Perspectives of traditional healers, faith healers, and biomedical providers about mental illness treatment: qualitative study from rural Uganda.

Most people with mental illness in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) do not receive biomedical treatment, though many seek care from traditional healers and faith healers. We conducted a qualitative study in Buyende District, Uganda, using framework analysis. Data collection included interviews with 24 traditional healers, 20 faith healers, and 23 biomedical providers, plus 4 focus group discussions.

Time-varying cost-effectiveness analysis of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in Chinese patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction: A microsimulation of the real-world population.

Objective: Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors showed time-varying effects in heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), but corresponding cost-effectiveness in different timeframes remained poorly understood. This study estimated the time-varying cost-effectiveness of SGLT2 inhibitors in HFrEF from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system.

Methods: Based on real-world individual patient data, a 2-year microsimulation model was constructed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of adding SGLT2 inhibitors to standard therapy compared with standard therapy alone among patients with HFrEF.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Quiet Quitting Scale.

Background: The phenomenon of quiet quitting has attracted considerable attention within the nursing community. Elevated quiet quitting levels can weaken the work environment, reducing healthcare efficiency and quality. However, appropriate assessment tools to measure this phenomenon remain unavailable in China.

Geographic variations and determinants of ever-tested for HIV among women aged 15-49 in Sierra Leone: a spatial and multi-level analysis.

Background: HIV testing among women in sub-Saharan Africa varies widely, with Sierra Leone having lower rates than other countries. This study explores geographic variations and determinants of HIV testing among women aged 15-49 in Sierra Leone.

Method: The study utilized data from the 2008, 2013, and 2019 Sierra Leone Demographic Health Surveys, comprising 39,606 women aged 15-49.

Systematic transcriptome-wide analysis and validation of tributyltin-induced differential changes in the liver with sex-specific effects.

Background: Tributyltin (TBT), a prevalent environmental antiseptic, contaminates seafood, fish, and drinking water, posing health risks. While TBT's hepatic toxicity is well-known, its sex-specific effects on liver function remain poorly understood.

Methods: To address this gap, a comprehensive analysis was conducted utilizing the Toxicant Exposures and Responses by Genomic and Epigenomic Regulators of Transcription (TaRGET) dataset.

Understanding diagnostic delays among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients at a tertiary cancer care center in a low-middle-income country like Bangladesh.

Breast cancer poses a significant health challenge for women globally, with survival rates varying widely between and within countries. The correlation between delayed diagnosis and lower survival rates is well-established, emphasizing the importance of addressing barriers to early presentation to improve survival rates in low-middle-income countries like Bangladesh. The objective of the study was to assess how often breast cancer patients present late, pinpoint the underlying reasons for the delay, and examine any potential links between delayed presentation and socio-demographic factors in our context.

Unveiling the Silent Crisis Amidst Tackling Hepatitis B in African Prisons - A Public Health Emergency.

Background: Hepatitis B is one of the major global health issues, which presents a particularly severe challenge within the confines of African prisons, characterized by high rates of transmission and limited access to adequate healthcare. The prevalence of Hepatitis B in these settings represents a silent crisis.

Objective: This research highlights the critical public health emergency posed by Hepatitis B in African prisons, underscoring the need for urgent intervention and comprehensive strategies.

Engineered exosomes restore miR-508-5p expression in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma and reduce tumor progression and metastasis by targeting DLL3.

Introduction: Endometrial cancer (EC) is a growing global health concern. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving EC is crucial for developing effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This study investigates the roles of DLL3 and miR-508-5p in EC progression and explores a therapeutic approach using engineered exosomes to modulate their expression.

In vivo prime editing rescues photoreceptor degeneration in nonsense mutant retinitis pigmentosa.

The next-generation gene editing tool, prime editing (PE), is adept at correcting point mutations precisely with high editing efficiency and rare off-target events and shows promising therapeutic value in treating hereditary diseases. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common type of inherited retinal dystrophy and is characterized by progressive degeneration of retinal photoreceptors and, consequently, visual decline. To date, effective treatments for RP are lacking.

Health workers' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions concerning MRSA at two hospitals in Ghana.

Introduction: This study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAPs) regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among healthcare workers at the Ho Teaching Hospital and Ho Municipal Hospital in Ghana.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study involved 157 healthcare workers whose KAPs were assessed using a standard questionnaire.

Results: The overall knowledge of the respondents about MRSA was sufficient (mean score = 0.

Recent advances and challenges in metal-based antimicrobial materials: a review of strategies to combat antibiotic resistance.

Despite the availability of a series of classical antibiotic drugs, bacterial infections continue to represent a significant and urgent threat to global human health. The emergence of drug-resistant bacteria and the slow pace of antibiotic development have rendered current treatment methods inadequate in meeting the clinical demands of bacterial infections. Consequently, there is an increasingly urgent and vital need for the development of safe, efficient, and alternative novel antimicrobial agents in the medical and healthcare field.

Exposure to green space and leukocyte mitochondrial DNA copy number in children and adolescents.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is vulnerable to environmental exposure and is related to various diseases. However, the relationship of green space exposure with mtDNA copy number (mtDNAcn) is not yet well clarified. In this study, we sought to explore how green space exposure influences mtDNAcn in children and adolescents.

Changes of Pericoronary Adipose Tissue in Stable Heart Transplantation Recipients and Comparison with Controls.

Rationale And Objectives: Pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) is a key cardiovascular risk biomarker, yet its temporal changes after heart transplantation (HT) and comparison with controls remain unclear. This study investigates the temporal changes of PCAT in stable HT recipients and compares it to controls.

Materials And Methods: In this study, we analyzed 159 stable HT recipients alongside two control groups.

Inhibition of LIMK Reduces Contraction and Proliferation in Bladder Smooth Muscle Induced by TGF- β1.

Overactive bladder (OAB) significantly impacts quality of life and poses substantial healthcare costs. Despite current treatments, there is an unmet need for innovative therapeutic strategies due to limited efficacy and high discontinuation rates. Our study aimed to investigate the role of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in bladder smooth muscle contraction and the potential of Lim kinase (LIMK) inhibitors in reducing TGF-β1-induced effects, offering a novel approach to OAB treatment.

Estimates and projections in the economic impacts of 15 dietary risk factors for 204 countries and territories from 2020 to 2050: a health-augmented macroeconomic modelling study.

Background: Suboptimal diet results in significant health and economic burdens. However, the global economic costs of dietary risks remain unclear.

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the macroeconomic burden of 15 dietary risk factors in 204 countries and territories from 2020-2050.

Anethole trithione mitigates LPS/D-Gal-induced acute liver injury by suppressing ROS production and NF-κB activity.

Acute liver injury (ALI) is a prevalent form of hepatic disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality due to medical treatments, exposure to toxins or viral infections. Anethole trithione (ATT) is a heterocyclic sulfur compound recognized for its chemoprotective properties against cancer and drug-induced toxicity. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ATT in the treatment of ALI.

Chronic coronary syndrome in Africa: current management and service challenges, and opportunities for optimizing patient care.

African populations have traditionally been considered at relatively low risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), but this is rapidly changing in association with ageing populations, uncontrolled urbanization and lack of control of classical CV risk factors. In sub-Saharan Africa, CVD deaths have increased by more than 50% in the past three decades. For CCS care, limited availability of clinical expertise, diagnostic facilities, and access to optimal medical therapy (OMT), lack or inadequate reimbursement of healthcare costs, and scarcity of universal health coverage (UHC) are major challenges.

Human activity, not environmental factors, drives Scedosporium and Lomentospora distribution in Taiwan.

Scedosporium and Lomentospora species are emerging fungal pathogens capable of causing severe infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Previous environmental surveys have suggested potential associations between these fungi and various soil chemical parameters, though the relative influence of human activity versus environmental factors has not been systematically evaluated. Here, we conducted a comprehensive survey of 406 soil samples from 132 locations across Taiwan, analyzing fungal abundance alongside soil physicochemical parameters and the Human Footprint Index (HFI).

Maternal Mortality Determinants in Rural Kenya: An Audit of Three Hospitals.

Background: Global health agencies advocate that no mother should die while giving life, more so from preventable causes. However, there are persistently high maternal mortalities in various regions with a current global maternal mortality ratio of 211/100,000 live births. This study sought to investigate the causes and determinants of maternal mortality.

Application of family-centered care in cardiac surgery: a scoping review.

Background: Family-centered care (FCC) has been widely implemented in various medical settings, its application in cardiac surgery remains underexplored. Given the complexity of cardiac surgery and the significant impact on both patients and families, understanding FCC's role in this context is essential to improving patient outcomes and family well-being.

Objectives: To identify the current state of the application of FCC in the families of cardiac surgery.

Assessing the restorative effects of campus greeness on student depression: a comparative study across three distinct university campus type in Macau.

This study addresses the growing mental health challenges among university students, with a particular focus on depression, by examining the role of campus greenness in mitigating its effects. In contrast to the majority of studies that concentrate on campus environments in Western countries, this research uniquely investigates how variations in campus density and form within the Chinese context influence the role of campus greenness in mitigating depression among university students. By analyzing three distinct types of university campuses in Macau, the study also reflects on the broader implications for campuses across China.

Longitudinal cross-lagged association between posttraumatic stress disorder, post-traumatic growth, and deliberate rumination among healthcare staff 2 years after the COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei Province, China.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth (PTG) are inspiratory areas of psychological research in which deliberate rumination has important implications. However, these relationships have not yet been assessed in the COVID-19 pandemic using longitudinal designs.

Methods: In this study, measures of PTSD, PTG, and deliberate rumination were collected from 2,292 healthcare staff members at two-time points six months apart in 2022-2023 from two general hospitals in Hubei Province, China.

A novel malaria mathematical model: integrating vector and non-vector transmission pathways.

Background: Malaria remains one of the most significant global health challenges, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Despite ongoing control efforts, malaria transmission persists due to complex biological, environmental, and socio-economic factors. Traditional malaria models have primarily focused on vector-borne transmission, overlooking the growing importance of non-vector transmission pathways, such as blood transfusions, congenital transmission, and human-to-human transmission through healthcare settings.

Meta-analysis of genome-wide associations and polygenic risk prediction for atrial fibrillation in more than 180,000 cases.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common heart rhythm abnormality and is a leading cause of heart failure and stroke. This large-scale meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies increased the power to detect single-nucleotide variant associations and found more than 350 AF-associated genetic loci. We identified candidate genes related to muscle contractility, cardiac muscle development and cell-cell communication at 139 loci.

[The study of detection and etiology of delayed sensorineural hearing loss in children].

To investigate the detection of the age and pathway and the etiology of sensorineural hearing loss in children, and to guide the early diagnosis. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the children who passed neonatal hearing screening but were diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss in our department from January 2019 to September 2022. The clinical characteristics of 66 children with complete medical history, audiology examination, imaging examination and genetic detection of hearing loss were studied.