Distortion-product Otoacoustic Emissions in Diagnostic Versus Portable Equipment: A Comparison of Animal Models.

 Many protocols carried out in animal studies use equipment developed for humans. Therefore, the equipment available on the market must be known in detail, as well as how the criteria to be evaluated are presented.  To analyze the existence of an association between the amplitude and signal-to-noise ratios of distortion-product otoacoustic emissions using two methodologies (diagnostic and portable/screening equipment) in animal models.

MicroRNA-665 and its potential role in drug response and survival outcomes in multiple myeloma: a preliminary study.

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a complex hematological malignancy with heterogeneous clinical and pathophysiological backgrounds that influence treatment responses and outcomes. Identifying biomarkers to predict drug response and guide treatment decisions, particularly regarding drug combinations, is essential to improve therapeutic efficacy and patient outcomes. This study explores the role of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) derived from bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) in responses to treatment and survival outcomes in newly diagnosed MM (ndMM) patients.

Toward Resolving Heterogeneous Mixtures of Nanocarriers in Drug Delivery Systems through Light Scattering and Machine Learning.

Nanocarriers (NCs) have emerged as a revolutionary approach in targeted drug delivery, promising to enhance drug efficacy and reduce toxicity through precise targeting and controlled release mechanisms. Despite their potential, the clinical adoption of NCs is hindered by challenges in their physicochemical characterization, essential for ensuring drug safety, efficacy, and quality control. Traditional characterization methods, such as dynamic light scattering and nanoparticle tracking analysis, offer limited insights, primarily focusing on particle size and concentration, while techniques like high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry are hampered by extensive sample preparation, high costs, and potential sample degradation.

The pro-proliferative effect of insulin in human breast epithelial DMBA-transformed and non-transformed cell lines is PI3K-, mTOR- and GLUT1-dependent.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. We aimed to investigate how T2DM-associated characteristics (high levels of glucose, insulin, leptin, inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress) influence breast cancer carcinogenesis, in DMBA-treated (MCF-12A ) and non-treated breast epithelial (MCF-12A) cell lines. Insulin (50 nM) promotes cell proliferation, H-DG uptake and lactic acid production in both cell lines.

Factors related to lower limb performance in children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Background: The literature identifies several factors that are associated with lower limb performance (LLP). However, there is little consensus on which factors have the major associations with LLP.

Objective: Examine, analyze and summarize the scientific evidence on the factors associated with the performance of LLP in children and adolescents of both sexes aged between 7 and 17 years.

Relationship of Biological Maturation with Muscle Power in Young Female Athletes.

There is still no consensus on how biological maturation (BM) affects the muscle power of upper and lower limbs in young people. The objective was to verify associations between BM and muscle power, as well as to compare the muscle power of upper (ULP) and lower limbs (LLP) among young athletes in different stages of BM. The sample consisted of 79 female athletes (10.

Forecasting COVID-19 Severity by Intelligent Optical Fingerprinting of Blood Samples.

Forecasting COVID-19 disease severity is key to supporting clinical decision making and assisting resource allocation, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). Here, we investigated the utility of time- and frequency-related features of the backscattered signal of serum patient samples to predict COVID-19 disease severity immediately after diagnosis. ICU admission was the primary outcome used to define disease severity.

Isolation Method and Characterization of Outer Membranes Vesicles of Grown in a Chemically Defined Medium.

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are small vesicles constitutively shed by all Gram-negative bacterium, which have been proposed to play a role in persistence and pathogenesis. The methods currently available for the isolation of OMVs are diverse and time-consuming, raising the need for a protocol standardization, which was the main aim of this study. Here, we showed that the chemically defined F12 medium, supplemented with cholesterol, nutritionally supports bacterial growth and maintains viability for at least 72 h.

Can the Neuromuscular Performance of Young Athletes Be Influenced by Hormone Levels and Different Stages of Puberty?

Background: Endocrine mechanisms can be a determining factor in the neuromuscular performance of young athletes.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to relate maturational and hormonal markers to neuromuscular performance, as well as to verify whether young athletes with different testosterone levels show differences in muscle strength.

Methods: The sample consisted of 37 young male Brazilian athletes (11.

Biological Maturation and Hormonal Markers, Relationship to Neuromotor Performance in Female Children.

: Mechanisms that influence muscle strength can interfere with neuromotor performance and overall health, thus hormone markers and maturation can interact in this process. Objective: The present study aimed to verify the relationship of hormonal markers and biological maturation on neuromotor abilities in young people. : This is a cross-sectional study with 44 female participants (11.

Multiple Myeloma: Available Therapies and Causes of Drug Resistance.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common blood cancer. Treatments for MM include corticosteroids, alkylating agents, anthracyclines, proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, histone deacetylase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. Survival outcomes have improved substantially due to the introduction of many of these drugs allied with their rational use.

Evaluation of the Use of Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Archive Gastric Tissues for Microbiota Characterization Using Next-Generation Sequencing.

Large numbers of well-characterized clinical samples are fundamental to establish relevant associations between the microbiota and disease. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are routinely used and are widely available clinical materials. Since current approaches to study the microbiota are based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA gene, our aim was to evaluate the feasibility of FFPE gastric tissues for NGS-based microbiota characterization.

Interrelationship Between Contractility, Protein Synthesis and Metabolism in Mantle of Juvenile Cuttlefish ().

Young juvenile cuttlefish () can grow at rates as high as 12% body weight per day. How the metabolic demands of such a massive growth rate impacts muscle performance that competes for ATP is unknown. Here, we integrate aspects of contractility, protein synthesis, and energy metabolism in mantle of specimens weighing 1.

Characteristics of Heterogeneous Equine Hoof Progenitor Cell Isolates.

Damage to an ectodermal-mesodermal interface like that in the equine hoof and human finger nail bed can permanently alter tissue structure and associated function. The purpose of this study was to establish and validate culture of primary progenitor cell isolates from the ectodermal-mesodermal tissue junction in equine hooves, the stratum internum, with and without chronic inflammation known to contribute to lifelong tissue defects. The following were evaluated in hoof stratum internum cell isolates up to 5 cell passages (P): expansion capacity by cell doublings and doubling time; plasticity with multi-lineage differentiation and colony-forming unit (CFU) frequency percentage; immunophenotype with immunocytochemistry and flow cytometry; gene expression with RT-PCR; and ultrastructure with transmission electron microscopy.

Prediction of pubertal maturation from anthropometric variables: proposal for a non-invasive method.

Background: Identifying new perspectives for the development of methods to analyze biological maturation is a very important step for the selection of sports talent. The current study proposed a non-invasive method for evaluating the pubertal status of young males based on anthropometric variables.

Methods: Two hundred six male participants between 8 and 18 years old were evaluated, selected randomly from a school in Natal, Brazil.

Defects in the CAPN1 Gene Result in Alterations in Cerebellar Development and Cerebellar Ataxia in Mice and Humans.

A CAPN1 missense mutation in Parson Russell Terrier dogs is associated with spinocerebellar ataxia. We now report that homozygous or heterozygous CAPN1-null mutations in humans result in cerebellar ataxia and limb spasticity in four independent pedigrees. Calpain-1 knockout (KO) mice also exhibit a mild form of ataxia due to abnormal cerebellar development, including enhanced neuronal apoptosis, decreased number of cerebellar granule cells, and altered synaptic transmission.

The nutritional state of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy is associated with oral motor dysfunction and social conditions: a cross sectional study.

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the main cause of severe physical impairment during childhood and has commonly shown oral motor association. It has been considered as the main cause of the high prevalence of problems in children's nutrition. Respiration, chewing, swallowing, speaking and facial expressionare part of the orofacial motor functions and when affected they can interfere in children's well-being.

Filamin A Mediates Wound Closure by Promoting Elastic Deformation and Maintenance of Tension in the Collagen Matrix.

Cell-mediated remodeling and wound closure are critical for efficient wound healing, but the contribution of actin-binding proteins to contraction of the extracellular matrix is not defined. We examined the role of filamin A (FLNa), an actin filament cross-linking protein, in wound contraction and maintenance of matrix tension. Conditional deletion of FLNa in fibroblasts in mice was associated with ~4 day delay of full-thickness skin wound contraction compared with wild-type (WT) mice.

The role of homeobox genes in retinal development and disease.

Homeobox genes are an evolutionarily conserved class of transcription factors that are critical for development of many organ systems, including the brain and eye. During retinogenesis, homeodomain-containing transcription factors, which are encoded by homeobox genes, play essential roles in the regionalization and patterning of the optic neuroepithelium, specification of retinal progenitors and differentiation of all seven of the retinal cell classes that derive from a common progenitor. Homeodomain transcription factors control retinal cell fate by regulating the expression of target genes required for retinal progenitor cell fate decisions and for terminal differentiation of specific retinal cell types.

Bioactive chitosan nanoparticles and photodynamic therapy inhibit collagen degradation in vitro.

Introduction: Collagen is the major structural protein of human dentin. Degradation of collagen by bacterial enzymes can facilitate microbial penetration, compromise structural/interfacial integrity, and lower resistance to fracture of dentin. We evaluated the ability of photodynamic therapy (PDT), bioactive chitosan nanoparticles (CSnp), or PDT in combination with CSnp to inhibit bacterial collagenase-mediated degradation of collagen.

Filamin A protects cells against force-induced apoptosis by stabilizing talin- and vinculin-containing cell adhesions.

In mechanically loaded tissues such as weight-bearing joints, myocardium, and periodontal ligament, pathophysiological forces can disrupt cell-matrix contacts, which can induce cell death, leading to tissue and organ dysfunction. Protection against force-induced cell death may be mediated by filamin A (FLNa), an actin-binding protein that regulates β1 integrin-mediated cell adhesion. We examined the affect of filamin expression on collagen distribution and cell death in the periodontal ligament, a force-loaded tissue.

Force-induced apoptosis mediated by the Rac/Pak/p38 signalling pathway is regulated by filamin A.

Cells in mechanically challenged environments cope with high-amplitude exogenous forces that can lead to cell death, but the mechanisms that mediate force-induced apoptosis and the identity of mechanoprotective cellular factors are not defined. We assessed apoptosis in NIH 3T3 and HEK (human embryonic kidney)-293 cells exposed to tensile forces applied through β1-integrins. Apoptosis was mediated by Rac-dependent activation of p38α.

Osteogenesis imperfecta in pregnancy. Case report.

Background And Objectives: Osteogenesis Imperfecta is a rare condition, especially in obstetric patients. It has an estimated prevalence of 1/10,000 in the general population, and 1/25,000 to 30,000 in obstetric patients. The objective of this report was to present a rare case of a pregnant woman with Osteogenesis Imperfecta undergoing cesarean section.

Toxoplasma gondii: Evidence for the transmission by semen in dogs.

Ten male dogs were distributed into three experimental groups for infection with Toxoplasma gondii: GI - three dogs inoculated with 2.0x10(5) P strais oocysts, GII - three dogs infected with 1.0x10(6) RH strain tachyzoites, and GIII - four controls dogs.