Healthcare professionals' attitudes to animal assisted activity with dogs in paediatric care.

Background: Hospitalization for children often involves stress induced by fear and pain. Complementary therapies, such as Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) with dogs, can alleviate the hospital experience.

Purpose: The first aim of this study was to initiate the development of an instrument that measures healthcare professionals' attitudes toward complementary therapy, specifically dogs in AAA.

Determining patient activity goals and their fulfillment following total knee arthroplasty: Findings from the prospective, observational SuPeR Knee study.

Background: Dissatisfaction with Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) surgical outcomes remains between 10-20% and is associated with higher levels of societal costs. Expectations regarding post-surgical outcomes is considered as one of the major factors influencing satisfaction, however, there are no standardised methods for assessing patient's expectations regarding activities to be achieved following surgery.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to identify patient expectations relating to activities of importance following TKA and to describe goal fulfillment at 3 months post-TKA.

Sex and age-related day-to-day variability in the skin microcirculation during post-occlusive reactive hyperemia.

Introduction: Little is known about the day-to-day variability of different skin microcirculation parameters, and how this variability is influenced by age and sex. The aim was to examine the day-to-day variability of microcirculatory parameters in relation to age and sex.

Methods: The cutaneous microcirculation was measured using a fiber optic probe integrating laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) to measure oxygen saturation, red blood cell (RBC) tissue fraction, speed-resolved and conventional perfusion.

Therapist-Guided Internet-Delivered Acceptance-Enhanced Behavior Therapy for Skin-Picking Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Despite its high prevalence, individuals suffering from skin-picking disorder (SPD) face limited access to treatment due to several factors, including geographical and economic barriers, as well as a shortage of properly trained therapists. Offering Internet-delivered therapy could be a solution to these barriers. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of therapist-guided Internet-delivered acceptance-enhanced behavior therapy (iBT) for SPD compared to a wait-list control condition.

Molecular analysis of zoonotic pathogens in free-ranging six-banded armadillos (Euphractus sexcinctus) from the Brazilian semiarid region.

This study investigated infection by Leishmania spp., Leptospira spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Trypanosoma cruzi in six-banded armadillos (Euphractus sexcinctus) from the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil.