Botulinum Toxin Type A (BoNT-A) Use for Post-Stroke Spasticity: A Multicenter Study Using Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning.

We conducted a multicenter and retrospective study to describe the use of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) to treat post-stroke spasticity (PSS). Data were extracted from free-text in electronic health records (EHRs) in five Spanish hospitals. We included adults diagnosed with PSS between January 2015 and December 2019, stratified into BoNT-A-treated and untreated groups.

Rapid and Simple Morphological Assay for Determination of Susceptibility/Resistance to Combined Ciprofloxacin and Ampicillin, Independently, in .

Current antibiograms cannot discern the particular effect of a specific antibiotic when the bacteria are incubated with a mixture of antibiotics. To prove that this task is achievable, strains were treated with ciprofloxacin for 45 min, immobilized on a slide and stained with SYBR Gold. In susceptible strains, the nucleoid relative surface started to decrease near the MIC, being progressively condensed as the dose increased.

Placental transfer dynamics and durability of maternal COVID-19 vaccine-induced antibodies in infants.

Completion of a COVID-19 vaccination series during pregnancy effectively reduces COVID-19 hospitalization among infants less than 6 months of age. The dynamics of transplacental transfer of maternal vaccine-induced antibodies, and their persistence in infants at 2, 6, 9, and 12 months, have implications for new vaccine development and optimal timing of vaccine administration in pregnancy. We evaluated anti-COVID antibody IgG subclass, Fc-receptor binding profile, and activity against wild-type Spike and RBD plus five variants of concern (VOCs) in 153 serum samples from 100 infants.

Targeted therapy improves cellular dysfunction, ataxia, and seizure susceptibility in a model of a progressive myoclonus epilepsy.

The recurrent variant KCNC1-p.Arg320His causes progressive myoclonus epilepsy (EPM) type 7, defined by progressive myoclonus, epilepsy, and ataxia, and is without effective treatment. KCNC1 encodes the voltage-gated potassium channel subunit Kv3.

Ursolic Acid Induces Beneficial Changes in Skeletal Muscle mRNA Expression and Increases Exercise Participation and Performance in Dogs with Age-Related Muscle Atrophy.

Muscle atrophy and weakness are prevalent and debilitating conditions in dogs that cannot be reliably prevented or treated by current approaches. In non-canine species, the natural dietary compound ursolic acid inhibits molecular mechanisms of muscle atrophy, leading to improvements in muscle health. To begin to translate ursolic acid to canine health, we developed a novel ursolic acid dietary supplement for dogs and confirmed its safety and tolerability in dogs.

Clinical and prognostic associations of autoantibodies recognizing adrenergic/muscarinic receptors in patients with heart failure.

Aims: The importance of autoantibodies (AABs) against adrenergic/muscarinic receptors in heart failure (HF) is not well-understood. We investigated the prevalence and clinical/prognostic associations of four AABs recognizing the M2-muscarinic receptor or the β1-, β2-, or β3-adrenergic receptor in a large and well-characterized cohort of patients with HF.

Methods And Results: Serum samples from 2256 patients with HF from the BIOSTAT-CHF cohort and 299 healthy controls were analysed using newly established chemiluminescence immunoassays.

Association Between Achieved Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and Long-Term Cardiovascular and Safety Outcomes: An Analysis of FOURIER-OLE.

Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. However, the optimal achieved LDL-C level with regard to efficacy and safety in the long term remains unknown.

Methods: In FOURIER (Further Cardiovascular Outcomes Research With PCSK9 Inhibition in Subjects With Elevated Risk), 27 564 patients with stable atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were randomized to evolocumab versus placebo, with a median follow-up of 2.

A TREM2-activating antibody with a blood-brain barrier transport vehicle enhances microglial metabolism in Alzheimer's disease models.

Loss-of-function variants of TREM2 are associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting that activation of this innate immune receptor may be a useful therapeutic strategy. Here we describe a high-affinity human TREM2-activating antibody engineered with a monovalent transferrin receptor (TfR) binding site, termed antibody transport vehicle (ATV), to facilitate blood-brain barrier transcytosis. Upon peripheral delivery in mice, ATV:TREM2 showed improved brain biodistribution and enhanced signaling compared to a standard anti-TREM2 antibody.

Reperfusion Without Functional Independence in Late Presentation of Stroke With Large Vessel Occlusion.

Background: Reperfusion without functional independence (RFI) is an undesired outcome following thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke. The primary objective was to evaluate, in patients presenting with proximal anterior circulation occlusion stroke in the extended time window, whether selection with computed tomography (CT) perfusion or magnetic resonance imaging is associated with RFI, mortality, or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) compared with noncontrast CT selected patients.

Methods: The CLEAR study (CT for Late Endovascular Reperfusion) was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of stroke patients undergoing thrombectomy in the extended time window.

Sodium alginate and Chitosan aided design of form-stable Polyrotaxane based phase change materials with ultra-high latent heat.

We prepared a series of highly porous Polyrotaxane/sodium alginate, and Polyrotaxane/Chitosan foam alloys according to a sustainable pathway by using water as the only solvent. The foam alloys were further used as supporter materials for poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) encapsulation, to fabricate shape-stable bio-based phase change materials (PCMs). The pore morphology and the internal interface between PEG and foam alloys were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Multimodal Quality of Life Assessment in Post-9/11 Veterans With Epilepsy: Impact of Drug Resistance, Traumatic Brain Injury, and Comorbidity.

Background And Objectives: Epilepsy is defined by the occurrence of multiple unprovoked seizures, but quality of life (QOL) in people with epilepsy is determined by multiple factors, in which psychiatric comorbid conditions play a pivotal role. Therefore, understanding the interplay between comorbid conditions and QOL across epilepsy phenotypes is an important step toward improved outcomes. Here, we report the impact of QOL across distinct epilepsy phenotypes in a cohort of post-9/11 veterans with high rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Pearls & Oy-sters: Arteriovenous Malformation With Sinus Thrombosis and Thalamic Hemorrhage: Unusual Cause of Parkinsonism and Dementia.

Deep cerebral venous thrombosis is an uncommon condition, which usually produces headache, altered consciousness, and ocular movement abnormality. Parkinsonism occasionally occurs when there is basal ganglia involvement. We report a case of a 78-year-old man who presented with a rapidly progressive parkinsonism with poor response to dopaminergic therapy.

International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: sodium bicarbonate and exercise performance.

Based on a comprehensive review and critical analysis of the literature regarding the effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on exercise performance, conducted by experts in the field and selected members of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), the following conclusions represent the official Position of the Society: 1. Supplementation with sodium bicarbonate (doses from 0.2 to 0.

Rapid and Accurate Detection of and Strains Susceptible/Resistant to Cotrimoxazole through Evaluation of Cell Elongation.

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is a well-known antibiotic that inhibits folic acid synthesis, a topic of renewed interest. Since resistant strains are increasingly more common, an early and accurate discrimination of susceptibility may assure confident therapy. Two morphological assays were performed in ( = 50; 27 non-susceptible) and ( = 52; 18 non-susceptible).

Genetic Predictors of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy from Paclitaxel, Carboplatin and Oxaliplatin: NCCTG/Alliance N08C1, N08CA and N08CB Study.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and potentially permanent adverse effect of chemotherapeutic agents including taxanes such as paclitaxel and platinum-based compounds such as oxaliplatin and carboplatin. Previous studies have suggested that genetics may impact the risk of CIPN. We conducted genome-wide association studies (GWASs) for CIPN in two independent populations who had completed European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ)-CIPN20 assessments (a CIPN-specific 20-item questionnaire which includes three scales that evaluate sensory, autonomic, and motor symptoms).

CAPPRIC Study-Characterization of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Spanish Adults Managed in Primary Care Settings.

The real burden of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in non-hospitalized patients is largely unknown. This is a 3-year prospective, observational study of ambulatory CAP in adults, conducted in 24 Spanish primary care centers between 2016-2019. Sociodemographic and clinical variables of patients with radiographically confirmed CAP were collected.

Perinatal and Early-Life Nutrition, Epigenetics, and Allergy.

Epidemiological studies have shown a dramatic increase in the incidence and the prevalence of allergic diseases over the last several decades. Environmental triggers including risk factors (e.g.

Artificial Intelligence-Electrocardiography to Predict Incident Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Based Study.

Background: An artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm applied to electrocardiography during sinus rhythm has recently been shown to detect concurrent episodic atrial fibrillation (AF). We sought to characterize the value of AI-enabled electrocardiography (AI-ECG) as a predictor of future AF and assess its performance compared with the CHARGE-AF score (Cohorts for Aging and Research in Genomic Epidemiology-AF) in a population-based sample.

Methods: We calculated the probability of AF using AI-ECG, among participants in the population-based Mayo Clinic Study of Aging who had no history of AF at the time of the baseline study visit.

Exome sequencing and characterization of 49,960 individuals in the UK Biobank.

The UK Biobank is a prospective study of 502,543 individuals, combining extensive phenotypic and genotypic data with streamlined access for researchers around the world. Here we describe the release of exome-sequence data for the first 49,960 study participants, revealing approximately 4 million coding variants (of which around 98.6% have a frequency of less than 1%).

Exome Array Analysis of Early-Onset Ischemic Stroke.

Background And Purpose: The genetic contribution to ischemic stroke may include rare- or low-frequency variants of high-penetrance and large-effect sizes. Analyses focusing on early-onset disease, an extreme-phenotype, and on the exome, the protein-coding portion of genes, may increase the likelihood of identifying such rare functional variants. To evaluate this hypothesis, we implemented a 2-stage discovery and replication design, and then addressed whether the identified variants also associated with older-onset disease.