Transforming Households with Refraction and Innovative Financial Technology (THRIFT): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of vision interventions and online banking among the elderly in Kurigram.

Introduction: Presbyopia, difficulty in seeing close-ups, affects a billion people globally. Mobile financial services (MFS) have been mandated since January 2021 for Bangladesh government social safety net payments, including old age allowance (OAA) and widow allowance (WA). We report the protocol for the Transforming Households with Refraction and Innovative Financial Technology randomised trial assessing the impact on the use of online banking of providing presbyopic safety net beneficiaries with reading glasses, and brief smartphone and mobile banking app training.

Anticoagulation Among Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 : A Systematic Review and Prospective Meta-analysis.

Background: Reported results of clinical trials assessing higher-dose anticoagulation in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 have been inconsistent.

Purpose: To estimate the association of higher- versus lower-dose anticoagulation with clinical outcomes.

Data Sources: Randomized trials were identified from the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrials.

Diversity, Species Richness, and Community Composition of Wetland Birds in the Lowlands of Western Nepal.

Wetlands serve as crucial habitats for diverse bird species, playing a vital role in maintaining the ecosystem. Geographical location, climate, hydrology, and vegetation composition of wetlands determine the diversity of birds. This study investigated species richness, seasonal diversity, and composition of wetland birds in three prominent water bodies of western Nepal, namely Ghodaghodi, Rani, and Jokhar lakes, from 2021 to 2022 in summer and winter using the point count method.

The pentameric chloride channel BEST1 is activated by extracellular GABA.

Bestrophin 1 (BEST1) is chloride channel expressed in the eye, central nervous system (CNS), and other tissues in the body. A link between BEST1 and the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been proposed. The most appreciated receptors for extracellular GABA are the GABA G-protein coupled receptors and the pentameric GABA chloride channels, both of which have fundamental roles in the CNS.

Novel Therapies for Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) unfortunately remains a highly fatal disease with a 5-year survival rate of only 11%. If surgical resection is not possible, systemic chemotherapy represents the standard-of-care approach to management. Combination chemotherapy regimens using fluorouracil (fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, leucovorin, and irinotecan; and fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) or gemcitabine with albumin-bound paclitaxel have the potential to improve overall survival for patients with advanced disease.