Evaluating the benefits and challenges of using patient preferences as a tool for clinical decision making in oncology MDT meetings within the National Health Service (NHS): A qualitative study.

Introduction: Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) oncology meetings foster collaboration among healthcare practitioners to determine the most appropriate course of action for cancer patient care. Defining what is 'best' for a patient is complex, involving clinical guidelines, patient needs, evidence-based practices, and available treatment options. Patient participation offers unique insights into cultural and psycho-social preferences, shifting away from the paternalistic health care model.

Development of nucleic acid-based vaccines against dengue and other mosquito-borne flaviviruses: the past, present, and future.

Due to their widespread geographic distribution and frequent outbreaks, mosquito-borne flaviviruses, such as DENV (DENV), Zika virus (ZIKV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), yellow fever virus (YFV), and West Nile virus (WNV), are considered significant global public health threats and contribute to dramatic socioeconomic imbalances worldwide. The global prevalence of these viruses is largely driven by extensive international travels and ecological disruptions that create favorable conditions for the breeding of and species, the mosquito vectors responsible for the spread of these pathogens. Currently, vaccines are available for only DENV, YFV, and JEV, but these face several challenges, including safety concerns, lengthy production processes, and logistical difficulties in distribution, especially in resource-limited regions, highlighting the urgent need for innovative vaccine approaches.

Comparative toxicity of copper and zinc contaminated wastewater irrigation on growth, physiology, and mineral absorption of wheat.

A comparative pot study was performed to assess the toxic effects of copper (Cu) and/or zinc (Zn) contaminated wastewater (WW) irrigation on the growth, physiology, and element concentration of wheat grown for two months. The treatments included irrigation with uncontaminated wastewater (WW) as control, Cu-contaminated WW (CuWW), Zn-contaminated WW (ZnWW), and Cu + Zn contaminated WW (CuZnWW) in a completely randomized design. Compared to ZnWW, irrigation with CuWW or CuZnWW had severe effects on growth, physiology, and mineral absorption by wheat.

Clinical-Microbial Synergy: Mapping Microbiological Profiles to Clinical Attributes in Skin and Soft Tissue Infections.

Objective: To determine the clinical microbial synergy in skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) based on bacterial groups and explore the likelihood ratios of clinical parameters.

Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted at the Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi in collaboration with Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, and Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan, from June 2023 to May 2024.

NIR-II photo-accelerated polymer nanoparticles boost tumor immunotherapy via PD-L1 silencing and immunogenic cell death.

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy is a widely favored anti-tumor treatment, but it shows limited response to non-immunogenic "cold" tumors and suffers from drug resistance. Photodynamic therapy (PDT), as a powerful localized treatment approach, can convert a "cold tumor" into a "hot tumor" by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD) in tumor cells, thereby enhancing tumor immunogenicity and promoting tumor immunotherapy. However, the effectiveness of PDT is largely hindered by the limited penetration depth into tumor tissues.