The invisible enemy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of maternal smokeless tobacco use as a risk factor for low birth weight.

Introduction: Smokeless tobacco use is a growing public health concern, with potential adverse implications for foetal outcomes if consumed during pregnancy. Birth weight is an important predictive measure for health outcomes of a child throughout their lifespan. Despite extensive literature, it is unclear whether smokeless tobacco consumption during pregnancy has an adverse effect on birth weight.

Systematic review of the best evidence for resistance exercise in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Objective: This study aims to search, evaluate, and consolidate the best evidence for resistance exercise in maintenance hemodialysis patients, providing evidence-based support for the clinical implementation of resistance exercise in these patients.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of literature in databases on resistance exercise for maintenance hemodialysis patients, including guidelines, expert consensus, evidence summaries, systematic reviews, and randomized controlled trials. The search spanned from the inception of the database to March 2023.

Nationwide real-world implementation of AI for cancer detection in population-based mammography screening.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in mammography screening has shown promise in retrospective evaluations, but few prospective studies exist. PRAIM is an observational, multicenter, real-world, noninferiority, implementation study comparing the performance of AI-supported double reading to standard double reading (without AI) among women (50-69 years old) undergoing organized mammography screening at 12 sites in Germany. Radiologists in this study voluntarily chose whether to use the AI system.

Assessing the Feasibility and Diagnostic Value of Percutaneous Transhepatic Cholangioscopy Biopsy for Biliary Strictures.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic value of percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy biopsy (PTCB) for identifying the causes of biliary strictures.

Methods: This retrospective study included 34 patients (18 females and 16 males), with a mean age of 59.4 ± 13 years.

Association between abdominal obesity and nutritional supplement use among Iranian adults in the Shahedieh cohort study.

The relationship between the use of supplements and the presence of abdominal obesity is a topic that is currently being debated. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the existence of such an association. The current cross-sectional investigation included a population of 9878 individuals who were the focus of the study's initial phase in the Shahedieh cohort study, conducted in Yazd, Iran.

Embracing plant plasticity or robustness as a means of ensuring food security.

The dual challenges of global population explosion and environmental deterioration represent major hurdles for 21 Century agriculture culminating in an unprecedented demand for food security. In this Review, we revisit historical concepts of plasticity and canalization before integrating them with contemporary studies of genotype-environment interactions (G×E) that are currently being carried out at the genome-wide level. In doing so we address both fundamental questions regarding G×E and potential strategies to best secure yields in both current and future climate scenarios.

Customizing Tacrolimus Dosing in Kidney Transplantation: Focus on Pharmacogenetics.

Different polymorphisms in genes encoding metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters have been associated with tacrolimus pharmacokinetics. In particular, studies on CYP3A4 and CYP3A5, and their combined cluster have demonstrated their significance in adjusting tacrolimus dosing to minimize under- and overexposure thereby increasing the proportion of patients who achieve tacrolimus therapeutic target. Many factors influence the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus, contributing to inter-patient variability affecting individual dosing requirements.

Use of virtual care near the end of life before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A population-based cohort study.

Background And Aims: The expanded use of virtual care may worsen pre-existing disparities in use and delivery of end-of-life care among certain groups of people. We measured the use of virtual care in the last three months of life before and after the introduction of virtual care fee codes that funded care delivery at the start of COVID-19 on March 14, 2020, and identified changes in the characteristics of people using it.

Methods: We used linked clinical and administrative datasets to study use of virtual care in the last three months of life among 411,564 adults who died between January 25, 2018, and November 30, 2022.

Assessment tools for transition readiness in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease: A scoping review.

Background: Assessing the level of transition readiness in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease is crucial; however, standardized research tools are lacking. This study aimed to map transition readiness assessment tools for adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease and determine their suitability.

Methods: A literature review following the Arksey and O'Malley scoping review methodology was conducted.

Depression among people living in rural and urban areas of Thailand: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Depression has a growing trend in the population worldwide. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated the prevalence and associated factors of depression among individuals residing in rural (Ban Luang district, Nan Province) and urban (Lak Si, Bangkok) areas of Thailand. Understanding the differences in depression between these two settings can provide insights for specific targeted interventions and mental health policies.

Association between heavy metal exposure and bacterial vaginosis: A cross-sectional study.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a prevalent cause of vaginal symptoms in women of reproductive age. With the widespread of heavy metal pollutants and their harmful function on women's immune and hormonal systems, it is necessary to explore the association between heavy metal exposure and BV. This study investigates the potential relationship between serum heavy metals and bacterial vaginosis in a cohort of American women.

Bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced people with HIV: 12-month virologic effectiveness and safety outcomes in the BICSTaR Japan cohort.

BICSTaR (BICtegravir Single Tablet Regimen) is an ongoing, observational cohort study assessing the virologic effectiveness and safety of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (B/F/TAF) in treatment-experienced (TE) and treatment-naïve (TN) people with HIV across 14 countries over 24 months. We present 12-month outcomes from participants in the BICSTaR Japan cohort. Retrospective and prospective data were pooled from people with HIV aged ≥20 years receiving B/F/TAF within routine clinical care in Japan.

Indication of frailty transitions on 2-year adverse health outcomes among older Chinese inpatients: Insight from a multicenter prospective cohort study.

Introduction: Frailty is thought to be associated with an increased risk of adverse health outcomes such as death and falls, but comparatively little is known about the impact of frailty transitions on the adverse health outcomes. Moreover, owing to insufficient sample size or a single-center study design, previous studies have not been sufficiently representative of elderly inpatients in China. This study aimed to provide estimates at the population level of the association between frailty transitions and adverse outcomes among elderly inpatients following discharge.

Risk factors for all-cause mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic period in an adult population of Arkhangelsk, Russia.

We investigated and compared mortality rates and risk factors for pre-pandemic and pandemic all-cause mortality in a population-based cohort of men and women in Arkhangelsk, Russia. A prospective cohort study enrolled 2,324 participants aged 35 to 69 years between 2015 and 2017. All participants were followed up for all-cause deaths using the mortality registry.

The Psychometric Properties of the EuroQol 5D Five Level in Survivors of Critical Illness.

Objectives: The EuroQol 5D five level (EQ-5D-5L) instrument is a standardized measure of health-related quality of life and is routinely used in survivors of critical illness. However, information on its psychometric properties and minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in this patient group is lacking.

Design: Secondary analysis of data from the previously published PREDICT (a registry in critically ill patients to determine predictors of disability-free survival) study, a prospective, multicenter cohort study.

An Analysis of the Association of Whole Blood Transfusion With the Development of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Objectives: To determine the association of whole blood and other blood products (components, prothrombin complex concentrate, and fibrinogen concentrate) with the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) among blood recipients.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database between 2020 and 2021.

Associations between tooth loss, denture use, and dementia in older Taiwanese adults.

Background: The literature has mainly focused on the association between tooth loss and dementia, and evidence regarding the separate and joint effects of tooth loss and denture use on the risk of dementia is limited. This study investigated the links among tooth loss, denture use, and dementia risk in Taiwanese adults aged 65 years or older.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the 2009 National Health Interview Survey and 2008-2017 National Health Insurance claim records, including the records of 2247 individuals free from dementia treatment in 2008-2009.

High-coverage whole-genome sequencing of a Jakun individual from the "Orang Asli" Proto-Malay subtribe from Peninsular Malaysia.

Jakun, a Proto-Malay subtribe from Peninsular Malaysia, is believed to have inhabited the Malay Archipelago during the period of agricultural expansion approximately 4 thousand years ago (kya). However, their genetic structure and population history remain inconclusive. In this study, we report the genome structure of a Jakun female, based on whole-genome sequencing, which yielded an average coverage of 35.

Bias Mitigation in Primary Health Care Artificial Intelligence Models: Scoping Review.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) predictive models in primary health care have the potential to enhance population health by rapidly and accurately identifying individuals who should receive care and health services. However, these models also carry the risk of perpetuating or amplifying existing biases toward diverse groups. We identified a gap in the current understanding of strategies used to assess and mitigate bias in primary health care algorithms related to individuals' personal or protected attributes.

Differences in eHealth Access, Use, and Perceived Benefit Between Different Socioeconomic Groups in the Dutch Context: Secondary Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: There is a growing concern that digital health care may exacerbate existing health disparities. Digital health care or eHealth encompasses the digital apps that are used in health care. Differences in access, use, and perceived benefits of digital technology among socioeconomic groups are commonly referred to as the digital divide.

Impact of education and training on LGBT-specific health issues for healthcare students and professionals: a systematic review of comparative studies.

Objectives: Training/education is increasingly used to improve healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes and clinical skills about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) health, but few reviews have assessed their effectiveness. This review describes the impact of training about LGBT healthcare for healthcare professionals on participants' knowledge, attitudes and clinical practice.

Design: Systematic review of intervention studies with contemporaneous comparators.

Prevalence and factors associated with neonatal sepsis in Mali: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors for neonatal sepsis among neonates admitted to selected health facilities in the Bamako district and Koulikoro region in Mali.

Design: This is a prospective cross-sectional study. Data were analyses using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Cohort profile: creation of the SAIL MELD-B e-cohort (SMC) and SAIL MELD-B children and young adult e-cohort (SMYC) to investigate the lived experience of the 'burdensomeness' of multimorbidity.

Purpose: We have established the SAIL MELD-B electronic cohort (e-cohort SMC) and the SAIL MELD-B children and Young adults e-cohort (SMYC) as a part of the Multidisciplinary Ecosystem to study Lifecourse Determinants and Prevention of Early-onset Burdensome Multimorbidity (MELD-B) project. Each cohort has been created to investigate and develop a deeper understanding of the lived experience of the 'burdensomeness' of multimorbidity by identifying new clusters of burdensomeness concepts, exploring early life risk factors of multimorbidity and modelling hypothetical prevention scenarios.

Participants: The SMC and SMYC are longitudinal e-cohorts created from routinely collected individual-level population-scale anonymised data sources available within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank.

Review protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis on HIV inequities in transgender and non-binary populations.

Introduction: Global disparities in HIV prevalence among transgender women are well documented. However, current epidemiological literature on HIV disparities demonstrates gaps in research that include the diversity within transgender populations-for example, transgender men and non-binary trans people across global regions. This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol aims to summarise global HIV inequities among all transgender and non-binary (trans) populations.