Evaluation of an Artificial Intelligence-Based Tool and a Universal Low-Cost Robotized Microscope for the Automated Diagnosis of Malaria.

The gold standard diagnosis for malaria is the microscopic visualization of blood smears to identify parasites, although it is an expert-dependent technique and could trigger diagnostic errors. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools based on digital image analysis were postulated as a suitable supportive alternative for automated malaria diagnosis. A diagnostic evaluation of the AI-based system was conducted in the reference laboratory of the International Health Unit Drassanes-Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona, Spain.

Proximal protection devices for carotid artery stenting - A benchtop assessment of flow reversal performance.

Background And Purpose: Proximal protection devices, such as TransCarotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR, SilkRoad Medical, Sunnyvale), aim to yield better outcomes in carotid artery stenting (CAS) than distal protection devices by preventing plaque embolization to the brain. However, transfemoral catheters may not fully reverse flow from the external carotid artery (ECA) to the internal carotid artery (ICA). We assess a new balloon-sheath device, Femoral Flow Reversal Access for Carotid Artery Stenting (FFRACAS), for this purpose.

The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in COVID-19 as a recall response susceptible to immune imprinting: A prospective cohort study.

Unlabelled: The antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 does not follow the immunoglobulin isotype pattern of primary responses, conflicting with the current interpretation of COVID-19.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of 191 SARS-CoV-2 infection cases and 44 controls from the second wave of COVID-19. The study stratified patients by severity and analyzed the trajectories of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and multiple immune variables.

Comprehensive Clinical and Genetic Characterization of a Spanish Cohort of 22 Patients With Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome.

Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome (BRPS) is a genetic condition resulting from truncating variants in the ASXL3 gene. The clinical features include neurodevelopmental and language impairments, behavioral issues, hypotonia, feeding difficulties, and distinctive facial features. In this retrospective study, we analyzed 22 Spanish individuals with BRPS, aiming to perform a detailed clinical and molecular description and establish a genotype-phenotype correlation.

Therapeutic drug monitoring-guided high-dose isavuconazole therapy for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support.

We review the case of a 58-year-old female on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support diagnosed with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Intravenous isavuconazole was started, requiring dose escalation to achieve isavuconazole trough concentration (ISA-Cmin) within the therapeutic range (2.5-5.

Genomic reanalysis of a pan-European rare-disease resource yields new diagnoses.

Genetic diagnosis of rare diseases requires accurate identification and interpretation of genomic variants. Clinical and molecular scientists from 37 expert centers across Europe created the Solve-Rare Diseases Consortium (Solve-RD) resource, encompassing clinical, pedigree and genomic rare-disease data (94.5% exomes, 5.

Stress, microbiota, and the gut-brain axis in mental and digestive health.

The prevailing mind-body dualism in contemporary medicine, rooted in reductionism and the fragmentation of knowledge, has impeded the development of a conceptual model that can adequately address the complexity of illnesses. Integrating biomedical data into a cohesive model that considers the mind-body-context interconnections is essential. This integration is not merely theoretical; rather, it has significant clinical implications.

Midline venous catheter: New insights for its use in hospitalized patients with diabetes.

In a prospective study we found that in hospitalized patients with diabetes the use of mid line venous catheter (MVC) resulted in a significantly lower rate of vascular complications than short cannulas. However, a special attention should be paid to catheter obstruction when MCV is used.

The Human Microglia Atlas (HuMicA) unravels changes in disease-associated microglia subsets across neurodegenerative conditions.

Dysregulated microglia activation, leading to neuroinflammation, is crucial in neurodegenerative disease development and progression. We constructed an atlas of human brain immune cells by integrating nineteen single-nucleus RNA-seq and single-cell RNA-seq datasets from multiple neurodegenerative conditions, comprising 241 samples from patients with Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Lewy body diseases, COVID-19, and healthy controls. The integrated Human Microglia Atlas (HuMicA) included 90,716 nuclei/cells and revealed nine populations distributed across all conditions.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for treatment of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder - recommendations from ECTRIMS and the EBMT.

Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) is a treatment option for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that are refractory to disease-modifying therapy (DMT). AHSCT after failure of high-efficacy DMT in aggressive forms of relapsing-remitting MS is a generally accepted indication, yet the optimal placement of this approach in the treatment sequence is not universally agreed upon. Uncertainties also remain with respect to other indications, such as in rapidly evolving, severe, treatment-naive MS, progressive MS, and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).

Barriers to and enablers of physical activity and its association with daily steps after hospitalisation for a COPD exacerbation: what patients say matters.

Introduction: Exacerbations of COPD decrease physical activity. Physical activity interventions after these events are desirable but have had mixed results. Understanding the barriers to and enablers of physical activity may help to improve the results of these interventions.

Quality of Headache Management in Inpatients.

Purpose: Headache is a prevalent and highly disabling neurological disorder. There are no data on its prevalence in and impact on hospitalized patients. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of headache in hospitalized patients, triggers associated with headaches in this population, and compliance with documentation in the electronic medical record system (EMRS).

Analysis of Inflammatory Features in Suspicious Lesions for Significant Prostate Cancer on Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Are They Mimickers of Prostate Cancer?

Background: Inflammatory features can mimic PCa in suspicious MRI-lesions.

Objectives: To assess the incidence of inflammatory features in targeted biopsies to suspicious lesions.

Methods: A prospective analysis was conducted of 531 MRI-suspicious lesions with Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) scores of 3 to 5 in 364 men suspected of having PCa.

Developing Allosteric Chaperones for -Associated Disorders-An Integrated Computational and Experimental Approach.

Mutations in the gene, which encodes the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase), are associated with Gaucher disease and increased risk of Parkinson's disease. This study describes the discovery and characterization of novel allosteric pharmacological chaperones for GCase through an innovative computational approach combined with experimental validation. Utilizing virtual screening and structure-activity relationship optimization, researchers identified several compounds that significantly enhance GCase activity and stability across various cellular models, including patient-derived fibroblasts and neuronal cells harboring mutations.

Unsupervised clustering of intraventricular hemodynamic forces for the phenotyping of left-ventricular function in non-ischemic left ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is essential for diagnosing cardiomyopathy, serving as the gold standard for assessing heart chamber volumes and tissue characterization. Hemodynamic forces (HDF) analysis, a novel approach using standard cine CMR images, estimates energy exchange between the left ventricular (LV) wall and blood. While prior research has focused on peak or mean longitudinal HDF values, this study aims to investigate whether unsupervised clustering of HDF curves can identify clinically significant patterns and stratify cardiovascular risk in non-ischemic LV cardiomyopathy (NILVC).

Comorbidities Associated With Different Degrees of Severity in Children and Young People Hospitalized With Acute COVID-19.

In this prospective cohort study with 2326 hospitalized children and young people with coronavirus disease 2019 in Spain and Colombia, 36.4% had comorbidities. Asthma, recurrent wheezing, chronic neurological, cardiac and pulmonary diseases significantly increased the risk of severe outcomes such as death, mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit admission.

Decreased impulsiveness and MEG normalization after AI-digital therapy in ADHD children: a RCT.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) presents with symptoms like impulsiveness, inattention, and hyperactivity, often affecting children's academic and social functioning. Non-pharmacological interventions, such as digital cognitive therapy, are emerging as complementary treatments for ADHD. The randomized controlled trial explored the impact of an AI-driven digital cognitive program on impulsiveness, inattentiveness, and neurophysiological markers in 41 children aged 8-12 with ADHD.

Infections among adults hospitalized in intensive care after the 2023 earthquake in the southeastern part of Türkiye: a multi-center observational study.

Background: Scarce evidence is available on the epidemiology of microbiologically proven clinical infections in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after a great earthquake. The main aim of this study was to assess clinical infections and microbiological features in patients admitted to the ICU following the 2023 earthquake in the southeastern region of Türkiye with a focus on the timing of culture positivity during their ICU stay. The secondary objectives included determining antibiotic susceptibility patterns, identifying the types of antibiotics administered upon ICU admission, evaluating the appropriateness of antibiotic usage, assessing patient outcomes, and identifying factors that influence microbiologically confirmed clinical infections.

Ocular and Plasma Pharmacokinetics of Sitagliptin Eye Drops: Preclinical Data.

Early stages of diabetic retinopathy are currently considered an unmet medical need due to the lack of effective treatments beyond proper monitoring and control of glycemia and blood pressure. Sitagliptin eye drops have emerged as a new therapeutic approach against early stages of the disease, as they can prevent its main hallmarks, including both neurodegeneration and microvascular impairment. Interestingly, all of these effects occur without any glycemic systemic improvement.

Neuroinflammation in Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases: Role of Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress.

A shared hallmark of age-related neurodegenerative diseases is the chronic activation of innate immune cells, which actively contributes to the neurodegenerative process. In Alzheimer's disease, this inflammatory milieu exacerbates both amyloid and tau pathology. A similar abnormal inflammatory response has been reported in Parkinson's disease, with elevated levels of cytokines and other inflammatory intermediates derived from activated glial cells, which promote the progressive loss of nigral dopaminergic neurons.

Sex hormone-binding globulin, testosterone and type 2 diabetes risk in middle-aged African women: exploring the impact of HIV and menopause.

Objectives: Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone are differentially associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk. We investigated whether these associations differ by HIV and menopausal status in Black South African women living with (WLWH) and without HIV (WLWOH).

Design: Cross-sectional observational.

Effects of prior air pollution exposure on functional recovery after a myocardial infarction.

Air pollution is a major cardiovascular risk factor leading to higher rates of heart failure and myocardial infarction (MI), but its effects on functional recovery after an MI remain unknown. Cardiac rehabilitation is a cornerstone of post-MI care and leads to better performance and quality of life, but its benefits may be hampered in heavily polluted environments. To assess the effect of different pollutants on post-MI rehabilitation, we included 137 post-MI patients from 7 Spanish hospitals that were enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program who underwent two cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET) within a 12-week period.