Drug use

Upon a diagnosis, the clinical team faces two main questions: what treatment, and at what dose? Clinical trials' results provide the basis for guidance and support for official protocols that clinicians use to base their decisions. However, individuals do not consistently demonstrate the reported response from relevant clinical trials. The decision complexity increases with combination treatments where drugs administered together can interact with each other, which is often the case. Additionally, the individual's response to the treatment varies with the changes in their condition...

BACKGROUND: In British Columbia, Canada, smoking is the most common modality of drug use among people who die of opioid toxicity. We aimed to assess oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) while people smoked opioids during a pilot study that introduced continuous pulse oximetry at overdose prevention services (OPS) sites. METHODS: This was an observational cohort study, using a participatory design. We implemented our monitoring protocol from March to August 2021 at four OPS...

BACKGROUND: Kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP) is the second most prevalent malignant cancer originating from the renal epithelium. Nowadays, cancer stem cells and stemness-related genes (SRGs) are revealed to play important roles in the carcinogenesis and metastasis of various tumors. Consequently, we aim to investigate the underlying mechanisms of SRGs in KIRP. METHODS: RNA-seq profiles of 141 KIRP samples were downloaded from the TCGA database, based on which we calculated the mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi)...

BACKGROUND: Coccidiosis is one of the most frequently reported diseases in chickens, causing a significant economic impact on the poultry industry. However, there have been no previous studies evaluating the prevalence of this disease in broiler farms in Guangdong province. Therefore, this study aims to conduct an epidemiological investigation into the occurrence of Eimeria species and associated risk factors in intensive management conditions across four regions in Guangdong province, China...

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of nosocomial infections. However, the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains has complicated the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections. While polymyxins have been the mainstay for treatment, there is a global increase in resistance to these antibiotics. Therefore, our study aimed to determine the prevalence and molecular details of colistin resistance in P. aeruginosa clinical isolates collected between June 2019 and May 2023, as well as the genetic linkage of colistin-resistant P...

INTRODUCTION: People with substance use disorder (SUD) deal with stigmatization in various areas of life, including healthcare system. In this study, we investigated the attitudes of final-year medical students towards SUD people and attempted to understand their influence. METHODS: We conducted a two-stage cluster analysis (hierarchical ascending classification followed by K-means clustering) based on the "beSAAS". We administrated this 23-item questionnaire to 923 final-year medical students in Belgium (response rate = 71,1%)...

BACKGROUND: Polypharmacy is common in chronic medication users, which increases the risk of drug related problems. A suitable intervention is the clinical medication review (CMR) that was introduced in the Netherlands in 2012, but the effectiveness might be hindered by limited implementation in community pharmacies. Therefore our aim was to describe the current implementation of CMRs in Dutch community pharmacies and to identify barriers to the implementation. METHODS: An online questionnaire was developed based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and consisted of 58 questions with open ended, multiple choice or Likert-scale answering options...

BACKGROUND: Fluoride-resistant Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) strains have developed due to the wide use of fluoride in dental caries prevention. However, the metabolomics of fluoride-resistant S. mutans remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify metabolites that discriminate fluoride-resistant from wild-type S. mutans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell supernatants from fluoride-resistant and wild-type S. mutans were collected and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry...

BACKGROUND: Evidences have shown that obesity is influenced by various factors, including various hormones such as thyroid hormones and the body's metabolism rate. It seems that practical solutions such as weight loss diets and common drugs can affect these potential disorders. In this study, we investigate one of these common drugs, N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), on expressions of UCP1 and factors related to thyroid function in adults with obesity. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The current investigation was carried out as a randomized clinical trial (RCT) including 43 adults with obesity who were potential candidates for bariatric surgery...

BACKGROUND: In Germany, geriatricians deliver acute geriatric care during acute hospital stay and post-acute rehabilitation after transfer to a rehabilitation clinic. The rate patients receive acute geriatric care (AGC) or are transferred to post-acute rehabilitation (TPR) differs between hospitals. This study analyses the association between the two geriatric treatment systems (AGC, TPR) and second hip fracture in patients following an index hip fracture. METHODS: Nationwide health insurance data are used to identify the rate of AGC and TPR per hospital following hip fracture surgery in patients aged ≥ 80 years...

In recent decades, the development of novel antimicrobials has significantly slowed due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), intensifying the global struggle against infectious diseases. Microbial populations worldwide rapidly develop resistance due to the widespread use of antibiotics, primarily targeting drug-resistant germs. A prominent manifestation of this resistance is the formation of biofilms, where bacteria create protective layers using signaling pathways such as quorum sensing. In response to this challenge, the CRISPR-Cas9 method has emerged as a ground-breaking strategy to counter biofilms...

INTRODUCTION: Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an innovative and emerging technology for the treatment of adult and pediatric brain tumors and illustrates the intersection of various specialized fields, including neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, and biomedical engineering. OBJECTIVE: The authors provide a comprehensive overview of the application and implications of FUS in treating pediatric brain tumors, with a special focus on pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) and the evolving landscape of this technology and its clinical utility...

Interest in psychedelics is increasing due to the potential for improved mental health and quality of life. However, adverse effects on mental health are still a concern. Personality traits have been suggested to both influence the psychedelic experience and mental health, and even be changed by psychedelic use. The present study describes for the first time a national sample of Swedish psychedelic users (n = 400) compared to a sex and age-matched control-group of non-users (n = 400) regarding mental health variables (depression, insomnia, problematic alcohol and drug use, and dissociation) and personality (Big Five)...

RATIONALE: Evidence on the effect of dopamine D1-like and D2-like receptor antagonists on licking microstructure and the forced swimming response led us to suggest that (i) dopamine on D1-like receptors plays a role in activating reward-directed responses and (ii) the level of response activation is reboosted based on a process of evaluation of response efficacy requiring dopamine on D2-like receptors. A main piece of evidence in support of this hypothesis is the observation that the dopamine D2-like receptor antagonist raclopride induces a within-session decrement of burst number occurring after the contact with the reward...

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with t(8;21)(q22;q22.1);RUNX1-ETO is one of the most common subtypes of AML. Although t(8;21) AML has been classified as favorable-risk, only about half of patients are cured with current therapies. Several genetic abnormalities, including TP53 mutations and deletions, negatively impact survival in t(8;21) AML. In this study, we established Cas9+ mouse models of t(8;21) AML with intact or deficient Tpr53 (a mouse homolog of TP53) using a retrovirus-mediated gene transfer and transplantation system...

Spreading depolarizations (SDs) occur frequently in patients with malignant hemispheric stroke. In animal-based experiments, SDs have been shown to cause secondary neuronal damage and infarct expansion during the initial period of infarct progression. In contrast, the influence of SDs during the delayed period is not well characterized yet. Here, we analyzed the impact of SDs in the delayed phase after cerebral ischemia and the potential protective effect of ketamine. Focal ischemia was induced by distal occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery in C57BL6/J mice...

This study aimed to assess and compare diverse formulations of ivermectin-loaded liposomes, employing lipid film hydration and ethanol injection methods. Three lipids (DOPC, SPC, and DSPC) were used in predetermined molar ratios. A total of 18 formulations were created, and a factorial design determined the optimal formulation based on particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency. The average mean particle size, PDI and zeta potential of the selected formulations (F1, F2, F7, F9, and F11) was, respectively, 196...

Recently, our group developed a synergistic brain drug delivery method to achieve simultaneous transcranial hyperthermia and localized blood-brain barrier opening via MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS). In a rodent model, we demonstrated that the ultrasound power required for transcranial MRgFUS hyperthermia was significantly reduced by injecting microbubbles (MBs). However, the specific mechanisms underlying the power reduction caused by MBs remain unclear. The present study aims to elucidate the mechanisms of MB-enhanced transcranial MRgFUS hyperthermia through numerical studies using the finite element method...

OBJECTIVES: Antibiotic resistance in gonorrhoea is of significant public health concern with the emergence of resistance to last-line therapies such as ceftriaxone. Despite around half of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates tested in the UK being susceptible to ciprofloxacin, very little ciprofloxacin is used in clinical practice. Testing for the S91F mutation associated with ciprofloxacin resistance is now available in CE-marked assays and may reduce the requirement for ceftriaxone, but many patients are treated empirically, or as sexual contacts, which may limit any benefit...

BACKGROUND: Increasing levels of poor glycaemic control among Thai patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) motivated us to compare T2DM care between urban and suburban primary care units (PCUs), to identify gaps in care, and to identify significant factors that may influence strategies to enhance the quality of care and clinical outcomes in this population. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 2160 patients with T2DM treated at four Thai PCUs from 2019 to 2021, comprising one urban and three suburban facilities...