Reliability of heterophyid antigens in heterologous protection against human schistosomiasis.

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical parasitic disease which has been controlled by praziquantel for many decades; however, reemergence of praziquantel resistant strains has been a continuous threat. Therefore, the development of reliable antischistosomal vaccine is significantly demanded for optimal control. In the present study, comparison among and crude antigens was carried out by Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

A novel gripper for multiaxial mechanical testing of microtubes at elevated temperatures.

The success of a microtube hydroforming (μTHF) process heavily depends on the material properties of microtubes, which can reveal the material response under multiaxial stress and influence the formability of hydroformed products. However, these material properties are not well understood because of the limited availability of material testing apparatus that would permit control of axial force and internal pressure simultaneously to mimic realistic μTHF loading. The main purpose of this study is to develop a set of grippers that can transfer required testing loads under fully coupled combinations of axial force and internal pressure.

Impact of single-pill combination therapy on adherence, blood pressure control, and clinical outcomes: a rapid evidence assessment of recent literature.

Objective: The 2018 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension raised the need for evidence to support the use of single-pill combination (SPC) therapy in preference to free-dosed therapy for hypertension. This systematic rapid evidence assessment sought to determine if initiating SPC therapy improves adherence, blood pressure (BP) control and/or cardiovascular outcomes vs. initiation of free-dose combination therapy.

The mental health of doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Doctors experience high levels of work stress even under normal circumstances, but many would be reluctant to disclose mental health difficulties or seek help for them, with stigma an often-cited reason. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis places additional pressure on doctors and on the healthcare system in general and research shows that such pressure brings a greater risk of psychological distress for doctors. For this reason, we argue that the authorities and healthcare executives must show strong leadership and support for doctors and their families during the COVID-19 outbreak and call for efforts to reduce mental health stigma in clinical workplaces.

Integrated care for the management of ageing-related non-communicable diseases: current gaps and future directions.

Due to the increase in the older population in Europe and associated rise in the absolute number of persons with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), it is becoming increasingly important to find ways to promote healthy ageing, which is defined as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age. Older persons with NCDs can have complex care needs due to the increased risk of frailty, multimorbidity, and polypharmacy. However, current health systems in Europe often provide fragmented care for older people with NCDs; many receive disjointed care from numerous specialists or via different levels of care.

RAG-FW: A Hybrid Convolutional Framework for the Automated Extraction of Retinal Lesions and Lesion-Influenced Grading of Human Retinal Pathology.

The identification of retinal lesions plays a vital role in accurately classifying and grading retinopathy. Many researchers have presented studies on optical coherence tomography (OCT) based retinal image analysis over the past. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no framework yet available that can extract retinal lesions from multi-vendor OCT scans and utilize them for the intuitive severity grading of the human retina.

Seizure outcomes and survival in adult low-grade glioma over 11 years: living longer and better.

Background: There has been a trend toward earlier and more aggressive resection for low-grade gliomas (LGGs). This study set out to compare seizure control and survival of adults with LGG seen in the same neuro-oncology clinic over 11 years and to determine whether a change in surgical philosophy has led to a corresponding improvement in outcomes.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis using case-note review of 153 adults with histologically verified or radiologically suspected LGG, collecting data on patient, tumor, and seizure characteristics between 2006 and 2017.

Increased Chitotriosidase Is Associated With Aspergillus and Frequent Exacerbations in South-East Asian Patients With Bronchiectasis.

Background: Chitinase activity is an important innate immune defence mechanism against infection that includes fungi. The 2 human chitinases: chitotriosidase (CHIT1) and acidic mammalian chitinase are associated to allergy, asthma, and COPD; however, their role in bronchiectasis and bronchiectasis-COPD overlap (BCO) is unknown.

Research Question: What is the association between chitinase activity, airway fungi and clinical outcomes in bronchiectasis and bronchiectasis-COPD overlap?

Study Design And Methods: A prospective cohort of 463 individuals were recruited across five hospital sites in three countries (Singapore, Malaysia, and Scotland) including individuals who were not diseased (n = 35) and who had severe asthma (n = 54), COPD (n = 90), bronchiectasis (n = 241) and BCO (n = 43).

Acoustic, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Green Composites Reinforced with Natural Fibers Waste.

The use of acoustic panels is one of the most important methods for sound insulation in buildings. Moreover, it has become increasingly important to use green/natural origin materials in this area to reduce environmental impact. This study focuses on the investigation of acoustic, mechanical and thermal properties of natural fiber waste reinforced green epoxy composites.

Data on fundus images for vessels segmentation, detection of hypertensive retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy and papilledema.

This paper presents a dataset that contains 100 high quality fundus images which are acquired from Armed Forces Institute of Ophthalmology (AFIO), Rawalpindi Pakistan. The dataset has been marked by four expert ophthalmologists to aid clinicians and researchers in screening hypertensive retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy and papilledema cases. Moreover, it contains highly detailed annotations for retinal blood vascular patterns, arteries and veins to calculate arteriovenous ratio (AVR), optic nerve head (ONH) region and other retinal anomalies such as hard exudates and cotton wool spots etc.

Phosphodiesterase Type-5 Inhibitor Prescription Patterns in the United States Among Men With Erectile Dysfunction: An Update.

Background: While phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) are highly effective for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) and well tolerated, updated data on prescription patterns have been limited in real-world settings.

Aim: To describe men in the United States who are prescribed PDE5Is for ED treatment and to evaluate patterns of initiation, switching, and treatment overlap.

Methods: This retrospective claims study used MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplement Databases from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2015, to identify initial PDE5I claims (index date) for sildenafil, tadalafil, and/or vardenafil.

Natural fluorapatite dissolution kinetics and Mn and Cr metal removal from sulfate fluids at 35 °C.

In light of the consequences of global warming and population growth, access to safe drinking water becomes an ever greater challenge, in particular in low to middle income countries in arid regions. Moreover, mining which may cause acid mine drainage and heavy metal contamination puts further pressure on management of limited water resources. Hence, the development of cost effective water treatment methods is critical.

Subclinical nephrotoxicity in patients with beta-thalassemia: role of urinary kidney injury molecule.

We aimed to investigate the role of urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) in detection of subclinical nephrotoxicity in patients with Beta-thalassemia (β-TM) in relation to chelation therapy and to correlate the urinary KIM-1 level with other clinical and laboratory findings. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 66 thalassemic patients. Their ages range from 7 to 22 years.

Hepatic Sarcoidosis Complicated with Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic noncaseous granulomatous disease. The liver is a common location but usually asymptomatic. Current literature suggests an association between sarcoidosis and cancers.

Automatic Detection of Pain from Facial Expressions: A Survey.

Pain sensation is essential for survival, since it draws attention to physical threat to the body. Pain assessment is usually done through self-reports. However, self-assessment of pain is not available in the case of noncommunicative patients, and therefore, observer reports should be relied upon.

Comment on "Dual-Band Perfect Metamaterial Absorber Based on an Asymmetric H-Shaped Structure for Terahertz Waves [Materials] (2018) [2193; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11112193]".

In a recent publication, Lu et al [...

Sleep duration and physical function in people with severe obesity: a prospective cross-sectional study.

Background: Subjects with severe obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m) have worse physical function and sleep less than lean people (BMI 18.5-25 kg/m).

Methods: In 554 subjects with severe obesity, we compared physical function in those with normal sleep duration (NSD, 6-9 h/night), short sleep duration (SSD, ≤ 6 h/night) and long sleep duration (LSD, ≥ 9 h/night).

Attitudes of Psychiatry Residents in Canadian Universities toward Neuroscience and Its Implication in Psychiatric Practice.

Objective: Despite recent advances in neuroscience highlighting its potential applications in the assessment and treatment of psychiatric disorders, the training of psychiatrists in neuroscience is lacking. However, it is not clear to what extent Canadian trainees are interested in further learning and using neuroscience in their daily clinical practice. This study explored the attitudes of Canadian psychiatry trainees with regard to neuroscience education and training by asking them to assess their own understanding of neuroscience and the perceived relevance of neuroscience knowledge to effective psychiatric practice.

Anthropometric Breast Measurement: Analysis of the Average Breast in Young Nulliparous Saudi Female Population.

Unlabelled: Anthropometric measurements and proportions of the female body play a significant role in plastic and reconstructive surgery. This study is aimed to identify the descriptive measurements of the breast in a sample population of young nulliparous Saudi women.

Methods: Fifty-four nulliparous Saudi women of 20-25 years old, with no physical or developmental deformity, and body mass index (BMI) of 20-25 kg/m were recruited.

Diagnosing the current state of out-of-field teaching in high school science and mathematics.

The U.S. government has acknowledged the critical role that teachers play in the production of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professionals who will drive our nation's economy.

The use of e-cigarettes among university students in Malaysia.

Introduction: E-cigarette use is an emerging phenomenon with increasing recognition and acceptance globally. This study aims to create a profile of e-cigarette users among university students in Malaysia.

Methods: The study was conducted using a cross-sectional research involving six universities in Malaysia.