Critic

BACKGROUND: Alongside the recent worldwide expansion of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) infections, the available literature regarding cases of community acquired pneumonias (KP-CAP) remains scarce but reports a strikingly high and early mortality. We performed a retrospective multicenter study (7 ICU in France) between 2015 and 2019, comparing prognosis and severity of KP-CAP versus Streptococcus pneumoniae - CAP (SP-CAP). METHODS: For each KP-CAP, three SP-CAP admitted in ICUs within the same center and within the same 6-month window were selected...

This review evaluates the decision-making framework for using antibiotic-loaded cement (ALC) in the management of prosthetic joint infection (PJI). Drawing on available literature, we offer orthopaedic surgeons a guided discussion on several critical considerations. First, we explore the impact of antibiotic-loading on the mechanical properties of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement, assessing both strength and durability. We then explore the optimal antibiotic dosage to load into cement, aiming to achieve effective local concentrations for infection control without compromising mechanical stability...

Clean water is essential for drinking, household use, and agriculture. Researchers studied 39 sites near Tamla nala and Nunia nala channels in Durgapur and Asansol City (West Bengal) to assess the deterioration level of water due to industrial discharge. During the first phase out of three, the researchers conducted a spatial representation of various physicochemical parameters, such as temperature, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Hardness (TH), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), significant anions such as chloride (Cl- ), nitrate (NO3 - ), phosphate (PO4 -3 ), sulfate (SO4 2- ), cyanide (CN-1 ) and fluoride (F- ), as well as heavy metals/metalloids such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As)...

Drug combination therapies are well-established strategies for the treatment of cancer with low toxicity and fewer adverse effects. Computational drug synergy prediction approaches can accelerate the discovery of novel combination therapies, but the existing methods do not explicitly consider the key role of important substructures in producing synergistic effects. To this end, we propose a significant substructure-aware anticancer drug synergy prediction method, named SDDSynergy, to adaptively identify critical functional groups in drug synergy...

RATIONALE: Treatments with the serotonergic psychedelic psilocybin are being investigated for multiple neuropsychiatric disorders. Because many patients with these disorders use selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), understanding interactions between psilocybin and SSRIs is critical for evaluating the safety, efficacy, and scalability of psilocybin-based treatments. Current knowledge about these interactions is limited, as most clinical psilocybin research has prohibited concomittant SSRI use...

PURPOSE: Proximity to critical neurovascular structures can create significant obstacles during surgical resection of foramen magnum meningiomas (FMMs) to the detriment of treatment outcomes. We propose a new classification that defines the tumor's relationship to neurovascular structures and assess correlation with postoperative outcomes. METHODS: In this retrospective review, 41 consecutive patients underwent primary resection of FMMs through a far lateral approach...

Background: To promote carcinogenesis through diverse molecular pathways involving dysregulation of gene expression and abnormalities. Methods: We employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to uncover causal relationships between genetic factors and HNSCC. We used the Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW) method as the primary MR analysis, and validated the results through complementary approaches like MR-Egger regression, weighted median, and mode analyses. Results: Our analysis identified 2210 genes that are differentially expressed in head and neck cancer (HNSCC) compared to normal tissues...

PURPOSE: Electrographic seizures (ES) are common in critically ill children undergoing continuous EEG (CEEG) monitoring, and previous studies have aimed to target limited CEEG resources to children at highest risk of ES. However, previous studies have relied on observational data in which the duration of CEEG was clinically determined. Thus, the incidence of late occurring ES is unknown. The authors aimed to assess the incidence of ES for 24 hours after discontinuation of clinically indicated CEEG...

To defend against intracellular pathogens such as Toxoplasma gondii, the host generates a robust type 1 immune response. Specifically, host defense against T. gondii is defined by an IL-12-dependent IFN-γ response that is critical for host resistance. Previously, we demonstrated that host resistance is mediated by T-bet-dependent ILC-derived IFN-γ by maintaining IRF8+ conventional type 1 dendritic cells during parasitic infection. Therefore, we hypothesized that innate lymphoid cells are indispensable for host survival...

In this study, it was found that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) could extend the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans ( C. elegans ) induced by 100 μM acrolein (ACR) at all test concentrations (300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 μM). Notably, 500 μM EGCG exhibited the most significant mean lifespan extension, increasing it by approximately 32.5%. Furthermore, 500 μM EGCG effectively reduced elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipofuscin production caused by acrolein. It also bolstered the activity of antioxidant enzymes and mitigated malondialdehyde (MDA) levels compared to the ACR-only group...

BACKGROUND: In recent years, a significant understanding of delivering optimal aerosol therapy and the availability of various drugs and devices have led to an increase in its use in clinical practice. There are only a few studies available regarding their use in critically ill patients from a few parts of the world. We aimed to study the practice pattern of aerosol therapy in critically ill patients from Indian intensive care units (ICUs). METHODS: After ethical approval, this multi-centric prospective observational study was performed over a study period of four weeks...

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cell survival and growth is fueled by the induction of B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling within the tumor microenvironment (TME) driving activation of NF-κB signaling and the unfolded protein response (UPR). Malignant cells have higher basal levels of UPR posing a unique therapeutic window to combat CLL cell growth using pharmacological agents that induce accumulation of misfolded proteins. Frontline CLL therapeutics that directly target BCR signaling such as Bruton-tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors (e...

OBJECTIVE: Postsurgical seizure freedom in drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) patients varies from 30% to 80%, implying that in many cases the current approaches fail to fully map the epileptogenic zone (EZ). We aimed to advance a novel approach to better characterize epileptogenicity and investigate whether the EZ encompasses a broader epileptogenic network (EpiNet) beyond the seizure zone (SZ) that exhibits seizure activity. METHODS: We first used computational modeling to test putative complex systems-driven and systems neuroscience-driven mechanistic biomarkers for epileptogenicity...

OBJECTIVE: The family environment influences oral health conditions and the utilization of dental services. The emotional link between the family members and the degree to which they are resilient and close to each other is represented as family cohesion and adaptability. This systematic review critically appraises and synthesizes existing evidence on the effect of family cohesion on oral health predictors in children and adolescents. METHODS: The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023453608)...

The evolving landscape of early onset scoliosis management has shifted from the traditional paradigm of early definitive spinal fusion towards modern growth-friendly implants, particularly Growing Rods (GR). Despite the initial classification of GR treatment as a fusionless procedure, the phenomenon of autofusion has emerged as a critical consideration in understanding its outcomes. Studies have demonstrated the presence of autofusion since the early 1980s. The consequences of autofusion are extensive, impacting curve correction, diminishing trunk growth rate, and contributing to the "law of diminishing returns" in growing rod surgery...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hotter drought- and biotically-driven tree mortality are expected to increase with climate change in much of the western United States, and species persistence will depend upon ongoing establishment under novel conditions or migration to track ecological niche requirements. High-elevation tree species may be particularly vulnerable to increasing water stress as snowpack declines, increasing the potential for adult mortality and simultaneous regeneration failures. Seedling survival will be determined by ecophysiological limitations in response to changing water availability and temperature...

The growth of pathogenic bacteria in moist and wet surfaces and tubing of medically relevant devices results in serious infections in immunocompromised patients. In this study, we investigated and demonstrated the successful implementation of a UV-C side-emitting optical fiber in disinfecting medically relevant pathogenic bacteria ( Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA]) within tight channels of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE is a commonly used material both in point-of-use (POU) water treatment technologies and medical devices (dental unit water line [DUWL], endoscope)...

UNLABELLED: Bioindustrial manufacturing is undergoing rapid expansion and investment and is seen as integral to nations' economic progress. Ensuring that bioindustrial manufacturing benefits society as the field expands is of critical, urgent importance. To better understand the industry's ethical trajectory and to shape policy, we explored the views of biotechnology leaders on four aspects of ethical and social responsibility-safety, security, social responsibility, and sustainability-what we have termed "4S principles...

Intestinal health is one of the key factors required for the growth and production of turkeys. Histomoniasis (blackhead disease), caused by a protozoan parasite, Histomonas meleagridis , is a reemerging threat to the turkey industry. Increased incidences of histomoniasis have been reported in recent years due to withdrawal of antihistomonas treatments. H. meleagridis affects ceca and causes cecal inflammation and necrosis. H. meleagridis migrates from ceca to the liver and causes liver necrosis, resulting in high mortalities...

The application of live attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium vaccines has significantly helped control Salmonella in poultry products. Because the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) scores all Salmonella as positive, regardless of serovar, attenuated vaccine strains that are identified at processing contribute negatively toward Salmonella performance standards. This study was designed to determine the incidence of a live attenuated Salmonella serovar Typhimurium vaccine identified in broiler products by FSIS and to develop a PCR assay for screening of isolates...