Low rate of severe-end-stage kidney disease after SABR for localised primary kidney cancer.

Background: Stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is an emerging treatment for patients with primary renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, its impact on renal function is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate incidence and clinical factors predictive of severe to end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) after SABR for RCC.

Brain templates for Chinese babies from newborn to three months of age.

The infant brain develops rapidly and this area of research has great clinical implications. Neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and developmental delay have their origins, potentially, in abnormal early brain maturation. Searching for potential early neural markers requires a priori knowledge about infant brain development and anatomy.

Learning through connections: clinical participation and interpersonal relationships in longitudinal integrated clerkships and traditional block rotations in Taiwan.

Background: Longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) and traditional block rotations (TBRs) employ different designs that provide various learning experiences for students. In this study, we explored students' clinical participation and interpersonal interactions in LICs and TBRs at 2 metropolitan hospitals in Taiwan.

Methods: In April 2018, we enrolled 15 LIC and 29 TBR students.

Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of the "PrEPare for Work" intervention to enhance PrEP uptake and optimize adherence for HIV prevention among male sex workers in the U.S.

Background: Male sex workers (MSWs), specifically cisgender men who exchange sex for money, goods, drugs, or other items of value with other cisgender men, are at high risk for HIV infection. Compared to men not engaged in sex work, MSWs are more likely to engage in frequent condomless sex with paying and non-paying sexual partners. While MSWs are often included as a subgroup of gay and bisexual men, data show that a large proportion identify as heterosexual; additionally, most MSWs do not identify as "sex workers.

Age-related changes in the neural gating of respiratory sensations in humans.

Background: Neural gating of respiratory sensations (NGRS) characterises the brain's ability to filter out repetitive respiratory sensory stimuli. This mechanism plays a crucial role in the neural processing of respiratory stimuli. However, whether ageing affects NGRS in healthy adults is still unclear.

Human Fc gamma receptor IIIA blockade inhibits platelet destruction in a humanized murine model of ITP.

Fc gamma receptor (FcγR) IIIA is an important receptor for immunoglobulin G (IgG) and is involved in immune defense mechanisms as well as tissue destruction in some autoimmune diseases including immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). FcγRIIIA on macrophages can trigger phagocytosis of IgG-sensitized platelets, and prior pilot studies observed blockade of FcγRIIIA increased platelet counts in patients with ITP. Unfortunately, although blockade of FcγRIIIA in patients with ITP increased platelet counts, its engagement by the blocking antibody drove serious adverse inflammatory reactions.

Genetic association of COVID-19 severe versus non-severe cases by RNA sequencing in patients hospitalised in Hong Kong.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused extensive disruption of public health worldwide. There were reports of COVID-19 patients having multiple complications. This study investigated COVID-19 from a genetic perspective.

Towards an integrated view on microbial CH, NO and N cycles in brackish coastal marsh soils: A comparative analysis of two sites.

Coastal ecosystems, facing threats from global change and human activities like excessive nutrients, undergo alterations impacting their function and appearance. This study explores the intertwined microbial cycles of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), encompassing methane (CH), nitrous oxide (NO), and nitrogen gas (N) fluxes, to determine nutrient transformation processes between the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum in the coastal ecosystems with brackish water. Water salinity negatively impacted denitrification, bacterial nitrification, N fixation, and n-DAMO processes, but did not significantly affect archaeal nitrification, COMAMMOX, DNRA, and ANAMMOX processes in the N cycle.

Association Between Cardiovascular Event Type and Smoking Cessation Rates Among Outpatients With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: Insights From the NCDR PINNACLE Registry.

Background: It is unclear how the type of an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) event potentially influences patients' likelihood of smoking cessation.

Methods: Using 2013 to 2018 data from the US based National Cardiovascular Data Registry Practice Innovation and Clinical Excellence outpatient cardiac registry, we identified patients who were current smokers at a clinic visit and followed them over time for a subsequent ASCVD event. Self-reported smoking status was assessed at each consecutive visit and used to determine smoking cessation after each interim ASCVD event (myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass graft, stroke/transient ischemic attack, peripheral artery disease).

Implementation of Point of Care Sexually Transmitted Infections Testing in a Community Clinic Setting.

The rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States, including chlamydia and gonorrhea, are rising. Point-of-care (POC) testing could increase access to testing and treatment. This evaluation found POC STI testing to be concordant with the results of traditional laboratory testing for 100% of patients who were tested.

Real-world implementation of a multilevel interventions program to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HBV in China.

Reducing hepatitis B virus (HBV) mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is a fundamental step toward the HBV elimination goal. The multicentred, multilevel SHIELD program aimed to use an intense intervention package to reduce HBV MTCT in China. This study was conducted in diverse health settings across China, encompassing 30,109 pregnant women from 178 hospitals, part of the interim analysis of stage II of the SHIELD program, and 8,642 pregnant women from 160 community-level health facilities in stage III of the SHIELD program.

Perspectives on unhealthy alcohol use among men who have sex with men prescribed HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis: A qualitative study.

Unhealthy alcohol use is a common, often unaddressed behavior associated with increased risk for acquisition of HIV and may also be associated with decreased adherence to oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) living in the United States. To inform future alcohol-reduction interventions among individuals engaging in PrEP care, we sought to explore perspectives on alcohol use, PrEP adherence, and the acceptability of alcohol use treatment options for MSM prescribed oral formulations of PrEP in the Northeastern United States. Between February 2019 and July 2020, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 MSM without HIV who were prescribed PrEP and screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use with AUDIT-C ≥ 4 and were receiving care in Providence, Rhode Island or New Haven, Connecticut.

Transitional care of adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease to adult services varies widely across Australia and New Zealand.

Background And Aim: Children and adolescents account for approximately 14% of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) diagnoses. At an appropriate age and level of development adolescents with IBD have their care transferred from the pediatric to adult clinical team during a process termed "transition". The study aim was to survey pediatric gastroenterologists throughout Australasia to identify commonality in the transition process to contribute to standardized guideline development.

Interferon response and profiling of interferon response genes in peripheral blood of vaccine-naive COVID-19 patients.

Introduction: There is insufficient understanding on systemic interferon (IFN) responses during COVID-19 infection. Early reports indicated that interferon responses were suppressed by the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and clinical trials of administration of various kinds of interferons had been disappointing. Expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in peripheral blood (better known as interferon score) has been a well-established bioassay marker of systemic IFN responses in autoimmune diseases.

Counseling Supporting HIV Self-Testing and Linkage to Care Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Counseling supporting HIV self-testing (HIVST) is helpful in facilitating linkage to care and promoting behavior changes among men who have sex with men (MSM). Different levels of counseling support for MSM HIVST users may lead to variance in the linkage to care.

Objective: This study aims to synthesize evidence on counseling supporting MSM HIVST users and to conduct a meta-analysis to quantify the proportion of MSM HIVST users who were linked to care.

Parkinson's disease and comorbid myasthenia gravis: a case report and literature review.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease caused by antibodies against the neuromuscular junction. PD and comorbid MG are rarely seen.

The American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care 2030 Impact Goals and Call to Action to Improve Cardiac Arrest Outcomes: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Every 10 years, the American Heart Association (AHA) Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee establishes goals to improve survival from cardiac arrest. These goals align with broader AHA Impact Goals and support the AHA's advocacy efforts and strategic investments in research, education, clinical care, and quality improvement programs. This scientific statement focuses on 2030 AHA emergency cardiovascular care priorities, with a specific focus on bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation, early defibrillation, and neurologically intact survival.

Characteristics of Gastroenteritis Outbreaks Investigated in Singapore: 2018-2021.

There is a need to study the characteristics of outbreaks via Singapore's outbreak surveillance system to understand and identify the gaps in food safety for targeted policy interventions due to the increasing trend in gastroenteritis outbreaks and consequential increase in foodborne-related deaths and economic burden on public health systems worldwide. A total of 171 gastroenteritis outbreaks were investigated in Singapore from January 2018 to December 2021. This study analyzed the annual trend of investigated gastroenteritis outbreaks, the proportion of outbreaks by implicated sources of food, and the proportion of the type of pathogens identified from human cases, food samples, and environmental swabs collected from outbreak investigations.

F-FP-DTBZ PET/CT detectable associations between monoaminergic depletion in the putamen with rigidity and the pallidus with tremor in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: The motor subtypes of Parkinson's disease (PD) are widely accepted and implemented. However, the motor subtypes have been thought to represent different stages of PD recently because some patients experience tremor-dominant (TD) conversion to the non-tremor-dominant subtype, such as postural instability-gait difficulty (PIGD). In this study, we explore the monoaminergic denervation features of the striatal and extra-striatal areas in patients with different subtypes of PD with F-9-fluoropropyl-(+)-dihydrotetrabenazine (F-FP-DTBZ) PET/CT.