Transferrin Saturation, Serum Iron, and Ferritin in Heart Failure: Prognostic Significance and Proteomic Associations.

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) is currently defined as a serum ferritin level <100 or 100 to 299 ng/mL with transferrin saturation (TSAT) <20%. Serum ferritin and TSAT are currently used to define absolute and functional ID. However, individual markers of iron metabolism may be more informative than current arbitrary definitions of ID.

A systematic review on the roles of remote diagnosis in telemedicine system: Coherent taxonomy, insights, recommendations, and open research directions for intelligent healthcare solutions.

Background: The term 'remote diagnosis' in telemedicine describes the procedure wherein medical practitioners diagnose patients remotely by using telecommunications technology. With this method, patients can obtain medical care without having to physically visit a hospital, which can be helpful for people who live in distant places or have restricted mobility. When people in the past had health issues, they were usually sent to the hospital, where they received clinical examinations, diagnoses, and treatment at the facility.

Proteome-Wide Genetic Investigation of Large Artery Stiffness.

The molecular mechanisms contributing to large artery stiffness (LAS) are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between circulating plasma proteins and LAS using complementary proteomic and genomic analyses. A total of 106 proteins associated with carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity, a noninvasive measure of LAS, were identified in 1,178 individuals from the Asklepios study cohort.

Proteomic Correlates and Prognostic Significance of Kidney Injury in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background: Kidney disease is common in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). However, the biologic correlates and prognostic significance of kidney injury (KI), in HFpEF, beyond the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), are unclear.

Methods And Results: Using baseline plasma samples from the TOPCAT (Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist) trial, we measured the following KI biomarkers: cystatin-C, fatty acid-binding protein-3, Beta-2 microglobulin, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and kidney-injury molecule-1.

Prognostic Significance and Biologic Associations of Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype Biomarkers in Heart Failure.

Background: The role of cellular senescence in human heart failure (HF) remains unclear. The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) is composed of proteins released by senescent cells. We assessed the prognostic significance and biologic pathways associated with the SASP in human HF using a plasma proteomics approach.

The Hepatic Imposter: Solitary Necrotic Nodules Masquerading as Hepatic Metastasis.

Solitary necrotic nodules in the liver present a diagnostic challenge due to their rarity and resemblance to metastatic tumors. We report a case where imaging revealed multiple hepatic lesions suggestive of malignancy, prompting a needle biopsy. Histopathology confirmed necrosis without malignancy.

Thoracic Aortic Three-Dimensional Geometry.

Background: Aortic structure impacts cardiovascular health through multiple mechanisms. Aortic structural degeneration occurs with aging, increasing left ventricular afterload and promoting increased arterial pulsatility and target organ damage. Despite the impact of aortic structure on cardiovascular health, three-dimensional (3D) aortic geometry has not been comprehensively characterized in large populations.

Duodenal Carcinosarcoma: An Apple-Core Lesion Causing Gastric Outlet Obstruction.

We present a case of a 58-year-old male with a rare duodenal carcinosarcoma causing gastric outlet obstruction. Despite its aggressive nature and poor prognosis, with only 12 documented cases in the literature, this report sheds light on the clinical presentation and challenges in diagnosis and treatment. Carcinosarcoma, characterized by both carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements, poses difficulties in management due to its diverse tissue characteristics.

Bigger Than a Hen's Egg: A Case of Bouveret Syndrome.

Bouveret syndrome, a rare complication of cholelithiasis resulting in gallstone ileus, presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its low incidence and nonspecific symptoms. We report a case of Bouveret syndrome in a middle-aged male without significant medical history, emphasizing the need for heightened clinical suspicion. Diagnostic imaging, including computed tomography and upper endoscopy, revealed gastric outlet obstruction and a cholecystoduodenal fistula.

Urinary Proteomics and Outcomes in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background: Although several studies have addressed plasma proteomics in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, limited data are available on the prognostic value of urinary proteomics. The objective of our study was to identify urinary proteins/peptides associated with death and heart failure admission in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Methods And Results: The study population included participants enrolled in TOPCAT (Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure With an Aldosterone Antagonist Trial).

Proteomic Associations of Adverse Outcomes in Human Heart Failure.

Background: Identifying novel molecular drivers of disease progression in heart failure (HF) is a high-priority goal that may provide new therapeutic targets to improve patient outcomes. The authors investigated the relationship between plasma proteins and adverse outcomes in HF and their putative causal role using Mendelian randomization.

Methods And Results: The authors measured 4776 plasma proteins among 1964 participants with HF with a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction enrolled in PHFS (Penn Heart Failure Study).

Machine learning solutions for renewable energy systems: Applications, challenges, limitations, and future directions.

The Paris Agreement, a landmark international treaty signed in 2016 to limit global warming to 2°C, has urged researchers to explore various strategies for achieving its ambitious goals. While Renewable Energy (RE) innovation holds promise, it alone may not be sufficient as critical deadlines approach. This field of research presents numerous challenges, foremost among them being the costliness of materials involved.

Proteomic Associations of NT-proBNP (N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide) in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Background: NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) levels are variably elevated in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), even in the presence of increased left ventricular filling pressures. NT-proBNP levels are prognostic in HFpEF and have been used as an inclusion criterion for several recent randomized clinical trials. However, the underlying biologic differences between HFpEF participants with high and low NT-proBNP levels remain to be fully understood.

Prevalence of dental midline shifting among 7- to 15-year-old children in Babylon/Iraq.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of dental midline shifting in a group of children with mixed dentition aged 7-15 years in Babylon/Iraq and assess the association between different variables including gender, age stages, residency, and Angle's classes of malocclusions with midline shifting.

Materials And Method: A total of 300 dentate children aged 7-15 years (119 males and 131 females) were randomly chosen from children who visited the Department of Orthodontics, Pedodontics, and Prevention at the College of Dentistry/University of Babylon. The participants were from various environmental areas (162 urban and 88 rural area subjects).

Proteomic Correlates of the Urinary Protein/Creatinine Ratio in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Proteinuria is common in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), but its biologic correlates are poorly understood. We assessed the relation between 49 plasma proteins and the urinary protein/creatinine ratio (UPCR) in 365 participants in the Treatment of Preserved Cardiac Function Heart Failure with an Aldosterone Antagonist Trial. Linear regression and network analysis were used to represent relations between protein biomarkers and UPCR.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder: Update on treatment and novel therapies.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is rare and heterogeneous lymphoid proliferations that occur as a result of immunosuppression following solid organ transplant (SOT) and haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) with the majority being driven by EBV. Although some histologies are similar to lymphoid neoplasms seen in immunocompetent patients, treatment of PTLD may be different due to difference in pathobiology and higher risk of treatment complications. The most common treatment approach in SOT PTLD after failing immunosuppression reduction (RIS) takes into consideration a risk-stratified sequential algorithm with rituximab +/- chemotherapy based on phase 2 studies.

Inelastic rotations and pseudoturbulent plastic avalanches in crystals.

Plastic deformations in crystals produce microstructures with randomly oriented patches of unstressed lattice forming complex textures. We use a mesoscopic Landau-type tensorial model of crystal plasticity to show that in such textures rotations can originate from crystallographically exact microslips which self organize in the form of laminates of a pseudotwin type. The formation of such laminates can be viewed as an effective internal "wrinkling" of the crystal lattice.

CDC's COVID-19 International Vaccine Implementation and Evaluation Program and Lessons from Earlier Vaccine Introductions.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) supports international partners in introducing vaccines, including those against SARS-CoV-2 virus. CDC contributes to the development of global technical tools, guidance, and policy for COVID-19 vaccination and has established its COVID-19 International Vaccine Implementation and Evaluation (CIVIE) program. CIVIE supports ministries of health and their partner organizations in developing or strengthening their national capacities for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of COVID-19 vaccination programs.

A Randomized Trial of Lipid Metabolism Modulation with Fenofibrate for Acute Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Background Abnormal cellular lipid metabolism appears to underlie SARS-CoV-2 cytotoxicity and may involve inhibition of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARα). Fenofibrate, a PPAR-α activator, modulates cellular lipid metabolism. Fenofibric acid has also been shown to affect the dimerization of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, the cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2.

Antileishmanial Agents Co-loaded in Transfersomes with Enhanced Macrophage Uptake and Reduced Toxicity.

The prime objective of this study was to develop amphotericin B (AMB) and rifampicin (RIF) co-loaded transfersomal gel (AMB-RIF co-loaded TFG) for effective treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL). AMB-RIF co-loaded TF was prepared by the thin-film hydration method and was optimized based on particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, entrapment efficiency (%EE), and deformability index. Similarly, AMB-RIF co-loaded TFG was characterized in terms of rheology, spread ability, and pH.

Tissue levels of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3) in mycosis fungoides.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is a type of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with proposed multifactorial etiology. Suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 (SOCS-3) is one of the proteins expressed in MF. Its exact role in disease pathogenesis has not yet been thoroughly investigated.

Knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices (KAP) towards hand hygiene in medical students versus the public.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated morbidity, mortality, and economic disruption has reignited interest in simple protective and preventive measures.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of hand hygiene in a sample of medical students in Ireland and members of the public to evaluate these within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explored any differences between the two groups.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 on emergency department healthcare workers in a tertiary care center during a national economic crisis.

Background: Since the declaration of the novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) and staff in the Emergency Departments (ED) started experiencing feelings of anxiety and fear from the projected exponential spread and the potential burden on the healthcare system and infrastructure. In Lebanon, major local factors contributing to this fear were the rapid escalation of COVID-19 cases across the country, the lack of preparedness, and the shortage of personal protective equipment, in addition to the evolving economic crisis and financial restrictions. This study aims to investigate the immediate psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on ED staff working in a hospital environment in relation to their household income.

Discrete flower pollination algorithm for patient admission scheduling problem.

This paper aims to tackle the Patient Admission Scheduling Problem (PASP) using the Discrete Flower Pollination Algorithm (DFPA), a new, meta-heuristic optimization method based on plant pollination. PASP is one of the most important problems in the field of health care. It is a highly constrained and combinatorial optimization problem of assigning patients to medical resources in a hospital, subject to predefined constraints, while maximizing patient comfort.