Determining an optimal case definition using mid-upper arm circumference with or without weight for age to identify childhood wasting in the Philippines.

In resource-limited areas, where accurate weight-for-height Z-scores are hard to obtain, Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) is a simple tool to identify wasted children. MUAC alone, however, may miss identification of many wasted children, leading to untimely intervention and potentially death. Our study aimed to identify the best-performing case definition to detect wasting by Weight-for-Height z-scores (WHZ) in Filipino children aged 6-59 months.

TGF-β1 overexpression in severe COVID-19 survivors and its implications for early-phase fibrotic abnormalities and long-term functional impairment.

Introduction: In post-COVID survivors, transforming growth factor-beta-1 (TGF-β1) might mediate fibroblast activation, resulting in persistent fibrosis.

Methods: In this study, 82 survivors of COVID-19-associated ARDS were examined at 6- and 24-months post-ICU discharge. At 6-months, quantitative CT analysis of lung attenuation was performed and active TGF-β1 was measured in blood and exhaled breath condensate (EBC).

Effect of physical activity in lymphocytes senescence burden in patients with COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is regarded as an accelerated-age disease in which chronic inflammation, maladaptive immune responses, and senescence cell burden coexist. Accordingly, cellular senescence has emerged as a potential mechanism involved in COPD pathophysiology. In this study, 25 stable patients with COPD underwent a daily physical activity promotion program for 6 mo.

Endothelial dysfunction and persistent inflammation in severe post-COVID-19 patients: implications for gas exchange.

Background: Understanding the enduring respiratory consequences of severe COVID-19 is crucial for comprehensive patient care. This study aims to evaluate the impact of post-COVID conditions on respiratory sequelae of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods: We examined 88 survivors of COVID-19-associated severe ARDS six months post-intensive care unit (ICU) discharge.

Medium-Term Disability and Long-Term Functional Impairment Persistence in Survivors of Severe COVID-19 ARDS: Clinical and Physiological Insights.

Background: Although the medium- and long-term sequelae of survivor of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) of any cause have been documented, little is known about the way in which COVID-19-induced ARDS affects functional disability and exercise components. Our aims were to examine the medium-term disability in severe COVID-19-associated ARDS survivors, delineate pathophysiological changes contributing to their exercise intolerance, and explore its utility in predicting long-term functional impairment persistence.

Methods: We studied 108 consecutive subjects with severe COVID-19 ARDS who remained alive 6 months after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge.

Characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea related to insulin resistance.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with multiple comorbidities, including diabetes. Its development is preceded by alterations in the initial phase of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by insulin resistance. This study aims to evaluate the role of intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation characteristic of OSA on the risk of insulin resistance among apneic patients without diabetes.

Early use of teduglutide in paediatric patients with intestinal failure is associated with a greater response rate: a multicenter study.

Teduglutide is a glucagon-like-peptide-2 analogue that reduces the need for parenteral support in patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS). Nevertheless, data about long-term therapy with teduglutide in children are still scarce. Our objective was to describe the real-life experience with teduglutide in children with SBS over the last 5 years in Spain.

Dynamic hyperinflation is a risk factor for mortality and severe exacerbations in COPD patients.

Objective: To assess if dynamic hyperinflation is an independent risk factor for mortality and severe exacerbations in COPD patients.

Methods: A cohort of 141 patients with stable COPD and moderate to very severe airflow limitation, treated according to conventional guidelines, was followed for a median of 9 years. Clinical characteristics were recorded and arterial blood gases, pulmonary function tests, 6-min walk and incremental exercise test with measurement of respiratory pattern and operative lung volumes were performed.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Effect on Progression of Retinal Disease in Patients with Sleep Apnea and Nonproliferative Diabetic Retinopathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with impaired glycemic control and a higher risk of vascular complications, such as diabetic retinopathy. However, the effect of apnea-hypopnea suppression on retinal disease progression is unclear. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for the reduction of retinal lesions in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) and OSA.

Role of caregivers on medication adherence management in polymedicated patients with Alzheimer's disease or other types of dementia.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementia patients may have severe difficulties to ensure medication adherence due to their generally advanced age, polymedicated and multi-pathological situations as well as certain degree of cognitive impairment. Thus, the role of patient caregivers becomes crucial to warrantee treatment compliance.

Purpose: To assess the factors associated to patients and caregivers on medication adherence of patients with AD and other types of dementia as well as the degree of caregiver satisfaction with respect to treatment.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Effect on Albuminuria Progression in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with impaired glycemic control and a higher risk of vascular complications, such as diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the effect of apnea-hypopnea suppression on DKD progression is unclear. To assess the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) in patients with DKD and OSA.

Thyroid Function in 509 Premature Newborns Below 31 Weeks of Gestational Age: Evaluation and Follow-up.

Objective: Preterm and low birth weight (LBW) neonates may present with thyroid dysfunction during a critical period for neurodevelopment. These alterations can be missed on routine congenital hypothyroidism (CH) screening which only measures thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The objective of this study was to evaluate a protocol for thyroid function screening (TFS) six years after national implementation.

Impaired Kallikrein-Kinin System in COVID-19 Patients' Severity.

COVID-19 has emerged as a devastating disease in the last 2 years. Many authors appointed to the importance of kallikrein-kinin system (KKS) in COVID-19 pathophysiology as it is involved in inflammation, vascular homeostasis, and coagulation. We aim to study the bradykinin cascade and its involvement in severity of patients with COVID-19.

Upregulated Proteasome Subunits in COVID-19 Patients: A Link with Hypoxemia, Lymphopenia and Inflammation.

Severe COVID-19 disease leads to hypoxemia, inflammation and lymphopenia. Viral infection induces cellular stress and causes the activation of the innate immune response. The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is highly implicated in viral immune response regulation.

Magnetic phase diagram of (MoRE)AlC, RETb and Dy, studied by magnetization, specific heat, and neutron diffraction analysis.

We report the results of magnetization, heat capacity, and neutron diffraction measurements on (MoRE)AlC with RE = Dy and Tb. Temperature and field-dependent magnetization as well as heat capacity were measured on a powder sample and on a single crystal allowing the construction of the magnetic field-temperature phase diagram. To study the magnetic structure of each magnetic phase, we applied neutron diffraction in a magnetic field up to 6 T.

Role of CD39 in COVID-19 Severity: Dysregulation of Purinergic Signaling and Thromboinflammation.

CD39/NTPDase1 has emerged as an important molecule that contributes to maintain inflammatory and coagulatory homeostasis. Various studies have hypothesized the possible role of CD39 in COVID-19 pathophysiology since no confirmatory data shed light in this regard. Therefore, we aimed to quantify CD39 expression on COVID-19 patients exploring its association with severity clinical parameters and ICU admission, while unraveling the role of purinergic signaling on thromboinflammation in COVID-19 patients.

Disruptive Therapy Using a Nonsurgical Orthodontic Airway Plate for the Management of Neonatal Robin Sequence: 1-Year Follow-up.

We recently published the 3-month follow-up of 2 neonates with Robin sequence whose mandibular hypoplasia and restricted airway were successfully treated with an orthodontic airway plate (OAP) without surgical intervention. Both infants were successfully weaned off the OAP after several months of continuous use. We present the course of OAP treatment in these patients with a focus on breathing, feeding, and facial growth during their first year of life.

Cognitive Mechanisms in Pediatric Voice Therapy - An Initial Examination.

Introduction: Voice disorders are a common communication disorder in children. Behavioral voice therapy is recommended by both Otolaryngologists and Speech-Language Pathologists as a first-line approach for treatment of benign vocal fold lesions that affect children in large numbers. However, the role of cognitive mechanisms critical to voice therapy have not yet been explored.

Contribution of sleep characteristics to the association between obstructive sleep apnea and dyslipidemia.

Objectives/background: Little information is available about the association of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with atherogenic dyslipidemia and the contribution of sleep characteristics to lipid alterations. We compare dyslipidemia prevalence among non-apneic subjects and mild-severe OSA patients to identify the sleep characteristics that are independently associated with dyslipidemia and serum lipid levels in OSA patients.

Patients/methods: We recruited 809 consecutive patients who had been referred for polysomnography study by OSA suspicion.

Effect of Dynamic Hyperinflation on Cardiac Response to Exercise of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Introduction: Although the major limitation to exercise performance in patients with COPD is dynamic hyperinflation (DH), little is known about its relation with cardiac response to exercise. Our objectives were to compare the exercise response of stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO) between COPD patients with or without DH and control subjects, and to assess the main determinants.

Methods: Fifty-seven stable COPD patients without cardiac comorbidity and 25 healthy subjects were recruited.

[Palliative Sedation at the End of Life: A Comparative Study of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Lung Cancer Patients].

Background: Although patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) receive poor-quality palliative care, information about the use of palliative sedation (PS) in the last days of life is very scarce.

Objectives: To compare the use of PS in hospitalized patients who died from COPD or lung cancer and identify factors correlating with PS application.

Methods: In a retrospective observational cohort study, from 1,675 patients died at a teaching hospital between 2013 and 2015, 109 patients who died from COPD and 85 from lung cancer were compared.

Synergy of the Bacteriocin AS-48 and Antibiotics against Uropathogenic Enterococci.

The genus comprises a ubiquitous group of Gram-positive bacteria that can cause diverse health care-associated infections. Their genome plasticity enables easy acquisition of virulence factors as well as antibiotic resistances. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) and catheter-associated UTIs are common diseases caused by enterococci.

Differential effect of intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation on PD-1/PD-L1 upregulation.

Immunosurveillance is compromised in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as reflected by overexpression of the programmed death cell receptor and its ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) coinhibitory axis. However, the contributions of intermittent hypoxia (IH) and sleep fragmentation (SF) are unclear. We therefore evaluated the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 on immune cells from mice subjected to IH or SF, and in human cells exposed to IH, oxidative stress, or both conditions.

Hypermethylation of Anti-oncogenic MicroRNA 7 is Increased in Emphysema Patients.

Introduction: MicroRNA-7 (miR-7) has a suppressive role in lung cancer and alterations in its DNA methylation may contribute to tumorigenesis. As COPD patients with emphysema have a higher risk of lung cancer than other COPD phenotypes, we compared the miR-7 methylation status among smoker subjects and patients with various COPD phenotypes to identify its main determinants.

Methods: 30 smoker subjects without airflow limitation and 136 COPD patients without evidence of cancer were recruited in a prospective study.