Secondary Immunodeficiency.

The field of medicine is constantly changing and, as healthcare providers, we are fortunate to be practicing in a time when patients are living longer and novel therapeutic options continue to evolve. However, these new advances may be associated with adverse effects that practitioners need to be aware of. Some of these impair the immune system leading to secondary immunodeficiencies (SID) that increase host susceptibility to infections and other complications.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the body image life disengagement questionnaire in a sample of adolescents.

Background: The negative consequences of body image concerns manifest in ways such as negative emotional experiences, eating disorders, and problems with social life. The Body Image Life Disengagement Questionnaire (BILD-Q) is an instrument for assessing the impact of body image concerns specifically on adolescents' life disengagement. The objective of this study is to create a Chinese version of the BILD-Q and assess its validity and reliability with Chinese adolescents.

Enhancing the understanding of safety and the quality of patient care among medical and health sciences students in interprofessional climate: an interventional study.

Background: Interprofessional education (IPE) plays an essential role in improving healthcare outcomes through achieving shared understanding. Unfortunately, most healthcare professionals have not received training for patient safety (PS) in an interprofessional setting, which can meet the societal medical needs. This study aimed to foster the understanding of senior medical, dental, pharmacy and health sciences students about PS and quality of care at the University of Sharjah (UoS) in UAE.

FGF21 and APOA1 mRNA-based therapies for the treatment of experimental acute pancreatitis.

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) presents a significant clinical challenge with limited therapeutic options. The complex etiology and pathophysiology of AP emphasize the need for innovative treatments. This study explores mRNA-based therapies delivering fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1), alone and in combination, for treating experimental AP.

Echocardiographic assessment of aortic regurgitation: a practical guideline from the British Society of Echocardiography.

Aortic regurgitation is the third most common valve lesion with increasing prevalence secondary to an ageing population. Transthoracic echocardiography plays a vital role in the identification and assessment of aortic regurgitation and proves essential in monitoring severity and determining the timing of intervention. Building on the foundations of previous British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) recommendations, this BSE guideline presents an update on how to approach an echocardiographic assessment of aortic regurgitation.

Understanding the pros and cons of spine surgery for ankylosing spondylitis: experience from a single institution study.

Introduction: Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) presents a complex inflammatory condition with significant impact on patients' lives. Despite advancements in understanding its pathogenesis, comprehensive elucidation remains elusive. This study investigates the outcomes of corrective spine surgery in AS patients, aiming to optimize management strategies.

Psychometric properties of an arabic translation of the short boredom proneness scale (SBPS) in adults.

Background: The Short Boredom Proneness Scale (SBPS) is a common tool for assessing individuals' inclination toward Boredom. The Arabic version of the SBPS has not been validated despite the language being spoken by over 420 million people worldwide. Therefore, this study aims to translate the SBPS into Arabic and prove its psychometric properties on a sample of Arabic-speaking adults from Lebanon.

Effect of percutaneous vertebroplasty through UTPP approach on prognosis and quality of life in elderly patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures: a retrospective study.

Background: To explore the clinical characteristics of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) via unilateral transverse process-pedicular (UTPP) approach in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) in the elderly.

Methods: A total of 120 elderly patients with lumbar OVCF who underwent PVP via unilateral pedicular (UTP) and UTPP approaches in our hospital from January 2022 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. The postoperative VAS score (visual analog scale), ODI score (Oswestry disability index), surgical indicators, and imaging indicators were recorded in the two groups.

Real-world assessment to estimate multiple attributes related to treatment cost driver for mantle cell lymphoma in Japan by econometric modeling.

This study was conducted using a nationwide health care database of Japan between 1 April 2008 and 30 September 2022 to evaluate the economic burden on patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Structural equation modeling (SEM) is an advanced multivariate analysis framework used to assess the relationships between observed and latent variables within predefined causal models. In this study, SEM was employed to identify cost drivers and estimate variables related to MCL treatment cost.

Comparative analysis of ambient, in-home, and personal exposures reveals associations between breathing zone pollutant levels and asthma exacerbations in high-risk children.

Background: Air pollution is associated with poor asthma outcomes in children. However, most studies focus on ambient or indoor monitor pollution levels. Few studies evaluate breathing zone exposures, which may be more consequential for asthma outcomes.

Exploring variation in the six-month review for stroke survivors: a national survey of current practice in England.

Background: The Six-Month Review (6MR) was introduced in the United Kingdom to provide a holistic, systematic review of the ongoing needs faced by stroke survivors. However, a theoretical underpinning regarding how it should work is lacking, potentially leading to wide variation in service provision. This study aimed to understand the current degree of variation in 6MR delivery across England and explore the potential driving factors.

The relationship between perceived stress and job burnout of police officers during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of social support, sleep quality and resilience.

Background: With the rapid spread of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China, police officers were undergoing higher job stress, which made them physically and mentally exhausted, eventually leading to job burnout. The research aims to explore the mediating role of social support, psychological resilience, and sleep quality in the relationship between perceived stress and burnout.

Methods: Data collection was based on multistage cluster random sampling of police in Wuhan, China, from June 2021 to October 2022.

Integration of Mendelian Randomization to explore the genetic influences of pediatric sepsis: a focus on RGL4, ATP9A, MAP3K7CL, and DDX11L2.

Objective: This study aims to explore the genetic characteristics of pediatric sepsis through a combined analysis of multiple methods, including Mendelian Randomization (MR), differential gene expression analysis, and immune cell infiltration assessment. It explores their potential as biomarkers for sepsis risk and their involvement in immune-related pathways.

Methods: Differential expression analysis was performed using public datasets to identify genes with significant expression changes between pediatric sepsis patients and healthy controls.

Trend of the lipid profile in a cohort with severe hypercholesterolemia in Osona county (Barcelona, Spain), between 2009 and 2021.

Background: Various studies confirm that the prevalence of dyslipidemia and other cardiovascular factors is high.

Objective: To evaluate the trend of the lipid profile (LP) in a cohort with severe hypercholesterolemia and its relationship with lipid-lowering treatment during the period 2009-2021.

Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out in the Osona county (Barcelona).

Mediolateral episiotomy and obstetric anal sphincter injuries in nullipara: a propensity score matching study.

Background: Obstetric anal sphincter injuries are a notable adverse outcome of vaginal deliveries, with incidence rates ranging from 0.25% to 6%. Key risk factors for these injuries include primiparity and operative vaginal deliveries.

Comparing structural and vascular parameters between advanced pseudoexfoliation glaucoma and primary open angle glaucoma using optical coherence tomography angiography.

Background: To compare structural and vascular parameters between advanced pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PXG) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Methods: One hundred and six eyes of 81 patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. All patients underwent complete ophthalmic examination and measurement of the thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC).

Gestational weight gain patterns as predictors of cesarean deliveries in women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Background: Obesity and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) have been linked to an increased risk of cesarean section. However, existing literature primarily focuses on weight gain during individual trimesters, lacking a comprehensive assessment of GWG trajectories across all three trimesters. This study aimed to investigate the impact of pre-pregnancy BMI and changes in GWG trajectories from the first to the third trimester on cesarean section in women with confirmed gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

SQUARE-IT: a proposed approach to square the identified research problem in the literature with the objectives, the appropriate clinical research question, and the research hypothesis.

The purpose of this article is to design and introduce the SQUARE-IT approach to help scientists and clinicians in research to align important research problems with the objectives, the appropriate clinical research questions to be answered, and the research hypotheses to be investigated in medical and therapeutic specialties. Research ideas can be generated primarily through simple methods such as brainstorming and mind mapping. However, transforming ideas into a valid research question is not as easy as it may seem, as the mere presence of an idea does not guarantee that the researcher has already uncovered existing knowledge on a particular topic or identified the actual research problem.

Neurological syndromes associated with COVID-19: a multicenter study in Brazil.

Background: Neurological manifestations associated with COVID-19 remain partially described, mainly in low- and middle-income countries where diagnostic tools are limited. To address this, we assembled medical centers in Brazil with the goal of describing neurological syndromes associated with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic.

Methods: From June 1st, 2020 to June 1st, 2021, non-consecutive adult patients with new onset of six neurological syndromes up to 60 days after confirmed COVID-19 were included.

Feasibility, User Acceptance, and Outcomes of Using a Cancer Prehabilitation App for Exercise: Pilot Cohort Study.

Background: The efficacy of cancer prehabilitation programs is supported by international reviews and meta-analyses. Technology has been deployed in cancer prehabilitation to address challenges such as access or limited resources. This study evaluated the feasibility, user acceptance, safety, and program outcomes of a newly developed mobile app for cancer prehabilitation.

Where does the tether break in vertebral body tethering cases? Clinical insights from revision cases after tether breakage.

Purpose: To evaluate the sites where the tether breaks in vertebral body tethering (VBT) cases.

Methods: Intraoperative evaluation of broken tethers in patients who had anterior revision.

Inclusion Criteria: anterior revision of VBT cases with explantation of the full implant and photo documentation.

Bioaccumulation of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and oxidative stress in snapping turtles in New York, USA.

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) is an anthropogenic chemical found in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) and many consumer products. Despite its environmental ubiquity and persistence, little is known about the effects of PFOS on stress levels in wild animals. Here, we examined PFOS bioaccumulation and correlations between PFOS exposure and oxidative stress in snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) downstream of Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York, a known source of AFFF contamination.

Impact of adherence to quality indicators and effects of targeted treatment with cefazolin or flucloxacillin on in-hospital mortality in patients with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bloodstream infections: a retrospective observational study.

Purpose: To analyze the associations between adherence to quality indicators (QIs) in the treatment of bloodstream infections caused by methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus (S.) aureus (MSSA) and in-hospital mortality.

Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in patients admitted between 2019 and 2023 to Hospital St.

Correlations between postmortem quantitative MRI parameters and demyelination, axonal loss and gliosis in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is frequently used to monitor disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aims to systematically evaluate the correlation between MRI measures and histopathological changes, including demyelination, axonal loss, and gliosis, in the central nervous system of MS patients. We systematically reviewed post-mortem histological studies evaluating myelin density, axonal loss, and gliosis using quantitative imaging in MS.