Associations of COVID-19-related fear with kidney disease quality of life and its subscales among hemodialysis patients as modified by health literacy: a multi-hospital survey.

Background: Receiving hemodialysis treatment makes end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients highly vulnerable amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, their kidney disease quality of life (KDQOL) is affected. We aimed to examine the association between fear of COVID-19 (FCoV-19) and KDQOL, and the effect modification of Health literacy (HL) on this association. Material and Methods: A survey was conducted at 8 hospitals from July 2020 to March 2021 on 972 patients. Data collection includes socio-demographic factors, clinical parameters, HL, digital healthy diet literacy (DDL), hemodialysis diet knowledge (HDK), FCoV-19, suspected COVID-19 symptoms (S-COVID-19-S), and KDQOL. Results: Higher HL scores B = 0.13 (95% CI = 0.06-0.21, p = 0.001) and HDK scores B = 0.58 (95% CI = 0.31-0.85, p = 0.001) were associated with higher KDQOL scores. Whereas, S-COVID-19-S B = -6.12 (95% CI = -7.66 to - 4.58, p = 0.001) and FCoV-19 B = -0.91 (95% CI = -1.03 to - 0.80, p = 0.001) were associated with lower KDQOL scores. Notably, higher HL scores significantly attenuate the negative impact of FCoV-19 on overall KDQOL and the kidney disease component summary. Conclusions: In hemodialysis patients, FCoV-19 and S-COVID-19-S were associated with a lower KDQOL. Health literacy significantly mitigates the negative impact of FCoV-19 on KDQOL. Strategic public health interventions to improve HL are suggested to protect patient's KDQOL during the pandemic.

New Synthesized Activating Transcription Factor 3 Inducer SW20.1 Suppresses Resistin-Induced Metabolic Syndrome.

Obesity is an emerging concern globally with increasing prevalence. Obesity is associated with many diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and cancer. Thus, effective new antiobesity drugs should be urgently developed. We synthesized SW20.1, a compound that induces activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) expression. The results of Oil Red O staining and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that SW20.1 was more effective in reducing lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes than the previously synthesized ST32db, and that it inhibited the expression of the genes involved in adipogenesis and lipogenesis. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay indicated that SW20.1 inhibited adipogenesis and lipogenesis by binding to the upstream promoter region of resistin at two sites (-2861/-2854 and -241/-234). In mice, the intraperitoneal administration of SW20.1 reduced body weight, white adipocyte weight in different regions, serum cholesterol levels, adipogenesis-related gene expression, hepatic steatosis, and serum resistin levels. Overall, SW20.1 exerts antiobesity effects by inhibiting resistin through the ATF3 pathway. Our study results indicate that SW20.1 is a promising therapeutic drug for diet-induced obesity.

Digital Healthy Diet Literacy and Fear of COVID-19 as Associated with Treatment Adherence and Its Subscales among Hemodialysis Patients: A Multi-Hospital Study.

Treatment adherence (TA) is a critical issue and is under-investigated in hemodialysis patients. A multi-center study was conducted from July 2020 to March 2021 on 972 hemodialysis patients in eight hospitals in Vietnam to explore the factors associated with TA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected, including socio-demographics, an End-Stage Renal Disease Adherence Questionnaire (ESRD-AQ), 12-item short-form health literacy questionnaire (HLS-SF12), 4-item digital healthy diet literacy scale (DDL), 10-item hemodialysis dietary knowledge scale (HDK), 7-item fear of COVID-19 scale (FCoV-19S), and suspected COVID-19 symptoms (S-COVID19-S). Bivariate and multivariate linear regression models were used to explore the associations. Higher DDL scores were associated with higher TA scores (regression coefficient, B, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 95%CI, 0.59, 2.12; p = 0.001). Higher FCoV-19S scores were associated with lower TA scores (B, -1.78; 95%CI, -3.33, -0.24; p = 0.023). In addition, patients aged 60-85 (B, 24.85; 95%CI, 6.61, 43.11; p = 0.008) with "very or fairly easy" medication payment ability (B, 27.92; 95%CI, 5.89, 44.95; p = 0.013) had higher TA scores. Patients who underwent hemodialysis for ≥5 years had a lower TA score than those who received <5 years of hemodialysis (B, -52.87; 95%CI, -70.46, -35.28; p < 0.001). These findings suggested that DDL and FCoV-19S, among other factors, should be considered in future interventions to improve TA in hemodialysis patients.

Osteoporosis Risk in Hemodialysis Patients: The Roles of Gender, Comorbidities, Biochemical Parameters, Health and Diet Literacy.

Osteoporosis is a common bone health disorder in hemodialysis patients that is linked with a higher morbidity and mortality rate. While previous studies have explored the associated factors of osteoporosis, there is a lack of studies investigating the impacts of health literacy (HL) and digital healthy diet literacy (DDL) on osteoporosis. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the associations of HL, DDL, and other factors with osteoporosis among hemodialysis patients. From July 2020 to March 2021, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 675 hemodialysis patients in eight hospitals in Vietnam. The data were collected by using the osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) and the 12-item short form of the health literacy questionnaire (HLS-SF12) on digital healthy diet literacy (DDL) and hemodialysis dietary knowledge (HDK). In addition, we also collected information about the socio-demographics, the clinical parameters, the biochemical parameters, and physical activity. Unadjusted and adjusted multinomial logistic regression models were utilized in order to investigate the associations. The proportion of patients at low, medium, and high levels of osteoporosis risk was 39.6%, 40.6%, and 19.8%, respectively. In the adjusted models, women had a higher likelihood of osteoporosis risk than men (odds ratio, OR, 3.46; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI, 1.86, 6.44; p < 0.001; and OR, 6.86; 95% CI, 2.96, 15.88; p < 0.001). The patients with rheumatoid arthritis (OR, 4.37; 95% CI, 1.67, 11.52; p = 0.003) and stomach ulcers (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.01, 3.77; p = 0.048) were more likely to have a higher likelihood of osteoporosis risk than those without. The patients who had a higher waist circumference (WC), HL, and DDL were less likely to have a medium level of osteoporosis risk (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92, 0.98; p = 0.004; OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.88, 0.96; p < 0.001; OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93, 0.99; p = 0.017, respectively) and a high level of osteoporosis risk (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.89, 0.97; p = 0.001; OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84, 0.94; p < 0.001; OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91, 0.99; p = 0.008, respectively) compared with a low level of osteoporosis risk and to those with a lower WC, HL, and DDL. In addition, higher levels of hemoglobin (Hb) (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.66, 0.95; p = 0.014), hematocrit (Hct) (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.92, 0.99; p = 0.041), albumin (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83, 0.99; p = 0.030), and education (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.16, 0.88; p = 0.025) were associated with a lower likelihood of a high level of osteoporosis risk. In conclusion, osteoporosis risk is highly prevalent in hemodialysis patients. Improved HL, DDL, education, WC, albumin, Hb, and Hct levels should be considered in preventing hemodialysis patients from developing osteoporosis.

The Associations of Suspected COVID-19 Symptoms with Anxiety and Depression as Modified by Hemodialysis Dietary Knowledge: A Multi-Dialysis Center Study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to evaluate hemodialysis patients' dietary knowledge, especially among those with COVID-19 related symptoms, in order to identify appropriate strategies in managing their mental health. The study's purposes were to test the psychometric properties of the hemodialysis dietary knowledge (HDK) scale, and to investigate the modifying impact of HDK on the associations of suspected COVID-19 symptoms (S-COVID-19-S) with anxiety and depression among hemodialysis patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2020 to March 2021 at eight hospitals across Vietnam. Data of 875 hemodialysis patients were analyzed, including socio-demographic, anxiety (the generalized anxiety disorder scale, GAD-7), depression (the patient health questionnaire, PHQ-9), S-COVID-19-S, HDK, health literacy, and digital healthy diet literacy. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. The HDK scale demonstrates the satisfactory construct validity with good model fit (Goodness of Fit Index, GFI = 0.96; Adjusted Goodness of Fit Index, AGFI = 0.90; Standardized Root Mean Square Residual, SRMR = 0.05; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation, RMSEA = 0.09; Normed Fit Index, NFI = 0.96; Comparative Fit Index, CFI = 0.96, and Parsimony goodness of Fit Index, PGFI = 0.43), criterion validity (as correlated with HL (r = 0.22, p < 0.01) and DDL (r = 0.19, p < 0.01), and reliability (Cronbach alpha = 0.70)). In the multivariate analysis, S-COVID-19-S was associated with a higher likelihood of anxiety (odds ratio, OR, 20.76; 95% confidence interval, 95%CI, 8.85, 48.70; p < 0.001) and depression (OR, 12.95; 95%CI, 6.67, 25.14, p < 0.001). A higher HDK score was associated with a lower likelihood of anxiety (OR, 0.70; 95%CI, 0.64, 0.77; p < 0.001) and depression (OR, 0.72; 95%CI, 0.66, 0.79; p < 0.001). In the interaction analysis, the negative impacts of S-COVID-19-S on anxiety and depression were mitigated by higher HDK scores (p < 0.001). In conclusion, HDK is a valid and reliable tool to measure dietary knowledge in hemodialysis patients. Higher HDK scores potentially protect patients with S-COVID-19-S from anxiety and depression during the pandemic.

Newly emerged enterovirus-A71 C4 sublineage may be more virulent than B5 in the 2015-2016 hand-foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in northern Vietnam.

Enterovirus-A71 (EV-A71) is a common cause of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) and, rarely, causes severe neurological disease. This study aimed to elucidate the epidemiological and genetic characteristics and virulence of EV-A71 strains isolated from children diagnosed with HFMD. Rectal and throat swabs were collected from 488 children with HFMD in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2015-2016. From 391 EV-positive patients, 15 EVs, including coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6; 47.1%) and EV-A71 (32.5%, n = 127), were identified. Of the 127 EV-A71 strains, 117 (92.1%) were the B5 subgenotype and 10 (7.9%) were the C4 subgenotype. A whole-genome analysis of EV-A71 strains showed that seven of the eight C4a strains isolated in 2016 formed a new lineage, including two possible recombinants between EV-A71 C4 and CV-A8. The proportion of inpatients among C4-infected children was higher than among B5-infected children (80.0% vs. 27.4%; P = 0.002). The virulence of EV-A71 strains was examined in human scavenger receptor class B2 (hSCARB2)-transgenic mice, and EV-A71 C4 strains exhibited higher mortality than B5 strains (80.0% vs. 30.0%, P = 0.0001). Thus, a new EV-A71 C4a-lineage, including two possible recombinants between EV-A71 C4 and CV-A8, appeared in 2016 in Vietnam. The EV-A71 C4 subgenotype may be more virulent than the B5 subgenotype.

The Relationship between Uterine, Fecal, Bedding, and Airborne Dust Microbiota from Dairy Cows and Their Environment: A Pilot Study.

The aim of this study was to characterize uterine, fecal, bedding, and airborne dust microbiota from postpartum dairy cows and their environment. The cows were managed by the free-stall housing system, and samples for microbiota and serum metabolite assessment were collected during summer and winter when the cows were at one and two months postpartum. Uterine microbiota varied between seasons; the five most prevalent taxa were Enterobacteriaceae, Moraxellaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Staphylococcaceae, and Lactobacillaceae during summer, and Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroidaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Clostridiaceae during winter. Although Actinomycetaceae and Mycoplasmataceae were detected at high abundance in several uterine samples, the relationship between the uterine microbiota and serum metabolite concentrations was unclear. The fecal microbiota was stable regardless of the season, whereas bedding and airborne dust microbiota varied between summer and winter. With regards to uterine, bedding, and airborne dust microbiota, Enterobacteriaceae, Moraxellaceae, Staphylococcaceae, and Lactobacillaceae were more abundant during summer, and Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Clostridiaceae were more abundant during winter. Canonical analysis of principal coordinates confirmed the relationship between uterine and cowshed microbiota. These results indicated that the uterine microbiota may vary when the microbiota in cowshed environments changes.

Rumen fluid, feces, milk, water, feed, airborne dust, and bedding microbiota in dairy farms managed by automatic milking systems.

Microbiota of the gut, milk, and cowshed environment were examined at two dairy farms managed by automatic milking systems (AMS). Feed, rumen fluid, feces, milk, bedding, water, and airborne dust were collected and the microbiota on each was assessed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. The most abundant taxa in feed, rumen fluid, feces, bedding, and water were Lactobacillaceae, Prevotellaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Lactobacillaceae, respectively, at both farms. Aerococcaceae was the most abundant taxon in milk and airborne dust microbiota at farm 1, and Staphylococcaceae and Lactobacillaceae were the most abundant taxa in milk and airborne dust microbiota at farm 2. The three most prevalent taxa (Aerococcaceae, Staphylococcaceae, and Ruminococcaceae at farm 1 and Staphylococcaceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Ruminococcaceae at farm 2) were shared between milk and airborne dust microbiota. Indeed, SourceTracker indicated that milk microbiota was related with airborne dust microbiota. Meanwhile, hierarchical clustering and canonical analysis of principal coordinates demonstrated that the milk microbiota was associated with the bedding microbiota but clearly separated from feed, rumen fluid, feces, and water microbiota. Although our findings were derived from only two case studies, the importance of cowshed management for milk quality control and mastitis prevention was emphasized at farms managed by AMS.

Time to initiation of antifungal therapy for neonatal candidiasis.

The effect of delayed antifungal therapy in critically ill infants with invasive candidiasis has not been studied. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of time to initiation of antifungal therapy (TIA) on mortality, disseminated disease, and postinfection hospital stay. We conducted a cohort study of critically ill infants with cultures positive for Candida from 1990 to 2008. TIA was defined as the number of hours from the collection of the first positive culture until the start of antifungal therapy. Of 96 infants, 57% were male, the median gestational age was 27 weeks (range, 23 to 41 weeks), and the median birth weight was 956 g (range, 415 to 6,191 g). Most subjects received amphotericin B deoxycholate. TIA was ≤ 24 h for 35% of infants, between 25 and 48 h for 42%, and >48 h for 23%. Eleven subjects died during hospitalization, and 22% had disseminated candidiasis. The median duration of hospital stay postinfection was 53 days (range, 6 to 217 days). Both univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that TIA was not associated with mortality, disseminated disease, or hospital stay postinfection. However, ventilator use for >60 days significantly increased the risk of death (odds ratio [OR], 9.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2 to 66.7; P = 0.002). Prolonged candidemia increased the risk of disseminated disease by 10% per day of positive culture (OR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.2; P = 0.007), and low gestational age was associated with increased neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay after the first positive Candida culture by 0.94 weeks (95% CI, 0.70 to 0.98; P < 0.001). The TIA was not associated with all-cause mortality, disseminated candidiasis, and postinfection length of hospital stay.

Improved vancomycin dosing in children using area under the curve exposure.

BACKGROUND: : Our objectives were to (1) determine the pharmacokinetic indices of vancomycin in pediatric patients; and (2) compare attainment of 2 target exposures: area under curve (AUC) / minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≥400 and trough concentration ≥15 mcg/mL. METHODS: : The population-based pharmacokinetic modeling was performed using NONMEM 7.2 for children ≥3 months old who received vancomycin for ≥48 hours from 2003 to 2011. A 1-compartment model with first-order kinetics was used to estimate clearance, volume of distribution and AUC. Empiric Bayesian post hoc individual parameters and Monte Carlo simulations (N = 11,000) were performed. RESULTS: : Analysis included 702 patients with 1660 vancomycin serum concentrations. Median age was 6.6 (interquartile range 2.2-13.4) years, weight 22.7 (12.6-46) kg and baseline serum creatinine 0.40 (0.30-0.60) mg/dL. Final model pharmacokinetic indices were clearance (L/h) = 0.248 * Wt * (0.48/serum creatinine) * (ln(age)/7.8) and volume of distribution (L) = 0.636 * Wt. Using these parameters and the observed MIC distribution, Monte Carlo simulation indicated that the initial median dose of 44 (39-52) mg/kg/day was inadequate in most subjects. Regimens of 60 mg/kg/day for subjects ≥12 years old and 70 mg/kg/day for those <12 years old achieved target AUC/MIC in ~75% and trough concentrations ≥15 in ~45% of virtual subjects. An AUC/MIC ~400 corresponded to trough concentration ~8 to 9 mcg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: : Targeted exposure using vancomycin AUC/MIC, compared with trough concentrations, is a more realistic target in children. Depending on age, serum creatinine and MIC distribution, vancomycin in a dosage of 60 to 70 mg/kg/day was necessary to achieve AUC/MIC ≥ 400 in 75% of patients.

Complications associated with outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy in children.

BACKGROUND: The authors sought to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical impact of complications associated with outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) in children. METHODS: A cohort of patients ≤18 years old with infections, who received OPAT were evaluated retrospectively. Antibiotic-associated complications (AACs), catheter-associated complications (CACs), and unplanned medical care visits were the main outcome measures. RESULTS: Overall, 36 complications (25 CACs and 11 AACs) occurred in 32 of 98 patients. Mean age of patients, race, gender, and infecting organism did not differ between study groups. The use of OPAT for osteomyelitis was associated with complications (odds ratio = 2.69; 95% confidence interval = 0.99-7.35; P = .05). All patients, except for 4 who had complications, clinically improved by the end of OPAT. Unplanned medical visits occurred in 17 patients, 15 of which were because of CACs. CONCLUSION: Complications occurred commonly in children receiving OPAT and resulted in unplanned medical visits.