Access and knowledge of contraceptives and unmet need for family planning in Pakistan.

Background: Family planning facilities provide an extensive choice of assistance that is beneficial for women and the society. It may limit the fatality risk for mothers and babies by reducing the rate of pregnancies and abortions. The Government of Pakistan has been continuously trying to persuade the people about the importance of family planning.

Perioperative aspirin and coronary artery bypass graft surgery: An updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: The decision to continue aspirin before elective coronary artery bypass graft surgery remains contentious because of competing thrombotic and bleeding risks. We performed a contemporary systematic review and meta-analysis to compare outcomes between patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting who stopped and continued aspirin before surgery.

Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, and CENTRAL databases were searched from inception to 4 October 2023 for randomized controlled trials comparing patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting who continued preoperative aspirin with those who discontinued before surgery.

Features of effective hospital fall prevention trials: an intervention component analysis.

Background: Falls in hospitals continue to burden patients, staff, and health systems. Prevention approaches are varied, as well as their success at preventing falls. Intervention component analysis (ICA) is useful in indicating important features associated with successful interventions in sets of trial with high heterogeneity.

Characterizing the Clinical Trajectory and Predicting Persistence and Deterioration of Attenuated Psychotic Symptoms in Ultra-High-Risk Individuals.

Background: Almost 40% of individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis experience persistent attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS) yet it is unclear (1) whether they share overlapping clinical and functional outcomes compared to individuals who transition to psychosis, (2) when symptom and functioning trajectories begin to diverge between UHR individuals with different clinical outcomes, and (3) whether non-remission (persistent APS or transition) can be predicted using baseline and/or longitudinal data.

Study Design: Participants were drawn from 2 randomized clinical trials: Neurapro (n = 220; discovery sample) and STEP (n = 180; external validation sample). First, 12-24 month symptoms and functioning were compared between UHR individuals with persistent APS, sustained remission, or transition to psychosis.

An innovative Community Mobilisation and Community Incentivisation for child health in rural Pakistan (CoMIC): a cluster-randomised, controlled trial.

Background: Infectious diseases remain the leading cause of death among children younger than 5 years due to disparities in access and acceptance of essential interventions. The Community Mobilisation and Community Incentivisation (CoMIC) trial was designed to evaluate a customised community mobilisation and incentivisation strategy for improving coverage of evidence-based interventions for child health in Pakistan.

Methods: CoMIC was a three-arm cluster-randomised, controlled trial in rural areas of Pakistan.

Quality and Safety Indicators for Care Transitions by Older Adults: A Scoping Review.

Objective: To identify quality and safety indicators routinely used to monitor, evaluate, and improve care transitions for older adults globally.

Design: A scoping literature review.

Setting And Participants: This review identified indicators used internationally to monitor and evaluate the quality and safety of care transitions by older adults.

LiDAR-based scaling of OpenSim musculoskeletal human models is a viable alternative to marker-based approaches - A preliminary study.

Biomechanical analysis is increasingly being undertaken in field-based settings, often using inertial sensors or video-based pose estimation. These advancements necessitate more practical and accessible scaling methods as alternatives to traditional laboratory-based techniques like optical marker-based scaling. LiDAR scanning is a technique that could provide a reliable and efficient means of scaling biomechanical models.

The quality of orthognathic surgery information on social media: A scoping review.

Introduction: Orthognathic surgery combined with orthodontic treatment is commonly undertaken to address facial and dental disharmony. Content uploaded onto social media platforms can be an important source of healthcare information. This scoping review aimed to collate and synthesize data from studies that investigated the quality of information communicated through these platforms.

Outcomes of Del Nido and hyperkalemic blood cardioplegia in adult cardiac surgery with prolonged aortic cross-clamp times★.

Background: The utility and uptake of Del Nido cardioplegia in adult cardiac surgery is rapidly increasing. Cases with prolonged aortic cross-clamp times necessitate multi-dosing however an understanding of safe ischaemic times and definitive guidelines in this domain are lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of our DNC strategy by comparing post-operative troponin profiles and clinical outcomes between Del Nido and hyperkalaemic cardioplegia for cases with aortic cross-clamp times of greater than 90 min.

Identification of Cysteine Metabolism Regulator (CymR)-Derived Pentapeptides as Nanomolar Inhibitors of -Acetyl-l-serine Sulfhydrylase (CysK).

The pathway of bacterial cysteine biosynthesis is gaining traction for the development of antibiotic adjuvants. Bacterial cysteine biosynthesis is generally facilitated by two enzymes possessing -acetyl-l-serine sulfhydrylases (OASS), CysK and CysM. In , there exists a single OASS homologue, CysK.

Determining the time to cholangiocarcinoma in pediatric-onset PSC-IBD.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma. When a child is diagnosed with both PSC and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), evidence-based information on counseling families and risk management of developing cholangiocarcinoma is limited. In this case series (PubMed/collaborators), we included patients with PSC-IBD who developed cholangiocarcinoma and contacted authors to determine an event curve specifying the time between the second diagnosis (IBD or PSC) and a diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma.

Nutrition provision over time in longer stay critically ill patients: A post hoc analysis of The Augmented vs Routine Approach to Giving Energy Trial.

Background: Limited literature exists on nutrition practices for long-stay patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). We aimed to compare nutrition practices in the first and second weeks of an ICU admission.

Method: A post hoc exploratory analysis of The Augmented vs Routine Approach to Giving Energy Trial (TARGET) randomized controlled trial (RCT) was undertaken.

Relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to palatal morphology: a longitudinal twin study.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the genetic and environmental contributions to phenotypic variations of palatal morphology during development.

Methods: Longitudinal three-dimensional digital maxillary dental casts of 228 twin pairs (104 monozygotic and 124 dizygotic) at primary, mixed, and permanent dentition stages were included in this study. Landmarks were placed on the casts along the midpoints of the dento-gingival junction on the palatal side of each tooth and the mid-palatine raphe using MeshLab.

Digital knowledge translation tools for sexual and reproductive health information to adolescents: an evidence gap-map.

Background: Digital knowledge translation (KT) interventions play a crucial role in advancing adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH). Despite the extensive literature on their effectiveness, there's a lack of synthesized evidence on the efficacy of digital KT tools for adolescent ASRH globally.

Objectives: This review aimed to systematically identify and map existing empirical evidence on digital KT tools targeting ASRH outcomes and identify research gaps.

Trace Metal Impurities Induce Differences in Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with exceptional conductivity have been widely adopted in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. While trace metal impurities in CNTs have demonstrated electrocatalytic activity in various catalytic processes, their influence on sulfur electrocatalysis in Li-S batteries has been largely overlooked. Herein, we reveal that the trace metal impurities content in CNTs significantly improves the specific capacity and cycling performance of Li-S batteries by analyzing both our own results and previous literature with CNTs as the sulfur hosts.

The living centre: an innovative open-access model of breast cancer survivorship care.

People affected by breast cancer experience a multitude of toxicities and unmet needs across physical, cognitive, psychosocial, and economic domains that adversely impact their quality of life. High-quality and diverse supportive care is required to improve outcomes and rehabilitation for people affected by breast cancer. However, the availability and access to high-quality supportive care services is limited due to factors including cost and demand.

Patients' perspectives regarding health professionals contacting their relatives about genetic risk directly (with patient consent).

Genetic testing of blood relatives of individuals at high risk of dominant conditions has significant preventive health benefits. However, cascade testing uptake is <50%. Research shows increased testing uptake when health professionals (HPs) contact at-risk relatives directly, with patient consent.

Implementation and sustainment of virtual reality stroke workflow training for physician trainees at comprehensive stroke centres: a quantitative and qualitative study.

Background: Variation in stroke treatment metrics highlight a need for approaches to improve clinical processes. Training interventions can improve outcomes, but Australian physician trainees do not currently receive formal process-directed stroke training. Virtual reality (VR) stroke workflow training has proven acceptable, usable, useful and feasible in trial contexts, but how to integrate VR training into physician training remains unclear.

Quality of life and quality of care experience in Australian residential aged care: a retrospective cohort study of 1,772 residents.

Background: In April 2023, quality of life (QOL) and quality of care experience (QCE) indicators were introduced as mandatory indicators in Australian residential aged care (RAC) to measure and monitor wellbeing and consumer experience respectively. In this study, we used data for the initial four months after their introduction to describe QOL and QCE scores, explore related factors and assess variations by completion mode and facility.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study using electronic data (Mar-Jun 2023) from 1,772 residents in 22 RAC facilities in metropolitan Sydney, Australia.

Tackling algorithmic bias and promoting transparency in health datasets: the STANDING Together consensus recommendations.

Without careful dissection of the ways in which biases can be encoded into artificial intelligence (AI) health technologies, there is a risk of perpetuating existing health inequalities at scale. One major source of bias is the data that underpins such technologies. The STANDING Together recommendations aim to encourage transparency regarding limitations of health datasets and proactive evaluation of their effect across population groups.

Development of an Optimized LC-MS Workflow for Host Cell Protein Characterization to Support Upstream Process Development.

Host cell proteins (HCPs) coexpressed during the production of biotherapeutics can affect the safety, efficacy, and stability of the final product. As such, monitoring HCP populations and amounts throughout the production and purification process is an essential part of the overall quality control framework. Mass spectrometry (MS) is used as an orthogonal method to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for the simultaneous identification and quantification of HCPs, particularly for the analysis of downstream processes.

Preterm-birth-prevention with Lactobacillus Crispatus oral probiotics: Protocol for a double blinded randomised placebo-controlled trial (the PrePOP study).

Introduction: Effective spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) prevention is an urgent unmet clinical need. Vaginal depletion of Lactobacillus crispatus is linked to sPTB. This trial will investigate impact of an oral Lactobacillus spp.

Lisdexamfetamine in the treatment of methamphetamine dependence: A randomised, placebo-controlled trial.

Aims: This study tested the efficacy and safety of a 12-week course of lisdexamfetamine in reducing methamphetamine use, an outcome which is associated with improvements in health and wellbeing, in people dependent on methamphetamine.

Design, Setting And Participants: This study was a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial conducted in six specialist outpatient clinics in Adelaide, Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney, Australia (2018-2021). Participants were164 adults with methamphetamine dependence, reporting at least 14 use days out of the previous 28 days (62% male, 38% female, < 1% other; mean age 39 years).