Publications by authors named "Perera M"

Introduction: Healthcare professionals are in an optimal position to deliver exercise information to pregnant women, yet previous research suggests this seldom happens. Midwives and nurse practitioners, who may have more time with pregnant women, are particularly well suited for this role.

Objectives: This qualitative study examined the exercise advice and counseling provided by midwives and nurse practitioners in Kentucky, focusing on the barriers they face.

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Background: With improved outcomes in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) due to the use of anti-retroviral therapy, ensuring adequate preventative healthcare and management of HIV-related comorbidities is essential.

Aims: To evaluate adherence with recommended guidelines for comorbidity and immunisation status screening amongst people living with HIV within a hospital-based setting across two timepoints.

Methods: A single-centre retrospective case series was conducted at a hospital between 2011 and 2021.

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Platelet-like particles (PLPs), derived from megakaryocytic cell lines MEG-01 and K-562, are widely used as a surrogate to study platelet formation and function. We demonstrate by RNA-Seq that PLPs are transcriptionally distinct from platelets. Expression of key genes in signaling pathways promoting platelet activation/aggregation, such as the PI3K/AKT, protein kinase A, phospholipase C, and α-adrenergic and GP6 receptor pathways, was missing or under-expressed in PLPs.

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Background: Ankle sprains often result in muscle atrophy and reduced range of motion, which can cause long-term ankle instabilities. Understanding the changes to muscle-such as atrophy-and concomitant changes to deep fascia-which may thicken alongside muscle loss-after ankle sprain injury is important to understanding structural changes about the joint and how they might contribute to longer-term impairments. Here, we employ advanced MRI to investigate skeletal muscle and fascial structural changes during the recovery period of one patient undergoing immobilization after ankle sprains.

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Background: stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) is a disruptive radiation therapy technique which is increasingly used for the treatment of urologic cancers. The aim of this narrative review is to provide an overview on the current landscape of SABR in urologic cancers and highlight advancements on the horizon.

Methods: a narrative review of the contemporary role of SABR in urologic cancers is conducted.

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Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the relationship between intraprostatic maximum standardised uptake value (SUV) of the dominant prostatic lesion as measured on preoperative prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) with radical prostatectomy International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Grade Group, pathological tumour (pT) staging, and biochemical recurrence (BCR).

Methods: Prostate-specific membrane antigen PET may offer non-invasive assessment of histopathological and oncological outcomes before definitive treatment. SUV of the dominant lesion has been explored as a prognostic biomarker.

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The role of myeloid cells in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 is well established, in particular as drivers of cytokine production and systemic inflammation characteristic of severe COVID-19. However, the potential for myeloid cells to act as bona fide targets of productive SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the specifics of entry, remain unclear. Using a panel of anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) we performed a detailed assessment of antibody-mediated infection of monocytes/macrophages.

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It is important to be able to retrospectively determine severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections with high accuracy, both for post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemiological studies, and to distinguish between Long COVID and other multi-syndromic diseases that have overlapping symptoms. Although serum antibody levels can be measured to retrospectively diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infections, peptide stimulation of memory T cell responses is a more sensitive approach. This is because robust memory T cells are generated after SARS-CoV-2 infection and persist even after antibodies wane below detectability thresholds.

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is a well-studied genus in the family Callistosporiaceae (Basidiomycota). Currently, the genus comprises eight species with worldwide distribution. All species in this genus are relatively large compared to other edible mushrooms and are commonly consumed by locals.

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Objective: To investigate the relationship between the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) free-to-total ratio (FTR) and International Society of Urological Pathology Grade Group ≥2, clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) in men with a low PSA level (≤4 ng/mL). Patients and Methods Data were obtained from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. Patients with a PSA level of ≤4 ng/mL and who received a biopsy within a year of this PSA measurement were included.

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Recently, nanofiber-based wound dressings are currently a viable strategy to expedite the healing of wounds by providing a suitable microenvironment for tissue growth with active ingredients. This research study subjects the development of electrospun cellulose acetate (CA) nanofibers loaded with the XLAsp-P2, an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) that holds great potential for enhanced wound healing as a therapeutic agent. The synthesized XLAsp-P2-loaded CA nanofibers were fabricated via three loading percentages, 0.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers found that higher FOLH1 expression was linked to increased tumor angiogenesis but did not show a consistent relationship with immune features, and it positively impacted progression-free survival (PFS) in patients treated with sunitinib.
  • * The findings suggest that FOLH1 could be used as a noninvasive biomarker to guide treatment decisions for m-ccRCC patients, which may
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: Biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP) is a significant predictor of distal metastases and mortality in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. This systematic review aims to evaluate the accuracy of artificial intelligence (AI) in predicting BCR post-RP. : Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore.

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Article Synopsis
  • Home-based palliative and supportive care for heart failure patients enhances quality of life and reduces healthcare costs while benefiting caregivers.
  • This study aims to identify and describe the essential components of such care, using a scoping review methodology.
  • Key findings indicate that a multidisciplinary team, led by nurses, is crucial for effective symptom management, education, and advance care planning in this context, which points to a need for future research on digital interventions and team composition.
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Treatments targeting the immune system only benefit a subset of patients with bladder cancer (BC). Biomarkers predictive of BC progression and response to specific therapeutic interventions are required. We evaluated whether peripheral blood immune subsets and expression of clinically relevant immune checkpoint markers are associated with clinicopathologic features of BC.

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Fibroblast Growth Factor signalling via ERK exerts diverse roles in development and disease. In mammalian preimplantation embryos and naïve pluripotent stem cells ERK promotes differentiation, whereas in primed pluripotent states closer to somatic differentiation ERK sustains self-renewal. How can the same pathway produce different outcomes in two related cell types? To explore context-dependent ERK signalling we generated cell and mouse lines that allow for tissue- and time-specific ERK activation.

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Background: Normothermic machine perfusion of donor livers has become standard practice in the field of transplantation, allowing the assessment of organs and safe extension of preservation times. Alongside its clinical uses, there has been expanding interest in extended normothermic machine perfusion (eNMP) of livers as a potential vehicle for medical research. Reproducible extended normothermic machine perfusion has remained elusive due to its increased complexity and monitoring requirements.

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Background: The influence of plant types and their ratios on the effectiveness of polyherbal formulations is a crucial yet underexplored area of research.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the optimal ratios of Phylanthus debilis (PW), Osbeckia octrandra (HB), and Artrocarpus heterophyllus (WR) leaf powders for a polyherbal tea to achieve the best functional properties.

Material And Methods: A three-level factorial design was used to examine the combined effect of three independent variables (PW, WR, and HB) on antioxidant, antidiabetic, and β-glucuronidase inhibitory activities.

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Article Synopsis
  • Imaging advancements are crucial in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), with rising detection rates due to improved technology leading to incidental findings.
  • A literature search up to May 2024 highlighted key imaging methods, including ultrasound, CT, MRI, and new technologies like CEUS and molecular imaging techniques.
  • The future of RCC imaging points toward a more conservative treatment strategy, potentially reducing unnecessary surgeries or biopsies for benign lesions.
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Introduction And Objectives: Full blood examinations, often referred to as FBE, are commonly ordered postoperatively, despite limited utility in many of its markers in the acute phase. It is estimated that in the 2022-2023 financial year, the Australian healthcare system billed over $13 million for full blood examinations (FBEs) to Medicare. This study aims to assess the cost of using FBE following surgery.

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Background: Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following liver transplantation (LT) has a devastating influence on recipients' survival; however, the risk of recurrence is not routinely stratified. Risk stratification is vital with a long LT waiting time, as that could influence the recurrence despite strict listing criteria.

Aim: This study aims to identify predictors of recurrence and develop a novel risk prediction score to forecast HCC recurrence following LT.

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Objective: Healthy lifestyle centres (HLCs), a state service that screens for major non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors and promotes lifestyle modifications in Sri Lanka, report underutilisation. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a participatory intervention to empower communities in improving HLC utilisation.

Design: A quasi-experimental study based on the principles of community-based participatory research SETTING: Six rural communities each as the intervention (IG) (Gampaha district) and comparison (CG) groups (Kalutara district) from the capital province of Sri Lanka.

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