Prediction of organogenesis of using artificial neural networks and regression models.

This study was conducted to determine if artificial neural networks (ANN) can be used to accurately predict organogenesis of compared with statistical regression. Prediction models were developed for shoot and root organogenesis (outputs) on two culture media (Murashige and Skoog and Gamborg B5) affected by two explant types (leaf and node) and two cytokinins (6-Benzylaminopurine and Thidiazuron at 1.0, 5.

A study protocol to explore and implement community-based point-of-care COVID-19 testing for women who use drugs in Baltimore, Maryland: The CARE study.

Women who use drugs (WWUD) experience structural vulnerabilities (e.g., housing, food insecurities) and comorbidities that elevate their susceptibility to more severe COVID-19 symptoms or fatality compared to similarly-aged women who do not use illicit drugs.

Increased solitary drug use during COVID-19: An unintended consequence of social distancing.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, overdose rates substantially increased in the United States. One possible contributor to this phenomenon may be solitary drug use resulting from social distancing efforts to prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Methods: We surveyed 458 people who use drugs (PWUD) who were recruited from harm reduction and drug treatment providers located in nine states and the District of Columbia.

Psychological factors associated with reporting side effects following COVID-19 vaccination: A prospective cohort study (CoVAccS - Wave 3).

Objective: To investigate symptom reporting following the first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses, attribution of symptoms to the vaccine, and factors associated with symptom reporting.

Methods: Prospective cohort study (T1: 13-15 January 2021, T2: 4-15 October 2021). Participants were aged 18 years or older, living in the UK.

Comparing mental and physical health of U.S. veterans by VA healthcare use: implications for generalizability of research in the VA electronic health records.

Objective: The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) electronic health records (EHR) offer a rich source of big data to study medical and health care questions, but patient eligibility and preferences may limit generalizability of findings. We therefore examined the representativeness of VA veterans by comparing veterans using VA healthcare services to those who do not.

Methods: We analyzed data on 3051 veteran participants age ≥ 18 years in the 2019 National Health Interview Survey.

Association of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma After Multiagent Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

Importance: The total number of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is increasing. However, the added role of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in these patients remains unknown.

Objective: To evaluate the association of AC with overall survival (OS) in patients with PDAC who received multiagent NAC followed by curative-intent surgery.

Regulatory and Ethical Aspects of Orthobiologic Therapies.

Orthobiologic therapies show significant promise to improve outcomes for patients with musculoskeletal pathology. There are considerable research efforts to develop strategies that seek to modulate the biological environment to promote tissue regeneration and healing and/or provide symptomatic relief. However, the regulatory pathways overseeing the clinical translation of these therapies are complex, with considerable worldwide variation.

The Patient Experience with Diabetic Retinopathy: Qualitative Analysis of Patients with Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Introduction: Few qualitative studies have explored the patient experience of daily life with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and associated treatments. Herein, a conceptual model was developed to comprehensively examine symptoms, functional impacts, and treatment experiences in PDR.

Methods: A qualitative, mixed-methods study comprising a literature search and semi-structured interviews with clinicians and patients was conducted.

The diagnostic experience of women with fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI).

Purpose: The fragile X premutation occurs when there are 55-200 CGG repeats in the 5' UTR of the FMR1 gene. An estimated 1 in 148 women carry a premutation, with 20-30% of these individuals at risk for fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI). Diagnostic experiences of FXPOI have not previously been included in the literature, limiting insight on experiences surrounding the diagnosis.

Peritoneal Metastases After Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm Resection: How Common are They?

Introduction: Peritoneal metastases (PMs) following resection of pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are rare. Consequently, prevalence, risk factors, and prognosis are not well known. We reviewed our institution's experience and published literature to further characterize the scope of this phenomenon.

Youth E-Cigarette Use and Functionally Important Respiratory Symptoms: The Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Waves 3 and 4.

Respiratory effects of e-cigarette use among youth are not fully understood. This study investigated the longitudinal association between e-cigarette use and a validated index of functionally important respiratory symptoms among US youth. Data from Waves 3-4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study were analyzed.

Orthobiologic Techniques for Surgical Augmentation.

General awareness and clinical utilization of orthobiologic therapy has increased sharply in the recent years. Orthobiologics can be defined as "biological materials and substrates that promote bone, ligament, muscle, and tendon healing." There are 3 major strategies by which orthobiologics are thought to augment tissue repair or native biologic potential: factor-based, cell-based, and biomechanical augmentation.

Acute pancreatitis precedes chronic pancreatitis in the majority of patients: Results from the NAPS2 consortium.

Introduction: The mechanistic definition of chronic pancreatitis (CP) identifies acute pancreatitis (AP) as a precursor stage. We hypothesized that clinical AP frequently precedes the diagnosis of CP and is associated with patient- and disease-related factors. We describe the prevalence, temporal relationship and associations of AP in a well-defined North American cohort.

Which interventions improve HPV vaccination uptake and intention in children, adolescents and young adults? An umbrella review.

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination offers protection against the virus responsible for cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, vulval and penile cancers. However, there is considerable variation across, and even within, countries as to how HPV vaccination is offered and accepted. This review aimed to identify what interventions exist to promote uptake and how effective they are.

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on depression and anxiety symptoms: Findings from the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future (UAEHFS) cohort study.

Background: Significant concerns about mental health were raised during the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms among the participants of the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study (UAEHFS); a national cohort study. We further explored the change in the prevalence of depression symptoms among those with comparable pre-pandemic data.

Overdose Experiences among People Who Inject Drugs in West Virginia: Personal Loss, Psychological Distress, Naloxone, and Fentanyl.

As overdose remains a major public health concern in the United States, it is important to understand the experiences people who inject drugs (PWID) have with overdose. Past experiences during such emergencies are an important determinant of future behavior, including help seeking, which can be lifesaving. We explored experiences with overdose, using data from 21 in-depth interviews collected from PWID in a rural county in West Virginia (Cabell County).

Metabolic Syndrome in Fasting and Non-Fasting Participants: The UAE Healthy Future Study.

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multiplex of risk factors that predispose people to the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD), two of the major non-communicable diseases that contribute to mortality in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). MetS guidelines require the testing of fasting samples, but there are evidence-based suggestions that non-fasting samples are also reliable for CVD-related screening measures. In this study, we aimed to estimate MetS and its components in a sample of young Emiratis using HbA1c as another glycemic marker.

Feasibility and acceptability of telehealth and contactless delivery of human papillomavirus (HPV) self-testing for cervical screening with Māori and Pacific women in a COVID-19 outbreak in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Aim: To determine the feasibility and acceptability of a telehealth offer and contactless delivery of human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical screening self-test during the 2021 COVID-19 Level 4 lockdown in Auckland, New Zealand.

Methods: A small proof-of-concept study was undertaken to test telehealth approaches in never-screened, due or overdue Māori and Pacific women enrolled in a local Primary Health Organisation (PHO). Study invitation, active follow-up, nurse-led discussions, result notification and a post-test questionnaire were all delivered through telehealth.

Factors Associated with HIV Testing Among People Who Inject Drugs: Findings from a Multistate Study at the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Few studies have examined HIV testing among people who inject drugs (PWID) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines factors associated with PWID who have been recently (past six months) tested for HIV during the COVID-19 pandemic. PWID were recruited between August 2020 and January 2021 from 22 drug treatment and harm reduction programs in nine states and the District of Columbia.

Use of patient portals to support recruitment into clinical trials and health research studies: results from studies using MyChart at one academic institution.

Electronic health records (EHRs) are often used for recruitment into research studies, as they efficiently facilitate targeted outreach. While studies increasingly are reaching out to potential participants through the EHR patient portal, there is little available information about which approaches are most effective. We surveyed all investigators at one academic medical center who had used the Epic MyChart patient portal for recruitment.

Who Asks About HIV/STI Status?: An Analysis of Women Who Sell Sex and Inject Drugs.

Communication about HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) is a cornerstone of risk reduction, yet there is a dearth of research that examines communication patterns among persons with dual risks for HIV/STI acquisition, such as women who sell sex and inject drugs (WSSID). We used logistic regression to identify factors associated with WSSID (N = 211) in Baltimore, Maryland always asking new clients about their HIV/STI status. Most WSSID were non-Hispanic White (73%) and 74% reported current homelessness.

Decreased Upward Vertical Movement for Fastballs After Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction in Major League Baseball Pitchers.

Purpose: To analyze the velocity and movement of the 4-seam fastball, curve, and slider thrown before and after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (UCLR) in Major League Baseball pitchers using PITCHf/x data.

Methods: Velocity and movement data of the 4-seam fastball, curve, and slider were collected for 3 time frames (12-24 months before the date of UCLR as an uninjured baseline, 12-24 months after the date of UCLR, and 24-36 months after the date of UCLR). Pitchers were separated into 3 age groups (<26, 26 to 31, and >31 years).

A comparison of the energy demands of quadrupedal movement training to walking.

Background: Quadrupedal movement training (QMT) is a novel alternative form of exercise recently shown to improve several fitness characteristics including flexibility, movement quality, and dynamic balance. However, the specific energy demands of this style of training remain unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the energy expenditure (EE) of a beginner-level quadrupedal movement training (QMT) class using Animal Flow (AF) to walking, and to compare EE between segments of the AF class and gender.

Associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, body mass index and body fat composition among Emirati population: Results from the UAE healthy future study.

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are highly prevalent among several populations across the globe. Numerous studies have shown a significant correlation between body-mass-index (BMI) and Vitamin D status, however, some results differed according to ethnicity. Despite the abundance of sunshine throughout the year, vitamin D deficiency is prominent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).