Never-ending Story Research Articles

A new human opisthorchiasis outbreak in central Italy: a never-ending story.

Opisthorchis felineus is a trematode causing a foodborne infection transmitted by raw freshwater fish belonging to Cyprinidae family. Human outbreaks in Italy dated back to 2003-2011 and involved lakes of Central Italy. The aim of this study is to report epidemiological and clinical characteristics of the human opisthorchiasis outbreak occurred in Central Italy in 2022 comparing it with previous events. We report cases diagnosed from June to December 2022 in Perugia hospital thanks to serological and molecular tests and direct examination of feces. Sixty-seven individuals were traced back by epidemiological investigation. Forty-seven received a diagnosis of opisthorchiasis, of which 45 were confirmed cases and two were considered as probable cases. These 47 individuals attended a Trasimeno lakeshore restaurant in May 2022. All but 20 presented symptoms, mostly fever. Sixteen (15 confirmed and 1 probable) cases required hospitalization. Feces examination revealed Opisthorchis spp. eggs in 35/45 (78%) confirmed cases. Thirty individuals underwent to serology and molecular stool test: 5 (16.7%) results positive to the former, 1 (3.3%) to the latter while 4 (13.3%) to both. Laboratory tests, available in 28 patients, showed eosinophilia in 82.1%, increase of alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase and alkaline phosphatase in 64.3%, 75% and 67.9%, respectively. Because of pharmacy shortage of praziquantel, 22 patients were treated with albendazole, of which 13 failed clearing the parasite. Opisthorchiasis still represents a challenging diagnosis, in particular for asymptomatic patients. Albendazole may lead to treatment failure. Control measures in known endemic areas should be implemented. number 27,498/23/ON, approved by Ethical Committee of Umbrian Region in 09.13.2023.

Negotiations on food security at the WTO: a never-ending story?

PurposeThe purpose is to chart the negotiations on the issue of food security which was identified as a non-trade concern by the Agreement on Agriculture (AOA) and how developing Members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) suggested that that concern should be addressed.Design/methodology/approachThe history of negotiations at the WTO is examined through the lens of official documents submitted during various phases of negotiations since 1996 beginning with the Analysis and Information Exchange process to the Doha Round up to the latest Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi in February 2024.FindingsThe negotiations have yet to complete despite beginning over 20 years ago. The focus moved since 2008 to look at specific issues which were addressed at a number of Ministerial Conferences but the latest of these indicate that an answer can only be found in the re-negotiation of the AOA as a whole.Research limitations/implicationsBy focusing on official documents, the rich literature on food security has not been addressed.Practical implicationsThe piece concludes by looking at issues which need to be resolved ahead of agreement on overall reform and suggests solutions for example in the area of safeguards and public stockholding for food security purposes.Originality/valueThe focus almost exclusively on official (and public) documents during the discussion is noteworthy. It also confirms that the WTO is not really that different from its predecessor - the GATT - which took nearly 50 years to reach AOA.

The Never-Ending Story of Hyponatremia: A Current Problem to Overcome.

The syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) and cerebral salt-wasting syndrome (CSWS) are in general associated to refractory hyponatremia especially in patients with neurologic disorders.Extracellular fluid (ECF) assessment is the key to distinguish between SIADH and CSWS.Nevertheless, measurement of the ECF volume is not sufficient to determine the correct etiology and more established diagnostic algorithms are required.

The Tobacco Endgame: A Never-Ending Story?

The Tobacco Endgame: A Never-Ending Story?

Leaf form diversity and evolution: a never-ending story in plant biology

Leaf form can vary at different levels, such as inter/intraspecies, and diverse leaf shapes reflect their remarkable ability to adapt to various environmental conditions. Over the past two decades, considerable progress has been made in unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying leaf form diversity, particularly the regulatory mechanisms of leaf complexity. However, the mechanisms identified thus far are only part of the entire process, and numerous questions remain unanswered. This review aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving leaf form diversity while highlighting the existing gaps in our knowledge. By focusing on the unanswered questions, this review aims to shed light on areas that require further research, ultimately fostering a more comprehensive understanding of leaf form diversity.

The never-ending story–How companies transition to and sustain continuous software engineering practices

The never-ending story–How companies transition to and sustain continuous software engineering practices

Commentary on Hey, Hunter, Muller et al. A Never-ending Story: Evaluating Evidence in Medicinal Product Decision Making

Decision making in medicinal product development and regulatory approval for marketing authorization are intended to be evidence based. While decision making based on evidence is documented to be a millennial old process, particularly for making legal and economic determinations, the nature and use of evidence continues to evolve, particularly when new technologies need to be factored in. The formal use of evidence for medicinal product evaluation has been in practice for less than 75 years and remains a dynamic process among all stakeholders. The nature of decision making for marketing authorization is particularly complex as it occurs on at least five levels: Causative, Generalizability, Clinical Significance, Risk to Benefit, and Value. Consequently, all stakeholders including product developers and regulatory authorities must communicate and coordinate to ensure functionality, as all are constantly learning to integrate new technologies, ever increasing knowledge of biology and disease, and improved understanding of the decision making process and its consequences. Structured interactions in the form of Scientific Advice with the European regulatory authorities were developed to facilitate knowledge sharing. The Scientific Advice process itself is dynamic and benefits from structured input on how it can better serve the needs and expectations of stakeholders. To that end, Hey, Hunter, Muller, et al provide suggestions in a manuscript following an initial consultative phase and then a peer review phase. The manuscript is an example of the type of engagement and good citizenship that can facilitate the efficient generation and use of evidence to support the complex decision making to which the evidence is applied.

The Integrity of the Royal Malaysian Police: A Thematic Analysis

Integrity is crucial in enforcement agencies, especially the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP), to ensure accountability in accordance with the law, free of misbehaviour or corruption. People have recently expressed frustration over the rise in police wrongdoing, which is concerning given several high-profile examples in the country. As a result, the objective of this study is to reveal the level of public trust in RMP’s integrity and why this scenario still never-ending stories. This study uses qualitative methodologies, specifically thematic analysis, to delve deeper into the perspectives of individuals and practitioners. The results of the study are as expected, which is that the people are highly upset and disturbed about the increasing number of misconduct instances among police officers. However, a few informants report that the degree of integrity in RMP is still under control, with only a few examples of wrongdoing in Malaysia. Nonetheless, the findings of this study can serve as a precedent for RMP to be more transparent and fairer in its investigation of members in inquiry. Measures to improve human resource management, such as self-reinforcement training, a more appropriate wage system, and the addition of adequate workers, can help to prevent RMP misconduct and promote public trust. Researchers can expand future studies by using a variety of approaches and involving informants from various Malaysian enforcement authorities.

A never-ending story: The COVID-19 pandemic and the increase of hospital admissions for typical and atypical anorexia nervosa in children, adolescents and young adults in the post-pandemic era in Germany.

A large increase in the rate of hospitalizations for adolescents and children with anorexia nervosa (AN) was observed during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It is still not clear whether this was a temporary effect or whether the increased admission rates persist. Data were retrieved from the largest health insurance in Germany comprising 2.5 million children between 9 and 19 y. All patients of this age group with a discharge diagnosis of typical (AN) and atypical AN (AAN) according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), were included. Admission rates per 10,000 person-years were computed separately by sex, age and type of AN for entire years from 2019 to 2022 and the first half of 2023 in relation to the entire number of insured persons of the same sex and age per year. Two years after the final lockdown admission rates were still significantly higher in adolescent and childhood AN than in the pre-COVID-19 time. While admission rates declined for adolescents in 2023, those for children remained high, with an increase for girls of more than 40% compared with the rate before the pandemic (1.42 (CI 1.26, 1.60); p<0.0001). The highest admission risk for AAN relative to the pre-COVID-19 period was observed in adolescents in the first half of 2023 (1.6; CI 1.34; 1.90; p<0.0001). Children appear to be especially vulnerable to the pandemic-associated disruptions. Clinicians should try to determine the ongoing effects of the pandemic and support early detection and treatment of AN to prevent its often lifelong consequences.

Never-ending story of Brachyury: From short-tailed mice to tailless primates

The history of developmental biology starts from the almost simultaneous discoveries of the Organizer of axial structures in amphibians by Spemann and Mangold in Freiburg and of the Brachyury mutant in mammals by the Dobrovolskaya-Zavadskaya laboratory at the Curie Institute and its follow-up studies in the Leslie Dunn laboratory at Columbia University. Following the Organizer's discovery, the inductive activity of several other embryonic tissues was found, including that of the ear primordium by Boris Balinsky in Kiev. Initially, the experimental embryological and genetic lines of research existed independently of each other, but after they met at the bench of Salome Gluecksohn, they strengthened and cross-fertilized each other, eventually leading to developmental genetics, which later became known as developmental biology. It appears that the regulatory activities of Brachyury and related T-box proteins in general are at the heart of the development of all vertebrates. These activities are fundamental and have been discovered in several model organisms subjected to mutagenesis, exemplified by the story of George Streisinger's discovery of the no tail mutant in zebrafish. This essay describes the history of Brachyury studies, their connection to an idea of embryonic induction by Organizer, and an impact of Brachyury and related genes on various fields of research from embryology and cell biology to medical genetics and evolutionary theory.

Varicocele and male infertility conundrum: Making sense of a never-ending story for the busy clinician

ABSTRACT Background Varicocele is a common occurrence, particularly among men with primary and secondary infertility. There has been extensive research into the management of varicocele in the context of male infertility. Methods This article aims to explore the variations in clinical practice in diagnosing and managing varicoceles in infertile men. A summary of the current recommendations on varicocele management from professional societies is included. Results Substantial gaps in knowledge persist regarding varicoceles and male infertility, with significant variation in clinical approaches, despite the wealth of existing data in the medical literature. Conclusion The existing literature leaves many questions surrounding varicocele management in infertile men unanswered. This lack of clarity contributes to the ongoing controversy among clinicians in the field. New research is essential to address these contentious points and areas of debate.

From wild species to ornamental crops: a never-ending story

From wild species to ornamental crops: a never-ending story

Enacting the Security Community: ASEAN's Never-Ending Story by Stéphanie Martel

Enacting the Security Community: ASEAN's Never-Ending Story <i>by Stéphanie Martel</i>

The never-ending story: On-pump and Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and long-term survival.

The never-ending story: On-pump and Off-pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting versus Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and long-term survival.

Kawasaki Disease: A Never-ending Story?

The most severe complication of Kawasaki disease, an inflammatory disorder of young children, is the formation of coronary artery aneurysms. It is known that patients with coronary artery aneurysms, particularly those with medium and large lesions, have a higher risk of future major cardiovascular events. In contrast, there is a lack of data on the cardiovascular status in long-term follow-up for Kawasaki disease patients without coronary involvement or with self-limited coronary artery aneurysms, resulting in most patients being discharged after 5 years. Even though some paediatricians may believe these patients should not be followed at all, studies indicating a dysfunctional endothelium show the need for further investigation. Consequently, a review of the most significant aspects of Kawasaki disease, and the necessity of correctly identifying, treating and monitoring these patients, particularly those with a higher risk of complications, was conducted.

Metal-Free Electrocatalysts for the Selective 2 e- Oxygen Reduction Reaction: A Never-Ending Story?

Hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) electrosynthesis via the 2e- Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) represents a highly challenging, environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative to the current anthraquinone-based technology. Various lightweight element hetero-doped carbon nanostructures are promising and cheap metal-free electrocatalysts for H2 O2 synthesis, particularly those containing O-functionalities. The exact role of O-containing functional groups as electroactive sites for the process remains debated if not highly controversial. Herein, we have reported on the covalent exohedral functionalization of the outer surface of extra-pure multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with discrete O-functional groups as a unique approach to prepare selective electrocatalysts for the process. This kind of decoration has added fundamental tiles to the puzzling structure/reactivity relationship of O-containing carbon-based catalysts for ORR, clearing doubts on the controversial role of hydroxyl/phenol groups as key functionalities for the design of more performing 2e- ORR electrocatalysts.

Cuento de nunca acabar [never-ending story]: Compounding trauma and mental health among undocumented Latinx immigrants.

Research examining the effects of traumatic events on undocumented Latinx immigrants often focuses on assessing posttraumatic stress disorder or general psychological distress, which may obscure the field's understanding of how trauma exposure impacts other common mental health disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression). This study sought to assess the cumulative, individual, and timing effects of immigration-related traumatic events on anxiety and depressive symptoms among undocumented Latinx immigrants. Participants were 253 undocumented Latinx immigrants recruited using respondent-driven sampling who reported their history of immigration-related trauma exposure and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results suggest that cumulative immigration-related trauma was significantly associated with increases in anxiety and depressive symptoms, τ = .26. Significant positive correlations were found for cumulative trauma at each point in the immigration process (i.e., before immigration, while in transit to the United States, and while living in the United States) such that increases in the number of events were associated with higher anxiety and depressive symptom levels, τ = .11-.29. Trauma frequency differed throughout the immigration process such that some events more commonly occurred before immigration or during transit to the United States, whereas others occurred while an individual resided in the United States. Random forest algorithms uncovered differences in the relative importance of individual traumatic events in explaining the variance of depressive, R2 = .13, and anxiety symptoms, R2 = .14. The findings highlight the importance of providing trauma-informed care when treating anxiety and depression among undocumented Latinx immigrants and considering multidimensional epidemiological approaches in assessing immigration-related trauma.

Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy and pulmonary fibrosis: A never-ending story?

BackgroundThe diagnostic process of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is often challenging, requires a collaborative effort of several experts, and often requires bioptic material, which can be difficult to obtain, both in terms of quality and technique. The main procedures available to obtain such samples are transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) and surgical lung biopsy (SLB). ObjectiveThe purpose of this paper is to review the evidence for the role of TBLC in the diagnostic-therapeutic process of PF. MethodsA comprehensive review was performed to identify articles to date that addressed the role of TBLC in the diagnostic-therapeutic process of PF using the PubMed® database. ResultsThe reasoned search identified 206 papers, including 21 manuscripts (three reviews, one systematic review, two guidelines, two prospective studies, three retrospective studies, one cross-sectional study, one original article, three editorials, three clinical trials, and two unclassifiable studies), which were included in the final review. ConclusionsTBLC is gaining increasing efficacy and improving safety profile; however, there are currently no clear data demonstrating its superiority over SLB. Therefore, the two techniques should be considered with careful rationalization on a case-by-case basis. Further research is needed to further optimize and standardize the procedure and to thoroughly study the histological and molecular characteristics of PF.

Investigating Probiotics in the Management of Childhood Functional Constipation: A Never-Ending Story?

Investigating Probiotics in the Management of Childhood Functional Constipation: A Never-Ending Story?

Heart and sports – a never-ending story

Heart and sports – a never-ending story