Role of CTRP14/C1QL1 in motor coordination and learning across the lifespan.

C1q/TNF-related protein 14 (CTRP14), also known as C1q-like 1 (C1QL1), is a synaptic protein predominantly expressed in the brain. It plays a critical role in the formation and maintenance of the climbing fiber-Purkinje cell synapses, ensuring that only one single winning climbing fiber from the inferior olivary neuron synapses with the proximal dendrites of Purkinje cells during the early postnatal period. Loss of CTRP14/C1QL1 results in incomplete elimination of supernumerary climbing fibers, leading to multiple persistent climbing fibers synapsing with the Purkinje cells.

One minute of light-intensity stair-stepping decreases postprandial glycaemia in the evening in non-diabetic adults: A randomized controlled trial.

Prior studies have investigated the efficacy of a single 1 min bout of stair-stepping on reducing postprandial blood glucose (BG) in the morning, but none have investigated this effect in the evening when glycaemic responses are larger due to circadian regulation and β-cell responsiveness. This work investigated the efficacy of a 1 min bout of self-selected, low-intensity stair-stepping performed in the evening on reducing the change from baseline to the 60 min time point postprandial BG. Thirty people (43% male, 29 (10) years) participated in a randomized crossover-controlled trial.

Mitochondrial respiration atlas reveals differential changes in mitochondrial function across sex and age.

Organ function declines with age, and large-scale transcriptomic analyses have highlighted differential aging trajectories across tissues. The mechanism underlying shared and organ-selective functional changes across the lifespan, however, still remains poorly understood. Given the central role of mitochondria in powering cellular processes needed to maintain tissue health, we therefore undertook a systematic assessment of respiratory activity across 33 different tissues in young (2.

Five-Year Outcomes of Moderately Hypofractionated Proton Therapy Incorporating Elective Pelvic Nodal Irradiation for High-Risk Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of moderately hypofractionated intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) targeting the prostate/seminal vesicles and pelvic lymph nodes for high-risk (HR) or unfavorable intermediate-risk (UIR) prostate cancer (PCa).

Materials And Methods: A prospective study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02874014) of moderately hypofractionated IMPT accrued a target sample size of 56 patients with HR or UIR-PCa.

Lipid-lowering agent preferences among patients with hypercholesterolemia: a focus group study.

Background: Non-adherence to lipid-lowering agents poses significant risks to patients and diminishes treatment effectiveness. Current understanding of patients' preferences regarding the characteristics of these agents is limited. This study aims to qualitatively identify the barriers to lipid-lowering medication adherence and the factors considered by patients with hypercholesterolemia when choosing lipid-lowering agents, and to inform the design of a medication preference study.

Rare but elevated incidence of hematological malignancy after clozapine use in schizophrenia: A population cohort study.

Background: Clozapine is widely regarded as a highly efficacious psychotropic drug that is largely underused worldwide. Recent disproportionality analyses and nationwide case-control studies suggested a potential association between clozapine use and hematological malignancy (HM). Nevertheless, the absolute rate difference is not well-established due to the absence of analytic cohort studies.

Risk of mortality and complications in people with depressive disorder and diabetes mellitus: A 20-year population-based propensity score-matched cohort study.

People with depression have increased premature mortality and elevated prevalence of diabetes-mellitus compared to general population. However, risk of mortality and diabetes-related complications among patients with depression and co-occurring diabetes is under-studied. This population-based propensity score-matched (1:10) cohort study identified 12,175 patients with pre-existing depression and incident-diabetes (depression-diabetes group) and 117,958 patients with incident-diabetes only (diabetes-only group) between 2002 and 2021 in Hong-Kong, using territory-wide medical-record database of public-healthcare services, to investigate whether depression increased the risk of overall mortality, complications and post-complication mortality in people with diabetes.

Five-Year Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Tomography-Based Outcomes of Spot-Scanning Proton Radiation Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer: A Single Institution Experience.

Purpose: We report 5-year oncologic outcomes of a prospective series of patients with prostate cancer treated with spot-scanning proton therapy (SSPT).

Methods And Materials: A prospective registry identified patients with prostate cancer treated with SSPT between January 2016 and December 2018. Five-year overall survival, local control, biochemical failure, regional and distant failures, and adverse events (AEs) were assessed.

Accurate patient alignment without unnecessary imaging using patient-specific 3D CT images synthesized from 2D kV images.

Background: In radiotherapy, 2D orthogonally projected kV images are used for patient alignment when 3D-on-board imaging (OBI) is unavailable. However, tumor visibility is constrained due to the projection of patient's anatomy onto a 2D plane, potentially leading to substantial setup errors. In treatment room with 3D-OBI such as cone beam CT (CBCT), the field of view (FOV) of CBCT is limited with unnecessarily high imaging dose.

Perspectives of Young People on Social Media-Based Sexuality Education Using a Feminist Approach in China: A Qualitative Study.

The feminist approach to sexuality education challenges and changes power dynamics and inequalities embedded within sexuality, while social media serves as a tool for building online communities and raising awareness about feminist issues. Adopting a feminist approach to sexuality education, particularly through social media platforms, remains largely unexplored and underdeveloped. In China, where traditional sex education is often limited and stigmatized, sexuality has been influenced by a complex interplay of traditional gender norms, evolving social attitudes, and state intervention.

Humanising and optimising HIV health care for refugees and asylum seekers.

Displaced populations living with HIV, including refugees and asylum seekers, face substantial challenges across various regions globally. The intersection of forced migration and HIV presents both shared challenges and region-specific differences. Key issues include little access to health care, pervasive stigma, discrimination, and disruptions in the continuity of HIV care.

A descriptive survey of patient experiences and access to specialty medicines with alternative funding programs.

Background: Alternative funding programs (AFPs) seek to reduce health plan sponsor costs, for example by excluding specialty drugs from a beneficiary's plan coverage and requiring patients to obtain medications through alternative sources (typically, the manufacturer's patient assistance programs) via an AFP vendor as a third-party.

Objective: To describe patients' experiences and specialty medication access with AFPs.

Methods: A survey method consisting of 26 optional single-choice and multiple-choice questions with branching logic divided across 5 sections (related to patient challenges with AFPs) was administered to patients recruited from an experienced AFP online patient panel and a patient advocacy group.

Dose Deintensified 3-Day Photon, Proton, or Brachytherapy: A Nonrandomized Controlled Partial Breast Irradiation Trial.

Purpose: The optimal approach for partial breast irradiation (PBI) is unknown. We investigated a novel de-intensified 3-fraction PBI regimen for photons, protons, and brachytherapy.

Methods And Materials: A multicenter nonrandomized controlled trial with the primary outcome of adverse cosmesis at 3 years versus before PBI.

US Commercial Plans Increase Choice Of Biosimilar And Originator Products; Market Net Prices Decrease.

Biosimilars drugs are almost identical copies of original biologic products. Early biosimilars had slower adoption and savings than expected; however, biosimilars launched in recent years have had more success. With several biosimilar launches planned in the next few years, it is important to understand how the state of the market might foretell significant market savings in the future.

Patient liability, treatment adherence, and treatment persistence associated with state bans of copay accumulator adjustment programs.

Background: Health insurers have increased the use of copay accumulator adjustment programs (CAAPs) to control costs; however, some states within the United States have banned the use of CAAPs to protect patients from rising out-of-pocket expenses.

Objective: To assess the impact of state CAAP bans on patient liability, treatment adherence, and treatment persistence.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using administrative claims recorded in the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus database.

Bridging Hepatitis C Care Gaps: A Modeling Approach for Achieving the WHO's Targets in Ontario, Canada.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has set hepatitis C (HCV) elimination targets for 2030. Understanding existing gaps in the "HCV care-cascade" is essential for meeting these targets. We aimed to identify the level of service scale-up needed along the "HCV care-cascade" to achieve the WHO's HCV elimination targets in Ontario, Canada.

Changes in reasons for visits to primary care after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic: An international comparative study by the International Consortium of Primary Care Big Data Researchers (INTRePID).

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped healthcare delivery worldwide.

Objective: To explore potential changes in the reasons for visits and modality of care in primary care settings through the International Consortium of Primary Care Big Data Researchers (INTRePID).

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective study from 2018-2021.

Biosimilar underutilization alone does not foretell a broken biologics market.

Biosimilars offer the potential for cost savings and expanded access to biologic products; however, there are concerns regarding the rate of biosimilar uptake. We assessed the relationship between biosimilar and originator pricing, coverage, and market share by describing four case studies that fall into two categories: (1) sole preferred coverage strategy (ie, aim is to have originator product preferred; biosimilar(s) non-preferred), defined as steep average sales price (ASP) reductions for originator products (decline in net prices by at least 50% following the introduction of biosimilar competition by 2022) and (2) non-sole preferred coverage strategy (ie, aim is to have originator product preferred alongside biosimilar products), defined as moderate ASP reductions for originator products with (net prices did not decline by at least 50% of its pre-biosimilar competition value). We found that originators with sole preferred coverage strategies maintained formulary preference and market share relative to originators with non-sole preferred coverage strategies.