pd MCHP Provides Update on Business Environment By www.microchip.com Published On :: 1/6/2020 7:00:00 AM MCHP Provides Update on Business Environment Full Article
pd MCHP to Provide Q4FY20 Business Update on March 2 2020 By www.microchip.com Published On :: 2/28/2020 7:00:00 AM MCHP to Provide Q4FY20 Business Update on March 2 2020 Full Article
pd MCHP Provides Business Update for Q4FY20 By www.microchip.com Published On :: 3/2/2020 7:00:00 AM MCHP Provides Business Update for Q4FY20 Full Article
pd MCHP Provides Update on Q4FY20 Net Sales and the Business Environment By www.microchip.com Published On :: 4/8/2020 7:00:00 AM MCHP Provides Update on Q4FY20 Net Sales and the Business Environment Full Article
pd AN3265 - UPD301A USB Power Delivery Operation By www.microchip.com Published On :: 5/7/2020 10:40:38 AM AN3265 - UPD301A USB Power Delivery Operation Full Article
pd We may have started keeping lapdogs as pets 2000 years ago By www.newscientist.com Published On :: Thu, 19 Mar 2020 06:00:21 +0000 A 2000-year-old skeleton found in Spain belonged to a lapdog that may have been born thousands of kilometres to the east and traded during Roman times Full Article
pd UPDATE 2-Auto production collapses by 99% in Mexico and Brazil due to coronavirus By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:54:14 -0400 Auto production in Mexico and Brazil, Latin America's top producers, plunged by an unprecedented 99% in April as a result of the coronavirus crisis, with the two countries building a total of just 5,569 vehicles. Full Article companyNews
pd UPDATE 1-Saudi, U.S. firms eye stakes in Reliance's Jio - Bloomberg By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 18:17:28 -0400 Two more firms are eyeing a share of Reliance Industries Ltd's $65-billion digital unit Jio Platforms, according to Bloomberg News, setting them up to be a part of a growing list of firms that have recently invested in the Indian company. Full Article companyNews
pd UPDATE 1-Union opposes reopening U.S. meat plants as more workers die By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 18:48:49 -0400 The largest union representing U.S. meatpacking workers said on Friday it opposed the reopening of plants as the Trump administration had failed to guarantee workers' safety. Full Article companyNews
pd UPDATE 2-IMF's Georgieva downbeat on global economic forecast, warns against protectionism By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 19:24:40 -0400 The head of the International Monetary Fund on Friday signaled a possible downward revision of global economic forecasts, and warned the United States and China against rekindling a trade war that could weaken a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Full Article companyNews
pd UPDATE 1-Republicans urge Trump to bar banks from shunning fossil fuel loans By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 20:01:59 -0400 A group of Republican lawmakers from energy-producing states on Friday called on President Donald Trump to prevent banks from halting loans and investments with companies that produce oil and other fossil fuels while they have access to federal assistance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full Article companyNews
pd UPDATE 3-Mexico to unveil economic restart next week after coronavirus lockdown By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 20:20:03 -0400 Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Friday he aims to present plans next week to reopen the economy, as key sectors like carmaking look to begin business again after over a month of quarantine measures to curb the coronavirus outbreak. Full Article companyNews
pd UPDATE 1-Pfizer to outsource some drug production, focus on coronavirus vaccine By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 21:32:35 -0400 Pfizer Inc said on Friday it is in talks to shift more of its medicine production to outside contractors as it prepares for large-scale production of an experimental vaccine to prevent COVID-19, should it prove safe and effective. Full Article companyNews
pd UPDATE 1-"Europe needs a break": EU plots to restart travel and tourism despite COVID By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 06:51:32 -0400 * Tourism, travel, hospitality business hit the hardest by COVID Full Article companyNews
pd UPDATE 1-Britain to quarantine travellers for 14 days, UK airlines association says By feeds.reuters.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 07:10:52 -0400 * Airports say it could be devastating for aviation industry (Adds details, changes sourcing) Full Article companyNews
pd More Studies Link Vaping to Asthma, COPD By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Jan 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: More Studies Link Vaping to Asthma, COPDCategory: Health NewsCreated: 1/14/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 1/14/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
pd Screening for Other Health Problems May Aid COPD Survival By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Screening for Other Health Problems May Aid COPD SurvivalCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/4/2012 10:05:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/4/2012 12:00:00 AM Full Article
pd Urologists' Group Issues Updated Guidelines on PSA Test By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Urologists' Group Issues Updated Guidelines on PSA TestCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/3/2013 12:35:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 5/3/2013 12:00:00 AM Full Article
pd Smoke-Free Laws May Help Prevent COPD Hospitalizations By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Smoke-Free Laws May Help Prevent COPD HospitalizationsCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/25/2014 2:35:00 PMLast Editorial Review: 4/28/2014 12:00:00 AM Full Article
pd COPD Tied to Raised Risk for Sudden Cardiac Death By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: COPD Tied to Raised Risk for Sudden Cardiac DeathCategory: Health NewsCreated: 4/29/2015 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 4/29/2015 12:00:00 AM Full Article
pd What Is PDA Heart Surgery? By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: What Is PDA Heart Surgery?Category: Procedures and TestsCreated: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
pd How Is PDA Surgery Performed? By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: How Is PDA Surgery Performed?Category: Procedures and TestsCreated: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
pd Which Symptoms Point to Severe COVID-19? Doctors Issue New Update By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Which Symptoms Point to Severe COVID-19? Doctors Issue New UpdateCategory: Health NewsCreated: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 5/8/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
pd Doctors update warning signs of severe COVID By www.webmd.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 10:41:52 EST Based on a review of more than 1,000 patients who've already sought care for respiratory illnesses since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic in March, researchers at Harvard Medical School are offering up a new list of symptoms to watch out for. Full Article
pd Updated PMC journal review process and minimum requirements By www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Tue, 15 Dec 2015 08:00:00 EST The PMC Overview and FAQ have been updated to provide more information on the Scientific Quality Review Process for journals that apply to participate in PMC.In 2014, PMC implemented a scientific and editorial quality review procedure whereby expert consultants from outside the National Library of Medicine (NLM) conduct an independent review of journals seeking to participate in PMC. This was in response to a significant increase in new publishers and journals applying to participate in PMC, many of which are unknown to NLM in terms of quality and publishing practices. The independent review, which was approved by the PMC National Advisory Committee (see minutes from June 10, 2014), follows an assessment by NLM that the journal meets NLM’s criteria for its collection, as outlined in the Collection Development Manual.PMC also recently updated the minimum requirement on the number of substantive, peer-reviewed articles needed before a journal can apply to PMC. The new 25-article minimum ensures that the reviewers have a sufficient amount of content on which to base their recommendation for inclusion in PMC. The new minimum article requirement takes effect on January 1, 2016. Publishers are encouraged to use the 25-article minimum as a guideline in the interim when submitting applications. Full Article
pd FTP service update to improve access to text mining collections By www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Mon, 1 Aug 2016 08:00:00 EST PMC has reorganized its FTP Service site for users interested in accessing the Text Mining Collections, which include the original Open Access (OA) Subset. New top-level FTP directories help users quickly locate the content available for bulk download that best suits their research needs. These directories include: oa_package - article packages for individual OA articles oa_pdf – individual PDFs for OA articles oa_bulk – bulk packages of text from OA articles manuscript – author manuscripts collected under a funding agency’s public access policy historical_ocr – select OCR texts from the PMC Back Issue Digitization project To make it easier for users to identify and comply with the different licenses that apply to OA articles, new file lists have been created and the file lists for individual OA articles now include a “license-type” field for each article. Similarly, the bulk packages of OA article text have been divided into two sets. One set comprises articles that may be used for commercial purposes (the Commercial Use Collection); the other contains articles that can be used only for non-commercial purposes. See the Open Access Subset page for details.To allow regular users to transition to the new arrangement, the previous arrangement of files and directories will be maintained in parallel for at least four weeks (i.e., until the end of August 2016). Full Article
pd New Search Result Filters and Updated Reference List Display By www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Wed, 17 Aug 2016 08:00:00 EST As of August 2016, PMC is home to four million articles! To make this wealth of full-text content easier to navigate, PMC has rolled out a few updates:1) Search Result Filters On all search results pages, you will now see filters (similar to PubMed’s filters) on the left-hand side that allow you to filter your results by article attributes, publication date, research funder, and search fields. These filters replace the Limits page and allow you to more readily: find open access articles (PMC has more than 1.35 million open access articles that can be reused according to their license statements), explore PMC’s rich historical content from NLM's back issue digitization project, browse research supported by PMC-participating funding organizations (click "Customize" to view additional funder options), and much more. You can now also quickly add articles that are under a 12-month or less embargo in PMC to your search results by selecting the “Include embargoed articles” filter option under Text Availability. See the PMC User Guide for more information on these filters. 2) Reference List Display Using related article data available in PMC, articles that cite papers that have been either retracted or named in a Findings of Research Misconduct issued by the HHS Office of Research Integrity and not yet retracted will now include a red hyperlink to the relevant notice directly from the article’s reference list. This update will help users more easily identify post-publication updates to existing research. Full Article
pd Updated guidance on data deposit and linking in PMC By www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Mon, 30 Oct 2017 08:00:00 EST In response to the growing interest in the availability of data associated with articles, PMC is reviewing current practices around data and seeking feedback on how to best serve the data needs of the research community.As part of these efforts, the PMC policy statement on supplementary data was recently updated to more clearly articulate the requirement that any supplementary data (images, tables, video, or other documents / files) that are associated with an article must be deposited in PMC with an article. The search filter "has suppdata[filter]" can be used in PMC to discover records with associated supplementary data files.In addition to providing supplementary data with an article, NLM is also encouraging journals and authors to make research data available in a public repository and include the relevant data citation(s) in the paper. Guidance for PMC data providers on tagging data citations is available in the Tagging Guidelines. This guidance is based on the JATS4R recommendations on data citations.Starting this month, the NIH Manuscript Submission (NIHMS) system will also accept deposits of small datasets accompanying deposits of funded author manuscripts for inclusion of PMC. (Guidance for authors is available in the NIHMS FAQ.)If you have suggestions on future directions in data for PMC to consider, please let us know at pubmedcentral@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Full Article
pd PMC Canada Status Update By www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Mon, 18 Dec 2017 08:00:00 EST PMC Canada, sponsored by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), with operational support provided by the National Research Council (NRC), has been a valued partner in the PMC International network since 2009. CIHR and NRC have now notified NLM of their decision to permanently take PubMed Central Canada (PMC Canada) offline on February 23, 2018. Details of this decision are available on the PMC Canada website.The decision to decommission PMC Canada does not affect the status or operations of NIH’s PubMed Central (US) or Europe PubMed Central. PMC Canada content will remain in the PMC archive and be publicly searchable on NLM’s PubMed Central (US) and through Europe PMC. CIHR researchers who publish in journals that deposit their articles directly into NIH’s PubMed Central or deposit manuscripts co-funded with current PMC-participating funders will continue to be considered in compliance with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications.NIH and NLM have appreciated our cooperation with CIHR and NRC over the last several years and will continue to identify new opportunities to work together to support open access and research excellence. Full Article
pd Article Display Updates By www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Wed, 28 Mar 2018 08:00:00 EST In collaboration with Europe PMC, PMC has rolled out several updates to our article display in order to enhance the transparency and readability of the content.Navigating from the PMC record to the PubMed record has been made easier by the addition of hyperlinked PubMed IDs (PMIDs) in the upper right-hand corner of article records. Clicking the PMID link will take you to the corresponding citation record in PubMed.The PMC Disclaimer link has also been moved out of the Copyright and License information section for easier discovery and access. This page describes what content is included in PMC as well as other important NCBI and NLM disclaimer information.Additionally, two changes have been implemented to improve the functionality of author names. Users can now click on an author name to view the author’s affiliation(s). Users also have the option of running a quick author name search in PMC by clicking the linked author name in “Find articles by [author name]”. In the example pictured above, the search would be for “Sawyer SL”[Author].And finally, figures and tables have been moved inline in the article display. By moving away from the thumbnail display, PMC hopes to make it easier for users to view figure and table data as they read articles. Users may still click on the figure/table title or “Open in separate window” (as available) link for a closer look. We hope these updates improve the overall user experience in PMC and look forward to hearing your feedback. ReferencesScreenshots from:Qiao, Y., Yang, J., Liu, L., Zeng, Y., Ma, J., Jia, J., … Wang, Y. (2018). Successful treatment with pazopanib plus PD-1 inhibitor and RAK cells for advanced primary hepatic angiosarcoma: a case report. BMC Cancer, 18, 212. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-018-3996-3Stabell, A. C., Meyerson, N. R., Gullberg, R. C., Gilchrist, A. R., Webb, K. J., Old, W. M., … Sawyer, S. L. (2018). Dengue viruses cleave STING in humans but not in nonhuman primates, their presumed natural reservoir. eLife, 7, e31919. http://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.31919Both articles made available under a CC-BY license. Full Article
pd Updated information on journal selection and participation agreements released By www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Tue, 26 Jun 2018 08:00:00 EST PMC has released expanded information about its selection process for journals that apply for participation. The current review process has been in place since November 2014 and focuses on the scientific rigor and editorial quality of each journal that applies to participate in PMC. Some of the attributes taken into account as part of this process include the article content, journal policies, language quality, and presentation of content. The same assessment considerations are used for reevaluation of currently participating journals. We encourage you to visit the Journal Selection for PMC page to learn more.Publishers and journals interested in submitting an application to PMC are also encouraged to review our updated policies on agreement types. These policies provide the eligibility criteria for each type of participation agreement and should be considered alongside the pre-application requirements. We hope these updates are informative and look forward to hearing your feedback. Full Article
pd PubMed Labs Update: Using Filters By www.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Tue, 06 Aug 2019 11:00:00 EST Users can now use filters to narrow search results in PubMed Labs by article type, text availability, publication date, species, language, sex, subject, journal category, and age. The most popular filters are included on the sidebar by default. Full Article
pd Webinar Recording "An Updated PubMed is on its Way!" By www.youtube.com Published On :: Tue, 20 Aug 2019 18:00:00 EST "NCBI Minute: An Updated PubMed is on its Way!" recorded on August 14th, 2019, is now available on the NCBI YouTube channel. Full Article
pd New PubMed Updated: Homepage, User Guide, My NCBI Alerts and Collections, and More By www.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Tue, 08 Oct 2019 09:00:00 EST Several new features have been added to the new PubMed including an updated homepage, an online user guide, the CSV file format, My NCBI Filters, My Bibliography and Collections, and search integration with the MeSH and NLM Catalog databases. Full Article
pd MeSH Updated By www.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Mon, 16 Dec 2019 16:00:00 EST PubMed MEDLINE indexed citations and the MeSH database have been updated with 2020 MeSH vocabulary. Full Article
pd The New PubMed Updated: Summary Display with Full Author List, Send to: Citation manager, PubMed Format, and More By www.nlm.nih.gov Published On :: Tue, 17 Mar 2020 10:00:00 EST The New PubMed Updated: Summary display includes the full author list and other citation details; Send to: Citation manager is available; RIS format is replaced by PubMed format; Search details include individual term translations; Citations in the Clipboard have been added to History as search number #0. Full Article
pd Another HIV Hazard: Higher Risk for COPD By www.medicinenet.com Published On :: Fri, 21 Feb 2020 00:00:00 PDT Title: Another HIV Hazard: Higher Risk for COPDCategory: Health NewsCreated: 2/20/2020 12:00:00 AMLast Editorial Review: 2/21/2020 12:00:00 AM Full Article
pd Characterization of the Efflux Capability and Substrate Specificity of Aspergillus fumigatus PDR5-like ABC Transporters Expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae By mbio.asm.org Published On :: 2020-03-24T01:31:01-07:00 ABSTRACT This research analyzed six Aspergillus fumigatus genes encoding putative efflux proteins for their roles as transporters. The A. fumigatus genes abcA, abcC, abcF, abcG, abcH, and abcI were cloned into plasmids and overexpressed in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain in which the highly active endogenous ABC transporter gene PDR5 was deleted. The activity of each transporter was measured by efflux of rhodamine 6G and accumulation of alanine β-naphthylamide. The transporters AbcA, AbcC, and AbcF had the strongest efflux activities of these compounds. All of the strains with plasmid-expressed transporters had more efflux activity than did the PDR5-deleted background strain. We performed broth microdilution drug susceptibility testing and agar spot assays using an array of compounds and antifungal drugs to determine the transporter specificity and drug susceptibility of the strains. The transporters AbcC and AbcF showed the broadest range of substrate specificity, while AbcG and AbcH had the narrowest range of substrates. Strains expressing the AbcA, AbcC, AbcF, or AbcI transporter were more resistant to fluconazole than was the PDR5-deleted background strain. Strains expressing AbcC and AbcF were additionally more resistant to clotrimazole, itraconazole, ketoconazole, and posaconazole than was the background strain. Finally, we analyzed the expression levels of the genes by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in triazole-susceptible and -resistant A. fumigatus clinical isolates. All of these transporters are expressed at a measurable level, and transporter expression varied significantly between strains, demonstrating the high degree of phenotypic variation, plasticity, and divergence of which this species is capable. IMPORTANCE One mechanism behind drug resistance is altered export out of the cell. This work is a multifaceted analysis of membrane efflux transporters in the human fungal pathogen A. fumigatus. Bioinformatics evidence infers that there is a relatively large number of genes in A. fumigatus that encode ABC efflux transporters. However, very few of these transporters have been directly characterized and analyzed for their potential role in drug resistance. Our objective was to determine if these undercharacterized proteins function as efflux transporters and then to better define whether their efflux substrates include antifungal drugs used to treat fungal infections. We chose six A. fumigatus potential plasma membrane ABC transporter genes for analysis and found that all six genes produced functional transporter proteins. We used two fungal systems to look for correlations between transporter function and drug resistance. These transporters have the potential to produce drug-resistant phenotypes in A. fumigatus. Continued characterization of these and other transporters may assist in the development of efflux inhibitor drugs. Full Article
pd MtSSPdb: The Medicago truncatula Small Secreted Peptide Database By www.plantphysiol.org Published On :: 2020-05-08T08:30:48-07:00 A growing number of small secreted peptides (SSPs) in plants are recognized as important regulatory molecules with roles in processes such as growth, development, reproduction, stress tolerance, and pathogen defense. Recent discoveries further implicate SSPs in regulating root nodule development, which is of particular significance for legumes. SSP-coding genes are frequently overlooked, because genome annotation pipelines generally ignore small open reading frames, which are those most likely to encode SSPs. Also, SSP-coding small open reading frames are often expressed at low levels or only under specific conditions, and thus are underrepresented in non-tissue-targeted or non-condition-optimized RNA-sequencing projects. We previously identified 4,439 SSP-encoding genes in the model legume Medicago truncatula. To support systematic characterization and annotation of these putative SSP-encoding genes, we developed the M. truncatula Small Secreted Peptide Database (MtSSPdb; https://mtsspdb.noble.org/). MtSSPdb currently hosts (1) a compendium of M. truncatula SSP candidates with putative function and family annotations; (2) a large-scale M. truncatula RNA-sequencing-based gene expression atlas integrated with various analytical tools, including differential expression, coexpression, and pathway enrichment analyses; (3) an online plant SSP prediction tool capable of analyzing protein sequences at the genome scale using the same protocol as for the identification of SSP genes; and (4) information about a library of synthetic peptides and root and nodule phenotyping data from synthetic peptide screens in planta. These datasets and analytical tools make MtSSPdb a unique and valuable resource for the plant research community. MtSSPdb also has the potential to become the most complete database of SSPs in plants. Full Article
pd MtSSPdb: A New Database for the Small Secreted Peptide Research Community By www.plantphysiol.org Published On :: 2020-05-08T08:30:48-07:00 Full Article
pd Eosinophils, basophils and type 2 immune microenvironments in COPD-affected lung tissue By erj.ersjournals.com Published On :: 2020-05-07T01:15:54-07:00 Although elevated blood or sputum eosinophils are present in many patients with COPD, uncertainties remain regarding the anatomical distribution pattern of lung-infiltrating eosinophils. Basophils have remained virtually unexplored in COPD. This study mapped tissue-infiltrating eosinophils, basophils and eosinophil-promoting immune mechanisms in COPD-affected lungs. Surgical lung tissue and biopsies from major anatomical compartments were obtained from COPD patients with severity grades Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stages I–IV; never-smokers/smokers served as controls. Automated immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation identified immune cells, the type 2 immunity marker GATA3 and eotaxins (CCL11, CCL24). Eosinophils and basophils were present in all anatomical compartments of COPD-affected lungs and increased significantly in very severe COPD. The eosinophilia was strikingly patchy, and focal eosinophil-rich microenvironments were spatially linked with GATA3+ cells, including type 2 helper T-cell lymphocytes and type 2 innate lymphoid cells. A similarly localised and interleukin-33/ST2-dependent eosinophilia was demonstrated in influenza-infected mice. Both mice and patients displayed spatially confined eotaxin signatures with CCL11+ fibroblasts and CCL24+ macrophages. In addition to identifying tissue basophilia as a novel feature of advanced COPD, the identification of spatially confined eosinophil-rich type 2 microenvironments represents a novel type of heterogeneity in the immunopathology of COPD that is likely to have implications for personalised treatment. Full Article
pd Optimizing Resources in Childrens Surgical Care: An Update on the American College of Surgeons' Verification Program By pediatrics.aappublications.org Published On :: 2020-05-01T01:00:46-07:00 Surgical procedures are performed in the United States in a wide variety of clinical settings and with variation in clinical outcomes. In May 2012, the Task Force for Children’s Surgical Care, an ad hoc multidisciplinary group comprising physicians representing specialties relevant to pediatric perioperative care, was convened to generate recommendations to optimize the delivery of children’s surgical care. This group generated a white paper detailing the consensus opinions of the involved experts. Following these initial recommendations, the American College of Surgeons (ACS), Children’s Hospital Association, and Task Force for Children’s Surgical Care, with input from all related perioperative specialties, developed and published specific and detailed resource and quality standards designed to improve children’s surgical care (https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/childrens-surgery/childrens-surgery-verification). In 2015, with the endorsement of the American Academy of Pediatrics (https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/135/6/e1538), the ACS established a pilot verification program. In January 2017, after completion of the pilot program, the ACS Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program was officially launched. Verified sites are listed on the program Web site at https://www.facs.org/quality-programs/childrens-surgery/childrens-surgery-verification/centers, and more than 150 are interested in verification. This report provides an update on the ACS Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program as it continues to evolve. Full Article
pd Localized Immunomodulation with PD-L1 Results in Sustained Survival and Function of Allogeneic Islets without Chronic Immunosuppression [TRANSPLANTATION] By www.jimmunol.org Published On :: 2020-05-04T13:00:28-07:00 Key Points Islets are engineered with SA-PDL1 protein without impacting viability/function. SA-PDL1–engineered islets show indefinite survival in allogeneic hosts. Survival is associated with elevated intragraft Th2, Treg, and M2 transcripts. Full Article
pd Porphyromonas gingivalis Cell Wall Components Induce Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Expression on Human Oral Carcinoma Cells by a Receptor-Interacting Protein Kinase 2 (RIP2)-Dependent Mechanism [Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular Inte By iai.asm.org Published On :: 2020-04-20T08:00:38-07:00 Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1/B7-H1) serves as a cosignaling molecule in cell-mediated immune responses and contributes to chronicity of inflammation and the escape of tumor cells from immunosurveillance. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms leading to PD-L1 upregulation in human oral carcinoma cells and in primary human gingival keratinocytes in response to infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a keystone pathogen for the development of periodontitis. The bacterial cell wall component peptidoglycan uses bacterial outer membrane vesicles to be taken up by cells. Internalized peptidoglycan triggers cytosolic receptors to induce PD-L1 expression in a myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (Myd88)-independent and receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 2 (RIP2)-dependent fashion. Interference with the kinase activity of RIP2 or mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases interferes with inducible PD-L1 expression. Full Article
pd Inhaled Corticosteroid Treatment in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Boon or Bane? By www.jabfm.org Published On :: 2020-03-16T09:31:37-07:00 Inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)–based therapy is often used for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, this approach is under scrutiny because of ICS overuse in patients for whom it is not recommended and because of concerns about adverse events, particularly pneumonia, with long-term ICS use. Evidence suggests ICS may be beneficial in specific patients, namely, those with high blood eosinophil counts (eg, ≥300 cells/µL) or who are at a high risk of exacerbations. According to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2020 ABCD assessment tool, these patients belong in group D. For these patients, recommended initial treatment includes ICS in combination with long-acting β2-agonists (LABAs) when blood eosinophil counts are ≥300 cells/µL or LABA + long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) when patients are highly symptomatic, that is, with greater dyspnea and/or exercise limitation. Follow-up treatments for patients with persistent dyspnea and/or exacerbations may include LABA + ICS, LABA + LAMA, or LABA + LAMA + ICS, with use of ICS being guided by blood eosinophil counts. In this review, differences in the inflammatory mechanism underlying COPD and asthma and the role of ICS treatment in COPD are summarized. Furthermore, findings from recent clinical trials where use of ICS-based dual or triple therapy in COPD was compared with LABA + LAMA therapy and trials in which ICS withdrawal was evaluated in patients with COPD are reviewed. Finally, a step-by-step guide for ICS withdrawal in patients who are unlikely to benefit from this treatment is proposed. A video of the author discussing the overall takeaway of the review article could be downloaded from the link provided: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq7Sr5jqPDI. Full Article
pd Risks of N95 Face Mask Use in Subjects With COPD By rc.rcjournal.com Published On :: 2020-04-28T00:42:49-07:00 BACKGROUND:The N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) is the most popular individual protective device to reduce exposure to particulate matter. However, concerns have been raised with regard to its use because it can increase respiratory resistance and dead space. Therefore, this study assessed the safety of N95 use in patients with COPD and air-flow limitation.METHODS:This prospective study was performed at a tertiary hospital and enrolled 97 subjects with COPD. The subjects were monitored for symptoms and physiologic variables during a 10-min rest period and 6-min walking test while wearing an N95.RESULTS:Of the 97 subjects, 7 with COPD did not wear the N95 for the entire test duration. This mask-failure group showed higher British modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale scores and lower FEV1 percent of predicted values than did the successful mask use group. A modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale score ≥ 3 (odds ratio 167, 95% CI 8.4 to >999.9; P = .008) or a FEV1 < 30% predicted (odds ratio 163, 95% CI 7.4 to >999.9; P = .001) was associated with a risk of failure to wear the N95. Breathing frequency, blood oxygen saturation, and exhaled carbon dioxide levels also showed significant differences before and after N95 use.CONCLUSIONS:This study demonstrated that subjects with COPD who had modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale scores ≥ 3 or FEV1 < 30% predicted wear N95s only with care. Full Article
pd Fixed Ratio Versus Lower Limit of Normal: Health Status and Risk Factors for COPD Overdiagnosis By rc.rcjournal.com Published On :: 2020-04-28T00:42:49-07:00 BACKGROUND:The threshold of the lower limit of the normal range of lung function has been suggested to be more accurate than the 0.7 fixed ratio (FEV1/FVC < 0.7) for a diagnosis of COPD. We aimed to explore the health status and risk factors of patients overdiagnosed with COPD when using the lower limit of the normal range as a diagnostic reference.METHODS:Subjects with COPD diagnosed by a pulmonologist according to guidelines of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease were recruited from October 2016 to April 2018. Overdiagnosed COPD was defined as FEV1/FVC that meets the criterion of the 0.7 fixed ratio but not the the lower limit of the normal range criterion. Spirometry and questionnaires were performed by eligible subjects.RESULTS:Of the 513 subjects included in the final analysis, 20 (3.9%) were overdiagnosed when using the lower limit of the normal range as the diagnostic reference. The subjects who were overdiagnosed were older, weighed more, had better lung function, lower modified Medical British Research Council scores, and higher St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire and 36-item Short Form Survey scores than the subjects who were correctly diagnosed. Older age, heavier weight, exposure to cooking oil fumes, or a new-built or newly renovated home were associated with an increased risk of overdiagnosis of COPD (age adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.17, 95% CI 1.09–1.26; weight adjusted OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03–1.13; exposure to cooking oil fumes adjusted OR 3.00, 95% CI, 1.04–8.68; exposure to new-built or newly renovated home adjusted OR 10.88, 95% CI 1.46–80.87.CONCLUSIONS:The subjects with overdiagnosed COPD had a better health status and lung function than the subjects who were correctly diagnosed. Older age, heavier weight, and exposure to cooking oil fumes or a new-built or newly renovated home were factors associated with the overdiagnosis of COPD. These findings may help reduce overdiagnosis of COPD. Full Article
pd SNMMI Leadership Update: SNMMI Strong: Advancing the Profession through Advocacy, Collaboration, and Awareness By jnm.snmjournals.org Published On :: 2020-05-01T06:31:37-07:00 Full Article
pd Management of acute COPD exacerbations in Australia: do we follow the guidelines? By openres.ersjournals.com Published On :: 2020-04-19T07:30:12-07:00 Objective We aimed to assess adherence to the Australian national guideline (COPD-X) against audited practice, and to document the outcomes of patients hospitalised with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at discharge and 28 days after. Methods A prospective clinical audit of COPD hospital admission from five tertiary care hospitals in five states of Australia was conducted. Post-discharge follow-up was conducted via telephone to assess for readmission and health status. Results There were 207 admissions for acute exacerbation (171 patients; mean 70.2 years old; 50.3% males). Readmission rates at 28 days were 25.4%, with one (0.6%) death during admission and eight (6.1%) post-discharge within 28 days. Concordance to the COPD-X guidance was variable; 22.7% performed spirometry, 81.1% had blood gases collected when forced expiratory volume in 1 s was <1 L, 99.5% had chest radiography performed, 95.1% were prescribed systemic corticosteroids and 95% were prescribed antibiotic therapy. There were 89.1% given oxygen therapy and 92.6% when arterial oxygen tension was <80 mmHg; 65.6% were given ventilatory assistance when pH was <7.35. Only 32.4% were referred to pulmonary rehabilitation but 76.8% had general practitioner follow-up arranged. Conclusion When compared against clinical practice guidelines, we found important gaps in management of patients admitted with COPD throughout tertiary care centres in Australia. Strategies to improve guideline uptake are needed to optimise care. Full Article
pd Efficacy and safety of two doses of budesonide/formoterol fumarate metered dose inhaler in COPD By openres.ersjournals.com Published On :: 2020-04-27T00:30:10-07:00 Inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2-agonist combination therapy is a recommended treatment option for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and increased exacerbation risk, particularly those with elevated blood eosinophil levels. SOPHOS (NCT02727660) evaluated the efficacy and safety of two doses of budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate metered dose inhaler (BFF MDI) versus formoterol fumarate dihydrate (FF) MDI, each delivered using co-suspension delivery technology, in patients with moderate-to-very severe COPD and a history of exacerbations. In this phase 3, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, 12–52-week, variable length study, patients received twice-daily BFF MDI 320/10 µg or 160/10 µg, or FF MDI 10 µg. The primary endpoint was change from baseline in morning pre-dose trough forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) at week 12. Secondary and other endpoints included assessments of moderate/severe COPD exacerbations and safety. The primary analysis (modified intent-to-treat) population included 1843 patients (BFF MDI 320/10 µg, n=619; BFF MDI 160/10 µg, n=617; and FF MDI, n=607). BFF MDI 320/10 µg and 160/10 µg improved morning pre-dose trough FEV1 at week 12 versus FF MDI (least squares mean differences 34 mL [p=0.0081] and 32 mL [p=0.0134], respectively), increased time to first exacerbation (hazard ratios 0.827 [p=0.0441] and 0.803 [p=0.0198], respectively) and reduced exacerbation rate (rate ratios 0.67 [p=0.0001] and 0.71 [p=0.0010], respectively). Lung function and exacerbation benefits were driven by patients with blood eosinophil counts ≥150 cells·mm–3. The incidence of adverse events was similar, and pneumonia rates were low (≤2.4%) across treatments. SOPHOS demonstrated the efficacy and tolerability of BFF MDI 320/10 µg and 160/10 µg in patients with moderate-to-very severe COPD at increased risk of exacerbations. Full Article