Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Risk of Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with rising incidence in resource-limited settings. Research suggests an increased risk of lung cancer in individuals with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), but the association needs further clarification. This systematic review aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of this relationship.

Investigation Myocardial Perfusion Scan Parameters and Walls Motion in Patients undergoing Cardiac Surgery.

Background: Coronary heart disease the most prevalent form of cardiovascular disease, results from the blockage of blood flow through arteries. The Myocardial Perfusion Scan (MPS) is considered a non-invasive method to assess the heart condition and provides valuable information, such as End Diastolic Volume (EDV), End Systolic Volume (ESV), Ejection Fraction (EF), Lung to Heart Ratio (LHR), and Transient Ischemic Dilatation (TID).

Objective: This study aimed to investigate changes in gated heart scan parameters to diagnose patients, who are candidates for heart surgery.

Bihemispheric Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Primary Motor Cortex Potentiates Improvement of Neurological but not Upper Limb Motor Functions in Ischemic Stroke Patients Treated with Routine Physical Therapy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial.

Objectives: We investigated the therapeutic effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with routine physiotherapy on the neurological and upper limb motor function in ischemic stroke patients with hemiplegia.

Methods: In a Randomized double-blind controlled trial study, 52 eligible stroke patients were assigned to real tDCS receiving bihemispheric electrical current with 1.5 mA for 30 minutes over the primary motor cortex, and sham tDCS with a current intensity of 0.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Probiotic Supplementation in Combination With Doxycycline for the Treatment of Moderate Acne: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background: Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that negatively affects patients' quality of life. Increasing antibiotic resistance is making acne less responsive to treatment. Probiotics are live microorganisms that can provide health benefits by fighting pathogens and maintaining intestinal homeostasis and skin microbiome balance.

Efficacy, safety, tolerability and treatment durability of microneedling plus topical tranexamic acid in combination with topical modified Kligman lightening formula for melasma: A four-arm assessor and analyst blinded randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: The challenging management of melasma highlights the inadequacies of conventional therapies and their high risk of recurrence. Integrating microneedling for device-assisted drug delivery with tranexamic acid (TA), recognized for its melanin synthesis inhibition, presents a novel approach that warrants further investigation to fully assess its potential in enhancing melasma treatment efficacy.

Methods: Fifty moderate to severe melasma patients participated in this randomized outcome-assessor-blinded controlled trial.

PPARgamma dependent PEX11beta counteracts the suppressive role of SIRT1 on neural differentiation of HESCs.

The membrane peroxisomal proteins PEX11, play a crucial role in peroxisome proliferation by regulating elongation, membrane constriction, and fission of pre-existing peroxisomes. In this study, we evaluated the function of PEX11B gene in neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) by inducing shRNAi-mediated knockdown of PEX11B expression. Our results demonstrate that loss of PEX11B expression led to a significant decrease in the expression of peroxisomal-related genes including ACOX1, PMP70, PEX1, and PEX7, as well as neural tube-like structures and neuronal markers.

Adherence to Online Interventions for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review.

Objective: Online interventions hold promise in supporting the well-being of family caregivers and enhancing the quality of care they provide for individuals with long-term or chronic conditions. However, dropout rates from support programs among specific groups of caregivers, such as caregivers of people with dementia, pose a challenge. Focused reviews are needed to provide more accurate insights and estimates in this specific research area.

GLI1+ Cells Contribute to Vascular Remodeling in Pulmonary Hypertension.

Background: The precise origin of newly formed ACTA2+ (alpha smooth muscle actin-positive) cells appearing in nonmuscularized vessels in the context of pulmonary hypertension is still debatable although it is believed that they predominantly derive from preexisting vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).

Methods: mice were used to lineage trace GLI1+ (glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1-positive) cells in the context of pulmonary hypertension using 2 independent models of vascular remodeling and reverse remodeling: hypoxia and cigarette smoke exposure. Hemodynamic measurements, right ventricular hypertrophy assessment, flow cytometry, and histological analysis of thick lung sections followed by state-of-the-art 3-dimensional reconstruction and quantification using Imaris software were used to investigate the contribution of GLI1+ cells to neomuscularization of the pulmonary vasculature.

A Web-Based Intervention Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Family Caregivers of People With Dementia: Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.

Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), as an empirically based third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy, has shown promise in enhancing well-being and functioning across diverse populations. However, in the context of caregiving, the effect size of available ACT interventions remains at best moderate, sometimes accompanied by high dropout rates, highlighting the need for more effective and feasible intervention designs.

Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a fully online ACT program designed for family caregivers of people with dementia.

Effectiveness, safety, and patient satisfaction of carboxytherapy as an adjunctive treatment for periorbital hyperpigmentation.

Introduction: Dark under-eye circles or periorbital hyperpigmentation constitute a prevalent and challenging cosmetic problem with diverse etiologies and types. While modifying exacerbating habits can provide partial relief for the pigmentary and vascular factors associated with this condition, and despite the abundance of available treatment options, there is currently a lack of gold-standard evidence-based treatments proposed for curing this disorder.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of carboxytherapy in treating periorbital hyperpigmentation.

Evaluation of efficacy and safety of vitiligo treatment with micro-needling combined with N-Acetylcysteine and micro-needling alone: A double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: Vitiligo is a skin pigmentation disorder caused by the selective degradation of melanocytes. This study investigates the therapeutic effects of microneedling with and without N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in patients with persistent and limited vitiligo.

Method: This research employed a clinical trial design with double-blind randomization.

EmpRess: an eHealth implementation readiness checklist for dementia developed through an interview study of stakeholder needs.

Objective: This study aimed to create a tool to assess eHealth interventions for dementia by adapting an existing implementation readiness (ImpRess) checklist that assessed manualised interventions.

Methods: In Part 1, online semi-structured interviews with individual stakeholders ( = 9) with expertise in eHealth and dementia were conducted (response rate 83%). The Nonadoption, Abandonment, and challenges to the Scale-Up, Spread, and Sustainability of Health and care technologies (NASSS) framework was applied, both to guide the construction of the interview guide, as well as to use its subdomains as codes in the deductive qualitative thematic analysis.

Prevalence and associated factors for asymptomatic microscopic hematuria in adults in the PERSIAN Guilan cohort study (PGCS).

Although hematuria is not life-threatening, some could be the result of a more severe condition. Our objectives are to report on the prevalence and risk factors of asymptomatic microscopic hematuria (AMH) in the prospective epidemiological research studies of the Iranian adults (PERSIAN) Guilan cohort study (PGCS) population. This cross-sectional study was conducted from 2014 to 2017 and consisted of 10,520 individuals aged 35-70.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of oral N-acetylcysteine in patients with COVID-19 receiving the routine antiviral and hydroxychloroquine protocol: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: The current absence of gold-standard or all-aspect favorable therapies for COVID-19 renders a focus on multipotential drugs proposed to prevent or treat this infection or ameliorate its signs and symptoms vitally important. The present well-designed randomized controlled trial (RCT) sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as adjuvant therapy for 60 hospitalized Iranian patients with COVID-19.

Methods: Two 30-person diets, comprising 15 single diets of Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) + hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) with/without NAC (600 mg TDS) and atazanavir/ritonavir + HCQ with/without NAC (600 mg TDS), were administered in the study.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of investigating the mutual impact of COVID-19 and psoriasis: Focusing on COVID-19 course in psoriasis and the opinion on biologics in this setting.

Introduction: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to investigate the mutual impact of COVID-19 and psoriasis to inform clinical practice and future research.

Methods: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis protocol for systematic reviews and searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar until May 1, 2022. Eligibility criteria included full-text articles in English reporting COVID-19 treatment outcomes in psoriasis patients.

The use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in informal caregivers of people with dementia and other long-term or chronic conditions: A systematic review and conceptual integration.

Informal caregivers are the primary source of support for adults with chronic conditions and disabilities. Empirical research highlights chronic stress and other risks of adverse outcomes of caregiving. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an emerging evidenced-based practice that shows promise in improving an array of outcomes, theoretically by increasing psychological flexibility as the primary process of change.

The efficacy and safety of endo-radiofrequency for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa.

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic and recurrent disease of the axilla and groin with inflammatory lesions. There is no definitive medication or intervention to cure the disease. Radiofrequency (RF) is a modality to destroy the lesions by transferring heat into the skin.

Efficacy of fractional CO laser in combination with stromal vascular fraction (SVF) compared with fractional CO laser alone in the treatment of burn scars: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: The appearance of skin scars is known as one of the main side effects of skin burns. Stromal vascular fraction (SVF), as a rich source of cell populations with tissue regeneration properties, plays an important role in the healing of skin lesions. Fractional CO lasers have occupied a special place in treating skin lesions, particularly skin scars, since their introduction.

Blended intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy for informal caregivers of people with dementia (ACT-IC): protocol of a mixed-methods feasibility study.

Introduction: Numerous caregiver support programmes have shown promise in promoting the mental health of informal caregivers of people with dementia (PwD). However, there is still a lack of evidence-based interventions tailored to the specific needs of this population. This mixed-methods study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a blended intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for informal caregivers of PwD, leading to a better understanding of intervention refinements for future controlled trials.

Risk factors for severe COVID-19 among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a real-world analysis of a large representative US administrative claims database, 2020-2021.

Objectives: To identify risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19 and estimate the odds of severe COVID-19 associated with vaccination among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study identified adults with SLE in the Merative™ MarketScan Databases. Patients were continuously enrolled the year before 1 April 2020 (baseline) and had a COVID-19 diagnosis between 1 April 2020 and the earliest of death, enrolment end or 31 December 2021.