Development of and Testing Novel Questionnaires Assessing Palliative Care-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Confidence Among Home Healthcare Clinicians, Patients, and Caregivers.

Palliative care improves the quality of life for seriously ill patients, but misconceptions and knowledge gaps hinder its implementation in home healthcare (HHC). This study developed and pilot-tested HHC-specific questionnaires to measure palliative care knowledge, attitudes, and confidence (PC-KAC) among clinicians, patients, and caregivers. Using literature reviews, expert input, and cognitive interviews, the questionnaires were refined to ensure clarity, practical relevance, and content validity.

Urban and Rural Disparities in COVID-19 Outcomes in the United States: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review investigates disparities in COVID-19 outcomes (infections, hospitalizations, and deaths) between urban and rural populations in the United States. Of the 3,091 articles screened, 55 were selected. Most studies ( = 43) conducted national analyses, using 2020 data, with some extending into 2021.

The association of nursing home infection preventionists' training and credentialing with resident COVID 19 deaths.

Background: Nursing home (NH) residents' vulnerability to COVID-19 underscores the importance of infection preventionists (IPs) within NHs. Our study aimed to determine whether training and credentialing of NH IPs were associated with resident COVID-19 deaths.

Methods: This retrospective observational study utilized data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network NH COVID-19 Module and USAFacts, from May 2020 to February 2021, linked to a 2018 national NH survey.

Timing of Goals of Care Discussions in Nursing Homes: A Systematic Review.

Objectives: Discussions between health professionals and nursing home (NH) residents or their families about the current or future goals of health care may be associated with better outcomes at the end of life (EOL), such as avoidance of unwanted interventions or death in hospital. The timing of these discussions varies, and it is possible that their influence on EOL outcomes depends on their timing. This study synthesized current evidence concerning the timing of goals of care (GOC) discussions in NHs and its impact on EOL outcomes.

Systematic Review of Rural and Urban Differences in Care Provided by Home Health Agencies in the United States.

Objective: Home health care agencies (HHAs) are skilled care providers for Medicare home health beneficiaries in the United States. Rural HHAs face different challenges from their urban counterparts in delivering care (eg, longer distances to travel to patient homes leading to higher fuel/travel costs and fewer number of visits in a day, impacting the quality of home health care for rural beneficiaries). We review evidence on differences in care outcomes provided by urban and rural HHAs.

A comparison of conceptual frameworks to examine health inequities in End-of-Life care.

Aims: To discuss existing conceptual frameworks that can be applied to the examination of health inequities in end-of-life care and related health outcomes. We used the Fawcett and Desanto-Madeya evaluation technique modified by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework to include individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels of influence.

Design: Discussion paper.

Measuring Palliative Care-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Confidence in Home Health Care Clinicians, Patients, and Caregivers: A Systematic Review.

Integrating palliative care services in the home health care (HHC) setting is an important strategy to provide care for seriously ill adults and improve symptom burden, quality of life, and caregiver burden. Routine palliative care in HHC is only possible if clinicians who provide this care are prepared and patients and caregivers are well equipped with the knowledge to receive this care. A key first step in integrating palliative care services within HHC is to measure preparedness of clinicians and readiness of patients and caregivers to receive it.

The Effect of Electrical Stimulation Therapy With Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise on Stress Urinary Incontinence in Middle-Aged Women: A Nonequivalent Comparison Cohort Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of combined pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFMEs) and a novel electrical stimulation (ES) device versus PFMEs alone on lower urinary tract symptoms, urinary incontinence-related quality of life, and pelvic floor muscle contractions (PFMCs).

Design: Nonrandomized comparison cohort study.

Subjects And Setting: The sample comprised 54 community-dwelling middle-aged women with stress urinary incontinence recruited from churches and cultural centers in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

Programed Assembly of Nucleoprotein Nanoparticles Using DNA and Zinc Fingers for Targeted Protein Delivery.

With a growing number of intracellular drug targets and the high efficacy of protein therapeutics, the targeted delivery of active proteins with negligible toxicity is a challenging issue in the field of precision medicine. Herein, a programed assembly of nucleoprotein nanoparticles (NNPs) using DNA and zinc fingers (ZnFs) for targeted protein delivery is presented. Two types of ZnFs with different sequence specificities are genetically fused to a targeting moiety and a protein cargo, respectively.

Efficient and Site-Specific I-Radioiodination of Bioactive Molecules Using Oxidative Condensation Reaction.

In this report, the novel and site-specific radioiodination of biomolecules by using aryl diamine and alkyl aldehyde condensation reaction in the presence of a Cu catalyst under ambient conditions was reported. I-labeled alkyl aldehyde was synthesized using a tin precursor with a high radiochemical yield (72 ± 6%, = 5) and radiochemical purity (>99%). The utility of the radioiodinated precursor was demonstrated through aryl diamine-installed c[RGDfK(C)] peptide and human serum albumin (HSA).

A dimeric form of a small-sized protein binder exhibits enhanced anti-tumor activity through prolonged blood circulation.

Small-sized non-antibody scaffolds have attracted considerable interest as alternatives to immunoglobulin antibodies. However, their short half-life is considered a drawback in the development of therapeutic agents. Here we demonstrate that a homo-dimeric form of a repebody enhances the anti-tumor activity than a monomeric form through prolonged blood circulation.

Gamma-irradiated black ginseng extract inhibits mast cell degranulation and suppresses atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in mice.

Gamma irradiation is able to affect various structural modification and an increase of the biological properties of biomaterials. This study was conducted to investigate the anti-allergenic effect of γ-irradiated black ginseng extract (BGE) using in vitro and in vivo experiments. IgEantigen complex-induced degranulation was measured in RBL-2H3 mast cells.

Radiolabeling and preliminary biodistribution study of Tc-labeled antibody-mimetic scaffold protein repebody for initial clearance properties.

Antibody-mimetic proteins are intensively being developed for biomedical applications including tumor imaging and therapy. Among them, repebody is a new class of protein that consists of highly diverse leucine-rich repeat (LRR) modules. Although all possible biomedical applications with repebody are ongoing, it's in vivo biodistribution and excretion pathway has not yet been explored.

Intracellular Protein Delivery System Using a Target-Specific Repebody and Translocation Domain of Bacterial Exotoxin.

With the high efficacy of protein-based therapeutics and plenty of intracellular drug targets, cytosolic protein delivery in a cell-specific manner has attracted considerable attention in the field of precision medicine. Herein, we present an intracellular protein delivery system based on a target-specific repebody and the translocation domain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A. The delivery platform was constructed by genetically fusing an EGFR-specific repebody as a targeting moiety to the translocation domain, while a protein cargo was fused to the C-terminal end of the delivery platform.

Correction: Effects of Mirror Therapy Using a Tablet PC on Central Facial Paresis in Stroke Patients.

[This corrects the article on p. 347 in vol. 41, PMID: 28758071.

Effects of Mirror Therapy Using a Tablet PC on Central Facial Paresis in Stroke Patients.

Objective: To investigate the effects of mirror therapy using a tablet PC for post-stroke central facial paresis.

Methods: A prospective, randomized controlled study was performed. Twenty-one post-stroke patients were enrolled.

Gamma-Irradiated Luteolin Inhibits 3-Isobutyl-1-Methylxanthine-Induced Melanogenesis Through the Regulation of CREB/MITF, PI3K/Akt, and ERK Pathways in B16BL6 Melanoma Cells.

Luteolin was gamma irradiated at doses of 0, 15, 30, 50, 70, and 100 kGy. We observed that the luteolin peak decreased simultaneously with the appearance of new radiolytic peaks, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The highest new radiolytic peak (GLM) of radiolytic product in gamma-irradiated luteolin was observed at a dose of 70 kGy, and the GLM was identified by nuclear magnetic resonance and high-performance-liquid-chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight (HPLC-Q-TOF) mass spectrometry.

Neurocognitive Dysfunction According to Hypoperfusion Territory in Patients With Moyamoya Disease.

Objective: To demonstrate the prevalence of cerebral hypoperfusion without focal cerebral lesions in patients with Moyamoya disease (MMD), and the relationship between areas of hypoperfusion and cognitive impairment.

Methods: Twenty-six MMD patients were included. Patients were categorized according to the presence/absence of hypoperfusion in the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes on brain single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) after acetazolamide challenge.

Genetically engineered and self-assembled oncolytic protein nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapy.

The integration of a targeted delivery with a tumour-selective agent has been considered an ideal platform for achieving high therapeutic efficacy and negligible side effects in cancer therapy. Here, we present engineered protein nanoparticles comprising a tumour-selective oncolytic protein and a targeting moiety as a new format for the targeted cancer therapy. Apoptin from chicken anaemia virus (CAV) was used as a tumour-selective apoptotic protein.

Effects of lateral electrical surface stimulation on scoliosis in children with severe cerebral palsy: a pilot study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of lateral electrical surface stimulation (LESS) on scoliosis and trunk balance in children with severe cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods: Children with severe CP (GMFCS level IV or V) and stationary or progressive scoliosis were enrolled. Children were recommended of two sessions of LESS/day, 1 h/session, for 3 months at home: at 40-80 mA intensity, 200 μs pulse width, 25 Hz frequency, on for 6 s and then off for 6 s on the convex side of the trunk curve.

Radioprotective effect of hesperetin against γ-irradiation-induced DNA damage and immune dysfunction in murine splenocytes.

This study was conducted to evaluate the preventive effect of hesperetin against radiation-induced DNA damage and immune dysfunction in murine splenocytes. Isolated splenocytes from BALB/c mice were treated with hesperetin (20, 100, and 500 µM), and then irradiated at a dose of 2 and 4 Gy of γ-irradiation. Exposure to ?-radiation resulted in DNA damage and a reduction of cell viability as well as an elevation of the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, intracellular ROS (reactive oxygen species), and NO (nitric oxide).

Synthesis and evaluation of an (125)I-labeled azide prosthetic group for efficient and bioorthogonal radiolabeling of cyclooctyne-group containing molecules using copper-free click reaction.

Herein we report the radiosynthesis of a pyridine derived azide prosthetic group for iodine radioisotope labeling of dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO) conjugated molecules. The radiolabeling of the stannylated precursor 2 was conducted using [(125)I]NaI and chloramine-T to give (125)I-labeled azide ([(125)I]1) with high radiochemical yield (72±8%, n=4) and radiochemical purity (>99%). Using (125)I-labeled azide ([(125)I]1), cyclic RGD peptide and near infrared fluorescent molecule were efficiently labeled with modest to good radiochemical yields.

Efficient method for iodine radioisotope labeling of cyclooctyne-containing molecules using strain-promoted copper-free click reaction.

Herein we report an efficient method for iodine radioisotope labeling of cyclooctyne-containing molecules using copper-free click reaction. For this study, radioiodination using the tin precursor 2 was carried out at room temperature to give (125)I-labeled azide ([(125)I]1) with high radiochemical yield (85%) and excellent radiochemical purity. Dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO) containing cRGD peptide and gold nanoparticle were labeled with [(125)I]1 at 37°C for 30min to give triazoles with good radiochemical yields (67-95%).

Protective effect of hesperidin, a citrus flavanoglycone, against γ-radiation-induced tissue damage in Sprague-Dawley rats.

The present study was designed to evaluate the radioprotective effect of hesperidin, a citrus flavanoglycone, against γ-radiation-induced cellular damage in the liver, heart, and kidney of rats. Whole-body γ-radiation exposure (5 Gy) of healthy adult rats resulted in cellular damage and oxidative stress manifested as increased levels of serum marker enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and fibrosis in the tissues, accompanied by depletion of cellular glutathione and abnormal alteration in the levels of lysosomal enzymes. Treatment with hesperidin (50 and 100 mg/kg, p.