Sylimarin Essential Phospholipids in Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) - A Prospective Comparative Randomized Trial.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is an entity with a growing incidence but only a few pharmacological options. In Romania, the prevalence of MASLD has been increasing, while that of viral hepatitis has been decreasing. The purpose of this study is to compare two supplements for the treatment of MASLD.

SARS-CoV-2 Positive Serology and Islet Autoantibodies in Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Cases of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Single-Center Cohort Study.

Acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, although presenting less severe forms of the disease in children, seems to play a role in the development of other conditions, including type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). After the beginning of the pandemic, an increase in the number of T1DM pediatric patients was observed in several countries, thus leading to many questions about the complex relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and T1DM. Our study aimed to highlight possible correlations between SARS-CoV-2 serology and T1DM onset.

Construct validity of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Paediatric measures in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus: cross-sectional evaluation.

Objectives: Evaluate construct validity of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Paediatric measures of symptoms and functioning against measures of disease activity among youth with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Design: Cross-sectional associations among PROMIS measures and clinical metrics of disease activity were estimated.

Setting: Seven clinical sites of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Alliance (CARRA) in the USA.

When life happens: A multidimensional approach to studying the effects of major life events on relationship change.

Network theories and life course theories have made significant contributions to the study of relationship change over time. However, much prior work takes a unidimensional approach and conceptualizes "change" in terms of the loss of a tie or the loss of a specific function of a tie. Our paper problematizes "loss" in two ways.

Feasibility and Efficacy of Online Strategies to Recruit Parents of Children With Rheumatic Diseases for Research.

Objective: We aimed to determine the feasibility and efficacy of online strategies to recruit parents of children with pediatric rheumatic diseases (PRDs) for research and to evaluate the degree to which known features of various rheumatic disease groups were present in the online cohort.

Methods: We studied two cohorts; the first was composed of respondents from a cross-sectional parental survey of children with PRDs contacted through patient support groups and social media platforms, and the second cohort was composed of participants from the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) legacy clinical registry.

Results: In the social media cohort, 712 complete surveys were analyzed.

The Role of Skin Color in Latino Social Networks: Color Homophily in Sending and Receiving Societies.

How does skin color shape the social networks and integration pathways of phenotypically diverse immigrant groups? Focusing on Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, groups with considerable diversity across the Black-White color line, we explore whether migrants to the United States have greater color homophily in their primary social networks than non-migrants in the sending societies. We analyze egocentric network data, including unique skin color measures for both 114 respondents and 1,702 alters. We test hypotheses derived from ethnic unifier theory and color line racialization theory.

New Pulmonary Infiltrates Observed on Computed Tomography-Based Image Guidance for Radiotherapy Warrant Diagnostic Workup for Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Introduction: Screening for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposure, coupled with engaged decision making to prioritize cancer treatment in parallel with reducing risk of exposure and infection, is crucial in the management of COVID-19 during cancer treatment. After two reported case studies of imaging findings during daily computed tomography (CT)-based image-guided radiotherapy (RT) scans, a call for submission of anonymized case reports was published with the objective of rapidly determining if there was a correlation between the onset of new pulmonary infiltrates found during RT and COVID-19. We hereby report the results of the aggregate analysis.

Safety Protocols for Adolescent Substance Use Research in Clinical Settings.

Purpose: Research involving adolescent risk behaviors must balance data confidentiality with participant safety when risky behaviors are revealed. This report details a safety protocol and reports the experience of two contemporaneous studies that used it with variant safety thresholds.

Methods: We developed a safety protocol for research with adolescent patients and used it in two concurrent studies of adolescent patients, aged 14-18 years.

Sensitivity and specificity of S2BI for identifying alcohol and cannabis use disorders among adolescents presenting for primary care.

The Screening to Brief Intervention (S2BI) tool was designed to identify substance use disorders in adolescents. We report the S2BI's sensitivity and specificity for identifying alcohol and cannabis use disorders (AUD and CUD) in adolescents presenting for primary care. Participants aged 14-18 ( = 517) completed an electronic survey, consisting of the S2BI, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), and anxiety and depression screens.

Implementation of evidence-informed practice through central network actors; a case study of three public health units in Canada.

Background: Workforce development is an important aspect of evidence-informed decision making (EIDM) interventions. The social position of individuals in formal and informal social networks, and the relevance of formal roles in relation to EIDM are important factors identifying key EIDM players in public health organizations. We assessed the role of central actors in information sharing networks in promoting the adoption of EIDM by the staff of three public health units in Canada, over a two-year period during which an organization-wide intervention was implemented.

Informing the implementation of evidence-informed decision making interventions using a social network analysis perspective; a mixed-methods study.

Background: Workforce development is an important aspect of evidence-informed decision making (EIDM) interventions. The structure of formal and informal social networks can influence, and be influenced, by the implementation of EIDM interventions.

Methods: In a mixed methods study we assessed the outcomes of a targeted training intervention to promote EIDM among the staff in three public health units in Ontario, Canada.

Diffusion of Innovations model helps interpret the comparative uptake of two methodological innovations: co-authorship network analysis and recommendations for the integration of novel methods in practice.

Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize the diffusion of methodological innovation.

Study Design And Setting: Comparative case study analysis of the diffusion of two methods that summarize confounder information into a single score: disease risk score (DRS) and high-dimensional propensity score (hdPS). We completed systematic searches to identify DRS and hdPS papers in the field of pharmacoepidemiology through to the end of 2013, plotted the number of papers and unique authors over time, and created sociograms and animations to visualize co-authorship networks.

The evolution of social networks through the implementation of evidence-informed decision-making interventions: a longitudinal analysis of three public health units in Canada.

Background: We studied the evolution of information-seeking networks over a 2-year period during which an organization-wide intervention was implemented to promote evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) in three public health units in Ontario, Canada. We tested whether engagement of staff in the intervention and their EIDM behavior were associated with being chosen as information source and how the trend of inter-divisional communications and the dominance of experts evolved over time.

Methods: Local managers at each health unit selected a group of staff to get engage in Knowledge Broker-led workshops and development of evidence summaries to address local public health problems.

Diagnosis and management of dementia in primary care: exploratory study.

Objective: To assess the current identification and management of patients with dementia in a primary care setting; to determine the accuracy of identification of dementia by primary care physicians; to examine reasons (triggers) for referral of patients with suspected dementia to the geriatric assessment team (GAT) from the primary care setting; and to compare indices of identification and management of dementia between the GAT and primary care network (PCN) physicians and between the GAT and community care (CC).

Design: Retrospective chart review and comparisons, based on quality indicators of dementia care as specified in the Third Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia, were conducted from matching charts obtained from 3 groups of health care providers.

Setting: Semirural region in the province of Alberta involving a PCN, CC, and a GAT.

Social and organizational factors affecting implementation of evidence-informed practice in a public health department in Ontario: a network modelling approach.

Objective: The objective of this study is to develop a statistical model to assess factors associated with information seeking in a Canadian public health department.

Methods: Managers and professional consultants of a public health department serving a large urban population named whom they turned to for help, whom they considered experts in evidence-informed practice, and whom they considered friends. Multilevel regression analysis and exponential random graph modeling were used to predict the formation of information seeking and expertise-recognition connections by personal characteristics of the seeker and source, and the structural attributes of the social networks.

A Hope Intervention Compared to Friendly Visitors as a Technique to Reduce Depression among Older Nursing Home Residents.

Depression is common among older persons. An experimental study was undertaken to test the impact of a four-week hope program on depressed nursing home residents. Residents aged 65 or older, who met the criteria for this pilot study and agreed to participate, were randomly assigned to (a) an intervention group, and provided with weekday hope interventions mainly involving positive messages and pictures or (b) a modified control group, and provided with a friendly weekday greeting.