Publications by authors named "Lazarus M"

Background: Severe neonatal inflammatory conditions in very preterm infants (VPT: <32 weeks gestational age, GA) are linked to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Differences in white matter (WM) microstructure of the corpus callosum (CC) have been observed at age 6 in VPT children with a history of severe neonatal inflammation. The goal of this study was to determine whether these CC differences can be detected at term-equivalent age using diffusion MRI (dMRI), and whether neonatal inflammation is associated with altered WM in additional tracts implicated in the encephalopathy of prematurity.

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Research on how pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)-informed faculty development initiatives can support PCK development among health professions educators is limited. Given the positive impact of PCK on enhancing professional knowledge for effective teaching, this study investigates the learning process of health professions educators in developing their PCK through a faculty development initiative, supported by the Content Representation (CoRe) tool. Using a qualitative approach, grounded in social constructionism, the study engaged eight educators from diverse health disciplines at an Australian university.

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Introduction: is a common source of infection in shoulder surgery. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is a naturally occurring metabolite of that creates an exothermic reaction when activated by blue light. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of preoperative photodynamic therapy using topical 5-ALA to decrease colonization.

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Bioaccumulation of trace element contaminants with endocrine disruptive (ED) potential has been noted in European brown bears, though evidence of their effects is lacking. Generalized linear models were employed to assess circulating levels of reproductive, stress, and thyroid hormones in relation to arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and thallium (Tl) in 53 free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) from two European populations (Carpathian and Dinara-Pindos). Other potential drivers of hormone variation, such as essential elements, ecological factors, physiological variables, and capture methods, were included as predictors.

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Induction of oxidative stress and the associated lipid peroxidation is a prevalent mechanism through which certain metal(loid)s exert nephrotoxic effects in mammals. Research on the toxic impacts of metal(loid)s in free-ranging large mammals at high trophic positions is exceedingly rare, yet crucial for understanding environmental exposure scenarios relevant to both human and animal risk assessment. Renal cortex tissues (N = 457) of free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) from the Dinara-Pindos population sampled in Croatia were analysed herein for toxic metal(loid)s and the underlying biological and environmental drivers of variation, with their time trend monitored during the 2009-2022 period.

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Background: One of the barriers to counseling patients for shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is the anticipated pain after surgery. This can be contrasted with the common perception of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR) surgery being less painful because of the less invasive nature of the procedure. We conducted a prospective study comparing postoperative pain levels and narcotic consumption after TSA to those after RCR.

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Background: Early speech experiences have been proposed to contribute to the development of brain structures involved in processing spoken language. However, previous research has been limited to correlational studies. Here, we conducted an RCT with preterm neonates to determine whether increased exposure to maternal speech during NICU hospitalization is causally linked to structural white matter maturation.

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Background: Detection and management of late-life depression largely relies on primary care. Yet in Singapore, older adults are unlikely to seek help for their mental health from their primary care providers. This qualitative descriptive study explores how late-life depression manifests to general practitioners (GPs) in the Singaporean primary care setting.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on Escherichia coli's YicC protein, a newly identified ribonuclease crucial for RNA processing in living organisms.
  • Researchers have characterized the structure of YicC in two forms: an unbound state (apo) and one bound to RNA, revealing unique structural features like a clamshell shape that are different from known ribonucleases.
  • Findings highlight the importance of a specific domain (DUF1732) in RNA binding and catalytic activity, providing new insights into the functions of the YicC RNase family.
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  • Organizations today are complex and constantly evolving, with the Military Health System undergoing significant changes to improve healthcare delivery, including a transition to the Air Force Medical Command (AFMEDCOM) structure.
  • In February 2024, a diverse group of stakeholders convened to explore medical education and training for the Air Force using systems theory and ecosystem mapping, aiming to create a more resilient organizational model.
  • The paper discusses the ecosystem approach's theoretical framework and its application in restructuring the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) for better stakeholder relationships and re-optimization in response to challenges like Great Power Competition.
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Background: Academic libraries play a significant role in the student learning process. However, student needs and preferences as well as new paradigms of learning are driving libraries to transition from quiet book repositories to places of collaboration and open information. This descriptive, mixed methods case presentation explores the transition of one library, the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Franzello Aeromedical Library, in three key areas: collection, capability, and facility.

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The relationship between mental disorders and sleep remains unclear. Two new studies show that the lateral habenula, a brain region associated with value-guided behavior, controls REM sleep and promotes emotional stability but also contributes to REM sleep disinhibition in depression.

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Objective: To examine the relationship between inpatient skin-to-skin care rates and neurodevelopmental scores measured at 12 months in very preterm (VPT) infants.

Study Design: From a retrospective review of medical records of 181 VPT infants (<32 weeks gestational age [GA] at birth), we derived skin-to-skin care rate, ie, total minutes of skin-to-skin care each infant received over the number of days of hospital stay. We used scores on the Capute Scales from routine follow-up assessments at 12 months to measure neurodevelopmental outcomes.

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Glutaric Aciduria Type 1 (GA1) is a serious inborn error of metabolism with no pharmacological treatments. A novel strategy to treat this disease is to divert the toxic biochemical intermediates to less toxic or nontoxic metabolites. Here, we report a putative novel target, succinyl-CoA:glutarate-CoA transferase (SUGCT), which we hypothesize suppresses the GA1 metabolic phenotype through decreasing glutaryl-CoA and the derived 3-hydroxyglutaric acid.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the adipose tissue of male European brown bears in Croatia, focusing on polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) over two years (2021-2022).
  • Results showed that PCBs were significantly more prevalent than PBDEs, comprising over 94% of the total contaminant levels in the bears' tissues, with specific PCB congeners changing in concentration over time.
  • The findings indicate a generally low level of contamination in the Croatian terrestrial ecosystem, with some variation in pollutant levels possibly linked to seasonal changes in bear physiology.
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Uncertainty is a feature of healthcare practice. In recognition of this, multiple health profession governing bodies identify uncertainty tolerance as a healthcare graduate attribute and evaluate uncertainty tolerance within new graduate cohorts. While it is clear that uncertainty tolerance development for healthcare learners is valued, gaps remain for practically addressing this within healthcare curricula.

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Minimal clinically important difference (MCID), substantial clinical benefit (SCB), and patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) serve as metrics to gauge orthopedic treatment efficacy based on anchoring questions that do not account for a patient's satisfaction with their surgical outcome. This study evaluates if reaching MCID, SCB, or PASS values for American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (ASES), Single Alpha Numeric Evaluation (SANE), Simple Shoulder Test (SST), and Visual Analog Score (VAS) for pain following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR) correlates with overall patient satisfaction. This was a single-institution, retrospective study of patients who underwent RCR from 2015 to 2019.

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Histamine H receptor (HR) in the central nervous system plays an important role in various functions, including learning and memory, aggression, feeding behaviors, and wakefulness, as evidenced by studies utilizing HR knockout mice and pharmacological interventions. Although previous studies have reported the widespread distribution of HR in the brains of rats, guinea pigs, monkeys, and humans, the detailed distribution in the mouse brain remains unclear. This study provides a comprehensive description of the distribution of HR mRNA in the mouse brain using two recently developed techniques: RNAscope and in situ hybridization chain reaction, both of which offer enhanced sensitivity and resolution compared to traditional methodologies such as radioisotope labeling, which were used in previous studies.

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The aim of this study was to characterise the elemental and radiological composition of strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) leaves and tea preparations and compare it with commercial Uvin H herbal mixture, widely used in treatment of urinary tract infections. The concentration of 17 elements and the activity concentration of selected radionuclides were measured in strawberry tree leaves/Uvin H herbal mixture, as well as in herbal tea prepared by infusion or decoction of leaves for 5 or 10 min.

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Optochemistry, an emerging pharmacologic approach in which light is used to selectively activate or deactivate molecules, has the potential to alleviate symptoms, cure diseases, and improve quality of life while preventing uncontrolled drug effects. The development of in-vivo applications for optochemistry to render brain cells photoresponsive without relying on genetic engineering has been progressing slowly. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a region for the regulation of slow-wave sleep (SWS) through the integration of motivational stimuli.

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