Integration of an electronic hand hygiene auditing system with electronic health records using machine learning to predict hospital-acquired infection in a health care setting.

Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) increase morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Effective hand hygiene (HH) is crucial for prevention, but achieving high compliance remains challenge. This study explores using machine learning to integrate an electronic HH auditing system with electronic health records to predict HAIs.

Targeted Thrombolysis with Magnetic Nanotherapeutics: A Translational Assessment.

Plasminogen activators, such as recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activators (rtPAs), while effective in treating thromboembolic diseases, often induce hemorrhagic complications due to non-specific enzyme activities in the systemic circulation. This study evaluated the targeting efficiency, efficacy, biodistribution, and potential toxicity of a rtPA covalently attached to chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (chitosan-MNP-rtPA). The thrombolytic activity of a chitosan-MNP-rtPA was preserved by protection from an endogenous plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) in whole blood and after circulation in vivo, as examined by thromboelastometry.

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors limit complications in X-linked retinoschisis.

Purpose: Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) reduce macular schisis in patients with X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS). The purpose of this study was to determine if CAIs reduce the incidence of complications from XLRS, including macular atrophy, retinal tears, and retinal detachment (RD), the most common causes of vision loss in patients with XLRS.

Methods: For this retrospective interventional case series, a chart review of patients examined at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center [CCHMC] and Cincinnati Eye Institute [CEI] between 1/1/2015 and 1/16/2023 was performed.

Arsenic in Lake Geneva (Switzerland, France): long term monitoring, and redox and methylation speciation in an As unpolluted, oligo-mesotrophic lake.

Arsenic speciation was followed monthly along the spring productivity period (January-June 2021) in the Petit Lac (76 m deep) and in April and June 2021 in the Grand Lac (309.7 m deep) of Lake Geneva (Switzerland/France). Lake Geneva is presently an oligo-mesotrophic lake, and As-unpolluted.

Cerebral cortical thickness and cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease.

In Parkinson's disease (PD), reduced cerebral cortical thickness may reflect network-based degeneration. This study performed cognitive assessment and brain MRI in 30 PD participants and 41 controls at baseline and 18 months later. We hypothesized that cerebral cortical thickness and volume, as well as change in these metrics, would differ between PD participants who remained cognitively stable and those who experienced cognitive decline.

Double-stranded RNA drives SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein to undergo phase separation at specific temperatures.

Nucleocapsid protein (N-protein) is required for multiple steps in betacoronaviruses replication. SARS-CoV-2-N-protein condenses with specific viral RNAs at particular temperatures making it a powerful model for deciphering RNA sequence specificity in condensates. We identify two separate and distinct double-stranded, RNA motifs (dsRNA stickers) that promote N-protein condensation.

Interleukin-18: a biomarker with therapeutic potential in adult-onset Still's disease.

Introduction: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is an autoinflammatory disease driven by the innate immune response. Given the ambiguity in clinical presentation and lack of specific diagnostic biomarkers, AOSD diagnosis is usually delayed in the early stage. Because AOSD is a rare disease with clinical heterogeneity, there is no consensus on its treatment currently.

Dextromethorphan Exhibits Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Effects in a Murine Model: Therapeutic Implication in Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated skin disease with a worldwide prevalence of 2-4% that causes scaling erythematous skin lesions. It is a chronic relapsing and complex multifactorial disease that often necessitates long-term therapy. Despite various novel therapies, psoriasis remains a treatable but non-curable disease.

Novel Application of Photo-Crosslinked Urocanic-Acid-Modified Chitosan in Corneal Wounds.

In the last few years, the use of tissue adhesives in corneal perforation has gained immense popularity in clinical practices. The present study aimed to devise a new application of urocanic-acid-modified chitosan (CS) with methylene blue (MB) as a photosensitizer for the development of a photo-crosslinked tissue adhesive. In particular, the curing time was controlled with the aid of a 650 nm red diode.

Infection after Lumbosacral Arthrodesis with a PEEK TLIF Interbody Fusion Device: Case Report.

Spondylodiscitis is an uncommon but serious complication after spine surgeries, and its main etiologic agent is . Fungal infections are rare and mostly caused by . We report the clinical case of a 69-year-old male patient who underwent a L2-S1 arthrodesis for degenerative scoliosis correction.

Antifibrotic Effect of Polysaccharide-Resveratrol-Impregnated Dual-Layer Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Based Sponge for The Prevention of Epidural Fibrosis after Laminectomy.

The application of antifibrotic materials can alleviate epidural fibrosis by restricting excessive fibroblast proliferation and mitigating scar tissue formation. Here, a biodegradable carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP)-resveratrol (RES) sponge was fabricated to inhibit scar tissue formation post laminectomy surgery. Fibroblasts NIH/3T3, myoblasts C2C12, neural cells PC-12, and Schwann cells RSC96 were used to evaluate the in vitro cytocompatibility.

Double-stranded RNA drives SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein to undergo phase separation at specific temperatures.

Betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infections caused the global Covid-19 pandemic. The nucleocapsid protein (N-protein) is required for multiple steps in the betacoronavirus replication cycle. SARS-CoV-2-N-protein is known to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) with specific RNAs at particular temperatures to form condensates.

Surgical Management of Glaucoma Secondary to Bilateral Acute Iris Transillumination: A Role for Gonioscopy-assisted Transluminal Trabeculotomy.

Purpose: We report a case of bilateral acute iris transillumination (BAIT) in a young woman associated with ocular hypertension which eventually progressed to glaucoma that was treated with gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculectomy (GATT).

Case Report: A 37-year-old otherwise healthy female presented with intermittently red and inflamed eyes and blurred vision. She was treated with oral moxifloxacin months prior to presentation.

Birthing ball for reducing labor pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: Multiple factors are thought to affect a woman's sensation of pain during the process of labor. Birthing balls are round exercise balls upon which a woman sits during labor and performs different movements such as rocking back and forth and pelvic rotation. Midwives and nurses have been using birthing balls (also known as Swiss balls) to increase maternal comfort, widen the pelvic outlet, and facilitate progression of labor for women laboring without an epidural.

Deep learning assisted detection of glaucomatous optic neuropathy and potential designs for a generalizable model.

Purpose: To evaluate ways to improve the generalizability of a deep learning algorithm for identifying glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) using a limited number of fundus photographs, as well as the key features being used for classification.

Methods: A total of 944 fundus images from Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) were retrospectively collected. Clinical and demographic characteristics, including structural and functional measurements of the images with GON, were recorded.

Head and Neck Mesenchymal Neoplasms With GLI1 Gene Alterations: A Pathologic Entity With Distinct Histologic Features and Potential for Distant Metastasis.

Soft tissue tumors with GLI1 gene fusions or amplifications have been recently described as a unique pathologic entity with an established risk of malignancy. We herein expand these findings by investigating a cohort of 11 head and neck lesions with GLI1 alterations, including 8 from the tongue, for their clinicopathologic and molecular features. The tumors commonly affected males in their 30s (male:female ratio 2.

Is primary open-angle glaucoma an ocular manifestation of systemic disease?

Primary open-angle glaucoma is currently characterized by a pattern of progressive retinal ganglion cell loss that stems from a complex underlying pathophysiology that remains poorly elucidated. The roles of blood flow and intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma pathogenesis have been extensively studied. Further, it has been established that lowering IOP can slow the progression of glaucoma.

Correlation between visual association memory test and structural changes in patients with Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Background: Visual association memory test (VAMT) is a brief 6-point cognition test that has been shown to be effective in differentiating Alzheimer's disease (AD) from other types of dementia. This study aimed to investigate the correlation of the VAMT performance with amyloid plaque burden and hippocampal atrophy.

Methods: Fourteen patients with AD, 29 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 11 normal cognition (NC) subjects were recruited.

Therapeutic effects of honokiol on motor impairment in hemiparkinsonian mice are associated with reversing neurodegeneration and targeting PPARγ regulation.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a profound neurodegenerative disorder with gradual loss of dopamine nigrostriatal neurons linked to serious behavioral symptoms. While the current treatment strategies present limitations on halting the progression of PD, this study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of honokiol, as a partial peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) mimic, on the proceeding behavioral and biochemical alterations in hemiparkinsonian mice. Results showed that unilateral striatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned mice exhibited motor impairment, reflecting the contralateral rotation induced by apomorphine at 1-3 weeks post-lesion.

Characteristic patterns of inter- and intra-hemispheric metabolic connectivity in patients with stable and progressive mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

The change in hypometabolism affects the regional links in the brain network. Here, to understand the underlying brain metabolic network deficits during the early stage and disease evolution of AD (Alzheimer disease), we applied correlation analysis to identify the metabolic connectivity patterns using F-FDG PET data for NC (normal control), sMCI (stable MCI), pMCI (progressive MCI) and AD, and explore the inter- and intra-hemispheric connectivity between anatomically-defined brain regions. Regions extracted from 90 anatomical structures were used to construct the matrix for measuring the inter- and intra-hemispheric connectivity.

Visualization of ischemic stroke-related changes on F-THK-5351 positron emission tomography.

Background: The F-THK-5351 radiotracer has been used to detect the in vivo tau protein distribution in patients with tauopathy, such as Alzheimer's disease and corticobasal syndrome. In addition, F-THK-5351 can also monitor neuroinflammatory process due to high affinity to astrogliosis. We aimed to explore F-THK-5351 distribution patterns and characteristics in patients with recent ischemic stroke.

Impaired autophagic flux and its related inflammation in patients with adult-onset Still's disease.

The pathogenic role of autophagic immune regulation in adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is unclear. We investigated the relative levels of autophagy in AOSD patients and healthy controls, its association with disease activity or course, and the change in autophagy after 6 months of therapy. Autophagosome levels were determined from the mean fluorescence intensity of autophagosomotropic dye incorporated into circulating immune cells.