Association between pre-existing chronic conditions and severity of first SARS-CoV-2 infection symptoms among adults living in Canada: a population-based survey analysis from January 2020 to August 2022.

Background: Individuals living with chronic conditions (CC) typically have a higher risk of more severe outcomes when exposed to infection. Although many studies have investigated the relationship between CCs and COVID-19 severity, they are generally limited to clinical or hospitalized populations. There is a need to estimate the impact of pre-existing CCs on the severity of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection symptoms among the general population.

Airway-centered invasive pulmonary aspergillosis featuring histopathologic fruiting bodies in an immunocompetent patient with a rare incidental finding of thyroid gland Schwannoma: a case report.

Introduction: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is typically associated with immunocompromised patients, but rare occurrences have been documented in immunocompetent individuals. This presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to atypical presentations and less apparent risk factors.

Case Presentation: A 67-year-old Cambodian American female with a history of stable pulmonary nodules and a left neck schwannoma presented with a two-week history of cough and hemoptysis.

Genetic variants in NHEJ1 and related DNA repair disorders: insights into phenotypic heterogeneity and links to hypoplastic myelodysplastic syndromes and familial hematological malignancies susceptibility.

This study investigates the burden, phenotypes, progression, and outcomes of familial hematological malignancies (FHM) through clinical evaluation, gene panel testing, and whole exome sequencing, highlighting the significance of identifying genetic causes for personalized treatment. Over six years, 357 patients initially diagnosed with bone marrow failure (BMF) were evaluated, with 152 patients lacking identifiable causes undergoing further analysis. Among these, 53 (34.

Fabrication and Characterization of a Flexible Polyurethane-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for a Harvesting Energy System.

Powering wearable and portable devices, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are a considerably promising technology. Low-cost production, ease of fabrication, optimal efficiency, and high output performance are always key concerns in developing energy harvesting technologies. Optimum efficiency and high output are always key concerns.

Anatomical validation of the sonographic detection of small nervous structures.

Introduction: Ultrasound is a primary imaging modality for diagnosing and managing nerve-related injuries, particularly for identifying peripheral nerve locations. However, its accuracy and reliability in surgical applications remain insufficiently explored, potentially limiting its utility in nerve surgery.

Purpose: This study aims to assess the precision of ultrasound in identifying upper limb peripheral nerves by comparing ultrasonographic findings with direct human cadaveric dissection.

Difference in healthcare resource utilization and health-related quality of life between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) in a public hospital in Malaysia - a retrospective case-note review and cross-sectional survey.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a growing global health concern, with its economic impact projected to reach USD 6.0 trillion by 2030. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD), characterized by non-responsiveness to initial treatments, adds a significant cost burden.

Prehospital Resuscitative Thoracotomy for Traumatic Cardiac Arrest.

Importance: Traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) presents a critical challenge in trauma care, often occurring rapidly after injury before effective interventions are available.

Objective: To evaluate the association of prehospital resuscitative thoracotomy with survival outcomes for TCA.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective cohort study examined all cases of prehospital resuscitative thoracotomy for TCA in London from January 1999 to December 2019.

Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Charge-Selective Contact Devices on a Polyimide Flexible Substrate for Dosimetry and Beam Flux Measurements.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) devices on flexible substrates are currently being studied for application in dosimetry and beam flux measurements. The necessity of in vivo dosimetry requires thin devices with maximal transparency and flexibility. For this reason, a thin (<10 µm) a-Si:H device deposited on a thin polyimide sheet is a very valid option for this application.

The International Work Addiction Scale (IWAS): A screening tool for clinical and organizational applications validated in 85 cultures from six continents.

Background And Aims: Despite the last decade's significant development in the scientific study of work addiction/workaholism, this area of research is still facing a fundamental challenge, namely the need for a valid and reliable measurement tool that shows cross-cultural invariance and, as such, allows for worldwide studies on this phenomenon.

Methods: An initial 16-item questionnaire, developed within an addiction framework, was administered alongside job stress, job satisfaction, and self-esteem measures in a total sample of 31,352 employees from six continents and 85 cultures (63.5% females, mean age of 39.

Exploring natural compounds and synthetic derivatives as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro: a computational approach with enzyme inhibition and cytotoxicity assessment.

To address coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is a pressing need for direct-acting antiviral medications. Papain-like protease (PLpro) domain of Nsp3 from SARS-CoV-2 is central to viral replication and detrimentally affects the host immune response by cleaving ubiquitin and interferon-stimulated gene 15 proteins. Consequently, targeting PLpro with small-molecule therapeutics offers a promising strategy to effectively inhibit the virus and mitigate its impact on the host's immune system.

Molecular and biochemical analyses of germination of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) seeds inhibited by n-propyl gallate reveal a key role of alternative oxidase in germination Re-establishment.

n-Propyl gallate (PG) is a phenolic compound that influences enzymatic processes, mostly involving AOX, PTOX, LOX, POD, and PPO. Here, analyses of different PG concentrations (1, 2.5, and 5 mM) during cowpea seed germination at 16, 32, and 48h showed that 2.

Linker Ratio-Dependent Physicochemical Properties of ZIF-8 Encapsulated Mini Protein 20 Mimicking Uricase.

Despite a growing interest in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), notably for their potential as a host for various bio- and molecules, including peptides, the critical factors affecting their physicochemical properties and encapsulation efficiency are relatively unknown, limiting their widespread use. Herein, mini protein 20 (mp20), biomolecule mimicking uricase was used as a model to be hosted within ZIF-8 (mp20@ZIF-8) biocomposites. ZIF-8 were synthesized over a range of molar ratio of Zn to 2-methylimidazole(2-HmIm).

The Marchantia polymorpha pangenome reveals ancient mechanisms of plant adaptation to the environment.

Plant adaptation to terrestrial life started 450 million years ago and has played a major role in the evolution of life on Earth. The genetic mechanisms allowing this adaptation to a diversity of terrestrial constraints have been mostly studied by focusing on flowering plants. Here, we gathered a collection of 133 accessions of the model bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha and studied its intraspecific diversity using selection signature analyses, a genome-environment association study and a pangenome.

Exploring the Weathering and Accelerated Environmental Aging of Wave-Transparent Reinforced Composites.

Approaches to retain or improve wave-transparent composite properties received ongoing attention. Silica glass fiber composites are being utilized in wave transparency applications owing to their excellent dielectric properties. During operational service life, they are exposed to ambient and harsh environments, which degrade their performance and properties.

Development and validation of a stability-indicating HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of anticoccidial drugs in veterinary formulations: greenness and whiteness assessment.

Intestinal coccidiosis is a significant parasitic disease affecting poultry, resulting in substantial economic losses for the industry. It compromises the nutrition absorption, leading to weight loss and elevated mortality rates. Furthermore, the stress caused by the infection can compromise the immune system, making poultry more susceptible to secondary infections and reducing overall productivity.

Leveraging LLMs and wearables to provide personalized recommendations for enhancing student well-being and academic performance through a proof of concept.

Traditional one-size-fits-all recommendations for student well-being and academic success may not be optimal. Personalized recommendations based on individual data hold promise. This study explores the potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate personalized recommendations for 12 high school students to enhance their well-being and academic performance.

Challenges and opportunities to address the emerging burden of targeted therapies in ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) poses a significant socio-economic burden globally with the greatest impact observed in low-and-middle income countries (LMIC). Despite the survival benefit from targeted therapies such as bevacizumab and poly (ADP- ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, they are associated with high costs to patients and payers which widens the disparities between high and low-income countries. OC treatments may also cause significant morbidity from cytoreductive surgery through to the use of targeted therapies reducing quality of life (QoL).

Evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of emergency medicine physicians in managing priapism cases-a cross section study.

Introduction: Priapism is an emergency condition treated by emergency medicine (EM) physicians and urologists/andrologists. EM physicians are the first-line healthcare providers for this condition, and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding priapism remain unclear.

Aim: The aim of this study was to understand emergency physicians' perspectives regarding priapism to help re-structure EM programs.

Short-Term Outcomes of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for Weight Loss and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease.

Background and objective Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), a novel bariatric technique, reduces stomach capacity to promote weight loss. It is increasingly preferred due to its lower risk and improved outcomes, particularly for obesity-associated hypertension and diabetes. LSG has also demonstrated effective weight loss.

Implementation of prehospital point-of-care ultrasound using a novel continuous feedback approach in a UK helicopter emergency medical service.

Background: There has been increased use of prehospital point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) by helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) in recent years. Lack of governance structure and evidence of benefit have been described as major barriers to its implementation. This paper describes a novel approach to implementation of prehospital PoCUS and clinical governance framework in a UK HEMS.

The incidence and outcomes of hyperacute cardiovascular dysfunction following isolated traumatic brain injury: an observational cohort study.

Background: The relationship between early cardiovascular dysfunction (CVD) in isolated traumatic brain injury (iTBI) and outcome has not been fully described. We aimed to (1) determine the prevalence and phenotype of CVD after iTBI in the hyper-acute phase and (2) compare treatment and outcomes in those with CVD vs non-CVD.

Methods: An observational cohort database study of severe iTBI patients (Head AIS 3+) at a level 1 trauma centre (2008-2019) and physician-led air ambulance service (2019-2020).

Exploring the Learning Process for Neonatology Fellows of Giving Serious News on a Virtual Platform.

Background Since 1998, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has highlighted the importance of teaching palliative care skills, yet neonatology fellows sometimes receive varied and inadequate training on these topics. As this study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic when our medical education curriculum was still mostly remote, our aim was to explore how neonatology fellows learned to give serious news with the use of a virtual platform. Objectives The aim of this study was to explore, through qualitative interviews after virtual simulations, the individual learning experiences of giving serious news to a standardized patient (SP).

Supplementing high-fiber olive pomace and multi-enzymes to broiler chicken's diet can improve health and performance.

This study assessed the effects of high-fiber olive pomace (OP) and exogenous multi-enzymes (phytase, cellulase and xylanase) on broiler chickens' growth performance, internal organs, intestinal morphology, blood traits, serum lipid profile and health. A total of three hundred one-day-old Ross 308 chicks were randomly allocated into six treatments using a 2 × 3 factorial design involving 0 and 0.5 g/kg multi-enzymes and 0, 5, and 10% olive pomace.

Prognostic value of immune biomarkers in melanoma loco-regional metastases.

The prognosis for patients with melanoma loco-regional metastases is very heterogenous. Adjuvant PD-L1-inhibitors have improved clinical outcome for this patient group, but the prognostic impact of tumour PD-L1 expression and number of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is still largely unknown. Here, we investigated the impact on survival for CD3, CD8, FOXP3 and PD-L1 TIL counts and tumour PD-L1 expression in melanoma loco-regional metastases.

Understanding the impact of racism on surgical outcomes in settler nation-states USA and Canada: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: To improve surgical quality and safety, health systems must prioritise equitable care for surgical patients. Racialised patients experience worse postoperative outcomes when compared with non-racialised surgical patients in settler colonial nation-states. Identifying preventable adverse outcomes for equity-deserving patient populations is an important starting point to begin to address these gaps in care.