Assessing patient satisfaction with hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis care and associated factors in Iran.

Purpose: With the increasing demand for dialysis, there is a growing emphasis on patient-centered care. This study investigated patients' satisfaction levels with peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) care in Iran.

Methods: A cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted among 346 patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) covered by the Iran Health Insurance Organization who received dialysis services from October to December 2022 across the country.

The Utility of Interferon-γ Release Assays in the Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Patients With Cancer.

Background: Patients with cancer are at elevated risk for tuberculosis (TB) reactivation. Diagnosis of latent TB infection and TB disease remains challenging in this patient population despite the advent of interferon-γ release assays (IGRA).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all patients with cancer who had IGRA testing (QuantiFERON-TB [QFT-TB] or T-SPOT.

Year in Review: Novel Insights in the Pathogenesis of Spondyloarthritis - SPARTAN 2024 Annual Meeting Proceedings.

Purpose Of Review: The canonical pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis (SpA) involves inflammation driven by HLA-B27, type 3 immunity, and gut microbial dysregulation. This review based on information presented at the SPARTAN meeting highlights studies on the pathogenesis of SpA from the past year, focusing on emerging mechanisms such as the roles of microbe-derived metabolites, microRNAs (miRNAs) and cytokines in plasma exosomes, specific T cell subsets, and neutrophils.

Recent Findings: The induction of arthritis in a preclinical model through microbiota-driven alterations in tryptophan catabolism provides new insights as to how intestinal dysbiosis may activate disease via the gut-joint axis.

Advancements in immunotherapy for colorectal cancer treatment: a comprehensive review of strategies, challenges, and future prospective.

Purpose: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) continues to present significant challenges, particularly in patients with proficient mismatch repair/microsatellite stable (pMMR/MSS) tumors. This narrative review aims to provide recent developments in immunotherapy for CRC treatment, focusing on its efficacy and challenges.

Discriminative stimulus properties of α-ethyltryptamine (α-ET) in rats: α-ET-like effects of MDMA, MDA and aryl-monomethoxy substituted derivatives of α-ET.

Rationale α-ET (α-ethyltryptamine), a homolog of the classical hallucinogen α-methyltryptamine, was once prescribed clinically as an antidepressant. Classical psychedelic drugs are currently of interest as potential pharmacotherapy for psychiatric disorders. Objectives Drug discrimination was used to (a) determine if α-ET-like stimulus effects could be engendered by the prototypical phenylalkylamines MDMA ("Ecstasy") or MDA ("Love Drug") and (b) evaluate the α-ET-like stimulus effects of four synthesized aryl-substituted monomethoxy analogs of α-ET (4-OMe-, 5-OMe-, 6-OMe- and 7-OMe-α-ET).

Discovery of a Chimeric Polyketide Family as Cancer Immunogenic Chemotherapeutic Leads.

Discovery of cancer immunogenic chemotherapeutics represents an emerging, highly promising direction for cancer treatment that uses a chemical drug to achieve the efficacy of both chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Herein, we report a high-throughput screening platform and the subsequent discovery of a new class of cancer immunogenic chemotherapeutic leads. Our platform integrates informatics-based activity metabolomics for the rapid identification of microbial natural products with both novel structures and potent activities.

The return-to-work journey: experiences with communication and collaboration among employees and employers during long-term sick leave and return-to-work.

Purpose: To explore the experiences of long-term sick-listed employees and those of employers with communication and collaboration during sick leave and the return-to-work (RTW) process.

Methods: Previously long-term sick-listed employees ( = 9) and employers ( = 9) were interviewed about their experiences with communication and collaboration during sick leave and RTW. Thematic analysis, utilizing patient journey mapping was applied to analyze and map out their experiences.

A novel generative multi-task representation learning approach for predicting postoperative complications in cardiac surgery patients.

Objective: Early detection of surgical complications allows for timely therapy and proactive risk mitigation. Machine learning (ML) can be leveraged to identify and predict patient risks for postoperative complications. We developed and validated the effectiveness of predicting postoperative complications using a novel surgical Variational Autoencoder (surgVAE) that uncovers intrinsic patterns via cross-task and cross-cohort presentation learning.

Effects of Prebiotics and Probiotics on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Clinically Diagnosed Samples: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Context: The use of prebiotics and probiotics as a treatment for psychiatric conditions has gained interest due to their potential to modulate the gut-brain axis. This review aims to assess the effectiveness of these interventions in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety in psychiatric populations.

Objective: The aim was to comprehensively review and appraise the effectiveness of prebiotic, probiotic, and synbiotic interventions in reducing clinical depression and anxiety symptoms.

Epidemiology of late-onset sepsis in Malaysian neonatal intensive care units, 2015-2020.

Introduction: To determine the epidemiology of blood culture-positive late-onset sepsis (LOS, >72 hours of age) in 44 Malaysian neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Materials And Methods: Study Design: Multicentre retrospective observational study using data from the Malaysian National Neonatal Registry.

Participants: 739486 neonates (birthweight ≥500g, gestation ≥22 weeks) born and admitted in 2015-2020.

MACB CKD Task Force updated recommendations for reporting estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria in adults.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common clinical condition with significant health risks for patients and is widely recognised as a major public health concern. Laboratory medicine plays a crucial role in both diagnosing and managing CKD, as diagnosis and staging rely on estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and evaluating albuminuria (or proteinuria). It was evident that the laboratory assessment of CKD in Malaysia is not standardised.

Predicting the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile of Pregnant Women Based on Their Health Literacy Levels: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aim: Health literacy is considered as key factor to empower women to participate in self-care and child-care activities. The purpose of the present study is to determine the relationship between health-promoting behaviours and health literacy among pregnant women.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

A descriptive examination of rurality in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Cohort: Implications, illustrations, and future directions.

Purpose: The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort has enrolled over 60,000 children to examine how early environmental factors (broadly defined) are associated with key child health outcomes. The ECHO Cohort may be well-positioned to contribute to our understanding of rural environments and contexts, which has implications for rural health disparities research. The present study examined the outcome of child obesity to not only illustrate the suitability of ECHO Cohort data for these purposes but also determine how various definitions of rural and urban populations impact the presentation of findings and their interpretation.

Complications that arise with nasogastric tubes after hospitalization in the pediatric population: A mixed methods systematic review.

Children use nasogastric tubes (NGTs) to ensure optimum nutrition and medication delivery when oral feeding fails or when they experience faltering growth. Although this method is less invasive, children may experience complications associated with NGTs. There is a gap in the literature regarding the types and prevention of complications of NGTs in the pediatric population at home.

Revolutionising Cancer Immunotherapy: Advancements and Prospects in Non-Viral CAR-NK Cell Engineering.

The recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy have spotlighted the potential of natural killer (NK) cells, particularly chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-transduced NK cells. These cells, pivotal in innate immunity, offer a rapid and potent response against cancer cells and pathogens without the need for prior sensitization or recognition of peptide antigens. Although NK cell genetic modification is evolving, the viral transduction method continues to be inefficient and fraught with risks, often resulting in cytotoxic outcomes and the possibility of insertional mutagenesis.

Depression risk among breast cancer survivors: a nationwide cohort study in South Korea.

Background: Depression among breast cancer survivors is a significant concern affecting their long-term survivorship and quality of life. This study investigates the incidence of depression among breast cancer survivors and identifies associated risk factors.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database and included 59,340 breast cancer patients without a history of depression who underwent surgery between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2016.

Immune deficiency phenotypes of Il2rg, Rag2 or Il2rg/Rag2 double knockout rats; establishment of human leukemia xenograft models.

Background: Genetically immunodeficient mice lacking Il2rg and Rag2 genes have been widely utilized in the field of biomedical research. However, immunodeficient rats, which offer the advantage of larger size, have not been as extensively used to date. Recently, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) rats were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 system, targeting Il2rg and Rag2 in National BioResource Project in Japan.

Socioeconomic inequality in physical activity among adults in western Iran: a cross-sectional study.

Background: We aimed to determine the prevalence of physical activity and socio-economic inequality among the adults of Hamadan city.

Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in Hamadan city between 2022 and 2023, involving a total of 591 adults aged 18 to 64 years. The research tool utilized in this study was the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the results of the concentration index analysis reported at 95% confidence level.

The influence of obesogenic environments on diet self-efficacy and physical activity among healthcare workers: a multicenter study.

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the level of dietary self-efficacy, physical activity and obesogenic environment in several districts of Istanbul and to examine the relationship between them.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was administered to primary health care workers working in three different districts of Istanbul. Sociodemographic questions, Dieting Self-Efficiency Scale (DSES), The Assessment of the Obesogenic Environment Scale (AOES), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were used in the survey.

Contraceptive use, prevalence and incidence of pregnancy and associated factors among women participating in a vaccine preparedness cohort study in Masaka, Uganda, a retrospective secondary analysis.

Background: HIV prevention trials usually require that women of childbearing potential use an effective method of contraception. This is because the effect of most investigational products on unborn babies is unknown. We assessed contraceptive use, prevalence and incidence of pregnancy and associated factors among women in a HIV vaccine preparedness study in Masaka, Uganda.

Enrolment patterns in a randomized controlled trial of probiotics in critically ill patients: a retrospective analysis of the PROSPECT trial.

Background: Understanding site-related factors that influence enrolment within multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCT) may help reduce trial delays and cost over-runs and prevent early trial discontinuation. In this analysis of PROSPECT (Probiotics: Prevention of Severe Pneumonia and Endotracheal Colonization Trial), we describe patient enrolment patterns and examine factors influencing site-based monthly enrolment.

Design: Retrospective analysis of a multicenter RCT.

Factors associated with patients' demand for low-value care: a scoping review.

Background: Low-value care is unnecessary care that contributes to inefficient use of health resources and constitutes a considerable proportion of healthcare expenditures worldwide. Factors contributing to patients' demand for low-value care have often been overlooked and are dispersed in the literature. Therefore, the current study aimed to systematically summarize factors associated with patients' demand for low-value care.

Reusing routine electronic health record data for nationwide COVID-19 surveillance in nursing homes: barriers, facilitators, and lessons learned.

Background: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, little was known about the spread of COVID-19 in Dutch nursing homes while older people were particularly at risk of severe symptoms. Therefore, attempts were made to develop a nationwide COVID-19 repository based on routinely recorded data in the electronic health records (EHRs) of nursing home residents. This study aims to describe the facilitators and barriers encountered during the development of the repository and the lessons learned regarding the reuse of EHR data for surveillance and research purposes.

Magnitude of cesarean section and its associated factors among mothers who gave birth in public hospitals in East Wollega Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia.

Background: Globally, there has been an explosive rise in the cesarean section rate that exceeds the World Health Organization rate of 10-15% and in the past fifteen years the rates was doubled in some countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, it is essential to recognize the current magnitude and the factors that contribute to increasing cesarean section rates beyond the World Health Organization recommendations and specifically in the study areas.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the magnitude of cesarean sections and its associated factors among mothers who gave birth in public hospitals in East Wollega Zone, Oromia Ethiopia 2022.

Copper-coordination driven brain-targeting nanoassembly for efficient glioblastoma multiforme immunotherapy by cuproptosis-mediated tumor immune microenvironment reprogramming.

Limited drug accumulation and an immunosuppressive microenvironment are the major bottlenecks in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Herein, we report a copper-coordination driven brain-targeting nanoassembly (TCe6@Cu/TP5 NPs) for site-specific delivery of therapeutic agents and efficient immunotherapy by activating the cGAS-STING pathway and downregulating the expression of PD-L1. To achieve this, the mitochondria-targeting triphenylphosphorus (TPP) was linked to photosensitizer Chlorin e6 (Ce6) to form TPP-Ce6 (TCe6), which was then self-assembled with copper ions and thymopentin (TP5) to obtain TCe6@Cu/TP5 NPs.