Effects of Tesamorelin on Neurocognitive Impairment in Abdominally Obese Persons with HIV.

Background: In people with HIV (PWH) who are virally suppressed (VS) on antiretroviral therapy (ART), abdominal obesity (AO) is linked to neurocognitive impairment (NCI), potentially due to visceral adiposity, inflammation, and reduced insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Tesamorelin, a growth hormone-releasing hormone, reduces AO and increases IGF-1, suggesting it might mitigate NCI in VS PWH.

Methods: This 6-month, Phase II randomized, open-label clinical trial compared Tesamorelin versus standard-of-care (SOC) for NCI in abdominally obese PWH.

Enhanced Specificity in Colorimetric LAMP Assay for Detection Using a Combination of Two Additives.

The genus comprises fungal species closely related to , with and being medically important. These species can cause infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. The current detection methods are limited, prompting the need for rapid and specific diagnostic tools.

Plasma Neurofilament Light Chain and Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein as Biomarkers of Cognitive Decline in People Living with HIV.

Background: This study examined the relationship between neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and cognition in people living with HIV (PLWH) at baseline and over time.

Methods: Plasma and clinical data were available from PLWH aged ≥45 years with HIV RNA <200 copies/mL enrolled in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group HAILO cohort study. We measured plasma NfL and GFAP using a single molecule array platform.

Element contents in edible seaweeds and assessment of human health from their consumption.

Seaweed, traditionally part of the daily diet of Asian countries, has become a common dish in Western countries. In Brazil, although contributing to lesser amounts, seaweed consumption has been incorporated into the population eating habits. It is well established that seaweed contains (1) several biologically active components and (2) the ability to accumulate minerals and trace elements, both of which are essential and potentially toxic.

Automatic identification of clinically important species by artificial intelligence-based image recognition: proof-of-concept study.

While morphological examination is the most widely used for identification in clinical laboratories, PCR-sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS are emerging technologies in more financially-competent laboratories. However, mycological expertise, molecular biologists and/or expensive equipment are needed for these. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI), especially image recognition, is being increasingly employed in medicine for fast and automated disease diagnosis.

SID-2 is a conserved extracellular vesicle protein that is not associated with environmental RNAi in parasitic nematodes.

In the free-living nematode the transmembrane protein SID-2 imports double-stranded RNA into intestinal cells to trigger systemic RNA interference (RNAi), allowing organisms to sense and respond to environmental cues such as the presence of pathogens. This process, known as environmental RNAi, has not been observed in the most closely related parasites that are also within clade V. Previous sequence-based searches failed to identify orthologues in available clade V parasite genomes.

End-of-life practices in Hong Kong intensive care units: results from the Ethicus-2 study.

Introduction: The need for end-of-life care is common in intensive care units (ICUs). Although guidelines exist, little is known about actual end-of-life care practices in Hong Kong ICUs. The study aim was to provide a detailed description of these practices.

Characteristics and pathogenicity of SWS causing high mortality in mud crab () aquaculture in Hong Kong.

Introduction: is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium belonging to the family of , a common pathogen in aquaculture animals, However, studies on its impact on (mud crabs) are limited. In this study, we isolated SWS from dead mud crab during a disease outbreak in a Hong Kong aquaculture farm, which caused up to 70% mortality during summer.

Methods: Experimental infection and histopathology were used to investigate the pathogenicity of SWS in and validate Koch's postulates.

Sex Differences in the Risk of Stroke Associated With Traditional and Non-Traditional Factors in a US Cohort of People With HIV Infection.

Background And Objectives: Although stroke risk associated with HIV may be greater for women than men, little is known about whether the impact of different factors on cerebrovascular risk varies by sex in people with HIV (PWH) and contributes to stroke risk disparities in this population. The primary objective of this study was to examine whether sex modifies the effect of demographics, cardiometabolic factors, health-related behaviors, and HIV-specific variables on stroke risk in PWH from the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) cohort.

Methods: In this observational cohort study, we analyzed data from clinical encounters for PWH followed at 5 CNICS sites from approximately 2005 to 2020.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and spectrum of predisposing conditions: a 20-year retrospective cohort study in a tertiary center in São Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Epidemiological studies on predisposing conditions and outcomes of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) cases have been carried out exclusively in high-income countries. We aim to report and compare the main characteristics and outcomes of patients with PML and several underlying diseases in a referral center in a middle-income country.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of PML cases admitted to a tertiary care hospital in São Paulo, Brazil during 2000-2022.

Targeting MDSC-HTR2B to Improve Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Breast to Brain Metastasis.

Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs) support breast cancer growth via immune suppression and non-immunological mechanisms. Although 15% of patients with breast cancer will develop brain metastasis, there is scant understanding of MDSCs' contribution within the breast-to-brain metastatic microenvironment. Utilizing co-culture models mimicking a tumor-neuron-immune microenvironment and patient tissue arrays, we identified serotonergic receptor, HTR2B, on MDSCs to upregulate pNF-κB and suppress T cell proliferation, resulting in enhanced tumor growth.

Transmission Patterns of Co-Circulation of Omicron Sub-Lineages in Hong Kong SAR, China, a City with Rigorous Social Distancing Measures, in 2022.

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the changing landscape of circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages in the local community of Hong Kong throughout 2022. We examined how adjustments to quarantine arrangements influenced the transmission pattern of Omicron variants in a city with relatively rigorous social distancing measures at that time.

Methods: In 2022, a total of 4684 local SARS-CoV-2 genomes were sequenced using the Oxford Nanopore GridION sequencer.

Association between time to surgery and hospital mortality in patients with community-acquired limb necrotizing fasciitis: an 11-year multicenter retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rare but potentially life-threatening soft tissue infection. The objective of this study was to assess the association between timely surgery within 6 h and hospital mortality in patients with limb NF, and to describe the trends in patients with NF, time to surgery and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) over 11 years.

Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of all intensive care unit patients who had emergency surgery within 24 h of hospitalization for limb NF between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2019 in Hong Kong.

Incidence of brain metastasis according to patient race and primary cancer origin: a systematic review.

Purpose: A systematic review was conducted to investigate differences in incidence and primary origin of synchronous brain metastasis (sBM) in varying racial groups with different primary cancers.

Methods: Adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines a search was conducted using PubMed and Ovid databases for publications from January 2000 to January 2023, with search terms including combinations of "brain metastasis," "race," "ethnicity," and "incidence." Three independent reviewers screened for inclusion criteria encompassing studies clearly reporting primary cancer sites, patient demographics including race, and synchronous BM (sBM) incidence.

Genome-wide loss of heterozygosity predicts aggressive, treatment-refractory behavior in pituitary neuroendocrine tumors.

Pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) exhibiting aggressive, treatment-refractory behavior are the rare subset that progress after surgery, conventional medical therapies, and an initial course of radiation and are characterized by unrelenting growth and/or metastatic dissemination. Two groups of patients with PitNETs were sequenced: a prospective group of patients (n = 66) who consented to sequencing prior to surgery and a retrospective group (n = 26) comprised of aggressive/higher risk PitNETs. A higher mutational burden and fraction of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was found in the aggressive, treatment-refractory PitNETs compared to the benign tumors (p = 1.

Profiling the molecular and clinical landscape of glioblastoma utilizing the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network brain cancer database.

Background: Glioblastoma exhibits aggressive growth and poor outcomes despite treatment, and its marked variability renders therapeutic design and prognostication challenging. The Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) database contains complementary clinical, genomic, and transcriptomic profiling of 206 glioblastoma patients, providing opportunities to identify novel associations between molecular features and clinical outcomes.

Methods: Survival analyses were performed using the Logrank test, and clinical features were evaluated using Wilcoxon and chi-squared tests with -values derived via Benjamini-Hochberg correction.

Comprehensive identification of pathogenic microbes and antimicrobial resistance genes in food products using nanopore sequencing-based metagenomics.

Foodborne pathogens, particularly antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria, remain a significant threat to global health. Given the limitations of conventional culture-based approaches, which are limited in scope and time-consuming, metagenomic sequencing of food products emerges as a promising solution. This method provides a fast and comprehensive way to detect the presence of pathogenic microbes and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs).

HIV Infection and 90-Day Stroke Outcomes in Uganda: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Background And Objectives: Little is known about the impact of HIV infection on the clinical presentation and outcomes after stroke in the modern antiretroviral therapy (ART) era. We aimed to compare stroke characteristics and outcomes between persons with HIV (PWH) and without HIV (PWOH) presenting with stroke in Uganda.

Methods: We conducted a matched cohort study at Mulago National Referral Hospital and Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital between January 2018 and November 2020.

A teenage girl with altered mental status and paraparesis.

A teenage girl presented with fever and altered mental status. MRI showed diffuse leptomeningeal enhancement of the brain and spine. She was diagnosed by a positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture with tuberculous (TB) meningitis and was started on anti-TB medications and corticosteroids.