technology in medicine

Mammalian sperm motility is getting more relevant due to rising infertility rates worldwide, generating the need to improve conventional analysis and diagnostic approaches. Nowadays, computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA) technologies represent a popular alternative to manual examination which is generally performed by observing sperm motility in very confined geometries. However, under physiological conditions, sperm describe three-dimensional motility patterns which are not well reconstructed by the limited depth of standard acquisition chambers...

The emission of noxious gases is a significant problem in pig production, as it can lead to poor production, welfare concerns, and environmental pollution. The noxious gases are the gasses emitted from the pig manure that contribute to air pollution. The increased concentration of various harmful gasses can pose health risks to both animals and humans. The major gases produced in the pig farm include methane, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and volatile fatty acids, which are mainly derived from the fermentation of undigested or poorly digested nutrients...

The primary energy source in Ethiopia is biomass. Over 80% of Ethiopians are rural dwellers who rely on biomass energy for lighting and cooking. In most parts of Ethiopia, injera is traditionally baked using an open fire, a three stone, or a device using woody biomass. These baking stoves have very low efficiency and consume a significant amount of fuel. Moreover, these traditional baking stoves have released large amounts of indoor air pollution, which has led to different types of health-related risks, especially for women and children in the country...

BACKGROUND: Proprietary Chinese medicine (PCM) is widely used in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area (GBA) of China. However, the regulatory frameworks and procedures for PCM registration in the region are not well-established, and there are differences among the three jurisdictions. The study is aimed to compare the legal basis, regulatory guidelines, application requirements, and evaluation criteria in each jurisdiction. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive review of the registration application processes for PCMs in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau based on publicly available information from respective regulators...

BACKGROUND: Informed consent is a crucial aspect of modern medicine, but it can be challenging due to the complexity of the information involved. Mixed reality (MR) has emerged as a promising technology to improve communication. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on the impact of MR on medical informed consent. The proposed research protocol provides a solid foundation for conducting future investigations and developing MR-based protocols that can enhance patients' understanding and engagement in the decision-making process...

INTRODUCTION: Bone-anchored prostheses (BAP) are an advanced reconstructive surgical approach for individuals who had transfemoral amputation and are unable to use the conventional socket-suspension systems for their prostheses. Access to this technology has been limited in part due to the lag between the start of a new procedure and the availability of evidence that is required before making decisions about widespread provision. This systematic review presents as a single resource up-to-date information on aspects most relevant to decision makers, i...

The present lifestyle, dietary patterns, psychological pressure, environmental factors, and the widespread exploitation of processed substances in food production and farming have collectively contributed to a substantial expediting in the development of various health problems. Globally, researchers have been seeking natural pharmaceutical substances with the potential to be employed in treating lifestyle-related diseases or delaying their onset. Fenugreek seeds have gained significant attention in various fields, including health, nutrition, and cutting-edge nanotechnology applications, due to their versatile qualities...

Hyperlipidemia is a multifaceted metabolic disease, which is the major risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine provides valuable therapeutic strategies in the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Inonotus obliquus has been used in traditional medicine to treat numerous diseases for a long time. To screen and isolate the fractions of I. obliquus polysaccharides (IOP) that can reduce blood lipid in the hyperlipemia animals and cell models, and investigate its mechanisms...

AIM: The aim of the third Asia-Pacific Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APAC APCCC 2023) was to discuss the application in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region of consensus statements from the 4th Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC 2022). METHODS: The one-day meeting in July 2023 brought together 27 experts from 14 APAC countries. The meeting covered five topics: (1) Intermediate- and high-risk and locally advanced prostate cancer; (2) Management of newly diagnosed metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer; (3) Management of non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer; (4) Homologous recombination repair mutation testing; (5) Management of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer...

BACKGROUND: Diabetes-related foot disease (DFD) is a leading cause of the Australian and global disease burdens and requires proportionate volumes of research to address. Bibliometric analyses are rigorous methods for exploring total research publications in a field to help identify volume trends, gaps and emerging areas of need. This bibliometric review aimed to explore the volume, authors, institutions, journals, collaborating countries, research types and funding sources of Australian publications investigating DFD over 50 years...

Over the past few years, the study of plant-derived nanovesicles (PDNVs) has emerged as a hot topic of discussion and research in the scientific community. This remarkable interest stems from their potential role in facilitating intercellular communication and their unique ability to deliver biologically active components, including proteins, lipids, and miRNAs, to recipient cells. This fascinating ability to act as a molecular courier has opened up an entirely new dimension in our understanding of plant biology...

BACKGROUND: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder associated with infertility and pregnancy complications. The pathogenesis of PCOS and its impact on reproductive function may be influenced by the source of androgens, including testosterone, free androgen, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS). However, the differential effects of these androgen on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes and the cut-off value of East Asian population with PCOS remain unclear. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at the Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2015 to November 2022, involving 636 cycles of in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI)...

BACKGROUND: Alternative polyadenylation (APA), alternative splicing (AS), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play regulatory roles in post-transcriptional processes in plants. However, little is known about their involvement in xylem development in Dalbergia odorifera, a valuable rosewood species with medicinal and commercial significance. We addressed this by conducting Isoform Sequencing (Iso-Seq) using PacBio's SMRT technology and combined it with RNA-seq analysis (RNA sequencing on Illumina platform) after collecting xylem samples from the transition zone and the sapwood of D...

A man in his 30s was involved in a road traffic crash in a small town in India, not equipped to deal with cases of brainstem death. He was declared brain-dead after a few hours. The patient's information was forwarded to organ specialists across the country, with the goal of preserving the patient's organs for donation via a tele-ICU model. The team comprising bedside doctors and remote intensivists communicating via an indigenously developed tele-ICU platform managed the patient for 24 hours, following treatment protocols and providing critical care to ensure that the patient's vital organs were optimally perfused...

After therapeutic pelvic radiation for malignancy such as prostate cancer, patients are at greater risk for spontaneous ureteral rupture. Bladder outlet obstruction and other more proximal causes of obstruction also exacerbate this vulnerability. Here we present a case of spontaneous ureteral rupture during a 99m Tc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine nuclear renal scan secondary to Foley catheter obstruction in a 73-y-old man with a prior ureteral reimplantation procedure. Prompt detection of Foley catheter malfunction could potentially prevent such adverse events...

Fibroblast activation protein is a promising target for oncologic molecular imaging with radiolabeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitors (FAPI) in a large variety of cancers. However, there are yet no published recommendations on how to set up an optimal imaging protocol for FAPI PET/CT. It is important to optimize the acquisition duration and strive toward an acquisition that is sufficiently short while simultaneously providing sufficient image quality to ensure a reliable diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of reducing the acquisition duration of [68 Ga]FAPI-46 imaging while maintaining satisfactory image quality, with certainty that the radiologist's ability to make a clinical diagnosis would not be affected...

In cardiac nuclear medicine examinations, absorption in the body is the main factor in the degradation of the image quality. The Chang and external source methods were used to correct for absorption in the body. However, fundamental studies on attenuation correction for electrocardiogram (ECG)-synchronized CT imaging have not been performed. Therefore, we developed and improved an ECG-synchronized cardiac dynamic phantom and investigated the synchronized time-phase-gated attenuation correction (STPGAC) method using ECG-synchronized SPECT and CT images of the same time phase...

The Alzheimer disease (AD) continuum is a neurodegenerative disorder with cognitive decline and pathologic changes. Tau PET imaging can detect tau pathology, and 18 F-flortaucipir PET imaging is expected to visualize progression through the stages of AD, for which quantitative assessment is essential. Two measurement methods, statistically defined multiblock barycentric discriminant analysis (MUBADA)/parametric estimation of reference signal intensity (PERSI) and anatomically defined tau meta-volume of interest (VOI)/cerebellar gray matter (CGM) for SUV ratio (SUVR), were compared in this study to assess their relationship to AD clinical stage using 2 open multicenter PET databases...

The diagnostic reference level (DRL) is a patient-exposure optimization tool used to evaluate radiation doses in medical imaging and provide guidance for protection from them. In Thailand, nuclear medicine DRLs have not been established yet. Therefore, this study surveyed dose levels in routine nuclear medicine procedures to provide national DRLs (NDRLs). Methods: NDRLs in Thailand were established by investigating the administered activity of radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine examination studies. The NDRLs were determined on the basis of the 75th percentile (third quartile) of administered activity distribution as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection...

OBJECTIVES: Exploring clinical information-seeking behaviour (CISB) and its associated factors contributes to its theoretical advancement and offers a valuable framework for addressing physicians' information needs. This study delved into the dimensions, interactions, strategies and determinants of CISB among physicians at the point of care. DESIGN: A grounded theory study was developed based on Strauss and Corbin's approach. Data were collected by semistructured interviews and then analysed through open, axial and selective coding...