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Out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures for childbirth in Bangladesh have increased substantially, intensifying financial pressure on lower-income households. While wealthier groups historically bore higher delivery costs, recent trends indicate a narrowing gap in spending across socioeconomic strata. This study investigates the drivers of this convergence in delivery-related expenditures between 2014 an
BackgroundWomen’s empowerment may influence non-communicable disease (NCD) risk. However, evidence on these associations among women in Bangladesh remains limited. This study examined the associations between women’s empowerment and the prevalence of selected non-communicable conditions among ever-married reproductive-aged women in Bangladesh.MethodsData from the 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and He
Objective: Psychosocial stress increases the risk for subsequent episodes of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and drug use disorder (DUD), with most studies assessing stress exposure by questionnaire or interview methods. We developed an environmental risk score (ERS) using multiple classes of stressful life events (SLEs) obtained from national Swedish registries. Method: We assessed, in the entire adul
BACKGROUND: Accreditation of cancer centres aims to deliver high-quality, person-centered care and underscores the integration with education, research, and innovation. Over the past decade, cancer centres in the Nordic countries have engaged in accreditation processes through the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI).OBJECTIVE: This study provides an overview of a rapidly evolving lan
Background and purpose — Ankle arthrodesis (AA) and total ankle replacement are the 2 main surgical treatment options for advanced ankle arthritis but information is scarce on satisfaction and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) after surgery. We aimed to evaluate postoperative satisfaction, changes in PROMs from before to 2 years after AA, and factors associated with the outcome.Methods — T
Nucleotides and coenzymes play critical roles in energy metabolism and cellular signaling and as building blocks of nucleic acids. This work addresses the challenges in the measurement of the phosphorylated metabolites using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, which facilitates the separation and detection of polar metabolites. Here, we present optimized H
Background: Ambulatory oxygen therapy can be used to treat exertional hypoxaemia during daily life activities in people with fibrotic interstitial lung disease (ILD). However, evidence for its efficacy is scarce. This trial aimed to compare the effects of ambulatory oxygen with ambulatory air on physical activity in daily life over 6 months in people with fibrotic ILD and isolated exertional hypox
Background and aims: We examined whether the excess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among adults with steatotic liver disease (SLD) subtypes could be reduced or eliminated through joint control of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Methods and results: This prospective cohort study included 291,995 participants f
Background: Evidence on the association between systemic glucocorticoid use and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk is limited. This study aimed to determine whether systemic glucocorticoid use is associated with an increased risk of overall CRC (diagnosed at any age) and early-onset CRC (EOCRC; diagnosed before 50 years of age). Methods: A nationwide cohort study (follow-up: 2005–2018) was conducted usi
Early-life adversity negatively affects morbidity and survival in late life, but knowledge is limited about effects on women’s reproduction and reproductive health. To deepen our understanding of the full effects of disease exposure in early life, including long-term consequences, we study women’s reproductive outcomes and their offspring’s health. Using the Scanian Economic Demographic Database a
Background: Swedish nationwide family and cancer data offer the largest global resource for study of familial cancer. We focus here on familial risks in prostate cancer (PC) with questions on risk in individuals from families of multiple affected members and association of familial risk with metastatic disease and survival. Methods: Familial relative risk of PC was estimated using standardized inc
Bacteriophages exert strong selective pressure on bacterial populations and play a central role in shaping microbial evolution. In response to phage predation, bacteria have evolved diverse antiphage defence mechanisms that interfere with viral replication through a wide range of molecular strategies. Recent genomic studies have revealed a rapidly expanding repertoire of candidate defence systems,
INTRODUCTION: People with longstanding hip and groin pain (LHGP) are often referred to orthopaedic care. Physical therapist-led interventions are recommended in consensus statements as the first line of treatment, but it is unknown if structured interventions are more effective than usual care. The aim of this trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured physical therapist-led treatment
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although the effects of 5-α-reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) have been well-studied, the effects on other kallikrein markers have not been firmly established. Accordingly, a statistical model based on blood measurements of four kallikreins-known commercially as the "4Kscore"-cannot be used for men taking 5-ARIs. We investigated how finaster
Abstract INTRODUCTION Countries have varying, limited healthcare budgets for emerging disease-modifying therapies. Cost-effectiveness analysis, combined with country-level cost-effectiveness thresholds, can be used to estimate value-based prices (VBPs) for lecanemab and donanemab across 174 countries. METHODS The cost-effectiveness of lecanemab and donanemab was estimated using incremental cost an
Context: Life satisfaction (LS) is associated with health and longevity but decreases after spinal cord injury (SCI). Yet, little is known about changes in LS over time, many years after SCI. Objectives: To assess changes in LS over six years among older adults aging with long-term SCI, determine how changes in LS are associated with sex, age, injury characteristics, and with changes in secondary
The growing passion for indoor optical wireless networks reflects their immense capability to deliver consistent high-quality data connectivity across diverse indoor environments. This study examines how polarization can be engineered to enhance near-field beam focusing in optical wireless indoor networks using a modular clustered optical phased array aperture. The aperture follows a ceiling-mount
