Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation.

Background: Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are handheld electronic vaping devices that produce an aerosol by heating an e-liquid. People who smoke, healthcare providers, and regulators want to know if ECs can help people quit smoking, and if they are safe to use for this purpose. This is a review update conducted as part of a living systematic review.

Bots in white coats: are large language models the future of patient education? a multi-center cross-sectional analysis.

Objectives: Every year, around 300 million surgeries are conducted worldwide, with an estimated 4.2 million deaths occurring within 30 days after surgery. Adequate patient education is crucial, but often falls short due to the stress patients experience before surgery.

Ecdysteroids in Native Trees and Callus Cultures of the Genus Vitex L. of the Flora of Russia and Vietnam.

Introduction: Vitex L. is a large genus of tropical and subtropical trees used in medicine of many nations. Some species are used in gynecology due to flavonoids, iridoids, and diterpenes.

Anxiety, depression, and their association with unintentional injury risk among older adult populations in Guangxi, China: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The aging population presents a significant public health challenge, particularly concerning mental health and injury prevention. Anxiety and depression are common among the older adult, affecting their quality of life and increasing the risk of unintentional injuries (UI). This study aims to explore the association between anxiety and depression and UI risk among the older adult in Guangxi, China, using data from the 2023 National Health Service Survey.

The impact of temporal distribution on fear extinction learning.

Fear extinction is the foundation of exposure therapy for anxiety and phobias. However, the stability of extinction memory diminishes over time, coinciding with fear recovery. To augment long-term extinction retention, the temporal distribution of extinction learning sessions is critical.

Flometoquin, a novel insecticide, acts on mitochondrial complex III as a Q inhibitor.

Flometoquin (FLO) is a novel quinoline-type insecticide that elicits a quick knock-down effect against target pests; however, its mode of action (MoA) remains unknown. In this study, we investigated its MoA systematically, using varying biochemical techniques. Since FLO-treated insects exhibited symptoms similar to those induced by respiratory inhibitors, we examined the effect of FLO on respiratory enzyme complexes using mitochondria isolated from different insects (housefly, diamondback moth, and western flower thrips).

Recommendations for improving accessibility of digital health interventions for cardiometabolic disease for ethnically diverse populations.

Digital health interventions (DHIs), such as apps, websites and wearables, are being presented as solutions or enablers to manage the burden of cardiometabolic disease in healthcare. However, the potential benefits of DHIs may not be reaching the most in-need populations, who may face intersecting barriers to accessing health services and digital solutions. The Digital Interventions for South Asians in Cardiometabolic Disease (DISC) study used a mixed-method approach to focus on people of a South Asian background, a high-risk group for cardiometabolic disease.

Gut Microbiome and Metabolome Changes in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients With Vertebral Bone Marrow Lesions.

Background: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a significant global health concern, often linked to vertebral bone marrow lesions (BML), particularly fatty replacement (FR). This study aims to explore the relationship between the gut microbiome, serum metabolome, and FR in chronic LBP patients.

Methods: Serum metabolomic profiling and gut microbiome analysis were conducted in chronic LBP patients with and without FR (LBP + FR,  = 40; LBP,  = 40) and Healthy Controls (HC,  = 31).

Vic9 mycobacteriophage: the first subcluster B2 phage isolated in Russia.

Mycobacteriophages are viruses that specifically infect bacteria of the Mycobacterium genus. A substantial collection of mycobacteriophages has been isolated and characterized, offering valuable insights into their diversity and evolution. This collection also holds significant potential for therapeutic applications, particularly as an alternative to antibiotics in combating drug-resistant bacterial strains.

Delirium and Cognitive Screening in National Hip Fracture Registries: Scoping Review Protocol.

Background: Delirium and cognitive impairment are common in hip fracture populations and are associated with significant adverse patient outcomes. National hip fracture registries facilitate improvements in patient outcomes and care quality, such as reduced mortality and the development of specialist multidisciplinary services. However, there is substantial variation in the data collected and reported in relation to delirium and cognition, which impedes international comparison and may reduce quality of care.

Clinical validation of a biopsy-based six-gene signature prognostic for aggressive prostate cancer.

Objectives: This study aimed to clinically validate the six-gene prognostic molecular clinical risk score (MCRS) for the prediction of aggressive prostate cancer in diagnostic biopsy tissue.

Methods: MCRS was evaluated in prostate biopsy tissue from a Swedish cohort of men with prostate cancer (UPCA,  = 100). The primary outcome of adverse pathology and secondary outcomes of high primary Gleason (≥G4) and high pathological T-stage (≥T3) were assessed by likelihood ratio statistics and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves from logistic regression models; time to biochemical recurrence was assessed by likelihood ratio statistics and C-indexes from Cox proportional hazard regression models.

SPIRIT-DEFINE explanation and elaboration: recommendations for enhancing quality and impact of early phase dose-finding clinical trials protocols.

Unlabelled: Transparent and accurate reporting in early phase dose-finding (EPDF) clinical trials is crucial for informing subsequent larger trials. The SPIRIT statement, designed for trial protocol content, does not adequately cover the distinctive features of EPDF trials. Recent findings indicate that the protocol contents in past EPDF trials frequently lacked completeness and clarity.

CONSORT-DEFINE explanation and elaboration: recommendations for enhancing reporting quality and impact of early phase dose-finding clinical trials.

Unlabelled: Early phase dose-finding (EPDF) trials are key in the development of novel therapies, with their findings directly informing subsequent clinical development phases and providing valuable insights for reverse translation. Comprehensive and transparent reporting of these studies is critical for their accurate and critical interpretation, which may improve and expedite therapeutic development. However, quality of reporting of design characteristics and results from EPDF trials is often variable and incomplete.

C-reactive protein and association with disease severity in hospitalized adult patients with Lassa fever in Nigeria.

Objectives: Lassa fever (LF) poses a significant health burden in West Africa. The pathophysiology of LF and determinants of clinical spectrum of disease remain poorly understood. We performed a study to understand the correlation of blood inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP), with LF disease severity.

Interactions of human milk oligosaccharides with the immune system.

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are abundant, diverse and complex sugars present in human breast milk. HMOs are well-characterized barriers to microbial infection and by modulating the human microbiome they are also thought to be nutritionally beneficial to the infant. The structural variety of over 200 HMOs, including neutral, fucosylated and sialylated forms, allows them to interact with the immune system in various ways.

A Study on Quantification of the Effects of Heartfulness Meditation Intervention in Healthcare Professionals by Anchor-Based Method in Occupational Health Psychology.

Background: It's more important to measure the subjective perception of change after undergoing any behavioral or psychological intervention. Global rating of change method-anchor item-based is a method by which the change can be quantified and "minimum subjective perceived effect" (MSPE) can be calculated.

Aim: The current study was planned to quantify the effects of heartfulness meditation intervention in healthcare professionals by anchor-based method and compare the result with the pre-post-difference.

Development and validation of a screening tool for sepsis without laboratory results in the emergency department: a machine learning study.

Background: Sepsis is a significant health burden on a global scale. Timely identification and treatment of sepsis can greatly improve patient outcomes, including survival rates. However, time-consuming laboratory results are often needed for screening sepsis.

Relationship between pyrimidines, purines, and fatty acids in milk of dairy cows fed distinct carbohydrate types: A metabolomic approach.

The aim of this research was to evaluate changes in the milk metabolome of dairy cows fed different carbohydrate types from silages and concentrates, with special focus on purines and pyrimidines, likely associated with the microbial activity in the rumen. Furthermore, the relationship between the milk fatty acids and pyrimidine and purine metabolism retrieved in milk was investigated for potential correlations between these 2 groups of potential milk biomarkers. Twenty-four lactating dairy cows were used in a crossover design, where each cow received 2 of 4 diets.

Metagenomic analysis of pristine oil sheds new light on the global distribution of microbial genetic repertoire in hydrocarbon-associated ecosystems.

Oil reservoirs are society's primary source of hydrocarbons. While microbial communities in industrially exploited oil reservoirs have been investigated in the past, pristine microbial communities in untapped oil reservoirs are little explored, as are distribution patterns of respective genetic signatures. Here, we show that a pristine oil sample contains a complex community consisting of bacteria and fungi for the degradation of hydrocarbons.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Isolates from Vegetable Crop Rhizospheres in Nepal.

Background: spp. hold significant potential as biocontrol agents in agriculture due to their antagonistic properties against plant pathogens. The study aimed to characterize and identify isolates from rhizospheric regions of vegetable crops.

The Antibacterial Activity of Yeasts from Unique Biocenoses.

The replenishment of our stock of substances that possess a therapeutic potential is an important objective in modern biomedicine. Despite the important advances achieved in chemical synthesis, the natural diversity of organisms and microorganisms remains an important source of biologically active compounds. Here, we report the results of our study of a unique collection containing more than 3,000 samples of yeasts found on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril Islands, and Sakhalin Island, Russia.

Rethinking brachial plexus birth palsy: Beyond physician blame.

Brachial plexus birth palsy, a devastating injury affecting newborns, has long been a source of contention and misunderstanding. This article aims to dispel the myth that healthcare providers are solely responsible for these injuries, presenting evidence that highlights the complex interplay of maternal, fetal, and biological factors in their causation. By shifting the narrative away from blame and towards a more comprehensive understanding, we can foster a more supportive and informed approach to childbirth.

Cross intrinsic transfer for ulnar drift in the rheumatoid hand under wide awake local anesthesia No tourniquet - Surgical technique.

This article introduces a surgical technique for cross-intrinsic transfers (CIT) to correct ulnar drift in rheumatoid hands performed under wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT). This approach allows real-time adjustment of tendon transfer tension and active patient participation in hand movements and deformity correction during the procedure. It can be combined with other surgeries such as prosthetic replacement arthroplasties of the MCP joints.

IDH-mutant gliomas in children and adolescents - from biology to clinical trials.

Gliomas account for nearly 30% of all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors in children and adolescents and young adults (AYA), contributing to significant morbidity and mortality. The updated molecular classification of gliomas defines molecularly diverse subtypes with a spectrum of tumors associated with age-distinct incidence. In adults, gliomas are characterized by the presence or absence of mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (), with mutated (mIDH) gliomas providing favorable outcomes and avenues for targeted therapy with the emergence of mIDH inhibitors.