Correction: Evaluation of a parasite-density based pooled targeted amplicon deep sequencing (TADS) method for molecular surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance genes in Haiti.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Clues to transcription/replication collision-induced DNA damage: it was RNAP, in the chromosome, with the fork.

DNA replication and RNA transcription processes compete for the same DNA template and, thus, frequently collide. These transcription-replication collisions are thought to lead to genomic instability, which places a selective pressure on organisms to avoid them. Here, we review the predisposing causes, molecular mechanisms, and downstream consequences of transcription-replication collisions (TRCs) with a strong emphasis on prokaryotic model systems, before contrasting prokaryotic findings with cases in eukaryotic systems.

A qualitative study of perceived barriers and facilitators to point-of-care ultrasound use among Veterans Affairs Emergency Department providers.

Consistent point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) use and retention is difficult to achieve, with prior studies citing a lack of provider training, credentialed ultrasound users, and image review as contributing factors. We aimed to assess user feedback on a POCUS implementation intervention by identifying and characterizing the perceived barriers and facilitators at a single Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital using the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR). We implemented a co-designed multifaceted training intervention at a VA emergency department (ED) to enhance POCUS usability and sustainability from November 2021-October 2022.

Chemical Induction of Longevity-Promoting Colanic Acid in the Host's Microbiota.

Microbiota-derived metabolites have emerged as key regulators of longevity. The metabolic activity of the gut microbiota, influenced by dietary components and ingested chemical compounds, profoundly impacts host fitness. While the benefits of dietary prebiotics are well-known, chemically targeting the gut microbiota to enhance host fitness remains largely unexplored.

Horizontal gene transfer and beyond: the delivery of biological matter by bacterial membrane vesicles to host and bacterial cells.

Membrane vesicles (MVs) are produced in all domains of life. In eukaryotes, extracellular vesicles have been shown to mediate the horizontal transfer of biological material between cells [1]. Therefore, bacterial MVs are also thought to mediate horizontal material transfer to host cells and other bacteria, especially in the context of cell stress.

Generation and Characterization of Ex Vivo Expanded Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes From Renal Cell Carcinoma Tumors for Adoptive Cell Therapy.

Autologous therapeutic tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy is a promising strategy to enhance antitumor immunity. Optimization of ex vivo TIL expansion could expand current immunotherapy options. Previous attempts to generate TIL in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have been technically challenging.

Evidence of a self-serving bias in people's attributions for their food intake.

People often fail to acknowledge external influences on their food intake, but there might be some circumstances in which people are willing to report that those external factors influenced their behavior. This study examined whether participants who believed that they had overeaten would indicate that the portion size they were served influenced their food intake. Participants (119 women) ate a pasta lunch at two separate sessions, one week apart.

Environmental and structural factors associated with bacterial diversity in household dust across the Arizona-Sonora border.

We previously reported that asthma prevalence was higher in the United States (US) compared to Mexico (MX) (25.8% vs. 8.

Clinical Presentation and Management of the Cervical Aortic Arch in the Adult Population: A Review of Case Reports.

The cervical aortic arch (CAA) is an uncommon congenital anomaly in aortic development, characterized by an elongated aortic arch extending at or above the medial ends of the clavicles. Our objective was to examine the clinical and surgical characteristics of this infrequent condition in the adult population. PubMed, ScienceDirect, SciELO, DOAJ, and Cochrane Library databases were searched until December 2023 for case reports describing the presence of a cervical aortic arch in patients aged ≥18 years.

Assessing Engraftment Following Fecal Microbiota Transplant.

Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) is an FDA approved treatment for recurrent infections, and is being explored for other clinical applications, from alleviating digestive and neurological disorders, to priming the microbiome for cancer treatment, and restoring microbiomes impacted by cancer treatment. Quantifying the extent of engraftment following an FMT is important in determining if a recipient didn't respond because the engrafted microbiome didn't produce the desired outcomes (a successful FMT, but negative treatment outcome), or the microbiome didn't engraft (an unsuccessful FMT and negative treatment outcome). The lack of a consistent methodology for quantifying FMT engraftment extent hinders the assessment of FMT success and its relation to clinical outcomes, and presents challenges for comparing FMT results and protocols across studies.

Targeted accurate RNA consensus sequencing (tARC-seq) reveals mechanisms of replication error affecting SARS-CoV-2 divergence.

RNA viruses, like SARS-CoV-2, depend on their RNA-dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) for replication, which is error prone. Monitoring replication errors is crucial for understanding the virus's evolution. Current methods lack the precision to detect rare de novo RNA mutations, particularly in low-input samples such as those from patients.

Plasmodium falciparum pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions among patients enrolled at 100 health facilities throughout Tanzania: February to July 2021.

Plasmodium falciparum with the histidine rich protein 2 gene (pfhrp2) deleted from its genome can escape diagnosis by HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests (HRP2-RDTs). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends switching to a non-HRP2 RDT for P. falciparum clinical case diagnosis when pfhrp2 deletion prevalence causes ≥ 5% of RDTs to return false negative results.

An Image-Rich Educational Review of Breast Pain.

Breast pain is extremely common, occurring in 70% to 80% of women. Most cases of breast pain are from physiologic or benign causes, and patients should be reassured and offered treatment strategies to alleviate symptoms, often without diagnostic imaging. A complete clinical history and physical examination is key for distinguishing intrinsic breast pain from extramammary pain.

A collaboration team to build social service partnerships within a safety-net health system.

Background: To facilitate safety-net healthcare system partnerships with community social service providers, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (LAC DHS) created a new collaboration team to spur cross-agency social and medical referral networks and engage communities affected by health disparities as part of a Sect. 1115 Medicaid waiver in Los Angeles County entitled Whole Person Care-Los Angeles (WPC-LA).

Methods: This observational research reviews three years of collaboration team implementation (2018-2020) through Medicaid-reportable engagement reports, a collaboration team qualitative survey on challenges, facilitators, and recommendations for community engagement.

Influence of modified starches on mental performance and physical activity following an exhaustive bout of exercise.

Slow-releasing carbohydrates may delay the effects of fatigue after exhaustive exercise. The purpose of this study was to observe the influence that hydrothermally modified starches (HMS) and traditional maltodextrin (MAL) supplements had on physical endurance and mental performance following exhaustive exercise. Male participants completed a VO max and 2 days of cycling sessions using a Velotron ergometer.

Local Anesthesia for Endovascular Repair of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Allows for Accurate Graft Deployment with Durable Results.

Background: Local anesthesia (LA) is sparsely used in endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) despite short-term benefit, likely secondary to concerns over patient movement preventing accurate endograft deployment. The objective of this study is to examine the association between anesthesia type and endoleak, sac regression, reintervention, and mortality.

Methods: The Vascular Quality Initiative database was queried for all EVAR cases from 2014 to 2022.

Geospatial analysis of Plasmodium falciparum serological indicators: school versus community sampling in a low-transmission malaria setting.

Background: Due to low numbers of active infections and persons presenting to health facilities for malaria treatment, case-based surveillance is inefficient for understanding the remaining disease burden in low malaria transmission settings. Serological data through the detection of IgG antibodies from previous malaria parasite exposure can fill this gap by providing a nuanced picture of where sustained transmission remains. Study enrollment at sites of gathering provides a potential approach to spatially estimate malaria exposure and could preclude the need for more intensive community-based sampling.

Facilitating bioinformatics reproducibility with QIIME 2 Provenance Replay.

Study reproducibility is essential to corroborate, build on, and learn from the results of scientific research but is notoriously challenging in bioinformatics, which often involves large data sets and complex analytic workflows involving many different tools. Additionally, many biologists are not trained in how to effectively record their bioinformatics analysis steps to ensure reproducibility, so critical information is often missing. Software tools used in bioinformatics can automate provenance tracking of the results they generate, removing most barriers to bioinformatics reproducibility.

Environmental and Structural Factors Associated with Bacterial Diversity in Household Dust Across the Arizona-Sonora Border.

We previously reported that asthma prevalence was higher in the United States (US) compared to Mexico (MX) (25.8% vs 8.4%).

Relationship Between Time-Varying Achieved High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Risk of Coronary Events Depends on Haptoglobin Phenotype Within the ACCORD Lipid Study.

Background The Hp (haptoglobin)2-2 phenotype (~40% of people) is associated with dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein (HDL) that is heavily oxidized in hyperglycemia, which may explain why raising HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) does not reliably prevent coronary artery disease (CAD) in diabetes. Methods and Results In this observational study using longitudinal data from the ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) lipid trial, time-varying (achieved) HDL-C updated at 4, 8, and 12 months, and annually thereafter over a mean of 4.7 years, was analyzed in relation to risk of CAD and secondary outcomes using Cox proportional hazards regression with time-varying covariables among participants with (n=1781) and without (n=3191) the Hp2-2 phenotype.

Polarizability Plays a Decisive Role in Modulating Association between Molecular Cations and Anions.

Electrostatic interactions involving proteins depend on not only the ionic charges involved but also their chemical identities. Here we examine the origins of incompletely understood differences in the strength of association of different pairs of monovalent molecular ions that are relevant to protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions. Cationic analogues of the basic amino acid side chains are simulated, along with oxyanionic analogues of cation-exchange ligands and acidic amino acids.

Impact of malaria diagnostic choice on monitoring of Plasmodium falciparum prevalence estimates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and relevance to control programs in high-burden countries.

Malaria programs rely upon a variety of diagnostic assays, including rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), microscopy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and bead-based immunoassays (BBA), to monitor malaria prevalence and support control and elimination efforts. Data comparing these assays are limited, especially from high-burden countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Using cross-sectional and routine data, we compared diagnostic performance and Plasmodium falciparum prevalence estimates across health areas of varying transmission intensity to illustrate the relevance of assay performance to malaria control programs.