Reduced specificity of autobiographical memories following a negative mood induction

Reduced autobiographical memory specificity (AMS) to emotional and neutral cue words appears to be a stable cognitive marker of clinical depression. For example, reduced AMS is present in remitted/recovered depressed patients and shows no reliable relationship with current levels of depressed mood in correlational studies. The present study examined whether reduced AMS could be induced in healthy volunteers with no history of depression, using a negative mood manipulation and whether levels of AMS and induced mood were positively correlated. Results showed a reduction in AMS following negative mood induction, compared to a neutral induction, whereas positive mood induction had no effects on AMS. Furthermore, lower happiness following the induction phase correlated positively with reduced AMS, and the extent of happiness reduction from pre- to post-induction correlated positively with reduction in AMS. These results suggest that AMS is, at least in part, a function of current emotion state. The implications for the literature on AMS as a stable marker of clinical depression are discussed

Advances in next-generation sequencing and emerging technologies for hematologic malignancies

Innovations in molecular diagnostics have often evolved through the study of hematologic malignancies. Examples include the pioneering characterization of the Philadelphia chromosome by cytogenetics in the 1970s, the implementation of polymerase chain reaction for high-sensitivity detection and monitoring of mutations and, most recently, targeted next- generation sequencing to drive the prognostic and therapeutic assessment of leukemia. Hematologists and hematopath- ologists have continued to advance in the past decade with new innovations improving the type, amount, and quality of data generated for each molecule of nucleic acid. In this review article, we touch on these new developments and discuss their implications for diagnostics in hematopoietic malignancies. We review advances in sequencing platforms and library preparation chemistry that can lead to faster turnaround times, novel sequencing techniques, the development of mobile laboratories with implications for worldwide benefits, the current status of sample types, improvements to quality and reference materials, bioinformatic pipelines, and the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence into mol- ecular diagnostic tools for hematologic malignancies

CAF-derived MFAP5 is a novel transcription regulator for immune checkpoint CD47 in ovarian cancer

https://openworks.mdanderson.org/sumexp23/1115/thumbnail.jp

Volatile vs Total intravenous Anaesthesia for major non-cardiac surgery: a pragmatic randomised triaL (VITAL)

Background: Improving outcomes after surgery is a major public health research priority for patients, clinicians and the NHS. The greatest burden of perioperative complications, mortality and healthcare costs lies amongst the population of patients aged over 50 years who undergo major non-cardiac surgery. The Volatile vs Total Intravenous Anaesthesia for major non-cardiac surgery (VITAL) trial specifically examines the effect of anaesthetic technique on key patient outcomes: quality of recovery after surgery (quality of recovery after anaesthesia, patient satisfaction and major post-operative complications), survival and patient safety. // Methods: A multi-centre pragmatic efficient randomised trial with health economic evaluation comparing total intravenous anaesthesia with volatile-based anaesthesia in adults (aged 50 and over) undergoing elective major non-cardiac surgery under general anaesthesia. // Discussion: Given the very large number of patients exposed to general anaesthesia every year, even small differences in outcome between the two techniques could result in substantial excess harm. Results from the VITAL trial will ensure patients can benefit from the very safest anaesthesia care, promoting an early return home, reducing healthcare costs and maximising the health benefits of surgical treatments. // Trial registration: ISRCTN62903453. September 09, 2021

Certification in molecular pathology in the united states: An update from the association for molecular pathology training and education committee

The past 25 years have witnessed the field of molecular pathology evolving from an imprecisely defined discipline to a firmly established medical subspecialty that plays an essential role in patient care. During this time, the training, certification, and licensure requirements for directing and performing testing in a molecular pathology or molecular diagnostics laboratory have become better defined. The purpose of this document is to describe the various board certifications available to individuals seeking certification in molecular diagnostics at the level of laboratory director, supervisor, or technologist. Several national organizations offer certification in molecular pathology or molecular diagnostics for doctoral-level clinical scientists to function as the director of a molecular diagnostics laboratory. Furthermore, 12 states and Puerto Rico require licensing of medical technologists, including those working in molecular diagnostic laboratories. The information provided here updates a 2002 document by the Training and Education Committee of the Association for Molecular Pathology and has been expanded to include certification and licensing requirements for laboratory technologists

The psychophysiological effects of Tai-chi and exercise in residential Schizophrenic patients: a 3-arm randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Patients with schizophrenia are characterized by high prevalence rates and chronicity that often leads to long-term institutionalization. Under the traditional medical model, treatment usually emphasizes the management of psychotic symptoms through medication, even though anti-psychotic drugs are associated with severe side effects, which can diminish patients’ physical and psychological well-being. Tai-chi, a mind-body exercise rooted in Eastern health philosophy, emphasizes the motor coordination and relaxation. With these potential benefits, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) is planned to investigate the effects of Tai-chi intervention on the cognitive and motor deficits characteristic of patients with schizophrenia. METHODS/DESIGN: A 3-arm RCT with waitlist control design will be used in this study. One hundred and fifty three participants will be randomized into (i) Tai-chi, (ii) exercise or (iii) waitlist control groups. Participants in both the Tai-chi and exercise groups will receive 12-weeks of specific intervention, in addition to the standard medication and care received by the waitlist control group. The exercise group will serve as a comparison, to delineate any unique benefits of Tai-chi that are independent of moderate aerobic exercise. All three groups will undergo three assessment phases: (i) at baseline, (ii) at 12 weeks (post-intervention), and (iii) at 24 weeks (maintenance). All participants will be assessed in terms of symptom management, motor coordination, memory, daily living function, and stress levels based on self-perceived responses and a physiological marker. DISCUSSION: Based on a promising pilot study conducted prior to this RCT, subjects in the Tai-chi intervention group are expected to be protected against deterioration of motor coordination and interpersonal functioning. They are also expected to have better symptoms management and lower stress level than the other treatment groups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trail has been registered in the Clinical Trials Center of the University of Hong Kong (HKCTR-1453)

Evaluation of a Novel Culture System for Rapid Pathogen Identification and Detection of Cephalosporin Resistance in Neonatal Gram-negative Sepsis at a Tertiary Referral Unit in Harare, Zimbabwe.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal sepsis accounts for a large proportion of neonatal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. The lack of access to diagnostic testing and excessively long turnaround times to result contributes to delays in sepsis identification and initiation of appropriate treatment. This study aims to evaluate the novel InTrays COLOREX Screen and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase for rapid identification of bacterial pathogens causing sepsis and detection of resistance. METHODS: Neonates with suspected sepsis admitted to the Harare Central Hospital were prospectively enrolled. One blood culture was collected and incubated using the BacT/ALERT automated system. Positive blood cultures with potential pathogens identified by Gram stain were inoculated on the InTray COLOREX Screen and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase culture plates. RESULTS: A total of 216 neonates with suspected sepsis were recruited. Pathogens were isolated from blood cultures in 56 (25.9%) neonates of which 54 were Klebsiella pneumoniae. All K. pneumoniae were resistant to ceftriaxone and 53 (98%) were resistant to gentamicin. Sensitivity and specificity for ceftriaxone-resistant K. pneumoniae detection using InTrays were 100%. InTrays results were interpretable as early as 5-10 hours (median 7 hours, interquartile range 7-7) post blood culture positivity enabling rapid identification and notification of result and leading to a 60% reduction in time to result from blood culture collection. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the implementation of a novel culture method was feasible and reduced turnaround times for results by 60% compared with standard microbiologic techniques. An impact on patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness of this method needs to be demonstrated

Evaluation of the InTray and Compact Dry culture systems for the diagnosis of urinary tract infections in patients presenting to primary health clinics in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Antimicrobial resistance surveillance data is lacking from many resource-limited settings mainly due to limited laboratory testing. Novel culture systems may address some of the limitations of conventional culture media and expand the availability of microbiology services. The aims of this study were to evaluate the performance of InTray COLOREX Screen/ESBL and Compact Dry for the detection of uropathogens and of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms from urine samples. Urines samples were collected from patients presenting with symptoms of urinary tract infection to primary care clinics in Harare. Performance of the InTray COLOREX Screen, ESBL and Compact Dry chromogenic media were compared to the reference of culture using Brilliance UTI agar and conventional antimicrobial susceptibility testing. A total of 414 samples were included in the analysis. Of the included samples, 98 were positive on Brilliance UTI agar and 83 grew Enterobacterales. The sensitivities and specificities for Enterobacterales were 89.2% (95% CI 80.4-94.9) and 98.2% (95% CI 96.1-99.3) for InTray Screen and 95.2% (95% CI 88.1-98.7) and 99.7% (95% CI 98.3-100) for Compact Dry. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases were present in 22 isolates from the Brilliance UTI agar. The sensitivity of the InTray COLOREX ESBL culture plates for the detection of ESBL-producing organisms was 95.5% (95% CI 77.2-99.9) and specificity was 99.5% (95% CI 98.2-99.9%). Our findings show good performance of the novel culture systems for the detection of uropathogens and ESBL-producing organisms. Both systems have several advantages over conventional media and have the potential to expand and decentralize laboratory testing