The Refractive Index of Human Milk Serum: Natural Variations and Dependency on Macronutrient Concentrations.

The refractive index (RI) of human milk serum (also known as whey, milk soluble fraction or milk plasma) depends on the individual molecular species dissolved in the serum and their concentrations. Although the human milk serum RI is known to influence milk analysis methods based on light scattering, the RI dependency on human milk serum composition is currently unknown. Therefore, we systematically evaluate how the RI depends on natural variations in macronutrient concentrations in the soluble fraction.

Gut microbiome signatures of vegan, vegetarian and omnivore diets and associated health outcomes across 21,561 individuals.

As plant-based diets gain traction, interest in their impacts on the gut microbiome is growing. However, little is known about diet-pattern-specific metagenomic profiles across populations. Here we considered 21,561 individuals spanning 5 independent, multinational, human cohorts to map how differences in diet pattern (omnivore, vegetarian and vegan) are reflected in gut microbiomes.

Multiple sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes modulate influenza virus replication.

The sphingolipid network is sustained principally by the balance of bioactive sphingolipid molecules and their regulation by sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes. The components in the lipid system display key functions in numerous cellular and disease conditions including virus infections. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a fruitful effort to use an inhibitor that blocks the activity of sphingosine kinase (SphK) 2 to cure the devastating disease.

Portable UV-C device to treat high flow of infectious aerosols generated during clinical respiratory care.

Respiratory interventions including noninvasive ventilation, continuous positive airway pressure and high-flow nasal oxygen generated infectious aerosols may increase risk of airborne disease (SARS-CoV-2, influenza virus) transmission to healthcare workers. We developed and tested a prototype portable UV-C device to sterilize high flows of viral-contaminated air from a simulated patient source at airflow rates of up to 100 l/m. Our device consisted of a central quartz tube surrounded 6 high-output UV-C lamps, within a larger cylinder allowing recirculation past the UV-C lamps a second time before exiting the device.

Clinical Outcomes for Workers' Compensation versus Commercially Insured Patients Following Ambulatory Lumbar Decompression: A Cohort Matched Analysis with Two-Year Follow-Up.

Objective: To evaluate outcomes for workers' compensation (WC) versus commercially insured (CI) patients undergoing lumbar decompression (LD) at an ambulatory surgical center (ASC).

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study utilizing propensity score matched groups. Patients undergoing elective LD at an ASC with two-year follow-up were identified and grouped based on insurance type (WC or CI).