Mycoplasma hominis is associated with various infections, for which the treatment can be complex. Lipoic acid (LA) plays a role as a cofactor in eukaryotes, most Bacteria, and some Archea. Research of recent years has increasingly pointed to the therapeutic properties of exogenously supplemented LA. The present study was conducted on 40 strains of M. hominis cultured with the following LA concentrations: 1,200 g/ml, 120 g/ml, and 12 g/ml. The bacterial colonies of each strain were counted and expressed as the number of colony-forming units/ml (CFU). The number of CFU in M. hominis strains obtained in the presence of LA was compared with the number of CFU in the strains grown in the media without LA. The obtained results indicated that the presence of LA in the medium did not affect the growth of M. hominis. The investigation of the influence of LA on the growth and survival of microbial cells not only allows for obtaining an answer to the question of whether LA has antimicrobial activity and, therefore, can be used as a drug supporting the treatment of patients infected with a given pathogenic microorganism. Such studies are also crucial for a better understanding of LA metabolism in the microbial cells, which is also important for the search for new antimicrobial drugs. This research is, therefore, an introduction to such further studies.

Background Patients with COVID-19 are thought to be at higher risk of cardiometabolic and pulmonary complications, but quantification of that risk is limited. We aimed to describe the overall burden of these complications in survivors of severe COVID-19. Methods Working on behalf of NHS England we used data from the OpenSAFELY platform linking primary care records to death certificate and hospital data. We constructed two cohorts: a COVID-19 cohort consisting of patients discharged following hospitalisation with COVID-19, and a comparison population of patients discharged following hospitalisation with pneumonia in 2019. Outcomes included DVT, PE, ischaemic stroke, MI, heart failure, AKI and new type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Outcome rates from hospital discharge were measured in each cohort, stratified by patient demographics and 30-day period. We fitted Cox regression models to estimate crude and age/sex adjusted hazard ratios comparing outcome rates between the two cohorts. Results Amongst the population of 31,569 patients discharged following hospitalisation with COVID-19, the highest rates were observed for heart failure (199.3; 95% CI: 191.8 - 207.1) and AKI (154.5; 95% CI: 147.9 - 161.4). Rates of DVT, heart failure, ischaemic stroke, MI, PE and diabetes were high over the four months post discharge, especially in the first month. Patterns were broadly similar to those seen in patients discharged with pneumonia but somewhat higher in the COVID-19 population for stroke (adj-HR 1.78; 95% CI: 1.53 - 2.08), PE (adj-HR 1.38; 95% CI: 1.21 - 1.58), MI (adj-HR 1.46; 95% CI: 1.20 - 1.76), AKI (adj-HR 1.27; 95% CI: 1.19 - 1.36) and T2DM (adj-HR 1.28; 95% CI: 1.08 - 1.50). Conclusions In this descriptive study of survivors of severe COVID-19, rates of the measured outcomes are at least as high, though in some cases slightly higher, than in patients discharged after hospitalisation with pneumonia. Further work is needed to identify what characteristics of COVID-19 patients put them at highest risk of adverse events.

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cancer in UK. Symptomatic patients are referred via an urgent pathway and although most are investigated with colonoscopy <4% are diagnosed with cancer. There is therefore a need for a suitable triage tool to prioritise investigations. This study retrospectively examined performance of various triage tools in patients awaiting investigation on the urgent lower gastrointestinal cancer pathway DESIGN: All patients over 40 years of age on the urgent pathway awaiting investigation for suspected CRC on 1 May were included. After 6 months, outcomes were evaluated and the performance of the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), faecal haemoglobin concentration, age and sex test (FAST) and the artificial intelligence algorithm ColonFlag were examined. RESULTS: 532 completed investigations and received a diagnosis; 15 had CRC. 388 had a valid FIT result, of whom 11 had CRC; FAST Score 4.5 had sensitivity of 72.7%, specificity of 80.6% and would have failed to detect three tumours. Faecal haemoglobin (f-Hb) at cut-off of 10 g/g and ColonFlag had equal sensitivity of 81.82%, ColonFlag had greater specificity 73.47%, compared with 64.99%. Both tests would have failed to detect two tumours but not in the same patients; when used in combination, sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 49.4%. When ColonFlag was applied to the cohort of 532, an additional four tumours would have been detected in patients without a valid FIT. CONCLUSION: This study showed ColonFlag to have equal sensitivity and greater specificity than f-Hb at a cut-off of 10 g/g as a triage tool for CRC

Objective: To analysis the clinical characteristics of"recurrence"RNA positive patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 COVID-19 and compared with those without"recurrence" Methods: 98 patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital and designated treatment hospitals in Quanzhou were included in this study from February 2020 to April 2020 There were 55 males and 43 females aged from15 to 83 years with a median age of 57 5 years in which 20 cases were complicated with basic diseases 15 of these patients had been diagnosed and hospitalized had been found as"recurrence"2019-nCoV RNA positive after discharge while the other 83 cases were all negative The clinical classification of all patients was common type Clinical data of the COVID-19 RNA"recurrence"patients were collected and general situations symptoms laboratory examinations and CT images were also observed and analyzed The patients were divided into 2019-nCoV"recurrent"group and 2019-nCoV"non-recurrent"group There are 10 males and 5 females in 2019-nCoV"recurrent"group while 45 males and 38 females in"non-recurrent"group 2=0 800P=0 371 The age of 2019-nCoV"recurrent"group 5721 was higher than that of"non-recurrent"group5317 8 of 15 the COVID-19"recurrent"group patients and 12 of 83"non-recurrent"patients have basic diseases IgG and IgM of 2019-nCoV IL-6 procalcitonin ESR CRP BNP and other serum biochemical index levels were measured and compared between groups Results: 1 The proportion of patients with common type of COVID-19 was 15 3% during 2-week medical observation after discharge 2 All of the 2019-nCoV"recurrent"patients were hospitalized due to COVID-19 RNA positive when they were quarantined after discharged from hospital All the patients with mild symptoms which were clarified as common type including 5 cases of fever 6 cases of cough 5 cases of expectoration and 2 cases of slight shortness of breath The time of symptoms appeared on 5 732 82 days after discharge 3 The serum procalcitonin of all 2019-nCoV"recurrent"group patients were normalall0 05 4 In"recurrent"group ground glass exudative or solid lesions could be found in most of the chest CT performed on re-admission Meanwhile fibrosis lesion was relatively rare 5 There were no secondary transmissions were found to be caused by the 2019-nCoV"recurrent"group patients Conclusions: Most of the 2019-nCoV patients had underlying diseases and active lesions were still found in CT images so the possibility of virus replication may still exist All"recurrent"patients had mild illness which may suggest that they were in recovery stage, and no evidence of transmission is found

A 59-year-old female patient was diagnosed with Whipple's disease (WD) after several months of constitutional complaints and adenopathies that were initially misinterpreted as sarcoidosis. Initial treatment included doxycycline, hydroxychloroquine and prednisolone, which was suspended due to long-term clinical stability. Four months after prednisolone suspension, the patient presented with right periorbital oedema and erythema. Ophthalmological examination revealed restricted eye movements. A computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated signs of myositis. The patient was treated with anti-inflammatory and antibiotic drugs, that induced remission of the orbitopathy. During the following two years, she presented three relapses, affecting both the right or the left eyes. The last episode was also associated with systemic corticosteroid tapering. Orbitopathy is a rare form of WD presentation and the diagnosis of this condition may be challenging. As the clinical spectrum may range from an incidentaloma to a severe compressive neuropathy, proper recognition and management of WD orbitopathy is essential.

Due to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak it is mandatory for health care workers to develop containment strategies. Recently published data showed, that cancer patients might have a higher risk for severe course of the disease. We therefore developed a strategy of screening and containment for SARS-CoV-2 for hospitalized cancer patients. Our approach includes a temporary isolation in a so-called floating zone and testing strategy for screening of asymptomatic individuals by pooling of samples before RT-PCR amplification. Patients as far as health care professionals got tested twice a week. Nurses and physicians entered the floating zone with full body protection. Within 8 weeks we tested 418 individuals (professionals and patients) in total. Only 2 patients had COVID-19 without documented further transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We therefore think that our strategy might be a useful approach to protect inpatients with cancer at high risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection during this ongoing pandemic.

We describe a practical two-dimensional (2D) diffusion MRI framework to deliver specificity and improve sensitivity to axonal injury in the spinal cord. This approach provides intravoxel distributions of correlations of water mobilities in orthogonal directions, revealing sub-voxel diffusion components. Here we use it to investigate water diffusivities along axial and radial orientations within spinal cord specimens with confirmed, tract-specific axonal injury. First, we show using transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry that tract-specific axonal beading occurs following Wallerian degeneration in the cortico-spinal tract as direct sequelae to closed head injury. We demonstrate that although some voxel-averaged diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics are sensitive to this axonal injury, they are non-specific, i.e., they do not reveal an underlying biophysical mechanism of injury. Then we employ 2D diffusion correlation imaging (DCI) to improve discrimination of different water microenvironments by measuring and mapping the joint water mobility distributions perpendicular and parallel to the spinal cord axis. We determine six distinct diffusion spectral components that differ according to their microscopic anisotropy and mobility. We show that at the injury site a highly anisotropic diffusion component completely disappears and instead becomes more isotropic. Based on these findings, an injury-specific MR image of the spinal cord was generated, and a radiological-pathological correlation with histological silver staining % area was performed. The resulting strong and significant correlation (r = 0.70, p < 0.0001) indicates the high specificity with which DCI detects injury-induced tissue alterations. We predict that the ability to selectively image microstructural changes following axonal injury in the spinal cord can be useful in clinical and research applications by enabling specific detection and increased sensitivity to injury-induced microstructural alterations. These results also encourage us to translate DCI to higher spatial dimensions to enable assessment of traumatic axonal injury, and possibly other diseases and disorders in the brain.

Gamification, defined as the use of game elements in non game situations, is a widely used method to foster learner engagement and motivation. It is generally accepted that in order to be effective, gamification should be tailored to users. Currently, most systems adapt by assigning different game elements based on a single learner profile (e.g. dominant player type, personality or gender). However, there is no study yet that analyse the effect of combining several profiles. In this paper, we study the usage data from 258 students who used a gamified learning environment as a part of their mathematics class. By simulating different adaptation techniques, we show that the learner model chosen to tailor gamification has significant effects on learners motivation and engaged behaviours depending on the profile(s) used in this context. We also show that tailoring to initial motivation to learn mathematics can improve intrinsic motivation. Finally, we show that tailoring to both player type and motivation profiles can improve intrinsic motivation, and decrease amotivation, compared to a single adaptation only based on learner motivation. We discuss the implications of our findings regarding the choice of a learner model for tailoring gamification in educational environments.

The Food and Drug Administration has licensed, approved, and expanded guidelines for dozens of vaccines since 2010. Although advancements in biotechnology have made vaccines more effective and safer, none are completely free from adverse effects. Many vaccines have been implicated in causing ocular adverse events based on the temporal association of exposure and putative complication. Determination of causality is difficult. We provide an overview of vaccine side effects and also examines the English literature and the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) from 2010 through 2020 for vaccine-implicated ocular adverse events. While reactions of eyelids and conjunctiva are commonly reported, the most frequently implicated serious adverse events are optic neuritis and various patterns of intraocular inflammation. Live attenuated vaccines have the potential to cause ocular infection from vaccine-strain organisms, particularly in those immunosuppressed. While postmarketing registries for suspect vaccination adverse events, such as VAERS, are unable to determine causal associations, they are a mainstay in signaling suspected trends that require investigation. The majority of probable and possible serious ocular adverse effects are distinctly uncommon.

NETosis, being an alternative form of cell death is the creation of web-like chromatin decondensates by suitably primed neutrophils as a response to stimulus aimed at containing and eliminating the same. In certain situations, it causes more harm than benefit in the form of bystander damage directly or via activation of autoimmune mechanisms. Such pathophysiology finds evidence in both Periodontal disease and COVID-19. Coupled with impaired removal, NETs have been implicated in both these disease forms to promote a state of inflammation and be a source of constant harm to the tissues involved. This potentially forms groundwork to implicate Periodontal disease as predisposing towards adverse COVID-19 related outcomes.

Cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx account for 3% of cancers diagnosed in the United States* each year. Cancers at these sites can differ anatomically and histologically and might have different causal factors, such as tobacco use, alcohol use, and infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) (1). Incidence of combined oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers declined during the 1980s but began to increase around 1999 (2,3). Because tobacco use has declined in the United States, accompanied by a decrease in incidence of many tobacco-related cancers, researchers have suggested that the increase in oral cavity and pharynx cancers might be attributed to anatomic sites with specific cell types in which HPV DNA is often found (4,5). U.S. Cancer Statistics? data were analyzed to examine trends in incidence of cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx by anatomic site, sex, race/ethnicity, and age group. During 2007-2016, incidence rates increased for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx combined, base of tongue, anterior tongue, gum, tonsil, oropharynx, and other oral cavity and pharynx. Incidence rates declined for cancers of the lip, floor of mouth, soft palate and uvula, hard palate, hypopharynx, and nasopharynx, and were stable for cancers of the cheek and other mouth and salivary gland. Ongoing implementation of proven population-based strategies to prevent tobacco use initiation, promote smoking cessation, reduce excessive alcohol use, and increase HPV vaccination rates might help prevent cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx.

The receptor\binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike (S) protein plays a central role in mediating the first step of virus infection to cause disease: virus binding to angiotensin\converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on human host cells. Therefore, S/RBD is an ideal target for blocking and neutralization therapies to prevent and treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID\19). Using a target\based selection approach, we developed oligonucleotide aptamers containing a conserved sequence motif that specifically targets S/RBD. Synthetic aptamers had high binding affinity for S/RBD\coated virus mimics (K (D)7 nM) and also blocked interaction of S/RBD with ACE2 receptors (IC(50)5 nM). Importantly, aptamers were able to neutralize S protein\expressing viral particles and prevent host cell infection, suggesting a promising COVID\19 therapy strategy.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak began in the city of Wuhan, whereupon it rapidly spread throughout China and subsequently across the world. Rapid transmission of COVID-19 has caused wide-spread panic. Many established medications have been used to treat the disease symptoms; however, no specific drugs or vaccines have been developed. Organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) may serve as suitable infection models for ex vivo mimicking of the viral life cycle and drug screening. Human iPSC-3D organoids, self-organised tissues with multiple cell environments, have a similar structure and function as real human organs; hence, these organoids allow greater viral infection efficiency, mimic the natural host-virus interactions, and are suitable for long-term experimentation. Here, we suggest the use of a functional human iPSC-organoid that could act as a reliable and feasible ex vivo infection model for investigation of the virus. This approach will provide much needed insight into the underlying molecular dynamics of COVID-19 for the development of novel treatment and prevention strategies.

This study explores the effect of income diversification on the profitability of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Ghana. The results indicate that the institutions record low profits and they are generally not so much diversified. Income diversification has a negative effect on return on asset and return on equity, suggesting the preference for a focused strategy. Larger firms are found to be more profitable although there is an inverted U-shaped nexus. Investments in fixed assets are beneficial for enhancing performance among the firms while the findings cast doubt on the extent of financial intermediation. This is because cash and investments in government securities are more than 50 percent of assets while loan levels are scant as compared to deposits. The study calls for MFIs to resort to providing more loans as this will enhance their bottom-line and also improve the economy. The insights from the study lend credence to the relevance of data-driven decision making among MFIs.

Although modeling studies are focused on the control of SIR-based systems describing epidemic data sets (particularly the COVID-19), few of them present a formal dynamic characterization in terms of equilibrium sets and stability. Such concepts can be crucial to understand not only how the virus spreads in a population, but also how to tailor government interventions such as social distancing, isolation measures, etc. The objective of this work is to provide a full dynamic characterization of SIR-type systems under single-interval control actions and, based on it, to find the control action that produces the smallest number of infected individuals at the end of the epidemic that avoids second wave outbreaks. %Because of its simplicity, the latter result is intended to be just a reference/baseline for more complex control strategies related to general nonpharmaceutical measure (\textit{i.e}., those accounting for the health system capacity, the number of deaths, etc.). Simulations illustrate the benefits of the aforementioned results in terms of the herd immunity threshold.

The article describes a prevention science approach to impacting population health We use activities of the Missouri Prevention Science Institute that address youth mental health concerns with a public health approach to illustrate the approach In particular, we focus on several lessons that may be relevant for advancing the success of prevention and health promotion scholars in addressing major societal problems: connecting small ideas to big solutions, matching intervention targets with goals, developing reliable and systemic monitoring data streams, ensuring data and prevention efforts account for cultural context, and helping people/systems change

A pandemia de COVID-19 acarretou impactos biopsicossociais sade individual e coletiva. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a ades?o ao distanciamento social, as repercuss?es no estado de animo e mudan?as nos estilos de vida da populao adulta brasileira durante o incio da pandemia da COVID-19. Trata-se de estudo transversal com indivduos adultos residentes no Brasil (n = 45.161) que participaram do inqurito de sade virtual ConVid - Pesquisa de Comportamentos, no perodo de 24 de abril a 24 de maio de 2020. A coleta de dados foi realizada via web, utilizando-se de um questionrio autopreenchido. Foram calculadas as prevalncias e intervalo de 95% de confian?a das variveis estudadas. Da amostra estudada, apenas 1,5% levou vida normal, sem nenhuma restrio social e 75% ficaram em casa, sendo que destes 15% ficaram rigorosamente em casa. Os sentimentos frequentes de tristeza ou depress?o (35,5%), isolamento (41,2%) e ansiedade (41,3%) foram reportados por grande parte da populao estudada. Verificou-se 17% dos participantes reportaram aumento do consumo de bebidas alcolicas e de 34% dos fumantes aumentaram o nmero de cigarros. Observou-se aumento no consumo de alimentos n?o saudveis e reduo da prtica de atividade fsica no perodo estudado. Conclui-se que houve elevada ades?o ao distanciamento social e aumento dos sentimentos de tristeza, depress?o e ansiedade, bem como aumento de consumo de alimentos n?o saudveis, uso de bebidas alcolicas e cigarros e reduo da prtica de atividade fsica. Essas mudan?as s?o preocupantes e podem resultar em danos sade individual e coletiva a mdio e longo prazo.

AIM: An expository note introduces health sciences researchers to randomized single-case intervention designs, an adaptation of interrupted time-series methodology, and the staple of a scientifically credible small-sample research paradigm. METHODS: Detailed examples illustrating two different randomized single-case procedures are presented to highlight the techniques advantages relative to small-sample nonparametric procedures that are commonly applied in the medical and health sciences fields. RESULTS: Numerous positive outcomes, based on both statistical simulation studies and actual intervention research investigations, support the applicability and value of these procedures. CONCLUSION: Randomized single-case intervention designs are recommended for consideration by health sciences researchers.

We describe response measures to an outbreak involving 128 (33.4%) coronavirus disease cases (46.1% asymptomatic) among 383 persons onboard a passenger ship. Multivariate analysis indicated that dining in certain rooms and bar areas, nationality, working department (for crew members), and quarantining onboard the ship were significantly associated with infection.

Although prisoners are considered a vulnerable population, no data repository currently exists to monitor the COVID-19 incidence in Nigerian prisons. To better understand the impact of COVID-19 within the Nigerian prison system, prisons should develop detailed COVID-19 response protocols, implement enhanced point-of-care testing, and initiate contact tracing with meticulous data collection.