BMC Research Notes最新文献

Objective: Effective time management is crucial for the survival of all patients, particularly those with cardiovascular conditions. This is especially true in the context of pre-hospital emergency services, where prompt intervention can significantly impact outcomes. This study delves into the timeliness of emergency services and the subsequent outcomes for hospitalized cardiovascular patients in EMS center in Fasa University of Medical Sciences, southern Iran.

Results: A total of 4972 emergency calls related to cardiac diagnoses were received between 2020 and 2023. The transport time was significantly correlated with age, location of the mission, and type of mission. Of the total, 86 underwent angioplasty within the standard time of less than 90 min, of which 81 were discharged and 5 died. 51 patients underwent angioplasty after more than 90 min, of which 47 were discharged and 4 died. In addition, 124 of these patients experienced cardiopulmonary resuscitation, of which 63 were successful and 61 were unsuccessful.

Objectives: Apples are one of the most frequently consumed fruits and are effective in preventing lifestyle-related and other diseases. However, few studies have been conducted to evaluate health benefits of processed apple products such as juice. In this study, we analyzed the health benefits of consuming apple juice, focusing on changes in the gut microbiota, which plays an important role in maintaining human health.

Results: Rats were fed apple juice ad libitum, and the relative abundances of various gut microbiota in fecal samples were analyzed. In addition, rats treated apple juice were fed with a high-fat diet, and body weight, plasma triglyceride, glucose, and cholesterol levels were measured. The relative abundance of Clostridium cluster XIV did not change with the treatment of apple juice, but the relative abundance of Clostridium cluster IV was significantly decreased. In contrast, the relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which provide benefits to the human body, were significantly increased by 3-fold and 10-fold, respectively, with apple juice consumption. When apple juice-treated rats were fed a high-fat diet, the increase in body weight, liver fat, and blood lipid parameters were all suppressed compared to high-fat alone group.

Conculusion: This study suggests that the consumption of apple juice changes the gut microbiota, exerts a prebiotic effect, and is effective in improving lifestyle-related diseases.

Objective: Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) is one of the most important economic crops abundantly found in Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia. The robustness of the palm triggered the Sarawak government's selection as one of the state's commodity crops, with the opening of several sago palm plantations. However, stunted (non-trunking) palms were reported in several sago palm plantations despite attaining a maturity period of more than ten years after cultivation. Research targeting this problem has been conducted in various fields, yet information on molecular mechanisms is still scarce. This study aimed to determine the genes responsible for sago palm's normal phenotype (trunking) by attaining leaf transcriptomes from samples of all trunking sago palms from different sago palm plantations.

Data description: The conventional CTAB method was employed in the present investigation to extract total RNA from leaf tissues. Transcriptome sequencing was conducted on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform. Differential expression analysis was performed using the DESeq2 package. A total of 6,119 differentially expressed genes, comprising 4,384 downregulated and 1,735 upregulated genes, were expressed in all three sago palm datasets. The datasets provide insights into the commonly expressed genes among trunking sago palms.

Background and purpose: The relationship between dietary patterns and cirrhosis is undeniable. The present study aimed to investigate the association between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis prospectively.

Methods: In this cohort study, 121 cirrhotic patients were enrolled and followed up annually for four years. Nutritional status and dietary intakes were assessed initially, and the DASH score was calculated accordingly. Crude and multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard analyses.

Results: DASH components including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and low-fat dairy products were significantly associated with lower mortality risk in cirrhotic patients. Also, a higher DASH score was significantly associated with a reduction in the risk of mortality in patients with cirrhosis, so that after adjusting for all confounders, the risk of mortality in the upper tertile was 89% lower than the first tertile (HR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.03-0.42, P trend < 0.001). The 4-year survival rate among patients across tertiles of DASH was 32%, 37%, and 46%, respectively (P = 0.005).

Conclusion: It can be concluded that a higher DASH diet score may be associated with a reduced risk of mortality in cirrhotic patients. However, larger studies are needed to confirm the findings and determine their potential mechanisms.

Objective: The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare education is inevitable. Understanding the proficiency of generative AI in different languages to answer complex questions is crucial for educational purposes. The study objective was to compare the performance ChatGPT-4 and Gemini in answering Virology multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in English and Arabic, while assessing the quality of the generated content. Both AI models' responses to 40 Virology MCQs were assessed for correctness and quality based on the CLEAR tool designed for evaluation of AI-generated content. The MCQs were classified into lower and higher cognitive categories based on the revised Bloom's taxonomy. The study design considered the METRICS checklist for the design and reporting of generative AI-based studies in healthcare.

Results: ChatGPT-4 and Gemini performed better in English compared to Arabic, with ChatGPT-4 consistently surpassing Gemini in correctness and CLEAR scores. ChatGPT-4 led Gemini with 80% vs. 62.5% correctness in English compared to 65% vs. 55% in Arabic. For both AI models, superior performance in lower cognitive domains was reported. Both ChatGPT-4 and Gemini exhibited potential in educational applications; nevertheless, their performance varied across languages highlighting the importance of continued development to ensure the effective AI integration in healthcare education globally.

The study aimed to investigate the effects of acute ingestion of saffron (SAF) on physiological (i.e., heart rate and blood lactate) and perceptual (i.e., ratings of perceived exertion [RPE] and feeling scale) measures in response to a repeated-sprint ability test (RSS) in healthy young males (N = 22; mean ± SD: age, 21.7 ± 1.24 yrs.). All participants completed two experimental trials with a one-week washout period using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. In each session, the participants were randomly chosen to receive either a capsule of saffron (300 mg) (SAF session) or a capsule of lactose (PLB session) two hours before performing the RSS.No significant differences (p > 0.05) were found for heart rate, RPE, and feeling scale between the SAF or PLB sessions at pre- and post-RSS. There were no significant changes (p > 0.05) in peak time, total time, fatigue index, and blood lactate in either the SAF or PLB sessions. Acute SAF ingestion did not significantly improve RSS performance nor physiological and perceptual measures in active young males. Future trials should address the topic by using shortened/prolonged higher doses of SAF on biological, physical, physiological, and perceptual responses to acute and chronic exercise.

Objectives: In recent years, there has been much discussion and research on electronic nose (e-nose). This topic has developed mainly in the medical and food fields. Typically, e-nose is combined with machine learning algorithms to predict or detect multiple sensory classes in each tea sample. Therefore, in e-nose systems, e-nose signal processing is an important part. In many situations, a comprehensive set of experiments is required to ensure the prediction model can be generalized well. This data set specifically focuses on two main goals such as classification of green tea quality and prediction of organoleptic score. In this experiment, Gambung dry green tea samples were used. The challenge is that dry tea does not emit as strong an aroma as tea infusions, making it more difficult for the e-nose system to detect and identify the aromas. This data set offers a valuable resource for researchers and developers to conduct investigations and experiments by classifying and detecting organoleptic scores that aim to categorize and identify organoleptic ratings. This enables a deeper understanding of the quality of dry green tea and encourages further integration of e-nose technology in the tea industry.

Data description: This experiment focused on analyzing green tea aroma using six gas sensors. Seventy-eight green tea samples were tested, each observed three times, using a tea chamber connected to a sensor chamber via a hose and an intake micro air pump. Air flowed from the tea chamber to the sensor chamber for 60 s, followed by 60 s of aroma data recording. This data was saved into CSV files and labeled according to the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 3945:2016, which includes special and general requirements for green tea quality. An organoleptic test by a tea tester further labeled the data set into "good" or "quality defect" for classification and provided organoleptic scores based on dry appearance, brew color, taste, aroma, and dregs of brewing for continuous label.

Background: In Nigeria, since 2002, Imatinib mesylate (glivec^®) has been available freely to chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) patients but only at a tertiary health care centre in the southwestern part of the country. Despite this, it is not readily accessible to many patients due to the distance and other challenges including low socioeconomic status and political problems, preventing timely access to specialist care. This study evaluated the effect of the baseline characteristics on the prognostic implication and treatment outcome of CML patients in Nigeria.

Method: This study retrospectively evaluated the baseline characteristics, clinical presentations and treatment outcomes of 889 CML patients over 18 years (2002-2020). Of these, 576 (65%) patients had complete information with up-to-date BCR::ABL1 records. These 576 patients were categorized based on their responses to Imatinib therapy into three groups viz.; Optimal response (OR) defined as BCR::ABL1 ratio of < 0.1% or major molecular remission (≥ 3-log reduction of BCR::ABL1 mRNA or BCR::ABL1 ratio of < 0.1% on the International Scale), Suboptimal response (SR) with BCR::ABL ratio of 0.1-1%, and Treatment failure (TF) when MMR has not been achieved at 12 months. The variables were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and a p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The result revealed a median age of 37 years at diagnosis with a male-to-female ratio of 1.5:1. The majority (96.8%) of the patients presented with one or more symptoms at diagnosis with a mean symptom duration of 12 ± 10.6 months. The mean Sokal and EUTOS scores were 1.3 ± 0.8 and 73.90 ± 49.09 respectively. About half of the patients presented with high-risk Sokal (49%) and EUTOS (47%) scores. Interestingly, both the Sokal (r = 0.733, p = 0.011) and EUTOS (r = 0.102, p = 0.003) scores correlated positively and significantly with the duration of symptoms at presentation. Based on response categorization, 40.3% had OR while 27.1% and 32.6% had SR and TF respectively.

Conclusion: This study observed a low optimal response rate of 40.3% and treatment failure rate of 32.6% in our CML cohort while on first-line Imatinib therapy. This treatment response is strongly attributable to the long duration of symptoms of 12 months or more and high Sokal and EUTOS scores at presentation. We advocate prompt and improved access to specialist care with optimization of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in Nigeria.

Objectives: The Ishikawa cell line is the most widely used model system for investigating implantation and endometrial cancer. Understanding the biology of this cell line is essential for developing effective interventional strategies. To gain a deeper understanding of its cellular protein profile, we extracted cellular proteins from Ishikawa cells and analyzed the peptides using mass spectrometry. Our goal was to create a proteomic resource specifically tailored for Ishikawa cells. This data set is of particular significance in the realm of targeted drug delivery. Liposomes are synthetic spherical vesicles composed of hydrophobic bilayer phospholipids and have received immense recognition as highly effective carriers for the delivery of pharmaceutical drugs and essential nutrients to the endometrium. Phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine are often combined to create functional liposomal systems. To discern any potential interfering effects originating from the liposome backbone, our investigation involved direct effects of phospholipid liposomes on endometrial epithelial cells.

Data description: The data set includes peptide spectra derived from the intracellular proteomes of Ishikawa endometrial cancer cell isolates and their phospholipid-treated counterparts. Representing a proteome-wide profile, this dataset aims to contribute to a broader understanding of the physiology of endometrial epithelial cells. Proteomic analysis identified key proteins involved in the intricate regulation of cellular metabolism, cell cycle progression, and signaling. Between-group analysis revealed no differentially expressed proteins after adjusting for multiple testing using the applied thresholds (p-value < 0.05 and |logFC| > 1). Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD050871.

Background and objectives: Medical students experience different types of challenges during their MD program, which become more challenging when it comes to the internship, putting too much pressure on them. This study aimed to explore the challenges of medical interns of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), Shiraz, Iran.

Methods: In this qualitative research, which was conducted from September 2023 March 2024, medical interns of SUMS were selected using purposeful sampling method. The data were collected through deep and semi-structured interviews, and it was continued until data saturation was achieved. The data analysis was performed through thematic content analysis.

Results: A total of 13 participants (6 men and 7 women) with a mean ± SD age of 25 ± 1.6 years were interviewed. The challenges of medical interns consisted of 423 meaning units, 79 open codes, 14 subthemes, and 6 main themes; the main themes consisted of educational challenges, challenges following university regulations, health and behavioral issues, economic/employment-related issues, sociocultural and recreational challenges, and ethical issues.

Conclusion: The results of this study highlight the necessity for reforms in the medical internship phase aiming to tackle interns' issues and establish a supportive and nurturing environment for future medical doctors.