Effectiveness of interventions for informal caregivers of people with end-stage chronic illness: a systematic review.

Background: People living with advanced, non-malignant chronic conditions often have extensive and complex care needs. Informal or family caregivers often provide the care and support needed by those with advanced chronic conditions at home. These informal caregivers experience many challenges associated with their caring role, which can impact their own wellbeing.

Psychological interventions for depression and anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease, heart failure or atrial fibrillation: Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: Depression and anxiety occur frequently in individuals with cardiovascular disease and are associated with poor prognosis. This Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effectiveness of psychological interventions on psychological and clinical outcomes in adults with coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF) or atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods And Result: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases were searched from January 2009 to July 2022 for randomised controlled trials of psychological interventions versus controls in adults with CHD, HF or AF.

Evaluation of Telemedicine Consultations Using Health Outcomes and User Attitudes and Experiences: Scoping Review.

Background: Despite a recent rise in adoption, telemedicine consultations retention remains challenging, and aspects around the associated experiences and outcomes remain unclear. The need to further investigate these aspects was a motivating factor for conducting this scoping review.

Objective: With a focus on synchronous telemedicine consultations between patients with nonmalignant chronic illnesses and health care professionals (HCPs), this scoping review aimed to gain insights into (1) the available evidence on telemedicine consultations to improve health outcomes for patients, (2) the associated behaviors and attitudes of patients and HCPs, and (3) how supplemental technology can assist in remote consultations.

International guideline comparison of lifestyle management for acute coronary syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A rapid review.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a life-threatening condition, with ACS-associated morbidity and mortality causing substantial human and economic challenges to the individual and health services. Due to shared disease determinants, those with ACS have a high risk of comorbid Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Despite this, the two conditions are managed separately, duplicating workload for staff and increasing the number of appointments and complexity of patient management plans.

Effects of spontaneous mutations on survival and reproduction of Drosophila serrata infected with Drosophila C virus.

The impact of selection on host immune function genes has been widely documented. However, it remains essentially unknown how mutation influences the quantitative immune traits that selection acts on. Applying a classical mutation accumulation (MA) experimental design in Drosophila serrata, we found the mutational variation in susceptibility (median time of death, LT50) to Drosophila C virus (DCV) was of similar magnitude to that reported for intrinsic survival traits.

Psychological interventions for depression and anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease, heart failure or atrial fibrillation.

Background: Depression and anxiety occur frequently (with reported prevalence rates of around 40%) in individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF) or atrial fibrillation (AF) and are associated with a poor prognosis, such as decreased health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and increased morbidity and mortality. Psychological interventions are developed and delivered by psychologists or specifically trained healthcare workers and commonly include cognitive behavioural therapies and mindfulness-based stress reduction. They have been shown to reduce depression and anxiety in the general population, though the exact mechanism of action is not well understood.

Exploring Social Work professionals' Experiences of the Mindfulness-Based Social Work and Self-Care Programme: A Focus Group Study.

The evidence for the potential of mindfulness-based programmes to support improved social work practice and self-care is growing. The aim of this focus group study was to explore social workers' ( = 13) experiences of the Mindfulness-based Social Work and Self-care programme (MBSWSC). Thematic analysis highlighted two superordinate themes: benefits to direct social work practice and coping with the social work role.

Evaluation of microplastics release from solar water disinfection poly(ethylene terephthalate) and polypropylene containers.

Public health concern associated with the ingestion of microplastics (MPs) released from water packaging materials is increasing. The use of plastic materials for solar disinfection (SODIS) containers has also raised concerns in the SODIS community due to the lack of studies evaluating the presence of MPs in the treated water. In this work, the migration of MPs from poly(ethylene terephthalate, PET) bottles and polypropylene (PP) translucent and transparent jerrycan containers (TJC) into water under natural weathering was investigated using micro-reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (µ-FTIR).

The Contribution of Mutation to Variation in Temperature-Dependent Sprint Speed in Zebrafish, .

AbstractThe contribution of new mutations to phenotypic variation and the consequences of this variation for individual fitness are fundamental concepts for understanding genetic variation and adaptation. Here, we investigated how mutation influenced variation in a complex trait in zebrafish, . Typical of many ecologically relevant traits in ectotherms, swimming speed in fish is temperature dependent, with evidence of adaptive evolution of thermal performance.

Predicting the future.

Experiments on worms suggest that a statistical measure called the G matrix can accurately predict how phenotypes will adapt to a novel environment over multiple generations.

Environmental dependence of mutational (co)variances of adaptive traits.

Standing genetic variation, and capacity to adapt to environment change, will ultimately depend on the fitness effects of mutations across the range of environments experienced by contemporary, panmictic, populations. We investigated how mild perturbations in diet and temperature affect mutational (co)variances of traits that evolve under climatic adaptation, and contribute to individual fitness in Drosophila serrata. We assessed egg-to-adult viability, development time and wing size of 64 lines that had diverged from one another via spontaneous mutation over 30 generations of brother-sister mating.

Moving beyond heritability in the search for coral adaptive potential.

Global environmental change is happening at unprecedented rates. Coral reefs are among the ecosystems most threatened by global change. For wild populations to persist, they must adapt.

A randomised trial of Mindfulness-based Social Work and Self-Care with social workers.

Abstract: The primary objective of this study was to examine the effects of a bespoke and innovative six-week online Mindfulness-based Social Work and Self-Care (MBSWSC) programme on the stress, feelings of burnout, anxiety, depression, and well-being of a sample of social workers. This secondary objective was to examine the effectiveness of MBSWSC at improving a number of potentially important mindfulness-based programme mechanisms of action, including mindfulness, attention regulation (decentering), acceptance, self-compassion, non-attachment, aversion, worry and rumination. A randomised controlled trial with repeated measures (pre-post intervention) was conducted to evaluate the effects of MBSWSC against an active control.

Listening, learning, caring: exploring assemblages of, ethics of and pathways to care for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Care has been theorised in relationship to eating disorders as a central consideration across diagnoses. In the context of avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) specifically, there is room to further develop the nuances around layers of care involved in working towards well-being. In this paper, we engage with the stories of 14 caregivers of people with ARFID, exploring their pathways to care (or lack thereof) through the healthcare system in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Using inbreeding to test the contribution of non-additive genetic effects to additive genetic variance: a case study in .

Additive genetic variance, , is the key parameter for predicting adaptive and neutral phenotypic evolution. Changes in demography (e.g.

Do Google Trends Correlate with the Number of Facial Plastic Surgery Procedures Performed in the United States?

Introduction:  Cosmetic facial surgical procedures have become increasingly popular. Previous studies have shown an association between Internet searches for and volume of these procedures being performed. There is a paucity of data on the correlation between Google Trends search volumes and actual number of facial plastic surgery procedures performed.

Solar water disinfection in large-volume containers: from the laboratory to the field. A case study in Tigray, Ethiopia.

The lack of safe drinking water affects communities in low-to-medium-income countries most. This barrier can be overcome by using sustainable point-of-use water treatments. Solar energy has been used to disinfect water for decades, and several efforts have been made to optimise the standard procedure of solar water disinfection (SODIS process).

Maintenance of quantitative genetic variance in complex, multitrait phenotypes: the contribution of rare, large effect variants in 2 Drosophila species.

The interaction of evolutionary processes to determine quantitative genetic variation has implications for contemporary and future phenotypic evolution, as well as for our ability to detect causal genetic variants. While theoretical studies have provided robust predictions to discriminate among competing models, empirical assessment of these has been limited. In particular, theory highlights the importance of pleiotropy in resolving observations of selection and mutation, but empirical investigations have typically been limited to few traits.

Families' expectations of an eHealth family-based cardiovascular disease-risk reduction programme.

Aim: Research has shown that families' participation in a cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programme could boost early adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviours in families. Behaviour-based, eHealth interventions are a potential means of achieving this. This study aimed to explore expectations of families-parents and children-at risk of CVD towards the design and functionality of an eHealth family-based CVD-risk reduction programme 'Health-e-Hearts'.

Causes of variability in estimates of mutational variance from mutation accumulation experiments.

Characteristics of the new phenotypic variation introduced via mutation have broad implications in evolutionary and medical genetics. Standardized estimates of this mutational variance, VM, span 2 orders of magnitude, but the causes of this remain poorly resolved. We investigated estimate heterogeneity using 2 approaches.

Delayed Granulomas as a Complication Secondary to Lip Augmentation with Dermal Fillers: A Systematic Review.

 Lip augmentation with dermal filler is rising in popularity. There are generally minimal side effects that are mild and transient. However, long-term complications may occur and include lumps, bumps, nodules, or granulomas.

Doula engagement and maternal opioid use disorder (OUD): Experiences of women in OUD recovery during the perinatal period.

Background: Pregnant women who have substance use disorders (SUDs) are at increased risk of preterm birth, fetal mortality, and inadequate prenatal care and have higher rates of childhood trauma than their counterparts without SUDs. Doulas have been utilized with other vulnerable populations who experience trauma to increase perinatal healthcare utilization, provide emotional support, and improve birth outcomes. The objective of the current study was to examine, in women with opioid use disorder (OUD), perceptions of working with a doula in the perinatal period.

Exploration of Caregiver Experiences of Conservatively Managed End-Stage Kidney Disease to Inform Development of a Psychosocial Intervention: The ACORN Study Protocol.

Background: End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) is an overwhelming illness that impacts not just patients, but also their informal carers. Patients who opt for conservative management rather than dialysis experience difficult symptoms and the psychosocial consequences of their condition. Informal carers of patients who choose conservative management can also experience high levels of psychosocial burden, yet there is little guidance on how best to support informal carers, and no evidence on psychosocial interventions to address unmet needs.

Overcoming Barriers to Injectable Therapies: Development of the ORBIT Intervention Within a Behavioural Change Framework.

It is estimated among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) requiring injectable therapies to achieve optimal glycaemic control, one-third are reluctant to initiate therapies, with approximately 80% choosing to discontinue or interrupt injectable regimens soon after commencement. Initiation of injectables is a complex issue, with effectiveness of such treatments undermined by non-adherence or poor engagement. Poor engagement and adherence are attributed to psychological aspects such as individuals' negative perceptions of injectables, depression, anxiety, feelings of shame, distress and perceived lack of control over their condition.

Estimating and examining the costs of inpatient diabetes care in an Irish Public Hospital.

Aim: To estimate and examine hospitalisation costs of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in an Irish public hospital.

Methods: A retrospective audit of hospital inpatient admissions over a 5-year period was undertaken, and a wide range of admission-related data were collected for a sample of 7,548 admissions. Hospitalisations were costed using the diagnosis-related group methodology.