Hospital toilets and drainage systems as a reservoir for a long-term polyclonal outbreak of clinical infections with multidrug-resistant species complex.

Background: Nosocomial outbreaks with multidrug-resistant bacteria with a probable reservoir in hospital toilets and drainage systems have been increasingly reported.

Aim: To investigate an increase in bacteraemia with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing at our hospital in 2021; the epidemiology of the outbreak suggested an environmental source.

Methods: Available clinical isolates from patient with infection or rectal carriage from 2019 to 2022 were collected.

Import of global high-risk clones is the primary driver of carbapenemase-producing in Norway.

Infections by carbapenemase-producing (CP-Pa) are concerning due to limited treatment options. The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) high-risk clones is an essential driver in the global rise of CP-Pa. Insights into the molecular epidemiology of CP-Pa are crucial to understanding its clinical and public health impact.

Initiation of Anticoagulants During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sweden: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have increased anticoagulant initiation due to the thrombogenic nature of the disease or decreased due to the societal impact of the pandemic. We aimed to study the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on initiation of anticoagulants in Sweden. We conducted a single interrupted time series analysis on the monthly cumulative incidence of nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC), warfarin, or heparins, before and after March 2020, using SCIFI-PEARL dataset.

Longitudinal cholesterol trends across socioeconomic groups in Norway: the influence of lipid-lowering drugs in the population-based Tromsø Study 1994-2016.

Objectives: There is limited evidence regarding the impact of lipid-lowering drugs (LLDs) on the socioeconomic gradient in a longitudinal perspective. The study investigates the longitudinal socioeconomic gradient in total cholesterol levels and whether this is affected by the use of LLDs.

Design: Population-based cohort study.

Time-dependent variation in immunoparalysis biomarkers among patients with sepsis and critical illness.

Introduction: Immunoparalysis is a state of immune dysfunction characterized by a marked reduction in the immune system's responsiveness, often observed following severe infections, trauma, or critical illness. This study aimed to perform a longitudinal assessment of immune function over the initial two weeks following the onset of sepsis and critical illness.

Methods: We compared ex vivo-stimulated cytokine release from whole blood of critically ill patients to traditional markers of immunoparalysis, including monocyte Human Leukocyte Antigen (mHLA)-DR expression and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC).

Chemical structure characterization of polysaccharides using diffusion ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY).

The potential of DOSY NMR spectroscopy to distinguish the linkage pattern of chemically related polysaccharides was evaluated using β-glucans isolated from yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii). Laminarin from Laminaria digitata was included for chemical shift comparison. Characterization through methylation and 1D/2D NMR analysis showed that all the samples were constituted by →3)-Glcp-(1→; →3,6)-Glcp-(1→; Glcp-(1→ and →6)-Glcp-(1→ linkages.

How community-based health workers fulfil their roles in epidemic disease surveillance: a case study from Burkina Faso.

Background: In 2016, Burkina Faso adopted a new community-based model for disease surveillance, appointing two community-based health workers (CBHWs) per village. The CBHWs play a crucial yet under-researched role in Burkina Faso's health system. This study aimed to analyze the factors influencing their practices in relation to their official roles in epidemic disease surveillance.

Diversity, functional classification and genotyping of SHV β-lactamases in .

Interpreting the phenotypes of alleles in genomes is complex. Whilst all strains are expected to carry a chromosomal copy conferring resistance to ampicillin, they may also carry mutations in chromosomal alleles or additional plasmid-borne alleles that have extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) activity and/or β-lactamase inhibitor (BLI) resistance activity. In addition, the role of individual mutations/a changes is not completely documented or understood.

Determining the efficacy of barbotage for pain relief in calcific tendinitis.

Background: Rotator cuff calcific tendinitis is a common cause of shoulder discomfort. Ultrasound-guided barbotage consists of needle aspiration and a subsequent lavage of calcium deposits in the shoulder. While barbotage has proven benefit, other options have also shown similar symptom improvement.

Immune cell activity during anti-TNF treatment in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by a dysregulated immune response and systemic inflammation. Up to one-third of patients with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Targeted treatment with antibodies neutralizing tumor necrosis factor can ameliorate both diseases.

Time-Dependent Variation in Immunoparalysis Biomarkers Among Patients with Sepsis and Critical Illness.

Immunoparalysis is a significant concern in patients with sepsis and critical illness, potentially leading to increased risk of secondary infections. This study aimed to perform a longitudinal assessment of immune function over the initial two weeks following the onset of sepsis and critical illness. We compared ex vivo stimulated cytokine release to traditional markers of immunoparalysis, including monocyte Human Leukocyte Antigen (mHLA)-DR expression and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC).

Air quality assessment of a mass deployment of microgrids.

Microgrids are emerging to mitigate the degradation in grid resiliency and reliability resulting from an increasing frequency of grid outages. Because microgrids incorporate a local source of power generation, the production of electricity is shifting from a centralized to distributed topology, thereby installing power generation resources and the concomitant emissions into heavily populated urban air sheds and residential communities. In this paper, the air quality and public health impacts of a mass deployment of microgrids in an urban air shed are assessed.

The role of the mediodorsal thalamus in chemosensory preference and consummatory behavior in rats.

Experience plays a pivotal role in determining our food preferences. Consuming food generates odor-taste associations that shape our perceptual judgements of chemosensory stimuli, such as their intensity, familiarity, and pleasantness. The process of making consummatory choices relies on a network of brain regions to integrate and process chemosensory information.

Clinical trial: An open-label, randomised trial of different re-start strategies after treatment withdrawal in HBeAg negative chronic hepatitis B.

Background: Stopping nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) may trigger a beneficial immune response leading to HBsAg loss, but clinical trials on re-start strategies are lacking.

Aim: To assess whether it is beneficial to undergo a prolonged flare after NA cessation.

Methods: One-hundred-and-twenty-seven patients with HBeAg negative, non-cirrhotic CHB with at least 24 months of viral suppression on NA therapy were included.

Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics study of nicotine exposure in THP-1 monocytes.

The tobacco alkaloid nicotine is known for its activation of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Nicotine is consumed in different ways such as through conventional smoking, e-cigarettes, snuff or nicotine pouches. The use of snuff has been associated with several adverse health effects, such as inflammatory reactions of the oral mucosa and oral cavity cancer.

Predicting Organ Dysfunction in Septic and Critically Ill Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study Using Rapid Ex Vivo Immune Profiling.

Objectives: While cytokine response patterns are pivotal in mediating immune responses, they are also often dysregulated in sepsis and critical illness. We hypothesized that these immunological deficits, quantifiable through ex vivo whole blood stimulation assays, may be indicative of subsequent organ dysfunction.

Design: In a prospective observational study, adult septic patients and critically ill but nonseptic controls were identified within 48 hours of critical illness onset.

Dissemination of extensively drug-resistant NDM-producing in Europe linked to patients transferred from Ukraine, March 2022 to March 2023.

BackgroundThe war in Ukraine led to migration of Ukrainian people. Early 2022, several European national surveillance systems detected multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria related to Ukrainian patients.AimTo investigate the genomic epidemiology of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM)-producing from Ukrainian patients among European countries.

Digital manufacturing techniques and the in vitro biocompatibility of acrylic-based occlusal device materials.

Objectives: Material chemistry and workflow variables associated with the fabrication of dental devices may affect the biocompatibility of the dental devices. The purpose of this study was to compare digital and conventional workflow procedures in the manufacturing of acrylic-based occlusal devices by assessing the cytotoxic potential of leakage products.

Methods: Specimens were manufactured by 3D printing (stereolithography and digital light processing), milling, and autopolymerization.