Increased Early-Mortality in Children With Solid Tumors During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Middle-Income Country.

Background: Measures to control COVID-19 transmission disrupted childhood cancer care. Data on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on childhood cancer mortality are lacking. This study describes the impact of the pandemic on childhood cancer early-mortality (≤ 24 months).

Exploring the Safety and Satisfaction of Patients Injected With Collagen Biostimulators-A Prospective Investigation Into Injectable Poly-l-Lactic Acid (PLLA).

Background: Esthetic medicine has shifted significantly toward non-surgical procedures, with the collagen biostimulator poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) becoming increasingly popular for facial rejuvenation. However, the safety and patient satisfaction associated with PLLA facial treatments remain largely unexplored.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the safety profile of PLLA treatment and assess patient mid- and long-term satisfaction with the outcome.

Intradialytic non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring: usefulness of cardiac preload values in predicting hemodynamic instability.

Introduction: Adequate control of patient blood volume in hemodialysis (HD) is essential as a modifiable risk factor for morbidity and mortality. In this study, we propose continuous non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring using bioreactance (Starling SV.Baxter) and real-time characterization of cardiac preload data to aid in the accurate assessment of volume status and improvement of tolerance in HD.

Beware of Bear? Long-Term Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Human-Bear Conflict in Connecticut.

In this study, we examine the spatio-temporal patterns of citizen-reported human-bear conflict (HBC) from 2002 to 2022 and use the Forest-Based and Boosted Classification (FBBC) technique to assess the significance of several factors in the occurrence of HBC. Our analysis reveals a significant increase in HBC incidents over the study period, with the fewest conflicts in 2002 (217) and the most in 2022 (4455). These were concentrated in northwestern Connecticut, particularly eastern Litchfield County and western Hartford County.

The Gut-Heart Axis: Molecular Perspectives and Implications for Myocardial Infarction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) remains the leading cause of death globally, imposing a significant burden on healthcare systems and patients. The gut-heart axis, a bidirectional network connecting gut health to cardiovascular outcomes, has recently emerged as a critical factor in MI pathophysiology. Disruptions in this axis, including gut dysbiosis and compromised intestinal barrier integrity, lead to systemic inflammation driven by gut-derived metabolites like lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) and trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), both of which exacerbate MI progression.