Assessing the Effectiveness of Fast-Track Diagnostic Kit for Detecting Viral Gastroenteritis Agents.

Background: Viral gastroenteritis is a significant global health concern. An effective, rapid, and easy-to-use diagnostic tool is essential for screening causative viruses.

Methods: Forty-eight samples, known to be infected with one of the following viruses: norovirus, group A rotavirus, astrovirus, adenovirus, and sapovirus determined by reverse transcription-PCR and nucleotide sequencing, were evaluated by the Fast Track Diagnostics (FTD) viral gastroenteritis assay.

Gliomagenesis mimics an injury response orchestrated by neural crest-like cells.

Glioblastoma is an incurable brain malignancy. By the time of clinical diagnosis, these tumours exhibit a degree of genetic and cellular heterogeneity that provides few clues to the mechanisms that initiate and drive gliomagenesis. Here, to explore the early steps in gliomagenesis, we utilized conditional gene deletion and lineage tracing in tumour mouse models, coupled with serial magnetic resonance imaging, to initiate and then closely track tumour formation.

The association between behavioral habits and physical health status in prostate cancer patients: a large US national health-related survey.

Background: The impact of behavioral habits such as exercise on the physical health of prostate cancer (PCa) patients is poorly understood. We aimed to investigate PCa patients' exercise habits and the association between exercise and self-reported physical health status.

Methods: The 2016-2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) databases were used to identify men with a history of PCa.

Socioeconomic determinants of cancer screening adherence among cancer survivors: analysis from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Background: Factors associated with cancer survivors' preventive health behaviors are understudied. We hypothesized that socioeconomic and health-care access factors may be associated with adherence to recommended cancer screenings.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

From SMILES to Enhanced Molecular Property Prediction: A Unified Multimodal Framework with Predicted 3D Conformers and Contrastive Learning Techniques.

We present a novel molecular property prediction framework that requires only the SMILES format as input but is designed to be multimodal by incorporating predicted 3D conformer representations. Our model captures comprehensive molecular features by leveraging both the sequential character structure of SMILES and the three-dimensional spatial structure of conformers. The framework employs contrastive learning techniques, utilizing InfoNCE loss to align SMILES and conformer embeddings, along with task-specific loss functions, such as ConR for regression and SupCon for classification.

Effects of microcredit programs on household financial portfolios: Evidence from rural Vietnam.

Although microcredit is generally regarded as an excellent instrument for assisting borrowers in improving their well-being, its contribution to improving family financial status is often overlooked. This study addresses this issue by examining the effects of microcredit programs in Vietnam on household financial portfolios. We utilize a balanced panel dataset of 1157 identical households from two Vietnamese provinces collected in 2016, 2017, and 2022.

Methanol Activation: Strategies for Utilization of Methanol as C1 Building Block in Sustainable Organic Synthesis.

The development of efficient and sustainable chemical processes which use greener reagents and solvents, currently play an important role in current research. Methanol, a cheap and readily available resource from chemical industry, could be activated by transition metal catalysts. This review focuses in covering the recent five-years literature and provides a systematic summary of strategies for methanol activation and the use in organic chemistry.

Application of mesenchymal stem cells for neurodegenerative diseases therapy discovery.

Neurodegenerative diseases are central or peripheral nervous system disorders associated with progressive brain cell degeneration. Common neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have been widely studied. However, current therapeutics only reduce the symptoms and do not ameliorate the pathogenesis of these diseases.

Data on tuning phase crystal of boron-doped manganese oxide and activation in removal of formaldehyde.

The data in this work provides the effect of aging temperature on manganese oxide allotropes prepared by hydrothermal method in the presence of boron dopant. The synthesized samples were labeled as B/MnO -100, B/MnO -150, and B/MnO -180 corresponding to the hydrothermal temperature at 100, 150, and 180 °C, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) methods were conducted to clarify the crystalline structure, as well as the amount of potassium, manganese, and boron elements in the three synthesized samples.

Radar-based contactless heart beat detection with a modified Pan-Tompkins algorithm.

Using radar for non-contact measuring human vital signs has garnered significant attention due to its undeniable benefits. However, achieving reasonably good accuracy in contactless measurement senarios is still a technical challenge.The proposed method includes two stages.

Prehabilitative/rehabilitative exercise, nutrition, and psychological support for bladder cancer: A scoping review of randomized clinical trials.

The study of prehabilitation and rehabilitation ([p]rehabilitation) to alleviate the sequelae of bladder cancer and its treatment has generated numerous opportunities to improve the quality of life of bladder cancer survivors. The authors conducted a scoping review of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to identify knowledge gaps in and research directions for (p)rehabilitative support for those affected by bladder cancer. The authors systematically searched six databases and synthesized key findings from RCTs conducted from January 1, 2004, through March 15, 2022, that enrolled participants with bladder cancer, survivors, or caregivers in outpatient (p)rehabilitative programs (e.

Trend of ambulatory benign prostatic obstruction surgeries during COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Benign prostatic obstruction (BPO) is one of the most common causes of male lower urinary tract symptoms. Some institutions routinely perform BPO surgeries in ambulatory setting, while others elect for overnight hospitalization. With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting resources and hospital space for elective surgery, we investigated the time trend of ambulatory BPO procedures performed around the COVID-19 outbreak.

Industry-Sponsored Research Funding to Urologists in the United States Between 2014 and 2022.

Introduction: Urologists face challenges in obtaining public research funding, leading to increasing reliance on the industry for research support. This study aimed to examine the extent and trends in industry-sponsored research payments to urologists from 2014 to 2022 in the United States.

Methods: We identified all US urologists using the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services National Plan and Provider Enumeration System database and extracted their industry-sponsored research payments data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments Database.

Real-World Safety of Prostate Cancer Focal Therapy: MAUDE Database Analysis.

The aim of this study was to assess the real-world safety profile of medical devices used in focal prostate cancer treatment utilizing the Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database. The MAUDE database was searched for reports on high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), cryoablation, laser ablation, and irreversible electroporation (IRE) devices used in prostate cancer treatment from 1993 to 2023. Adverse events were identified and categorized.

Localized Oxidative Catalytic Reactions Triggered by Cavitation Bubbles Confinement on Copper Oxide Microstructured Particles.

Efficient energy transfer management in catalytic processes is crucial for overcoming activation energy barriers while minimizing costs and CO emissions. We exploit here a concept of CuO particle design with multiple gas-stabilizing sites, engineered to function as cavitation nuclei and catalysts. This concept facilitates the selective and efficient acoustic energy transfer directly to the catalyst surface, avoiding the undesired dissipation of acoustic energy into the bulk solution while demonstrating superior cavitation properties at lower acoustic pressure amplitudes.

Absence of Race/Ethnicity Reporting in Clinical Trials of True Minimally Invasive Surgical Therapies for the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

Objective: To assess the extent of racial reporting and enrollment in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of minimally invasive surgical therapies (MIST) for the office-based treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Methods: A systematic review was conducted for RCTs assessing 6 office-based MISTs: transurethral microwave thermotherapy (TUMT), prostatic artery embolization, prostatic urethral lift, temporary implantable nitinol device, water vapor thermal therapy, and Optilume. MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane CENTRAL databases were searched up to November 3, 2023.

Validating polyp and instrument segmentation methods in colonoscopy through Medico 2020 and MedAI 2021 Challenges.

Automatic analysis of colonoscopy images has been an active field of research motivated by the importance of early detection of precancerous polyps. However, detecting polyps during the live examination can be challenging due to various factors such as variation of skills and experience among the endoscopists, lack of attentiveness, and fatigue leading to a high polyp miss-rate. Therefore, there is a need for an automated system that can flag missed polyps during the examination and improve patient care.

Tailoring language for genitourinary function in patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer to facilitate discussions in diverse populations and overcome health literacy barriers.

Background: Poor comprehension of prostate cancer (PCa) medical terms can create barriers to PCa treatment discussions. The authors measured comprehension of PCa terms and its relationship to health literacy in a group of Black men who were newly diagnosed with PCa. They examined whether tailoring communication with alternative colloquial words would be helpful and acceptable.

Periodic Flows in Microfluidics.

Microfluidics, the science and technology of manipulating fluids in microscale channels, offers numerous advantages, such as low energy consumption, compact device size, precise control, fast reaction, and enhanced portability. These benefits have led to applications in biomedical assays, disease diagnostics, drug discovery, neuroscience, and so on. Fluid flow within microfluidic channels is typically in the laminar flow region, which is characterized by low Reynolds numbers but brings the challenge of efficient mixing of fluids.

Hospital-Level Variability in the Adoption of Image-Guided Focal Therapy for Localized Prostate and Kidney Cancer.

Background: Focal therapy, a minimally invasive procedure, offers targeted treatment for kidney and prostate cancer using image guidance. However, the current institutional landscape of its adoption in localized prostate and kidney cancer remains less understood. This analysis compares its usage between the 2 cancers to discern health system determinants affecting the adoption of these treatments.