An Overlooked Challenge: A Retrospective Audit of Overnutrition in Hospital Rehabilitation Wards.

Research shows that obesity has risen among rehabilitation patients. Despite this, nutrition care in subacute rehabilitation wards focuses primarily on preventing and treating protein-energy malnutrition. The continued provision of energy-dense meals during lengthy rehabilitation admissions may present a risk of overnutrition for some patients, which can adversely affect functional outcomes.

Provider Preference, Logistical Challenges, or Vaccine Hesitancy? Analyzing Parental Decision-Making in School Vaccination Programs: A Qualitative Study in Sydney, Australia.

School-based immunization programs are crucial for equitable vaccine coverage, yet their success depends on parental consent processes. This study investigates patterns of vaccine decision-making within Australia's school-based immunization program, specifically focusing on human papillomavirus (HPV) and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (dTpa) vaccines offered free to adolescents aged 12-13. This qualitative study was conducted in the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (2022-2023).

Serious Bacterial Infections and Hepatitis C Virus Among People Who Inject Drugs: A Syndemic or Intertwined Epidemics?

Limited research has examined the possible synergistic interrelationships between serious bacterial infections (SBIs) of the heart (i.e., endocarditis), bone, spine, brain, or joints (e.

Principal investigator gender and clinical trial success: analysis of over 3000 obstetrics and gynecology trials.

Background: In obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) research, gender disparities permeate through leadership, funding, promotion, mentorship, publishing, compensation, and publicity. Few studies have investigated OBGYN clinical trial leadership as it relates to investigator gender. Thus, we undertook an investigation of principal investigator (PI) gender and clinical trial success.

Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite high heritability (60-80%), the majority of the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. We analysed data from participants of European, East Asian, African American and Latino ancestries (n = 158,036 cases with bipolar disorder, 2.

Likelihood of using a harm reduction vending machine among rural people who inject drugs in Appalachian Kentucky.

Background: Harm reduction vending machines (HRVMs) that dispense safe injection equipment and other supplies have operated globally for more than 30 years, yet few operate in the U.S., particularly in the rural epicenters of drug-related harms.

Interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass, abiotic factors, and plant diversity in global grasslands.

Grasslands cover approximately a third of the Earth's land surface and account for about a third of terrestrial carbon storage. Yet, we lack strong predictive models of grassland plant biomass, the primary source of carbon in grasslands. This lack of predictive ability may arise from the assumption of linear relationships between plant biomass and the environment and an underestimation of interactions of environmental variables.

Multi-cohort analysis identifying core ocular surface microbiome and bacterial alterations in eye diseases.

Purpose: Inconsistency exists among reported studies on the composition of human ocular surface microbiome (OSM). The roles of OSM in ocular diseases remain uncertain. In this study, we aimed to determine the composition of OSM and to evaluate its potential roles and functions from multiple cohorts.

Daily Experiences of Urinary and Fecal Incontinence in Young Adults with Spina Bifida: Preliminary Results from an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

Background: Urinary (UI) and fecal (FI) incontinence are prevalent secondary chronic conditions among young adults with spina bifida (YASB). UI and FI decrease daily functioning for YASB, but no research has prospectively examined characteristics of UI and FI among YASB. We used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) over 30 days to describe the prevalence, episode-specific characteristics and negativity associated with UI and FI among a cohort of YASB.

Adaptation, not prediction, drives neuronal spiking responses in mammalian sensory cortex.

Unlabelled: Predictive coding (PC) hypothesizes that the brain computes internal models of predicted events and that unpredicted stimuli are signaled with prediction errors that feed forward. We tested this hypothesis using a visual oddball task. A repetitive sequence interrupted by a novel stimulus is a "local" oddball.

A randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pramipexole in addition to mood stabilisers for patients with treatment-resistant bipolar depression (the PAX-BD study).

Background: Options for 'treatment-resistant bipolar depression' (TRBD) are limited. Two small, short-term, trials of pramipexole suggest it might be an option.

Aims: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of pramipexole in the management of TRBD.

Enhancing elemental release and antibacterial properties of resin-based dental sealants with calcium phosphate, bioactive glass, and polylysine.

Background: This study aimed to develop ion-releasing and antibacterial resin-based dental sealants comprising 3 to 6 wt% monocalcium phosphate monohydrate (MCPM, M), 3 to 6 wt% bioactive glass (BAG, B), and 3 to 6 wt% polylysine (PLS, P). The physical properties, mechanical performance, cytotoxicity, and inhibition of S. mutans biofilm by these materials were subsequently evaluated.

Relationship between left ventricular shape and cardiovascular risk factors: comparison between the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis and UK Biobank.

Background: Statistical shape atlases have been used in large-cohort studies to investigate relationships between heart shape and risk factors. The generalisability of these relationships between cohorts is unknown. The aims of this study were to compare left ventricular (LV) shapes in patients with differing cardiovascular risk factor profiles from two cohorts and to investigate whether LV shape scores generated with respect to a reference cohort can be directly used to study shape differences in another cohort.

Electromyography-Informed Estimates of Joint Contact Forces Within the Lower Back and Knee Joints During a Diverse Set of Industry-Relevant Manual Lifting Tasks.

Repetitive manual labor tasks involving twisting, bending, and lifting commonly lead to lower back and knee injuries in the workplace. To identify tasks with high injury risk, we recruited N = 9 participants to perform industry-relevant, 2-handed lifts with a 11-kg weight. These included symmetrical/asymmetrical, ascending/descending lifts that varied in start-to-end heights (knee-to-waist and waist-to-shoulder).

Low clinical activity score, 'progressive' thyroid eye disease: presentations of 1439 patients from a tertiary centre in Hong Kong.

Background: To report the presenting clinical, serological and treatment profiles of 1439 patients with thyroid eye disease (TED) from a tertiary centre in Hong Kong.

Study Populations: Consecutive patients with TED presented to the Thyroid Eye Clinic (TEC), the Chinese University of Hong Kong between 2014 and 2023.

Methods: Prospective cohort and masked review of medical records and orbital images.

Medicaid Policy and Hepatitis C Treatment Among Rural People Who Use Drugs.

Background: Restrictive Medicaid policies regarding hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment may exacerbate rural health care disparities for people who use drugs (PWUD). We assessed associations between Medicaid restrictions and HCV treatment among rural PWUD.

Methods: We compiled state-specific Medicaid treatment policies across 8 US rural sites in 10 states and merged these with participant survey data.

Utilization of Palliative Care in Cardiogenic Shock Patients: A Retrospective Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample Database, 2020.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is one of the leading causes of death in patients with myocardial infarction, myocarditis, and congestive heart failure. The utilization patterns of specialist palliative care (PC) consultation in these patients are currently unknown. To determine the utilization of PC in patients with CS and the overall comorbidities of that population.

Using Heart Rate and Behaviors to Predict Effective Intervention Strategies for Children on the Autism Spectrum: Validation of a Technology-Based Intervention.

Many children on the autism spectrum engage in challenging behaviors, like aggression, due to difficulties communicating and regulating their stress. Identifying effective intervention strategies is often subjective and time-consuming. Utilizing unobservable internal physiological data to predict strategy effectiveness may help simplify this process for teachers and parents.

Impacts of hazardous noise levels on hearing loss and tinnitus in dental professionals.

Background: Hazardous noise exposure is an important health concern in many workplaces and is one of the most common work-related injuries in the United States. Dental professionals are frequently exposed to high levels of occupational noise in their daily work environment. This noise is generated by various dental handpieces such as drills, suctions, and ultrasonic scalers.

Association of Metabolomics With Incidence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The UK Biobank Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify serum metabolites associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) incidence and investigate whether metabolite profiles enhance AMD risk prediction.

Methods: In a prospective cohort study involving 240,317 UK Biobank participants, we assessed the associations of 168 metabolites with AMD incidence using Cox hazards models. Principal component analysis (PCA) captured 90% of the variance in metabolites.

Fabrication of 3D printed hollow spheres for quality control and feasibility for use with xSPECT bone.

Quantitative accuracy and constancy of Siemens xSPECT Bone quantitative reconstruction algorithm (xBone) can be monitored using activity-filled hollow spheres, which could be 3D printed (3DP) to increase accessibility to phantoms. One concern is that 3D prints can have air gaps in the walls which may pose issues for attenuation correction and xBone tissue zone mapping. This study assessed the feasibility of using 3DP spheres (3DP-S) with materials PLA, PETG and Resin as substitutes for commercial hollow spheres (C-S).

How does neurochemistry affect attachment styles in humans? The role of oxytocin and the endogenous opioid system in sociotropy and autonomy - A systematic review.

Oxytocin was hypothesised to play a critical role in forming and maintaining secure attachments, shown to confer resilience against affective disorders. The endogenous opioid system has also emerged as a key player in attachment dynamics. In this pre-registered systematic review, we investigated whether individual differences in the functioning of these neurochemical systems are related to attachment styles, following PRISMA guidelines.