Title: FDA Approves New DVT Blood Clot Treatment
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2014 11:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2014 12:00:00 AM

Title: Promacta Approval Expanded to Kids With Rare Blood Disorder
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2015 12:00:00 AM

Title: FDA Approves Second Drug in New Class of Cholesterol-Lowering Medications
Category: Health News
Created: 8/28/2015 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2015 12:00:00 AM

Title: Head Injury Screening Tests Approved
Category: Health News
Created: 8/22/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/23/2016 12:00:00 AM

Title: Pediatric Treatment Approved for 'Kissing Bug' Disease
Category: Health News
Created: 8/30/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/31/2017 12:00:00 AM

Title: Antibiotic Vabomere Approved
Category: Health News
Created: 8/30/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/31/2017 12:00:00 AM

Title: First Gene Therapy Approved in U.S.
Category: Health News
Created: 8/30/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/31/2017 12:00:00 AM

Title: Nourianz Approved to Treat 'Off' Episodes in Parkinson Disease
Category: Health News
Created: 8/28/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/29/2019 12:00:00 AM

Title: Pandemic Drove Spike in Panic Attacks
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Scientists Challenge Key Survival Stat Cited by U.S. Officials in Plasma Approval
Category: Health News
Created: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Blood Pressure Meds Could Improve Survival in COVID-19 Patients
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: FDA Approves Wider Use of Plasma as Coronavirus Treatment
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/25/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: FDA Approves New Rapid Coronavirus Test
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: Rapid 15-Minute COVID-19 Test Approved By FDA
Category: Health News
Created: 8/27/2020 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2020 12:00:00 AM

Title: U.S. Kidney Transplant Outcomes Are Improving
Category: Health News
Created: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/24/2021 12:00:00 AM

Title: Moderna Readies for Full Vaccine Approval, as Pfizer Submits Data on Booster Shot
Category: Health News
Created: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2021 12:00:00 AM

Title: Pfizer Asks FDA to Approve Omicron-Specific Booster Shot
Category: Health News
Created: 8/22/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/23/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: What Therapeutic Options Are Available for Treating an Antiretroviral Naive Patient?
Category: Diseases and Conditions
Created: 6/16/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 6/16/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: Your Salt Shaker May Prove Deadly, Study Finds
Category: Health News
Created: 7/11/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/12/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: Scotland Becomes 1st Country to Provide Free Period Products
Category: Health News
Created: 8/15/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/16/2022 12:00:00 AM

Title: When Hospital Patient & Doctor Speak Same Language, Outcomes Improve
Category: Health News
Created: 7/11/2022 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 7/11/2022 12:00:00 AM

Understanding the evolution of chromatin conformation among species is fundamental to elucidate the architecture and plasticity of genomes. Nonrandom interactions of linearly distant loci regulate gene function in species-specific patterns, affecting genome function, evolution, and, ultimately, speciation. Yet, data from nonmodel organisms are scarce. To capture the macroevolutionary diversity of vertebrate chromatin conformation, here we generate de novo genome assemblies for two cryptodiran (hidden-neck) turtles via Illumina sequencing, chromosome conformation capture, and RNA-seq: Apalone spinifera (ZZ/ZW, 2n = 66) and Staurotypus triporcatus (XX/XY, 2n = 54). We detected differences in the three-dimensional (3D) chromatin structure in turtles compared to other amniotes beyond the fusion/fission events detected in the linear genomes. Namely, whole-genome comparisons revealed distinct trends of chromosome rearrangements in turtles: (1) a low rate of genome reshuffling in Apalone (Trionychidae) whose karyotype is highly conserved when compared to chicken (likely ancestral for turtles), and (2) a moderate rate of fusions/fissions in Staurotypus (Kinosternidae) and Trachemys scripta (Emydidae). Furthermore, we identified a chromosome folding pattern that enables "centromere–telomere interactions" previously undetected in turtles. The combined turtle pattern of "centromere–telomere interactions" (discovered here) plus "centromere clustering" (previously reported in sauropsids) is novel for amniotes and it counters previous hypotheses about amniote 3D chromatin structure. We hypothesize that the divergent pattern found in turtles originated from an amniote ancestral state defined by a nuclear configuration with extensive associations among microchromosomes that were preserved upon the reshuffling of the linear genome.

BACKGROUND:Post–COVID-19 syndrome has affected millions of people, with rehabilitation being at the center of non-pharmacologic care. However, numerous published studies show conflicting results due to, among other factors, considerable variation in subject characteristics. Currently, the effects of age, sex, time of implementation, and prior disease severity on the outcomes of a supervised rehabilitation program after COVID-19 remain unknown.METHODS:This was a non-randomized case-control study. Subjects with post–COVID-19 sequelae were enrolled. Among study participants, those who could attend an 8-week, supervised rehabilitation program composed the intervention group, whereas those who couldn’t the control group. Measurements were collected at baseline and 8 weeks thereafter.RESULTS:Study groups (N = 119) had similar baseline measurements. Participation in rehabilitation (n = 47) was associated with clinically important improvements in the 6-min walk test (6MWT) distance, adjusted (for potential confounders) odds ratio (AOR) 4.56 (95% CI 1.95–10.66); 1-min sit-to-stand test, AOR 4.64 (1.88-11.48); Short Physical Performance Battery, AOR 7.93 (2.82–22.26); health-related quality of life (HRQOL) 5-level EuroQol-5D (Visual Analog Scale), AOR 3.12 (1.37–7.08); Montreal Cognitive Assessment, AOR 6.25 (2.16–18.04); International Physical Activity Questionnaire, AOR 3.63 (1.53–8.59); Fatigue Severity Scale, AOR 4.07 (1.51–10.98); Chalder Fatigue Scale (bimodal score), AOR 3.33 (1.45–7.67); Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale (mMRC), AOR 4.43 (1.83–10.74); Post–COVID-19 Functional Scale (PCFS), AOR 3.46 (1.51–7.95); and COPD Assessment Test, AOR 7.40 (2.92–18.75). Time from disease onset was marginally associated only with 6MWT distance, AOR 0.99 (0.99–1.00). Prior hospitalization was associated with clinically important improvements in the mMRC dyspnea scale, AOR 3.50 (1.06–11.51); and PCFS, AOR 3.42 (1.16–10.06). Age, sex, and ICU admission were not associated with the results of any of the aforementioned tests/grading scales.CONCLUSIONS:In this non-randomized, case-control study, post–COVID-19 rehabilitation was associated with improvements in physical function, activity, HRQOL, respiratory symptoms, fatigue, and cognitive impairment. These associations were observed independently of timing of rehabilitation, age, sex, prior hospitalization, and ICU admission.

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has developed a robust CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) Framework to enhance the likelihood of successful vaccine development. This Framework serves as a comprehensive guide, aiding developers in building effective strategies to overcome the challenges posed by the different phases of vaccine development, including the ones often referred to as the "valleys of death". The Framework lists stage-appropriate deliverables, categorized and refined, spanning five key areas: manufacturing process, formulation and stability, analytics, supply chain, and compliance. By emphasizing the critical aspects of CMC development, CEPI's objective is to expedite the progression of vaccine candidates from research to deployment, reducing delays, mitigating risks, and optimizing the overall development process, all while upholding uncompromising quality standards, ultimately increasing the probability of success.

SEquence Evaluation through k-mer Representation (SEEKR) is a method of sequence comparison that uses sequence substrings called k-mers to quantify the nonlinear similarity between nucleic acid species. We describe the development of new functions within SEEKR that enable end-users to estimate P-values that ascribe statistical significance to SEEKR-derived similarities, as well as visualize different aspects of k-mer similarity. We apply the new functions to identify chromatin-enriched lncRNAs that contain XIST-like sequence features, and we demonstrate the utility of applying SEEKR on lncRNA fragments to identify potential RNA-protein interaction domains. We also highlight ways in which SEEKR can be applied to augment studies of lncRNA conservation, and we outline the best practice of visualizing RNA-seq read density to evaluate support for lncRNA annotations before their in-depth study in cell types of interest.

ABSTRACTIntroduction:Since the health information system (HIS) in public health care services in Serbia was introduced in 2009, it has gradually expanded. However, it is unclear how well the HIS components have developed and the whole system’s stage of maturity.Method:In June–September 2021, a maturity assessment of the Serbian HIS was conducted for the first time using the HIS Stages of Continuous Improvement (SOCI) toolkit. The toolkit measures HIS status across 5 HIS domains: leadership and governance, management and workforce, information and communication technology (ICT), standards and interoperability, and data quality and use. The domains were further divided into 13 components and 39 subcomponents whose maturity stage was assessed on a 5-point Likert scale, indicating the level of development: (1) emerging/ad hoc; (2) repeatable; (3) defined; (4) managed; and (5) optimized. The toolkit was applied in a working group of 32 professionals and experts who were engaged in developing the new national eHealth strategy and action plan.Results:The overall maturity score of the Serbian HIS was 1.6, which indicates a low level. The highest baseline score (2) was given to the standards and interoperability domain, and the lowest (1.1) was given to ICT infrastructure. The remaining 3 domains (leadership and governance, Management and Workforce, and Data Quality and Use) were similarly rated (1.7, 1.7, and 1.6, respectively).Conclusion:A baseline assessment of the maturity level of Serbian HIS indicates that the majority of components are between the emerging/ad hoc stage and repeatable, which represent isolated, ad hoc efforts, with some basic processes in place and existing and accessible policies. This exercise provided an opportunity to address identified weaknesses in the upcoming national eHealth strategy.

ABSTRACTIntroduction:Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are effective and can be used safely at any age repeatedly within the same cycle. They are often favored by youth yet are underutilized. Private facilities can increase ECP access but present barriers including cost. Identifying effective public-sector ECP distribution models can help ensure equitable access. The Malawi Ministry of Health developed a strategy to improve ECP access in 2020. We documented ECP provision through select public, youth-serving channels recommended by the strategy: general and youth-specific outreach, paid and unpaid community health workers (CHWs), and youth clubs.Methods:We conducted this mixed methods study from November 2022–March 2023 in 2 rural districts (Mchinji and Phalombe) implementing the strategy. We conducted qualitative interviews with 10 national stakeholders, 46 providers, and 24 clients aged 15–24 years about ECP service delivery. Additionally, 25 providers collected quantitative tally data about clients seeking ECPs. We analyzed qualitative data using grounded theory and quantitative data descriptively.Results:Stakeholders and providers reported ECP uptake increased in geographies where the strategy was implemented, especially among youth. Providers documented 3,988 client visits for ECPs over 3 months. Of these visits, 26% were from male clients, 36% were from clients aged younger than 20 years, and 64% received ECPs for the first time. Across channels, youth club leaders and unpaid CHWs reported the most client visits per provider and served the youngest clients. However, no ECPs were dispensed during 29% of visits due to stock-outs. While many providers were supportive of youth accessing ECPs, most held unfavorable attitudes toward repeat use.Conclusion:ECP access should be expanded through provision in the studied channels, especially youth clubs and CHWs. However, to meet demand, the supply chain must be strengthened. We recommend addressing providers’ attitudes about repeat use to ensure informed method choice.

ABSTRACTMore than half of births among Indigenous women in Guatemala are still being attended at home by providers with no formal training. We describe the incorporation of comadronas (traditional midwives) into casas maternas (birthing centers) in the rural highlands of western Guatemala. Although there was initial resistance to the casa, comadronas and clients have become increasingly enthusiastic about them. The casas provide the opportunity for comadronas to continue the cultural traditions of prayers, massages, and other practices that honor the vital spiritual dimension of childbirth close to home in a home-like environment with extended family support while at the same time providing a safer childbirth experience in which complications can be detected by trained personnel at the casa, managed locally, or promptly referred to a higher-level facility. Given the growing acceptance of this innovation in an environment in which geographical, financial, and cultural barriers to deliveries at higher-level facilities lead most women to deliver at home, casas maternas represent a feasible option for reducing the high level of maternal mortality in Guatemala.This article provides an update on the growing utilization of casas and provides new insights into the role of comadronas as birthing team members and enthusiastic promotors of casas maternas as a preferable alternative to home births. Through the end of 2023, these casas maternas had cared for 4,322 women giving birth. No maternal deaths occurred at a casa, but 4 died after referral.The Ministry of Health of Guatemala has recently adopted this approach and has begun to implement it in other rural areas where home births still predominate. This approach deserves consideration as a viable and feasible option for reducing maternal mortality throughout the world where home births are still common, while at the same time providing women with respectful and culturally appropriate care.

ABSTRACTBackground: This analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of eliciting sexual partners from HIV-positive clients using the elicitation box model (where an HIV-positive index can report sexual contacts on paper and insert in a box for a health care provider to contact at a later time) compared to the conventional model (in which a health care provider elicits sexual contacts directly from clients) in Akwa Ibom, Southern Nigeria.Methods: Between March 2021 and April 2022, data were collected from index testing registers at 4 health facilities with a high volume of HIV clients currently on treatment in 4 local government areas in Akwa Ibom State. Primary outcome analyzed was the elicitation ratio (number of partners elicited per HIV-index offered index testing services). Secondary outcomes were the index testing acceptance (index HIV-positive clients accepted index testing service), testing coverage (partners tested for HIV from a list of partners elicited from HIV-index accepted index testing services), testing yield (index partners identified HIV positive from index partners HIV-tested), and linkage rate (index partners identified HIV positive and linked to antiretroviral therapy).Results: Of the total 2,705 index clients offered index testing services, 91.9% accepted, with 2,043 and 439 indexes opting for conventional elicitation and elicitation box models, respectively. A total of 3,796 sexual contacts were elicited: 2,546 using the conventional model (elicitation ratio=1:1) and 1,250 using the elicitation box model (elicitation ratio=1:3). Testing coverage was significantly higher in the conventional compared to the elicitation box model (P<.001). However, there was no significant difference in the testing yield (P=.81) and linkage rate using the conventional compared to elicitation box models (P=.13).Conclusion: The implementation of the elicitation box model resulted in an increase in partner elicitation compared to the conventional model. Increasing the testing coverage by implementing the elicitation box model should be considered.

ABSTRACTWe describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a novel twinning approach: the Twinning Partnership Network (TPN). Twinning is a well-known approach to peer learning that has been used in a variety of settings to build organizational capacity. Although twinning takes many forms, the heart of the approach is that institutions with shared characteristics collaborate via sharing information and experiences to achieve a specific goal. We adapted a twinning partnership strategy developed by the World Health Organization to create a network of like-minded health institutions. The key innovation of the TPN is the network, which ensures that an institution always has a high-performing peer with whom to partner on a specific topic area of interest. We identified 10 hospitals and 30 districts in Rwanda to participate in the TPN. These districts and hospitals participated in a kickoff workshop in which they identified capacity gaps, clarified goals, and selected twinning partners. After the workshop, districts and hospitals participated in exchange visits, coaching visits, and virtual and in-person learning events. We found that districts and hospitals that selected specific areas and worked on them throughout the duration of the TPN with their peers improved their performance significantly when compared with those that selected and worked on other areas. Accreditation scores improved by 5.6% more in hospitals selecting accreditation than those that did not. Districts that selected improving community-based health insurance coverage improved by 4.8% more than districts that did not select this topic area. We hypothesize that these results are due to senior management’s interest and motivation to improve in these specific areas, the motivation gained by learning from high-performing peers with similar resources, and context-specific knowledge sharing from peer hospitals and districts.

[¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for patients with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)–positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Since the time of regulatory approval, however, real-world data have been lacking. This study investigated the efficacy, safety, and outcome predictors of [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 at a major U.S. academic center. Methods: Patients with mCRPC who received [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 at the Johns Hopkins Hospital outside clinical trials were screened for inclusion. Patients who underwent [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 and had available outcome data were included in this study. Outcome data included prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response (≥50% decline), PSA progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Toxicity data were evaluated according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.03. The study tested the association of baseline circulating tumor DNA mutational status in homologous recombination repair, PI3K alteration pathway, and aggressive-variant prostate cancer–associated genes with treatment outcome. Baseline PSMA PET/CT images were analyzed using SelectPSMA, an artificial intelligence algorithm, to predict treatment outcome. Associations with the observed treatment outcome were evaluated. Results: All 76 patients with PSMA-positive mCRPC who received [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 met the inclusion criteria. A PSA response was achieved in 30 of 74 (41%) patients. The median PSA PFS was 4.1 mo (95% CI, 2.0–6.2 mo), and the median OS was 13.7 mo (95% CI, 11.3–16.1 mo). Anemia of grade 3 or greater, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia were observed in 9 (12%), 3 (4%), and 1 (1%), respectively, of 76 patients. Transient xerostomia was observed in 23 (28%) patients. The presence of aggressive-variant prostate cancer–associated genes was associated with a shorter PSA PFS (median, 1.3 vs. 6.3 mo; P = 0.040). No other associations were observed between circulating tumor DNA mutational status and treatment outcomes. Eighteen of 71 (25%) patients classified by SelectPSMA as nonresponders had significantly lower rates of PSA response than patients classified as likely responders (6% vs. 51%; P < 0.001), a shorter PSA PFS (median, 1.3 vs. 6.3 mo; P < 0.001), and a shorter OS (median, 6.3 vs. 14.5 mo; P = 0.046). Conclusion: [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 offered in a real-world setting after regulatory approval in the United States demonstrated antitumor activity and a favorable toxicity profile. Artificial-intelligence–based analysis of baseline PSMA PET/CT images may improve patient selection. Validation of these findings on larger cohorts is warranted.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Incidental findings on brain MRI and variations of the circle of Willis (CoW) are relatively common among the general population. Ethnic differences have been described before, but few studies have explored the prevalence of incidental intracranial cerebrovascular findings and CoW variants in the setting of a single multiethnic cohort. The purpose of this investigation was to describe both incidental cerebrovascular findings and the morphology of the CoW on high-resolution 3T TOF-MRA in a UK tri-ethnic population-based cohort and to present updated prevalence estimates and morphologic reference values.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:

Intracranial vessel wall imaging is technically challenging to implement, given the simultaneous requirements of high spatial resolution, excellent blood and CSF signal suppression, and clinically acceptable gradient times. Herein, we present our preliminary findings on the evaluation of a deep learning–optimized sequence using T1-weighted imaging.

SUMMARY:

Vascular inflammation is widely recognized as an important factor in the atherosclerotic process, particularly in terms of plaque development and progression. Conventional tests, such as measuring circulating inflammatory biomarkers, lack the precision to identify specific areas of vascular inflammation. In this context, noninvasive imaging modalities can detect perivascular fat changes, serving as a marker of vascular inflammation. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the key concepts related to perivascular carotid fat and its pathophysiology. Additionally, we examine the existing literature on the association of pericarotid fat with features of plaque vulnerability and cerebrovascular events. Finally, we scrutinize the advantages and limitations of the noninvasive assessment of pericarotid fat.

BackgroundLong-term health conditions are major challenges for care systems. Social prescribing link workers have been introduced via primary care networks (PCNs) across England since 2019 to address the wider determinants of health by connecting individuals to activities, groups, or services within their local community.AimTo assess whether the rollout of social prescribing link workers was in areas with the highest need.Design and settingA retrospective study of social prescribing link workers in England from 2019 to 2023.MethodWorkforce, population, survey, and area-level data at the PCN-level from April 2020 to October 2023 were combined. Population need before the rollout of link workers was measured using reported lack of support from local services in the 2019 General Practice Patient Survey. To assess if rollout reflected need, linear regression was used to relate provision of link workers (measured by full-time equivalent [FTE] per 10 000 patients) in each quarter to population need for support.ResultsPopulations in urban, more deprived areas and with higher proportions of people from minority ethnic groups had the highest reported lack of support. Geographically these were in the North West and London. Initially, there was no association between need and provision; then from July 2022, this became negative and significant. By October 2023, a 10-percentage point higher need for support was associated with a 0.035 (95% confidence interval = −0.634 to −0.066) lower FTE per 10 000 patients.ConclusionRollout of link workers has not been sufficiently targeted at areas with the highest need. Future deployments should be targeted at those areas.

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis has a range of manifestations from indolent nodules to semi-invasive infection. Patients may be asymptomatic or have chronic symptoms such as cough and weight loss or present with life-threatening haemoptysis. The physician can choose from a range of available therapies including medical therapy with antifungals, minimally invasive therapy with intracavitary antifungal therapy and surgery involving open thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. The patients with the most severe forms of pulmonary infection may not be surgical candidates due to their underlying pulmonary condition. The management of haemoptysis can include tranexamic acid, bronchial artery embolisation, antifungals or surgery. There are few controlled studies to inform clinicians managing complex cases, so a multidisciplinary approach may be helpful.

The two robots, working alone and far apart from one another, are struggling on their respective treks along the Red Planet's rough terrain.

Great God Grove is, in a word, bonkers. I’ve stopped a small community from completing a blood ritual, played the role of matchmaker to a group of lonely hearts that involved organising a date with god, and plastered a statue with paint as part of a revolutionary movement to uplift the power of art. My time with GGG has been a pick n’ mix of colourful escapades, and together with its story of godly woes, striking art style, vacuum-based puzzle-solving, and nightmare-inducing puppet work, I’m now a die-hard LimboLane devotee.

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Data collected by the Zhurong rover and orbiting satellites suggests the existence of an ancient shoreline in the Utopia Planitia region of Mars

Information on faces recognised, voice commands and internet searches can be extracted from an Amazon Echo smart assistant without help from the user or manufacturer

AI models have safeguards in place to prevent them creating dangerous or illegal output, but a range of jailbreaks have been found to evade them. Now researchers show that writing backwards can trick AI models into revealing bomb-making instructions.

Who built this ripped, anatomically graphic snowman? Is there a world of snowmen offscreen waiting to be turned into sex objects for widows?