Background: Orthognathic surgery has become increasingly accurate with the integration of computerized technologies. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of custom-made plates in transferring the three-dimensional virtual plan to intraoperative maxillary repositioning. Methods: This study included 10 patients. A digital surgical simulation technique was used for preoperative planning. The surgical components— osteotomy/plates, locating guides, and customized titanium plates—were fabricated using computer-aided design and manufacturing techniques, replacing the need for a surgical splint. Postoperative outcomes were assessed using unaltered anatomical landmarks from the preoperative virtual plan. Absolute discrepancies in translational and rotational movements between the planned and actual postoperative positions were measured through superimposition analysis. This evaluation assessed the precision of custom-made plates in transferring the virtual surgical plan, identifying deviations in the cephalocaudal, mediolateral, and anteroposterior directions that could influence functional and esthetic outcomes. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed for any landmarks across the axial, coronal, and sagittal planes. The greatest variability was noted at the posterior nasal spine landmark in the axial plane (1.7 mm), compared with the coronal (0.9 mm) and sagittal (0.5 mm) planes. Conclusion Customized titanium plates effectively transferred the virtual surgical plan for maxillary repositioning without the need for an occlusal splint. However, potential posterior interference should be considered during surgical execution.

INTRODUCTION

Hypertension is a serious public health issue that puts individuals at risk for various morbidity and mortality indicators. One of the most crucial factors in managing blood pressure and preventing complications is medication adherence which is linked to several determinants. This study explored the correlation between medication adherence among middle-aged hypertensive adults and the different domains of quality of life (QOL), which includes physical, psychological, social relationship and environment.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study involved 96 Filipino residents of Brgy. San Jose, Navotas City aged 35 to 65 years old diagnosed with hypertension and prescribed anti-hypertensive medications. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to calculate the correlation between different domains of QOL as well as the overall QOL score.

RESULTS

Results revealed a statistically significant but weak positive correlation between overall QOL and medication adherence (r = 0.336, p<0.001). Among the QOL domains, environmental domain had the strongest correlation with adherence (r = 0.446, p = 0.00), followed by physical health (r = 0.443, p = 0.01) and psychological well-being (r = 0.382, p = 0.01). The social relationship domain showed negligible correlation (r = 0.163, p = 0.4).

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrates that while medication adherence is modestly associated with better perceived QOL, especially in physical, psychological and environmental aspects, other factors likely influence both outcomes. These findings highlight the need for holistic, community-based interventions that address not only medication adherence but also environmental and psychosocial barriers to care in managing hypertension.

Human ; Adult: 25-44 Yrs Old ; Middle Aged: 45-64 Yrs Old ; Aged: 65-79 Yrs Old ; Quality Of Life ; Public Health ; Medication Adherence ; Antihypertensive Agents ; Blood Pressure ; Interpersonal Relations

Nipah virus (NiV), a pathogen with pandemic potential, lacks approved treatments or vaccines, highlighting the urgent need for research on immune-targeted antigenic determinants. A significant gap persists in NiV research, as studies on the fusion (F) protein critical for viral entry as well as the B cells epitopes, have primarily focused on computational prediction rather than experimental validation of immunogenic epitopes obtained through immunoinformatics approach. This study focused on the conserved F protein across NiV human isolates and employed an immunoinformatics approach to predict linear B-cell epitopes capable of direct immune activation. Predicted epitopes were screened for antigenicity, toxicity, and allergenicity. Molecular docking analysis was performed to evaluate its binding affinity with B-cell receptors (BCRs). To validate its immunogenicity, the LF6 peptide was synthesized and used in an indirect ELISA to test sera from cohort previously infected with NiV as well as with negative cohort. Epitope LF6 (LISNIEIGFCL) was identified as a strong candidate based on its immunogenic properties. Molecular docking showed favorable binding of LF6 with BCR. ELISA results revealed that one sera from the survival cohort showed positive response which is an IgG antibody response 2-fold higher (0.343) than the cut-off value (0.0171). This study provides the first reported evidence linking computational predictions with functional immune reactivity for a B-cell epitope of NiV. The findings suggest that LF6 has the potential to elicit specific immune responses. However, given the small sample size, further validation in larger cohorts is essential to confirm LF6’s vaccine relevance.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Residency satisfaction is an important indicator of training quality and may influence physician well-being and performance. Surgical trainees are generally reported to have lower satisfaction compared to other specialties. This study assessed satisfaction among urology residents in the Philippines and evaluated a structured questionnaire for measuring training experience.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among residents in accredited urology programs (2024-2024-5). A 12-domain Likert-scale questionnaire was developed and validated. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed. Satisfaction scores were analyzed overall and across subgroups.

RESULTS

A total of 106 residents participated. The instrument demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.870) and strong test-retest reliability (r = 0.896). Overall satisfaction was high (52.41 5.4/60). Clinical exposure was the highest-rated domain, while work-life balance was the lowest. No significant differences were observed by gender, training year, or institution type. Key areas for improvement were case exposure and academic learning.

CONCLUSION

Urology residents in the Philippines report high overall satisfaction. The validated questionnaire is reliable and useful for assessing multidimensional aspects of residency training. Improvements in case exposure, academic support, and work-life balance may further enhance training quality.

Human ; Cross-sectional Studies ; Internship And Residency

This study investigated the demographic and COVID-19 related characteristics among students from the two Niger Delta University campuses - Amassoma and Yenagoa. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 514 students drawn from the College of Health Sciences (CHS), Main Campus, and the Yenagoa Law Faculty (responses recorded separately for males and females). Chi-square tests were applied to compare gender distribution, year of study, vaccination status, understanding of COVID-19 transmission, and willingness to receive the vaccine. Although gender distribution did not differ significantly (p = 0.846), a highly significant difference in year of study (p < 0.001) was observed, indicating that academic level influences COVID-19 related knowledge and behavior. In addition, significant differences in vaccination status (p = 0.015) and willingness to vaccinate (p < 0.001) were noted. These findings underscore the need for campus-specific, culturally tailored health communication and basic health education strategies to enhance COVID-19 prevention and vaccine uptake among university communities.

Human ; Observation ; Widowhood

The International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) was established in 2017 to advance the understanding of severe asthma and its management, thereby improving patient care worldwide. As the first global registry for adults with severe asthma, ISAR enabled individual registries to standardize and pool their data, creating a comprehensive, harmonized dataset with sufficient statistical power to address key research questions and knowledge gaps. Today, ISAR is the largest repository of real-world data on severe asthma, curating data on nearly 35,000 patients from 28 countries worldwide, and has become a leading contributor to severe asthma research. Research using ISAR data has provided valuable insights on the characteristics of severe asthma, its burdens and risk factors, real-world treatment effectiveness, and barriers to specialist care, which are collectively informing improved asthma management. Besides changing clinical thinking via research, ISAR aims to advance real-world practice through initiatives that improve registry data quality and severe asthma care. In 2024, ISAR refined essential research variables to enhance data quality and launched a web-based data acquisition and reporting system (QISAR), which integrates data collection with clinical consultations and enables longitudinal data tracking at patient, center, and population levels. Quality improvement priorities include collecting standardized data during consultations and tracking and optimizing patient journeys via QISAR and integrating primary/secondary care pathways to expedite specialist severe asthma management and facilitate clinical trial recruitment. ISAR envisions a future in which timely specialist referral and initiation of biologic therapy can obviate long-term systemic corticosteroid use and enable more patients to achieve remission.

Background: Changes in cognitive function are associated with increased depression and decreased quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to determine the relationship between the characteristics of geriatric patients and anesthetic management with changes in postoperative cognitive function and QOL of geriatric patients undergoing elective surgery. Methods: This prospective observational analytic multicenter study included patients aged ≥60 years who underwent elective surgery in hospitals in Indonesia. We used the whole sampling method and performed follow-up 30 days after surgery. Data were analyzed using bivariate chi-square and multivariate regression tests with a confidence interval of 95% and α=5%. Results: Among the 933 geriatric patients included in this study 55.0%, females most (59.8%) received general anesthesia. Factors including age (p<0.001, B=-0.374, odds ratio [OR]=0.688), body mass index (BMI) (p<0.05, B=0.129, OR=1.138), and physical status based on American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification (p<0.001, B=-0.458, OR=0.633) were significantly associated with postoperative cognitive function. BMI (p<0.001, B=-0.218, OR=1.244), absence of comorbidities (p<0.05, B=-0.312, OR=0.732), regional anesthesia (p<0.05, B=0.606, OR=1.883), and changes in cognitive function (p<0.05, B=0.288, OR=1.334) were significantly correlated with changes in postoperative QOL. Conclusion Age, BMI, and ASA physical status were significantly associated with postoperative cognitive function in geriatric patients, whereas BMI, comorbidities, regional anesthesia, and changes in postoperative cognitive function were associated with QOL. These preoperative factors can predict postoperative cognitive function and QOL and may be useful during preoperative planning.

The International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) was established in 2017 to advance the understanding of severe asthma and its management, thereby improving patient care worldwide. As the first global registry for adults with severe asthma, ISAR enabled individual registries to standardize and pool their data, creating a comprehensive, harmonized dataset with sufficient statistical power to address key research questions and knowledge gaps. Today, ISAR is the largest repository of real-world data on severe asthma, curating data on nearly 35,000 patients from 28 countries worldwide, and has become a leading contributor to severe asthma research. Research using ISAR data has provided valuable insights on the characteristics of severe asthma, its burdens and risk factors, real-world treatment effectiveness, and barriers to specialist care, which are collectively informing improved asthma management. Besides changing clinical thinking via research, ISAR aims to advance real-world practice through initiatives that improve registry data quality and severe asthma care. In 2024, ISAR refined essential research variables to enhance data quality and launched a web-based data acquisition and reporting system (QISAR), which integrates data collection with clinical consultations and enables longitudinal data tracking at patient, center, and population levels. Quality improvement priorities include collecting standardized data during consultations and tracking and optimizing patient journeys via QISAR and integrating primary/secondary care pathways to expedite specialist severe asthma management and facilitate clinical trial recruitment. ISAR envisions a future in which timely specialist referral and initiation of biologic therapy can obviate long-term systemic corticosteroid use and enable more patients to achieve remission.

Background: Changes in cognitive function are associated with increased depression and decreased quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to determine the relationship between the characteristics of geriatric patients and anesthetic management with changes in postoperative cognitive function and QOL of geriatric patients undergoing elective surgery. Methods: This prospective observational analytic multicenter study included patients aged ≥60 years who underwent elective surgery in hospitals in Indonesia. We used the whole sampling method and performed follow-up 30 days after surgery. Data were analyzed using bivariate chi-square and multivariate regression tests with a confidence interval of 95% and α=5%. Results: Among the 933 geriatric patients included in this study 55.0%, females most (59.8%) received general anesthesia. Factors including age (p<0.001, B=-0.374, odds ratio [OR]=0.688), body mass index (BMI) (p<0.05, B=0.129, OR=1.138), and physical status based on American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification (p<0.001, B=-0.458, OR=0.633) were significantly associated with postoperative cognitive function. BMI (p<0.001, B=-0.218, OR=1.244), absence of comorbidities (p<0.05, B=-0.312, OR=0.732), regional anesthesia (p<0.05, B=0.606, OR=1.883), and changes in cognitive function (p<0.05, B=0.288, OR=1.334) were significantly correlated with changes in postoperative QOL. Conclusion Age, BMI, and ASA physical status were significantly associated with postoperative cognitive function in geriatric patients, whereas BMI, comorbidities, regional anesthesia, and changes in postoperative cognitive function were associated with QOL. These preoperative factors can predict postoperative cognitive function and QOL and may be useful during preoperative planning.