Application of Family Stress Theory: Predicting Wellbeing by Demands, Resources and Perceptions Among Caregivers of Older Adults.

Family caregivers of older adults are at risk of high care burden and reduced quality of life. Existing research and practices had primarily focused on the caregiving dyad. However, it is often observed that multiple family members are involved in caregiving for older adults.

Which psychological needs profile exhibits higher engagement and favorable attitudes toward interprofessional education? A cluster analysis among health and social care Hong Kong students.

Background: This study aimed to investigate which basic psychological needs profile, based on different levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, could exhibit higher student engagement and favorable attitudes toward interprofessional education (IPE).

Methods: A total of 341 undergraduate and postgraduate health and social care students enrolled in an IPE simulation participated in this study. Data were analyzed using a person-centered approach using a two-step cluster analysis, multiple analysis of variance, and bootstrapped independent t-tests.

Melioidosis in goats at a single Australian farm was caused by multiple diverse lineages of Burkholderia pseudomallei present in soil.

Background: Burkholderia pseudomallei, causative agent of melioidosis, is a One Health concern as it is acquired directly from soil and water and causes disease in humans and agricultural and wild animals. We examined B. pseudomallei in soil and goats at a single farm in the Northern Territory of Australia where >30 goats acquired melioidosis over nine years.

Revolutionizing healthcare: inorganic medicinal nanoarchitectonics for advanced theranostics.

Over the last two decades, advancements in nanomaterials and nanoscience have paved the path for the emergence of nano-medical convergence science, significantly impacting healthcare. In our review, we highlight how these advancements are applied in various biomedical technologies such as drug delivery systems, bio-imaging for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Recently, novel inorganic nanohybrid drugs have been developed, combining multifunctional inorganic nanomaterials with therapeutic agents (known as inorganic medicinal nanoarchitectonics).

Desmoplakin is a desmosomal mechanosensor.

Unlabelled: Desmosomes are essential cell-cell adhesion organelles that enable tension-prone tissue, like the skin and heart, withstand mechanical stress. Desmosomal anomalies are associated with numerous epidermal disorders and cardiomyopathies. Despite their critical role in maintaining tissue resilience, an understanding of how desmosomes respond to mechanical stimuli is lacking.

Computer model coupling hemodynamics and oxygen transport in the coronary capillary network: Pulsatile vs. non-pulsatile analysis.

Background And Objective: Oxygen transport in the heart is crucial, and its impairment can lead to pathological conditions such as hypoxia, ischemia, and heart failure. However, investigating oxygen transport in the heart using in vivo measurements is difficult due to the small size of the coronary capillaries and their deep embedding within the heart wall.

Methods: In this study, we developed a novel computational modeling framework that integrates a 0-D hemodynamic model with a 1-D mass transport model to simulate oxygen transport in/across the coronary capillary network.

Rapid estimation of left ventricular contractility with a physics-informed neural network inverse modeling approach.

Physics-based computer models based on numerical solutions of the governing equations generally cannot make rapid predictions, which in turn limits their applications in the clinic. To address this issue, we developed a physics-informed neural network (PINN) model that encodes the physics of a closed-loop blood circulation system embedding a left ventricle (LV). The PINN model is trained to satisfy a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) associated with a lumped parameter description of the circulatory system.

In the SARS-CoV-2 era, do we need to be afraid of obinutuzumab?

In their paper, Pinto et al. report findings from the Italian URBAN study; an ambispective, observational, multicentre study evaluating the safety and efficacy of obinutuzumab-based therapy for advanced stage follicular lymphoma (FL) in routine practice. The URBAN substudy reported here examined severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outcomes in 299 patients with treatment-naïve advanced stage FL, treated with obinutuzumab-based chemoimmunotherapy and maintenance.

Effect of surgical, medical, and behavioral weight loss on hormonal and sexual function in men: a contemporary narrative review.

This review explores the mechanisms and ramifications of weight loss achieved through lifestyle modifications, medical treatments, and bariatric surgery on testosterone levels and sexual health. Obesity significantly affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in men, leading to diminished libido and erectile dysfunction. Here, we delve into the physiological disruptions caused by this imbalance and the intricate interplay of hormonal factors contributing to the dysregulation associated with obesity to comprehensively grasp the consequences of weight loss via diverse mechanisms.

Insight into Preventing Global Dengue Spread: Nanoengineered Niclosamide for Viral Infections.

Millions of cases of dengue virus (DENV) infection yearly from mosquitoes stress the need for effective antivirals. No current drug effectively combats dengue efficiently. Transient immunity and severe risks highlight the need for broad-spectrum antivirals targeting all serotypes of DENV.

Granzyme B in aging and age-related pathologies.

Aging is a major risk factor for pathologies that manifest later in life. Much attention is devoted towards elucidating how prolonged environmental exposures and inflammation promote biological (accelerated) tissue aging. Granzymes, a family of serine proteases, are increasingly recognized for their emerging roles in biological aging and disease.

Design and Optimization of Selectivity-Tunable Toll-like Receptor 7/8 Agonists as Novel Antibody-Drug Conjugate Payloads.

Toll-like receptors 7 and 8 are involved in modulating the adaptive and innate immune responses, and their activation has shown promise as a therapeutic strategy in the field of immuno-oncology. While systemic exposure to TLR7/8 agonists can result in poor tolerance, combination therapies and targeted delivery through antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) can help mitigate adverse effects. Described herein is the identification of a novel and potent series of pyrazolopyrimidine-based TLR7/8 agonists with tunable receptor selectivity.

A functionalized cell membrane biomimetic nanoformulation based on layered double hydroxide for combined tumor chemotherapy and sonodynamic therapy.

The development of nanoformulations with simple compositions that can exert targeted combination therapy still remains a great challenge in the area of precision cancer nanomedicine. Herein, we report the design of a multifunctional nanoplatform based on methotrexate (MTX)-loaded layered double hydroxide (LDH) coated with chlorin e6 (Ce6)-modified MCF-7 cell membranes (CM) for combined chemo/sonodynamic therapy of breast cancer. LDH nanoparticles were loaded with MTX coprecipitation, and coated with CM that were finally functionalized with phospholipid-modified Ce6.

Clinical Correlation of Transcription Factor SOX3 in Cancer: Unveiling Its Role in Tumorigenesis.

Members of the SOX (SRY-related HMG box) family of transcription factors are crucial for embryonic development and cell fate determination. This review investigates the role of SOX3 in cancer, as aberrations in SOX3 expression have been implicated in several cancers, including osteosarcoma, breast, esophageal, endometrial, ovarian, gastric, hepatocellular carcinomas, glioblastoma, and leukemia. These dysregulations modulate key cancer outcomes such as apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, migration, cell cycle, and proliferation, contributing to cancer development.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab compared with sorafenib as first-line treatment in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in Singapore.

Objectives: This study aims to explore the cost-effectiveness of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab against sorafenib for first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Singapore.

Methods: A partitioned survival model was developed from a healthcare system perspective, with a 10-year lifetime horizon. Clinical inputs and utilities were obtained from the IMbrave150 trial.

Increased Virtual Visits to Physicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Estimated Impact on Physician Compensation: The Case of Lung and Colorectal Cancers, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases, and Heart Failure in Alberta, Canada.

The COVID-19 pandemic started in Alberta in March 2020 and significantly increased telehealth service use and provision reducing the risk of virus transmission. We examined the change in the number and proportion of virtual visits by physician specialty and condition (chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases [COPD], heart failure [HF], colorectal and lung cancers), as well as associated changes in physician compensation. A population-based design was used to analyze all processed physician claims comparing the number and proportion of virtual visits and associated physician billings relative to in-person between pre- (2019/2020) and intra-pandemic (2020/2021).

The evolving role of social media in enhancing quality of life: a global perspective across 10 countries.

Background: Excessive or inappropriate use of social media has been linked to disruptions in regular work, well-being, mental health, and overall reduction of quality of life. However, a limited number of studies documenting the impact of social media on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are available globally.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the perceived social media needs and their impact on the quality of life among the adult population of various selected countries.

Contrast Echocardiography: Unveiling Eccentric Mitral Regurgitation.

• Leaflet prolapse, flail, and perforation often result in eccentric MR. • Eccentric jets appear smaller than central jets of similar severity on color Doppler. • The use of UEAs is helpful in better visualizing eccentric MR jets on TTE.

Factors influencing speech pathology practice in dysphagia after stroke: A qualitative focus group study.

Background: Dysphagia affects over half of adults after stroke. Dysphagia rehabilitation aims to improve swallowing and reduce negative outcomes for these adults. However, significant variability exists in dysphagia rehabilitation.

In Vivo Stimulation of Therapeutic Antigen-Specific T Cells in an Artificial Lymph Node Matrix.

T cells are critical mediators of antigen-specific immune responses and are common targets for immunotherapy. Biomaterial scaffolds have previously been used to stimulate antigen-presenting cells to elicit antigen-specific immune responses; however, structural and molecular features that directly stimulate and expand naïve, endogenous, tumor-specific T cells in vivo have not been defined. Here, an artificial lymph node (aLN) matrix is created, which consists of an extracellular matrix hydrogel conjugated with peptide-loaded-MHC complex (Signal 1), the co-stimulatory signal anti-CD28 (Signal 2), and a tethered IL-2 (Signal 3), that can bypass challenges faced by other approaches to activate T cells in situ such as vaccines.

Contrast Echocardiography in Heart Failure: Update 2023.

Purpose Of Review: The application of ultrasound-enhancing agents (contrast agents) has improved the accuracy and reproducibility of echocardiography. The review focuses on the currently approved and evolving indications for contrast echocardiography in patients with heart failure, specifically examining clinical studies conducted after the publication of the guidelines in 2017 and 2018.

Recent Findings: The current ASE/EACVI recommendations for contrast echocardiography are based on its accuracy and reproducibility in comparison to non-enhanced echocardiography or other imaging modalities like cardiac MRI.