Plos One
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Comparative Study
Comparisons of retinal vessel density and glaucomatous parameters in optical coherence tomography angiography.
To compare the retinal vessel density and glaucomatous parameters in primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), to evaluate the diagnostic and monitoring abilities of the peripapillary and macular vessel density in the progression of glaucoma. ⋯ The changes of PVD and MVD had strongly positive correlation with GCIPL thickness and RNFL thickness, had negative correlation with the severity of glaucoma, which meant the more severe the glaucoma was, the lower PVD and MVD were. Compared to traditional glaucoma staging system judged by VF, the changes of PVD and MVD obtained by OCTA might be a new method to grade the stage of glaucoma. These findings theorize that the changes of PVD and MVD may be better facilitated for the observation and monitoring of glaucoma progression.
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Observational Study
Reduction of in-hospital cardiac arrest with sequential deployment of rapid response team and medical emergency team to the emergency department and acute care wards.
This study aimed to determine if sequential deployment of a nurse-led Rapid Response Team (RRT) and an intensivist-led Medical Emergency Team (MET) for critically ill patients in the Emergency Department (ED) and acute care wards improved hospital-wide cardiac arrest rates. ⋯ Implementing an intensivist-led MET-RRT significantly decreased the overall cardiac arrest rate relative to the rate under a nurse-led RRT model. Additional MET capabilities and early initiation of advanced, time-sensitive therapies likely had the most impact.
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Child mortality from rotavirus gastroenteritis remains high in Nigeria, representing 14% of all rotavirus deaths worldwide. Here, we examine the potential impact and cost-effectiveness of national rotavirus vaccine introduction in geographic and economic subpopulations of Nigeria. We projected the health and economic outcomes of rotavirus vaccination in children over the first five years of life using a spreadsheet-based model. ⋯ According to one-way sensitivity analyses, ICERs were most sensitive to vaccine efficacy, followed by estimated administrative costs and rotavirus mortality. Disparities in mortality reduction were largely driven by inequality in vaccination coverage across regions and between socioeconomic subpopulations. Due to high, persistent, and inequitable burden of rotavirus in Nigeria, routine vaccination with any of these rotavirus vaccines would be an high impact and cost-effective strategy in reducing child mortality.
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Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several genomic loci with candidate modifiers of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease, but only a small proportion of the expected genetic contribution is accounted for at these loci. We leveraged expression data from CF cohorts, and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) reference data sets from multiple human tissues to generate predictive models, which were used to impute transcriptional regulation from genetic variance in our GWAS population. The imputed gene expression was tested for association with CF lung disease severity. ⋯ Gene set enrichment results are consistent with current knowledge of CF lung disease pathogenesis. HLA Class II genes on chr6, and CEP72, EXOC3, and TPPP near the GWAS peak on chr5 are most consistently associated with CF lung disease severity across the tissues tested. The results help to prioritize genes in the GWAS regions, predict direction of gene expression regulation, and identify new candidate modifiers throughout the genome for potential therapeutic development.
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Comparative Study
Antibody kinetics and serologic profiles of SARS-CoV-2 infection using two serologic assays.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging threat worldwide. This study aims to assess the serologic profiles and time kinetics of antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in patients with COVID-19 using two immunoassays. ⋯ The antibody kinetics against SARS-CoV-2 are similar to common findings of acute viral infectious diseases. Antibody testing is useful for ruling out SARS-CoV-2 infection after 14 d PSO, detecting past infection, and epidemiologic surveys.