Knowing the seasonality of COVID-19 helps decision-makers to take suitable interventions against the pandemic. In this study, we performed the Brown-Forsythe variance analysis on seasonal variations on different indicators based on the data on COVID-19 for the United States provided publicly by WHO. Our study finds that the seasonality of weekly cases and deaths of COVID-19 are strongly statistically supported by the data. The weekly total cases(/deaths) in winter are three to seven times(/two to three times) more than the other three single seasons. The ICU patients in winter and autumn are four to five times more than spring. The weekly hospital admissions in winter are four times more than spring. The mean of the positive rate in winter is five times more than spring. The findings of this research can be a reference in decision-making when taking interventions against the pandemic, such as taking stricter interventions in winter while considering less strict interventions in summer, etc.

BACKGROUND: The monitoring of antibiotic prescriptions is of fundamental importance in the hospital setting. Inappropriate prescriptions could cause an unjustified exposure of patients to the risk of ADR (adverse drug reactions) and increase the risk of spreading the ecological resistance of hospital microorganisms. The use of IT media is essential in antimicrobial stewardship programs. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to evaluate the variation in the exposure index to antibiotics following the adoption of electronic pharmacist-controlled prescriptions in 2015. METHODS: Electronic Personalised Prescription Software (EPPS) was introduced in our University Hospital in 2015. The exposure index to antibiotics was expressed per WHO methodology in DDD (defined daily dose)/100 patient days (DPD). The changes in DPDs over the 2015-2020 period were calculated as percentages and through linear regressions. The analysis was performed using SPSS® (IBM). RESULTS: Following the introduction of EPPS, there was a progressive decline in DPDs during the 2015-2020 period from 98.9 to 65.1 (R2 = 0.687, p = 0.041). This could mainly be linked to the decreased use of ATC class J01CR - penicillin association, including beta-lactamase inhibitors (DPD 2015 39.9; DPD 2020 11.5; variation -71.1%). Expenditure progressively decreased from € 427,000 in 2015 to € 269,000 in 2020. CONCLUSION: The use of EPPS was shown to be useful for pharmacists in implementing proper antibiotic dispensing practices; the avoidance of inappropriate prescriptions leads to a better monitoring of DPDs and the related expenditure which is the main goal of antibiotic stewardship programs.

Monkeypox is a global health issue caused by the monkeypox virus. It can spread from person to person through respiratory secretions, direct exposure to dermatological lesions of infected patients, or exposure to contaminated objects. It is more common in homosexual men, and most patients are asymptomatic. The gold standard for diagnosis is a real-time polymerase chain reaction. In the absence of testing facilities, clinicians rely upon detailed history to exclude other causes of fever with rashes. Initially, there is a prodrome phase of a few days, which is followed by the appearance of rashes. The dermatological manifestations are in the form of an exanthematous rash, which transforms through a macular, papular, and vesicular phase and disappears after crusting in approximately 3 weeks. There can be associated lymphadenopathy in these patients. Respiratory manifestations include nasal congestion and shortness of breath that may result in secondary bacterial infections. Additionally, patients can have neurological involvement in the form of encephalitis. Furthermore, ocular involvement can occur in the form of conjunctivitis, keratitis, and corneal ulceration. Other symptoms can include diarrhea, vomiting, myalgia, and backache. Since most patients do not require hospitalization, the approach to treatment is mainly vigilant monitoring, antiviral therapy, and management of associated complications.

Monkeypox is a unique variety of pox infection. Despite being around for a long time, there hasn't been a large outbreak of this disease. WHO has already acknowledged the seriousness of the large monkeypox outbreak in 2022. Africa's unusual outbreak outside of endemic regions is a problem. Numerous observations have been made about the new clinical epidemiological pattern. Human monkeypox is currently spreading outside of endemic African countries, and the majority of those affected are gay and bisexual men in linked sexual networks. As was already mentioned, the current public health concern is the spread of monkeypox through sexual contact. The link between monkeypox and other sexually transmitted diseases is a growing concern because it is believed that the disease can be transferred through sexual contact. This page provides a summary of the interactions between other significant STDs such as HIV infection, syphilis, and gonorrhea. A fascinating research topic at the moment is the connection between monkeypox and other sexually transmitted diseases.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is the master transcriptional regulator of the heat shock response (HSR) in mammalian cells and is a critical element in maintaining protein homeostasis. HSF1 functions at the center of many physiological processes like embryogenesis, metabolism, immune response, aging, cancer, and neurodegeneration. However, the mechanisms that allow HSF1 to control these different biological and pathophysiological processes are not fully understood. This review focuses on Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disease characterized by severe protein aggregation of the huntingtin (HTT) protein. The aggregation of HTT, in turn, leads to a halt in the function of HSF1. Understanding the pathways that regulate HSF1 in different contexts like HD may hold the key to understanding the pathomechanisms underlying other proteinopathies. We provide the most current information on HSF1 structure, function, and regulation, emphasizing HD, and discussing its potential as a biological target for therapy. DATA SOURCES: We performed PubMed search to find established and recent reports in HSF1, heat shock proteins (Hsp), HD, Hsp inhibitors, HSF1 activators, and HSF1 in aging, inflammation, cancer, brain development, mitochondria, synaptic plasticity, polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, and HD. STUDY SELECTIONS: Research and review articles that described the mechanisms of action of HSF1 were selected based on terms used in PubMed search. RESULTS: HSF1 plays a crucial role in the progression of HD and other protein-misfolding related neurodegenerative diseases. Different animal models of HD, as well as postmortem brains of patients with HD, reveal a connection between the levels of HSF1 and HSF1 dysfunction to mutant HTT (mHTT)-induced toxicity and protein aggregation, dysregulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disruption of the structural and functional integrity of synaptic connections, which eventually leads to neuronal loss. These features are shared with other neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Currently, several inhibitors against negative regulators of HSF1, as well as HSF1 activators, are developed and hold promise to prevent neurodegeneration in HD and other NDs. CONCLUSION: Understanding the role of HSF1 during protein aggregation and neurodegeneration in HD may help to develop therapeutic strategies that could be effective across different NDs.

Monkeypox is a unique variety of pox infection. WHO has already acknowledged the seriousness of the large monkeypox outbreak in 2022. The disease commonly presents as acute febrile illness with skin lesion. However, a fever or a skin lesion, however, is sometimes not detectable. Without the peculiar appearance, the physician might have missed the problem and made a false diagnosis. Basically, the clinical diagnosis is the simplest procedure and must be used by practitioners. Laboratory methods can help confirm diagnosis. The gold standard for diagnosis is the molecular-based diagnosis. There are also other available approaches such as point of care testing. In this article, we also summarize and discuss important practical points in laboratory diagnosis for monkeypox.

Endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids modulate many physiological and pathological processes by binding classical cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1) or 2 (CB2) or non-cannabinoid receptors. Cannabinoids are known to exert antiproliferative, apoptotic, anti-migratory and anti-invasive effect on cancer cells by inducing or inhibiting various signaling cascades. In this chapter, we specifically emphasize the latest research works about the alterations in endocannabinoid system (ECS) components in malignancies and cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, autophagy, and death by cannabinoid administration, emphasizing their mechanism of action, and give a future perspective for clinical use.

Campylobacter spp. are Gram-negative microaerophilic and non-spore-forming bacteria that primarily live as commensal organisms in the gastrointestinal tract of many domestic and wild birds and mammals. These frequently provoke foodborne illness, being responsible for the most common cause of acute bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Although these are typically fastidious and slow-growing microorganisms which are sensitive to desiccation and other stresses (e.g., extreme pH, freezing, UV, disinfectants), these can still survive outside their host for long periods, with their attachment to surfaces and the formation of and/or inclusion into biofilms to be considered quite important for their environmental survival and widespread dissemination. In this chapter, the most representative studies on the existence, relevance, and importance of biofilms in the resistance and spreading of Campylobacter spp. within the food chain are presented. Hopefully, such accumulated and focused knowledge is expected to highlight the problem and trigger more effective ways for its mitigation, improving the safety of our food supply and protecting public health.