STUDY DESIGN: A parallel-group, single-blinded randomized controlled trial.
METHODS: Eighty adults with KOA were randomly allocated to experimental (n=40) and control (n=40) groups. All participants underwent their usual physiotherapy care weekly for eight weeks. The experimental group received a structured HBE+EDU program to their usual care, while the control group performed home stretching exercises to equate treatment time. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) for the disability level, visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, and timed up-and-go test (TUG) for mobility were measured pre-post intervention.
RESULTS: After eight weeks, the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in the KOOS (all subscales), pain VAS, and TUG scores compared to baseline (P<0.001); meanwhile, only KOOS (activities of daily living and sports subscales) was significant in the control group. Relative to the control, the experimental group presented higher improvements (P<0.001) by 22.2%, 44.1%, and 15.7% for KOOS, pain VAS, and TUG, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Integrating the HBE+EDU program into usual KOA rehabilitation could reduce pain and disability, while it improved functional mobility. The finding of this study suggests a combination of a structured HBE and EDU program to be considered as part of mainstream KOA management.
METHODS: Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the structural features of PC12 cells after culturing in medium with nerve growth factor (NGF). After different doses and different durations of alcohol treatment, CCK-8 assay was performed to detect the viability of PC12 cells, flow cytometry assay was carried out to detect the apoptosis rate of PC12 cells, dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to definitude the regulatory relationship between miR-96-5p and Tp73, and western blot was used to detect the protein expression of TAp73.
RESULTS: The result of immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that PC12 cells abundantly expressed Map2, CCK-8 assay illustrated alcohol exposure significantly downregulated the cell viability of PC12 cells, Treatment with miR-96-5p inhibitor induced apoptosis and upregulated the expression of TAp73 in PC12 cells. Contrastingly, miR-96-5p mimic reversed the above effects and downregulation of TAp73 inhibited the apoptosis of PC12 cells.
CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that miR-96-5p participates in alcohol-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells via negatively regulating TAp73.
METHODS: We collected data for this cross-sectional study from 1040 participants via online self-reported questionnaire from July 5th, 2022, to August 1st, 2022. The questionnaire consisted of a total of 29 items in four sections, assessing socio-demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding MPXV. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS V.25, and factors associated with MPXV knowledge, attitude, and practices were identified by using logistic regression analyses.
RESULTS: A total of 1040 participants were included. 61.4% were male, and 57.2% had graduation level education. Only 34.4% had good knowledge about MPXV, and 30% knew the effectiveness of the smallpox vaccine against MPXV. 41.7% had a positive attitude, 48.6% agreed that it is a fatal disease, and 44.6% were in favour of banning travel from endemic to non-endemic regions. 57.7% had good practices, and 69.9% would use protective measures if MPXV became an epidemic. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that gender and education significantly impacted knowledge (p<0.05). While monthly income status had a significant impact on attitudes (p<0.05). The practices were positively correlated with gender and education (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: The majority of study participants had inadequate levels of knowledge, and attitudes regarding MPXV. To prevent the emergence and spread of MPXV in Pakistan, a comprehensive strategic framework for public health education must be established and implemented.
METHODS: 142 new nurses were chosen for the investigation using a convenient cluster sampling method. The questionnaire included components on socio-demographic characteristics, the Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses (CIRN), and the PsyCap Questionnaire-24 (PCQ-24). The t-test, One-Way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis and hierarchical multiple regression were used for statistical analysis.
RESULT: The number of valid questionnaires was 138, and the effective return rate was 97.2%. The overall mean score for core competencies was 171.01 (SD 25.34), and the PsyCap score was 104.76(SD 13.71). The PsyCap of new nurses was highly correlated with core competency, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.7, p < 0.01. Self-efficacy of PsyCap is a significant independent predictor of core competency (adjust R2 = 0.49).
CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy in PsyCap is an important predictor of new nurses' core competency. Nursing managers should pay sufficient attention to the cultivation and development of new nurses' PsyCap, with particular emphasis on enhancing self-efficacy to improve their core competency.
METHODS: This prospective observational study was conducted at a a PMDT unit in Multan, Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 271 eligible culture positive DR-TB patients enrolled for treatment at the study site between January 2016 and May 2017 were followed till their treatment outcomes were recorded. World Health Organization's (WHO) defined criteria was used for categorizing treatment outcomes. The outcomes of cured and treatment completed were collectively placed as successful outcomes, while death, lost to follow-up (LTFU) and treatment failure were grouped as unsuccessful outcomes. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was employed for getting predictors of unsuccessful treatment outcomes. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: Of the 271 DR-TB patients analysed, nearly half (51.3%) were males. The patient's (Mean ± SD) age was 36.75 ± 15.69 years. A total of 69% patients achieved successful outcomes with 185 (68.2%) patients being cured and 2 (0.7%) completed therapy. Of the remaining 84 patients with unsuccessful outcomes, 48 (17.7%) died, 2 (0.7%) were declared treatment failure, 34 (12.5%) were loss to follow up. After adjusting for confounders, patients' age > 50 years (OR 2.149 (1.005-4.592) with p-value 0.048 and baseline lung cavitation (OR 7.798 (3.82-15.919) with p-value <0.001 were significantly associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: The treatment success rate (69%) in the current study participants was below the target set by WHO (>75%). Paying special attention and timely intervention in patients with high risk of unsuccessful treatment outcomes may help in improving treatment outcomes at the study site.
METHODS: Plant extracts from hot water infusion were tested for the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and enzyme inhibition through Folin-ciocalteu assay, aluminium chloride method and xanthine oxidase inhibition assay, respectively. Simplex-centroid mixture design was applied in this study and 13 polyherbal formulations were generated by Design Expert Software.
RESULTS: Linear, special cubic and quadratic models were selected to describe the interaction effect between polyherbal formulations and their responses. Low IC50 value (13.90 μg/mL) of xanthine oxidase activity was found in the binary combination of O. stamineus and S. rebaudiana and this probably related to its high phenolic and flavonoid contents as xanthine oxidase inhibition and phytochemicals were correlated.
CONCLUSIONS: The suggested optimal formulation was comprised of 44.26 % O. stamineus and 55.74 % S. rebaudiana and it could be developed as an alternative treatment for gout.
METHODS: Cancer experts in lower-resource health care systems (as defined by the World Bank as low- and middle-income countries; N = 151) were contacted to participate in a modified consensus-seeking Delphi survey, comprising two rounds. In round 1, participants (n = 69) rated predetermined areas of potential research priority (ARPs) for importance and suggested missing ARPs. In round 2, the same participants (n = 49) rated an integrated list of predetermined and suggested ARPs from round 1, then undertook a forced choice priority ranking exercise. Composite voting scores (T-scores) were used to rank the ARPs. Importance ratings were summarized descriptively. Findings were discussed with international patient advocacy organization representatives.
RESULTS: The top ARP was research into strategies adapting guidelines or treatment strategies in line with available resources (particularly systemic therapy) (T = 83). Others included cancer registries (T = 62); prevention (T = 52); end-of-life care (T = 53); and value-based and affordable care (T = 51). The top COVID-19/cancer ARP was strategies to incorporate what has been learned during the pandemic that can be maintained posteriorly (T = 36). Others included treatment schedule interruption (T = 24); cost-effective reduction of COVID-19 morbidity/mortality (T = 19); and pandemic preparedness (T = 18).
CONCLUSION: Areas of strategic priority favored by cancer researchers in RCRs are related to adaptive treatment guidelines; sustainable implementation of cancer registries; prevention strategies; value-based and affordable cancer care; investments in research capacity building; epidemiologic work on local risk factors for cancer; and combatting inequities of prevention and care access.