Articles: human.
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Chinese medical journal · Sep 2023
ReviewMetformin may be a viable adjunctive therapeutic option to potentially enhance immune reconstitution in HIV-positive immunological non-responders.
Incomplete immune reconstitution remains a global challenge for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment in the present era of potent antiretroviral therapy (ART), especially for those individuals referred to as immunological non-responders (INRs), who exhibit dramatically low CD4 + T-cell counts despite the use of effective antiretroviral therapy, with long-term inhibition of viral replication. In this review, we provide a critical overview of the concept of ART-treated HIV-positive immunological non-response, and also explain the known mechanisms which could potentially account for the emergence of immunological non-response in some HIV-infected individuals treated with appropriate and effective ART. ⋯ In light of evidence discussed in this review, it can be seen that metformin may be of particularly favorable use if utilized as adjunctive treatment in INRs to potentially enhance immune reconstitution. The approach described herein may represent a promising area of therapeutic intervention, aiding in significantly reducing the risk of HIV disease progression and mortality in a particularly vulnerable subgroup of HIV-positive individuals.
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International trends have shifted to creating large general practices. There is an assumption that interdisciplinary teams will increase patient accessibility and provide more cost-effective, efficient services. Micro-teams have been proposed to mitigate for some potential challenges of practice expansion, including continuity of care. ⋯ The organisation of primary care has potential impact on the nature and quality of patient care, safety, and outcomes. This review contributes to current debate about care delivery and how this can impact on the experiences and outcomes of patients and staff. This analysis identifies several key opportunities and challenges for future research, policy, and practice.
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Minerva anestesiologica · Sep 2023
ReviewArtificial intelligence and "the Art of Kintsugi" in Anesthesiology: ten influential papers for clinical users.
Artificial intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the present review we chose ten influential papers from the last five years and through Kintsugi, shed the light on recent evolution of artificial intelligence in anesthesiology. A comprehensive search in in Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus databases was conducted. ⋯ During a subsequent step, each researcher presented his own list and most cited papers were selected to create the final collection of ten articles. In recent years purely methodological works with a cryptic technology (black-box) represented by the intact and static vessel, translated to a "modern artificial intelligence" in clinical practice and comprehensibility (glass-box). The purposes of this review are to explore the ten most cited papers about artificial intelligence in anesthesiology and to understand how and when it should be integrated in clinical practice.
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The lancet oncology · Sep 2023
ReviewFinancial hardship in families of children or adolescents with cancer: a systematic literature review.
Financial hardship in childhood cancer contributes to poor health outcomes and global disparities in survival, but the extent of the financial burden on families is not yet fully understood. We systematically reviewed financial hardship prevalence and individual components characterising financial hardship across six domains (medical, non-medical, and indirect costs, financial strategies, psychosocial responses, and behavioural responses) and compared characteristics across country income levels using an established theory of human needs. ⋯ Components characterising financial hardship spanned the six domains and showed variation across country income contexts, yet a synthesis of existing literature cannot establish whether these are true differences in characterisation or burden. Our findings emphasise a crucial need to implement a data-driven methodological framework with validated measures to inform effective policies and interventions to address financial hardship in childhood cancer.
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COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a Coronavirus in humans, namely SARS-CoV-2, which has quickly become a global pandemic. The infection is responsible for a severe form of pneumonia, which may lead to lung failure and death. Among the therapeutic strategies, the antiviral agent remdesivir has become one of the most used drugs. The current literature reports a causal correlation between remdesivir administration and the incidence of cardiovascular effects. We aimed to further investigate this relationship, by exploring the association between the use of remdesivir and the onset of bradyarrhythmic disorders. ⋯ We suggest to carefully monitor the administration of the drug in patients with risk factors for arrhythmic or cardiovascular events.