Speeding up drug susceptibility testing in Mycobacterium tuberculosis using RNA biomarkers.

Background: Efficient management of drug-resistant tuberculosis relies on fast diagnostics. To accelerate phenotypic drug susceptibility testing [pDST] for Mycobacterium tuberculosis [TB], we introduce TRACeR-TB, a test that infers drug resistance from antibiotic-specific mRNA biomarkers.

Methods: To develop TRACeR-TB, target genes were first identified through RNA sequencing experiments conducted on two drug-exposed, susceptible strains for four antitubercular drugs.

Needs and challenges of the payor and regulatory community towards integrating obesity into a chronic care framework.

Objectives: Obesity acts as the gateway disease to all Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). As the impact of NCDs continues to increase, projected to exceed 70 % of global mortality, there is an urgent need to improve the management of people living with obesity. People involved with health care policy must address the social and economic challenges that will likely develop as a result of the rise and severity in obesity.

Clinico-pathological features predicting indication to mastectomy in breast cancer patients achieving complete response after neoadjuvant therapy: A retrospective analysis of the EUSOMA database.

Aims: We investigated factors related to the type of surgery, i.e. mastectomy versus breast conserving surgery (BCS), in breast cancer (BC) patients with complete pathologic response in the breast (ypT0) after neoadjuvant therapy (NAT).

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of high-intensity versus low-intensity speech intervention in children with a cleft palate: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: In children with a cleft palate with or without a cleft lip (CP±L), some evidence exists for superior results of high-intensity speech intervention (HISI) compared with low-intensity speech intervention (LISI) on speech and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, the existing research often involves small sample sizes. Additionally, therapy in these studies is typically administered by researchers with extensive experience in treating speech disorders in these children.

Shoulder Musculoskeletal Disorder Rehabilitation Using a Robotic Device Based on Electromyography (EMG) Biofeedback: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

: While shoulder injuries represent the musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) most encountered in physical therapy, there is no consensus on their management. In attempts to provide standardized and personalized treatment, a robotic-assisted device combined with EMG biofeedback specifically dedicated to shoulder MSDs was developed. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of an 8-week rehabilitation program (3 sessions a week) using a robotic-assisted device combined with EMG biofeedback (RA-EMG group) in comparison with a conventional program (CONV group) in patients presenting with shoulder MSDs.

Applying Nociplastic Pain Criteria in Chronic Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Vignette Study.

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) recently introduced clinical criteria and a grading system to identify nociplastic pain, marking a pivotal step toward improving diagnostic accuracy. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the IASP criteria using clinical vignettes, assessing their effectiveness in identifying nociplastic pain in clinical settings. A reliability and diagnostic accuracy study was conducted using 32 clinical vignettes based on the literature and pre-existing clinical data.

Assessment of Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation in Hemodialysis Patients with Persistently Positive Antiphospholipid Antibody: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred vascular access option for hemodialysis (HD). The latter requires a remodeling process called maturation that can take up to 3 months. Maturation failure is a frequent complication associated with significant morbidity.

Nationwide Incidence of Acute Alcohol Intoxication in Adolescents in Belgium: A Validation Study of Belgian Health Insurance Data Through Comparison with Retrospective Hospital Chart Data in Antwerp, Belgium.

: This study investigates the incidence of acute alcohol intoxication (AAI) in adolescents in Belgium, by comparing nationwide estimations based on health insurance data with a recently published hospital chart study in Antwerp. In this way, the scope of AAI among adolescents in Belgium can be estimated more precisely. : Health insurance data collected by the Intermutualistic Agency (IMA) regarding 12- to 17-year-olds admitted at emergency departments in Antwerp in 2019-2021 and receiving a blood test to screen for blood alcohol concentration were validated by data derived from a recently conducted retrospective hospital chart study regarding AAI among adolescents in Antwerp.

Identifying Biomarkers for Remyelination and Recovery in Multiple Sclerosis: A Measure of Progress.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) pathology is characterized by acute and chronic inflammation, demyelination, axonal injury, and neurodegeneration. After decades of research into MS-related degeneration, recent efforts have shifted toward recovery and the prevention of further damage. A key area of focus is the remyelination process, where researchers are studying the effects of pharmacotherapy on myelin repair mechanisms.

Factors Associated with Mortality in Nosocomial Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: An ENIRRI Analysis.

: Nosocomial lower respiratory tract infections (nLRTIs) are associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes and significant healthcare costs. nLRTIs include hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and other ICU-acquired pneumonia phenotypes. While risk factors for mortality in these infections are critical to guide preventive strategies, it remains unclear whether they vary based on their requirement of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) at any point during the hospitalization.

Phage Therapy for Orthopaedic Infections: The First Three Cases from the United Kingdom.

: Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. The antimicrobial resistance crisis has driven renewed interest in phage therapy, including the use of phages to treat chronic orthopaedic infections. : Here, we present the results of the first three orthopaedic patients treated with phage therapy in the United Kingdom.

Assessing the impact and risk of immunomodulatory compounds on pregnancy.

There have been remarkable advancements in understanding the complex and dynamic immune biological processes engaged during all stages of pregnancy. Exquisite control of immune processes is critical to successful outcome in all stages of pregnancy from ovulation to birth. There are many immunomodulatory therapeutics that may offer beneficial treatment options for a variety of diseases (e.

An endothelial SOX18-mevalonate pathway axis enables repurposing of statins for infantile hemangioma.

Infantile hemangioma (IH) is the most common tumor in children and a paradigm for pathological vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and regression. Propranolol, the mainstay treatment, inhibits IH vessel formation via a β-adrenergic receptor independent off-target effect of its R(+) enantiomer on the endothelial SRY box transcription factor 18 (SOX18). Transcriptomic profiling of patient-derived hemangioma stem cells (HemSC) uncovered the mevalonate pathway (MVP) as a target of R(+) propranolol.

Dimensional Accuracy Assessment of Medical Anatomical Models Produced by Hospital-Based Fused Deposition Modeling 3D Printer.

As 3D printing technology expands rapidly in medical disciplines, the accuracy evaluation of 3D-printed medical models is required. However, no established guidelines to assess the dimensional error of anatomical models exist. This study aims to evaluate the dimensional accuracy of medical models 3D-printed using a hospital-based Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer.

Treatments of Interest in Male Breast Cancer: An Umbrella Review.

Male breast cancer (MaBC) is a rare disease and due to its rarity and the lack of specific protocols for its management, treatment algorithms are extrapolated from female breast cancer (FBC). To optimize MaBC treatment, we conceived an umbrella review with the aim of supplying an evidence-based summary of systematic reviews published about this topic in the last twenty years. This umbrella review was performed according to a predefined protocol (PROSPERO number CRD42024574299).

Dupilumab Effectiveness in Patients with Severe Allergic Asthma Non-Responsive to Omalizumab.

: Severe allergic asthma is usually treated with omalizumab; however, this drug may not be effective for every patient. By its action, dupilumab could be an alternative in these patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dupilumab in patients with severe allergic asthma, non-responsive to omalizumab, according to the maintenance of their oral corticosteroid (OCS) dose, an exacerbation rate decrease, or poor control of the disease, despite optimized treatment.

The Healthcare Professionals' and Patient Advocates' Perspectives on the Care for Children with Cancer in Europe-A Report from the ESCALIER Project.

Cancer in children and adolescents is rare. Therefore, experienced multidisciplinary teams of health care professionals and input from patient advocates are needed. Within the ESCALIER project, we present the current situation of care for children and adolescents with cancer in Europe from the perspective of these stakeholders and highlight the topics relevant for them.

Cranial ultrasound in neonatal brain infections.

Infection of the neonatal central nervous system (CNS) can cause irreversible brain damage. Cranial ultrasound is an important neuroimaging modality in the neonatal period for detecting brain injury. Several types of organism can cause neonatal CNS infection.

The Challenges of Multiculturalism in Belgian Emergency Services: An Exploration of Emergency Physicians' Experiences, Attitudes and Intercultural Competence.

The increasing cultural diversity in Belgium necessitates an understanding of the challenges faced by emergency physicians in treating migrant patients. Cultural differences influence how patients experience and communicate their symptoms while migration often alters individuals' ways of being and relating to others. Despite the critical importance of these issues, no prior studies to the best of our knowledge have examined the culture-specific challenges faced by emergency physicians in Belgium.

Incidence and predictors of Woven EndoBridge (WEB) shape modification following treatment of intracranial aneurysms in a large multicenter study.

The Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device is FDA-approved for the treatment of bifurcation aneurysms. Despite its wide popularity, it has been under scrutiny for its association with potential aneurysm recanalization and retreatment due to device shape modification. This study aims to analyze the shape modification rate of WEB devices and identify factors associated with this phenomenon, as well as its correlation with aneurysm retreatment.

Clinical Behavior of Breast Cancer in Young Carriers and Prediagnostic Awareness of Germline Status.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical behavior of breast cancer in young carriers according to the specific gene () and the association of the timing of genetic testing (before at diagnosis) with prognosis.

Methods: This was an international, multicenter, hospital-based, retrospective cohort study that included 4,752 patients harboring germline pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (PVs) in or , who were diagnosed with stage I-III invasive breast cancer at 40 years or younger between January 2000 and December 2020 in 78 centers worldwide (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03673306).

Improving effective antimicrobial resistance (AMR) prevention in ambulatory care: lessons from secondary appraisal of Belgian anti-infectious treatment care guidelines.

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been designated as a global threat by the World Health Organization. To combat AMR in Belgium, the Belgian Antibiotic Policy Coordination Committee (BAPCOC) has, among others, developed guidelines for the appropriate use of antimicrobials in the ambulatory practice. We aim to assess the current guidelines from an antimicrobial stewardship perspective and procide suggestions for improving the ambulatory antibiotic guidelines for first-line healthcare providers.

Ventilation practices in acute brain injured patients and association with outcomes: the VENTIBRAIN multicenter observational study.

Purpose: Current mechanical ventilation practices for patients with acute brain injury (ABI) are poorly defined. This study aimed to describe ventilator settings/parameters used in intensive care units (ICUs) and evaluate their association with clinical outcomes in these patients.

Methods: An international, prospective, multicenter, observational study was conducted across 74 ICUs in 26 countries, including adult patients with ABI (e.

Clinical significance of exercise-induced hypoalgesia in individuals with temporomandibular disorders and neck pain: A clinical trial protocol.

Evidence reports positive effects of neck motor control and aerobic exercises (AEs) to improve pain in individuals with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and neck pain. A single bout of exercise typically leads to an increase in pain thresholds up to 30 min post-exercise, known as exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). Studies evaluating the effects of aerobic and neck motor control exercises on EIH in individuals with chronic neck pain and TMD are limited.