Synovial fluid D-lactate - a pathogen-specific biomarker for septic arthritis: a prospective multicenter study.

Objectives: The performance of synovial fluid biomarker D-lactate to diagnose septic arthritis (SA) and differentiate it from crystal-induced arthritis (CA), other non-infectious rheumatic joint diseases (RD) and osteoarthrosis (OA) was evaluated.

Methods: Consecutive adult patients undergoing synovial fluid aspiration due to joint pain were prospectively included in different German and Swiss centers. Synovial fluid was collected for culture, leukocyte count and differentiation, detection of crystals, and D-lactate concentration.

Prostate biopsy sepsis prevention: external validation of an alcohol needle washing protocol.

Purpose: Transrectal ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy (TRUS-Bx) is associated with a 1-8% risk of post-biopsy sepsis (PBS). A recent study described an isopropyl alcohol needle washing protocol that significantly decreased PBS rates. The current study examined the efficacy of this technique in our clinic population.

A rare case of emphysematous cystitis due to .

Emphysematous cystitis (EC) is a rare condition characterized by gas within the bladder wall or lumen. EC is most commonly seen in elderly women with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (DM). and are most commonly implicated.

The Role of Alumni Networks and Career Advising in Early Career Stability of Urologists: Results of a Multi-institutional Study.

Objective: To characterize training program and early career factors that impact decision-making and job retention following graduation in a diverse population of urologists.

Materials And Methods: We performed a computer-based survey distributed to residency graduates from 25 urology training programs. Five focus institutions were identified with a goal >30% response rate.

Efficiency evaluation of a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic strategy combining high throughput quantitative antigen immunoassay and real time PCR.

Objectives: Laboratory testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has played an important role in the effort to prevent and contain local outbreaks. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a new fully automated SARS-CoV-2 laboratory-based antigen assay (CoV2Ag) and to explore the efficiency of a diagnostic algorithm combining antigen and conventional high-throughput molecular assays to address potential future challenges of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Methods: One thousand two hundred and twenty four consecutive nasopharyngeal swabs were tested using RT-PCR and CoV2Ag assay.

The cysteine S-H stretching mode reports on long-range conformational changes in pyruvate oxidase from E. coli.

The pyruvate oxidases from Escherichia coli (EcPOX) and Lactobacillus plantarum (LpPOX) are both thiamin-dependent flavoenzymes. Their sequence and structure are closely related, and they catalyse similar reactions-but they differ in their activity pattern: LpPOX is always highly active, EcPOX only when activated by lipids or limited proteolysis, both involving the protein's C-terminal 23 residues (the 'α-peptide'). Here, we relate the redox-induced infrared (IR) difference spectrum of EcPOX to its unusual activation mechanism.

Suspension of Oncology Randomized Clinical Trials during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of COVID-Related Suspensions.

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov-registered oncology randomized controlled trials between September 2019 and December 2021 to identify predictors of trial suspensions. The dataset included 1,183 oncology trials, of which 384 (32.

Quality of MALDI-TOF mass spectra in routine diagnostics: results from an international external quality assessment including 36 laboratories from 12 countries using 47 challenging bacterial strains.

Objectives: Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is a widely used method for bacterial species identification. Incomplete databases and mass spectral quality (MSQ) still represent major challenges. Important proxies for MSQ are the number of detected marker masses, reproducibility, and measurement precision.

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination in People with Multiple Sclerosis Treated with Fingolimod: Protective Humoral Immune Responses May Develop after the Preferred Third Shot.

Evidence suggests limited development of protective IgG responses to mRNA-based vaccines in sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR)-modulator treated individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). We studied the extent of the humoral immune response after the preferred third mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in S1PR-modulator treated people with MS (pwMS) and insufficient IgG responses after the standard immunization scheme. Eight pwMS that were treated with fingolimod received a third homologous SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine dose, either the Moderna's mRNA-1273 or Pfizer-BioNTech's BNT162b2 vaccine.

Direct antimicrobial resistance prediction from clinical MALDI-TOF mass spectra using machine learning.

Early use of effective antimicrobial treatments is critical for the outcome of infections and the prevention of treatment resistance. Antimicrobial resistance testing enables the selection of optimal antibiotic treatments, but current culture-based techniques can take up to 72 hours to generate results. We have developed a novel machine learning approach to predict antimicrobial resistance directly from matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectra profiles of clinical isolates.

Humoral Immune Response after the Third SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination in CD20 Depleted People with Multiple Sclerosis.

CD20 depletion is a risk factor for unfavorable outcomes of COVID-19 in people with MS (pwMS). Evidence suggests that protective IgG response to mRNA-based vaccines in B cell-depleted individuals is limited. We studied the seroconversion after the third mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in B cell-depleted pwMS with limited or no IgG response after the standard immunization.

Pudendal nerve block prior to inflatable penile prosthesis implantation: decreased intra-operative narcotic requirements.

The opioid epidemic has proven to be a public health crisis over the past two decades and efforts to decrease opioid exposure are sorely needed. Our objective was to determine whether pudendal nerve block utilization in the immediate pre-operative setting decreases intra-operative opioid analgesic requirements in veteran patients undergoing a primary inflatable penile prosthesis implantation. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of all patients undergoing penile prosthesis implantation between January 2017 and July 2020 at the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta, GA.

Transparency of racial participation reporting in randomized controlled trials of minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Background: Enrolment of racial/ethnic minorities in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has historically been poor, despite efforts at improving access to RCTs. Under-representation of racial/ethnic minorities limits the external validity and generalizability of trials. Our objective was to determine to what extent are published RCTs of minimally invasive surgical techniques reporting the racial composition of their study cohorts and to describe the racial composition of patients enrolled in these trials, where data were available.

Objective gustatory and olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 patients: a prospective cross-sectional study.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of objective gustatory (GD) and olfactory (OD) dysfunction in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: This is a prospective, cross-sectional study of 51 COVID-19 positive patients diagnosed using RT-PCR-based testing. Of these study participants, 41 reported having present GD and OD at the time of enrollment and ten patients were without symptomatic OD and GD.

Mood, Anxiety and Olfactory Dysfunction in COVID-19: Evidence of Central Nervous System Involvement?

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the burden of depressed mood and anxiety in COVID-19, and associated disease characteristics.

Materials And Methods: This is a prospective, cross-sectional study of 114 COVID-19 positive patients diagnosed using RT-PCR-based testing over a 6-week period. The two-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) and the two-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire (GAD-2) were used to measure depressed mood and anxiety level, respectively, at enrollment and for participants' baseline, pre-COVID-19 state.

Olfactory Dysfunction and Sinonasal Symptomatology in COVID-19: Prevalence, Severity, Timing, and Associated Characteristics.

Objective: Olfactory dysfunction (OD)-hyposmia or anosmia-is a symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We sought to better determine prevalence, severity, and timing of OD in COVID-19 relative to other sinonasal and pulmonary symptoms.

Study Design: Prospective, cross-sectional.

Use of the Fractional Excretion of Urea in an Azotemic Nonoliguric State: Type 1 Cardiorenal Syndrome.

The fractional excretion of urea is a useful tool to evaluate renal function in oliguric states; however, it remains unexplored in nonoliguric states. We evaluated its use to predict responses in patients with type 1 cardiorenal syndrome. This was a prospective observational study of 116 patients with type 1 cardiorenal syndrome referred over a 4-year period.

Garlic Burn to the Face.

Topical burns from the use of garlic have been reported rarely in the medical literature. Most cases have resulted from the use of naturopathic or home remedy treatments. A 20-year-old male military Servicemember presented to a military wound care clinic 7 days after applying a homemade topical preparation of garlic to the zygomatic region of the right side of his face.

The Technical and Biological Reproducibility of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) Based Typing: Employment of Bioinformatics in a Multicenter Study.

Background: The technical, biological, and inter-center reproducibility of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF MS) typing data has not yet been explored. The aim of this study is to compare typing data from multiple centers employing bioinformatics using bacterial strains from two past outbreaks and non-related strains.

Material/methods: Participants received twelve extended spectrum betalactamase-producing E.

Non-Seasonal Variation of Airborne Aspergillus Spore Concentration in a Hospital Building.

Nosocomial fungal infections are gaining increased attention from infectiologists. An adequate investigation into the levels of airborne Aspergillus and other fungal spores in hospital settings, under normal conditions, is largely unknown. We monitored airborne spore contamination in a Swiss hospital building in order to establish a seasonally-dependent base-line level.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass-spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) based typing of extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing E. coli--a novel tool for real-time outbreak investigation.

Epidemiologically linked clusters are confirmed by typing strains with molecular typing such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). We compared six extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing E. coli of a PFGE-related cluster with Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass-spectrometry based typing that confirmed relatedness faster and more cost-effective, but as reliable as PFGE.

Competitive protein adsorption to soft polymeric layers: binary mixtures and comparison to theory.

Nanoparticles immersed in biological fluids readily adsorb proteins. The protein corona thus generated on the surface of the particles largely determines their biological fate. Since biological fluids, e.

Bottlenecks and the maintenance of minor genotypes during the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei.

African trypanosomes are digenetic parasites that undergo part of their developmental cycle in mammals and part in tsetse flies. We established a novel technique to monitor the population dynamics of Trypanosoma brucei throughout its life cycle while minimising the confounding factors of strain differences or variation in fitness. Clones derived from a single trypanosome were tagged with short synthetic DNA sequences in a non-transcribed region of the genome.

The Virtual Family--development of surface-based anatomical models of two adults and two children for dosimetric simulations.

The objective of this study was to develop anatomically correct whole body human models of an adult male (34 years old), an adult female (26 years old) and two children (an 11-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy) for the optimized evaluation of electromagnetic exposure. These four models are referred to as the Virtual Family. They are based on high resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images of healthy volunteers.