Plug and play virus-like particles for the generation of anti-toxin antibodies.

Snakebite is a major global health concern, for which antivenom remains the only approved treatment to neutralise the harmful effects of the toxins. However, some medically important toxins are poorly immunogenic, resulting in reduced efficacy of the final product. Boosting the immunogenicity of these toxins in the commercial antivenom immunising mixtures could be an effective strategy to improve the final dose efficacy, and displaying snake antigens on Virus-like particles (VLPs) is one method for this.

Comparing the effects of warm footbath and foot reflexology on depression of patients undergoing radiotherapy: A randomized clinical trial.

Background: Cancer diagnosis not only impacts physical health but also mental well-being, often leading to significant stress, fear, and depression among patients.The utilization of CAM has shown a rising trend, influenced by the availability of different modalities offered by healthcare services, sometimes in an ad hoc fashion. This study seeks to examine and compare the respective impacts of warm foot baths and foot reflexology on depression in patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Modulation of Plant Transcription Factors and Priming of Stress Tolerance by Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria: A Systematic Review.

Background: Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have been shown to improve plant growth and stress tolerance through mechanisms including improved access to nutrients and biotic competition with pathogens. As such, the use of PGPB can help to address challenges to crop productivity, however, information on interactions between PGPB and their plant hosts, especially at the level of gene regulation, is distributed across diverse studies involving several different plants and PGPB.

Scope: For this review, we analysed recent research publications reporting specifically on plant transcription factor (TF) expression in association with PGPB, to determine if there are any common findings and to identify gaps that offer opportunities for focused future research.

Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review.

Objective: We conducted a systematic review of all available evidence on the feasibility and safety of minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting (MICS CABG) in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: A systematic literature search in PubMed, MEDLINE via Ovid, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science was performed to identify all relevant studies evaluating outcomes of MICS CABG among patients with multivessel CAD and including at least 15 patients with no restriction on the publication date.

Results: A total of 881 studies were identified, of which 26 studies met the eligibility criteria.

Hydrogen bonding in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol.

Context: 2,2,2-Trifluoroethanol (TFE) is known as a membrane mimetic solvent. The IR spectrum, H NMR spectrum, C NMR spin‒lattice relaxation times (T), and nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) data are consistent with extensive hydrogen bonding in TFE, but do not lead to structural features of the hydrogen bonding. Hence, DFT computations were carried out.

Extraction of Pyrrole from Its Mixture with -Hexadecane Using Protic Ionic Liquids.

The removal of nitrogen compounds from fuel via the conventional method, which is hydrodenitrogenation, is costly and involves catalysts and energy-intensive conditions (600 K and 300 atm). Recently, ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged as a promising alternative solvent for the denitrogenation of fuel oil. However, certain ILs are expensive and challenging to synthesize, prompting the exploration of protic ionic liquid (PIL) substitutes, which offer similar advantages to ILs.

Enhancing reginal wall abnormality detection accuracy: Integrating machine learning, optical flow algorithms, and temporal convolutional networks in multi-view echocardiography.

Background: Regional Wall Motion Abnormality (RWMA) serves as an early indicator of myocardial infarction (MI), the global leader in mortality. Accurate and early detection of RWMA is vital for the successful treatment of MI. Current automated echocardiography analyses typically concentrate on peak values from left ventricular (LV) displacement curves, based on LV contour annotations or key frames during the heart's systolic or diastolic phases within a single echocardiographic cycle.

The usage of anticholinergic medications in a low- and middle-income country: a longitudinal comparison of 2013-15 and 2020-22 datasets.

Background: While the effects of anticholinergic drug use have been increasingly highlighted, trends in anticholinergic use remain poorly understood.

Aim: To determine the changes in frequency and pattern of anticholinergic drug use within a low- and middle-income country.

Method: Comparisons were made between population-based datasets collected from Malaysian residents aged 55 years and older in 2013-15 and 2020-22.

Biochar and biosorbents derived from biomass for arsenic remediation.

Global groundwater contamination by Arsenic (As) presents a grave danger to the health of living beings and wildlife, demanding comprehensive remediation strategies. This review delves into the complex landscape of arsenic remediation, encompassing its chemical forms, occurrences, sources, and associated health risks. Advanced techniques, notably biomass-derived adsorbents, emerge as promising and cost-effective solutions.

The effect of recreational therapy application on depression in hemodialysis patients: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Chronic kidney disease is a progressive disorder often leading to End-stage renal disease, necessitating hemodialysis treatment. Mild depression is prevalent among hemodialysis patients, adversely affecting their quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a smartphone-based recreational therapy intervention on mild depression in hemodialysis patients.

Clinical validation of the Roche cobas HPV test on the Roche cobas 5800 system for the purpose of cervical screening.

This study assessed the relative clinical sensitivity and specificity, as well as reproducibility, for high-risk HPV types of the Roche cobas HPV test when processed using the Roche cobas 5800 system. The results from this study demonstrate that the cobas HPV test using the cobas 5800 system fulfils the Meijer criteria for use in population-based cervical screening. This clinical validation study also examines the clinical sensitivity and specificity based on partial genotyping, with separate detection of HPV16 and HPV18, compared with the Roche cobas 4800 HPV test, a second-generation standard comparator assay.

Liraglutide for Children 6 to <12 Years of Age with Obesity - A Randomized Trial.

Background: No medications are currently approved for the treatment of nonmonogenic, nonsyndromic obesity in children younger than 12 years of age. Although the use of liraglutide has been shown to induce weight loss in adults and adolescents with obesity, its safety and efficacy have not been established in children.

Methods: In this phase 3a trial, which consisted of a 56-week treatment period and a 26-week follow-up period, we randomly assigned children (6 to <12 years of age) with obesity, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive either once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide at a dose of 3.

Harnessing Natural Resources for Advancements in Dengue Virus Treatment.

Dengue fever, caused by the Dengue virus (DENV) and transmitted by mosquitoes, has become endemic in over 100 countries. Despite considerable research, there is a lack of specific drugs for clinical use against dengue. Hence, further exploration to identify antidengue compounds is essential.

Major mistakes or errors in the use of trial sequential analysis in systematic reviews or meta-analyses - the METSA systematic review.

Background: Systematic reviews and data synthesis of randomised clinical trials play a crucial role in clinical practice, research, and health policy. Trial sequential analysis can be used in systematic reviews to control type I and type II errors, but methodological errors including lack of protocols and transparency are cause for concern. We assessed the reporting of trial sequential analysis.

Comparing thulium fiber versus high power holmium laser in bilateral same sitting retrograde intrarenal surgery for kidney stones: Results from a multicenter study.

Purpose: Traditionally, bilateral urolithiasis treatment involved staged interventions due to safety concerns. Recent studies have shown that same-sitting bilateral retrograde intrarenal surgery (SSB-RIRS) is effective, with acceptable complication rates. However, there's no clear data on the optimum laser for the procedure.

Effect of powder composition, PTAW parameters on dilution, microstructure and hardness of Ni-Cr-Si-B alloy deposition: Experimental investigation and prediction using machine learning technique.

The implementation of hard-facing alloy on the existing materials caters the need for high-performance surfaces in terms of wear and high temperatures. The present research explore the effect of Plasma Transferred Arc Welding (PTAW) parameters and powder composition on dilution, microstructure and hardness of the commonly used hard-facing alloy Ni-Cr-Si-B powder. The hard-facing alloy was deposited with three weight proportions of boron (2.

Feasibility and acceptability of a dengue self-monitoring system to reduce treatment delay in Malaysia: A single-centre pilot randomised controlled trial.

Objective: Most dengue cases are managed in an outpatient setting, where patients are advised to return to the clinic daily for monitoring. Some patients can develop severe dengue at home and fail to recognise the deterioration. An application called DengueAid was designed as a self-monitoring tool for patients to reduce delay in seeking timely treatment.

Ageing well with tech: Exploring the determinants of e-healthcare services adoption in an emerging economy.

The adoption of e-healthcare services is critical for improving healthcare accessibility and efficiency, particularly in regions with diverse populations, such as Malaysia. Although e-healthcare services offer numerous advantages, their adoption is considerably low and requires a thorough understanding of the key factors that influence their use. This study investigated the determinants and dynamics of e-healthcare adoption among adults over 40 years by extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology.

Design and synthesis of pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole-4-aminoquinoline hybrids as effective antimalarial compounds.

In this work, a series of nineteen novel pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazole-4-aminoquinoline hybrids were synthesized as potent antimalarial agents by covalently linking the scaffolds of 4-aminoquinoline and pyrano[2,3-c]pyrazoles via an ethyl linker and characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Molecular docking was used to test each hybrid's and standard chloroquine's ability to bind to Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase enzyme (PfLDH), an important enzyme in the parasite's glycolytic pathway. The hybrid compounds had a stronger binding affinity than the standard chloroquine (CQ).