Intercostal Nerve Cryoablation During Lobectomy for Postsurgical Pain: A Safe and Cost-Effective Intervention.

Introduction: The cost benefit of intercostal nerve cryoablation during surgical lobectomy for postoperative pain management is unknown. The current study compared hospital economics, resource use, and clinical outcomes during the index stay and accompanying short-term follow-up. Patients who underwent lobectomy with standard of care treatment for postsurgical pain management and cryoablation were compared to those with standard of care treatment only.

Antiviral Use Among Children Hospitalized With Laboratory-Confirmed Influenza Illness: A Prospective, Multicenter Surveillance Study.

Background: Guidelines state that all hospitalized children with suspected or confirmed influenza receive prompt treatment with influenza-specific antivirals. We sought to determine the frequency of, and factors associated with, antiviral receipt among hospitalized children.

Methods: We conducted active surveillance of children presenting with fever or respiratory symptoms from 1 December 2016 to 31 March 2020 at 7 pediatric medical centers in the New Vaccine Surveillance Network.

Tick-, flea- and mite-borne pathogens and associated diseases of public health importance in Bangladesh: a review.

Background: This scoping review provides a baseline summary of the current records of the ticks, fleas, and mites of public health importance that are present in Bangladesh. It summarizes their geographic distributions and reports the levels of their infestation of livestock, pets, wildlife, and humans, and the clinical and epidemiological studies pertinent to these vectors and their pathogens.

Methods: Sixty-one articles were identified in a literature search, including 43 published since 2011.

Corneal and conjunctival abnormalities in a cohort of survivors from the Western African Ebola virus disease outbreak.

Purpose: To characterize corneal and conjunctival abnormalities (CCAs) and their impact on visual acuity in a cohort of survivors from the Western African Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak.

Design: A post hoc analysis of 121 patients, who had previously undergone screening for the Ebola Virus Persistence in Ocular Tissues and Fluids study, was performed.

Methods: Patients underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic exam at the Lowell and Ruth Gess Eye Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The Professional Identity of STEM Faculty as Instructors of Course-based Research Experiences.

The professional identity of scientists has historically been cultivated to value research over teaching, which can undermine initiatives that aim to reform science education. Course-Based Research Experiences (CRE) and the inclusive Research and Education Communities (iREC) are two successful and impactful reform efforts that integrate research and teaching. The aim of this study is to explicate the professional identity of instructors who implement a CRE within an established iREC and to explore how this identity contributes to the success of these programs.

Multielectrode Radiofrequency Balloon Catheter for Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: Results From the Global, Multicenter, STELLAR Study.

Introduction: The safety and efficacy of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) ablation with the HELIOSTAR multielectrode radiofrequency (RF) balloon catheter have been demonstrated in European studies; data from elsewhere are lacking. This prospective, multicenter study conducted in the United States, Italy, and China investigated the safety and efficacy of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using HELIOSTAR in drug-refractory symptomatic PAF.

Methods: The primary effectiveness endpoint (PEE) was 12-month freedom from documented atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter/atrial tachycardia plus freedom from acute procedural failure, nonstudy catheter failure, repeat ablation failure, direct current cardioversion (DCCV), and Class I/III antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) failure.

Molecular Biology of Cancer-Interplay of Malignant Cells with Emerging Therapies.

Cancer is currently one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and according to data from the World Health Organization reported in 2020, it ranks as the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for 10 million fatalities [...

Elevated mutation rates in multi-azole resistant Aspergillus fumigatus drive rapid evolution of antifungal resistance.

The environmental use of azole fungicides has led to selective sweeps across multiple loci in the Aspergillus fumigatus genome causing the rapid global expansion of a genetically distinct cluster of resistant genotypes. Isolates within this cluster are also more likely to be resistant to agricultural antifungals with unrelated modes of action. Here we show that this cluster is not only multi-azole resistant but has increased propensity to develop resistance to next generation antifungals because of variants in the DNA mismatch repair system.

Morbidity associated with schistosomiasis in adult population of Chókwè district, Mozambique.

Background: Mozambique is one of the countries with the highest prevalence of schistosomiasis, although there is little data on the prevalence of disease and associated morbidity in the adult population. This study aimed to describe and characterize the morbidity associated with schistosomiasis in the adult population of Chókwè district and to explore the use of anamnestic questionnaires and urine dipsticks, as well as point-of-care ultrasound for urinary related findings, to better characterize disease prevalence and morbidity.

Methodology: Between April and October 2018, we conducted a cross-sectional study embedded within the Chókwè Health Research and Training Centre.

Analysis of participant race and sex reporting and disparities in US epilepsy clinical trials.

Objective: Studies have shown that a growing number of people with epilepsy belong to minority groups and experience health disparities. Inclusivity in clinical trial enrollment is essential for advancing health access but has not been well studied among epilepsy trials. The objective of this study was to analyze US epilepsy clinical trials to identify the prevalence and trends associated with race and sex enrollment disparities.

Resilience of primary healthcare facilities: Experiences from 16 European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mixed-methods study conducted by EURIPA.

Background: The role of primary healthcare (PHC) during a pandemic varies across European countries. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has altered the working practices of family medicine doctors and impacted the resilience of healthcare systems.

Objectives: This study aimed to examine European healthcare system responses to the pandemic, focusing on rural and urban differences.

Who to Boost When: The Effect of Age and Dosing Interval on Delta and Omicron COVID-19 Incidence in the Open-label Phase of the COVE Trial.

Background: To help inform COVID-19 vaccination recommendations, we evaluated the impact of age and dosing interval on clinical benefit of a third dose of mRNA-1273.

Methods: Approximately 17 000 participants from the phase 3 Coronavirus Efficacy trial who previously received 2 doses of 100 µg mRNA-1273 were evaluated for COVID-19 between September 2021 and April 2022 during uptake of a third booster dose of 50 µg of mRNA-1273. Cox models assessed booster relative efficacy of a third dose.

Performance of a score to characterise adequate contact among the social network of persons with TB.

Background: Transmission of requires adequate contact between an infectious case and a susceptible host. The aim of this analysis was to validate a recently developed contact score that assessed settings of exposure and relationships between the case and contact.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study from Kampala, Uganda, we estimated the prevalence of tuberculous infection (TBI) in social contacts of adult TB cases according to the setting and relationship domains of the contact score.

Algae a Potential Source in Cosmetics: Current Status, Challenges, and Economic Implications.

Recently, many studies have revealed the association between environmental stresses and skin disorders. Skin protects the inner body organs as a first line of defence against various environmental detriments. The physical, chemical, biological, and environmental stresses and internal factors, including reactive oxygen species, can lead to skin aging, laxity, wrinkles, dryness, and coarse texture.

"Reactive" Chemical Strategy to Attain Substrate Independent "" Omniphobic Solid Anti-Biofouling Coatings.

Covalent and defect-free surface-grafted solid lubricating chains that can impart slippery behavior have proven advantageous over lubricant infused and textured anti-wetting surfaces. Herein, the co-hydrolysis and co-condensation of a mixture of organosilanes followed by the epoxy-amine ring opening reaction at the interface results in a highly robust, transparent and solid slippery omniphobic coating (LL-OSC). The presence of the epoxy-terminated organosilane a) acts as a molecular spacer in between the low-surface energy, rigid fluorine terminated silane and b) provides 'reactive' epoxy groups for covalent binding to a pre-functionalized amine surface for potential applicability in droplet transport and manipulation, diagnostics etc.

Peritraumatic C-reactive protein levels predict pain outcomes following traumatic stress exposure in a sex-dependent manner.

Background: Chronic pain following traumatic stress exposure (TSE) is common. Increasing evidence suggests inflammatory/immune mechanisms are induced by TSE, play a key role in the recovery process versus development of post-TSE chronic pain, and are sex specific. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with chronic pain after TSE in a sex-specific manner.

The Bronchodilator and Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Long-Acting Muscarinic Antagonists in Asthma: An EAACI Position Paper.

As cholinergic innervation is a major contributor to increased vagal tone and mucus secretion, inhaled long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) are a pillar for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. By blocking the muscarinic receptors expressed in the lung, LAMA improve lung function and reduce exacerbations in asthma patients who remained poorly controlled despite treatment with inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2 agonists. Asthma guidelines recommend LAMA as a third controller to be added on before the initiation of biologicals.

Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses in Monozygotic and Dizygotic Twins.

Monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins are studied to understand genetic and environmental influences on complex traits, however the mechanisms behind twinning are not completely understood. (Epi)genomic studies identified SNPs associated with DZ twinning and DNA methylation sites with MZ twinning. To find molecular biomarkers of twinning, we compared transcriptomics and metabolomics data from MZ and DZ twins.