Public Health

Peritonitis is a common and severe complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). For comparative analysis standardized definitions as well as measurements and outcomes are crucial. However, most PD-related peritonitis studies have been using heterogenous definitions and variable methods to measure outcomes. The ISPD 2022 guidelines have revised and clarified numerous definitions and proposed new peritonitis categories and outcomes.

High stakes examinations used to credential trainees for independent specialist practice should be evaluated periodically to ensure defensible decisions are made. This study aims to quantify the College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (CICM) Hot Case reliability coefficient and evaluate contributions to variance from candidates, cases and examiners.

The impact of inadequate empirical antibiotic treatment on patient outcomes and hospitalization duration for non-life-threatening infections in children remains poorly understood. We aimed to assess the effects of inadequate empirical antibiotic treatment on these factors in pediatric patients.

Complications after laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) are important factors affecting the prognosis of patients, especially for complex hepatobiliary diseases. The present study aimed to evaluate the value of a three-dimensional (3D) printed dry-laboratory model in the precise planning of LLR for complex hepatobiliary diseases.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) poses a significant global health threat, re-emerging as a mosquito-transmitted pathogen that caused high fever, rash, and severe arthralgia. In Thailand, a notable CHIKV outbreak in 2019-2020 affected approximately 20,000 cases across 60 provinces, underscoring the need for effective mosquito control protocols. Previous studies have highlighted the role of midgut bacteria in the interaction between mosquito vectors and pathogen infections, demonstrating their ability to protect the insect from invading pathogens. However, research on the midgut bacteria of Aedes (Ae.) aegypti, the primary vector for CHIKV in Thailand remains limited. This study aims to characterize the bacterial communities in laboratory strains of Ae. aegypti, both infected and non-infected with CHIKV. Female mosquitoes from a laboratory strain of Ae. aegypti were exposed to a CHIKV-infected blood meal through membrane feeding, while the control group received a non-infected blood meal. At 7 days post-infection (dpi), mosquito midguts were dissected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing to identify midgut bacteria, and CHIKV presence was confirmed by E1-nested RT-PCR using mosquito carcasses. The study aimed to compare the bacterial communities between CHIKV-infected and non-infected groups. The analysis included 12 midgut bacterial samples, divided into three groups: CHIKV-infected (exposed and infected), non-infected (exposed but not infected), and non-exposed (negative control). Alpha diversity indices and Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrix revealed significant differences in bacterial profiles among the three groups. The infected group exhibited an increased abundance of bacteria genus Gluconobacter, while Asaia was prevalent in both non-infected and negative control groups. Chryseobacterium was prominent in the negative control group. These findings highlight potential alterations in the distribution and abundance of gut microbiomes in response to CHIKV infection status. This study provides valuable insights into the dynamic relationship between midgut bacteria and CHIKV, underscoring the potential for alterations in bacterial composition depending on infection status. Understanding the relationships between mosquitoes and their microbiota holds promise for developing new methods and tools to enhance existing strategies for disease prevention and control. This research advances our understanding of the circulating bacterial composition, opening possibilities for new approaches in combating mosquito-borne diseases.

Characterization of shared cancer mechanisms have been proposed to improve therapy strategies and prognosis. Here, we aimed to identify shared cell-cell interactions (CCIs) within the tumor microenvironment across multiple solid cancers and assess their association with cancer mortality.

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated, hyperproliferative skin disease. Etiopathogenesis of psoriasis is not well understood. Plexin B2 was found to have effects on CD100-mediated T-cell morphology and expressed in the immune system. It may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. To assess the tissue level of plexin-B2 and plexin B2 related gene polymorphism which is signal regulatory protein gamma (SIRPγ-rs71212732) in psoriatic patients before and after NB-UVB, acitretin therapy alone or in combination and to detect correlation between level of tissue plexin B2 and disease severity and improvement. This single blinded randomized controlled trial was carried on 50 psoriatic patients and 50 healthy controls. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (PASI) was used to evaluate the disease severity. Tissue plexin-b2 level was measured using ELISA and SIRPγ-rs71212732 (T\C) was assessed using TaqMan™ assays and real-time PCR. A significant lower tissue plexin-B2 level was observed in control group (2.9 ± 0.6 pg/g) than cases (25.8 ± 2.8, pg/g) (p < 0.001). Also, a significantly higher tissue plexin-B2 level was observed in sever psoriasis (32.7 ± 3.8 pg/ml) in than moderate psoriasis (13.6 ± 2.1 pg/ml, p = 0.001). Tissue plexin B2 was positively correlated with diseases severity. Significantly higher (TC& TT) genotypes and mutant (C) allele among patients compared to the controls, p < 0.001 for all. Tissue plexin-b2 level was high in psoriasis vulgaris with positive correlation with disease severity and decreased after treatment. This may indicate a role of plexin-b2 in psoriasis vulgaris pathogenesis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) presents with varying prognoses, and identifying factors for predicting metastasis and outcomes is crucial. Perineural invasion (PNI) is a debated prognostic factor for CRC, particularly in stage I-III patients, but its role in guiding adjuvant chemotherapy for node-positive colon cancer remains uncertain.

To evaluate the association between maternal BMI and congenital heart defects (CHDs) in the offspring when including live births, stillbirths, aborted and terminated pregnancies and to investigate if maternal interpregnancy weight changes between the first and second pregnancy influences the risk of foetal CHDs.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the major causes of death and disability, and hypertensive ICH (HICH) is the most common type of ICH. Currently, the outcomes of HICH patients remain poor after treatment, and early prognosis prediction of HICH is important. However, there are limited effective clinical treatments and biomarkers for HICH patients. Although circRNA has been widely studied in diseases, the role of plasma exosomal circRNAs in HICH remains unknown. The present study was conducted to investigate the characteristics and function of plasma exosomal circRNAs in six HICH patients using circRNA microarray and bioinformatics analysis. The results showed that there were 499 differentially expressed exosomal circRNAs between the HICH patients and control subjects. According to GO annotation and KEGG pathway analyses, the targets regulated by differentially expressed exosomal circRNAs were tightly related to the development of HICH via nerve/neuronal growth, neuroinflammation and endothelial homeostasis. And the differentially expressed exosomal circRNAs could mainly bind to four RNA-binding proteins (EIF4A3, FMRP, AGO2 and HUR). Moreover, of differentially expressed exosomal circRNAs, hsa_circ_00054843, hsa_circ_0010493 and hsa_circ_00090516 were significantly associated with bleeding volume and Glasgow Coma Scale score of the subjects. Our findings firstly revealed that the plasma exosomal circRNAs are significantly involved in the progression of HICH, and could be potent biomarkers for HICH. This provides the basis for further research to pinpoint the best biomarkers and illustrate the mechanism of exosomal circRNAs in HICH.

In nature, parasite species often coinfect the same host. Yet, it is not clear what drives the natural dynamics of coinfection prevalence. The prevalence of coinfections might be affected by interactions among coinfecting species, or simply derive from parasite diversity. Identifying the relative impact of these parameters is crucial for understanding patterns of coinfections. We studied the occurrence and likelihood of coinfections in natural populations of water fleas (Daphnia magna). Coinfection prevalence was within the bounds expected by chance and parasite diversity had a strong positive effect on the likelihood of coinfections. Additionally, coinfection prevalence increased over the season and became as common as a single infection. Our results demonstrate how patterns of coinfection, and particularly their temporal variation, are affected by overlapping epidemics of different parasites. We suggest that monitoring parasite diversity can help predict where and when coinfection prevalence will be high, potentially leading to increased health risks to their hosts.

Sarcopenia and cognitive impairment have been linked in prior research, and both are linked to an increased risk of mortality in the general population. Muscle mass is a key factor in the diagnosis of sarcopenia. The relationship between low muscle mass and cognitive function in the aged population, and their combined impact on the risk of death in older adults, is currently unknown. This study aimed to explore the correlation between low muscle mass and cognitive function in the older population, and the relationship between the two and mortality in older people.

Our aim was to develop a machine learning-based predictor for early mortality and severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) in very-low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants in Taiwan. We collected retrospective data from VLBW infants, dividing them into two cohorts: one for model development and internal validation (Cohort 1, 2016-2021), and another for external validation (Cohort 2, 2022). Primary outcomes included early mortality, severe IVH, and early poor outcomes (a combination of both). Data preprocessing involved 23 variables, with the top four predictors identified as gestational age, birth body weight, 5-min Apgar score, and endotracheal tube ventilation. Six machine learning algorithms were employed. Among 7471 infants analyzed, the selected predictors consistently performed well across all outcomes. Logistic regression and neural network models showed the highest predictive performance (AUC 0.81-0.90 in both internal and external validation) and were well-calibrated, confirmed by calibration plots and the lowest two mean Brier scores (0.0685 and 0.0691). We developed a robust machine learning-based outcome predictor using only four accessible variables, offering valuable prognostic information for parents and aiding healthcare providers in decision-making.

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous multiorgan disease, thought to result from exposure to yet unidentified antigens in genetically susceptible individuals. The exaggerated inflammatory response that leads to granuloma formation is highly complex and involves the innate and adaptive immune system. Consecutive immunological studies using advanced technology have increased our understanding of aberrantly activated immune cells, mediators and pathways that influence the formation, maintenance and resolution of granulomas. Over the years, it has become increasingly clear that disease immunopathogenesis can only be understood if the clinical heterogeneity of sarcoidosis is taken into consideration, along with the distribution of immune cells in peripheral blood and involved organs. Most studies offer an immunological snapshot during disease course, while the cellular composition of both the circulation and tissue microenvironment may change over time. Despite these challenges, novel insights on the role of the immune system are continuously published, thus bringing the field forward. This review highlights current knowledge on the innate and adaptive immune responses involved in sarcoidosis pathogenesis, as well as the pathways involved in non-resolving disease and fibrosis development. Additionally, we describe proposed immunological mechanisms responsible for drug-induced sarcoid like reactions. Although many aspects of disease immunopathogenesis remain to be unraveled, the identification of crucial immune reactions in sarcoidosis may help identify new treatment targets. We therefore also discuss potential therapies and future strategies based on the latest immunological findings.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has surged to epidemic proportions and despite treatment administration/adherence, some individuals experience poorly controlled diabetes. While existing literature explores metabolic changes in type 2 diabetes, understanding metabolic derangement in poorly controlled cases remains limited.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between exposure to climate change information in traditional and modern media, cognitive and emotional aspects of climate change risk judgment, and pro-environmental behavior (PEB).

A novel actinobacterium strain, designated HUAS 2-6, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Camellia oleifera Abel collected from Taoyuan County, Northwestern Hunan Province, South China. This strain was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain HUAS 2-6 is characterized by morphology typical of members of the genus Streptomyces, with deep purplish vinaceous aerial mycelia and deep dull lavender substrate mycelia. Strain HUAS 2-6, based on the full-length 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, exhibited the highest similarities to S. puniciscabiei S77 (99.31%), S. filipinensis NBRC 12860 (99.10%), S. yaanensis CGMCC 4.7035 (99.09%), S. fodineus TW1S1 (99.08%), S. broussonetiae CICC 24819 (98.76%), S. achromogenes JCM 4121 (98.69%), S. barringtoniae JA03 (98.69%), and less than 98.70% with other validly species. In phylogenomic tree, strain HUAS 2-6 was clustered together with S. broussonetiae CICC 24819, suggesting that they were closely related to each other. However, average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridisation (dDDH) between them were much less than the species cutoff values (ANI 96.7% and dDDH 70%). Moreover, in phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain HUAS 2-6 is distinct from S. broussonetiae CICC 24819. On the basis of the polyphasic data, strain HUAS 2-6 is proposed to represent a novel species, Streptomyces camelliae sp. nov. (= MCCC 1K04729 = JCM 35918).

Under a changing climate, the joint effects of temperature and relative humidity on tuberculosis (TB) are poorly understood. To address this research gap, we conducted a time-series study to explore the joint effects of temperature and relative humidity on TB incidence in China, considering potential modifiers.

Health apps and wearables are touted to improve physical health and mental well-being. However, it is unclear from existing research the extent to which these health technologies are efficacious in improving physical and mental well-being at a population level, particularly for the underserved groups from the perspective of health equity and social determinants. Also, it is unclear if the relationship between health apps and wearables use and physical and mental well-being differs across individualistic, collectivistic, and a mix of individual-collectivistic cultures. A large-scale online survey was conducted in the U.S. (individualist culture), China (collectivist culture), and Singapore (mix of individual-collectivist culture) using quota sampling after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB-2021-262) of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. There was a total of 1004 respondents from the U.S., 1072 from China, and 1017 from Singapore. Data were analyzed using multiple regression and negative binomial regression. The study found that income consistently had the strongest relationship with physical and mental well-being measures in all three countries, while the use of health apps and wearables only had a moderate association with psychological well-being only in the US. Health apps and wearables were associated with the number of times people spent exercising and some mental health outcomes in China and Singapore, but they were only positively associated with psychological well-being in the US. The study emphasizes the importance of considering the social determinants, social-cultural context of the population, and the facilitating conditions for the effective use of digital health technologies. The study suggests that the combined use of both health apps and wearables is most strongly associated with better physical and mental health, though this association is less pronounced when individuals use only apps or wearables.

Reintroduction represents an effective strategy for the conservation of endangered wildlife, yet it might inadvertently impact the native ecosystems. This investigation assesses the impact of reintroducing endangered Przewalski's horses into the desert grassland ecosystem of the Kalamaili Nature Reserve (KNR), particularly its effect on the spatial distribution of ticks. In a 25 km core area of Przewalski's horse distribution, we set up 441 tick sampling sites across diverse habitats, including water sources, donkey trails, and grasslands, recording horse feces and characteristics to analyze the occurrence rate of ticks. Additionally, we gathered the data of 669 fresh feces of horses. To evaluate the spatial dynamics between these feces and ticks, we used methods such as Fixed Kernel Estimation (FKE), Moran's I spatial autocorrelation index, and Generalized Linear Models (GLM).

As a primary nutrient in agricultural soils, phosphorus plays a crucial but growth-limiting role for plants due to its complex interactions with various soil elements. This often results in excessive phosphorus fertilizer application, posing concerns for the environment. Agri-research has therefore shifted focus to increase fertilizer-use efficiency and minimize environmental impact by leveraging plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. This study aimed to evaluate the in-field incremental effect of inorganic phosphate concentration (up to 50 kg/ha/P) on the ability of two rhizobacterial isolates, Lysinibacillus sphaericus (T19), Paenibacillus alvei (T29), from the previous Breedt et al. (Ann Appl Biol 171:229-236, 2017) study on maize in enhancing the yield of commercially grown Duzi® cultivar wheat. Results obtained from three seasons of field trials revealed a significant relationship between soil phosphate concentration and the isolates' effectiveness in improving wheat yield. Rhizospheric samples collected at flowering during the third season, specifically to assess phosphatase enzyme activity at the different soil phosphate levels, demonstrated a significant decrease in soil phosphatase activity when the phosphorus rate reached 75% for both isolates. Furthermore, in vitro assessments of inorganic phosphate solubilization by both isolates at five increments of tricalcium phosphate-amended Pikovskaya media found that only isolate T19 was capable of solubilizing tricalcium at concentrations exceeding 3 mg/ml. The current study demonstrates the substantial influence of inorganic phosphate on the performance of individual rhizobacterial isolates, highlighting that this is an essential consideration when optimizing these isolates to increase wheat yield in commercial cultivation.

This study aims to develop a nomogram integrating inflammation (NLR), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), and EBV DNA (tumor burden) to achieve personalized treatment and prediction for stage IVA NPC. Furthermore, it endeavors to pinpoint specific subgroups that may derive significant benefits from S-1 adjuvant chemotherapy.

To evaluate the development of neutralizing Anti-Spike Protein IgG (Anti-S-IgG) during twin pregnancies before conception vs. during pregnancy. In this prospective study, three blood samples were collected from pregnant women and subjected to anti-S-IgG immunodiagnostics. The patient's medical records, including vaccination and PCR test results, were collected from the hospital's electronic database. Age-matched non-pregnant women were used as a control group. We enrolled 83 women with twin pregnancies. 49 women were vaccinated before conception, 21 women were vaccinated during pregnancy, and 13 were not vaccinated. Of the 13 women who weren't vaccinated, three became positive during pregnancy, and all three were severely ill. By contrast, in women who were vaccinated during or before pregnancy, COVID-19 infection during pregnancy caused only mild symptoms. A ten-fold lower level of neutralizing Anti-S-IgG in the 3rd trimester was observed in healthy women who were vaccinated before conception and remained healthy until discharge from the hospital after delivery 1605 (IQR: 763-2410) compared to the healthy women who were vaccinated during pregnancy 152 AU/mL (IQR: 54-360). This difference was higher among women who were infected by COVID-19 (as verified by a positive PCR test). The third-trimester level of neutralizing Ant-S-IgG in the infected group was 4770 AU/mL (4760-6100) in infected women vaccinated before conception compared to those vaccinated during pregnancy who had 70 AU/mL (IQR: 20-170) (p < 0.001). In women vaccinated at 13-16 weeks gestation, neutralizing Anti-S-IgG at 20-22 weeks went up to 372 AU/mL (IQR: 120-1598) but rapidly dropped to 112 AU/mL (IQR: 54-357) at 28-30 weeks, (p < 0.001), a faster decline than in women vaccinated at a median 22 weeks before conception. Being infected by COVID-19 before conception was linked to having low Anti-S-IgG levels during pregnancy, whereas being infected by COVID-19 during pregnancy led to a very high response in the 3rd trimester. In twin pregnancies, significantly lower neutralizing Anti-S-IgG levels were observed in women vaccinated during pregnancy compared to those vaccinated before conception, whether infected or not infected by COVID-19. A full course of vaccination before conception is recommended.Trial registration. ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration and Results System (PRS) Receipt Release Date: October 4, 2021. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ ID: NCT04595214.

There is a broad pulse pressure (PP) and a high prevalence of carotid plaques in old adults. Previous studies have indicated that PP is strongly associated with carotid plaque formation. This study aimed to explore this association in old adults with uncontrolled hypertension.

Natural antimicrobial agents such as nisin were used to control the growth of foodborne pathogens in dairy products. The current study aimed to examine the inhibitory effect of pure nisin and nisin nanoparticles (nisin NPs) against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E.coli O157:H7 during the manufacturing and storage of yoghurt. Nisin NPs were prepared using new, natural, and safe nano-precipitation method by acetic acid. The prepared NPs were characterized using zeta-sizer and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, the cytotoxicity of nisin NPs on vero cells was assessed using the 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of nisin and its nanoparticles were determined using agar well-diffusion method. Further, fresh buffalo's milk was inoculated with MRSA or E.coli O157:H7 (1 × 10 CFU/ml) with the addition of either nisin or nisin NPs, and then the inoculated milk was used for yoghurt making. The organoleptic properties, pH and bacterial load of the obtained yoghurt were evaluated during storage in comparison to control group.

Social accountability is increasingly integral to medical education, aligning health systems with community needs. Universitas Pattimura's Faculty of Medicine (FMUP) enhances this through a curriculum that prepares graduates for rural and remote (RR) medical practice, exceeding national standards. The impact of this curriculum on graduate readiness in actual work settings remains unassessed.

To compare the mRNA expression of placental iron transporters (TfR-1 and FPN), markers of placental vascularization (VEGF and sFLT1) and marker of structural integrity (LMN-A) in term women with and without iron deficiency anemia.

Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) often exhibit changes in body composition (BC) which are associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Many studies group colon and rectal cancers together, irrespective of staging, potentially affecting assessment and treatment strategies. Our study aimed to compare BC in patients with CRC focusing on tumor location and metastasis presence. A total of 635 individuals were evaluated, with a mean age of 61.8 ± 12.4 years and 50.2% female. The majority had rectal cancer as the primary cancer site (51.0%), and 23.6% had metastatic disease. The first regression model showed tumor site and metastasis as independent factors influencing skeletal muscle (SM), skeletal muscle index (SMI), and visceral adipose tissue variability (all p values < 0.05). The second model, adjusted for BMI, indicated tumor site as the primary factor affecting SMI variations (adjusted R = 0.50 p < 0.001), with colon tumors inversely associated with SM (standardized β - 2.15(- 3.3; - 0.9) p < 0.001). A third model, considering all the confounders from the directed acyclic graphs, was constructed and the found association remained independent. Our findings highlight significant BC variations in patients with CRC, influenced by tumor location and metastases presence, underscoring the need for location-specific assessment in CRC management.

Currently, there are no accurate means to predict spontaneous preterm birth (SPTB). Recently, we observed low expression of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) in SPTB placentas. Present aim was to compare the concentrations of maternal serum AAT in pregnancies with preterm and term deliveries. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) was used as a reference inflammatory marker. Two populations were studied. The first population comprised women who eventually gave birth spontaneously preterm (SPTB group) or term (control group). The second population included pregnant women shortly before delivery and nonpregnant women. We observed that serum AAT levels were higher in the SPTB group than in the controls, and a similar difference was observed when serum CRP was considered in multivariable analysis. However, the overlap in the AAT concentrations was considerable. No statistical significance was observed in serum AAT levels between preterm and term pregnancies at delivery. However, AAT levels were higher at delivery compared to nonpregnant controls. We did not observe a strong correlation between serum AAT and CRP in early pregnancy samples and at labor. We propose that during early pregnancy, complicated by subsequent SPTB, modest elevation of serum AAT associates with SPTB.

Prior research has shown that the sensorimotor cortical oscillations are uncharacteristic in persons with cerebral palsy (CP); however, it is unknown if these altered cortical oscillations have an impact on adaptive sensorimotor control. This investigation evaluated the cortical dynamics when the motor action needs to be changed "on-the-fly". Adults with CP and neurotypical controls completed a sensorimotor task that required either proactive or reactive control while undergoing magnetoencephalography (MEG). When compared with the controls, the adults with CP had a weaker beta (18-24 Hz) event-related desynchronization (ERD), post-movement beta rebound (PMBR, 16-20 Hz) and theta (4-6 Hz) event-related synchronization (ERS) in the sensorimotor cortices. In agreement with normative work, the controls exhibited differences in the strength of the sensorimotor gamma (66-84 Hz) ERS during proactive compared to reactive trials, but similar condition-wise changes were not seen in adults with CP. Lastly, the adults with CP who had a stronger theta ERS tended to have better hand dexterity, as indicated by the Box and Blocks Test and Purdue Pegboard Test. These results may suggest that alterations in the theta and gamma cortical oscillations play a role in the altered hand dexterity and uncharacteristic adaptive sensorimotor control noted in adults with CP.

To fight the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, many countries have implemented various mitigation measures to contain the spread of the disease. By engaging with health service providers, the community's participation in adherence to preventive measures is certainly required in the implementation of COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and its associated factors among the residents, Yangon Region, Myanmar.

To investigate factors associated with different reproductive outcomes in patients with Caesarean scar pregnancies (CSPs).

Preterm labor, a condition associated with various risk factors such as a history of prior preterm birth (PTB) and multiple pregnancies, has recently seen an increasing focus on its potential link with dyslipidemia. This study aims to investigate the relationship between dyslipidemia in expectant mothers and the risks of PTB. We studied 6963 mothers who gave birth at the International Peace Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine in 2020, among which, 437 women had PTB. We extracted clinical and lipid data from electronic records, using multivariable logistic regression and restricted cubic spline models to explore the link between lipid concentrations (by quartiles) in pregnancy stages and PTB risk. The PTB rate was 6.3%. Early pregnancy in the PTB group showed elevated ApoA, ApoB, CHOL, LDL, and TG levels compared to controls (all P < 0.05). Late pregnancy showed no notable lipid differences. Multivariable analysis revealed elevated ApoA, TG, higher age, BMI ≥ 28 kg/m, hypertension, assisted reproductive technology and gestational diabetes as PTB risk factors (all P < 0.05). After adjustments, higher ApoA, ApoB, CHOL and TG levels correlated with increased PTB risk. Using the lowest quartile, the adjusted ORs for early pregnancy's highest quartile of ApoA, ApoB, CHOL and TG were 1.348, 1.442, 1.442 and 2.156, respectively. Our findings indicate that dyslipemia in early pregnancy, including elevated levels of ApoA, ApoB, CHOL and TG, are associated with PTB. Managing lipid abnormalities during pregnancy may help reduce the risk of PTB.

This study aimed to explore predictors associated with intermediate (six months) and post-intervention (24 months) increases in daily steps among people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes participating in a two-year pedometer intervention.

The combination of sequential intravesical gemcitabine and docetaxel (Gem/Doce) chemotherapy has been considered a feasible option for BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) treatment in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), gaining popularity during BCG shortage period. We seek to determine the efficacy of the treatment by comparing Gem/Doce induction alone vs induction with maintenance, and to evaluate the treatment outcomes of two different dosage protocols.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices are essential measures for planning and evaluating cancer control programs. Little is known about these in Iran.

Mortality related to opioid overdose in the U.S. has risen sharply in the past decade. In California, opioid overdose death rates more than tripled from 2018 to 2021, and deaths from synthetic opioids such as fentanyl increased more than seven times in those three years alone. Heightened attention to this crisis has attracted funding and programming opportunities for prevention and harm reduction interventions. Drug checking services offer people who use drugs the opportunity to test the chemical content of their own supply, but are not widely used in North America. We report on qualitative data from providers and clients of harm reduction and drug checking services, to explore how these services are used, experienced, and considered.

In this study, we have presented a novel probabilistic model called the neutrosophic Burr-III distribution, designed for applications in neutrosophic surface analysis. Neutrosophic analysis allows for the incorporation of vague and imprecise information, reflecting the reality that many real-world problems involve ambiguous data. This ability to handle vagueness can lead to more robust and realistic models especially in situation where classical models fall short. We have also explored the neutrosophic Burr-III distribution in order to deal with the ambiguity and vagueness in the data where the classical Burr-III distribution falls short. This distribution offers valuable insights into various reliability properties, moment expressions, order statistics, and entropy measures, making it a versatile tool for analyzing complex data. To assess the practical relevance of our proposed distribution, we applied it to real-world data sets and compared its performance against the classical Burr-III distribution. The findings revealed that the neutrosophic Burr-III distribution outperformed than the classical Burr-III distribution in capturing the underlying data characteristics, highlighting its potential as a superior modeling toolin various fields.

Mosquitoes pose a risk to human health worldwide, and correct species identification and detection of cryptic species are the most important keys for surveillance and control of mosquito vectors. In addition to traditional identification based on morphology, DNA barcoding has recently been widely used as a complementary tool for reliable identification of mosquito species. The main objective of this study was to create a reference DNA barcode library for the Croatian mosquito fauna, which should contribute to more accurate and faster identification of species, including cryptic species, and recognition of relevant vector species.

Histone acetylation modifications in filamentous fungi play a crucial role in epigenetic gene regulation and are closely linked to the transcription of secondary metabolite (SM) biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). Histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a pivotal role in determining the extent of histone acetylation modifications and act as triggers for the expression activity of target BGCs. The genus Chaetomium is widely recognized as a rich source of novel and bioactive SMs. Deletion of a class I HDAC gene of Chaetomium olivaceum SD-80A, g7489, induces a substantial pleiotropic effect on the expression of SM BGCs. The C. olivaceum SD-80A ∆g7489 strain exhibited significant changes in morphology, sporulation ability, and secondary metabolic profile, resulting in the emergence of new compound peaks. Notably, three polyketides (A1-A3) and one asterriquinone (A4) were isolated from this mutant strain. Furthermore, our study explored the BGCs of A1-A4, confirming the function of two polyketide synthases (PKSs). Collectively, our findings highlight the promising potential of molecular epigenetic approaches for the elucidation of novel active compounds and their biosynthetic elements in Chaetomium species. This finding holds great significance for the exploration and utilization of Chaetomium resources. KEY POINTS: • Deletion of a class I histone deacetylase activated secondary metabolite gene clusters. • Three polyketides and one asterriquinone were isolated from HDAC deleted strain. • Two different PKSs were reported in C. olivaceum SD-80A.

A 50-year-old man, previously diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cavities, presented with symptoms including fever, shortness of breath, and cough. A pulmonary CT scan revealed multiple cavities, consolidation and tree-in-bud in the upper lungs. Further investigation through direct examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid showed septate hyphae with dichotomous acute branching. Subsequent isolation and morphological analysis identified the fungus as belonging to Aspergillus section Nigri. The patient was diagnosed with probable invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and successfully treated with a three-month oral voriconazole therapy. Phylogenetic analysis based on partial β-tubulin, calmodulin and RNA polymerase second largest subunit sequences revealed that the isolate represents a putative new species related to Aspergillus brasiliensis, and is named Aspergillus hubkae here. Antifungal susceptibility testing demonstrated that the isolate is resistant to itraconazole but susceptible to voriconazole. This phenotypic and genetic characterization of A. hubkae, along with the associated case report, will serve as a valuable resource for future diagnoses of infections caused by this species. It will also contribute to more precise and effective patient management strategies in similar clinical scenarios.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease, characterized by spontaneous, unprovoked, recurrent seizures that may lead to long-term disability and premature death. Despite significant efforts made to improve epilepsy detection clinically and pre-clinically, the pervasive presence of noise in EEG signals continues to pose substantial challenges to their effective application. In addition, discriminant features for epilepsy detection have not been investigated yet. The objective of this study is to develop a hybrid model for epilepsy detection from noisy and fragmented EEG signals. We hypothesized that a hybrid model could surpass existing single models in epilepsy detection. Our approach involves manual noise rejection and a novel statistical channel selection technique to detect epilepsy even from noisy EEG signals. Our proposed Base-2-Meta stacking classifier achieved notable accuracy (0.98 ± 0.05), precision (0.98 ± 0.07), recall (0.98 ± 0.05), and F1 score (0.98 ± 0.04) even with noisy 5-s segmented EEG signals. Application of our approach to the specific problem like detection of epilepsy from noisy and fragmented EEG data reveals a performance that is not only superior to others, but also is translationally relevant, highlighting its potential application in a clinic setting, where EEG signals are often noisy or scanty. Our proposed metric DF-A (Discriminant feature-accuracy), for the first time, identified the most discriminant feature with models that give A accuracy or above (A = 95 used in this study). This groundbreaking approach allows for detecting discriminant features and can be used as potential electrographic biomarkers in epilepsy detection research. Moreover, our study introduces innovative insights into the understanding of these features, epilepsy detection, and cross-validation, markedly improving epilepsy detection in ways previously unavailable.

To date, although most thyroid carcinoma (THCA) achieves an excellent prognosis, some patients experience a rapid progression episode, even with differentiated THCA. Nodal metastasis is an unfavorable predictor. Exploring the underlying mechanism may bring a deep insight into THCA.

Sweet corn is highly susceptible to the deleterious effects of low temperatures during the initial stages of growth and development. Employing a 56K chip, high-throughput single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sequencing was conducted on 100 sweet corn inbred lines. Subsequently, six germination indicators-germination rate, germination index, germination time, relative germination rate, relative germination index, and relative germination time-were utilized for genome-wide association analysis. Candidate genes were identified via comparative analysis of homologous genes in Arabidopsis and rice, and their functions were validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The results revealed 35,430 high-quality SNPs, 16 of which were significantly correlated. Within 50 kb upstream and downstream of the identified SNPs, 46 associated genes were identified, of which six were confirmed as candidate genes. Their expression patterns indicated that Zm11ΒHSDL5 and Zm2OGO likely play negative and positive regulatory roles, respectively, in the low-temperature germination of sweet corn. Thus, we determined that these two genes are responsible for regulating the low-temperature germination of sweet corn. This study contributes valuable theoretical support for improving sweet corn breeding and may aid in the creation of specific germplasm resources geared toward enhancing low-temperature tolerance in sweet corn.

To retrospectively investigate and analyze the characteristics of male bulbar urethral strictures or occlusions resulting from straddle injuries caused by falling from heights and riding activities.

The age, creatinine, and ejection fraction (ACEF) score has been accepted as a predictor of poor outcome in elective operations. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of ACEF score in acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) patients after total arch replacement. A total of 227 AAAD patients from July 2021 and June 2022 were enrolled and divided into Tertiles 1 (ACEF ≤ 0.73), Tertiles 2 (0.73 < ACEF ≤ 0.95), and Tertiles 3 (ACEF > 0.95). Using inverse probability processing weighting (IPTW) to balance the baseline characteristics and compare the outcomes. Cox logistic regression was used to further evaluate the survival prediction ability of ACEF score. The in-hospital mortality was 9.8%. After IPTW, in the baseline characteristics reached an equilibrium, a higher ACEF score before operation still associated with higher in-hospital mortality. After 1 year follow-up, 184 patients (90.6%) survival. Multivariable analysis revealed that ACEF score (adjusted hazard ratio  1.68; 95% confidence interval 1.34-4.91; p = 0.036) and binary ACEF score (adjusted HR 2.26; 95% CI 1.82-6.20; p < 0.001) was independently associated with 1-year survival. In addition, net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated differentiation improvement (IDI) verified that the ACEF score and binary ACEF score is an accurate predictive tool in clinical settings. In conclusions, ACEF score could be considered as a useful tool to risk stratification in patients with AAAD before operation in daily clinical work.

Despite worldwide concern about the poor physical health of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), physical health screening rates are low. This study reports nurses' and patients' experiences of physical health screening among people with SSD using the Finnish Health Improvement Profile (HIP-F) and their ideas for implementation improvements.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Ca(HPO) and MgSO on the bacterial community and nitrogen metabolism genes in the aerobic composting of pig manure. The experimental treatments were set up as control (C), 1% Ca(HPO) + 2% MgSO (CaPM1), and 1.5% Ca(HPO) + 3% MgSO (CaPM2), which were used at the end of composting for potting trials. The results showed that Ca(HPO) and MgSO played an excellent role in retaining nitrogen and increasing the alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) contents of the composts. Adding Ca(HPO) and MgSO changed the microbial community structure of the compost. The microorganisms associated with nitrogen retention were activated. The complexity of the microbial network was enhanced. Genetic prediction analysis showed that the addition of Ca(HPO) and MgSO reduced the accumulation of nitroso-nitrogen and the process of denitrification. At the same time, despite the reduction of genes related to nitrogen fixation, the conversion of ammonia to nitrogenous organic compounds was promoted and the stability of nitrogen was increased. Mantel test analysis showed that Ca(HPO) and MgSO can affect nitrogen transformation-related bacteria and thus indirectly affect nitrogen metabolism genes by influencing the temperature, pH, and organic matter (OM) of the compost and also directly affected nitrogen metabolism genes through PO and Mg. The pot experiment showed that composting with 1.5% Ca(HPO) + 3% MgSO produced the compost product that improved the growth yield and nutrient content of cilantro and increased the fertility of the soil. In conclusion, Ca(HPO) and MgSO reduces the loss of nitrogen from compost, activates nitrogen-related bacteria and genes in the thermophilic phase of composting, and improves the fertilizer efficiency of compost products. KEY POINTS: • Ca(HPO) and MgSO reduced the nitrogen loss and improved the compost effect • Activated nitrogen-related bacteria and altered nitrogen metabolism genes • Improved the yield and quality of cilantro and fertility of soil.

Worldwide, breast cancer is the primary cause of illness and death. Unless early detected and treated breast cancer is a life-threatening tumor. Advanced-stage presentation is greatly linked with short survival time and increased mortality rates. In Ethiopia nationally summarized evidence on the level of advanced-stage breast cancer diagnosis is scarce. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of advanced-stage breast cancer diagnosis and its determinants in Ethiopia.

In this two-center prospective cohort study of children on ECMO, we assessed a panel of plasma brain injury biomarkers using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to evaluate their interplay and association with outcomes. Biomarker concentrations were measured daily for the first 3 days of ECMO support in 95 participants. Unfavorable composite outcome was defined as in-hospital mortality or discharge Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category > 2 with decline ≥ 1 point from baseline. EFA grouped 11 biomarkers into three factors. Factor 1 comprised markers of cellular brain injury (NSE, BDNF, GFAP, S100β, MCP1, VILIP-1, neurogranin); Factor 2 comprised markers related to vascular processes (vWF, PDGFRβ, NPTX1); and Factor 3 comprised the BDNF/MMP-9 cellular pathway. Multivariable logistic models demonstrated that higher Factor 1 and 2 scores were associated with higher odds of unfavorable outcome (adjusted OR 2.88 [1.61, 5.66] and 1.89 [1.12, 3.43], respectively). Conversely, higher Factor 3 scores were associated with lower odds of unfavorable outcome (adjusted OR 0.54 [0.31, 0.88]), which is biologically plausible given the role of BDNF in neuroplasticity. Application of EFA on plasma brain injury biomarkers in children on ECMO yielded grouping of biomarkers into three factors that were significantly associated with unfavorable outcome, suggesting future potential as prognostic instruments.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiography presents transformative opportunities for diagnostic imaging and introduces complex ethical considerations. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to explore radiographers' perspectives on the ethical implications of AI in their field and identify key concerns and potential strategies for addressing them.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) worsens the long-term prognosis of patients with cirrhosis; however, the optimal treatment remains to be determined. Reports on the efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants are increasing, and further evidence is needed. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of treatment with edoxaban in patients with PVT. We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of edoxaban and warfarin as antithrombotic therapies for PVT. The median overall survival time was 4.2 years in patients with PVT, with a 1-year survival rate of 70.7% and a 5-year survival rate of 47.9%. The leading cause of death was hepatocellular carcinoma. The overall response rate for thrombolysis in the edoxaban group was 76.7% compared to 29.4% in the warfarin group, and edoxaban significantly improved PVT compared to warfarin. In addition, edoxaban provided long-term improvement of PVT. Warfarin, on the other hand, was temporarily effective but did not provide long-term benefits. The Child-Pugh and albumin-bilirubin scores did not change after edoxaban or warfarin use. No deaths occurred due to adverse events associated with edoxaban or warfarin. Edoxaban as a single agent can achieve long-term recanalization without compromising the hepatic reserves. Edoxaban is easy to initiate, even in an outpatient setting, and could become a major therapeutic agent for the treatment of PVT.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts allow children with hydrocephalus to survive and avoid brain injury (J Neurosurg 107:345-57, 2007; Childs Nerv Syst 12:192-9, 1996). The Hydrocephalus Clinical Research Network implemented non-randomized quality improvement protocols that were shown to decrease infection rates compared to pre-operative prophylactic intravenous antibiotics alone (standard care): initially with intrathecal (IT) antibiotics between 2007-2009 (J Neurosurg Pediatr 8:22-9, 2011), followed by antibiotic impregnated catheters (AIC) in 2012-2013 (J Neurosurg Pediatr 17:391-6, 2016). No large scale studies have compared infection prevention between the techniques in children. Our objectives were to compare the risk of infection following the use of IT antibiotics, AIC, and standard care during low-risk CSF shunt surgery (i.e., initial CSF shunt placement and revisions) in children.

This study assessed the association between arthritis, functional impairment, and nutritional risk (NR). Cross-sectional data were from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a nationally representative sample of 45-85-year-old community-dwelling Canadians (n = 41,153). The abbreviated Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluating for Eating and Nutrition II (SCREEN II-AB) Questionnaire determined NR scores (continuous), and high NR (score < 38); the Older American Resources and Services scale measured functional impairment. NR scores and status (low/high) were modelled using multiple linear and logistic regressions, respectively. Analyses adjusted for demographic characteristics, functional impairment, and health (body mass index, self-rated general and mental health). Additional analyses stratified the models by functional impairment. People with arthritis had poorer NR scores (B: - 0.35, CI - 0.48, - 0.22; p < 0.05) and increased risks of high NR (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.06, 1.17). Among those with functional impairment, the likelihood of high NR was 31% higher in people with arthritis compared to those without arthritis (95% CI 1.12, 1.53). Among those with no functional impairment, the likelihood of high NR was 10% higher in people with arthritis compared to those without (95% CI 1.04, 1.16). These relationships differed based on the type of arthritis. Arthritis is associated with high NR in community-dwelling older adults, both with and without functional impairment. Findings highlight the need for further research on these relationships to inform interventions and improve clinical practices.

Surgical interventions are more effective than nonsurgical approaches in providing a cure for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). In this study, we aimed to assess the benefits of tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) abbrevo by comparing its efficacy and complications to those of TVT obturator.

The non-perfusion area (NPA) of the retina is an important indicator in the visual prognosis of patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). However, the current evaluation method of NPA, fluorescein angiography (FA), is invasive and burdensome. In this study, we examined the use of deep learning models for detecting NPA in color fundus images, bypassing the need for FA, and we also investigated the utility of synthetic FA generated from color fundus images. The models were evaluated using the Dice score and Monte Carlo dropout uncertainty. We retrospectively collected 403 sets of color fundus and FA images from 319 BRVO patients. We trained three deep learning models on FA, color fundus images, and synthetic FA. As a result, though the FA model achieved the highest score, the other two models also performed comparably. We found no statistical significance in median Dice scores between the models. However, the color fundus model showed significantly higher uncertainty than the other models (p < 0.05). In conclusion, deep learning models can detect NPAs from color fundus images with reasonable accuracy, though with somewhat less prediction stability. Synthetic FA stabilizes the prediction and reduces misleading uncertainty estimates by enhancing image quality.

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have been developed to identify men with the highest risk of prostate cancer. Our aim was to compare the performance of 16 PRSs in identifying men at risk of developing prostate cancer and then to evaluate the performance of the top-performing PRSs in differentiating individuals at risk of aggressive prostate cancer.

Postoperative disease recurrence in Crohn's disease represents a relevant issue despite recent advancements in surgical and medical therapies. Additional criteria are necessary to improve the identification of patients at risk and to enable selective therapeutic approaches. The role of resection margins on disease recurrence remains unclear and general recommendations are lacking. A single-center retrospective analysis was performed including all patients who received ileocecal resection due to Crohn's disease. Resection margins were analyzed by two independent pathologists and defined by histopathological criteria based on previous consensus reports. 158 patients were included for analysis with a median follow up of 35 months. While postoperative morbidity was not affected, positive resection margins resulted in significantly increased rates of severe endoscopic recurrence at 6 months (2.0% versus 15.6%, p = 0.02) and overall (4.2% versus 19.6%, p = 0.001), which resulted in significantly increased numbers of surgical recurrence (0% versus 4.5%, p = 0.04). Additionally, positive margins were identified as independent risk factor for severe endoscopic disease recurrence in a multivariate analysis. Based on that, positive margins represent an independent risk factor for postoperative endoscopic and surgical disease recurrence. Prospective studies are required to determine whether extended resection or postoperative medical prophylaxis is beneficial for patients with positive resection margins.

Pharmacy syringe sales are effective structural interventions to reduce bloodborne illnesses in populations, and are legal in all but two states. Yet evidence indicates reduced syringe sales in recent years. This study was designed as a feasibility test of an intervention to promote syringe sales by pharmacies in Arizona.

Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) commonly occurs after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Risk factors for DGE have been reported in open PD but are rarely reported in laparoscopic PD (LPD). This study was designed to evaluate the perioperative risk factors for DGE and secondary DGE after LPD in a single center.

Parabens (PBs) and triclosan (TCS) are commonly found in pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). As a result, they have been extensively found in the environment, particularly in aquaculture operations. Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) consumption has significantly risen in China. Nevertheless, the levels of PBs and TCS in this species and the associated risk to human dietary intake remain undisclosed. This study assessed the amounts of five PBs, i.e., methyl-paraben (MeP), ethyl-paraben (EtP), propyl-paraben (PrP), butyl-paraben (BuP) and benzyl-paraben (BzP), as well as TCS in crayfish taken from five provinces of the middle-lower Yangtze River. MeP, PrP and TCS showed the highest detection rates (hepatopancreas: 46-86 %; muscle: 63-77 %) since they are commonly used in PPCPs. Significantly higher levels of ∑PBs (median: 3.69 ng/g) and TCS (median: 7.27 ng/g) were significantly found in the hepatopancreas compared to the muscle (median: 0.39 ng/g for ∑PBs and 0.16 ng/g for TCS) (p < 0.05), indicating bioaccumulation of these chemicals in the hepatopancreas. The estimated daily intake values of ∑PBs and TCS calculated from the median concentrations of crayfish were 6.44-7.94 ng/kg bw/day and 11.4-14.0 ng/kg bw/day, respectively. Although no health risk was predicted from consuming crayfish (HQ <1), consumption of the hepatopancreas is not recommended.

Hepatitis E, caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV), is a global public health issue. Low similarity between the gene sequences of mouse and human HEV led to the belief that the risk of human infection was low. Recent reports of chronic and acute hepatitis E caused by murine HEV infection in humans in Hong Kong have raised global concerns. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the epidemiology and prevalence of HEV in China. We comprehensively analyzed different rodent HEV strains to understand rocahepevirus occurrence in Hubei Province, China. The HEV positivity rate for was 6.43% (73/1136). We identified seven near-full-length rocahepevirus strains and detected rat HEV antigens in tissues from different mouse species. HEV has extensive tissue tropism and a high viral load in the liver. We highlight the genetic diversity of HEVs in rodents and underscore the importance of paying attention to their variation and evolution.

As an increasing number of women pursue careers in dermatology, the structure and culture of training must reflect the evolving needs of dermatology residents. To examine perceived barriers to and perceptions of family planning amongst dermatology residents capable of becoming pregnant, evidence-based principles were employed to develop a 40-question survey for dermatology residents in ACGME-accredited training programs. A pilot study was conducted with the Harvard Combined Dermatology Residency Training Program residents before full-scale national electronic survey distribution from April to June 2023. Information was collected regarding factors influencing attitudes towards becoming pregnant during residency, as well as information regarding residency program family leave, fertility preservation, and lactation policies. Ultimately, 95 dermatology residents capable of becoming pregnant completed the survey. The majority (77.9%) of respondents reported intentionally delaying having children because of their careers, and 73.7% believed there is a negative stigma attached to being pregnant or having children during dermatology residency. Of respondents who had not yet attempted to become pregnant, 75.3% were concerned about the possibility of future infertility. Of the 60% of respondents considering fertility preservation options, 84.6% noted concerns about these procedures being cost-prohibitive on a resident salary. Only 2% of respondents reported that cryopreservation was fully covered through their residency benefits, while 20% reported partial coverage. Reported program parental leave policies varied considerably with 54.9%, 25.4%, 1.4%, and 18.3% of residents reporting 4-6 weeks, 7-8 weeks, 9-10 weeks, and 11 + weeks of available leave, respectively. Notably, 53.5% of respondents reported that vacation or sick days must be used for parental leave. Respondents reported lactation policies and on-site childcare at 49.5% and 8.4% of residency programs, respectively. The trends noted in the survey responses signal concerning aspects of family planning and fertility for dermatology residents capable of becoming pregnant. Residency family planning policies, benefits, and resources should evolve and homogenize across programs to fully support trainees.

To assess processing speed, fine motor function, attention, and executive function (EF) impairments in adolescents with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) who underwent open-heart surgery during infancy.

Similar to metformin, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4 Is), glucagon-like peptidase 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), and sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2 Is) may improve control of asthma owing to their multiple potential mechanisms, including differential improvements in glycemic control, direct anti-inflammatory effects, and systemic changes in metabolism.

Air pollution has been linked to multiple psychiatric disorders, but little is known on its long-term association with schizophrenia. The interaction between air pollution and genetic susceptibility on incident schizophrenia has never been reported. We aimed to explore the associations between long-term air pollution exposure and late-onset schizophrenia and evaluate whether genetic susceptibility could modify the association.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between the number of non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (bronchiectasis) exacerbations during baseline and follow-up (objective 1) and to identify longitudinal changes in FEV associated with exacerbation frequency (objective 2).

To determine the prevalence of upper and lower limb musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders among adult patients referred to physical therapy.

The aim of this study was to go through the molecular methods used for typing of carbapenem-resistant (CRAB) isolates for investigating the molecular epidemiology all over the world. Multiple typing techniques are required to understand the source and nature of outbreaks caused by () and acquired resistance to antimicrobials. Nowadays, there is gradual shift from traditional typing methods to modern molecular methods to study molecular epidemiology and infection control. Molecular typing of strains has been revolutionized significantly in the last 2 decades. A few sequencing-based techniques have been proven as a breakthrough and opened new prospects, which have not been achieved by the traditional methods. In this review, discussed different pre-existing and recently used typing methods to explore the molecular epidemiology of pertaining in context with human infections.

To investigate the basic characteristics of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and whether hepatitis B surface antigen positive (HBsAg [+]) affects the survival of patients with DLBCL.

To assess the clinical relevance and prognostic value of changes in the Naples prognostic score (NPS) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACR) among esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients.

To evaluate the clinical and laboratory features, complications, and outcomes of patients with rhabdomyolysis in the Saudi population.

To evaluate clinical indicators in order to examine the intensity of diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) episodes in children and adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM).

To research the effects of blood cortisol and hemoglobinA1c (HBA1C) levels on mortality in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and whether these factors could be used as reliable indicators for mortality risk assessment in these patients.

Many approaches in biomedical informatics (BMI) rely on the ability to define, gather, and manipulate biomedical data to support health through a cyclical research-practice lifecycle. Researchers within this field are often fortunate to work closely with healthcare and public health systems to influence data generation and capture and have access to a vast amount of biomedical data. Many informaticists also have the expertise to engage with stakeholders, develop new methods and applications, and influence policy. However, research and policy that explicitly seeks to address the systemic drivers of health would more effectively support health. Intersectionality is a theoretical framework that can facilitate such research. It holds that individual human experiences reflect larger socio-structural level systems of privilege and oppression, and cannot be truly understood if these systems are examined in isolation. Intersectionality explicitly accounts for the interrelated nature of systems of privilege and oppression, providing a lens through which to examine and challenge inequities. In this paper, we propose intersectionality as an intervention into how we conduct BMI research. We begin by discussing intersectionality's history and core principles as they apply to BMI. We then elaborate on the potential for intersectionality to stimulate BMI research. Specifically, we posit that our efforts in BMI to improve health should address intersectionality's five key considerations: 1) systems of privilege and oppression that shape health; 2) the interrelated nature of upstream health drivers; 3) the nuances of health outcomes within groups; 4) the problematic and power-laden nature of categories that we assign to people in research and in society; and 5) research to inform and support social change.

Simultaneous noninvasive and invasive electrophysiological recordings provide a unique opportunity to achieve a comprehensive understanding of human brain activity, much like a Rosetta stone for human neuroscience. In this review we focus on the increasingly-used powerful combination of intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) with scalp electroencephalography (EEG) or magnetoencephalography (MEG). We first provide practical insight on how to achieve these technically challenging recordings. We then provide examples from clinical research on how simultaneous recordings are advancing our understanding of epilepsy. This is followed by the illustration of how human neuroscience and methodological advances could benefit from these simultaneous recordings. We conclude with a call for open data sharing and collaboration, while ensuring neuroethical approaches and argue that only with a true collaborative approach the promises of simultaneous recordings will be fulfilled.

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is thought to be associated with considerable suicide risk. This nationwide cohort study quantified the risks of intentional self-harm - including non-suicidal self-injuries and suicide attempts - and death by suicide in BDD.

To examine recent 12-year trends in prevalence of suicidal ideation and behaviors (SIBs) among US adults experiencing a past-year treatment-resistant depression (TRD).

The Alabama Long-Term Care Strike Team was established in 2022 to help long-term care facilities (LTCFs) build and maintain infection prevention and control (IPC) systems. Infection preventionists use CDC's Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) tools to provide IPC-specific recommendations. Analysis of ICAR recommendations identified the three greatest training needs in Alabama: source control, hand hygiene, and environmental cleaning. The ICAR provides a standardized and objective way to monitor and mitigate IPC risk.

Bilirubin-induced brain damage is a serious clinical consequence of hyperbilirubinemia, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death, is characterized by iron overload and lipid peroxidation. Here, we report a novel regulatory mechanism of demethylase AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5) in acyl-coenzyme A synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4)-mediated ferroptosis in hyperbilirubinemia. Hyperdifferential PC12 cells and newborn Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish in vitro and in vivo hyperbilirubinemia models, respectively. Proteomics, coupled with bioinformatics analysis, first suggested the important role of ferroptosis in hyperbilirubinemia-induced brain damage. In vitro experiments showed that ferroptosis is activated in hyperbilirubinemia, and ferroptosis inhibitors (desferrioxamine and ferrostatin-1) treatment effectively alleviates hyperbilirubinemia-induced oxidative damage. Notably, we observed that the ferroptosis in hyperbilirubinemia was regulated by mA modification through the downregulation of ALKBH5 expression. MeRIP-seq and RIP-seq showed that ALKBH5 may trigger hyperbilirubinemia ferroptosis by stabilizing ACSL4 mRNA via mA modification. Further, hyperbilirubinemia-induced oxidative damage was alleviated through ACSL4 genetic knockdown or rosiglitazone-mediated chemical repression but was exacerbated by ACSL4 overexpression. Mechanistically, ALKBH5 promotes ACSL4 mRNA stability and ferroptosis by combining the 669 and 2015 mA modified sites within 3' UTR of ACSL4 mRNA. Our findings unveil a novel molecular mechanism of ferroptosis and suggest that mA-dependent ferroptosis could be an underlying clinical target for the therapy of hyperbilirubinemia.

Exposure to air pollution has been proposed as one of the potential risk factors for leukaemia. Work-related formaldehyde exposure is suspected to cause leukaemia.

The aim of this study was to present the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its related risk factors based on a 20-year observation period (2002-2022).

Bats and ticks are important sources of zoonotic pathogens. Therefore, understanding the diversity, distribution, and ecology of both groups is crucial for public health preparedness. Soft ticks (Argasidae) are a major group of ectoparasites commonly associated with bats. The multi-host life cycle of many argasids make them important vectors of pathogens. Over nine years (2011-2020), surveillance was undertaken to identify the ticks associated with common bats in Singapore. During this period, the bat tick Ornithodoros batuensis was detected within populations of two cave roosting bat species: Eonycteris spelaea and Penthetor lucasi. We examined the relationship between bat species, roosting behaviour, and probability of O. batuensis infestation. We also estimated the relationship between bat life history variables (body condition index, sex, and age) on the probability of infestation and tick count. This represents the first detection of O. batuensis and the genus Ornithodoros within Singapore. We also provide evidence of the continued persistence of Argas pusillus in Singapore with the second local record.

In early 2020, Chinese children started to demonstrate severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSS) caused by lockdown and self-isolation (measures taken at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic).

This randomized controlled study focused on mothers of children with disabilities to determine the effect of a training program on family stress and life satisfaction.

Schizophrenia is a chronic condition that requiring maintenance treatment with antipsychotic medication. Medication adherence is essential to improve the symptoms of this health problem reduce relapses and readmissions and achieve treatment goals. The rate of challenges associated with medication adherence in schizophrenia is reported to be 26.5-85.1 %.

Patients on antipsychotic medications are at higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome; nevertheless, metabolic screening for patients on antipsychotics is suboptimal.

Self-management and lifestyle interventions are a key factor in treatment outcomes for persons with bipolar disorder (BD). A virtual environment (VE), due to it's ability to provide flexibility of involvement in its platform, may be an alternative to face-to-face treatment to provide support for self-management. The purpose of this study is to explore how a VE, developed for chronic illness self-management, may be modified to promote self-management and lifestyle changes in those with BD.

The Covid-19 pandemic has represented one of the most stressful events of recent times and has placed enormous psychological pressure on doctors and nurses.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Psychological Well-Being of Cognitively Impaired People (PWB-CIP) scale in people with dementia in nursing homes.

This study aimed to determine the effect of digital games on the creativity of adolescents.