Performance evaluation of a low-cost Ti-Mo-Fe (TMF8) as a replacement for Ti-6Al-4V for internal fixation implants used in mandibular angular fractures: a finite element analysis study.

Stainless steel and titanium-based alloys have been the gold standard when it comes to permanent implants and magnesium-based alloys have been the best option for bioresorbable alloys. Ti-6Al-4V, Ti-64, with its 110 GPa Young's Modulus is the most commonly employed alloy to manufacture biomedical implants used for treatment of fractures of skeleton. Recently, researchers have developed a new low-cost and toxic Vanadium-free alternative to this alloy, Ti-3Mo-0.

The interplay of race/ethnicity and education in fertility patterns.

This study examines the interplay between race/ethnicity and educational attainment in shaping completed fertility in the United States for women born 1961-80. Using data from the National Survey of Family Growth, 2006-17, we apply multilevel, multiprocess hazard models to account for unobserved heterogeneity and to estimate (1) cohort total fertility rates, (2) parity progression ratios, and (3) parity-specific fertility timing, for non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic women by educational attainment. We find that compared with their white counterparts, fertility was higher among Black and Hispanic women with less than high school education.

The Role of Epicardial Adipose Tissue in the Development of Atrial Fibrillation, Coronary Artery Disease and Chronic Heart Failure in the Context of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Narrative Review.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a significant burden globally and are especially prevalent in obese and/or diabetic populations. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) surrounding the heart has been implicated in the development of CVDs as EAT can shift from a protective to a maladaptive phenotype in diseased states. In diabetic and obese patients, an elevated EAT mass both secretes pro-fibrotic/pro-inflammatory adipokines and forms intramyocardial fibrofatty infiltrates.

myositis: the first description of subclinical disease and a proposed distinctive triad to evoke clinical suspicion.

Introduction: is an exceedingly rare cause of parasitic myositis endemic to Australia, more specifically, Tasmania and North Queensland. There is a paucity of literature regarding this diagnosis, with only nine previously described cases.

Diagnosis: This report details two cases of biopsy-confirmed myositis from Townsville University Hospital and describes the first-ever case of subclinical infection.

Effect of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists on albuminuria in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aims: To determine the effect of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) on albuminuria in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: Medline Ovid, Scopus, Web of Science, EMCARE and CINAHL databases from database inception until 27 January 2022. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were randomized controlled trials that involved treatment with a GLP-1RA in adult patients with T2DM and assessed the effect on albuminuria in each treatment arm.

The efficacy of inflammatory markers in diagnosing infected diabetic foot ulcers and diabetic foot osteomyelitis: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Diabetes foot ulcer (DFU) is a complication of diabetes mellitus. Accurate diagnosis of DFU severity through inflammatory markers will assist in reducing impact on quality of life. We aimed to ascertain the diagnostic test accuracy of commonly used inflammatory markers such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and white cell count (WCC) for the diagnosis and differentiation between DFU grades based on the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot classification system.

Are Interactions between Epicardial Adipose Tissue, Cardiac Fibroblasts and Cardiac Myocytes Instrumental in Atrial Fibrosis and Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation is very common among the elderly and/or obese. While myocardial fibrosis is associated with atrial fibrillation, the exact mechanisms within atrial myocytes and surrounding non-myocytes are not fully understood. This review considers the potential roles of myocardial fibroblasts and myofibroblasts in fibrosis and modulating myocyte electrophysiology through electrotonic interactions.

Budget impact and cost-effectiveness analyses of the COBRA-BPS multicomponent hypertension management programme in rural communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Background: COBRA-BPS (Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation-Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), a multi-component hypertension management programme that is led by community health workers, has been shown to be efficacious at reducing systolic blood pressure in rural communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. In this study, we aimed to assess the budget required to scale up the programme and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratios.

Methods: In a cluster-randomised trial of COBRA-BPS, individuals aged 40 years or older with hypertension who lived in 30 rural communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka were deemed eligible for inclusion.

Socio-economic inequalities in suffering at the end of life among advanced cancer patients: results from the APPROACH study in five Asian countries.

Background: A systematic understanding of socio-economic inequalities in end-of-life (EOL) suffering among advanced cancer patients is required to inform efforts to reduce these inequalities as part of Universal Health Coverage goals.

Aims: To assess inequalities in multiple domains of EOL suffering among advanced cancer patients - physical, functional, psychological, social, and spiritual -, using two socio-economic status (SES) indicators, education and perceived economic status of the household.

Methods: We used cross-sectional data from surveys of stage IV cancer patients (n = 1378) from seven hospitals across five countries (China, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam and Myanmar).

Perceived quality of care and its associated factors among Chinese patients with advanced cancer: findings from the APPROACH study in Beijing.

Purpose: Patient-perceived quality of care has become an increasingly important index within the healthcare setting. We examined patient-reported overall quality of care and patient experiences in three specific domains of care (physician communication, nursing care, and care coordination) in a sample of Chinese patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with stage IV cancer patients (N = 202) who were recruited from a public, tertiary hospital in Beijing.

End of life experiences of patients with advanced cancer in Myanmar: Results from the APPROACH study.

Background: Access to palliative care services is essential for attaining universal health coverage for patients with a terminal cancer. Despite this, many patients with advanced cancer in low-income countries, such as Myanmar, suffer at the end of life (EOL) due to little or no access to palliative care. However, actual evidence on EOL experiences of cancer patients in Myanmar is lacking.

Cost-effectiveness and budget impact of the community-based management of hypertension in Nepal study (COBIN): a retrospective analysis.

Background: The greatest risk factor for cardiovascular disease is hypertension, which can be alleviated via diet, exercise, and adherence to medication. Yet, blood pressure control in Nepal is inadequate, which is partly hindered by a lack of evidence-based, low-cost, scalable, and cost-effective cardiovascular disease prevention programmes. The the community-based management of hypertension in Nepal (COBIN) study was a 12-month community-based hypertension management programme of blood pressure monitoring and lifestyle counselling intervention undertaken by female community health volunteers (FCHVs) in Nepal, against usual care, which showed success in reducing blood pressure.

Beyond cost-effectiveness: A five-step framework for appraising the value of health technologies in Asia-Pacific.

Given resource constraints and the potential for increasingly high-cost, cost-effective medicines to become available, policymakers require strategies that go beyond cost-effectiveness when making resource allocation decisions. This manuscript presents a five-step framework that complements traditional health technology assessment (HTA) guidance documents that policymakers in Asia-Pacific and elsewhere may consider when setting up HTA guidelines and/or evaluating whether or not to subsidize a medicine or other health innovations. The framework recommends that subsidy decisions be based on five criteria: the relative burden of the condition as compared with other conditions (step 1), comparative and cost-effectiveness of the medicine (steps 2 and 3), the short-term impact on the budget (step 4), and other considerations including patient and societal preferences (step 5).

A Digital Behavioral Weight Gain Prevention Intervention in Primary Care Practice: Cost and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

Background: Obesity is one of the largest drivers of health care spending but nearly half of the population with obesity demonstrate suboptimal readiness for weight loss treatment. Black women are disproportionately likely to have both obesity and limited weight loss readiness. However, they have been shown to be receptive to strategies that prevent weight gain.

Psychosocial interventions for advanced cancer patients: A systematic review.

Objective: Psychosocial care for advanced cancer encompasses a wide range of interventions that help patients make life-changing decisions, manage debilitating symptoms, confront impending mortality, and improve other patient outcomes. Psychosocial care is becoming increasingly available to advanced cancer patients; however, an overview of the various types of interventions is lacking.

Methods: The current review systematically examined randomised-controlled trials of psychosocial interventions for advanced cancer patients from January 2007 to June 2018.