Evaluating convalescent plasma therapy in severe COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Convalescent plasma (CP) therapy is a form of passive immunization which has been used as a treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CP therapy in patients with severe COVID-19.

Methodology: In this retrospective cohort study, 50 patients with severe COVID-19 treated with CP at Shahid Beheshti Hospital, Kashan, in 2019 were evaluated.

Effectiveness of levamisole in the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Introduction: Inflammation plays a role in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pathophysiology and anti-inflammatory drugs may help reduce the disease severity. Levamisole is an anthelmintic drug with immunomodulatory and possible antiviral effects. This study aimed to evaluate the role of levamisole in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.

Evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants under strict non-pharmaceutical interventions - a population-based study.

Introduction: China implemented a dynamic zero-COVID strategy to curb viral transmission in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This strategy was designed to inhibit mutation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19. This study explores the dynamics of viral evolution under stringent non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) through real-world observations.

Pharmacological blocking of microfibrillar-associated protein 4 reduces retinal neoangiogenesis and vascular leakage.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema are leading causes of vision-loss evoked by retinal neovascularization and vascular leakage. The glycoprotein microfibrillar-associated protein 4 (MFAP4) is an integrin αβ ligand present in the extracellular matrix. Single-cell transcriptomics reveal MFAP4 expression in cell-types in close proximity to vascular endothelial cells including choroidal vascular mural cells and retinal astrocytes and Müller cells.

A Comprehensive Atlas of AAV Tropism in the Mouse.

Gene therapy with Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) vectors requires knowledge of their tropism within the body. Here we analyze the tropism of ten naturally occurring AAV serotypes (AAV3B, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, AAVrh8, AAVrh10 and AAVrh74) following systemic delivery into male and female mice. A transgene expressing ZsGreen and Cre recombinase was used to identify transduction in a cell-dependent manner based on fluorescence.

The developmental lipidome of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis.

Background: Nippostrongylus brasiliensis-a nematode of rodents-is commonly used as a model to study the immunobiology of parasitic nematodes. It is a member of the Strongylida-a large order of socioeconomically important parasitic nematodes of animals. Lipids are known to play essential roles in nematode biology, influencing cellular membranes, energy storage and/or signalling.

Sperm DNA fragmentation index: limited effectiveness on predicting embryo quality in assisted reproduction technology treatments.

Purpose: Prior sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) thresholds for diagnosing male infertility and predicting assisted reproduction technology (ART) outcomes fluctuated between 15 and 30%, with no agreed standard. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the sperm DFI on early embryonic development during ART treatments and establish appropriate DFI cut-off values.

Methods: Retrospectively analyzed 913 couple's ART cycles from 2021 to 2022, encompassing 1,476 IVF and 295 ICSI cycles, following strict criteria.

The effects of unified pooling arrangement on health inequity in China: a DID-RIF approach.

Background: To address the health inequity caused by decentralized management, China has introduced a provincial pooling system for urban employees' basic medical insurance. This paper proposes a research framework to evaluate similar policies in different contexts. This paper adopts a mixed-methods approach to more comprehensively and precisely capture the causal effects of the policy.

Sustained effects of bladder point-of-care ultrasound simulation exercise on nursing students: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can be used in a variety of clinical settings and is a safe and powerful tool for ultrasound-trained healthcare providers, such as physicians and nurses; however, the effectiveness of ultrasound education for nursing students remains unclear. This prospective cohort study aimed to examine the sustained educational impact of bladder ultrasound simulation among nursing students.

Methods: To determine whether bladder POCUS simulation exercises sustainably improve the clinical proficiency regarding ultrasound examinations among nursing students, evaluations were conducted before and after the exercise and were compared with those after the 1-month follow-up exercise.

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and short-term mortality in patients having anti-MDA5-positive dermatomyositis with interstitial lung disease: a retrospective study.

Background: In this study, we aimed to explore the association between baseline and early changes in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the 30-day mortality rate in patients having anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5)-positive dermatomyositis with interstitial lung disease (DM-ILD).

Methods: Overall, 263 patients with anti-MDA5 DM-ILD from four centers in China were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of baseline NLR on the 30-day mortality rate in patients with anti-MDA5-positive DM-ILD.

Expansion of medical school admission quotas in Korea, is it really necessary?

Background: In 2024, the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare enforced a policy to increase the number of medical school students by 2,000 over the next 5 years, despite opposition from doctors. This study aims to predict the trend of excess or shortage of medical personnel in Korea due to the policy of increasing the number of medical school students by 2035.

Methods: Data from multiple sources, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, National Health Insurance Corporation, and the Korean Medical Association, were used to estimate supply and demand.

Amelioration of premature aging in Werner syndrome stem cells by targeting SHIP/AKT pathway.

Background: Pathogenic or null mutations in WRN helicase is a cause of premature aging disease Werner syndrome (WS). WRN is known to protect somatic cells including adult stem cells from premature senescence. Loss of WRN in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) not only drives the cells to premature senescence but also significantly impairs the function of the stem cells in tissue repair or regeneration.

Assessment of the validity and reliability of the nurses' professional values scale-revised in Persian version among nursing students.

Background: Evaluating professional values is crucial to developing effective strategies for integrating them into professional performance and clinical education. A standard questionnaire is an instrument that can be used to evaluate professional values. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R) among nursing students in the Persian language.

Diagnosis of lung cancer using salivary miRNAs expression and clinical characteristics.

Objective: Lung cancer (LC), the primary cause for cancer-related death globally is a diverse illness with various characteristics. Saliva is a readily available biofluid and a rich source of miRNA. It can be collected non-invasively as well as transported and stored easily.

Semaglutide and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in an adolescent with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase: a case report.

Background: Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, primarily due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, leads to impaired cortisol and aldosterone production and excess adrenal androgens. Lifelong glucocorticoid therapy is required, often necessitating supraphysiological doses in youth to manage androgen excess and growth acceleration. These patients experience higher obesity rates, hypertension, and glucose metabolism issues, complicating long-term health management.

Estimates and trends in death and disability from atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter due to high sodium intake, China, 1990 to 2019.

Objective: The effect of sodium intake on atrial fibrillation (AF)/atrial flutter (AFL), with respect to sex and age, has yet to be elucidated. This study aims to compare long-term trends in AF/AFL death and disability due to high sodium intake in China from 1990 to 2019.

Methods: We utilized data from the Global Burden of Disease study to assess the mortality and disability burden of AF/AFL attributable to high sodium intake (> 5 g/d) in China from 1990 to 2019.

Blood-based epigenome-wide association study and prediction of alcohol consumption.

Alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for multiple diseases. It is typically assessed via self-report, which is open to measurement error through recall bias. Instead, molecular data such as blood-based DNA methylation (DNAm) could be used to derive a more objective measure of alcohol consumption by incorporating information from cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites known to be linked to the trait.

Depression symptom severity and behavioral impairment in school-going adolescents in Uganda.

Background: During adolescence, a critical developmental phase, cognitive, psychological, and social states interact with the environment to influence behaviors like decision-making and social interactions. Depressive symptoms are more prevalent in adolescents than in other age groups which may affect socio-emotional and behavioral development including academic achievement. Here, we determined the association between depression symptom severity and behavioral impairment among adolescents enrolled in secondary schools of Eastern and Central Uganda.

The association between Chlamydia pneumoniae infection and prognosis in lung cancer patients: a prospective study.

Background: The prognostic value of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Cpn) infection in postoperative lung cancer patients remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between Cpn infection and survival in lung cancer patients.

Methods: This study included 309 newly diagnosed primary lung cancer patients from three hospitals in Fuzhou, China.

Association between triglyceride glucose index and adverse cardiovascular prognosis in patients with atrial fibrillation without diabetes: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most prevalent arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. Triglyceride glucose index (Tyg), a convenient evaluation variable for insulin resistance, has shown associations with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. However, studies on the Tyg index's predictive value for adverse prognosis in patients with AF without diabetes are lacking.

Endogenous peptide CBDP1 inhibits clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression by targeting USP5/YTHDF2/TRPM5 axis.

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has a high incidence rate and poor prognosis, and currently lacks effective therapies. Recently, peptide-based drugs have shown promise in cancer treatment. In this research, a new endogenous peptide called CBDP1 was discovered in ccRCC and its potential anti-cancer properties were examined.

Safety outcome trials in four mainline medical journals 30 years apart: a narrative review and the need for the transparency of informed consents.

Background: It was our impression that safety outcome trials were getting more frequent, raising ethical issues mainly related to patient autonomy. We and others had also proposed this autonomy would be best served if wording of the informed consents would be in the public domain.

Methods: Initially two observers and an arbiter tabulated the main aims of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in 1990-1991 vs.

Prioritizing implementation solutions for the urban family physician policy in Iran: a multi-criteria decision-making study.

Background: Family physician program is one of the effective reforms of the health system in Iran, but despite the implementation of this program in rural areas and the passage of ten years since its implementation in two provinces of Fars and Mazandaran, its implementation has faced problems. The aim of this study is to identify and prioritize implementation solutions related to the challenges of the family physician program in Iran.

Methods: This is a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 22 snowball-sampled experts and managers of basic health insurers to extract problems and executive solutions through coding and data analysis using Atlas Ti software and content analysis in the first stage.

Evaluation of nutritional, anthropometric, and psychological outcomes in different metabolic and bariatric surgery techniques: a follow up study.

Background: Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is a suitable solution for the treatment of morbid obesity. Investigating an MBS method that has the best outcomes has always been the main concern of physicians. The current study aimed to compare nutritional, anthropometric, and psychological complications of individuals undergoing various MBS Techniques.

Massive endobronchial hemorrhage leading to Cardiac arrest during EBUS-TBNA: a case of successful resuscitation.

Introduction: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is commonly used for diagnosing mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Despite a low complication rate, severe hemorrhage can occur which is reported in this literature, particularly in hypervascular conditions like Castleman disease.

Methods: A 54-year-old male with idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease underwent EBUS-TBNA for mediastinal lymph node sampling.