 181) received standard care, including non‐securement of the IUC. Barrier film spray was applied to the securement site with the aim of preventing MARSI. The definitions of the main outcomes were: CAUTI was diagnosed according to the criteria of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, meatal pressure injury was categorized into four grades and MARSI was classified as either erythema or skin tears. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed. Log‐rank and Cox regressions were used to compare risk over time to CAUTI and meatal pressure injury in the two groups. Results: Data from 350 patients were analysed, 169 (48.29%) from IG and 181 (51.71%) from CG. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, IUC securement was an independent protective factor against both CAUTI (RR = 0.2, 95% CI [0.05, 0.67]) and meatal pressure injury (RR = 0.31, 95% CI [0.15, 0.58]). The incidence of MARSI was 7.1%. Conclusion: Effective IUC securement significantly reduces the risk of CAUTI and meatal pressure injury among ICU patients. The in‐house device piloted in the present trial is simple for nurses to use, and the incidence of MARSI was low. These results underline the benefits of IUC securement. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Indwelling urinary catheter (IUC) securement reduces the risk of urinary tract infection. IUC securement helps prevent meatal pressure injury. IUC securement with in‐house devices is safe and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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4. Chronic nodular prurigo: Association between comorbidities, itch and quality of life.
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Pereira, M. P., Gutsche, A., Weisshaar, E., Halvorsen, J. A., Wallengren, J., Legat, F. J., Garcovich, S., Savk, E., Reich, A., Bozek, A., Lvov, A., Bobko, S., Metz, M., Streit, M., Misery, L., Brenaut, E., Serra‐Baldrich, E., Goncalo, M., Szepietowski, J. C., and Augustin, M.
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- 2024
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5. Treatment of atopic dermatitis with abrocitinib in real practice in Spain: efficacy and safety results from a 24‐week multicenter study.
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Armario‐Hita, Jose Carlos, Pereyra‐Rodriguez, Jose Juan, González‐Quesada, Alicia, Herranz, Pedro, Suarez, Ricardo, Galan‐Gutiérrez, Manuel, Rodríguez‐Serna, Mercedes, Ortiz de Frutos, Javier, Carrascosa, José Manuel, Serra‐Baldrich, Esther, Ara‐Martin, Mariano, Figueras‐Nart, Ignasi, Silvestre, Juan Francisco, Zaragoza‐Ninet, Violeta, and Ruiz‐Villaverde, Ricardo
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BODY surface area ,ATOPIC dermatitis ,PSEUDOPOTENTIAL method ,QUALITY of life ,TREATMENT failure - Abstract
Background: Abrocitinib, a selective JAK 1 inhibitor, was recently approved in Europe. Despite its approval, real‐world data on its efficacy and safety in treating moderate‐to‐severe atopic dermatitis (AD) remains limited. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the short‐term effectiveness and safety of abrocitinib in a real‐life setting for patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study involving adult patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD who started abrocitinib treatment between May 1, 2023, and September 30, 2023, in 15 Spanish hospitals. Treatment doses were 100 or 200 mg daily, based on clinical assessment. Data collection included patient demographics, AD history, comorbidities, previous treatments, and disease severity indicators such as SCORing atopic dermatitis (SCORAD), Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), body surface area, and Peak Pruritus NRS scores at baseline, 4, 12, and 24 weeks. Quality of life was measured using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and safety was assessed by monitoring adverse reactions and various biochemical parameters. Results: The cohort comprised 76 patients with an average age of 33.93 years; 57.89% were male. Before abrocitinib, 36.84% were naïve to advanced therapies. The baseline mean scores were SCORAD 47.04, EASI 21.79, and DLQI 15.01. At Week 24, there were significant improvements: EASI was reduced to 2.81, and 70.58% of the patients achieved EASI 75. However, 18.42% discontinued treatment mainly due to inefficacy or adverse effects. The safety profile was favorable, with 22.37% reporting mild adverse events (AEs) and one serious case of cutaneous lymphoma. Conclusions: This first Spanish series assessing abrocitinib in real‐world conditions reveals a significant improvement in AD symptoms and quality of life in a range of severity and prior treatment failures. Abrocitinib was well‐tolerated, with few serious AEs, highlighting its potential as an effective treatment option for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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6. An emerging epidemic of allergic contact dermatitis due to phytonadione epoxide (oxidised vitamin K1).
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Gatica‐Ortega, María E., Pastor‐Nieto, María A., Giménez‐Arnau, Ana María, Mercader‐García, Pedro, Serra‐Baldrich, Esther, Zaragoza‐Ninet, Violeta, Sanz‐Sánchez, Tatiana, Sánchez‐Gilo, Araceli, Pesqué, David, Tous‐Romero, Fátima, Ortiz‐de‐Frutos, Francisco Javier, de la Rosa‐Fernández, Eduardo, Dorta‐Alom, Sara, Elosua‐González, Marta, González‐Pérez, Ricardo, Carrascosa‐Carrillo, José Manuel, Munera‐Campos, Mónica, Silvestre‐Salvador, Juan Francisco, Miquel‐Miquel, Javier, and de Mateo Minguez, Antonio
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CONTACT dermatitis ,COSMETICS ,EYELIDS ,VITAMINS ,SKIN inflammation - Abstract
Background: Reports of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to phytonadione epoxide (PE) in cosmetics suggest that PE is as powerful a sensitiser as its parent compound phytonadione. Objective: To evaluate a case series of ACD to PE in Spain. Methods: We reviewed the records of 20 patients with ACD to cosmetics containing PE diagnosed across Spain between January 2019 and June 2023. Results: All 20 patients developed patch test (PT) or repeated open application test (ROAT) reactions to cosmetics containing PE. All involved women with eyelid eczema. PT or ROAT with PE preparations were positive in 17/20 (85%). PE at 1%, 5%, 10% and 20% in pet. was patch‐tested in 8/17, 14/17, 11/17 and 8/17 patients; being positive in 6/8 (75%), 13/14 (92.85%), 11/11 (100%) and 8/8 (100%), respectively. Conclusion: Regulators should, not only ban the specific dangerous cosmetic ingredients, but also consider to ban or keep under close surveillance those closely related products or derivatives that might potentially cause similar harmful effects. PTs with PE are suggested to be performed at a 5% concentration in pet. Higher concentrations (10% pet.) should be tested whenever PTs with 5% pet. PE are negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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7. Allergic contact dermatitis in adults with and without atopic dermatitis: Evaluation of the Spanish Contact Dermatitis Registry (REIDAC).
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Chicharro, P., Munera‐Campos, M., Zaragoza‐Ninet, V., Giménez‐Arnau, A., González‐Pérez, R., Miquel‐Miquel, F. J., Córdoba‐Guijarro, S., Sanz‐Sánchez, T., Ruiz‐González, I., Silvestre‐Salvador, J. F., Serra‐Baldrich, E., Borrego, L., Pastor‐Nieto, M. A., Ortiz de Frutos, F. J., Mercader‐García, P., Heras‐Mendaza, F., Fernández‐Redondo, V., Rodríguez‐Serna, M., Hervella‐García, M., and Carrascosa, J. M.
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ATOPIC dermatitis ,NICKEL sulfate ,CONTACT dermatitis ,COBALT chloride ,ALLERGENS - Abstract
Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) are inflammatory skin conditions whose association is not clearly defined. Objectives: To identify differences in ACD profile between patients with and without AD among those referred for patch testing. Additionally, to determine the prevalence of sensitisation to standard Spanish contact allergens in both groups. Methods: We analysed two groups (AD and non‐AD) within the Spanish Registry of Research in Contact Dermatitis and Cutaneous Allergy (REIDAC). Contact allergy, clinical relevance and epidemiological data were compared between them. Results: A total of 5055 patients were included. Among them, 23% (1168) had a history or final diagnosis of AD. At least one positive reaction was seen in 468 (40%) of AD patients and 1864 (48%) of non‐AD patients. In both groups, the most common positive reactions were to nickel sulphate, methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone and cobalt chloride. Age‐adjusted OR for sensitisation to nickel sulphate was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.61–0.86), indicating a decreased likelihood of sensitisation in AD patients compared to non‐AD individuals. Conclusions: We did not find an increased presence of ACD in patients with AD referred for patch testing, exhibiting similar profiles to non‐AD population, except for a negative relationship between AD and sensitisation to nickel sulphate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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8. CrystalNet: Texture‐Aware Neural Refraction Baking for Global Illumination.
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Zhang, Z. and Simo‐Serra, E.
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LIGHTING , *BAKING , *ENCODING - Abstract
Neural rendering bakes global illumination and other computationally costly effects into the weights of a neural network, allowing to efficiently synthesize photorealistic images without relying on path tracing. In neural rendering approaches, G‐buffers obtained from rasterization through direct rendering provide information regarding the scene such as position, normal, and textures to the neural network, achieving accurate and stable rendering quality in real‐time. However, due to the use of G‐buffers, existing methods struggle to accurately render transparency and refraction effects, as G‐buffers do not capture any ray information from multiple light ray bounces. This limitation results in blurriness, distortions, and loss of detail in rendered images that contain transparency and refraction, and is particularly notable in scenes with refracted objects that have high‐frequency textures. In this work, we propose a neural network architecture to encode critical rendering information, including texture coordinates from refracted rays, and enable reconstruction of high‐frequency textures in areas with refraction. Our approach is able to achieve accurate refraction rendering in challenging scenes with a diversity of overlapping transparent objects. Experimental results demonstrate that our method can interactively render high quality refraction effects with global illumination, unlike existing neural rendering approaches. Our code can be found at https://github.com/ziyangz5/CrystalNet [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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9. A Concise Ring Closing Enyne Metathesis Approach for the Preparation of Functionalized Proline‐Derived Azabicycloalkane Amino Acids.
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Rubes, Davide, Zupi, Marco, Bisbano, Giovanni, Belvisi, Laura, Terreni, Marco, De Lorenzi, Ersilia, and Serra, Massimo
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PHARMACEUTICAL chemistry ,DRUG discovery ,PEPTIDES ,AMINO acids ,METATHESIS reactions - Abstract
Herein we report the preparation of C4‐functionalized proline‐derived azabicycloalkane (Aba) amino acids by exploiting a direct ring closing enyne metathesis reaction of readily accessible dipeptide precursors. The reverse‐turn inducing properties of the newly synthesized constrained dipeptide mimics were assessed by computational studies. Furthermore, the desired Aba derivatives, carrying a synthetically versatile diene moiety, were subjected to post‐functionalization reactions to validate their potential application in peptide/peptidomimetic chemistry and drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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10. Surface Nanostructuring of Copper Using Fluoride and Chloride.
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Pascual‐Llorens, Vicente, Serra Ramos, Albert, Mazaira‐Couce, Pedro, Escudero‐Escribano, María, and Sebastián‐Pascual, Paula
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COPPER surfaces ,COPPER electrodes ,SURFACE geometry ,SALT ,COPPER - Abstract
Copper is an active electrocatalyst for various energy conversion reactions, but its performance depends on the structure of the active surface sites. In this work, we propose a simple strategy to tailor both the roughness and the active site's geometry of copper. To modify the surface of copper, we oxidize and reduce a copper polycrystalline electrode in 0.1 M solutions containing both sodium fluoride and sodium chloride with different chloride/fluoride molar ratios: (0.1‐x) M NaF+x M NaCl. To address the anion effect on the changes in surface geometry, we recorded the voltammetric fingerprints of the modified electrodes using lead underpotential deposition (UPD). The voltammetric analysis suggested that while chloride induces (n10) sites, fluoride promotes an increase in the active surface area and the growth of low‐coordinated sites with (110) or (111) geometry. Solutions containing both fluoride and chloride anions induced (n10) motifs covered by nanometric clusters, as observed by scanning electron microscopy, forming a highly defect‐rich surface. Our work provides a direct link between electrochemical response and ex‐situ structural characterization, and compares, in detail, the effect of chloride and fluoride on the surface nanostructuring of copper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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11. Enhanced Hydrogen Production in Microwave‐Driven Water‐Splitting Redox Cycles by Engineering Ceria Properties.
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Domínguez‐Saldaña, Aitor, Navarrete, Laura, Balaguer, María, Carrillo, Alfonso J., Santos, Joaquín, García‐Baños, Beatriz, Plaza‐González, Pedro, Catalán‐Martínez, David, Catalá‐Civera, José Manuel, and Serra, José Manuel
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HYDROGEN production ,SUSTAINABILITY ,HIGH temperature electrolysis ,INDUSTRIAL chemistry ,SOLAR wind - Abstract
Sustainable hydrogen, produced from renewable sources such as solar or wind, plays a decisive role in driving industrial decarbonization. Among hydrogen production technologies, steam electrolysis, and solar‐driven thermochemical cycles using reducible solid oxides show promise but face challenges due to high operation temperatures. Microwave‐driven redox chemical looping enables the direct, contactless electrification of the process, reducing the operation temperature and complexity. Previous works showed that microwaves can efficiently drive reduction/water‐splitting cycles using Gd‐doped ceria at low temperatures (<250 °C), but adjustment of material properties is needed. Here, the key properties of materials are explored that affect the redox mechanism by screening a series of doped ceria materials to enhance microwave‐driven hydrogen production. Evaluation of trivalent dopants (La3+, Gd3+, Y3+, Yb3+, Er3+, and Nd3+) reveals that reduction correlates with lattice and electronic properties. The composition Ce0.9La0.1O2‐δ achieves 1.41 mL g−1, the highest hydrogen production among the studied series. Its narrower bandgap allows for reaching higher conductivity upon microwave‐driven reduction at lower temperatures, while a larger ionic lattice size boosts solid‐state oxygen diffusion. Overall, this research remarks on the critical properties of ceria‐based materials that enhance hydrogen production in microwave‐driven water‐splitting cycles, supporting the design of more efficient materials for sustainable chemical production technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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12. Effect of Iberogast (STW5) on tolerance to colonic gas in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo control clinical trial.
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Aguilar, Ariadna, Benslaiman, Bouchra, and Serra, Jordi
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ABDOMINAL bloating ,ABDOMINAL pain ,CLINICAL trials ,CATHETERS ,COLON (Anatomy) ,IRRITABLE colon - Abstract
Background: STW5 is an herbal medicinal product that, in previous studies, reduced abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The effect of STW5 on gas‐related abdominal symptoms is unknown. Aim: To determine the effects of STW5, compared to placebo, on the responses to colonic gas in IBS. Methods: Using a cross‐over design, two gas challenge tests were performed in 10 patients with IBS and bloating after 2‐weeks treatment with (a) STW5 and (b) placebo. The challenge test consisted in continuous infusion of gas into the colon (24 mL/min for 60 min), followed by a 30‐min free evacuation period. Gas evacuation, symptom perception, and abdominal distension were continuously registered. Results: Colonic gas filling was associated to a significant rise in abdominal symptom perception, that was significantly greater when patients were on‐placebo (score increment 4.0 ± 0.3) compared with on‐STW5 (score increment 3.2 ± 0.4; p = 0.035). Gas filling was associated to a progressive abdominal distension that was similar with both treatments. Opening of the rectal cannula produced a massive gas evacuation, similar after both treatments, associated to a return of abdominal perception and distension to basal levels when patients were on‐STW5 (score increment −0.1 ± 0.4; distension 0.3 ± 0.2 cm; p = 0.399, and p = 0.112 vs. basal), whereas both remained increased on‐placebo (score increment 0.5 ± 0.3; distension 0.8 ± 0.3 cm; p = 0.048, and p = 0.016 vs. infusion start). Conclusions: STW5 improves colonic gas tolerance in IBS patients with bloating without a significant effect on gas retention and evacuation. This medicinal product can be beneficious for treatment of gas‐related abdominal symptoms in patients with bloating. EudraCT: 2019‐003976‐38. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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13. Preparation and Characterization of Novel Poly(thiourethane)–Poly(isocyanurate) Covalent Adaptable Networks: Effect of the Catalysts.
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Guerrero, Federico, De la Flor, Silvia, and Serra, Àngels
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HEXAMETHYLENE diisocyanate ,EXOTHERMIC reactions ,WASTE recycling ,LANTHANUM ,TRIMERIZATION - Abstract
Poly(thiourethane)‐based covalent adaptable networks are synthesized by reacting a trimer of hexamethylene diisocyanate (Desmodur N3300) containing isocyanurate groups in its structure with 1,6‐hexanedithiol. The catalysts evaluated for this process include dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL), lanthanum triflate (La(OTf)3), and a thermal precursor of 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (BGDBU). The use of DBTDL results in the initiation of curing upon mixing, while the other two catalysts exhibit a latency period in the reactive mixture, with curing starting at about 90 °C. Notably, the use of the lanthanum salt produces an additional minor exothermic reaction at 80 °C. This phenomenon corresponds to the trimerization of isocyanates rending isocyanurates, leaving a portion of unreacted thiols. Materials prepared with BGDBU or La(OTf)3 present shorter relaxation times than those prepared with DBTDL. Nevertheless, the materials containing the lanthanum salt do not reach complete relaxation, likely due to the reinforcement of the permanent network through increased isocyanurate content. The formation of isocyanurates produces a stoichiometric imbalance, leaving unreacted thiols. This transforms the exchange process into a dual mechanism involving a dissociative process of thiourethanes to isocyanate and thiol, along with an interchange through thiol attacking the thiourethane group. The materials exhibit good recyclability and self‐healing characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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14. Melatonin attenuates developmental deficits and prevents hippocampal injuries in male and female rats subjected to neonatal anoxia.
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Arruda, Bruna Petrucelli, Cruz‐Ochoa, Natalia Andrea, Serra, Fernando Tadeu, Xavier, Gilberto Fernando, Nogueira, Maria Inês, and Takada, Silvia Honda
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- 2024
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15. Public Healthcare Financing during Counterinsurgency Efforts: Evidence from Colombia.
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Lordemus, Samuel, Kreif, Noemi, and Moreno‐Serra, Rodrigo
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FINANCING of public health ,STATE power ,MUNICIPAL government ,FEDERAL government ,COUNTERINSURGENCY - Abstract
How do government counterinsurgency efforts affect local public health financing during civil conflicts? We investigate this question in the context of the protracted conflict in Colombia. Using data on antinarcotics operations and health transfers from the central government to municipal governments, we employ both panel estimations and an instrumental variable to address concerns of endogeneity. We first show evidence of a government discretionary power over the allocation of health transfers. We do not find evidence that counterinsurgency operations causally affect health transfers to municipalities. Our results rule out political alignment between mayors and the national governing party as an intermediary factor that could influence the flow of fiscal transfers in municipalities exposed to the conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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16. The impact of sex in the effectiveness of functional remediation in bipolar disorder.
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Serra‐Navarro, Maria, Clougher, Derek, Solé, Brisa, Sánchez‐Moreno, Jose, González‐Pinto, Ana, Jiménez, Esther, Amann, Benedikt L., Balanzá‐Martínez, Vicent, Tabarés‐Seisdedos, Rafael, Arango, Celso, Accardo, Vivian, García‐Portilla, María Paz, Ibáñez, Ángela, Crespo, José Manuel, Ayuso‐Mateos, José Luis, Amoretti, Silvia, Torrent, Carla, Martínez‐Aran, Anabel, and Vieta, Eduard
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PSYCHOSOCIAL functioning , *BIPOLAR disorder , *FEMALES , *MALES - Abstract
Background Methods Results Conclusions Functional recovery remains a core clinical objective for patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Sociodemographic, clinical, and neurocognitive variables are associated with long‐term functional impairment, yet the impact of sex differences is unclear. Functional remediation (FR) is a validated intervention aimed at achieving functional recovery in BD. The present study assessed the effect of sex differences of FR on psychosocial functioning at post‐treatment (6‐months) and 12‐month follow‐up (FUP). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the role of sex as a factor in the efficacy of FR.157 participants with BD were randomly assigned to either FR (N = 77) or treatment as usual group (80). Clinical, sociodemographic, neuropsychological, and functional data were obtained using a comprehensive assessment battery. Sex differences were explored via a general linear model (GLM) for repeated measures to compare the effect of sex on the intervention over time (6 months and FUP).Results demonstrated that FR benefits both sexes, males (p = 0.001; d’ = 0.88) and females (p = 0.04; d’ = 0.57), at 6 months suggesting a generalized functional improvement. Conversely, at 12‐month FUP sex differences were observed only in males (p = 0.005; d’ = 0.68).FR is a beneficial intervention for males and females after treatment, suggesting that there are no relevant distinct needs. Females may benefit from ongoing psychosocial functioning booster sessions after the intervention to maintain original improvements. Future research exploring sex differences could help to identify strategies to offer personalized FR intervention approaches in individuals with BD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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17. Is There an Increase in Possible Sleep Bruxism in Children Over Time? A Longitudinal Study.
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Soares, Josiane Pezzini, Serra‐Negra, Júnia Maria, Silva Moro, Juliana, Santos, Pablo Silveira, Brancher, Giana, Evangelista, Maria Eduarda, Cardoso, Mariane, Santana, Carla Miranda, and Bolan, Michele
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SLEEP bruxism , *TOOTH abrasion , *POISSON regression , *AGE groups , *LOGISTIC regression analysis - Abstract
ABSTRACT Background Objectives Materials and Methods Results Conclusions Bruxism is a behaviour that has several consequences in an individual's life, especially when it starts in childhood. However, bruxism can be a potential protective factor, which is an attribute that reduces the chance of a negative health outcome.To evaluate the incidence of sleep bruxism (SB) and dental wear in children and adolescents.This longitudinal study began in 2014 and 2016 (baseline) with initial 1816 children followed for 5 and 3 years, respectively. The follow‐up data collection started in 2019. The diagnosis of SB was parents report (baseline) and self‐report (follow‐up) due to age groups of each phase, and questions related to symptoms of SB were collected. Five calibrated examiners (kappa >0.7) collected the clinical data. The clinical variables were dental erosion and dental wear. Contextual, individual, behaviour and clinical characteristics were collected. A multilevel logistic regression model was used to investigate the association of contextual, individual, behaviour and clinical characteristics with SB. Poisson regression for repeated measures was performed to evaluate the incidence of SB and dental wear (incidence rate ratio—IRR and confidence interval—95% CI).Two hundred and fifty‐three children and adolescents answered questionnaires and were clinically examined. The mean age of the follow‐up in 2019 was 11.25 years old (±2.19). There was no increase in the incidence of SB (95% CI: 0.74–1.35). Children/adolescents had a 2.2 higher risk to present dental wear (95% CI: 1.89–2.60). SB at the follow‐up was associated with the contextual variable, earache, erosion and awake bruxism.In this population, children with SB remained with this behaviour and showed higher dental wear over the years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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18. Health inequalities and their relationship with socioeconomic indicators in the Maresme region (Catalonia): A cross‐sectional ecological study.
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Ruiz, Maria Carmen, Serra‐Prat, Mateu, Palomera, Elisabet, Yildirim, Meltem, and Valls, Jordi
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HYPERTENSION epidemiology , *MEDICAL care use , *CROSS-sectional method , *MORTALITY , *HEALTH status indicators , *MYOCARDIAL ischemia , *DATA analysis , *RESEARCH funding , *SOCIOECONOMIC factors , *HOSPITAL care , *PRIMARY health care , *HEALTH policy , *LIFE expectancy , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *CHRONIC diseases , *OBSTRUCTIVE lung diseases , *STATISTICS , *HEALTH equity , *SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors , *STROKE , *TUMORS , *DATA analysis software , *ECOLOGICAL research , *DIABETES , *SOCIAL isolation , *SOCIAL classes , *EDUCATIONAL attainment , *REGRESSION analysis - Abstract
Objective: Health inequalities are universal, but their magnitude and determinants vary according to geographic areas, and understanding variations is essential to designing and implementing preventive and corrective policies. Our objective was to evaluate health inequalities in the Maresme region (Catalonia, Spain) and the relationship with socioeconomic indicators. Design: Cross‐sectional ecological study (2017). Site: Maresme region. Participants: Population assigned to any of the Maresme's 21 basic health areas (BHAs). Measures: Sociodemographic, socioeconomic, health, and health resource use indicators published by the Catalan Health Service's Information and Knowledge Unit. Results: Differences observed between BHAs were 49% in mortality, 266% in diabetes incidence, 348% in stroke incidence, and 89% in hospitalizations. In the most compared to the least disadvantaged BHAs, socioeconomic deprivation, as measured by the socioeconomic index (SEI), was 4.6 times greater and the percentage population with low educational attainment (EA) was 3.7 times higher. Greater deprivation was associated with greater prevalence of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and high blood pressure, and greater incidence of diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and cancer. Likewise, a greater percentage population with low EA was associated with higher premature mortality and avoidable hospitalizations. Conclusion: Great variation exists in socioeconomic, health, and health resource use between the different Maresme BHAs. Socioeconomic deprivation is strongly correlated with the prevalence and incidence of certain chronic diseases, and low EA is correlated with premature mortality and avoidable hospitalizations. Our findings point to the urgency of taking health inequalities into account in designing and implementing healthcare strategies, programs, and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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19. "Green peppers, tomatoes, and lemons, disunite!": Feminist solidarity in times of wars.
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Hakyemez, Serra and Yasak, Ozlem
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WAR on Terrorism, 2001-2009 , *ETHNOLOGY , *HUMANITARIANISM , *FEMINISTS ,DEVELOPING countries - Abstract
This article focuses on female bodies co‐laboring across the racial lines and academic‐activist divides to explore both the potentials and constraints of feminist solidarity in the hyper‐masculine and ultra‐nationalist normative order of the global war on terror. Anthropological studies have deconstructed phantasmatic narratives of the global war on terror by disclosing its racialized and classed structure. However, what remains understudied is how racialized female bodies are subjected to the biopower and necropower of this war. This ethnography concentrates on the feminist solidarity between Özlem Yasak and Serra Hakyemez, the coauthors of this article, which stretches over 13 years and moves between the colony and the metropole and the Global South and Global North. It examines how a Turkish academic and a Kurdish activist (both lower middle‐class women) forge, cultivate, and repair their comradeship as they move from an immigration office to their family house to neoliberal universities. Based on what we call the Other‐graphy as a new feminist method, this article argues that the global war on terror expands its reach as the humanitarian and neoliberal regimes of power recruit activists and academics to the fantasy of autonomous subjectivity posited against their possible political solidarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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20. Exceptional High‐Performance Oxygen Transport Membrane and Comprehensive Study on Mass/Charge Transport Properties.
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Bae, Hohan, Nam, Gyeong Duk, Namgung, Yeon, Park, Kwangho, Park, Jun‐Young, Serra, José M., Joo, Jong Hoon, and Song, Sun‐Ju
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BIOLOGICAL transport ,PEROVSKITE ,PERMEABILITY ,OXYGEN ,DISTILLATION ,SURFACE diffusion - Abstract
This study focuses on mixed‐conducting perovskite membranes for efficient oxygen supply, aiming to replace energy‐intensive cryogenic distillation with a more practical alternative. A La and Nb co‐doped BaCoO3−δ perovskite is introduced, Ba0.95La0.05Co0.8Fe0.12Nb0.08O3−δ (BLCFN) with a record‐breaking oxygen permeation flux, surpassing all known single‐phase perovskite membranes. To elucidate its superior membrane performance, the mass/charge transport properties and equilibrium bulk properties are investigated and quantitative indicators (DO = 5.8 × 10−6 cm2 s−1, kO = 1.0 × 10−4 cm s−1, σion = 0.93 S cm−1 at 900 °C) reveal fast diffusion and excellent surface gas‐exchange kinetics. The oxygen permeability of 12.4 mL cm−2 min−1 and over 200 h of long‐term stability is achieved in an air/He atmosphere at 900 °C. By presenting a material that demonstrates higher performance than Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ (BSCF), currently known for its highest permeability, it is believed that this marks a significant step toward innovative performance enhancement of perovskite oxide‐based membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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21. Probable sleep and awake bruxism in adolescents: A path analysis.
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Aguiar, Sara Oliveira, Ortiz, Fernanda Ruffo, Hoffmam, Gabriela de Faria e Barboza, Souza, Gabriela Luiza Nunes, Prado, Ivana Meyer, Abreu, Lucas Guimarães, Auad, Sheyla Márcia, and Serra‐Negra, Junia Maria
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PARENTS ,CROSS-sectional method ,CHRONOTYPE ,ADOLESCENT health ,INCOME ,PILOT projects ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,SLEEP bruxism ,PATH analysis (Statistics) ,CAREGIVERS ,SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors ,SLEEP quality ,DISEASE complications ,ADOLESCENCE - Abstract
Background: Bruxism has a multifactorial etiology, including the influence of sleep characteristics and chronotypes. Aim: To identify the pathways that influence the occurrence of probable sleep bruxism (PSB) and probable awake bruxism (PAB) in adolescents. Design: A total of 403 adolescents, aged 12–19 years, participated in the study. Parents/caregivers filled out a questionnaire about sociodemographic issues and the adolescent's health conditions, and the adolescents about sleep characteristics, occurrence of bruxism (based on previous study and the International Consensus of Bruxism), and chronotype (Circadian Energy Scale). Clinical examinations were performed. Statistical analysis included descriptive analysis and path analysis. Results: PSB and PAB are related to each other, with moderate and positive correlation (β =.390). Poor sleep quality and higher household income had a direct effect on both PSB (β = −.138; β =.123, respectively) and PAB (β = −.155; β =.116, respectively). Chronotype had a direct effect on PSB, in such a way that adolescents with a morningness chronotype tend to have PSB (β = −.102). Adolescents that drool on the pillow (β =.184) and/or have agitated sleep (β =.104) tend to have PSB. Conclusion: Poor sleep quality, household income, morningness chronotype profile, drooling on the pillow, and agitated sleep influence the paths taken by PSB. PAB was influenced by the quality of sleep and family income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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22. Science‐in‐brief: Highlights from the abstracts at the Ninth International Conference on Canine and Equine Locomotion, Utrecht, 2023.
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Gómez Álvarez, Constanza B., Serra Bragança, Filipe M., and van Weeren, P. René
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- 2024
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23. Efficacy and safety of bemiparin as treatment of venous thromboembolic disease in the elderly.
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Ena, Javier, Stanimirova‐Nikolova, Silvena, Iborra‐Devesa, Maria, Raya‐Santos, Carmen, Serra‐Manclus, Aurora, and Seco‐Hanselaar, Ignacio J.
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LOW-molecular-weight heparin ,PATIENT safety ,VEINS ,RETROSPECTIVE studies ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,ENOXAPARIN ,LONGITUDINAL method ,THROMBOEMBOLISM ,DRUG efficacy ,DISEASE relapse ,CONFIDENCE intervals ,PHARMACODYNAMICS ,OLD age - Abstract
Background: As the elderly population continues to grow worldwide, it becomes crucial to explore safe and effective treatment options to manage venous thromboembolic disease in this vulnerable demographic group. Methods: We carried out a retrospective cohort study (January 2017–December 2021) to analyse the efficacy and safety of bemiparin as a treatment for venous thromboembolic disease in 223 patients. We compared patients aged ≥65 years (elderly; n = 153) with patients aged less than 65 years (adults; n = 70) for a combined end point of death, recurrent thromboembolism, and major bleeding at 30 days. Results: Elderly (mean age 79 ± 7.7 years) and adult patients (mean age 51.5 ± 11.6 years) received similar bemiparin doses 8470 ± 2362 International units (IU)/d versus 8754 ± 1593 IU/d, during a similar median [Interquartile range] period of 28 [9–118] versus 30 [10–90] days, respectively. At 30‐day follow up a total of 24 elderly patients (15.7%), reached at least one of the end points, as compared with six adult patients (8.6%) (absolute difference 7.1%; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], −1.6 to 15.8). Recurrence of venous thromboembolic disease occurred in five elderly patients (3.3%) and in five adult patients (7.1%) (absolute difference −3.9%; 95% CI, −10.5 to 2.8). There were two episodes of major bleeding each in elderly (1.3%) and adult (2.9%) patients (absolute difference −1.6%; 95% CI, −5.8 to 2.7). Conclusion: Bemiparin showed a similar efficacy and safety profile in the treatment of venous thromboembolic disease in elderly and adult patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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24. Sleep bruxism and sleep respiratory disorders in children and adolescents: A systematic review.
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Orradre‐Burusco, Idoya, Fonseca, Julio, Alkhraisat, Mohammad Hamdan, Serra‐Negra, Júnia M., Eguia, Asier, Torre, Aintzane, and Anitua, Eduardo
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SLEEP bruxism ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,MEDLINE ,SLEEP apnea syndromes ,MEDICAL databases ,ONLINE information services ,COMORBIDITY ,ADOLESCENCE ,CHILDREN - Abstract
Objective: Sleep bruxism (SB) is a repetitive rhythmic and nonrhythmic activity. It can be a comorbid condition for other disorders, such as sleep breathing disorders (SBD). However, a clear causal link between these factors is yet to be established. Moreover, this relationship is even more unknown in children. Thus, this systematic review aimed to determine the relationship between SB and SBD in children and teenagers and consolidate the current knowledge about the possible association between both phenomena at the pediatric age. Materials and Methods: Advanced searches were performed in five electronic databases with the last search updated on February 1, 2023. The methodological quality of the selected studies was analyzed using the quality assessment tool for experimental bruxism studies. Results: Twenty‐nine of 6378 articles were selected for detailed analyses. Most articles found a comorbid relationship between SB and SBD, though no study analyzed a temporary relationship. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, a meta‐analysis could not be performed. Conclusion: Despite the limitations of this systematic review, it can be concluded that there is an association between SB and SBD in children. However, the level of evidence is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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25. A re‐assessment of the value of markers of corticosteroid contact allergy in the Spanish baseline series: Clobetasol propionate in the spotlight.
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Mercader‐García, Pedro, Silvestre, Juan Francisco, Navarro‐Triviño, Francisco Jose, Giménez‐Arnau, Ana María, Pastor‐Nieto, María Antonia, Cordoba‐Guijarro, Susana, Melé‐Ninot, Gemma, Tous‐Romero, Fátima, González‐Pérez, Ricardo, Ruiz‐González, Inmaculada, Sánchez‐Pérez, Javier, Gática‐Ortega, María Elena, Sánchez‐Pedreño, Paloma, Miquel‐Miquel, Javier, Ortiz‐Frutos, Javier, Carrascosa, Jose Manuel, Serra‐Baldrich, Esther, Sanz‐Sánchez, Tatiana, Soria‐Aledo, Victoriano, and Carrillo, Andrés
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CLOBETASOL ,CONTACT dermatitis ,BUDESONIDE ,CORTICOSTEROIDS ,PETROLATUM - Abstract
Background: Budesonide and tixocortol pivalate as markers of contact allergy to corticosteroids have been questioned, as they are not able to detect a significant percentage of allergic patients. Objectives: To investigate the potential role of clobetasol propionate in enhancing corticosteroid sensitisation detection. Methods: Between January 2022 and December 2023, patients who attended centres involved in the Spanish Registry of Research in Contact Dermatitis and Cutaneous Allergy were tested with an extended baseline series that included budesonide, tixocortol pivalate, clobetasol propionate 0.1% in ethanol and 1% in petrolatum. Results: A total of 4338 patients were tested. Twenty‐four patients were allergic to budesonide (0.55%, 95% CI: 0.37–0.82); nine patients were allergic to tixocortol pivalate (0.21%, 95% CI: 0.11–0.39); and 23 patients were allergic to clobetasol (0.53%, 95% CI: 0.35–0.79). Only four of those patients allergic to clobetasol were detected by budesonide and one by tixocortol pivalate. No significant differences in the number of positive tests were found between clobetasol in petrolatum or ethanol. Conclusions: In Spain budesonide remains the main corticosteroid allergy marker whereas the role of tixocortol pivalate is questionable. The addition of clobetasol propionate to the Spanish baseline series would improve the ability to detect patients allergic to corticosteroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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26. A Network Toxicology Approach for Mechanistic Modelling of Nanomaterial Hazard and Adverse Outcomes.
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del Giudice, Giusy, Serra, Angela, Pavel, Alisa, Torres Maia, Marcella, Saarimäki, Laura Aliisa, Fratello, Michele, Federico, Antonio, Alenius, Harri, Fadeel, Bengt, and Greco, Dario
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TOXICOLOGY , *BIOLOGICAL systems , *LIFE sciences , *NANOSTRUCTURED materials , *SYSTEMS theory , *SYSTEMS biology - Abstract
Hazard assessment is the first step in evaluating the potential adverse effects of chemicals. Traditionally, toxicological assessment has focused on the exposure, overlooking the impact of the exposed system on the observed toxicity. However, systems toxicology emphasizes how system properties significantly contribute to the observed response. Hence, systems theory states that interactions store more information than individual elements, leading to the adoption of network based models to represent complex systems in many fields of life sciences. Here, they develop a network‐based approach to characterize toxicological responses in the context of a biological system, inferring biological system specific networks. They directly link molecular alterations to the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework, establishing direct connections between omics data and toxicologically relevant phenotypic events. They apply this framework to a dataset including 31 engineered nanomaterials with different physicochemical properties in two different in vitro and one in vivo models and demonstrate how the biological system is the driving force of the observed response. This work highlights the potential of network‐based methods to significantly improve their understanding of toxicological mechanisms from a systems biology perspective and provides relevant considerations and future data‐driven approaches for the hazard assessment of nanomaterials and other advanced materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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27. A Multi‐Dimensional Approach to Map Disease Relationships Challenges Classical Disease Views.
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Möbus, Lena, Serra, Angela, Fratello, Michele, Pavel, Alisa, Federico, Antonio, and Greco, Dario
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DISEASE mapping , *DRUG discovery , *DISEASE clusters , *TYPE 2 diabetes , *ALZHEIMER'S disease - Abstract
The categorization of human diseases is mainly based on the affected organ system and phenotypic characteristics. This is limiting the view to the pathological manifestations, while it neglects mechanistic relationships that are crucial to develop therapeutic strategies. This work aims to advance the understanding of diseases and their relatedness beyond traditional phenotypic views. Hence, the similarity among 502 diseases is mapped using six different data dimensions encompassing molecular, clinical, and pharmacological information retrieved from public sources. Multiple distance measures and multi‐view clustering are used to assess the patterns of disease relatedness. The integration of all six dimensions into a consensus map of disease relationships reveals a divergent disease view from the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), emphasizing novel insights offered by a multi‐view disease map. Disease features such as genes, pathways, and chemicals that are enriched in distinct disease groups are identified. Finally, an evaluation of the top similar diseases of three candidate diseases common in the Western population shows concordance with known epidemiological associations and reveals rare features shared between Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Alzheimer's disease. A revision of disease relationships holds promise for facilitating the reconstruction of comorbidity patterns, repurposing drugs, and advancing drug discovery in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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28. Rational Design of Highly Selective Sialyllactose‐Imprinted Nanogels.
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Contardi, Cecilia, Mavliutova, Liliia, Serra, Massimo, Rubes, Davide, Dorati, Rossella, Vistoli, Giulio, Macorano, Alessio, Sellergren, Börje, and De Lorenzi, Ersilia
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AFFINITY electrophoresis ,BORONIC acid derivatives ,CAPILLARY electrophoresis ,MOLECULAR imprinting ,SYNTHETIC antibodies ,IMPRINTED polymers - Abstract
We describe a facile method to prepare water‐compatible molecularly imprinted polymer nanogels (MIP NGs) as synthetic antibodies against target glycans. Three different phenylboronic acid (PBA) derivatives were explored as monomers for the synthesis of MIP NGs targeting either α2,6‐ or α2,3‐sialyllactose, taken as oversimplified models of cancer‐related sT and sTn antigens. Starting from commercially available 3‐acrylamidophenylboronic acid, also its 2‐substituted isomer and the 5‐acrylamido‐2‐hydroxymethyl cyclic PBA monoester derivative were initially evaluated by NMR studies. Then, a small library of MIP NGs imprinted with the α2,6‐linked template was synthesized and tested by mobility shift Affinity Capillary Electrophoresis (msACE), to rapidly assess an affinity ranking. Finally, the best monomer 2‐acrylamido PBA was selected for the synthesis of polymers targeting both sialyllactoses. The resulting MIP NGs display an affinity constant≈106 M−1 and selectivity towards imprinted glycans. This general procedure could be applied to any non‐modified carbohydrate template possessing a reducing end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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29. A maize enzyme from the 2‐oxoglutarate‐dependent oxygenase family with unique kinetic properties, mediates resistance against pathogens and regulates senescence.
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Serra, Paloma, Aramburu, Silvana Righini, Petrich, Julieta, Campos‐Bermudez, Valeria Alina, Ferreyra, María Lorena Falcone, and Casati, Paula
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PLANT enzymes , *ENZYMES , *SALICYLIC acid , *PHYTOPATHOGENIC microorganisms , *PHENOLS , *CORN - Abstract
In plants, salicylic acid (SA) hydroxylation regulates SA homoeostasis, playing an essential role during plant development and response to pathogens. This reaction is catalysed by SA hydroxylase enzymes, which hydroxylate SA producing 2,3‐dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3‐DHBA) and/or 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,5‐DHBA). Several SA hydroxylases have recently been identified and characterised from different plant species, but no such activity has yet been reported in maize. In this work, we describe the identification and characterisation of a new SA hydroxylase in maize plants. This enzyme, with high sequence similarity to previously described SA hydroxylases from Arabidopsis and rice, converts SA into 2,5‐DHBA; however, it has different kinetic properties to those of previously characterised enzymes, and it also catalysers the conversion of the flavonoid dihydroquercetin into quercetin in in vitro activity assays, suggesting that the maize enzyme may have different roles in vivo to those previously reported from other species. Despite this, ZmS5H can complement the pathogen resistance and the early senescence phenotypes of Arabidopsis s3h mutant plants. Finally, we characterised a maize mutant in the S5H gene (s5hMu) that has altered growth, senescence and increased resistance against Colletotrichum graminicola infection, showing not only alterations in SA and 2,5‐DHBA but also in flavonol levels. Together, the results presented here provide evidence that SA hydroxylases in different plant species have evolved to show differences in catalytic properties that may be important to fine tune SA levels and other phenolic compounds such as flavonols, to regulate different aspects of plant development and pathogen defence. Summary statement: Maize plants express an enzyme of the 2‐oxoglutarate‐dependent oxygenase family with unique kinetic properties, having salicylic acid hydroxylase activity but it can also convert flavonols from dihydroflavonols. Zm2‐ODD7 confers increased resistance against pathogens and regulates senescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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30. Advanced Electrode Materials Based on Brownmillerite Calcium Ferrite for Li‐Ion Batteries.
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Spanu, Guido, Celeste, Arcangelo, Bozza, Francesco, Serra, Emanuele, Torelli, Piero, Braglia, Luca, Brutti, Sergio, Reale, Priscilla, and Silvestri, Laura
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LITHIUM cell electrodes ,FERRIC oxide ,LIME (Minerals) ,IRON oxides ,SOLID-phase synthesis ,LITHIUM cells ,ELECTRIC batteries ,IRON - Abstract
Iron‐based materials are considered potential anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries thanks to their low cost, abundancy, non‐flammability, good safety, environmental benignity, and high specific capacity. Here, a series of calcium iron oxides materials having brownmillerite structure (i. e., Ca2Fe2‐xMxO5, where M=Mn, Ni and Cu and x=0 and 0.1) has been extensively studied for their use as conversion anodes in lithium cell. In particular, a mechanochemical approach has been used either to synthesize the samples and to prepare electrodes for the tests in lithium cell. Ca2Fe2O5 based electrodes proved excellent performance in lithium cell, approaching the theoretical capacity and being stable upon prolonged cycling (529 mAh g−1 at C/10 and a capacity retention of 81 % after 100 cycles). Through the use of ex‐situ diffraction measurements, we have analyzed the conversion mechanism and proved the partial reversibility of its electrochemical reaction. Also, the incorporation of dopants into the structure of calcium iron oxide resulted in further improvement of its electrochemical performance as is the case of Mn doped sample that show a considerable specific capacity of 567 mAh g−1 and the capacity retention is almost 99 % after 100 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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31. Effects of walnut consumption for 2 years on older adults' bone health in the Walnuts and Healthy Aging (WAHA) trial.
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Oliver‐Pons, Carla, Sala‐Vila, Aleix, Cofán, Montserrat, Serra‐Mir, Mercè, Roth, Irene, Valls‐Pedret, Cinta, Domènech, Mònica, Ortega, Emilio, Rajaram, Sujatha, Sabaté, Joan, Ros, Emilio, and Chiva‐Blanch, Gemma
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WALNUT ,PHOTON absorptiometry ,OSTEOPENIA ,FOOD consumption ,BONE density ,RESEARCH funding ,STATISTICAL sampling ,RANDOMIZED controlled trials ,QUALITY assurance ,OSTEOPOROSIS ,TIME ,BIOMARKERS ,BONE remodeling ,DIET ,OLD age - Abstract
Background: Nutritional strategies to maintain bone health in aging individuals are of great interest. Given the beneficial nutrient composition of walnuts, rich in alpha‐linolenic (the vegetable n‐3 fatty acid) and polyphenols, their regular consumption might be a dietary option to reduce age‐related bone loss. We determined whether daily walnut consumption improves bone mineral density (BMD) and circulating biomarkers of bone turnover. Methods: The Walnuts and Healthy Aging study (WAHA) is a two‐center, parallel, randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of a diet enriched with walnuts at ≈15% energy compared with a control diet for 2 years on age‐related health outcomes in healthy men and women aged 63–79 years. Changes in BMD were a prespecified secondary outcome only at the Barcelona node of the trial, where 352 participants were randomized. Retention rate was 92.6%. Primary endpoints were 2‐year changes in BMD at the spine and the nondominant femoral neck, determined by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). Secondary endpoints were 2‐year changes in bone turnover biomarkers (adrenocorticotropic hormone, Dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor‐1, osteoprotegerin, osteocalcin, osteopontin, sclerostin, parathyroid hormone, and fibroblast growth factor‐23), which were quantified in 211 randomly selected participants. Results: The walnut diet versus the control diet had no effect on 2‐year changes in BMD at the spine (0.15% vs. 0.35%, p = 0.632) and femoral neck (−0.90% vs. −0.70%, p = 0.653), or on bone turnover biomarkers. Results were similar in participants treated or not with bone resorption inhibitors or those with or without osteoporosis/osteopenia at inclusion. Conclusions: Compared with the usual diet, a diet enriched with walnuts at 15% of energy for 2 years failed to improve BMD or circulating markers of bone metabolism in healthy older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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32. Efficacy and safety of cemiplimab in the treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: A multicentre real‐world retrospective study from Spain and systematic review of the published data.
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Cañueto, J., Muñoz‐Couselo, E., Cardona‐Machado, C., Becerril‐Andrés, S., Martín‐Vallejo, J., Serra‐Guillén, C., Soria, A., Serrano‐Domingo, J. J., Ortiz‐Velez, C., Lostes, J., García‐Castaño, A., Puig, S., Fernández de Misa, R., Medina, J., Aguado, C., Ayala de Miguel, P., Navarro‐Navarro, I., Masferrer, E., Delgado, M., and Bellido‐Hernández, L.
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RADIOTHERAPY ,SQUAMOUS cell carcinoma ,CEMIPLIMAB ,HEAD & neck cancer ,DRUG side effects - Abstract
This article provides information on the efficacy and safety of cemiplimab, a drug used to treat advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). The study conducted in Spain included 83 patients who received cemiplimab treatment, with an overall response rate of 56.6% and 33.7% experiencing complete responses. The study found that the presence of distant metastasis and a higher ECOG score were associated with a worse response to treatment. The article emphasizes the need for more real-world data on cemiplimab treatment for CSCC and highlights the importance of including patients from diverse ethnic backgrounds in clinical trials. [Extracted from the article]
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- 2024
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33. Efficiency and productivity gains of robotic surgery: The case of the English National Health Service.
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Maynou, Laia, McGuire, Alistair, and Serra‐Sastre, Victoria
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This paper examines the effect of new medical technology (robotic surgery) on efficiency gains and productivity changes for surgical treatment in patients with prostate cancer from the perspective of a public health sector organization. In particular, we consider three interrelated surgical technologies within the English National Health System: robotic, laparoscopic and open radical prostatectomy. Robotic and laparoscopic techniques are minimally invasive procedures with similar clinical benefits. While the clinical benefits in adopting robotic surgery over laparoscopic intervention are unproven, it requires a high initial investment cost and carries high on‐going maintenance costs. Using data from Hospital Episode Statistics for the period 2000–2018, we observe growing volumes of prostatectomies over time, mostly driven by an increase in robotic‐assisted surgeries, and further analyze whether hospital providers that adopted a robot see improved measures of throughput. We then quantify changes in total factor and labor productivity arising from the use of this technology. We examine the impact of robotic adoption on efficiency gains employing a staggered difference‐in‐difference estimator and find evidence of a 50% reduction in length of stay (LoS), 49% decrease in post‐LoS and 44% and 46% decrease in postoperative visits after 1 year and 2 years, respectively. Productivity analysis shows the growth in radical prostatectomy volume is sustained with a relatively stable number of urology surgeons. The robotic technique increases total production at the hospital level between 21% and 26%, coupled with a 29% improvement in labor productivity. These benefits lend some, but not overwhelming support for the large‐scale hospital investments in such costly technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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34. Matrix‐less methods for the spectral approximation of large non‐Hermitian Toeplitz matrices: A concise theoretical analysis and a numerical study.
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Bogoya, Manuel, Ekström, Sven‐Erik, Serra‐Capizzano, Stefano, and Vassalos, Paris
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TOEPLITZ matrices ,NUMERICAL analysis ,DISTRIBUTION (Probability theory) ,GENERATING functions ,ASYMPTOTIC expansions - Abstract
It is known that the generating function of a sequence of Toeplitz matrices may not describe the asymptotic distribution of the eigenvalues of the considered matrix sequence in the non‐Hermitian setting. In a recent work, under the assumption that the eigenvalues are real, admitting an asymptotic expansion whose first term is the distribution function, fast algorithms computing all the spectra were proposed in different settings. In the current work, we extend this idea to non‐Hermitian Toeplitz matrices with complex eigenvalues, in the case where the range of the generating function does not disconnect the complex field or the limiting set of the spectra, as the matrix‐size tends to infinity, has one nonclosed analytic arc. For a generating function having a power singularity, we prove the existence of an asymptotic expansion, that can be used as a theoretical base for the respective numerical algorithm. Different generating functions are explored, highlighting different numerical and theoretical aspects; for example, non‐Hermitian and complex symmetric matrix sequences, the reconstruction of the generating function, a consistent eigenvalue ordering, the requirements of high‐precision data types. Several numerical experiments are reported and critically discussed, and avenues of possible future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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35. Electrochemically Mediated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization Driven by Alternating Current.
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De Bon, Francesco, Fantin, Marco, Pereira, Vanessa A., Lourenço Bernardino, Teresa J., Serra, Armenio C., Matyjaszewski, Krzysztof, and Coelho, Jorge F. J.
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ALTERNATING currents ,RADICALS (Chemistry) ,LIVING polymerization ,BLOCK copolymers ,ATOMS - Abstract
Alternating current (AC) and pulsed electrolysis are gaining traction in electro(organic) synthesis due to their advantageous characteristics. We employed AC electrolysis in electrochemically mediated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (eATRP) to facilitate the regeneration of the activator CuI complex on Cu0 electrodes. Additionally, Cu0 served as a slow supplemental activator and reducing agent (SARA ATRP), enabling the activation of alkyl halides and the regeneration of the CuI activator through a comproportionation reaction. We harnessed the distinct properties of Cu0 dual regeneration, both chemical and electrochemical, by employing sinusoidal, triangular, and square‐wave AC electrolysis alongside some of the most active ATRP catalysts available. Compared to linear waveform (DC electrolysis) or SARA ATRP (without electrolysis), pulsed and AC electrolysis facilitated slightly faster and more controlled polymerizations of acrylates. The same AC electrolysis conditions could successfully polymerize eleven different monomers across different mediums, from water to bulk. Moreover, it proved effective across a spectrum of catalyst activity, from low‐activity Cu/2,2‐bipyridine to highly active Cu complexes with substituted tripodal amine ligands. Chain extension experiments confirmed the high chain‐end fidelity of the produced polymers, yielding functional and high molecular‐weight block copolymers. SEM analysis indicated the robustness of the Cu0 electrodes, sustaining at least 15 consecutive polymerizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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36. Cervical cancer prevention and care in HIV clinics across sub‐Saharan Africa: results of a facility‐based survey.
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Asangbeh‐Kerman, Serra Lem, Davidović, Maša, Taghavi, Katayoun, Dhokotera, Tafadzwa, Manasyan, Albert, Sharma, Anjali, Jaquet, Antoine, Musick, Beverly, Twizere, Christella, Chimbetete, Cleophas, Murenzi, Gad, Tweya, Hannock, Muhairwe, Josephine, Wools‐Kaloustian, Kara, Technau, Karl‐Gunter, Anastos, Kathryn, Yotebieng, Marcel, Jousse, Marielle, Ezechi, Oliver, and Orang'o, Omenge
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HEALTH information systems , *HUMAN papillomavirus , *HIV-positive women , *CANCER prevention , *HUMAN papillomavirus vaccines - Abstract
INTRODUCTION: To eliminate cervical cancer (CC), access to and quality of prevention and care services must be monitored, particularly for women living with HIV (WLHIV). We assessed implementation practices in HIV clinics across sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) to identify gaps in the care cascade and used aggregated patient data to populate cascades for WLHIV attending HIV clinics. METHODS: Our facility‐based survey was administered between November 2020 and July 2021 in 30 HIV clinics across SSA that participate in the International epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS (IeDEA) consortium. We performed a qualitative site‐level assessment of CC prevention and care services and analysed data from routine care of WLHIV in SSA. RESULTS: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination was offered in 33% of sites. Referral for CC diagnosis (42%) and treatment (70%) was common, but not free at about 50% of sites. Most sites had electronic health information systems (90%), but data to inform indicators to monitor global targets for CC elimination in WLHIV were not routinely collected in these sites. Data were collected routinely in only 36% of sites that offered HPV vaccination, 33% of sites that offered cervical screening and 20% of sites that offered pre‐cancer and CC treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Though CC prevention and care services have long been available in some HIV clinics across SSA, patient and programme monitoring need to be improved. Countries should consider leveraging their existing health information systems and use monitoring tools provided by the World Health Organization to improve CC prevention programmes and access, and to track their progress towards the goal of eliminating CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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37. occTest: An integrated approach for quality control of species occurrence data.
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Serra‐Diaz, Josep M., Borderieux, Jeremy, Maitner, Brian, Boonman, Coline C. F., Park, Daniel, Guo, Wen‐Yong, Callebaut, Arnaud, Enquist, Brian J., Svenning, Jens‐C., and Merow, Cory
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DIGITIZATION , *QUALITY control , *DATA scrubbing , *OUTLIER detection , *SPECIES , *TEST interpretation - Abstract
Aim: Species occurrence data are valuable information that enables one to estimate geographical distributions, characterize niches and their evolution, and guide spatial conservation planning. Rapid increases in species occurrence data stem from increasing digitization and aggregation efforts, and citizen science initiatives. However, persistent quality issues in occurrence data can impact the accuracy of scientific findings, underscoring the importance of filtering erroneous occurrence records in biodiversity analyses. Innovation: We introduce an R package, occTest, that synthesizes a growing open‐source ecosystem of biodiversity cleaning workflows to prepare occurrence data for different modelling applications. It offers a structured set of algorithms to identify potential problems with species occurrence records by employing a hierarchical organization of multiple tests. The workflow has a hierarchical structure organized in testPhases (i.e. cleaning vs. testing) that encompass different testBlocks grouping different testTypes (e.g. environmental outlier detection), which may use different testMethods (e.g. Rosner test, jacknife,etc.). Four different testBlocks characterize potential problems in geographic, environmental, human influence and temporal dimensions. Filtering and plotting functions are incorporated to facilitate the interpretation of tests. We provide examples with different data sources, with default and user‐defined parameters. Compared to other available tools and workflows, occTest offers a comprehensive suite of integrated tests, and allows multiple methods associated with each test to explore consensus among data cleaning methods. It uniquely incorporates both coordinate accuracy analysis and environmental analysis of occurrence records. Furthermore, it provides a hierarchical structure to incorporate future tests yet to be developed. Main conclusions: occTest will help users understand the quality and quantity of data available before the start of data analysis, while also enabling users to filter data using either predefined rules or custom‐built rules. As a result, occTest can better assess each record's appropriateness for its intended application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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38. Product‐free sets in the free group.
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Ortega, Miquel, Rué, Juanjo, and Serra, Oriol
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FINITE groups ,FREE groups - Abstract
We prove that product‐free subsets of the free group over a finite alphabet have maximum upper density 1/2$1/2$ with respect to the natural measure that assigns total weight one to each set of irreducible words of a given length. This confirms a conjecture of Leader, Letzter, Narayanan, and Walters. In more general terms, we actually prove that strongly k$k$‐product‐free sets have maximum upper density 1/k$1/k$ in terms of this measure. The bounds are tight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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39. Procalcitonin and C‐reactive protein as early markers of anastomotic leakage in intestinal resections for advanced ovarian cancer (EDMOCS).
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Sánchez‐Iglesias, José Luis, Morales‐Coma, Clara, Minig, Lucas, Lago, Víctor, Domingo, Santiago, Mancebo, Gemma, Siegrist, Jaime, Fidalgo García, María Soledad, Llueca, Antoni, Serra, Anna, Cobas Lozano, Paloma, Lekuona Artola, Arantza, Gómez‐Hidalgo, Natalia R., Acosta, Úrsula, Ferrer‐Costa, Roser, Bradbury, Melissa, Pérez‐Benavente, Assumpció, and Gil‐Moreno, Antonio
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C-reactive protein ,CALCITONIN ,OVARIAN cancer ,LEAKAGE ,RECEIVER operating characteristic curves ,CA 125 test ,RECTAL surgery - Abstract
Introduction: Serum levels of procalcitonin and C‐reactive protein (CRP) have been used to predict anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery, but information is scarce in advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) surgery with bowel resection. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of procalcitonin and CRP in detecting anastomotic leakage after AOC surgery with bowel resection. The study also aimed to determine the optimal postoperative reference values and the best day for evaluating these markers. Material and methods: This prospective, observational and multicentric trial included 92 patients with AOC undergoing debulking surgery with bowel resection between 2017 and 2020 in 10 reference hospitals in Spain. Procalcitonin and CRP levels were measured at baseline and on postoperative days 1–6. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of procalcitonin and CRP at each postoperative day. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated. Results: Anastomotic leakage was detected in six patients (6.5%). Procalcitonin and CRP values were consistently higher in patients with anastomotic leakage at all postoperative days. The maximum area under the curve (AUC) for procalcitonin was observed at postoperative day 1 (AUC = 0.823) with a cutoff value of 3.8 ng/mL (83.3% sensitivity, 81.3% specificity). For CRP, the maximum AUC was found at postoperative day 3 (AUC = 0.833) with a cutoff level of 30.5 mg/dL (100% sensitivity, 80.4% specificity). Conclusions: Procalcitonin and C‐reactive protein are potential biomarkers for early detection of anastomotic leakage after ovarian cancer surgery with bowel resection. Further prospective studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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40. Prevalence of canine renal crest hyperattenuation in precontrast computed tomography.
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Serra‐Gomez de la Serna, Blanca, Schiborra, Frederike, and Marwood, Rachel
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Normal canine kidneys are relatively homogeneous soft tissue attenuating structures on nonenhanced CT images. However, visible differences in attenuation between the renal crest and medulla are occasionally observed. This finding and its potential clinical implications have not been previously investigated. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of renal crest hyperattenuation (RCH) and investigate possible associations with signalment and laboratory parameters. Abdominal CT studies from 100 dogs, with biochemistry and urinalysis data obtained within 48 h before the CT acquisition, were categorized by two radiologists into those with and without visible RCH. The attenuation in Hounsfield units (HU) of the renal crest and renal medulla were measured. Signalment, biochemical, and urinalysis data were analyzed for associations with RCH. Correlation coefficients were calculated for measured HU and associated continuous parameters. Prevalence of RCH was 42.42% (42/99 dogs, 95% CI, 33–52%). Urinary specific gravity (USG) was significantly different between dogs with and without RCH (P =.034). Weak positive correlations were identified between left and right renal crest attenuation and USG (r = 0.233 and 0.253, respectively; P =.05). Renal crest hyperattenuation is a common finding in dogs undergoing abdominal CT. Although the correlation between the USG and renal crest HU is weak, the dogs with RCH have significantly higher USG. Renal crest hyperattenuation might, therefore, not be associated with renal insufficiency. No other specific associations of RCH were identified with parameters typically altered in a variety of diseases. Further investigation may be warranted for its relevance to specific diseases or if it indeed represents a physiological variant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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41. Awake bruxism report in a population of dental students with and without ecological momentary assessment monitorization–A randomised trial.
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Dias, Ricardo, Lima, Rui, Prado, Ivana, Colonna, Anna, Serra‐Negra, Junia Maria, Bracci, Alessandro, and Manfredini, Daniele
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BRUXISM ,MOBILE apps ,PEARSON correlation (Statistics) ,HEALTH literacy ,SMARTPHONES ,DATA analysis ,STATISTICAL sampling ,FISHER exact test ,RANDOMIZED controlled trials ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,CHI-squared test ,SELF-control ,CONTROL groups ,PRE-tests & post-tests ,HEALTH behavior ,STATISTICS ,PSYCHOLOGICAL tests ,COMPARATIVE studies ,SELF diagnosis - Abstract
Objective: The Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) concept was the basis for developing a smartphone application for the real‐time report of awake bruxism (AB) activities. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the EMA with a randomised controlled trial designed to compare the frequency of AB reported in two separate single observation points between a group of students monitored over time with an EMA smartphone application and a non‐EMA monitored group. Methods: Sixty‐four (N = 64) dental students (22.3 YO [±2.6]; 52F; 12 M) answered the Oral Behaviour Checklist (OBC‐1) and were randomised into an EMA‐group (EG) and control group (CG). EG were monitored with a smartphone application for AB report during seven consecutive days and completed three EMA monitoring periods (EMA‐1, 2 and 3) at one‐month intervals. After the third period (EMA−3), both EG and CG answered again the OBC (OBC–2). Descriptive statistics were performed to characterise the sample. Pearson's chi‐squared test, Fixer Exact test and post hoc Z test with Bonferroni correction were performed. The study hypothesis was that EMA could influence the AB reported by the participants because it implies an increase in the awareness, self‐recognition, and self‐control of bruxism behaviours. The level of significance was set at p <.05. Result: The percentage of participants who changed the report of the activity of clenching their teeth while awake between OBC‐1 and OBC‐2 was significantly higher among participants in EG, when compared to CG (p =.027). For all other behaviours reported the within‐ and between‐group differences from OBC‐1 to OBC‐2 were not significant. Clenching and bracing were the most frequently reported, whilst grinding was the less frequent behaviour. Conclusion: A smartphone‐based EMA approach demonstrated be useful to monitor AB over time, increasing individual's awareness, particularly to bracing and clenching behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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42. Multi‐centre digital radiography reject analysis for different clinical room use types: The establishment of local reject reference levels for public hospital departments.
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Serra, Daniel, Neep, Michael J, and Ryan, Elaine
- Abstract
Introduction Methods Results Conclusions Reject analysis in digital radiography helps guide the training of staff to reduce patient radiation dose and improve department efficiency. The purpose of this study was to perform a multi‐centre, vendor agnostic reject analysis across different room usage types, and to provide benchmarks for comparison.Retrospective reject and exposure log data were collected via USB from fixed general X‐ray systems across multiple Australian sites, for collation and analysis. The overall reject rate, local reject reference level, absolute and relative reject rates for body part categories, reject rates by room usage types and the reject rate for each reason of rejection were calculated.Data were collected from 44 X‐ray systems, across 11 hospitals. A total of 2,031,713 acquired images and 172,495 rejected images were included. The median reject rate was 9.1%. The local reject reference level (LRRL), set as the 75th percentile of all reject rates, was 10.6%. Median reject rates by room type were emergency (7.4%), inpatients + outpatients (9.6%), outpatients (9.2%), and hybrid (10.1%). The highest absolute reject rates by body part were chest (2.1%) and knee (1.4%). The highest relative rates by body part were knee (18.1%) and pelvis (17.2%). The most frequent reasons for image rejection were patient positioning (76%) and patient motion (7.5%).The results compare well with previously published data. The range of reject rates highlights the need to analyse typical reject rates in different ways. With analysis feedback to participating sites and the implementation of standardised reject reasons, future analysis should monitor whether reject rates reduce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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43. Spatial Photo‐Patterning of Nematic Liquid Crystal Pretilt and its Application in Fabricating Flat Gradient‐Index Lenses.
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Modin, Alvin, Leheny, Robert L., and Serra, Francesca
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- 2024
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44. Emerging variants, unique phenotypes, and transcriptomic signatures: an integrated study of COASY‐associated diseases.
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Cavestro, Chiara, Morra, Francesca, Legati, Andrea, D'Amato, Marco, Nasca, Alessia, Iuso, Arcangela, Lubarr, Naomi, Morrison, Jennifer L., Wheeler, Patricia G., Serra‐Juhé, Clara, Rodríguez‐Santiago, Benjamín, Turón‐Viñas, Eulalia, Prouteau, Clement, Barth, Magalie, Hayflick, Susan J., Ghezzi, Daniele, Tiranti, Valeria, and Di Meo, Ivano
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PHENOTYPES ,EPILEPSY ,CELL communication ,COENZYME A ,AUTISM spectrum disorders ,TRANSCRIPTOMES - Abstract
Objective: COASY, the gene encoding the bifunctional enzyme CoA synthase, which catalyzes the last two reactions of cellular de novo coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthesis, has been linked to two exceedingly rare autosomal recessive disorders, such as COASY protein‐associated neurodegeneration (CoPAN), a form of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA), and pontocerebellar hypoplasia type 12 (PCH12). We aimed to expand the phenotypic spectrum and gain insights into the pathogenesis of COASY‐related disorders. Methods: Patients were identified through targeted or exome sequencing. To unravel the molecular mechanisms of disease, RNA sequencing, bioenergetic analysis, and quantification of critical proteins were performed on fibroblasts. Results: We identified five new individuals harboring novel COASY variants. While one case exhibited classical CoPAN features, the others displayed atypical symptoms such as deafness, language and autism spectrum disorders, brain atrophy, and microcephaly. All patients experienced epilepsy, highlighting its potential frequency in COASY‐related disorders. Fibroblast transcriptomic profiling unveiled dysregulated expression in genes associated with mitochondrial respiration, responses to oxidative stress, transmembrane transport, various cellular signaling pathways, and protein translation, modification, and trafficking. Bioenergetic analysis revealed impaired mitochondrial oxygen consumption in COASY fibroblasts. Despite comparable total CoA levels to control cells, the amounts of mitochondrial 4′‐phosphopantetheinylated proteins were significantly reduced in COASY patients. Interpretation: These results not only extend the clinical phenotype associated with COASY variants but also suggest a continuum between CoPAN and PCH12. The intricate interplay of altered cellular processes and signaling pathways provides valuable insights for further research into the pathogenesis of COASY‐associated diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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45. Evaluation of adherence to antipsychotics: A real‐world data study using four different dosing assumptions.
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Fuente‐Moreno, Marina, Dima, Alexandra L., Rubio‐Valera, Maria, Baladon, Luisa, Chavarria, Victor, Contaldo, Salvatore Fabrizio, Peña‐Salazar, Carlos, Serra‐Sutton, Vicky, Hermida‐González, Patricia, de Loño, Jorge Peláez, Rey‐Abella, Maria Eugènia, Aznar‐Lou, Ignacio, and Serrano‐Blanco, Antoni
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PATIENT compliance ,ANTIPSYCHOTIC agents ,ARIPIPRAZOLE ,AMISULPRIDE - Abstract
Aims: This study aimed to assess the frequency of dosing inconsistencies in prescription data and the effect of four dosing assumption strategies on adherence estimates for antipsychotic treatment. Methods: A retrospective cohort, which linked prescription and dispensing data of adult patients with ≥1 antipsychotic prescription between 2015‐2016 and followed up until 2019, in Catalonia (Spain). Four strategies were proposed for selecting the recommended dosing in overlapping prescription periods for the same patient and antipsychotic drug: (i) the minimum dosing prescribed; (ii) the dose corresponding to the latest prescription issued; (iii) the highest dosing prescribed; and (iv) all doses included in the overlapped period. For each strategy, one treatment episode per patient was selected, and the Continuous Medication Availability measure was used to assess adherence. Descriptive statistics were used to describe results by strategy. Results: Of the 277 324 prescriptions included, 76% overlapped with other prescriptions (40% with different recommended dosing instructions). The number and characteristics of patients and treatment episodes (18 292, 18 303, 18 339 and 18 536, respectively per strategy) were similar across strategies. Mean adherence was similar between strategies, ranging from 57 to 60%. However, the proportion of patients with adherence ≥90% was lower when selecting all doses (28%) compared with the other strategies (35%). Conclusion: Despite the high prevalence of overlapping prescriptions, the strategies proposed did not show a major effect on the adherence estimates for antipsychotic treatment. Taking into consideration the particularities of antipsychotic prescription practices, selecting the highest dose in the overlapped period seemed to provide a more accurate adherence estimate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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46. The effects of international mobility on teachers' power of curriculum agency.
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Mouraz, Ana, Doyle, Audrey, and Serra, Isabel
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CURRICULUM ,TEACHERS ,CULTURE ,EDUCATIONAL change ,EMPIRICAL research - Abstract
Across the world, countries have engaged in different iterations of curriculum change, and one of the common denominators of reform is the proposal of more agency for teachers around curriculum making. This is not an easy task for teachers. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the discussion about the effects that international ERASMUS+ mobilities have had on the power of curricular agency of teachers from two European countries. This work is based on an empirical investigation of a qualitative nature which collected the testimonies of four school headmasters, a deputy principal and eleven teachers from Ireland and Portugal, teaching different curriculum matters, who were involved in the ERASMUS+ programme. Our findings evidence a very positive impact on secondary teachers' capacity to self‐organize and achieve agency in relation to curriculum making by adapting their knowledge and skills, learnt through the mobility, to their own culture and context through collaborative communities of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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47. Effect of a Home‐Base Core Stability Exercises in Hereditary Ataxia. A Randomized Controlled Trial. A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
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Cabanas‐Valdés, Rosa, Fernández‐Lago, Helena, Peláez‐Hervás, Selma, Serra‐Rusiñol, Laura, López‐de‐Celis, Carlos, and Masbernat‐Almenara, Maria
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FRIEDREICH'S ataxia ,RANDOMIZED controlled trials ,WALKING speed ,CLINICAL trials ,ATAXIA ,LEG amputation - Abstract
Background: Core stability exercises (CSE) have been shown to be effective in improving trunk function in several neurological diseases, but the evidence is scarce on Hereditary Ataxias (HA). Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a 5‐week home‐based CSE program in terms of ataxia severity, trunk function, balance confidence, gait speed, lower limb motor function, quality of life, health status and falls rate in HA individuals at short‐ and long‐term. Methods: This is an assessor‐blind randomized controlled clinical trial parallel group 1:1. The individuals were divided in experimental group (EG) performed standard care in addition to CSE, and control group (CG) performed standard care alone. The CSE home‐program was conducted 1‐h/day, 5‐day/week for 5‐week. The assessment was performed at baseline, endpoint (5‐week), and follow‐up (10‐week). The primary outcomes were ataxia severity assessed by the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia and trunk function assessed by Spanish‐version of Trunk Impairment Scale 2.0. The secondary outcomes were balance confidence assessed by Activities‐specific Balance Confidence (ABC), gait speed by 4‐meter walk test (4‐MWT), the lower limb motor function by 30‐s sit‐to‐stand, quality of life by EuroQol 5‐dimension 5‐level (EQ‐5D‐5L), health‐status by EQ‐5D and falls rate. Results: Twenty‐three HA individuals were recruited (51.8 ± 11.10 years). Statistically significant group‐time interaction was shown in ABC (F:5.539; P = 0.007), EQ‐5D‐5L Total (F:4.836; P = 0.013), EQ 5D (F:7.207; P = 0.006). Conclusions: No statistical differences between groups for ataxia severity and trunk function were observed. However, were differences for balance confidence, gait speed, quality of life, and falls rate in HA individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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48. Association between breakfast consumption, breakfast quality, mental health and quality of life in Turkish adolescents: A high school‐based cross‐sectional study.
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Gürbüz, Murat, Bayram, Hatice Merve, Kabayel, Nazmiye, Türker, Zeynep Serra, Şahin, Şeyma, and İçer, Serap
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FOOD quality ,CROSS-sectional method ,HIGH schools ,STATISTICAL power analysis ,FOOD consumption ,MENTAL health ,T-test (Statistics) ,MEDITERRANEAN diet ,AUTONOMY (Psychology) ,DIETARY patterns ,MULTIPLE regression analysis ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,MANN Whitney U Test ,CHI-squared test ,MULTIVARIATE analysis ,ANXIETY ,QUALITY of life ,RESEARCH methodology ,ANALYSIS of variance ,PSYCHOLOGICAL stress ,DATA analysis software ,BREAKFASTS ,MENTAL depression ,WELL-being - Abstract
This study aimed to determine the frequency of breakfast consumption and breakfast quality among adolescents and to evaluate the relationships between breakfast consumption, breakfast quality, mental health, and health‐related quality of life. This cross‐sectional study included 449 students from 17 high schools between December 2022 and May 2023. A face‐to‐face questionnaire measuring the frequency of breakfast consumption, Mediterranean diet quality index (KIDMED), health‐related quality of life (KIDSCREEN), and depression, anxiety and stress scales (DASS‐21) was performed. Of the students, 54.1% skipped breakfast 2 or more times a week and 75.9% had poor breakfast quality. There were significant differences in breakfast quality classification according to the frequency of breakfast consumption (p = 0.003). Breakfast consumption ≤1 time/week or 2–5 times/week was associated with depression, anxiety and low adherence to the Mediterranean diet. No relationship was observed between breakfast quality and stress, depression or anxiety (p = 0.620, p = 0.586, p = 0.539, respectively) or between breakfast quality and the KIDSCREEN‐27 subscales (p > 0.05). However, those eating poor‐quality breakfasts had better results in physical wellbeing (p = 0.022), psychological wellbeing (p = 0.024), autonomy and parent relations (p = 0.017) than breakfast‐skippers and also scored lower for depression, stress and anxiety (all p < 0.001). In conclusion, the frequency of breakfast consumption had a stronger association with reduced symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety, as well as improvements in all dimensions of health‐related quality of life, compared to the quality of breakfast consumed. Given the association of breakfast consumption with mental health outcomes in adolescents, our findings are of great importance, especially to parents, clinicians and nutritional educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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49. A global bibliometric analysis on the relationship between tinnitus and temporomandibular disorders.
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Prado, Ivana Meyer, Lamenha‐Lins, Renata, Ribeiro‐Lages, Mariana Batista, Maia, Lucianne Cople, and Serra‐Negra, Júnia Maria
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TEMPOROMANDIBULAR disorders ,RISK assessment ,MEDICAL information storage & retrieval systems ,SELF-evaluation ,RESEARCH funding ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,TINNITUS ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,BIBLIOMETRICS ,DENTISTRY ,MEDICAL databases ,EVALUATION ,DISEASE risk factors - Abstract
Background and Objectives: This global bibliometric review aimed to investigate trends in publications relating to tinnitus and TMD. Methods: A search was performed in eight databases (June/2022), by independent researchers with relevant keywords about tinnitus and TMD, without restriction of date or language. Original research or case report/series evaluating prevalence, association and risk related to tinnitus and TMD were included. Independent examiners selected studies by title and abstract and performed data extraction. Data about publication and researchers, study population, objective, study design and diagnostic criteria for tinnitus and TMD were exported to VintagePoint® for bibliometric analyses. Data about the direct association between tinnitus and TMD were extracted. Results: One hundred and seventeen articles from 25 countries were included, most observational (68.4%) and evaluating association (N = 60; 44.8%). Among the 60 studies of association, 22 (36.6%) presented results of a direct association between the presence/absence of tinnitus and the presence/absence of TMD. Brazil (19.5%) and the United States (12.7%) were the countries with the most publications, and Dentistry (48.6%) was the main publication area. A growth in publications in Dentistry was observed in the past 30 years and in the past 10 years in Medicine. Half of the studies included the elderly population (50.2%). The main diagnostic criterion for both tinnitus (37.8%) and TMD (28%) was general questionnaires and/or self‐report. Conclusion: There is a growing trend in publications relating to tinnitus and TMD, especially in Dentistry, with a predominance of observational and association studies in the elderly population using questionnaires and/or self‐report. More research with robust diagnostic methods and other study designs should be encouraged in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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50. EBUS‐TBNA for mediastinal staging of centrally located T1N0M0 non‐small cell lung cancer clinically staged with PET/CT.
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Serra Mitjà, Pere, García‐Cabo, Bruno, Garcia‐Olivé, Ignasi, Radua, Joaquim, Rami‐Porta, Ramón, Esteban, Lluís, Barreiro, Bienvenido, Call, Sergi, Centeno, Carmen, Andreo, Felipe, Obiols, Carme, Ochoa, Juan Manuel, Martínez‐Palau, Mireia, Reig, Nina, Serra, Mireia, and Sanz‐Santos, José
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NON-small-cell lung carcinoma , *NEEDLE biopsy , *POSITRON emission tomography , *TUMOR classification , *BRONCHIAL diseases - Abstract
Background and Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) for mediastinal staging of centrally located T1N0M0 non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) clinically staged with positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Methods: We conducted a study that included patients with centrally located T1N0M0 NSCLC, clinically staged with PET/CT who underwent EBUS‐TBNA for mediastinal staging. Patients with negative EBUS‐TBNA underwent mediastinoscopy, video‐assisted mediastinoscopic lymphadenectomy (VAMLA) and/or lung resection with systematic nodal dissection, that were considered the gold standard. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), positive predictive value (PPV), overall accuracy of EBUS‐TBNA for diagnosing mediastinal metastases (N2 disease) and the number needed to treat (NNT: number of patients needed to undergo EBUS‐TBNA to avoid a case of pathologic N2 disease after resection) were calculated. Results: One‐hundred eighteen patients were included. EBUS‐TBNA proved N2 disease in four patients. In the remaining 114 patients who underwent mediastinoscopy, VAMLA and/or resection there were two cases of N2 (N2 prevalence 5.1%). The sensitivity, specificity, NPV, PPV and overall accuracy for diagnosing mediastinal metastases (N2 disease) were of 66%, 100%, 98%, 100% and 98%, respectively. The NNT was 31 (95% CI: 15–119). Conclusion: EBUS‐TBNA in patients with central clinically staged T1N0M0 NSCLC presents a good diagnostic accuracy for mediastinal staging, even in a population with low prevalence of N2 disease. Therefore, its indication should be considered in the management of even these early lung cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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