COVID-19 Serostatus Does Not Affect the Intrauterine Transfer of Micronutrients and Fatty Acids or Maternal-fetal Lymphocyte Cell Composition: An Observational Study.

Objective:  Studies on the effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on pregnant mothers and their newborns, specifically in relation to their micronutrient status, fatty acids (FAs), and inflammatory status are sparse. We hypothesized that COVID-19 infection would adversely affect the transfer of nutrients, and FAs from mothers to their fetuses via the umbilical cord and maternal-fetal distribution of inflammatory cells. This study aimed to determine the effect of COVID-19 on micronutrients, inflammatory markers, and FAs profiles in pregnant mothers and their newborns' cord blood.

Accuracy of Healthcare Professionals' Estimations of Health Literacy and Numeracy of Patients Visiting Metabolic Bariatric Surgery Clinic.

Introduction: To effectively support patients through their weight loss journey, it is vital that healthcare professionals (HCPs) understand the health literacy skills of their patients and communicate in a way that meets these needs. This is the first study looking at the accuracy of HCPs' estimations of their patients' health literacy and numeracy attending a metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) clinic.

Method: A cross-sectional study was completed at a tertiary-level MBS clinic in London.

An elderly male with septic arthritis and bacteremia.

Rhodococcus hoagii is a gram positive actinomycete found in horses and cattle. Humans can be infected by ingestion or inhalation through contaminated food or soil. The organism usually infects immunosuppressed hosts with pneumonia being the common presentation.

Antibody Drug Conjugates in Urological Cancers: A Review of the Current Landscape.

Purpose Of Review: Our review delves into the progress across urological malignancies and discusses ongoing challenges and future directions in antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) development, emphasising their transformative potential in cancer care.

Recent Findings: ADCs have advanced from hematologic to solid tumours, notably in breast cancer, and are now pivotal in metastatic urological cancers as both monotherapies and in combination regimens, underscored by the FDA's approval of enfortumab vedotin and sacituzumab govitecan for metastatic urothelial cancer. Progress in metastatic prostate cancer, particularly with ADCs targeting PSMA and STEAP1, is noteworthy, although renal cell cancer presents ongoing challenges.

Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in Patients with Obesity Class V (BMI > 60 kg/m): a Modified Delphi Study.

Background: Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is the preferred method to achieve significant weight loss in patients with Obesity Class V (BMI > 60 kg/m). However, there is no consensus regarding the best procedure(s) for this population. Additionally, these patients will likely have a higher risk of complications and mortality.

Differential Expression of SRY-Related HMG-Box Transcription Factor 2, Oligodendrocyte Lineage Transcription Factor 2, and Zinc Finger E-Box Binding Homeobox 1 in Serum-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Implications for Mithramycin Sensitivity and Targeted Therapy in High-Grade Glioma.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive type of glioma and is often resistant to traditional therapies. Evidence suggests that glioma stem cells (GSCs) contribute to this resistance. Mithramycin (Mit-A) targets GSCs and exhibits antitumor activity in GBM by affecting transcriptional targets such as SRY-related HMG-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2), oligodendrocyte lineage transcription factor 2 (OLIG2), and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1).

Mixed methods study protocol for combining stakeholder-led rapid evaluation with near real-time continuous registry data to facilitate evaluations of quality of care in intensive care units.

Background: Improved access to healthcare in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has not equated to improved health outcomes. Absence or unsustained quality of care is partly to blame. Improving outcomes in intensive care units (ICUs) requires delivery of complex interventions by multiple specialties working in concert, and the simultaneous prevention of avoidable harms associated with the illness and the treatment interventions.

Exploring urinary extracellular vesicles for organ transplant monitoring: A comprehensive study for detection of allograft dysfunction using immune-specific markers.

Background: Allograft dysfunction (AGD) is a common complication following solid organ transplantation (SOT). This study leverages the potential of urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) for the non-invasive detection of AGD.

Aim: We aimed to assess the diagnostic value of T-cell and B-cell markers characteristic of T-cell-mediated and antibody-mediated rejection in UEV-mRNA using renal transplantation as a model.

Polyethylene glycol-based isolation of urinary extracellular vesicles, an easily adoptable protocol.

Urine is a highly advantageous biological specimen for biomarker research and is a non-invasive source. Most of the urinary biomarkers are non-specific, volatile and need extensive validation before clinical adoption. Extracellular vesicles are secreted by almost all cells and are involved in homoeostasis, intercellular communication, and cellular processes in healthy and pathophysiological states.

Recent Trends in the Use of Small Extracellular Vesicles as Optimal Drug Delivery Vehicles in Oncology.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are produced by most cells and play an important role in cell-to-cell communication and maintaining cellular homeostasis. Their ability to transfer biological cargo to target cells makes them a promising tool for cancer drug delivery. Advances in sEV engineering, EV mimetics, and ligand-directed targeting have improved the efficacy of anticancer drug delivery and functionality.

Impact of COVID-19 during pregnancy on placental pathology, maternal and neonatal outcome - A cross-sectional study on anemic term pregnant women from a tertiary care hospital in southern India.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy may cause adverse maternal, neonatal and placental outcomes. While tissue hypoxia is often reported in COVID-19 patients, pregnant women with anemia are suspected to be more prone to placental hypoxia-related injuries.

Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted between August-November 2021, during COVID-19 second wave in India.

Diagnostic Values of Laboratory Biomarkers in Predicting a Severe Course of COVID-19 on Hospital Admission.

Objective: We intend to identify differences in the clinicodemographic and laboratory findings of COVID-19 patients to predict disease severity and outcome on admission.

Methods: This single-centred retrospective study retrieved laboratory and clinical data from 350 COVID-19 patients on admission, represented as frequency tables. A multivariate regression model was used to assess the statistically significant association between the explanatory variables and COVID-19 infection outcomes, where adjusted odds ratio (AOR), value, and 95% CI were used for testing significance.

Anomalous Marginal Insertion of Umbilical Cord in Placentas of COVID-19-Affected Pregnant Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aim Study the effect of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), on the placenta and in turn study its effects on pregnancy and newborn outcomes. Methods In this cross-sectional study, which was conducted in the term pregnant women who underwent delivery, their placentas were collected after delivery along with the mothers' blood and cord blood. Results Among the 212 pregnant women recruited, the prevalence of marginal cord insertion (MCI) in the placentas after delivery, was found to be 23% (n=48).

Identifying stable reference genes in polyethene glycol precipitated urinary extracellular vesicles for RT-qPCR-based gene expression studies in renal graft dysfunction patients.

Background: Urinary extracellular vesicles (UEVs) hold RNA in their cargo and are potential sources of biomarkers for gene expression studies. The most used technique for gene-expression studies is quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). It is critical to use stable reference genes (RGs) as internal controls for normalising gene expression data, which aren't currently available for UEVs.

Nano-Messengers of the Heart: Promising Theranostic Candidates for Cardiovascular Maladies.

Till date, cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality across the globe. Several commonly used treatment methods are unable to offer safety from future complications and longevity to the patients. Therefore, better and more effective treatment measures are needed.

The increasing indications of FDG-PET/CT in the staging and management of Invasive Bladder Cancer.

The management of locally advanced muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) often necessitates neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) to eliminate any micro-metastatic disease prior to definitive radical cystectomy (RC) and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). The most common imaging techniques traditionally used during this process are computerised tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both of which lack a high sensitivity for nodal staging. In this paper, we attempt to review the evolving indications of F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computerised tomography (FDG-PET/CT) imaging, in the pre-clinical and post-treatment staging of bladder cancer, with a focus on its ability to evaluate response to NAC.

Energy expenditure in COVID-19 mechanically ventilated patients: A comparison of three methods of energy estimation.

Background: Indirect calorimetry (IC) is the gold standard for measuring resting energy expenditure. Energy expenditure (EE) estimated by ventilator-derived carbon dioxide consumption (EEVCO ) has also been proposed. In the absence of IC, predictive weight-based equations have been recommended to estimate daily energy requirements.

Prevalence and Impact of Preexisting Comorbidities on Overall Clinical Outcomes of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

COVID-19 risk increases with comorbidities, and the effect is magnified due to the contribution of individual and combined comorbidities to the overall clinical outcomes. We aimed to explore the influence of demographic factors, clinical manifestations, and underlying comorbidities on mortality, severity, and hospital stay in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, retrospective chart reviews were performed to identify all laboratory-confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, between March 2020 and August 2020.

Exosomal PTEN as a Predictive Marker of Aggressive Gliomas.

Background: Liquid biopsies have emerged as convenient alternative diagnostic methods to invasive biopsies, by evaluating disease-specific biomarkers and monitoring the disease risk noninvasively. Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN) is a potent tumor suppressor, and its deletion/mutations are common in gliomas.

Objective: Evaluate the feasibility of non-invasive detection of PTEN and its downstream genes in serum exosomes of glioma patients.

Spread and Endemicity of Cholera in India: Factors Beyond the Numbers.

Cholera outbreaks currently account for 1.3 to 4.0 million cases and cause between 21 000 and 143 000 deaths worldwide.

Altered kinetics of circulating progenitor cells in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) associated vasoplegic patients: A pilot study.

Vasoplegia observed post cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with substantial morbidity, multiple organ failure and mortality. Circulating counts of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) are potential markers of neo-vascularization and vascular repair. However, the significance of changes in the circulating levels of these progenitors in perioperative CPB, and their association with post-CPB vasoplegia, are currently unexplored.