Cardiotoxicity Associated With a Low Doses of 5-FU Promotes Morphoquantitative Changes in the Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a chemotherapeutic that is used to treat solid tumors. However, 5-FU is associated with several side effects, including cardiotoxicity. Considering the importance of the intrinsic cardiac nervous system (ICNS) for the heart and that little is known about effects of 5-FU on this nervous system plexus, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate effects 5-FU at a low dose on the ICNS and oxidative and inflammatory effects in the heart in Wistar rats.

Exploring the dual roles of sec-dependent effectors from Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus in immunity of citrus plants.

The three SDEs of CLas were expressed in citrus leaves by AuNPs-PEI mediated transient expression system, and promoted the proliferation of CLas and inhibited citrus immunity. Huanglongbing (HLB) is the most severe bacterial disease of citrus caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). CLas suppress host immune responses and promote infection by sec-dependent effectors (SDEs), thus insight into HLB pathogenesis is urgently needed to develop effective management strategies.

Count-rate management in I SPECT/CT calibration.

Background: System calibration is essential for accurate SPECT/CT dosimetry. However, count losses due to dead time and pulse pileup may cause calibration errors, in particular for I, where high count rates may be encountered. Calibration at low count rates should also be avoided to minimise detrimental effects from e.

Chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder: conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference.

In 2017, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) published a Clinical Practice Guideline Update for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, Prevention, and Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD). Since then, new lines of evidence have been published related to evaluating disordered mineral metabolism and bone quality and turnover, identifying and inhibiting vascular calcification, targeting vitamin D levels, and regulating parathyroid hormone. For an in-depth consideration of the new insights, in October 2023, KDIGO held a Controversies Conference on CKD-MBD: Progress and Knowledge Gaps Toward Personalizing Care.

Creating Community Through Storytelling: Building a Village of Support for Children.

For children navigating complex psychological and emotional challenges, the concept of community extends far beyond the walls of their home. Storytelling can be a powerful tool to foster a broader "village" of support, drawing on the rich network of extended family, neighbors, teachers, and cultural traditions that shape a child's world. Through sharing and listening to stories, children not only find comfort and connection but also discover a sense of pride in their cultural heritage and a deeper understanding of their identity.

Evaluating Clinician Experience in Health Care Transition: Results From Six Health Systems.

Purpose: There is a paucity of evidence examining clinician experiences with structured health-care transition (HCT) programs. Among HCT Learning Collaborative participants, this study describes clinician experiences with implementation of a structured HCT process: Got Transition's 6 Core Elements.

Methods: Representative members from 6 health systems designed a survey to collect clinician feedback regarding HCT and demographic and practice information.

Sigma1 inhibitor suppression of adaptive immune resistance mechanisms mediated by cancer cell derived extracellular vesicles.

Adaptive immune resistance in cancer describes the various mechanisms by which tumors adapt to evade anti-tumor immune responses. IFN-γ induction of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) was the first defined and validated adaptive immune resistance mechanism. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is central to adaptive immune resistance as immune modulatory secreted and integral membrane proteins are dependent on ER.

Forty years of seasonal affective disorder.

In 2024, we observe the fortieth anniversary of the publication, where, for the first time, the term of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) was used. Presently, SAD is regarded as a special category of mood disorder. In the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-V), the seasonality makes a specifier, "with seasonal pattern", both for recurrent depression or Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and for Bipolar Disorder (BD).

Radiographic Diagnosis of Anomalous Root Canal Morphology in Patients with Pulpal Diseases at a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria: A Case Series.

Negotiation of the intricate pulp canal space may pose a challenge in endodontic treatment. Consequently, appropriate diagnosis and thorough knowledge of the pattern and distribution of root canal systems are imperative for a more predictable outcome in the treatment of pulp diseases. Accordingly, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is deemed appropriate as an adjunctive diagnostic tool in endodontics.

Insights of community pharmacists on antibiotic misuse during the COVID-19 pandemic in the northern region of Cyprus.

Introduction: The global healthcare system faced unparalleled challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, potentially reshaping antibiotic usage trends. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, perceptions, and observations of community pharmacists concerning antibiotic utilization during and after the pandemic; and offer crucial insights into its impact on antibiotic usage patterns and infection dynamics.

Methodology: This cross-sectional study involved 162 community pharmacists in Northern Cyprus.

Network analysis of socioeconomic disparities and public transport in COVID-19 spread: a case study in northeast Brazil.

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted public transportation systems worldwide. In this study, we evaluated the rate of COVID-19 positivity and its associated factors among users of public transportation in socioeconomically disadvantaged regions of Brazil during the pre-vaccination phase of the pandemic.

Methodology: This ecological study, conducted in Aracaju city in Northeast Brazil, is a component of the TestAju Program.

A Comprehensive Atlas of AAV Tropism in the Mouse.

Gene therapy with Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) vectors requires knowledge of their tropism within the body. Here we analyze the tropism of ten naturally occurring AAV serotypes (AAV3B, AAV4, AAV5, AAV6, AAV7, AAV8, AAV9, AAVrh8, AAVrh10 and AAVrh74) following systemic delivery into male and female mice. A transgene expressing ZsGreen and Cre recombinase was used to identify transduction in a cell-dependent manner based on fluorescence.

Diverging evolutionary trajectories for palm seed sizes in mainland Africa and Madagascar.

Seed size is a trait which determines survival rates for individual plants and can vary as a result of numerous trade-offs. In the palm family (Arecaceae) today, there is great variation in seed sizes. Past studies attempting to establish drivers for palm seed evolution have sometimes yielded contradictory findings in part because modern seed size variations are complicated by long-term legacies, including biogeographic differences across lineages.

Metabolic adaptations to acute glucose uptake inhibition converge upon mitochondrial respiration for leukemia cell survival.

One hallmark of cancer is the upregulation and dependency on glucose metabolism to fuel macromolecule biosynthesis and rapid proliferation. Despite significant pre-clinical effort to exploit this pathway, additional mechanistic insights are necessary to prioritize the diversity of metabolic adaptations upon acute loss of glucose metabolism. Here, we investigated a potent small molecule inhibitor to Class I glucose transporters, KL-11743, using glycolytic leukemia cell lines and patient-based model systems.

The effects of unified pooling arrangement on health inequity in China: a DID-RIF approach.

Background: To address the health inequity caused by decentralized management, China has introduced a provincial pooling system for urban employees' basic medical insurance. This paper proposes a research framework to evaluate similar policies in different contexts. This paper adopts a mixed-methods approach to more comprehensively and precisely capture the causal effects of the policy.

Sustained effects of bladder point-of-care ultrasound simulation exercise on nursing students: A prospective cohort study.

Background: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can be used in a variety of clinical settings and is a safe and powerful tool for ultrasound-trained healthcare providers, such as physicians and nurses; however, the effectiveness of ultrasound education for nursing students remains unclear. This prospective cohort study aimed to examine the sustained educational impact of bladder ultrasound simulation among nursing students.

Methods: To determine whether bladder POCUS simulation exercises sustainably improve the clinical proficiency regarding ultrasound examinations among nursing students, evaluations were conducted before and after the exercise and were compared with those after the 1-month follow-up exercise.

Expansion of medical school admission quotas in Korea, is it really necessary?

Background: In 2024, the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare enforced a policy to increase the number of medical school students by 2,000 over the next 5 years, despite opposition from doctors. This study aims to predict the trend of excess or shortage of medical personnel in Korea due to the policy of increasing the number of medical school students by 2035.

Methods: Data from multiple sources, including the Ministry of Health and Welfare, National Health Insurance Corporation, and the Korean Medical Association, were used to estimate supply and demand.

Improving preparedness for time critical prehospital care: a descriptive study of the first responder system in Central Norway.

Background: First responders exist in several countries and have been a prehospital emergency medical resource in Norwegian municipalities since 2010. However, the Norwegian system has not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to describe the first responder system in Central Norway and how it is used as a supplement to emergency medical services (EMS).

Biochanin a modulates steroidogenesis and cellular metabolism in human granulosa cells through TAS2Rs activation: a spotlight on ovarian function.

Background: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interfere with the endocrine system and negatively impact reproductive health. Biochanin A (BCA), an isoflavone with anti-inflammatory and estrogen-like properties, has been identified as one such EDC. This study investigates the effects of BCA on transcription, metabolism, and hormone regulation in primary human granulosa cells (GCs), with a specific focus on the activation of bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs).

High-throughput phenotyping of wheat root angle and coleoptile length at different temperatures using 3D-printed equipment.

Background: Innovation in crop establishment is crucial for wheat productivity in drought-prone climates. Seedling establishment, the first stage of crop productivity, relies heavily on root and coleoptile system architecture for effective soil water and nutrient acquisition, particularly in regions practicing deep planting. Root phenotyping methods that quickly determine coleoptile lengths are vital for breeding studies.

Estimates and trends in death and disability from atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter due to high sodium intake, China, 1990 to 2019.

Objective: The effect of sodium intake on atrial fibrillation (AF)/atrial flutter (AFL), with respect to sex and age, has yet to be elucidated. This study aims to compare long-term trends in AF/AFL death and disability due to high sodium intake in China from 1990 to 2019.

Methods: We utilized data from the Global Burden of Disease study to assess the mortality and disability burden of AF/AFL attributable to high sodium intake (> 5 g/d) in China from 1990 to 2019.

Theory-informed refinement and tailored implementation of a quality improvement program in maternity care to reduce unwarranted clinical variation across a health service network.

Background: Unwarranted clinical variation presents a major challenge in contemporary healthcare, indicating potential inequalities and inefficiencies, and unrealised potential for better outcomes. Despite an increasing focus on unwarranted clinical variation, and consideration of efforts to address this challenge, evidence-based strategies which achieve this are limited. Audit and feedback of healthcare processes (process auditing) and clinician engagement are important tools which may help to reduce unwarranted clinical variation, however their application in maternity care is yet to be thoroughly explored.

Depression symptom severity and behavioral impairment in school-going adolescents in Uganda.

Background: During adolescence, a critical developmental phase, cognitive, psychological, and social states interact with the environment to influence behaviors like decision-making and social interactions. Depressive symptoms are more prevalent in adolescents than in other age groups which may affect socio-emotional and behavioral development including academic achievement. Here, we determined the association between depression symptom severity and behavioral impairment among adolescents enrolled in secondary schools of Eastern and Central Uganda.

Predicting early diagnosis of intensive care unit-acquired weakness in septic patients using critical ultrasound and biological markers.

Objective: Early diagnosis of intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) is crucial for improving the outcomes of critically ill patients. Hence, this study was designed to identify predisposing factors for ICUAW and establish a predictive model for the early diagnosis of ICUAW.

Methods: This prospective observational multicenter study included septic patients from the comprehensive ICUs of West China Hospital of Sichuan University and 10 other hospitals between September and November 2023.