Health literacy and medication adherence in adults from ethnic minority backgrounds with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a systematic review.

Background: For people living with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), achieving optimal health outcomes requires optimal self-management and adherence to medical treatment. While some studies suggest an association between poor medication adherence and lower levels of health literacy, the evidence for this association remains inconclusive. This systematic review aimed to synthesise the evidence on the association between health literacy and medication adherence among adults from ethnic minority backgrounds living with T2DM.

A Homozygous ATP2A2 Variant Alters Sarcoendoplasmic Reticulum Ca-ATPase 2 Function in Skeletal Muscle and Causes a Novel Vacuolar Myopathy.

Aims: Sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase 2 (SERCA2), encoded by ATP2A2, is a key protein involved in intracellular Ca homeostasis. The SERCA2a isoform is predominantly expressed in cardiomyocytes and type I myofibres. Variants in this gene are related to Darier disease, an autosomal dominant dermatologic disorder, but have never been linked to myopathy.

Simulation of clinical trials of oral treprostinil in pulmonary arterial hypertension using a virtual population.

Challenges in drug development for rare diseases such as pulmonary arterial hypertension can be addressed through the use of mathematical modeling. In this study, a quantitative systems pharmacology model of pulmonary arterial hypertension pathophysiology and pharmacology was used to predict changes in pulmonary vascular resistance and six-minute walk distance in the context of oral treprostinil clinical studies. We generated a virtual population that spanned the range of clinical observations and then calibrated virtual patient-specific weights to match clinical trials.

A Rare Case of Necrotizing Fasciitis Presenting As Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome in a Patient With Uncontrolled Diabetes.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe and rapidly progressing soft tissue infection that requires immediate intervention. However, its manifestation as tarsal tunnel syndrome in a diabetic patient is an extremely rare occurrence, with no previous reports found in the existing literature. We present a case report of a patient in their late 50s with uncontrolled diabetes who had necrotizing fasciitis and presented initially to the emergency department with hypotension.

Leveraging Collective Expertise, Wisdom, and Guidance Through Mastermind Teams.

Leadership positions with enormous responsibilities are challenging; at times leaders may feel isolated or lonely. A mastermind team is a small group of peer mentors or a personal board of directors, who meet on a recurring basis to share ideas for feedback, groupsource solutions, and to celebrate/commiserate on events. Joining a mastermind team helps leaders receive psychological support, encouragement, inspiration, suggestions for solving problems, and resources to manage challenges.

Characteristics, Barriers, and Facilitators of Virtual Decision-Making Capacity Assessments During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Online Survey.

Background: With a growing older adult population, the number of persons with dementia is expected to rise. Consequently, the number of persons needing decision-making capacity assessments (DMCA) will increase. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted how we deliver patient care including DMCAs with a much more rapid shift to virtual assessments.

Autosomal recessive -related disorder: comprehensive analysis of phenotypic variability and genetic mutations.

A newly identified subtype of hereditary axonal motor neuropathy, characterized by early proximal limb involvement, has been discovered in a cohort of 34 individuals with biallelic variants in von Willebrand factor A domain-containing 1 (). This study further delineates the disease characteristics in a cohort of 20 individuals diagnosed through genome or exome sequencing, incorporating neurophysiological, laboratory and imaging data, along with data from previously reported cases across three different studies. Newly reported clinical features include hypermobility/hyperlaxity, axial weakness, dysmorphic signs, asymmetric presentation, dystonic features and, notably, upper motor neuron signs.

Consensus definitions of perception-action-integration in action control.

The literature on action control is rife with differences in terminology. This consensus statement contributes shared definitions for perception-action integration concepts as informed by the framework of event coding.

Parental perceptions of an oral health promotion program in early childhood education and care settings: A qualitative study.

Objectives: Early Childhood Caries is a global health problem. The Bright Smiles Bright Futures (BSBF) program seeks to equip educators, children, and parents with skills and knowledge about oral health promotion habits early in life. The aim of this study was to examine parental perceptions of the BSBF program and identify key facilitators and barriers for its implementation.

Three novel missense variants in two families with JAG2-associated limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy recessive 27 is associated with biallelic variants in JAG2, encoding the JAG2 notch ligand. Twenty-four affected individuals from multiple families have been described in two reports. We present two Australian families with three novel JAG2 missense variants: (c.

Trajectories of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake in Early Life: Evidence from a Birth Cohort Study.

Infancy and early childhood are periods of dietary transition. Early exposure to specific foods and the establishment of dietary habits during this period can shape long-term food preferences and have lasting effects on health. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal trajectories of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in Australian children from birth to age 3 years and identify early-life and socioeconomic factors influencing those trajectories.

Characteristics of Patients Receiving Complex Case Management in an Acute Care Hospital.

Background: Improving transitions in care is a major focus of health care planning. In the research team's prior intervention study, the length of stay (LOS) was reduced when patients at high risk for readmission were identified early in their acute care stay and received complex management.

Objective: This study will describe the characteristics of patients receiving complex case management in an urban acute care hospital.

Donor to recipient age matching in lung transplantation: A European experience.

Background: The age profile of organ donors and patients on lung transplantation (LT) waiting lists have changed over time. In Europe, the donor population has aged much more rapidly than the recipient population, making allocation decisions on lungs from older donors common. In this study we assessed the impact of donor and recipient age discrepancy on LT outcomes in the UK and France.

Evaluation of agreement between a noninvasive method for real-time measurement of critical blood values with a standard point-of-care device.

The purpose of this work was to investigate the degree of agreement between two distinct approaches for measuring a set of blood values and to compare comfort levels reported by participants when utilizing these two disparate measurement methods. Radial arterial blood was collected for the comparator analysis using the Abbott i-STAT® POCT device. In contrast, the non-invasive proprietary DBC methodology is used to calculate sodium, potassium, chloride, ionized calcium, total carbon dioxide, pH, bicarbonate, and oxygen saturation using four input parameters (temperature, hemoglobin, pO2, and pCO2).

A deep intronic variant in MME causes autosomal recessive Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy through aberrant splicing.

Background: Loss-of-function variants in MME (membrane metalloendopeptidase) are a known cause of recessive Charcot-Marie-Tooth Neuropathy (CMT). A deep intronic variant, MME c.1188+428A>G (NM_000902.

Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy in PIRADS 5 Lesions Without Prior Biopsy: Is Biopsy Really Necessary in This Cohort?

Conventionally, confirmation of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) (Gleason grade group ≥ 2) involves an initial multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) followed by biopsy. Prostate biopsy incurs inherent risks of infection, bleeding, patient discomfort, and a 6-week delay before robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP). We explored the feasibility of immediate RALP in men with PIRADS 5 lesions without preceding biopsy.

Genetics of inherited peripheral neuropathies and the next frontier: looking backwards to progress forwards.

Inherited peripheral neuropathies (IPNs) encompass a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders causing length-dependent degeneration of peripheral autonomic, motor and/or sensory nerves. Despite gold-standard diagnostic testing for pathogenic variants in over 100 known associated genes, many patients with IPN remain genetically unsolved. Providing patients with a diagnosis is critical for reducing their 'diagnostic odyssey', improving clinical care, and for informed genetic counselling.

The Role of Consumerism in Pharmacy Education.

The notion of consumerism and that students are customers of pharmacy colleges was explored by proponents and opponents of the idea. First, a working definition of a "customer" in pharmacy education is pondered with respect to the roles and responsibilities of students and schools/colleges of pharmacy. Second, the pros and cons of "student-centered" education are considered in the light of students and their families being consumers of the educational experience.

Optometrist-delivered selective laser trabeculoplasty in the HES - a training protocol and early service evaluation.

Over the last decade, the delivery of glaucoma care in the UK has changed dramatically, with more non-medical ophthalmic practitioners involved in the care of glaucoma patients. Optometrists and other non-medical professionals are now involved in the delivery of laser treatments in the Hospital Eye Service (HES), but there is currently no standardised national training framework for non-medical clinicians. Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL's Institute of Ophthalmology have developed and delivered an education and training programme for the delivery of lasers, including Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) by non-medical ophthalmic practitioners.

Exceptional behavior of a high-temperature superconductor in proximity to a ferromagnet in a bilayer film, LaSrMnO/YBaCuO.

We studied the electronic properties of a high-temperature superconductor in proximity to a ferromagnetic material in a bilayer film of LaSrMnO (LSMO)/YBaCuO (YBCO). High-quality single-crystalline films of YBCO and LSMO/YBCO were grown epitaxially on an SrTiO (001) surface. Magnetization data of the LSMO/YBCO bilayer exhibit ferromagnetic transition at about 255 K, which is much smaller than the Curie temperature of bulk LSMO.

Two Novel Variants in in a Family Presenting With Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis: A Case Report.

Objectives: To report novel biallelic variants in a family presenting with pure hereditary spastic paraparesis.

Methods: Two affected sisters presented with unsolved hereditary spastic paraparesis and underwent clinical and imaging assessments. This was followed by short-read next-generation sequencing.