Effectiveness of phosphate binders on mortality and cardiovascular disease in end-stage renal disease patients with hyperphosphatemia: a multicenter real-world cohort study.

Background: Uncontrolled hyperphosphatemia in end stage renal disease (ESRD) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), bone disorders, and premature mortality. Randomized controlled trials show reduced CVD risk of non-calcium-based phosphate-binders (NCBPBs) compared to CBPBs although evidence from real world data is less consistent. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of NCBPBs, CBPBs, to no phosphate-binder (PB) on mortality and cardiovascular disease in Thai hyperphosphatemic ESRDs.

The effect of cannabis-derived terpenes on alveolar macrophage function.

(marijuana) is used by millions of people around the world. produces hundreds of secondary metabolites including cannabinoids, flavones and terpenes. Terpenes are a broad class of organic compounds that give cannabis and other plants its aroma.

A single-centre early experience of the Pulse™ navigation system for posterior spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).

Purpose: Pedicle screw-based constructs are the standard of surgical management in AIS. Several manufacturers have developed navigation systems utilising intraoperative 3D imaging to improve screw placement accuracy. However, concerns remain regarding intraoperative radiation exposure utilising these systems compared to traditional techniques.

Efficacy of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonists on Kidney and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: An Umbrella Review.

Rationale & Objective: To comprehensively summarize the efficacy of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) to improve kidney and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Study Design: Relevant studies were identified from Medline and Scopus databases from their inception up to August 2023.

Setting & Study Populations: Patients with nondialysis or dialysis CKD.

Regular versus as-needed treatments for mild asthma in children, adolescents, and adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are recommended treatment for mild asthma. We aimed to update the evidence on the efficacy and safety of ICS-containing regimens, leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA), and tiotropium relative to as-needed (AN) short-acting β2-agonists (SABA) in children (aged 6-11 years) and adolescents/adults.

Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of regular and AN treatment for mild asthma was conducted (CRD42022352384).

Probing the Photochemical Formation of Hydroxyl Radical from Dissolved Organic Matter: Insights into the HO-Dependent Pathway.

This study quantifies the contribution of the HO-dependent pathway to hydroxyl radical (OH) production from the photolysis of dissolved organic matter (DOM). OH formation rates were cross-validated using benzoate and terephthalate as probe compounds for diverse DOM sources (reference isolates and whole waters). Catalase addition revealed that the HO-dependent pathway accounts for 10-20% of the total OH production in DOM isolate materials, but no significant correlation was observed between ambient iron (Fe) concentrations and HO-dependent OH formation.

Application of Dragonnet and Conformal Inference for Estimating Individualized Treatment Effects for Personalized Stroke Prevention: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Stroke is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. Identifying individuals who would benefit most from preventative interventions, such as antiplatelet therapy, is critical for personalized stroke prevention. However, traditional methods for estimating treatment effects often focus on the average effect across a population and do not account for individual variations in risk and treatment response.

Efficacy of delivery of care with Tele-continuous EEG in critically ill patients: a multicenter randomized controlled trial (Tele-cRCT study) study.

Background: Continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) has been recommended in critically ill patients although its efficacy for improving patients' functional status remains unclear. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of Tele-cEEG with Tele-routine EEG (Tele-rEEG), in terms of seizure detection rate, mortality and functional outcomes.

Methods: This study is a 3-year randomized, controlled, parallel, multicenter trial, conducted in eight regional hospitals across Thailand.

Bioluminescent Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli for whole-cell screening of antibacterial and adjuvant compounds.

Continued efforts to discover new antibacterial molecules are critical to achieve a robust pre-clinical pipeline for new antibiotics. Screening of compound or natural product extract libraries remains a widespread approach and can benefit from the development of whole cell assays that are robust, simple and versatile, and allow for high throughput testing of antibacterial activity. In this study, we created and validated two bioluminescent reporter strains for high-throughput screening, one in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and another in a hyperporinated and efflux-deficient Escherichia coli.

Light intensity effects on bioproduct recovery from fuel synthesis wastewater using purple phototrophic bacteria in a hybrid biofilm-suspended growth system.

This research looked at how three different light intensities (1600, 4300, and 7200 lx) affect the biomass development, treatment of fuel synthesis wastewater and the recovery of valuable bioproducts between biofilm and suspended growth in a purple-bacteria enriched photobioreactor. Each condition was run in duplicate using an agricultural shade cloth as the biofilm support media in a continuously mixed batch reactor. The results showed that the highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate (56.

Development and Validation of a Literature Screening Tool: Few-Shot Learning Approach in Systematic Reviews.

Background: Systematic reviews (SRs) are considered the highest level of evidence, but their rigorous literature screening process can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. This is particularly challenging given the rapid pace of medical advancements, which can quickly make SRs outdated. Few-shot learning (FSL), a machine learning approach that learns effectively from limited data, offers a potential solution to streamline this process.

Non-adherence to immunosuppressive medications in kidney transplant recipients- a systematic scoping review.

Background: Rejection and graft failure remain common in kidney transplant recipients. Non-adherence to immunosuppressive medications is considered a major contributary factor to reduced long-term graft survival, particularly in younger people. Improvements in clinical practice based on adherence studies has been minimal.

Destruction of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Reverse Osmosis Concentrate Using UV-Advanced Reduction Processes.

UV-advanced reduction processes (UV-ARP), characterized by the strongly reducing aqueous electron (e ), have been shown to degrade perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Due to the high cost of PFAS destruction technologies, concentrated waste streams derived from physical treatment processes, such as ion exchange or membrane concentrates, are promising targets for implementation of these technologies. However, there are limited studies on the application of UV-ARP for PFAS destruction in concentrated waste streams.

Environmental and economic assessment of mixed plastic waste pelletization in the Gulf Cooperation Council region.

Pelletizing mixed plastic wastes (MPW) has gained interest as an upcycling technology and an alternative to conventional recycling. To investigate its potential, we conducted a cost analysis and life-cycle assessment (LCA) for a conceptual pelletization facility designed to produce 1 kg of pellets per batch of MPW (comprising polyethylene-PE and polypropylene-PP). This work has the following merits: (i) evaluating environmental impact (EI), cost analysis, and mechanical strength based on actual experimental data and its comparison with local and international manufacturers; (ii) enabling the evaluation of LCA impacts of MPW pellets; and (iii) emphasizing the significance of waste management in reducing EIs.

Efficacy of 100% autologous platelet-rich plasma and 100% autologous serum in dry eye disease: a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: The 0bjective is to compare treatment effects between undiluted autologous platelet-rich plasma (APRP) and autologous serum (AS) in patients with moderate-to-severe dry eye disease (DED).

Methods And Analysis: A single-centre, randomised, double-masked, non-inferiority clinical trial was conducted. 96 adult DED patients with an Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) Score of ≥23 and/or Oxford staining grade of ≥2 were randomised to receive either 100% APRP (n=48) or 100% AS (n=48) for 4 weeks.