Introduction: Even though state minimum wage (MW) is a policy lever that affects income and poverty and can prevent of violence, no prior study has comprehensively evaluated its impact in the United States (US). In this study, we estimated the impact of at least a $1 USD increase in state MW above the federal MW […]
Using genetics to aid detection of adverse drug effects: a Mendelian randomisation analysis of genetically proxied GLP-1RA in 1,020,464 participants across three population-based cohorts
Background: GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) are an established treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity. Their widespread use is set to increase through both indication expansion and patent expiry. As well as efficacy, it is crucial to understand the safety of this drug class to enable optimal use. Here we demonstrate how a […]
Willingness to Pay for Primary Health Care Services and Associated Factors in Eastern Kasai, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Background In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health care financing relies heavily on out-of-pocket payments, limiting access to essential services. In a context of declining external funding and ongoing efforts toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC), understanding households willingness to pay (WTP) for health care is critical for designing sustainable financing strategies. This study […]
Harmonising APASL and A-TANGO criteria for acute-on-chronic liver failure: identification of complementary high-risk pre-ACLF populations
Background & Aims: ACLF is defined differently by APASL (acute hepatic dysfunction) and by organ failure-based frameworks including EASL-CLIF and the recently developed A-TANGO score. Whether these definitions identify competing populations or sequential stages of the same syndrome remains unresolved, with direct implications for the timing of intervention. We tested whether APASL-defined ACLF can be […]
Artificial Intelligence-Based Chatbots in Genetic Counseling Practice: Current Uptake, Utilization, and Perspectives
AI-driven chatbots have been utilized in healthcare to automate administrative tasks, improve patient education, and expand access to medical information; however, their role in genetic counseling remains underexplored. To investigate the adoption, perceptions, and potential utility of AI-based chatbots in genetic counseling practice, 217 genetic counselors and genetic counseling students from across North America were […]
Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Monoclonal Antibodies Versus Oral Gepants for Episodic Migraine Prevention: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Background. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-targeted therapies, including injectable monoclonal antibodies (mAbs: erenumab, fremanezumab, galcanezumab, eptinezumab) and oral gepants (atogepant, rimegepant), represent a paradigm shift in episodic migraine prevention. No direct head-to-head trials across the full drug class exist. We conducted a PRISMA-NMA-compliant Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare the relative efficacy and tolerability of all […]
Causal Network Mapping of sEEG Identifies Compact Epileptogenic Targets Concordant with Seizure Freedom: Multicenter Validation in 60 Patients
Background and Purpose: Drug resistant epilepsy (DRE) affects approximately 15 million people worldwide, and surgery remains the only curative option. A key challenge in predicting outcomes is the lack of standardized, quantitative tools to help distinguish seizure driver regions from responder regions during stereoelectroencephalography (sEEG) recordings. We validated the CN Suite, a computational platform that […]
Collagen Rope Trick: Cell-Laden Fibre Assembly at 1 Liquid Interfaces
Tissues and organs in living organisms represent centimeter-scale hierarchical architectures comprising nano- to microscale, uniaxially aligned extracellular matrix (ECM) fibres with high mechanical strength, integrated with cellular components, as exemplified in tendon, skin, cartilage, bone, and blood vessels. Here, we present a liquid-liquid interfacial spinning method to produce highly uniaxially aligned, centimeter-scale collagen fibres. The […]
Proteomic Identification of Pig Xenoantigens for Clinical Xenotransplantation
Xenotransplantation using genetically engineered pig organs offers a promising solution to the shortage of donor organs for life-saving transplants. However, human preformed antibodies against unknown pig xenoantigens remain a significant barrier to successful xenotransplantation. Current methods for characterizing these antibodies or xenoantigens are limited to cellular-level crossmatch assays. In this study, we developed a novel […]
Sex-specific associations between metabolic dysregulation and knee pain: a 9-year population-based cohort study
Introduction Knee pain is a highly prevalent condition in the general population and is more common than knee osteoarthritis. Population-based evidence linking metabolic dysfunction to knee pain remains limited, and data on sex-specific effects are scarce. Therefore, we examined sex-specific associations between metabolic dysregulation and knee pain in a population-based cohort. Method We analyzed data […]
Patient and caregiver lived experiences and mental health service engagement during first-episode psychosis in Uganda: a longitudinal mixed-methods study protocol
Introduction: Engagement with mental health services (MHCS) during the first episode of psychosis (FEP) is critical for symptom control, quality of life, and relapse prevention. However, disengagement rates remain high in Uganda with severe consequences for patients and caregivers. This study protocol describes a mixed-methods investigation which aims to examine the relationship between patients and […]
TRENDS-Thai: decadal trends of dengue, chikungunya, and hand, foot, and mouth disease in Thailand (2016-2025): a multi-disease time-series analysis of COVID-19 disruption
Introduction: Dengue, chikungunya, and hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) are priority notifiable infections in Thailand. Whether vector-borne and contact-mediated diseases responded differently to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has not been quantified within a unified national surveillance framework over an extended period. Methods: We conducted an ecological interrupted time-series analysis using weekly province-level notifiable […]