Beneficial modulation of the gut microbiome by leachates of Penicillium purpurogenum in the presence of clays: A model for the preparation and efficacy of historical Lemnian Earth.

The experiments presented here are based on the reconfiguration of an ancient medicine, Lemnian Earth (LE) (terra sigillata, stamped earth, sphragis), an acclaimed therapeutic clay with a 2500-year history of use. Based on our hypothesis that LE was not a natural material but an artificially modified one involving a clay-fungus interaction, we present results from experiments involving the co-culture of a common fungus, Penicillium purpurogenum (Pp), with two separate clay slurries, smectite and kaolin, which are the principal constituents of LE. Our results show: (a) the leachate of the Pp+smectite co-culture is antibacterial in vitro, inhibiting the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; (b) in vivo, supplementation of regular mouse diet with leachates of Pp+smectite increases intestinal microbial diversity; (c) Pp+kaolin does not produce similar results; (d) untargeted metabolomics and analysis of bacterial functional pathways indicates that the Pp+smectite-induced microbiome amplifies production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and amino acid biosynthesis, known to modulate intestinal and systemic inflammation.

Outcome measures for migraine: Measuring the impact of migraine and results of migraine treatment.

The experience of migraine symptoms and the impacts of migraine on quality of life (QOL) are best reported by the person experiencing them. Therefore, patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures are often used to collect data about the experience and impact of migraine, and value of migraine treatments. PRO concepts that are assessed for the evaluation of migraine treatment outcomes are myriad and diverse (e.

Using Health-Related Social Media to Understand the Experiences of Adults With Lung Cancer in the Era of Immuno-Oncology and Targeted Therapies: Observational Study.

Background: The treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has evolved dramatically with the approval of immuno-oncology (IO) and targeted therapies (TTs). Insights on the patient experience with these therapies and their impacts are lacking. Health-related social media has been increasingly used by patients to share their disease and treatment experiences, thus representing a valuable source of real-world data to understand the patient's voice and uncover potential unmet needs.

The Severity of Chronic Cough Diary (SCCD): development and content validation of a novel patient-reported outcome instrument for evaluating the symptom experience of chronic cough.

Background: Refractory chronic cough (RCC), a cough lasting longer than 8 weeks with an unexplained underlying etiology and unresponsive to conventional treatment, can have substantial effects on patients' quality of life. For assessment of the efficacy of antitussive medication in clinical trials in RCC, patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments should be fit for purpose with appropriate content validity. Here we describe the qualitative testing of a newly developed PRO instrument: the Severity of Chronic Cough Diary (SCCD).

Validation of Spleen Shear Wave Elastography for the Screening of High-risk Varices in Patients with Compensated Advanced Chronic Liver Disease.

Objectives: Total number of avoided endoscopies using Baveno VI criteria is relatively low. Spleen elastography is an attractive tool and when compared with liver stiffness, it better represents the dynamic changes occurring in portal hypertension. The aim of the study was to evaluate spleen shear wave elastography (SWE) in compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) patients for ruling out the presence of esophageal high-risk varices (HRV).