Diabetes visits in paediatric versus adult clinics for young adults (YA) with T1D: Pre-pandemic and pandemic care.

Background: Young adults (YA) with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) are at high risk of worsening glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) with fewer follow-up visits. We examined the association of demographic and diabetes characteristics with care utilization, including in-person and telehealth visits, pre- (1 April 2019 to 15 March 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (30 March 2020 to 15 March 2021) for YA (ages: 18-30) with T1D, comparing those seen in paediatric versus adult diabetes clinics at a single diabetes centre.

Methods: Data were obtained from the electronic health record for YA with a pre-pandemic HbA1c.

Customizable Hydrogel Coating of ECM-Based Microtissues for Improved Cell Retention and Tissue Integrity.

Overcoming the oxygen diffusion limit of approximately 200 µm remains one of the most significant and intractable challenges to be overcome in tissue engineering. The fabrication of hydrogel microtissues and their assembly into larger structures may provide a solution, though these constructs are not without their own drawbacks; namely, these hydrogels are rapidly degraded in vivo, and cells delivered via microtissues are quickly expelled from the area of action. Here, we report the development of an easily customized protocol for creating a protective, biocompatible hydrogel barrier around microtissues.

Sequential Fabrication of a Three-Layer Retina-like Structure.

Tissue engineering is considered a promising approach to treating advanced degenerative maculopathies such as nonexudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness worldwide. The retina consists of several hierarchical tissue layers, each of which is supported by a layer underneath. Each of these layers has a different morphology and requires distinct conditions for proper assembly.

Modified ECM-Based Bioink for 3D Printing of Multi-Scale Vascular Networks.

The survival and function of tissues depend on appropriate vascularization. Blood vessels of the tissues supply oxygen, and nutrients and remove waste and byproducts. Incorporating blood vessels into engineered tissues is essential for overcoming diffusion limitations, improving tissue function, and thus facilitating the fabrication of thick tissues.

Poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) nanoparticles as a platform for the improved oral delivery of cannabidiol.

Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive constituent of Cannabis, has proven neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties though his therapeutic use, especially by the oral route, is still challenged by the poor aqueous solubility that results in low oral bioavailability. In this work, we investigate the encapsulation of CBD within nanoparticles of a highly hydrophobic poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) block copolymer produced by a simple and reproducible nanoprecipitation method. The encapsulation efficiency is ~ 100% and the CBD loading 11% w/w (high performance liquid chromatography).

Imageable AuNP-ECM Hydrogel Tissue Implants for Regenerative Medicine.

In myocardial infarction, a blockage in one of the coronary arteries leads to ischemic conditions in the left ventricle of the myocardium and, therefore, to significant death of contractile cardiac cells. This process leads to the formation of scar tissue, which reduces heart functionality. Cardiac tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary technology that treats the injured myocardium and improves its functionality.

Post-Maturation Reinforcement of 3D-Printed Vascularized Cardiac Tissues.

Despite advances in biomaterials engineering, a large gap remains between the weak mechanical properties that can be achieved with natural materials and the strength of synthetic materials. Here, a method is presented for reinforcing an engineered cardiac tissue fabricated from differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and an extracellular matrix (ECM)-based hydrogel in a manner that is fully biocompatible. The reinforcement occurs as a post-fabrication step, which allows for the use of 3D-printing technology to generate thick, fully cellularized, and vascularized cardiac tissues.

Updated Psychosocial Surveys With Continuous Glucose Monitoring Items for Youth With Type 1 Diabetes and Their Caregivers.

Aim: We added items relevant to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to the Diabetes Family Conflict Scale (DFC), Diabetes Family Responsibility Questionnaire (DFR), and Blood Glucose Monitoring Communication Questionnaire (GMC) and evaluated the psychometric properties of the updated surveys.

Research Design And Methods: Youth with type 1 diabetes who recently started CGM and their parents completed the updated surveys and additional psychosocial surveys. Medical data were collected from self-reports and review of the medical record.

[CAR-T CELL THERAPY FOR B-CELL ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA WITH A LARGE OVARIAN EXTRAMEDULLARY MASS].

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common malignancy in childhood, arising from the bone marrow. ALL may present at diagnosis or relapse at extramedullary sites. In recent years, autologous T-cells engineered to express a chimeric-antigen receptor (CAR-T cells) have emerged as novel immune-based therapies for relapsed and refractory ALL, targeting the B-cell surface antigen CD19.

Memory complaints moderate the concordance between self-report and electronically monitored adherence in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Aims: We examined the impact of memory complaints on the concordance between self-report (SR) and electronically monitored (EM) medication adherence, independent of depression symptoms, among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: Adults (N = 104, age = 56.6 ± 9.

for Medical Use: Versatile Plant Rather Than a Single Drug.

Medical and its major cannabinoids (-)--Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are gaining momentum for various medical purposes as their therapeutic qualities are becoming better established. However, studies regarding their efficacy are oftentimes inconclusive. This is chiefly because is a versatile plant rather than a single drug and its effects do not depend only on the amount of THC and CBD.

Coordination of glucose monitoring, self-care behaviour and mental health: achieving precision monitoring in diabetes.

Monitoring of glucose plays an essential role in the management of diabetes. However, to fully understand and meaningfully interpret glucose levels, additional information on context is necessary. Important contextual factors include data on behaviours such as eating, exercise, medication-taking and sleep, as well as data on mental health aspects such as stress, affect, diabetes distress and depressive symptoms.

Regenerating the Injured Spinal Cord at the Chronic Phase by Engineered iPSCs-Derived 3D Neuronal Networks.

Cell therapy using induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons is considered a promising approach to regenerate the injured spinal cord (SC). However, the scar formed at the chronic phase is not a permissive microenvironment for cell or biomaterial engraftment or for tissue assembly. Engineering of a functional human neuronal network is now reported by mimicking the embryonic development of the SC in a 3D dynamic biomaterial-based microenvironment.

Chondroitin sulfate-AuNRs electroactive scaffolds for on-demand release of biofactors.

Controlled release systems are often integrated into polymeric scaffolds to supply essential biofactors to trigger physiological processes in engineered tissues. Here, we report the modification of chondroitin sulfate (CS) electroactive polymer with gold nanorods (AuNRs) to create hybrid macroporous scaffolds for enhanced on-demand release of growth factors and cytokines. The mechanical properties, porosity and degradation of the hybrid scaffolds were evaluated, and the viability and functionality of seeded cardiac cells were assessed.

Comparison of Hip and Low Back Loads between Normal Gait, Axillary Crutch Ambulation and Walking with a Hands-free Crutch in a Healthy Population.

Background: Instead of using axillary crutches, using a hands-free crutch (HFC) has been associated with higher functional outcome scores. However, hip and back pain have been reported as side effects.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to compare range of motion and joint reaction forces at the hip and low back between HFC walking, normal walking, and standard crutch walking.

Fertilization Following Pollination Predominantly Decreases Phytocannabinoids Accumulation and Alters the Accumulation of Terpenoids in Cannabis Inflorescences.

In the last decades, growing evidence showed the therapeutic capabilities of plants. These capabilities were attributed to the specialized secondary metabolites stored in the glandular trichomes of female inflorescences, mainly phytocannabinoids and terpenoids. The accumulation of the metabolites in the flower is versatile and influenced by a largely unknown regulation system, attributed to genetic, developmental and environmental factors.

Injectable Nanocomposite Implants Reduce ROS Accumulation and Improve Heart Function after Infarction.

In a myocardial infarction, blood supply to the left ventricle is abrogated due to blockage of one of the coronary arteries, leading to ischemia, which further triggers the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These sequential processes eventually lead to the death of contractile cells and affect the integrity of blood vessels, resulting in the formation of scar tissue. A new heart therapy comprised of cardiac implants encapsulated within an injectable extracellular matrix-gold nanoparticle composite hydrogel is reported.

Sex differences in medical cannabis-related adverse effects.

Studies have shown that women are more susceptible to adverse effects (AEs) from conventional drugs. This study aimed to investigate the differences of medical cannabis (MC)-related AEs between women and men in patients with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP). This is a cross-sectional study of adult patients licensed for MC treatment who were also diagnosed as patients with CNCP by a physician.

Quasirandom Graphs and the Pantograph Equation.

The pantograph differential equation and its solution, the deformed exponential function, are remarkable objects that appear in areas as diverse as combinatorics, number theory, statistical mechanics, and electrical engineering. In this article, we describe a new surprising application of these objects in graph theory, by showing that the set of all cliques is not forcing for quasirandomness. This provides a natural example of an infinite family of graphs, which is not forcing, and answers a natural question posed by P.

Ecological Momentary Assessment of Positive and Negative Affect and Associations with Blood Glucose in Teens with Type 1 Diabetes.

Background: Affect (i.e., emotions) can be associated with diabetes self-care and ambient glucose in teens with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Delayed diagnosis and treatment of children with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: COVID-19, the novel coronavirus has caused a global pandemic affecting millions of people around the world. Although children, including children with cancer, have been found to be affected less commonly and less severely than adults, indirect effects of the pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment of children with cancer have been less described.

Methods: A survey was performed in the four largest tertiary pediatric hematology-oncology medical centers in Israel.

Prolonged Medical Cannabis Treatment is Associated With Quality of Life Improvement and Reduction of Analgesic Medication Consumption in Chronic Pain Patients.

Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is one of the most prevalent indications for medical cannabis (MC) treatment globally. In this study, we investigated CNCP parameters in patients during prolonged MC treatment, and assessed the interrelation between CNCP parameters and the chemical composition of MC chemovar used. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed in one-month intervals for the duration of six months.

Health-related quality of life in youth with type 1 diabetes: Associations with multiple comorbidities and mental health conditions.

Aim: This cross-sectional study examined the associations of comorbid conditions on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in 601 youth with type 1 diabetes. We evaluated associations between number of comorbid conditions (0, 1, ≥2) and particular comorbid conditions and youth HRQOL by self-report and parent proxy-report.

Research Design And Methods: Youth with type 1 diabetes, aged 5-18 years, and their parents completed the PedsQL 4.