Transcutaneous Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Upper Extremity.

Background: Non-invasive treatment options are preferred for managing upper extremity pain due to osteoarthritis (OA). Transcutaneous pulsed radiofrequency (TcPRF) is a promising technique and appears effective in managing knee and shoulder pain.

Objectives: To investigate whether TcPRF treatment is effective in reducing pain and safe to use among patients with OA of the upper extremity.

Bioinformatics analysis of the expression of potential common genes and immune-related genes between atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease.

Research Objective: This study is based on bioinformatics analysis to explore the co-expressed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between atrial fibrillation (AF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), identify the biomarkers for the occurrence and development of the two diseases, investigate the potential connections between AF and CKD, and explore the associations with immune cells.

Methods: We downloaded Two AF gene chip datasets (GSE79768, GSE14975) and two CKD gene chip datasets (GSE37171, GSE120683) from the GEO database. After pre-processing and standardizing the datasets, two DEGs datasets were obtained.

Key factors influencing long-term engagement: a quantitative analysis of Special Olympics World Games 2023 volunteers.

Introduction: The contribution of volunteers to the success of mega sport events is very valuable, as they dedicate their time and skills without financial compensation. Despite the undiminished enthusiasm for volunteering at events, grassroots sport in Europe faces increasing challenges in retaining long-term volunteers in sports clubs. This study aims to contribute to existing research by examining the characteristics and motivations of volunteers at mega sport events, with a particular focus on the Special Olympics World Games 2023 (SOWG 23).

Self-compassion in Nursing Students and Its Correlations With Moral Intelligence, and Moral Perfectionism: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Self-compassion plays a vital role in maintaining mental health. Evidence suggests that enhancing morality-related constructs can improve self-compassion among nursing students. This study examines the predictors of self-compassion in nursing students and explores its relationship with moral intelligence and moral perfectionism.

Assessment of chest CT abnormalities and pulmonary function at 6-month and 1-year after hospital discharge in Chinese patients of COVID-19 pneumonia at the turn of 2022-2023.

Objective: This study aimed to assess chest CT abnormalities and pulmonary function at 6-month and 1-year follow-ups in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia patients of the China epidemic in the turn of 2022-2023.

Methods: A total of 156 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 pneumonia admitted between 29 November 2022 and 10 February 2023 were prospectively assessed at 6-month and 1-year follow-ups. Characteristics and CT scores of pulmonary abnormalities and pulmonary function were compared between different follow-up time points.

Visual performance, light distortion and patient reported outcomes with a new bi-aspheric non-diffractive extended depth of focus intraocular lens.

Background: To evaluate refractive, visual, and patient-reported outcomes three months after bilateral implantation of a novel bi-aspheric, non-diffractive extended depth of focus (EDOF) intraocular lens (IOL) using PhaseRing technology to achieve good vision across distances with reduced dysphotopsia.

Methods: Twenty-two patients received bilateral Asqelio EDOF IOLs (AST VisionCare Inc.) and were evaluated 3 months post-surgery.

Efficacy and safety of therapeutic exercise for primary dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: A growing number of research papers have looked at the influence of exercise on pain severity in people with primary dysmenorrhea, but the findings have been inconsistent. The purpose of this research was to thoroughly evaluate the impact of exercise on pain severity in individuals with primary dysmenorrhea and to find the best exercise regimen for these patients.

Methods: All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise for patients with primary dysmenorrhea were searched in the Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, EBSCO, and CINAHL databases.

Chemometric Model for Rapid Determination of Syringyl/Guaiacyl Ratio in Non-Wood by FT-NIR Spectroscopic Data.

The present study is to develop a cost-effective, non-destructive and rapid method for quantification of syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio content in non-wood lignin, which is based on FT-NIR spectroscopic data and chemometric modelling techniques. The S/G ratio in 22 non-wood lignins was determined by wet chemical method. Then the same samples were run with FT-NIR, and the spectroscopic data were pre-processed with Savitzky-Golay (S-G) on their 1st and 2nd derivatives.

Patient experiences with and adherence to Crohn's disease exclusion diet in Dutch Crohn's disease patients: a cohort study.

Background: Dietary therapy is commonly used as a treatment for Crohn's disease (CD). High dietary adherence is associated with achieving clinical remission. Crohn's disease exclusion diet (CDED) is a relatively new therapy in the management of CD.

Microbiota and metabolomic profiling coupled with machine learning to identify biomarkers and drug targets in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a prevalent malignancy in certain regions, with radiotherapy as the standard treatment. However, resistance to radiotherapy remains a critical challenge, necessitating the identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The tumor-associated microbiota and metabolites have emerged as potential modulators of radiotherapy outcomes.

Economic impact of individualized antimicrobial dose optimization in the critically ill patient in Spain.

Objective: To estimate the economic impact of individualized dose optimization guided by antimicrobial therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in Spain, compared to no monitoring.

Methods: A cost analysis of antibiotic treatment of critically ill patients, with and without TDM, was performed using a probabilistic Markov model (with second-order Monte Carlo simulations). Three scenarios were analyzed based on three published meta-analyses (Analysis 1: Pai Mangalore, 2022; Analysis 2: Sanz-Codina, 2023; Analysis 3: Takahashi, 2023).

Characterization of Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Undergoing Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy: A Retrospective Study of Nine Years (2014-2022).

Introduction:  Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is the most prevalent sleep-related breathing disorder associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. Identifying the anatomical sites of airway obstruction is crucial for optimizing treatment, particularly in patients requiring surgical intervention. In recent years, drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) has emerged as a valuable diagnostic tool for evaluating upper airway obstruction in OSAS patients.

Clinical factors influencing residual subcutaneous tissue after skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction.

Background: Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) and nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) have emerged as increasingly preferred alternatives to traditional mastectomy, largely due to their enhanced cosmetic outcomes and elevated levels of patient satisfaction. Nonetheless, the oncological safety and implications associated with residual breast tissue in these surgical procedures continue to raise significant concerns. The objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of various clinical and surgical factors on residual subcutaneous tissue in patients undergoing SSM and NSM.

Impact of short-term tinnitus treatment on cognitive function and neural synchronization.

We aimed to evaluate the impact of short-term tinnitus treatment on cognitive function and identify the effects of various treatment combinations on cognitive and tinnitus outcomes. A non-randomized prospective study was conducted with 32 tinnitus patients at a tertiary university hospital between May 2022 and May 2024. Patients received treatments, including neuromodulation, diuretics, gabapentin, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), anxiolytics, muscle relaxants, hearing aids, and counseling.

Combined autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and CD19 CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with mutation: A case report.

Despite advancements in the treatment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, including CAR T-cell therapy, mutations remain a significant negative prognostic factor in patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The combination of autologous stem cell transplantation and CAR T-cell therapy may enhance long-term prognosis and reduce adverse effects, including severe cytokine release syndrome. This case report presents a 41-year-old man with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma harboring mutations who underwent autologous stem cell transplantation combined with CD19 CAR T-cell therapy.

One-pot synthesized three-way junction based multiple strand displacement amplification for sensitive assay of H5N1 DNA.

The rapid and sensitive detection of H5N1, a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus, is crucial for controlling its spread and minimizing its impact on public health. In this study, we developed a novel biosensor based on strand displacement amplification (SDA) coupled with CRISPR/Cas12a for highly sensitive detection of H5N1 DNA. The biosensor utilizes a combination of a three-way junction structure, composed of three hairpins (H1, H2, H3), to initiate amplification through SDA, resulting in the production of numerous activators.

Early outcomes of left bundle branch area pacing in children.

Objective: Left bundle branch area pacing is a recent technique gaining rapid acceptance due to its broader target area and excellent electrical parameters. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of left bundle branch area pacing in children and share short-term results.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective study conducted at a single centre between December 2021 and April 2024 involved 19 children who underwent left bundle branch area pacing using Select Secure leads.

A renewal-equation approach to estimating and infectious disease case counts in the presence of reporting delays.

During infectious disease outbreaks, delays in case reporting mean that the time series of cases is unreliable, particularly for those cases occurring most recently. This means that real-time estimates of the time-varying reproduction number, [Formula: see text], are often made using a time series of cases only up until a time period sufficiently far in the past that there is some confidence in the case counts. This means that the most recent [Formula: see text] estimates are usually out of date, inducing lags in the response of public health authorities.

Structure-property relationships in fibrous meniscal tissue through image-based augmentation.

This study introduces an adaptive three-dimensional (3D) image synthesis technique for creating variational realizations of fibrous meniscal tissue microstructures. The method allows controlled deviation from original geometries by modifying parameters such as porosity, pore size and specific surface area of image patches. The unbiased reconstructed samples matched the morphological and hydraulic properties of original tissues, with relative errors generally below 10%.

Sulfite-Induced Release and Oxidation of Cr(III) in Reduced Chromite Ore Processing Residue under Visible Light: The Critical Role of Fe(IV) Intermediates.

Reduced chromite ore processing residue (rCOPR) is vulnerable to the surrounding conditions in environments, which can induce the release and oxidation of Cr(III). This work found the synergistic effect of light and sulfite on destroying rCOPR stability, causing the significant release of Cr(VI), which was 4∼7 times higher than that under single factor action. In CrFe(OH)/sulfite/light system, Cr(VI) release rate could reach 11.

Molecular and physiological characterization of brassinosteroid receptor BRI1 mutants in Sorghum bicolor.

The high sequence and structural similarities between BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1) brassinosteroid (BR) receptors of Arabidopsis (AtBRI1) and sorghum (SbBRI1) prompted us to study the functionally conserved roles of BRI1 in both organisms. Introducing sorghum SbBRI1 in Arabidopsis bri1 mutants restores defective growth and developmental phenotypes to wild-type levels. Sorghum mutants for SbBRI1 show defective BR sensitivity and impaired plant growth and development throughout the entire sorghum life cycle.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is associated with reduced sleep apnea severity, but not its endotype traits in those with comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea.

Study Objectives: Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) improves obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity in comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea (COMISA), though the mechanisms underlying this change are unstudied. CBT-I, which promotes sleep continuity and reduces hyperarousal, may improve OSA by raising the respiratory arousal threshold. We aimed to investigate the effect of CBT-I on OSA severity and its impact on the arousal threshold and other endotype traits.

Advancing virtual and hybrid team well-being through a job demand-resources lens.

As the modern workplace evolves, the shift to virtual and hybrid team working necessitates a re-evaluation of well-being. While workplace well-being research has predominantly focused on the individual level, understanding team-level well-being is critical, as its underlying psychological and social processes differ. This study applies the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework to virtual and hybrid contexts globally, demonstrating the dual nature of demands and resources at the team level, where the same constructs may contribute to driving positive gain cycles or negative loss cycles of well-being.

Highly efficient isolation and multistep analysis of tumor cells from whole blood.

We present a microfluidic solution for improved tumor cell analysis based on selection-free isolation of nucleated cells from whole blood. It consists of a high-density silicon microcavity array combined with the novel fluidic strategy of microfluidic decanting. This enables multistep on-chip staining protocols comprising sample loading-blocking-extracellular staining-fixation-permeabilization and intracellular staining to quantify tumor cells.