Mechanisms and Potential Benefits of Neuroprotective Agents in Neurological Health.

The brain contains many interconnected and complex cellular and molecular mechanisms. Injury to the brain causes permanent dysfunctions in these mechanisms. So, it continues to be an area where surgical intervention cannot be performed except for the removal of tumors and the repair of some aneurysms.

Prevalence and Predictors of Diabetic Retinopathy in Saudi Arabia: Insights from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness among diabetic patients, particularly in areas with an increase in diabetes epidemics, such as Saudi Arabia. Notwithstanding the significant public health implications, data on the prevalence and risk factors of DR in Saudi Arabia are few and scattered, limited to certain geographic areas. Our study objective is to conduct a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis of the prevalence and predictors for DR in Saudi Arabia, within both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Intraoperative nociceptive and clinical comparisons between ventral midline and flank ovariectomy in feral and stray cats.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the differences in intraoperative nociception, incision size and operative time between midline (OVE) and flank ovariectomy (OVE) in feral or stray cats.

Methods: Two groups of animals, the OVE group (n = 19) and the OVE group (n = 19), were evaluated at six intraoperative time points. Cats assigned to both groups were premedicated with dexmedetomidine (20 μg/kg IM) and methadone (0.

Monitoring opioid analgesic misuse, abuse and dependence: What to the data from addictovigilance tell us about the situation in France?

The opioid epidemic has emerged in the USA in the late 1990s and widespread to Canada, Australia, and the UK to a lesser extent in the more recent years. At the European level, several studies performed in different European countries have highlighted that prescription opioid use increased substantially over the last decade, and several proxies for misuse show a parallel increasing trend. The French addictovigilance experience on opioid analgesics is a good example of a specific dedicated monitoring, taking into account in a global and multisource perspective, patterns of utilization, population involved in problematic use, ways of acquisition and health complications.

The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Stress Urinary Incontinence Among Women in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a prevalent condition among women in Saudi Arabia, characterized by involuntary urine leakage during physical activities that increase abdominal pressure, such as coughing or sneezing. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prevalence of SUI and identify its key risk factors.

Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for studies published up to July 2024, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

Serum Neutrophil Biomarkers to Predict Crohn's Disease Progression and Infliximab Treatment Outcomes.

Background And Aims: Predicting the treatment outcomes of biological therapies is an unmet need in Crohn's Disease. In this study, we explored the potential of serum neutrophil-related biomarkers to predict infliximab therapeutic results and disease progression in Crohn's Disease patients, over a 2-year period, in a real-world setting.

Methods: The study included 100 asymptomatic Crohn's Disease patients in the IFX maintenance phase from the prospective, observational, multicenter DIRECT study.

Failure of neuromuscular blockade despite high doses of rocuronium and atracurium in a patient with colorectal carcinoma: A case report.

Resistance to the effects of rocuronium and other neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBA) has been previously reported, including delayed onset of relaxation, rapid recovery and incomplete paralysis under recommended doses. These conditions have been associated with denervation injury, burns, immobilisation, infections, metabolic disorders, and drug interactions. In this report, we describe the case of a young male without any known pre-disposing factor for NMBA resistance, who failed to attain muscle relaxation with non-depolarising NMBA despite high doses of rocuronium and atracurium during two surgeries for colorectal cancer, several months apart.

Mediterranean Food Pattern Adherence in a Female-Dominated Sample of Health and Social Sciences University Students: Analysis from a Perspective of Sustainability.

Background/objectives: The goal of this pilot study is to evaluate adherence to the Mediterranean Food Pattern (MFP) in a self-selected sample of university students, addressing a perspective of food sustainability. In addition, it seeks to relate adherence to MFP with sociodemographic characteristics and nutritional status.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional pilot study whose data collection was carried out by an online questionnaire between January and April 2023.

Are Healthcare Organizations Healthy Work Ecosystems? Health and Well-Being of Health Professionals.

Background: Health professionals are at high risk of poor mental health and well-being. Faced with this challenge, healthcare organizations must be healthy and safe work environments.

Objectives: This study aims to take an in-depth, systemic look at whether healthcare organizations are healthy workplaces.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis Effusion Index: A Novel Diagnostic Method and Validation of Flow Cytometry-Based Delta Total Nucleated Cells Analysis on the Sysmex XN-1000V.

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led the medical and scientific community to explore the pathogenesis and clinical manifestations of coronaviruses. In felines, a widespread coronavirus known as feline coronavirus (FCoV) can lead to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a highly fatal disease characterised by severe systemic inflammation. Diagnosing FCoV remains challenging due to the limited accuracy of the available methods.

Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs for Oral Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate if there are differences in mitigation acute pain following oral surgery procedures within a hospital setting and regarding various medication regimens.

Materials And Methods: A systematic literature search was performed between the years 2013 and 2023, including the databases PUBMED, Cochrane and Scopus, to identify the clinical trials investigating the prescription of non-steroidal (NSAID's) anti-inflammatory drugs before or after an oral surgery. A meta-analysis with meta-regression model was employed on the primary and secondary outcomes, such as pain, swelling and trismus.

Histomorphometric parameters of iliac bone in healthy individuals: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Despite its invasive character, bone biopsy followed by histomorphometry remains the gold standard for diagnosing and classifying many metabolic bone diseases. However, the interpretation of histomorphometric parameters requires comparison with average values obtained from a proper control group, which are only available for some populations, and reference standards still need to be published. Therefore, our objective was to estimate average values for bone histomorphometric parameters overall, by age, gender, and race (White and Black) categories of healthy adult individuals, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical studies.

Liposomal formulation with thiazolic compounds against bacterial efflux pumps.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of liposome-encapsulated eugenol-based thiazolic derivatives against efflux pump-carrying bacteria. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined to evaluate the antibacterial activity and antibiotic potentiation against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as to analyze the inhibition of efflux pumps in S. aureus strains 1199B and K2068 in the ethidium bromide assay.

Medications to Modify Aspiration Risk: Those That Add to Risk and Those That May Reduce Risk.

Aspiration pneumonia results from the abnormal entry of fluids into the respiratory tract. We present a review of drugs known to affect the risk of aspiration. Drugs that increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia can be broadly divided into those that affect protective reflexes (like cough and swallowing) due to direct or indirect mechanisms, and drugs that facilitate gastric dysbiosis or affect esophageal and intestinal motility.

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of and spp. Isolates from Pigs at Slaughterhouse and from Commercial Pork Meat in Portugal.

Foodborne diseases are a serious public health concern, and food-producing animals are a major source of contamination. The present study analysed and spp. isolated from faecal samples of 100 fattening pigs and from 52 samples of pork meat.

An Overview of Health-Promoting Programs and Healthy Lifestyles for Adolescents and Young People: A Scoping Review.

The health of children, adolescents, and young adults is a primary global concern. In 2021, there were 2.1 million deaths among children and adolescents.

OrthoMortPred: Predicting one-year mortality following orthopedic hospitalization.

Objective: Predicting mortality risk following orthopedic surgery is crucial for informed decision-making and patient care. This study aims to develop and validate a machine learning model for predicting one-year mortality risk after orthopedic hospitalization and to create a personalized risk prediction tool for clinical use.

Methods: We analyzed data from 3,132 patients who underwent orthopedic procedures at the Central Lisbon University Hospital Center from 2021 to 2023.

MultiNet 2.0: A lightweight attention-based deep learning network for stenosis measurement in carotid ultrasound scans and cardiovascular risk assessment.

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) cause 19 million fatalities each year and cost nations billions of dollars. Surrogate biomarkers are established methods for CVD risk stratification; however, manual inspection is costly, cumbersome, and error-prone. The contemporary artificial intelligence (AI) tools for segmentation and risk prediction, including older deep learning (DL) networks employ simple merge connections which may result in semantic loss of information and hence low in accuracy.

Design and Evaluation of a Novel Venturi-Based Spirometer for Home Respiratory Monitoring.

The high cost and limited availability of home spirometers pose a significant barrier to effective respiratory disease management and monitoring. To address this challenge, this paper introduces a novel Venturi-based spirometer designed for home use, leveraging the Bernoulli principle. The device features a 3D-printed Venturi tube that narrows to create a pressure differential, which is measured by a differential pressure sensor and converted into airflow rate.