Cancer patients' experiences of moments of relational depth during psychological therapy: a qualitative study.

Objective: Research into psychological interventions for cancer patients has focused on the effectiveness of different treatment methods. Investigating common factors across treatments, such as qualities within the therapeutic relationship, has been neglected. This study explores cancer patients' experiences of moments of profound contact and engagement with their therapist, including any perceived impact.

Increased Intraocular Pressure During Hemodialysis: Ocular Dialysis Disequilibrium.

A man in his early 70s presented with a 1-month history of headache, left-sided photophobia, periorbital pain, and redness occurring during hemodialysis. He had a history of ESKD secondary to diabetic nephropathy and of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. We observed elevated intraocular pressure during dialysis.

Collaboration to Improve Neuroprotection and Neuropromotion in the NICU: A Quality Improvement Initiative.

Implementation of neuroprotective and neuropromotive (NP) strategies is essential to optimize outcomes for premature infants. Developmental care, once an addition to medical care, is now recognized by the NICU team as foundational to support long-term neurodevelopment of micropremature infants. A group approach to education and sharing implementation processes can result in collaborative and individual center improvements.

Large extracellular vesicles in the left atrial appendage in patients with atrial fibrillation-the missing link?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent arrhythmic disease in humans, which leads to thrombus formation in the left atrial appendage and stroke through peripheral embolization. Depending on their origin, large extracellular vesicles (lEVs) can exert pro-coagulant functions. In the present study, we investigated how different types of AF influence the levels of large EV subtypes in three distinct atrial localizations.

Prevalence and Phenomenology of Sensory Experiences of a Deceased Spouse: A Survey of Bereaved Older Adults.

Sensory and quasi-sensory experiences of the deceased (SED), also called bereavement hallucinations, are common in bereavement, but research detailing these experiences is limited. An in-depth survey of SED was developed based on existing research, and 310 older adults from the general Danish population participated in the study 6-10 months after their spouse died. SED were reported by 42% of the participants with wide-ranging phenomenological features across sensory-modalities.

Micro-premature infants in New Jersey show improved mortality and morbidity from 2000-2018.

Background: Micro-premature newborns, gestational age (GA) ≤ 25 weeks, have high rates of mortality and morbidity. Literature has shown improving outcomes for extremely low gestational age newborns (ELGANs) GA ≤ 29 weeks, but few studies have addressed outcomes of ELGANs ≤ 25 weeks.

Objective: To evaluate the trends in outcomes for ELGANs born in New Jersey, from 2000 to 2018 and to compare two subgroups: GA 23 to 25 weeks (E1) and GA 26 to 29 weeks (E2).

Availability of Donor Human Milk Decreases the Incidence of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in VLBW Infants.

Background: Human milk feeding is associated with decreased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).

Purpose: To determine whether a quality improvement project in New Jersey neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) to promote human milk (HM) feedings would be associated with a decrease in NEC.

Methods: Fourteen New Jersey NICUs engaged in efforts to reduce infection and promote HM feeding in very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants.

Sensory experiences of one's deceased spouse in older adults: An analysis of predisposing factors.

This study focuses on pre-disposing factors associated with sensory experiences of the deceased (SED), also called bereavement hallucinations. Even though SED are common among older widowed adults, our knowledge of these experiences is still limited. Survey responses were obtained from 310 older widowed participants ( = 70.

MicroRNA-mediated vascular intercellular communication is altered in chronic kidney disease.

Aims: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). For both, CKD and CAD, the intercellular transfer of microRNAs (miRs) through extracellular vesicles (EVs) is an important factor of disease development. Whether the combination of CAD and CKD affects endothelial function through cellular crosstalk of EV-incorporated miRs is still unknown.

Continued improvement in morbidity reduction in extremely premature infants.

Objective: Provide a progress report updating our long-term quality improvement collaboration focused on major morbidity reduction in extremely premature infants 23-27 weeks.

Methods: 10 Vermont Oxford Network (VON) neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) (the POD) sustained a structured alliance: (A) face-to-face meetings, site visits and teleconferences, (B) transparent process and outcomes sharing, (C) utilisation of evidence-based potentially better practice toolkits, (D) family integration and (E) benchmarking via a composite mortality-morbidity score (Benefit Metric). Morbidity-specific toolkits were employed variably by each NICU according to local priorities.

Sensory and Quasi-Sensory Experiences of the Deceased in Bereavement: An Interdisciplinary and Integrative Review.

Bereaved people often report having sensory and quasi-sensory experiences of the deceased (SED), and there is an ongoing debate over whether SED are associated with pathology, such as grief complications. Research into these experiences has been conducted in various disciplines, including psychiatry, psychology, and anthropology, without much crossover. This review brings these areas of research together, drawing on the expertise of an interdisciplinary working group formed as part of the International Consortium for Hallucination Research (ICHR).

A qualitative analysis of psychosocial needs and support impacts in families affected by young sudden cardiac death: The role of community and peer support.

Background: Young sudden cardiac death (YSCD), often occurring in previously healthy individuals, is a tragic event with devastating impact on affected families, who are at heightened risk of posttraumatic stress and prolonged grief and may themselves be at risk of YSCD. Previous research suggests that surviving family members' psychosocial support needs are often unmet.

Purpose: This study sought to identify how YSCD-affected families experience dedicated community and peer support in light of their psychosocial support needs.

Murine sca1/flk1-positive cells are not endothelial progenitor cells, but B2 lymphocytes.

Circulating sca1/flk1 cells are hypothesized to be endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in mice that contribute to atheroprotection by replacing dysfunctional endothelial cells. Decreased numbers of circulating sca1/flk1 cells correlate with increased atherosclerotic lesions and impaired reendothelialization upon electric injury of the common carotid artery. However, legitimate doubts remain about the identity of the putative EPCs and their contribution to endothelial restoration.

[Position paper on medical cannabis and cannabis-based medicines in pain medicine].

Since March 2017, the prescription of medical cannabis at the expense of the statutory health insurance is possible after approval by the respective medical services. Chronic pain is the most common indication, as health claims data and the accompanying survey show. From the point of view of the law, a prescription is indicated in cases of serious illness, missing or not indicated established therapeutic approaches and a not entirely remote prospect of improvement of the illness or its symptoms.

Sustained quality improvement collaboration and composite morbidity reduction in extremely low gestational age newborns.

Aim: Continuous quality improvement has failed to consistently reduce morbidities in extremely low gestational age newborns 23-27 weeks. 10 Vermont Oxford Network NICUs describe a novel, sustained collaboration for progress.

Methods: We emphasised a) commitment to inter-NICU trust with face-to-face meetings, site visits, teleconferences, scrutiny of quality improvement methodology, b) transparent process and outcomes sharing, c) evidence-based formulation of an orchestrated testing matrix to select potentially better practices, d) family integration, e) benchmarking with a composite mortality-morbidity score (Benefit Metric).

Graded murine wire-induced aortic valve stenosis model mimics human functional and morphological disease phenotype.

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valve disease requiring therapeutic intervention. Even though the incidence of AS has been continuously rising and AS is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, to date, no medical treatments have been identified that can modify disease progression. This unmet medical need is likely attributed to an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanism driving disease development.

[What does pain intensity mean from the patient perspective? : A qualitative study on the patient perspective of pain intensity as an outcome parameter in treatment evaluation and on the interpretability of pain intensity measurements].

Background: Pain intensity (PI) is a common outcome parameter in effectiveness studies on interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy (IMPT), despite the fact that IMPT highlights dealing with rather than reducing chronic pain. Moreover, the measurement of pain intensity as a highly subjective experience is problematic. Patient participation is absolutely essential to examine the relevance of PI as a criterion of treatment success as well as to select/develop suitable measurement methods.

"I thought they should know… that daddy is not completely gone".

This study aimed to explore the experiences, responses, and conceptualizations of sense of presence experiences in bereavement in terms of family meaning-making. A case study framework was chosen, using group and individual interviews and ethnographically derived observations in a father-bereaved family in the south of England. Interview data were analyzed by applying both phenomenological and social constructionist perspectives to the same data set.

Bordetella pseudohinzii as a Confounding Organism in Murine Models of Pulmonary Disease.

A group studying acute lung injury observed an increased percentage of neutrophils in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of mice. BAL was performed, and lung samples were collected sterilely from 5 C57BL/6 mice that had been bred inhouse. Pure colonies of bacteria, initially identified as Bordetella hinzii were cultured from 2 of the 5 mice which had the highest percentages of neutrophils (21% and 26%) in the BAL fluid.

Functional and Evolutionary Characterization of a Gene Transfer Agent's Multilocus "Genome".

Gene transfer agents (GTAs) are phage-like particles that can package and transfer a random piece of the producing cell's genome, but are unable to transfer all the genes required for their own production. As such, GTAs represent an evolutionary conundrum: are they selfish genetic elements propagating through an unknown mechanism, defective viruses, or viral structures "repurposed" by cells for gene exchange, as their name implies? In Rhodobacter capsulatus, production of the R. capsulatus GTA (RcGTA) particles is associated with a cluster of genes resembling a small prophage.

Evaluation of Presurgical Skin Preparation Agents in African Clawed Frogs (Xenopus laevis).

Despite the routine collection of oocytes from African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) for use in research, few studies have evaluated methods for preparing their skin for surgery. We evaluated 3 skin preparatory agents by examining their antibacterial efficacy and the gross and microscopic appearance of Xenopus skin after exposure. Frogs (n = 14) were sedated and treated (contact time, 10 min) with 0.

Sense of presence experiences and meaning-making in bereavement: a qualitative analysis.

This qualitative study aimed to explore the potential role that might be played by the reported experience of "sensing the presence of the deceased" in meaning-making processes in bereavement. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 participants who reported having had such an experience and the transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Seven overarching themes were identified, 3 of which were considered central: finding benefit in the continuation of the deceased, finding benefit in the continued relationship, and finding meaning through existential, spiritual, and religious sense-making.

Delay discrimination and reversal eyeblink classical conditioning in abstinent chronic alcoholics.

Evidence has shown that alcoholism leads to volume reductions in brain regions critical for associative learning using the eyeblink classical conditioning paradigm (EBCC). Evidence indicates that cerebellar shrinkage causes impairment in simple forms of EBCC, whereas changes in forebrain structures result in impairment in more complex tasks. In this study, the ability of abstinent alcoholics and matched control participants to acquire learned responses during delay discrimination and discrimination reversal was examined and related to severity of drinking history and neuropsychological performance.