Comparison of positive BioFire FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis (ME) panels, CSF cultures, CSF parameters, clinical presentation and in-patient mortality among patients with bacterial and fungal meningitis.

Unlabelled: The BioFire FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis panel (MEP) was brought to the University of Kentucky in 2016 to aid in the identification of community-acquired meningitis and encephalitis (ME). This panel has shown variable performance with some institutions showing high sensitivity and specificity for many pathogens but others seeing false positives during clinical use. We evaluated the panel's performance using retrospective chart review of patients at the University of Kentucky from October 2016 to September 2022, including 7,551 MEP results.

Association of Low Protein-to-Carbohydrate Energy Ratio with Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Type 2 Diabetes Patients.

Background/objectives: The relationship between macronutrient intake and cognitive decline in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains underexplored.

Methods: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the association between the protein-to-carbohydrate energy ratio (%E:P) and cognitive impairment among 192 elderly T2DM patients. Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam (SAGE), while dietary intake data, including (%E:P), was gathered using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire.

The significance of low titer serum cryptococcal antigen testing from 2017 to 2023 performed in a tertiary care center.

Several false positive low serum cryptococcal antigen (SCrAg) reports by lateral flow assay (LFA) were identified in late 2016 at our tertiary care hospital. After the recall and correction of the problem in the reagent, we studied the significance of SCrAg LFA ≤ 1:10 from January 2017 to October 2023. Of 20 patients with 31 samples of SCrAg LFA ≤ 1:10, 14 patients (70%) were classified as true positives, four (20%) were indeterminate, and only two (10%) patients were false positives.

Syntaxin-6 delays prion protein fibril formation and prolongs the presence of toxic aggregation intermediates.

Prions replicate via the autocatalytic conversion of cellular prion protein (PrP) into fibrillar assemblies of misfolded PrP. While this process has been extensively studied in vivo and in vitro, non-physiological reaction conditions of fibril formation in vitro have precluded the identification and mechanistic analysis of cellular proteins, which may alter PrP self-assembly and prion replication. Here, we have developed a fibril formation assay for recombinant murine and human PrP (23-231) under near-native conditions (NAA) to study the effect of cellular proteins, which may be risk factors or potential therapeutic targets in prion disease.

Opinion, Use and Knowledge About Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Spain: A National Survey of Mental Health Professionals.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive method of neuromodulation with heterogeneous usage between countries, which may be potentially influenced by healthcare professionals' opinions. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, acceptability, and attitudes of mental health professionals in Spain towards TMS. A cross-sectional multicentric study was conducted using an online survey, with 219 participants including psychiatrists, psychologists, and residents.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Adherence to Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer in Catalonia (Spain).

. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adherence to oral endocrine therapy in patients diagnosed with breast cancer in the public healthcare system in Catalonia (Spain). .

A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study of Paediatric Coeliac Disease in Catalonia Showed a Downward Trend in Prevalence Compared to the Previous Decade.

(1) Background: Previous studies showed an increased prevalence and incidence of coeliac disease (CD) over time. The objective is to ascertain whether the CD prevalence in Catalonia (a region of Southern Europe) among children aged 1-5 is as high as previously found in 2004-2009; (2) Methods: From 2013 to 2019, 3659 subjects aged 1-5 years were recruited following the previously used methodology. Factors with a potential impact on CD prevalence were investigated; (3) Results: In 2013-2019, 43/3659 subjects had positive serology, giving a standardised seroprevalence of 12.

Prion protein conversion at two distinct cellular sites precedes fibrillisation.

The self-templating nature of prions plays a central role in prion pathogenesis and is associated with infectivity and transmissibility. Since propagation of proteopathic seeds has now been acknowledged a principal pathogenic process in many types of dementia, more insight into the molecular mechanism of prion replication is vital to delineate specific and common disease pathways. By employing highly discriminatory anti-PrP antibodies and conversion-tolerant PrP chimera, we here report that de novo PrP conversion and formation of fibril-like PrP aggregates are distinct in mechanistic and kinetic terms.

Gene Expression Analysis by Quantitative Real-Time PCR for Floral Tissues.

Real-time, or quantitative, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is a powerful method for rapid and reliable quantification of mRNA abundance. Although it has not featured prominently in flower development research in the past, the availability of novel techniques for the synchronized induction of flower development, or for the isolation of cell-specific mRNA populations, suggests that detailed quantitative analyses of gene expression over time and in specific tissues and cell types by qRT-PCR will become more widely used. In this chapter, we discuss specific considerations for studying gene expression by using qRT-PCR, such as the identification of suitable reference genes for the experimental set-up used.

Cancer treatment data available in European cancer registries: Where are we and where are we going?

Population-based cancer registries are responsible for collecting incidence and survival data on all reportable neoplasms within a defined geographical area. During the last decades, the role of cancer registries has evolved beyond monitoring epidemiological indicators, as they are expanding their activities to studies on cancer aetiology, prevention, and quality of care. This expansion relies also on the collection of additional clinical data, such as stage at diagnosis and cancer treatment.

Enhancing the photosensitizing activity of natural flavins: Tuning the heavy-atom effect in the isoalloxazine series.

Structure-photosensitizing activity relationships for a series of flavin analogues were investigated with the final goal of identifying the most potent photosensitizer in these series. The main structural modifications involved the introduction of various halogen atoms in C- and/or C-positions on the isoalloxazine ring. These compounds were synthesized by reacting judiciously-functionalized anilines with alloxan.

Investigating the photosensitization activities of flavins irradiated by blue LEDs.

Due to their ability to easily absorb light and to generate highly reactive species, photosensitizers emerged as promising tools in a wide variety of physico-chemical and biological processes. Natural photosensitizers have the benefit of a life-compatible toxicological profile. Porphyrins and flavins are such examples that already proved their efficiency as photo-dynamic therapeutics.

Cancer diagnosis in Catalonia (Spain) after two years of COVID-19 pandemic: an incomplete recovery.

Background: This study aimed to estimate potential undetected cancers over the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Catalonia.

Methods: Cancer incidence was compared between pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic (March 2020-January 2022) periods in the Catalan Pathology Registry (CPR) according to sex, age, and tumor site. The correlation between cancer diagnosis and COVID-19 health care workload was also evaluated by means of the Pearson's correlation coefficient (R).

A semi-industrial scale AnMBR for municipal wastewater treatment at ambient temperature: performance of the biological process.

A semi-industrial scale AnMBR plant was operated for more than 600 days to evaluate the long-term operation of this technology at ambient temperature (ranging from 10 to 27 C), variable hydraulic retention times (HRT) (from 25 to 41 h) and influent loads (mostly between 15 and 45 kg COD·d). The plant was fed with sulfate-rich high-loaded municipal wastewater from the pre-treatment of a full-scale WWTP. The results showed promising AnMBR performance as the core technology for wastewater treatment, obtaining an average 87.

Risk factors of severe blastomycosis and comparison of diagnosis and outcomes between immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients.

Background: Blastomycosis is an endemic fungal infection that causes pulmonary and systemic disease. It can occur irrespective of the patient's immune status. The risk factors associated with the severity of the disease are not well studied.

Risk Attitude in Multicriteria Decision Analysis: A Compromise Approach.

In fields on which decisions need to be taken including health, as we are seeing nowadays in the COVID-19 crisis, decision-makers face multiple criteria and results with a random component. In stochastic multicriteria decision-making models, the risk attitude of the decision maker is a relevant factor. Traditionally, the shape of a utility function is the only element that represents the decision maker's risk attitude.

Changing demographics and risk factors for cryptococcosis: A 12-year review at a tertiary care centre.

Background: Cryptococcosis is classically associated with the immunocompromised patients but there is a rising appreciation for its impact on the immunocompetent hosts. We sought to analyse the trends, diagnosis, treatment of different hosts and the effect of immunodeficiency and chronic liver disease on relapse and in-house mortality.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of 12 years of patients with cryptococcosis, divided into three different groups: HIV-infected, transplant and non-HIV non-transplant (NHNT).

Flavin-Conjugated Nanobombs: Key Structural Requirements Governing Their Self-Assemblies' Morphologies.

In contrast to artificial molecules, natural photosensitizers have the benefit of excellent toxicity profiles and of life-compatible activating energy ranges. Flavins are such photosensitizers that were selected by nature in a plethora of light-triggered biochemical reactions. Flavin-rich nanoparticles could thus emerge as promising tools in photodynamic therapies and in active-targeting drug delivery.

Modeling the anaerobic treatment of sulfate-rich urban wastewater: Application to AnMBR technology.

Although anaerobic membrane bioreactors (AnMBR) are a core technology in the transition of urban wastewater (UWW) treatment towards a circular economy, the transition is being held back by a number of bottlenecks. The dissolved methane released from the effluent, the need to remove nutrients (ideally by recovery), or the energy lost by the competition between methanogenic and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) for the biodegradable COD have been identified as the main issues to be addressed before AnMBR becomes widespread. Mathematical modeling of this technology can be used to obtain further insights into these bottlenecks plus other valuable information for design, simulation and control purposes.