Explore the vast range of titles available.

Widespread acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines is crucial for achieving sufficient immunization coverage to end the global pandemic, yet few studies have investigated COVID-19 vaccination attitudes in lower-income countries, where large-scale vaccination is just beginning. We analyze COVID-19 vaccine acceptance across 15 survey samples covering 10 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia, Africa and South America, Russia (an upper-middle-income country) and the United States, including a total of 44,260 individuals. We find considerably higher willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine in our LMIC samples (mean 80.3%; median 78%; range 30.1 percentage points) compared with the United States (mean 64.6%) and Russia (mean 30.4%). Vaccine acceptance in LMICs is primarily explained by an interest in personal protection against COVID-19, while concern about side effects is the most common reason for hesitancy. Health workers are the most trusted sources of guidance about COVID-19 vaccines. Evidence from this sample of LMICs suggests that prioritizing vaccine distribution to the Global South should yield high returns in advancing global immunization coverage. Vaccination campaigns should focus on translating the high levels of stated acceptance into actual uptake. Messages highlighting vaccine efficacy and safety, delivered by healthcare workers, could be effective for addressing any remaining hesitancy in the analyzed LMICs.

Introduction To investigate the long-term outcomes of emergency penetrating keratoplasty using cryopreserved human donor corneas in the management of actual or imminent corneal perforation. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of the treatment efficacy of emergency penetrating keratoplasty using a cryopreserved human donor cornea, in 14 eyes of 14 patients with corneal ulcers of different etiology. For comparison, the medical histories of 14 patients who had undergone penetrating keratoplasty with the same indication, but received a regularly processed human corneal graft, were retrospectively analyzed. In both groups, the primary endpoint for graft failure was repeat surgery, defined as the necessity for amniotic membrane transplantation, conjunctival flap, or repeat penetrating keratoplasty, during a follow-up time of maximally 12 months. Results The difference in the need for repeated surgeries between the cryopreserved human donor cornea group and cultivated tissue graft group was not statistically significant ( p  = 0.835). Specifically, repeat complex surgery of any kind within 6 months was necessary in 50% of the cryopreserved cornea group and in 57.1% of the control group, with no further surgical interventions during the remainder of the follow-up period. However, repeat penetrating keratoplasty occurred more frequently in the cryopreserved cornea group ( n  = 5) than in the control group ( n  = 1) during the first 12 months after treatment ( p  = 0.048). Conclusion Cryopreserved corneas appear to be a viable option for promptly addressing emergencies and stabilizing the corneal situation, providing a faster solution compared to waiting for fresh tissue availability. However, repeat penetrating keratoplasty is more frequent when cryopreserved human donor corneas are used. Cryopreserved human donor corneas may be useful if surgical treatment is urgent and alternative options, such as tissue use, a conjunctival flap, or multilayer amniotic membrane transplantation, are not available.

Preoxygenation is a crucial manoeuvre for patients’ safety, particularly for morbidly obese patients due to their reduced pulmonary reserve and increased risk for difficult airway situations. The oxygen reserve index (ORI™) was recently introduced as a new parameter of multiple wavelength pulse oximetry and has been advocated to allow assessment of hyperoxia [quantified by the resulting arterial oxygen partial pressure ( P aO 2 )]. This study investigates if ORI can be used to evaluate the impact of two different preoxygenation manoeuvres on the grade of hyperoxia. Two preoxygenation manoeuvres were sequentially evaluated in 41 morbidly obese patients: First, breathing 100% oxygen for 5 min via standard face mask. Second, after achieving a second baseline, 5 min of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) with 100% oxygen. The effect of preoxygenation on ORI compared to P aO 2 was evaluated and whether differences in the two preoxygenation manoeuvres can be monitored by ORI. Overall correlation of P aO 2 and ORI was significant (Spearman-Rho coefficient of correlation 0.818, p < 0.001). However, ORI could not differentiate between the two preoxygenation manoeuvres although the P aO 2 values for NIV preoxygenation were significantly higher compared to standard preoxygenation (median 505 mmHg (M1) vs. 550 mmHg (M3); p < 0.0001). In contrast, ORI values did not differ significantly (median 0.39 (M1) vs. 0.38 (M3); p = 0.758). Absolute values of ORI cannot be used to assess effectiveness of a preoxygenation procedure in bariatric patients, mainly because its range of discrimination is considerably lower than the high ranges of P aO 2 attained by adequate preoxygenation. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00025023 (retrospectively registered on April 16th, 2021).

Purpose Prone position (PP) improves oxygenation and outcome of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients with a PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio <150 mmHg. Regional changes in lung aeration can be assessed by lung ultrasound (LUS). Our aim was to predict the magnitude of oxygenation response after PP using bedside LUS. Methods We conducted a prospective multicenter study that included adult patients with severe and moderate ARDS. LUS data were collected at four time points: 1 h before (baseline) and 1 h after turning the patient to PP, 1 h before and 1 h after turning the patient back to the supine position. Regional lung aeration changes and ultrasound reaeration scores were assessed at each time. Overdistension was not assessed. Results Fifty-one patients were included. Oxygenation response after PP was not correlated with a specific LUS pattern. The patients with focal and non-focal ARDS showed no difference in global reaeration score. With regard to the entire PP session, the patients with non-focal ARDS had an improved aeration gain in the anterior areas. Oxygenation response was not associated with aeration changes. No difference in PaCO 2 change was found according to oxygenation response or lung morphology. Conclusions In ARDS patients with a PaO 2 /FiO 2 ratio ≤150 mmHg, bedside LUS cannot predict oxygenation response after the first PP session. At the bedside, LUS enables monitoring of aeration changes during PP.

Importance Few studies have examined the association between underweight in the first 2 years and growth in later childhood in high-income countries. Objective To evaluate the associations of underweight in the first 2 years of life with body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared)zscore (zBMI), weight-for-agezscore (WAZ), and height-for-agezscore (HAZ) from ages 2 to 10 years. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective cohort study was conducted between February 2008 to September 2020 in The Applied Research Group for Kids! practice-based research network in Toronto, Canada. Participants included healthy children aged 0 to 10 years. Data were analyzed from October 2020 to December 2021. Exposures Underweight (ie, zBMI less than −2, per the World Health Organization) in the first 2 years of life. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was zBMI from ages 2 to 10 years. Linear mixed-effects models were used to account for multiple growth measures over time. Results A total of 5803 children were included in the primary analysis. At baseline, the mean (SD) age was 4.07 (5.62) months, 2982 (52.2%) were boys, and 550 children (9.5%) were underweight. Underweight in the first 2 years was associated with lower zBMI (difference, −0.39 [95% CI, −0.48 to −0.31]) at 10 years and lower HAZ (difference, −0.24 [95% CI, −0.34 to −0.14]) at age 2 years. Stratified by sex, at age 10 years, girls and boys with underweight in the first 2 years both had lower zBMI (girls: difference, −0.47 [95% CI, −0.59 to −0.34]; boys: difference, −0.32 [95% CI, −0.44 to −0.20]). At age 10 years, children with underweight and a lower zBMI growth rate in the first 2 years had lower zBMI (difference, −0.64 [95% CI, −0.77 to −0.53) and HAZ (difference, −0.12 [−0.24 to −0.01]), while children with underweight and a higher zBMI growth rate in the first 2 years had similar zBMI (difference, −0.11 [95% CI, −0.22 to 0.001]) and higher HAZ (difference, 0.16 [95% CI, 0.05 to 0.27]) compared with children who did not have underweight in the first 2 years. Conclusions and Relevance In this prospective cohort study, children with underweight in the first 2 years of life had lower zBMI and HAZ in later childhood. These associations were attenuated among children with a higher growth rate in the first 2 years.

The paper presents an experimental scheme performed in the laboratory of Thermotechnics, Engines, Thermic and Refrigeration Plants Department of Politehnica University of Bucharest. The purpose of the installation is to specify the effective efficiency of a new type of rotating positive displacement pump rotors profiled after the conducted experimental measurements.

Individuals with psychiatric disorders have elevated rates of autoimmune comorbidity and altered immune signaling. It is unclear whether these altered immunological states have a shared genetic basis with those psychiatric disorders. The present study sought to use existing summary-level data from previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to determine if commonly varying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are shared between psychiatric and immune-related phenotypes. We estimated heritability and examined pair-wise genetic correlations using the linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) and heritability estimation from summary statistics (HESS) methods. Using LDSC, we observed significant genetic correlations between immune-related disorders and several psychiatric disorders, including anorexia nervosa, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, smoking behavior, and Tourette syndrome. Loci significantly mediating genetic correlations were identified for schizophrenia when analytically paired with Crohns disease, primary biliary cirrhosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and ulcerative colitis. We report significantly correlated loci and highlight those containing genome-wide associations and candidate genes for respective disorders. We also used the LDSC method to characterize genetic correlations amongst the immune-related phenotypes. We discuss our findings in the context of relevant genetic and epidemiological literature, as well as the limitations and caveats of the study.