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Coronaviruses represent a significant class of viruses that affect both animals and humans. Their replication cycle is strongly associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which, upon virus invasion, triggers ER stress responses. The activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) within infected cells is performed from three transmembrane receptors, IRE1, PERK, and ATF6, and results in a reduction in protein production, a boost in the ER’s ability to fold proteins properly, and the initiation of ER-associated degradation (ERAD) to remove misfolded or unfolded proteins. However, in cases of prolonged and severe ER stress, the UPR can also instigate apoptotic cell death and inflammation. Herein, we discuss the ER-triggered host responses after coronavirus infection, as well as the pharmaceutical targeting of the UPR as a potential antiviral strategy.

Background:. This study evaluates a specific breast augmentation (BA) technique in patients with pectus excavatum(PE) and its results in improving this deformity, augmenting the breasts, and correcting the concurrent breast asymmetry. Methods:. Twenty-eight patients with PE were treated from 2017 to 2021. All patients who visited our private practice were aiming to augment their breasts, correct their breast asymmetry, and improve their PE. The mean age of the patients was 25 years. In most cases, the submuscular dual-plane technique was chosen. Patients’ quality of life regarding their chest wall deformity was assessed using the Single Step Questionnaire (SSQ). Subjects’ quality of life regarding general self-esteem, psychosocial well-being, and physical function were assessed at initial screening and 24-month follow-up using the BREAST-Q V2 questionnaire. Also, patients filled out a pain-evaluating questionnaire concerning the first 5 postoperative days to determine the recovery of this specific technique. Results:. No complications were observed. The SSQ revealed high satisfaction (mean score=73) and significant (P = 0.001) improvement following the operation. The improvements regarding psychosocial well-being, sexual well-being, and satisfaction with the BREAST-Q were also equally high (P = 0.001). The pain was minimal during the first five postoperative days. This is the first prospective study that evaluates the quality of life using both the SSQ, the validated BREAST-Q, and the pain score when performing BA in patients with PE and breast asymmetry using breast silicone implants. Conclusions:. BA is a procedure that can give excellent results both regarding chest wall deformity and BA in PE patients.

Abstract Stings of certain ant species (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) can cause intense, long-lasting nociception. Here we show that the major contributors to these symptoms are venom peptides that modulate the activity of voltage-gated sodium (NaV) channels, reducing their voltage threshold for activation and inhibiting channel inactivation. These peptide toxins are likely vertebrate-selective, consistent with a primarily defensive function. They emerged early in the Formicidae lineage and may have been a pivotal factor in the expansion of ants.

When combining two conditions of reduced oxygen availability, anemia and hypoxia, human physiological responses are highly challenged to maintain arterial oxygen delivery, especially during whole-body exercise. The aim of this study was to compare the cardiorespiratory responses of mildly anemic women with those of healthy controls, while cycling in normobaric hypoxia. Two groups of young females were matched for age, weight, height, and involvement in physical activity, one with normal hemoglobin, hematocrit, and ferritin levels and another suffering from mild iron deficiency anemia (10 < (Hb) < 12 g/dL, 34 < Hct < 37%, ferritin < 15 μg/L). They cycled to exhaustion under normoxia and hypoxia (FIO2 0.21 and 0.14), and their physiological responses were compared at 40, 80, and 100% VO2max of the specific condition. The two groups differed (p < 0.05) mainly at the higher exercise intensities; the anemic participants exhibited similar heart rate but lower oxygen pulse than their control counterparts, as well as a larger drop in maximal oxygen uptake. However, they sustained maximal effort by employing the anaerobic metabolism to a larger extent, which stimulated a greater ventilatory response. It appears that iron deficiency anemia of mild severity, which is commonly observed in young athletic females, impacts physiological responses during whole-body exercise in the presence of moderate hypoxia.

The restoration of historic buildings and structures involves a wide range of scientific and technical fields. The grouting process is among an array of rehabilitation and preservation interventions and aims to homogenize the structure after the implementation of strengthening measures. The process can provide important information regarding the state of preservation of the examined structure and correlate the progress of the process with the pathology of the monument. To achieve this, the analysis of typical raw grouting data is progressively fused with additional information from the diagnostic studies, non-destructive testing, geospatial information, and from the calculation and analysis of grouting indices. The restoration project of the Katholikon of the Monastery of Panagia Varnakova in Fokida, Greece was selected as the case study, due to its large scale and the severe earthquake damage it has sustained, which has necessitated comprehensive strengthening interventions and extensive grouting. The implementation of an integrated methodological approach validated the enhanced level of co-analysis, revealing information that is not readily deduced from a typical approach. Selected sub-areas of the Katholikon are presented, demonstrating how the observed pathology can be correlated with the results of the grouting process, while incorporating 3D data, and findings from structural and non-destructive analyses.