Search Results (59)

Feline superficial non-healing corneal ulcers are persistent lesions requiring individualized treatment to reduce recurrence. This retrospective study evaluated 136 affected eyes (113 nonrecurrent; 23 recurrent) to identify clinical and treatment-related factors associated with recurrence. Recurrent ulcers were more common in older cats (7.2 ± 4.3 vs. 5.1 ± 4.6 years; p = 0.026). Domestic Shorthairs were the most frequently affected breed (50%), and central ulcer location predominated in both groups. Recurrent cases required more intensive management, with 16.9% needing ≥ 2 treatment courses, compared to 83% of nonrecurrent cases resolving after a single course. Healing time following corneal debridement was longer in recurrent cases (32.3 ± 34.4 vs. 25.5 ± 23.1 days; p = 0.272), and corneal sequestrum occurred more frequently (13.0% vs. 10.6%; p = 0.735). Corneal debridement was the primary treatment modality. Systemic medications were more often used in recurrent cases, notably oral lysine (47.8% vs. 26.5%; p = 0.049) and famciclovir (17.4% vs. 2.6%; p = 0.016). Recurrent cases also showed significantly higher rates of concurrent viral (p < 0.001) and bacterial/fungal infections (p = 0.027). In conclusion, recurrent superficial non-healing corneal ulcers were associated with age and systemic illness, emphasizing the need for early diagnosis and management of underlying conditions. Full article

The purpose of this study is to compare the accuracy and readability of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-prevention and control knowledge texts generated by four current generative artificial intelligence (AI) models—two international models (ChatGPT and Gemini) and two domestic models (Kimi and Ernie Bot)—and to evaluate the other performance characteristics of texts generated by domestic and international models. This paper uses the questions and answers in the COVID-19 prevention guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the evaluation criteria. The accuracy, readability, and comprehensibility of the texts generated by each model are scored against the CDC standards. Then the neural network model in the intelligent algorithms is used to identify the factors that affect readability. Then the medical topics of the generated text are analyzed using text analysis technology. Finally, a questionnaire-based manual scoring approach was used to evaluate the AI-generated texts, which was then compared to automated machine scoring. Accuracy: domestic models have higher textual accuracy, while international models have higher reliability. Readability: domestic models produced more fluent and publicly accessible language; international models generated more standardized and formally structured texts with greater consistency. Comprehensibility: domestic models offered superior readability, while international models were more stable in output. Readability factors: the average words per sentence (AWPS) emerged as the most significant factor influencing readability across all models. Topic analysis: ChatGPT emphasized epidemiological knowledge; Gemini focused on general medical and health topics; Kimi provided more multidisciplinary content; and Ernie Bot concentrated on clinical medicine. From the empirical results, it can be found that the manual and machine scoring are highly consistent in the indicators SimHash and FKGL, which proves the effectiveness of the evaluation method proposed in this paper. Conclusion: Texts generated by domestic models are more accessible and better suited for public education, clinical communication, and health consultations. In contrast, the international model has a higher accuracy in generating expertise, especially in epidemiological studies and assessing knowledge literature on disease severity. The inclusion of manual evaluations confirms the reliability of the proposed assessment framework. It is therefore recommended that future AI-generated knowledge systems for infectious disease control balance professional rigor with public comprehensibility, in order to provide reliable and accessible reference materials during major infectious disease outbreaks. Full article

Trichomonas tenax is an anaerobic flagellate usually found in the oral cavity of humans and domestic animals. It is very likely to be transmitted through kissing, sharing saliva, contaminated utensils, and water. However, research on its transmission dynamics is scarce. Hence, there is a need to identify potential knowledge gaps in T. tenax transmission for future research and emphasize the importance of the One Health approach in controlling the spread of this flagellar protozoan. Trichomonas tenax has been found in humans, dogs, cats, horses, and birds at various body sites, including the lungs and the urogenital tract, in addition to the oral cavity. Its transmission is influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and socioeconomic factors such as age, income, smoking, and public awareness, along with poor oral hygiene and systemic diseases. Direct host-to-host transmission also plays an important role; however, transmission through fomites or contaminated water still needs to be scientifically proven to gain a better understanding of these mechanisms. More studies on this flagellate are warranted, especially using animal models and epidemiological studies, to better understand its transmission dynamics. Prioritizing research in these areas could result in a more comprehensive understanding of T. tenax transmission dynamics and the factors that influence it, ultimately aiding in the development of effective control and prevention strategies. It is also recommended to encourage collaboration between medical and veterinary professionals in addressing this zoonotic protozoan, recognizing that it aligns with the One Health approach. Full article

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy is a noninvasive neuroimaging technique that uses optical signals to monitor subtle changes in hemoglobin concentrations within the superficial tissue of the human body. This technology has widespread applications in long-term brain–computer interface monitoring within both traditional medical domains and, increasingly, domestic settings. The popularity of this approach lies in the fact that new single-channel brain oxygen sensors can be used in a variety of scenarios. Given the diverse sensor structure requirements across applications and numerous approaches to data acquisition, the accurate extraction of comprehensive brain activity information requires a multichannel near-infrared system. This study proposes a novel distributed multichannel near-infrared system that integrates two near-infrared light emissions at differing wavelengths (660 nm, 850 nm) with a photoelectric receiver. This substantially improves the accuracy of regional signal sampling. Through a basic long-time mental arithmetic paradigm, we demonstrate that the accompanying algorithm supports offline analysis and is sufficiently versatile for diverse scenarios relevant to the system’s functionality. Full article

Background/Objectives: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of respiratory infections in children. A novel RSVpreF vaccine for use among pregnant women for the prevention of RSV in infants is expected to be licensed in Mexico. Hence, the clinical and economic burden of RSV among infants in Mexico, with and without a year-round RSVpreF maternal vaccination program, was estimated. Methods: A cohort model was developed to project clinical and economic outcomes of RSV from birth to 1 year of age for maternal vaccination and no intervention. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were calculated from direct cost outcomes, life years, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). The value per dose of the RSVpreF for which the program would be cost-effective was explored. Analyses were conducted from the healthcare system perspective, with direct costs (2024 Mexican Pesos [MXN]) and outcomes discounted at 5% annually; scenario and sensitivity analyses tested the robustness of model settings and inputs. Results: Compared to no intervention, a year-round RSVpreF vaccine administered to 1891 M pregnant women would prevent 15,768 hospitalizations, 5505 emergency department cases, and 5505 physician office visits annually, averting MXN 1754 M in direct medical costs with an increase of 3402 life years or 3666 QALYs. The RSVpreF vaccine would be cost-saving up to MXN 1301/dose and cost-effective up to MXN 2105–MXN 3715/dose under an assumed cost-effectiveness threshold range of 1–3× the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (MXN 247,310) per QALY gained. Conclusions: Year-round RSVpreF maternal vaccination would substantially reduce RSV’s clinical and economic burden among infants in Mexico and likely be a cost-effective program. Full article

Introduction: Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare genetic disease. Nusinersen and Risdiplam, recognized as disease-modifying therapies, were included in the National Reimbursement Drug List in 2022 and 2023, respectively, in China. Policies have been implemented to enhance a multi-level medical security system, particularly for rare diseases. This study explores the self-perceived burden and offers policy suggestions to improve China’s social security for rare diseases. Methods: In our mixed study, we conducted 37 semi-structured online interviews and a quantitative survey with 3 adult SMA patients and 34 family members (primary caregivers) in collaboration with the Meier Advocacy and Support Center. The interviews explored self-perceived burdens in psychology, domestic relations, medical care, rehabilitation, and economy, analyzing mainly through thematic analysis and multiple linear regression. Results: Respondents reported significant psychological burdens mainly stemming from limited treatment access. The instability within these families was linked to inconsistent therapeutic schedules, the lack of development opportunities, and misunderstandings. Choices between institutional and home rehabilitation were influenced by economic conditions and symptom severity. After the inclusion of medications, six patients (16.2%) still had not received pharmacological treatment, and many of those who underwent treatment were dissatisfied with the outcomes. The high costs of rehabilitation, family labor loss, and an incomplete medical security system resulted in significant economic burdens. Respondents called for more effective medications and better patient support. Conclusion: Although the inclusion of medications in National Reimbursement Drug List has improved availability and affordability, families still experienced significant burdens across multiple domains. A broader focus on social security is needed to enhance the comprehensive development of patients with rare diseases. Full article

The discharge of medical and domestic wastewater has resulted in increasing levels of pharmaceutical pollutants in water bodies. We combined dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) technology with an Fe³⁺/sodium sulfite oxidation system to address the limitations associated with traditional water treatment technologies in removing carbamazepine, exploring the application efficacy and mechanisms of this approach in carbamazepine degradation. Under optimized experimental conditions, our system achieved a 97% degradation efficiency for carbamazepine within 4 min, significantly outperforming both DBD and sodium sulfite standalone systems. Using response surface methodology to optimize experimental parameters, the effects of sodium sulfite concentration, pH, and Fe³⁺ concentration on degradation efficiency were assessed. Under optimal conditions, the system’s degradation efficiency was 2.5 times higher than that of individual systems. Hydroxyl and sulfate radicals contributed 65% and 85%, respectively, to carbamazepine degradation, while superoxide radicals contributed only 30%. The study demonstrated that this system effectively breaks down the molecular structure of carbamazepine. Eight primary intermediate degradation products were identified, and, as degradation progressed, the concentrations of these intermediates gradually decreased, ultimately achieving a mineralization rate exceeding 85%. This study not only provides an effective technical solution for rapidly treating recalcitrant organic pollutants in water but also offers new insights for environmental protection and the sustainable use of water resources while providing theoretical and experimental data for future related research. Full article

In the context of developing countries, medical instruments are imported from foreign countries. To overcome this challenge, herein the design of an oxygen analyzer using ultrasonic flow sensor technology and a microcontroller while promoting local innovation and reducing dependency on imported equipment is presented. Moreover, this design aims to enhance patient care by ensuring accurate oxygen concentration and flow rate measurements on ventilators and oxygen concentrators. The data measured using the proposed system have been validated by comparison with data obtained using standard oxygen analyzer equipment like the VT-900 Gas Flow Analyzer from Fluke Biomedical and the Ultra Max oxygen analyzer. Measurements were conducted on hospital ventilators, with oxygen concentration (FiO₂) being set to range from 21% to 100%, with increments of 5%, and the flow rate was set to range from 1 L/m to 10 L/m. The results show an error value of 2.1% for oxygen concentration measurements and a value of 0.6 L/m for flow rate measurements. Based on our analysis, it can be concluded that the proposed system works well. Additionally, it offers portability, affordability, and user-friendliness, overcoming the limitations of existing options. This project seeks to contribute to the healthcare infrastructure in developing countries like Nepal, India, Bangladesh, etc., by providing a domestically produced solution for oxygen analysis. Full article

The rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) is a non-human primate with a genome that is 93.5% identical to that of humans. Both species, therefore, have numerous phenotypical similarities in common. Consequently, this non-human primate is regularly studied in biomedical research. Not only does the rhesus monkey play an important role as an animal model for studying human disease, but it is also often featured in zoos, and there are substantial feral populations that live in Asia. Since they are exploited as research subjects, their appropriate housing and husbandry and the validation of obtained research data benefit from the comprehension of the rhesus monkey anatomy. Unexpectedly, the number of anatomical documents on the rhesus monkey are largely outnumbered by publications on the anatomy of domestic animals. In addition, the limited number of available anatomical books and atlases are, unfortunately, outdated, e.g., by presenting black-and-white photographs and using archaic nomenclature, or failing to cover the in-depth anatomy of various anatomical systems. Since state-of-the-art data on the rhesus monkey anatomy are requested by biomedical researchers and veterinarians responsible for the daily care of these captive animals, the present study describes the musculature of the foot of the rhesus monkey. It builds on a recently published manuscript on the topographical anatomy of the pelvic limb of this non-human primate. Full-color anatomical (stereomicroscopic) photographs are taken during layer-by-layer dissections of the feet of three rhesus monkeys. All the muscles, from the superficial to the deepest layer, are described using veterinary anatomical nomenclature and annotated on multipaneled figures. Although the foot musculature of the rhesus monkey largely parallels that of its human counterparts, the small number of dissimilarities should be recognized when extrapolating these research data. In addition, a solid understanding of the rhesus monkey anatomy by veterinarians can be valuable during medical interventions, such as surgery for foot injuries. Full article

Medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHAs) are semi-crystalline elastomers with a low melting point and high elongation at break, allowing for a wide range of applications in domestic, agricultural, industrial, and mainly medical fields. Utilizing low-cost cellulose hydrolyzed sugar as a carbon source and metabolic engineering to enhance synthesis in Pseudomonas putida is a promising strategy for commercializing mcl-PHAs, but little has been attempted to improve the utilization of glucose for synthesizing mcl-PHAs. In this study, a multi-pathway modification was performed to improve the utilization of substrate glucose and the synthesis capacity of PHAs. To enhance glucose metabolism to flow to acetyl-CoA, which is an important precursor of mcl-PHA, multiple genes in glucose metabolism were inactive (branch pathway and negative regulatory) and overexpressed (positive regulatory) in this study. The two genes, gcd (encoding glucose dehydrogenase) and gltA (encoding citrate synthase), involved in glucose peripheral pathways and TCA cycles were separately and jointly knocked out in Pseudomonas putida QSRZ6 (ΔphaZΔhsdR), and the mcl-PHA synthesis was improved in the mutants; particularly, the mcl-PHA titer of QSRZ603 (ΔgcdΔgltA) was increased by 33.7%. Based on the glucose branch pathway truncation, mcl-PHA synthesis was further improved with hexR-inactivation (encoding a negative regulator in glucose metabolism). Compared with QSRZ603 and QSRZ6, the mcl-PHA titer of QSRZ607 (ΔgcdΔgltAΔhexR) was increased by 62.8% and 117.5%, respectively. The mutant QSRZ609 was constructed by replacing the endogenous promoter of gltB encoding a transcriptional activator of the two-component regulatory system GltR/GltS with the ribosome subunit promoter P₃₃. The final mcl-PHA content and titers of QSRZ609 reached 57.3 wt% and 2.5 g/L, an increase of and 20.9% and 27.3% over that of the parent strain QSRZ605 and an increase of 110.4% and 159.9% higher as compared to QSRZ6, respectively. The fermentation was optimized with a feeding medium in shaker flacks; then, the mcl-PHA contents and titer of QSRZ609 were 59.1 wt% and 6.8 g/L, respectively. The results suggest that the regulation from glucose to acetyl-CoA by polygenic modification is an effective strategy for enhancing mcl-PHA synthesis, and the mutants obtained in this study can be used as chassis to further increase mcl-PHA production. Full article

Drug shortages are a significant global issue, particularly affecting healthcare systems in resource-limited countries such as Albania. Pharmacists play a critical role in managing these shortages, yet little is known about their experiences and perspectives. This study aims to explore pharmacists’ views on the current drug shortages in Albania, identifying the most affected drug classes, and suggesting potential strategies for mitigating these shortages. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 93 pharmacists across Albania between December 2023 and May 2024. Data were collected using an online questionnaire that addressed the types of drugs experiencing shortages, the causes of these shortages, and pharmacists’ coping strategies. Cardiovascular and central nervous system medications were reported as the most frequently affected, with supply chain disruptions, regulatory hurdles, and low domestic production cited as key contributors. The findings suggest an urgent need for national policy reforms focusing on improving supply chain resilience and boosting the local pharmaceutical production. The pharmacists proposed mitigation strategies, including stricter regulatory oversight, improved communication channels, and increased local production to reduce dependence on imports. These recommendations underscore the study’s contribution to understanding how tailored, pharmacist-informed strategies could strengthen Albania’s healthcare system. Full article

Infantile occult exposure to cocaine in domestic environments represents a complex clinical and medico-legal problem, which can be associated with abuse and neglect and with potential short- and long-term health risks for children. The authors present a retrospective study on 764 children under 14 years old who accessed the Emergency Department of IRCCS Meyer from 2016 to 2023 and were included in the GAIA (Child and Adolescent Abuse Group) protocol for suspected maltreatment and abuse, and for which a urine toxicology analysis was performed. The aim is to discuss the medico-legal implications and highlight the need for a thorough evaluation and management of such situations. Urine screening tests for substances of abuse (e.g., cocaine, opiates, etc.) were performed with an EMIT^® Siemens VIVA-E drug testing system (Siemens, Newark DE) in 124 cases for which the child’s clinical condition raised suspicion of intoxication, or the family context indicated distress or substance abuse dependency. The screening results revealed the presence of cocaine and its main metabolite, benzoylecgonine, in the urine of 11 children. In one case, a single girl was brought to the Emergency Department by staff from the facility where she and her mother were staying. In most of the cases, children were brought to the Emergency Department by their parents who accessed the Emergency Department due to various clinical manifestations (drowsiness, agitation, seizures, hypotonia, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.), except for one case of eye trauma suspected to be caused by abuse or neglect by one of the parents. Three of the children did not have signs or symptoms attributable to substance exposure, whilst eight of the cases presented some of the symptoms associated with occult infant exposure to cocaine, such as neurological manifestations, seizures, gastrointestinal symptoms, and respiratory depression. The probable mode of intake was mostly through breastfeeding and continuous environmental exposure due to domestic contamination or inhalation of “crack”. In the case of a 12-hour-old infant, there was probable prenatal in utero exposure. All the children were hospitalized, some for medical reasons and others solely as a precautionary measure for proper care. In all cases, a report was made to the Prosecutors as required by the Italian Penal Code, as well as to the Court of Minor. The study highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach involving pediatricians, social workers, and forensics, as well as close collaboration with the relevant authorities, as the Gaia service at IRCCS Meyer offers. The occasional detection of cocaine in cases that showed no suspicion of intoxication led to a modification of the procedure and the development of a standardized protocol at IRCCS Meyer both in terms of prevention and in the detection and interception of hidden cases, in order to intervene early and initiate the necessary care pathways (secondary prevention). This protocol includes routine toxicological urine testing in all suspected or confirmed cases of child abuse, not just in those where symptoms might suggest a suspicion of intoxication. Full article

Pressure injuries pose significant health risks, especially for the elderly, immobile individuals, and those with sensory impairments. These injuries can rapidly become chronic, making initial diagnosis important. Due to the difficulty of transporting patients from local health facilities to higher-level general hospitals for treatment, it is essential to utilize telemedicine tools, such as chatbots, to ensure rapid initial diagnosis. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have demonstrated potential for medical imaging and disease classification. Ongoing research in the field of dermatological diseases focuses on disease classification. However, the assessment accuracy of artificial intelligence is often limited by unequal class distributions and insufficient dataset quantities. In this study, we aim to enhance the accuracy of artificial intelligence models by generating synthetic datasets. Specifically, we focused on training models for Pressure Injury assessment using both real and synthetic datasets. We used PI data at a domestic medical university. As part of our supplementary research, we established a chatbot system to facilitate the assessment of pressure injuries. Using both constructed and synthetic data, we achieved a top-1 accuracy of 92.03%. The experimental results demonstrate that combining real and synthetic data significantly improves model accuracy. These findings suggest that synthetic datasets can be effectively utilized to address the limitations of small-scale datasets in medical applications. Future research should explore the use of diverse synthetic data generation methods and validate model performance on a variety of datasets to enhance the generalization and robustness of AI models for Pressure Injury assessment. Full article

In the last few decades, major progress has been made in the medical field; in particular, new treatments and advanced health technologies allow for considerable improvements in life expectancy and, more broadly, in quality of life. As a consequence, the number of elderly people is expected to increase in the following years. This trend, along with the need to improve the independence of frail people, has led to the development of unobtrusive solutions to monitor daily activities and provide feedback in case of risky situations and falls. Monitoring devices based on radar sensors represent a possible approach to tackle postural analysis while preserving the person’s privacy and are especially useful in domestic environments. This work presents an innovative solution that combines millimeter-wave radar technology with artificial intelligence (AI) to detect different types of postures: a series of algorithms and neural network methodologies are evaluated using experimental acquisitions with healthy subjects. All methods produce very good results according to the main parameters evaluating performance; the long short-term memory (LSTM) and GRU show the most consistent results while, at the same time, maintaining reduced computational complexity, thus providing a very good candidate to be implemented in a dedicated embedded system designed to monitor postures. Full article

Medicinal food varieties developed according to the theory of medical and edible homologues are effective at preventing and treating chronic diseases and in health care. As of 2022, 110 types of traditional Chinese medicines from the same source of medicine and food have been published by the National Health Commission. Inflammation is the immune system’s first response to injury, infection, and stress. Chronic inflammation is closely related to many diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer. Therefore, timely intervention for inflammation is the mainstay treatment for other complex diseases. However, some traditional anti-inflammatory drugs on the market are commonly associated with a number of adverse effects, which seriously affect the health and safety of patients. Therefore, the in-depth development of new safe, harmless, and effective anti-inflammatory drugs has become a hot topic of research and an urgent clinical need. Polysaccharides, one of the main active ingredients of medical and edible homologous traditional Chinese medicines (MEHTCMs), have been confirmed by a large number of studies to exert anti-inflammatory effects through multiple targets and are considered potential natural anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition, the structure of medical and edible homologous traditional Chinese medicines’ polysaccharides (MEHTCMPs) may be the key factor determining their anti-inflammatory activity, which makes the underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of polysaccharides and their structure–efficacy relationship hot topics of domestic and international research. However, due to the limitations of the current analytical techniques and tools, the structures have not been fully elucidated and the structure–efficacy relationship is relatively ambiguous, which are some of the difficulties in the process of developing and utilizing MEHTCMPs as novel anti-inflammatory drugs in the future. For this reason, this paper summarizes the potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms of MEHTCMPs, such as the regulation of the Toll-like receptor-related signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, NLRP3 signaling pathway, PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, PPAR-γ signaling pathway, Nrf2-HO-1 signaling pathway, and the regulation of intestinal flora, and it systematically analyzes and evaluates the relationships between the anti-inflammatory activity of MEHTCMPs and their structures. Full article