Pandemic scientific data sharing recommendations: examining and re-imagining pre-print servers after the end of the world-wide emergency

Early in the pandemic, pre-print servers sped rapid evidence sharing. A collaborative of major medical journals supported their use to ensure equitable access to scientific advancements. In the intervening three years, we have made major advancements in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and learned about the benefits and limitations of pre-prints as a mechanism for sharing and disseminating scientific knowledge

Impact of Outpatient vs Inpatient ABSSSI Treatment on Outcomes: A Retrospective Observational Analysis of Medical Charts Across US Emergency Departments

Background The objective of this study was to characterize treatment of patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) and describe the association between hospital admission and emergency department (ED) visits or readmissions within 30 days after initial episode of care (IEC). Methods This was a retrospective, observational, cohort study of adults with ABSSSI who presented to an ED between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2013. Patient, health care facility, and treatment characteristics, including unplanned ED visits or readmissions, were obtained through manual chart review and abstraction. Adjusted logistic regression analysis examined likelihood of all-cause unplanned ED visits or readmissions between admitted and nonadmitted patients. Results Records from 1527 ED visits for ABSSSI from 40 centers were reviewed (admitted, n = 578 [38%]; nonadmitted, n = 949 [62%]). Admitted patients were typically older (mean age, 52.2 years vs 43.0 years), more likely to be morbidly obese (body mass index \u3e 40 kg/m2; 17.3% vs 9.1%), and had more comorbidities (Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥ 4; 24.4% vs 6.8%) compared with those not admitted. In the primary analysis, adjusted logistic regression, controlling for comorbidities and severity of illness, demonstrated that there was a similar likelihood of all-cause unplanned ED visits or readmissions between admitted and nonadmitted patients (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 0.74–1.43; P = .87). Conclusions ABSSSI treatment pathways leveraging outpatient treatment vs hospital admission support similar likelihood of unplanned 30-day ED visits or readmissions, an important clinical outcome and quality metric at US hospitals. Further research regarding the decision criteria around hospital admission to avoid potentially unnecessary hospitalizations is warranted

Weekly SARS-CoV-2 screening of asymptomatic kindergarten to grade 12 students and staff helps inform strategies for safer in-person learning

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission in K-12 schools was rare during in 2020-2021; few studies included Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended screening of asymptomatic individuals. We conduct a prospective observational study of SARS-CoV-2 screening in a mid-sized suburban public school district to evaluate the incidence of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), document frequency of in-school transmission, and characterize barriers and facilitators to asymptomatic screening in schools. Staff and students undergo weekly pooled testing using home-collected saliva samples. Identification of \u3e 1 case in a school prompts investigation for in-school transmission and enhancement of safety strategies. With layered mitigation measures, in-school transmission even before student or staff vaccination is rare. Screening identifies a single cluster with in-school staff-to-staff transmission, informing decisions about in-person learning. The proportion of survey respondents self-reporting comfort with in-person learning before versus after implementation of screening increases. Costs exceed $260,000 for assays alone; staff and volunteers spend 135-145 h per week implementing screening

Propofol Inhibits Glioma Stem Cell Growth and Migration and Their Interaction with Microglia via BDNF-AS and Extracellular Vesicles

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor. GBM contains a small subpopulation of glioma stem cells (GSCs) that are implicated in treatment resistance, tumor infiltration, and recurrence, and are thereby considered important therapeutic targets. Recent clinical studies have suggested that the choice of general anesthetic (GA), particularly propofol, during tumor resection, affects subsequent tumor response to treatments and patient prognosis. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying propofol\u27s anti-tumor effects on GSCs and their interaction with microglia cells. Propofol exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the self-renewal, expression of mesenchymal markers, and migration of GSCs and sensitized them to both temozolomide (TMZ) and radiation. At higher concentrations, propofol induced a large degree of cell death, as demonstrated using microfluid chip technology. Propofol increased the expression of the lncRNA BDNF-AS, which acts as a tumor suppressor in GBM, and silencing of this lncRNA partially abrogated propofol\u27s effects. Propofol also inhibited the pro-tumorigenic GSC-microglia crosstalk via extracellular vesicles (EVs) and delivery of BDNF-AS. In conclusion, propofol exerted anti-tumor effects on GSCs, sensitized these cells to radiation and TMZ, and inhibited their pro-tumorigenic interactions with microglia via transfer of BDNF-AS by EVs

Physiological characterization of the wild almond Prunus arabica stem photosynthetic capability

Leaves are the major plant tissue for transpiration and carbon fixation in deciduous trees. In harsh habitats, atmospheric CO2 assimilation via stem photosynthesis is common, providing extra carbon gain to cope with the detrimental conditions. We studied two almond species, the commercial Prunus dulcis cultivar “Um-el-Fahem” and the rare wild Prunus arabica. Our study revealed two distinctive strategies for carbon gain in these almond species. While, in P. dulcis, leaves possess the major photosynthetic surface area, in P. arabica, green stems perform this function, in particular during the winter after leaf drop. These two species' anatomical and physiological comparisons show that P. arabica carries unique features that support stem gas exchange and high-gross photosynthetic rates via stem photosynthetic capabilities (SPC). On the other hand, P. dulcis stems contribute low gross photosynthesis levels, as they are designed solely for reassimilation of CO2 from respiration, which is termed stem recycling photosynthesis (SRP). Results show that (a) P. arabica stems are covered with a high density of sunken stomata, in contrast to the stomata on P. dulcis stems, which disappear under a thick peridermal (bark) layer by their second year of development. (b) P. arabica stems contain significantly higher levels of chlorophyll compartmentalized to a mesophyll-like, chloroplast-rich, parenchyma layer, in contrast to rounded-shape cells of P. dulcis's stem parenchyma. (c) Pulse amplitude-modulated (PAM) fluorometry of P. arabica and P. dulcis stems revealed differences in the chlorophyll fluorescence and quenching parameters between the two species. (d) Gas exchange analysis showed that guard cells of P. arabica stems tightly regulate water loss under elevated temperatures while maintaining constant and high assimilation rates throughout the stem. Our data show that P. arabica uses a distinctive strategy for tree carbon gain via stem photosynthetic capability, which is regulated efficiently under harsh environmental conditions, such as elevated temperatures. These findings are highly important and can be used to develop new almond cultivars with agriculturally essential traits

The Impact of a Massachusetts State-Sponsored Educational Program on Antimicrobial Stewardship in Acute Care Hospitals

Nanofiltracija (NF) je separacijski proces koji ima široku primjenu u industriji. Međutim, blokiranje membrana jedan je od najvećih izazova njene primjene. Ne uzme li se u obzir i ne ispita li se prije primjene, dovodi do neočekivanih povećanih troškova i smanjene kvalitete permeata. Prema tome, dobar opis samog formiranja/procesa blokiranja omogućio bi bolju procjenu očekivanih svojstava membrane pa time i samih procesnih troškova. U ovom je radu ispitivana primjenjivost Hermijinih modela i modela modificiranih za ukriženo strujanje za opis mehanizama blokiranja NF membrana pri NF vodenih otopina polietilen glikola (PEG) molekulskih masa 300 g mol^-1, 600 g mol^-1, 1 500 g mol^-1, 4 000 g mol^-1 i 35 000 g mol^-1 različitih koncentracija pri radnim tlakovima od 5, 10 i 15 bar. Modeli potpunog i umjerenog blokiranja pora najbolje su opisali dobivene rezultate svih provedenih eksperimenata. Model blokiranja uslijed formiranja kolača dobro opisuje rezultate dobivene u kasnijoj fazi provođenja eksperimenata. To upućuje na pojavu više mehanizama blokiranja u tijeku procesa. Općenito, modeli modificirani za ukriženi tok pokazali su se boljima za opis ispitanih sustava.Nanofiltration (NF) is a separation process with numerous industrial applications. Membrane fouling is the major drawback that challenges the wider application of NF. It leads to an unexpected increase of expenses and lower quality of permeate, if not properly examined and considered during the design/before application. Thus, a better mathematical description of fouling mechanisms can lead to better prediction of membrane properties and expenses during the application. In this work Hermia´s and modified cross-flow models were used to investigate the fouling mechanisms involved in the NF of polyethylene glycol (PEG). Experiments were performed with various concentrations of PEG (300 g mol^-1, 600 g mol^-1, 1 500 g mol^-1, 4 000 g mol^-1, and 35 000 g mol^-1) at working pressures of 5, 10, and 15 bar. The best fit to experimental data for all the experimental conditions tested corresponded to the complete and partial pore blocking models. While in the later stage of the experiments, the cake layer formation (cake filtration) model showed a better agreement with experimental data. This indicates that multiple fouling mechanisms could occur during nanofiltration of PEG. In general, cross-flow models were superior to Hermia’s models for describing the system

Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae: analyzing knowledge and practice in healthcare providers

Background. Gram negative antibiotic resistance is increasing worldwide as both carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CREs) and Enterobacteriaceae producing extended spectrum ß-lactamases (ESBLs) become more common.Objective. We analyzed clinicians’ knowledge regarding resistant gram-negative organisms with respect to infection control practices, prescribing practices and assessment of their patients’ risk for resistant infections.Design. Online survey.Participants. Target population included clinicians who prescribe antibiotics i.e., medical doctors and mid-level practitioners, at three Massachusetts hospitals.Methods. Questionnaires were sent to 3 Tufts-affiliated teaching hospitals to assess level of knowledge and elucidate perceptions about gram-negative resistance.Results. We received 434 responses from 3332 non-infectious disease clinicians (13%) surveyed at the three hospitals. 51.1% of clinicians correctly scored 50% or greater on the knowledge questions. Internal medicine clinicians had higher knowledge scores than non-internal medicine clinicians (62% vs 45%; OR = 1.67, p = 0.02). Clinicians within three years of training had higher scores than those with more than 10 years of training (64.3% vs 44%; OR = 2.3, p = 0.002). Clinicians with fewer years since training and those with higher knowledge scores were more likely to appropriately consider certain patients at risk for resistant infections (p < 0.05). 54.4% of clinicians were very concerned about gram-negative antibiotic resistance. 64.6% of clinicians felt comfortable de-escalating antibiotics as cultures are available.Conclusion. We found overall low knowledge scores and much variability in the way clinicians assess whether certain patient populations are at risk for antibiotic resistance. Internal medicine clinicians and those with fewer years since completion of their training scored higher and more appropriately considered patients at risk for resistance. The majority of clinicians are concerned about gram-negative resistance and indicated they would de-escalate antibiotic therapy if they had susceptibility information. These results will help focus and target our teaching and awareness-raising strategies