SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 outcomes across mental disorders and the role of sex: A register-based study from Catalonia.

Introduction: This study investigated the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes among different mental health diagnoses and the role of sex in these associations.

Methods: Using electronic records from Catalonia, we identified adults receiving mental health care from 2017-2019 with diagnoses of non-affective psychosis (NAP), bipolar disorder (BD), depressive disorder (DEP), stress-related disorders, neurotic/somatoform disorders (NSD), and substance misuse (SUB) (exposed). The outcomes assessed were SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 hospitalization, and COVID-19-related death, compared to matched individuals without these mental disorders (unexposed).

Short-term postoperative complications in preterm neonates with surgical necrotizing enterocolitis: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background: Over half of preterm neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) require surgery, making it essential to understand short-term postoperative outcomes and complication rates. Therefore, this study aimed to provide an overview of 30-day postoperative complications for NEC. Secondary, risk factors for minor and major short-term postoperative complications were identified.

Assessment of impulsivity using an automated, self-adjusting delay discounting procedure.

Modelling delay discounting behavior in rodents is important for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cognitive control and associated impulsivity disorders. Conventional rodent delay discounting procedures require extensive training and frequent experimenter interaction, as rodents are tested in separate operant chambers away from their home cage. To address these limitations, we adapted and characterize here a self-adjusting delay discounting procedure to an automated CombiCage setup.

An international and multidisciplinary EORTC survey on resectability of stage III non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: The EORTC-Lung Cancer Group initiated a Delphi consensus process to establish a consensual definition of resectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for the use in clinical trials, including a systematic review, survey, and review of clinical cases. Here, the survey results are presented, aimed to identify areas of controversy.

Methods: A survey was distributed among the members of six international organizations related to lung cancer.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Assessment of the Risk of Sudden Death in Cardiac Sarcoidosis: What Is Extensive or Significant Late Gadolinium Enhancement?

Background: Cardiac sarcoidosis involves a significant but difficult-to-define risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Current guidelines recommend consideration of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator for patients with extensive or significant myocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. However, extensive/significant LGE is not defined.

The Roles of Acculturation and Pre-migration Experiences in Influencing the Confidence of Vietnamese Parents in Vaccine Use Among Adolescents.

Vaccine confidence is a critical antecedent of vaccine uptake. Little research has examined vaccine confidence among Asian communities, particularly the associations with acculturation and pre-migration experiences. We explored this issue among U.

Analysis of immune cell activation in patients with diabetes foot ulcer from the perspective of single cell.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) can cause severe complications, including diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). There is a significant gap in understanding the single-cell ecological atlas of DM and DFU tissues.

Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing data were used to create a detailed single-cell ecological landscape of DM and DFU.

Linking the gut microbiome to host DNA methylation by a discovery and replication epigenome-wide association study.

Microbiome influences multiple human systems, but its effects on gene methylation is unknown. We investigated the relations between gene methylation in blood and the abundance of common gut bacteria profiled by 16s rRNA gene sequencing in two population-based Dutch cohorts: LifeLines-Deep (LLD, n = 616, discovery) and the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR, n = 296, replication). In LLD, we also explored microbial pathways using data generated by shotgun metagenomic sequencing (n = 683).

Constant torque stretching in ankle contractures results in greater changes in range of motion than constant angle or dynamic stretching: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To investigate the acute (directly post-stretching) and long-term (≥1 week of treatment) effects of stretching type, duration, and intensity on joint range of motion (ROM) and stiffness in ankle contractures.

Data Sources: PubMed, Embase.com, Clarivate Analytics/Web of Science Core Collection, EBSCO/SPORTDiscus, and EBSCO/CINAHL were searched for studies published in English from inception until September 12, 2023.

Comparison of INTERGROWTH- 21st and Fenton growth standards to assess size at birth and at discharge in preterm infants in the United Arab Emirates.

Background: Accurate growth assessment of preterm infants is essential in guiding medical care and suitable nutritional interventions. Currently, different growth references are used across hospitals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aims to compare the INTERGROWTH-21st standards with Fenton growth references regarding birth size classification and at the time of discharge in a sample of preterm infants in the UAE.

From applause to disappointment - appreciation among healthcare providers that provided end-of-life care during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on well-being - a longitudinal mixed methods study (the CO-LIVE study).

Background: The healthcare sector is facing increasing work pressure, making a healthy workforce essential. Appreciation is a factor influencing well-being, and the COVID-19 pandemic offers valuable insights into this. This study aims to: 1) describe to what extent end-of-life care providers felt appreciated and understood during the first 18 months of the pandemic, 2) examine the impact of appreciation on their well-being, and 3) explore their perceptions of what appreciation should look like.

Interstitial lipoid pneumonia-A complication of intravenous administration of lipid emulsions in critically ill patients.

Lipoid pneumonia is a rare entity most often associated with inhalation of foreign material (i.e. "fire-eater's lung"), silicone injection, and severe trauma.

Optical coherence tomography in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: cross-sectional and longitudinal exploratory analysis from the MS-SMART randomised controlled trial.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) inner retinal metrics reflect neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). We explored OCT measures as biomarkers of disease severity in secondary progressive MS (SPMS).

Methods: We investigated people with SPMS from the Multiple Sclerosis-Secondary Progressive Multi-Arm Randomisation Trial OCT substudy, analysing brain MRIs, clinical assessments and OCT at baseline and 96 weeks.

Heme promotes venetoclax resistance in multiple myeloma through MEK-ERK signaling and purine biosynthesis.

We previously demonstrated that reduced intrinsic electron transport chain (ETC) activity predicts and promotes sensitivity to the BCL-2 antagonist, venetoclax (Ven) in multiple myeloma (MM). Heme, an iron-containing prosthetic group, and metabolite is fundamental to maintaining ETC activity. Interrogation of the CD2 subgroup of MM from the CoMMpass trial (NCT01454297), which can be used as a proxy for Ven-sensitive MM (VS MM), shows reduced expression of the conserved heme biosynthesis pathway gene signature.

The Effectiveness of Afatinib as First-Line Treatment in Vietnamese Patients With EGFR-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Brain Metastases.

Introduction: The role of afatinib in the first-line treatment of EGFR-mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has been proven through clinical trials and real-world studies. However, additional data on the effectiveness of afatinib in patients with brain metastases are lacking.

Methods: EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients with brain metastases were retrospectively reviewed across nine cancer centers in Vietnam from April 1, 2018 to June 1, 2022.

Treatment of Vietnamese patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic neoplasms: Practical experience in a developing country.

Background: Treatment of patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic neoplasms (MDS) is difficult and the outcome is still limited, especially in developing countries. We conducted this study in order to share some experience in treating patients diagnosed with MDS in developing countries.

Methods: This was a retrospective study that included 32 patients with newly MDS.

Investigating the Immunomodulatory Impact of Fecal Bacterial Membrane Vesicles and Their IgA Coating Patterns in Crohn's Disease Patients.

The human intestinal tract contains trillions of bacteria that coexist in a symbiotic relationship with human cells. Imbalances in this interaction can lead to disorders such as Crohn's disease (CD). Bacteria membrane vesicles (MVs), which are released by almost all bacteria, have been demonstrated to play a crucial role in bacteria-host interactions.

Postoperative Radiotherapy for pT1- and pT2-Classified Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the External Auditory Canal.

Background: There is no consensus regarding the indication for postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) for T1- and T2-classified squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the external auditory canal (EAC) even with negative surgical margins. This study aimed to evaluate whether PORT provides additional benefits for these cases.

Methods: We collected retrospective data from fourteen international hospitals, including resected pT1- and pT2-classified EAC SCC with negative surgical margins.

Trust and Trustworthiness: Considerations for COVID-19 Vaccine Receipt in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

Black Americans are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 related disease and mortality due to longstanding social, political, economic, and environmental injustices. Although structural determinants of health have clear links to both COVID-19 disease and vaccine uptake, many public health researchers focus on the contribution of individual level trust in vaccine uptake, obscuring how distrust develops and is reinforced through continued systemic injustice. While much is known about relationship between individual trust and receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine, less is known about how structural racism and exposure to discrimination influence that association.

Effectiveness of the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program after lobectomy for lung cancer: a single-center observational study using propensity score matching in Vietnam.

Background: Postoperative complications and extended length of stays (LOS) following lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain significant healthcare and economic burdens, especially in developing countries with limited resources. This study evaluated the effectiveness of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols in addressing these issues.

Methods: This observational study compared two groups of patients, utilizing a prospective arm for ERAS and a retrospective arm for routine care.

A convenient viral transduction based method for advanced multi-engineering of primary human (CAR) T-cells.

The past decades have illustrated the power of T-cell engineering in the development of new and successful cell therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells. Despite clinical success in hematological malignancies, it also becomes increasingly clear that additional T-cell engineering will be required to improve efficacy and safety and expand the application to solid tumors. Engineering is most often achieved by viral delivery of transgenes, however, viral vector capacity limitations make efficient and reproducible generation of multi transgene expressing T-cell therapeutics technically challenging.

Exercise as Mitochondrial Medicine: How Does the Exercise Prescription Affect Mitochondrial Adaptations to Training?

Mitochondria are multifaceted organelles with several life-sustaining functions beyond energy transformation, including cell signaling, calcium homeostasis, hormone synthesis, programmed cell death (apoptosis), and others. A defining aspect of these dynamic organelles is their remarkable plasticity, which allows them to sense, respond, and adapt to various stressors. In particular, it is well-established that the stress of exercise provides a powerful stimulus that can trigger transient or enduring changes to mitochondrial molecular features, activities, integrated functions, behaviors, and cell-dependent mitochondrial phenotypes.

Unraveling Sex Differences in Kidney Health and CKD: A Review of the Effect of Sex Hormones.

Sexual dimorphism plays an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of CKD. Men with CKD often exhibit faster kidney function decline, leading to higher rates of kidney failure and mortality compared with women. Studies suggest that sex hormones may influence this apparent dimorphism, although the mechanisms underlying these influences remain poorly understood.

Evaluating multiple sclerosis severity loci 30 years after a clinically isolated syndrome.

The first genome-wide significant multiple sclerosis severity locus, rs10191329, has been pathologically linked to cortical lesion load and brain atrophy. However, observational cohorts such as MSBase have not replicated associations with disability outcomes, instead finding other loci. We evaluated rs10191329 and MSBase loci in a unique cohort of 53 people followed for 30 years after a clinically isolated syndrome, with deep clinical phenotyping and MRI measures of inflammation and neurodegeneration.