The Disease and Economic Burden of HBV and HCV in Ethiopia.

As the second most populated country in Africa, Ethiopia needs public health measures to control diseases that impact its population. The goal of this study is to analyse disease burdens of HBV and HCV, while also highlighting their estimated associated costs for the country. A literature review and a Delphi process reflecting input of Ethiopian experts and the National Viral Hepatitis Technical Working Group were used to complement mathematical modelling to estimate HBV and HCV disease and economic burdens.

Molecular biomarkers of glial activation and injury in epilepsy.

Increasing evidence from fluid biopsies suggests activation and injury of glial cells in epilepsy. The prevalence of clinical and subclinical seizures in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and others merits review and comparison of the effects of seizures on glial markers in epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases with concomitant seizures. Herein, we revisit preclinical and clinical reports of alterations in glial proteins in cerebrospinal fluid and blood associated with various types of epilepsy.

Association Between Dynapenia/Sarcopenia, Extrapyramidal Symptoms, Negative Symptoms, Body Composition, and Nutritional Status in Patients with Chronic Schizophrenia.

This study aimed to determine the association between chronic schizophrenia, extrapyramidal symptoms (EPSs), body composition, nutritional status, and dynapenia/sarcopenia. Data from 68 chronic patients with schizophrenia were analyzed using Spearman's rho correlation coefficients, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Cramér's V statistics. Among the participants, 32.

Assessment of services provided by urban ASHAs to mothers of urban slums in Lucknow district - A cross-sectional study.

Context: Maternal and child health is an important public health issue which indicates the level of socioeconomic development in any country. Urban accredited social health activist (U-ASHA) workers in India are the main front-line urban health workers in primary health care delivery for slum and urban poor.

Aims: To assess the services provided by U-ASHA workers to mothers of urban slums for antenatal and postnatal care.

Exosomes: Historical Evolution and Emerging Roles in Dermatology.

Background: Exosomes are a nanoscale extracellular vesicles derived from different cell types that have been investigated for various clinical applications, including functioning as biomarkers and use as direct therapeutics. Given the role of exosomes in multiple pathophysiologic pathways and potential practical applications, they have garnered significant interest in the scientific community but much is still unknown about their development and use.

Aims: This literature review covers the background, mechanisms of action, use as biomarkers, methods of application, and direct therapeutic applications of exosomes.

Have Degree, Will Travel? Geography and Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Match.

Introduction: The paucity of objective data on the residency application is challenging to Orthopedic Surgery residency programs when selecting candidates to interview and to rank. Qualifying or quantifying the effect of geography on match results will help programs screen and rank candidates more effectively. The aim of this study is to describe the geographic background of current Orthopedic Surgery residents in the United States relative to their current residency program.

Employing splice-switching oligonucleotides and AAVrh74.U7 snRNA to target insulin receptor splicing and cancer hallmarks in osteosarcoma.

Patients with osteosarcoma (OS), a debilitating pediatric bone malignancy, have limited treatment options to combat aggressive disease. OS thrives on insulin growth factor (IGF)-mediated signaling that can facilitate cell proliferation. Previous efforts to target IGF-1R signaling were mostly unsuccessful, likely due to compensatory signaling through alternative splicing of the insulin receptor () to the proliferative isoform.

Assessment of Self-Medication Practices and Knowledge Among Medical Students in Chengalpattu District: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: The practice of self-medication is wherein individuals initiate the use of medications without consulting a healthcare professional. College life is a period marked by academic, social, and personal changes. Due to their greater freedom and the pressure of academic success, students face various health issues.

Comparing Cisgender and Trans-spectrum Postsecondary Student Alcohol and Substance Use: Results From the Arkansas Collegiate Substance Use Assessment.

Purpose: Examine self-reported substance use of cisgender and trans-spectrum students.

Design: Observational Study, cross-sectional design.

Setting: Arkansas post-secondary institutions.

Repair Fails More Frequently Than Reconstruction in Acute Posterolateral Corner Knee Injuries: A Systematic Review of Outcomes Following Surgical Management.

Purpose: To synthesize the current literature on posterolateral corner (PLC) reconstruction and repair, focusing on a comparison of surgical techniques and outcomes based on injury chronicity in the setting of sports-related ligament tears.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature, including queries of the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases, was performed in March 2024. Studies were included if they were of Level IV evidence or greater, reported PLC reconstruction or repair outcomes, and had a minimum 2-year follow-up.

Five-year analysis of hospital complaints at a Japanese tertiary teaching hospital.

Background: Patient complaint taxonomies strongly support the use of healthcare complaints as a powerful tool to improve the quality and safety of patient care. Hospitals use complaint data at the organizational level to address quality variation across service lines and departments.

Methods: We applied a validated typology method to identify where the complaints occured and gained deeper insights about how they can be more effectively utilized to drive and implement continuous quality and service improvement activities within a tertiary hospital.

Computational and experimental insights into pharmacological potential: Synthesis, in vitro evaluation, and molecular docking analysis of bioactive urea and thiourea derivatives.

This study delves into the synthesis, in vitro assessment, and molecular docking analysis of bioactive urea and thiourea derivatives, which have garnered significant attention in pharmaceutical chemistry due to their versatile chemical reactivity and potential therapeutic applications One pot synthetic approach was utilized to develop a diverse class of these compounds. Subsequent biological assessments, including antimicrobial assays, demonstrated their pharmacological potential by inhibiting pathogenic microorganisms. Molecular docking analysis offered computational insights into the interactions between these compounds and specific biomolecules, shedding light on their potential mechanisms of action.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) enhances cognitive function in schizophrenia: A randomized double-blind sham-controlled trial.

This study aimed to examine the cognitive effects of tDCS and the subjective cognitive improvement perceived by patients with schizophrenia. A total of 173 outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited for this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Two different stimulation modes were applied: 2 mA 20 minutes active tDCS and sham tDCS.

DE-PASS Best Evidence Statement (BESt): A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on the Effectiveness of Trials on Device-Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour and Their Determinants in Children Aged 5-12 Years.

Background: To combat the high prevalence of physical inactivity among children, there is an urgent need to develop and implement real-world interventions and policies that promote physical activity (PA) and reduce sedentary behaviour (SB). To inform policy makers, the current body of evidence for children's PA/SB interventions needs to be translated.

Objectives: The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify modifiable determinants of device-measured PA and SB targeted in available intervention studies with randomized controlled trial (RCT) and controlled trial (CT) designs in children and early adolescents (5-12 years) and to quantify the effects of the interventions within their respective settings on the determinants of PA/SB and the outcomes PA and SB.

Review of Quality Audit in a Radiation Oncology Department in a Tertiary Care Hospital- 2 Year-Results.

Objectives: This study aimed to report the findings of comprehensive weekly quality audit of radiotherapy procedures conducted at our institute, assessing various domains including clinical notes, contour delineation, treatment planning, prescription accuracy, patient-specific quality assurance, and treatment set-up checks.

Material And Methods: The audit protocol, based on the Peer Review Audit Tool (PRAT) from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists, evaluated six critical parameters: clinical decisions, contours, treatment prescriptions, plan evaluation, plan quality assurance, and daily treatment set-ups. Patients were assessed for changes categorized as no change, minor change, or major change.

Electrophysiological Phenotype-Genotype Study of Sustained Monomorphic Ventricular Tachycardia in Inherited, High Arrhythmic Risk, Left Ventricular Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Among inherited cardiomyopathies involving the left ventricle, whether dilated or not, certain genotypes carry a well-established arrhythmic risk, notably manifested as sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (SMVT). Nonetheless, the precise localization and electrophysiological profile of this substrate remain undisclosed across different genotypes.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and left ventricle involvement due to high-risk genetic variants and SMVT treated by electrophysiological study were recruited from 18 European/US centers.

Understanding Radiology Discrepancies: A Case Cross-Sectional CT Study in a Tertiary Care Setting.

Introduction:  In modern healthcare, computed tomography (CT) is essential for diagnosing a wide range of medical conditions, particularly in emergency settings where timely evaluation of critical areas such as the brain, thorax, abdomen, and pelvis is crucial. However, the increasing reliance on provisional reports generated by postgraduates during on-call hours introduces challenges, as discrepancies often arise between these initial reports and final assessments by senior radiologists. These discrepancies can affect patient outcomes, particularly in complex cases, underscoring the need for studies that evaluate the patterns and clinical relevance of discrepancies across multiple CT modalities.

An orthogonal approach for analysis of underivatized steroid hormones using ultrahigh performance supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPSFC-MS).

The crucial role of steroid hormones in health and diseases merits their high-throughput, accurate and affordable measurements in biological specimens. Despite advances in analytical methods, sensing and quantifying steroid hormones remains challenging. Immunoassays offer excellent sensitivity but are inherently labour-intensive, costly, and prone to false positives.

UK medical cannabis registry: A clinical outcome analysis of medical cannabis therapy in chronic pain patients with and without co-morbid sleep impairment.

Introduction: Chronic pain (CP) affects 35.0%-51.3% of the UK population, with 67%-88% reporting sleep disturbances.

Large- and Small-Animal Studies of Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Biodistribution of Inflammasome-Targeting Nanoligomer in the Brain and Other Target Organs.

Immune malfunction or misrecognition of healthy cells and tissue, termed autoimmune disease, is implicated in more than 80 disease conditions and multiple other secondary pathologies. While pan-immunosuppressive therapies like steroids can offer limited relief for systemic inflammation for some organs, many patients never achieve remission, and such drugs do not cross the blood-brain barrier, making them ineffective for tackling neuroinflammation. Especially in the brain, unintended activation of microglia and astrocytes is hypothesized to be directly or indirectly responsible for multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Fall Prevention in Older Adults: Insights from Saudi Arabian Physical Therapists on the Otago Exercise Program.

Purpose: Falls among older adults are a growing public health concern in Saudi Arabia. The Otago Exercise Program (OEP) is an evidence-based intervention aimed at reducing fall risk in this population. This study assessed the knowledge and attitudes of Saudi Arabian physical therapists toward the OEP and examined potential gender-based differences.

Association of Changes in Cerebral and Hypothalamic Structure With Sleep Dysfunction in Patients With Genetic Frontotemporal Dementia.

Background And Objectives: Sleep dysfunction is common in patients with neurodegenerative disorders; however, its neural underpinnings remain poorly characterized in genetic frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Hypothalamic nuclei important for sleep regulation may be related to this dysfunction. Thus, we examined changes in hypothalamic structure across the lifespan in patients with genetic FTD and whether these changes related to sleep dysfunction.

Association of Initial Side of Brain Atrophy With Clinical Features and Disease Progression in Patients With Frontotemporal Dementia.

Background And Objectives: Pathogenic variants in the gene cause frontotemporal dementia (FTD-) with marked brain asymmetry. This study aims to assess whether the disease progression of FTD- depends on the initial side of the atrophy. We also investigated the potential use of brain asymmetry as a biomarker of the disease.