[Christmas article: Can chili improve the performance of Santa Claus and goblins? A randomized study].

Introduction: Many children expect a visit from Santa Claus, preferably on Christmas Eve and the teasing goblins are active teasing throughout the month of December. Therefore, Santa Claus and goblins must be in good shape for the activities of December. Rice pudding, Christmas pancakes, and other goodies are consumed in large quantities to help both the size of Santa Claus as well as the activity level of the Christmas teasing.

A Comparative Study of Aortic Valve Neocuspidization Techniques: Formula vs. Template Methods of Neocusp Formation.

Introduction: The template method (TM), pioneered by Ozaki for aortic valve neocuspidization (AVNeo), has been widely adopted for aortic valve replacement, though it requires specialized instruments. This study introduces a novel formula method (FM), which uses the diameter of the aortic valve fibrous ring (AV-D) to determine the dimensions of the neocusps to be trimmed from autologous without the need for templates, potentially reducing costs and complexity. We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of the FM with the established TM in patients undergoing AVNeo.

Experimental demonstration of the equivalence of entropic uncertainty with wave-particle duality.

Wave-particle duality is one of the most notable and counterintuitive features of quantum mechanics, illustrating that two incompatible observables cannot be measured simultaneously with arbitrary precision. In this work, we experimentally demonstrate the equivalence of wave-particle duality and entropic uncertainty relations using orbital angular momentum (OAM) states of light. Our experiment uses an innovative and reconfigurable platform composed of few-mode optical fibers and photonic lanterns, showcasing the versatility of this technology for quantum information processing.

Lost in translation: a qualitative study of medical students' experiences of theoretical and practical teaching of empathy.

Background: Empathy has proven to be a fundamental component in the patient-doctor relationship and correlates to several positive outcomes in patient care. Despite this, research suggests that empathy decreases during medical education. To increase the understanding of empathy development during medical education, this study explores medical students' experiences of learning empathy in the transition from theoretical to practical context.

Flow cell for high throughput Raman spectroscopy of non-transparent solutions.

This work introduces a high-throughput setup for Raman analysis of various flowing fluids, both transparent and non-transparent. The setup employs a microfluidic cell, used with an external optical setup, to control the sample flow's position and dimensions 3-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing. This approach, in contrast to the prevalent use of fused silica capillaries, reduces the risk of sample photodegradation and boosts measurement efficiency, enhancing overall system throughput.

Beyond Asexual: Genomics-Driven Progress in Unveiling Sexual Reproduction in Cereal Rust Fungi.

Recent advances in genomics technologies have revolutionized our understanding of cereal rust fungi, providing unprecedented insights into the complexities of their sexual life cycle. Genomic approaches, including long-read sequencing, genome assembly, and haplotype phasing technologies, have revealed critical insights into mating systems, genetic diversity, virulence evolution, and host adaptation. Population genomics studies have uncovered diverse reproductive strategies across different cereal rust species and geographic regions, highlighting the interplay between sexual recombination and asexual reproduction.

Investigating the effect of verapamil on preservation of beta-cell function in adults with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus (Ver-A-T1D): protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicentre trial.

Introduction: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a disorder that arises following the selective autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells. Beta-cell protective or beta-cell regenerative approaches have gained wider attention, and pharmacological approaches to protect the patient's own insulin-producing beta-cell mass have been proposed. Verapamil is an L-type calcium channel blocker that has been reported to effectively lowers beta-cell thioredoxin-interacting protein expression in rodent beta cells and islets, as well as in human islets, and thus promotes functional beta-cell mass.

Work-leave rotation among general practitioners in Norwegian municipalities.

Background: A number of municipalities have introduced work-leave rotation (aka 'North Sea shift') for general practitioners, whereby the doctors alternate between periods of work and leave over the year. We have investigated the reasons for this type of work schedule, its prevalence and scope, and experiences with this form of working.

Material And Method: We have undertaken a multiple-case study using data from Statistics Norway, the GP register, municipal documents, brief telephone interviews with doctors working a rotating schedule and in-depth interviews with healthcare leaders.

[The role of EEG in tomorrow's medicine].

There is a breathtakingly rapid development in various areas that take advantage of the ever-improving possibilities to record and analyze the electrical activity generated in the brain. In this article, we attempt to briefly describe some of these areas, including AI-assisted EEG interpretation, the use of BCI (brain-computer interface) in a medical setting, and the possible new applications connected to the development of very small wearable EEG devices. Furthermore, we discuss the concerns and challenges presented by these advancements in neurotechnology.

[New Alzheimer's treatments - a need for national preparations and coordination].

Approximately 100,000 persons live with Alzheimer's disease in Sweden. As the population ages, the need for diagnostics and disease-modifying treatment grows. Previously available treatments provide moderate symptom relief but do not affect disease progression.

[Task sharing - a solution for rich and poor?].

The global shortage of surgical and anesthesiologic specialists is partly overbridged by task sharing to unspecialized physicians (often called "medical officers" and non-physician staff (often called »associate clinicians"). Task sharing is defined as the delegation of specific tasks from those who traditionally carry them out, to someone with shorter training. There is ample evidence for good patient outcomes after surgeries carried out through task sharing to associate clinicians, especially for hernia repairs, acute laparotomies, orthopaedic surgeries, and caesarean sections.

[Unequal access to safe cesarean section - threat to global maternal health care].

Despite evidence that cesarean section rates above 10 percent at the population level do not reduce maternal or neonatal mortality, global rates continue to rise and are projected to reach 30 percent by 2030. The factors behind this increase are complex and vary across contexts, emphasizing the need for a local understanding in order to design and implement effective interventions to curb overuse. In contrast to many other high-income countries, Nordic countries exemplify how robust obstetric practices, midwifery led care and evidence-based guidelines can achieve excellent outcomes while maintaining low cesarean section rates.

[Wise priorities and Essential Emergency and Critical Care (EECC) can save many lives].

An increased focus on essential care could avert more preventable deaths among critically ill patients in the world than the current focus on advanced technologies. Intensive care is expensive and high-risk in absence of training and safety standards. Identification and basic care of failing vital organs across hospitals are the fundaments of all critical care.

[Access to surgery].

More than 5 billion humans cannot access essential surgery if needed. Surgery was for a long time not a part of the global health agenda, generally considered a luxury. However, the realization that a large proportion of the global burden of disease can be reduced by surgery has gained momentum.

Economic and healthcare influences on circulatory diseases in Kazakhstan: a retrospective ecological study.

Background: Health is a key driver of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This study examined the relationships between economic indicators, demographic metrics, and health system factors and morbidity due to non-communicable diseases, such as diseases of the circulatory system, in Kazakhstan.

Methods: This retrospective ecological study utilized regionally aggregated data from 2010 to 2020 for all 14 regions in Kazakhstan.

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Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease with several clinical subtypes. Recent discoveries in the genetics and immunology of the disease, particularly in plaque psoriasis, have revolutionised the treatment of patients with psoriasis. An understanding of the differences in genetics and immunology between different psoriasis subtypes is emerging.

[Not Available].

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is emerging as a novel treatment for systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. To date, CAR-T therapy in rheumatology has been reported only in case studies and conference abstracts, but clinical trial results are forthcoming. Current evidence indicates a rapid and highly effective therapeutic response with a favourable side effect profile, suggesting that CD19 CAR-T therapy could be beneficially established for these conditions.