Self-care interventions for legal and safe abortions: lessons learned from a woman-centered approach to sexual and reproductive healthcare in Uruguay.

Problem: In the 1990s, almost 40% of maternal deaths in Uruguay were caused by unsafe abortions.

Approach: A harm reduction model implemented in Uruguay, which addressed the risks associated with unsafe abortion practices by promoting and supporting the self-management of medical abortions by women in their homes, encouraged women's autonomy.

Local Setting: Since 2005, an accelerated decrease in maternal mortality has been recorded in Uruguay, coinciding with the implementation of two major actions: a harm reduction approach with active promotion of self-care through self-management of medical abortions; and in 2012, a change in legislation, which made abortion legal within sexual and reproductive health facilities when requested by women up to 12 weeks of pregnancy or later for specific indications.

Quality of care delivery in patients with acute heart failure: insights from the international REPORT-HF registry.

Background: Heart Failure (HF) quality of care (QoC) is associated with clinical outcomes. Therefore, we investigated differences in HF QoC across worldwide regions (with differing national income) and the association of quality indicators with outcomes.

Methods: We examined the quality of care (QoC) in acute heart failure (HF) patients across different regions using quality indicators (QIs) from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) to evaluate QoC.

Impact of Heat on Human and Animal Health in India: A Landscape Review.

Climate change presents a significant global public health challenge for animals and humans. Due to geography, climate, population, and urbanization, India is vulnerable to extreme heat. This review aims to explore the impact of heat on human and animal health in India.

Assessment of hand hygiene practices among nurses at a regional hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan: A cross-sectional study based on the World Health Organization (WHO) 'Your 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene' guidelines.

Background: Hand hygiene is a critical component of infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare settings, as emphasized by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, compliance with recommended hand hygiene practices remains suboptimal in many resource-limited settings, including Afghanistan. Despite its importance, limited research has been conducted on hand hygiene practices in Afghan healthcare facilities, highlighting the need for further investigation.

Evaluation of antihistamine-refractory chronic urticaria patients who used biological agent treatment in terms of cardiovascular risk.

Introduction: The idea that chronic inflammatory processes may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of both treatment - refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria and cardiovascular diseases is an important research topic.

Aim: Within the scope of this research, we aimed to elucidate a new perspective on the follow-up of chronic urticaria patients by evaluating the 10-year cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome in resistant chronic spontaneous urticaria patients who were unresponsive to maximum antihistamine treatment.

Material And Methods: A total of 170 individuals who applied to our institution's Health Science University, Tepecik Education and Research Hospital, allergy and immunology outpatient clinic have been analysed in this retrospective case-control study.

Intractable Recurrent Abscess Around the Nipple Caused by Mastitis Remitted by Kampo Medicine Treatment: A Case Report.

We present a case of a 46-year-old woman with recurrent breast abscess resistant to conventional treatments. Initial diagnosis of mastitis led to antibiotic therapy; however, abscess formation recurred. Subsequent interventions, including incision, drainage, and various antibiotics, were insufficient because of recurrent infections.

Knowledge and attitudes of health science students and medical interns at al Al-Baha University towards epistaxis first aid.

Epistaxis, or nosebleeds, is a common medical concern in emergency departments worldwide, often triggered by trauma, infections, allergies, and high blood pressure. Despite its frequency, there is limited research on the knowledge and attitudes of health-related students regarding the first aid management of epistaxis. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward first aid management of epistaxis among health-related specialty students at Al-Baha University, Saudi Arabia.

Barriers facing emergency physicians in providing urgent care to pediatric patients in Saudi Arabia - a cross-sectional study.

Efforts to improve healthcare services have been ongoing, particularly in equipping emergency departments (EDs) to handle pediatric cases. However, many EDs continue to lack specialized equipment and adequately trained personnel, exposing children to significant health risks. This study aimed to identify self-reported barriers among emergency physicians in managing pediatric patients and assess their confidence levels in pediatric care.

Establishment and validation of a nomogram for coronary artery lesions in children with Kawasaki disease.

Background: The nomogram is a powerful and robust tool in disease risk prediction that summarizes complex variables into a visual model that is interpretable with a quantified risk probability. In the current study, a nomogram was developed to predict the occurrence of coronary artery lesions (CALs) among patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). This is especially valuable in the early identification of the risk of CALs, which will lead to proper diagnosis and treatment to reduce their associated complications.

The impact of the interaction between BDNF rs7103411 gene polymorphism and social activities on mild cognitive impairment in community-dwelling elderly adults.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between BDNF gene polymorphism, BDNF levels, and susceptibility to mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Methods: In this study, we investigated 107 elderly adults individuals from a community in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, with an average age of 73.17 ± 7.

Spatiotemporal analysis of the effects of exercise on the hemodynamics of the aorta in hypertensive rats using fluid-structure interaction simulation.

Background And Objective: Hemodynamic changes that lead to increased blood pressure represent the main drivers of organ damage in hypertension. Prolonged increases to blood pressure can lead to vascular remodeling, which also affects vascular hemodynamics during the pathogenesis of hypertension. Exercise is beneficial for relieving hypertension, however the mechanistic link between exercise training and how it influences hemodynamics in the context of hypertension is not well understood.

Descriptive Analysis of Preoperative Breast Reconstruction Patient Expectations Using the BREAST-Q Expectations Module.

Patient expectations have been shown to influence postoperative outcomes across surgical specialties. However, the impact of expectations in breast reconstruction is not well understood. The purpose of this project is to perform the first large-scale analysis and classification of BREAST-Q Expectations responses in patients undergoing implant-based reconstruction.

Current Practices and Trends of Plastic and Oncoplastic Breast Surgeons in Canada.

There is a lack of previous studies investigating oncoplastic practice trends for breast reconstruction in Canada, particularly from the plastic surgeon perspective. Given the rising popularity of oncoplastic techniques, this study aimed to identify current practice trends for breast and plastic surgeons in Canada. A cross-sectional survey study of breast and plastic surgeons performing oncoplastic surgery across Canada was conducted.

Relaxation and Performance During Microsurgical Learning.

Microsurgical learning is a difficult and stressful process, requiring self-control to achieve relaxation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate peripheral and central nervous system relaxation during microsurgical training. This cohort study included ten medical students with no previous experience in microsurgery.

Regional brain iron correlates with transcriptional and cellular signatures in Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: The link between overload brain iron and transcriptional/cellular signatures in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains inconclusive.

Methods: Iron deposition in 41 cortical and subcortical regions of 30 AD patients and 26 healthy controls (HCs) was measured using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). The expression of 15,633 genes was estimated in the same regions using transcriptomic data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA).

Empowerment in prevention: a qualitative inquiry into Black girl-centred strategies for reducing HIV/STI and drug misuse risk.

Black girls in the United States are disproportionately diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which can increase the risk of contracting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), compared to adolescent girls of other races. Therefore, this study was designed to understand barriers to impactful HIV/STI and substance use prevention programmes for Black girls. Data was collected between October 2021 and June 2022 from twelve focus groups which included (N = 62) participants who identified as Black and female between the ages of 13 and 18 years old.

Precise detection of NSE and ProGRP with nanoprobes for early diagnosis of small cell lung cancer.

A DNA strand-based fluorescent probe was developed for the direct simultaneous detection of small cell lung cancers' tumor markers NSE and ProGRP. The probe offers stability, simplicity, and rapid response, making it highly promising for application in clinical serum samples' diagnosis.

Ultrasound Predicts Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy Findings Using Machine Learning Models.

Objectives: Ultrasound is a promising low-risk imaging modality that can provide objective airway measurements that may circumvent limitations of drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE). This study was devised to identify ultrasound-derived anatomical measurements that could accurately predict collapse pattern and location based on the VOTE criteria (VOTE: Velum, Oropharynx, Tongue, and Epiglottis).

Methods: Ultrasonography was performed on 20 adult patients of various airway subsites while awake and sedated with concurrent endoscopy performed during drug-induced sleep.

Temperature-Enhanced Purine Metabolism-Based Versatile SERS Platform for Rapid Clinical Pathogens Diagnosis and Drug-Resistant Assessment.

Label-free surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined with machine learning (ML) techniques presents a promising approach for rapid pathogen identification. Previous studies have demonstrated that purine degradation metabolites are the primary contributors to SERS spectra; however, generating these distinguishable spectra typically requires a long incubation time (>10 h) at room temperature. Moreover, the lack of attention to spectral variations between strains of the same bacterial species has limited the generalizability of ML models in real-world applications.

c-JUN: a chromatin repressor that limits mesoderm differentiation in human pluripotent stem cells.

Cell fate determination at the chromatin level is not fully comprehended. Here, we report that c-JUN acts on chromatin loci to limit mesoderm cell fate specification as cells exit pluripotency. Although c-JUN is widely expressed across various cell types in early embryogenesis, it is not essential for maintaining pluripotency.

Optimizing Prostate Cancer Surgery for Seniors: Single-Port Robotic-Assisted Platform.

The Da Vinci single-port (SP) platform is being used more frequently in radical prostatectomy (RP). In this study we aimed to compare the complications and oncological outcomes of the Da Vinci SP platform in robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (SP-RARP) between elderly and young age-groups and to further examine differences between young-old and old-old patients. Data from 193 patients who underwent SP-RARP between December 2018 and June 2024 were analyzed.

Paton Prize Lecture Winner 2024: Gordon Holmes and the Irish spirit of adventure: Lessons for modern thinkers.

This lecture is given in honour of Sir William Paton (1917-1993), physiologist, pharmacologist and Fellow of the Royal Society. His passion for the history of medicine led to generous donations to the Society, who consequently founded the Paton Prize Fund for historical research. After his death, this eponymous Prize Lecture was debuted in 1994.

Managing cognitive impairment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Saudi Arabia: what are the current practices?

Objective: Cognitive impairment is a common comorbidity, yet overlooked, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, little is known about the current practice and perceptions of physicians on recognising and managing cognitive impairment in patients with COPD in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to investigate current practices and perceptions of physicians in Saudi Arabia regarding the recognition and management of cognitive impairment in COPD patients.

Proximal humerus fracture dislocations: outcomes of management.

Purpose: Proximal humerus fracture dislocations are amongst the most severe proximal humerus injuries, presenting a challenging management problem. The aim of this study was to report on long-term outcomes of management of proximal humerus fracture dislocations.

Methods: Patients with a proximal humerus fracture dislocation managed at a Level 1 trauma centre from January 2010 to December 2018 were included.