Externalizing behaviors and student engagement: Exploring the protective role of parental involvement in school using latent moderated structural equation modeling.

Students presenting externalizing behaviors often exhibit reduced levels of student engagement, posing academic and well-being challenges. Among potential protective factors, the role of parental involvement in school is relatively unexplored. The objective of this study was to examine whether parental involvement could mitigate lower levels of engagement among these students.

Statewide Trends in Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Utilization in Rhode Island, United States, 2017-2023.

Background: Buprenorphine and methadone are US Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Although utilization of MOUD was increasing pre-COVID-19, it is not well understood how this trend shifted during and "after" the COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island. This analysis will consider the differential utilization of MOUD over time and by key demographic factors.

Prevalent Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Among Veterans by Sexual Orientation.

Background: Seven million lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults will be aged >50 years by 2030; assessing and addressing their risk for cardiovascular disease is critical.

Methods And Results: We analyzed a nationwide cohort using the Veterans Health Administration data. Sexual orientation (SO) was classified via a validated natural language processing algorithm.

Engagement in substance use disorder treatment after an emergency department visit among persons at high risk of opioid overdose: A prediction analysis.

Background: Certified peer recovery specialists (CPRS) and licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) can facilitate substance use disorder (SUD) treatment engagement for emergency department (ED) patients at risk for overdose. Predictors of treatment engagement after such behavioral services are unknown.

Methods: This secondary analysis included Rhode Island ED patients at high risk for opioid overdose participating in a randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of CPRS and LCSWs services (2018-2021).

Impact of complementary health approaches on opioid prescriptions among veterans with musculoskeletal disorders - A retrospective cohort study.

To examine whether complementary and integrative health approaches mitigate opioid prescriptions for pain and whether the relationship differs by post-dramatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis, we followed 1,993,455 Veterans with musculoskeletal disorders during 2005-2017 using Veterans Healthcare Administration electronic health records. Complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches were defined as ≥ 1 primary care visits for meditation, Yoga, and acupuncture etc using natural language processing. Opioid prescriptions were ascertained from pharmacy dispensing records.

Altered memory CCR6 Th17-polarised T-cell function and biology in people with HIV under successful antiretroviral therapy and HIV elite controllers.

Background: Despite successful antiretroviral therapy (ART), frequencies and immunological functions of memory CCR6 Th17-polarised CD4 T-cells are not fully restored in people with HIV (PWH). Moreover, long-lived Th17 cells contribute to HIV persistence under ART. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these observations remain understudied.

Retinoic acid enhances HIV-1 reverse transcription and transcription in macrophages via mTOR-modulated mechanisms.

The intestinal environment facilitates HIV-1 infection via mechanisms involving the gut-homing vitamin A-derived retinoic acid (RA), which transcriptionally reprograms CD4 T cells for increased HIV-1 replication/outgrowth. Consistently, colon-infiltrating CD4 T cells carry replication-competent viral reservoirs in people with HIV-1 (PWH) receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). Intriguingly, integrative infection in colon macrophages, a pool replenished by monocytes, represents a rare event in ART-treated PWH, thus questioning the effect of RA on macrophages.

Dengue NS1 Antibodies Are Associated With Clearance of Viral Nonstructural Protein-1.

Background: Dengue vascular permeability syndrome is the primary cause of death in severe dengue infections. The protective versus potentially pathogenic role of dengue nonstructural protein-1 (NS1) antibodies are not well understood. The main goal of this analysis was to characterize the relationship between free NS1 concentration and NS1 antibody titers in primary and secondary dengue infection to better understand the presence and duration of NS1 antibody complexes in clinical dengue infections.

Non-affirmation minority stress, internalized transphobia, and subjective cognitive decline among transgender and gender diverse veterans aged 45 years and older.

Objectives: To examine the associations of two measures of minority stress, non-affirmation minority stress and internalized transphobia, with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) veterans.

Method: We administered a cross-sectional survey from September 2022 to July 2023 to TGD veterans. The final analytic sample included 3,152 TGD veterans aged ≥45 years.

Persistent Toothache Despite Multiple Dental-related Treatments: How Could this Be?

Patients with recurrent or persistent dentoalveolar pain usually believe that endodontic treatment or extracting a tooth will alleviate it, and most cannot conceive that the pain might not be tooth related. Understanding that dental procedures of any kind will be ineffective when a tooth-related pathology is ruled out and that a nonodontogenic etiology best explains the "toothache" pain goes against their beliefs. In this article, we present an overview of basic concepts to help manage such cases by briefly outlining possible causes of nonodontogenic pain as well as diagnostic pitfalls that may lead to questionable treatments.

Constructing the brief diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (bDC/TMD) for field testing.

Background: Despite advances in temporomandibular disorders' (TMDs) diagnosis, the diagnostic process continues to be problematic in non-specialist settings.

Objective: To complete a Delphi process to shorten the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) to a brief DC/TMD (bDC/TMD) for expedient clinical diagnosis and initial management.

Methods: An international Delphi panel was created with 23 clinicians representing major specialities, general dentistry and related fields.

IL-32 Drives the Differentiation of Cardiotropic CD4+ T Cells Carrying HIV DNA in People With HIV.

Interleukin 32 (IL-32) is a potent multi-isoform proinflammatory cytokine, which is upregulated in people with HIV (PWH) and is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, the impact of IL-32 isoforms on CD4 T-cell cardiotropism, a mechanism potentially contributing to heart inflammation, remains unknown. Here we show that IL-32 isoforms β and γ induce the generation of CCR4+CXCR3+ double positive (DP) memory CD4 T-cell subpopulation expressing the tyrosine kinase receptor c-Met, a phenotype associated with heart-homing of T cells.

Relationship Between Pain and LGBT Status Among Veterans in Care in a Retrospective Cross-Sectional Cohort.

Background: Pain assessment is performed in many healthcare systems, such as the Veterans Health Administration, but prior studies have not assessed whether pain screening varies in sexual and gender minority populations that include individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT).

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate pain screening and reported pain of LGBT Veterans compared to non-LGBT Veterans.

Methods: Using a retrospective cross-sectional cohort, data from the Corporate Data Warehouse, a national repository with clinical/administrative data, were analyzed.

Anti-SMN autoantibodies in mixed connective tissue disease are associated with a severe systemic sclerosis phenotype.

Objectives: The survival of motor neuron (SMN) complex has an essential role in the assembly of small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (RNP). Recent reports have described autoantibodies (aAbs) to the SMN complex as novel biomarkers in anti-U1RNP+ myositis patients. The aim of this study was to compare phenotypic features of anti-U1RNP+ mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) patients with and without anti-SMN aAbs.

Implementer report: ICD-10 code F44.5 review for functional seizure disorder.

Objective: The study aimed to measure the validity of International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition (ICD-10) code F44.5 for functional seizure disorder (FSD) in the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System electronic health record (VA EHR).

Methods: The study used an informatics search tool, a natural language processing algorithm and a chart review to validate FSD coding.

Metformin prescription for U.S. veterans with prediabetes, 2010-2019.

Affecting an estimated 88 million Americans, prediabetes increases the risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and independently, cardiovascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. Nevertheless, little is known about the use of metformin for diabetes prevention among patients in the Veterans Health Administration, the largest integrated healthcare system in the U.S.