Eun Hae Lee^1,2,3, Minjae Choi^4,5, Hanul Park^3,6, Joon Hee Han^3,6,7, Sujeong Yu^3,8, Joshua Kirabo Sempungu^1,2,3,6, Inbae Sohn^4,6, Yo Han Lee^3,6,*

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.28, No.1, 2026, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2025.073735 - 28 January 2026

Abstract Background: That Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (CEECA) experienced a major mortality crisis in the 1990s is a well-established finding, with most analyses focusing on singular causes like alcohol-related deaths. However, the utility of the integrated “deaths of despair” framework, which views alcohol, drug, and suicide deaths as a unified socio-economic phenomenon, remains under-explored in this context. Crucially, the long-term evolution of the composition of despair within the region remains a largely unexplored area of inquiry. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the long-term trends, changing composition, and regional heterogeneity of deaths from despair… More >

Sam Rahimzadeh Holagh¹, Bugao Xu^1,2,*

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.145, No.2, pp. 2383-2399, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2025.072259 - 26 November 2025

Abstract Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain a leading cause of mortality worldwide, highlighting the need for precise risk assessment tools to support clinical decision-making. This study introduces a meta-learning model for predicting mortality risk in patients with CVD, classifying them into high-risk and low-risk groups. Data were collected from 868 patients at Tabriz Heart Hospital (THH) in Iran, along with two open-access datasets—the Cleveland Heart Disease (CHD) and Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology (FIC) datasets. Data preprocessing involved class balancing via the Synthetic Minority Over-Sampling Technique (SMOTE). Each dataset was then split into training and test sets, and… More >

Marie Chaumel¹, Nicolas Brichart², Franck Bruyère¹, Ali Bourgi^1,*

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.32, No.4, pp. 359-366, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cju.2025.066470 - 29 August 2025

Abstract Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare systems globally, raising concerns about delayed cancer diagnosis and treatment. In France, transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBT) was prioritized in national urology guidelines to ensure the timely management of urothelial carcinoma. This study aimed to assess the impact of care reorganization on tumor staging, recurrence, palliative care, and mortality in bladder cancer patients from the pre-pandemic through late-pandemic periods. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study including all patients who underwent TURBT with histologically confirmed urothelial carcinoma between April and December of 2019 (pre-pandemic), 2020 (early pandemic), 2021… More >

Idongesit Sunday Ambrose¹, Sunday Edet Etuk², Okechukwu Ebuka Agbasi^3,*, Ijah Ioryue Silas⁴, Unyime Udoette Saturday⁵, Eyo Edet Orok⁶

Revue Internationale de Géomatique, Vol.34, pp. 335-350, 2025, DOI:10.32604/rig.2025.064552 - 13 June 2025

Abstract Road construction and traffic congestion are increasingly recognized as major contributors to environmental and public health challenges in urban Nigeria, particularly in Rivers State. Despite growing urbanization, a gap remains in localized data on the combined effects of air and noise pollution in hydrocarbon-polluted environments. This study addresses that gap by conducting a preliminary environmental health assessment focused on the Port Harcourt Ring Road project. Air quality and noise levels were monitored in situ at 20 strategically selected locations, with five control points included for baseline comparison. Digital portable meters were used to measure concentrations of… More >

Prathap Sarma¹, Palesa Mogane^2,*, Katharina Vanderdonck³, Moses Kebalepile¹, Palesa Motshabi Chakane⁴

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.20, No.1, pp. 41-53, 2025, DOI:10.32604/chd.2025.060382 - 18 March 2025

Abstract Background: Congenital cardiac diseases (CCD) are common congenital birth defects that require high-risk surgery. Outcomes following congenital cardiac surgery in children living in high-income countries (HIC) have been documented, but little is known from the African continent. This study aimed to determine factors associated with perioperative mortality in patients who underwent congenital cardiac surgery at our institution. Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital over 12 years (2006–2017). A multivariable regression analysis was performed for the factors which had a p-value of 0.1 and less in the univariable regression analysis. A… More >

Gustavo Cruz^1,*, Santiago Pedroza², Juan F. Vélez³, Jessica Largo², Juan F. Tejada⁴, Jorge H. Mejía-Mantilla⁵

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.19, No.2, pp. 207-218, 2024, DOI:10.32604/chd.2024.044244 - 16 May 2024

Abstract Background: Failure to rescue has been an effective quality metric in congenital heart surgery. Conversely, morbidity and mortality depend greatly on non-modifiable individual factors and have a weak correlation with better-quality performance. We aim to measure the complications, mortality, and risk factors in pediatric patients undergoing congenital heart surgery in a high-complexity institution located in a middle-income country and compare it with other institutions that have conducted a similar study. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in a high-complexity service provider institution, in Cali, Colombia. All pediatric patients undergoing any congenital heart surgery between… More >

Sipawath Khamplod^1,2, Yodying Kaolawanich^1,2, Khemajira Karaketklang³, Nithima Ratanasit^1,2,*

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.19, No.1, pp. 93-105, 2024, DOI:10.32604/chd.2024.048631 - 20 March 2024

Abstract Background: Atrial septal defect (ASD) is a common form of adult congenital heart disease that can lead to long-term adverse outcomes if left untreated. Early closure of ASD has been associated with excellent outcomes and lower complication rates. However, there is limited evidence regarding the prognosis of ASD closure in older adults. This study aims to evaluate the mortality rates in older ASD patients with and without closure. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients aged 40 years or older with ASD between 2001 and 2017. Patients were followed up to assess all-cause… More > Graphic Abstract

Mohamad Amin Pourhoseingholi^11,, Amirreza Raffei Javazm^1,, Naghmeh Asadimanesh², Fatemeh Shojaeian³, Mehdi Azizmohammad Looha¹, Seyed Amir Ahmad Safavi-Naini¹, Benyamin Mohammadzadeh^1,4, Parnian Jamshidi^1,4, Fatemeh Gholampoor², Omid Yazdani², Nadia Zameni², Zahra Azizan², Amirhossein Sahebkar^5,6

European Cytokine Network, Vol.34, No.2, pp. 10-19, 2023, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2023.0485

Abstract Background: Coronavirus infection can induce the production of inflammatory cytokines leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and death. It is well-established that interferons (IFNs) are essential in regulating the immune response, thus their effects of IFNs on COVID-19 patients should be subject to investigation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of IFN-α alone or in combination with remdesivir in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Material and Methods: A multicentre, retrospective study was conducted on COVID-19 patients admitted to three hospitals in Tehran, Iran, from March 20, 2020, to March 18, 2021. The unadjusted and adjusted effects of… More >

François-Xavier Van Vyve¹, Karlien Carbonez², Jelena Hubrechts², Geoffroy de Beco¹, Jean E. Rubay¹, Mona Momeni³, Thierry Detaille⁴, Alain J. Poncelet^1,*

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.18, No.5, pp. 539-550, 2023, DOI:10.32604/chd.2023.042344 - 10 November 2023

Abstract Objectives: Over the last decade, neonatal repair has been advocated for many congenital heart diseases. However, specific subgroups of complex congenital heart disease still require temporary palliation for which both surgical and endovascular techniques are currently available. We reviewed our institutional experience with shunt palliation with an emphasis on risk factors for early mortality. Methods: This is a single-center retrospective study on 175 patients undergoing surgery for central shunt or modified Blalock-Taussig shunt. All data were extracted from a prospectively collected computerized database. We identified risk factors for early mortality by uni- and multi-variable analysis.… More >

Akkerbez Adilbekova^1,3,*, Shukhrat Marassulov¹, Bakhytzhan Nurkeev¹, Saken Kozhakhmetov², Aikorkem Badambekova³

Congenital Heart Disease, Vol.18, No.4, pp. 447-459, 2023, DOI:10.32604/chd.2023.028742 - 15 September 2023

Abstract Objective: The aim is to study the trends in ventricular septal defect (VSD) mortality in children in Kazakhstan. Methods: The retrospective study was done for the period 2011–2020. Descriptive and analytical methods of epidemiology were applied. The universally acknowledged methodology used in sanitary statistics is used to calculate the extensive, crude, and age-specific mortality rates. Results: Kazakhstan is thought to be seeing an increase in mortality from VSDs in children. As a result, this study for the years 2011 to 2020 was conducted to retrospectively assess data from the central registration of the Bureau of National… More > Graphic Abstract