The effects of positive end-expiratory pressure and end-inspiratory pause on dead space and alveolar ventilation in mechanically ventilated dogs.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of 5 cmHO positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and end-inspiratory pause (EIP) on airway dead space (V) and its resultant effects on alveolar tidal volume (V) and physiological dead space-to-tidal volume ratio (V/V) in dorsally recumbent anesthetized dogs.

Study Design: Prospective, controlled clinical study.

Animals: Healthy adult dogs (n = 20, > 20 kg) undergoing elective surgery.

The lifespan trajectories of brain activities related to conflict-driven cognitive control.

Cognitive control is fundamental to human goal-directed behavior. Understanding its trajectory across the lifespan is crucial for optimizing cognitive function throughout life, particularly during periods of rapid development and decline. While existing studies have revealed an inverted U-shaped trajectory of cognitive control in both behavioral and anatomical domains, the age-related changes in functional brain activities remain poorly understood.

Adherence trends to the Mediterranean Diet in Spanish youth: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: Young people are consuming less healthy diets such as Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), which is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, including obesity. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the literature concerning the prevalence and trends of adherence to the (MedDiet) in a young Spanish population (aged 2-24 years) from 2004 to 2023.

Data Synthesis: The present review included observational studies and final assessments of longitudinal studies to assess the prevalence or trend in adherence to the MedDiet using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Adolescents (KIDMED) in three categories (low (≤3), medium (4-7), and high (≥8)).

Tailoring Antioxidant Activities: Metal-Type Dependent, Highly Active SOD or Catalase Mimetics.

The failure of the therapeutic administration of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymes to prevent oxidative stress has fostered the development of metal complexes that are capable of mimicking their activity. In the present work, two new pyridine azacyclophane ligands capable of coordinating Cu and Fe to give rise to mimetics with high activities toward disproportionation of the superoxide anion or hydrogen peroxide, depending on the metal ion, have been prepared. Although the Cu complexes have some of the highest SOD activities reported to date, they are completely inactive toward HO disproportionation.

Exploring the epic of older women's lives: Alexander Zeldin's The Confessions and Jan Vilanova's The Most Beautiful Thing We Can Do as intergenerational dramaturgies of the female life course.

Five decades after the term 'herstory' (Morgan 1970) was proposed, stories which have vindicated the social and historical role of anonymous women have proliferated in different biographical genres. More recently, the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on older people has also generated the need to generate or examine narratives of ageing (Jewusiak 2023) and to strengthen generational relationships (Ayalon et al. 2020).

Mapping female ageing in the twenty-first century in Deborah Moggach's last novels.

Despite having published seventeen novels, a good number of short stories, and scripts since she started her writing career at the end of the 1970s, academic work on Moggach's literary career has mainly dealt with her novel These Foolish Things (2004) and its film version The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011). This paper will focus on Moggach's last three novels in which the reader is guided by the voice of three women in their late sixties and seventies, namely Something to Hide (2015), The Carer (2019), and The Black Dress (2021). Following an already well-established body of criticism on representations of female ageing in fiction, this paper will argue that Moggach's last novels add nuance and richness to the representation of female ageing in the twenty-first century.

Sexual pleasure in older age: haptic visuality and female eroticism in three contemporary Spanish films.

This article explores the representation of female sexuality in later life through the lens of three contemporary Spanish films: La vida era eso (2020), Destello bravío (2021), and Mamacruz (2023). Drawing from feminist aging studies, film theory, and concepts such as haptic visuality and clitoral sexuality, the study challenges the patriarchal, ageist, and phallocentric narratives that have long shaped cultural understandings of older women's erotic lives. Through close readings of these films, the article demonstrates how they subvert the dominant heteronormative gaze by foregrounding sensory pleasure, autoeroticism, and the reawakening of desire in older women.

Spiritual Support for People Affected by Dementia: A Scoping Review.

As a life-limiting illness, dementia requires a holistic approach to care, where spiritual support plays a crucial role in helping individuals and their caregivers find meaning and solace. Our aim was to systematically map the research conducted on psychosocial interventions developed to provide spiritual support for people living with dementia and their caregivers from diagnosis and across the disease trajectory. A scoping review was conducted to explore the breadth of research on 'spiritual support' in dementia care, encompassing interventions, service delivery models, programs, toolkits, approaches, and activities.

Nutrition for Mountain Biking and Cyclocross.

The Union Cycliste Internationale recognizes several mountain biking (MTB) disciplines, including downhill, enduro, cross-country short track, cross-country Olympic, cross-country marathon, and multiday stage racing. Cyclocross is recognized as a separate cycling discipline. Both MTB and cyclocross include cycling on off-road surfaces of varying technicality on specialized bicycles purposed for the respective disciplines.

Uncovering new lineages in the Sunda pangolin () with museum mitogenomics.

Accurately identifying evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) is crucial for conservation planning, especially for species like pangolins threatened by overhunting and habitat loss. ESUs help categorize different pangolin populations, aiding in understanding their genetic diversity and distribution, which is vital for targeted conservation efforts. This research generated mitochondrial genomes from historical museum specimens of Sunda pangolins () from underrepresented locations, uncovering a new evolutionary lineage from the Mentawai Islands that diverged from Indochina and west Sundaland populations around 760 000 years ago.

Artificial Intelligence in allergy and immunology: recent developments, implementation challenges, and the road towards clinical impact.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly recognized for its capacity to transform medicine. While publications applying AI in allergy and immunology have increased, clinical implementation substantially lags behind other specialties. By mid-2024, over 1,000 FDA-approved AI-enabled medical devices existed, but none specifically addressed allergy and immunology.

Decoding the gene expression response of Cerastoderma edule to chronic trematode infection: A comparison among host tissues.

Parasites can induce gene expression changes in their hosts, either benefiting the parasite or the host. In particular, trematodes are not only one of the most ubiquitous groups of aquatic parasites, they also have huge impacts on individual hosts with significant ecological and economic repercussions. The trematode Bucephalus minimus infects Cerastoderma edule (the edible cockle), a socioeconomically and ecologically important bivalve, as its first intermediate host.

Sequential YAP-1/FOSL-1 silencing and epigenetic therapy to overcome stromal barriers in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a highly aggressive malignancy with poor therapeutic outcomes due to its desmoplastic tumor microenvironment (TME), hindering drug and activated immune cell penetration. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are central in supporting tumor growth and forming a protective stroma. We propose a novel dual-therapy targeting the Hippo pathway and histone deacetylation, both involved in tumor progression, resistance, and stromal interactions, to overcome PDAC therapeutic resistance.

Effects of chicken manure-derived black soldier fly organic fertilizer on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling: insights from metagenomic and microbial network analysis.

Black soldier fly (BSF) organic fertilizer is known to enhance soil fertility and promote plant growth. However, its effects on soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling remains unclear. In this study, we established a BSF chicken manure bioconversion system to produce BSF organic fertilizer and investigate its impacts on soil C and N cycling, as well as microbial ecological networks through metagenomic analysis.

Igf2 modulates behavioral and hippocampal changes induced by chronic cocaine exposure during adolescence in mice.

Adolescence is a period of heightened neuroplasticity and vulnerability to environmental insults, including drug exposure. In this study, we investigated the short- and long-term behavioral effects, as well as the long-term hippocampal effects, of chronic cocaine administration during adolescence, along with the potential neuroprotective role of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) in male C57BL/6J mice. Over 21 days, mice received daily intraperitoneal injections of saline, cocaine, IGF2, or a combination of cocaine and IGF2.

Territorial equity assessment within a colorectal cancer screening program: usefulness of colonoscopy quality indicators.

Objective: The primary goal of a public health system is to ensure universal access to high-quality medical care. However, disparities in health outcomes have been observed across socio-demographic groups, some of them potentially related to their geographical location. To assess territorial equity, the Catalan Colorectal Cancer Screening Program was used, focusing on the adenoma detection rate (ADR) endoscopists.

Fatigue in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

Aim: To identify factors associated with the presence of fatigue in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Patients And Method: Prospective cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in a multidisciplinary centre for the treatment of EIMI. Participants were patients diagnosed with IBD under follow-up in an advanced practice nurse (APN) consultation.

Pulmonary surfactant protein SP-C regulates lipid vesicle uptake by alveolar type II cells and macrophages: Role of lipids, palmitoylation, and environment.

Pulmonary surfactant protein C (SP-C) may play a key role in alveolar homeostasis by modulating vesicle uptake in alveolar cells. This study explores how SP-C regulates internalization of model unilamellar lipid vesicles by type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII) and alveolar macrophages (AMϕ), focusing on the effect of lipid composition, palmitoylation state, and interactions with external stimuli like lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or the other hydrophobic surfactant protein SP-B. Using fluorescence-based techniques, we demonstrated that SP-C enhances vesicle uptake in a lipid-dependent manner.

3D bioprinted cell-laden GrooveNeuroTube: a multifunctional platform forneural cell migration and growth studies.

Extensive peripheral nerve injuries often lead to the loss of neurological function due to slow regeneration and limited recovery over large gaps. Current clinical interventions, such as nerve guidance conduits (NGCs), face challenges in creating biomimetic microenvironments that effectively support nerve repair. The developed GrooveNeuroTube is composed of hyaluronic acid methacrylate and gelatin methacrylate hydrogel, incorporating active agents (growth factors and antibacterial agents) encapsulated within an NGC conduit made of 3D-printed PCL grid fibers.

Dual-functional hydrochar via hydrothermal carbonization for norfloxacin removal: Fractal adsorption kinetics and mechanism elucidation.

Escalating concentrations of norfloxacin (NFX) in surface and wastewaters demand sustainable remediation strategies. In this study, dual-functional hydrochars were synthesized from argan nut shells (ArNS) via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), with process conditions optimized by varying temperature (150-200 °C) and residence time (2-6 h). Among the materials, H1:5@150-4-prepared at 150 °C for 4 h with a biomass-to-water ratio of 1:5-exhibited the best performance, achieving a monolayer NFX adsorption capacity of 27.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger: the sea urchin Arbacia lixula living on volcanic CO vents.

Anthropogenic CO emissions drive ocean acidification (OA), which reduces seawater pH and carbonate ion availability, threatening calcifying organisms such as sea urchins. This study examines the long-term effects of OA on Arbacia lixula using a natural volcanic CO vent at Fuencaliente, La Palma (Canary Islands) as an analogue of future conditions. We analyzed the external morphology, skeletal strength, mineralogy, and growth of A.

Uncovering a novel role of nAChRs in oxidative stress-mediated vascular dysfunction in COPD.

Tobacco smoke is the main risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite current therapies alleviate symptoms there are limitations in the efficacy of treatments to curb its cardiovascular morbidities, particularly vascular dysfunction and the development of pulmonary hypertension. Our previous studies demonstrate that cigarette smoke directly contributes to pulmonary arterial dysfunction.

Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry as a tool to track the progress of photochemical synthesis of gold nanoparticles.

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) are widely used in diverse technological and scientific applications due to their unique optical and catalytic properties. These properties are strongly influenced by the size, shape, composition, and/or concentration of the NPs, which in turn depend on the synthesis conditions. Therefore, the development of simple, cost-effective, and reliable analytical methods for their characterization is essential.

Progression-free survival as a surrogate of overall survival in metastatic or recurrent endometrial cancer: an EORTC gynecologic cancer group study.

Objective: The value of progression-free survival as a surrogate marker for overall survival remains a matter of debate. Herein, we evaluated the validity of progression-free survival as a surrogate endpoint for overall survival in trials of recurrent or metastatic endometrial cancer.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Selected comparative aspects and unexpected findings in acute phase proteins and other biomarkers of animal health and welfare.

Recent years have seen advances in clinical biochemistry of domestic animals which have highlighted comparative differences between species and have also identified fundamental aspects of the biochemical mechanisms in physiological conditions and disease, that have implications across species, including human, health and welfare. From investigations in diverse species using biochemical, immunological, proteomic and metabolomic approaches a series of species particularities and unexpected results for some biomarkers have been made. These observations cover (1) the differences between species in the acute phase protein (APP) response to infection and inflammation; (2) the non-hepatic synthesis and release in the mammary gland, adipose tissue and intestine of APP (3) the response of haptoglobin (HP) as a biomarker for stress; (4) observations in non-mammalian species related to hemopexin and HP; (5) the response of bile acids in milk to mastitis; (6) barley serine protease inhibitors being identified in bovine faeces; (7) alkaline phosphatase being present in bovine nasal secretion; (8) saliva findings with analytes such as adenine deaminase showing different activity between saliva and serum and a detergent-like surfactant protein, latherin being found in equine saliva and sweat and (9) serum enzymes and selective muscle protein reaction of Atlantic salmon as an example of the differences in biochemistry between terrestrial and aquatic species.