Undetected circulation of major arboviruses in West Sudan: urging for institutionalizing multisectoral one health strategy for the preparedness, prevention, and control of zoonotic arboviral diseases.

Objectives: Arboviruses pose a significant global health challenge. This study investigated the seroprevalence of major human arboviral infections, including yellow fever (YFV), dengue (DENV), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Rift Valley fever (RVF), West Nile virus (WNV), and chikungunya (CHIK), in Darfur region from September to December 2018. ELISA-IgM was used to detect antibodies.

N-terminus α-synuclein detection reveals new and more diverse aggregate morphologies in multiple system atrophy and Parkinson's disease.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are classified as α-synucleinopathies and are primarily differentiated by their clinical phenotypes. Delineating these diseases based on their specific α-synuclein (α-Syn) proteoform pathologies is crucial for accurate antemortem biomarker diagnosis. Newly identified α-Syn pathologies in PD raise questions about whether MSA exhibits a similar diversity.

The sexual dysfunction in women with thyroid disorders: a meta-analysis.

Background: Thyroid disorders are common endocrine conditions impacting multiple organs, including the reproductive system and often lead to sexual dysfunction. These effects can vary by gender; for example, women with hypothyroidism frequently experience reduced libido. Low thyroid hormone levels are also linked to vaginal dryness, causing discomfort, especially during intercourse.

The effectiveness of integrating role play into case-based learning in dental education: enhancing critical thinking and teamwork skills.

Background: Modern dental education necessitates dynamic methodologies to foster critical thinking and teamwork skills, which might include case-based learning (CBL) and role play (RP).

Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the combined CBL and RP (CBL-RP) approaches on critical thinking and teamwork skills among dental students by comparing pre- and post-RP evaluation scores.

Methods: This pre-post intervention study was conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Medical students' perception of a unique humanistic mentoring program in a religious university: a convergent parallel mixed methods study.

Background: The medical school of Tzu Chi University in Taiwan offers a unique, group-based, humanistic mentoring program as a complement to the programs mentored by faculty members and school counselors. The humanistic mentors are senior volunteers who are subject-matter experts in various fields and who embody the spirit of humanism in their lives. The average mentee-to-mentor ratio is around 3.

Teaching therapy decision-making to medical students: a prospective mixed-methods evaluation of a curricular innovation.

Background: Therapy decision-making (TDM) is an essential medical skill. However, teaching therapeutic reasoning poses significant challenges. We present a comprehensive TDM course for medical students and report on student satisfaction with the educational strategies, their perceived importance of various TDM domains, and their self-efficacy in incorporating these elements into clinical decisions.

Differences in the palliative care phase between patients with nonmalignant pulmonary disease and lung cancer: a retrospective study.

Background: Patients with chronic nonmalignant pulmonary disease and lung cancer both need palliative care, but palliative care services may be better adjusted to serve cancer patients. We compared the timing and clinical practice of palliative care and acute hospital usage during the last year of life in patients with nonmalignant pulmonary disease or lung cancer.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of all patients in a palliative care phase (palliative goal of care) with nonmalignant pulmonary disease or lung cancer who were treated at Tampere University Hospital, Finland, during the years 2018-2020.

Access to specialist plastic surgery in rural vs. Urban areas of Africa.

Introduction: Plastic surgery is an essential yet underdeveloped field in many African nations, especially in rural areas. The demand for plastic surgery is increasing, but differences in access to respective services between rural and urban domiciles remain ever existent, despite the exponentiation of trauma, burns, and congenital disorders. According to this review, urban areas have access to better facilities and specialized surgeons, while rural areas frequently lack infrastructure, educated healthcare personnel, and medical resources.

In vitro comparison of the effects of titanium-prepared platelet-rich fibrin and leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin on osteoblast behavior and their gen expression.

Objective: To compare the effects of titanium-prepared platelet-rich fibrin (T-PRF) and leukocyte platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF) on osteoblasts.

Methods: Venous blood samples were collected from ten volunteer patients to obtain T-PRF and L-PRF. The T-PRF group was labelled as Group T, the L-PRF group as Group L, and the control group, which includes only osteoblasts, was Group K.

Analysis of the relationship between medical achievement self-efficacy perception and impostor phenomenon in the postgraduate education process: a cross-sectional study.

Background: This study aimed to assess the correlation between the impostor phenomenon and the level of academic self-efficacy. The secondary aim was to determine the sociodemographic variables affecting these two conditions. Based on the acquired findings, it is possible to take supportive and preventive measures.

Endodontic emergency patients' profile and treatment outcome - a prospective cohort study.

Background: Toothache is a debilitating condition, often with mild to excruciating pain, swelling, eating difficulties and insomnia. This study aims to delineate the profiles of patients seeking emergency dental care, focusing on the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes following non-surgical root canal treatment.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted from 2012 to 2021 at the Section for Endodontics, Department of Clinical Dentistry, University of Bergen, Norway.

Evaluating the effectiveness of advanced platelet-rich fibrin, photobiomodulation, pentoxifylline, and Alveogyl in the treatment of alveolar osteitis: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Background: Alveolar osteitis is a type of small-scale osteomyelitis of the alveolar bone that occurs after tooth extraction, the etiology of which remains unknown, and alternative methods are being investigated for its treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF), photobiomodulation (PBM), and Alveogyl (butamben, idoform, eugenol), which have shown success in the treatment of alveolar osteitis, with that of pentoxifylline (PTX) to determine whether PTX could be an alternative treatment for alveolar osteitis.

Methods: This study included 80 healthy volunteers diagnosed with alveolar osteitis in the extraction sockets of their mandibular first, second, and third molars.

Impact of sending vouchers for a community-based oral screening program on dental service usage promotion among adults: a difference-in-difference analysis.

Background: Community- and evidence-based approaches are essential for improving dental public health. We evaluated the effectiveness of sending vouchers in a community-based oral screening program to encourage dental visits and improve oral health among adults.

Methods: We analyzed the data from April 2014 to March 2019 obtained from administrative claims and screening program databases in Tsukuba City, Japan.

Surveillance of public health pathogens in Lagos wastewater canals: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is already being adopted for the surveillance of health conditions of communities and shows great potential for the monitoring of infectious pathogens of public health importance. There is however paucity of robust data to support extensive WBE in Nigeria. This study evaluated the prevalence of clinically relevant infectious pathogens and provided antimicrobial resistance profiles of bacteria pathogens in wastewater canals in Lagos State at a single point in time.

Impact of dementia and mild cognitive impairment on bone health in older people.

Mild cognitive impairment, dementia and osteoporosis are common diseases of ageing and, with the increasingly ageing global population, are increasing in prevalence. These conditions are closely associated, with shared risk factors, common underlying biological mechanisms and potential direct causal pathways. In this review, the epidemiological and mechanistic links between mild cognitive impairment, dementia and skeletal health are explored.

Concentration, distribution, and risk assessment of polychlorinated biphenyl compounds in surface sediments of the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea.

This study involved analyzing 76 sediment samples from the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. The concentration of 18 prevalent PCB congeners was determined. Results indicated that the highest concentration of PCB-52, reaching 636.

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate therapeutic potential in human diseases: molecular mechanisms and clinical studies.

Green tea has garnered increasing attention across age groups due to its numerous health benefits, largely attributed to Epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), its key polyphenol. EGCG exhibits a wide spectrum of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, and neuroprotective properties, as well as benefits for cardiovascular and oral health. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent findings on the therapeutic potential of EGCG in various human diseases.

Residual HCV-RNA and Elevated Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predict Poor Long-Term Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C After Treatment.

Introduction: Despite achieving sustained viral response (SVR) after treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), the risk of liver disease progression and extrahepatic complications in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) remains. We aimed to determine the role of residual HCV-RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), a condition known as occult hepatitis C (OCI), and systemic inflammatory markers as predictors of long-term outcomes in patients treated with DAAs.

Methods: We followed 42 patients treated with DAAs with OCI status determined after therapy, for a median of 6.

Impacts of osteosarcopenia on musculoskeletal health, risks of falls and fractures, and activities of daily living among population aged 50 and above: an age- and sex-matched cross-sectional analysis.

Aims: We conducted this study to investigate the impact of muscle loss on musculoskeletal health, fall and fracture risks, and activities of daily living (ADL) in elderly patients with osteoporosis.

Materials And Methods: This age- and sex-matched cross-sectional study analyzed data from a medical center involving patients aged ≥ 50 from 2020 to 2022. The included participants were formed into three groups: 100 with osteoporosis only, 100 with osteosarcopenia, and 50 control individuals without osteoporosis and sarcopenia.

Centenarians-the way to healthy vascular ageing and longevity: a review from VascAgeNet.

The prevalence of centenarians, people who lived 100 years and longer, is steadily growing in the last decades. This exceptional longevity is based on multifaceted processes influenced by a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as sex, (epi-)genetic factors, gut microbiota, cellular metabolism, exposure to oxidative stress, immune status, cardiovascular risk factors, environmental factors, and lifestyle behavior. Epidemiologically, the incidence rate of cardiovascular diseases is reduced in healthy centenarians along with late onset of age-related diseases compared with the general aged population.

Oral Sex May Serve as Low Mate Value Compensation Among Men: Evidence from a Pre-registered Study.

From the evolutionary perspective, maintaining a committed relationship is beneficial for reproductive success but involves risks such as losing a partner or infidelity. People typically prefer partners with similar mate value (MV) to avoid rejection. However, when a mate value discrepancy (MVD) arises, the partner with lower MV might employ mate retention strategies to maintain the relationship.

Gram-negative bacteria-driven increase of cytosolic phospholipase A2 leads to activation of Kupffer cells.

Bacterial infections are prevalent and the major cause of morbidity and mortality in cirrhosis. Activation of human Kupffer cells (HKCs) from livers is essential for human innate immunity. Cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) plays a crucial role in the control and balance of innate immune and inflammatory reactions.

An HRP-integrated CRISPR/Cas12a biosensor towards chair-side diagnosis for Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Rapid diagnostic tools for Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), the primary microorganism responsible for the development of periodontitis, particularly those designed for chair-side applications, could provide substantial health benefits to patients. To address this issue, we developed a CRISPR/Cas12a-based rapid Pg detection method. Dual-gRNA and hairpin reporter strategies were employed to enhance CRISPR/Cas12a reaction efficiency.

Precise vesical wall staging of bladder cancer in the era of precision medicine: has it been fulfilled?

Urinary bladder cancer is a global disease that poses medical and socioeconomic challenges to patients and healthcare systems. Predicting detrusor invasiveness and pathological grade of bladder cancer by the radiologist is imperative for informed decision-making and effective patient-tailored therapy. Cystoscopy and TURBT are the current gold standard for preoperative histologic diagnosis and local pathological staging but are compromised by their intrusiveness, under-sampling, and staging inaccuracies.