Population-level management of type 1 diabetes via continuous glucose monitoring and algorithm-enabled patient prioritization: Precision health meets population health.

Objective: To develop and scale algorithm-enabled patient prioritization to improve population-level management of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in a pediatric clinic with fixed resources, using telemedicine and remote monitoring of patients via continuous glucose monitor (CGM) data review.

Research Design And Methods: We adapted consensus glucose targets for T1D patients using CGM to identify interpretable clinical criteria to prioritize patients for weekly provider review. The criteria were constructed to manage the number of patients reviewed weekly and identify patients who most needed provider contact.

Effectiveness of Face Masks in Reducing the Spread of COVID-19: A Model-Based Analysis.

Background: The World Health Organization and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that both infected and susceptible people wear face masks to protect against COVID-19.

Methods: We develop a dynamic disease model to assess the effectiveness of face masks in reducing the spread of COVID-19, during an initial outbreak and a later resurgence, as a function of mask effectiveness, coverage, intervention timing, and time horizon. We instantiate the model for the COVID-19 outbreak in New York, with sensitivity analyses on key natural history parameters.

Measuring biological age to assess colony demographics in honeybees.

Honeybee colonies are increasingly exposed to environmental stress factors, which can lead to their decline or failure. However, there are major gaps in stressor risk assessment due to the difficulty of assessing the honeybee colony state and detecting abnormal events. Since stress factors usually induce a demographic disturbance in the colony (e.

Mediating effects of body mass index, physical activity, and emotional distress on the relationship between short sleep and cardiovascular disease.

The current study investigated the mediating effects of body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and emotional distress on the association between short sleep duration (<7 hours per 24-hour period) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and risk factors.We used data from the National Health Interview Survey, an ongoing nationally representative cross-sectional study of noninstitutionalized US adults (≥18 years) from 2004 to 2013 (N = 206,049). Participants provided information about anthropometric features (height and weight), sociodemographic factors, health behaviors (smoking and physical activity), emotional distress, and physician-diagnosed health conditions, including hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and cancer.

Evidence for positive selection and recombination hotspots in Deformed wing virus (DWV).

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is considered one of the most damaging pests in honey bees since the spread of its vector, Varroa destructor. In this study, we sequenced the whole genomes of two virus isolates and studied the evolutionary forces that act on DWV genomes. The isolate from a Varroa-tolerant bee colony was characterized by three recombination breakpoints between DWV and the closely related Varroa destructor virus-1 (VDV-1), whereas the variant from the colony using conventional Varroa management was similar to the originally described DWV.

A New Stratified Sampling Procedure which Decreases Error Estimation of Varroa Mite Number on Sticky Boards.

A new procedure of stratified sampling is proposed in order to establish an accurate estimation of Varroa destructor populations on sticky bottom boards of the hive. It is based on the spatial sampling theory that recommends using regular grid stratification in the case of spatially structured process. The distribution of varroa mites on sticky board being observed as spatially structured, we designed a sampling scheme based on a regular grid with circles centered on each grid element.

Sleep as a mediator in the pathway linking environmental factors to hypertension: a review of the literature.

Environmental factors, such as noise exposure and air pollution, are associated with hypertension. These environmental factors also affect sleep quality. Given the growing evidence linking sleep quality with hypertension, the purpose of this review is to investigate the role of sleep as a key mediator in the association between hypertension and environmental factors.

Nutritional parameters modify muricidal behavior of male Wistar rats: preventive effects of amino acids and 4' Cl diazepam.

In male Wistar rats fed a diet enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids and starch (PUFA+S), the percentage of muricidal (Mu) rats increased to 82% within 60 days. Mu rats had higher serum triglyceride levels and lower cholesterol levels than non-Mu rats. Water intake decreased in all rats on the PUFA+S diet concurrently with the increase in the proportion of Mu rats; protracted water restriction in rats fed standard diet also increased the percentage of Mu rats.

Dietary lipids affect human ethanol-inducible CYP2E1 gene expression in vivo in mononuclear cells.

We tested the hypothesis that dietary cholesterol modulate human ethanol-inducible CYP2E1 expression in vivo in circulating mononuclear cells. Healthy volunteers (n= 10) were submitted to a low fat low cholesterol diet for 4 days (day 0-day 3, LFLC). Cholesterol (595 +/- 56 mg/day) was then reintroduced for 7 days (day 4-day 10, LFHC).

Thiopurine S-methyltransferase gene polymorphism is predictive of azathioprine-induced myelosuppression in heart transplant recipients.

Azathioprine (AZA) is metabolized via the cytosolic enzyme thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT). TPMT activity exhibits genetic polymorphism with four prevalent (75%) mutant alleles TPMT*2 (G238C) and TPMT*3 (A719G and/or G460A) and a wild-type allele TPMT*1. To test the hypothesis that presence of these mutations is associated with greater toxicity of AZA in heart transplant recipients, 30 consecutive patients treated with AZA were followed up for the first month after heart transplant.

Cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the serum of muricidal male Wistar rats: indices of mitochondrial benzodiazepine receptors?

Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were studied in the serum of aggressive muricidal and non-muricidal male Wistar rats. The muricidal behavior was either spontaneous or induced by a long-term isolation or by adrenalectomy. Cholesterol levels were slightly higher in the whole population of muricidal rats; this was mainly observed in spontaneously and in adrenalectomized muricidal rats, as compared to non-muricidal rats of the same series.

Arsenic speciation in humans and food products: a review.

Although acute intoxication has become rare, arsenic (As) is still a dangerous pollution agent for industrial workers and people living in the vicinity of emission sources. In humans, only inorganic As is toxic; organic forms present in large amounts in the environment are nontoxic. It is therefore important to be able to differentiate one group from the other using appropriate speciation methods.

Validated determination of total arsenic species of toxicological interest (arsenite, arsenate and their metabolites) by atomic absorption spectrometry after separation from dietary arsenic by liquid extraction: toxicological applications.

A validated method for the selective extraction of total As species of toxicological interest (arsenite, arsenate and mono- and dimethylated arsenic species) from urine, followed by atomic absorption spectrometric determination, is described. The mechanisms involved in extraction were studied and the extraction method was optimized. The urine sample was acidified with concentrated HCl and KI and sodium hypophosphite were added.

Arsenic speciation in human organs following fatal arsenic trioxide poisoning--a case report.

The aim of this investigation was to study the distribution of arsenic species in human organs following fatal acute intoxication by arsenic trioxide. The collected autopsy samples of most organs were ground and dried, and the total arsenic was measured by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS). The arsenic species--inorganic arsenic, in the form of arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)], and its metabolites [monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA)]--were quantified by ETAAS after extraction with methanol/water (1:1, by volume) and separation by HPLC.

Effect of dietary cholesterol on low density lipoprotein-receptor, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, and low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein mRNA expression in healthy humans.

We investigated the possibility that dietary cholesterol downregulates the expression of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase genes of circulating mononuclear cells in vivo in healthy humans. We also studied the variations of the LDL receptor-related protein (LRP) gene in the same conditions. Dieters (n = 5) were submitted to a 4-d fat restriction (mean cholesterol intake: 6+/-4 mg/d), followed by a 7-d cholesterol (a mean of 791+/-150 mg/d) supplementation.

Contribution to chromium and nickel enrichment during cooking of foods in stainless steel utensils.

Nickel ingestion can cause exacerbation of dermatitis in patients who are already nickel-sensitive; Chromium (Cr VI) is the 2nd allergen, after nickel. However, stainless steel is widely used in home cookware. In this study, we determined nickel and chromium levels by atomic absorption spectrometry in 11 habitual menus cooked in different grades of stainless steel utensils.

Chemiluminescent measurement of oxalate in serum by detection of hydrogen peroxide generated through oxalate oxidase.

Today, chemiluminescence detection reactions have become popular in analytical biochemistry essentially due to their high sensitivity. A chemiluminescent synthetic system (luminol/porphyrin) was successfully used to measure serum oxalate by determination of hydrogen peroxide generated through oxalate oxidase (EC 1.2.

Serum oxalate microassay using chemiluminescence detection.

Determination of serum oxalate concentration is important for the diagnosis and monitoring of hyperoxalurias, and extends to patients with all types of renal disease. Approximately 5 to 10 ml of blood is required for each test by conventional methods, and the test is not adapted for use in children. We developed a highly sensitive method that limits the volume of blood required for the test.

Cyclodextrins and enantiomeric separations of drugs by liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis: basic principles and new developments.

Investigation of individual drug enantiomers is required in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of drugs with a chiral centre. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are extensively used in high-performance liquid chromatography as stationary phases bonded to a solid support or as mobile phase additives in HPLC and capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the separation of chiral compounds. We describe here the basis for the liquid chromatographic and capillary electrophoretic resolution of drug enantiomers and the factors affecting their enantiomeric separation.

Simple high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of oxazepam and its diastereoisomeric glucuronides in serum. Applications in a pharmacokinetic study in sheep.

This paper describes a highly specific and sensitive method for quantifying oxazepam and its diastereoisomeric glucuronides in serum. The method involves sample clean-up by solid-phase extraction on C18 cartridge followed by quantitation on a reversed-phase HPLC column. Diazepam is used as internal standard.

Automated Cobas Mira kinetic enzymatic assay for ethylene glycol applied to emergency situations.

An automated kinetic method for assaying ethylene glycol in serum using glycerol dehydrogenase with the multiparametric analyzer Cobas Mira is described. Initially, 5 microL of sample is mixed with tris-NAD buffer; after enzyme addition, the variation of the absorbance at 340 nm is automatically measured, and the instrument calculates the ethylene glycol concentration of the specimen. The method has good precision and specificity and is suitable for emergency screening.

Quantitation by gas chromatography with selected-ion monitoring mass spectrometry of "natural" diazepam, N-desmethyldiazepam and oxazepam in normal human serum.

During the past five years, the literature has tended to prove the occurrence of "natural benzodiazepines" in tissues and biological fluids of non-medicated humans. Several have been identified but very few papers deal with their quantitation in biological material. We present here a method for the specific and sensitive measurement of serum levels of diazepam, N-desmethyldiazepam and oxazepam by gas chromatography with selected-ion monitoring mass spectrometry in twenty human volunteers without medication.