Deep phenotyping of post-infectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Post-infectious myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (PI-ME/CFS) is a disabling disorder, yet the clinical phenotype is poorly defined, the pathophysiology is unknown, and no disease-modifying treatments are available. We used rigorous criteria to recruit PI-ME/CFS participants with matched controls to conduct deep phenotyping. Among the many physical and cognitive complaints, one defining feature of PI-ME/CFS was an alteration of effort preference, rather than physical or central fatigue, due to dysfunction of integrative brain regions potentially associated with central catechol pathway dysregulation, with consequences on autonomic functioning and physical conditioning.

Immunogenicity of NVX-CoV2373 heterologous boost against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

As part of a multicenter study evaluating homologous and heterologous COVID-19 booster vaccines, we assessed the magnitude, breadth, and short-term durability of binding and pseudovirus-neutralizing antibody (PsVNA) responses following a single booster dose of NVX-CoV2373 in adults primed with either Ad26.COV2.S, mRNA-1273, or BNT162b2 vaccines.

β-Lactamase Suppression as a Strategy to Target Methicillin-Resistant : Proof of Concept.

β-Lactamase (penicillinase) renders early, natural β-lactams like penicillin G useless against methicillin-resistant (MRSA), which also expresses PBP2a, responsible for resistance to semisynthetic, penicillinase-insensitive β-lactams like oxacillin. Antimicrobial discovery is difficult, and resistance exists against most treatment options. Enhancing β-lactams against MRSA would revive its clinical utility.

Mucosal and Systemic Responses to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Vaccination Determined by Severity of Primary Infection.

With much of the world infected with or vaccinated against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (commonly abbreviated SARS-CoV-2; abbreviated here SARS2), understanding the immune responses to the SARS2 spike (S) protein in different situations is crucial to controlling the pandemic. We studied the clinical, systemic, mucosal, and cellular responses to two doses of SARS2 mRNA vaccines in 62 individuals with and without prior SARS2 infection that were divided into three groups based on antibody serostatus prior to vaccination and/or degree of disease symptoms among those with prior SARS2 infection: antibody negative (naive), low symptomatic, and symptomatic. Antibody negative were subjects who were antibody negative (i.

Rapid decline in vaccine-boosted neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.

The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exhibits reduced susceptibility to vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies, requiring a boost to generate protective immunity. We assess the magnitude and short-term durability of neutralizing antibodies after homologous and heterologous boosting with mRNA and Ad26.COV2.

Enteral nutrition tolerance in patients receiving neuromuscular blockade.

Background: Nutrition support is an essential part of critical care medicine. It is commonly accepted that for the critically ill patient, enteral nutrition (EN) is favored. For the patient who receives neuromuscular blockades, EN may be held, or initiation delayed, because of concerns for EN intolerance.

Self-Assessed Severity as a Determinant of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Symptom Specificity: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 symptom definitions rarely include symptom severity. We collected daily nasal swab samples and symptom diaries from contacts of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) case patients. Requiring ≥1 moderate or severe symptom reduced sensitivity to predict SARS-CoV-2 shedding from 60.

Risk of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Acquisition Is Associated With Individual Exposure but Not Community-Level Transmission.

Background: Transmission rates after exposure to a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive individual within households and healthcare settings varies significantly between studies. Variability in the extent of exposure and community SARS-CoV-2 incidence may contribute to differences in observed rates.

Methods: We examined risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in a randomized controlled trial of hydroxychloroquine as postexposure prophylaxis.

Homologous and Heterologous Covid-19 Booster Vaccinations.

Background: Although the three vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) that have received emergency use authorization in the United States are highly effective, breakthrough infections are occurring. Data are needed on the serial use of homologous boosters (same as the primary vaccine) and heterologous boosters (different from the primary vaccine) in fully vaccinated recipients.

Methods: In this phase 1-2, open-label clinical trial conducted at 10 sites in the United States, adults who had completed a Covid-19 vaccine regimen at least 12 weeks earlier and had no reported history of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection received a booster injection with one of three vaccines: mRNA-1273 (Moderna) at a dose of 100 μg, Ad26.

Trajectory of Viral RNA Load Among Persons With Incident SARS-CoV-2 G614 Infection (Wuhan Strain) in Association With COVID-19 Symptom Onset and Severity.

Importance: The SARS-CoV-2 viral trajectory has not been well characterized in incident infections. These data are needed to inform natural history, prevention practices, and therapeutic development.

Objective: To characterize early SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA load (hereafter referred to as viral load) in individuals with incident infections in association with COVID-19 symptom onset and severity.

When Zebras Collide: A Case of Synchronous Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and Pheochromocytoma.

BACKGROUND Pheochromocytoma is a rare catecholamine-secreting tumor arising from chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla. Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) pattern is a rare congenital cardiac conduction disorder in which 1 or more accessory pathways connects the atria and ventricles, bypassing the atrioventricular (AV) node. Patients with this type of accessory pathway who also experience pre-excitation evoked arrhythmias have what is termed WPW syndrome.

A Novel Recombinant Influenza Virus Neuraminidase Vaccine Candidate Stabilized by a Measles Virus Phosphoprotein Tetramerization Domain Provides Robust Protection from Virus Challenge in the Mouse Model.

Current seasonal influenza virus vaccines do not induce robust immune responses to neuraminidase. Several factors, including immunodominance of hemagglutinin over neuraminidase, instability of neuraminidase in vaccine formulations, and variable, nonstandardized amounts of neuraminidase in the vaccines, may contribute to this effect. However, vaccines that induce strong antineuraminidase immune responses would be beneficial, as they are highly protective.

Heterologous SARS-CoV-2 Booster Vaccinations - Preliminary Report.

Background: While Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines are highly effective, breakthrough infections are occurring. Booster vaccinations have recently received emergency use authorization (EUA) for certain populations but are restricted to homologous mRNA vaccines. We evaluated homologous and heterologous booster vaccination in persons who had received an EUA Covid-19 vaccine regimen.

Evolution of the monitoring and evaluation strategies to support the World Health Organization's Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis.

The Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) was established with the ambitious goal of eliminating LF as a public health problem. The remarkable success of the GPELF over the past 2 decades in carrying out its principal strategy of scaling up and scaling down mass drug administration has relied first on the development of a rigorous monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework and then the willingness of the World Health Organization and its community of partners to modify this framework in response to the practical experiences of national programmes. This flexibility was facilitated by the strong partnership that developed among researchers, LF programme managers and donors willing to support the necessary research agenda.

Hydroxychloroquine as Postexposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection : A Randomized Trial.

Background: Effective prevention against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is currently limited to nonpharmaceutical strategies. Laboratory and observational data suggested that hydroxychloroquine had biological activity against SARS-CoV-2, potentially permitting its use for prevention.

Objective: To test hydroxychloroquine as postexposure prophylaxis for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Age and Sex Disparities in Sexual Trauma, Depressive Symptoms, and Antiretroviral Adherence Among People Living with HIV in the Deep South: A Mediation Analysis.

People living with HIV (PLWH) have a higher risk of experiencing sexual assault compared to populations without HIV. Prior studies have shown independent associations between sexual assault, depression, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. However, research analyzing the potential mediating effects of depressive symptoms between sexual assault and ART adherence, and the associated age and sex disparities, especially among PLWH in the Southern United States, is lacking.

Immunogenicity of seasonal inactivated influenza and inactivated polio vaccines among children in Senegal: Results from a cluster-randomized trial.

Data on influenza vaccine immunogenicity in children are limited from tropical developing countries. We recently reported significant, moderate effectiveness of a trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) in a controlled, cluster-randomized trial in children in rural Senegal during 2009, a year of H3N2 vaccine mismatch (NCT00893906). We report immunogenicity of IIV3 and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) from that trial.

A Multicountry Comparison of Three Coverage Evaluation Survey Sampling Methodologies for Neglected Tropical Diseases.

Coverage evaluation surveys (CESs) are an important complement to routinely reported drug coverage estimates following mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Although the WHO recommends the routine use of CESs, they are rarely implemented. Reasons for this low uptake are multifaceted; one is uncertainty on the best sampling method.

Soil-transmitted helminthiasis in four districts in Bangladesh: household cluster surveys of prevalence and intervention status.

Background: In 2016, after 8 years of twice-annual nationwide preventive chemotherapy (PC) administration to school-age children (SAC), the Bangladesh Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) sought improved impact and intervention monitoring data to assess progress toward the newly adopted goal of eliminating soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) as a public health problem.

Methods: We surveyed four Bangladeshi districts between August and October 2017. We conducted a multi-stage, cluster-sample, household survey which produced equal-probability samples for preschool-age children (PSAC; 1-4 years), SAC (5-14 years), and adults (≥ 15 years).

The SENIEUR protocol and the efficacy of hepatitis B vaccination in healthy elderly persons by age, gender, and vaccine route.

Background: Reduced response to hepatitis B vaccines is associated with aging, confounding and comorbid conditions, as well as inadvertent subcutaneous (SC) inoculation. We hypothesized that the antibody and T cell-mediated immune responses (T-CMI) of elderly adults to a vaccine intended for intramuscular (IM) administration would be attenuated when deposited into SC fat, independent of confounding conditions.

Results: Fifty-two healthy, community dwelling elderly adults (65-82 years), seronegative for HBV, were enrolled in the SENIEUR protocol as a strictly healthy population.