How children and adolescents with chronic pain describe their pain experiences: A qualitative systematic review.

Purpose: To explore how children and adolescents with chronic pain describe their pain experiences.

Method: A systematic search of OVID Medline, CINAHL Complete, OVID Embase and APA PsycINFO (database inception to 19th August 2024) was conducted for qualitative or mixed-method studies investigating children's chronic pain experiences. Studies were excluded if focused on post-surgical or acute pain.

Broad Neutralization Capacity of an Engineered Thermostable Three-Helix Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Polypeptide Targeting the Receptor-Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2.

The mutational drift of SARS-CoV-2 and the appearance of multiple variants, including the latest Omicron variant and its sub-lineages, has significantly reduced (and in some cases abolished) the protective efficacy of Wuhan spike-antigen-based vaccines and therapeutic antibodies. One of the most functionally constrained and thus largely invariable regions of the spike protein is the one involved in the interaction with the ACE2 receptor mediating the cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2. Engineered ACE2, both as a full-length protein or as an engineered polypeptide fragment, has been shown to be capable of preventing the host-cell binding of all viral variants and to be endowed with potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralization activity both in vitro and in vivo.

Practice Variations in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism.

Venous thromboembolism is responsible for a significant burden of disease worldwide. Despite the publication of multiple international guidelines, anecdotal evidence suggests significant clinical variation exists in the diagnostic and management pathways of pulmonary embolism (PE). We conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic medical records to examine clinical variation in patients admitted to a tertiary referral center in Australia with a diagnosis of PE between November 2018 and January 2020.

Refractory Hypercalcemia Secondary to Metastatic Parathyroid Carcinoma Treated With Immunotherapy.

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is a rare endocrine malignancy and an uncommon cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. Metastatic disease confers a guarded prognosis with limited systemic treatment options available. We describe a case of a 64-year-old woman with primary hyperparathyroidism secondary to PC.

Robustness of intensity modulated proton treatment of esophageal cancer for anatomical changes and breathing motion.

Background And Purpose: In this study, we assessed the robustness of intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) in esophageal cancer for anatomical variations during treatment.

Methods: The first sixty esophageal cancer patients, treated clinically with chemoradiotherapy were included. The treatment planning strategy was based on an internal target volume (ITV) approach, where the ITV was created from the clinical target volumes (CTVs) delineated on all phases of a 4DCT.

The outcome and related risk factors of unvaccinated patients with end-stage kidney disease during the Omicron pandemic: a multicentre retrospective study.

Objectives: The study aims to identify the outcome and the related factors of unvaccinated patients with end-stage kidney disease during the Omicron pandemic.

Design: A multicentre retrospective study of patients with end-stage kidney disease undergone maintenance haemodialysis (HD) in China.

Setting: 6 HD centres in China.

Analysis of strength failure in gangue-based cementitious backfill body from a microscopic perspective.

Backfill mining is an effective way to solve environment pollute, surface subsidence, and groundwater system damage which caused by coal mining. However, the complex underground environment may change the physical and mechanical properties of the backfill body, which poses a risk of strength failure. This paper analyzed the failure of gangue-based cemented backfill body which made up of gangue and fly ash.

Doxorubicin Exposure and Breast Cancer Risk in Survivors of Adolescent and Adult Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Purpose: Female Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors treated with chest radiotherapy (RT) at a young age have a strongly increased risk of breast cancer (BC). Studies in childhood cancer survivors have shown that doxorubicin exposure may also increase BC risk. Although doxorubicin is the cornerstone of HL chemotherapy, the association between doxorubicin and BC risk has not been examined in HL survivors treated at adult ages.

What makes a good general practice consultation? An exploratory pilot study with people from a low socioeconomic background.

Background: While patients from low socioeconomic (SES) backgrounds are at increased risk of developing chronic health conditions, typically managed within general practice, they report fewer positive consultation experiences with GPs than patients from higher SES groups. To our knowledge, existing research does not provide an in-depth understanding of the GP conducts that contribute to positive consultations.

Aim: To identify the factors that patients from low SES backgrounds perceive as essential for creating good consultation experiences.

Adiponectin Receptor Agonist Effectively Suppresses Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second lethal cancer. Short overall survival, low five-year survival rate, and unimproved treatment efficacy urge the need to improve HCC prognosis. Adiponectin is key protector against cancer and hepatic abnormalities.

Post-CMOS processing challenges and design developments of CMOS-MEMS microheaters for local CNT synthesis.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be locally grown on custom-designed CMOS microheaters by a thermal chemical vapour deposition (CVD) process to utilize the sensing capabilities of CNTs in emerging micro- and nanotechnology applications. For such a direct CMOS-CNT integration, a key requirement is the development of necessary post-processing steps on CMOS chips for fabricating CMOS-MEMS polysilicon heaters that can locally generate the required CNT synthesis temperatures (~650-900 °C). In our post-CMOS processing, a subtractive fabrication technique is used for micromachining the polysilicon heaters, where the passivation layers in CMOS are used as masks to protect the electronics.

Promoting Respectful Maternity Care by Reducing Unnecessary Episiotomies: Experiences from Centers of Excellence for Breastfeeding in Vietnam.

(1) Background: Routine episiotomy is not recommended by international guidelines; however, it occurs at a high rate in Vietnam. (2) Methods: A process to reduce unnecessary episiotomies was developed and implemented as part of the Centers of Excellence for Breastfeeding initiative, which aims to deliver high-quality breastfeeding and early essential newborn care services within a supportive policy environment. The aim of this project report is to outline the steps undertaken to reduce episiotomies, the experience in pilot hospitals, and the process towards changing policy.

Tsetse fly ecology and risk of transmission of African trypanosomes related to a protected forest area at a military base in the city of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

African trypanosomoses, whose pathogens are transmitted by tsetse flies, are a threat to animal and human health. Tsetse flies observed at the military base of the French Forces in Côte d'Ivoire (FFCI base) were probably involved in the infection and death of military working dogs. Entomological and parasitological surveys were carried out during the rainy and dry seasons using "Vavoua" traps to identify tsetse fly species, their distribution, favorable biotopes and food sources, as well as the trypanosomes they harbor.

Decreased rates of hospital-acquired infection after introduction of an active surveillance, virtual glucose management system.

Addition of an active surveillance virtual glucose management (VGM) system to usual consultation-based diabetes inpatient care at our hospital was associated with a decrease in hospital-acquired infection from 8.7% (17/196) to 3.5% (6/172) with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.

Towards the sustainable elimination of gambiense human African trypanosomiasis in Côte d'Ivoire using an integrated approach.

Background: Human African trypanosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by trypanosomes among which Trypanosoma brucei gambiense is responsible for a chronic form (gHAT) in West and Central Africa. Its elimination as a public health problem (EPHP) was targeted for 2020. Côte d'Ivoire was one of the first countries to be validated by WHO in 2020 and this was particularly challenging as the country still reported around a hundred cases a year in the early 2000s.

Increasing emergency department visits for anaphylaxis in very early childhood: A canary in the coal mine.

Aim: The incidence of anaphylaxis is increasing globally in tandem with changing environmental and lifestyle factors. There is very limited data on very early childhood presentations. We aim to assess changes in rates, characteristics and management of infant anaphylaxis in a paediatric ED over a 15-year period.

Higher tacrolimus trough levels and time in the therapeutic range are associated with the risk of acute rejection in the first month after renal transplantation.

Background: Tacrolimus trough levels (C) are used in most transplant centres for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of tacrolimus (Tac). The target range of Tac C has been remarkably changed, with a target as low as 3-7 ng/ml in the 2009 European consensus conference and a target of 4-12 ng/ml (preferably to 7-12 ng/ml) following the second consensus report in 2019. Our aim was to investigate whether reaching early Tac therapeutic targets and maintaining time in the therapeutic range (TTR) according to the new recommendations may be necessary for preventing acute rejection (AR) during the first month after transplantation.

GP laughter in lifestyle behaviour consultations: A conversation analytical study of general practice.

Objective: This study investigates laughter by General Practitioners (GPs) in response to patient laughter in lifestyle behaviour consultations.

Method: We examined video-recorded consultations involving 44 patients of four GPs in Australia. After identifying 33 cases of patient laughter, we examined whether GPs laughed in response.

Radiotherapy for mediastinal lymphoma in breath hold using surface monitoring and nasal high flow oxygen: Clinical experiences and breath hold stability.

Purpose: In this study we describe the clinical introduction and evaluation of radiotherapy in mediastinal lymphoma in breath hold using surface monitoring combined with nasal high flow therapy (NHFT) to prolong breath hold duration.

Materials And Methods: 11 Patients with mediastinal lymphoma were evaluated. 6 Patients received NHFT, 5 patients were treated in breath hold without NHFT.

Placement educators' perspectives of international social work students' sociopragmatic communication skills.

International students who speak English as an additional language report experiencing communication issues while completing their studies and work-integrated learning placements in a range of Anglophone countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia. To address this issue, accreditation and registration bodies for a number of health professions, such as social work and nursing, have advocated for increasing the test score requirements for university English language entry. However, from a sociolinguistic perspective, decisions concerning ways to address communication challenges need to take into account the unique communication skills required for functioning in specific workplace settings.

Immunolocalization and functional analysis of -M60-like-1 metallopeptidase in animal models.

Host mucins have crucial physical roles in preventing the parasitic establishment and maturation, and also in expelling the invading parasites. However, some parasites utilize mucinase enzymes to facilitate the infection. Recently, we have identified a mucinase enzyme of the liver fluke , -M60-like-1, which exhibits metallopeptidase activity against bovine submaxillary mucin substrate.

Validation of separate multi-atlases for auto segmentation of cardiac substructures in CT-scans acquired in deep inspiration breath hold and free breathing.

Background And Purpose: Developing NTCP-models for cardiac complications after breast cancer (BC) radiotherapy requires cardiac dose-volume parameters for many patients. These can be obtained by using multi-atlas based automatic segmentation (MABAS) of cardiac structures in planning CT scans. We investigated the relevance of separate multi-atlases for deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) and free breathing (FB) CT scans.

The Association between a Novel Baby-Friendly Hospital Program and Equitable Support for Breastfeeding in Vietnam.

Rates of early initiation of breastfeeding are low in Southeast Asia, despite evidence that increased initiation of early breastfeeding would lead to better long-term infant and child health and decrease inequities in long-term health and well-being. In response, a novel performance-based, baby-friendly hospital program designates hospitals that adhere to evidence-based early essential newborn care (EENC) and breastfeeding interventions as Centers of Excellence for Breastfeeding (COE). This study examined whether hospital participation in the program was associated with better breastfeeding outcomes.