Background Antibiotic use is prevalent in hospitals, driving the emergence of drug-resistant pathogens. We investigated the contextual influences on antibiotic prescribing behaviour across hospitals in high, middle, and low-income countries in Asia with an aim to provide actionable insights to improve prescribing behaviour. Methods We conducted a large qualitative study across ten institutions in Singapore, […]

npj Digital Medicine, Published online: 08 April 2026; doi:10.1038/s41746-026-02598-2 Towards noninvasive blood count using a deep learning pipeline from bulbar conjunctiva videos

Recent evidence suggests that psychosis involves glutamatergic dysfunction and altered activity/connectivity within corticolimbic circuitry. While altered relationships between corticolimbic glutamatergic metabolite levels and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) have been described in schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis (FEP), whether these disruptions are also present prior to psychosis onset remains unclear. We measured Glx (glutamate + glutamine) levels […]

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and nasal polyps (NP) are closely related inflammatory airway diseases, and their co-occurrence is often associated with more persistent symptoms, frequent recurrence, and substantial respiratory morbidity. However, the extent to which CRS without and with NP (CRSsNP and CRSwNP) share genetic susceptibility-and which genetic mechanisms are disease-specific-remains poorly characterized. Methods We […]

Prenatal depression is a substantial contributor to maternal morbidity, and screening is an entry point to psychiatric assessment and treatment during pregnancy. Following updated guidelines and quality metrics for prenatal depression screening, we evaluated whether screening uptake differed by preferred language within a large U.S. healthcare system. We used electronic health record data to identify […]

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of global mortality, with persistent lung inflammation contributing to disease progression. This inflammation is partly associated with reduced levels of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2). Previous studies suggest that Vitamin D may modulate HDAC2 levels. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Vitamin D […]

Background: Nursing education in conflict-affected settings faces significant disruptions that compromise the preparation of a competent and resilient workforce. In regions such as Iraq, prolonged instability, resource constraints, and fragmented health systems challenge traditional educational models, necessitating innovative and context-responsive approaches to ensure continuity, quality, and equity in nursing training. Purpose: This study aimed to […]

Background Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting the ventral intermediate nucleus (Vim) of the thalamus is an established surgical therapy for medically refractory tremor, particularly essential tremor. Accurate localization of the Vim remains challenging because the nucleus is not directly visible on conventional MRI. Consequently, multiple targeting approaches have been developed, including atlas-based stereotactic coordinates, microelectrode […]

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of a bundle of interventions involving a clinical pharmacologist aimed at changing surgeons approach to perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) in an oncourology department. Materials and Methods. A single-center retrospective observational study was conducted. Data from 226 patients who underwent prostatectomy or nephrectomy in the oncourology department of Regional Clinical Hospital […]

BACKGROUND: Integrated WASH interventions are essential for improving public health by increasing access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services. This study evaluates their impact on water access and household knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in rural communities by comparing intervention and non-intervention areas. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in May 2025 across six […]

Timeliness of therapy initiation is a fundamental determinant of outcomes for many medical conditions, most importantly, cancer. Yet, existing inefficiencies in healthcare systems mean that delays between diagnosis and treatment frequently adversely affect the clinical outcome for cancer patients. Although estimates of effects of lag time to therapy would be informative to policymakers considering resource […]

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with altered brain structure and evidence of accelerated brain aging. However, previous studies have been limited by clinical samples with mixed medication status and multiple mood states, modest sample sizes, small percentage of MDD individuals older than 65 years of age, and/or reliance on summary-level data. Methods: Harmonized […]