Enhancing random forest predictive performance for foot and mouth disease outbreaks in Uganda: a calibrated uncertainty prediction approach for varying distributions.

Foot-and-mouth disease poses a significant threat to both domestic and wild cloven-hoofed animals, leading to severe economic losses and jeopardizing food security. While machine learning models have become essential for predicting foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, their effectiveness is often compromised by distribution shifts between training and target datasets, especially in non-stationary environments. Despite the critical impact of these shifts, their implications in foot-and-mouth disease outbreak prediction have been largely overlooked.

Efficacy and Safety of Dapagliflozin in Patients With Acute Heart Failure.

Background: The primary goals during acute heart failure (AHF) hospitalization are decongestion and guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) optimization. Unlike diuretics or other GDMT, early dapagliflozin initiation could achieve both AHF goals.

Objectives: The authors aimed to assess the diuretic efficacy and safety of early dapagliflozin initiation in AHF.

The association between care integration and care quality.

Objective: The study aims to analyze the relationship between care integration and care quality, and to examine if the relationship varies by patient risk.

Data Sources And Study Setting: The key independent variables used validated measures derived from a provider survey of functional (i.e.

Genetic factors contributing to late adverse musculoskeletal effects in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors.

Background: A substantial number of survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) suffer from treatment-related late adverse effects. While multiple studies have identified the effects of chemotherapeutics and radiation therapy on musculoskeletal outcomes, few have investigated their associations with genetic factors.

Methods: Here we analyzed musculoskeletal complications in relation to common and rare genetic variants derived through whole-exome sequencing of the PETALE cohort.

A case of cutaneous necrosis due to intra-articular hyaluronic acid and treated with hyaluronidase.

A 66-year-old woman presented to the hospital with cutaneous necrosis of her right ankle and foot. Her symptoms began immediately after an intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid for ankle osteoarthritis, which was performed 6 days before. Histopathology showed an intra-vascular hyaluronic acid embolus.

Assessing the phacoemulsification learning curve using duration of each step.

Purpose: To assess the phacoemulsification learning curve for ophthalmology residents using duration for each step.

Setting: Single tertiary, training site hospital.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Spending and Out-of-Pocket Prices for Brand-Name Drugs Among Commercially Insured Individuals in Massachusetts, 2015-2017.

This cross-sectional study analyzes data on aggregate utilization and aggregate spending by patients and by pharmacy benefit managers to pharmacies for every brand-name drug prescription dispensed to all fully insured patients and some self-insured patients with commercial insurance in Massachusetts from 2015 to 2017.

Efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in acute heart failure: Rationale and design of the DICTATE-AHF trial.

Background: Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, reduces cardiovascular death and worsening heart failure in patients with chronic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction. Early initiation during an acute heart failure (AHF) hospitalization may facilitate decongestion, improve natriuresis, and facilitate safe transition to a beneficial outpatient therapy for both diabetes and heart failure.

Objective: The objective is to assess the efficacy and safety of initiating dapagliflozin within the first 24 hours of hospitalization in patients with AHF compared to usual care.

A Narrative Review of Strategies to Increase Patient Safety Event Reporting by Residents.

Background: Because residents are often on the frontlines of patient care and are likely to witness adverse events firsthand, it is critical they report patient safety events. They may, however, be underreporting.

Objective: We examined the current literature to identify strategies to increase patient safety event reporting by residents.

Identification of genetic variants associated with skeletal muscle function deficit in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors.

Although 80% of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases are cured with current treatment protocols, exposure to chemotherapeutics or radiation therapy during a vulnerable period of child development has been associated with a high frequency of late adverse effects (LAE). Previous observations suggest important skeletal muscle size, density and function deficits in ALL survivors. Given that only a fraction of all patients will suffer from this particular complication, we investigated whether it could be predicted by genetic markers.

Predicting malaria cases using remotely sensed environmental variables in Nkomazi, South Africa.

There has been a conspicuous increase in malaria cases since 2016/2017 over the three malaria-endemic provinces of South Africa. This increase has been linked to climatic and environmental factors. In the absence of adequate traditional environmental/climatic data covering ideal spatial and temporal extent for a reliable warning system, remotely sensed data are useful for the investigation of the relationship with, and the prediction of, malaria cases.

Identification of a single-nucleotide polymorphism within gene associated with bone morbidity in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors.

To identify genetic markers associated with late treatment-related skeletal morbidity in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). To this end, we measured the association between reduction in bone mineral density or vertebral fractures prevalence and variants from 1039 genes derived through whole exome sequencing in 242 childhood ALL survivors. Top-ranking variants were confirmed through genotyping, and further explored with stratified analyses and multivariable models.

Using the CLER Pathways to Excellence to Evaluate the Learning Environments at a Multi-Site Institution.

Background: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) program visits 1 participating site per sponsoring institution. While valuable, feedback on that site does not necessarily generalize to all learning environments where trainees and faculty provide clinical care, and institutions may be missing significant insight and feedback on other clinical learning sites.

Objective: We explored how the Emory Learning Environment Evaluation process-modeled after CLER-could be used to improve the learning environments at 5 major clinical training sites.

Randomized Controlled Trial of High-Volume Energy Drink Versus Caffeine Consumption on ECG and Hemodynamic Parameters.

Background: Caffeine in doses <400 mg is typically not considered arrhythmogenic, but little is known about the additional ingredients in energy drinks. We evaluated the ECG and blood pressure (BP) effects of high-volume energy drink consumption compared with caffeine alone.

Methods And Results: This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled, crossover study in 18 young, healthy volunteers.

Oral Polyphosphate Suppresses Bacterial Collagenase Production and Prevents Anastomotic Leak Due to Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of polyphosphate on intestinal bacterial collagenase production and anastomotic leak in mice undergoing colon surgery.

Background: We have previously shown that anastomotic leak can be caused by intestinal pathogens that produce collagenase. Because bacteria harbor sensory systems to detect the extracellular concentration of phosphate which controls their virulence, we tested whether local phosphate administration in the form of polyphosphate could attenuate pathogen virulence and prevent leak without affecting bacterial growth.

Impact of Goal Setting and Goal Attainment Methods on Asthma Outcomes.

Optimal use of goal-setting strategies in self-management efforts with high-risk individuals with asthma is not well understood. This study aimed to describe factors associated with goal attainment in an asthma self-management intervention for African American women with asthma and determine whether goal attainment methods proved beneficial to goal achievement and improved asthma outcomes. Data came from 212 African American women in the intervention arm of a randomized clinical trial evaluating a telephone-based asthma self-management program.

Catalytic reduction of dioxygen with modified Thermus thermophilus cytochrome c552.

Efficient catalysis of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of central importance to function in fuel cells. Metalloproteins, such as laccase (Cu) or cytochrome c oxidase (Cu/Fe-heme) carry out the 4H(+)/4e(-) reduction quite efficiently, but using large, complex protein frameworks. Smaller heme proteins also can carry out ORR, but less efficiently.

Electrocatalytic Dioxygen Reduction by Carbon Electrodes Noncovalently Modified with Iron Porphyrin Complexes: Enhancements from a Single Proton Relay.

Oxygen reduction in acidic aqueous solution mediated by a series of asymmetric iron (III)-tetra(aryl)porphyrins adsorbed to basal- and edge- plane graphite electrodes is investigated. The asymmetric iron porphyrin systems bear phenyl groups at three meso positions and either a 2-pyridyl, a 2-benzoic acid, or a 2-hydroxyphenyl group at the remaining meso position. The presence of the three unmodified phenyl groups makes the compounds insoluble in water, enabling catalyst retention during electrochemical experiments.

A phase I study of imatinib, dacarbazine, and capecitabine in advanced endocrine cancers.

Background: Patients with advanced endocrine cancers, such as adrenocortical carcinoma and medullary thyroid carcinoma, have few well-validated therapeutic options. Pre-clinical studies have suggested potential activity of imatinib in these tumors. We therefore sought to establish a safe, novel treatment regimen combining imatinib with cytotoxic chemotherapy for future study in endocrine cancers.

Effects of exercise on left ventricular systolic and diastolic properties in patients with heart failure and a preserved ejection fraction versus heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction.

Background: The purpose of the current study was to define exercise-induced changes in indices of left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic properties in patients with chronic heart failure (HF), compare these changes in patients with HF and a reduced ejection fraction (EF) versus HF and a preserved EF, and compare the hemodynamic responses to activities of daily living with symptom-limited upright exercise.

Methods And Results: Subjects with HF and a preserved EF (n=8) and subjects with HF and a reduced EF (n=5) underwent symptom-limited Naughton protocol treadmill exercise tests. Implantable hemodynamic monitor data and echocardiographic data were obtained before exercise and at peak exercise.