Informing People-Centered Target Product Profiles for TB Diagnostics: A Multi-Country Qualitative Study.

Background: Timely and accurate tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis remains a key challenge in high-burden settings. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed Target Product Profiles (TPPs) to guide diagnostic development, which have largely reflected the perspectives of experts, with limited input from people affected by TB. This qualitative study explored preferences and experiences to inform people-centered TB diagnostic strategies.

A Screening Protocol to Identify Older Adults With Dementia and Their Family Caregivers in Northern Vietnam.

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) pose a growing public health challenge in Vietnam. This study describes a community-based screening protocol to identify older adults and their primary family caregivers in Hai Duong province to support recruitment for a caregiver intervention clinical trial.

Methods: Village health workers were trained to identify older adults at risk for dementia using a simplified tool adapted from the California Alzheimer's Disease Centers' Assessment of Cognitive Complaints Toolkit.

Exploring Tobacco Use in Young Childhood Cancer Survivors: the Role of Social Acceptance, Workplace Environments, and Stress Reduction.

Recent advancements in childhood cancer treatment have significantly improved survival rates, yet survivors continue to face considerable morbidity and mortality, rendering them a vulnerable population. Tobacco use, linked to heightened cancer risk, is discouraged among survivors for long-term health preservation; however, many persist in its use, mirroring rates among their non-cancer peers. Through 25 in-depth interviews, we explored the interplay of perceived risk and social integration on tobacco use post-treatment among both Latine and non-Latine young adult survivors.

Ameliorative role of Polyscias fruticosa leaf extract in aluminum chloride-induced neurotoxicity flies possibly mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonistic and anticholinesterase active compounds.

Polyscias fruticosa leaves have been used in traditional medicine to aid in the therapy of brain and nerve-related disorders, including dementia. However, the evidences for the effects and mechanisms of P. fruticosa leaf extract (PFLE) and its constituents in improving dementia remain unclear.

Preferences for Tongue Swab versus Sputum Collection for Tuberculosis Testing: A Multi-Country Survey.

Background: Sputum collection for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis poses challenges for children, people living with HIV, and those who struggle with sputum production. Tongue swab-based molecular testing offers a promising non-invasive alternative, but person-centered research on acceptability is limited.

Methods: We conducted a pragmatic survey across eight countries (Vietnam, Philippines, South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, India, Uganda, Peru) among people with presumptive TB attending primary care facilities.

Deciphering Host Differential Gene Expression in Viral Infections Through Public RNA-Seq Data from NCBI GEO.

Viruses rely on host cells for replication, often causing cellular damage and disease. In response, hosts activate defense mechanisms, though many viruses have evolved ways to evade these responses, leading to chronic infections. Identifying host genes that viruses exploit can inform the development of antiviral therapies by targeting specific host pathways.

Effectiveness of continuous intravenous insulin infusion in hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis of varying severity: A longitudinal study.

Among causes of acute pancreatitis, hypertriglyceridemia has gained increasing recognition, with a higher prevalence in Asian populations. Intravenous insulin infusion is the primary treatment for hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTGP). However, the effectiveness and safety of insulin therapy may vary depending on baseline triglyceride levels and individual insulin resistance.

Real-Time Impedimetric Monitoring of 3D Cancer Spheroids Using a PDA-Functionalized Microelectrode Platform Integrated with Graphene Quantum Dot-Based Nanocomposites.

We describe a bioelectronic interface that combines indium tin oxide (ITO) microelectrode integrated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microwells to allow real-time monitoring of tumor responses in three dimensions (3D). This design combines PDMS microwells with an ITO microelectrode array that has been improved by polydopamine (PDA) polymerization to make it more biocompatible. The present study employed a unique nanocomposite, Cryptotanshinone (CPT) conjugated to graphene quantum dots (GQDs), exhibiting remarkable anticancer characteristics.

Validity, Test-Retest Reliability, and Learning Effect on the 1-Minute Sit-To-Stand Test in Individuals With Heart Failure.

Objective: To evaluate the reliability, the minimally important difference (MID), and the learning effect of the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (1STST) in assessing functional exercise capacity in patients with heart failure (HF).

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Setting: Two hospitals.

Proton Therapy Patient Selection Methods and the Impact of COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional International Survey.

Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak has had far-reaching impacts on cancer services worldwide. It has yet to be described how the pandemic has impacted patient selection methods for proton therapy (PT) specifically. This survey aimed to investigate the current international methods implemented for PT patient selection and to determine whether COVID-19 has impacted PT practice.

Acute Toxicities of Proton Craniospinal Irradiation in Pediatric Medulloblastoma: A Pediatric Proton/Photon Consortium Registry (PPCR) Study.

Purpose: Medulloblastoma is one of the most common malignant brain tumors in children, and 75% of patients achieve long-term survival. There are limited studies reporting acute toxicity for pediatric patients receiving proton therapy for craniospinal irradiation (CSI) in medulloblastoma, and these are limited by their retrospective nature, modest cohort sizes, and lack of a comparator group.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed data from the Pediatric Proton/Photon Consortium Registry.

Healthcare Professional Perspectives on Digital Health-Related Quality-of-Life Assessment in Paediatric Radiation Therapy: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is not routinely evaluated using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in paediatric radiation therapy (RT). This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to HRQoL implementation in paediatric RT clinical practice and requirements for a digital PROM platform, from the perspectives of healthcare professionals.

Method: Exploratory semi-structured interviews were conducted with multidisciplinary clinicians from two hospitals providing care to paediatric RT patients.

Radiation vs. trans-oral surgery for treatment de-escalation in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers: Primary analysis of the ORATOR2 randomized trial.

Background: The optimal treatment de-escalation approach for HPV-related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCC) is unknown. The objective was to assess two de-escalation approaches: primary radiotherapy (RT) vs. transoral surgical (TOS).

Phosphorylation of eIF2α suppresses the impairment of GSH/NADPH homeostasis and mitigates the activation of cell death pathways, including ferroptosis, during ER stress.

eIF2α Phosphorylation helps maintain cellular homeostasis and overcome endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress through transcriptional and translational reprogramming. This study aims to elucidate the transcriptional regulation of glutathione (GSH) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH) homeostasis through eIF2α phosphorylation and its impact on cell death during ER stress. eIF2α phosphorylation-deficient (A/A) cells exhibited decreased expression of multiple genes involved in GSH synthesis and NADPH production, leading to an exacerbated depletion of both cellular and mitochondrial GSH, as well as mitochondrial NADPH, during ER stress.

Understanding zoonotic pathogens and risk factors from wildlife in Southeast Asia: a systematic literature review.

The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the significance of the human-animal interface in the emergence of zoonotic diseases, with wildlife serving as an important source of infection. A better understanding of the specific pathogens and mechanisms involved is vital to prepare against future outbreaks, especially in Southeast Asia, a hotspot for zoonotic diseases. This paper reviews the published literature on wildlife zoonoses in this region from 2012 to 2022.

2D Metalorganic Ferromagnets.

Low-dimensional materials exhibiting stable magnetic ordering are interesting from a fundamental point of view as well as for future application in information technologies. Metalorganic magnets, created by linking metal atoms with specific organic molecules, allow adjustments to their properties by synthetically modifying the structure of these molecules or the way they connect to the metal atoms. Here, the study details the formation, structure, and magnetic behavior of a single-layer 2D metalorganic coordination network made of Ni atoms and tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) molecules (2D Ni-TCNE).

eIF2α phosphorylation-ATF4 axis-mediated transcriptional reprogramming mitigates mitochondrial impairment during ER stress.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) phosphorylation, which regulates all 3 unfolded protein response pathways, helps maintain cellular homeostasis and overcome endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress through transcriptional and translational reprogramming. However, transcriptional regulation of mitochondrial homeostasis by eIF2α phosphorylation during ER stress is not fully understood. Here, we report that the eIF2α phosphorylation-activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) axis is required for the expression of multiple transcription factors, including nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and its target genes responsible for mitochondrial homeostasis during ER stress.

Characterization of Serum Cytokine Patterns in Frequent-Exacerbation Asthma: Implications for Phenotyping and Management.

(1) Background: Asthma exacerbations represent significant clinical events, however, the underlying inflammatory mechanisms and cytokine profiles in patients with frequent exacerbations remain incompletely understood; (2) Methods: In this prospective, cross-sectional study of 120 stable asthma patients, we compared the serum concentrations of eight key cytokines (IL-4, IL-12, IL-13, IL-17, IFN-α, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-1β) between two groups: 60 patients with frequent exacerbations (≥ 2 events per year) and 60 matched controls with few exacerbations (1 event per year); (3) Results: Patients with frequent exacerbations showed significantly higher serum concentrations of IL-4 and IL-13 ( < 0.05), along with an increased prevalence of allergic history and comorbidities (chronic rhinosinusitis, GERD, OSA; all < 0.05).

Mucosal Spread of Sinonasal Adenocarcinoma into the Nasolacrimal Duct Without Bony Erosion of the Nasolacrimal Canal: A Case Report.

Sinonasal malignancy is a rare but recognized cause for nasolacrimal obstruction leading to epiphora. While direct mucosal spread through the nasolacrimal duct can occur in benign sinonasal tumors such as inverting papilloma, the same phenomenon has not been described in malignant lesions. The authors present a case of a low-grade nonintestinal type sinonasal adenocarcinoma centered on the inferior meatus of the sinonasal cavity, showing mucosal invasion into the nasolacrimal duct with bony expansion but no erosion of the nasolacrimal canal.

Gold Nanoparticles Cause Radiosensitization in 4T1 Cells by Inhibiting DNA Double Strand Break Repair: Single Cell Comparisons of DSB Formation and γH2AX Expression.

Metal nanoparticles sensitize cancers to radiotherapy however their mechanisms of action are complex. The conceptual inspiration arose from theories of physical dose deposition however various chemical and biological factors have also been identified. Interpretation of data has been limited by challenges in measuring true DNA damage compared to DNA damage repair factors.

Evaluation navigation controlled gate of aging spillway on cavitation damage.

Background: High-speed flow of clean water or water with sediment released from aging spillways may cause abrasion and cavitation on the concrete surface gradually. The occurrence of irregularities on the concrete surface can exacerbate the erosion problem. Which might jeopardize the safety of dams constantly, hence the rehabilitation efforts become urgent tasks in dam safety projects.

A cost-effectiveness analysis of stereotactic ablative radiotherapy versus conventionally fractionated radiotherapy in the management of stage 1 non-small-cell lung cancer: Results from the TROG 09.02 CHISEL study.

Introduction: Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) is a standard of care treatment for medically inoperable early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The CHISEL trial was a phase 3 randomised controlled trial that compared SABR to conventional radiation therapy (CRT). Using patient-level data, we compared the cost-effectiveness of SABR and CRT for early-stage NSCLC.