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OBJECTIVE: To describe breastfeeding-supportive practices in U.S. maternity hospitals with advanced neonatal care units (ANCU). STUDY DESIGN: Using 2022 mPINC data, we calculated the percent of hospitals reporting (1) breastfeeding-supportive practices for "most" (≥80%) mother-baby dyads in ANCUs, by hospital demographic characteristics and (2) infant receipt of mother's own milk or donor milk at any time while in the ANCU, by ANCU level. RESULTS: More than 90% of hospitals reported that "most" mothers (≥80%) were advised on some breastfeeding-supportive practices. Fewer hospitals reported that "most" mothers expressed milk within one hour of birth (37%) or that kangaroo care was practiced for "most" eligible newborns (63%). Receipt of mother's own milk varied by unit level and state. CONCLUSION: Breastfeeding-supportive practices requiring the technical competency of healthcare providers (e.g., early milk expression, kangaroo care) are less likely to be implemented in ANCU settings compared to practices centered around providing advice or education.
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Cognitive dysfunction is common in late life depression (LLD) and is a major risk factor for dementia. Recent studies show limited improvement in cognition with commonly employed treatments for LLD, contradicting the notion that cognition "returns to normal" with treatment. However, findings differ with the treatments used. The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review of studies of antidepressants and psychotherapies commonly employed in LLD to determine their effects on cognition, particularly processing speed, memory, and executive function. We searched for trials of acute phase treatment, in nondemented individuals 60 years and older with unipolar nonpsychotic Major Depressive Disorder, that assessed cognitive performance with neuropsychological tests before and after treatment. We compared the magnitude of change in cognition by examining within group effect sizes. Six antidepressant trials and two psychotherapy trials (both using Problem Solving Therapy)(PST) provided relatively comparable data that allowed for quantitative comparison. Nine other antidepressant trials provided descriptive findings. Sertraline and vortioxetine had significant positive effects on processing speed and memory. Duloxetine had significant effects on memory. The most selective SRIs-citalopram and escitalopram-had minimal effects on cognition and citalopram had adverse effects in depression nonresponders. PST had modest effects on processing speed and no effect on memory. Effects of practice and improvement in depression on cognition are examined. In all but one study, cognition was a secondary outcome and various quality indicators (e.g. blinding cognitive assessment to treatment) were often not reported. As a consequence, these findings must be considered preliminary.
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We present an enhancer AAV toolbox for accessing and perturbing striatal cell types and circuits. Best-in-class vectors were curated for accessing major striatal neuron populations including medium spiny neurons (MSNs), direct and indirect pathway MSNs, as well as Sst-Chodl, Pvalb-Pthlh, and cholinergic interneurons. Specificity was evaluated by multiple modes of molecular validation, three different routes of virus delivery, and with diverse transgene cargos. Importantly, we provide detailed information necessary to achieve reliable cell type specific labeling under different experimental contexts. We demonstrate direct pathway circuit-selective optogenetic perturbation of behavior and multiplex labeling of striatal interneuron types for targeted analysis of cellular features. Lastly, we show conserved in vivo activity for exemplary MSN enhancers in rat and macaque. This collection of striatal enhancer AAVs offers greater versatility compared to available transgenic lines and can readily be applied for cell type and circuit studies in diverse mammalian species beyond the mouse model.
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Angiosperms are the most dominant land plant flora and have colonised most of the terrestrial habitats, thriving in different environmental conditions, among which light and temperature play a crucial role. In the eudicot Arabidopsis thaliana, light and temperature are integrated into a phytochrome B (phyB)-dependent signalling network that regulates development. However, whether this signal integration controls the development in other angiosperm lineages and if phyB is a conserved hub of this integratory network in angiosperms is unclear. We used a combination of phylogenetic, phenotypic, and transcriptomic analyses to understand the phyB-dependent light and temperature integratory network in the monocot Oryza sativa and infer its conservation in angiosperms. Here, we show that light and temperature co-regulate rice growth through a phyB-dependent regulatory network that shares conserved features between O. sativa and A. thaliana. Despite the conservation of the components of this regulatory network, the transcriptional regulation between the components has changed qualitatively since monocots and eudicots diverged (~192-145 MYA). The evolutionary flexibility of this integratory network might underlie the successful adaptation of plants to diverse ecological niches. Furthermore, our findings provide promising candidate genes whose activity and expression can be fine-tuned to improve plant growth and productivity in a warming planet.
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The bacteria of a host's digestive tract play crucial roles in digestion and pathogen resistance. Hosts living in captivity often have more human interaction and antibiotic use, in addition to differences in diet and environment, compared to their wild counterparts. Consequently, wild and captive animals frequently harbour different bacterial communities. We tested whether diversity of diet provided in captivity shifts the gut bacteria of tuatara, an endemic New Zealand reptile, at three captive sites, and examined how the gut community of these tuatara compares to those in the wild. Dietary manipulation did not cause a strong overall shift in tuatara gut bacteria, but individual tuatara did experience bacterial shifts during manipulation, which subsequently reverted after manipulation. We found that Bacteroides, a genus common in most vertebrate guts but rare in tuatara, increased significantly in the gut during manipulation, then decreased post-manipulation. Finally, the gut bacteria of captive tuatara significantly differed from those of wild tuatara, though most of the dominant bacterial genera found in wild tuatara persisted in captive tuatara. This work represents a first investigation of the captive tuatara bacterial community, and establishes the sensitivity of the gut community to dietary manipulation and captivity for this relict reptile.
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The thymus is the central organ involved with T-cell development and the production of naïve T cells. During normal aging, the thymus undergoes marked involution, reducing naïve T-cell output and resulting in a predominance of long-lived memory T cells in the periphery. Outside of aging, systemic stress responses that induce corticosteroids (CS), or other insults such as radiation exposure, induce thymocyte apoptosis, resulting in a transient acute thymic involution with subsequent recovery occurring after cessation of the stimulus. Despite the increasing utilization of immunostimulatory regimens in cancer, effects on the thymus and naïve T cell output have not been well characterized. Using both mouse and human systems, the thymic effects of systemic immunostimulatory regimens, such as high dose IL-2 (HD IL-2) with or without agonistic anti-CD40 mAbs and acute primary viral infection, were investigated. These regimens produced a marked acute thymic involution in mice, which correlated with elevated serum glucocorticoid levels and a diminishment of naïve T cells in the periphery. This effect was transient and followed with a rapid thymic "rebound" effect, in which an even greater quantity of thymocytes was observed compared to controls. Similar results were observed in humans, as patients receiving HD IL-2 treatment for cancer demonstrated significantly increased cortisol levels, accompanied by decreased peripheral blood naïve T cells and reduced T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs), a marker indicative of recent thymic emigrants. Mice adrenalectomized prior to receiving immunotherapy or viral infection demonstrated protection from this glucocorticoid-mediated thymic involution, despite experiencing a substantially higher inflammatory cytokine response and increased immunopathology. Investigation into the effects of immunostimulation on middle aged (7-12 months) and advance aged (22-24 months) mice, which had already undergone significant thymic involution and had a diminished naïve T cell population in the periphery at baseline, revealed that even further involution was incurred. Thymic rebound hyperplasia, however, only occurred in young and middle-aged recipients, while advance aged not only lacked this rebound hyperplasia, but were entirely absent of any indication of thymic restoration. This coincided with prolonged deficits in naïve T cell numbers in advanced aged recipients, further skewing the already memory dominant T cell pool. These results demonstrate that, in both mice and humans, systemic immunostimulatory cancer therapies, as well as immune challenges like subacute viral infections, have the potential to induce profound, but transient, glucocorticoid-mediated thymic involution and substantially reduced thymic output, resulting in the reduction of peripheral naive T cells. This can then be followed by a marked rebound effect with naïve T cell restoration, events that were shown not to occur in advanced-aged mice.
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Glucocorticoides , Timo , Animais , Timo/imunologia , Timo/efeitos dos fármacos , Camundongos , Humanos , Glucocorticoides/uso terapêutico , Glucocorticoides/farmacologia , Feminino , Masculino , Idoso , Envelhecimento/imunologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Interleucina-2/metabolismo , Adulto , Timócitos/imunologia , Timócitos/metabolismo , Hiperplasia do Timo/imunologia , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Imunização , HiperplasiaRESUMO
PURPOSE: Carers of people with aphasia face unique challenges.â¯Research has demonstrated that these carers have a higher burden of care and more negative stroke-related outcomes in comparison to carers of stroke survivors without aphasia. The aim of this scoping review was to map the range of interventions for carers other than communication partner training and to examine their outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a scoping review on this topic. RESULTS: Twenty studies were included. Most studies were case series with four randomised control trials. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. Most studies occurred during the long-term phase of care. Two interventions had only carers as participants. Interventions were comprised of different combinations of intervention components including psychoeducation, skill-building, and support. There was high variability on who led the interventions, the format, and the dose/schedule. Twenty-eight different outcome measures for carers and dyads were used across various domains with overall positive outcomes post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This review uncovered a wide range of formats, dosages, and outcome measures in interventions for carers. Encouragingly, the majority of these interventions included psychoeducation, skill-building, and support components. While most studies were case series, there are promising interventions that have the potential to enhance carer wellbeing.
Carer targeted interventions play an important role in reducing carer burden and increasing psychological wellbeing for carers of people with aphasia post-stroke.A tailored intervention for carers of people with aphasia should include components of psychoeducation, skill-building, and support to meet their needs across the continuum of care.Recognising carers as clients has the potential to improve healthcare outcomes for the carer and the person with aphasia.
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Identifying cell type-specific enhancers in the brain is critical to building genetic tools for investigating the mammalian brain. Computational methods for functional enhancer prediction have been proposed and validated in the fruit fly and not yet the mammalian brain. We organized the 'Brain Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN) Challenge: Predicting Functional Cell Type-Specific Enhancers from Cross-Species Multi-Omics' to assess machine learning and feature-based methods designed to nominate enhancer DNA sequences to target cell types in the mouse cortex. Methods were evaluated based on in vivo validation data from hundreds of cortical cell type-specific enhancers that were previously packaged into individual AAV vectors and retro-orbitally injected into mice. We find that open chromatin was a key predictor of functional enhancers, and sequence models improved prediction of non-functional enhancers that can be deprioritized as opposed to pursued for in vivo testing. Sequence models also identified cell type-specific transcription factor codes that can guide designs of in silico enhancers. This community challenge establishes a benchmark for enhancer prioritization algorithms and reveals computational approaches and molecular information that are crucial for the identification of functional enhancers for mammalian cortical cell types. The results of this challenge bring us closer to understanding the complex gene regulatory landscape of the mammalian brain and help us design more efficient genetic tools and potential gene therapies for human neurological diseases.
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Type II innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) maintain homeostasis and barrier integrity in mucosal tissues. In both mice and humans, ILC2s poorly reconstitute after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Determining the mechanisms involved in their impaired reconstitution could improve transplant outcomes. By integrating single-cell chromatin and transcriptomic analyses of transplanted ILC2s, we identify a previously unreported population of converted ILC1-like cells in the mouse small intestine post-transplant. Exposure of ILC2s to proinflammatory cytokines resulted in a mixed ILC1-ILC2 phenotype but was able to convert only a small population of ILC2s to ILC1s, which were found post-transplant. Whereas ILC2s protected against acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) mediated mortality, infusion of proinflammatory cytokine-exposed ILC2s accelerated aGvHD. Interestingly, murine ILC2 reconstitution post-HSCT is decreased in the presence of alloreactive T cells. Finally, peripheral blood cells from human patients with aGvHD have an altered ILC2-associated chromatin landscape compared to transplanted controls. These data demonstrate that following transplantation ILC2s convert to a pro-pathogenic population with an ILC1-like chromatin state and provide insights into the contribution of ILC plasticity to the impaired reconstitution of ILC2 cells, which is one of several potential mechanisms for the poor reconstitution of these important cells after allo-HSCT.
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Doença Enxerto-Hospedeiro , Transplante de Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas , Imunidade Inata , Linfócitos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , Transplante Homólogo , Transplante de Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/métodos , Animais , Humanos , Doença Enxerto-Hospedeiro/imunologia , Camundongos , Linfócitos/imunologia , Citocinas/metabolismo , Plasticidade Celular , Feminino , Intestino Delgado/imunologia , Masculino , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Cromatina/metabolismoRESUMO
Anti-citrullinated protein autoantibodies (ACPA) are diagnostic for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The antigens recognized by these autoantibodies are produced by protein arginine deiminases (PADs), particularly PAD4. However, it remains unknown why and how PAD4 causes this aberrant citrullination in RA. Here, we report that poly-perforin pores are present on freshly isolated neutrophils from RA patients, but not on healthy donor neutrophils. Neutrophils with perforin pores also contained intracellular citrullinated proteins in the region adjacent to the pores. This response was replicated in vitro by treating neutrophils with purified perforin, which generated intense dots of anti-perforin immunofluorescence, calcium influx, and intracellular citrullination. Extensive neutrophil killing in Felty's syndrome, an aggressive form of RA, correlated with particularly high ACPA, and PAD4 autoantibodies. In contrast, other forms of death, including NETosis, apoptosis, and pyroptosis, produced minimal citrullination. We conclude that neutrophil targeting by perforin leading to intracellular citrullination takes place in patients with RA.
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Anticorpos Antiproteína Citrulinada , Artrite Reumatoide , Citrulinação , Neutrófilos , Perforina , Proteína-Arginina Desiminase do Tipo 4 , Humanos , Neutrófilos/metabolismo , Neutrófilos/imunologia , Artrite Reumatoide/metabolismo , Artrite Reumatoide/patologia , Artrite Reumatoide/imunologia , Proteína-Arginina Desiminase do Tipo 4/metabolismo , Anticorpos Antiproteína Citrulinada/metabolismo , Anticorpos Antiproteína Citrulinada/imunologia , Perforina/metabolismo , Feminino , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Autoanticorpos/imunologia , Desiminases de Arginina em Proteínas/metabolismo , Adulto , Síndrome de Felty/metabolismo , Síndrome de Felty/patologia , Armadilhas Extracelulares/metabolismo , Citrulina/metabolismo , IdosoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the economic burden associated with COVID-19 in Córdoba, Colombia, 2020 and 2021. METHODS: Economic burden study. Direct costs were analyzed from the third-party payer perspective using healthcare administrative databases and interviews from a cohort of confirmed COVID-19 cases from Córdoba. Costing aggregation was performed by the bottom-up method. Indirect costs were estimated using the productivity loss approach. Contrast tests and statistical models were estimated at 5% significance. RESULTS: We studied 1,800 COVID-19 cases. The average economic cost of COVID-19 per episode was estimated at US$ 2,519 (95%CI 1,980;3,047). The direct medical cost component accounted for 92.9% of the total; out-of-pocket and indirect costs accounted for 2% and 5.1%, respectively. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 economic cost was mainly due to direct medical costs. This study provided evidence of the economic burden faced by households due to COVID-19, with the most vulnerable households bearing much of the burden on their income.
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COVID-19 , Efeitos Psicossociais da Doença , Gastos em Saúde , Humanos , Colômbia/epidemiologia , COVID-19/economia , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Masculino , Feminino , Gastos em Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto , Custos de Cuidados de Saúde/estatística & dados numéricos , Adulto Jovem , Idoso , AdolescenteRESUMO
PURPOSE: A new Parent Support Worker (PSW) service was piloted in three Australian hospitals. This study assesses the feasibility and acceptability (including preliminary effectiveness) of the service in supporting cancer patients with children. METHODS: A multi-site, mixed-methods study collected quantitative and qualitative data on the effectiveness of the service (pre post-test, n = 36), qualitative and quantitative data on acceptability of the service (survey, n = 43), and qualitative data on acceptability (semi-structured interviews, n = 13). Feasibility was assessed through rates of service uptake amongst referred parents. RESULTS: Of 1133 parents referred, 810 (71%) accepted to receive the service, suggesting high interest in PSW support. Interviewees likewise reported that the service was accessible and facilitated further referrals, indicating good feasibility. Surveys completed three months after accessing PSW support showed high acceptability and satisfaction. Additionally, there was preliminary evidence of service impacts: parents' distress, parenting concerns, parenting efficacy, and stress about situations of concern improved significantly from pre- to post-service (all p < 0.005). Interviewees further described how their emotional coping and confidence to support and communicate with their children had improved through contact with the service. CONCLUSION: The PSW service, integrated into a novel cross-sector model of care, showed to be feasible and acceptable to parent patients and their partners and improved psychological and parenting outcomes. The study suggests refinements to the service and the need for future larger studies to explore the effectiveness of the service in improving parents' outcomes. This study complements previous evidence on the implementation of the PSW service in hospitals.
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Estudos de Viabilidade , Neoplasias , Pais , Humanos , Neoplasias/terapia , Neoplasias/psicologia , Pais/psicologia , Masculino , Feminino , Austrália , Adulto , Criança , Projetos Piloto , Adaptação Psicológica , Apoio Social , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adolescente , Inquéritos e Questionários , Pré-EscolarRESUMO
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been recognized as a novel way of cell-to-cell communication in the last several decades. It is believed that EVs exert their functions on nearby or distant cells through transfer of the cargo that they carry. In this review, we focus on EVs produced by endothelial cells, with emphasis on their role in hematopoiesis. We first describe how endothelial cells interact with hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells during development and in disease conditions. We then discuss EVs, ranging from their subtypes to isolation methods and analysis of EVs. With the above background information, we next review the literature related to endothelial cell derived EVs (ECEVs), including physiological functions and their clinical uses. In the last sections, we summarize the current results about the effect of ECEVs on hematopoiesis under physiological and stress conditions.
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Células Endoteliais , Vesículas Extracelulares , Hematopoese , Humanos , Vesículas Extracelulares/fisiologia , Vesículas Extracelulares/metabolismo , Células Endoteliais/citologia , Células Endoteliais/fisiologia , Animais , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/citologia , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/fisiologia , Células-Tronco Hematopoéticas/metabolismo , Comunicação CelularRESUMO
Wildfires are considered a major disturbance to forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean countries of Southern Europe. Although ground-dwelling macroinvertebrates are crucial to many soil functions, there is a fundamental lack of understanding of how wildfires impact this community in the immediate term and of the role of stones in their survival. Hence, in the present study we assessed the immediate effects of wildfires in the ground-dwelling macroinvertebrate community found under stones by comparing communities in burnt and non-burnt Mediterranean oak forests. Our results revealed that stones allowed the survival of many taxa in the burnt area. However, abundance, richness, diversity, and equitability per stone were significantly lower at the burnt than unburnt sites. Furthermore, the results also showed that richness and abundance increased significantly with increasing stone depth and area, both at the burnt and unburnt sites. Significant changes at the trophic level were observed in the burnt area comparing to the unburnt, particularly a decline in predators. No significant differences were identified concerning habitat associations among taxa. Overall, this study stressed the role of stones as microhabitats and refuge for the ground-dwelling macroinvertebrate community during wildfires.
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Biodiversidade , Florestas , Invertebrados , Quercus , Incêndios Florestais , Animais , EcossistemaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To examine the feasibility of an integrated mind-body MDD treatment combining cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and whole-body hyperthermia (WBH). METHODS: In this single-arm trial, 16 adults with MDD initially received 8 weekly CBT sessions and 8 weekly WBH sessions. Outcomes included WBH sessions completed (primary), self-report depression assessments completed (secondary), and pre-post intervention changes in depression symptoms (secondary). We also explored changes in mood and cognitive processes and assessed changes in mood as predictors of overall treatment response. RESULTS: Thirteen participants (81.3%) completed ≥ 4 WBH sessions (primary outcome); midway through the trial, we reduced from 8 weekly to 4 bi-weekly WBH sessions to increase feasibility. The n = 12 participants who attended the final assessment visit completed 100% of administered self-report depression assessments; all enrolled participants (n = 16) completed 89% of these assessments. Among the n = 12 who attended the final assessment visit, the average pre-post-intervention BDI-II reduction was 15.8 points (95% CI: -22.0, -9.70), p = 0.0001, with 11 no longer meeting MDD criteria (secondary outcomes). Pre-post intervention improvements in negative automatic thinking, but not cognitive flexibility, achieved statistical significance. Improved mood from pre-post the initial WBH session predicted pre-post treatment BDI-II change (36.2%; rho = 0.60, p = 0.038); mood changes pre-post the first CBT session did not. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size and single-arm design limit generalizability. CONCLUSION: An integrated mind-body intervention comprising weekly CBT sessions and bi-weekly WBH sessions was feasible. Results warrant future larger controlled clinical trials.Clinivaltrials.gov Registration: NCT05708976.
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Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental , Hipertermia Induzida , Humanos , Feminino , Masculino , Terapia Cognitivo-Comportamental/métodos , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Hipertermia Induzida/métodos , Depressão/terapia , Estudos de Viabilidade , Terapias Mente-Corpo/métodosRESUMO
Human-animal relations have been a fruitful research topic worldwide. The importance of deer in hunter-gatherer societies is undeniable, with cervids being commonly found in archaeological and past artistic records, with a notable amount of information recovered in the Iberian Peninsula. This relevance continues during Late Prehistory, but the attempt to discuss cervids under broader perspectives and based on different types of data is not as common. We intend to approach human-deer relations in Central and Southern Portuguese Late Prehistory by considering the zooarchaeological records, both deer abundance in faunal spectra and their presence in "meaningful" assemblages and structured depositions, as well as the use of deer and deer body parts in other socio-cultural and ideological practices. The synthesis of available data shows that human-deer relations changed through time and space, with different abundances related to hunting depending on chronology and geography. The use of deer or their body parts as a resource of symbolic nature also varied, being included in food-sharing events, offerings, structured depositions, and graphic representations. Changeability is part of the different relationships, ontologies, and cosmogonies that humans and deer developed in the Late Prehistoric relational world.
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Streptococcus agalactiae [group B Streptococcus (GBS)] poses a major threat as the primary cause of early-onset neonatal invasive disease, particularly when mothers are colonized rectovaginally. Although culture remains the gold standard for antepartum GBS screening, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) offers advantages in terms of sensitivity and turnaround time. The aim of this study was to validate the clinical utility of an automated qPCR laboratory-developed test (LDT) for antepartum GBS screening using the Panther Fusion Open Access system (Hologic, California, USA). The LDT targeted a conserved region of the GBS surface immunogenic protein gene, demonstrating no cross-reactivity and high coverage (99.82%-99.99%). The limit of detection (LoD) was 118 CFU/mL. Comparison with commercial qPCR assays (Panther Fusion GBS and VIASURE Streptococcus B Real-Time) revealed an overall agreement of 99.7%, with a robust Cohen's kappa coefficient of 0.992. Testing of 285 rectovaginal swabs from pregnant women and 15 external quality assessment samples demonstrated exceptional diagnostic performance of the LDT, achieving a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100%, underscoring its accuracy. Prevalence and predictive values were also determined to reinforce test reliability. Our research highlights the limitations of culture-based screening and supports the suitability of our qPCR-based LDT for GBS detection in a clinical setting.IMPORTANCERectovaginal colonization by GBS is a major risk factor for early-onset invasive neonatal disease. The most effective approach to reducing the incidence of early-onset disease (EOD) has been described as universal screening, involving assessment of GBS colonization status in late pregnancy and intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis. Despite its turnaround time and sensitivity limitations, culture remains the gold standard method for GBS screening. However, nucleic acid amplification-based tests, such as qPCR, have been utilized due to their speed and high sensitivity and specificity. This study validated the clinical usefulness of an automated qPCR-LDT for antepartum GBS screening through the Panther Fusion Open Access system (Hologic). Our study addresses the critical need for more robust, sensitive, and rapid strategies for GBS screening in pregnant women that could favorably impact the incidence of EOD.
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Complicações Infecciosas na Gravidez , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Infecções Estreptocócicas , Streptococcus agalactiae , Streptococcus agalactiae/genética , Streptococcus agalactiae/isolamento & purificação , Humanos , Infecções Estreptocócicas/diagnóstico , Infecções Estreptocócicas/microbiologia , Feminino , Gravidez , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase em Tempo Real/métodos , Complicações Infecciosas na Gravidez/diagnóstico , Complicações Infecciosas na Gravidez/microbiologia , Vagina/microbiologia , Limite de Detecção , AdultoRESUMO
We investigated total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in coastal mussels (Mytilus spp.) sampled from the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy and evaluated the relationship with condition index (CI). THg concentrations were low in sediment (mean THg = 5.15 ± 2.11 ng/g dw; n = 6) and soft tissues (mean THg = 62.3 ± 13.7 ng/g; mean MeHg = 13.2 ± 6.3 ng/g; n = 57). The THg in tissues had no significant relationship with CI (Rs= -0.205, p = 0.126). MeHg in tissues were significantly and negatively correlated with condition index (Rs = -0.361, p = 0.006) indicating that healthier mussels (higher CI) have lower mercury content possibly due to elimination strategies or growth dilution.
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Mercúrio , Compostos de Metilmercúrio , Mytilus , Animais , Biomarcadores Ambientais , Nível de SaúdeRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the baseline to measure one of the three indicators of the World Health Organization (WHO) End TB strategy (2015-2035), measure the costs incurred by patients affected by tuberculosis (TB) during a treatment episode and estimate the proportion of households facing catastrophic costs (CC) and associated risk factors, in Colombia, 2021. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey was conducted among participants on TB treatment in Colombia, using telephone interviews due to the exceptional context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey collected household costs (direct [medical and non-medical out-of-pocket expenses] and indirect) over an episode of TB, loss of time, coping measures, self-reported income, and asset ownership. Total costs were expressed as a proportion of annual household income and analyzed for risk factors of CC (defined as costs above 20% annual household income). RESULTS: The proportion of TB-affected households incurring in costs above 20% annual household income (CC) was 51.7% (95%CI: 45.4-58.0) overall, 51.3% (95%CI: 44.9-57.7) among patients with drug-sensitive (DS) TB, and 65.0% (95%CI: 48.0-82.0) among drug-resistant (DR). The average patient cost of a TB case in Colombia was $1,218 (95%CI 1,106-1,330) including $860.9 (95%CI 776.1-945.7) for non-medical costs, $339 (95%CI 257-421) for the indirect costs, and $18.1 (95%CI 11.9-24.4) for the medical costs. The factors that influenced the probability of facing CC were income quintile, job loss, DR-TB patient, and TB type. CONCLUSION: Main cost drivers for CC were non-medical out-of-pocket expenses and income loss (indirect costs). Current social protection programs ought to be expanded to mitigate the proportion of TB-affected households facing CC in Colombia, especially those with lower income levels.