Mechanisms of Racial Disparities in Cognitive Aging: An Examination of Material and Psychosocial Well-Being.

Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that education's effect on cognitive aging operates in part through measures of material and psychosocial well-being.

Method: Our sample was of non-Latino black and white participants of the National Social Life Health and Aging Project who had valid cognitive assessments in Waves 2 and 3 (n = 2,951; age range: 48-95). We used structural equation modeling to test for mediation and moderated mediation by income, assets, perceived stress, social status, and allostatic load on the relationships between race, education, and cognition at two time points.

Differential roles of factors IX and XI in murine placenta and hemostasis under conditions of low tissue factor.

The intrinsic tenase complex (FIXa-FVIIIa) of the intrinsic coagulation pathway and, to a lesser extent, thrombin-mediated activation of FXI, are necessary to amplify tissue factor (TF)-FVIIa-initiated thrombin generation. In this study, we determined the contribution of murine FIX and FXI to TF-dependent thrombin generation in vitro. We further investigated TF-dependent FIX activation in mice and the contribution of this pathway to hemostasis.

Combinatorial Anatomic and Functional Neural Tract Mapping for Stereotactic Radiosurgery Planning.

Introduction Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is effective and safe for the treatment of the vast majority of brain metastases (BMs). SRS is increasingly used for the simultaneous treatment of multiple lesions, retreatment of recurrence, or subsequent treatment of new lesions. Although radiation injury is relatively uncommon, with the increased utilization of SRS, it is imperative to develop approaches to assess and mitigate radiation-induced neurologic toxicity.

Finding new sources of water for semi-arid cities in unlikely places.

Determining alternative water sources to meet municipal water demands is important when availability is limited. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a means for water planners to estimate the amount of combined sanitary wastewater and storm water that they might already be capturing through open air oxidation ponds. Increased understanding of the quantity of water that is already available could help water planners to better envision optimal water reuse scenarios.

Laparoscopic Allograft Spacer Placement to Minimize Bowel Dose During Re-irradiation with Interstitial Brachytherapy.

In primary or re-irradiation of gynecologic malignancies, achieving optimal dosimetry with adjacent normal tissue becomes challenging. Surgical spacers are tissue-equivalent materials placed within the patient to protect organs at risk from long-term radiation effects and are commonly used in prostate cancer. We report the use of an allograft mesh to protect adhesed bowel from high-dose radiation for definitive treatment of recurrent endometrial cancer.

Managing pregnancy-associated clinical emergencies in systemic lupus erythematosus: a case-based approach.

: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related thrombocytopenia during pregnancy and the postpartum period have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and perinatal complications. In this case report, we present two SLE patients with thrombocytopenia emergencies secondary to HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets) syndrome and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP).: The first case involved a 26-year-old woman, G1P0 at 26 weeks gestation (GA), with high-titer antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) (positive lupus anticoagulant, anti-beta 2 glycoprotein-1 (aβ2GP1), anti-cardiolipin) and non-criteria aPL to phosphatidylserine/prothrombin complex and anti-domain 1 β2GP1.

Acceptability of early childhood obesity prediction models to New Zealand families.

Objective: While prediction models can estimate an infant's risk of developing obesity at a later point in early childhood, caregiver receptiveness to such information is largely unknown. We aimed to assess the acceptability of these models to New Zealand caregivers.

Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was distributed online.

Community-based Disparities in the Treatment and Outcomes of Early-stage Non-small-cell Carcinoma.

Introduction Lung cancer is the most common malignancy in men and women combined. It is also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the US. The objective of this study is to report the treatment and survival outcomes for early-stage non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) when stratified by urban versus rural geography.

Nationwide enumeration of emergency operations performed in Ghana.

Purpose: To determine the population-based rate of emergency surgery performed in Ghana, categorized by hospital level.

Methods: Data on operations performed from June 2014 to May 2015 were obtained from a nationally representative sample of hospitals and scaled up to nationwide estimates. Operations were categorized as to: "emergency" or "elective" and as to "essential" (most cost-effective, highest population impact) or "other" according to the World Bank's Disease Control Priorities project.

PURL: Best timing for measuring orthostatic vital signs?

We typically take a blood pressure within 3 minutes of a patient rising from a supine to a standing position. But is that too long?

Feasibility and acceptability of a pilot tailored text messaging intervention for adolescents and young adults completing cancer treatment.

Purpose: Despite cure, adolescents and young adults (AYA) who complete cancer treatment remain at risk for numerous physical and psychological late effects. However, engagement in recommended follow-up care, knowledge of cancer treatment history and risks, and adoption of health promoting behaviors are often suboptimal. The pilot randomized controlled trial assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a text messaging intervention (THRIVE; Texting Health Resources to Inform, motiVate, and Engage) designed to promote well-being, and health knowledge and behaviors.

Levels of satisfaction with children's respite services, parental coping and family functioning.

Little is known about how parents' experiences of respite services or 'short breaks' for a child with complex medical needs relate to family functioning and the manner in which parents cope. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between parents' satisfaction with short breaks, family functioning and parental coping and to determine whether these variables change over time. The sample included 32 families receiving short breaks.

Importance of Coping in the Relationship Between Executive Function and Quality of Life in People with Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: Maximizing quality of life (QOL) for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is a primary focus of health care management professionals. Research has shown a relationship between QOL and a person's coping style and that coping provides an indirect link between cognition and stress, depression, and anxiety in MS. This research assessed whether coping moderates or mediates the relationship between executive function and QOL in people with MS.

Comparison of outcomes between metaplastic and triple-negative breast cancer patients.

Purpose: Metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) is a rare, aggressive variant of breast cancer that has been associated with poor clinical outcomes, as has triple-negative breast (TNBC) cancer. Limited studies compare the clinical characteristics and prognosis of MBC to TNBC. This study uses a large, contemporary US cancer database to compare clinical characteristics and survival outcomes for patients with MBC to those with TNBC.

Vision of a near future: Bridging the human health-environment divide. Toward an integrated strategy to understand mechanisms across species for chemical safety assessment.

There is a growing recognition that application of mechanistic approaches to understand cross-species shared molecular targets and pathway conservation in the context of hazard characterization, provide significant opportunities in risk assessment (RA) for both human health and environmental safety. Specifically, it has been recognized that a more comprehensive and reliable understanding of similarities and differences in biological pathways across a variety of species will better enable cross-species extrapolation of potential adverse toxicological effects. Ultimately, this would also advance the generation and use of mechanistic data for both human health and environmental RA.

Making decisions about antipsychotics: a qualitative study of patient experience and the development of a decision aid.

Background: Shared decision making is a widely accepted standard of patient-centred care that leads to improved clinical outcomes, yet it is commonly underutilised in the field of mental health. Furthermore, little is known regarding patient decision making around antipsychotic medication, which is often poorly adhered to. We aim to explore psychiatric patients' experiences of antipsychotic medication decision making in order to develop a patient decision aid to promote shared decision making.

Novel rearrangement in multifocal infantile myofibromatosis is tumorigenic and sensitive to imatinib.

Infantile myofibromatosis (IM) is an aggressive neoplasm composed of myofibroblast-like cells in children. Although typically localized, it can also present as multifocal disease, which represents a challenge for effective treatment. IM has previously been linked to activating somatic and germline point mutations in the PDGFRβ tyrosine kinase encoded by the gene.

Prognosis of lymphotropic invasive micropapillary breast carcinoma analyzed by using data from the National Cancer Database.

Background: Invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) is an uncommon subtype of breast cancer. Previous studies of this subtype demonstrated a higher propensity for lymph node metastases as compared with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The purpose of the present study was to determine the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and propensity for lymph node metastasis of patients with IMPC of the breast recorded in the National Cancer Database (NCDB).

Sexual and gender minority sleep: A narrative review and suggestions for future research.

This article reviews a growing body of research that examines sleep among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations. An extensive search of the literature was conducted using multiple medical and psychological search engine platforms. In total, this search yielded 31 reports that included sleep data collected from sexual and gender minority participants.

Prospective, observational study of carbon dioxide gaps and free energy change and their association with fluid therapy following cardiac surgery.

Background Venoarterial carbon dioxide pressure (p CO ) and content (C CO ) differences, including the ratio to arteriovenous oxygen content difference (C O ), and free energy changes (-∆∆G ) may reflect tissue hypoperfusion. The associations with changes in cardiac output (CO) or oxygen consumption (VO ) following fluid bolus administration were investigated. Methods Single-centre, observational study of 89 adult post-operative cardiac surgical patients admitted to ICU.