Fertility Concerns and Information Needs and Preferences of Australian Women With Chronic Kidney Disease: An Exploratory Qualitative Study.

Objective: Pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes for women with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Yet few women with CKD report receiving information about pregnancy and often experience difficulties making informed childbearing decisions and optimizing pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify the fertility and childbearing concerns and related information needs and preferences of women with CKD living in Australia.

Challenges encountered by healthcare workers in managing door-to-balloon time of myocardial infarction: A survey.

Background: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) demands aggressive and rapid medical intervention. Delays in Door-to-balloon time (DTB) of more than 90 min cause progressive damage to the cardiac tissue and require immediate medical intervention, including percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Nurses and doctors in STEMI management face several challenges that result in a delay in DTB time.

Future of Health Promotion in the Asia-Pacific Region in an Era of Global Disruption: An Interview With Dr. Sandro Demaio.

This interview with Dr. Sandro Demaio, Director of the WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environment and Health, explores the future of health promotion in the region amid global disruption. Reflecting on his experiences at the intersection of climate, environment and health, Dr.

The impact of minimally invasive dialysis access.

Objective: Minimal Invasive Dialysis Access (MIDA) for renal dialysis encompasses percutaneous arteriovenous fistula (pAVF) creation and the modified percutaneous Seldinger peritoneal dialysis catheter insertions (pPD). This review examines the impact of MIDA on technical success, maturation rates, patency, clinical benefits, complications, and cost.

Methods: A review was made of the literature on MIDA including pAVF creation and pPD insertion regarding technical success rates, maturation rates, patency, clinical benefits, complications, and cost.

Comprehension and production of English plural morphology by school-age deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) preschoolers have difficulty comprehending and producing English plural morphology. This study investigated their comprehension and production of the plural at primary-school age using novel words, to better understand their mental representation of plural morphology. Thirty 5- to 9-year-old DHH children and 31 children with normal hearing (NH) completed a two-alternative forced-choice comprehension task and a production task.

A safe technique in performing gluteus maximus tenotomy in the Kocher-Langenbeck approach.

Background: Gluteus maximus (GMax) tenotomy is a well described technique to improve femoral and/or acetabular exposure during the Kocher Langenbeck approach. Branches of the first femoral perforator artery (1FPA) are frequently encountered and may be injured during the tenotomy, causing bleeding and obscuration of surgical field. The understanding of vascular anatomy around GMax insertion is poor.

Developing and Externally Validating the Multivariable Prediction Model for White-Coat Hypertension.

Aim: The white-coat hypertension (WCH) detection by monitoring the out-of-office blood pressure (BP) consumes resources and time. This study aimed at developing the prediction model based on patients' characteristics obtained from clinical data.

Methods: Individuals who participated in two large hospitals health check-up examination were screened.

Developing and Validating a Multi-Domain Risk Attitudes Scale in the Multi-Ethnic Asian Population in Singapore.

Maladaptive risk attitudes, such as extreme risk seeking and risk aversion, are closely linked to psychopathology such as psychopathy and anxiety. Having culturally appropriate assessments of risk attitudes is essential for the research of psychology and psychopathology of responses to risk in a target population. We aimed to develop and validate the multi-domain risk tolerance (MDRT) scale for the multi-ethnic Singaporean population.

Verification of CT/MRI imaging protocol compliance for radiotherapy.

Introduction: The role of imaging in radiotherapy is becoming increasingly important. Verification of imaging parameters prior to treatment planning is essential for safe and effective clinical practice.

Methods: This study described the development and clinical implementation of ImageCompliance, an automated, GUI-based script designed to verify and enforce correct CT and MRI parameters during radiotherapy planning.

Genomic and clinical epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in coastal Kenya: insights into variant circulation, reinfection, and multiple lineage importations during a post-pandemic wave.

Background: Between November 2023 and March 2024, coastal Kenya experienced another wave of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections detected through our continued genomic surveillance. Herein, we report the clinical and genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infections from 179 individuals (a total of 185 positive samples) residing in the Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System (KHDSS) area (~ 900 km).

Methods: We analyzed genetic, clinical, and epidemiological data from SARS-CoV-2 positive cases across pediatric inpatient, health facility outpatient, and homestead community surveillance platforms.

Comparison of long-term patient reported outcomes of excisional and incisional corporoplasties for Peyronie's disease.

Background: To compare surgical and long-term patient-reported outcomes (PRO) between excisional (Nesbit) and incisional (Yachia) corporoplasty for correction of uncomplicated Peyronie's-related penile curvature in a large, single-surgeon cohort. A retrospective audit identified men who underwent Nesbit or Yachia corporoplasty (2015-2021). Operative data was extracted from records.

Understanding the complexities of oral healthcare delivery in correctional settings: a qualitative exploration of barriers, facilitators, and opportunities.

Background: People living in prison face exceptionally high prevalence rates of tooth decay, periodontal disease, and poor oral health-related quality of life. Despite its importance, various aspects of oral healthcare in prison settings remain understudied. The present study investigates the barriers and facilitators associated with providing and utilizing oral health services in prison settings, drawing on insights from prison health experts, managerial and custodial staff, healthcare providers, and individuals with lived experience of imprisonment.

Emerging strategies, applications and challenges of targeting NAD in the clinic.

Beyond their classical functions as redox cofactors, recent fundamental and clinical research has expanded our understanding of the diverse roles of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) in signaling pathways, epigenetic regulation and energy homeostasis. Moreover, NAD and NADP influence numerous diseases as well as the processes of aging, and are emerging as targets for clinical intervention. Here, we summarize safety, bioavailability and efficacy data from NAD-related clinical trials, focusing on aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

Genetic variance in the murine defensin locus modulates glucose homeostasis.

Insulin resistance is a heritable risk factor for many chronic diseases; however, the genetic drivers remain elusive. In seeking these, we performed genetic mapping of insulin sensitivity in 670 chow-fed Diversity Outbred in Australia (DOz) mice and identified a genome-wide significant locus (QTL) on chromosome 8 encompassing 17 defensin genes. By taking a systems genetics approach, we identified alpha-defensin 26 (Defa26) as the causal gene in this region.

Validity and Reliability of Resting Energy Expenditure Measured by Indirect Calorimetry in Adults with Overweight and Obesity: a Rapid Systematic Review.

This rapid systematic review aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy (concurrent validity, predictive ability, reliability) of indirect calorimetry (IC) for measuring resting energy expenditure (REE) in adults with overweight or obesity. PubMed and Web of Science searched for studies measuring REE by IC in adults with overweight or obesity and reported primary outcomes: concurrent validity, predictive ability, or reliability. N = 22 studies were included that evaluated n = 10 IC devices.

Prevalence of Liver Dysfunction After One-Anastomosis Gastric Bypass: A Systematic Review and Single-Arm Meta-analysis.

Background: One-anastomosis gastric bypass (OAGB) has gained popularity as a bariatric operation due to its shorter operation time and lower perioperative complication rates, compared with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). However, OAGB is associated with short and long-term complications. Notably, in some reports a subset of patients developed liver dysfunction after OAGB, in some cases causing death or requiring liver transplantation.

Divergent cytokine and transcriptional signatures control functional T follicular helper cell heterogeneity.

CD4 T follicular helper (T) cells support tailored B cell responses against multiple classes of pathogens. To reveal how diverse T phenotypes are established, we profiled mouse T cells in response to viral, helminth and bacterial infection. We identified a core T signature that is distinct from CD4 T follicular regulatory and effector cells and identified pathogen-specific transcriptional modules that shape T function.

Laboratory evolution of Rubisco solubility and catalytic switches to enhance plant productivity.

A new Escherichia coli laboratory evolution screen for detecting plant ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) mutations with enhanced CO-fixation capacity has identified substitutions that can enhance plant productivity. Selected were a large subunit catalytic (Met-116-Leu) mutation that increases the k of varying plant Rubiscos by 25% to 40% and a solubility (Ala-242-Val) mutation that improves plant Rubisco biogenesis in E. coli 2- to 10-fold.

Highly protected areas buffer against aridity thresholds in global drylands.

Drylands are highly vulnerable to global-scale aridity thresholds that cause drastic reductions in their productivity. While protected areas may help buffer against the impact of aridification, their effectiveness in mitigating the aridity thresholds across global drylands remains virtually unknown. Here we assembled a global dataset of drylands and found that highly protected areas, which include national parks and wilderness areas, can buffer the emergence of aridity thresholds in ecosystem productivity by up to 0.

Exploring experiences of the regulatory toxicology system: system-level promoters and inhibitors of new approach methodologies.

The transition from traditional animal-based approaches and assessments to New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) marks a scientific revolution in regulatory toxicology, with the potential of enhancing human and environmental protection. However, implementing the effective use of NAMs in regulatory toxicology has proven to be challenging, and so far, efforts to facilitate this change frequently focus on singular technical, psychological or economic inhibitors. This article takes a system-thinking approach to these challenges, a holistic framework for describing interactive relationships between the components of a system of interest.

Scalable Solvent-Free Synthesis of a Linear Heteroaromatic Trimer with Crystallization-Induced Phosphorescence.

The polymerization mechanism and the identification of key oligomer intermediates during the thermal condensation of benzoguanamine (BG) remain unclear. Herein, we report a novel mixed thermal condensation strategy using BG and a pre-synthesized dimer to selectively synthesize the trimer (BG) with a significantly enhanced yield. Comprehensive characterization techniques confirm the formation of a linear molecular structure for (BG).