High‐Fiber Orange Juice as a Nutrition Supplement in Women

Background: The daily consumption of dietary fiber is frequently below suggested recommendations. Using a double‐blind, controlled, randomized study, we assessed the efficiency and tolerance of a fiber‐enriched orange juice to supplement fiber intake in women. Materials and Methods: After 1 week of noninterventional observation, 192 healthy adult women ingested 400 mL of orange juice for 21 days, which either was not (placebo group) or was enriched with fiber (fiber group). Orange juice ingestion was registered daily and controlled for each week during the study period. Macronutrient, fiber, and energy intake were determined using a 3‐day food record, validated food chemical composition databases, and the “Pro Diet” software. Gastrointestinal symptoms were self‐evaluated daily by scoring 4 grades of symptom intensity and using a visual analog scale to grade pain severity. Results: No changes were observed for macronutrient and energy ingestion. For the placebo group (n = 97), the total fiber intake record was under the daily recommended value. In contrast, the fiber group (n = 95) displayed higher comparative values of total and soluble fiber consumption (P ≤ .001), achieving the daily recommended values of fiber intake. Both groups reported an increased frequency of slight bloating and rumbles over time (P ≤ .05). The fiber group also experienced a higher frequency of slight flatulence over time (P = .002). Conclusion: Consumption of fiber‐enriched orange juice was efficient to achieve the daily fiber intake recommendation for women, was not accompanied by intense adverse events, and may represent a suitable method to supplement fiber intake in woman.     

Induction of Multidrug Tolerance in Plasmodium falciparum by Extended Artemisinin Pressure

Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinin derivatives in Southeast Asia threatens global malaria control strategies. Whether delayed parasite clearance, which exposes larger parasite numbers to artemisinins for longer times, selects higher-grade resistance remains unexplored. We investigated whether long-lasting artemisinin pressure selects a novel multidrug-tolerance profile. Although 50% inhibitory concentrations for 10 antimalarial drugs tested were unchanged, drug-tolerant parasites showed higher recrudescence rates for endoperoxides, quinolones, and an antifolate, including partner drugs of recommended combination therapies, but remained susceptible to atovaquone. Moreover, the age range of intraerythrocytic stages able to resist artemisinin was extended to older ring forms and trophozoites. Multidrug tolerance results from drug-induced quiescence, which enables parasites to survive exposure to unrelated antimalarial drugs that inhibit a variety of metabolic pathways. This novel resistance pattern should be urgently monitored in the field because this pattern is not detected by current assays and represents a major threat to antimalarial drug policy.     

Molecular and clinicopathological analysis of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a dermal and subcutaneous tumor of intermediate malignancy. The most remarkable cytogenetic feature of DFSP is the chromosomal translocation t(17;22)(q22;q13), causing a fusion of the platelet-derived growth factor beta chain (PDGFB) gene at 22q13, and the collagen type 1 alpha 1 (COL1A1) at 17q22. The aim of the study was to analyze the molecular characteristic of DFSP in conjunction with histopathological and clinical features.     

Risk factors for enterococcal urinary tract infections: a multinational,retrospective cohort study

European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases - Complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI) is a frequent cause of morbidity. In this multinational retrospective cohort study,...     

Longitudinal Analysis of Inflammatory Response to SARS-CoV-2 in the Upper Respiratory Tract Reveals an Association with Viral Load,Independent of Symptoms

Background

SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to high viral loads in the upper respiratory tract that may be determinant in virus dissemination. The extent of intranasal antiviral response in relation to symptoms is unknown. Understanding how local innate responses control virus is key in the development of therapeutic approaches.

Methods

SARS-CoV-2-infected patients were enrolled in an observational study conducted at the Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland, investigating virological and immunological characteristics. Nasal wash and serum specimens from a subset of patients were collected to measure viral load, IgA specific for the S1 domain of the spike protein, and a cytokine panel at different time points after infection; cytokine levels were analyzed in relation to symptoms.

Results

Samples from 13 SARS-CoV-2-infected patients and six controls were analyzed. We found an increase in CXCL10 and IL-6, whose levels remained elevated for up to 3 weeks after symptom onset. SARS-CoV-2 infection also induced CCL2 and GM-CSF, suggesting local recruitment and activation of myeloid cells. Local cytokine levels correlated with viral load but not with serum cytokine levels, nor with specific symptoms, including anosmia. Some patients had S1-specific IgA in the nasal cavity while almost none had IgG.

Conclusion

The nasal epithelium is an active site of cytokine response against SARS-CoV-2 that can last more than 2 weeks; in this mild COVID-19 cohort, anosmia was not associated with increases in any locally produced cytokines.

     

Access to original canal trajectory after deviation and perforation with guided endodontic assistance

Procedural accidents are eventualities that may occur during endodontic treatment because of lack of attention to detail or even unforeseeable situations. Knowledge of the root canal anatomy and its variations is a prerequisite for successful endodontic treatment. This case report describes an endodontic treatment where there was an intercurrence, generating deviation and perforation, which was solved with the aid of guided endodontics. A 37 years old, ASA1, was referred to the clinic for localisation and treatment of a calcified canal of the second right upper premolar. The tomographic images revealed the presence of only one canal and deviation with apical perforation. With the help of CBCT and CAD/CAM, it was possible to perform the guided access technique even after deviation and root perforation. Once again, this technique proved to be safe and predictable, allowing for a favourable prognosis in the long term.