Bacteriophage Treatment Induces Phenotype Switching and Alters Antibiotic Resistance of ESBL .

Bacteriophage therapy represents a promising strategy to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens, such as . In this study, we explored the effects of a bacteriophage infection on an Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) positive isolate. We used next generation sequencing, proteomics and phenotypic screens to investigate the effect of bacteriophage infections on metabolism and resistance phenotypes.

Mechanical Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in the COVID-19 Pandemic Era: A Critical Challenge in the Intensive Care Units.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common nosocomial infection encountered in the intensive care unit (ICU) and is associated with prolonged hospitalization and increased mortality. We evaluated the causative pathogens involved and their resistance to the major classes of antibiotics in patients with VAP and assessed the differences between patients with and without coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). : This study was a single-center, cross-sectional, retrospective analysis involving 122 patients who were hospitalized in the ICU of Târgu Mureș County Clinical Hospital from 1 April 2021, to 1 April 2023.

Evaluating Offspring After Pregnancy-Associated Cancer: A Systematic Review of Neonatal Outcomes.

Pregnancy-associated cancer (PAC) presents significant challenges for maternal and neonatal health, and yet its impact on neonatal outcomes remains poorly understood. This systematic review aims to evaluate the neonatal risks associated with PAC. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and other databases was conducted up to 1 November 2024, identifying observational studies and randomized controlled trials assessing neonatal outcomes in pregnancies affected by PAC.

Vi-PLUS: Pioneering Plane-Wave Ultrasound to Assess Breast Glandular Tissue in Healthy Women-A Pilot Study.

Background/objectives: This study pioneers the application of the ViPLUS module, utilizing plane-wave ultrasound to measure breast tissue viscosity and elasticity. The primary goal was to establish normal reference values for viscosity in healthy women. Secondary objectives included exploring correlations between breast tissue viscosity and breast density categories, hormonal influences, and menstrual cycle phases.

Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Pediatric Acute Drug Intoxications: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background/objectives: Acute drug intoxications (ADIs) are a significant concern in pediatric healthcare, contributing to both accidental and intentional morbidity. This study aimed to analyze the demographic, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of pediatric ADI cases to identify trends and inform preventive strategies.

Methods: This retrospective study included 120 cases of pediatric ADI admitted to the Second Pediatric Clinic of Craiova County Emergency Clinical Hospital in 2022 and 2023.

Non-Drug and Non-Invasive Therapeutic Options in Alzheimer's Disease.

Despite the massive efforts of modern medicine to stop the evolution of Alzheimer's disease (AD), it affects an increasing number of people, changing individual lives and imposing itself as a burden on families and the health systems. Considering that the vast majority of conventional drug therapies did not lead to the expected results, this review will discuss the newly developing therapies as an alternative in the effort to stop or slow AD. Focused Ultrasound (FUS) and its derived Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) are non-invasive therapeutic approaches.

Vitamin K-Dependent Proteins as Predictors of Valvular Calcifications and Mortality in Hemodialysis Patients.

: Vitamin K deficiency in chronic kidney disease (CKD) could potentially occur due to multiple factors, leading to an increased risk of vascular and valvular calcifications. Vitamin K status can be indirectly assessed by measuring the blood levels of vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs), such as matrix GLA protein (MGP). This study aims to examine the relationship between the levels of inactive MGP (dp-uc MGP) and the presence of valvular calcifications, as well as its association with mortality in hemodialysis patients.

Controversies in the Application of AI in Radiology-Is There Medico-Legal Support? Aspects from Romanian Practice.

: Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining an increasing amount of influence in various fields, including medicine. In radiology, where diagnoses are based on collaboration between diagnostic devices and the professional experience of radiologists, AI intervention seems much easier than in other fields, but this is often not the case. Many times, the patients orient themselves according to the doctor, which is not applicable in the case of AI.

Risk factors for lymphatic leakage following radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Background: Lymphatic leakage is a common complication after radical cystectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).This study aimed to investigate the risk factors contributing to postoperative lymphatic leakage in patients with MIBC.

Materials And Methods: A total of 534 patients undergoing radical cystectomy and PLND were enrolled in the retrospective study at Peking University Third Hospital from January 2010 to July 2023.

Papillary Muscles of the Left Ventricle: Integrating Electrical and Mechanical Dynamics.

Background: Papillary muscles are structures integrated into the mitral valve apparatus, having both electrical and mechanical roles. The importance of the papillary muscles (PM) is mainly related to cardiac arrhythmias and mitral regurgitation. The aim of this review is to offer an overview of the anatomy and physiology of the papillary muscles, along with their involvement in cardiovascular pathologies, including arrhythmia development in various conditions and their contribution to secondary mitral regurgitation.

Insights into the Multidisciplinary Approach for Metastatic Acinic Cell Lung Carcinoma: The Pathologist's Role in Romania Today.

: Acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare lung neoplasm that can affect both children and adults as a parenchymal or endobronchial mass. It is histologically similar to this kind of tumor described in salivary glands, but with a different immunophenotype. In general, it poses a reduced degree of malignancy, with indolent growth and a favorable prognosis, with exceptionally rare cases associated with recurring disease or lymph node metastases.

How Do Clinicians Use Quotations in Goals of Care Notes?

Background: Quoting patients in electronic medical record (EMR) notes is controversial. Quotations may be used to promote accuracy in documentation. However they also may be used to cast skepticism on patient speech.

Association with Outcome of the Regurgitant-Volume Adjusted Right Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Secondary Tricuspid Regurgitation.

Background: In patients with secondary tricuspid regurgitation (STR), right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) may not accurately reflect the actual RV systolic performance since a considerable amount of the RV stroke volume (SV) is regurgitated back into the right atrium. To overcome this limitation, we explored the association with the outcome of the effective RVEF (eRVEF), which accounts for the tricuspid regurgitant volume (RegVol).

Methods: 513 patients with STR (mean age 75±13 years, 39% atrial STR, 58% severe) underwent complete two-, three-dimensional, and Doppler echocardiography.

A cross-sectional survey of psychiatrists' experiences of using telepsychiatry during the COVID-19 pandemic and the relationship with burnout in selected high, middle, and low-income countries.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated substantial modifications in the delivery of patient care on a global scale. Telemedicine-based care services were implemented worldwide to maximize access to healthcare systems.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the use of and satisfaction with telepsychiatry services implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic by psychiatrists across low, middle, and high income countries, and to assess levels of burnout among psychiatrists providing telepsychiatry services in different settings and countries.

The Heterogeneous Presentations of De Novo and Recurrent Ocular Inflammation following COVID-19 Vaccination: A Multi-Center Report and a Review of the Literature.

Purpose: To describe the patterns of ocular inflammation following COVID-19 vaccination, assess underlying commonalities and understand outcomes.

Methods: Retrospective, multicenter cohort study, conducted between 2020 and 2021. Patients with no previous uveitis history (de novo) or a known uveitis history (recurrent) who developed ocular inflammation within 42 days of COVID-19 vaccination were identified.

LC-MS/MS assisted pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution study of ropivacaine and 3-OH-ropivacaine on rats after plane block anesthesia.

Knowledge of drug pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution is precious for ensuring patient safety and optimizing treatments. The varied use of local anesthetics, as well as the fact that anesthetics can sometimes have low therapeutic indices and numerous adverse drug reactions, makes any novel pharmacokinetics information valuable. The present manuscript describes a pharmacokinetic study of ropivacaine carried out after plane block anesthesia on an animal model, using high sensitivity, accurate, and precise LC-MS/MS bioanalysis.

Efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in patients with CKD: real-world experience in 93 Italian renal clinics.

Background: Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are recommended for reducing the renal and cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on the positive results reported by clinical trials. However, real-world data on the efficacy and the safety of these drugs in CKD population followed in nephrology setting are lacking.

Methods: We report the effects of dapagliflozin in CKD patients by using data collected during a learning program in which 105 nephrologists added dapagliflozin (10 mg/day) to consecutive patients referred to their renal clinics.

Epidemiology and outcomes of patients with cardiac arrest in the emergency department of a lower middle-income country.

Background: Advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) for cardiac arrest is a cornerstone of emergency care and yet remains poorly studied in low- and middle-income countries. We characterised the clinical epidemiology and outcomes of cardiac arrest and ACLS in an ED in central Haiti, a lower middle-income country with a nascent emergency care system.

Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study of adult and paediatric patients who suffered cardiac arrest in an academic hospital ED in central Haiti from January 2019 to August 2020.

RAGE and its ligands in breast cancer progression and metastasis.

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed worldwide and the leading cause of death in women globally, according to Globocan 2020. Hence, investigating novel pathways implicated in cancer progression and metastasis could lead to the development of targeted therapies and new treatment strategies in breast cancer. Recent studies reported an interplay between the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and its ligands, S100 protein group, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and high-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) and breast cancer growth and metastasis.

Long-Term Follow-Up After the Charles Procedure: Possibilities for Minimally Invasive Reconstructive Lymphedema Surgery With Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis: A Report of Four Cases.

The Charles procedure (CP) is a potentially devastating treatment; however, in cases of an end stage of untreated or improperly treated lymphedema, it is the ultimate surgical therapy. As a life-saving solution, it quickly relieves patients with giant, hypertrophic extremities, mostly in ambulation and hygiene maintenance. Nevertheless, long-term results may disappoint both doctors and patients, who struggle with social stigma, the need for lifelong compression, massive lymphoedema in the distal parts of the feet, badly fitting shoes, excessive skin fibrosis, severe keratinization of skin-grafted surfaces, periodic lymphorrhea from the resected areas, or acute and chronic inflammation.

A comprehensive review of structure-function correlations in age-related macular degeneration: Contributions of microperimetry.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of visual impairment and irreversible blindness worldwide. High-resolution imaging techniques have been pivotal in characterizing the morphological alterations in the retina and in identifying structural biomarkers with prognostic significance. In clinical practice, visual function is primarily assessed through visual acuity testing, which, however, does not completely reflect the functional deficits experienced by patients.