Anaerobes in cardiac infections: A decade experience from the tertiary care center

PurposeAnaerobic infections are common yet life-threatening. They are being recovered from all sites of the body, including the cardiovascular system. This study was aimed to determine the retrospective analysis on the isolation of anaerobes in cardiovascular samples received for a decade-long duration. It helps in knowing the frequency of isolation of anaerobic causes of cardiovascular infection.MethodsAll cardiovascular samples from the department of Cardio-thoracic vascular surgery from January 2010 to December 2020 were studied.ResultsOf 601 samples received, predominant samples were vegetations and valvular tissues of 258, followed by 98 samples of pericardial tissues, 92 samples of embolus, 90 samples of blood and post-operative collections, and 63 excised aneurysms and vascular grafts. Of the total, 15 samples grew anaerobes where Clostridium species were the predominant isolates. Clostridioides difficile was isolated in 2 samples.ConclusionsAnaerobes in cardiovascular samples are uncommon yet form a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Most infections are from the contiguous spread, penetrating trauma, and hematogenous causing endocarditis or valvular infections. These conditions and samples form the seat of infectious focus and clinical suspicion towards the anaerobic cause of these conditions, especially in conventional routine culture-negative samples. Timely diagnosis of anaerobic infections plays a vital role in the good prognostic outcome of patients undergoing cardiothoracic and vascular surgery.     

Effects of Wenyang Zhenshuai Granules on the Expression of Key Mitochondrial Autophagy Proteins in the Doxorubicin-Induced Model of H9c2 Cardiomyocyte Injury

Bulletin of Experimental Biology and Medicine - This study aimed to explore the effects of Wenyang Zhenshuai granules (WZG) on the morphology of cardiomyocytes, cell viability, and the expression...     

The impact of neighborhoods and friendships on interracial anxiety among medical students and residents: A report from the medical student CHANGES study

Objective

To examine the experience of interracial anxiety among health professionals and how it may affect the quality of their interactions with patients from racially marginalized populations. We explored the influence of prior interracial exposure—specifically through childhood neighborhoods, college student bodies, and friend groups—on interracial anxiety among medical students and residents. We also examined whether levels of interracial anxiety change from medical school through residency.

Data Source

Web-based longitudinal survey data from the Medical Student Cognitive Habits and Growth Evaluation Study.

Study Design

We used a retrospective longitudinal design with four observations for each trainee. The study population consisted of non-Black US medical trainees surveyed in their 1st and 4th years of medical school and 2nd and 3rd years of residency. Mixed effects longitudinal models were used to assess predictors of interracial anxiety and assess changes in interracial anxiety scores over time.

Principal Findings

In total, 3155 non-Black medical trainees were followed for 7 years. Seventy-eight percent grew up in predominantly White neighborhoods. Living in predominantly White neighborhoods and having less racially diverse friends were associated with higher levels of interracial anxiety among medical trainees. Trainees' interracial anxiety scores did not substantially change over time; interracial anxiety was highest in the 1st year of medical school, lowest in the 4th year, and increased slightly during residency.

Conclusions

Neighborhood and friend group composition had independent effects on interracial anxiety, indicating that premedical racial socialization may affect medical trainees' preparedness to interact effectively with diverse patient populations. Additionally, the lack of substantial change in interracial anxiety throughout medical training suggests the importance of providing curricular tools and structure (e.g., instituting interracial cooperative learning activities) to foster the development of healthy interracial relationships.     

A contemporary systematic review on liver transplantation for unresectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer

The 5-year overall survival rate of a patient with unresectable metastatic colorectal cancer is poor at approximately 14%. Similarly, historical data on liver transplantation (LT) in those with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) showed poor outcomes, with 5-year survival rates between 12% and 21%. More recently, limited data have shown improved outcomes in select patients with 5-year overall survival rates of approximately 60%. Despite these reported survival improvements, there is no significant improvement in disease-free survival. Given the uncertain benefit with this therapeutic approach and a renewed investigational interest, we aimed to conduct a contemporary systematic review on LT for CRLM. A systematic review of the literature was performed according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis statement. English articles reporting on data regarding LT for CRLM were identified through the MEDLINE (via PubMed), Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases (last search date: December 16th, 2021) by 2 researchers independently. A total of 58 studies (45 published and 13 ongoing) were included. Although early retrospective studies suggest the possibility that some carefully selected patients may benefit from LT, there is minimal prospective data on the topic and LT remains exploratory in the setting of CRLM. Additionally, several other challenges, such as the limited availability of deceased donor organs and defining appropriate selection criteria, remain when considering the implementation of LT for these patients. Further evidence from ongoing prospective trials is needed to determine if and to what extent there is a role for LT in patients with surgically unresectable CRLM.     

Impact of Group Prenatal Care on Contraceptive Use at Twelve Weeks Postpartum

Maternal and Child Health Journal - To compare the prevalence of highly effective contraceptive use by 12 weeks postpartum among participants of Centering Pregnancy®, a model of group...     

Future perspectives: Novel Frontiers in Cancer Metastasis

Clinical & Experimental Metastasis -     

低氧刺激鼻息肉黏膜上皮细胞炎性因子变化的初探

目的研究低氧刺激慢性鼻窦炎伴鼻息肉(CRSwNP)与正常鼻黏膜上皮细胞炎性因子的变化与异同,探讨其在CRSwNP发病机制中的作用。方法选择2015年6月至2018年1月在吉林大学中日联谊医院就诊的68例CRSwNP患者,其中男性36例,女性32例,年龄(45.2±12.5)岁(xˉ±s,下同),患者的鼻息肉黏膜纳入慢性鼻窦炎鼻息肉组(CRS-NP组),下鼻甲黏膜纳入慢性鼻窦炎下鼻甲组(CRS-IT组),并根据组织病理学结果进一步分成嗜酸粒细胞浸润及非浸润两种类型,即嗜酸粒细胞浸润性鼻息肉组(Eos-NP组,n=34)、非嗜酸粒细胞浸润性鼻息肉组(Non-Eos-NP组,n=34)、嗜酸粒细胞浸润性鼻息肉患者的下鼻甲组(Eos-IT组,n=20)和非嗜酸粒细胞浸润性鼻息肉患者的下鼻甲组(Non-Eos-IT组,n=20);同期25例鼻窦囊肿或鼻中隔偏曲患者的下鼻甲黏膜作为对照组(n=25),其中男性14例,女性11例,年龄(42.8±10.2)岁。免疫组织化学染色分析各组黏膜上皮组织中白细胞介素(IL)17A、干扰素γ(IFN-γ)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)与乏氧诱导因子(hypoxia-inducible factor 1α,HIF-1α)的表达情况。酶联免疫吸附试验检测低氧刺激0、24和48 h后各组原代鼻黏膜上皮细胞分泌IL-17A、IFN-γ和TNF-α的差异;免疫荧光、固态光源高内涵与免疫印记实验检测原代鼻黏膜上皮细胞HIF-1α的表达情况。应用SPSS 17.0软件对数据进行统计学分析,采用双向方差分析作为主要统计学方法。结果免疫组织化学染色结果显示,IL-17A和TNF-α在对照组中表达最高(光密度值分别为0.37±0.03、0.53±0.02),IFN-γ和HIF-1α在Eos-IT组中表达最高(光密度值分别为0.47±0.03、0.39±0.02)。未接受低氧刺激时,IL-17A与TNF-α在对照组中水平较低;低氧刺激48 h后,对照组的IL-17A与TNF-α分泌量明显高于其他各组。未接受低氧刺激时,Eos-NP组分泌的IFN-γ明显高于对照组[(13.7±1.3)pg/ml比(11.1±1.6)pg/ml,P<0.05];低氧刺激48 h后,IFN-γ在对照组和Eos-NP组中的分泌量没有显著区别。对照组与CRS-IT组表达的HIF-1α随低氧时间延长而增加,Eos-NP组与Non-Eos-NP组表达的HIF-1α随低氧时间延长而减少。对照组与CRS-IT组HIF-1α主要表达于鼻黏膜上皮细胞的细胞质内,CRS-NP组HIF-1α主要表达于鼻黏膜上皮细胞的细胞核内。结论低氧刺激下,CRSwNP患者的鼻息肉、下鼻甲与正常鼻黏膜上皮细胞中IL-17A、TNF-α、IFN-γ的分泌以及HIF-1α的表达水平存在差异,且呈现不同的亚细胞定位,提示其可能参与了CRSwNP发病相关基因的转录与调控。     

The China birth cohort study (CBCS)

European Journal of Epidemiology - The China birth cohort study (CBCS) is a prospective longitudinal, mega-cohort study and the first national-based birth cohort study, aiming to establish a birth...