Introduction: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are common and contribute significantly to morbidity and healthcare costs in emergency departments (EDs). The rise of antimicrobial resistance, particularly due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), complicates treatment decisions. Objective physical examination findings suggesting need for empiric MRSA coverage are sometimes ignored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Serum PSA and digital rectal examination remain the key diagnostic tools for detecting prostate cancer. However, due to the limited specificity of serum PSA, the applicability of this marker continues to be controversial. Recent use of image-guided biopsy along with pathological assessment and the use of biomarkers has dramatically improved the diagnosis of clinically significant cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to limbic regions play a key role in the initiation and maintenance of substance use; however, the relationship between mesolimbic resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and alcohol use during development remains unclear. We examined the associations between alcohol use and VTA RSFC to subcortical structures in 796 participants (12-21 years old at baseline, 51 % female) across 9 waves of longitudinal data from the National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence. Linear mixed effects models included interactions between age, sex, and alcohol use, and best fitting models were selected using log-likelihood ratio tests.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci
October 2024
Objectives: This study explores the potential of developing digital biomarkers from wearables for monitoring individuals with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias, focusing on the feasibility of using Apple Watches for tracking health and behaviors in older adults with cognitive impairment.
Method: Data collection used the Amissa Health technology stack, which passively collects time-series data from smartwatches and provides a high-frequency cloud database for secure data storage, query, and visualization by clinicians and researchers. The platform consists of i) AmissaWear, a software app that runs on smartwatches and sends information to a cloud database using a secure API; and ii) AmissaOrbis, a centralized cloud portal for the collected data.
The unique asymmetry of the Gram-negative outer membrane, with glycerophospholipids (GPLs) in the inner leaflet and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet, works to resist external stressors and prevent the entry of toxic compounds. Thus, GPL and LPS synthesis must be tightly controlled to maintain the integrity of this essential structure. We sought to decipher why organisms like possess two redundant pathways-PlsB and PlsX/Y-for synthesis of the GPL precursor lysophosphatidic acid (LPA).
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