Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Cardiac Findings in Young Persons Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

We studied cardiac complications in young persons with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. In a prospective cohort of 127 Military Health System beneficiaries 0-22 years old, 3.1% had cardiac abnormalities, all resolved within 6 months.

Insights into mechanisms and significance of domain swapping from emerging examples in the Mog1p/PsbP-like fold.

Three-dimensional (3D) domain swapping in proteins occurs when identical polypeptide chains exchange structural elements to form a homo-oligomeric protein. Domain swapping can play a regulatory role for certain oligomeric proteins and has been implicated in deleterious protein aggregation. Here, we examine recently reported 3D domain swapping in proteins that contain the Mog1p/PsbP-like fold, which is a small fold found in non-enzymatic proteins that participate in a variety of distinct cellular processes.

A user-customizable hybrid framework for targeted medical decision-making.

Targeted medical decision-making is a current strategy for addressing the heterogeneity in the patient population, especially when patients' preferences are included in the decision-making process. In this paper, we propose a user-customizable hybrid framework that can be adjusted at the patient group level to target a medical decision process. Our framework provides a flexible design, capable of balancing the gain from the reduction of provider time against the cost of prediction inaccuracy resulting from group customization.

Custom Silicone Vessels for In Vitro Investigations on Vascular Ageing using Photoplethysmography.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain a major health challenge, affecting millions of individuals. Alongside the impact of CVD, the natural process of vascular ageing contributes to changes in the vascular system, potentially compromising cardiovascular health by causing arterial stiffness. Current clinical methods for vascular health assessment often require referrals from General Practitioners, leading to delays and patient anxiety.

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing as an integrative approach to explore physiological limitations in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Background: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is the gold-standard for quantification of peak oxygen uptake (VO) and cardiorespiratory and muscle responses to exercise. Its application to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has been scarce due to the notion that muscle weakness inherent to disease restricts the cardiorespiratory system from reaching maximal capacity.

Objective: To investigate the utility of CPET in DMD by 1) establishing whether patients can perform maximal-effort exercise for valid VO peak assessment; 2) quantifying VO peak repeatability; 3) characterizing muscle and cardiorespiratory responses; 4) comparing VO peak to 6-min walk distance (6MWD).

Multidrug micelles and sonopermeation for chemotherapy co-delivery to brain tumors.

Brain tumors are difficult to target and treat. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits drug delivery to pathological sites, and standard mono-chemotherapy typically results in suboptimal efficacy and development of drug resistance. We here set out to load a synergistic drug combination in polymeric micelles, and combined them with ultrasound- and microbubble-mediated BBB opening in glioma models in mice.

Towards more sustainable oceans: A review of the pressing challenges posed by marine plastic litter.

Marine littering is a global challenge and a significant threat to a sustainable planet, requiring comprehensive and effective mechanisms to address it in a comprehensive manner. This study reports on a bibliometric analysis that has identified the extent to which the topic has been explored in the international literature, by focusing on geographical scope, the emphasis on (micro)plastic litter and on policy measures. Additionally, as a complement to the assessment of the recent literature on marine plastic litter, this study reviews some case studies, identifying some trends on how to cope with this problem.

A Fast-Pass, Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Strategy for Untargeted Metabolic Phenotyping.

Desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) provides direct analytical readouts of small molecules that can be used to characterize the metabolic phenotypes of genetically engineered bacteria. In an effort to accelerate the time frame associated with the screening of mutant libraries, we have developed a high-throughput DESI-MSI analytical workflow implementing a single raster line-scan strategy that facilitates the collection of location-resolved molecular information from engineered strains on a subminute time scale. Evaluation of this "Fast-Pass" DESI-MSI phenotyping workflow on analytical standards demonstrated the capability of acquiring full metabolic profiling information with a throughput of ∼40 s per sample.

Ion mobility spectrometry and ion mobility-mass spectrometry in clinical chemistry.

Advancements in clinical chemistry have major implications in terms of public health, prompting many clinicians to seek out chemical information to aid in diagnoses and treatments. While mass spectrometry (MS) and hyphenated-MS techniques such as LC-MS or tandem MS/MS have long been the analytical methods of choice for many clinical applications, these methods routinely demonstrate difficulty in differentiating between isomeric forms in complex matrices. Consequently, ion mobility spectrometry (IM), which differentiates molecules on the basis of size, shape, and charge, has demonstrated unique advantages in the broad application of stand-alone IM and hyphenated IM instruments towards clinical challenges.

DNA-binding affinity and specificity determine the phenotypic diversity in BCL11B-related disorders.

BCL11B is a Cys2-His2 zinc-finger (C2H2-ZnF) domain-containing, DNA-binding, transcription factor with established roles in the development of various organs and tissues, primarily the immune and nervous systems. BCL11B germline variants have been associated with a variety of developmental syndromes. However, genotype-phenotype correlations along with pathophysiologic mechanisms of selected variants mostly remain elusive.

Optimizing vaccine uptake in sub-Saharan Africa: a collaborative COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Madagascar using an adaptive approach.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for more effective immunization programs, including in limited resource settings. This paper presents outcomes and lessons learnt from a COVID-19 vaccination campaign (VC), which used a tailored adaptive strategy to optimise vaccine uptake in the Boeny region of Madagascar.

Methods: Guided by the Dynamic Sustainability Framework (DSF), the VC implementation was regularly reviewed through multi-sectoral stakeholder feedback, key informant interviews, problem-solving meetings, and weekly monitoring of outcome indicators to identify and apply key adaptations.

Awareness and knowledge regarding female genital schistosomiasis among European healthcare workers: a cross-sectional online survey.

Background: Adequate knowledge and awareness regarding diseases are essential for appropriate, high-quality healthcare. Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) is a non-sexually transmitted gynaecological disease that is caused by the presence of Schistosoma haematobium eggs in the female genital tract and the resulting immune response that causes tissue damage. It is estimated to affect 56 million women, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where healthcare workers (HCWs) have limited awareness and knowledge of FGS.

The future of free flap monitoring by laser continuous doppler flowmetry: A prospective assessment in consecutive 71 patients.

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) in detecting perfusion disturbances during microvascular free tissue transfer.

Methods: Conducted at a single centre from December 2020 to September 2022, this prospective study involved 71 patients mainly undergoing head and neck free flap reconstructions, using the Pocket LDF™ for continuous perfusion monitoring.

Results: Out of the 71 cases, data from 69 cases were analysed after excluding those with significant noise or sensor detachment.

The mediating role of behavioural and socio-structural factors on the association between household wealth and childhood malaria in Ghana.

Background: Children under five continue to bear a disproportionate burden of malaria morbidity and mortality in endemic countries. While the link between socioeconomic position (SEP) and malaria is well established, the causal pathways remain poorly understood, hindering the design and implementation of more targeted structural interventions. This study examines the association between SEP and malaria among children in Ghana and explores the potential mediating role of behavioural and socio-structural factors.

Safe and effective anticoagulation use: case studies in anticoagulation stewardship.

Anticoagulant use is prevalent and associated with significant potential for harm. Anticoagulation stewardship practice has emerged to address care gaps and promote safe, effective, and cost-conscious anticoagulation use across health care systems. We present 4 patient cases describing common challenges in anticoagulation management: inappropriate dosing of direct oral anticoagulants, the diagnosis and management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, periprocedural anticoagulation management, and heavy menstrual bleeding on anticoagulation.

Rounded Turn SLIM Design for High-Resolution Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Small Molecules.

Various rounded turn designs in Structures for Lossless Ion Manipulation (SLIM) were explored via ion trajectory simulations. The optimized design was integrated into a SLIM ion mobility (IM) system coupled with a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer (MS) for further experimental investigation. The SLIM-TOF IM-MS system was assessed for IM resolution and ion transmission efficiency across a wide / range using various RF frequencies and buffer gas combinations.

Practical guide to the diagnosis and management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an immune reaction to heparin associated with thrombocytopenia, thrombotic risk, and a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Given the frequent use of heparin and the common occurrence of thrombocytopenia in hospitalized patients, the diagnosis and management of HIT is a recurrent challenge in everyday inpatient care. This article presents practical guidance and tools to support the individual clinician providing evidence-based care to patients with suspected or confirmed HIT.

Viral condensates formed by Pea enation mosaic virus 2 sequester ribosomal components and suppress translation.

Viral proteins with intrinsic disorder, such as the p26 movement protein from Pea enation mosaic virus 2 (PEMV2), can phase separate and form condensates that aid specific stages of virus replication. However, little is known about the impact of viral condensate formation on essential cellular processes, like translation. In this study, we performed mass spectrometry on affinity-purified p26 condensates and found an enrichment of RNA-binding proteins involved in translation and ribosome biogenesis.

A Case Report of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Presenting as Isolated Mononeuropathy Multiplex.

Mononeuropathy multiplex is a pattern of progressive sensory and motor deficits in the distribution of two or more peripheral nerves. The differential for mononeuropathy multiplex includes vasculitis, autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, cryoglobulinemia, and paraneoplastic disease. We present a case of a 42-year-old woman with hypothyroidism who presented with 1 week of ascending numbness and weakness, persistent fevers, and 3 months of constant burning pain in both feet.

Barriers to Colonoscopy Quality Measurement in Rural Wisconsin.

Background: Patients in rural areas have limited colonoscopy access, which is critical for colorectal cancer prevention. General surgeons perform most colonoscopies in rural areas. The Surgical Collaborative of Wisconsin's Rural Task Force identified colonoscopy as a high-priority initiative due to high volume and lack of access to quality measurement, which is necessary to assess and ultimately improve colonoscopy performance.