Simplified Approach to Managing Newly Diagnosed Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Hypertension in Routine Clinical Practice.

Introduction: The aim of the observational SIMPLE study was to assess real-life effectiveness and safety of a single-pill combination (SPC) of perindopril arginine/amlodipine in a broad range of subjects with newly diagnosed mild-to-moderate hypertension treated in Canadian general practice.

Methods: Treatment-naïve participants aged 18-65 years with mild-to-moderate hypertension, whose physicians decided to initiate the perindopril/amlodipine SPC, were recruited from Canadian clinical practice from October 2017 to February 2019. Participants were followed at 3- (M3) and 6-month (M6) visits after treatment initiation.

Comparative Effectiveness of Fluticasone Furoate/Umeclidinium/Vilanterol and Budesonide/Glycopyrrolate/Formoterol Fumarate among US Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with exacerbations which can reduce quality of life and increase mortality. Single-inhaler triple therapy (SITT) is recommended for maintenance treatment of COPD among patients experiencing exacerbations despite dual-therapy use. This real-world comparative effectiveness study compared the impact of SITTs, fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI), and budesonide/glycopyrrolate/formoterol fumarate (BUD/GLY/FORM), on COPD exacerbations and mortality.

Physiological and growth responses of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) fed Croton conduplicatus essential oil and challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila.

This study aimed to assess the effect of Croton conduplicatus essential oil (CCEO) in diets for tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) (14.50 ± 0.07 g), a native Amazonian fish.

Down-regulation of interlinked inflammatory signalling cascades by ethanolic extract of Suaeda fruticosa Forssk. ex J.F. Gmel. attenuated in vivo inflammatory and nociceptive responses.

Juice and decoction of leaves of Suaeda fruticosa, a halophytic medicinal plant of Cholistan desert, is traditionally used to treat rheumatism. The current study was carried out to probe into in vivo anti-nociceptive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-arthritic potential of ethanolic extract of the whole plant of S. fruticosa (Et-SF) and its bioactive molecules.

Esculin-loaded nanoparticles ameliorate adjuvant-induced polyarthritis via subduing inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in Wistar rats.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder affecting multiple joints and requires lifelong treatment. Present study was designed to formulate Esculin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (ENPs) and evaluation of its anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic action. The acute toxicity study of ENPs was also performed.

Early Improvement in Cardiac Function and Dyssynchrony After Physiological Upgrading in Pacing-Induced Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Interventricular dyssynchrony derived from the classic non-physiological stimulation (n-PS) of the right ventricle (RV) is a known cause of left ventricular dysfunction (LVDys).

Methods: This was a prospective descriptive single-center study. We analyzed patients who develop LVDys with n-PS, and the results after upgrading to conduction system pacing (CSP).

Diagnostic and prognostic potential of left atrial strain in cardiovascular disease: a narrative review.

Left atrial strain (LAS) was recently introduced as a parameter that reflects on left atrial function. Consequently, changes in LAS can inform the development of cardiovascular diseases, hence providing a window for non-invasive and cost-effective testing of these diseases and their complications at early stages of development, potentially offering a segway towards preventive interventions. LAS has yet to be implemented into standard practice.

Postoperative dorsal step-off predicts olecranon osteotomy union: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: Olecranon osteotomy has been associated with loss of reduction, nonunion, implant failure, and migration of wires. We aim to evaluate quality of reduction of the osteotomy site as a predictor of olecranon osteotomy nonunion.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-five distal humerus fractures that underwent open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) were reviewed.

Trends in the surgical management of proximal humerus fractures over the last 20 years from Australian registry databases.

Background: Proximal humerus fractures (PHF) are common with approximately 30% requiring surgical intervention. This ranges from open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) to shoulder arthroplasty (including hemiarthroplasty, total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA)). The aim of this study was to assess trends in operative interventions for PHF in an Australian population.

Effect of Qigong exercise on quality of life and cortisol in patients with cancer: a non-randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a 6-month Guolin Qigong on quality of life and serum cortisol among patients with cancer.

Methods: This study was a two-arm and non-randomized controlled trial. Forty-nine patients with cancer who were over 18 years of age and diagnosed with cancer were enrolled in this study and assigned to either the Guolin Qigong intervention group (IG, n = 26) or the usual care group (UC, n = 23) for 6 months.

The Effectiveness and Safety of the Short-Course Therapy in Liver Transplant Recipients With Uncomplicated Gram-Negative Bacteremia: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: The appropriate duration of therapy for uncomplicated gram-negative bloodstream infection (GN-BSI) in liver transplant (LTx) recipients remains unknown. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of a short-course antimicrobial therapy.

Methods: This retrospective study was performed in a single LTx center in Japan.

Stone-event-free survival after retrograde intrarenal surgery: is the stone-free-status so relevant for the future outcomes?

Introduction: The primary aim of stone treatment is to achieve stone-free status. Residual fragments can cause stone growth, recurrence, urinary tract infections, and ureteric obstruction. Our goal was to describe the natural history of stone burden after retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) based on stone-free status (SFS), evaluating stone growth and stone-events.

Assessing patient satisfaction with hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis care and associated factors in Iran.

Purpose: With the increasing demand for dialysis, there is a growing emphasis on patient-centered care. This study investigated patients' satisfaction levels with peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) care in Iran.

Methods: A cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted among 346 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) covered by the Iran Health Insurance Organization who received dialysis services from October to December 2022 across the country.

Localization and Spread of Challenging Conduction Gaps of Pulmonary Veins for Atrial Fibrillation Cryoablation.

Background: Cryoballoon ablation has been widely performed in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). In some challenging pulmonary veins (PVs), the procedure requires additional touch-up applications against the residual conduction gaps. It implies that there could exist difficult sites to cover with standard cryoballoon applications (CBAs), resulting in resistant conduction gaps (RCGs).

Clinical evaluation of single bond universal adhesive in non-carious cervical lesions: a 36-month retrospective study.

Objective: To evaluate the 36-month clinical performance of Single Bond Universal Adhesive (SBU; 3M ESPE, Germany) in non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) using different modes of adhesion according to the FDI criteria. The primary outcome was the retention loss of the restorations, while the secondary outcomes included marginal staining, marginal adaptation, post-operative sensitivity and tooth vitality, recurrence of caries erosion and abfraction, and tooth integrity, all evaluated according to the FDI criteria.

Materials And Methods: In this study, the SBU Adhesive was applied to 246 NCCLs of 25 patients using different modes of adhesion: Self-etch (SE), selective-enamel-etching (SLE), and etch-and-rinse (ER).

Factors affecting intensive care length of stay in critically ill pediatric patients with burn injuries.

Background: Burns in children are often complex injuries, leading to prolonged length of stay (LOS) and significant morbidity. LOS in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) is a key measure for evaluating illness severity, clinical outcomes, and quality of care. Accurate prediction of LOS is vital for improving care planning and resource allocation.

Assessing the impact of clerkships on the growth of clinical knowledge.

Purpose: This study quantified the impact of clinical clerkships on medical students' disciplinary knowledge using the Comprehensive Clinical Science Examination (CCSE) as a formative assessment tool.

Methods: This study involved 155 third-year medical students in the College of Human Medicine at Michigan State University who matriculated in 2016. Disciplinary scores on their individual Comprehensive Clinical Science Examination reports were extracted by digitizing the bar charts using image processing techniques.

Safety and efficacy of low-powered holmium laser enucleation of the prostate in comparison with plasma kinetic resection of prostate.

To compare the efficacy and safety of low-power holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (LP-HoLEP) with plasma kinetic resection of prostate (PKRP). Sixty-three patients treated with transurethral LP-HoLEP (observation group) and 68 patients treated with transurethral PKRP (control group) at Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from November 2019 to November 2022 were retrospectively compared with regard to operation duration, intra-operative blood loss, prostate resection ratio, postoperative bladder irrigation time, postoperative indwelling urinary catheter time, postoperative urinary incontinence incidence, International Prostate Symptom Scale (IPSS), maximum urine flow rate (Qmax), and residual urine volume (RUV). In both groups, postoperative IPSS, Qmax, and RUV were significantly improved compared to preoperative values (P < 0.

The Utility of Interferon-γ Release Assays in the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Patients With Cancer.

Background: Patients with cancer are at elevated risk for tuberculosis (TB) reactivation. Diagnosis of latent TB infection and TB disease remains challenging in this patient population despite the advent of interferon-γ release assays (IGRA).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all patients with cancer who had IGRA testing (QuantiFERON-TB [QFT-TB] or T-SPOT.

Androgen receptor pathway inhibitors vs. docetaxel chemotherapy for metastatic hormone-sensitive and first-line castration resistant prostate cancer.

Purpose: No currently available phase III trial compared docetaxel vs. androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPI) regarding cancer-control outcomes in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Moreover, few is known about the effect of sequential therapies in mHSPC and subsequent metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

Non-invasive pressure-volume loop derived temporal elastance, contractility, and efficiency indices for assessing Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.

Ejection fraction is commonly used to assess Duchenne muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy (DMDAC), but it may remain normal (wrongly) despite significant myocardial dysfunction in patients. Therefore, better indicators of myocardial dysfunction are needed for longitudinal (with time) assessment and treatment of DMDAC patients. This study evaluates non-invasive LV PV loop-derived elastance, contractility and efficiency in relation to EF for patients developing DMDAC.

Strategy and Design of In Situ Activated Protein Hydrolysis Targeted Chimeras.

Protein hydrolysis targeted chimeras (PROTACs) represent a different therapeutic approach, particularly relevant for overcoming challenges associated with traditional small molecule inhibitors. These challenges include targeting difficult proteins that are often deemed "undruggable" and addressing issues of acquired resistance. PROTACs employ the body's own E3 ubiquitin ligases to induce the degradation of specific proteins of interest (POIs) through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Morphological and genetic characterization of Contracaecum and Porrocaecum species from the wild birds in Turkey.

The superfamily Ascaridoidea are parasitic nematodes in vertebrates, including birds and humans. In order to investigate the presence and distribution of these parasitic nematodes in birds acting as the definitive host, 157 birds of 64 bird species belonging to 16 orders were collected and necropsied in the Kızılırmak Delta area in the Bafra district of Samsun province. The parasites collected were fixed in 70% ethyl alcohol and identified under a light microscope, and morphologically important regions were photographed for identification.

Diagnostic value of hemoglobin concentration in identifying Meckel's diverticulum in pediatric lower gastrointestinal bleeding.

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic performance of hemoglobin concentration for Meckel's diverticulum (MD) and evaluate if hemoglobin levels could be useful in the surgical decision-making process of children with lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB).

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of children with LGIB attending the emergency department between 2011 and 2021. Episodes of LGIB were divided into two groups: MeckD (MD diagnosed by surgery) and non-MeckD.

An effective surgical educational system in the era of robotic surgery: "Double-Surgeon Technique" in robotic gastrectomy for minimally invasive surgery.

Purpose: Gastric cancer (GC) remains a major malignancy. Robotic gastrectomy (RG) has gained popularity due to various advantages. Despite those advantages, many hospitals lack the necessary equipment for RG and are still performing laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) due to its established minimal invasiveness and safety.