Facilitators and Barriers to Health Research Knowledge and Participation Among Arab/Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Patients in the US.

Research examining Arab and Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) health disparities faces several research limitations. These obstacles include unrepresentative national data due to the absence of a MENA identifier on the US Census, and a lack of Arab/MENA American participant trust in surveying bodies. This research hesitancy prompts the need for targeted investigation of the barriers preventing Arab/MENA Americans from participating in health research.

"Our Voices Will Get Louder": A Qualitative Exploration of Factors Influencing Arab/Middle Eastern North African (MENA) American Patient Participation in US-Based Health Care and Health Research.

Background: Heightened anti-Arab/Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) xenophobia in the United States (US) coupled with the addition of a MENA category on the next US Census call into attention the health needs of this minoritized population. Targeted research is needed to better understand the factors that influence Arab/MENA American participation in US-based health research and health care.

Methods: A novel qualitative interview guide was constructed to better understand the health research experiences, health care experiences and needs of Arab/MENA patients nationally.

Strategies to Implement a Community-Based, Longitudinal Cohort Study: The Whole Communities-Whole Health Case Study.

This paper discusses the implementation of the Whole Communities-Whole Health (WCWH) initiative, which is a community-based, longitudinal cohort study. WCWH seeks to better understand the impact of location on family health and child development while also providing support for families participating in the study. Implementing a longitudinal study that is both comprehensive in the data it is collecting and inclusive in the population it is representing is what makes WCWH extremely challenging.

Burkholderia cepacia Infective Endocarditis of Native Aortic Valve: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Infective endocarditis (IE) is a serious cardiac infection of the endocardium, native and prosthetic valves, or cardiac device. In this case study, we report a case of an immunocompetent patient with severe aortic valve endocarditis. A 54-year-old female presented to the emergency department with progressive shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, and cough for a period of 20 days.

Validation of the Coping With Discrimination Scale among Arab/Middle Eastern North African Americans.

Objectives: Arab/Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Americans experience high levels of discrimination, which is associated with greater engagement in coping strategies to alleviate the stress. The Coping with Discrimination Scale (CDS; Wei, Alvarez, et al., 2010) remains one of the only measures that assesses responses to discrimination.

Metastatic choriocarcinoma to the heart and lung with successful multimodal management.

Cardiac tumors continue to be one of the most uncommon primary tumors. Secondary cardiac tumors are rare and occur in difficult instances. A multidisciplinary team is required for diagnosis and management.

Dismantling racism in the field of psychology and beyond: Introduction to the special issue.

In 2021, the American Psychological Association (APA) passed a series of resolutions that initiated a process of atonement for its participation in promoting, perpetuating, and failing to challenge racism and discrimination toward communities of color (APA, 2021a, 2021b). The purpose of this special issue was to examine the ways in which the field of psychology has perpetuated racial hierarchy and harm toward communities of color. More importantly, the included articles offer guidance on the mechanisms and strategies that will aid in the dismantling of racism in the field of psychology and support efforts of reconciliation, repair, and healing.

The influence of acculturation, enculturation, and religious orientation on Arab/Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Americans' help-seeking attitudes.

Help-seeking attitudes among Arab/Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Americans remain an understudied outcome, despite significant levels of reported mental health concerns. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine whether Arab/MENA Christians and Muslims' help-seeking attitudes were significantly associated with acculturation, enculturation, and religious orientation. Results indicated that acculturation levels were positively associated with help-seeking attitudes, wherein individuals with higher levels of dominant society immersion were more likely to report more positive attitudes toward help seeking.

Depression, gender, and help-seeking among Arab/Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Americans: The role of enculturation.

The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which depression severity, gender, acculturation, and enculturation are associated with help-seeking attitudes among Arab/Middle Eastern North African (MENA) Americans. A hierarchical linear regression was conducted with a sample of 296 Arab/MENA participants (154 women and 142 men). After controlling for pertinent demographic variables, depression severity was negatively associated with help-seeking.

Altered reward processing following sucrose bingeing in male and female mice.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most prevalent eating disorder associated with multiple adverse health effects, especially mental health issues, including substance use disorders and mood and anxiety disorders. Given these high comorbidities, the objective of our study was to examine whether bingeing behavior would lead to altered perception of reinforcing properties of EtOH and changes in well-being. We used a sucrose bingeing model based on an intermittent access paradigm with a two-bottle choice, without fasting, in male and female mice.

Impostor Phenomenon in Racially/Ethnically Minoritized Groups: Current Knowledge and Future Directions.

In recent years there has been a surge of research conducted on the impostor phenomenon, with approximately half of all impostor phenomenon articles being published between 2020 and 2022 and growing interest in understanding how the impostor phenomenon affects racially and ethnically minoritized individuals. Questions around intersectionality remain about how to apply the impostor phenomenon to the experiences of minoritized individuals. In this review, we revisit the historical context of the impostor phenomenon.

Wound healing potential of silver nanoparticles embedded in optimized bio-inspired hybridized chitosan soft and dry hydrogel.

Interactive wound dressings combining healing and antimicrobial potentials, besides ensuring patient compliance with a recognized wound care service gained considerable interest recently. Both hydrogel spray dried microparticles (HMP) and soft hydrogel (G) were prepared. The bio-inspired combinatory platform included natural bio-macromolecules namely: chitosan (CS) and collagen (COL) with wound healing enhancement and connective tissue building capabilities cross linked with the natural genipin (GN) to build a three dimensional structured matrix.

Prebiotic-mediated gastroprotective potentials of three bacterial levans through NF-κB-modulation and upregulation of systemic IL-17A.

This study aimed to investigate whether the gastroprotective effects of three types of bacterial levans are correlated with their prebiotic-associated anti-inflammatory/antioxidant potentials. Three levans designated as LevAE, LevP, and LevZ were prepared from bacterial honey isolates; purified, and characterized using TLC, NMR, and FTIR. The anti-inflammatory properties of levan preparations were assessed in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.

Outcomes of patients with coronavirus disease versus other lung infections requiring venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Background: Patients with Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) often develop severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (MV), and venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO).Mortality in COVID-19 patients on V-V ECMO was exceptionally high; therefore, whether survival can be ameliorated should be investigated.

Methods: We collected data from 85 patients with severe ARDS who required ECMO support at the University Hospital Magdeburg from 2014 to 2021.

The interplay of solvent-drug-protein interactions during albumin nanoparticles formulations for temozolomide delivery to brain cancer cells.

Objectives: Temozolomide (TMZ), the first line for glioma therapy, suffers from stability at physiological pH. TMZ was selected as a challenging model drug for loading into human serum albumin nanoparticles (HSA NPs). Our aim is to optimise the conditions for TMZ loading into HSA NPs while ensuring TMZ stability.

Immunophenotyping of Monocyte Migration Markers and Therapeutic Effects of Selenium on IL-6 and IL-1β Cytokine Axes of Blood Mononuclear Cells in Preoperative and Postoperative Coronary Artery Disease Patients.

Multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) is characterized by underlying chronic vascular inflammation and occlusion in the coronary arteries, where these patients undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Since post-cardiotomy inflammation is a well known phenomenon after CABG, attenuation of this inflammation is required to reduce perioperative morbidity and mortality. In this study, we aimed to phenotype circulating frequencies and intensities of monocyte subsets and monocyte migration markers, respectively, and to investigate the plasma level of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines between preoperative and postoperative CAD patients and later, to intervene the inflammation with sodium selenite.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance lymphangiography of chylous leak before surgical ligation of the thoracic duct: case report.

We herein report a case of a 22-year-old male patient with an unusual presentation of recurrent chylous pericardial and pleural effusions. Lymphatic leak was suspected. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance lymphangiography (DC-MRL) was performed after ultrasound-guided intranodal injection of contrast through inguinal lymph nodes.

Carbohydrate microcapsules tailored and grafted for covalent immobilization of glucose isomerase for pharmaceutical and food industries.

Carrageenan is one of the most common carbohydrates utilised in the entrapment industry to immobilise cells and enzymes. However, it lacks functionality. Carrageenan has been grafted to produce fructose by covalently immobilising glucose isomerase (GI).

Outcomes of furcal perforation management using Mineral Trioxide Aggregate and Biodentine: a systematic review.

Unlabelled: Furcal perforation is an iatrogenic or pathologic communication between the pulp chamber floor and the alveolar bone. The outcome of perforation sealing depends greatly on the tissue compatibility and bioactivity and sealing properties of the repair materials. Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Biodentine are currently the most used materials to treat this condition.

Lactobacillus-fermented yogurt exerts hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, and anti-inflammatory activities in STZ-induced diabetic Wistar rats.

Hyperglycemia is a symptom of type 2 diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disease characterized by elevated blood glucose concentrations. Antidiabetic drugs are common treatments for this metabolic disorder; however, they may have unpleasant side effects. This study hypothesized that probiotic fermented products could preserve nutritional value, maintain metabolic homeostasis, and attenuate the inflammatory response associated with diabetes while reducing side effects.

Depression and anxiety symptoms among Arab/Middle Eastern American college students: Modifying roles of religiosity and discrimination.

Introduction: We examine mental health outcomes in a national sample of Arab/Middle Eastern college students using the Healthy Minds Study (HMS) from 2015-2018 and assess the modifying roles of religion and discrimination.

Methods: HMS is an annual web-based survey administered to random samples of undergraduate and graduate students at participating colleges and universities. A total of 2,494 Arab/Middle Eastern and 84,423 white students were included in our sample.

Computational Investigation to Design Ofloxacin-Loaded Hybridized Nanocellulose/Lipid Nanogels for Accelerated Skin Repair.

The pharmaceutical application of biomaterials has attained a great success. Rapid wound healing is an important goal for many researchers. Hence, this work deals with the development of nanocellulose crystals/lipid nanogels loaded with ofloxacin (OFX) to promote skin repair while inhibiting bacterial infection.