Publications by authors named "HIGGINS P"

Novel therapeutics used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease pose an increased risk of viral reactivation in patients. We present a case of a patient with refractory Crohn's disease (CD) who developed primary varicella (chickenpox) of a vaccine-viral strain after receiving combination immunosuppression with high-dose corticosteroids, tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi), and a Janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) in the hospital. While this patient recovered and did not experience long term adverse effects, her case provides an opportunity for improvement.

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Persistent bacterial lung infections in children lead to significant morbidity and mortality due to antibiotic resistance. In this paper, we describe how phage therapy has shown remarkable efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies, demonstrating significant therapeutic benefits through various administration routes. Ongoing trials are evaluating its safety and effectiveness against different pathogens.

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We investigated the intra-hospital distribution of strains by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of isolates collected in 2022 at the University Hospital Centre (UHC) Zagreb. In total, 103 patients with first-episode CDI in 2022 at UHC Zagreb were included, based on the screening stool antigen test for GDH (RidaQuick CD GDH; R-Biopharm AG, Germany), confirmed by Eazyplex assays (Eazyplex CD assay; AmplexDiagnostics GmbH, Germany) specific for A, B, and binary toxins. Demographic and clinical data were retrospectively analyzed from electronic medical records.

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Background & Aims: Interventional clinical trials in acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) are characterized by substantial heterogeneity due to a lack of consensus in several key areas of trial design-this impedes clinical research efforts to identify novel therapies. The objective of this initiative was to achieve the first consensus and provide clear position statements on ASUC trial design.

Methods: A modified Delphi consensus approach was employed with a panel of 20 clinicians with international representation and expertise in ASUC trial design and delivery.

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Purpose: To analyze the longitudinal epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of Gram-negative bloodstream infections (BSI) in Germany.

Methods: Post-hoc analysis of prospectively documented BSI due to Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Two specific bacteriophages (vB_kpnM_05 and vB_kpnP_08) were isolated from Thai wastewater and demonstrated effectiveness against a high percentage of drug-resistant K. pneumoniae strains, showing rapid replication and stability under different conditions.
  • * A phage cocktail combining these two phages alongside the antibiotic amikacin exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity, preventing bacterial regrowth and highlighting a promising therapeutic approach to combat XDR K. pneumoniae infections.
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Background: Ensitrelvir, a 3C-like protease inhibitor, received emergency approval in Japan in November 2022 for treating non-hospitalized patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19. However, confirmation of its real-world clinical effectiveness is limited.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated 18 vaccinated outpatients (15 men; median age, 39.

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The profession of podiatry is facing significant workforce challenges and urgent solutions are required to increase workforce capacity. Apprenticeship models are available in England but as yet, not available in Scotland. This paper explores the local context of the current workforce challenges and summarises a novel solution collaboratively developed in Glasgow.

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Article Synopsis
  • Social determinants of health (SDOH) significantly affect vaccination disparities, especially among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), who are at greater infection risk.
  • A study used census tract-level data from the CDC to assess the impact of SDOH on vaccination rates for flu, COVID-19, pneumonia, and herpes zoster in a cohort of 7,036 IBD patients.
  • Results indicated that higher social vulnerability correlated with lower vaccination rates, highlighting the need to address these disparities to improve healthcare equity for IBD patients.
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Introduction: Even in the absence of inflammation, persistent symptoms in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) are prevalent and worsen quality of life. We previously demonstrated enrichment in sulfidogenic microbes in quiescent Crohn's disease patients with (qCD + S) vs without persistent GI symptoms (qCD-S). Thus, we hypothesized that sulfur metabolic pathways would be enriched in stool while differentially abundant microbes would be associated with important sulfur metabolic pathways in qCD + S.

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Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and their sequela (colitis-associate carcinoma and fibrostenotic complications) remain a significant clinical challenge and novel therapeutic targets are desperately needed. AXL, a receptor tyrosine kinase, has been implicated in myriad cellular functions central to the pathogenesis of IBD. These include facilitating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, dampening of Toll-like receptor and natural killer cell mediated immune responses, driving proliferation, and propagating fibrogenic signaling.

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Given the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, alternative treatments are needed. Anti-pseudomonal phage therapy shows promise, but its clinical application is limited due to the development of resistance and a lack of biofilm penetration. Recently, adjuvants like CaEDTA have shown the ability to enhance the effectiveness of combined antimicrobial agents.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines how patient activation and self-efficacy impact the daily lives of individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
  • Researchers surveyed 132 IBD patients using various assessment tools and found that both higher patient activation and self-efficacy correlate with a lower burden of IBD.
  • The results suggest that self-efficacy plays a significant role in mediating the relationship between patient activation and the effects of IBD on patients' daily lives.
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Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of infection (CDI). Herein, we aimed to determine if genetic risk contributes to this observed association. We carried out a genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis in the Michigan Genomics Initiative and the United Kingdom Biobank for CDI based on ICD codes and meta-analyzed these results with similar publicly accessible GWAS summary statistics from Finngen.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study aimed to identify and characterize drug-resistant bacterial pathogens from a war-injured patient in Ukraine by analyzing samples from various body sites during hospital admission screening.
  • - Researchers performed bacterial identification, susceptibility tests, and genetic sequencing to reveal seven distinct Gram-negative bacteria, all resistant to carbapenems, with some also resistant to other crucial antibiotics but susceptible to colistin.
  • - The findings highlighted the presence of diverse clones of multidrug-resistant pathogens with various resistance genes, underscoring the need for effective infection control measures in healthcare settings.
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Background: Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may have diminished serologic response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination and increased risk for subsequent severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. We sought to describe outcomes among those who developed SARS-CoV-2 infection following vaccination, characterize SARS-CoV-2 antibodies 1 year post-vaccination, and identify factors associated with durable serologic response.

Methods: We recruited children with IBD who received ≥2 doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and prospectively collected data on (1) demographics, IBD characteristics, and therapy and (2) SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, testing, and infection symptoms.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Sternal non-union is a uncommon but significant issue that can affect patients both physically and aesthetically, with increasing clarity around when to opt for surgery after conservative treatments fail.
  • - The article presents two cases of young patients who experienced chronic pain due to sternal non-union, one from repetitive stress and the other following a motorbike accident.
  • - It discusses their management using a specific surgical technique (locking compression plate fixation), and reviews current treatment options, including advancements in sternal plating and innovative therapies, highlighting that such injuries may become more common with better imaging technology.
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has emerged as a significant human pathogen, acquiring multiple antibiotic resistance genes, including carbapenemases. This study focuses on characterizing the plasmids harboring the and (Y) genes in two carbapenem-resistant isolates (UCO-553 and UCO-554) obtained in Chile during the COVID-19 pandemic. : Antibiotic susceptibility testing was conducted on UCO-553 and UCO-554.

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Unlabelled: , the most prevalent carbapenemase among carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, is thought to have emerged in India, as its initial detection in 2008 was linked to this country, and subsequent retrospective surveys had so far established the earliest -positive strains to be isolated in India in 2005. Molecular dating and analyses suggest emerged within species decades prior to 2005 on a Tn transposon. Despite early reports of elevated rates of carbapenem-resistant species in Israel starting in the 1990s, limited molecular data are available from this location.

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An increasingly effective strategy to identify synthetically useful enzymes is to sample the diversity already present in Nature. Here, we construct and assay a panel of phylogenetically diverse aromatic prenyltransferases (PTs). These enzymes catalyze a variety of C-C bond forming reactions in natural product biosynthesis and are emerging as tools for synthetic chemistry and biology.

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Introduction: Even in the absence of inflammation, persistent symptoms in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) are prevalent and worsen quality of life. We previously demonstrated enrichment in sulfidogenic microbes in quiescent Crohn's disease patients with ( ) vs. without persistent GI symptoms ( ).

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Introduction: Acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) is a life-treating presentation of ulcerative colitis (UC) that requires prompt initiation of treatment to avoid complication. Unfortunately, outcomes for ASUC are suboptimal, with as many as 20-30% of patients requiring colectomy. This can be challenging for patients and highlights the need to understand patient experiences and perspectives navigating ASUC.

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This study provides an emended description of Acinetobacter faecalis, a species previously described based on a single isolate (YIM 103518) from elephant feces in China. Our emended description is based on 15 novel isolates conspecific with the A. faecalis type strain, obtained from eight cattle farms in the Czech Republic.

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Objectives: Integration of social determinants of health into health outcomes research will allow researchers to study health inequities. The All of Us Research Program has the potential to be a rich source of social determinants of health data. However, user-friendly recommendations for scoring and interpreting the All of Us Social Determinants of Health Survey are needed to return value to communities through advancing researcher competencies in use of the All of Us Research Hub Researcher Workbench.

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