Prognostic factors in severe dengue patients: A multi-center retrospective cohort study.

Background/purpose: Early detection of severe dengue (SD) and appropriate management are crucial in reducing the case fatality rate. The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of SD and identify independent risk factors associated with mortality among SD patients.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at two medical center hospitals between 2002 and 2019, involving patients aged ≧18 years with laboratory-confirmed SD.

Pooled prevalence and associated factors of traditional uvulectom among children in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Traditional childhood uvulectomy (TCU) is an unregulated cultural practice associated with significant health risks, including infections, anemia, aspiration, and oral or pharyngeal injuries. The reuse of unsafe tools such as blades, needles, or thread loops exacerbates the spread of infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis B. Despite its clinical significance, the pooled prevalence and associated factors of TCU have not been adequately examined through systematic reviews or meta-analyses.

Criminal law ensuring the information security of persons living with the immunodeficiency virus.

Objective: Aim: To determine the specifics of criminal liability for disclosing information about a medical examination for detection of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or another incurable infectious disease under the criminal legislation of Poland and Ukraine in order to improve the legal protection of the interests of people living with HIV.

Patients And Methods: Materials and Methods: The authors used the decisions of national courts in the field of ensuring the information security of a person living with the immunodeficiency virus, international and national legal acts of Ukraine and Poland. The study was carried out on the basis of a systematic approach using the methods of dialectical and formal logic, general scientific and special legal research methods.

Bacterial vaginosis is associated with transcriptomic changes but not higher concentrations of cervical leukocytes in a study of women at high risk for HIV acquisition.

Background: The association between bacterial vaginosis (BV) and increased HIV acquisition risk may be related to concentrations of HIV-susceptible immune cells in the cervix.

Methods: Participants (31 with BV and 30 with normal microbiota) underwent cervical biopsy at a single visit. Immune cells were quantified and sorted using flow cytometry (N=55), localization assessed by immunofluorescence (N=16), and function determined by bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of live CD45+ cells (N=21).

Impact of media coverage on the transmission dynamics of TB with vaccines and treatment.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadly infectious diseases affecting millions of individuals throughout the world. The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of media coverage on the transmission dynamics of TB with vaccine and treatment strategy using mathematical model analysis. In the qualitative analysis of the proposed model we proved the existence, uniqueness, positivity, and boundedness of the model solutions, investigated both the disease-free and endemic equilibrium points, computed the basic and effective reproduction numbers using next generation matrix approach, analyzed the stability analysis of the equilibrium points, the backward bifurcation using the Castillo-Chavez and Song theorem and we re-formulated the corresponding optimal control problem and analyzed by applying the Pontryagin's Minimum Principle.

Mental health challenges and perceptions of stigma among youth living with HIV in Tanzania.

Youth living with HIV (YLWH) face psychosocial challenges and HIV-related stigma, which impact adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART). This study was designed to understand better the change in mental health symptoms and experiences with stigma among YLWH in Tanzania who completed the original pilot Sauti ya Vijana (SYV), a mental health and life skills group intervention. YLWH who completed SYV and demonstrated a change of ≥2 points in either direction on their Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ-9 (depression screener) from baseline to 18 months were purposively sampled.

Comparison of two strategies of glucocorticoid withdrawal in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in low disease activity (STAR): a randomised, placebo- controlled, double-blind trial.

Objectives: To compare two strategies-a hydrocortisone replacement strategy and a prednisone tapering strategy-for their success in glucocorticoid discontinuation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with low disease activity (LDA).

Methods: The Strategies for glucocorticoid TApering in Rheumatoid arthritis (STAR) study was a double- blind, double-placebo randomised controlled trial including patients with RA receiving a stable dose of glucocorticoid 5 mg/day for ≥3 months and were in LDA for ≥3 months. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either replace prednisone with 20 mg/day of hydrocortisone for 3 months, then reduce to 10 mg/day for 3 months before discontinuation or to taper prednisone by 1 mg/day every month until complete discontinuation, contingent on maintaining LDA.

Aspartate Metabolism-Driven Gut Microbiota Dynamics and RIP-Dependent Mitochondrial Function Counteract Oxidative Stress.

Aspartate (Asp) metabolism-mediated antioxidant functions have important implications for neonatal growth and intestinal health; however, the antioxidant mechanisms through which Asp regulates the gut microbiota and influences RIP activation remain elusive. This study reports that chronic oxidative stress disrupts gut microbiota and metabolite balance and that such imbalance is intricately tied to the perturbation of Asp metabolism. Under normal conditions, in vivo and in vitro studies reveal that exogenous Asp improves intestinal health by regulating epithelial cell proliferation, nutrient uptake, and apoptosis.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Neuropharmacological Potential of Methanolic Leaf Extract of Acanthus ebracteatus (Vahl.) Using Experimental and In Silico Approaches.

This study was undertaken to assess the antioxidant and neuropharmacological potentials of the methanol leaf extract of Acanthus ebracteatus (MAEL) through experimental and in silico methods. The phytochemical screening (PS) and GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) identified 28 phytochemicals with different classes in nature in MAEL. The MAEL revealed better antioxidant activity through various in vitro antioxidant assays.

Adipose tissue transcriptome in patients switching efavirenz or a protease inhibitor to raltegravir compared to people without HIV.

Objective: To study the subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) transcriptome in people with HIV (PWH) switching efavirenz (EFV) or a protease inhibitor (PI) to raltegravir and to compare the transcriptome of PWH to those of people without HIV (PWoH).

Design: PWH (n = 36) on EFV (n = 22) or a PI (n = 14) based ART regimen were randomized to switch to RAL (n = 15) or to continue unchanged medication (n = 17). PWoH (n = 10), comparable in age and body mass index, were included for comparison.

Advances in the Development and Application of Human Organoids: Techniques, Applications, and Future Perspectives.

Organoids are three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures derived from human pluripotent stem cells or adult stem cells that recapitulate the cellular heterogeneity, structure, and function of human organs. These microstructures are invaluable for biomedical research due to their ability to closely mimic the complexity of native tissues while retaining human genetic material. This fidelity to native organ systems positions organoids as a powerful tool for advancing our understanding of human biology and for enhancing preclinical drug testing.

Spatial Epidemiology of Human Papillomavirus Screening Coverage in Mexico, 2013-2019.

Objective: We aimed to assess the coverage of a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) screening program for each of the 32 federal states of Mexico, as well as the spatial patterns for HPV infections from 2013 to 2019.

Methods: We conducted an exploratory, ecological study on data from a national health program in Mexico during 2013-2019. Adjusted rates per 100,000 females aged 25-64 years were estimated and georeferenced at the national and state level to assess the coverage of the screening program and positive detections of HPV infections.

Interleukin-17A and Interleukin-17F Gene Polymorphisms in Egyptian Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C and Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objective: Interleukin IL-17A and IL-17F are critical cytokines involved in inflammatory processes. Genetic variations in IL-17A and IL-17F might be linked to chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a cancer associated with long-term inflammation. This study aims to examine the relationship between specific polymorphisms in IL-17A (rs2275913) and IL-17F (rs763780) and their association with HCV-related HCC in an Egyptian population.

New Genetic Variations in RNA-binding Protein Gene and Breast Cancer Risk: A Case-Control Study.

Background: LIN28, a highly conserved RNA-binding protein, regulate a wide variety of post-transcriptional cellular processes. The current study aimed to identify genetic variants of five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the LIN28B gene (rs221634, rs22163, rs314276, rs9404590, and rs12194974) and their association with Breast cancer.

Method: 220 patients and 230 controls were genotyped by the RFLP assay for Lin28B gene variants.

Emerging Immunotherapies for Disease Modification of Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is characterized by the progressive, autoimmune-mediated destruction of β cells. As such, restoring immunoregulation early in the disease course is sought to retain endogenous insulin production. Nevertheless, in the more than 100 years since the discovery of insulin, treatment of T1DM has focused primarily on hormone replacement and glucose monitoring.

Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Anaplasma marginale in Water Buffaloes in Nile Delta of Egypt.

Purpose: Bovine anaplasmosis is a major tick-borne disease in ruminants, resulting in significant economic loss for the dairy sector. This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of Anaplasma marginale (A. marginale) in buffaloes in three governorates in Nile Delta of Egypt.

Antiretroviral Use for HIV Prevention During Pregnancy: The Need to Strengthen Regulatory and Surveillance Systems in Africa.

HIV-prevention efforts focusing on women of child-bearing potential are needed to end the HIV epidemic in the African region. The use of antiretroviral drugs as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a critical HIV prevention tool. However, safety data on new antiretrovirals during pregnancy are often limited because pregnant people are excluded from drug development studies.

Do routine antibiotics change the myelomeningocele infection rate? A case series.

Background: Myelomeningocele (MMC) is the most common type of congenital spinal malformation, typically requiring surgical intervention. While prenatal repair is increasingly favored, postnatal repair remains the standard in many settings. This study aims to evaluate the antibiotics prescribed to neonates with MMC and their correlation with central nervous system (CNS) infection rates following postnatal surgical repair.

Development and utilization of a multiplex PCR assay for detecting three feline enteroviruses.

Background: Feline diarrhea is a common digestive tract disease in clinical practice, with watery feces as the main clinical manifestation. There are numerous pathogenic factors causing feline diarrhea, among which viral infections are prevalent, and feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) is the most common pathogen. In recent years, a variety of novel viruses have been detected in the intestines of cats with diarrhea.

[Pathology of the spleen : Differential diagnosis of splenomegaly].

After describing the anatomy of the spleen and the most important immunohistochemical stains for identifying cellular constituents of the normal splenic compartments, etiologies of splenomegaly and the diagnostic approach for spleen biopsies are discussed using the example of a North African patient with a recent migration background and sudden fever. The focus is on infectious diseases and the morphology and molecular features of hematolymphoid neoplasms, particularly the primary "splenic B‑cell lymphomas" according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. The importance of clinicopathological correlations and interdisciplinary cooperation in splenic pathology is emphasized.

Relationships between nutritional status and serum adipokine levels with chemotherapy efficacy in late-stage colorectal cancer patients.

Objective: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cancer, with chemotherapy as its major therapy. Nutritional status (NS) and adipokines implicated in CRC. We explored the impacts of NS indicators (hemoglobin, albumin, and prealbumin) and serum adipokine (visfatin, adiponectin, and resistin) level on chemotherapy efficacy in late-stage CRC patients.