Insights into the biology and insecticide susceptibility of the secondary malaria vector Anopheles parensis in an area with long-term use of insecticide-treated nets in northwestern Tanzania.

Background: The Anopheles funestus group includes at least 11 sibling species, with Anopheles funestus Giles being the most studied and significant malaria vector. Other species, like Anopheles parensis, are understudied despite their potential role in transmission. This article provides insights into the biology and insecticide susceptibility of An.

Molecular Mimicry Between Gut Microbiome and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Current Concepts.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) represents an autoimmune condition impacted by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, with the gut microbiome (GMB) being one of the influential environmental factors. Patients with RA display notable modifications in the composition of their GMB, characterised by decreased diversity and distinct bacterial alterations. The GMB, comprising an extensive array of approximately 35,000 bacterial species residing within the gastrointestinal tract, has garnered considerable attention as a pivotal contributor to both human health and the pathogenesis of diseases.

Neural Cell Interactions with a Surgical Grade Biomaterial Using a Simulated Injury in Brain Organotypic Slices.

Tissue engineering research for neurological applications has demonstrated that biomaterial-based structural bridges present a promising approach for promoting regeneration. This is particularly relevant for penetrating traumatic brain injuries, where the clinical prognosis is typically poor, with no available regeneration-enhancing therapies. Specifically, repurposing clinically approved biomaterials offers many advantages (reduced approval time and achieving commercial scaleup for clinical applications), highlighting the need for detailed screening of potential neuromaterials.

Cardiovascular-Liver-Metabolic Health: Recommendations in Screening, Diagnosis, and Management of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Cardiovascular Disease via Modified Delphi Approach.

There is a new awareness of the widespread nature of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its connection to cardiovascular disease (CVD). This has catalyzed collaboration between cardiologists, hepatologists, endocrinologists, and the wider multidisciplinary team to address the need for earlier identification of those with MASLD who are at increased risk for CVD. The overlap in the pathophysiologic processes and parallel prevalence of CVD, metabolic syndrome, and MASLD highlight the multisystem consequences of poor cardiovascular-liver-metabolic health.

Genotype-Guided Asthma Treatment Reduces Exacerbations in Children: Meta-Analysis of Two RCTs.

Background: Long-acting beta2-agonists (LABA) in combination with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are commonly used to treat asthma, however, some children lack response to the addition of LABA. This might be partially due to the presence of the Arg16Gly polymorphism, encoded by rs1042713 G>A in the ADRB2 gene. Carrying the A allele (Arg16) at this variant has been associated with an increased risk of exacerbations despite LABA treatment.

Medical ambivalence and Long Covid: The disconnects, entanglements, and productivities shaping ethnic minority experiences in the UK.

Structural violence - related to 'isms' like racism, sexism, and ableism - pertains to the ways in which social institutions harm certain groups. Such violence is critical to institutional indifference to the plight of ethnic minority people living with long-term health conditions. With only emergent literature on the lived experiences of ethnic minorities with Long Covid, we sought to investigate experiences around the interplay of illness and structural vulnerabilities.

Cardiovascular diseases in patients with cancer: A comprehensive review of epidemiological trends, cardiac complications, and prognostic implications.

This article provides an overview of the current evidence on the epidemiology, overlapping risk factors, and pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with cancer. It explores the cardiotoxic effects of anticancer therapy and their impact on prognosis. Although cancer survival rates have improved over the last two decades, the risk of CVD has risen over time in patients with cancer.

The ligamentum teres and its role in hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement: a systematic review.

Background: The ligamentum teres (LT) has received attention in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy (HA) for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Indeed, a better understanding of the function of the LT and its implications for clinical outcomes in the presence of a torn LT is required. This systematic review analyses the patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and the complication rate when an intact or torn LT is encountered during HA for FAI.

Involving People With Lived Experience in Electronic Health Record Database Studies Reflections and Learning From the CHOOSE Study.

Background: Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) is integral to health research. Reporting of PPIE methods and impact is becoming increasingly common in health research. However, reporting on PPIE in studies using large, routinely collected electronic health record data sets is less common.

Improving event prediction using general practitioner clinical judgement in a digital risk stratification model: a pilot study.

Background: Numerous tools based on electronic health record (EHR) data that predict risk of unscheduled care and mortality exist. These are often criticised due to lack of external validation, potential for low predictive ability and the use of thresholds that can lead to large numbers being escalated for assessment that would not have an adverse outcome leading to unsuccessful active case management. Evidence supports the importance of clinical judgement in risk prediction particularly when ruling out disease.

Core outcome set of daily monitoring of gastrointestinal function in adult critically ill patients: a modified Delphi consensus process (COSMOGI).

Purpose: Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction is common in critically ill patients and associated with poor outcomes. There is a lack of standardised methods for daily monitoring of GI function. COSMOGI aimed to develop a Core Outcome Set (COS) for daily monitoring of GI function to improve consistency and comparability in future studies in critically ill patients.

Similar efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections and other biologically active injections in patients with early stages knee osteoarthritis: a level I meta-analysis.

Introduction: The present meta-analysis compared the efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injections in patients with early to mild knee osteoarthritis (OA) (Kellgren Lawrence I-II) versus other commonly injected biologically active compounds using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). The outcomes of interest were the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario McMaster Osteo-Arthritis Index (WOMAC) scores.

Methods: This study was conducted according to the 2020 PRISMA statement.

Physiotherapists' Experiences and Perceived Acceptability of Delivering a Knee Bracing Intervention for People With Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis in a Randomised Trial (PROP OA): A Qualitative Study.

Objectives: To explore physiotherapists' experiences and perceived acceptability of delivering a bracing intervention for knee osteoarthritis (OA) in the 'PROvision of braces for Patients with knee OA' (PROP OA) randomised controlled trial.

Method: Semi-structured telephone interviews with consenting physiotherapists who received the PROP OA training programme and delivered the knee bracing intervention (advice, information and exercise instruction plus knee brace matched to patients' clinical and radiographic presentation and with adherence support). Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim.

A telerehabilitation program to improve visual perception in children and adolescents with hemianopia consecutive to a brain tumor: a single-arm feasibility and proof-of-concept trial.

Background: Brain tumor in children can induce hemianopia, a loss of conscious vision, profoundly impacting their development and quality of life, yet no effective intervention exists for this pediatric population. This study aimed to explore the feasibility, safety, and potential effectiveness of a home-based audiovisual stimulation in immersive virtual-reality (3D-MOT-IVR) to improve visual function and functional vision.

Methods: In a phase 2a, open-labeled, nonrandomized, single-arm study, conducted from July 2022 to October 2023 (NCT05065268), 10 children and adolescents with stable hemianopia were enrolled to perform 20-min sessions of 3D-MOT-IVR every other day for six weeks from home.

Nationwide Cross-Sectional Analysis of Mortality Trends in Patients with Sarcoidosis and Non-Ischemic Cardiovascular Disease-The Impact of Gender, Ethnicity, Geographical Location, and COVID-19 Pandemic.

The epidemiological data regarding mortality rates of adults with sarcoidosis and non-ischemic cardiovascular disease (CVD) are limited. A retrospective observational analysis was conducted to identify trends and disparities related to sarcoidosis and non-ischemic cardiovascular disease mortality among the adult US population from 1999 to 2022. We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WONDER database to extract death certificate data for the adult US population (≥25 years).

No Effect of Cigarette Smoking in the Outcome of Arthroscopic Management for Femoroacetabular Impingement: A Systematic Review.

The impact of smoking in arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabolar impingement (FAI) is controversial. This systematic review updates and discusses current evidence on the influence of cigarette smoking on the outcome of arthroscopic management of FAI. The outcomes of interest were to compare patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and complications.

Allograft versus autograft ACL reconstruction in skeletally immature patients: a systematic review.

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in children and adolescents with open physes are common.

Areas Of Agreement: Evidence of ACL reconstruction using allografts in children with open physes is limited.

Areas Of Controversy: Whether the outcomes of ACL allograft reconstruction in children and adolescents with open physes are superior to autograft ACL reconstruction is unclear, with contrasting evidence.

Percutaneous repair of the Achilles tendon with one knot offers equivalent results as the same procedure with two knots. A comparative prospective study.

Purpose: The present prospective comparative study included patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) who underwent percutaneous repair with one knot compared to percutaneous repair with two knots.

Methods: All patients underwent the procedure under local anesthesia. A total of 29 patients underwent percutaneous repair with two knots (Group A), and 33 patients underwent percutaneous repair with one knot (Group B).

Study protocol for the PICASSO trial: A randomized placebo-controlled trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of intraarticular steroid injections and an occupational therapy intervention in painful inflammatory carpometacarpal-1 osteoarthritis.

Objective: Our primary objectives are to assess whether intraarticular corticosteroid injections are superior to saline injections with regards to thumb base pain after 4 weeks, and to compare the efficacy of steroid injections, saline injections, and an occupational therapy intervention on thumb base pain after 12 weeks in people with painful inflammatory osteoarthritis (OA) of the first carpometacarpal (CMC-1) joint.

Design: In this three-armed, double-blind, randomized multicenter trial, 354 participants with painful inflammatory CMC-1 OA from six Norwegian hospitals are recruited. Participants are randomized 1:1:1 to intraarticular steroid or saline injections in the CMC-1 joint or a multimodal occupational therapy intervention.

Women's experiences and needs in the use of digital technologies for the management of gestational diabetes: An integrative systematic review.

Introduction: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) represents a widespread complication occurring during pregnancy, posing potential risks to both expectant mothers and their babies. Evidence shows that digital technologies provide comparable levels of care to conventional methods for GDM self-management, which help to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. This systematic review aimed to explore women's experiences in using digital technologies, inform future technology design for gestational diabetes and potentially help improve usability.

Metformin for the Prevention of Antipsychotic-Induced Weight Gain: Guideline Development and Consensus Validation.

Background: Overweight and obesity are highly prevalent in people with severe mental illness (SMI). Antipsychotic-induced weight gain (AIWG) is one of the most commonly reported and distressing side effects of treatment and people living with SMI place a high value on the avoidance of this side effect. Metformin is the most effective pharmacological intervention studied for the prevention of AIWG yet clear guidelines are lacking and evidence has not translated into practice.

Prevalence and Outcomes of Chronic Kidney Disease-Associated Pruritus: International Results from Peritoneal Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study.

Key Points: CKD-associated pruritus is highly prevalent among peritoneal dialysis patients. Pruritus is associated with reduced health-related quality of life, and the composite of mortality and transfer to hemodialysis for peritoneal dialysis patients. Efforts to better identify and manage pruritus in this population are needed.

Standards for Quality Improvement Registries on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Delphi Consensus Report From VASCUNET and International Consortium of Vascular Registries.

Objective: Outcome registries in vascular surgery are increasingly used to drive quality improvement by vascular societies. The VASCUNET collaboration, within the European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS), and the International Consortium of Vascular Registries (ICVR) developed a set of variables for quality improvement registries on abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair as a registry standard.

Methods: Representatives from international vascular registries within VASCUNET, ICVR, and other nations with established registries were invited to provide the variables.

Correction to: same-day discharge after elective percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion in the UK.

This corrects the article doi: 10.25270/jic/21.00036.