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Int J Pharm 2022 May 18:121834. Epub 2022 May 18.

Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677; Pii Center for Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi 38677.

Implantable drug delivery systems are known to provide great patient compliance and allow for controlled delivery of drugs over a prolonged period of time. This study aimed to prepare novel polycaprolactone/polyethylene glycol-based raloxifene hydrochloride subdermal solid cylindrical implants using a single-step hot-melt extrusion (HME) continuous process, for the provision of a sustained and prolonged release of RX-HCl as a cornerstone and alternative treatment and prevention option of osteoporosis, most especially post-menopausal osteoporosis, and invasive breast cancer, while providing better clinical outcomes by circumventing clinical and biopharmaceutical hurdles like first-pass metabolism and patient non-adherence and incompliance associated with the oral dosage forms of raloxifene hydrochloride. The 11-mm co-rotating twin-screw extruder was used to prepare the implants. Read More

Water Res 2022 May 14;219:118606. Epub 2022 May 14.

State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 2614, 73 Huanghe Road, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150090, China. Electronic address:

Nanoplastics (NPs) and microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in the natural environment, social production, and life. However, our understanding of the effects of NPs and MPs on shaping the microbiome and functional metabolism of anaerobic microorganisms is limited. We investigated the response of core microbiomes and functional genes to polystyrene (PS) NPs and MPs exposure in a representative anaerobic micro-ecosystem of waste activated sludge. Read More

Water Res 2022 May 11;219:118590. Epub 2022 May 11.

Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. Electronic address:

A self-stabilizing microbial community lays the foundation of the efficient biochemical reactions of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. Despite extensive profiling of microbial community dynamics under varying operating parameters, the effects of food waste (FW) to feeding sewage sludge (FSS) ratios on the microbial assembly, functional traits, and syntrophic interspecies interactions in thermophilic microbial consortia remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the long-term impacts of the FW: FSS ratio on the thermophilic AD microbiome using genome-centric metagenomics. Read More

Bioorg Chem 2022 May 9;125:105854. Epub 2022 May 9.

Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China. Electronic address:

Emerging evidence suggests the regulation of microglial phenotype balance between M1 and M2 will be a potential therapeutic strategy for microglia-mediated neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Herein, we evaluated the anti-neuroinflammatory effects and the underlying mechanism of a natural cyathane diterpenoid sarcodonin A (1) derived from the mushroom Sarcodon scabrosus and its six new derivatives (2-7). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated primary microglia and microglia cell lines were used as models. Read More

Mult Scler Relat Disord 2022 Apr 17;63:103813. Epub 2022 Apr 17.

Neuroscience and Imaging, Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Isola Tiberina, Rome, Italy.

Background: Fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) is a highly invalidating symptom with no pharmacological efficacious therapies, which furthermore present frequent severe side effects. In two previous randomized controlled trials we observed the efficacy of a personalized neuromodulation treatment consisting of a personalized transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for 15 min per day for 5 days (Faremus).

Methods: By this medical-device phase II study, we aimed at assessing the feasibility, acceptance, safety and efficacy of Faremus treatment when applied at patients' home. Read More

Neuroimage Clin 2022 May 11;35:103030. Epub 2022 May 11.

Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a 4-repeat tauopathy with neurodegeneration typically observed in the superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) and dentatorubrothalamic tracts (DRTT). However, it is unclear how these tracts are differentially affected in different clinical variants of PSP.

Objectives: To determine whether diffusion tractography of the SCP and DRTT can differentiate autopsy-confirmed PSP with Richardson's syndrome (PSP-RS) and PSP with predominant speech/language disorder (PSP-SL). Read More

Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2022 May 22. Epub 2022 May 22.

Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.

Objective: Testamentary capacity (TC) is a legal construct, which concerns a person's mental capacity to make or amend a will. Although expert clinicians are frequently asked to assess TC in forensic settings, there are few instruments and little empirical research to inform and guide their assessments. The present study describes the development and psychometric properties of a standardized assessment measure of TC (Testamentary Capacity Instrument-TCI), and investigates its reliability and validity. Read More

Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2022 May 21. Epub 2022 May 21.

Sanofi, 450 Water Street, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Type 2 immunity evolved to combat helminth infections by orchestrating a combined protective response of innate and adaptive immune cells and promotion of parasitic worm destruction or expulsion, wound repair, and barrier function. Aberrant type 2 immune responses are associated with allergic conditions characterized by chronic tissue inflammation, including atopic dermatitis (AD) and asthma. Signature cytokines of type 2 immunity include interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-13, and IL-31, mainly secreted from immune cells, as well as IL-25, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin, mainly secreted from tissue cells, particularly epithelial cells. Read More

Drugs 2022 May 21. Epub 2022 May 21.

Department of Dermatology, Centro Hospitalar do Porto, Porto, Portugal.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic pruritic inflammatory cutaneous disease. AD is characterized by intense pruritus and enormous clinical heterogeneity. Treatment goals are to improve skin lesions and minimize exacerbations and symptom burden. Read More

Cell Mol Neurobiol 2022 May 21. Epub 2022 May 21.

Institute of Bioanalysis, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common progressive neurodegenerative disorder. AD causes enormous personal and economic burden to society as currently only limited palliative therapeutic options are available. The pathological hallmarks of the disease are extracellular plaques, composed of fibrillar amyloid-β (Aβ), and neurofibrillary tangles inside neurons, composed of Tau protein. Read More

FASEB J 2022 Jun;36(6):e22368

Faculty of Science and Health, National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland.

Chronic itch is a complex sensation of the skin frequently associated with skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis. Although Serpin E1 is implicated in chronic itch, its receptor and signaling pathways involved in itch are not known. In this study, the clinical relevance of a putative Serpin E1 receptor PLAUR to chronic itch, and the neuro-cutaneous Serpin E1-PLAUR signaling are explored. Read More

Br J Educ Psychol 2022 May 21. Epub 2022 May 21.

University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.

Background: Bullying has a profound and enduring impact on academic achievement. However, there is a lack of clarity surrounding the specific mechanisms of this relationship.

Aims: This study examined the link between bullying at age 9 and Numeracy/Literacy achievement at age 15 to determine if this relationship is partially or fully explained by psychological difficulties at age 13. Read More

ACS Macro Lett 2015 Apr 9;4(4):339-342. Epub 2015 Mar 9.

Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.

The clearance of overloaded amyloid-β (Aβ) species, especially the toxic aggregates, was thought to be an attractive and promising strategy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapy in the past decade. In this work, an active Aβ inhibitor decapeptide RR was used to transform mature Aβ fibrils (fAβ) into nanorod-like Aβ assemblies (rAβ) as well as loosen the β-structure of rAβ. Compared with fAβ, rAβ could be engulfed by PC12 cells more efficiently and showed a 1. Read More

BJOG 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

Background: Calcium supplementation reduces the risk of pre-eclampsia, but questions remain about the dosage to prescribe and who would benefit most.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of high- (≥1 g/d) and low-dose (<1 g/d) calcium for pre-eclampsia prevention, and according to baseline dietary calcium, pre-eclampsia risk, and co-interventions, and intervention timing.

Search Strategy: CENTRAL, PubMed, Global Index Medicus, and CINAHL from inception to Feb/2/2021, clinical trial registries, reference lists, and expert input (CRD42018111239). Read More

Neurochem Res 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt.

Oxytocin is a neuropeptide hormone that plays an important role in social bonding and behavior. Recent studies indicate that oxytocin could be involved in the regulation of neurological disorders. However, its role in modulating cognition in Alzheimer's disease (AD) has never been explored. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.

Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic diseases, including eczema, atopic dermatitis (AD), and allergic rhinitis (AR), have increased prevalence in recent decades. Recent studies have proved that environmental pollution might have correlations with IgE-mediated allergic diseases, but existing research findings were controversial. Thus, we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis from published observational studies to evaluate the risk of long-term and short-term exposure to air pollutants on eczema, AD, and AR in the population (per 10-μg/m increase in PM and PM; per 1-ppb increase in SO, NO, CO, and O). Read More

Eur J Pediatr 2022 May 21. Epub 2022 May 21.

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.

To objective of this study was to compare neonatal magnesemia in the first 15 days of neonatal life between three groups: a control group not exposed to MgSO, a neuroprotection group, and an eclampsia prevention group, and to explore its associations with child outcomes. A retrospective single-centre cohort study was performed in a tertiary care setting. Infants admitted at the neonatal intensive care unit born between 24 and 32 weeks' gestation, regardless of etiology of preterm birth, were included. Read More

J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2022 May;81(6):387-413

From the Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, Arizona, USA.

Senile plaques have been studied in postmortem brains for more than 120 years and the resultant knowledge has not only helped us understand the etiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD), but has also pointed to possible modes of prevention and treatment. Within the last 15 years, it has become possible to image plaques in living subjects. This is arguably the single greatest advance in AD research since the identification of the Aβ peptide as the major plaque constituent. Read More

Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2022 May;61(3):494-500

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Branch and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Gynecologic Cancer Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Branch and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address:

Objective: This study (Asian Gynecologic Oncology Group [AGOG]13-001/Taiwanese Gynecologic Oncology Group [TGOG]1006) was to validate human papillomavirus (HPV)16 as an independent good prognostic factor and investigate the impact of treatment modalities to cervical adenocarcinoma and adenosquamous carcinoma (AD/ASC).

Materials And Methods: Patients receiving primary treatment at AGOG and TGOG member hospitals for cervical AD/ASC were retrospectively (1993-2014) and prospectively (since 2014) enrolled. DNA extraction from paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE) specimens was used for HPV genotyping. Read More

Neurologia (Engl Ed) 2022 May 1;37(4):287-303. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Departamento de Sistemas Biológicos, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Coyoacán (México D.F.), Mexico. Electronic address:

Introduction: Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and is considered one of the main causes of disability and dependence affecting quality of life in elderly people and their families. Current pharmacological treatment includes acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine) and memantine; however, only one-third of patients respond to treatment. Genetic factors have been shown to play a role in this inter-individual variability in drug response. Read More

Nanomedicine 2022 May 17:102569. Epub 2022 May 17.

Departamento de Química Farmacológica y Toxicológica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8380494, Chile; Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Sergio Livingstone 1007, Independencia, Santiago 8380494, Chile. Electronic address:

The β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide is one of the key etiological agents in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The in vivo detection of Aβ species is challenging in all stages of the illness. Currently, the development of fluorescent probes allows the detection of Aβ in animal models in the near-infrared region (NIR). Read More

Comput Methods Programs Biomed 2022 May 11;221:106872. Epub 2022 May 11.

Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China. Electronic address:

Background And Objective: The underlying mechanism of aortic dissection (AD) remains unclear and the onset of AD is still unpredictable. Although clinical study with statistical analysis has reported that type III aortic arch may have strong correlation with type B AD (TBD), the effects of different arch types on the wall shear stress (WSS) have not been clarified.

Methods: As a complementary work, this study numerically investigated the distribution of five WSS-based indicators in thirty aortic arches without AD, which were classified into three groups based on the arch types. Read More

Neuroreport 2022 May 8;33(8):327-335. Epub 2022 Apr 8.

Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Objective: Diets rich in quercitrin show a neuroprotective effect, but the mechanism is not very clear at present. The objective of this study is to explore the effect and mechanism of quercitrin in the treatment of alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: 5XFAD transgenic mice were fed with a diet supplemented with quercitrin for three consecutive months. Read More

Intensive Care Med 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

Department of Intensive Care, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location 'AMC', Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Diabetes Care 2022 May 20. Epub 2022 May 20.

During the conduction of a recent analysis, an error in the coding of the rule-in path of the ESC 0/3-h algorithm in the main database was discovered. This coding error affected the diagnostic measures for the positive predictive value and the specificity to detect acute myocardial infarction. In summary, the coding error resulted in an incorrect high relative increase of troponin comparing the baseline and 3-h value, while all other analyses were not affected. Read More

Curr Diabetes Rev 2022 Apr 21. Epub 2022 Apr 21.

Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, USA.

Background: In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality, and the incidence of premature coronary heart diseases (CHDs) is about 10-15 years earlier than the people in western countries.

Aim: The current cross-sectional study aims to describe the prevalence of CVDs risk factors and estimate the 10-years risk for CHDs in the population of Abu Dhabi Emirate in the UAE.

Objective: The main objective was to report the 10-years risk for CHDs in a sample of the UAE population. Read More

Curr Drug Targets 2022 Apr 21. Epub 2022 Apr 21.

Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Academician Workstation of Chen Zhi-nan Medical University, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an 710021, China.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which is characterized by memory impairment and cognitive decline. The obvious pathological features of AD are still amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Development of disease-modifying treatments for AD has been challenging, with almost all drugs aborted. Read More

Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2022 Apr 21. Epub 2022 Apr 21.

Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has already infected more than 272 million people, resulting in 5.3 million deaths worldwide from COVID-19. Breast tumors are considered the world's most commonly diagnosed cancer. Read More

Curr Pharm Des 2022 May 18. Epub 2022 May 18.

Biomaterials Research Laboratory, Yenepoya Research Centre, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Deralakatte, Mangaluru, 575018, India.

Alginate-based biomaterials have been extensively studied for bone tissue engineering. Scaffolds, microspheres, and hydrogels can be developed using alginate, which is biocompatible, biodegradable, and able to deliver growth factors and drugs. Alginate microspheres can be produced using crosslinking, microfluidic, three-dimensional printing, extrusion, and emulsion methods. Read More