Determining timeframes to death for imminently dying patients: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Clinicians are frequently asked 'how long' questions at end-of-life by patients and those important to them, yet predicting timeframes to death remains uncertain, even in the last weeks and days of life. Patients and families wish to know so they can ask questions, plan, make decisions, have time to visit and say their goodbyes, and have holistic care needs met. Consequently, this necessitates a more accurate assessment of empirical data to better inform prognostication and reduce uncertainty around time until death.

Plastome data provides new insights into population differentiation and evolution of Ginkgo in the Sichuan Basin of China.

Background: Ginkgo biloba L., an iconic living fossil, challenges traditional views of evolutionary stasis. While nuclear genomic studies have revealed population structure across China, the evolutionary patterns reflected in maternally inherited plastomes remain unclear, particularly in the Sichuan Basin - a potential glacial refugium that may have played a crucial role in Ginkgo's persistence.

Poorer objective but not subjective driving performance in drivers vulnerable to sleep loss effects during extended wake.

Sleepiness-related errors are a leading cause of driving accidents, requiring drivers to effectively monitor sleepiness levels. However, there are inter-individual differences in driving performance after sleep loss, with some showing poor driving performance while others show minimal impairment. This research explored if there are differences in self-reported sleepiness and driving performance in healthy drivers who exhibited vulnerability or resistance to objective driving impairment following extended wakefulness.

Barriers affecting the quality and consistency of barium studies in radiologists and registrars.

The barium swallow study is a fluoroscopic study which provides valuable insights into the motility, function and morphology of the pharynx, oesophagus, gastroesophageal junction, proximal stomach and duodenum. It has been observed that the skill of radiology doctors with barium swallow studies in adults has diminished. This reduced proficiency with barium swallow study is closely linked to and perpetuated by the heterogeneity of technique amongst radiologists.

Characterisation of Cannabis glandular trichome development reveals distinct features of cannabinoid biosynthesis.

Cannabis trichome development progresses in distinct phases that underpin the dynamic biosynthesis of cannabinoids and terpenes. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying cannabinoid and terpenoid biosynthesis in glandular trichomes of Cannabis sativa (CsGTs) throughout their development. Female Cannabis sativa c.

Factors Associated with the Timing of Initial Visit to Healthcare Providers for Injured Workers with Low Back Pain Claims: A Multijurisdiction Retrospective Cohort.

Purpose: Evidence shows that patient outcomes following musculoskeletal injury have been associated with the timing of care. Despite the increasing number of injured workers presenting with low back pain (LBP) in primary care, little is known about the factors that are associated with the timing of initial healthcare provider visits. This study investigated factors that are associated with the timing of initial workers' compensation (WC)-funded care provider visits for LBP claims.

The genetics of non-syndromic dentinogenesis imperfecta: a systematic review.

Purpose: This systematic review aims to consolidate existing genetic and clinical data on non-syndromic dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI) to enhance understanding of its etiology.

Methods: Electronic databases were searched for genetic familial linkage studies published in English without time restrictions. Genetic familial linkage studies that reported cases of Shield's classifications: DI-II, DI-III or DD-II were included.

Shape-matching-based fracture reduction aid concept exemplified on the proximal humerus-a pilot study.

Purpose: Optimizing fracture reduction quality is key to achieve successful osteosynthesis, especially for epimetaphyseal regions such as the proximal humerus (PH), but can be challenging, partly due to the lack of a clear endpoint. We aimed to develop the prototype for a novel intraoperative C-arm-based aid to facilitate true anatomical reduction of fractures of the PH.

Methods: The proposed method designates the reduced endpoint position of fragments by superimposing the outer boundary of the premorbid bone shape on intraoperative C-arm images, taking the mirrored intact contralateral PH from the preoperative CT scan as a surrogate.

Dung predicts the global distribution of herbivore grazing pressure in drylands.

Dryland grazing sustains millions of people worldwide but, when poorly managed, threatens food security. Here we combine livestock and wild herbivore dung mass data from surveys at 760 dryland sites worldwide, representing independent measurements of herbivory, to generate high-resolution maps. We show that livestock and wild herbivore grazing is globally disconnected, and identify hotspots of herbivore activity across Africa, the Eurasian grasslands, India, Australia and the United States.

Predictive equation derived from 6,497 doubly labelled water measurements enables the detection of erroneous self-reported energy intake.

Nutritional epidemiology aims to link dietary exposures to chronic disease, but the instruments for evaluating dietary intake are inaccurate. One way to identify unreliable data and the sources of errors is to compare estimated intakes with the total energy expenditure (TEE). In this study, we used the International Atomic Energy Agency Doubly Labeled Water Database to derive a predictive equation for TEE using 6,497 measures of TEE in individuals aged 4 to 96 years.

Review of Impact of Risk Reduction Sessions on Sexual Behaviors in HIV Prevention Trials: Insights from Africa.

Over the past two decades, numerous HIV prevention trials have targeted thousands of young African women, aiming not only to reduce transmissions through biomedical interventions but also to promote safe sexual practices through intensive risk reduction sessions. The primary objective of this study was to review the impact of risk reduction sessions in HIV prevention trials conducted in Africa. We assessed changes in sexual behaviors among women enrolled in various biomedical intervention trials across the African region using both visual and quantitative evaluations.

Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons guidelines development: Clinical Practice Guideline Update Standard Operating Procedure.

Introduction: The SAGES Guidelines Committee creates evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs). Updates which incorporate new evidence into the guidelines are necessary to maintain relevance for clinical use. A description of our standard operating procedure for this process is described here, which contributes to SAGES' commitment to producing high-quality clinical recommendations.

Glycogen synthase GYS1 overactivation contributes to glycogen insolubility and malto-oligoglucan-associated neurodegenerative disease.

Polyglucosans are glycogen molecules with overlong chains, which are hyperphosphorylated in the neurodegenerative Lafora disease (LD). Brain polyglucosan bodies (PBs) cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases including Lafora disease and adult polyglucosan body disease (ABPD), for which treatments, biomarkers, and good understanding of their pathogenesis are currently missing. Mutations in the genes for the phosphatase laforin or the E3 ubiquitin ligase malin can cause LD.

Factors which influence social connection among cancer caregivers: an exploratory, interview study.

Background/aims: Social connectedness is increasingly recognised as influencing health outcomes in cancer caregivers; however, there is little understanding of factors which foster feelings of social connectedness among caregivers when providing care. We sought to examine from the caregivers' perspective, factors which contribute to perceived social connection when providing care to someone with cancer.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 caregivers of people with cancer.

Survival After Orbital Exenteration for Primary Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Locally advanced periorbital cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) may require orbital exenteration, which is highly morbid. As immunotherapy develops, orbit preservation may become widespread, and data benchmarking survival with current standard-of-care surgery and radiotherapy are essential to the integration of this emerging method into modern treatment paradigms. This study aimed to determine the survival of patients after orbital exenteration for cSCC and investigate contributing factors.

Atherosclerosis in diabetes mellitus: novel mechanisms and mechanism-based therapeutic approaches.

Atherosclerosis is a disease of large and medium arteries that can lead to life-threatening cardiovascular and cerebrovascular consequences, such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Moreover, atherosclerosis is a major contributor to cardiovascular-related mortality in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Diabetes aggravates the pathobiological mechanisms that underlie the development of atherosclerosis.

Hierarchical skin lesion image classification with prototypical decision tree.

Traditional disease classification models often disregard the clinical significance of misclassifications and lack interpretability. To overcome these challenges, we propose a hierarchical prototypical decision tree (HPDT) for skin lesion classification. HPDT combines prototypical networks and decision trees, leveraging a class hierarchy to guide interpretable predictions from general to specific categories.

Dietary Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seeds oil supplementation augments growth performance and gut microbial composition in Labeo rohita fingerlings.

The present study investigates the supplemental effects of chia seed oil (CSO) on the growth performance and modulation of intestinal microbiota in Labeo rohita fingerlings. Four diets were formulated with graded levels of CSO: 1.0%, 2.

Homologous recombination promotes non-immunogenic mitotic cell death upon DNA damage.

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) can initiate mitotic catastrophe, a complex oncosuppressive phenomenon characterized by cell death during or after cell division. Here we unveil how cell cycle-regulated DSB repair guides disparate cell death outcomes through single-cell analysis of extended live imaging. Following DSB induction in S or G2, passage of unresolved homologous recombination intermediates into mitosis promotes non-immunogenic intrinsic apoptosis in the immediate attempt at cell division.

N influences on CH accumulation and displacement in shale by molecular dynamics.

N is generally employed as a displacement agent to enhance gas recovery in shale gas-bearing reservoirs. However, the primary displacement mechanism in the subsurface still needs to be clarified due to the characteristics of shale reservoirs with low porosity and abundant nanopores. This study employs the Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation method to investigate the effects of N on the CH accumulation and displacement processes by adopting practical conditions in the subsurface environment.

Evaluation of osseointegration of plasma treated polyaryletherketone maxillofacial implants.

Osseointegration is a crucial property of biomaterials used for bone defect repair. While titanium is the gold standard in craniofacial surgeries, various polymeric biomaterials are being explored as alternatives. However, polymeric materials can be bioinert, hindering integration with surrounding tissues.