Optimization of in vitro propagation and virus eradication using meristem culture and thermotherapy in two geranium species Pelargonium X hortorum ('Zonal') and Pelargonium × domesticum ('Regal').

Background: Geraniums (Pelargonium) are among the most popular flowers worldwide. Viral infection is one of the main problems of the genus Pelargonium, and the production of virus-free mother plants is necessary for large-scale geranium propagation and exchange. Meristem culture and thermotherapy are two effective procedures that have been widely adopted to produce healthy virus-free plant stocks.

Blood DNA virome associates with autoimmune diseases and COVID-19.

Aberrant immune responses to viral pathogens contribute to pathogenesis, but our understanding of pathological immune responses caused by viruses within the human virome, especially at a population scale, remains limited. We analyzed whole-genome sequencing datasets of 6,321 Japanese individuals, including patients with autoimmune diseases (psoriasis vulgaris, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) or multiple sclerosis) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or healthy controls. We systematically quantified two constituents of the blood DNA virome, endogenous HHV-6 (eHHV-6) and anellovirus.

Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

This is the first in a series of five papers that detail the role and substantial impact that external quality assessment (EQA) and their providers' services play in ensuring diagnostic (IVD) performance quality. The aim is to give readers and users of EQA services an insight into the processes in EQA, explain to them what happens before EQA samples are delivered and after examination results are submitted to the provider, how they are assessed, what benefits participants can expect, but also who are stakeholders other than participants and what significance do EQA data and assessment results have for them. This first paper presents the history of EQA, insights into legal, financing and ethical matters, information technology used in EQA, structure and lifecycle of EQA programs, frequency and intensity of challenges, and unique requirements of extra-examination and educational EQA programs.

Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

External quality assessment (EQA) enhances patient safety through the evaluation of the quality of laboratory-based and point of care testing. Regulatory agencies and accreditation organizations utilize the results and the laboratory's response to them as part of assessing the laboratory's fitness to practice. In addition, where EQA samples are commutable and the assigned value has been determined using reference measurement procedures (RMPs), EQA data contributes to the verification of metrological traceability of assays as part of the post-market surveillance of diagnostic (IVD) medical devices (IVD-MDs).

Experts' discussion: implications of the World Health Organization's World report on hearing for the cochlear implant field.

Objective: This review aims to analyse the implications of the World Health Organization's 2021 world report on hearing, with a particular focus on the cochlear implant field. The objective is to understand the challenges and opportunities highlighted in the report and propose viable solutions for effective implementation within the cochlear implant community.

Methods: Following the release of the World Health Organization's world report on hearing, cochlear implant professionals explored and discussed the implications of the report with examples from various countries to understand the disparities in access, reimbursement policies, and social stigma associated with hearing loss.

Meeting summary: Global vaccine and immunization research forum, 2023.

At the 2023 Global Vaccine and Immunization Research Forum (GVIRF), researchers from around the world gathered in the Republic of Korea to discuss advances and opportunities in vaccines and immunization. Many stakeholders are applying the lessons of Covid-19 to future emergencies, by advancing early-stage development of prototype vaccines to accelerate response to the next emerging infectious disease, and by building regional vaccine research, development, and manufacturing capacity to speed equitable access to vaccines in the next emergency. Recent vaccine licensures include: respiratory syncytial virus vaccines, both for the elderly and to protect infants through maternal immunization; a new dengue virus vaccine; and licensure of Covid-19 vaccines previously marketed under emergency use authorizations.

Expression divergence of BAG gene family in maize under heat stress.

Heat stress poses a significant challenge for maize production, especially during the spring when high temperatures disrupt cellular processes, impeding plant growth and development. The B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) associated athanogene (BAG) gene family is known to be relatively conserved across various species. It plays a crucial role as molecular chaperone cofactors that are responsible for programmed cell death and tumorigenesis.

Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

External quality assessment (EQA) cycles are the smallest complete units within EQA programs that laboratories can use to obtain external assessments of their performance. In each cycle, several samples are distributed to the laboratories registered for participation, and ideally, EQA programs not only cover the examination procedures but also the pre- and post-examination procedures. The properties and concentration range of measurands in individual samples are selected with regard to the intended challenge for the participants so that each sample fulfils its purpose.

Virtual Reality-Applied Home-Visit Rehabilitation for Patients With Chronic Pain: Protocol for Single-Arm Pre-Post Comparison Study.

Background: Pain inhibits rehabilitation. In rehabilitation at medical institutions, the usefulness of virtual reality (VR) has been reported in many cases to alleviate pain. In recent years, the demand for home rehabilitation has increased.

Behind the scenes of EQA - characteristics, capabilities, benefits and assets of external quality assessment (EQA).

Providers of external quality assessment (EQA) programs evaluate data or information obtained and reported by participant laboratories using their routine procedures to examine properties or measurands in samples provided for this purpose. EQA samples must offer participants an equal chance to obtain accurate results, while being designed to provide results in clinically relevant ranges. It is the responsibility of the EQA provider to meet the necessary requirements for homogeneity, stability and some other properties of the EQA items in order to offer participants a fair, reliable and technically interesting EQA experience.

Demystifying the art of isotope-enabled hydrological and climate modelling.

Over the last 20 years, we have dramatically improved hydrometeorological data including isotopes, but are we making the most of this data? Stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in the water molecule (stable water isotopes - SWI) are well known tracers of the global hydrological cycle producing critical climate science. Despite this, stable water isotopes are not explicitly included in influential climate reports (e.g.

Disentangling Sources of Momentum Fluctuations in Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector.

High-energy nuclear collisions create a quark-gluon plasma, whose initial condition and subsequent expansion vary from event to event, impacting the distribution of the eventwise average transverse momentum [P([p_{T}])]. Disentangling the contributions from fluctuations in the nuclear overlap size (geometrical component) and other sources at a fixed size (intrinsic component) remains a challenge. This problem is addressed by measuring the mean, variance, and skewness of P([p_{T}]) in ^{208}Pb+^{208}Pb and ^{129}Xe+^{129}Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.

Measurement of CP Violation Observables in D^{+}→K^{-}K^{+}π^{+} Decays.

A search for violation of the charge-parity (CP) symmetry in the D^{+}→K^{-}K^{+}π^{+} decay is presented, with proton-proton collision data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4  fb^{-1}, collected at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with the LHCb detector. A novel model-independent technique is used to compare the D^{+} and D^{-} phase-space distributions, with instrumental asymmetries subtracted using the D_{s}^{+}→K^{-}K^{+}π^{+} decay as a control channel.

Nanostructural Analysis of Age-Related Changes Affecting Human Dentin.

Human dentin performs its function throughout life, even though it is not remodeled like bone. Therefore, dentin must have extreme durability against daily repetitive loading. Elucidating its durability requires a comprehensive understanding of its shape, structure, and anisotropy at various levels of its structure.

Efficacy and safety of nivolumab and ipilimumab with or without chemotherapy for unresectable non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter retrospective observational study.

Introduction: Compared to platinum-based therapies, a combination of ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4) and nivolumab (anti-PD-1) has demonstrated improved outcomes in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), albeit with higher rates of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). This multicenter retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab and ipilimumab with or without chemotherapy (NI and NICT) in real-world clinical settings.

Methods: We enrolled 215 treatment-naïve NSCLC patients who received NI or NICT between December 2020 and May 2023 at 14 institutions in Japan.

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Background: Dementia is age-related with a significant genetic contribution, yet genome-wide association studies have not fully accounted for heritability. This discrepancy may in part be due to reliance on SNPs and small indels. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data in the Japanese population may reveal population-specific susceptibility loci for dementia.

Factors Associated With Prelacteal Feeding of Commercial Milk Formula: An Analysis of Cohort Data From the BADUTA Study in Indonesia.

Introducing commercial milk formula (CMF) as prelacteal feeds can disturb exclusive breastfeeding and shorten breastfeeding duration. However, the prelacteal feeding of CMF has been growing alongside its increasing sales in Indonesia. This study examined predictors of the CMF feeding in the Malang and Sidoarjo districts of Indonesia.

Genomics-based timely detection of dengue virus type I genotypes I and V in Uruguay.

This study details a genomics-based approach for the early detection of mosquito-borne pathogens, marked by Uruguay's first ever complete genomic sequencing of Dengue Virus type I genotypes I and V. This pioneering effort has facilitated the prompt identification of these genotypes within the country, enabling Uruguayan public health authorities to develop timely and effective response strategies. Further integrated into this approach is a climate-driven suitability measure, closely associated with Dengue case reports and indicative of the local climate's role in the virus's transmission in the country within the changing climate context.

Bovine brucellosis, associated risk factors and preventive measures in industrial cattle farms.

Effective management of brucellosis in human populations is closely tied to controlling the disease in domestic livestock. This study focused on identifying determinants of brucellosis prevalence in mixed industrial dairy and beef cattle farms within Isfahan Province, Iran. Employing a case control design, we compared 32 ranches with documented brucellosis within the previous year (12 months) to 38 farms with no brucellosis during the same timeframe.

A Narrative Review of Invasive Candidiasis in the Intensive Care Unit.

species is the most common cause of invasive fungal infection in the critically ill population admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Numerous risk factors for developing invasive candidiasis (IC) have been identified, and some, like the breach of protective barriers, abound within the ICU. Given that IC carries a significant mortality, morbidity, and healthcare cost burden, early diagnosis and treatment have become an essential topic of discussion.

Quantification of Difference in Nonselectivity Between In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices.

Correct measurement results from in vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical devices (MD) are crucial for optimal patient care. The performance of IVD-MDs is often assessed through method comparison studies. Such studies can be compromised by the influence of various factors.

Seizure aggravation by ampicillin/sulbactam in an elderly patient with status epilepticus.

Background: Ampicillin/sulbactam (ABPC/ SBT) is one of the most common β-lactam antibiotics for patients with status epilepticus complicated with aspiration pneumonia. It is known that β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin aggravate epileptic seizures or status epilepticus. Here, we investigated whether ABPC/SBT aggravates seizures using electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring.

Impact of lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage to control intracranial hypertension in patients with severe traumatic brain injury: a retrospective monocentric cohort.

Background: External lumbar drainage (ELD) of cerebrospinal fluid may help control intracranial pressure following a traumatic brain injury. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of ELD in post-traumatic intracranial hypertension (IH).

Methods: This retrospective monocentric cohort study was conducted in the trauma critical care unit of the regional Level-I trauma centre between January 2012 and December 2022.

Is frequent emergency department use a complement or substitute for other healthcare services? Evidence from South Carolina Medicaid enrollees.

Objective: To compare healthcare services utilization across the healthcare system between frequent and non-frequent emergency department (ED) users among Medicaid enrollees in South Carolina.

Study Setting And Design: We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal study of individuals with at least one ED visit in 2017 in South Carolina and identified their healthcare services visits over 730 days (2 years) after their first ED visit. We classified individuals based on intensity of ED use: superfrequent (≥9 ED visits/year), frequent (4-8 ED visits/year), and non-frequent ED users (≤3 visits/year).