ERK1/2 Inhibition Alleviates Diabetic Cardiomyopathy by Suppressing Fatty Acid Metabolism.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is associated with morphological and functional impairment of the heart primarily due to lipid toxicity caused by increased fatty acid metabolism. Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) have been implicated in the metabolism of fatty acids in the liver and skeletal muscles. However, their role in the heart in diabetes remains unclear.

Perceptions of Crime Severity and Stigma Toward Family Members Grieving the Loss of a Person to Incarceration.

Family members of incarcerated persons may experience grief related to the incarceration. We examined laypeople's perceptions of family members grieving the loss of an individual to incarceration. Participants ( = 1,095) were randomized to read vignettes that varied by grief trajectory (prolonged vs.

Family Members Grieving the Loss of a Person to Incarceration: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review examined grief related to the incarceration of a family member in order to establish a theoretical framework. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Social Sciences Citation Index, Embase, PsycInfo, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials & Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PILOTS, and Psychiatry Online was conducted. We extracted data on sample characteristics, study design, purpose of the study, grief measure used, grief term and definition used, and key qualitative and quantitative findings.

A qualitative exploration of the impact of a hospital electronic prescribing and medicines administration (HEPMA) protocol on junior doctor confidence and competence to prescribe end-of-life care medicines.

Background: With hospital electronic prescribing and medicines administration (HEPMA) systems now in widespread use across hospital inpatient clinical services, work is underway to measure the benefits of HEPMA on healthcare systems and patient care. HEPMA functionality enables users to prescribe medicines by 'bundle' or 'protocol'. Although it is assumed that this is a significant system benefit, there are few qualitative studies supporting this conclusion.

Comparing Public Perceptions of Child and Adult Grief Responses to Familial Incarceration.

Children of incarcerated parents may grieve this loss, yet perceptions of their grief are understudied. Using vignettes varying by age (adult/child) and grief response (prolonged/resilient), we examined differences between perceptions of adults and children grieving parental incarceration. Participants rated grief response appropriateness, comfort providing support, and grief therapy recommendations for the grieving person in the vignette.

Factors associated with self-reported diagnosed asthma in urban and rural Malawi: Observations from a population-based study of non-communicable diseases.

The growing burden of asthma in low- and middle-income countries has been linked to urbanisation and lifestyle changes. However, this burden has not been well characterised in adults. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of self-reported diagnosed asthma and associated factors in urban and rural adults in Malawi, Southern Africa.

From political priority to service delivery: complexities to real-life priority of abortion services in Ethiopia.

Improving access to abortion services has been coined a high priority by the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health. Nevertheless, many women are still struggling to access abortion services. The dedicated commitment to expanding abortion services by central authorities and the difficulties in further improving access to the services make for an interesting case to explore the real-life complexities of health priority setting.

Effect of Plate Inclination and Osteotomy Positioning on Rock-back following Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy in Dogs.

Objective:  Rock-back is a reported complication following tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO), whereby tibial plateau angle (TPA) increases postoperatively. The mechanism of rock-back is not fully understood, although a recent investigation demonstrated that osteotomy exit cut angle (ECA) and inclination of the plate in the sagittal plane might be risk factors. The purpose of this study was to explore these relationships in a clinical dog population.

Family network and household composition: a longitudinal dataset derived from the Karonga Health and Demographic Surveillance System, in rural Malawi.

Proximity to family, household composition, and structure are often studied as outcomes and as explanatory factors in a wide range of scientific disciplines. Here, we describe a large longitudinal dataset (currently including data from over 70,000 individuals from 2004 to 2017), including data on household structure, proximity to kin, population density, and other socio-demographic factors derived from data from the Karonga Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS) in Northern Malawi. We present how the dataset is generated, list some examples of how it can be used, and provide information on the limitations that affect the types of analyses that can be carried out.

A practical guide to cross-cultural and multi-sited data collection in the biological and behavioural sciences.

Researchers in the biological and behavioural sciences are increasingly conducting collaborative, multi-sited projects to address how phenomena vary across ecologies. These types of projects, however, pose additional workflow challenges beyond those typically encountered in single-sited projects. Through specific attention to cross-cultural research projects, we highlight four key aspects of multi-sited projects that must be considered during the design phase to ensure success: (1) project and team management; (2) protocol and instrument development; (3) data management and documentation; and (4) equitable and collaborative practices.

Association between physical multimorbidity and common mental health disorders in rural and urban Malawian settings: Preliminary findings from Healthy Lives Malawi long-term conditions survey.

In low-income Africa, the epidemiology of physical multimorbidity and associated mental health conditions is not well described. We investigated the multimorbidity burden, disease combinations, and relationship between physical multimorbidity and common mental health disorders in rural and urban Malawi using early data from 9,849 adults recruited to an on-going large cross-sectional study on long-term conditions, initiated in 2021. Multimorbidity was defined as having two or more measured (diabetes, hypertension) or self-reported (diabetes, hypertension, disability, chronic pain, HIV, asthma, stroke, heart disease, and epilepsy) conditions.

Sex Differences in Sociability for with Altered Gut Microbiomes.

In the gut microbiome has been shown to influence multiple behaviors, including aggressive social behavior. Here, we investigate the effect of the microbiome on pro-social behavior. We predicted that reducing the microbiome would lead to a decrease in pro-social behavior in adult flies.

Novel crescentic, medial-closing, medially translating, centre-of-rotation-of-angulation-based, levelling osteotomy for lateral compartment stifle disease with partial cranial cruciate ligament tear in two dogs.

Case History: Two mature, large breed dogs presented with chronic lameness and discomfort localised to the stifle.

Clinical Findings: No hindlimb deformities were present on physical examination or radiographic evaluation. No stifle instability was present.

Health workers' experience of providing second-trimester abortion care in Ethiopia: a qualitative study.

Background: Second-trimester abortions are less common than abortions in the first trimester, yet they disproportionately account for a higher burden of abortion-related mortality and morbidity worldwide. Health workers play a crucial role in granting or denying access to these services, yet little is known about their experiences. Ethiopia has been successful in reducing mortality due to unsafe abortion over the past decade, but access to second trimester abortion remains a challenge.

Early life drought predicts components of adult body size in wild female baboons.

Objectives: In many taxa, adverse early-life environments are associated with reduced growth and smaller body size in adulthood. However, in wild primates, we know very little about whether, where, and to what degree trajectories are influenced by early adversity, or which types of early adversity matter most. Here, we use parallel-laser photogrammetry to assess inter-individual predictors of three measures of body size (leg length, forearm length, and shoulder-rump length) in a population of wild female baboons studied since birth.

Investigating the Relationship Between Marital Status and Ethnicity on Neurocognitive Functioning in a Rural Older Population: A Project FRONTIER Study.

Objectives: Research indicates being married is related to better physical and psychological health. Little is known regarding the relationship between marital status and neurocognitive functioning and whether it differs based on ethnicity (Hispanic vs non-Hispanic). This is the first study to examine this relationship in a sample of aging adults in rural Texas.

Effects of exclusive breastfeeding on educational attainment and longitudinal trajectories of grade progression among children in a 13-year follow-up study in Malawi.

The benefits of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for infant health and survival are well documented. However, its impact on educational outcomes has been contested and poorly researched in Africa. It has been hypothesised that positive associations reported in high-income countries can be attributed to residual confounding by socioeconomic status (SES).

Understanding Online Registry Facilitators and Barriers Experienced by Black Brain Health Registry Participants: The Community Engaged Digital Alzheimer's Research (CEDAR) Study.

Background: Failure of Alzheimer's disease and related diseases (ADRD) research studies to include and engage Black participants is a major issue, which limits the impact and generalizability of research findings. Little is known about participation of Black adults in online ADRD-related research registries.

Objectives: As part of the Community Engaged Digital Alzheimer's Research (CEDAR) Study, this study aims to increase our understanding of facilitators and barriers of Black adults to participating in ADRD-related online registries, as well as to understand their preferences for communication channels.

Genetic variance and indirect genetic effects for affiliative social behavior in a wild primate.

Affiliative social behaviors are linked to fitness components in multiple species. However, the role of genetic variance in shaping such behaviors remains largely unknown, limiting our understanding of how affiliative behaviors can respond to natural selection. Here, we employed the "animal model" to estimate environmental and genetic sources of variance and covariance in grooming behavior in the well-studied Amboseli wild baboon population.

Pandemic grief risk factors and prolonged grief disorder in bereaved young adults during COVID-19.

Objectives: This study evaluated whether COVID-19-specific risk factors (e.g., feeling guilty for not being present with the deceased at the time of the loss and feeling emotionally distant from the deceased prior to the loss) were associated with prolonged grief disorder (PGD) symptomatology or diagnosis among young adults bereaved due to any cause (e.

Innovations in Neuropsychology: Future Applications in Neurosurgical Patient Care.

Over the last century, collaboration between clinical neuropsychologists and neurosurgeons has advanced the state of the science in both disciplines. These advances have provided the field of neuropsychology with many opportunities for innovation in the care of patients prior to, during, and following neurosurgical intervention. Beyond giving a general overview of how present-day advances in technology are being applied in the practice of neuropsychology within a neurological surgery department, this article outlines new developments that are currently unfolding.

The Evolving Need for Neuropsychology in Neurosurgical Settings: Challenges Facing Transformative Care.

Clinical neuropsychology has been a valuable asset to neurologic surgery, contributing to lateralization and localization of pathologic brain tissue, identification of eloquent cortex, and evaluation of postoperative neuropsychological functioning. Moreover, neuropsychologists provide empirically driven interventions aimed at supporting preparation and/or recovery of neurosurgery patients. Nonetheless, several challenges may limit the reliability, validity, and generalizability of the assessment data obtained and reduce the usefulness of other neuropsychological services provided.