Treatment with antipsychotics (APs) for schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) is generally effective, however, a significant proportion does not respond favorably. Childhood trauma (CT) subtypes (physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, physical and emotional neglect) could influence treatment effectiveness; however, research is scarce. Heterogeneity in AP response could be explained by differentiating by CT subtype. The present study was based on the Bergen-Stavanger-Trondheim-Innsbruck (BeSt InTro) study. CTQ-SF assessed CT subtypes in SSDs (n = 98). CT subtypes were examined in relation to psychosis symptoms measured by PANSS during one year of treatment with APs, by means of linear mixed effects (LME) models. Results were significant for CT subtypes, where increased levels of sexual abuse and physical neglect were associated with increased mean levels of psychosis symptoms throughout the course of treatment from baseline to 52 weeks. AP effectiveness may thus be influenced by CT subtype in SSDs. The results support clinical guidelines recommending a focus on assessment and treatment of trauma in SSDs.

BACKGROUND: Injectable fillers for soft tissue augmentation stand out as one of the most favored procedures in the field of aesthetic medicine, especially in addressing the clinical signs of skin aging. Among soft tissue fillers, non-permanent fillers have been safely used in numerous medical applications for several decades.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this post-market observational, open-label, uncontrolled, multicentered, prospective study (PMS) was to evaluate the effects of an injectable poly-L-lactic acid-based collagen stimulator (Lanluma®, the study product).
METHODS: This analysis is based on the clinical outcomes data (safety and effectiveness) collected from investigators and participants between the first injection (T0, September 2022) and 9 months thereafter (T3, June 2023) in the treatment of five body-contouring areas.
RESULTS: Overall, 70 participants had 99 treatment sessions of the neck (31%), upper arm (20%), hand (17%), thigh (16%) and décolleté (15%). Lumps (neck, upper arm, hand) and nodules (neck, hand, thigh) were the most frequent adverse events (AEs) reported by investigators. All were treatment related. None were serious, severe or fatal. No AEs were reported following treatment of the décolleté. Both investigators and participants reported high levels of satisfaction during the nine-month follow-up period with the treatments in five body areas.
CONCLUSIONS: These positive clinical outcomes can be attributed to a proper implementation of best practices and recommendations, and the rheological properties of the study product. This 9-month follow-up analysis should be reconsidered in light of the study\'s objectives for the final analysis at the 25-month follow-up.

UNASSIGNED: Rifampin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) remains a serious global public health concern. We assessed treatment outcomes and associated influencing factors among RR-TB patients in China.
UNASSIGNED: This research enrolled 1339 patients who started RR-TB treatment between May 2018 and April 2020 in China retrospectively. Data were collected from the electronic medical records. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors related to unfavorable outcomes.
UNASSIGNED: Of the 1339 RR-TB patients, 78.8% (1055/1339) achieved treatment success (cured or treatment completed), 5.1% (68/1339) experienced treatment failure, 1.1% (15/1339) died during treatment, 10.1% (135/1339) were lost to follow-up, and 4.9% (66/1339) were not evaluated. About 67.7% (907/1339) of patients experienced at least one adverse event (AE). The most common AE was hypohepatia (507/1339, 37.9%), followed by hyperuricemia (429/1339, 32.0%), anemia (368/1339, 27.5%), electrolyte disturbance (318/1339, 23.7%), peripheral neuritis (245/1339, 18.3%), and gastrointestinal reactions (203/1339, 15.2%). Multivariate analysis showed that age ≥60 years [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39-2.77], national minority (aOR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.42-3.93), smoking (aOR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.10-2.04), cardiopathy (aOR: 2.90, 95% CI: 1.33-6.31), tumors (aOR: 9.84, 95% CI: 2.27-42.67), immunocompromise (aOR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.21-3.91), re-treated TB (aOR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.08-1.97), and experienced gastrointestinal reactions (aOR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.52-3.40) were associated with unfavorable outcomes. Body mass index (BMI) ≥18.5 kg/m2, regimens containing bedaquiline and experienced adverse events (AEs) such as hypohepatia, leukopenia, peripheral neuritis, and optic neuritis were associated with favorable outcomes.
UNASSIGNED: High rates of treatment success were achieved for RR-TB patients at tertiary tuberculosis hospitals in China. Age ≥60 years, national minority, smoking status, comorbidities, re-treated TB, and experienced gastrointestinal reactions were independent prognostic factors for unfavorable treatment outcomes.

UNASSIGNED: The PARAGON-HF study (Prospective Comparison of ARNI With ARB Global Outcomes in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction) investigated the effect of sacubitril-valsartan in heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction. The results, which were analyzed using conventional statistical methods, did not find a significant reduction in the primary composite end point of cardiovascular death and total hospitalization for HF. Recent clinical trials used win ratio statistics that enable the incorporation of multiple outcome aspects into the primary end point and can detect positive outcomes with fewer patients. In this study, we assessed the effect of sacubitril-valsartan on outcomes using the win ratio to analyze results from patients included in the PARAGON-HF study.
UNASSIGNED: In the PARAGON-HF study, 4822 patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction were randomized either to sacubitril-valsartan or valsartan groups. In the present study, the primary outcome was a hierarchical composite of time to cardiovascular death, total number of hospitalization for HF, time to first hospitalization for HF, time to renal composite outcome, and change in the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire total symptom score at 8 months analyzed using a win ratio statistical model.
UNASSIGNED: Using this approach, we found that a greater number of patients who received sacubitril-valsartan experienced clinical benefits compared with those who received valsartan (win ratio, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.04-1.23]; P=0.005). This clinical advantage was evident in patients regardless of whether the left ventricular ejection fraction was above or below the median, that is, the left ventricular ejection fraction of 57%, and regardless of sex (Pinteraction=0.76 for the left ventricular ejection fraction and 0.73 for sex).
UNASSIGNED: Employing the innovative win ratio approach, sacubitril-valsartan demonstrated significant clinical benefits among patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction. Notably, this benefit was observed irrespective of left ventricular ejection fraction and sex.
UNASSIGNED: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01920711.

UNASSIGNED: Poor treatment adherence contributes to lower treatment completion and higher loss to follow-up among people with tuberculosis (PWTB). Medication monitors have shown some evidence of improved adherence.
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a cluster randomised trial in 18 primary health clinics in South Africa between May 2019-February 2022. Persons (aged ≥ 2 years) with drug-sensitive tuberculosis (DS-TB) were enrolled. All participants were provided with monitors which were silent in the standard of care (SoC) arm. In the intevention arm, weekly adherence reports were reviewed and participants received intensified support as appropriate (text, phone call, home visit, motivational counselling). The primary outcome was adherence, which was calculated as days box was opened (proxy for drug taken)/total expected treatment days as a binary variable (<80% versus ≥80%). Analysis took into account clustered design. The trial was registered with the Pan African Trial Registry PACTR20190268115772.
UNASSIGNED: We enrolled 2727 participants (38% women, median age 36 (IQR 27-45 years), of whom 2584 had available adherence data. The primary outcome (measured as ≥80% adherence) was higher in intervention versus SoC arm (81.0% versus 50.8%, adjusted risk ratio (ARR) 1.51 (1.36-1.66). Similarly, overall percentage adherence was higher in intervention versus SoC arm (88.5% versus 69.7%, adjusted risk difference 16.8% (13.3%-20.4%)).
UNASSIGNED: People with DS-TB had improved treatment adherence in the intervention arm. We believe the effect on adherence is important and warrants continued use and evaluation of these technologies.
UNASSIGNED: The study is funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Uinted States, the Stop TB Partnership, Switzerland, and the South African Medical Research Council, South Africa.

Background There is scant data on basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in Indian patients. This retrospective study was conducted to explore epidemiology, risk factors, clinical and pathological aspects, and long-term treatment outcomes of BCC in a cohort of North Indian patients. Methods Data about patients registered in the dermatosurgery clinic between 01 January 2017 and 31 December 2022 with a confirmed diagnosis of BCC was collected. Results Among the 83 patients, 56.6% were females, and the median age was 62 years (6-85 years). Most patients (81.9%) had a single BCC lesion, resulting in a total of 126 assessed lesions. The median size of BCC at presentation was 1.90 cm, with nodular BCC being the most common histopathological subtype (39.7%). Head and neck region involvement was observed in 82.5% of patients, with the malar region, nose, and periorbital region being the most commonly affected sites. Pigmentation was clinically evident in 45.2% of cases. Surgical excision was the primary treatment modality (71.1% of patients). The median follow-up duration was 40 months (6-57 months). Recurrence occurred in five patients, with a longer disease-free survival period observed in the surgically treated group (55.58 ± 0.98 months) compared to patients treated with medical or destructive therapies (43.6 ± 3.482 months) (p = 0.003). Conclusion The data from this hospital-based study indicated a slight predilection for females among North Indian patients with BCC, with most cases occurring during their seventh decade of life. The condition commonly occurred on sun-exposed areas such as the malar region and nose, with a high percentage of pigmented lesions. Recurrence following surgical excision was rare, and overall treatment outcomes were favourable.

BACKGROUND: The injectable shorter multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) regimen, has been reported to be less costly and more effective in the treatment of MDR-TB compared to the longer regimen. Ethiopia introduced the injectable shorter regimen (SR) in April 2018 following official recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016. While the WHO recommendation was based on evidence coming from extensive programmatic studies in some Asian and African countries, there is paucity of information on patient outcomes in the Ethiopian context. Thus, we aimed to assess the treatment outcomes and identify factors associated with the outcomes of MDR-TB patients on injectable SR.
METHODS: A multi-center facility-based retrospective cohort study was conducted in Ethiopia on 245 MDR-TB patients who were treated between April 2018 and March 2020. Data were collected from patients\' medical records and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize the results while inferential analysis was employed to investigate predictors of treatment outcomes and survival status.
RESULTS: A total of 245 patients were included in the study, with 129 (52.7%) of them being female. Median age of the patients was 27 (IQR: 21-33). The overall treatment success rate was 87.8%, with 156 (63.7%) cured and 59 (24.1%) patients who completed treatment. The unfavorable outcomes accounted for 12.2%, with 16 (6.5%) treatment failure, 8 (3.3%) death and 6 (2.4%) lost to follow up. Majority of the unfavorable outcomes occurred during the early phase of therapy, with median time to event of 1.8 months (95% CI: 0.99-2.69). The use of khat (a green leafy shrub abused for its stimulant like effect) and being diagnosed with MDR-TB than rifampicin resistant only, were identified as independent factors associated with unfavorable outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS: The injectable SR for MDR-TB was found to have positive treatment outcomes in the context of programmatic management in Ethiopia.

Aim: This real-world study aimed to describe patient and clinical characteristics, treatment patterns and outcomes for patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer receiving abemaciclib in France, Italy and Spain. Materials & methods: A multicenter chart review was conducted for adult females with HR+/HER2- advanced/metastatic breast cancer who received abemaciclib in routine care. Real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) was estimated via Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: This study included 151, 173 and 175 patients from France, Italy and Spain, respectively. Abemaciclib was mostly prescribed as first-line therapy concomitantly with hormone therapy. Median rwPFS was >20 months and the 1-year rwPFS rate was >70%. Conclusion: Effectiveness was similar across the three countries and aligns with pivotal studies.
Abemaciclib use in the clinic in France, Italy & SpainThis study describes patients, the treatments they have received and the results of those treatments for patients with the most common type of advanced breast cancer. These patients were taking abemaciclib plus hormonal therapy in routine breast cancer care in France, Italy and Spain. The information used to conduct this study was taken from patients\' medical charts. In this real-world study, abemaciclib was mostly used as the initial treatment for advanced breast cancer. Abemaciclib effectiveness was similar across the three countries confirming findings from previous studies. Our study supports the use of abemaciclib for patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis disease epidemiology is closely related to social and economic conditions which make its prevention, control and cure challenging. Early diagnosis and adequate treatment will help to prevent various tuberculosis related morbidities. Factors such as adverse effects of drugs, transportation cost, family support, distance to the treatment center, personal habits, co morbid conditions, and patients\' multiple obligations concerning to their employment, family and society have an impact on the treatment outcomes.
OBJECTIVE: To know the factors affecting tuberculosis treatment outcome among newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients.
METHODS: A total of 261 Tuberculosis patients registered in NTEP under District tuberculosis centre were enrolled using universal sampling method. First follow up was done at the end of intensive phase i.e. End of 2 months. Second follow up was done after completion of treatment i.e., End of 6th month.
RESULTS: Majority 59% participants were diagnosed as smear negative at 2nd month follow up and 45.21% and 28.73% participants were diagnosed as cured and treatment completed respectively at 6th month follow up. 73.95% participants had successful outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that treatment outcomes of tuberculosis were affected by type of house (pucca house), presence of cough, past history of tuberculosis, family support, supervision by family and support of supervisor.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall treatment success rate was 73.95%. The contributing factors for successful outcome of tuberculosis were age, past history of TB, type of house, presence of cough and fever, weight gain, family support, supervision by family and support of supervisor.

Post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) is a frequent complication following lumbar puncture, epidural analgesia, or neuraxial anesthesia. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, third edition categorizes PDPH as a self-limiting condition; however, emerging evidence, including our findings, suggests that PDPH can have a prolonged course, challenging this traditional view.
To elucidate the diagnostic characteristics and treatment outcomes of persistent PDPH (pPDPH), offering insights into its demographic profiles and diagnostic features.
We executed an anonymous, web-based survey targeting individuals aged ≥18 years diagnosed with or suspected of having pPDPH. Recruitment occurred through self-help groups on Facebook. The survey comprised questions regarding diagnostic procedures, treatment regimens, outcomes, and healthcare consultation.
The survey achieved a response rate of 179/347 (51.6%) individuals completing the questionnaire. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks were confirmed in nine of 179 (5.0%) cases. Signs of intracranial hypotension without a CSF leak were observed in 70/179 (39.1%) individuals. All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain and spine, with computed tomography myelography performed in 113/179 (63.1%) cases. Medications, including analgesics, theophylline, and gabapentin, provided minimal short-term relief. Epidural blood patch treatments resulted in slight-to-moderate short-term improvement in 136/179 (76.0%), significant improvement in 22/179 (12.3%), and complete effectiveness in eight of 179 (4.5%) individuals. For long-term outcomes, slight-to-moderate improvement was reported by 118/179 (66.0%) individuals. Surgical interventions were carried out in 42/179 (23.5%) patients, revealing pseudomeningoceles intraoperatively in 20/42 (47.6%) individuals. After surgery, 21/42 (50.0%) of the participants experienced slight-to-moderate improvement, 12/42 (28.6%) showed more pronounced improvement, and five of the 42 (11.9%) achieved complete effectiveness.
This study underscores the complexities of managing pPDPH. The delay in diagnosis can impact the effectiveness of treatments, including epidural blood patch and surgical interventions, resulting in ongoing symptoms. This underscores the importance of tailored and adaptable treatment strategies. The findings advocate for additional research to deepen the understanding of pPDPH and improve long-term patient outcomes.