A discourse analysis of social inequities, gender, and stigma in tuberculosis policies of seven countries from Africa, Asia, Europe and South America.

Background: Interventions tackling the social aspects of tuberculosis (TB) are widely suggested, yet we miss insights into how policies incorporate these. The language and framing of policies to address TB can lend important insights into how these social drivers are perceived, problematized, and responded to.

Objective: To understand how discourses in current TB policies frame social dimensions of TB, especially concepts of social inequity, gender, and stigma.

Dissipative solitons onset through modulational instability of the cubic complex Ginzburg-Landau equation with nonlinear gradients.

Modulation instability (MI) of the continuous wave (cw) has been associated with the onset of stable solitons in conservative and dissipative systems. The cubic complex Ginzburg-Landau equation (CGLE) is a prototype of a damped, driven, nonlinear, and dispersive system. The inclusion of nonlinear gradients is essential to stabilize pulses whether stationary or oscillatory.

The Earth Hologenome Initiative: Data Release 1.

Background: The Earth Hologenome Initiative (EHI) is a global endeavor dedicated to revisit fundamental ecological and evolutionary questions from the systemic host-microbiota perspective, through the standardized generation and analysis of joint animal genomic and associated microbial metagenomic data.

Results: The first data release of the EHI contains 968 shotgun DNA sequencing read files containing 5.2 TB of raw genomic and metagenomic data derived from 21 vertebrate species sampled across 12 countries, as well as 17,666 metagenome-assembled genomes reconstructed from these data.

Lipidomic Signature of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Peripheral Artery Disease.

Vascular diseases are powerful predictors of cardiovascular mortality, but they are typically under-recognized and undertreated. There is no effective treatment for either abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) or peripheral artery disease (PAD). Lipids are key molecules in cardiovascular diseases and good candidates for diagnosis, monitoring, and risk prediction; nonetheless, there is very limited information on the lipidomic profile of patients with AAA and PAD.

Point-of-care ultrasound can make the difference in patients with heart failure at primary care.

Background: Primary healthcare centers (PHC) play a pivotal role in the first-line management of patients with diabetes and hypertension, major risk factors for heart failure (HF) development. Point-of-care cardiac ultrasound (POCUS), integrated as an extension of the physical examination, holds significant potential to enhance diagnostic accuracy and clinical management in this setting.

Objectives: Evaluate the impact of POCUS on clinical decision-making in patients with HF and at risk of developing HF in PHC and compare POCUS findings with clinical assessment alone, conventional echocardiography, and electrocardiogram results.

Health Status Outcomes With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting in ISCHEMIA.

Background: In ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness With Medical and Invasive Approaches), an invasive strategy demonstrated better health status outcomes than a conservative strategy in patients with chronic coronary disease (CCD). Some previous studies have shown greater health status benefits with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) than percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Whether the health status benefits of invasive management in ISCHEMIA were driven primarily by participants treated with CABG is unknown.

Metabeliefs about worry, cognitive fusion, and acceptance: associations and mediations analysis.

Background: Although metacognitive therapy (MCT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are grounded in different theoretical frameworks, both target repetitive negative thinking (RNT) processes, such as worry and rumination, and share a focus on fostering psychological flexibility and reducing experiential avoidance. However, no integrated theoretical model currently exists to combine their potential strengths. Recent research highlights the importance of metacognitive beliefs and acceptance-related processes in maintaining maladaptive RNT.

CFTR ion transport deficiency primes the epithelium for partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cystic fibrosis.

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenic disease caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, which encodes a Cl/HCO ion channel located at the apical plasma membrane (PM) of epithelial cells. CFTR dysfunction disrupts epithelial barrier integrity, drives progressive airway remodelling and has been associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process in which cells lose epithelial properties and acquire mesenchymal characteristics. We previously demonstrated that mutant CFTR directly drives partial EMT, independently of secondary events such as bacterial infection or inflammation.

The relationship between digital transformation and digital literacy - an explanatory model: Systematic literature review.

Digital transformation has been one of the main trends in organizations in recent years, and digital literacy is a critical factor in the success of this transformation. Digital transformation involves the use of digital technologies to improve an organization's processes, products, and services. For this transformation to be successful, it is necessary for employees to have knowledge of and skills in digital technologies.

Diabetes management during and after Ramadan among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia: exploring self-efficacy, self-care, and glycemic control.

Background: Fasting during Ramadan poses distinct challenges for individuals with diabetes, especially pregnant women, due to increased metabolic demands and the heightened risk of hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and dehydration. Although medical guidelines often advise against fasting in this group, many women still choose to observe the fast. This study aims to explore diabetes self-efficacy and self-care behaviors during and after Ramadan among pregnant women.

Connectomics Reveals a Feed-Forward Swallowing Circuit Driving Protein Appetite.

Nutrient state shapes not only what animals eat, but how they eat it. In , protein deprivation prolongs protein-specific feeding bursts, yet the motor mechanism underlying this change remains unknown. Using EM connectomics, we identified a feed-forward pathway from protein-sensitive gustatory receptor neurons to swallowing motor neurons.

Persistent progression independent of relapse activity in multiple sclerosis.

Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) may experience disability progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA), which can be an early sign of secondary progressive MS (SPMS). We defined persistent PIRA as ongoing sustained disability over the entire available follow-up period. However, PIRA events can regress over time.

Dexamethasone in brain tumor patients: a real-world pharmacovigilance audit.

Introduction: Dexamethasone is routinely prescribed for the management of peritumoral edema in brain tumor patients. Despite available orientations for its management in neuro-oncology patients, the individual needs according to the natural history of the disease and treatment options allied to a hierarchical system with multiple teams involved poses significant challenges in its real-world application.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-centre observational study of 316 brain tumor referrals to a tertiary neurosurgical center over a 3-month period.

Support Needs of Parents of Children With Congenital Anomalies Across Europe: A EUROlinkCAT Survey.

Background: Parents and carers of children with congenital anomalies can experience stress when managing their child's healthcare needs. It is important that they are well supported. This study explored the support needs of parents/carers of children with a congenital anomaly across Europe.

Healthcare professionals' understanding of addiction, treatment and recovery.

This study sought to explore and understand healthcare professionals' meanings and experiences with regard to the addiction concept, treatment and recovery. Semi-structured interviews with 18 healthcare professionals in the area of addiction were conducted: nine nurses, six psychologists, a psychiatrist, a social worker and a psychosocial technician. Based on a qualitative methodology, a thematic analysis was conducted using the NVivo software.

Babaco mosaic virus BabMV induces defense metabolite production in papaya plants (Carica papaya).

While the physiological and molecular responses of plants to viral infections are well documented, the progressive metabolic changes at different stages of the infection and their functional implications are still poorly understood. Therefore, this study investigates the dynamics of metabolic changes in papaya plants infected with Babaco Mosaic Virus (BabMV). We inoculated papaya plants with BabMV and collected leaf samples at 2, 10, 15, and 30 days post-inoculation (dpi).

Assessing the impact of binge drinking and a prebiotic intervention on the gut-brain axis in young adults: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Adolescence and youth are periods of significant maturational changes, which seem to involve greater susceptibility to disruptive events in the brain, such as binge drinking (BD). This pattern-characterised by repeated episodes of alcohol intoxication-is of particular concern, as it has been associated with significant alterations in the developing brain. Recent evidence indicates that alcohol may also induce changes in gut microbiota composition and that such disturbances can lead to impairments in both brain function and behaviour.

Long-term effect of pain history and experimental pain responses on adolescents' quality-of-life: a cohort study.

Pain has been shown to impact quality-of-life, but less is known on whether adverse pediatric pain profiles predict long-term quality-of-life in non-clinical populations. We aimed to (1) assess the association of multisite and chronic musculoskeletal pain with quality-of-life at age 18, and (2) test whether experimental pain responses at age 13 predict future quality-of-life. We used data from the Generation XXI cohort.

Current Situation of Solid Organ Transplantation from HIV-Positive Donors to HIV-Positive Recipients in Europe. The Spanish Perspective.

Objectives: There is limited information on the use of organs from HIV-positive donors (HIV D+) for HIV-positive recipients (HIV R+) in Europe. In some countries the use of HIV D+ organs is prohibited by law. This study aimed to assess the attitudes of Spanish kidney and liver transplant (KT/LT) teams towards HIV D+/R+ KT/LT through a nationwide survey, and to evaluate the current situation across Europe regarding legislation and reported cases.

Analysis of TERT association with clinical outcome in meningiomas: a multi-institutional cohort study.

Background: TERT promoter mutation is a rare biomarker in meningiomas associated with aberrant TERT expression and reduced progression-free survival. Although high TERT expression is characteristic of tumours with TERT promoter mutations, it has also been observed in tumours with wildtype TERT promoters. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and prognostic association of TERT expression in meningiomas.

Airborne microplastics and plastic additives in a school environment: identification, quantification, and associated inhalation risks.

Indoor and outdoor air pollution is related to adverse human health effects, especially in children due to their ongoing physical development. This study assesses airborne microplastics (MP) concentrations and associated inhalation risks in a school in Estarreja, Portugal, near a large industrial complex producing polyvinylchloride (PVC). PM samples were collected over two campaigns (winter and spring) in four classrooms (ages 3-11 years) and adjacent outdoor areas.