Barriers and Facilitators of International Health Care Students' Well-Being in Higher Education: Protocol for a Systematic Integrative Review.

Background: International health care students encounter unique hurdles as they pursue education in foreign countries. These challenges, stemming from adjustment to new cultural environments and stressful academic programs, significantly impact their well-being. Understanding the barriers and facilitators experienced by international health care students is crucial for ensuring their successful integration into academic and professional spheres.

Insulin resistance has closer correlation with the occurrence of metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease diagnosed by liver biopsy.

Objective: To explore any correlation between serum urate (SU) level or insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS).

Methods: Data from all MASLD patients, diagnosed by liver biopsy, were enrolled and divided into MASLD alone group and MASLD with MS group. They were subdivided into hyperuricemia group and normal SU group to find correlation between SU/IR and MASLD in patients with MS and independent risk factors for MASLD.

Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome complicated with liver cirrhosis: A case report.

Background: Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is a rare disorder, often characterized by delayed growth and development, short stature, and hypogonadism as the main clinical manifestations. It is not clear whether PSIS can lead to liver cirrhosis.

Case Summary: This paper reported a case of liver cirrhosis of unknown origin.

Dedifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells upon vessel injury.

Highly differentiated mature vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are the predominant type of cells constituting arterial walls, which are essential for maintaining the structural and functional integrity of blood vessels. VSMCs demonstrate a notable degree of adaptability following vascular damage, a characteristic that plays a crucial role in the progression of vascular remodeling. Advances in single-cell RNA sequencing in both healthy and pathological vascular tissues have offered profound insights into the complexity of VSMCs, revealing a more intricate diversity than previously recognized.

Effects of microemulsions of Ocimum basilicum essential oil on the cooking quality of snakehead (Channa argus) under different impregnation methods.

Background: This study investigates the effect of microemulsions of 0.8% Ocimum basilicum essential oil (MOBO) on the cooking quality and shelf life of snakehead fillets using different impregnation methods (air environment treatment, vacuum impregnation, ultrasonic impregnation and vacuum impregnation with ultrasonic-assisted). Basil essential oil, recognized for its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, is utilized in a microemulsion form to enhance its efficacy and application in food preservation.

Identifying left atrium and left atrial appendage prone to thrombus formation in patients with atrial fibrillation using statistical shape modeling.

Background: The morphology of the left atrium (LA) and left atrial appendage (LAA) is associated with LAA thrombus formation (LAAT) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Statistical shape modeling (SSM) could be a comprehensive and objective method for evaluating LA/LAA shape, thereby improving LAAT risk assessment.

Methods And Results: In this individual-matched case-control study, 110 pairs of AF patients with or without LAAT were compared.

Combined lifestyle factors and metabolic syndrome risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background/objectives: The metabolic syndrome is a complex condition influenced by many factors including lifestyle. Recently, more and more studies explored the relationships between combined lifestyle factors (often measured as lifestyle scores/indices) and metabolic syndrome due to the co-occurrence of these factors. These scores/indices considered potential interactions among lifestyle factors, offering a more comprehensive understanding of their relationship with metabolic syndrome.

Wearable device-measured bouted and sporadic physical activity patterns and incident COPD: A prospective cohort study from UK Biobank.

Objectives: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with a reduced risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the optimal accumulation patterns are unclear. We aimed to investigate the associations between accelerometer-measured bouted and sporadic MVPA and incident COPD in the UK Biobank.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Clinical Value of IgG Antibody Test in Screening for Clonorchis sinensis Infection in High-Risk Population.

Background: In areas where C. sinensis is endemic, early screening and diagnosis of C. sinensis infection is crucial to prevent complications and interrupt the chain of transmission.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches in vaccination promotion: a scoping review.

Background: Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a collaborative research approach that engages academic researchers and community stakeholders as equal partners in all research steps to address community concerns and achieve health equity. The CBPR approach has been widely used in vaccination promotion programmes. However, the elements and steps of CBPR-based programmes varied among studies.

Empowering Social Growth Through Virtual Reality-Based Intervention for Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: 3-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) usually begins in childhood and is often accompanied by impairments in social functioning. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as an adjunctive tool to embed in social skills training to enhance the social skills of children with ADHD, but its effectiveness requires further investigation.

Objective: This study aims to enhance the social skills of children with ADHD by examining the feasibility and effectiveness of VR-based training in comparison to traditional social skills training.

[Research on motion impedance cardiography de-noising method based on two-step spectral ensemble empirical mode decomposition and canonical correlation analysis].

Impedance cardiography (ICG) is essential in evaluating cardiac function in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Aiming at the problem that the measurement of ICG signal is easily disturbed by motion artifacts, this paper introduces a de-noising method based on two-step spectral ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Firstly, the first spectral EEMD-CCA was performed between ICG and motion signals, and electrocardiogram (ECG) and motion signals, respectively.

Epigenetic modification of hepatitis B virus infection and related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses a challenge to global public health. Persistent liver infection with HBV is associated with an increased risk of developing severe liver disease. The complex interaction between the virus and the host is the reason for the persistent presence of HBV and the risk of tumor development.

Investigating interface adhesion of PLA-coated cellulose paper straws: Degradation, plant growth effects, and life cycle assessment.

Although bioplastics and paper straws have been introduced as alternatives to single-use plastic straws, their potential environmental, economic, and social impacts have not been analyzed. This study addresses this gap by designing a polylactic acid layer interface adhesion on cellulose paper-based (PLA-P) composite straws by a dip molding process. This process is simple, efficient, and scalable for massive production.

The impact of long-term care insurance on healthcare utilization and expenditures among middle-aged and older Chinese adults: a quasi-experiment study.

Background: Long-term care insurance (LTCI) is essential to alleviate the challenges of rapid aging. Research on LTCI in developing countries is limited and conclusions remain controversial. This study aims to empirically evaluate how the LTCI pilot in selected cities influences healthcare utilization and expenditures among middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

Use of the PRECEDE-PROCEED Model in Piloting Vaccine Promotion and Infection Self-Protection: Intervention Development and Effectiveness Examination.

Objectives: This study aimed to tailor and pilot a health education program using the PRECEDE-PROCEED model to promote vaccination and enhance self-protective behaviors against COVID-19 in Hong Kong populations.

Study Design: Quasi-experimental study.

Methods: Phases 1-4 of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model were used to identify the needs for COVID-19 prevention.

Knocking Out of UDP-Glycosyltransferase Gene via CRISPR/Cas9 in Reveals Its Function in Detoxification of Insecticides.

The role of insect UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) in the detoxification of insecticides has rarely been reported. A UGT gene was previously found overexpressed in a fenvalerate-resistant strain of . Herein, was cloned, and its involvement in insecticide detoxification was investigated.

Psychometric evaluation of the Afaan Oromo version of the exclusive breastfeeding social support scale among Ethiopian women.

Problem: There is a lack of validated tools for assessing social support for Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) practice in Ethiopia.

Background: Validating instruments ensures culturally appropriate and reliable data collection for effective research and interventions.

Aim: This study aimed to translate the exclusive breastfeeding social support scale into the Afaan Oromo language (EBFSS-AO) and test its psychometric properties among Ethiopian women.

Multi-type maternal diabetes mellitus affects human placental villous geometric morphology: A three-dimensional imaging study.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus leads to maldevelopment of the villous morphology in the human placenta, disrupting the exchange of materials between the maternal and fetal compartments, consequently compromising fetal development. This study aims to explore how different types of diabetes mellitus affect human placental villous geometric morphology including branching numbers and sizes (length, diameter).

Methods: Here an optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based 3D imaging platform was utilized to capture 3D images of placental villi from different types of diabetes, including type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Hypnotic Use and the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases in Insomnia Patients.

Aims: We aimed to examine the association between hypnotic agents and cardiovascular outcomes in general individuals with insomnia.

Methods: In a propensity score matched cohort of UK Biobank (UKB) participants with insomnia, Cox proportional hazard model was used to estimate the association between regular use of hypnotic agents and predetermined cardiovascular outcomes including incident coronary heart diseases (CHD), heart failure (HF), stroke, and cardiovascular death. Inverse probability of treatment weighting, competing risk models, and shared frailty models were further performed during sensitivity analysis.