The Obesity Epidemic Is Not the Victims' Fault.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued two statements that 1) maintain that obesity causes diabetes and other expressions of the metabolic syndrome and 2) that imply obesity is the victim's fault. Both statements are incorrect and potentially harmful.

PI3K signaling promotes formation of lipid-laden foamy macrophages at the spinal cord injury site.

After spinal cord injury (SCI), infiltrating macrophages undergo excessive phagocytosis of myelin and cellular debris, forming lipid-laden foamy macrophages. To understand their role in the cellular pathology of SCI, investigation of the foamy macrophage phenotype in vitro revealed a pro-inflammatory profile, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Bioinformatic analysis identified PI3K as a regulator of inflammation in foamy macrophages, and inhibition of this pathway decreased their lipid content, inflammatory cytokines, and ROS production. Macrophage-specific inhibition of PI3K using liposomes significantly decreased foamy macrophages at the injury site after a mid-thoracic contusive SCI in mice. RNA sequencing and in vitro analysis of foamy macrophages revealed increased autophagy and decreased phagocytosis after PI3K inhibition as potential mechanisms for reduced lipid accumulation. Together, our data suggest that the formation of pro-inflammatory foamy macrophages after SCI is due to the activation of PI3K signaling, which increases phagocytosis and decreases autophagy.

Green Nanocellulose/PEI-Grafted Magnetic Nanoparticles for Effective Removal of Heavy Metal Ions.

In response to the pressing issue of water pollution caused by heavy metal ions, there is a growing demand for green adsorbents that can effectively remove these contaminants while being easy to separate and regenerate. A novel magnetic composite was synthesized by bonding amino-functionalized Fe3 O4 -SiO2 magnetic particles (MNP-NH2 ) to polyethyleneimine (PEI)-grafted cellulose nanofibers (CNF). The modification of CNF with PEI through a peptidic coupling reaction resulted in the uniform dispersion and strong attachment of MNP-NH2 particles (286.7 nm) onto the PEI-CNF surface. This composite exhibited exceptional adsorption capabilities for heavy metals, achieving 16.73 mg/g for Pb, 16.12 mg/g for Cu, and 12.53 mg/g for Co. These remarkable adsorption capacities are attributed to the complex interactions between the metal ions and the amino, carboxyl, and hydroxyl groups on the surface of PEI-CNF-MNP. The introduction of PEI significantly enhanced the adsorption capacities, and the adsorption sequence (Pb(II)>Cu(II)>Co(II)) can be explained by differences in ionic radius and surface complexation strength. Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models described the adsorption process, while Na2 EDTA was proved effective for desorption with high recovery rates. This magnetic composite holds promise for treating heavy metal-contaminated wastewater due to its impressive performance.

Single-Step 3D Printing of Bio-Inspired Printable Joints Applied to a Prosthetic Hand.

Single-step 3D printing, which can manufacture complicated designs without assembly, has the potential to completely change our design perspective, and how 3D printing products, rather than printing static components, ready-to-use movable mechanisms become a reality. Existing 3D printing solutions are challenged by precision limitations, and cannot directly produce tightly mated moving surfaces. Therefore, joints must be designed with a sufficient gap between the components, resulting in joints and other mechanisms with imprecise motion. In this study, we propose a bio-inspired printable joint and apply it to a Single sTep 3D-printed Prosthetic hand (ST3P hand). We simulate the anatomical structure of the human finger joint and implement a cam effect that changed the distance between the contact surfaces through the elastic bending of the ligaments as the joint flexed. This bio-inspired design allows the joint to be single-step 3D printed and provides precise motion. The bio-inspired printable joint makes it possible for the ST3P hand to be designed as a lightweight (∼255 g), low-cost (∼$500) monolithic structure with nine finger joints and manufactured via single-step 3D printing. The ST3P hand takes ∼6 min to assemble, which is approximately one-tenth the assembly time of open-source 3D printed prostheses. The hand can perform basic hand tasks of activities of daily living by providing a pulling force of 48 N and grasp strength of 20 N. The simple manufacturing of the ST3P hand could help us take one step closer to realizing fully customized robotic prosthetic hands at low cost and effort.

Highly multiplexed mRNA quantitation with CRISPR-Cas13.

RNA quantitation tools are often either high-throughput or cost-effective, but rarely are they both. Existing methods can profile the transcriptome at great expense or are limited to quantifying a handful of genes by labor constraints. A technique that permits more throughput at a reduced cost could enable multi-gene kinetic studies, gene regulatory network analysis, and combinatorial genetic screens. Here, we introduce quantitative Combinatorial Arrayed Reactions for Multiplexed Evaluation of Nucleic acids (qCARMEN): an RNA quantitation technique which leverages the programmable RNA-targeting capabilities of CRISPR-Cas13 to address this challenge by quantifying over 4,500 gene-sample pairs in a single experiment. Using qCARMEN, we studied the response profiles of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) during interferon (IFN) stimulation and flavivirus infection. Additionally, we observed isoform switching kinetics during epithelial-mesenchymal transition. qCARMEN is a simple and inexpensive technique that greatly enhances the scalability of RNA quantitation for novel applications with performance similar to gold-standard methods.

Multiplexed CRISPR-based Methods for Pathogen Nucleic Acid Detection.

Bacterial and viral pathogens are devastating to human health and well-being. In many regions, dozens of pathogen species and variants co-circulate. Thus, it is important to detect many different species and variants of pathogens in a given sample through multiplexed detection methods. CRISPR-based nucleic acid detection has shown to be a promising step towards an easy-to-use sensitive, specific, and high-throughput method to detect nucleic acids from DNA and RNA viruses and bacteria. Here, we review the current state of multiplexed nucleic acid detection methods with a focus on CRISPR-based methods. We also look toward the future of multiplexed point-of-care diagnostics.

p53 Regulates the Extent of Fibroblast Proliferation and Fibrosis in Left Ventricle Pressure Overload.

BACKGROUND: Cardiomyopathy is characterized by the pathological accumulation of resident cardiac fibroblasts that deposit ECM (extracellular matrix) and generate a fibrotic scar. However, the mechanisms that control the timing and extent of cardiac fibroblast proliferation and ECM production are not known, hampering the development of antifibrotic strategies to prevent heart failure. METHODS: We used the Tcf21 (transcription factor 21)MerCreMer mouse line for fibroblast-specific lineage tracing and p53 (tumor protein p53) gene deletion. We characterized cardiac physiology and used single-cell RNA-sequencing and in vitro studies to investigate the p53-dependent mechanisms regulating cardiac fibroblast cell cycle and fibrosis in left ventricular pressure overload induced by transaortic constriction. RESULTS: Cardiac fibroblast proliferation occurs primarily between days 7 and 14 following transaortic constriction in mice, correlating with alterations in p53-dependent gene expression. p53 deletion in fibroblasts led to a striking accumulation of Tcf21-lineage cardiac fibroblasts within the normal proliferative window and precipitated a robust fibrotic response to left ventricular pressure overload. However, excessive interstitial and perivascular fibrosis does not develop until after cardiac fibroblasts exit the cell cycle. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed p53 null fibroblasts unexpectedly express lower levels of genes encoding important ECM proteins while they exhibit an inappropriately proliferative phenotype. in vitro studies establish a role for p53 in suppressing the proliferative fibroblast phenotype, which facilitates the expression and secretion of ECM proteins. Importantly, Cdkn2a (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2a) expression and the p16Ink4a-retinoblastoma cell cycle control pathway is induced in p53 null cardiac fibroblasts, which may eventually contribute to cell cycle exit and fulminant scar formation. CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals a mechanism regulating cardiac fibroblast accumulation and ECM secretion, orchestrated in part by p53-dependent cell cycle control that governs the timing and extent of fibrosis in left ventricular pressure overload.

Autologous Blood Patch Pleurodesis for Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax: A Narrative Review, a Retrospective Case Series and State of Play in the UK.

INTRODUCTION: Treatment of prolonged air leak due to secondary spontaneous pneumothorax is challenging. Autologous blood patch pleurodesis (ABPP) is a treatment option. Previous evidence is reliant on single-centre series and underpowered trials and is mostly described in air leaks post cardiothoracic intervention. There are no United Kingdom (UK) wide data. METHODS: Members of the UK Pleural Society were surveyed for their practice and for patients who underwent blood patch. There were 16 respondents from 333 members. Twelve had performed the procedure, and six had kept records and could submit data. Basic demographics, intervention and clinical details of patients were then collected. The study was sponsored by the Audit Department of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (reference 8124), and Caldicott Clearance for data sharing was provided by the Trust's Information Goverance Board (reference C4221). There was no requirement for informed consent. RESULTS: Data for 12 patients that received ABPP between 2014 and 2022 in six respiratory centres were assessed. The aetiology of the secondary pneumothoraces was mostly due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and end-stage interstitial lung disease. The patients had a median age of 75 years. The median air leak time before ABPP was 17 days. A total of 50-100 ml of blood was used for ABPP. Five patients had two attempts at ABPP. Air leak resolved in six patients (50%). Four patients had pleural apposition prior to ABPP. Four patients were diagnosed with hospital-acquired pneumonia following ABPP. CONCLUSION: This is the only UK-wide retrospective case series of ABPP of 'medical' patients with secondary pneumothorax. There is widespread variation in care. No formal conclusions can be drawn, and much larger robust datasets are required. An application has been made to the European Respiratory Society to incorporate ABPP within the International Collaborative Effusion database.

Assessment of Clinical Information Quality in Digital Health Technologies: International eDelphi Study.

BACKGROUND: Digital health technologies (DHTs), such as electronic health records and prescribing systems, are transforming health care delivery around the world. The quality of information in DHTs is key to the quality and safety of care. We developed a novel clinical information quality (CLIQ) framework to assess the quality of clinical information in DHTs. OBJECTIVE: This study explored clinicians' perspectives on the relevance, definition, and assessment of information quality dimensions in the CLIQ framework. METHODS: We used a systematic and iterative eDelphi approach to engage clinicians who had information governance roles or personal interest in information governance; the clinicians were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data were collected using semistructured online questionnaires until consensus was reached on the information quality dimensions in the CLIQ framework. Responses on the relevance of the dimensions were summarized to inform decisions on retention of the dimensions according to prespecified rules. Thematic analysis of the free-text responses was used to revise definitions and the assessment of dimensions. RESULTS: Thirty-five clinicians from 10 countries participated in the study, which was concluded after the second round. Consensus was reached on all dimensions and categories in the CLIQ framework: informativeness (accuracy, completeness, interpretability, plausibility, provenance, and relevance), availability (accessibility, portability, security, and timeliness), and usability (conformance, consistency, and maintainability). A new dimension, searchability, was introduced in the availability category to account for the ease of finding needed information in the DHTs. Certain dimensions were renamed, and some definitions were rephrased to improve clarity. CONCLUSIONS: The CLIQ framework reached a high expert consensus and clarity of language relating to the information quality dimensions. The framework can be used by health care managers and institutions as a pragmatic tool for identifying and forestalling information quality problems that could compromise patient safety and quality of care. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057430.

Cytostatic hypothermia and its impact on glioblastoma and survival.

Patients with glioblastoma (GBM) have limited options and require novel approaches to treatment. Here, we studied and deployed nonfreezing "cytostatic" hypothermia to stunt GBM growth. This growth-halting method contrasts with ablative, cryogenic hypothermia that kills both neoplastic and infiltrated healthy tissue. We investigated degrees of hypothermia in vitro and identified a cytostatic window of 20° to 25°C. For some lines, 18 hours/day of cytostatic hypothermia was sufficient to halt division in vitro. Next, we fabricated an experimental tool to test local cytostatic hypothermia in two rodent GBM models. Hypothermia more than doubled median survival, and all rats that successfully received cytostatic hypothermia survived their study period. Unlike targeted therapeutics that are successful in preclinical models but fail in clinical trials, cytostatic hypothermia leverages fundamental physics that influences biology broadly. It is a previously unexplored approach that could provide an additional option to patients with GBM by halting tumor growth.

Specified-duration shapers for suppressing residual vibrations.

Input-shaping control has received considerable research attention for suppressing residual vibrations. Although numerous studies have been conducted on designing input shapers with arbitrary robustness to modeling errors, no studies have focused on the design of input shapers with arbitrarily specified shaping times. In this study, a specified-duration (SD) shaper, which is an input shaper with an arbitrarily specified shaping time, and a systematic method to design an SD shaper using impulse vectors are proposed. As the specified shaping time increases, the SD shaper increases the number of impulses one by one according to the number of added derivative constraints, thereby improving robustness to modeling errors. The performance of the SD shaper was evaluated for a second-order system through computer simulations. The simulation results revealed that the SD shaper suppresses residual vibrations of the vibratory system at the specified shaping time. The validity of the SD shaper was experimentally verified using a horizontal beam vibration apparatus. The results of this study provide insight into the development of vibration suppression strategies with input shaping control.

An Unusual Case of Postpartum Empyema.

We present the case of a 32-year-old woman with a left empyema and T12 osteomyelitis resulting from group B Streptococcus infection occurring 3 weeks after instrumental delivery of a healthy boy. Empyema is a rare complication of instrumental delivery, and this patient highlights the maternal risk resulting from group B Streptococcus bacteremia.

COVID-19 associated phrenic nerve mononeuritis: a case series.

This study characterised the hemidiaphragm elevation on 3-month interval chest X-rays (CXRs) of patients post COVID-19 pneumonia. 467 CXRs were screened; 19 (4.1%) had an elevated hemidiaphragm. There were 15 (3.2%) patients of interest with new hemidiaphragm elevation, persisting on average 7 months post COVID-19 diagnosis. Symptomatic patients underwent diaphragm ultrasound (n=12), pulmonary function test (n=10), muscle function test (n=6) and neurophysiology (n=5), investigating phrenic nerve function. Ultrasound demonstrated reduced/paradoxical diaphragmatic movements in eight; four of eight had reduced thickening fraction. Neurophysiology peripheral limb studies did not support the differential diagnoses of critical illness neuropathy/myopathy. We propose that, in selected patients, COVID-19 may cause phrenic nerve mononeuritis.

Improving the quality of weekend medical handover on non-receiving medical hospital wards.

INTRODUCTION: Handover is the system by which the responsibility for immediate and ongoing care is transferred between healthcare professionals and can be an area of risk. The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has recommended improvement and standardisation of handover. Locally, national training surveys have reported poor feedback regarding handover at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. AIM: To improve and standardise handover from weekday to weekend teams. METHODS: The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement framework was used. Interventions were derived from a driver diagram after consultation with relevant stakeholders. Four PDSA cycles were completed over a 4-month period:PDSA cycle 1-Introduction of standardised paper form on three wards.PDSA cycle 2-Introduction of electronic handover system on three wards.PDSA cycle 3-Expansion of electronic handover to seven wards.PDSA cycle 4-Expansion of electronic handover to all non-receiving medical wards.The outcome of interest was the percentage of patients with full information handed over based on a six-point scale derived from the RCP. Data were collected weekly throughout the study period. RESULTS: 18 data collection exercises were performed including 525 patients. During the initial phase there was an improvement in handover quality with 0/28 (0%) at baseline having all six points completed compared with 13/48 (27%) with standardised paper form and 21/42 (50%) with the electronic system (p<0.001). When the electronic handover form was expanded to all wards, the increased quality was maintained, however, to a lesser extent compared with the initial wards. CONCLUSION: A standardised electronic handover system was successfully introduced to downstream medical wards over a short time period. This led to an in improvement in the quality of handover in the initial wards involved. When expanded to a greater number of wards there was still an improvement in quality but to a lesser degree.

Antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infection in patients with suspected and proven COVID-19: results from an antibiotic point prevalence survey in Scottish hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial co-infection is infrequently observed with SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 infection outside of critical care, however, antibiotics are commonly prescribed. OBJECTIVES: To examine factors associated with antibiotic prescribing for suspected respiratory tract infection (RTI) and evaluate the nature and dynamics of prescribing in hospitalized patients with suspected and proven COVID-19 infection. METHODS: An antibiotic point prevalence survey in hospitalized adult patients was conducted in designated COVID-19 clinical areas (including critical care) in 15 Scottish hospitals. Antibiotics prescribed for RTI and factors associated with prescribing were investigated. RESULTS: Of 820 surveyed patients, 272 (prevalence 33.3%) received antibiotics for suspected RTI on the survey day and 58.8% were SARS-CoV-2 positive. Antibiotics were empirical in 91.9% and amoxicillin (24.6%), doxycycline (20.5%) and co-amoxiclav (15%) were most frequently prescribed. Oral antibiotics were prescribed in 54.5% and duration was recorded in 76.7% on wards for a median of 5 days. IV to oral switch occurred after a median of 2 days. Prescribing for RTI was independently and positively associated with COPD/chronic lung disease, purulent/bloody sputum, abnormal chest X-ray, and CRP ≥ 100 mg/L. Probable and definite hospital-acquired COVID-19 and diabetes were associated with a lower odds of receiving an antibiotic for RTI. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic prescribing for suspected RTI was commonly observed and predominantly empirical in suspected or proven COVID-19. Initiatives to reinforce stewardship principles including clinical review, effective use of microbiological diagnostics and better understanding of the role of biomarkers are central to further limit unnecessary antibiotic therapy in COVID-19.

Review of machine learning methods in soft robotics.

Soft robots have been extensively researched due to their flexible, deformable, and adaptive characteristics. However, compared to rigid robots, soft robots have issues in modeling, calibration, and control in that the innate characteristics of the soft materials can cause complex behaviors due to non-linearity and hysteresis. To overcome these limitations, recent studies have applied various approaches based on machine learning. This paper presents existing machine learning techniques in the soft robotic fields and categorizes the implementation of machine learning approaches in different soft robotic applications, which include soft sensors, soft actuators, and applications such as soft wearable robots. An analysis of the trends of different machine learning approaches with respect to different types of soft robot applications is presented; in addition to the current limitations in the research field, followed by a summary of the existing machine learning methods for soft robots.

Survey of antibiotic and antifungal prescribing in patients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 in Scottish hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Concern regarding bacterial co-infection complicating SARS-CoV-2 has created a challenge for antimicrobial stewardship. Following introduction of national antibiotic recommendations for suspected bacterial respiratory tract infection complicating COVID-19, a point prevalence survey of prescribing was conducted across acute hospitals in Scotland. METHODS: Patients in designated COVID-19 units were included and demographic, clinical and antimicrobial data were collected from 15 hospitals on a single day between 20th and 30th April 2020. Comparisons were made between SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative patients and patients on non-critical care and critical care units. Factors associated with antibiotic prescribing in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients were examined using Univariable and multivariable regression analyses. FINDINGS: There were 820 patients were included, 64.8% were SARS-CoV-2 positive and 14.9% were managed in critical care, and 22.1% of SARS-CoV-2 infections were considered probable or definite nosocomial infections. On the survey day, antibiotic prevalence was 45.0% and 73.9% were prescribed for suspected respiratory tract infection. Amoxicillin, doxycycline and co-amoxiclav accounted for over half of all antibiotics in non-critical care wards and meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam and co-amoxiclav accounted for approximately half prescribed in critical care. Of all SARS-CoV-2 patients, 38.3% were prescribed antibiotics. In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, COPD/chronic lung disease and CRP ≥ 100 mg/l were associated with higher odds and probable or confirmed nosocomial COVID-19, diabetes and management on an elderly care ward had lower odds of an antibiotic prescription. Systemic antifungals were prescribed in 9.8% of critical care patients and commenced a median of 18 days after critical care admission. INTERPRETATION: A relatively low prevalence of antibiotic prescribing in SARS-CoV-2 hospitalised patients and low proportion of broad spectrum antibiotics in non-critical care settings was observed potentially reflecting national antimicrobial stewardship initiatives. Broad spectrum antibiotic and antifungal prescribing in critical care units was observed indicating the importance of infection prevention and control and stewardship initiatives in this setting. FUNDING: The Scottish Antibiotic Prescribing Group is funded by Scottish Government.

Psychometric properties of measures of substance use: a systematic review and meta-analysis of reliability, validity and diagnostic test accuracy.

BACKGROUND: Synthesis of psychometric properties of substance use measures to identify patterns of use and substance use disorders remains limited. To address this gap, we sought to systematically evaluate the psychometric properties of measures to detect substance use and misuse. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of literature on measures of substance classes associated with HIV risk (heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, alcohol) that were published in English before June 2016 that reported at least one of the following psychometric outcomes of interest: internal consistency (alpha), test-retest/inter-rater reliability (kappa), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. We used meta-analytic techniques to generate pooled summary estimates for these outcomes using random effects and hierarchical logistic regression models. RESULTS: Findings across 387 paper revealed that overall, 65% of pooled estimates for alpha were in the range of fair-to-excellent; 44% of estimates for kappa were in the range of fair-to-excellent. In addition, 69, 97, 37 and 96% of pooled estimates for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, respectively, were in the range of moderate-to-excellent. CONCLUSION: We conclude that many substance use measures had pooled summary estimates that were at the fair/moderate-to-excellent range across different psychometric outcomes. Most scales were conducted in English, within the United States, highlighting the need to test and validate these measures in more diverse settings. Additionally, the majority of studies had high risk of bias, indicating a need for more studies with higher methodological quality.