Loss of Health-Related Quality of Life Among Hospitalized Children With Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Their Caregivers.

Background And Objectives: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is recognized as a major cause of wintertime illness in children. Two forms of immunization to protect infants against severe infection have recently been approved. Information on the effects of infections on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) supports well-informed policy decisions.

The Association Between Obesity and COVID-19 Severity in Children Differed Between SARS-CoV-2 Variants: A Multicountry Hospital-Based Observational Study.

Background: Obesity was a risk factor for severe COVID-19 in children during early outbreaks of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and the Delta variant. However, the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 severity during the Omicron wave remains unclear.

Methods: This multicenter, observational study included polymerase chain r eaction-confirmed SARS-CoV-2-infected children and adolescents from Australia, Brazil, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States hospitalized between January 1, 2020, and March 31, 2022.

Neural correlates of peripartum depression: a systematic review, meta-analysis and comparison to major depressive disorder.

Background: Peripartum depression (PPD) is a form of major depressive disorder (MDD) that begins during the peripartum period and poses a significant mental health challenge affecting 10 to 29% of women.

Objective: This systematic review and multimodal activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis explored the distinct structural, functional, and metabolic features of the PPD brain as compared to female non-peripartum MDD.

Methods: For this purpose, we conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO databases to identify peer-reviewed original studies investigating the neural correlates associated with PPD or fMDD.

Retrospective study of bovine besnoitiosis in the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region in France.

Bovine besnoitiosis is a parasitic disease caused by the parasite . It was classified as an emerging disease by EFSA in 2010, due to the appearance of new cases in several European countries. The clinical presentation can be acute or chronic, but most animals remain asymptomatic, acting as reservoirs.

Enhancing the multifunctional properties of polycaprolactone/chitosan films with zirconium dioxide nanoparticles for biomedical and flexible optoelectronic applications.

This study addresses the growing need for sustainable and multifunctional materials by developing novel polycaprolactone (PCL)/chitosan (CS)/zirconium dioxide (ZrO) nanocomposite films. While PCL and CS offer biocompatibility and biodegradability, their combined use presents limitations for advanced applications requiring specific functional features. The incorporation of ZrO nanoparticles aims to overcome these limitations and create materials with enhanced mechanical, electrical, optical, and antibacterial properties.

Comparative study of the impact of heat treatment on the microstructure, morphology, optical and dielectric properties of nanostructured Co-Mn ferrite.

Nanoscale materials are attracting a great deal of attention due to their exceptional properties, making them indispensable for many advanced applications. Among these materials, spinel ferrites stand out for their potential applications in electronic, optoelectronic, energy storage and other devices. This is why the development of a synthesis process combined with rigorous optimization of annealing conditions is provided to be an essential approach to control nanoparticle formation and fine-tuning their structural, morphological and functional characteristics.

Variations in Dentists' Thresholds for Restorative Treatment of Active Non-Cavitated Carious Lesions: A Multinational Cross-sectional Study.

Objectives: To assess patterns across 21 countries in dentists' thresholds for initiating operative treatment of active non-cavitated carious lesions and to evaluate the influence of caries risk, clinician characteristics, and geographic variation on decision-making in accordance with current guidelines.

Methods: A cross-sectional, vignette-style web-based survey was conducted between June and October 2023 across 21 countries. A standardized questionnaire, comprising theoretical radiographic scenarios of occlusal and approximal active non-cavitated carious lesions at four progressive stages (E1,E2,EDJ,D1), was distributed to general dentists and specialists.

Optimizing mucosal vaccination: Exploiting Lactobionic acid-modified chitosan for superior gene delivery systems.

The increasing prevalence of respiratory disorders highlights the urgent need for effective mucosal vaccines that elicit targeted immune responses at pathogen entry sites. However, the advancement of mucosal vaccines is limited by challenges in antigen delivery and overcoming mucosal immune tolerance. In this study, we developed a gene delivery platform using chitosan functionalized with lactobionic acid (LA) to enhance targeting of antigen-presenting cells and to form stable DNA polyplexes with high transfection efficiency.

Exploring nurse educators' experiences and perceptions of healthcare-associated infection prevention and control in two countries of sub-Saharan Africa: An exploratory qualitative study.

Aim: To explore the experiences and perceptions of nurse educators about prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in two countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Design: Qualitative descriptive study.

Methods: A multimodal approach was employed to investigate the reality of hospital-associated infections.

Entheseal structural damage according to OMERACT definitions unveils distinct ultrasound phenotypes in SpA: findings from the DEUS multicentre study.

Objectives: To explore the prevalence and distribution of ultrasound-detected lesions indicating structural damage at the enthesis (e.g., bone erosions, enthesophytes, and calcifications) in patients with spondyloarthritis (SpA), comparing those with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and to investigate the demographic, clinical, and metabolic factors linked to these lesions.

Cold-Captured Dynamic Hydration Networks in Oxime-Based Photoswitches: A Theoretical Challenge Uncovered by Rotational Spectroscopy.

With the goal of manipulating (bio)chemical processes, photoswitches emerge as important assets in molecular nanotechnology. To guide synthetic strategies toward increasingly more efficient systems, conformational dynamics studies performed with atomic rigor are in demand, particularly if this information can be extracted with control over the size of a perturbing solvation layer. Here, we use jet-cooled rotational spectroscopy and quantum chemistry calculations to unravel the structure and micro-hydration dynamics of a prototype photoswitch.

Impact of In vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion on the Chemical Composition and Prebiotic Potential of Coffee Silverskin.

The growing interest in prebiotic ingredients has led to the valorization of agri-food by-products, such as coffee silverskin, known for its richness in dietary fiber and health-promoting compounds. This study evaluated the impact of in vitro simulation of gastrointestinal digestion on the chemical composition (carbohydrates, caffeine, and chlorogenic acids) and prebiotic potential (probiotic growth, organic acid production, pH, and antioxidant activity) of milled coffee silverskin. The results show stability of polysaccharides during digestion, while caffeine and 5-caffeoylquinic acid were partially released into the bioaccessible fraction.

Cerebrovascular Reactivity at Rest and Its Association With Cognitive Function in People With Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia.

Background And Objectives: Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) is an indicator of cerebrovascular health, and its signature in familial frontotemporal dementia (FTD) remains unknown. The primary aim was to investigate CVR in genetic FTD using an fMRI index of vascular contractility termed resting-state fluctuation amplitudes (RSFAs) and to assess whether RSFA differences are moderated by age. A secondary aim was to study the relationship between RSFA and cognition.

Assessment of Lumbar Vertebrae L1-L7 and Proximal Femur Microstructure in Sheep as a Large Animal Model for Osteoporosis Research.

Sheep have been widely used as a model for osteoporosis research. This study aimed to characterise changes in microstructure and composition in lumbar vertebrae L1-L7 and the proximal femur after implementation of a bone loss induction protocol (in this species). A sham control and experimental group (glucocorticoid-treated ovariectomized sheep) were used ( = 6/group), with a study duration up to the 24th postoperative week.

Psychological Vulnerability to Perinatal Depression: A Longitudinal Mediation Model.

Perinatal depression (PD) is a significant mental health concern affecting women during pregnancy (antenatal depression, AD) and postpartum (postpartum depression, PPD). The association between AD and PPD is well established, with AD serving as a risk factor for PPD. Additionally, a history of depression and neuroticism have been identified as key vulnerability factors.

Functional Mobility and Fall Risk Assessment in Lower Limb Amputees: Insights From the Timed Up and Go Test.

Background:  Lower limb amputation (LLA) significantly affects mobility and increases fall risk, particularly in individuals with higher-level amputations and lower functional capacity. Effective tools to assess fall risk are essential in rehabilitation.

Objective: This study was conducted at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Coimbra University Hospital (HUC), Coimbra, Portugal.

Plant growth-promoting bacteria as biological control agents for sustainable agriculture: targeting root-knot nematodes.

The increasing frequency of extreme weather events affects ecosystems and threatens food production. The reduction of chemical pesticides, together with other ecological approaches, is crucial to more sustainable agriculture. Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN), especially root-knot nematodes (RKN), spp.

Finding solace in the ocean.

This is a narrative essay about what the ocean taught me about my personal grief, lessons I, as surprisingly as it may seem, never learned through advanced training in bereavement support.

Adherence to Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Epithelial Precancerous Conditions and Lesions in the Stomach in Europe.

Background And Aims: The first international guideline for managing preneoplastic conditions of the stomach (MAPS I) was published in 2012, followed by an update (MAPS II) in 2019. As adherence to these guidelines remains uncertain, we evaluated adherence by comparing the management of preneoplastic gastric conditions before and after the introduction of MAPS I and II in selected European centers.

Methods: Patients data were retrieved from nine endoscopy units in seven European countries during three periods: pre-MAPS I (2010/2011), post-MAPS I (2017/2018), and post-MAPS II (2022/2023).

Adult-onset non-kinesigenic paroxysmal dyskinesia in GLUT1 deficiency syndrome.

Glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome (GLUT1DS) is a disorder caused by variants in the SLC2A1 gene. Clinical features are heterogeneous, from the classic presentation to milder later-onset phenotypes. We describe the case of a male patient with adult-onset paroxysmal dyskinesia in a mild phenotype of GLUT1DS (NM_006516.

Effects of combined aerobic-resistance training on health-related quality of life and stress in sedentary adults.

Introduction: Poor quality of life and psychological stress have been associated with worse clinical outcomes, including anxiety and depression disorders, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and premature mortality. Evidence suggested that physically active adults were more likely to report better quality of life and increased capacity to deal with stress, compared to their sedentary peers. This study examines the effects of 16 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise training on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and stress levels in sedentary adults.

Factors associated with the willingness of young people in higher education to adhere to syphilis screening.

Objectives: to investigate factors associated with willingness to know one's syphilis serological status among higher education students.

Methods: a cross-sectional and analytical study conducted with higher education students in Portugal. Data collection was carried out through an online questionnaire.

Ethanol Infusion in the Vein of Marshall for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Ablation: Evidence From Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is the cornerstone of catheter ablation (CA) for atrial fibrillation (AF), yet outcomes remain suboptimal in persistent AF patients. Ethanol infusion in the vein of Marshal (VoM), an embryological remnant implicated in AF pathogenesis, may enhance ablation efficacy.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of VoM ethanol infusion in patients with persistent AF.

Early retinal changes in type 2 diabetes detected by texture-based OCT analysis: potential approach for subclinical diabetic retinopathy diagnosis.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is often diagnosed many years after diabetes onset, highlighting the need for early diagnosis. The current study aimed to assess whether texture analysis of computed optical coherence tomography (OCT) retinal images can identify (very) early retinal changes. We previously reported retinal texture changes in a type 1 diabetes animal model.