Inverse linear association between blood haemoglobin and oxygen saturation accuracy measured by pulse oximetry: a cross-sectional analysis in individuals with COVID-19 infection.

Background: Pulse oximetry measures oxygen saturation non-invasively by using differential absorption of infrared signals which are dependent on the oxyhaemoglobin:deoxyhaemoglobin ratio. We tested the hypothesis that pulse oximetry error in measurements of blood oxygen saturations may be associated with blood haemoglobin levels.

Methods: The study design was an observational study of all adult patients admitted to a large teaching hospital with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection from February 2020 to December 2021 who had arterial blood gases (ABG) drawn.

Physiological deterioration prior to in-hospital cardiac arrest: What does the National Early Warning Score-2 miss?

Aim: To determine the frequency with which the National Early Warning Score-2 (NEWS-2) fails to detect physiological deterioration preceding in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of all adult patients (age ≥ 18) who had suffered an IHCA between 1st July 2019 and 31st December 2021 in two large acute hospitals located in an urban centre (Nottingham, UK). Clinical observations and case notes were examined for the period leading up to IHCA events to determine if there was evidence of physiological deterioration which warranted an urgent patient assessment, whether NEWS-2 was triggered, and whether an urgent assessment actually took place.

A requirement for the use of supplementary oxygen to guide medical treatment decisions may introduce bias against non-white individuals.

https://bit.ly/4b8AFfw

Real-world implementation of the National Early Warning Score-2 in an acute respiratory unit.

Introduction: The National Early Warning Score-2 (NEWS-2) is used to detect deteriorating patients in hospital settings. We aimed to understand how NEWS-2 functions in the real-life setting of an acute respiratory unit.

Methods: Clinical observations data were extracted for adult patients (age ≥18 years), admitted under the care of respiratory medicine services from July to December 2019, who had at least one recorded task relating to clinical deterioration.

Respiratory rate responses to both hypercapnia and acidaemia are modified by age in patients with acidosis.

Objective: To explore the associations between arterial pO, pCO and pH and how these are modified by age.

Methods: An analysis of 2598 patients admitted with a diagnosis of Covid-19 infection to a large UK teaching hospital.

Results: There were inverse associations for arterial pO, pCO and pH with respiratory rate.

Inverse association between blood pressure and pulse oximetry accuracy: an observational study in patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Background: Pulse oximeters are a standard non-invasive tool to measure blood oxygen levels, and are used in multiple healthcare settings. It is important to understand the factors affecting their accuracy to be able to use them optimally and safely. This analysis aimed to explore the association of the measurement error of pulse oximeters with systolic BP, diastolic BP and heart rate (HR) within ranges of values commonly observed in clinical practice.

Pulse oximeter measurement error of oxygen saturation in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection stratified by smoking status.

https://bit.ly/3RunKtL

Predicting Need for Escalation of Care or Death From Repeated Daily Clinical Observations and Laboratory Results in Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2.

We compared the performance of prognostic tools for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) using parameters fitted either at the time of hospital admission or across all time points of an admission. This cohort study used clinical data to model the dynamic change in prognosis of SARS-CoV-2 at a single hospital center in the United Kingdom, including all patients admitted from February 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020, and then followed up for 60 days for intensive care unit (ICU) admission, death, or discharge from the hospital. We incorporated clinical observations and blood tests into 2 time-varying Cox proportional hazards models predicting daily 24- to 48-hour risk of admission to the ICU for those eligible for escalation of care or death for those ineligible for escalation.

Age modifies both the maximal temperature and inflammatory response in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Objective: To determine the maximal response of the temperature and inflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and how these are modified by age.

Methods: Participants were patients admitted to hospital with SARS-CoV-2 infection. For each participant, the maximal temperature and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) were identified and stratified by age.

Pulse oximeter measurements vary across ethnic groups: an observational study in patients with COVID-19.

https://bit.ly/3fCeJP7

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on prevalence of Clostridioides difficile infection in a UK tertiary centre.

Serious concerns have been raised about a possible increase in cases of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a retrospective observational single centre study which revealed that total combined community and hospital-based quarterly rates of CDI decreased during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period.

Chest Radiograph Scoring Alone or Combined with Other Risk Scores for Predicting Outcomes in COVID-19.

Background Radiographic severity may help predict patient deterioration and outcomes from COVID-19 pneumonia. Purpose To assess the reliability and reproducibility of three chest radiograph reporting systems (radiographic assessment of lung edema [RALE], Brixia, and percentage opacification) in patients with proven SARS-CoV-2 infection and examine the ability of these scores to predict adverse outcomes both alone and in conjunction with two clinical scoring systems, National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) and International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium: Coronavirus Clinical Characterization Consortium (ISARIC-4C) mortality. Materials and Methods This retrospective cohort study used routinely collected clinical data of patients with polymerase chain reaction-positive SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to a single center from February 2020 through July 2020.

The Second Site Modifier, Encodes a Homolog of Arabidopsis ENHANCED DISEASE RESISTANCE4 and Rescues the Maize Mutant.

encodes a plasma membrane-localized receptor-like kinase required for normal development of maize () leaves, internodes, and inflorescences. The semidominant mutation lacks kinase activity, and phenotypic severity is dependent on inbred background. We created near isogenic lines and assayed the phenotype in multiple environments.

Initiation of ER Body Formation and Indole Glucosinolate Metabolism by the Plastidial Retrograde Signaling Metabolite, MEcPP.

Plants have evolved tightly regulated signaling networks to respond and adapt to environmental perturbations, but the nature of the signaling hub(s) involved have remained an enigma. We have previously established that methylerythritol cyclodiphosphate (MEcPP), a precursor of plastidial isoprenoids and a stress-specific retrograde signaling metabolite, enables cellular readjustments for high-order adaptive functions. Here, we specifically show that MEcPP promotes two Brassicaceae-specific traits, namely endoplasmic reticulum (ER) body formation and induction of indole glucosinolate (IGs) metabolism selectively, via transcriptional regulation of key regulators NAI1 for ER body formation and MYB51/122 for IGs biosynthesis).

The matrix protein Fibulin-5 is at the interface of tissue stiffness and inflammation in fibrosis.

Fibrosis is a pervasive disease in which the excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) compromises tissue function. Although the underlying mechanisms are mostly unknown, matrix stiffness is increasingly appreciated as a contributor to fibrosis rather than merely a manifestation of the disease. Here we show that the loss of Fibulin-5, an elastic fibre component, not only decreases tissue stiffness, but also diminishes the inflammatory response and abrogates the fibrotic phenotype in a mouse model of cutaneous fibrosis.

The need for agriculture phenotyping: "moving from genotype to phenotype".

Unlabelled: Increase in the world population has called for the increased demand for agricultural productivity. Traditional methods to augment crop and animal production are facing exacerbating pressures in keeping up with population growth. This challenge has in turn led to the transformational change in the use of biotechnology tools to meet increased productivity for both plant and animal systems.

The HUPO initiative on Model Organism Proteomes, iMOP.

The community working on model organisms is growing steadily and the number of model organisms for which proteome data are being generated is continuously increasing. To standardize efforts and to make optimal use of proteomics data acquired from model organisms, a new Human Proteome Organisation (HUPO) initiative on model organism proteomes (iMOP) was approved at the HUPO Ninth Annual World Congress in Sydney, 2010. iMOP will seek to stimulate scientific exchange and disseminate HUPO best practices.

Regulatory network of microRNAs in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells.

microRNAs (miRNA) play important roles in regulating immunity. Here we utilize the systems biology approach to predict the regulatory network of miRNAs among the most down-regulated genes by the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) treatment in the macrophage RAW267.4 cell line.

Alterations in oxidative phosphorylation complex proteins in the hearts of transgenic mice that overexpress the p38 MAP kinase activator, MAP kinase kinase 6.

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) has critical consequences in the heart. Recent studies on the functions of I/R-activated kinases, such as p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), showed that I/R injury is reduced in the hearts of transgenic mice that overexpress the p38 MAPK activator MAPK kinase 6 (MKK6). This protection may be fostered by changes in the levels of many proteins not currently known to be regulated by p38.