Azithromycin removal from water via adsorption on drinking water sludge-derived materials: Kinetics and isotherms studies.

In this study, we utilized drinking water treatment sludge (WTS) to produce adsorbents through the drying and calcination process. These adsorbents were then evaluated for their ability to remove azithromycin (AZT) from aqueous solutions. The L-500 adsorbent, derived from the calcination (at 500°C) of WTS generated under conditions of low turbidity in the drinking water treatment plant, presented an increase in the specific surface area from 70.

Factors associated with asthma symptoms in Colombian subpopulations aged 1 to 17 and 18 to 59: Secondary analysis of the study "Prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases in Colombia 2009-2010".

Background: Asthma, a chronic inflammatory lung disease, is one of the leading causes of disability, demands on health resources, and poor quality of life. It is necessary to identify asthma-related risk factors to reduce the presence and development of symptoms.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the association of multiple possible factors with asthma symptoms in two subpopulations, children, adolescents, and adults, in six cities in Colombia.

Gender Data, Intersectionality, and a Feminist Politics of "Negotiated Refusal".

Gender and intersectional data are recognized as vital to addressing gender-based violence. We engage this thesis through a case study of a gender data project at the Colombia-Venezuela border. Coming from an underexplored vantage point in the literature, we trouble the assumption that more data are always better for advancing feminist objectives around GBV.

Factors influencing recurrence in clubfoot treatment with the Ponseti method in children under 5 years of age: a scoping review.

Clubfoot (CF) is one of the most common musculoskeletal congenital abnormalities. Despite having optimal methods for its treatment, factors associated with the recurrence of CF treatment continue to be a topic of interest. The aim of this study was to perform a scoping review of the existing literature on factors associated with the recurrence of CF following treatment with the Ponseti method in children under 5 years of age.

Bowel Obstruction After Gastric Bypass Surgery: A Narrative Review.

Bowel obstruction is a common complication that can affect patients due to different factors, including after a history of gastric bypass surgery. This review was conducted by searching the literature using both PubMed and Google Scholar for articles relating to bowel obstructions. Fifty-six articles were found after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria.

A Riemannian multimodal representation to classify parkinsonism-related patterns from noninvasive observations of gait and eye movements.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder principally manifested as motor disabilities. In clinical practice, diagnostic rating scales are available for broadly measuring, classifying, and characterizing the disease progression. Nonetheless, these scales depend on the specialist's expertise, introducing a high degree of subjectivity.

Quantifying capacity of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery in Zimbabwe.

Objectives: To evaluate the otolaryngology surgical capacity in Harare, Zimbabwe by analyzing procedural volumes across four hospitals, one private and three public, from 2019 to 2022.

Methods: A retrospective review of hand-written surgical case logs was conducted at Harare Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Institute (HEENT), Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH), Sally Mugabe Children's Hospital (SMCH), and Sally Mugabe Adult's Hospital (SMAH). Patient age and surgical intervention for all otolaryngology surgeries performed in the operating room from 2019 to 2022 were recorded.

First Palmar Intermetacarpal Flap for Congenital First Web Contracture: A Case Series.

Background: Pediatric first web space contractures of the hand can lead to disability in hand function. Several techniques have been proposed for treating this condition. Recently, a new technique involving the first palmar cutaneous flap was described in a cadaveric study.

Statistical methods to adjust for the effects on intervention compliance in randomized clinical trials where precision treatment rules are being developed.

Background: Heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTEs) can occur because of either differential treatment compliance or differential treatment effectiveness. This distinction is important, as it has action implications, but it is unclear how to distinguish these two possibilities statistically in precision treatment analysis given that compliance is not observed until after randomization. We review available statistical methods and illustrate a recommended method in secondary analysis in a trial focused on HTE.

The TRIPOD-LLM reporting guideline for studies using large language models.

Large language models (LLMs) are rapidly being adopted in healthcare, necessitating standardized reporting guidelines. We present transparent reporting of a multivariable model for individual prognosis or diagnosis (TRIPOD)-LLM, an extension of the TRIPOD + artificial intelligence statement, addressing the unique challenges of LLMs in biomedical applications. TRIPOD-LLM provides a comprehensive checklist of 19 main items and 50 subitems, covering key aspects from title to discussion.

Systematic review of computational techniques, dataset utilization, and feature extraction in electrocardiographic imaging.

This study aimed to analyze computational techniques in ECG imaging (ECGI) reconstruction, focusing on dataset identification, problem-solving, and feature extraction. We employed a PRISMA approach to review studies from Scopus and Web of Science, applying Cochrane principles to assess risk of bias. The selection was limited to English peer-reviewed papers published from 2010 to 2023, excluding studies that lacked computational technique descriptions.

Large language models for the mental health community: framework for translating code to care.

Large language models (LLMs) offer promising applications in mental health care to address gaps in treatment and research. By leveraging clinical notes and transcripts as data, LLMs could improve diagnostics, monitoring, prevention, and treatment of mental health conditions. However, several challenges persist, including technical costs, literacy gaps, risk of biases, and inequalities in data representation.

Comparison of the effectiveness of 2 shockwave therapy protocols for the treatment of vascular erectile dysfunction: a randomized, multicenter, open-label, noninferiority, phase 4 clinical trial.

Background: Shockwave therapy is an optional adjuvant treatment for vascular erectile dysfunction (ED). There is variability in treatment protocols and challenges with patients adherence to the weekly protocol, which is the most commonly used.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the noninferiority of a monthly shockwave therapy protocol compared to the weekly protocol for treating vascular ED.

Patient experience with eosinophilic esophagitis symptoms and impacts on daily life based on in-trial qualitative interviews.

Purpose: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a chronic immune-mediated progressive disease, causes dysphagia, food impaction, abdominal pain, vomiting, and heartburn. EoE requires long-term monitoring and can affect quality of life owing to its symptoms and associated emotional and social burden. This study aimed to understand patients' experiences with EoE.

Bilateral hypothalamotomy plus dominant amygdalotomy with Gamma Knife radiosurgery. A non-invasive alternative when everything has failed in the management of aggressive behavior disorder.

Background: Impulsive aggression is the core symptom of intermittent explosive disorder, which can be a feature of several psychiatric disorders. There is a subset of individuals who do not respond adequately to medical treatment; they are treatment refractory. The objective of this report is to describe a case of a patient with a background of schizophrenia and concomitant refractory aggressiveness disorder, treated with two-stage bilateral hypothalamotomy and unilateral amygdalotomy with Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKR).

Cultural adaptation of an evidence-based intervention to address mental health among youth affected by armed conflict in Colombia: An application of the ADAPT-ITT approach and FRAME-IS reporting protocols.

Background: In Colombia, over 9 million people have been impacted by armed conflict, creating a significant need for mental health services. This study aimed to culturally adapt and pilot test the Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI), an evidence-based transdiagnostic mental health intervention, for conflict-affected Colombian youth aged 18-28 years.

Methods: The eight phases of the Assessment, Decision, Administration, Production, Topical Experts, Integration, Training, and Testing (ADAPT-ITT) framework were used to culturally adapt the YRI for conflict-affected Colombian youth.

Exploring B7-H4's role in prostate cancer dormancy post-androgen deprivation therapy: extracellular matrix interactions and therapeutic opportunities.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is mainly managed with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), but this often leads to a dormant state and subsequent relapse as lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Using our unique PCa patient-derived xenograft (PDX) dormancy models, we investigated this critical dormant phase and discovered a selective increase in B7-H4 expression during the dormancy period following mouse host castration. This finding is supported by observations in clinical specimens of PCa patients treated with ADT.

Surgical Deescalation Within Gynecologic Oncology.

Importance: The goal of surgical deescalation is to minimize tissue damage, enhance patient outcomes, and reduce the adverse effects often associated with extensive or traditional surgical procedures. This shift toward less invasive techniques has the potential to revolutionize surgical practices, profoundly impacting the methods and training of future surgeons.

Objective: To evaluate adoption of surgical deescalation within the field of gynecologic oncology using The National Cancer Database.

Living conditions, nutrition, and maternal and child health in the Baniwa Indigenous people, Northwest Amazon, Brazil.

Epidemiological surveys by ethnic groups are scarce in Brazil. The health and nutrition conditions of indigenous peoples who face situations of social inequities and inequalities, negatively influence their health indicators. This study is the widest investigation on the subject ever carried out on the Baniwa ethnic group, one of the most numerous in the country.

Optimization of the green synthesis of gold nanorods using aqueous extract of peeled sour guava as a source of antioxidants.

Obtaining gold nanorods (AuNRs) through biosynthesis is an alternative that replaces the traditional use of ascorbic acid with chemical compounds such as polyphenols, owing to their notable antioxidant properties. Therefore, we developed an AuNR biosynthesis method using an aqueous extract of sour guava (Psidium araca). Initially, a study was conducted to determine the antioxidant capacity of different parts of the fruit (pulp and peel) over 14 days.

Innovameter: Agent-based modeling of innovation determinants in American and European countries.

This article discusses the dynamics of innovation in America and Europe, focusing on variables such as access to technology, education, and life expectancy. To do this, the article proposes an agent-based model called the Innovameter. The dependent variable is the Global Innovation Index.

Restoring rotational symmetry of multicomponent wavefunctions with nuclear orbitals.

In this work, we present a non-orthogonal configuration interaction (NOCI) approach to address the rotational corrections in multicomponent quantum chemistry calculations where hydrogen nuclei and electrons are described with orbitals under Hartree-Fock (HF) and density functional theory (DFT) frameworks. The rotational corrections are required in systems such as diatomic (HX) and nonlinear triatomic molecules (HXY), where localized broken-symmetry nuclear orbitals have a lower energy than delocalized orbitals with the correct symmetry. By restoring rotational symmetry with the proposed NOCI approach, we demonstrate significant improvements in proton binding energy predictions at the HF level, with average rotational corrections of 0.