Development of a Model for Predicting Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19 During Their Stay in a Clinical Centre.

Various tools have been proposed for predicting mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 to improve clinical decision-making, the predictive capacities of which vary in different populations. The objective of this study was to develop a model for predicting mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during their time in a clinical centre. This was a retrospective study that included 201 patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Challenges in coffee fermentation technologies: bibliometric analysis and critical review.

Advancements in coffee processing technologies have led to improved efficiency in field operations, but challenges still exist in their practical implementation. Various alternatives and solutions have been proposed to enhance processing efficiency and address issues related to safety, standardization, and quality improvement in coffee production. A literature review using SciMAT and ScientoPy software highlighted advancements in fermentation tanks and the emergence of novel fermentation methodologies.

Prevalence of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Across Hospital Corporation of America Healthcare in the United States, Their Correlation With Mood Disorders and Other Lifestyle-Related Comorbidities.

About 16 million adults present with chronic back pain, the sixth most costly condition in the United States (US). Estimates suggest that about 60% of initial back surgeries have a successful outcome; however, many don't, leaving over 80,000 failed back surgeries per year. Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as back pain, with or without radiating pain, located in the lower limbs, of unknown origin, which persists or begins after surgical procedures are performed to treat lumbar disc herniations.

Dynamic changes of hematological and hemostatic parameters in COVID-19 hospitalized patients: Potential role as severity biomarkers for the Chilean population.

Background: COVID-19 is still a global health issue, there is limited evidence in South America regarding laboratory biomarkers associated with severe disease. The objective of our study was to identify hematological and hemostatic changes associated with severe COVID-19.

Methods: A total of 170 hospitalized patients with COVID19 were included in the study, defining their severity according to established criteria.

Response of FGFR-2 Positive Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma to Futibatinib: A Case Report.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is an uncommon and aggressive head and neck cancer mainly affecting minor salivary glands. It affects more women than men in their 60s and 70s. The tumor is typically locally aggressive and has a high rate of distant metastatic disease.

Economic burden due to COVID-19 in a Colombian Caribbean state, 2020 and 2021.

Objective: To estimate the economic burden associated with COVID-19 in Córdoba, Colombia, 2020 and 2021.

Methods: Economic burden study. Direct costs were analyzed from the third-party payer perspective using healthcare administrative databases and interviews from a cohort of confirmed COVID-19 cases from Córdoba.

A Multi-institutional Analysis of a Textbook Outcome Among Patients Undergoing Microvascular Breast Reconstruction.

Background: Individual outcomes may not accurately reflect the quality of perioperative care. Textbook outcomes (TOs) are composite metrics that provide a comprehensive evaluation of hospital performance and surgical quality. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and predictors of TOs in a multi-institutional cohort of patients who underwent breast reconstruction with deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flaps.

Reference intervals of biochemical parameters in Chilean adults.

Background: Establishing reference intervals (RIs) in clinical laboratories is essential, as these can vary due to inter-individual variability as well as the analytical methods used. The purpose of this study was to determine RIs for markers and ratios biochemical in apparently healthy Chilean adults.

Methods: A sample of 1,143 data was selected from the Universidad Católica de Temuco, Clinical Laboratory database, La Araucanía Region, Chile, which were analysed by sex.

Discovery and structural characterization of the D-box, a conserved TonB motif that couples an inner-membrane motor to outer-membrane transport.

Gram-negative bacteria use TonB-dependent transport to take up nutrients from the external environment, employing the Ton complex to import a variety of nutrients that are either scarce or too large to cross the outer membrane unaided. The Ton complex contains an inner-membrane motor (ExbBD) that generates force, as well as nutrient-specific transport proteins on the outer membrane. These two components are coupled by TonB, which transmits the force from the inner to the outer membrane.

MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers of Environmental Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Their Link with Inflammation and Lung Cancer.

Exposure to atmospheric air pollution containing volatile organic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been shown to be a risk factor in the induction of lung inflammation and the initiation and progression of lung cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small single-stranded non-coding RNA molecules of ~20-22 nucleotides that regulate different physiological processes, and their altered expression is implicated in various pathophysiological conditions. Recent studies have shown that the regulation of gene expression of miRNAs can be affected in diseases associated with outdoor air pollution, meaning they could also be useful as biomarkers of exposure to environmental pollution.

Board game-based intervention to improve executive functions and academic skills in rural schools: A randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: This research intends to increase the knowledge about the use of board games in the classroom to train executive functions and academic skills. 99 children from rural schools were assessed in executive functions and academic skills.

Methods: Through a randomized controlled trial, they were assigned to a playing group (n = 51) and an active control group (regular classes without games, n = 48).

Diagnostic Dilemma: Infective Endocarditis in the Setting of an Esophageal Abscess.

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the preferred imaging modality to diagnose infective endocarditis (IE). However, esophageal disease can preclude performing a TEE. We present such a scenario.

Identification of an anti-CRISPR protein that inhibits the CRISPR-Cas type I-B system in .

is the widespread anaerobic spore-forming bacterium that is a major cause of potentially lethal nosocomial infections associated with antibiotic therapy worldwide. Due to the increase in severe forms associated with a strong inflammatory response and higher recurrence rates, a current imperative is to develop synergistic and alternative treatments for infections. In particular, phage therapy is regarded as a potential substitute for existing antimicrobial treatments.

A Histomorphometric and Computational Investigation of the Stabilizing Role of Pectinate Ligaments in the Aqueous Outflow Pathway.

Murine models are commonly used to study glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Glaucoma is associated with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), which is regulated by the tissues of the aqueous outflow pathway. In particular, pectinate ligaments (PLs) connect the iris and trabecular meshwork (TM) at the anterior chamber angle, with an unknown role in maintenance of the biomechanical stability of the aqueous outflow pathway, thus motivating this study.

Developing digital interventions for a post-Covid world: A smartphone-based approach-avoidance training to reduce alcohol craving.

Harmful alcohol use is a major public health issue. In-person treatment has been hindered by the restrictions necessary during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study examined the effects of an at-home smartphone-based cognitive bias modification training in heavy drinkers.

Just Play Cognitive Modern Board and Card Games, It's Going to Be Good for Your Executive Functions: A Randomized Controlled Trial with Children at Risk of Social Exclusion.

Modern board and card games are usually used for leisure. Few studies have focused on the type of game played in vulnerable populations. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of playing modern board and card games to enhance updating, inhibition, and flexibility in children at risk of social exclusion using games that activated specific basic executive functions.

Cortical paired associative stimulation shows impaired plasticity of inhibition networks as a function of chronic alcohol use.

Background: Response inhibition - or the ability to withhold a suboptimal response - relies on the efficacy of fronto-striatal networks, and is impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders including addiction. Cortical paired associative stimulation (cPAS) is a form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) which can strengthen neuronal connections via spike-timing-dependent plasticity mechanisms. Here, we used cPAS targeting the fronto-striatal inhibitory network to modulate performance on a response inhibition measure in chronic alcohol use.

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in Young Adults: Unknown Origins.

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a relatively rare neurological disorder that may result in significant morbidity if not diagnosed and managed promptly. The clinical presentation of CVT is nonspecific and highly variable with acute, subacute, or chronic onset. It most often presents as a headache but may present with focal neurological symptoms, symptoms of intracranial hypertension, or encephalopathy.