Endovascular stenting using a sagittal sinus approach for sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence related to intractable pulsatile tinnitus: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence can lead to pulsatile tinnitus with a significant decrease in quality of life, occasionally leading to psychiatric disorders. Several surgical and endovascular procedures have been described for resolving dehiscence. Within endovascular procedures, the sagittal sinus approach could be a technical alternative for tracking and accurate stent positioning within the sigmoid sinus when the jugular bulb anatomy is unfavorable. CASE PRESENTATION: A retrospective case series of three patients with pulsatile tinnitus due to sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence without intracranial hypertension was reviewed from January 2018 to January 2022. From the participants enrolled, the median age was 50.3 years (range 43-63), with 67% self-identifying as female and 33% as male. They self-identified as Hispanic. Sigmoid sinus dehiscence was diagnosed using angiotomography, and contralateral transverse sinus stenosis was observed in all patients. Patients underwent surgery via a navigated endovascular sagittal sinus approach for sigmoid sinus stenting. No neurological complications were associated with the procedure. Pulsatile tinnitus improved after the procedure in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Superior sagittal sinus resection for sigmoid sinus wall stenting is a safe and effective technique. Pulsatile tinnitus due to sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence could be treated using the endovascular resurfacing stenting technique. However, further research is needed to evaluate the potential benefit of contralateral stenting for removing sinus dehiscence when venous stenosis is detected. However, resurfacing sigmoid sinus wall dehiscence results in symptomatic improvement.

Mini-Open Dumps in the Paraná River Floodplain: Local Problems with Global Effects.

The growing production of urban solid waste is a structural problem faced by most cities around the world. The proliferation of mini-open dumps (MOD; small spontaneous open-air waste dumps formed in urban and peri-urban areas) on the banks of the Paraná River is particularly evident. During the historical drought (June-December 2021), we carried out sampling campaigns identifying MODs of the Santa Fe River, a secondary channel of the Paraná River. MOD were geolocated, measured, described and classified by origin. The distance to the river and other sensitive places was considered (houses-schools-health facilities). Our results suggested a serious environmental issue associated with poor waste management. MOD were extremely abundant in the study area, being mostly composed of domestic litter. Plastics clearly dominated the MOD composition. Burning was frequently observed as a method to reduce the volume of MOD. We concluded that the proliferation of MOD is a multi-causal problem associated with a failure of public policies and a lack of environmental education.

Breakfast consumption, saturated fat intake, and body mass index among medical and non-medical students: a cross-sectional analysis.

Changes in dietary patterns and body weight have become a focus of research in undergraduate students. This study compared breakfast consumption, intake of foods high in saturated fat, and BMI between medical and non-medical students. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in 4,561 Peruvian university students, of whom 1,464 (32.1%) were from the medical field and 3,097 (67.9%) from the non-medical field. We compared the frequency of breakfast consumption (categorized as regular: 6 to 7 days/week; occasional: 3 to 5 days/week; and rarely or never: 0 to 2 days/week) and the frequency of consumption of foods high in saturated fat. We created simple and multiple linear and Poisson regression models with robust variance to evaluate the association of the mentioned variables with academic fields. Non-medical students (Adjusted Prevalence Ratio [PR] = 0.92, 95% CI 0.86-0.99; p = 0.008) were less likely to eat breakfast regularly compared to medical students. Likewise, consumption of foods high in saturated fats was higher in non-medical students (B = 1.47, 95% CI 0.91-2.04; p < 0.001) compared to medical students. Similarly, the mean BMI of these students was significantly higher than that of medical students (B = 0.33, 95% CI 0.12-0.53; p = 0.002). Although medical students reported relatively healthy eating habits and a lower BMI, there is a widespread need to promote improved diet and lifestyle among the entire university population to reduce the risks of communicable diseases and improve quality of life.

Morphometric analysis of transsphenoidal surgery in Peruvian population.

Background: Transsphenoidal surgery has become a key element in the approach to skull base pathologies. The objective of the study was to explore the morphometry of the sphenoidal region in the Peruvian population, with an emphasis on understanding its specific anatomical characteristics and providing quantitative data for the planning of transsphenoidal surgery. Methods: A cross-sectional study included a random sample of 81 cases of healthy individuals who presented to the Radiology Department of a Private Hospital Center in Peru over 1 year. Skull computed tomography scans without contrast were performed, and a detailed morphometric analysis was conducted by an expert neurosurgeon, including measurements of four parameters to evaluate the anatomy of the craniofacial region. Results: Most participants exhibited complete sellar pneumatization, followed by incomplete sellar pneumatization, while conchal pneumatization was rare. Significant differences were found between men and women in the distance from the nasal opening to the dorsum of the sella turcica. No significant gender differences were observed in other anatomical measurements or significant changes with age in anatomical measurements. Conclusion: Morphometric analysis provides crucial data for the precise customization of surgical interventions in the Peruvian population, especially in transsphenoidal surgery. The results highlight the importance of considering individual anatomical differences and gender variability during surgical planning. Morphometry emerges as a valuable tool to enhance the quality and safety of transsphenoidal surgery by adapting surgical strategies to the specific anatomical dimensions of each patient.

Identification and expression profiling of microRNAs in leaf tissues of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. under salinity stress.

Foeniculum vulgare Mill. commonly known as fennel, is a globally recognized aromatic medicinal plant and culinary herb with widespread popularity due to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, carminative, and diuretic properties, among others. Although the phenotypic effects of salinity stress have been previously explored in fennel, the molecular mechanisms underlying responses to elevated salinity in this plant remain elusive. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are tiny, endogenous, and extensively conserved non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) typically ranging from 20 to 24 nucleotides (nt) in length that play a major role in a myriad of biological functions. In fact, a number of miRNAs have been extensively associated with responses to abiotic stress in plants. Consequently, employing computational methodologies and rigorous filtering criteria, 40 putative miRNAs belonging to 25 different families were characterized from fennel in this study. Subsequently, employing the psRNATarget tool, a total of 67 different candidate target transcripts for the characterized fennel miRNAs were predicted. Additionally, the expression patterns of six selected fennel miRNAs (i.e. fvu-miR156a, fvu-miR162a-3p, fvu-miR166a-3p, fvu-miR167a-5p, fvu-miR171a-3p, and fvu-miR408-3p) were analyzed under salinity stress conditions via qPCR. This article holds notable significance as it identifies not only 40 putative miRNAs in fennel, a non-model plant, but also pioneers the analysis of their expression under salinity stress conditions.

Hecatomb: an integrated software platform for viral metagenomics.

BACKGROUND: Modern sequencing technologies offer extraordinary opportunities for virus discovery and virome analysis. Annotation of viral sequences from metagenomic data requires a complex series of steps to ensure accurate annotation of individual reads and assembled contigs. In addition, varying study designs will require project-specific statistical analyses. FINDINGS: Here we introduce Hecatomb, a bioinformatic platform coordinating commonly used tasks required for virome analysis. Hecatomb means "a great sacrifice." In this setting, Hecatomb is "sacrificing" false-positive viral annotations using extensive quality control and tiered-database searches. Hecatomb processes metagenomic data obtained from both short- and long-read sequencing technologies, providing annotations to individual sequences and assembled contigs. Results are provided in commonly used data formats useful for downstream analysis. Here we demonstrate the functionality of Hecatomb through the reanalysis of a primate enteric and a novel coral reef virome. CONCLUSION: Hecatomb provides an integrated platform to manage many commonly used steps for virome characterization, including rigorous quality control, host removal, and both read- and contig-based analysis. Each step is managed using the Snakemake workflow manager with dependency management using Conda. Hecatomb outputs several tables properly formatted for immediate use within popular data analysis and visualization tools, enabling effective data interpretation for a variety of study designs. Hecatomb is hosted on GitHub (github.com/shandley/hecatomb) and is available for installation from Bioconda and PyPI.

Functional and Combined Training Promote Body Recomposition and Lower Limb Strength in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial and a Time Course Analysis.

Encouraging healthy aging in postmenopausal women involves advocating for lifestyle modifications, including regular physical exercise like combined training (CT) and functional training (FT). Regarding this population, age-related alterations in body composition, such as decreased muscle mass and heightened adipose tissue, impact health. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of FT and CT on body recomposition in postmenopausal women. About the methods, we randomly allocated 96 post-menopausal women to the FT, CT, or control group (CG). We measured body composition by bioimpedance and lower limb muscle strength by sit-to-stand test in five repetitions, respectively. The training protocol lasted 16 weeks, and we measured body composition and lower limb muscle strength every 4 weeks, totaling five assessments. Regarding results, we notice that both training groups increased lean mass from the 8th week of training. In addition, a reduction was observed in total fat percentage and an increase in appendicular lean mass from the 12th week of intervention. No differences were found for body mass. Furthermore, only the experimental groups increase muscle strength, starting from the 4th week of training. The conclusion was that FT and CT promote similar adaptations in body recomposition without affecting body mass in postmenopausal women.

Effect of the Healthy Dish Method to Reduce Waist Circumference in Teachers with Abdominal Obesity of a Peruvian University.

Introduction: Obesity has increased steadily in recent decades, becoming a worldwide pandemic. Objective: To determine the effect of the "Healthy Dish" method to reduce waist circumference in teachers with abdominal obesity in a Peruvian University. Methods: Quasi-experimental, prospective study in 43 teachers, divided into 21 in the control group and 22 in the experimental group, who received a two-session workshop on abdominal obesity and the "Healthy Dish" method. The latter was applied for 2 months, monitored 5 days a week, the waist circumference of both groups was measured at one month and at two months and compared. For the statistical analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics or nonparametric statistics were applied (Mann-Whitney U-test, according to the assumption of normality). Results: The predominant age range was 40 to 49 years, women, married, overweight, with a family history of hypertension, cancer and diabetes mellitus. After the intervention, 40.9% of teachers in the experimental group decreased their waist circumference and 54.5% normalized it, while the control group decreased it by 23.8% and 47.6% normalized it. Only 4.54% of teachers in the experimental group showed no change in their waist circumference, compared to 19.0% in the control group, and 9.52% of teachers in the control group increased their waist circumference. Conclusion: The healthy dish method has a positive effect on decreasing waist circumference in teachers with abdominal obesity.

Immunotherapeutic implications of negative regulation by protein tyrosine phosphatases in T cells: the emerging cases of PTP1B and TCPTP.

In the context of inflammation, T cell activation occurs by the concerted signals of the T cell receptor (TCR), co-stimulatory receptors ligation, and a pro-inflammatory cytokine microenvironment. Fine-tuning these signals is crucial to maintain T cell homeostasis and prevent self-reactivity while offering protection against infectious diseases and cancer. Recent developments in understanding the complex crosstalk between the molecular events controlling T cell activation and the balancing regulatory cues offer novel approaches for the development of T cell-based immunotherapies. Among the complex regulatory processes, the balance between protein tyrosine kinases (PTK) and the protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) controls the transcriptional and metabolic programs that determine T cell function, fate decision, and activation. In those, PTPs are de facto regulators of signaling in T cells acting for the most part as negative regulators of the canonical TCR pathway, costimulatory molecules such as CD28, and cytokine signaling. In this review, we examine the function of two close PTP homologs, PTP1B (PTPN1) and T-cell PTP (TCPTP; PTPN2), which have been recently identified as promising candidates for novel T-cell immunotherapeutic approaches. Herein, we focus on recent studies that examine the known contributions of these PTPs to T-cell development, homeostasis, and T-cell-mediated immunity. Additionally, we describe the signaling networks that underscored the ability of TCPTP and PTP1B, either individually and notably in combination, to attenuate TCR and JAK/STAT signals affecting T cell responses. Thus, we anticipate that uncovering the role of these two PTPs in T-cell biology may lead to new treatment strategies in the field of cancer immunotherapy. This review concludes by exploring the impacts and risks that pharmacological inhibition of these PTP enzymes offers as a therapeutic approach in T-cell-based immunotherapies.

Detection of Asymptomatic Sickle Cell Hemoglobin Carriers and Fetal Hemoglobin Regulating Genetic Variants in African Descendants from Oaxaca, Mexico.

Sickle cell anemia has been classified as a noninfectious neglected tropical disease and, although not exclusively, affects African descendants more frequently. This study aimed to detect asymptomatic sickle cell hemoglobin carriers (HbAS) in marginalized and vulnerable populations during a public health screening in African descendants from Oaxaca, Mexico, and to validate an amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR methodology to detect fetal-hemoglobin (HbF)-regulating genetic variants in BCL11A toward affordable routine association of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) with HbF concentrations. To this aim, hemoglobin variants were detected by acidic citrate agar and alkaline cellulose acetate electrophoreses. SNVs in the hemoglobin subunit beta gene (HBB) were identified by the ß-globin mutation detection assay (ß-GMDA) and ARMS-PCR, respectively, and validated by Sanger sequencing. The association between genotypes and HbF concentrations was evaluated using Spearman's correlation coefficient. The results obtained during a directed screening in 140 self-identified African descendants revealed 42 HbS-carriers (30%), of which 39 showed normal total hemoglobin concentrations (92.8%), only 3 presented anemia (7.2%), and 9 showed quantifiable HbF concentration (21.4%). As validated by Sanger sequencing, the designed ARMS-PCR efficiently detected homozygous and heterozygous variants in BCL11A. In a cohort of 42 heterozygous (HbAS) and 27 healthy (HbAA) individuals from the same population, only one SNV (rs766432) showed statistically significant association with increasing HbF concentration, and two new unrelated homozygous silent variants were identified. This study reveals the need to raise coverage of HbS screening in vulnerable populations and shows a feasible low-cost ARMS-PCR methodology to determine the presence of SNVs in quantitative trait loci affecting HbF.

Simultaneous Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation and Endovascular Aneurysm Repair for Severe Aortic Stenosis and Symptomatic Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Mini Review.

Background: The treatment of patients with severe aortic stenosis (SAS) who concomitantly present with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is not defined. Aortic valve replacement surgery, performed alone, increases the risk of AAA rupture. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) in the same intervention, especially in high-risk patients, is a safe alternative. Purpose: We report a case of simultaneous endovascular treatment of SAS and AAA and a mini literature review of nineteen cases with similar characteristics. Research design: Case report and literature review. Data Collection: An electronic search of PubMed and Scopus was performed from inception to December 2023. Results: Nineteen case reports of simultaneous transcatheter aortic valve repair and endovascular aneurysm repair for SAS and symptomatic AAA were identified published in the literature. Conclusions: We regard the simultaneous endovascular approach to both pathologies as a promising treatment alternative for selected patients with severe aortic stenosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm. We highlight the need to conduct randomized clinical trials in this patient population.

A distributed geometric rewiring model.

We propose a distributed rewiring model which starts with a planar graph embedded into the Euclidean space and then behaves as a distributed system, where each node is provided with a set of dynamic links. The proposed rewiring evolves through cycles, where nodes explore the network to identify possible shortcuts and rewire their dynamic links. The rewiring decisions are subject to Euclidean and geodesic distance constrains. The emerging networks were assessed through topological and robustness analyses. We found that the networks display a variety of characteristics observed in complex networks encompassing phenomena such as preferential attachment, the distinctive traits of small-world networks, the presence of community structures, and robustness against degradation process. We consider that our proposal can be applied in the design of those self-managed systems in which there is a limitation on communication resources that can be represented by the Euclidean distance and, however, the components themselves can deploy strategies to optimize the transport of information and develop tolerance before contingencies.

Replication Stress in Activated Human NK Cells Induces Sensitivity to Apoptosis.

NK cells are innate immune effectors that kill virally infected or malignant cells. NK cell deficiency (NKD) occurs when NK cell development or function is impaired and variants in MCM4, GINS1, MCM10, and GINS4 result in NKD. Although NK cells are strongly impacted by mutational deficiencies in helicase proteins, the mechanisms underlying this specific susceptibility are poorly understood. In this study, we induced replication stress in activated NK cells or T cells by chemical and genetic methods. We found that the CD56bright subset of NK cells accumulates more DNA damage and replication stress during activation than do CD56dim NK cells or T cells. Aphidicolin treatment increases apoptosis of CD56bright NK cells through increased pan-caspase expression and decreases perforin expression in surviving cells. These findings show that sensitivity to replication stress affects NK cell survival and function and contributes to NKD.

Dataset of breast thermography images for the detection of benign and malignant masses.

Thermographic image analysis is a subfield of diagnostic image processing aimed at detecting breast abnormalities in women at an early stage. It is a developing field of research and its effectiveness and scope require scientific assessment to be determined. An open-access dataset has been created for the scientific community to test and develop techniques for computational detection of normal and abnormal breast conditions from thermograms. This dataset is a valuable resource for researchers due to the scarcity of publicly available datasets of breast thermographic images. It includes thermographic images of the female chest area in three capture positions: anterior, left oblique and right oblique. The data set comes from 119 women ranging from 18 to 81 years of age. A table is attached to the dataset with the diagnosis of breast pathology, showing that 84 patients had benign pathology and 35 patients had malignant pathology. The diagnoses of women with healthy breast pathology are not included.

Influence of Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secretome from Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients on the Proliferation and Death of K562 and K562-Lucena Leukemia Cell Lineages.

Leukemias are among the most prevalent types of cancer worldwide. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) participate in the development of a suitable niche for hematopoietic stem cells, and are involved in the development of diseases such as leukemias, to a yet unknown extent. Here we described the effect of secretome of bone marrow MSCs obtained from healthy donors and from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) on leukemic cell lineages, sensitive (K562) or resistant (K562-Lucena) to chemotherapy drugs. Cell proliferation, viability and death were evaluated, together with cell cycle, cytokine production and gene expression of ABC transporters and cyclins. The secretome of healthy MSCs decreased proliferation and viability of both K562 and K562-Lucena cells; moreover, an increase in apoptosis and necrosis rates was observed, together with the activation of caspase 3/7, cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and changes in expression of several ABC proteins and cyclins D1 and D2. These effects were not observed using the secretome of MSCs derived from AML patients. In conclusion, the secretome of healthy MSCs have the capacity to inhibit the development of leukemia cells, at least in the studied conditions. However, MSCs from AML patients seem to have lost this capacity, and could therefore contribute to the development of leukemia.

Eco-endocrinological dynamics: Unraveling dexamethasone's influence on the interrenal axis in juvenile carp Cyprinus carpio.

This study delves into the eco-endocrinological dynamics concerning the impact of dexamethasone (DXE) on the interrenal axis in juvenile carp, Cyprinus carpio. Through a comprehensive analysis, we investigated the effects of DXE exposure on oxidative stress, biochemical biomarkers, gene expression, and bioaccumulation within the interrenal axis. Results revealed a concentration-dependent escalation of cellular oxidation biomarkers, including 1) hydroperoxides content (HPC), 2) lipid peroxidation level (LPX), and 3) protein carbonyl content (PCC), indicative of heightened oxidative stress. Concurrently, the activity of critical antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), significantly increased, underscoring the organism's response to oxidative insult. Notable alterations were observed in biochemical biomarkers, particularly Gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, with GGT displaying a significant decrease with increasing DXE concentrations. Gene expression analysis revealed a significant upregulation of stress and inflammation response genes, as well as those associated with sensitivity to superoxide ion presence and calcium signaling, in response to DXE exposure. Furthermore, DXE demonstrated a concentration-dependent presence in interrenal tissue, with consistent bioconcentration factors observed across all concentrations tested. These findings shed light on the physiological and molecular responses of juvenile carp to DXE exposure, emphasizing the potential ecological implications of DXE contamination in aquatic environments. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for assessing the environmental impact of glucocorticoid pollutants and developing effective management strategies to mitigate their adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems.

Genomic sequence of five new variants of HLA-DQA1 in non-coding regions.

Characterisation of HLA-DQA1*01:02:01:30, HLA-DQA1*01:03:01:14, HLA-DQA1*03:03:01:20, HLA-DQA1*04:01:01:13, HLA-DQA1*05:05:01:40 alleles in Spanish individuals.

Synthesis, characterization and structural analysis of complexes from 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine derivatives with transition metals.

The synthesis and structural characterization of three families of coordination complexes synthesized from 4'-phenyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (8, Ph-TPY), 4'-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (9, ClPh-TPY) and 4'-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (10, MeOPh-TPY) ligands with the divalent metals Co2+, Fe2+, Mn2+ and Ni2+ are reported. The compounds were synthesized from a 1:2 mixture of the metal and ligand, resulting in a series of complexes with the general formula [M(R-TPY)2](ClO4)2 (where M = Co2+, Fe2+, Mn2+ and Ni2+, and R-TPY = Ph-TPY, ClPh-TPY and MeOPh-TPY). The general formula and structural and supramolecular features were determinated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction for bis(4'-phenyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine)nickel(II) bis(perchlorate), [Ni(C21H15N3)2](ClO4)2 or [Ni(Ph-TPY)2](ClO4)2, bis[4'-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine]manganese(II) bis(perchlorate), [Mn(C22H17N3O)2](ClO4)2 or [Mn(MeOPh-TPY)2](ClO4)2, and bis(4'-phenyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine)manganese(II) bis(perchlorate), [Mn(C21H15N3)2](ClO4)2 or [Mn(Ph-TPY)2](ClO4)2. In all three cases, the complexes present distorted octahedral coordination polyhedra and the crystal packing is determined mainly by weak C-H...π interactions. All the compounds (except for the Ni derivatives, for which FT-IR, UV-Vis and thermal analysis are reported) were fully characterized by spectroscopic (FT-IR, UV-Vis and NMR spectroscopy) and thermal (TGA-DSC, thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry) methods.