Revisiting surfactant protein D: an immune surveillance molecule bridging innate and adaptive immunity.

Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is a C-type lectin that was originally discovered as a lung surfactant associated phospholipid recognising protein. It was originally shown to be of great importance in surfactant turnover and homeostasis in conjunction with another hydrophilic surfactant protein i.e.

Repurposing of Empagliflozin as Cardioprotective Drug: An in-silico Approach.

Background: Drug repurposing involves investigating new indications or uses for drugs that have already been approved for clinical use. Empagliflozin is a C-glycosyl compound characterized by the presence of a beta-glucosyl residue. It functions as a sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor and is utilized to enhance glycemic control in adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Caregiver Feeding Behaviours and Child Dietary Diversity and Growth in Rural Bangladesh.

This study examined relations between caregiver feeding behaviours, child dietary diversity and anthropometry at 24 months of age in rural Bangladesh. Twenty-four hours dietary recall, weight and length data were collected on 4733 children. Factor analysis was applied to an 11-item caregiver feeding behaviours scale administered at 24 months, revealing two constructs: responsive/involved (five items) and forceful (six items); each dichotomised to reflect low and high use.

Complementary Food Supplements Fill Energy and Protein Gaps among Children with Dietary Inadequacy in a Complementary Feeding Trial in Rural Bangladesh.

Background: Few studies have evaluated the dietary impact of complementary food supplements (CFSs) designed to deliver macro- and micronutrients to children at risk for undernutrition. In a randomized controlled trial in rural Bangladesh, we previously reported that CFSs increased children's micronutrient adequacy.

Objectives: To longitudinally characterize energy and macronutrient intakes and inadequacies and evaluate the extent to which CFSs fill intake gaps.

Scoping Review of Ethical Discourse in Global Cleft Surgery Literature.

Background: The ethical discourse regarding the delivery of global surgical care has increased in the 21st century. The aims of this manuscript are to explore the differences in ethical domains in the global cleft surgical literature discussed by authors from high-income countries versus lower-middle-income countries and to elucidate changes in ethical discussions over the last decade.

Methods: A thematic coding analysis was completed using NVivo 12 qualitative data analysis software.

Changes in urbanicity and household availability of and proximity to food vendors from 2004 to 2020 in a rural district of northwestern Bangladesh.

Background: The nutrition transition underway in South Asia is likely mediated by changes to the food environment. Yet, few studies have been conducted in rural areas of South Asia to describe how the food environment has changed.

Objective: This analysis assessed changes in household availability of and proximity to markets, grocery shops, and tea shops over a 16-year time period in Gaibandha, Bangladesh.

Distribution and disparities of healthy lifestyles and noncommunicable diseases risk factors between men and women aged 20-59 years in Bangladesh: Evidence from a nationwide survey.

Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are public health threats globally and recognized impediments to socioeconomic development. This study aimed to identify the prevalence and clustering of NCDs risk factors among Bangladeshi men and women aged 20-59 years using nationally representative data.

Methods: This study was conducted in 82 rural, nonslum urban, and slum clusters across all eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh using multistage cluster sampling.

A social cognitive theory of customer value co-creation behavior: evidence from healthcare.

Purpose: Customer value co-creation behavior is promising but undertheorized. To bridge this gap, this study examines the viability of a social cognitive theory positing that customers' value co-creation behavior is shaped by their co-creation experience, self-efficacy, and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach: Using healthcare as a case, a stratified random sample comprising 600 patients from 40 hospitals across eight metropolitan cities in an emerging economy was acquired and analyzed using co-variance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM).

Clinical and translational advances in primary brain tumor therapy with a focus on glioblastoma-A comprehensive review of the literature.

This comprehensive review paper examines the most updated state of research on glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor with limited treatment options. By analyzing 76 recent studies, from translational and basic sciences, to clinical trials, we highlight various aspects of glioblastoma and shed light on potential therapeutic strategies. The interplay between tumor cells, neural progenitor cells, and the tumor microenvironment is explored.

Policy implementation and recommended actions to create healthy food environments using the Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI): a comparative analysis in South Asia.

Background: The increasing prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in South Asia is concerning, with type 2 diabetes projected to rise to 68%, compared to the global increase of 44%. Encouraging healthy diets requires stronger policies for healthier food environments.

Methods: This study reviewed and assessed food environment policies in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka from 2020 to 2022 using the Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) and compared them with global best practices.

Unhealthy Food and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Bangladeshi Elderly People and Their Sociodemographic Determinants: Findings From a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Savory crispy or fried snack (SCFS), sugary snack (SS), and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption are associated with a higher prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases. So, we estimated the consumption of SCFS, SS, and SSB among elderly males and females in Bangladesh. We also reported the factors associated with their consumption using data from a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Liver Enzyme Abnormalities Among Bangladeshi Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Liver enzyme abnormalities can indicate underlying liver health issues and are influenced by various factors. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of liver enzyme abnormalities and their associated factors among nonpregnant and nonlactating (NPNL) women in Bangladesh. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among 251 NPNL Bangladeshi women.

Wireless Technologies in Flexible and Wearable Sensing: From Materials Design, System Integration to Applications.

Wireless and wearable sensors attract considerable interest in personalized healthcare by providing a unique approach for remote, noncontact, and continuous monitoring of various health-related signals without interference with daily life. Recent advances in wireless technologies and wearable sensors have promoted practical applications due to their significantly improved characteristics, such as reduction in size and thickness, enhancement in flexibility and stretchability, and improved conformability to the human body. Currently, most researches focus on active materials and structural designs for wearable sensors, with just a few exceptions reflecting on the technologies for wireless data transmission.

Mavacamten: A Review of a Novel Therapeutic Approach for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heart disease that can cause left ventricular hypertrophy, arrhythmias, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. Currently, pharmacological treatment is limited and ineffective. Mavacamten (CamzyosTM) is a cardiac myosin inhibitor developed as a therapeutic option to reduce myocardial contractility and restoration of myocardial function.

Encyclopaedic Review of Glipizide Pre-clinical and Clinical Status.

Glipizide is an oral glucose-lowering medication that is beneficial for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. This study compiles exhaustively all accessible information on glipizide, from preclinical to clinical studies. Glipizide may be used in concert with TRAIL to treat cancer cells; in vitro studies have shown that it suppresses angiogenesis and vasculogenesis while shielding cells from glycation-induced damage.

From Hypertension to Beyond: Unraveling the Diverse Mechanisms of Olmesartan in Disease Modulation.

Olmesartan, originally known for its antihypertensive properties, exhibits promising potential in addressing inflammation-mediated diseases. As an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), Olmesartan influences pivotal pathways, including reactive oxygen species, cytokines, NF-κB, TNF-α, and MAPK. This suggests a viable opportunity for repurposing the drug in conditions such as ulcerative colitis, neuropathy, nephropathy, and cancer, as supported by multiple preclinical studies.

Neonatal mortality risk of vulnerable newborns by fine stratum of gestational age and birthweight for 230 679 live births in nine low- and middle-income countries, 2000-2017.

Objective: To describe the mortality risks by fine strata of gestational age and birthweight among 230 679 live births in nine low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017.

Design: Descriptive multi-country secondary data analysis.

Setting: Nine LMICs in sub-Saharan Africa, Southern and Eastern Asia, and Latin America.