Label-free microfluidic enrichment of photoreceptor cells.

Inherited retinal degenerative disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa and Usher syndrome are characterized by progressive death of photoreceptor cells. To restore vision to patients blinded by these diseases, a stem cell-based photoreceptor cell replacement strategy will likely be required. Although retinal stem cell differentiation protocols suitable for generating photoreceptor cells exist, they often yield a rather heterogenous mixture of cell types.

I-125 or Pd-103 for brachytherapy boost in men with high-risk prostate cancer: A comparison of survival and morbidity outcomes.

Purpose: Brachytherapy boost improves biochemical recurrence rates in men with high-risk prostate cancer (HRPC). Few data are available on whether one isotope is superior to another. We compared the oncologic and morbidity outcomes of I-125 and Pd-103 in men with HRPC receiving brachytherapy.

Rapid Diet Assessment Screening Tools for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Reduction Across Healthcare Settings: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

It is critical that diet quality be assessed and discussed at the point of care with clinicians and other members of the healthcare team to reduce the incidence and improve the management of diet-related chronic disease, especially cardiovascular disease. Dietary screening or counseling is not usually a component of routine medical visits. Moreover, numerous barriers exist to the implementation of screening and counseling, including lack of training and knowledge, lack of time, sense of futility, lack of reimbursement, competing demands during the visit, and absence of validated rapid diet screener tools with coupled clinical decision support to identify actionable modifications for improvement.

The Role of Sex-Specific Risk Factors in the Risk Assessment of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease for Primary Prevention in Women.

Purpose Of Review: Robust evidence is emerging regarding the contribution of sex-specific risk factors to a woman's unique risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). This review summarizes the available literature regarding the association of sex-specific risk factors and ASCVD in women.

Recent Findings: The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association Guidelines recommend estimation of 10-year risk of a first ASCVD event using the 2013 Pooled Cohort Equations.

The 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guidelines on the Management of Blood Cholesterol in Diabetes.

The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines recently published its 2018 recommendations on management of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) in people with diabetes. For primary prevention, moderate-intensity statin therapy is recommended for those aged 40-75 years, with a preference for high-intensity statin treatment for older subjects and for those with higher estimated risk or risk-enhancing factors following a patient-clinician discussion. Statin therapy may be reasonable in adults <40 years or >75 years of age where there is less evidence for benefit.

A systematic review of minor phytocannabinoids with promising neuroprotective potential.

Embase and PubMed were systematically searched for articles addressing the neuroprotective properties of phytocannabinoids, apart from cannabidiol and Δ -tetrahydrocannabinol, including Δ -tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, Δ -tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabidiolic acid, cannabidivarin, cannabichromene, cannabichromenic acid, cannabichromevarin, cannabigerol, cannabigerolic acid, cannabigerivarin, cannabigerovarinic acid, cannabichromevarinic acid, cannabidivarinic acid, and cannabinol. Out of 2,341 studies, 31 articles met inclusion criteria. Cannabigerol (range 5 to 20 mg·kg ) and cannabidivarin (range 0.

Noninvasive Detection of Differential Water Content Inside Biological Samples Using Deep Raman Spectroscopy.

Here we conceptually demonstrate the capability of deep Raman spectroscopy to noninvasively monitor changes in the water content within biological tissues. Water was added by injection into an isolated tissue volume (a 20 mm diameter disk of 5 mm thickness) representing a 20% increase in the overall mass, which was equivalent to a 5% increase in the water/tissue content. The elevated water content was detected through a larger volume of tissue with a total thickness of approximately 12 mm and a spiked tissue segment located in its center using transmission Raman spectroscopy (TRS) by monitoring the change of the OH (∼3390 cm) Raman band area (3350-3550 cm spectral region) after being normalized to the neighboring CH stretching band.

Transmission of novel carbapenemase-producing sequence type 1193 among residents and caregivers in a community-based, residential care setting-Nevada, 2018.

We describe transmission of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing Escherichia coli sequence type (ST) 1193 in a group home. E. coli ST1193 is an emerging multidrug-resistant clone not previously shown to carry carbapenemases in the United States.

Active surveillance for acute respiratory infections among pediatric long-term care facility staff.

Background: Transmission of respiratory viruses between staff and residents of pediatric long-term care facilities (pLTCFs) can occur. We assessed the feasibility of using text or email messages to perform surveillance for acute respiratory infections (ARIs) among staff.

Methods: From December 7, 2016 to May 7, 2017, 50 staff participants from 2 pLTCFs received weekly text or email requests to report the presence or absence of ARI symptoms.

High Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Organism Colonization in 28 Nursing Homes: An "Iceberg Effect".

Objective: Determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (VRE), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing organisms (ESBLs), and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) among residents and in the environment of nursing homes (NHs).

Design: Point prevalence sampling of residents and environmental sampling of high-touch objects in resident rooms and common areas.

A novel cohorting and isolation strategy for suspected COVID-19 cases during a pandemic.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic presents a significant infection prevention and control challenge. The admission of large numbers of patients with suspected COVID-19 disease risks overwhelming the capacity to protect other patients from exposure. The delay between clinical suspicion and confirmatory testing adds to the complexity of the problem.

Outbreak Investigation of COVID-19 Among Residents and Staff of an Independent and Assisted Living Community for Older Adults in Seattle, Washington.

Importance: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused epidemic spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Seattle, Washington, metropolitan area, with morbidity and mortality concentrated among residents of skilled nursing facilities. The prevalence of COVID-19 among older adults in independent/assisted living is not understood.

Objectives: To conduct surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 and describe symptoms of COVID-19 among residents and staff of an independent/assisted living community.

A Meta-Analysis Assessing Additional LDL-C Reduction from Addition of a Bile Acid Sequestrant to Statin Therapy.

Background: Statins are the first-line therapy for reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). However, there are secondary prevention patients who are either intolerant to maximal statin therapy or do not get adequate effects from a high-intensity statin. While data exist for the additional LDL-C-lowering effects of ezetimibe, there are no data on additional LDL-C lowering of bile acid sequestrants when combined with statin therapy.

Translation of an esophagus histopathological FT-IR imaging model to a fast quantum cascade laser modality.

The technical progress in fast quantum cascade laser (QCL) microscopy offers a platform where chemical imaging becomes feasible for clinical diagnostics. QCL systems allow the integration of previously developed FT-IR-based pathology recognition models in a faster workflow. The translation of such models requires a systematic approach, focusing only on the spectral frequencies that carry crucial information for discrimination of pathologic features.

Perspective: Childhood Obesity Requires New Strategies for Prevention.

The prevalence of obesity among youth in the USA is currently >18% with projections that more than half of today's children will be obese as adults. The growth trajectory of children more likely to become obese is determined by weight in earliest childhood, and childhood body mass index (BMI) tracks through adolescence and adulthood. Childhood consequences of obesity include increased risk of asthma, type 2 diabetes mellitus, orthopedic disorders, and reduced academic performance.

Documentation of acute change in mental status in nursing homes highlights opportunity to augment infection surveillance criteria.

Acute change in mental status (ACMS), defined by the Confusion Assessment Method, is used to identify infections in nursing home residents. A medical record review revealed that none of 15,276 residents had an ACMS documented. Using the revised McGeer criteria with a possible ACMS definition, we identified 296 residents and 21 additional infections.

Presymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Transmission in a Skilled Nursing Facility.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can spread rapidly within skilled nursing facilities. After identification of a case of Covid-19 in a skilled nursing facility, we assessed transmission and evaluated the adequacy of symptom-based screening to identify infections in residents.

Methods: We conducted two serial point-prevalence surveys, 1 week apart, in which assenting residents of the facility underwent nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal testing for SARS-CoV-2, including real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), viral culture, and sequencing.

Postmarket Modifications of High-risk Plastic Surgery Devices.

Background: In the United States, high-risk medical devices must be cleared through the premarket approval (PMA) pathway, which requires clinical evidence ensuring safety and efficacy. Approved devices can be modified and reintroduced to market without additional study through the PMA supplemental review track. This study characterizes the changes of high-risk plastic surgery devices once they undergo initial clearance.

Correction: Prospective on using fibre mid-infrared supercontinuum laser sources for in vivo spectral discrimination of disease.

Correction for 'Prospective on using fibre mid-infrared supercontinuum laser sources for in vivo spectral discrimination of disease' by Angela B. Seddon et al., Analyst, 2018, 143, 5874-5887.

What is in? What is out? Updating the British Society for Cutaneous Allergy facial series.

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to cosmetics is widely reported. To ensure we are accurately diagnosing ACD, patch test series should be continually reviewed to identify relevant and emerging allergens and highlight those that are outdated. The current British Society for Cutaneous Allergy (BSCA) facial series recommends 26 allergens and was last modified in 2012.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Among Residents and Staff Members of an Independent and Assisted Living Community for Older Adults - Seattle, Washington, 2020.

In the Seattle, Washington metropolitan area, where the first case of novel coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) in the United States was reported (1), a community-level outbreak is ongoing with evidence of rapid spread and high morbidity and mortality among older adults in long-term care skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) (2,3). However, COVID-19 morbidity among residents of senior independent and assisted living communities, in which residents do not live as closely together as do residents in SNFs and do not require skilled nursing services, has not been described. During March 5-9, 2020, two residents of a senior independent and assisted living community in Seattle (facility 1) were hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection; on March 6, social distancing and other preventive measures were implemented in the community.

Characterizing healthcare delivery in the United States using Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2000-2016).

Background: The US Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (CBP) series provides a unique opportunity to describe the healthcare sector using a single, national data source.

Methods: We analyzed CBP data on business establishments in the healthcare industry for 2000-2016 for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Setting and facility types were defined using the North American Industry Classification System.