An outbreak of Zika virus in western India in the metropolis of Pune in the monsoon of 2024.

Background: Sporadic cases and rare outbreaks of Zika Virus (ZIKV) have been reported in India since 2016. Between June to early September 2024; the city of Pune in western India was affected with a large outbreak of ZIKV. Here we report the analysis of epidemiological; clinical and genomic characteristics of the outbreak.

Pentablock thermoresponsive hydrogels for chemotherapeutic delivery in a pancreatic cancer model.

The design of biodegradable and thermoresponsive polymeric hydrogels with tuneable properties holds immense promise for localised and sustained drug delivery. In this study, we designed and synthesised a library of novel pentablock copolymers, incorporating poly(D,L-lactide) (PLA) into methoxypoly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ε-caprolactone)-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG-PCL-mPEG, or PECE) hydrogels to enhance the hydrolytic degradation and drug release profiles. A pentablock copolymer, methoxypoly(ethylene glycol)--poly(D,L lactide)--poly(ε-caprolactone)--poly(D,L lactide)--methoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG-PLA-PCL-PLA-mPEG, or PELCLE), was selected based on its thermoresponsive sol-gel transition behaviour at a physiologically relevant temperature (37 °C).

Ruxolitinib synergizes with regulatory T cells to improve inflammation but has no added benefits in decreasing albuminuria in SLE.

Background: Umbilical cord blood (UCB)-derived CD4CD25CD127 regulatory T cells (Tregs) can decrease albuminuria and anti-dsDNA IgG in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Ruxolitinib, a JAK/STAT inhibitor, has been shown to improve cutaneous manifestations of SLE. We hypothesize that the addition of ruxolitinib to UCB-Tregs may improve SLE outcomes.

Evaluation of a Game-Based Mechatronic Device for Rehabilitation of Hand-Arm Function in Children With Cerebral Palsy: Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as cerebral palsy (CP), often experience motor impairments in manual dexterity, which hinder daily tasks and social interactions. Traditional rehabilitation methods require repetitive task practice, which can be difficult for children to sustain due to low engagement. Game-based rehabilitation devices and robots offer a promising alternative by combining therapy with digital play, improving motivation and compliance.

Refining the interpretation of variants of uncertain significance in hereditary cancer screening through integrated RNA sequencing.

Purpose: Although up to 25% of germline variants are predicted to affect splicing, most are classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS) because of the limited understanding of their functional consequences. Here, we investigated the impact of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data on the ability to resolve splicing-related VUS.

Methods: Patients with VUS predicted to alter splicing identified through commercial hereditary cancer testing between October 2021 to July 2023 were included.

Deletion of ESX-3 and ESX-4 secretion systems in Mycobacterium abscessus results in highly impaired pathogenicity.

Type VII secretion systems participate in protein export, virulence, conjugation, and metabolic regulation. Five subtypes (ESX-1 to ESX-5) exist, each with specific roles and well-characterized secretion profiles in various mycobacterial species. Mycobacterium abscessus, encodes only ESX-3 and ESX-4.

Small-molecule modulators of B56-PP2A restore 4E-BP function to suppress eIF4E-dependent translation in cancer cells.

Dysregulated eIF4E-dependent translation is a central driver of tumorigenesis and therapy resistance. eIF4E-binding proteins (4E-BP1/2/3) are major negative regulators of eIF4E-dependent translation that are inactivated in tumors through inhibitory phosphorylation or downregulation. Previous studies have linked PP2A phosphatase(s) to activation of 4E-BP1.

Surgical risks and care trends: A cross sectional study of people experiencing homelessness presenting at a free clinic care in Miami-Dade County.

Background: The effects of housing insecurity on surgical care are under researched and largely unknown. Thus far, studies on surgery outcomes of people experiencing homelessness either focus on shelter-based patients or do not differentiate whether patients are sheltered or unsheltered, despite significant differences in care needs and health risks. Herein we provide the first report on surgical care trends of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

Anterior mediastinal tracheostomy - a salvage procedure for tracheal necrosis after thyroidectomy for medullary thyroid cancer: a case-report.

A 34-year-old male patient with recently diagnosed with medullary thyroid carcinoma underwent total thyroidectomy and radical neck dissection, requiring sharp dissection to separate the tumour from the trachea. He required post operative intubation due to bilateral vocal cord paralysis. He developed ischaemic necrosis of the upper two thirds of the trachea presenting with marked surgical emphysema and an infective wound.

Enhancing Emergency Department Safety: Implementation of a Dedicated Chest Drain Trolley to Optimize Care for Pneumothorax Patients.

Delays in accessing chest drain equipment in the Emergency Department (ED) posed significant risks to patient safety, particularly for those with life-threatening pneumothorax. This quality improvement project (QIP) aimed to reduce these delays by implementing a dedicated chest drain trolley using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology. Surveys and simulations identified key issues, including equipment inaccessibility and staff unfamiliarity, with baseline preparation times exceeding 20 minutes.

Cord blood T regulatory cells synergize with ruxolitinib to improve GVHD outcomes.

Background: Adoptive therapy with umbilical cord blood (UCB) T-regulatory (Treg) cells can prevent graft vs. host disease (GVHD). We hypothesize that UCB Tregs can treat GVHD and synergize with ruxolitinib, Jak2 inhibitor, to improve outcomes.

Workplace Safety and Screening of Healthcare Workers for SARS-CoV-2 at a Tertiary Care Hospital in the Northern Emirates of United Arab Emirates.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, People's Republic of China, and caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), As the virus took hold in the world, health experts paced efforts to solve the unknown nature of this threat.

Methodology: We studied the clinical characteristics, laboratory biomarkers of healthcare workers in the single center, analytical cross-sectional study conducted in tertiary care hospital of the UAE. Sample size of 600 HCWs were screened for SARS-CoV-2 by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay using Seegene Allplex and Andis FAST SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR detection kits for a period of 6 months.

Prosthetic Condyle with Concurrent Microvascular Reconstruction for Mandibular Disarticulation Defects: A Retrospective Series.

Introduction: Reconstruction of mandibular disarticulation defects is a challenging area of head and neck surgery, with a variety of options available for replacement of the condylar head. The gold standard is autogenous reconstruction of the condyle-ramus unit. The use of a prosthetic condylar head is controversial, but in challenging cases, and those with a likely poor prognosis it may be considered and can achieve a good functional result.

Clinical Validation of a Prenatal Cell-Free DNA Screening Test for Fetal RHD in a Large U.S. Cohort.

Objective: To present a large U.S. clinical validation of a next-generation sequencing-based, noninvasive prenatal cell-free DNA test for fetal RHD .

Structural Properties of [N1888][TFSI] Ionic Liquid: A Small Angle Neutron Scattering and Polarizable Molecular Dynamics Study.

In this study, we investigate the quaternary ammonium-based ionic liquid (QAIL), methyltrioctylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [N][TFSI], utilizing small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements and polarizable molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to characterize the short- and long-range liquid structure. Scattering structure factors show signatures of three length scales in reciprocal space indicative of alternating polarity ( ∼ 0.44 Å), charge ( ∼ 0.

Breath Analysis Using Quartz Tuning Forks for Predicting Blood Glucose Levels Using Artificial Neural Networks.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM), a widespread metabolic disorder, poses lifelong health implications, demanding timely diagnosis and cautious monitoring for effective disease management. Traditional blood glucose tests are invasive and require medical expertise for intermittent checking, motivating the investigation of alternative, noninvasive methods. This study introduces an approach employing breath analysis through a set of 12 quartz tuning fork-based sensors enhanced using nanomaterials and dedicated artificial neural network (ANN) algorithms for data interpretation.

CXCR4-enriched T regulatory cells preferentially home to bone marrow and resolve inflammation.

CXCR4 cell surface expression is critical for the homing of T regulatory (Treg) cells to the bone marrow (BM). We hypothesize that CXCR4 enrichment on Tregs cell surface may abbreviate their transit time to reach BM. Umbilical cord-blood CD25 Tregs underwent CXCR4 dual enrichment and expansion using the CRANE process to generate CXCR4-enriched Tregs (Treg) cells, which showed a faster migration across the Transwell membrane toward CXCL12/stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF1α) at 15, 30, and 60 min, when compared to unmanipulated Treg cells ( < 0.

Mechanistic analysis of Riboswitch Ligand interactions provides insights into pharmacological control over gene expression.

Riboswitches are structured RNA elements that regulate gene expression upon binding to small molecule ligands. Understanding the mechanisms by which small molecules impact riboswitch activity is key to developing potent, selective ligands for these and other RNA targets. We report the structure-informed design of chemically diverse synthetic ligands for PreQ riboswitches.

Photochemical Mechanism of Co-C Bond Activation via Triplet Energy Transfer in Ethyl(aqua)cobaloxime.

The photochemical decomposition of ethyl(aqua)cobaloxime, [EtCo(dmgH)HO], a vitamin B derivative model complex, was investigated to understand the mechanism of the Co-C bond scission induced by light. Upon irradiation of [EtCo(dmgH)HO], the Co-C bond undergoes homolytic scission, resulting in Et/Co(II) radical pair (RP) formation in a similar fashion observed in alkylcobalamins. The [EtCo(dmgH)HO] complex acts as a potent quencher of a wide variety of excited states in the presence of organic molecules such as benzophenone.

Deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying anti-pathogenic potential of a polyherbal formulation Enteropan® against multidrug-resistant .

Objective: Anti-pathogenic potential of a polyherbal formulation Enteropan® was investigated against a multidrug-resistant strain of the bacterium .

Methods: Growth, pigment production, antibiotic susceptibility, etc., were assessed through appropriate assays.

An Unsupervised Error Detection Methodology for Detecting Mislabels in Healthcare Analytics.

Medical datasets may be imbalanced and contain errors due to subjective test results and clinical variability. The poor quality of original data affects classification accuracy and reliability. Hence, detecting abnormal samples in the dataset can help clinicians make better decisions.