METHODS: This study included 965 Chinese community-dwelling older adults. Pearson correlation coefficient was conducted to assess the relationship between readiness toward ACP, death anxiety, and family cohesion. Structural equation model was used to examine the study hypothetical model.
RESULTS: 965 valid questionnaires were collected. Death anxiety is significantly related to the readiness toward ACP (r = -0.437, P < 0.01) and family cohesion (r = -0.444, P < 0.01), and family cohesion exhibited a positive correlation with readiness toward ACP (r = 0.499, P < 0.01). Family cohesion partially mediated the effect of death anxiety on readiness toward ACP, accounting for 35.94 % of the total effect.
CONCLUSIONS: Family cohesion mediates the relationship between death anxiety and readiness toward ACP. Healthcare professionals should implement measures to alleviate death anxiety and promote family cohesion in older adults, thereby enhancing their readiness toward ACP.
METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for studies investigating IL-37 and SLE. Data on IL-37 levels, SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score, genetic polymorphisms, and its therapeutic effects from pre-clinical studies were extracted.
RESULTS: Previous studies presented conflicting findings on IL-37 levels in SLE patients. Some reported positive correlations with disease activity, while others observed associations between lower IL-37 and increased activity. Genetic variations in the IL-37 gene linked to SLE susceptibility have been reported. Pre-clinical studies using engineered mesenchymal stem cells or direct IL-37 treatment showed promise in reducing disease severity in mouse models and cell cultures of SLE. The analysis of multiple studies reveals that IL-37 expression varies significantly across different SLE subtypes.
CONCLUSIONS: While a potential link exists between IL and 37 and disease activity, genetic predisposition, and therapeutic benefit, further research is needed. Future studies with standardized designs, larger and more diverse populations, and mechanistic investigations are crucial to determine the therapeutic potential of IL-37 for SLE. This review highlights the need for well-designed clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of IL-37 therapy in patients with SLE.
METHODS: Antimicrobial activity was determined with disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays against eight skin colonising microorganisms including Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumonia followed by further fractionation of the pods ethyl acetate fraction by column chromatography along with preparative thin-layer chromatography. Quantification of bacterial death mechanism was elucidated by the measurement of hole size in cell wall that has been induced by extract constituents via field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM).
RESULTS: Four fractions showed significant antimicrobial activity against the six microorganisms tested (p
METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was conducted. Skeletal maturity was determined using Risser, SSMS, TOCI and CVM for each patient. Crosstabulations of axial vs. appendicular markers were formed to analyze their concordance and discordance. Logistic and logarithmic regression models were run to assess longitudinal growth (postoperative height gain and leg-length growth) and curve modulation (follow-up instrumented Cobb correction after index operation), respectively. Models were compared using Akaike information criterion (AIC).
RESULTS: 34 patients (32 F/2 M, mean age: 12.8 ± 1.5 years, mean follow-up: 47.7 (24-80) months) were included. The median preoperative maturity stages were: Risser: 1 (-1-4), SSMS: 4 (1-7), TOCI: 6 (1-8) and CVM: 4 (1-6). At latest follow-up, all patients reached skeletal maturity. Concordance and discordance were observed between axial vs. appendicular systems that demonstrated a range of possible distributions of CVM, where trunk peak height velocity occurred before, simultaneously with or after the standing height peak height velocity. R-squared values for Risser, SSMS, TOCI and CVM were 0.701, 0.783, 0.810 and 0.811, respectively, for prediction of final height; 0.759, 0.821, 0.831 and 0.775 for final leg-length, and 0.507, 0.588, 0.668 and 0.673 for curve modulation. Delta AIC values demonstrated that different skeletal maturity assessment methods provided distinctive information regarding follow-up height gain, leg-length growth and curve behavior.
CONCLUSIONS: Risser score provided considerably less information for all three outcome variables. TOCI and SSMS provided substantial information regarding remaining leg-length assessments, while in terms of assessment of total height gain and curve modulation after surgery, CVM and TOCI offered substantial information and SSMS offered strong information. Mutual use of axial and appendicular markers may provide valuable insight concerning timing of surgery and magnitude of surgical correction.
METHODS: This study involved a modified electronic Delphi technique involving 27 specialists working in primary care recruited via convenient and snowball sampling. The Delphi survey was conducted online between August 2022 and April 2023, utilizing the Google Forms platform. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyse consensus across Delphi rounds.
RESULTS: Twenty-six international experts participated in the survey. The retention rate through the second and third Delphi rounds was 96.2% (n = 25). The broader consensus definition emphasizes person-centred care, collaborative patient-physician partnerships, and a holistic approach to health, including managing acute and chronic conditions through in-person or remote access based on patient preferences, medical needs, and local health system organization.
CONCLUSION: The study highlights the importance of continuity of care, prevention, and coordination with other healthcare professionals as core values of primary care. It also reflects the role of GP/FM in addressing new challenges post-pandemic, such as healthcare delivery beyond standard face-to-face care (e.g. remote consultations) and an increasingly important role in the prevention of infectious diseases. This underscores the need for ongoing research and patient involvement to continually refine and improve primary healthcare delivery in response to changing healthcare landscapes.
METHODS: We queried the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database among adults aged ≥25 from 1999 to 2019. Heart failure/cardiomyopathy were listed as the main causes of death, with obesity as a contributing cause. We calculated age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 individuals and estimated the average annual percent change (AAPC). We also evaluated the social vulnerability of United States counties (2014-2018).
RESULTS: There were 29,334 deaths related to heart failure/cardiomyopathy among patients with comorbid obesity. The overall AAMR increased from 0.41 in 1999 to 0.94 in 2019, with an AAPC of 3.78 (95 % CI, 3.41-4.14). The crude mortality rate increase for heart failure/cardiomyopathy was greater in individuals with comorbid obesity than in those without. Males had a higher AAMR than females (0.78 vs 0.55). African Americans also had higher AAMR than Whites (1.35 vs 0.62). The AAMR was higher in rural areas than in urban regions (0.76 vs 0.66). The overall AAMR was higher in counties with social vulnerability index-Quartile 4 (SVI-Q4) (most vulnerable) (1.08) compared to SVI-Q1 (least vulnerable) (0.63) with a risk ratio of 1.71 (95 % CI: 1.61-1.83).
CONCLUSION: Heart failure/cardiomyopathy mortality in individuals with comorbid obesity was rising. Males, African Americans, and individuals from rural regions had higher AAMR than their counterparts.
METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science through August 2024 for randomized controlled trials evaluating ensifentrine in COPD patients over a minimum of four weeks. Data extraction and screening utilized Knowledge software, and meta-analyses were performed using R v4.4 with a random-effects model.
RESULTS: From 206 studies identified, four met our inclusion criteria. Ensifentrine improved FEV1 significantly at a dose of 3 mg (LS mean difference: 40.90 mL; 95 % CI: 19.65-62.15). It also improved dyspnea as measured by the Transition Dyspnea Index (TDI) (LS mean difference: 0.91; 95 % CI: 0.61-1.21) and quality of life according to the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire-C (SGRQ-C) scores (LS mean difference: -1.92; 95 % CI: -3.28 to -0.55). Safety profiles were comparable between the ensifentrine and placebo groups, with no significant increase in treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) (RR: 1.02; 95 % CI: 0.94-1.10).
CONCLUSION: Ensifentrine significantly enhances lung function, reduces dyspnea, and improves quality of life in COPD patients, especially at a 3 mg dose. These benefits, coupled with a stable safety profile, support its use as an adjunctive therapy in COPD management.