Impact of extended-course oral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir in established Long COVID: a case series.

Background: Prior case series suggest that a 5-day course of oral Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) benefits some people with Long COVID, within and/or outside of the context of an acute reinfection. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no prior case series of people with Long COVID who have attempted longer courses of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir.

Methods: We documented a case series of 13 individuals with Long COVID who initiated extended courses (>5 days; range: 7.

Excess mortality due to COVID-19 in Thailand between the pandemic and post-pandemic periods.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant effect on mortality rates worldwide, with Thailand being no exception. Gaining insights into the impact of pandemic-related mortality is essential for assessing its broader consequences on public health. This study aimed to analyze excess deaths during the pandemic (January 1, 2020-September 30, 2022) and post-pandemic period (October 2022-December 2023) at regional and national levels in Thailand.

Gut microbes metabolize strawberry phytochemicals and mediate their beneficial effects on vascular inflammation.

Evidence suggests that a healthy gut microbiome is essential for metabolizing dietary phytochemicals. However, the microbiome's role in metabolite production and the influence of gut dysbiosis on this process remain unclear. Further, studies on the relationship among gut microbes, metabolites, and biological activities of phytochemicals are limited.

Flow-Through Flaps as a Robust Method for Advanced Free Flap Reconstruction in the Head and Neck: A Multi-Institutional Experience.

Background: Flow-through flaps (FTFs) are an advanced technique in which a free flap is anastomosed to the pedicle of another free flap to reconstruct extensive head and neck defects when recipient vessels are scarce.

Methods: A multi-institutional cohort of FTFs used for head and neck reconstruction were reviewed. For comparison, FTF outcomes were compared to free flaps that required vein grafts (VG) to reach distant recipient vessels.

Patterns in mortality associated with heart failure and lung cancer among older adults in the United States: An analysis of 20 years.

Background: Despite an established association between heart failure (HF) and lung cancer (LC), there is limited evidence available regarding mortality patterns among the older (≥65 years) population in the United States.

Methods: The mortality data, spanning 1999 to 2019, was surveyed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database with HF and LC identified as underlying or contributing causes of death. Crude and age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) were calculated per 100,000 individuals.

A Combined Approach for Rapid Dereplication of Herb-Drug Interaction Causative Agents in Botanical Extracts-A Molecular Networking Strategy To Identify Potential Pregnane X Receptor (PXR) Modulators in Yohimbe.

Despite promising preliminary biology, natural products isolation efforts may be confounded when the active compound is not isolated during bioassay-guided purification or classical pharmacognostic research investigations. A more rational isolation procedure connecting the polypharmacology of an herb to its individual constituents must be applied to better detect bioactive molecules before tedious analytical steps are considered. While (yohimbe) has been traditionally used in herbal medicine as a general tonic, an aphrodisiac, a performance enhancer, and an integral part of various dietary supplements, the hydroethanolic extract of yohimbe was identified to possess at least 3-4-fold induction of the pregnane X receptor (PXR) at 30 μg/mL, a key nuclear receptor implicated in adverse interactions, .

Enhancing immune response and survival in hepatocellular carcinoma with novel oncolytic Jurona virus and immune checkpoint blockade.

Members of the genus including Jurona virus (JURV) have emerged as promising immunotherapeutic agents, characterized by their tumor selectivity, fast kinetics, low seroprevalence, and minimal toxicity in humans. Here, we demonstrate that the administration of JURV leads to tumor regression in both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) xenograft and syngeneic models. Furthermore, our findings indicate that combining JURV and anti-PD-1 therapy reduced tumor burden and improved survival rates over JURV or anti-PD-1 alone in an orthotopic HCC model.

Functional Connectivity to the Amygdala in the Neonate Is Impacted by the Maternal Anxiety Level During Pregnancy.

Background And Purpose: Anxiety during pregnancy is common, and exposure to heightened anxiety during pregnancy may influence children's brain development and functioning. However, it is unclear if exposure to low levels of anxiety in utero would also impact the developing brain. The current prospective and longitudinal study included 40 healthy pregnant women without pregnancy complications or previous diagnosis of anxiety disorders.

A review of literature of a functional, congenital intrathoracic kidney.

Introduction: The rarest form of renal ectopia, the thoracic kidney, has been documented in only about 200 cases worldwide. There are four recognized causes of congenital thoracic renal ectopia: renal ectopia with an intact diaphragm, diaphragmatic eventration, diaphragmatic hernia, and traumatic diaphragmatic rupture. This condition often presents as an incidental finding in asymptomatic patients.

Nextflow4MS-DIAL: A Reproducible Nextflow-Based Workflow for Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics Data Processing.

Reproducibility in untargeted metabolomics data processing remains a significant challenge due to software limitations and the complex series of steps required. To address these issues, we developed Nextflow4MS-DIAL, a reproducible workflow for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics data processing, validated with publicly available data from MetaboLights (MTBLS733). Nextflow4MS-DIAL automates LC-MS data processing to minimize human errors from manual data handling.

Safety and efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy in patients with autoimmune diseases: a systematic review.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has revolutionized the treatment of various hematological malignancies. Recently, CAR-T has been used in refractory auto-immune diseases with initial encouraging results. In this systematic review, we examined the safety and efficacy of CAR-T in patients with refractory auto-immune diseases.

Exploring LGBTQ+ youth well-being: Utilizing a mixed-method approach to uncover insights, needs, and strategies of LGBTQ+ youth in Northwest Arkansas.

Objective: This study investigates the well-being and needs of LGBTQ+ youth in Northwest Arkansas, aiming to understand factors influencing their quality of life and inform supportive policies and practices.

Methods: This exploratory, descriptive evaluation used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design to explore LGBTQ+ youth well-being and needs in Northwest Arkansas. 218 online survey respondents and six interviewees under 21 who self-identified as LGBTQ+ participated.

Slow-Coagulation Transscleral Cyclophotocoagulation in Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of slow-coagulation transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (SC-TSCPC) in pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PXG).

Methods: A single-center, retrospective non-comparative study including consecutive patients with medically uncontrolled PXG who underwent SC-TSCPC (1250-milliwatt power and 4-second duration). The primary outcome measure was surgical success (defined as intraocular pressure (IOP) between 6 - 21 mmHg with ≥20% reduction compared to baseline and no need for further glaucoma surgeries or development of vision-threatening complications).

Topical Netarsudil in Childhood Glaucoma: A Systematic Review.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of topical netarsudil 0.02% in managing childhood glaucoma.

Methods: A literature search in the electronic databases of PubMed CENTRAL, Google Scholar, EMBASE, the Register of Controlled Trials, and Ovid MEDLINE from January 2017 to August 2023 using one or a combination of the following terms: "netarsudil," "rhopressa," "Rho-kinase," "pediatric glaucoma," "childhood glaucoma," "intraocular pressure" was conducted.

The association between anthropogenic heat and parent-report symptoms of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in China: A novel perspective reflecting climate change.

Anthropogenic climate change will have a negative impact on worldwide well-being over and above the direct consequences of rising average temperatures. But anthropogenic heat (AH) relationship with childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is unknown. To assess the relationship with AH exposure and childhood ADHD symptoms in the context of global climate change, this study was conducted in a cross-sectional survey from April 2012 to May 2018 in the northeastern, northwestern, and southern regions of China, with a total enrollment of 179,846 children aged 6-18 years.

Alterations in Cellular Gene Expression Due to Co-Infection With Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus and SARS-CoV-2: Implications for Disease Severity.

An outbreak of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in over 7 million confirmed deaths. In addition to severe respiratory and systematic symptoms, several comorbidities increase the risk of fatal outcomes. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on pre-existing conditions in patients, such as cancer and other infectious diseases.

Structure-guided design and synthesis of C22- and C32-modified FK520 analogs with enhanced activity against human pathogenic fungi.

Invasive fungal infections are a leading cause of death worldwide. Translating molecular insights into clinical benefits is challenging because fungal pathogens and their hosts share similar eukaryotic physiology. Consequently, current antifungal treatments have limited efficacy, may be poorly fungicidal in the host, can exhibit toxicity, and are increasingly compromised by emerging resistance.