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Comparative effectiveness of levofloxacin versus third-generation cephalosporins and predictors of treatment outcomes in upper respiratory tract scleroma: a tertiary center experience
Upper respiratory tract scleroma is a chronic granulomatous disease that primarily affects the nose but may involve any part of the upper respiratory tract. The mainstay of treatment is prolonged antibiotic therapy. This prospective comparative study included 90 adults with upper respiratory tract scleroma treated at Minia University Hospital, Egypt, between September 2024 and August… →
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Exploring possibilities towards PeRsonalIsed MEdicine in Rheumatoid Arthritis (PRIMERA): tailored modifications to standard treat-to-target management-a multicentre, randomised, open-label trial
CONCLUSION: Modifying the standard treat-to-target strategy, by stratifying the initial DMARD according to autoantibody status combined with rapidly intensifying therapy based on early treatment response, did not result in superior clinical outcomes. →
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Algorithms Trap Us in the Familiar. Can They Also Spark Breakthroughs?
Gary Waters/Ikon Images Algorithmic tools promise to democratize access to knowledge and thus spark creativity and innovation, but research we conducted revealed a hidden risk: Those tools may be silently narrowing organizations’ creative potential by suppressing the value of expertise. The fault lies not with the experts but with the hidden architecture of the tools… →
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Chlorhexidine Gluconate as a Conducting Medium Is Noninferior to Ultrasound Gel in Ultrasound Image Quality: A Blinded, Randomized Comparative Study
CONCLUSIONS: The commonly used skin antiseptic chlorhexidine gluconate with isopropyl alcohol demonstrated noninferior image quality compared with ultrasound gel and may represent a more economical alternative for ultrasound-guided interventions, with the potential to reduce infectious complications. →
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Electrical Dry Needling and Therapeutic Exercise Versus Therapeutic Exercise in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
CONCLUSIONS: This trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of combining EDN with therapeutic exercise in CNSNP, potentially informing clinical practice and improving patient outcomes. →
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Effect of a digital intervention on mental health symptoms in adults with chronic conditions: A three-arm randomized controlled trial
CONCLUSIONS: A multicomponent digital intervention with human support significantly reduced anxiety and depression symptoms compared with usual care in adults with chronic medical conditions. Comparable effects between self-directed and human-supported delivery in exploratory analyses highlight potential for scalable, low-resource implementation. Longer-term follow-up and cost-effectiveness analyses are warranted. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05786482. →
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Clinical validation of continuous glucose monitoring in glycemic management of critically ill sepsis patients: A prospective randomized clinical study
ObjectiveThis study assessed the accuracy, clinical effectiveness, and utility of continuous glucose monitoring compared with conventional methods in critically ill patients with sepsis.MethodsFrom July 2023 to July 2025, 60 patients with sepsis (mean age, 75.6 ± 27.107 years; mean body mass index, 22.4 ± 2.960 kg/m²) were randomized to the continuous glucose monitoring (FreeStyle Libre… →
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Emotional support or problem-solving? A randomized controlled trial of function-specific AI Chatbots for digital stress in college students
Digital stress has emerged as a salient risk factor for the mental health of emerging adults, yet targeted interventions remain limited. Generative AI chatbots offer a scalable approach to delivering context-sensitive supportive interactions that users may perceive as emotional or informational support. This randomized controlled trial tested two functionally specialized AI chatbots-emotional-support and problem-solving-in reducing… →
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Effect of Mendelsohn maneuver combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion at Lianquan (CV23) on swallowing function and complications in patients with post-stroke dysphagia
CONCLUSIONS: The Mendelsohn maneuver combined with heat-sensitive moxibustion at CV23 can effectively activate the pharyngeal constrictor muscles, improve sEMG signals, promote the recovery of swallowing function in patients with post-stroke dysphagia, and exert positive effects in reducing related complications, improving nutritional status and quality of life. →
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Providing Feedback on Previous Pain Scores Did Not Affect Weekly Pain Variability: A Cohort-Nested Randomised Study
CONCLUSIONS: Providing participants with feedback on their previous pain score did not meaningfully influence within-person pain variability or retention during 60 weeks of weekly monitoring. These findings aid the interpretation of repeated longitudinal pain assessments by showing that the observed variability was robust to this specific study design. →