Ethical frontiers in liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation represents a pivotal intervention in the management of end-stage liver disease, offering a lifeline to countless patients. Despite significant strides in surgical techniques and organ procurement, ethical dilemmas and debates continue to underscore this life-saving procedure. Navigating the ethical terrain surrounding this complex procedure is hence paramount.

A Systematic Review of the Reliability and Validity of the Patient Activation Measure Tool.

Patient activation, broadly defined as the ability of individuals to manage their health and navigate the healthcare system effectively, is crucial for achieving positive health outcomes. The Patient Activation Measure (PAM), a popularly used tool, was developed to assess this vital component of health care. This review is the first to systematically examine the validity of the PAM, as well as study its reliability, factor structure, and validity across various populations.

Can propensity score matching replace randomized controlled trials?

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have long been recognized as the gold standard for establishing causal relationships in clinical research. Despite that, various limitations of RCTs prevent its widespread implementation, ranging from the ethicality of withholding potentially-lifesaving treatment from a group to relatively poor external validity due to stringent inclusion criteria, amongst others. However, with the introduction of propensity score matching (PSM) as a retrospective statistical tool, new frontiers in establishing causation in clinical research were opened up.

Morphometry of the sural nerve in diabetic neuropathy: a systematic review.

Purpose: The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the usefulness of sural nerve ultrasonography in diagnosing diabetes mellitus (DM) and diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN), the latter of which is a common long-term complication for diabetic patients that frequently involves the sural nerve.

Methodology: A meta-analysis of the cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of sural nerves in healthy individuals and patients with diabetes mellitus based on a total of 32 ultrasonographic-based studies from 2015 to 2023 was performed. Sub-analyses were performed for factors such as geographical location and measurement site.

Prehabilitation programs in liver resection: a narrative review.

Background And Objective: Liver resection (LR) is a commonly performed surgical procedure for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma and other liver conditions. Despite its benefits in providing patients a potential cure, it is also associated with significant postoperative complications and prolonged recovery periods. In recent years, pre-operative rehabilitation (prehabilitation) has emerged as an up-and-coming strategy to optimize patients' physical, psychological and functional status before LR, leading to improved surgical and patient postoperative outcomes.

No significant post-operative limb length difference following medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy in a multi-ethnic Southeast Asian population.

Purpose: This study aims to assess the significance of post-operative change in limb length in medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO), and evaluate the correlation between correction angles and changes in limb length. We hypothesize that opening wedge height and correction angles directly correlate to changes in limb length.

Methods: The medical records and radiographs of 91 MOWHTO patients were retrospectively evaluated for relevant radiographical parameters both pre- and post-operatively.

-Current Understanding of the Neglected Hepatobiliary Parasite.

Opisthorchiasis due to infection continues to be a significant public healthcare concern in various subregions of Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. The main mode of transmission is via consumption of raw or undercooked fish, which is deeply embedded in the culture and tradition of the people living near the Mekong River. After ingestion, the flukes migrate to the bile ducts, potentially causing many hepatobiliary complications, including cholangitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, advanced periductal fibrosis and cholangiocarcinoma.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of biologics in psoriasis.

Biologics are an important component of the armamentarium of drugs in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis. There is increasing evidence that therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) encompassing the measurement of trough concentrations and anti-drug antibodies (ADA), together with clinical response is emerging as a valuable tool for clinical decision making. It aids in targeted dose adjustments in patients with low drug concentrations, monitoring of adherence and assessment of patients who lose response to biologics or do not respond at all.

Phyla nodiflora L. Extracts Induce Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest in Human Breast Cancer Cell Line, MCF-7.

Phyla nodiflora L. has been used as medicinal remedies for various ailments due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-tumor activity. Previously, we found that the plant extracts induced DNA fragmentation in MCF-7.

Basaloid follicular hamartoma: clinical, dermoscopic, and histopathological characteristics of case.

Basaloid follicular hamartoma (BFH) is a rare benign adnexal tumor with variable clinical presentation. We report a case of a 64-year-old man, who presented with an incidental finding of a 3mm hyperpigmented macule on his cheek. Dermoscopy revealed a structureless blue lesion.

Chemical composition and cytotoxic properties of Clinacanthus nutans root extracts.

Context: Clinacanthus nutans Lindau (Acanthaceae) is a medicinal plant that has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial and antivenom activities. In Malaysia, it has been widely claimed to be effective in various cancer treatments but scientific evidence is lacking.

Objective: This study investigates the chemical constituents, anti-proliferative, and apoptotic properties of C.