Background. Recently, the importance of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of several disorders has gained clinical interests. Among exogenous factors affecting gut microbiome, diet appears to have the largest effect. Fatty acids, especially omega-3 polyunsaturated, ameliorate a range of several diseases, including cardiometabolic and inflammatory and cancer. Fatty acids associated beneficial effects may be mediated, to an important extent, through changes in gut microbiota composition. We sought to understand the changes of the gut microbiota in response to an omega-3 rich diet.Case Presentation.This case study investigated changes of gut microbiota with an omega-3 rich diet. Fecal samples were collected from a 45-year-old male who consumed 600 mg of omega-3 daily for 14 days. After the intervention, species diversity was decreased, but several butyrate-producing bacteria increased. There was an important decrease inFaecalibacterium prausnitziiandAkkermansiaspp. Gut microbiota changes were reverted after the 14-day washout. Conclusion. Some of the health-related benefits of omega-3 may be due, in part, to increases in butyrate-producing bacteria. These findings may shed light on the mechanisms explaining the effects of omega-3 in several chronic diseases and may also serve as an existing foundation for tailoring personalized medical treatments.

Implementing an electronic health record (EHR) can be a difficult task to take on and planning the process is of utmost importance to minimize errors. Evaluating the selection criteria and implementation plan of an EHR system, intending interoperability, confidentiality, availability, and integrity of the patient health information data, while ensuring timely, accurate, and regulatory compliant generation of reports is a critical task. This article discusses the selection and implementation plan that will primarily consist of assessing existing institutional workflows for each department, and it outlines the necessities and inclinations of the institution to include in the EHR system for the organization to function properly. Resources and tools are included to assist in the selection of the product as well as ideas on how to train staff and evaluate staff readiness. Regulatory requirements are also included for consideration during the initial process. EHR increases the logistic productivity of workflows and offers a safer way to care for patients. To ensure efficiency, there is a series of steps the provider’s staff must follow to ensure proper implementation and handling of the EHR system. Before using the implemented EHR, it is recommended to have a testing protocol in place to ensure areas of possible staff confusion are identified and controlled. Using a proper implementation strategy for a new EHR system can facilitate success, minimize delays, and increase health care worker’s satisfaction and decrease the chances of usability being compromised.

Background: Most theorists and medical educators agree that a curriculum rich in active learning (AL) strategies, such as a flipped classroom, is superior to passive listening to promote better retention and application of new knowledge. Although AL multimodal teaching strategies have been considered the most effective, including online virtual teaching, voice-over pre-recorded lectures, and, more recently, the addition of artificial intelligence (AI), data on the effectiveness of these methods in medical education is scarce. The present educational research study examined the effectiveness of voice-over-style lectures and AI in facilitating learning outcomes as assessed by test scores after participating in basic science lectures in a medical school setting. Methods: Participating students were divided equally into two educational strategy groups: slide decks only traditional way (PPT) or PPT plus AI (PPT+AI) platform (edYOU; Los Angeles, CA, USA). The PPT+AI group comprised the PPT with narration and real-time interaction with an AI being personalized, which leverages natural language processing to tailor customized conversations to each student’s current knowledge. Students in the two groups were asked to participate in a formative quiz (not reflective of their academic evaluations) to answer questions relevant to voice-over lectures (PPT and PPT+AI). The statistical strategy for conducting quiz item analysis included item difficulty, item discrimination, and point-biserial correlation R. A student's T-test was conducted to compare the two strategies’ effectiveness via test scores. A priori, an alpha level of 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Data are presented as mean ± s.e.m.; Cohen’s d. A total of 42 (n=21 in each group) students participated in the study. Students using PPT+AI obtained statistically significant (P <0.043; d = .54) higher quiz scores under challenging questions and less time spent in lectures (54.1 ± 14.3 hrs.) in the PPT+AI group (P <0.001; d = 1.17) compared with the PPT group. Conclusions: The PPT+AI strategy could be the difference between a pass and a fail, as the PPT+AI strategy is particularly efficient in improving difficult question test scores. At the same time, students may learn the material in less time (efficiency). Research on the application of AI as part of educational strategies for improving satirized test scores, including boards, is warranted. The present study is part of the necessary early steps to better understand the impact of AI as an educational strategy for improving educational outcomes.

Somagutta MK, et al. Infect Chemother. 2021 May;53:e26. https://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2021.0016

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has created an unprecedented impact on healthcare globally. Being a novel virus, several treatments have been explored against COVID-19. During the early stages of the disease, treatment is mainly supportive. While several studies have suggested different treatment modalities, there is still no definitive treatment against COVID-19. Re-purposing already established medications, with excellent safety profiles, is a possible approach for treating the disease in its early stage. Having a mode of transmission as a droplet mode, several studies have supported how the nose can contain the primary route of entry of SARS-CoV-2. Hence, we postulated that re-purposing a commercially available nasal spray containing xylitol and grapefruit seed extract (GSE), namely Xlear Nasal Spray® (Xlear, Inc., American Fork, USA) could be used as an adjunct treatment of COVID-19. With a well-established safety profile, the components of this nasal spray have been studied and have been shown to have potential efficacy against viral pathogens, including coronavirus, and may potentially regulate pathways important in the initial entry of infection, replication, and systemic response to SARS-CoV-2. We present a series of three mild-moderate risks, symptomatic, COVID-19 patients, treated with the intranasal combination, as an adjuvant to their ongoing treatment, with rapid clinical improvement and shorten time to negativization on repeat intranasal swab test via PCR. No safety issues were noted during the course of treatment. Xlear nasal spray, containing xylitol plus GSE, given its established safety profile and compelling clinical results described here, could be a potential adjunct treatment option in mild-moderate COVID-19 cases.