Facilitators and barriers to parent-child communication in pediatric palliative care: An integrative review.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify facilitators and barriers to parent-child communication in pediatric palliative care, providing insights for medical professionals developing targeted interventions to enhance parent-child communication and improve its effectiveness.

Methods: Whittemore and Knafl's integrative review method was employed to guide a systematic search for literature in six databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL Complete, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library). Peer-reviewer articles published in the English language from inception to December 2023.

Treatment Patterns, Characteristics, and Probable Acute Medication Overprescription Among Patients With Migraine in Japan: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Analysis of Health Insurance Claims Data.

Objective This study aimed to investigate prescription patterns for migraine patients aged 18 years and older using the REZULT database, managed by Japan System Techniques Co., Ltd. in Tokyo, Japan.

De novo and inherited dominant variants in U4 and U6 snRNAs cause retinitis pigmentosa.

The U4 small nuclear RNA (snRNA) forms a duplex with the U6 snRNA and, together with U5 and ~30 proteins, is part of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP complex, located at the core of the major spliceosome. Recently, recurrent variants in the U4 RNA, transcribed from the gene, and in at least two other genes were discovered to cause neurodevelopmental disorder.

Intrahemispheric White Matter Asymmetries and Interhemispheric Connections Underlying the Lateralization of Language Production and Spatial Attention in Left-Handers.

Leftward language production and rightward spatial attention are salient features of functional organization in most humans, but their anatomical basis remains unclear. Interhemispheric connections and intrahemispheric white matter asymmetries have been proposed as important factors underlying functional lateralization. To investigate the role of white matter connectivity in functional lateralization, we first identified 96 left-handers using visual half field naming tasks.

Efficacy of Modified Electroconvulsive Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT) in combination with risperidone tablets and psychotherapy in the treatment of patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS).

Methods: Patients with TRS admitted to the psychiatric department of our hospital between January 2018 and December 2019 were selected as study participants. They were randomly divided into a control group and a study group, with the control group receiving risperidone tablets and psychotherapy, and the study group undergoing MECT as well as the control group treatment.

Quantifying Metagenomic Strain Associations from Microbiomes with Anpan.

Genetic and genomic variation among microbial strains can dramatically influence their phenotypes and environmental impact, including on human health. However, inferential methods for quantifying these differences have been lacking. Strain-level metagenomic profiling data has several features that make traditional statistical methods challenging to use, including high dimensionality, extreme variation among samples, and complex phylogenetic relatedness.

From spots to stripes: Evolution of pigmentation patterns in monkeyflowers via modulation of a reaction-diffusion system and its prepatterns.

The reaction-diffusion (RD) system is widely assumed to account for many complex, self-organized pigmentation patterns in natural organisms. However, the specific configurations of such RD networks and how RD systems interact with positional information (i.e.

Culturally Congruent Latino-Adapted Telemonitoring of Underrepresented Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: The CULTURA-DM2 Trial.

This study reports on the development and testing of a comprehensive diabetes telemonitoring program tailored to meet the needs of underserved Hispanic/Latino patients with diabetes. Individuals participating in the culturally tailored program had significantly better 6-month outcomes than those receiving comprehensive outpatient management for A1C, blood pressure, and diabetes self-efficacy, with no differences between groups in quality of life, medication adherence, emotional functioning, patient activation, or unscheduled physician visits. These findings suggest that culturally congruent diabetes telemonitoring may be effective for this underserved population.

In-Hospital Outcomes after Robotic Open Radical Nephroureterectomy.

To test whether the contemporary robot-assisted nephroureterectomy (RNU) is associated with more favorable in-hospital outcomes than historical RNU, relative to the same endpoints in open NU (ONU). Within the National Inpatient Sample (2008-2019), we identified RNU and ONU patients. Multivariable logistic and Poisson regression models were fitted.

Neuropsychological Profile in Older Adults with End-Stage Kidney Disease during Kidney Transplantation Evaluation.

Background: End-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant concern for older adults and is often associated with cognitive impairment (CI). The origin of this CI is multifactorial, involving vascular and metabolic factors. Additionally, renal treatments, including dialysis, may affect cognition.

Recent advances on brain drug delivery via nanoparticles: alternative future materials for neuroscience applications; a review.

Essentially, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) serves as a line of demarcation between neural tissues and the bloodstream. A unique and protective characteristic of the blood-brain barrier is its ability to maintain cerebral homeostasis by regulating the flux of molecules and ions. The inability to uphold proper functioning in any of these constituents leads to the disruption of this specialized multicellular arrangement, consequently fostering neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.

Measurement Invariance on the Nine-Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Screen (NIAS) by Age and Reporter Status: Comparing ARFID Symptoms Among Self-Reporting Adults and Adolescents and Parent Reports of Children and Adolescents.

Objective: Self-report measures of ARFID symptoms (e.g., Nine-Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Screen [NIAS]) are used to assess symptom differences between groups.

Identification of Critical Signature in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Using Bioinformatics Analysis and in Vitro Analyses.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex psychiatric condition that emerges following exposure to trauma and significantly affects daily functioning. Current research is focused on identifying effective treatments for PTSD. Advances in bioinformatics provide opportunities to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of PTSD.

Beyond COVID-19, the case for collecting, analysing and using sex-disaggregated data and gendered data to inform outbreak response: a scoping review.

Introduction: Understanding sex and gender differences during outbreaks is critical to delivering an effective response. Although recommendations and minimum requirements exist, the incorporation of sex-disaggregated data and gender analysis into outbreak analytics and response for informed decision-making remains infrequent. A scoping review was conducted to provide an overview of the extent of sex-disaggregated data and gender analysis in outbreak response within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Evaluating Variability in Decision-Making Among Spine Surgeons Treating Adult Spine Deformity.

Background Context: Significant variability in the management of Adult Spinal Deformity (ASD) has been observed among spine surgeons worldwide. The variability among Canadian spine surgeons, a country with universal public healthcare, remains unknown.

Purpose: The study aims to evaluate areas of variability in the peri-operative optimization and surgical management of ASD among Canadian spine surgeons.

m6A-modified lncRNA GAS5 promotes M1-polarization of microglia in alcohol use disorder.

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) are essential for modulating the onset and progression of alcohol use disorder (AUD). In this study, we investigated the molecular pathways through which lncRNA may contribute to AUD development. We assessed the expression levels of long noncoding RNA GAS5 (lncRNA GAS5) and microRNA-136-5p (miR-136-5p) in AUD tissue samples and cell lines using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Youth Survivors of Human Trafficking: On Improving Healthcare Access and Treatment.

Background And Objectives: Human trafficking (HT) is a public health issue, with adolescents disproportionately at risk for reasons spanning multiple biopsychosocial domains. We explored youth HT survivors' healthcare barriers, experiences, and needs.

Methods: In this qualitative multi-methods study, 24 participants (≤26 years old) with HT experience receiving services from non-profit organizations in San Diego, California completed an electronic survey and were invited to participate in online interviews.

A conceptual framework to assess the health, socioeconomic and environmental burden of chronic kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health challenge that affects patients, caregivers, healthcare systems, the environment and national economies. Despite its far-reaching impact, there is no framework to systematically evaluate national CKD prevention and management programmes or evaluate the societal burden of disease. This paper has two objectives: first, to introduce a comprehensive framework to assess national programmes, which recognises gaps and weaknesses and identifies feasible policy interventions to reduce overall CKD burden; second, to present some key challenges and success stories in delivering CKD services delivered in eight different country settings.

Triple inhaled therapy of formoterol/glycopyrrolate/budesonide reduces the use of oral corticosteroids and antibiotics during COPD exacerbations in real-world conditions.

Introduction: Triple inhaled therapy (TT) in one device has been shown in clinical trials to reduce exacerbations and in some cases mortality compared to dual inhaled therapy (DT) in one device in the population of moderate to very severe COPD patients and previous exacerbations. This evidence must be contrasted in real-world conditions.

Patients And Methods: Non-intervention retrospective cohort study comparing the incidence of moderate and severe exacerbations in COPD patients treated with TT (formoterol, glycopyrrolate and budesonide, 5mcg/72mcg/320mcg, n=112) and DT (LAMA/LABA/ or LABA/inhaled glucocorticoid, n=107) for 26 weeks under clinical practice conditions.

Characterizing Genetic-Predisposed Proteins Involving Insomnia by Integrating Genome-Wide Association Study Summary Statistics.

Large case-control genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have detected loci associated with insomnia, but how these risk loci confer disease risk remains largely unknown. By integrating brain protein quantitative trait loci (pQTL) (N = 376, N = 152) and expression QTL (eQTL) (N = 452) datasets, with the latest insomnia GWAS summary statistics (N = 109,548, N = 277440), we conducted proteome/transcriptome-wide association study (PWAS/TWAS) and Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, aiming to identify causal proteins involving in the pathogenesis of insomnia. We also explored the bi-directional causality between insomnia and several common diseases.

Longitudinal association between DNA methylation and type 2 diabetes: findings from the KORA F4/FF4 study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has been linked to changes in DNA methylation levels, which can, in turn, alter transcriptional activity. However, most studies for epigenome-wide associations between T2D and DNA methylation comes from cross-sectional design. Few large-scale investigations have explored these associations longitudinally over multiple time-points.

Cancer-specific mortality after radical prostatectomy versus radiotherapy in incidental prostate cancer.

Introduction: To test for cancer specific mortality (CSM) differences after either radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiotherapy (RT) in incidental prostate cancer (IPCa) patients.

Patients And Methods: Within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2004-2015), IPCa patients were identified. Cumulative incidence plots as well as competing risks regression (CRR) models were fitted to address CSM after adjustment for other-cause mortality (OCM).

The Ethical and Practical Issues of Guiding Uninsured Patients with Skin Cancer to Resources that Alleviate Financial Burden.

A skin cancer diagnosis imposes not only a psychosocial burden but also significant financial stress due to treatment costs. This stress can intensify dramatically for patients who suddenly lose health insurance coverage, especially considering that uninsured patients are more likely to experience late-stage melanoma diagnoses and face a higher overall incidence of skin cancer than the general population. Dermatology clinics and physicians serving uninsured and vulnerable populations should be equipped with resources and strategies to ensure these patients receive adequate and timely care.