Search PubMedSearch

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “flexible and navigable suction ureteral access sheath”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

2,985 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Psychotherapy training in psychiatry: a systematic review and narrative synthesis on the supervision experiences of early-career psychiatrists.

BACKGROUND: Supervision is a fundamental component of psychotherapy training, transforming theoretical knowledge into clinical skills through real-world practice. Psychotherapy training practices vary widely between countries, training programs, and over time, including supervision. Our systematic review aimed to investigate and describe the experiences of psychotherapy supervision through early-career psychiatrists' (ECPs) views. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and PubPsych for survey-based studies on ECPs' experiences of psychotherapy supervision during or after their psychiatry training and reported our findings according to the PRISMA guidelines. Of 32,877 articles screened, 29 articles were included. Each article underwent quality assessment, and results were synthesized narratively. RESULTS: Included articles published between 2000 and 2025, were from Europe (N = 16, 55.1%), the Americas (N = 5, 17.2%), Western Pacific (N = 4, 13.7%), South-East Asia (N = 2, 7%), Eastern Mediterranean (N = 1, 3.5%), and Africa (N = 1, 3.5%), with a total of 4691 participants. Supervision access rates ranged from 26.2% in Nigeria to 85.5% in Russia, with significant variation across countries and psychotherapy modalities. Most ECPs received 50-100 total hours of supervision, frequently delivered in weekly sessions. While formats, individual, group, or mixed, varied by country and training scheme, supervision was generally provided by a psychiatrist-psychotherapist. Common learning techniques included oral consultations and case discussions, followed by audio recordings or transcripts. The need to self-fund psychotherapy supervision costs was identified as a prominent barrier. CONCLUSIONS: Psychotherapy supervision is inconsistent globally, with barriers including supervisor availability and cost. There is a large implementation gap between recommendations and evaluated practice. Digital tools and competency-based frameworks may improve access and quality.

Humans

A modified stomal construction technique to reduce incidence of stomal stenosis in continent catheterizable channels.

BACKGROUND: Antegrade continence enema (ACE) and catheterizable bladder channel (Mitrofanoff) procedures are routinely performed in pediatric urology patients diagnosed with a neurogenic bladder and bowel. Stomal stenosis is a common surgical complication of these procedures, occurring in approximately 10-30% of stomas. Our frustration with this complication prompted us to modify our suturing technique during stomal construction to attempt to decrease the incidence of stomal stenosis. METHODS: We compared the rates of stomal stenosis between patients with neurogenic bladder who underwent the creation of an ACE or Mitrofanoff channel using the historical techniques (prior to April 2018) versus the current technique (from April 2018 to December 2020). Our current technique for stoma creation consists of suturing full thickness bowel to only the dermal layer of the skin using interrupted 5-0 polydioxanone interrupted sutures with the knots buried. Statistics were performed using Fisher's exact t-test, with p-values <0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in demographics between patients in the 2 cohorts. Stomal stenosis occurred in 25 of 98 stomas (25.5%) after undergoing either an ACE or Mitrofanoff procedure using the historical techniques, with a median patient follow-up of 122.6 months for ACE cohort and 165.8 for Mitrofanoff cohort. The incidence of stomal stenosis was significantly decreased in the current technique, with one of the 31 stomas (3.2%) experiencing stenosis (p = 0.022), with a median follow-up of 78.4 months for ACE cohort, and 66.5 months for Mitrofanoff cohort. These follow-up durations exceed the upper limits of time-to-stenosis in the historical stomas. Stomas in the current cohort have a minimum follow-up of 4.5 years and a maximum follow-up of 7 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our current suturing technique has significantly reduced the incidence of stomal stenosis in our patients. The technique is straightforward and flexible and can be applied to any stoma placed in any position. Only one of the patients with stomas created with the current suturing technique have developed stomal stenosis, with follow-up exceeding the median time to development of stenosis of our historical cohort.

Humans

Community pharmacists' perspectives on resupplying and prescribing contraceptives: a descriptive qualitative study in Australia.

OBJECTIVES: Australia has commenced implementing contraceptive resupply and prescribing by community pharmacists to improve equity in method access. This study aimed to investigate pharmacist's acceptability of hormonal contraceptive resupply and prescribing. METHODS: Participants were recruited via convenience sampling and had provided contraceptive counseling consistent with the ALLIANCE intervention (i.e. structured, patient-centered, effectiveness-based care) to women seeking the emergency contraceptive pill or presenting prescriptions for medical abortion medicines. This qualitative descriptive study was embedded within the ALLIANCE trial, whose process evaluation included semi-structured interviews with pharmacist participants. The interview guide, containing questions on pharmacists' views of the resupply and prescribing service, was reviewed by the ALLIANCE Trial Chief Investigators and piloted in June 2024 with the SPHERE Pharmacy Advisory Circle. Thirteen questions were developed using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA). Two researchers conducted line-by-line coding using an iteratively refined codebook, with codes mapped to TFA constructs to examine operationalization in pharmacists' delivery of hormonal contraception. KEY FINDINGS: Although pharmacists (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;24) perceived that the service could be cost- and time-saving to patients, they raised concerns of unintentionally removing general practitioner (GP)-led monitoring of patients and overstepping GPs' roles. While pharmacists felt confident in their expertise and generally supported the service, they expressed hesitation about initiating contraceptive prescriptions, for which they felt further training and access to comprehensive medical records were required. Additional barriers included increased workload pressures, lack of reimbursement, and inadequate staffing. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, providing a resupply service appears to be acceptable to community pharmacists because it relies on the GP's initial assessment but prescribing less so. However, evaluation is needed post-implementation to explore sustainability, feasibility, and long-term impact on patient outcomes.

contraception

The Long Road to Long-Acting: What Oral PrEP and CAB-LA Teach Us About Scaling Lenacapavir.

Despite significant biomedical advances, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a persistent global health crisis, with over 40 million people affected as of 2023, two-thirds of whom live in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region. However, from an HIV prevention perspective, the more urgent concern is the continued occurrence of approximately 1.3 million new infections annually, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and in settings where incidence is stable or increasing. This commentary explores the evolving landscape of HIV prevention, focusing on the trajectory of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA), and the newly emerging lenacapavir. While oral PrEP opened new possibilities, adherence challenges have limited its impact. CAB-LA demonstrated superior efficacy but encountered access, cost, and delivery barriers that restricted uptake. Lenacapavir, offering 6-monthly subcutaneous dosing with &#x2265;&#xa0;99.9% efficacy in trials, holds the potential to overcome these hurdles. As of May 2026, lenacapavir had received regulatory approval in 17 countries, including several African nations, while regulatory reviews remained ongoing in multiple additional countries, reflecting the rapid global expansion of access to this long-acting HIV prevention option. However, its success depends on clinical promise, timely licensing, affordability, and integration into health systems. Drawing from real-world lessons of oral PrEP and CAB-LA, this paper argues that a proactive, coordinated rollout of lenacapavir could dramatically expand prevention reach. With global stakeholders aiming for 3 million users by 2028 and strategic licensing in 120 countries, the groundwork is in place. The recent release of WHO guidance recommending lenacapavir as an additional PrEP option further strengthens this momentum. Yet, equitable delivery, user-centred models, and strong policy backing will be critical. Ultimately, long-acting PrEP is not just a clinical breakthrough; it is a test of health systems' ability to deliver innovation at scale.

Humans

The impact of drug decriminalization policy on mental health- and substance-related service utilization among people who use drugs with prior care in British Columbia.

BACKGROUND: In 2023, British Columbia implemented a pilot illicit drug decriminalization policy aimed at addressing the high burden of illicit drug toxicity deaths, creating a need to examine its health system impacts. Although research on decriminalization has largely focused only on substance-related outcomes, broader mental health service utilization, including substance-related mental health care, among people who use drugs remains an insufficiently studied domain that this study seeks to address. METHODS: In this single interrupted time series analysis of prevalent people who use drugs with prior care (PWUD-PC) in BC, we examined the proportion of people who accessed mental health and substance-related (MH-SR) services and their average monthly MH-SR visits one year before and after the decriminalization policy, stratified by physician visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations. RESULTS: The population prevalence of PWUD-PC remained stable at 1.8% before and after decriminalization, and no statistically significant changes were observed in the proportion of PWUD-PC accessing MH-SR physician services and hospitalizations. The early period following decriminalization did not produce large shifts in overall MH-SR service use among PWUD-PC. Some movements in trends were seen in emergency department use, while several other outcomes, particularly in hospitalizations and physician visits, continued pre-existing trends. CONCLUSION: Overall, we found stable patterns of MH-SR service engagement across the intervention period and small shifts in the post-intervention trends of average MH-SR service visits. These findings suggest that the early period following decriminalization did not lead to abrupt or large shifts in MH-SR service use among PWUD-PC.

Humans

Intervention Without Borders - an Automated Self-Guided AI-Enhanced Psychoeducation Intervention for Dementia Caregivers: Parallel-Group Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether a fully automated, self-guided intervention (PDC30) could improve caregiver well-being over a 1-month waitlist control in an international sample. DESIGN: Randomized waitlist-controlled trial. SETTING: Web-based platform accessible globally. PARTICIPANTS: 441 individuals responded to study promotion on the internet, of whom 274 from 43 countries met the study criteria and were randomized. Eligible participants were adults providing &#x2265;10 care hours weekly to community-dwelling relatives with dementia, scoring &#x2265;5 on Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and without recent caregiver intervention. INTERVENTION: Available 24/7, PDC30 is a self-guided, automated intervention consisting of a Guidebook, an AI-powered counseling chatbot, and interactive applications for cognitive-behavioral techniques, relaxation, and caregiver-recipient bonding. MEASUREMENTS: At baseline and follow-ups at 1, 2, and 3 months, depression was assessed by PHQ-9. Secondary outcomes were measured with validated brief versions of anxiety, burden, and positive gains. RESULTS: Intent-to-treat analysis using mixed-effects regression showed treatment x time2 effects on all outcomes except anxiety. At 1-month follow-up, coinciding with exclusive access to PDC30, intervention caregivers showed significant improvements in depression (d = -0.37), burden (d = -0.34), and positive gains (d = 0.42). The differences mostly disappeared after control participants received the intervention, while improvements in both groups were sustained thereafter. Participants reported using the website several times weekly, were generally satisfied with it, and found the chatbot most helpful. CONCLUSIONS: The effects on depression and other outcomes were consistent with those observed for in-person programs, suggesting the viability of well-designed automated intervention. The study demonstrates the feasibility, acceptability, and potential global health impact of PDC30.

Humans

Antibiotic-impregnated bone graft to prevent infection after total hip arthroplasty (ABOGRAFT): protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Studies have shown promising results using bone graft as a carrier for local administration of antibiotics to reduce the risk of prosthetic joint infection (PJI). The objective of this clinical trial is to determine if tobramycin and vancomycin-impregnated bone graft is safe and effective in reducing the rate of PJI after total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is an international, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical drug trial. Patients scheduled for THA (n=1100) requiring bone grafting (excluding revisions due to an ongoing infection) are randomised in a 1:1 ratio to prophylactic treatment with tobramycin and vancomycin or placebo-impregnated bone graft.The primary outcome is the time to reoperation due to infection or diagnosis of PJI, expressed as a relative risk difference between the two groups. A risk reduction of at least 50% is considered clinically relevant. Secondary outcomes are time to and reason for reoperation and implant revision, type of micro-organism and antibiotic susceptibility pattern within 2 and 5 years after surgery. Safety outcomes are the number of adverse events and revision rate due to aseptic loosening. The primary analysis will be performed using proportional hazard models. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved under the Clinical Trial Regulation No 536/2014 (EU CT; 2024-510921-25-00). Results will be published in open-access peer-reviewed journals and disseminated to patient organisations and the media, and de-identified individual participant data will be curated and shared on reasonable request in accordance with the Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reuse principles, subject to the laws and regulations governing data protection in each participating country. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05169229.

Humans

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage care in a middle-income public healthcare system: A real-world neurocritical care cohort.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although aneurysm treatment capacity has expanded worldwide, outcomes after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remain strongly influenced by neurocritical care (NCC) delivery, referral pathways, and access to specialized treatment. Contemporary data describing real-world aSAH care in resource-limited healthcare systems remain scarce. We aimed to characterize treatment patterns, NCC delivery, complications, and outcomes in a large Brazilian public referral center. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included consecutive adults with confirmed aSAH admitted between June 2018 and March 2022 to a high-volume Brazilian tertiary referral center. Only patients admitted within five days of symptom onset were included. Demographic, clinical, radiological, treatment, complication, and outcome data were extracted from institutional records. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and 3-month functional outcome assessed by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were included. Disease severity was high, with 45% presenting WFNS grades 4-5, 73% modified Fisher grade 4 hemorrhage, and 64% hydrocephalus. Endovascular treatment was performed in 73% of cases, and median time from admission to aneurysm treatment was 1&#xa0;day. Despite early treatment capability, only 28% of patients were admitted to an ICU within 48&#xa0;h, while 38% never received ICU care. Delayed cerebral ischemia occurred in 43%, radiologic vasospasm in 58%, ventriculitis in 22%, and infectious complications in 57%. External ventricular drainage was required in 42%, and vasoactive drugs were used in 85%. In-hospital mortality was 42%, and 66% had unfavorable 3-month outcomes (mRS 4-6). CONCLUSIONS: This real-world cohort highlights the substantial neurocritical care burden of aSAH in a middle-income public healthcare system. Despite timely access to definitive aneurysm treatment, patients experienced frequent neurological and systemic complications, emphasizing that contemporary aSAH care extends well beyond aneurysm occlusion.

Humans

The musculoskeletal pain literacy questionnaire (MSK-PLq) - Part 1: Development of a preliminary version through a systematic review and Delphi consensus.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide, and self-management is a first-line approach recommended by international clinical guidelines. Access to evidence-based information that enhances health literacy may support patients' engagement in their self-management and treatment decision-making, potentially reducing disease burden and pain. However, no tool currently exists to assess health literacy specifically in MSK pain. This study aimed to develop and describe the preliminary version of a knowledge-based questionnaire to evaluate MSK pain literacy, the Musculoskeletal Pain-Literacy questionnaire (MSK-PLq). METHODS: A systematic literature review identified existing health literacy instruments and generated a preliminary list of domains. A two-round Delphi study with 22 panellists (19 experts and three people living with chronic MSK pain), followed by consensus meetings, was used to refine domains and items (&#x2265;70% agreement). Readability was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) score and three stakeholders were consulted to review the questionnaire for comprehensibility, clarity, and face validity. RESULTS: Six domains were retained (Understand, Access, Appraise, Apply, Digital, Beliefs), comprising 20 items in the preliminary version of MSK-PLq. Readability was acceptable (mean FRE 74, indicating fairly easy reading), and subject feedback supported the questionnaire's clarity and face validity. CONCLUSIONS: The preliminary version of the MSK-PLq is proposed as the first knowledge-based tool to assess functional, interactive, and critical aspects of MSK pain literacy. It may have applications in clinical practice, research, education, and digital health, by informing tailored patient education and supporting self-management strategies, although further psychometric validation is required.

Humans

Exploring Professional Experiences in Caring for Vulnerable Migrants in an Italian Rural Reception Centre: A Qualitative Study Using Multidimensional Textual Analysis-Professional Experiences in Rural Migrant Care.

AIM: This study aims to explore the experiences, strengths, challenges, and potential improvements for professionals in managing the complex needs of vulnerable migrants (VM) in an Italian rural reception centre. METHODS: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted in April 2024. Data were analysed using the Automatic Analysis of Textual Data, based on Fraire's seven-step model for Exploratory Multidimensional Data Analysis. DATA SOURCES: Data were collected from 16 professionals working in a rural reception centre in southern Italy. Interviews were conducted and analysed using AATD in April 2024. FINDINGS: The analysis identified two main dimensions of professionals' roles: balancing systemic responsibilities with personal engagement and managing immediate needs versus long-term integration goals. Professionals face significant challenges, such as resource scarcity, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and emotional fatigue, which impact their well-being and the quality of care provided to migrants. Resilience, adaptability, and multidisciplinary collaboration were identified as key strengths. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the dual nature of professionals' work in reception centres, requiring them to balance operational tasks with emotional involvement in migrant care. Targeted interventions and systemic reforms are necessary to support professionals and enhance the quality of care for vulnerable migrants, particularly in resource-constrained rural settings. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND/OR PATIENT CARE: This study underscores the importance of providing targeted support to professionals working in reception centres, including training in intercultural competence, stress management, and coping strategies. Policies should address systemic challenges and provide resources to enhance healthcare delivery and social integration programs. REPORTING METHOD: This study adhered to the EQUATOR guidelines for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). The findings were reported in compliance with these guidelines, ensuring methodological rigour and transparency. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: This study highlights the critical need for targeted support and training for professionals working in reception centres, particularly in rural settings. To improve care for vulnerable migrants, professionals should receive training in intercultural competence, stress management, and coping strategies to better navigate the complex challenges they face. Furthermore, systemic changes are necessary to alleviate the pressures on reception centres, such as streamlining bureaucratic processes and enhancing healthcare infrastructure, particularly in rural areas where resources are limited. By addressing these needs, we can improve the well-being of both the professionals and the migrants they serve, fostering more effective support systems and better care outcomes. Additionally, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration and community engagement can contribute to more comprehensive and sustainable care models. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The Ethics Committee of the University of Rome Tor Vergata approved this study on 07/07/2021 (protocol registration number 160.21).

Humans

From fear to empowerment: the&#xa0;impact of employees AI awareness on workplace well-being - a new insight from the JD-R model.

PURPOSE: The primary purpose of the study was to explore the impact of health workers' awareness of artificial intelligence (AI) on their workplace well-being, addressing a critical gap in the literature. By examining this relationship through the lens of the Job demands-resources (JD-R) model, the study aimed to provide insights into how health workers' perceptions of AI integration in their jobs and careers could influence their informal learning behaviour and, consequently, their overall well-being in the workplace. The study's findings could inform strategies for supporting healthcare workers during technological transformations. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The study employed a quantitative research design using a survey methodology to collect data from 420 health workers across 10 hospitals in Ghana that have adopted AI technologies. The study was analysed using OLS and structural equation modelling. FINDINGS: The study findings revealed that health workers' AI awareness positively impacts their informal learning behaviour at the workplace. Again, informal learning behaviour positively impacts health workers' workplace well-being. Moreover, informal learning behaviour mediates the relationship between health workers' AI awareness and workplace wellbeing. Furthermore, employee learning orientation was found to strengthen the effect of AI awareness on informal learning behaviour. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: While the study provides valuable insights, it is important to acknowledge its limitations. The study was conducted in a specific context (Ghanaian hospitals adopting AI), which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other healthcare settings or industries. Self-reported data from the questionnaires may be subject to response biases, and the study did not account for potential confounding factors that could influence the relationships between the variables. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The study offers practical implications for healthcare organizations navigating the digital transformation era. By understanding the positive impact of health workers' AI awareness on their informal learning behaviour and well-being, organizations can prioritize initiatives that foster a learning-oriented culture and provide opportunities for informal learning. This could include implementing mentorship programs, encouraging knowledge-sharing among employees and offering training and development resources to help workers adapt to AI-driven changes. Additionally, the findings highlight the importance of promoting employee learning orientation, which can enhance the effectiveness of such initiatives. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study contributes to the existing literature by addressing a relatively unexplored area - the impact of AI awareness on healthcare workers' well-being. While previous research has focused on the potential job displacement effects of AI, this study takes a unique perspective by examining how health workers' perceptions of AI integration can shape their informal learning behaviour and, subsequently, their workplace well-being. By drawing on the JD-R model and incorporating employee learning orientation as a moderator, the study offers a novel theoretical framework for understanding the implications of AI adoption in healthcare organizations.

Humans

New Horizons in the Development of Treatments for Substance Use Disorders.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a major public health problem in the United States and cause substantial morbidity and mortality. There are meaningful gaps in the available SUD treatment options, and the development of new therapies is urgently needed. While medications with U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval are available for alcohol, nicotine, and opioid use disorders, there are no approved pharmacotherapies for cannabis, cocaine, or methamphetamine use disorders. Behavioral treatments for SUDs have significant limitations in effectiveness and accessibility, and there is a need for the development of both new behavioral treatment options and new models of treatment delivery. The next generation of treatments for SUDs will likely come from a diverse set of interventions, including new drug classes, new technologies, and new methods of delivery.

Humans

The value of international collaborations for supporting neuroanesthesia practice, education, and research in resource-constrained settings.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Neuroanesthesia practice in low- and middle-income countries is constrained by workforce shortages, limited infrastructure, and variability in clinical practice. Growing global interest in collaboration makes it timely to evaluate how international partnerships can address these gaps and improve equity in care, education, and research. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent literature highlights substantial variability in neuroanesthesia practice and limited access to context-appropriate guidelines and advanced technologies. International collaborations, including training partnerships, scholarship programs, and research networks, have improved knowledge exchange, workforce development, and the adoption of standardized practices. Evidence suggests that specialized training is associated with improved clinical outcomes. However, persistent inequities in research participation, authorship, and leadership, as well as concerns regarding sustainability and 'parachute research', remain. SUMMARY: International collaboration is a key strategy for advancing neuroanesthesia in resource-constrained settings. Sustainable, equitable partnerships that prioritize local ownership, capacity building, and contextual adaptation are essential to improving clinical practice, strengthening education, and enhancing global research representation.

Humans

Whole-Genome Deep Learning Predicts Chemotherapy Response in Colorectal Cancer.

Chemotherapy response in colorectal cancer (CRC) exhibits significant heterogeneity, with current clinical predictors failing to capture complex genomic determinants of resistance. We developed a hybrid deep learning framework integrating convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) networks to analyze whole-genome somatic mutations, evolutionary conservation, chromatin accessibility, and 3D genome architecture in 2,546 TCGA patients. An attention mechanism identified predictive genomic regions. The model achieved an AUC of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.89-0.94) in cross-validation and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85-0.91) in independent validation, outperforming clinical models (&#x394;AUC = +0.18, p < 0.001). Key predictors included non-coding variants in TP53, KRAS, and PIK3CA regulatory regions. Triple-positive patients (mutations in all 3 regions) had significantly worse progression-free survival (HR = 4.7, p < 0.001). Our framework enables accurate chemotherapy response prediction and reveals novel non-coding resistance mechanisms, advancing precision oncology in CRC.

Humans

An updated systematic review of buffalo nutritional requirements (2000-2024).

Buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) are large ruminants with a superior ability to digest and utilize low-quality forages, producing milk and meat of higher quality compared to cattle. Despite their importance in animal production, buffaloes remain the focus of relatively few studies aimed at defining their nutritional requirements, which often results in inadequate diet formulation and management. There, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature on buffalo nutritional requirements, considering only open-access papers published in English and in indexed journals. A total of 58 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most of them focused on dairy buffaloes, particularly on the evaluation of crude protein, energy levels, and fiber content in the diet. Mineral nutrition was addressed in eight studies; however, in general the evaluated levels showed no significant effects. In contrast, very few or no studies were found concerning beef buffaloes, growing animals, reproduction, or other production stages. These findings highlight a critical gap in the literature and reinforce the urgent need to direct more research efforts and resources toward establishing species-specific nutritional requirements, particularly for beef buffaloes.

Animals

Facilitating Thought Progression via a Gamified Mobile Application for Depression: Possible Mediators of Outcomes.

Mobile health interventions represent a scalable and accessible alternative to traditional therapy, which often is out of reach due to high costs and societal stigma. Rumination is considered a key mechanism of emotional disorders and represents a potential treatment target for digital health interventions. The current study investigated the role of rumination as a mediator of the reduction in depression and anxiety reported after the use of a gamified mobile app based on the Facilitating Thought Progression (FTP) framework. One hundred-one adults with mild to moderate depression were randomized to the FTP intervention or a waitlist control group and completed weekly assessments of depression, anxiety, and rumination over 8 weeks. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed that reduction in rumination significantly mediated decreases in depression and anxiety in the intervention group but not in the waitlist condition. These findings suggest that the FTP app targeted rumination and further highlights its role as a critical target for interventions for depression and anxiety.

Adult

ORBIT: Oncogenic Representation Learning via Bi-Prototype Contrastive Learning in Hyperbolic Space for cancer driver gene identification.

Accurate identification of cancer driver genes is crucial for precision oncology but remains challenging due to the complexity of integrating heterogeneous data and modeling dynamic biological systems. To address these limitations, we propose ORBIT (Oncogenic Representation Learning via Bi-Prototype Contrastive Learning in Hyperbolic Space). Our framework synergistically fuses multi-omics profiles with functional network data using a context-adaptive graph reweighting mechanism to capture cancer-specific dynamics. The model employs a bi-prototype contrastive learning strategy within hyperbolic space, which aligns gene representations around distinct driver and non-driver semantic anchors while preserving the intrinsic hierarchy of biological networks. Comprehensive evaluations demonstrate that ORBIT achieves highly competitive stability in pan-cancer analysis while consistently outperforming state-of-the-art methods in cancer-specific predictions. Furthermore, functional enrichment analysis confirms that the model effectively segregates core cancer pathways, and drug sensitivity profiling validates the clinical relevance of the identified drivers. By integrating hyperbolic geometry with context-adaptive learning, ORBIT offers a robust and interpretable paradigm for precision medicine. The source codes and datasets are publicly accessible at https://github.com/spcho-dev/ORBIT.

Humans

CAR-T Cell Therapy: Manufacturing Platforms and Clinical Consequences.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has transformed hematological cancer care, yet variability in efficacy, durability, and safety cannot be explained solely by antigen selection or patient factors. We propose that manufacturing platforms are active biological determinants of outcome. Viral vectors, used in all licensed products, provide stable genomic integration and durable expression but are limited by cost, cargo capacity, and centralized production. Nonviral strategies, including transposons, CRISPR knock-ins, and messenger RNA delivery, enable faster, less-expensive manufacturing with larger payloads, while introducing distinct safety and persistence profiles. This review presents a three-layer mechanistic framework that reframes manufacturing as biology: integration biology determines genomic risk and transgene stability; clonal fitness shapes persistence, dominance, and exhaustion; and epigenomic imprinting, influenced by gene transfer method, cytokines, and culture stress, preconfigures functional trajectories. Clinical observations link platform choice to immune recovery, where prolonged B-cell aplasia and delayed T-cell reconstitution contribute to infection-related nonrelapse mortality, and hematopoietic reserve at apheresis emerges as a practical predictor. Finally, manufacturing is positioned as the key to democratizing cell therapy. Decentralized, nonviral production aligned with regulatory standards may enable equitable access and transition CAR-T therapy from innovation to sustainable global care.

Humans