Detection methods for carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in surface water and wastewater.

Water systems can act as an important reservoir for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which can pose public health risks during human contact. Carbapenem resistance is one of the most concerning resistances in P. aeruginosa making it a high-priority pathogen according to the World Health Organization (WHO), due to its ability to cause difficult-to-treat infections.

Evaluation of RMplex system for differentiating father-son pairs using Y-STRs in a Korean population.

Y-chromosomal short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) at rapidly mutating (RM) loci have been suggested as tools for differentiating paternally related males. RMplex is a recently developed system that incorporates 26 RM loci and four fast-mutating (FM) loci, targeting 44 male-specific loci. Here, we evaluated the RMplex by estimating Y-STR mutation rates and the overall differentiation rates for 542 Korean father-son pairs, as well as the genetic population values for 409 unrelated males.

Right Ventricular Injury Definition and Management in Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation.

Right ventricular injury (RVI) in respiratory failure receiving veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) is associated with significant mortality. A scoping review is necessary to map the current literature and guide future research regarding the definition and management of RVI in patients receiving VV ECMO. We searched for relevant publications on RVI in patients receiving VV ECMO in Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science.

Prognostic Value of Myocardial CT-ECV in Severe Aortic Stenosis Requiring Aortic Valve Replacement: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Aim: Computed tomography (CT)-derived extracellular volume fraction (ECV) is a non-invasive method to quantify myocardial fibrosis. Evaluating CT-ECV during aortic valve replacement (AVR) planning CT in severe aortic stenosis (AS) may aid prognostic stratification. This meta-analysis evaluated the prognostic significance of CT-ECV in severe AS necessitating AVR.

Status of Sepsis Care in European Hospitals: Results from an International Cross-Sectional Survey.

Rationale: Early detection, standardized therapy, adequate infrastructure and strategies for quality improvement should constitute essential components of every hospital's sepsis plan.

Objectives: To investigate the extent to which recommendations from the sepsis guidelines are implemented and the availability of infrastructure for the care of patients with sepsis in acute hospitals.

Methods: A multidisciplinary cross-sectional questionnaire was used to investigate sepsis care in hospitals.

The Association Between Change in Symptom Severity and Personal Recovery in Patients With Severe Mental Illness.

This study examined the relationship between change in symptom severity and personal recovery in patients with severe mental illness (SMI). Forty-nine outpatients at Mentrum/Arkin, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, were assessed at baseline and 3 years later, using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Mental Health Recovery Measure. Correlation coefficients and linear regression analyses were used.

Systematic Review: Efficacy of Medical Therapy on Outcomes Important to Pediatric Patients with X-Linked Hypophosphatemia.

Objective: To examine the evidence addressing the management of X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) in children to inform treatment recommendations.

Methods: We searched Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central up to May 2023. Eligible studies included RCTs and observational studies of individuals less than 18yrs with clinically or genetically confirmed XLH.

Risk of cancer and reoperation after ileorectal anastomosis and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in familial adenomatous polyposis.

Objectives: To prevent colorectal cancer (CRC), most patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) undergo (procto)colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis (IRA) or ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA). After surgery, these patients remain at risk of developing cancer in the remnant rectum or rectal cuff/pouch. We aimed to compare the long-term risk of cancer following IRA or IPAA in FAP.

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(ethylene furanoate)/Poly(ε-caprolactone) Block Copolymers.

Biobased poly(ethylene furanoate) (PEF)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) block copolymers have been synthesized using ring opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) in the presence of PEF in different mass ratios. An increase in intrinsic viscosity is observed for the block copolymers with higher ε-CL content due to the extension of their macromolecular chain. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) was employed to understand the composition and structure of the produced block copolymers.

Methylome profiling of cell-free DNA during the early life course in (un)complicated pregnancies using MeD-seq: Protocol for a cohort study embedded in the prospective Rotterdam periconception cohort.

Introduction: Placental DNA methylation differences have been associated with timing in gestation and pregnancy complications. Maternal cell-free DNA (cfDNA) partly originates from the placenta and could enable the minimally invasive study of placental DNA methylation dynamics. We will for the first time longitudinally investigate cfDNA methylation during pregnancy by using Methylated DNA Sequencing (MeD-seq), which is compatible with low cfDNA levels and has an extensive genome-wide coverage.

Exploring the perceptions of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being and medical education of medical students in Northern Ireland, in addition to the perceived barriers to seeking support; a qualitative study.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on population mental health. Medical students may have been particularly affected, whom prevalence of mental health conditions was already high before the pandemic hit, due to the difficult and stressful academic programme. In Northern Ireland specifically, mental well-being levels are the lowest across the UK; however limited research exists examining the medical student cohort.

Cervical cancer care at a tertiary oncology facility in Uganda: Comparing daily practice with national treatment targets on cervical cancer control.

Objective: Treatment of cervical cancer patients in Uganda is hampered by late diagnosis due to the unavailability of timely screening and limited availability of advanced cancer care. This study evaluated the clinical presentation and management of cervical cancer patients presenting at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) in Kampala, the tertiary oncology facility in Uganda with access to radiotherapy and reflected on daily clinical practice to identify priority areas for improving cervical cancer care in Uganda.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed medical records of all cervical cancer patients presenting to UCI between January 2017 and March 2018 for sociodemographic characteristics and clinical variables with descriptive statistics.

Getting back on track after treatment of cancer: A qualitative interview study of cancer survivors' experiences.

Objective: An increasing number of people resumes life after cancer treatment. Although the (long-term) side-effects of cancer and its treatment can be significant, less is known about the impact on cancer survivors' participation in daily life. The aim of this study was to explore the common experiences of cancer survivors in resuming life after treatment.

Recruitment, follow-up and survival in an 11-country cohort study of patients at the end of life and their relatives.

Background: Large, international cohort studies generate high-level evidence, but are resource intense. In end-of-life care such studies are scarce. Hence, planning for future studies in terms of data on screening, recruitment, retention and survival remains a challenge.

Validation of polymorphic Gompertzian model of cancer through in vitro and in vivo data.

Mathematical modeling plays an important role in our understanding and targeting therapy resistance mechanisms in cancer. The polymorphic Gompertzian model, analyzed theoretically and numerically by Viossat and Noble to demonstrate the benefits of adaptive therapy in metastatic cancer, describes a heterogeneous cancer population consisting of therapy-sensitive and therapy-resistant cells. In this study, we demonstrate that the polymorphic Gompertzian model successfully captures trends in both in vitro and in vivo data on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) dynamics under treatment.

Achieving the state of Georgia 25% HIV incidence reduction target among men who have sex with men in Atlanta through expanded use of multimodal pre-exposure prophylaxis: A mathematical model.

The US faces substantial demographic and geographic disparities in both HIV burden and access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an effective strategy to prevent HIV acquisition. Long-acting cabotegravir (CAB) is a novel, injectable PrEP option which demonstrated superior reduction in risk of HIV acquisition compared to daily-oral PrEP in the HPTN083 trial. We modelled the impact of increased PrEP initiations and the introduction of long-acting CAB on HIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Atlanta, Georgia, a population with a high burden of HIV.

A new guide for basic psychological support for persons affected by neglected tropical diseases: A peer support tool suitable for persons with a diagnosis of leprosy and lymphatic filariasis.

Background: People with disabilities due to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), such as leprosy and lymphatic filariasis (LF), often encounter situations of stigma and discrimination that significantly impact their mental wellbeing. Mental wellbeing services are often not available at the peripheral level in NTD-endemic countries, and there is a need for such services. Basic psychological support for persons with NTDs (BPS-N) from peers is an important potential solution for addressing mental wellbeing problems.

A data management system for precision medicine.

Precision, or personalised medicine has advanced requirements for medical data management systems (MedDMSs). MedDMS for precision medicine should be able to process hundreds of parameters from multiple sites, be adaptable while remaining in sync at multiple locations, real-time syncing to analytics and be compliant with international privacy legislation. This paper describes the LogiqSuite software solution, aimed to support a precision medicine solution at the patient care (LogiqCare), research (LogiqScience) and data science (LogiqAnalytics) level.

Human cortical high-gamma power scales with movement rate in healthy participants and stroke survivors.

Motor cortical high-gamma oscillations (60-90 Hz) occur at movement onset and are spatially focused over the contralateral primary motor cortex. Although high-gamma oscillations are widely recognized for their significance in human motor control, their precise function on a cortical level remains elusive. Importantly, their relevance in human stroke pathophysiology is unknown.

Polymeric Gluten Proteins as Climate-Resilient Markers of Quality: Can LC-MS/MS Provide Valuable Information about Spring Wheat Grown in Diverse Climates?

In this study, the impact of the varying environments, wet-cool (2017), dry-hot (2018), and fluctuating (2019), on two spring wheat genotypes, Diskett and Bumble, grown in field conditions in southern Sweden was studied. From harvested grains, polymeric gluten proteins were fractionated and collected using SE-HPLC and then analyzed with LC-MS/MS. Proteins and peptides identified through searches against the protein sequences of (taxon 4565) from the UniProtKB database showed 7 high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) and 24 low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) with different enrichment levels for both genotypes.

Partial PdAu nanoparticle embedding into TiO support accentuates catalytic contributions from the Au/TiO interface.

Despite the broad catalytic relevance of metal-support interfaces, controlling their chemical nature, the interfacial contact perimeter (exposed to reactants), and consequently, their contributions to overall catalytic reactivity, remains challenging, as the nanoparticle and support characteristics are interdependent when catalysts are prepared by impregnation. Here, we decoupled both characteristics by using a raspberry-colloid-templating strategy that yields partially embedded PdAu nanoparticles within well-defined SiO or TiO supports, thereby increasing the metal-support interfacial contact compared to nonembedded catalysts that we prepared by attaching the same nanoparticles onto support surfaces. Between nonembedded PdAu/SiO and PdAu/TiO, we identified a support effect resulting in a 1.

Knee position affects medial gastrocnemius and soleus activation during dynamic plantarflexion: no evidence for an inter-muscle compensation in healthy young adults.

Knee joint position influences ankle torque, but it is unclear whether the soleus compensates to counteract the reductions in gastrocnemius output during knee-flexed versus knee-extended plantarflexions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of knee joint position and plantarflexion contraction velocity on ankle plantarflexion torque and electromyography activity of the medial gastrocnemius and soleus in healthy young adults. Healthy male participants (n=30) performed concentric plantar flexions in a custom-built dynamometer from 15° dorsiflexion to 30° plantarflexion at gradually increasing velocities during each contraction at 30, 60, 120, 180, and 210° s-1 in a supine position with the knee fully extended and while kneeling with the knee fixed in 90° flexion.

Validation of a transdiagnostic psychopathology ecological momentary assessment protocol in a university student sample.

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) collects real-time data in daily life, enhancing ecological validity and reducing recall bias. An EMA questionnaire that measures symptoms and transdiagnostic factors was recently developed with network modeling purposes. This study examines this EMA protocol's (a) subjective experience (e.