Diet-derived urolithin A is produced by a dehydroxylase encoded by human gut Enterocloster species.

Urolithin A (uroA) is a polyphenol derived from the multi-step metabolism of dietary ellagitannins by the human gut microbiota. Once absorbed, uroA can trigger mitophagy and aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling pathways, altering host immune function, mitochondrial health, and intestinal barrier integrity. Most individuals harbor a microbiota capable of uroA production; however, the mechanisms underlying the dehydroxylation of its catechol-containing precursor (uroC) are unknown.

Machine-learning-assisted Preoperative Prediction of Pediatric Appendicitis Severity.

Purpose: This study evaluates the effectiveness of machine learning (ML) algorithms for improving the preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children, focusing on the accurate prediction of the severity of disease.

Methods: An anonymized clinical and operative dataset was retrieved from the medical records of children undergoing emergency appendectomy between 2014 and 2021. We developed an ML pipeline that pre-processed the dataset and developed algorithms to predict 5 appendicitis grades (1 - non-perforated, 2 - localized perforation, 3 - abscess, 4 - generalized peritonitis, and 5 - generalized peritonitis with abscess).

Effect of Cariprazine on Outcomes in Older-aged and Younger-aged Patients with Bipolar I Disorder: A Post-hoc Analysis.

Objectives: To evaluate cariprazine in adults with older- and younger-age bipolar I disorder (OABD-I and YABD-I) and compare treatment effects between them.

Design And Setting: Pooled post-hoc analysis of studies in depressive or acute manic/mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder.

Participants: 475/1383 patients (34.

Heart rate variability as a digital biomarker for frailty in cardiovascular patients.

Background: Frailty is a syndrome associated with age-related impairments in multiple organ systems, of which the autonomic nervous system plays a fundamental role. Measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive method to evaluate the autonomic activity and gain insights into cardiovascular health and potentially, frailty. A few small studies have explored the relationship between HRV and frailty, with promising but conflicting results.

Characteristics of children and adolescents with multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis and their association with treatment outcomes: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

Background: There are few data on the treatment of children and adolescents with multidrug-resistant (MDR) or rifampicin-resistant (RR) tuberculosis, especially with more recently available drugs and regimens. We aimed to describe the clinical and treatment characteristics and their associations with treatment outcomes in this susceptible population.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis.

Antinuclear antibodies and progression of quantitative interstitial lung changes: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)-Lung Study.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are often found in ILD; whether ANA is associated with radiographic progression of quantitive interstitial lung changes is unknown. We performed longitudinal analyses of adults in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis using linear mixed effects models with random intercept and slope to evaluate whether baseline ANA was associated with change in the amount of lung with high attenuation areas on CT (HAAs, percentage of imaged lung with -600 to -250 HU). In 6,638 subjects with 17,293 CT scans over 18 years, 741 (11 %) were ANA positive.

Ethnic belonging and chronic disease in Indigenous populations in Canada.

Objectives: Indigenous peoples in Canada endure health inequalities and cultural erosion due to colonial legacies. This study examines the relationship between ethnic belonging and chronic disease patterns among three Indigenous groups: First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.

Methods: We analyzed data from the 2017 Indigenous Peoples Survey of Canada, performing latent class analysis to identify distinct classes among 12 chronic disease indicators.

Tire-derived compounds, phthalates, and trace metals in the Kiel Fjord (Germany).

Concerns about pollutants in the environment are increasing, with substances such as plastic additives drawing particular concern due to their potential harmful effects on organisms. This study investigates current levels of several contaminants in the Kiel Fjord. Some pose serious health risks to aquatic life.

Interventions to improve health care provider implementation and patient adherence of patients to recommendations on geriatric assessment and management in older adults: A scoping review protocol.

The world population is aging. Comprehensive Geriatric assessment (CGA) has been proven to improve the well-being of older adults. However, evidence suggests not all clinicians implement these recommendations in their practice; nor do all patients adhere to them.

Fixed dosing of alpelisib for children with vascular anomalies: Can we do better?

Severe forms of vascular malformations (VM) can highly impact patients' quality of life and lead to life-threatening organ dysfunction. Numerous VM are caused by somatic activating mutations in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. Alpelisib, a PIK3CA inhibitor was recently FDA-approved for paediatric PIK3CA-related overgrowth syndrome (PROS).

Bioequivalence Design With Sampling Distribution Segments.

In bioequivalence design, power analyses dictate how much data must be collected to detect the absence of clinically important effects. Power is computed as a tail probability in the sampling distribution of the pertinent test statistics. When these test statistics cannot be constructed from pivotal quantities, their sampling distributions are approximated via repetitive, time-intensive computer simulation.

A systematic review of psychometric properties of questionnaires assessing activities of daily living among older adults with neurocognitive disorders.

Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) lead to decline in performance in activities of daily living (ADLs). Multiple questionnaires assess this construct among older adults. The objective of this study was to review existing literature studying psychometric properties of questionnaires assessing performance in ADLs of older adults living with MCI and AD specifically.

Tremor in the Age of Omics: An Overview of the Transcriptomic Landscape of Essential Tremor.

Essential Tremor (ET) is the most common movement disorder and has a worldwide prevalence of 1%, including 5% of the population over 65 years old. It is characterized by an active, postural or kinetic tremor, primarily affecting the upper limbs, and is diagnosed based on clinical characteristics. The pathological mechanisms of ET, however, are mostly unknown.

Population Pharmacokinetic Modelling of Apixaban in End-Stage Kidney Disease Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Haemodialysis.

Background And Objective: Apixaban is increasingly being used for stroke prevention in patients with end-stage kidney disease with atrial fibrillation undergoing haemodialysis, but no pharmacostatistical model is available for dosage adjustment. This study aimed to develop a population pharmacokinetic model of apixaban in these patients to characterise its dialytic clearance and determine optimal dosing regimens and discontinuation timing before surgery.

Methods: Patients received 2.

EpiAge: a next-generation sequencing-based epigenetic clock for biological age assessment in saliva and blood across health and disease.

This study introduces EpiAgePublic, a new method to estimate biological age using only three specific sites on the gene known for its connection to aging. Unlike traditional methods that require complex and extensive data, our model uses a simpler approach that is well-suited for next-generation sequencing technology, which is a more advanced method of analyzing DNA methylation. This new model overcomes some of the common challenges found in older methods, such as errors due to sample quality and processing variations.

Symptoms in Persons With Either Active or Inactive Crohn's Disease Are Agnostic to Disease Phenotype: The Magic in Imagine Study.

Background: We aimed to examine the relationship between disease symptoms and disease phenotype in a large Canadian cohort of persons with Crohn's disease (CD).

Methods: Adults (n=1515) with CD from 14 Canadian centers participated in the Mind And Gut Interactions Cohort (MAGIC) between 2018 and 2023. Disease activity was measured using the 24-item IBD Symptom Inventory-Short-Form (IBDSI-SF).

Value Added by Assessing Nonspoken Vocabulary in Minimally Speaking Autistic Children.

Purpose: There is a scarcity of language assessment tools properly adapted for use with minimally speaking autistic children. As these children often use nonspoken methods of communication (i.e.

Significance of Tool Coating Properties and Compacted Graphite Iron Microstructure for Tool Selection in Extreme Machining.

This study aims to determine the extent to which coating composition and workpiece properties impact machinability and tool selection when turning Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) under extreme roughing conditions. Two CGI workpieces, differing in pearlite content and graphite nodularity, were machined at a cutting speed of 180 m/min, feed rate of 0.18 mm/rev, and depth of cut of 3 mm.

Multiplexed Dilute-and-Shoot Liquid Chromatography-Multiple-Reaction Monitoring Mass Spectrometry Clinical Assay for Metanephrines and Catecholamines in Human Urine.

Quantifying urinary catecholamines and metanephrines is essential for the clinical screening and diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumours. HPLC with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) is commonly used for this type of analysis but requires extensive sample cleanup. Simple and rapid dilute-and-shoot LC-multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM)-MS assays have been developed for quantitating these analytes in urine but have not yet been validated according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines.

A Canadian Perspective on Systemic Therapy for Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Although the majority of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) present with early-stage or locoregional disease that can be treated with definitive radiotherapy, approximately 20% of patients experience disease recurrence, and 15% present with metastatic disease that is not amenable to curative therapy. Management of patients with recurrent or metastatic (r/m) NPC who are not candidates for local salvage therapy is challenging in Canada, as there is uncertainty in extrapolating evidence that is largely generated from Southeast China to non-endemic regions such as Canada. Currently, treatment options in Canada are limited to chemotherapy regimens that can only achieve short-term response and prolongation of survival.

The Real-World Clinical Outcomes of Heavily Pretreated HER2+ and HER2-Low Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Trastuzumab Deruxtecan at a Single Centre.

Background: Trastuzumab deruxtecan (TDXd) is an antibody-drug conjugate that has demonstrated impressive activity in randomized controlled clinical trials in the context of patients with HER2-amplified and HER2-low metastatic breast cancer. We aimed to review the activity and adverse event profile of TDXd in heavily pretreated breast cancer patients in real practice.

Methods: We describe a single-center retrospective case series of metastatic breast cancer patients who were treated with TDXd.

Emergency Airway Management: A Systematic Review on the Effectiveness of Cognitive Aids in Improving Outcomes and Provider Performance.

Emergency airway management is a critical skill for healthcare professionals, particularly in life-threatening situations like "cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate" (CICO) scenarios. Errors and delays in airway management can lead to adverse outcomes, including hypoxia and death. Cognitive aids, such as checklists and algorithms, have been proposed as tools to improve decision-making, procedural competency, and non-technical skills in these high-stakes environments.