Antibacterial potency of mid-polar extracts obtained from Malaysian plant Parkia speciosa against human pathogenic bacteria.

Background And Objectives: Plants contain a wide variety of bioactive compounds, which have attracted the interest of researchers in finding novel sources of natural medicine. In the following paper, we aim to evaluate the antibacterial potential of extract fractions associated with Parkia speciosa pods and beans against human pathogenic bacteria.

Methods: Antimicrobial activity was determined with disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays against eight skin colonising microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia followed by further fractionation of the pods ethyl acetate fraction by column chromatography along with preparative thin-layer chromatography.

Large-scale meta-genome-wide association study reveals common genetic factors linked to radiation-induced acute toxicities across cancer types.

Background: This study was designed to identify common genetic susceptibility and shared genetic variants associated with acute radiation-induced toxicity across 4 cancer types (prostate, head and neck, breast, and lung).

Methods: A genome-wide association study meta-analysis was performed using 19 cohorts totaling 12 042 patients. Acute standardized total average toxicity (STATacute) was modelled using a generalized linear regression model for additive effect of genetic variants, adjusted for demographic and clinical covariates (rSTATacute).

Contouring variation affects estimates of normal tissue complication probability for breast fibrosis after radiotherapy.

Background: Normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models can be useful to estimate the risk of fibrosis after breast-conserving surgery (BCS) and radiotherapy (RT) to the breast. However, they are subject to uncertainties. We present the impact of contouring variation on the prediction of fibrosis.

Rapid systematic review of respiratory rate as a vital sign of clinical deterioration in COVID-19.

Objectives: This meta-analysis aimed to establish a clinical evidence base for respiratory rate (RR) as a single predictor of early-onset COVID-19. The review also looked to determine the practical implementation of mobile respiratory rate measuring devices where information was available.

Methods: We focused on domestic settings with older adults.