Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Follow-up of Children and Adolescents With HIV Infection in Guatemala.

We conducted a retrospective study to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on children living with HIV in Guatemala. A reduction in physical consultations and laboratory tests was observed in prepandemic versus pandemic period. However, immunovirological status of the children showed no differences.

Tailored management strategies for IgA nephropathy based on clinical presentations.

The treatment landscape for IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is rapidly evolving with the introduction of novel therapies targeting diverse disease pathways. Some have already been approved in different countries, while others are under investigation in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with encouraging results. However, almost all performed RCTs have included only patients with refractory non-nephrotic proteinuria and preserved renal function.

Resuscitation and Initial Management After Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Questions for the On-Call Shift.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability and mortality globally, stemming from both primary mechanical injuries and subsequent secondary responses. Effective early management of moderate-to-severe TBI is essential to prevent secondary damage and improve patient outcomes. This review provides a comprehensive guide for the resuscitation and stabilization of TBI patients, combining clinical experience with current evidence-based guidelines.

Triangulating the associations of different types of childhood adversity and first-episode psychosis with cortical thickness across brain regions.

Background: Both childhood adversity (CA) and first-episode psychosis (FEP) have been linked to alterations in cortical thickness (CT). The interactive effects between different types of CAs and FEP on CT remain understudied.

Methods: One-hundred sixteen individuals with FEP (mean age = 23.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) enhances cognitive function in schizophrenia: A randomized double-blind sham-controlled trial.

This study aimed to examine the cognitive effects of tDCS and the subjective cognitive improvement perceived by patients with schizophrenia. A total of 173 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited for this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Two different stimulation modes were applied: 2 mA 20 minutes active tDCS and sham tDCS.

Development and rollout of a national plan on cardiovascular health. Spain's cardiovascular health strategy (ESCAV).

Introduction And Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in most countries; however, few specific political actions have been implemented to increase cardiovascular health at the national or international level. We aimed to describe the methodology used for the development and initial rollout of Spain's Cardiovascular Health Strategy of the National Health System (ESCAV, Estrategia en Salud Cardiovascular del Sistema Nacional de Salud).

Methods: A multidisciplinary team comprising all relevant stakeholders developed a national strategy to reduce the burden of CVD in Spain.

Differences in emotion recognition between nonimmersive versus immersive virtual reality: preliminary findings in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Deficits in social cognition may impair emotional processing and facial emotional recognition (FER) in patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia. FER is generally explored using photographs or images of static faces that do not fully capture the complexity of real-life facial stimuli. To overcome this limitation, we developed a set of dynamic virtual faces depicting six basic emotions (i.

Routine invasive strategy and frailty burden in non-ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction.

Objective: To assess the prognostic impact of a routine invasive strategy according to the frailty burden in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) from the MOSCA-FRAIL clinical trial.

Methods: The MOSCA-FRAIL trial randomized 167 frail patients, defined by a Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) ≥ 4, with NSTEMI to an invasive or conservative strategy. The primary endpoint was the number of days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) one year after discharge.

Donor-derived cell-free DNA as a new biomarker for cardiac allograft rejection: A prospective study (FreeDNA-CAR).

Background: There is a long-standing need for a noninvasive biomarker that allows monitoring of cardiac allograft rejection, avoiding the need for periodic endomyocardial biopsies (EMB).

Methods: Multicenter, observational, prospective study, performed between 2019 and 2023 (NCT04973943). All patients underwent 7 per-protocol surveillance EMB during the first postheart transplantation year.

Aerobic capacity and muscle proteome: Insights from a mouse model.

We explored the association between aerobic capacity (AC) and the skeletal muscle proteome of McArdle (n = 10) and wild-type (n = 8) mice, as models of intrinsically 'low' and 'normal' AC, respectively. AC was determined as total distance achieved in treadmill running until exhaustion. The quadriceps muscle proteome was studied using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry, with the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins database used to generate protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and enrichment analyses.

The saNeuroGut Initiative: Investigating the Gut Microbiome and Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Posttraumatic Stress.

Introduction: Common mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), present a substantial health and economic burden. The gut microbiome has been associated with these psychiatric disorders via the microbiome-gut-brain axis. However, previous studies have focused on the associations between the gut microbiome and common mental disorders in European, North American, and Asian populations.

A Phase III Randomized Trial of Integrated Genomics and Avatar Models for Personalized Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer: the AVATAR Trial.

Purpose: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has limited treatment options. We compared the efficacy of comprehensive precision medicine against the conventional treatment in PDAC.

Methods: Phase III trial of advanced PDAC where patients were randomized (1:2) to a conventional treatment treated at physician's discretion (arm A), or to precision medicine (arm B).

Performance of a Global Functional Assay Based on Interferon-γ Release to Predict Infectious Complications and Cancer After Kidney Transplantation.

The QuantiFERON-Monitor assay (QTF-Monitor) is intended to assess innate and adaptive immune responses by quantifying interferon (IFN)-γ release upon whole blood stimulation with a TLR7/8 agonist and an anti-CD3 antibody. We performed the QTF-Monitor in 126 kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) at different points during the first 6 post-transplant months. The primary outcome was overall infection, whereas secondary outcomes included bacterial infection, opportunistic infection and cancer.

Updated diagnostic and therapeutic management for membranous nephropathy.

Purpose Of Review: Pioneering contributions in membranous nephropathy over the last decade have greatly enhanced our comprehension of its pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatments, igniting renewed interest in this entity. This review provides an updated perspective on the diagnosis and therapeutic management of membranous nephropathy.

Recent Findings: The identification of antiphospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibodies in 50-80% of membranous nephropathy patients was a key breakthrough.

Exercise Interventions and Intelligence in Children and Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis.

Context: Mixed evidence exists on whether physical exercise interventions influence intelligence measures in children and adolescents.

Objective: To determine the effect of exercise interventions on intelligence in children and adolescents.

Data Sources: Relevant articles were identified in PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Scopus (until February 22, 2024).

The impact of early surgery on mortality and functional recovery in older adults with traumatic intracranial lesions: a propensity score-based analysis.

Background: There is skepticism about the benefit of surgery in elderly patients affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to the negative effect of age on the outcome and surgical complications. However, there are few studies that have investigated differences in patient's outcome between surgically and conservatively managed patients after adjusting for the imbalance in preinjury characteristics and clinical and radiological features. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of early surgery on mortality and functional recovery in a cohort of older adults with acute traumatic intracranial lesions after adjustment by Propensity Score (PS) matching.

Monkeypox 2024 outbreak: Fifty essential questions and answers.

As the world still vividly recalls the previous monkeypox (mpox) outbreak that impacted over 120 countries worldwide with more than 99,000 cases in 2022, we are now facing a second wave of infections from the monkeypox virus (MPXV), characterized by an exponential increase in cases. The current 2024 outbreak has already recorded more than 20,000 cases in Africa, marking a dramatic escalation compared to previous outbreaks. The predominance of the newly identified clade Ib variant, first detected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and now identified across multiple African nations and beyond, underscores its enhanced transmissibility and potential for international spread, evidenced by cases in Sweden and Thailand.

Sex dimorphism in kidney health and disease: mechanistic insights and clinical implication.

Sex is a key variable in the regulation of human physiology and pathology. Many diseases disproportionately affect one sex: autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, are more common in women but more severe in men, whereas the incidence of other disorders such as gouty arthritis and malignant cancers is higher in men. Besides the pathophysiology, sex may also influence the efficacy of therapeutics; participants in clinical trials are still predominately men, and the side effects of drugs are more common in women than in men.

EAACI guidelines on the management of IgE-mediated food allergy.

This European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) guideline provides recommendations for the management of IgE-mediated food allergy and was developed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach. Following the confirmation of IgE-mediated food allergy diagnosis, allergen avoidance and dietary advice (with support of a specialised dietitian, if possible) together with the provision of a written treatment plan, education on the recognition of allergic symptoms and prescription of medication including adrenaline using an auto-injector are essential. Patients with significant anxiety and requirement for coping strategies may benefit from support from a clinical psychologist.