Search

Spontaneous wound repair is a complex process that involves overlapping phases of inflammation, proliferation and remodelling, co-ordinated by growth factors and proteases. In extensive wounds such as burns, the repair process would not be achieved in a timely fashion unless grafted. Although spontaneous wound repair has been extensively described, the processes by which wound repair mechanisms mediate graft take are yet to be fully explored. This review describes engraftment stages and summarises current understanding of molecular mechanisms which regulate autologous skin graft healing, with the goal of directing innovation in permanent wound closure with skin substitutes. Graftability and vascularisation of various skin substitutes that are either in the market or in development phase are discussed. In doing so, we cast a spotlight on the paucity of scientific information available as to how skin grafts (both autologous and engineered) heal a wound bed. Better understanding of these processes may assist in developing novel methods of wound management and treatments.

Background There is no reliable microbiological marker to guide the indication and the response to antiviral treatment in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to evaluate the dynamics of subgenomic RNA (sgRNA) in patients with COVID-19 before and after receiving treatment with remdesivir. Methods We included consecutive patients admitted for COVID-19 who received remdesivir according to our institutional protocol and accepted to participate in the study. A nasopharyngeal swab for quantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was collected at baseline and after 3 and 5 days of treatment with remdesivir. Genomic and sgRNA were analyzed in those samples and main comorbidities and evolution were collected for the analyses. The main outcomes were early discharge (≤10 days) and 30-day mortality. Results A total of 117 patients were included in the study, of whom 24 had a negative sgRNA at baseline, with 62.5% (15/24) receiving early discharge (≤10 days) and no deaths in this group. From the 93 remaining patients, 62 had a negative sgRNA at day 5 with 37/62 (59.6%) with early discharge and a mortality rate of 4.8% (3/62). In the subgroup of 31 patients with positive sgRNA after 5 days of remdesivir, the early discharge rate was 29% (9/31) and the mortality rate was 16.1% (5/31). In multivariable analyses, the variables associated with early discharge were negative sgRNA at day 3 and not needing treatment with corticosteroids or intensive care unit admission. Conclusions Qualitative sgRNA could help in monitoring the virological response in patients who receive remdesivir. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Supplemental Figures and Tables

International audience; This paper looks at experiential feedback and the technical and scientific challenges tied to the MERITE-HIPPOCAMPE cruise that took place in the Mediterranean Sea in spring 2019. This cruise proposes an innovative approach to investigate the accumulation and transfer of inorganic and organic contaminants within the planktonic food webs. We present detailed information on how the cruise worked, including 1) the cruise track and sampling stations, 2) the overall strategy, based mainly on the collection of plankton, suspended particles and water at the deep chlorophyll maximum, and the separation of these particles and planktonic organisms into various size fractions, as well as the collection of atmospheric deposition, 3) the operations performed and material used at each station, and 4) the sequence of operations and main parameters analysed. The paper also provides the main environmental conditions that were prevailing during the campaign. Lastly, we present the types of articles produced based on work completed by the cruise that are part of this special issue.

The cryptic Aspegillus species are rare, these microorganisms are usually more resistant to common antifungal therapies. Therefore, a correct identification is important when evaluating the impact of such species in aspergillosis.We aimed to describe the frequency, clinical and microbiological characteristics, and the outcomes of those cases of aspergillosis caused by cryptic species in a tertiary hospital.We retrospectively identified all microbiologically documented cases of aspergillosis between January 2013 and December 2018. Definitive species identification of clinically significant isolates was achieved via sequencing methods. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were sequenced, and the results obtained were compared to sequences deposited in GenBank. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed using the Sensititre® YeastOne® panel.A total of 679 Aspergillus isolates were recovered from 489 patients, of which 109 were clinically relevant. Ten (9.2%) isolates were identified as cryptic species: Aspergillus arcoverdensis (2), Aspergillus lentulus (2), Aspergillus ellipticus (2), Aspergillus alliaceus (1), Aspergillus nomius (1), Aspergillus tubingensis (1) and Aspergillus montevidensis (1). Most patients already suffered some type of immunosuppression. Half of these patients had required intensive care before the infection showed up, and most of them had a pulmonary infection. Mortality at the 100-day follow-up was 40%. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed on three of the isolates (A. arcoverdensis, A. tubingensis and A. nomius), which showed high minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) for azoles and amphotericin B.The frequency of cryptic species in our centre was 9.2%. Most patients had some degree of immunosuppression, and the mortality rate was 40%.

Background Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring and treatment is a mainstay of severe TBI management but the relationship between intracranial opening pressure (OP) and outcomes has not been well established. The purpose of our study was to assess the relationship between OP and outcomes in severe TBI patients, with a focus on in-hospital mortality. Methods Adult blunt TBI patients with ICP monitoring between 2007 and 2017 were evaluated using sequential multivariable binary logistic modeling. Generalized additive model (GAM) was used to evaluate the relationship between OP and death. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for measures of strength of association and precision. Results A total of 182 patients were identified, with 61 (33.5%) having OP >20 mmHG (overall mean ± OP = 19.4 ± 17.8 mmHG). Forty-eight percent, 9% and 8% of patients were discharged to rehabilitation, skilled nursing institution, and home, respectively. Thirty-five percent died in the hospital. A linear relationship was found between OP and log-odds of mortality. OP (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.04-1.11), age (OR = 1.05;95%CI = 1.02-1.07), and injury severity score (ISS) (OR = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.02-1.10) were independently associated with increased odds of death while adjusting for sex, race, and year. Discussion Elevated opening pressure is strongly predictive of death in severe TBI. Age and ISS are independent predictors of mortality regardless of OP. These results suggest that maintaining low levels of ICP should result in decreased mortality in severe TBI patients. The patient’s age and ISS should be considered in the decision-making processes related to ICP utilization and management.

Representing and recording student thinking in public spaces during mathematics discussions is challenging work. We share principles for recording student thinking in the moment and share an activity for improving your recording practice.

Using cases from early childhood, elementary, and secondary classrooms, we showcase the work that teachers do to support students in building a collective argument and critiquing an individual’s argument. We identify four areas of work central to teaching students to build and critique mathematical arguments.

Background The use of remdesivir has demonstrated a significant reduction in the time to recovery in patients with COVID-19. However, the impact on mortality is still controversial. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate whether there is a specific subgroup of patients in whom an active antiviral therapy also reduces the mortality. Methods Patients admitted for >48 h in our hospital for a SARS-CoV-2 confirmed or suspected infection from February 2020 to February 2021 were retrospectively analysed. The primary outcome of the study was mortality at 30 days. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of mortality. Results In total, 2607 patients (438 receiving remdesivir and 2169 not) were included with a median (IQR) age of 65 (54–77) years and 58% were male. Four hundred and seventy-six were admitted to the ICU (18.3%) and 264 required invasive mechanical ventilation (10.1%). The global 30 day mortality rate was 10.7%. Pre-admission symptom duration of 4–6 days and ≤3 days was associated with a 1.5- and 2.5-fold increase in the mortality rate, respectively, in comparison with >6 days and treatment with remdesivir was independently associated with a lower mortality rate (OR = 0.382, 95% CI = 0.218–0.671). The analysis showed that the major difference was among patients with shorter pre-admission symptom duration ( Conclusions Patients with ≤3 days and 4–6 days from symptom onset to admission are associated with a 2.5- and 1.5-fold higher risk of death, respectively. Remdesivir was associated with 62% reduced odds of death versus standard-of-care and its survival benefit increased with shorter duration of symptoms.

Invasive fungal infection often complicates patients with severe viral infection, especially those admitted to critical care units. Severe SARS-CoV-2 infection has been no exception and a significant association with Aspergillus spp. has been documented, resulting in high patient mortality. In this summary we describe the clinical presentation, the underlying diseases most commonly linked with this association, radiological manifestations and therapeutic management of CAPA.

Here we assessed the subsurface ultraphytoplanktonic (10 μm) community along a North-South round-trip Mediterranean transect as part of a MERITE-HIPPOCAMPE cruise campaign in April-May 2019. Temperature, salinity, and nutrient concentrations in subsurface waters (2-5 m depth) were also measured along the transect. The subsurface ultraphytoplankton community structure was resolved with a spatial resolution of few kilometers and temporal resolution of 30-min intervals using automated pulse shape recording flow cytometry. The subsurface waters were clustered into seven areas based on temperature and salinity characteristics. Synechococcus were by far the most abundant group in all prospected zones, and nanoeukaryotes were the main biomass component, representing up to 51 % of ultraphytoplanktonic carbon biomass. Apparent net primary productivity (NPP) followed a decreasing gradient along the transect from north to south and was mostly sustained by Synechococcus in all zones. These findings are likely to have implications in terms of the trophic transfer of contaminants in planktonic food webs, as they highlight the potential role of nanoplankton in contaminants bioaccumulation processes and the potential role of Synechococcus in a likely transfer via grazing activities.

Mathematics discussions are important for helping students to develop conceptual understanding and to learn disciplinary norms and practices. In recent years, there has been increased attention to teaching prospective teachers to lead discussions with students. This paper examines the possibilities of designing a formative assessment that gathers information about prospective elementary teachers’ skills with leading problem-based mathematics discussions and makes sense of such information. A decomposition of the practice of leading discussions was developed and used to design the assessment. Nine first-year teachers who graduated from a range of different teacher education programs participated in the study. The findings reveal that our formative assessment works to gather information about teachers’ capabilities with leading discussions and that the associated tools support making sense of the information gathered. This suggests that such tools could be useful to support the formative assessment of the developing capabilities of prospective teachers.

We aimed to assess risk factors for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli (MDR-GNB) from a large amount of data retrieved from electronic health records (EHRs) and determine whether machine learning (ML) may be useful in assessing the risk of MDR-GNB infection at febrile neutropenia (FN) onset. Retrospective study of almost 7 million pieces of structured data from all consecutive episodes of FN in hematological patients in a tertiary hospital in Barcelona (January 2008–December 2017). Conventional multivariate analysis and ML algorithms (random forest, gradient boosting machine, XGBoost, and GLM) were done. A total of 3235 episodes of FN in 349 patients were documented; MDR-GNB caused 180 (5.6%) infections in 132 patients. The most frequent MDR-GNBs were MDR-Pseudomonas aeruginosa (53%) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (46%). According to conventional logistic regression analysis, independent factors associated with MDR-GNB infection were age older than 45 years (OR 2.07; 95% CI 1.31–3.24), prior antibiotics (2.62; 1.39–4.92), first-ever FN in this hospitalization (2.94; 1.33–6.52), prior hospitalizations for FN (1.72; 1.02–2.89); at least 15 prior hospital visits (2.65; 1.31–5.33), high-risk hematological diseases (3.62; 1.12–11.67), and hospitalization in a room formerly occupied by patients with MDR-GNB isolation (1.69; 1.20–2.38). ML algorithms achieved the following AUC and F1 score for MDR-GNB prediction: random forest, 0.79–0.9711; GMB, 0.79–0.9705; XGBoost, 0.79–0.9670; and GLM, 0.78–0.9716. Data generated in EHRs proved useful in assessing risk factors for MDR-GNB infections in patients with FN. The great number of analyzed variables allowed us to identify new factors related to MDR infection, as well as to train ML algorithms for infection predictions. This information may be used by clinicians to make better clinical decisions.

We aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of bloodstream infections (BSI) in cancer patients presenting febrile neutropenia with and without HIV infection, and analyze the prognostic factors for mortality. BSI episodes in febrile neutropenic patients following chemotherapy were prospectively collected (1997–2018). A case (HIV-infected)–control (non-HIV-infected) sub-analysis was performed (1:2 ratio), matching patients by age, gender, baseline disease, and etiological microorganism. From 1755 BSI episodes in neutropenic cancer patients, 60 (3.4%) occurred in those with HIV. HIV characteristics: 51.7% were men who have sex with men; 58.3% had

Objective. Controversial results on remdesivir efficacy have been reported. We aimed to report our real-life experience with the use of remdesivir from its availability in Spain. Methods. We performed a descriptive study of all patients admitted for ≥48 hours with confirmed COVID-19 who received remdesivir between the 1st of July and the 30th of September 2020. Results. A total of 123 patients out of 242 admitted with COVID-19 at our hospital (50.8%) received remdesivir. Median age was 58 years, 61% were males and 56.9 % received at least one anti-inflammatory treatment. No adverse events requiring remdesivir discontinuation were reported. The need of intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation and 30-days mortality were 19.5%, 7.3% and 4.1%, respectively. Conclusion. In our real-life experience, the use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was associated with a low mortality rate and good safety profile.

ImportancePulmonary fibrosis (PF) is characterized by progressive scarring of lung tissue and poor survival. Racial and ethnic minority populations face the greatest risk of morbidity and mortality from disparities impacting respiratory health, but the pattern of age at clinically relevant outcomes across diverse racial and ethnic populations with PF is unknown.ObjectiveTo compare the age at PF-related outcomes and the heterogeneity in survival patterns among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White participants.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study included adult patients with a PF diagnosis and used data from prospective clinical registries: the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Registry (PFFR) for the primary cohort and registries from 4 geographically distinct tertiary hospitals in the US for the external multicenter validation (EMV) cohort. Patients were followed between January 2003 and April 2021.ExposuresRace and ethnicity comparisons between Black, Hispanic, and White participants with PF.Main Outcomes and MeasuresAge and sex distribution of participants were measured at the time of study enrollment. All-cause mortality and age at PF diagnosis, hospitalization, lung transplant, and death were assessed in participants over 14 389 person-years. Differences between racial and ethnic groups were compared using Wilcoxon rank sum tests, Bartlett 1-way analysis of variance, and χ2 tests, and crude mortality rates and rate ratios were assessed across racial and ethnic categories using Cox proportional hazards regression models.ResultsIn total, 4792 participants with PF were assessed (mean [SD] age, 66.1 [11.2] years; 2779 [58.0%] male; 488 [10.2%] Black, 319 [6.7%] Hispanic, and 3985 [83.2%] White); 1904 were in the PFFR and 2888 in the EMV cohort. Black patients with PF were consistently younger than White patients (mean [SD] age at baseline, 57.9 [12.0] vs 68.6 [9.6] years; P P P P P Conclusions and RelevanceIn this cohort study of participants with PF, racial and ethnic disparities, especially among Black patients, were found in PF-related outcomes, including earlier onset of death. Further research is essential to identify and mitigate the underlying responsible factors.

Objectives Platelet mapping thromboelastography (TEG-PM) to evaluate trauma induced coagulopathy has become more prevalent. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between TEG-PM and outcomes in trauma patients, including patients with TBI. Methods A retrospective review was conducted utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Trauma Database. Chart review was conducted to obtain specific TEG-PM parameters. Patients were excluded if they were on anti-platelets, anticoagulation, or received blood products prior to arrival. TEG-PM values and their associations with outcomes were evaluated using generalized linear model and Cox cause-specific hazards model. Outcomes included in-hospital death, hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS). Relative risk (RR) and hazard ratio (HR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) are provided. Results A total of 1066 patients were included, with 151 (14%) diagnosed with isolated TBI. ADP inhibition was associated with significant increase rate of hospital LOS and ICU LOS (RR per % increase = 1.002 and RR = 1.006 per % increase, respectively) while increased MA(AA) and MA(ADP) were significantly associated with decrease rate of hospital LOS and ICU LOS (RR = .993 per mm increase and RR = .989 per mm increase, respectively, and RR = .986 per mm increase and RR = .989 per mm increase). R (per minute increase) and LY30 (per % increase) were associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality (HR = 1.567 and HR = 1.057, respectively). No TEG-PM values significantly correlated with ISS. Conclusion Specific TEG-PM abnormalities are associated with worse outcomes in trauma patients, including TBI patients. These results require further investigation to understand associations between traumatic injury and coagulopathy.

Objectives To describe the burden, epidemiology and outcomes of co-infections and superinfections occurring in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods We performed an observational cohort study of all consecutive patients admitted for ≥48 hours to the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona for COVID-19 (28 February to 22 April 2020) who were discharged or dead. We describe demographic, epidemiologic, laboratory and microbiologic results, as well as outcome data retrieved from electronic health records. Results Of a total of 989 consecutive patients with COVID-19, 72 (7.2%) had 88 other microbiologically confirmed infections: 74 were bacterial, seven fungal and seven viral. Community-acquired co-infection at COVID-19 diagnosis was uncommon (31/989, 3.1%) and mainly caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. A total of 51 hospital-acquired bacterial superinfections, mostly caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli, were diagnosed in 43 patients (4.7%), with a mean (SD) time from hospital admission to superinfection diagnosis of 10.6 (6.6) days. Overall mortality was 9.8% (97/989). Patients with community-acquired co-infections and hospital-acquired superinfections had worse outcomes. Conclusions Co-infection at COVID-19 diagnosis is uncommon. Few patients developed superinfections during hospitalization. These findings are different compared to those of other viral pandemics. As it relates to hospitalized patients with COVID-19, such findings could prove essential in defining the role of empiric antimicrobial therapy or stewardship strategies.

Objective To evaluate the frequency of clinical signs, dose ingested, and outcome in a large group of dogs with bromethalin ingestion. Design Retrospective cohort study of dogs from 2010 to 2016. Setting Three university teaching hospitals and 1 private practice. Animals A total of 192 dogs with bromethalin ingestion. Measurements and main results Total 192 cases were identified, of which 25 dogs developed clinical signs. Five cases initially had severe neurological signs and were euthanized. A sum of 187 dogs survived to discharge. The total ingested dose was recorded in 59 dogs with a median (interquartile range) 0.2 mg/kg (0.28 mg/kg). The remaining 133 dogs had confirmed ingestion reported by owners (witnessed ingestion or colored feces) but the total dose could not be calculated. The median (interquartile range) time to presentation for all dogs was 2 hours (4.8 h). A majority of patients were treated on an outpatient basis (121/192) and 71 of 192 were treated as inpatients with 58 of 71 receiving fluid diuresis. Decontamination was performed in 179 dogs including emesis induction (14), activated charcoal administration (42), and both (123). Emesis was successful in 128 dogs and apomorphine was the most common emetic agent (121). Mild to severe clinical signs at admission were reported in 19 cases including vomiting (6), tremors (5), lethargy (4), ataxia (3), weakness (2), diarrhea (2), collapse (2), and and anorexia (2). One case developed ataxia and tremors within 72 hours of admission. Conclusions and clinical relevance Symptoms of bromethalin toxicosis are uncommon, and most ingested doses are well below the reported dose expected to cause clinical signs. In this patient population, prognosis was excellent unless severe clinical signs were noted, which carried a high euthanasia rate. Effects of treatment on outcome could not be evaluated due to the low number of patients that developed clinical signs.

The Green Edge project was designed to investigate the onset, life and fate of a phytoplankton spring bloom (PSB) in the Arctic Ocean. The lengthening of the ice-free period and the warming of seawater, amongst other factors, have induced major changes in arctic ocean biology over the last decades. Because the PSB is at the base of the Arctic Ocean food chain, it is crucial to understand how changes in the arctic environment will affect it. Green Edge was a large multidisciplinary collaborative project bringing researchers and technicians from 28 different institutions in seven countries, together aiming at understanding these changes and their impacts into the future. The fieldwork for the Green Edge project took place over two years (2015 and 2016) and was carried out from both an ice-camp and a research vessel in the Baffin Bay, canadian arctic. This paper describes the sampling strategy and the data set obtained from the research cruise, which took place aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Amundsen in spring 2016. The dataset is available at https://doi.org/10.17882/59892 (Massicotte et al., 2019a).

We analyzed risk factors for mortality in febrile neutropenic patients with bloodstream infections (BSI) presenting with septic shock and assessed the impact of empirical antibiotic regimens. A multicenter retrospective study (2010 to 2019) of two prospective cohorts compared BSI episodes in patients with or without septic shock. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for mortality in episodes with septic shock. Of 1,563 patients with BSI, 257 (16%) presented with septic shock. Those patients with septic shock had higher mortality than those without septic shock (55% versus 15%, P 70 years (odds ratio [OR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2 to 4.7), IEAT for Candida spp. or Gram-negative bacilli (OR, 3.8; 95% CI, 1.3 to 11.1), acute kidney injury (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.9), and amikacin as the only active antibiotic (OR, 15.2; 95% CI, 1.7 to 134.5) were independent risk factors for mortality, while the combination of β-lactam and amikacin was protective (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.18 to 0.57). Septic shock in febrile neutropenic patients with BSI is associated with extremely high mortality, especially when IEAT is administered. Combination therapy including an active β-lactam and amikacin results in the best outcomes.

Hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) experiencing respiratory symptoms have different complications (inflammatory, co-infection, and thrombotic) that are identifiable by analytics patterns. Personalized treatment decisions decreased early mortality (odds ratio [OR] .144; 95% confidence interval [CI] .03–.686; P = .015). Increasing age (OR 1.06; P = .038) and therapeutic effort limitation (OR 9.684; P

Neutropenia and its related infections are still a significant challenge in the treatment of patients with onco-hematological diseases, impacting increased mortality and morbidity. In this review, we compiled up-to-date scientific evidence on infection control in neutropenic patients and discussed the potential role of new technologies Traditional measures such as hand hygiene (HH), patient’s skincare, central venous catheter care, environment protection, and contact isolation are the cornerstone of infection prevention in neutropenic patients while antibiotic prophylaxis is still a debated issue. Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) are increasing as reported in this population, and new techniques such as decolonization and the use of predictive models for infection by MDRO could play a pivotal role. Well-established measures should always be enhanced and stimulated. New technological tools based on artificial intelligence algorithms could lead to personalized infection control practices and better outcomes. More studies are needed to evaluate these new tools in the real-world setting.

Introdução: A psoríase é uma doença inflamatória crônica que atinge cerca de 1% a 3% da população no mundo inteiro, sendo que seu tratamento envolve o uso de imunomoduladores biológicos Objetivo: Relatar um caso de dermatofitose disseminada em paciente em uso de imunobiológico devido Psoríase. Apresentação de Caso: Masculino, 55 anos, com queixa de surgimento de lesões avermelhadas em tronco, abdômen, membros superiores e inferiores. Referiu ser portador de Psoríase e Artrite Psoriásica em tratamento com Secuquinumabe subcutâneo há 3 meses. Ao exame dermatológico, placas eritematoescamosas circinadas, com vesículas e crostas na periferia e tendência de cura central, disseminadas pelo tronco MMSS e MMII com tamanho variando de 2 a 8 cm de diâmetro. Micológico direto revelando hifas hialinas septadas compatíveis com dermatófitos e cultura com Trychophyton rubrum. Conduta: troca da medicação imunobiológica e introdução de Griseofulvina. Conclusão: A ocorrência de efeitos colaterais decorrentes da utilização das medicações imunobiológicas, como o secuquinumabe, para Psoríase depreciam o sistema de defesa do paciente e propiciam a disseminação de microorganismos, sobretudo de fungos.