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CO-OP Approach With Children and Youth With Executive Function Deficits After Acquired Brain Injury: A Qualitative Study of Care Partners' Involvement
Dietrich E, Lebrault H, Chevignard M and Martini R
Care partners' involvement is a key feature of the Cognitive Orientation to daily Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach that can enhance rehabilitation outcomes and promote the generalization and transfer of strategies and skills to everyday life. Gaining insight into care partners' experience with their child's CO-OP intervention is critical to understanding how to enhance care partners' involvement.
Different Complement Activation Patterns Following C5 Cleavage in MOGAD and AQP4-IgG+NMOSD
Kaneko K, Kuroda H, Matsumoto Y, Sakamoto N, Yamazaki N, Yamamoto N, Umezawa S, Namatame C, Ono H, Takai Y, Takahashi T, Fujimori J, Nakashima I, Harigaya Y, Lassmann H, Fujihara K, Misu T and Aoki M
In myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein IgG-associated disease (MOGAD) and aquaporin-4 IgG+ neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4+NMOSD), the autoantibodies are mainly composed of IgG1, and complement-dependent cytotoxicity is a primary pathomechanism in AQP4+NMOSD. We aimed to evaluate the CSF complement activation in MOGAD.
Longitudinal Changes of Clinical, Imaging, and Fluid Biomarkers in Preataxic and Early Ataxic Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2 and 7 Carriers
Coarelli G, Dubec-Fleury C, Petit E, Sayah S, Fischer C, Nassisi M, Gatignol P, Dorgham K, Daghsen L, Daye P, Cunha P, Kacher R, Hilab R, Hurmic H, Lamazière A, Lamy JC, Welter ML, Chupin M, Mangin JF, Lane R, Gaymard B, Pouget P, Audo I, Brice A, Tezenas du Montcel S and Durr A
Brain MRI abnormalities and increases in neurofilament light chain (NfL) have mostly been observed in cross-sectional studies before ataxia onset in polyglutamine spinocerebellar ataxias. Our study aimed to identify longitudinal changes in biological, clinical, and/or imaging biomarkers in spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) 2 and SCA7 carriers over 1 year.
Teaching NeuroImage: Short-Lasting Egocentric and Allocentric Visual Neglect After Right-Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke
Brunet de Courssou JB and Denier C
Carer Perspectives About the Acceptability and Usability of the TRANSITION Tool to Support Preparation for Older Adult Care Transitions: A Qualitative Study
Allen J, Lobchuk M, Livingston PM, Roberts G and Hutchinson AM
Transitional care of older adults can be highly stressful for informal carers (carers) particularly when they are not involved in preparation and planning with health practitioners. This study aimed to ascertain carer perspectives about the potential acceptability and usability of a tool entitled the TRANSITION tool to support preparation and planning for the transition of an older adult from hospital to home.
Oculomotor Nerve Neuromyotonia: An Inflammatory Syndrome
Handel A, Irani SR and Oswal A
Clinical Characteristics of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 4J
Sadjadi R, Picher-Martel V, Morrow JM, Thedens D, DiCamillo PA, McCray BA, Pareyson D, Herrmann DN, Reilly MM, Li J, Castro D, Shy ME and
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4J (CMT4J) is caused by autosomal recessive variants in the () gene. Recent preclinical work has demonstrated the feasibility of adeno-associated virus serotype 9-FIG4 gene therapy. This study aimed to further characterize the CMT4J phenotype and evaluate feasibility of validated CMT-related outcome measures for future clinical trials.
Theory Is Essential in Promoting the Distinct Value of Occupational Therapy in Rehabilitation of Adults With Low Vision: A Systematic Review
Weisser-Pike O, Woods L, Lewis-Kipkulei P and Avrit R
Evidence for occupational therapy interventions should be grounded in theory to support practitioners' role in the rehabilitation of adults with low vision.
Pearls & Oy-sters: Use of Muscle Ultrasound as a Clinical Tool in INPP5K-Related Muscular Dystrophy: A Case Report
Deng S and Lee BH
Biallelic pathogenic variants in have been associated with a rare congenital muscular dystrophy that presents with muscle weakness, short stature, intellectual disability, and early-onset cataracts. A characteristic pattern of muscle involvement has been identified on muscle MRI in a small case series, including involvement of the vasti, anterior tibialis, and peronei with relative sparing of the rectus femoris, sartorius, and gracilis muscles. This case describes a patient who initially presented in infancy with hypotonia, motor delays, and short stature. She was eventually diagnosed at almost 3 years with -related muscular dystrophy after extensive workup that included multiple subspecialist evaluations, genetic testing for non-neuromuscular disorders, and a muscle biopsy. Muscle ultrasound (MUS) was performed at the end of this diagnostic journey, which demonstrated characteristic features that supported the diagnosis, including notable involvement of the vasti muscles with sparing of the rectus femoris. This case highlights how MUS can be a useful tool in the evaluation of children for neuromuscular disorders. MUS can help refine the differential and guide further steps in evaluation when performed early in the diagnostic process and may help clarify interpretation of genetic testing results when performed later.
ASHP Leaders Conference
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Single-nuclei sequencing of uterine serous carcinoma reveals racial differences in immune signaling
Foley KG, Adli M and Kim JJ
Significant racial disparities exist between Black and White patients with uterine serous carcinoma (USC). While the reasons for these disparities are unclear, several studies have demonstrated significantly different rates of driver mutations between racial groups, including TP53. However, limited research has investigated the transcriptional differences of tumors or the composition of the tumor microenvironment (TME) between these groups. Here, we report the single-nuclei RNA-sequencing profiles of primary USC tumors from diverse racial backgrounds. We find that there are significant differences between the tumors of Black and White patients. Tumors from Black patients exhibited higher expression of specific genes associated with aggressiveness, such as PAX8, and axon guidance and synaptic signaling pathways. We also demonstrated that T cell populations are reduced in the tumor tissue compared to matched benign, while anti-inflammatory macrophage populations are retained within the TME. Furthermore, we investigated the connection between PAX8 overexpression and immunosuppression in USC through regulation of several cytokines and chemokines. Notably, we show that PAX8 activity can influence macrophage gene expression and protein secretion. These studies provide a detailed understanding of the USC transcriptome and TME, and identify differences in tumor biology from patients of different racial backgrounds.
The deflection of fatigued neck
Zhou Y, Reddy C and Zhang X
The human neck is a unique mechanical structure, highly flexible but fatigue prone. The rising prevalence of neck pain and chronic injuries has been attributed to increasing exposure to fatigue loading in activities such as prolonged sedentary work and overuse of electronic devices. However, a causal relationship between fatigue and musculoskeletal mechanical changes remains elusive. This work aimed to establish this relationship through a unique experiment design, inspired by a cantilever beam mechanical model of the neck, and an orchestrated deployment of advanced motion-force measurement technologies including dynamic stereo-radiographic imaging. As a group of 24 subjects performed sustained-till-exhaustion neck exertions in varied positions-neutral, extended, and flexed, their cervical spine musculoskeletal responses were measured. Data verified the occurrence of fatigue and revealed fatigue-induced neck deflection which increased cervical lordosis or kyphosis by 4-5° to 11°, depending on the neck position. This finding and its interpretations render a renewed understanding of muscle fatigue from a more unified motor control perspective as well as profound implications on neck pain and injury prevention.
Enhancing Patient Understanding of Laboratory Test Results: Systematic Review of Presentation Formats and Their Impact on Perception, Decision, Action, and Memory
van der Mee FAM, Schaper F, Jansen J, Bons JAP, Meex SJR and Cals JWL
Direct access of patients to their web-based patient portal, including laboratory test results, has become increasingly common. Numeric laboratory results can be challenging to interpret for patients, which may lead to anxiety, confusion, and unnecessary doctor consultations. Laboratory results can be presented in different formats, but there is limited evidence regarding how these presentation formats impact patients' processing of the information.
Collective Intelligence-Based Participatory COVID-19 Surveillance in Accra, Ghana: Pilot Mixed Methods Study
Marley G, Dako-Gyeke P, Nepal P, Rajgopal R, Koko E, Chen E, Nuamah K, Osei K, Hofkirchner H, Marks M, Tucker JD, Eggo R, Ampofo W and Sylvia S
Infectious disease surveillance is difficult in many low- and middle-income countries. Information market (IM)-based participatory surveillance is a crowdsourcing method that encourages individuals to actively report health symptoms and observed trends by trading web-based virtual "stocks" with payoffs tied to a future event.
Behavioral Intervention for Adults With Autism on Distribution of Attention in Triadic Conversations: A/B-Tested Pre-Post Study
Tepencelik ON, Wei W, Luo M, Cosman P and Dey S
Cross-neurotype differences in social communication patterns contribute to high unemployment rates among adults with autism. Adults with autism can be unsuccessful in job searches or terminated from employment due to mismatches between their social attention behaviors and society's expectations on workplace communication.
Investigating Best Practices for Ecological Momentary Assessment: Nationwide Factorial Experiment
Businelle MS, Hébert ET, Shi D, Benson L, Kezbers KM, Tonkin S, Piper ME and Qian T
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a measurement methodology that involves the repeated collection of real-time data on participants' behavior and experience in their natural environment. While EMA allows researchers to gain valuable insights into dynamic behavioral processes, the need for frequent self-reporting can be burdensome and disruptive. Compliance with EMA protocols is important for accurate, unbiased sampling; yet, there is no "gold standard" for EMA study design to promote compliance.
Creating a Culturally Safe Online Data Collection Instrument to Measure Vaccine Confidence Among Indigenous Youth: Indigenous Consensus Method
Maar M, Bourdon C, Berti J, Bisaillon E, Boesch L, Boston A, Chapdelaine J, Humphrey A, Kumar S, Maar-Jackson B, Martell R, Naokwegijig B, Preet Kaur D, Rice S, Rickaby B, Sutherland M and Reade M
 Participating in surveys can shape the perception of participants related to the study topic. Administering a vaccine hesitancy questionnaire can have negative impacts on participants' vaccine confidence. This is particularly true for online and cross-cultural data collection because culturally safe health education to correct misinformation is typically not provided after the administration of an electronic survey.
The neocortical infrastructure for language involves region-specific patterns of laminar gene expression
Wong MMK, Sha Z, Lütje L, Kong XZ, van Heukelum S, van de Berg WDJ, Jonkman LE, Fisher SE and Francks C
The language network of the human brain has core components in the inferior frontal cortex and superior/middle temporal cortex, with left-hemisphere dominance in most people. Functional specialization and interconnectivity of these neocortical regions is likely to be reflected in their molecular and cellular profiles. Excitatory connections between cortical regions arise and innervate according to layer-specific patterns. Here, we generated a gene expression dataset from human postmortem cortical tissue samples from core language network regions, using spatial transcriptomics to discriminate gene expression across cortical layers. Integration of these data with existing single-cell expression data identified 56 genes that showed differences in laminar expression profiles between the frontal and temporal language cortex together with upregulation in layer II/III and/or layer V/VI excitatory neurons. Based on data from large-scale genome-wide screening in the population, DNA variants within these 56 genes showed set-level associations with interindividual variation in structural connectivity between the left-hemisphere frontal and temporal language cortex, and with the brain-related disorders dyslexia and schizophrenia which often involve affected language. These findings identify region-specific patterns of laminar gene expression as a feature of the brain's language network.
Recurrent Pulmonary Tuberculosis in China, 2005 to 2021
Li T, Zhang B, Du X, Pei S, Jia Z and Zhao Y
Despite posing a significant challenge to global tuberculosis (TB) elimination efforts, recurrent TB remains understudied due to the challenges of long-term observation.
Trochlear nerve schwannoma with concomitant osimertinib-responsive stage IV lung adenocarcinoma: illustrative case
Kashiwagi S, Tanji M, Matsuoka T, Sano N, Ozasa H, Natori D, Takeuchi Y, Makino Y, Yamamoto Hattori E, Terada Y, Mineharu Y and Arakawa Y
The prognosis for cancer patients has been improved because of the development of molecularly targeted drugs. Treatment of intracranial tumors must be personalized while prioritizing the treatment of comorbid cancers.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Dementia in Older Adults With Cardiometabolic Diseases
Dove A, Dunk MM, Wang J, Guo J, Whitmer RA and Xu W
Inflammation has been proposed as a mechanism linking cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs) to increased risk of dementia. However, whether an anti-inflammatory diet can support brain and cognitive health among people with CMDs is unclear.
Harm Reduction and Treatment Among People at High Risk of Overdose
Bandara S, Byrne L, Berman V, Hurst A, King D, Gibbons JB, Sugarman OK, Livingston A, Kerins L, Hulsey EG, Alves A and Saloner B
Rates of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids remain high, increasingly involve stimulants combined with opioids, and are increasing rapidly in racially and ethnically minoritized communities, yet little is known about access to harm reduction and treatment services in these groups.
Artificial Intelligence as a Potential Catalyst to a More Equitable Cancer Care
Garcia-Saiso S, Marti M, Pesce K, Luciani S, Mujica O, Hennis A and D'Agostino M
As we enter the era of digital interdependence, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a key instrument to transform health care and address disparities and barriers in access to services. This viewpoint explores AI's potential to reduce inequalities in cancer care by improving diagnostic accuracy, optimizing resource allocation, and expanding access to medical care, especially in underserved communities. Despite persistent barriers, such as socioeconomic and geographical disparities, AI can significantly improve health care delivery. Key applications include AI-driven health equity monitoring, predictive analytics, mental health support, and personalized medicine. This viewpoint highlights the need for inclusive development practices and ethical considerations to ensure diverse data representation and equitable access. Emphasizing the role of AI in cancer care, especially in low- and middle-income countries, we underscore the importance of collaborative and multidisciplinary efforts to integrate AI effectively and ethically into health systems. This call to action highlights the need for further research on user experiences and the unique social, cultural, and political barriers to AI implementation in cancer care.
Do risk measure scores and diagnoses predict evaluator opinions in sexually violent predator cases? It depends on the evaluator
Boccaccini MT, Murrie DC and Harris PB
Field research increasingly reveals that forensic evaluators are not interchangeable. Instead, they tend to differ in their patterns of forensic opinions, in ways that likely reflect something about themselves, not just the persons evaluated. This study used data from sexually violent predator (SVP) evaluations to examine whether evaluator differences in making intermediate decisions (e.g., instrument scoring, assigning diagnoses) might explain their different patterns of final opinions.
Hippocampal Availability of the α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Recent-Onset Psychosis
Wong NR, Rubin LH, Harrington CK, Jenkins KR, Shinehouse LK, Yoon M, Kilgore JJ, Soule AR, Lesniak WG, Rowe SP, Horti AG, Kamath V, Dannals RF, Du Y, Pomper MG and Coughlin JM
Studies using human postmortem tissue and imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) support a low hippocampal availability of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7-nAChR) in psychotic conditions, particularly in schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (nonaffective psychosis). If validated further, the finding may have implications for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Comparing the efficacy of faking warning types in preemployment personality tests: A meta-analysis
Moon B, Daljeet KN, O'Neill TA, Harwood H, Awad W and Beletski LV
Numerous faking warning types have been investigated as interventions that aim to minimize applicant faking in preemployment personality tests. However, studies vary in the types and effectiveness of faking warnings used, personality traits, as well as the use of different recruitment settings and participant samples. In the present study, we advance a theory that classifies faking warning types based on ability, opportunity, and motivation to fake (Tett & Simonet, 2011), which we validated using subject matter expert ratings. Using this framework as a guide, we conducted a random-effects pairwise meta-analysis ( = 34) and a network meta-analysis ( = 36). We used inverse-variance weighting to pool the effect sizes and relied on 80% prediction intervals to evaluate heterogeneity. Overall, faking warnings had a significant, moderate effect in reducing applicant faking ( = 0.31, 95% CI [0.23, 0.39]). Warning types that theoretically targeted ability, motivation, and opportunity to fake ( = 0.36, 95% CI [0.25, 0.47]) were the most effective. Additionally, warnings were least effective in studies using recruitment settings and nonuniversity student samples. However, all effect sizes contained substantial heterogeneity, and all warning types will be ineffective in some contexts. Organizations should be cognizant that warnings alone may not be sufficient to address applicant faking, and future research should explore how their effectiveness varies depending on other contextual factors and applicant characteristics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Too much of a good thing? A multilevel examination of listening to music at work
Scott BA, Awasty N, Li S, Conlon DE, Johnson RE, Voorhees CM and Passantino LG
Music listening has proliferated in the workplace, yet its effects have been overlooked, and classic investigations offer conflicting results. To advance our understanding, we draw from self-regulation and resource allocation theories to suggest that listening to music has curvilinear effects on attentional focus and performance on work tasks and that willpower belief is a key boundary condition. We test these hypotheses across three studies: a pilot study of 108 employees from a software company who took part in a 2-week experience-sampling methodology study and self-rated their music listening and performance, a laboratory study (Study 1) of 252 undergraduate students in which task attentional focus and objective performance on proofreading tasks were captured across repeated trials while listening to music, and a 3-week experience-sampling methodology study (Study 2) of 247 employees that included a within-person manipulation of music listening (little to no music vs. 1 hr longer than usual vs. 3 hr longer than usual), daily self-ratings of task attentional focus and task performance, and weekly coworker ratings of task performance. We find mixed support for our hypotheses. Time spent listening to music exhibited an inverted, U-shaped relationship with self-rated (pilot study) and objective (Study 1) task performance. Individuals with higher willpower belief maintained higher levels of task attentional focus regardless of the amount of music they listened to (Studies 1 and 2), and the curvilinear relationship of reported music listening with self-rated task performance was more pronounced for individuals who believe that willpower is limited (pilot study and Study 2). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
State-dependent connectivity in auditory-reward networks predicts peak pleasure experiences to music
Mori K and Zatorre R
Music can evoke pleasurable and rewarding experiences. Past studies that examined task-related brain activity revealed individual differences in musical reward sensitivity traits and linked them to interactions between the auditory and reward systems. However, state-dependent fluctuations in spontaneous neural activity in relation to music-driven rewarding experiences have not been studied. Here, we used functional MRI to examine whether the coupling of auditory-reward networks during a silent period immediately before music listening can predict the degree of musical rewarding experience of human participants (N = 49). We used machine learning models and showed that the functional connectivity between auditory and reward networks, but not others, could robustly predict subjective, physiological, and neurobiological aspects of the strong musical reward of chills. Specifically, the right auditory cortex-striatum/orbitofrontal connections predicted the reported duration of chills and the activation level of nucleus accumbens and insula, whereas the auditory-amygdala connection was associated with psychophysiological arousal. Furthermore, the predictive model derived from the first sample of individuals was generalized in an independent dataset using different music samples. The generalization was successful only for state-like, pre-listening functional connectivity but not for stable, intrinsic functional connectivity. The current study reveals the critical role of sensory-reward connectivity in pre-task brain state in modulating subsequent rewarding experience.
A2HTL: An Automated Hybrid Transformer Based Learning for Predicting Survival of Esophageal Cancer Using CT Images
Yue H, Liu J, Zhao L, Kuang H, Cheng J, Li J, He M, Gong J and Wang J
Esophageal cancer is a common malignant tumor, precisely predicting survival of esophageal cancer is crucial for personalized treatment. However, current region of interest (ROI) based methodologies not only necessitate prior medical knowledge for tumor delineation, but may also cause the model to be overly sensitive to ROI. To address these challenges, we develop an automated Hybrid Transformer based learning that integrates a Hybrid Transformer size-aware U-Net with a ranked survival prediction network to enable automatic survival prediction for esophageal cancer. Specifically, we first incorporate the Transformer with shifted windowing multi-head self-attention mechanism (SW-MSA) into the base of the UNet encoder to capture the long-range dependency in CT images. Furthermore, to alleviate the imbalance between the ROI and the background in CT images, we devise a size-aware coefficient for the segmentation loss. Finally, we also design a ranked pair sorting loss to more comprehensively capture the ranked information inherent in CT images. We evaluate our proposed method on a dataset comprising 759 samples with esophageal cancer. Experimental results demonstrate the superior performance of our proposed method in survival prediction, even without ROI ground truth.
Electroretinographic Evaluations of Eyes With Endophthalmitis
Takano S, Igawa Y, Narita Y, Shoji T, Yoshikawa Y, Katsumoto T, Kawagoe T, Shibuya M, Makita J and Shinoda K
To determine the physiological status of the retina of eyes with endophthalmitis by examining the electroretinograms (ERGs) recorded with a portable recording system and to determine whether the pretreatment ERG findings were correlated with the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) after the treatment.
Subthreshold Micropulse Laser Versus Oral Spironolactone in Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial
Gao S, Ge G, Zhang Y and Zhang M
To compare the efficacy and safety of subthreshold micropulse laser (SML) and spironolactone therapy for treating chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC).
Alcohol Consumption Patterns and Mortality Among Older Adults With Health-Related or Socioeconomic Risk Factors
Ortolá R, Sotos-Prieto M, García-Esquinas E, Galán I and Rodríguez-Artalejo F
Alcohol consumption is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality that may be more important in older adults with socioeconomic or health-related risk factors.
Endovascular Thrombectomy for Large Core Ischemic Stroke-Age Matters
Tsivgoulis G and Campbell BC
Age and Functional Outcomes in Patients With Large Ischemic Stroke Receiving Endovascular Thrombectomy
Winkelmeier L, Kniep H, Faizy T, Heitkamp C, Holtz L, Meyer L, Flottmann F, Heitkamp A, Schell M, Thomalla G, Fiehler J, Broocks G and
Randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of endovascular thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke with large infarct. Patients older than 80 years with large infarct are commonly encountered in clinical practice but underrepresented in randomized clinical trials.
Comprehensiveness of State Insurance Laws and Perceived Access to Pediatric Mental Health Care
Foster AA, Hoffmann JA, Douglas MD, Monuteaux MC, Douglas KE, Benevides TW, Hudgins JD and Stewart AM
Many US children and adolescents with mental and behavioral health (MBH) conditions do not access MBH services. One contributing factor is limited insurance coverage, which is influenced by state MBH insurance parity legislation.
Results of International, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase IIa Study of Interleukin-1 Blockade With RPH-104 (Goflikicept) in Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)
Abbate A, Van Tassell B, Bogin V, Markley R, Pevzner DV, Cremer PC, Meray I, Privalov DV, Taylor A, Grishin SA, Egorova AN, Ponomar EG, Lavrovsky Y, Samsonov MY and
Prediction of Hearing Help Seeking to Design a Recommendation Module of an mHealth Hearing App: Intensive Longitudinal Study of Feature Importance Assessment
Angonese G, Buhl M, Kuhlmann I, Kollmeier B and Hildebrandt A
Mobile health (mHealth) solutions can improve the quality, accessibility, and equity of health services, fostering early rehabilitation. For individuals with hearing loss, mHealth apps might be designed to support the decision-making processes in auditory diagnostics and provide treatment recommendations to the user (eg, hearing aid need). For some individuals, such an mHealth app might be the first contact with a hearing diagnostic service and should motivate users with hearing loss to seek professional help in a targeted manner. However, personalizing treatment recommendations is only possible by knowing the individual's profile regarding the outcome of interest.
Early-Childhood Tablet Use and Outbursts of Anger
Fitzpatrick C, Pan PM, Lemieux A, Harvey E, Rocha FA and Garon-Carrier G
Tablet use continues to increase in preschool-aged children. The use of mobile devices has been linked to child emotional dysregulation. However, few studies have been able to show a clear direction of association between child tablet use and the development of self-regulation skills. In addition, few studies have modeled within-person associations over time.
Patient, Nurse, and Physician Perspectives on Personalized, Incremental Hemodialysis
Roberts GV, Jefferson NM, Picillo R, Torreggiani M, Piccoli GB, Jaques DA, Niyyar VD, Lea J, Hercé M, Heude I, Rouleau J, Livet A, Ribot F, Pernet C, Conway PT and Murea M
Exploring the everyday impacts and memory intervention needs of people with transient epileptic amnesia: A qualitative study
Savage SA, Cavuoto MG and Pike KE
People with transient epileptic amnesia (TEA) experience deficits in memory, however, little is known about their everyday experience of this, and no memory intervention studies have been conducted within this group. Using a two-part qualitative method, this study explored the lived experience of people with TEA and possible avenues for memory intervention. Fourteen people with TEA participated in either a focus group ( = 7) or an online survey ( = 7) to answer questions regarding their memory difficulties, impact on their lives, and strategies to mitigate these problems. Perceived barriers and facilitators to participating in a group memory intervention program were discussed. Thematic content analysis identified key themes regarding impacts on the individual and their relationships. Although some positive outcomes regarding family support and personal acceptance were described, most participants described negative impacts on relationships and mood. A range of strategies to mitigate memory problems were reported, although some people did not use any. Participants identified practical and socio-emotional advantages to memory intervention, with perceived barriers around individual applicability, preferences, and ability to engage. While individual preferences need to be considered, a group-based memory intervention may help address cognitive and mental health concerns, particularly for those newly diagnosed with TEA.
Improving Generalization and Personalization in Model-Heterogeneous Federated Learning
Zhang X, Wang J, Bao W, Zhang Y, Zhu X, Peng H and Zhao X
Conventional federated learning (FL) assumes the homogeneity of models, necessitating clients to expose their model parameters to enhance the performance of the server model. However, this assumption cannot reflect real-world scenarios. Sharing models and parameters raises security concerns for users, and solely focusing on the server-side model neglects clients' personalization requirements, potentially impeding expected performance improvements of users. On the other hand, prioritizing personalization may compromise the generalization of the server model, thereby hindering extensive knowledge migration. To address these challenges, we put forth an important problem: How can FL ensure both generalization and personalization when clients' models are heterogeneous? In this work, we introduce FedTED, which leverages a twin-branch structure and data-free knowledge distillation (DFKD) to address the challenges posed by model heterogeneity and diverse objectives in FL. The employed techniques in FedTED yield significant improvements in both personalization and generalization, while effectively coordinating the updating process of clients' heterogeneous models and successfully reconstructing a satisfactory global model. Our empirical evaluation demonstrates that FedTED outperforms many representative algorithms, particularly in scenarios where clients' models are heterogeneous, achieving a remarkable 19.37% enhancement in generalization performance and up to 9.76% improvement in personalization performance.
Molecular characterization of (StrepA) non-invasive isolates during the 2022-2023 UK upsurge
Hall JN, Bah SY, Khalid H, Brailey A, Coleman S, Kirk T, Hussain N, Tovey M, Chaudhuri RR, Davies S, Tilley L, de Silva T and Turner CE
At the end of 2022 into early 2023, the UK Health Security Agency reported unusually high levels of scarlet fever and invasive disease caused by (StrepA or group A ). During this time, we collected and genome-sequenced 341 non-invasive throat and skin isolates identified during routine clinical diagnostic testing in Sheffield, a large UK city. We compared the data with that obtained from a similar collection of 165 isolates from 2016 to 2017. Numbers of throat-associated isolates collected peaked in early December 2022, reflecting the national scarlet fever upsurge, while skin infections peaked later in December. The most common -types in 2022-2023 were 1 (28.7 %), 12 (24.9 %) and 22 (7.7 %) in throat and 1 (22 %), 12 (10 %), 76 (18 %) and 49 (7 %) in skin. While all 1 isolates were the M1 lineage, the comparison with 2016-2017 revealed diverse lineages in other -types, including 12, and emergent lineages within other types including a new acapsular 75 lineage, demonstrating that the upsurge was not completely driven by a single genotype. The analysis of the capsule locus predicted that only 51 % of throat isolates would produce capsule compared with 78% of skin isolates. Ninety per cent of throat isolates were also predicted to have high NADase and streptolysin O (SLO) expression, based on the promoter sequence, compared with only 56% of skin isolates. Our study has highlighted the value in analysis of non-invasive isolates to characterize tissue tropisms, as well as changing strain diversity and emerging genomic features which may have implications for spillover into invasive disease and future upsurges.
Naturalistic patterns of sustained attention across early childhood: Developmental profiles and longitudinal associations with executive functions
Werchan DM, Brandes-Aitken A, Ku S and Blair C
The capacity to sustain attention over time develops rapidly over early childhood and is associated with socioemotional and cognitive outcomes. However, sustained attention has largely been studied in either shared or independent contexts, leading to gaps in our understanding of how trade-offs between sustained attention to shared versus individual targets may predict later outcomes. We examined this question in a longitudinal sample of 1,290 children (49% female, 43% Black), living in predominately rural, low-income regions, using a naturalistic shared picture book reading task. Children's sustained attention to individual relative to shared targets during the book reading task was measured at 24 and 35 months. Using latent profile analysis, we identified four developmental profiles of children's attentional trajectories: three of the profiles differed in the extent that children' attention shifted toward more socially directed relative to individually directed attention; a fourth profile showed atypical decreases in both socially directed and individually directed attention across development. Importantly, heterogeneity in children's attentional profiles were associated with differences in executive functions at 48 months of age. Specifically, children who showed greater relative increases in socially directed attention had higher executive functions performance, whereas children with atypical decreases in attention showed substantial deficits in this domain. These findings reveal distinct longitudinal patterns of sustained attention in naturalistic contexts and show that heterogeneity in these patterns are robust predictors of subsequent executive functions. This person-centered approach provides novel insights into how quantitative and qualitative changes in attention may impact executive functions development and may help identify children at risk for nonnormative trajectories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Toward Safe and Confident Silver Drivers: Interview Study Investigating Older Adults' Driving Practices
Kim S and Sivangula P
As the aging population in the United States continues to increase rapidly, preserving the mobility and independence of older adults becomes increasingly critical for enabling aging in place successfully. While personal vehicular transport remains a popular choice among this demographic due to its provision of independence and control over their lives, age-related changes may heighten the risk of common driving errors and diminish driving abilities.
Revisiting the nature and strength of the personality-job performance relations: New insights from interpretable machine learning
Song QC, Oh IS, Kim Y and So C
Prior research on the relations between the five-factor model (FFM) of personality traits and job performance has suggested mixed findings: Some studies pointed to linear relations, while other studies revealed nonlinear relations. This study addresses these gaps using machine learning (ML) methods that can model complex relations between the FFM traits and job performance in a more generalizable way, particularly interpretable ML techniques that can more effectively reveal the nature (linear, curvilinear, interactive) and strength (feature/relative importance) of the personality-job performance relations. Overall, the results based on a sample of 1,190 employees suggest that nonlinear ML methods perform slightly yet consistently better than linear regression methods in modeling the relation of job performance with FFM facets, but not with factors. On the factor level, conscientiousness exhibits a noticeable curvilinear relation with job performance, and it also interacts with other FFM factors to predict job performance. Conscientiousness displays the strongest feature importance across job types, followed by agreeableness. On the facet level, most FFM facets show limited evidence for curvilinear and interactive (with other facets) relations with job performance. While several conscientiousness facets (order, deliberation, self-discipline) display the strongest feature importance in predicting job performance, some agreeableness (straightforwardness, altruism) and extraversion (positive emotionality) facets also emerge as important features for different sales job types (corporate vs. individual sales). We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Preventing Cognitive Decline in Older Latino Adults With HIV Through a Culturally Tailored Health Promotion Intervention: Protocol for a Single-Arm Pilot Trial
Jimenez DE, Ross EJ, Weinstein E, Gouse H, Pan Y, Martinez Garza D, Burke SL, Joo JH and Behar-Zusman V
Older Latino adults with HIV are at increased risk for mild cognitive impairment and earlier onset of aging-related cognitive decline. Improvements in cognitive functioning and cognitive outcomes are possible among people with HIV who adopt health promotion behaviors. However, health promotion interventions for older Latino adults with HIV have not been extensively used or widely recognized as viable treatment options. Happy Older Latinos are Active (HOLA) is a multicomponent, health promotion intervention that is uniquely tailored for older Latino adults with HIV.
Predictive bias in pretrial risk assessment: Application of the Public Safety Assessment in a Native American population
Zottola SA, Stewart K, Cloud V, Hassett L and Desmarais SL
Native Americans are vastly overrepresented in U.S. jails and people in rural communities face unique barriers (e.g., limited public transportation and services) that may impact how well pretrial risk assessments predict outcomes. Yet, these populations are understudied in the literature examining the predictive validity and, more importantly, the potential predictive bias of pretrial risk assessments. We sought to address these gaps.
The Impact of a Gamified Intervention on Daily Steps in Real-Life Conditions: Retrospective Analysis of 4800 Individuals
Mazéas A, Forestier C, Harel G, Duclos M and Chalabaev A
Digital interventions integrating gamification features hold promise to promote daily steps. However, results regarding the effectiveness of this type of intervention are heterogeneous and not yet confirmed in real-life contexts.
When and how perceived control buffers against cognitive declines: A moderated mediation analysis
Hamm JM, Lachman ME, Duggan KA, Mogle JA, McGrath R, Parker K and Klepacz LM
Although perceived control is a well-established predictor of cognitive aging, less is known about how and under what developmental circumstances these beliefs about personal influence may protect against cognitive declines. Our study examined light physical activity (LPA) as an unexplored mechanism that may link changes in two facets of perceived control (personal mastery, perceived constraints) to longitudinal trajectories of cognitive functioning. We also examined whether mediated pathways were moderated by age (i.e., differed across the adult lifespan). We analyzed two-wave, 9-year data from the national Midlife in the United States Study ( = 2,456; = 56 years, range = 30-84; 56% female) using autoregressive mediation and moderated mediation models. Mediation models showed that changes in personal mastery and perceived constraints predicted episodic memory and executive functioning via self-reported change in LPA. Only the mediated effects of constraints remained significant in a model that included both mastery and constraints as predictors. Moderated mediation models showed that, for episodic memory, the mediated pathways were strongest in old age and emerged only for constraints: For older but not younger adults, declines in constraints were associated with less decline in episodic memory, as mediated by increases in LPA. Results were consistent in sensitivity analyses that controlled for levels and change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Findings inform lifespan theories of control and provide initial evidence that change in a largely overlooked health behavior (LPA) may underlie the link between perceived constraints and cognitive functioning, with this pathway becoming more pronounced in late life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Clinical Outcomes of Tirzepatide or GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes
Chuang MH, Chen JY, Wang HY, Jiang ZH and Wu VC
Despite its demonstrated benefits in improving cardiovascular risk profiles, the association of tirzepatide with mortality and cardiovascular and kidney outcomes compared with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) remains unknown.
Spontaneous Resolution of Kyphoscoliosis Secondary to Guillain-Barre Syndrome: A Case Report
Malka MS, Givens RR, Zervos TM, Berube E, Lu K, Bainton N, Vitale MG and Roye BD
Spinal deformity associated with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is not commonly reported. We present a 6-year-old girl who developed kyphoscoliosis after being diagnosed GBS. She had extensive motor deficits requiring 2 hospitalizations and treatment with IV immunoglobulin therapy. Five months after diagnosis, she presented to our clinic with a 15° coronal scoliosis and a 65° thoracic kyphosis. At 6-month follow-up, kyphosis progressed to 77° with no significant change in the coronal curve. At 1 year, sagittal alignment was within normal limits and the coronal curve had completely resolved.
Intraneural Nodular Fasciitis of the Radial Nerve: A Case Report
Suwannaphisit S, Minami N, Hasegawa H, Kawamura K and Omokawa S
We report a case of intraneural nodular fasciitis in the forearm initially suspected as a schwannoma, emphasizing the importance of accurate diagnosis. A 40-year-old woman presented with mass on the lateral aspect of her right forearm and radial neuropathy symptoms for 2 months. An excisional biopsy and histopathological examination confirmed nodular fasciitis. Postoperative evaluation at 4.5 years found no pain, paralysis, or recurrence.
Surgical Treatment of Heterotopic Ossification of the Bilateral Shoulder and Elbow Joints Caused by Burn Injury: A Case Report
Terabayashi N, Kawashima K, Asano H, Hirakawa A, Komura S and Akiyama H
A 27-year-old man sustained chemical burns affecting 54% of his body caused by steam and acetic acid at a dyeing factory. He developed restricted bilateral elbow and shoulder motion because of heterotopic ossification (HO) beginning 3 months after the incident. The skin healed within 1 year, but ankylosis developed because of progressing ossification. We performed HO surgical excision in 4 stages. Two years after the final surgery, the function of both upper extremities had recovered.
Three-dimensional imaging of upper tract urothelial carcinoma improves diagnostic yield and accuracy
Fukumoto K, Kanatani S, Jaremko G, West Z, Li Y, Takamatsu K, Al Rayyes I, Mikami S, Niwa N, Axelsson TA, Tanaka N, Oya M, Miyakawa A, Brehmer M and Uhlén P
Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare form of urothelial cancer with a high incidence of recurrence and a low survival rate. Almost two-thirds of UTUCs are invasive at the time of diagnosis; therefore, improving diagnostic methods is key to increasing survival rates. Histopathological analysis of UTUC is essential for diagnosis and typically requires endoscopy biopsy, tissue sectioning, and labeling. However, endoscopy biopsies are minute, and it is challenging to cut into thin sections for conventional histopathology; this complicates diagnosis. Here, we used volumetric 3-dimensional (3D) imaging to explore the inner landscape of clinical UTUC biopsies, without sectioning, revealing that 3D analysis of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6 (pS6) could predict tumor grade and prognosis with improved accuracy. By visualizing the tumor vasculature, we discovered that pS6+ cells were localized near blood vessels at significantly higher levels in high-grade tumors than in low-grade tumors. Furthermore, the clustering of pS6+ cells was associated with shorter relapse-free survival. Our results demonstrate that 3D volume imaging of the structural niches of pS6 cells deep inside the UTUC samples improved diagnostic yield, grading, and prognosis prediction.
Socio-economic status and head and neck cancer incidence in the Nordic countries
Nikkilä R, Carpén T, Hansen J, Heikkinen S, Lynge E, Martinsen JI, Selander J, Mehlum IS, Torfadóttir JE, Mäkitie A and Pukkala E
The impact of societal factors on the occurrence of head and neck cancers (HNCs) remains understudied, especially in the Nordic countries.
Use of an emulated trial to investigate the association between use of nitrogen-based bisphosphonates and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer
Tuesley KM, Spilsbury K, Webb PM, Pearson SA, Donovan P, Coory MD, Steer CB, Stewart LM, Pandeya N, Protani MM, Dixon-Suen S, Marquart-Wilson L and Jordan SJ
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the eighth most common cancer in women, with poor survival outcomes. Observational evidence suggests that nitrogen-based bisphosphonate (NBB) use may be associated with reduced risk of EOC, particularly the endometrioid and serous histotypes; however, confounding by indication is a concern. An alternative approach to investigate the chemo-preventive potential of NBBs is to emulate a target trial by identifying all women who initiate use of NBBs and investigate the risk of EOC for continued users compared with discontinued users.
A Novel JAK2 Fusion in T-Cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia
Eren OC, Stuver R, Zhou T, Zaidinski M, Moskowitz AJ, Horwitz SM, Ewalt MD, Zhang Y and Lim MS
T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) is a rare and aggressive mature T-cell malignancy characterized by marked lymphocytosis, B symptoms, lymphadenopathy, and hepatosplenomegaly. There is no standard treatment approach, and in the absence of an allogeneic transplant, the prognosis remains poor. The disease-defining cytogenetic abnormality in T-PLL is the juxtaposition of the TCL1-family oncogene to the TCR gene enhancer locus primarily due to an inversion of chromosome 14, that is, inv(14). The application of next-generation sequencing technologies led to the discovery of highly recurrent gain-of-function mutations in JAK1/3 and STAT5B in over 70% of T-PLL providing opportunities for therapeutic intervention using small molecule inhibitors. Additional genetic mechanisms that may contribute to the pathogenesis of T-PLL remain unknown. Herein we describe the identification of a novel gene fusion SMCHD1::JAK2 resulting from a translocation between chromosome 9 and 18 involving SMCHD1 exon 45 and JAK2 exon 14 (t(9;18)(p24.1;p11.32)(chr9:g.5080171::chr18:g.2793269)), a previously undescribed genetic event in a patient with T-PLL harboring the key disease defining inv(14) resulting in rearrangement of TCL1 and TRA/D. In this manuscript, we describe the clinical and genetic features of the patient's disease course over a 25-month post-treatment duration using ruxolitinib and duvelisib.
Expansion of the HSV-2-specific T cell repertoire in skin after immunotherapeutic HSV-2 vaccine
Ford ES, Li AZ, Laing KJ, Dong L, Diem K, Jing L, Mayer-Blackwell K, Basu K, Ott M, Tartaglia J, Gurunathan S, Reid JL, Ecsedi M, Chapuis AG, Huang ML, Magaret AS, Johnston C, Zhu J, Koelle DM and Corey L
The skin at the site of HSV-2 reactivation is enriched for HSV-2-specific T cells. To evaluate whether an immunotherapeutic vaccine could elicit skin-based memory T cells, we studied skin biopsies and HSV-2-reactive CD4+ T cells from PBMCs by T cell receptor (TCR) β chain (TRB) sequencing before and after vaccination with a replication-incompetent whole-virus HSV-2 vaccine candidate (HSV529). The representation of HSV-2-reactive CD4+ TRB sequences from PBMCs in the skin TRB repertoire increased after the first vaccine dose. We found sustained expansion after vaccination of unique, skin-based T cell clonotypes that were not detected in HSV-2-reactive CD4+ T cells isolated from PBMCs. In one participant, a switch in immunodominance occurred with the emergence of a TCR αβ pair after vaccination that was not detected in blood. This TCRαβ was shown to be HSV-2 reactive by expression of a synthetic TCR in a Jurkat-based NR4A1 reporter system. The skin in areas of HSV-2 reactivation possessed an oligoclonal TRB repertoire that was distinct from the circulation. Defining the influence of therapeutic vaccination on the HSV-2-specific TRB repertoire requires tissue-based evaluation.
High-performing teams: Is collective intelligence the answer?
Rowe LI, Hattie J and Munro J
The concept of a general factor of collective intelligence, proposed by Woolley et al. in 2010, has spurred interest in understanding collective intelligence within small groups. This study aims to extend this investigation by examining the validity of a general collective intelligence factor, assessing its underlying factor structure, and evaluating its utility in predicting performance on future group problem-solving tasks and academic outcomes.
Effectiveness of a Virtual Reality rehabilitation in stroke patients with sensory-motor and proprioception upper limb deficit: A study protocol
Ventura S, Tessari A, Castaldini S, Magni E, Turolla A, Baños R and Lullini G
Stroke is the second leading cause of death in Europe. In the case of stroke survival (almost 70%), only 25% of patients recover completely, while the remaining 75% will undergo a rehabilitation phase that varying from months to years. The primary outcomes of a stroke involve motor impairment in the upper limbs, resulting in a partial or complete inability to move the limb on the right or left side, depending on the affected hemisphere. Furthermore, the motor deficit distorts the proprioception of the body and the embodiment ability of the injured limb. This could be rehabilitated through the paradigm of body illusion that modulates the motor rehabilitation. The present protocol aims to investigate the effectiveness of a Virtual Reality system for sensorimotor and proprioception upper limb deficit compared to a traditional upper limb rehabilitation program.
Racial/ethnic differences in pre-pregnancy conditions and adverse maternal outcomes in the nuMoM2b cohort: A population-based cohort study
Meredith ME, Steimle LN, Stanhope KK, Platner MH and Boulet SL
To determine how pre-existing conditions contribute to racial disparities in adverse maternal outcomes and incorporate these conditions into models to improve risk prediction for racial minority subgroups.
Application value of volumetric CT value in quantifying the activity of a pulmonary tuberculoma
Wei G, Zhang J and Qiu X
The purpose of this study was to explore the auxiliary diagnostic value of volumetric CT value in quantifying the activity of a pulmonary tuberculoma.
Impact on step count by commitment-based health application
Takebayashi M, Namba M, Koyama T, Kaneda Y, Kawaguchi H, Uemura C, Shibuya M, Murakami S, Fukuda H and Shibutani H
Prior research has implied that promoting sustaining physical activity through nudges is challenging and boosting health literacy is important for the long-term establishment of behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the effects of commitment-based health application on step count and health literacy.
Pathology students' perceptions of virtual learning: A case study of students in Saudi Arabia
Almohammadi NH
Pathology laboratory classes are traditionally conducted using a conventional light microscope. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and recent technological advances necessitated remote learning through online classes using virtual slides (VS) instead of glass slides (GS).
Trajectories of school absences across compulsory schooling and their impact on children's academic achievement: An analysis based on linked longitudinal survey and school administrative data
Dräger J, Klein M and Sosu EM
Prior research has identified that school absences harm children's academic achievement. However, this literature is focused on brief periods or single school years and does not consistently account for the dynamic nature of absences across multiple school years. This study examined dynamic trajectories of children's authorised and unauthorised absences throughout their compulsory school career in England. It investigated the consequences of these absence trajectories for children's achievement at the end of compulsory schooling. We analyse linked administrative data on children's absences and achievement from the National Pupil Database and survey data from the Millennium Cohort Study for a representative sample of children born in 2000/2001 in England (N = 7218). We used k-means clustering for longitudinal data to identify joint authorised-unauthorised absence trajectories throughout compulsory schooling and a regression-with-residuals approach to examine the link between absence trajectories and achievement. We identified five distinct absence trajectories: (1) 'Consistently Low Absences', (2) 'Consistently Moderate Authorised Absences', (3) 'Moderately Increasing Unauthorised Absences', (4) 'Strongly Increasing Unauthorised Absences', and (5) 'Strongly Increasing Authorised Absences'. We found substantial differences between trajectory groups in GCSE achievement, even when accounting for significant risk factors of school absences. Compared to 'Consistently Low Absences', 'Strongly Increasing Unauthorised Absences' reduced achievement by -1.23 to -1.48 standard deviations, while 'Strongly Increasing Authorised Absences' reduced achievement by -0.72 to -1.00 SD for our continuous outcomes. 'Moderately Increasing Unauthorised Absences' (-0.61 to -0.70 SD) and 'Consistently Moderate Authorised Absences' (-0.13 to -0.21 SD) also negatively affected achievement compared to 'Consistently Low Absences'. Our research underscores the critical importance of examining entire trajectories of absenteeism and differentiating between types of absences to fully grasp their associations with academic outcomes and design targeted interventions accordingly.
Effect analysis of government intervention on scale-heterogeneous farmers' behavior of groundwater exploitation
Wang X, Lu Q and Zhang Z
Government intervention has become an important measure to restrain groundwater overexploitation. This paper analyzes the effect of three types of government intervention measures, namely, guidance, incentive and constraint, on farmers' groundwater utilization behavior, from the perspective of scale-heterogeneity, using general quantile regression model, by survey data of 1122 households in well irrigation area of north China. The results showed that: (1) the incentive and guiding measures have negative effects on farmers' groundwater usage, while the effect of restrictive measures is not obvious. The guided policy is superior to the incentive measure as to governance effect. (2) With the increase of farmers' land scale, the influence of incentive measures shows a trend of weakening, and the effect of guided measures on groundwater demand reduction of farmers is stronger. When it comes to the different point of water consumption, when at the point level of 0.25, the incentive measures have the most obvious inhibitory effect. With the increase of water consumption of farmers, the guided measures begin to play a core role. The effect of restrictive measures is not obvious with the increase of water consumption. (3) In addition, farmers' irrigation water consumption also is affected by gender, cognition of water resources shortage, ecological cognitive level, acquisition ability of disaster information, village rain conditions, the degree of water rights market development, feelings of water fee increase, irrigated disputes in the village, collective economic level of village. The selection of policy tools is flexible according to the farmers' land scale for groundwater over-extraction control.
Anti-Müllerian hormone and fertility in women after childhood cancer treatment: Association with current infertility risk classifications
Nyström A, Mörse H, Øra I, Henic E, Engellau J, Wieslander E, Tomaszewicz A and Elfving M
To identify childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) at risk of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and impaired fertility is important given its impact on quality of life. The aim of this study was to assess ovarian markers and fertility outcomes in adult female CCSs. We used the Swedish and the PanCareLIFE classifications for infertility risk grouping.
The effect of a single dose of methylphenidate on attention in children and adolescents with ADHD and comorbid Oppositional Defiant Disorder
D'Aiello B, Di Vara S, De Rossi P, Vicari S and Menghini D
The co-occurrence Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) in children and adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been associated to difficulties in regulating adverse states, elevated functional impairment, deficits in Executive Functions and high risk for psychopathology. Recent studies have shown that ODD is a negative predictor of a positive response to methylphenidate (MPH) treatment for ADHD symptoms in children and adolescents and that patients with a diagnosis of comorbid ADHD and ODD are less likely to respond favorably to pharmacological treatment with MPH. We conducted a naturalistic study to understand the clinical characteristics of drug-naïve children and adolescents with ADHD that influence the response to MPH by measuring the effect on attention. Specifically, we investigated whether a single dose of MPH differently affects the performance of 53 children and adolescents with ADHD with or without ODD comorbidity. In addition, participant characteristics such as symptom severity, functional impairment, and associated behavioral and emotional symptoms at baseline were examined to better understand what aspects affect the response to MPH. We found that a single dose of MPH improved the attention of children and adolescents with ADHD without ODD more than those with comorbid ADHD and ODD, resulting in reduced reaction times. Our findings indicated that children and adolescents with comorbid ADHD and ODD and those with ADHD alone did not exhibit differences in measures of attention prior to taking MPH, nor in demographic variables (age, intelligence quotient, gender), clinical characteristics related to symptom severity, and adaptive behaviors. However, we observed differences between the two groups in certain behavioral aspects, including the Dysregulation Profile and disruptive behaviors. Assessing symptoms in combination with the presence of ADHD can be beneficial in determining which individuals would derive the greatest benefits from treatment.
Analyzing the worldwide progression of COVID-19 cases and deaths using nonlinear mixed-effects model
Koshimichi H and Hisaka A
COVID-19 is an infectious disease that continues to spread worldwide. A precise estimation of the cases and deaths due to COVID-19 would allow for appropriate consideration of healthcare resource allocation, public health response, and vaccination and economic planning, to minimize social damage. In this study, we analyzed the progression of COVID-19 cases and deaths until January 2022 in 156 countries using a nonlinear mixed-effect model based on the SIR framework. Given the major changes in mortality from infection, risk of re-infection and social responses, the analysis was limited to the period before the emergence of the Omicron variant. The impact of infection prevention measures in various countries was assessed, with a specific focus on estimating the effectiveness of lockdowns, where the effect was assumed to change over time. By accounting for excess mortality, our analysis allowed the estimation of unreported cases and deaths, and thus providing a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of pandemic. In the analysis, we identified gross domestic product (GDP), proportion of people aged 65 years or older, latitude of the capital city on transmissibility of infection, and city population and cardiovascular death rate on mortality rate as significant influencing factors. Furthermore, the differences in transmissibility and mortality rates by variants and the effect of vaccination on the mortality rate were assessed. The transmissibility has increased by odds ratios of 1.2 to 1.4 in Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants; mortality rate has increased by odds ratios of 1.7, 2.2, and 1.4 in Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants, respectively; and vaccination decreased the mortality rate by odds ratios of 0.4 and 0.1 in Delta and other variants, respectively.
Food taboos and preferences among adolescent girls, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and children aged 6-23 months in Mainland Tanzania: A qualitative study
Lekey A, Masumo RM, Jumbe T, Ezekiel M, Daudi Z, Mchome NJ, David G, Onesmo W and Leyna GH
Malnutrition is a serious public health problem and has long-lasting economic consequences for individuals and families and, in turn, affects the economic growth of the country. Understanding food taboos and individual preferences for food items is critical to the development of effective nutritional programs and educational messages. The present study aimed to explore food taboos and preferences in food items among breastfeeding mothers, pregnant women, adolescent girls, and their young children aged 6-23 months old. This is a qualitative cross-sectional study employing ethnography. A multistage sampling technique was used to select one region from the seven zones in mainland Tanzania. In each region, we purposively selected one rural ward and one urban ward. We conducted 25 focus group discussions with a total of 208 participants. We also conducted 42 in-depth interviews with nutrition officers, community health workers, religious leaders, influential persons, representatives of civil society organisations, and community leaders in the respective areas. We thematically coded the data and analyzed the narrative. Food taboos and individual preferences in food items continue to be practiced in Tanzania's Mainland despite efforts to educate people on healthy diets. In some regions of Tanzania's Mainland, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers were prohibited from eating eggs, meat, fish, or vegetables. In Arusha, adolescent girls were prohibited from eating goat meat similar to Singida where adolescent girls were prohibited from eating chicken thighs. It is believed that by feeding a young child with eggs her hair gets plucked. This study underscores that food taboos and preferences still exist in Tanzania Mainland, and implies gaps in the nutrition education. Thus, nutrition education campaigns and programs should address food taboos and preferences for the meaningful tackling of malnutrition.
Utility index and vision-related quality of life in patients awaiting specialist eye care
Araujo AL, Zanotto BS, Etges APBDS, Ruschel KB, Moreira TC, Cabral FC, Harzheim E, Gonçalves MR, Umpierre RN, Carvalho F, Silva RSD and Polanczyk CA
This study aimed to ascertain utility and vision-related quality of life in patients awaiting access to specialist eye care. A secondary aim was to evaluate the association of utility indices with demographic profile and waiting time.
Three months use of Hybrid Closed Loop Systems improves glycated hemoglobin levels in adolescents and children with type 1 diabetes: A meta-analysis
Wang YY, Ying HM, Tian F, Qian XL and Zhou ZF
Longer outpatient studies have demonstrated that hybrid closed loop (HCL) use has led to a concomitant reduction in glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c) by 0.3%-0.7%. However, reports have also indicated that HbA1c levels are not declined in the long-term use of HCL. Therefore, we wonder that 3 months use of HCL could improve glycated hemoglobin levels in adolescents and children with T1D.
Effect of bitter orange blossom distillate on anxiety and sleep disorder in mothers with infants admitted to neonatal intensive care unit: A Randomized controlled clinical trial
Dehghan Z, Jafarian Amiri SR, Mozaffarpur SA, Shirafkan H and Arzani A
Mothers of neonates admitted to the intensive care unit are prone to sleep disorders due to stress and anxiety. Some herbs have anti-anxiety and sedative properties. This study aimed to investigate the effect of bitter orange blossom distillate on anxiety and sleep disorders in mothers with infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.
Returning to work with long covid in the UK during lockdown and other COVID-19 restrictions: A qualitative study
Boutry C, Patel P, Holmes J, Radford K, Bolton CE, Evangelou N, das Nair R and Morriss R
Few previous studies have considered the experiences of people with long covid returning to work beyond symptoms in terms of employer and other support factors. The aim of this research was to understand the experience of returning to work for those with long covid symptoms in contrast to the non-long covid group who had not experienced COVID-19 during the time restrictions were imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19 infection. Twenty-one participants with long covid and 13 participants who had not had COVID-19 were interviewed. Themes were identified from transcripts using framework analysis. Participants with long covid experienced difficulties returning to work, particularly from fatigue, cognitive symptoms and breathlessness. Symptoms were heterogeneous and fluctuated in severity over time. A lack of understanding from colleagues and managers sometimes led to a premature return to work without adequate support, associated with further long covid relapse. Outside-of-work, support was salient for a successful return to work. The standard phased return offered by employers may be too short and rigid for some people with long covid. They may benefit from a tailored intervention to support a return to work that targets symptom management, and engages with work colleagues, managers, and family members.
An untargeted comparative metabolomics analysis of infants with and without late-onset breast milk jaundice
Cui M, Guo Q, Zhao S, Liu X, Yang C, Liu P and Wang L
Late-onset breast milk jaundice (LBMJ) is a common form of hyperbilirubinemia, which can result in serious complications for newborns with persistently high bilirubin levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in fecal metabolites between breastfed infants with and without LBMJ in order to elucidate potential biological mechanisms.
Recruiting transgender men in the Southeastern United States for genital microbiome research: Lessons learned
Van Gerwen OT, Sherman ZA, Kay ES, Wall J, Lewis J, Eastlund I, Graves KJ, Richter S, Pontius A, Aaron KJ, Siwakoti K, Rogers B, Toh E, Elnaggar JH, Taylor CM, Van Wagoner NJ and Muzny CA
Transgender men (TGM) are underrepresented in genital microbiome research. Our prospective study in Birmingham, AL investigated genital microbiota changes over time in TGM initiating testosterone, including the development of incident bacterial vaginosis (iBV). Here, we present lessons learned from recruitment challenges encountered during the conduct of this study.
Prediction of metabolic syndrome and its associated risk factors in patients with chronic kidney disease using machine learning techniques
Bittencourt JAS, Sousa Junior CM, Santana EEC, Moraes YAC, Carneiro ECRL, Fontes AJC, Chagas LAD, Melo NAC, Pereira CL, Penha MC, Pires N, Araujo Júnior E, Barros Filho AKD and Nascimento MDDSB
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and metabolic syndrome (MS) are recognized as public health problems which are related to overweight and cardiometabolic factors. The aim of this study was to develop a model to predict MS in people with CKD.
Relationship between types and levels of free fatty acids, peripheral insulin resistance, and oxidative stress in T2DM: A case-control study
Shiri H, Fallah H, Abolhassani M, Fooladi S, Ramezani Karim Z, Danesh B and Abbasi-Jorjandi M
Free Fatty Acids (FFAs) are vital for energy homeostasis and the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, including diabetes. For the first time, we presumed and investigated the types and levels of FFAs and their links to Insulin Resistance (IR) and Oxidative Stress (OS) in T2DM. A case-control study was conducted on 60 individuals with diabetes, 60 prediabetics with IFG, and 60 control groups. A Gas Chromatography Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) was used to estimate FFAs, which were then classified based on length and saturation. Indeed, antioxidant parameters such as TAC, MDA levels, PON-1, SOD-3, and CAT activity were assessed. Higher levels of LCFFA, SFFA, USFFA, and total FFA were found in people with diabetes and prediabetes. These levels were also linked to higher levels of HOMA-IR, BMI, FBS, HbA1C, and MDA, but lower levels of antioxidants. Furthermore, adjusting the above FFAs with age, sex, and antihypertensive medication increased T2DM development. SCFFA and ω3/6 fatty acids had a negative relationship with HOMA-IR, FBS, and insulin and a positive relationship with TAC. Adjusted SCFFA reduces T2DM risk. According to our models, total FFA is utilized to diagnose diabetes (AUC = 83.98, cut-off > 919 μM) and SCFFA for prediabetes (AUC = 82.32, cut-off < 39.56 μM). Total FFA (≥ 776 μM), LCFFA (≥ 613 μM), SFFA (≥ 471 μM), and USFFA (≥ 398 μM) all increase the risk of T2DM by increasing OS, BMI, and HOMA-IR. On the other hand, SCFFAs (≥ 38.7 μM) reduce the risk of T2DM by reducing BMI, HOMA-IR, and OS. SCFFAs and total FFAs can be used for the diagnosis of prediabetes and diabetes, respectively.
A protocol for the co-creation and usability/acceptability testing of an evidence-based, patient-centred intervention for self-management of urinary incontinence in older men
Olagundoye O, Gibson W and Wagg A
Male urinary incontinence (UI) is most prevalent in older men, with one in three men aged 65 and above having problems maintaining continence. Addressing health inequalities, male-female disparities in continence services, and low health-seeking among men emphasizes the necessity for co-creating an intervention that empowers them to self-manage their UI. We aim to co-create a self-management intervention with an older men and Health care provider (HCP) group and assess its usability and/or acceptability among older men with UI. The intervention mapping (IM) framework, a co-creation strategy, will be used to co-create a self-management tool, followed by usability and/or acceptability testing. The study will be guided by the first four IM steps: the logic model of the problem, the logic model of change, program/intervention design, and program/intervention production, followed by preliminary testing. A participatory group of older men with UI recruited from an existing group of patient partners, and continence care experts will be involved in all steps of the IM process. Usability and/or acceptability testing will be conducted on a sample of 20 users recruited through seniors' associations and retirement living facilities. After accessing the self-management tool for a week, participants will complete a product usability testing scale (aka System Usability Scale-SUS) and/or an acceptability test, depending on the preferred mode(s) of intervention delivery. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics. A benchmark overall mean usability score of 70 represents a good/usable product, based on the large database of SUS scores.
Standing-up against moral violations: The predicting role of attribution, kinship, and severity
Urschler DF, Fischer P and Kessler T
Witnesses of moral violations stand up for their moral principles, despite facing substantial costs for intervening. Notwithstanding its importance, little is known whether responsibility attributions and the relation between the victim and a witness (i.e., kinship) have different effects on the intention to intervene in situations of different severity (e.g., moral courage situations). We predict an interaction between the situation's severity and the victims' responsibility for their plight. In less-severe situations, witnesses would be less willing to help when they perceive the victim to be responsible for their plight. However, those who are not seen as responsible would receive more help. For more-severe situations, responsibility is predicted to have no effect. Opposite effects are predicted for the relationship between the helper and the victim. We further predict that perceived costs for helping mediates witnesses' willingness to intervene. Two studies showed that people are more willing to help individuals who are perceived as being innocent, but only in less-severe situations. In more-severe situations, people's willingness to intervene increases, regardless of responsibility attributions. We did not observe effects for kinship. Moreover, we provide partial evidence that witnesses of more-severe situations indeed accept higher costs for intervention.
Synergistic fields: Unveiling the potential win-win relationship between esports performance and traditional sports participation
Tang D, Ma R, Chung P, Ho WK and Sum KR
This cross-sectional study investigated the association between participation in traditional sports and esports performance, analyzing data from 1,549 survey respondents, with a specific focus on 617 individuals assessed for their esports capabilities. The analysis suggests that participation in traditional sports is associated with enhanced performance in first-person shooters. However, no similar association was observed in multiplayer online battle arena games across various platforms. Furthermore, although no substantial link was found between overall gameplay duration and esports performance for the majority of the games examined, time spent playing Honor of Kings was significantly associated with improved in-game rankings, likely due to its unique matchmaking and rating system. The findings also indicate that participants from different categories of traditional sports show no significant differences in esports performance, suggesting similar physical and athletic requirements across these sports. This underscores the necessity for further exploration and methodological refinement to investigate the associations between specific types of physical exercise and enhancements in esports performance. Additionally, esports participants demonstrated higher levels of engagement in traditional sports compared to their non-esports counterparts, suggesting potential reciprocal benefits between esports and physical exercise. Future research should further investigate these mutual advantages. Conducting additional rigorous empirical research to substantiate these associations is essential for the sustainable development of esports.
Detection and position evaluation of chest percutaneous drainage catheter on chest radiographs using deep learning
Kim DJ, Nam IC, Kim DR, Kim JJ, Hwang IK, Lee JS, Park SE and Kim H
This study aimed to develop an algorithm for the automatic detecting chest percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) and evaluating catheter positions on chest radiographs using deep learning.
The transformation of 20-year social participation policies of older people in China: Network analysis and text analysis
Mei Z, Li W, Chen J, Yin H, Song Y, Tu W, Ding Z, Bai Y, Jin S and Xu G
Social participation of older adults is a crucial component of China's aged care services and an important strategy for actively addressing the aging population. Analyzing policy texts on older people's social participation can inform future policy formulation and the development of relevant programs.
Length of hospital stay and associated factors among adult surgical patients admitted to surgical wards in Amhara Regional State Comprehensive Specialized Hospitals, Ethiopia
Hurisa Dadi H, Habte N and Mulu Y
Hospitals across the country are facing increases in hospital length of stay ranging from 2% to 14%. This results in patients who stay in hospital for long periods of time being three times more likely to die in hospital. Therefore, identifying factors that contribute to longer hospital stays enhances the ability to improve services and quality of patient care. However, there is limited documented evidence on factors associated with longer hospital stays among surgical inpatients in Ethiopia and the study area.
A pilot study on bio-banding in male youth ice hockey: Players' perceptions and coaches' selection preferences
Lindholm O, Niklasson E, Lind J, Cardinale DA and Lundberg TR
Classifying athletes based on estimates of biological maturation (i.e., bio-banding) as a supplement to traditional age grouping has been shown to be a potential tool for enriching player development in team sports; however, bio-banding has not yet been evaluated in ice hockey. The primary aim was to investigate player experiences and coaches' selection preferences in bio-banding versus age-banding in a group of 12-13-year-old (early growth spurt) male elite players (n = 69). We also examined the relationship between somatic maturity, expressed as a % predicted adult height (%PAH), and fitness performance. Bio-banding was assessed using a questionnaire and 29 coaches selected their top players in each game based on age or bio-bands. %PAH correlated with grip strength (r = .57, p>0.001) and jumping power (r = .63, p<0.001), but not with vertical jump height, sprint time or endurance. Players who played against more mature players in bio-bands than in age groups experienced higher demands, while players who played against less mature players were able to utilize their skills to a greater extent. Coaches generally favored later-than-average maturing players who performed better on performance tests and chronologically older players in bio-banding. We conclude that bio-banding in youth ice hockey has some promising effects and warrants further evaluation.
Cutaneous Oncology: Strategies for Melanoma Prevention, Diagnosis, and Therapy
Saeed W, Shahbaz E, Maqsood Q, Ali SW and Mahnoor M
Skin cancer comprises one-third of all diagnosed cancer cases and remains a major health concern. Genetic and environmental parameters serve as the two main risk factors associated with the development of skin cancer, with ultraviolet radiation being the most common environmental risk factor. Studies have also found fair complexion, arsenic toxicity, indoor tanning, and family history among the prevailing causes of skin cancer. Prevention and early diagnosis play a crucial role in reducing the frequency and ensuring effective management of skin cancer. Recent studies have focused on exploring minimally invasive or non-invasive diagnostic technologies along with artificial intelligence to facilitate rapid and accurate diagnosis. The treatment of skin cancer ranges from traditional surgical excision to various advanced methods such as phototherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and combination therapy. Recent studies have focused on immunotherapy, with the introduction of new checkpoint inhibitors and personalized immunotherapy enhancing treatment efficacy. Advancements in multi-omics, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence have further deepened the understanding of the mechanisms underlying tumoral growth and their interaction with therapeutic effects, which has paved the way for precision oncology. This review aims to highlight the recent advancements in the understanding and management of skin cancer, and provide an overview of existing and emerging diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic modalities, while highlighting areas that require further research to bridge the existing knowledge gaps.
Protective and vulnerability personality traits associated with PTSD diagnosis after preterm delivery
Grand L, Hammami S, Bourdon S, Demarly Drumelle C, Auer J, Rolland AC, Eutrope J and Olivier M
Giving birth prematurely is a traumatic event that has many consequences for the mother but also for her baby and their family. Studies have shown that about a quarter of these mothers will suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result. This study aims to identify internal personality factors associated with the development of PTSD in mothers who gave birth before 33 weeks. The results revealed significant correlations between two personality dimensions (neuroticism and extraversion) and the likeliness of developing PTSD in mothers who gave birth prematurely. Neuroticism is positively liked with the disorder while extraversion is negatively correlated with it. Studies should now focus on early detection of PTSD and better interventions for these mothers.
The observational EURACAN prospective clinical registry dedicated to epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: The protocol of an international and collaborative effort on an ultra-rare entity
Frezza AM, Leonard H, Aggerholm-Pedersen N, Badalamenti G, Baili P, Baldi GG, Bauer S, Bazzurri S, Benzonelli I, Bertuzzi A, Blay JY, Bianchi G, Bonfarnuzzo S, Bouvier C, Boye K, Martin Broto J, Brunello A, Campanacci D, Casali PG, Cicala C, Crotti E, D'Ambrosio L, Dei Tos AP, Dieckmann N, Dufresne A, Elston S, Ferraresi V, Gabellini S, Giani C, Giannusa V, Gil Sanjines M, Grassani T, Gronchi A, Lasalvia P, Lindskog S, Hindi N, Ingrosso M, Ivanescu A, Jones R, Lugowska I, Ketzer J, Mariuk-Jarema A, Mazzocca A, Monteleone L, Morosi C, Napolitano A, Nardozza F, Neri E, Nilsson M, Papakonstantinou A, Pasquali S, Sbaraglia M, Scolari F, Szkandera J, Valverde C, Vincenzi B, Vizzaccaro S, Zuccheri F, Stacchiotti S and Trama A
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is an ultra-rare sarcoma, marked by distinctive molecular and pathological features and with a variable clinical behavior. Its natural history is still partially understood, reliable prognostic and predictive factors are lacking and many questions are still open on the optimal management. In the context of EURACAN, a prospective registry specifically dedicated to EHE was developed and launched with the aim of providing, through high-quality prospective data collection, a better understanding of this disease.
A conceptualization and psychometric evaluation of positive psychological outcome measures used in adolescents and young adults living with HIV: A mixed scoping and systematic review
Dambi JM, Cowan FM, Martin F, Sibanda S, Simms V, Willis N, Bernays S and Mavhu W
Sub-Saharan Africa bears the greatest burden of HIV, with comorbid mental conditions highly prevalent in people living with HIV. It is important to evaluate the mental health of adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYALHIV) comprehensively by measuring both negative and positive psychological constructs. There has been a proliferation of interest in positive psychological outcome measures, but the evidence of their psychometric robustness is fragmented. This review sought to: 1) Identify positive psychological outcomes and corresponding outcome measures used in AYALHIV in sub-Saharan Africa. 2) Critically appraise the psychometrics of the identified outcome measures.
Comparison of two popular transducers to measure sit-to-stand power in older adults
Balachandran AT, Orange ST, Wang Y, Lustin R, Vega A and Quiles N
The Tendo Unit (TU) and GymAware (GA) are the two most frequently used linear transducers for assessing muscle power in older adults via the sit-to-stand (STS) test. Unlike TU, GA incorporates a sensor mechanism to correct for non-vertical movements, which may lead to systematic differences between devices. The aim of this study therefore was to compare GA to TU for measuring STS power in community-dwelling older adults. Community-dwelling adults (n = 51, aged ≥65 years, 61% female) completed a single chair stand, with peak power measured simultaneously using GA and TU. Participants also completed the pneumatic leg press, 8-Foot Up and Go (TUG) test, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and self-reported measures of physical function. Intraclass correlations (ICC) were used to assess agreement, and Pearson's correlations were used to assess correlations. The study protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework. In alignment with our pre-registered hypothesis, peak power demonstrated an ICC of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.88, 0.96). For secondary aims, both transducers showed a correlation greater than 0.8 compared to pneumatic leg press power. For physical performance outcomes, both TU and GA showed similar correlations, as hypothesized: SPPB (r = 0.29 for TU vs. 0.33 for GA), Chair Stands (r = -0.41 vs. -0.38), TUG Fast (r = -0.53 vs. -0.52), mobility questionnaire (r = 0.52 vs. 0.52) and physical function questionnaire (r = 0.44 vs. 0.43). GA and TU peak power showed a high degree of agreement and similar correlations with physical and self-reported performance measures, suggesting that both methods can be used for assessing STS power in older adults.
Is something rotten in the state of Denmark? Cross-national evidence for widespread involvement but not systematic use of questionable research practices across all fields of research
Schneider JW, Allum N, Andersen JP, Petersen MB, Madsen EB, Mejlgaard N and Zachariae R
Questionable research practices (QRP) are believed to be widespread, but empirical assessments are generally restricted to a few types of practices. Furthermore, conceptual confusion is rife with use and prevalence of QRPs often being confused as the same quantity. We present the hitherto most comprehensive study examining QRPs across scholarly fields and knowledge production modes. We survey perception, use, prevalence and predictors of QRPs among 3,402 researchers in Denmark and 1,307 in the UK, USA, Croatia and Austria. Results reveal remarkably similar response patterns among Danish and international respondents (τ = 0.85). Self-reported use indicates whether respondents have used a QRP in recent publications. 9 out of 10 respondents admitted using at least one QRP. Median use is three out of nine QRP items. Self-reported prevalence reflects the frequency of use. On average, prevalence rates were roughly three times lower compared to self-reported use. Findings indicated that the perceived social acceptability of QRPs influenced self-report patterns. Results suggest that most researchers use different types of QRPs within a restricted time period. The prevalence estimates, however, do not suggest outright systematic use of specific QRPs. Perceived pressure was the strongest systemic predictor for prevalence. Conversely, more local attention to research cultures and academic age was negatively related to prevalence. Finally, the personality traits conscientiousness and, to a lesser degree, agreeableness were also inversely associated with self-reported prevalence. Findings suggest that explanations for engagement with QRPs are not only attributable to systemic factors, as hitherto suggested, but a complicated mixture of experience, systemic and individual factors, and motivated reasoning.
Utilizing mentorship education to promote a culturally responsive research training environment in the biomedical sciences
Suiter S, Byars-Winston A, Sancheznieto F, Pfund C and Sealy L
There is an urgent and compelling need for systemic change to achieve diversity and inclusion goals in the biomedical sciences. Because faculty hold great influence in shaping research training environments, faculty development is a key aspect in building institutional capacity to create climates in which persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEERs) can succeed. We present a mixed methods case study of one institution's efforts to improve mentorship of PEER doctoral students through mentorship education workshops for faculty. These workshops were one strategy among others intended to improve graduate trainees' experiences, and positively affect institutional climate with respect to racial and ethnic diversity. Surveys of 108 faculty mentors revealed that about 80% overall agreed or strongly agreed with the value of culturally responsive mentoring behaviors but about 63% overall agreed or strongly agreed that they were confident in their ability to enact those behaviors. Through a series of three focus groups, PEER doctoral students reported that they noticed mentors' efforts to address cultural diversity matters and identified some guidance for how to approach such topics. We discuss future directions and implications for using mentorship education to activate systemic change toward inclusive research training environments and promoting the value of mentorship within institutions.
Protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial of the 'Outdoor' mobility intervention for older adults after hip fracture
Sheehan KJ, Bastas D, Guerra S, Creanor S, Hulme C, Lamb S, Martin FC, Sackley C, Smith T, Bell P, Hillsdon M, Pope S, Cook H and Godfrey E
A high proportion of patients do not regain outdoor mobility after hip fracture. Rehabilitation explicitly targeting outdoor mobility is needed to enable these older adults to recover activities which they value most. The overarching aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial which aims to assess the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of an intervention designed to enable recovery of outdoor mobility among older adults after hip fracture (the OUTDOOR intervention).
Exploring the return-on-investment for scaling screening and psychosocial treatment for women with common perinatal mental health problems in Malawi: Developing a cost-benefit-calculator tool
Bauer A, Knapp M, Weng J, Ndaferankhande D, Stubbs E, Gregoire A, Chorwe-Sungani G and Stewart RC
This study sought to develop a user-friendly decision-making tool to explore country-specific estimates for costs and economic consequences of different options for scaling screening and psychosocial interventions for women with common perinatal mental health problems in Malawi. We developed a simple simulation model using a structure and parameter estimates that were established iteratively with experts, based on published trials, international databases and resources, statistical data, best practice guidance and intervention manuals. The model projects annual costs and returns to investment from 2022 to 2026. The study perspective is societal, including health expenditure and productivity losses. Outcomes in the form of health-related quality of life are measured in Disability Adjusted Life Years, which were converted into monetary values. Economic consequences include those that occur in the year in which the intervention takes place. Results suggest that the net benefit is relatively small at the beginning but increases over time as learning effects lead to a higher number of women being identified and receiving (cost‑)effective treatment. For a scenario in which screening is first provided by health professionals (such as midwives) and a second screening and the intervention are provided by trained and supervised volunteers to equal proportions in group and individual sessions, as well as in clinic versus community setting, total costs in 2022 amount to US$ 0.66 million and health benefits to US$ 0.36 million. Costs increase to US$ 1.03 million and health benefits to US$ 0.93 million in 2026. Net benefits increase from US$ 35,000 in 2022 to US$ 0.52 million in 2026, and return-on-investment ratios from 1.05 to 1.45. Results from sensitivity analysis suggest that positive net benefit results are highly sensitive to an increase in staff salaries. This study demonstrates the feasibility of developing an economic decision-making tool that can be used by local policy makers and influencers to inform investments in maternal mental health.
Rural suicide in Newfoundland and Labrador: A qualitative exploration of health care providers' perspectives
Pritchard TR, Buckle JL, Thomassin K and Lewis SP
Residents of rural regions may have higher and unique suicide risks. Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) is a Canadian province replete with rural regions. Despite an abundance of rural suicide research, heterogeneity in rural regions may preclude amalgamating findings to inform prevention efforts. Thus, exploring the unique needs of NL is needed. Importantly, health care providers (HCP) may afford unique perspectives on the suicide-related needs or concerns of rural life. We asked HCPs of residents of rural NL their perceived suicide risk factors, concerns, and needs for rural NL.
A qualitative exploration of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender-based violence against women living with HIV or tuberculosis in Timor Leste
Martins N, Soares D, Gusmao C, Nunes M, Abrantes L, Valadares D, Marcal S, Mali M, Alves L, Martins J, da Silva V, Ward PR and Fauk NK
Violence against women or gender-based violence (GBV) is a significant public health issue facing women and girls in different settings. It is reported to have worsened globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on increased violence against women in general, which has been reported in many settings globally, there is a paucity of evidence of its impact on violence against highly vulnerable women living with HIV or tuberculosis (TB). Using a qualitative design, this study aimed to explore the views and experiences of women living with HIV (n = 19) or TB (n = 23) in Timor Leste regarding the GBV they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were recruited using the snowballing sampling technique. Data were collected using one-on-one, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The five steps of qualitative data analysis suggested in Ritchie and Spencer's analysis framework were employed to guide the analysis of the findings. Findings indicated that women in this study experienced intensified physical, verbal, sexual and psychological violence by their partners, spouses, in-laws, and parents or other family members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several prominent risk factors that worsened violence against women during the pandemic were (i) HIV or TB-positive status, (ii) traditional gender roles or responsibilities and expectations, (iii) economic and financial difficulties reflected in the loss of jobs and incomes due to the pandemic, and (iv) individual factors such as jealousy and increased alcohol drinking developed during the lockdowns. The women's experience of GBV during the pandemic also led to various negative psychological impacts. The findings underscore the urgent need for multifaceted interventions to address GBV, which should encompass challenging traditional gender norms, addressing economic inequalities, and targeting individual-level risk factors. The findings also indicate the need for the development of robust monitoring and evaluation systems to assess the effectiveness of policies and interventions addressing GBV where the results can inform future improvement. The findings also indicate the need to include GBV in the protocol or guidelines for HIV and TB management. Future large-scale quantitative studies to capture the magnitude and specific drivers of GBV against women living with HIV and TB during the pandemic are recommended.
Pain medication tapering for patients with Persistent Spinal Pain Syndrome Type II, treated with Spinal Cord Stimulation: A RCT-study protocol of the PIANISSIMO study
Moens M, Crunelle CL, Putman K, Wuyts E, Bultinck F, Van Puyenbroeck H, and Goudman L
Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) may provide pain relief in patients with therapy-refractory Persistent Spinal Pain Syndrome Type II (PSPS-T2). Despite the evidence that SCS can reduce disability and reduce pain medication usage, only 25% of the patients is able to completely omit pain medication usage after 12 months of SCS. To tackle the high burden of patients who consume a lot of pain medication, tapering programs could be initiated before starting a trajectory with SCS. The current objective is to examine whether a pain medication tapering program before SCS alters disability in PSPS-T2 patients compared to no tapering program.
Evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction by a new automatic tool on a pocket ultrasound device: Concordance study with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
Berger L, Coisy F, Sammoud S, de Oliveira F, Grandpierre RG, Grau-Mercier L, Bobbia X and Markarian T
Assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is one of the primary objectives of echocardiography. The gold standard assessment technique in emergency medicine is eyeballing. A new tool is now available on pocket ultrasound devices (PUD): automatic LVEF. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance between LVEF values estimated by automatic LVEF with PUD and by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Dysfunctional mucus structure in cystic fibrosis increases vulnerability to colibactin-mediated DNA adducts in the colon mucosa
Mandarino Alves A, Lecchi C, Lopez S, Stornetta A, Mathai PP, Villalta PW, Ishii S, Balskus EP, Balbo S and Khoruts A
Colibactin is a recently characterized pro-carcinogenic genotoxin produced by . We hypothesized that cystic fibrosis (CF)-associated dysfunctional mucus structure increases the vulnerability of host mucosa to colibactin-induced DNA damage. In this pilot study, we tested healthy-appearing mucosal biopsy samples obtained during screening and surveillance colonoscopies of adult CF and non-CF patients for the presence of , and we investigated the possibility of detecting a novel colibactin-specific DNA adduct that has not been yet been demonstrated in humans. While CF patients had a lower incidence of carriage (~8% vs 29%,  = 0.0015), colibactin-induced DNA adduct formation was detected, but only in CF patients and only in those who were not taking CFTR modulator medications. Moreover, the only patient found to have colon cancer during this study had CF, harbored , and had colibactin-induced DNA adducts in the mucosal samples. Larger studies with longitudinal follow-up should be done to extend these initial results and further support the development of colibactin-derived DNA adducts to stratify patients and their risk.
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Psychiatry AI RAISR 4D System Psychiatry + Mental Health