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Background: The intraovarian administration of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) acts beneficially for the stimulation of follicle production in women presenting different forms of ovarian dysfunction. This pilot study aimed to evaluate and provide significant data regarding the efficacy of PRP to rejuvenate the ovaries. Methods: A total of 253 women aged 22–56 years, were divided into five groups, based on their status. All participants signed for informed consent for the current study. Blood sampling, preparation of PRP and intraovarian infusion of the latter were performed on all participants. The evaluation of PRP efficacy, a two-month follow-up detecting the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2) and anti-mullerian hormone (AMH), was performed for all participants. For women with advanced ages (>48 years), the restoration and regularity of the menstrual cycle were additionally evaluated. Results: After the two-month follow-up, the majority of the participants presented improvement in their hormonal profiles. Additionally, 17% of the women in this pilot study successfully conceived. The restoration of the menstrual cycle was detected in 15% of the women with advanced ages. Conclusions: Intraovarian infusion of autologous PRP exhibited remarkable evidence and promising results to restore ovarian insufficiency.

Background Folliculotropic mycosis fungoides (FMF) represents a variant of MF characterized by hair follicle invasion of mature, CD4-positive small lymphoid cells with cerebriform nuclei. The disease displays resistance to standard treatment modalities and has an unfavourable course. Objective Clinical analysis of 17 patients with FMF collected between 2005 and 2012, investigation of tumour cells and involved hair follicle. Methods Re-evaluation of clinical data, wide panel immunohistochemistry investigation on paraffin-embedded biopsy material, T-cell receptor gene rearrangement analysis of the samples. Results Male and older age group predominance, frequent head-neck involvement, acneiform lesions, keratotic plugs, cysts, nodules, follicular papules, alopecia and classic mycosis fungoides-like plaques represented the main clinical characteristics. Treatment response showed a wide range from transient complete response to therapy resistance and death due to the disease. The pathological alterations: folliculotropism, mild epidermotropism, follicular plugging, mucinous degeneration of hair follicle, basaloid hyperplasia, syringotropism were similar to those observed previously. The first case of a CD8-positive folliculotropic mycosis fungoides - with unusual clinical presentation - is reported here. Nestin overexpression of mesenchymal cells of the isthmic and suprabulbar regions of hair follicle and the reappearance of dermal nestin-expressing cells were observed in association with immature dendritic cell hyperplasia. Altered CK19 expression was detected suggesting a potential role of follicular keratinocytes in the disease process. It was found that a proportion of neoplastic T cells constantly express programmed death-1 receptor in our patients contrary to classic mycosis fungoides. Conclusion The spectrum of the clinical manifestation and the course of folliculotropic mycosis fungoides are broad and differ from classic mycosis fungoides. Folliculotropic neoplastic T-cell proliferation is associated with activation of inflammatory reactive T- and B-lymphoid cells, mesenchymal cells and changes in the hair follicle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus thermophilus DSM 20167T showed autolytic behavior when cultured in lactose- and sucrose-limited conditions. The amount of cell lysis induced was inversely related to the energetic status of the cells, as demonstrated by exposing cells to membrane-uncoupling and glycolysis inhibitors. Genome sequence analysis of strain DSM 20617T revealed the presence of a pac-type temperate bacteriophage, designated Φ20617, whose genomic organization and structure resemble those of temperate streptococcal bacteriophages. The prophage integrated at the 3′-end of the gene encoding the glycolytic enzyme enolase (eno), between eno and the lipoteichoic acid synthase-encoding gene ltaS, affecting their transcription. Comparative experiments conducted on the wild-type strain and a phage-cured derivative strain revealed that the cell-wall integrity of the lysogenic strain was compromised even in the absence of detectable cell lysis. More importantly, adhesion to solid surfaces and heat resistance were significantly higher in the lysogenic strain than in the phage-cured derivative. The characterization of the phenotype of a lysogenic S. thermophilus and its phage-cured derivative is relevant to understanding the ecological constraints that drive the stable association between a temperate phage and its bacterial host.

Despite studies of viromes isolated from aquatic environments are becoming increasingly frequent, most of them are limited to the characterization of viral taxonomy. Bacterial reads in viromes are abundant but the extent to which this genetic material is playing a role in the ecology of aquatic microbiology remains unclear. To this aim, we developed of a useful approach for the characterization of viral and microbial communities of aquatic environments with a particular focus on the identification of microbial genes harbored in the viromes. Virus-like particles were isolated from water samples collected across the Lambro River, from the spring to the high urbanized Milan area. The derived viromes were analyzed by shotgun metagenomic sequencing looking for the presence, relative abundance of bacterial genes with particular focus on those genes involved in antimicrobial resistance mechanisms. Antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes have been identified in all virome samples together with a high abundance of reads assigned to cellular processes and signaling. Virome data compared to those identified in the microbiome isolated from the same sample revealed differences in terms of functional categories and their relative abundance. To verify the role of aquatic viral population in bacterial gene transfer, water-based mesocosms were perturbed or not perturbed with a low dose of tetracycline. The results obtained by qPCR assays revealed variation in abundance of tet genes in the virome and microbiome highlighting a relevant role of viral populations in microbial gene mobilization.

Background and Objective: During the last few years, a trend has been noted towards embryos being transferred at the blastocyst stage, which has been associated with improved rates regarding implantation and clinical pregnancy in comparison to cleavage stage embryo transfers. There is a limited number of studies investigating this notion in oocyte donation cycles employing cryopreserved embryos. The aim of this study is to evaluate the implantation potential and clinical pregnancy rates between the day 3 cleavage stage and blastocyst stage embryo transfers in oocyte donation cycles employing vitrified embryos. Methods: This is a retrospective evaluation of oocyte donation frozen−thawed transfers completed in our clinic from January 2017 to December 2017. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection was conducted for all oocytes. Following fertilization, all embryos were cryopreserved either at the cleavage or blastocyst stage. Embryo transfer of two embryos was performed under direct sonographic guidance in all cases. Results: Our results confirmed a 55.6% clinical pregnancy (CP) resulting from day 3 embryo transfers, a 68.8% CP from day 5, and 71.4% CP from day 6. Significantly improved pregnancy rates were related to embryo transfers at the blastocyst stage when compared to cleavage stage transfers (68.9% and 55.6% respectively, p = 0.016). The risk with regards to multiple pregnancies was similar. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that in oocyte donation cycles employing vitrified embryos, embryo transfer at the blastocyst stage is accompanied with a significant improvement in pregnancy rates and merits further investigation.

Abstract This article aims to evaluate the adoption potential of a digital social currency model using mobile phones. Despite the significant literature concerning both social currencies and mobile payments, there are few studies with a focus on social currencies being operationalized via mobile payments. An important aspect of the literature on mobile payments and social currencies is the role that both instruments may play in the financial inclusion. Despite the absence of lasting experiences for an empirical analysis in Brazil, we believe that there may be synergy between these two types of payment instruments. To evaluate the potential of a mobile digital social currency, we conducted interviews with community bank managers, focusing on their perceptions of acceptance of this innovative model in their communities. As a theoretical basis, we articulated the concept of transformational framing, originated from the perspective of interpretive frames of collective action. As a result, we identified a transformational discourse by which community bank managers create new meanings and understandings of this emerging payment system model.

Climate change co-occurs with an advancement of avian breeding season (indexed as laying dates or fledging dates) in the temperate zone, suggesting a causality between them. Here, we investigate whether the long-term shifts in nestling (chick) ringing dates also mirror this phenomenon. This index is biased by inherent shortcomings, such as the non-independence of dates (in nestmates, colony members), poor accuracy (long period suitable for ringing), and strange shape of distributions. These shortcomings can be reduced by applying the median of annual ringing dates as an index of breeding phenology. The advantage of this index is that data are available for long periods and large sample sizes. By accepting certain compromise between statistical discipline and fieldwork realities, we examined changes in the breeding phenology of 9 bird species from 1951 to 2020 in Hungary. We found that the annual median of ringing dates advanced significantly (by 9-14 days) in the Black-headed Gull, Common Kestrel, Barn Swallow, Great Tit, and Eurasian Blue Tit. Contrarily, no significant (all P > 0.16) changes occurred in the case of the Common Tern, Black-crowned Night-heron, Common Buzzard, and Long-eared Owl. We also found that the proportion of Great Tits' second brood has been reduced in recent decades., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Freshwater fishes are in a serious state of decline across the world, making them one of the most threatened groups of vertebrates. The Danube River catchment area in Europe holds the richest freshwater fish community, but our knowledge of the current distribution of these species is limited. Transylvania, the largest region of Romania, is one of the important tributaries of the Danube, from where 77 fish and two lamprey species were recorded until now. Despite this large diversity of freshwater fishes, there is a lack of systematic survey of the fish fauna in this region for the past 50 years. In this study, we present data on the occurrence and distribution of fishes and lampreys collected in Transylvania from 2007 to 2022. This data covers 43% of Romania's surface and includes all major rivers from Transylvania. 65 species of fish and three species of lampreys are recorded, and an additional nine fish species are also reported based on information from competent people. Of the 77 fish and lamprey species recorded 19 (24.7%) are non-native, although their relative abundance was low (5.1%) compared to other similar regions in Europe. The first records of Eudontomyzonmariae , Neogobiusmelanostomus , Piaractusbrachypomus , Pygocentrusnattereri , and Salvelinusalpinus in Transylvanian rivers are presented, as well as the first record of Cobitiselongata outside the Nera River basin (from the Caraș River) and the detection of three new populations of the vulnerable Umbrakrameri . Data on changes in distribution that have occurred since the last comprehensive survey 50 years ago are also provided and the importance of our results in conservation planning are discussed, including the designation of new protected areas for freshwater bodies and the compilation of the Romanian Red List of fishes., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest was declared., (András Attila Nagy, Nándor Erős, István Imecs, Gábor Bóné, Attila Fülöp, Péter László Pap.)

Bergamottin (BM, 1 ), a component of grapefruit juice, acts as an inhibitor of some isoforms of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme, particularly CYP3A4. Herein, a new bergamottin containing a nitroxide moiety (SL-bergamottin, SL-BM, 10 ) was synthesized; chemically characterized, evaluated as a potential inhibitor of the CYP2C19, CYP3A4, and CYP2C9 enzymes; and compared to BM and known inhibitors such as ketoconazole (KET) (3A4), warfarin (WAR) (2C9), and ticlopidine (TIC) (2C19). The antitumor activity of the new SL-bergamottin was also investigated. Among the compounds studied, BM showed the strongest inhibition of the CYP2C9 and 2C19 enzymes. SL-BM is a more potent inhibitor of CYP3A4 than the parent compound; this finding was also supported by docking studies, suggesting that the binding positions of BM and SL-BM to the active site of CYP3A4 are very similar, but that SL-BM had a better ∆G bind value than that of BM. The nitroxide moiety markedly increased the antitumor activity of BM toward HeLa cells and marginally increased its toxicity toward a normal cell line. In conclusion, modification of the geranyl sidechain of BM can result in new CYP3A4 enzyme inhibitors with strong antitumor effects.

Children with medulloblastoma (MB) are predisposed for negative cognitive sequela, which has been widely identified in this population. The purpose of the present study was to explore cognitive deficits and psychopathological symptoms and analyse their relation among MB survivors. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-KID) was administered to 34 MB survivors to measure cognitive functioning and psychopathological symptoms. The MB survivors had lower global IQ (86.41 [79.70-93.13]) compared with the control population mean. We found impaired functioning in all IQ subscales in the MB survivors group, of which processing speed (84.15 [77.71-90.58]) was the most affected. Higher radiation dose and high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue were significantly associated factors for lowered global IQ, while age at diagnosis, sex and time period from diagnosis were not significantly associated. Compulsive disorder, generalised anxiety, separation anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder were significantly more prevalent in the MB survivor group than a group of 46 control participants. No correlation was found between the cognitive deficits and the psychopathological symptoms. Our results identify that MB survivors suffer from cognitive and psychopathological impairments, and these could exist independently from each other., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)