Lung ultrasound in pneumonia: a guide for effective implementation.

In patients with pneumonia, lung ultrasound is a useful diagnostic and monitoring tool and has been proven to be superior to physical examination and chest X-ray in terms of feasibility and diagnostic accuracy. Guidelines do not address lung ultrasound as part of the diagnostic workup or as monitoring tool which is surprising. This article provides a succinct overview on the currently available evidence on efficacy and utility of lung ultrasound in patients with a clinical suspicion of pneumonia.

Insights into structural vaccinology harnessed for universal coronavirus vaccine development.

Structural vaccinology is pivotal in expediting vaccine design through high-throughput screening of immunogenic antigens. Leveraging the structural and functional characteristics of antigens and immune cell receptors, this approach employs protein structural comparison to identify conserved patterns in key pathogenic components. Molecular modeling techniques, including homology modeling and molecular docking, analyze specific three-dimensional (3D) structures and protein interactions and offer valuable insights into the 3D interactions and binding affinity between vaccine candidates and target proteins.

Severe Cholestasis Predicts Recurrent Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Following Liver Transplantation.

Background Aims: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) may reoccur following liver transplantation (LT) and the diagnosis established once imaging studies demonstrate the diagnostic cholangiographic appearance. To evaluate whether the development of recurrent PSC (rPSC) is associated with cholestasis soon after LT, we studied whether changes in hepatic biochemistry within the first 12 months were linked with the development of rPSC and graft loss.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of 158 transplant recipients with PSC in Canada, and 549 PSC transplant recipients from the United Kingdom.

Co-creation of a toolkit to assist risk communication and clinical decision-making in severe preeclampsia: SPOT-Impact study design.

Globally, the incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, especially preeclampsia, remains high, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The burden of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes is particularly high for women who develop a hypertensive disorder remote from term (<34 weeks). In parallel, many women have a suboptimal experience of care.

Anticholinergic Toxidrome due to Thorn Apple Seed Ingestion in an Elderly Couple.

Introduction: Sudden onset of reduced consciousness, psychomotor agitation and mydriasis are all indicative of an anticholinergic toxidrome. It is important to note that numerous drugs, as well as certain herbs and plants, possess anticholinergic properties.

Case Description: An 84-year-old female patient had sudden nocturnal onset of uncoordinated hand movements and altered mental status.

Wild fish consumption can balance nutrient retention in farmed fish.

Wild fish used as aquafeeds could be redirected towards human consumption to support sustainable marine resource use. Here we use mass-balance fish-in/fish-out ratio approaches to assess nutrient retention in salmon farming and identify scenarios that provide more nutrient-rich food to people. Using data on Norway's salmon farms, our study revealed that six of nine dietary nutrients had higher yields in wild fish used for feeds, such as anchovies and mackerel, than in farmed salmon production.

Use of standardized outcome measures for people with lower-limb amputation: A survey of prosthetic practitioners in Canada.

Background: Outcome measures (OMs) are useful tools; however, clinicians may find implementing them into clinical practice challenging.

Objectives: To characterize Canadian prosthetists' use of OMs for people with lower-limb amputation, including motivations for use, comfort selecting OMs, resources available for administration, and barriers to implementation.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March and July 2021.

(In)visibilising pregnancy loss in Southern Malawi.

Miscarriages, stillbirths and neonatal deaths have received limited attention in global health programmes and research, even though pregnancy loss is common, traumatic and stigmatised. This paper seeks to illuminate lived experiences of pregnancy loss in southern Malawi, drawing on findings from semi-structured interviews and focus groups with women who have experienced loss, health professionals and community members, and observations of maternity care. Combining thematic and discourse analysis, we show how societal and medical discourses frame women as responsible for (failed) reproduction, and restrict possibilities to speak about, and respond to, loss.

[The assessment of volume status].

Accurately assessing volume status is crucial, as an incorrect evaluation can lead to inappropriate therapy. Evaluating volume status using medical history and physical examination can be challenging. Medical history and physical examination are readily available, cost-effective, and non-invasive, remaining the initial steps in assessing fluid status.

Strategies to improve interpersonal communication along the continuum of maternal and newborn care: A scoping review and narrative synthesis.

Effective interpersonal communication is essential to provide respectful and quality maternal and newborn care (MNC). This scoping review mapped, categorized, and analysed strategies implemented to improve interpersonal communication within MNC up to 42 days after birth. Twelve bibliographic databases were searched for quantitative and qualitative studies that evaluated interventions to improve interpersonal communication between health workers and women, their partners or newborns' families.

A Multi-Omics and Human Biomonitoring Approach to Assessing the Effectiveness of Fortified Balanced Energy-Protein Supplementation on Maternal and Newborn Health in Burkina Faso: A Study Protocol.

Fortified balanced energy-protein (BEP) supplementation is a promising intervention for improving maternal health, birth outcomes and infant growth in low- and middle-income countries. This nested biospecimen sub-study aimed to evaluate the physiological effect of multi-micronutrient-fortified BEP supplementation on pregnant and lactating women and their infants. Pregnant women (15-40 years) received either fortified BEP and iron-folic acid (IFA) (intervention) or IFA only (control) throughout pregnancy.

Differential impact of type of killing on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in U.S. Army soldiers deployed to Afghanistan.

Over the past 20 years, U.S. military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have been marked by high rates of combat and wartime killings.

Exploring shark VNAR antibody against infectious diseases using phage display technology.

Antibody with high affinity and specificity to antigen has widely used as a tool to combat various diseases. The variable domain of immunoglobulin new antigen receptor (VNAR) naturally found in shark contains autonomous function as single-domain antibody. Due to its excellent characteristics, the small, non-complex, and highly stable have made shark VNAR can acquires the antigen-binding capability that might not be reached by conventional antibody.

Post liver transplantation delirium assessment using the CAM-ICU-7 scale: A cohort analysis.

Background: We applied the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM)-Intensive Care Unit (ICU)-7 delirium scale to patients who underwent liver transplant (LT).

Methods: Retrospective cohort including patients who underwent LT for cirrhosis admitted to the ICU from June 2013 to June 2016 at the University of Alberta Hospital, Canada. Delirium was assessed using the CAM-ICU-7 scale (0-7 points) twice daily on days one and 3 post LT, with the highest score being considered.

Effect of prenatal micronutrient-fortified balanced energy-protein supplementation on maternal and newborn body composition: A sub-study from the MISAME-III randomized controlled efficacy trial in rural Burkina Faso.

Background: Micronutrient-fortified balanced energy-protein (BEP) supplements are promising interventions to prevent intrauterine growth retardation in low- and middle-income countries. On the other hand, one concern with blanket prenatal supplementation programs using energy-dense supplements is that they could lead to more maternal and/or infant overweight. However, evidence is lacking on the potential effect of BEP on maternal and offspring body composition.

Correction: Fortified balanced energy-protein supplementation during pregnancy and lactation and infant growth in rural Burkina Faso: A 2 × 2 factorial individually randomized controlled trial.

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

Making research ethics work for global health: towards a more agile and collaborative approach.

In this reflective essay, we seek to engage in a constructive dialogue with scholars across medicine, public health and anthropology on research ethics practices. Drawing on anthropological research and ethical dilemmas that our colleagues and we encountered as medical anthropologists, we reflect on presumed and institutionalised 'best' practices such as mandatory written informed consent, and problematise how they are implemented in interdisciplinary global health research projects. We demonstrate that mandatory, individualised, written, informed consent may be unsuitable in many contexts and also identify reasons why tensions between professionals in interdisciplinary teams may arise when decisions about ethics procedures are taken.

Expansin gene family database: A comprehensive bioinformatics resource for plant expansin multigene family.

Expansins, which are plant cell wall loosening proteins associated with cell growth, have been identified as a multigene family. Plant expansin proteins are an important family that functions in cell growth and many of developmental processes including wall relaxation, fruit softening, abscission, seed germination, mycorrhiza and root nodule formation, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, invasion of pollen tube stigma and organogenesis. In addition, it is thought that increasing the efficiency of plant expansin genes in plants plays a significant role, especially in the production of secondary bioethanol.

Corrigendum to 'Single domain antibodies derived from ancient animals as broadly neutralizing agents for SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses': Biomedical Engineering Advances 4 (2022) 100054.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.bea.

Fortified balanced energy-protein supplementation during pregnancy and lactation and infant growth in rural Burkina Faso: A 2 × 2 factorial individually randomized controlled trial.

Background: Optimal nutrition is crucial during the critical period of the first 1,000 days from conception to 2 years after birth. Prenatal and postnatal supplementation of mothers with multimicronutrient-fortified balanced energy-protein (BEP) supplements is a potential nutritional intervention. However, evidence on the long-term effects of BEP supplementation on child growth is inconsistent.

Dengue virus infection - a review of pathogenesis, vaccines, diagnosis and therapy.

The transmission of dengue virus (DENV) from an infected Aedes mosquito to a human, causes illness ranging from mild dengue fever to fatal dengue shock syndrome. The similar conserved structure and sequence among distinct DENV serotypes or different flaviviruses has resulted in the occurrence of cross reaction followed by antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). Thus far, the vaccine which can provide effective protection against infection by different DENV serotypes remains the biggest hurdle to overcome.

Correspondence - Evaluation of a basic point-of-care ultrasound course for residents in internal medicine.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) integrates imaging into the physical examination at the bedside. This offers the advantage of instant clinical information and has shown to speed up the diagnostic process, and to improve diagnostic accuracy and correct treatment.

Getting Over Past Mistakes: Prospective and Retrospective Regret in Older Adults.

Objective: A considerable number of older people who hold powerful positions in governments and corporate are actively engaged in making decisions that have a far-reaching impact on the community. Some of them have to make decisions on behalf of others, and sometimes, the outcomes of their decisions for others are unfavorable. We experience retrospective regret when the obtained outcome turns out to be less attractive than the counterfactual one.