Green quantification of amino(poly)phosphonates using ion chromatography coupled to integrated pulsed amperometric detection.

Aminopolyphosphonates (APPs) are widely used as chelating agents, and their increasing release into the environment has raised concerns due to their transformation into aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and glyphosate, compounds of controversial environmental impact. This transformation highlights the urgent need for detailed studies under controlled conditions. Despite the availability of various methods for quantifying individual aminopolyphosphonates and aminomonophosphonates, a green, low-cost approach for the simultaneous quantification of APPs and their transformation products in laboratory experiments has been lacking.

Diffusion tensor imaging features of white matter pathways in the brain after COVID-19 infection.

Purpose: To determine whether there is a difference in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values in white matter pathways in the subacute period after COVID-19 infection and to evaluate the correlation between diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics and laboratory findings.

Material And Methods: The study included 64 healthy controls and 91 patients. Patients were classified as group 1 (all patients, n = 91), group 2 (outpatients, n = 58), or group 3 (inpatients, n = 33).

[F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT-based radiomics may help enhance the interpretation of bone focal uptakes in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer patients.

Purpose: We hypothesised that applying radiomics to [F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT images could help distinguish Unspecific Bone Uptakes (UBUs) from bone metastases in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. We compared the performance of radiomic features to human visual interpretation.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analysed 102 hormone-sensitive PCa patients who underwent [F]PSMA-1007 PET/CT and exhibited at least one focal bone uptake with known clinical follow-up (reference standard).

Risk characterization of organic micropollutants in public wastewater treatment plant effluents in Flanders, Belgium.

This study investigates the ecological risks posed by organic micropollutants (OMPs) in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents in Flanders, Belgium based on single-compound risk characterization. Utilizing a five-year monitoring dataset from the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM) and employing seven ecological threshold values (ETV) types, this research characterizes the risk of 207 OMPs, including pharmaceuticals, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and other pollutants. Several OMPs persist in effluents at concentrations that pose significant ecological risks after secondary and tertiary treatment processes in the region of Flanders (Belgium).

Duration of aromatase inhibitor use and long-term cardiovascular risk in breast cancer survivors.

Background: There are limited data on duration of aromatase inhibitor (AI) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in breast cancer (BC) survivors. We examined risk of CVD and mortality associated with duration of AI use in postmenopausal women with early-stage hormone receptor-positive BC.

Methods: Postmenopausal women diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive BC (n = 5,853) who used an AI were included.

Comprehensive Echocardiographic Protocol for Pigs with Emphasis on Diastolic Function: Advantages over MRI Assessment.

Swine are increasingly utilized in cardiovascular research due to their anatomical and physiological similarities to humans, particularly for studying diastolic dysfunction. While MRI offers excellent structural imaging, echocardiography provides superior real-time assessment of diastolic parameters. To address the lack of standardized methods and reduce variability across studies, we present a comprehensive guide for performing echocardiography in Yorkshire pigs, detailing anatomical considerations, equipment requirements, and technical approaches.

Prevalence of Mutations Associated with QoI, QiI, QioSI and CAA Fungicide Resistance Within in North America and a Tool to Detect CAA Resistant Isolates.

Grape downy mildew, caused by poses a threat to grape cultivation globally. Early detection of fungicide resistance is critical for effective management. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and distribution of mutations associated with resistance to Quinone oxide inhibitors (QoI, FRAC 11), Quinone inside inhibitors (QiIs, FRAC 21, cyazofamid), Carboxylic acid amides (CAA, FRAC 41), and Quinone inside and outside inhibitor, stigmatellin binding mode (QioSI, FRAC 45, ametoctradin) in populations in the eastern United States and Canada; and evaluate whether these mutations are linked to fungicide resistance correlate with specific clades.

Tricuspid regurgitation and outcomes in mitral valve transcatheter edge-to-edge repair.

Background And Aims: The association between periprocedural change in tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and outcomes in patients undergoing mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) is unclear. This study aimed to examine the prognostic value of TR before and after M-TEER.

Methods: Patients in the OCEAN-Mitral registry were divided into four groups according to baseline and post-procedure echocardiographic assessments: no TR/no TR (no TR), no TR/significant TR (new-onset TR), significant TR/no TR (normalized TR), and significant TR/significant TR (residual TR) (all represents before/after M-TEER).

Blood monocyte fraction and computed tomography attenuation value of bone marrow in fever of unknown origin: A retrospective analysis for differentiating adult-onset Still's disease and intravascular large B-cell lymphoma.

Objectives: To investigate the factors affecting laboratory data and computed tomography (CT) attenuation values of L1 trabecular and femoral bone marrow, potential markers for differentiating between adult-onset Still's disease and intravascular large B-cell lymphoma.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study on patients diagnosed with adult-onset Still's disease or intravascular large B-cell lymphoma. Clinical and laboratory data, and CT attenuation values of the bone marrow were compared.

Cardiovascular preventive service access challenges among African immigrants: a discussion paper.

This paper highlights cardiovascular disease (CVD) preventive access challenges and potential intervention strategies that address cardiovascular preventive service access gaps among African immigrants living in developed countries. Migration, coupled with changes in dietary habits, socio-economic factors, and cultural adjustments, contributes to a heightened risk of CVD among African immigrants. This risk is compounded by a lack of targeted preventive interventions and culturally tailored programmes, as well as challenges related to language barriers, health literacy, and digital literacy.

Patients' views on stroke prevention for atrial fibrillation after an intracerebral haemorrhage: a qualitative study.

Aim: (i) To explore the attitudes of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) towards oral anti-coagulation (OAC) for stroke prevention post-intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) and (ii) to explore factors that influence patients' decision-making process for stroke prevention.

Methods And Results: Patients with documented diagnosis of AF and history of a non-traumatic ICH, who were eligible for long-term OAC were recruited from eight hospitals in England, using purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using Framework analysis.

Fast and interpretable mortality risk scores for critical care patients.

Objective: Prediction of mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients typically relies on black box models (that are unacceptable for use in hospitals) or hand-tuned interpretable models (that might lead to the loss in performance). We aim to bridge the gap between these 2 categories by building on modern interpretable machine learning (ML) techniques to design interpretable mortality risk scores that are as accurate as black boxes.

Material And Methods: We developed a new algorithm, GroupFasterRisk, which has several important benefits: it uses both hard and soft direct sparsity regularization, it incorporates group sparsity to allow more cohesive models, it allows for monotonicity constraint to include domain knowledge, and it produces many equally good models, which allows domain experts to choose among them.

A Force-Sensor-Less Approach for Rapid Young's Modulus Identification of Heterogeneous Soft Tissue.

Due to individual differences, accurate identification of tissue elastic parameters is essential for biomechanical modeling in surgical guidance for hepatic venous injections. This paper aims to acquire the absolute Young's modulus of heterogeneous soft tissues during endoscopic surgery with 2D ultrasound images. First, we introduced a force-sensor-less approach that utilizes a pre-calibrated soft patch with a known Young's modulus and its ultrasound images to calculate the external forces exerted by the probe on the tissue.

Oedema index trajectories at heart failure nurse clinics over 6 months after acute heart failure predict patient outcomes: a retrospective cohort study.

Aims: Fluid accumulation is associated with poor outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). After acute HF, HF nurses provide home care suggestions based on oedema status assessed at outpatient clinics. However, the pattern of serial oedema changes and their associations with patient outcomes are unknown.

Evaluation of serum galectin-3 concentrations in healthy cats and in cats with ureteral obstruction.

Objectives: Serum galectin-3 (sGal-3) is a protein present in renal tubules and increases in experimental rodent models of acute kidney injury. The aim of this study was to compare sGal-3 concentrations in healthy cats and cats with ureteral obstruction (UO).

Methods: This was a retrospective study.

Comparison of different treatment positions of nerve slider technique for patients with low back pain: a randomized control trial.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) accompanied by sciatica is a widespread musculoskeletal issue with multifactorial etiology, impacting individuals across various demographics. Conservative treatments, notably physiotherapy, are key in managing LBP with sciatica, with neural mobilization techniques emerging as beneficial adjuncts.

Aim: This research aims to assess the effectiveness of utilizing the sciatic slider technique (SST) in both supine and slump positions, compared to conventional physiotherapy alone, in alleviating pain severity, improving lumbar flexibility, lumbar lordosis, lower limb muscle strength, and functional ability in patients with LBP associated with sciatica.

An InDel variant in the promoter of the NAC transcription factor MdNAC18.1 plays a major role in apple fruit ripening.

A complex regulatory network governs fruit ripening, but natural variations and functional differentiation of fruit ripening genes remain largely unknown. Utilizing a genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identified the NAC family transcription factor MdNAC18.1, whose expression is closely associated with fruit ripening in apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.

Changing Epidemiology of Emergency Medical Services Calls for Children in the United States during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Reopening.

Objectives: To describe changes in the volume and types of emergency medical services (EMS) calls for children during the COVID-19 pandemic and after availability of the COVID-19 vaccine ("reopening period").

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study of EMS 9-1-1 responses to children under 18 years for all causes over a 4-year period (2019-2022) reported in the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) dataset. Data was stratified into three periods, Pre-pandemic, Pandemic and Reopening.

Targeting Ketone Body Metabolism Improves Cardiac Function and Hemodynamics in Patients With Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Context: The impacts of elevated ketone body levels on cardiac function and hemodynamics in patients with heart failure (HF) remain unclear.

Objective: The effects of ketone intervention on these parameters in patients with HF were evaluated quantitatively in this meta-analysis.

Data Sources: We searched the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases for relevant studies published from inception to April 13, 2024.