Functional myocardial assessment in cine cardiac computerized tomographic angiography using echocardiographic feature-tracking software in patients with and without significant coronary disease.

Introduction: Cardiac computerized tomographic angiography (CCTA) is perceived as a non-invasive tool for assessment of coronary vessel anatomy. Feature tracking echocardiography has recently emerged as a tool for assessment of regional and global left ventricular function. We aimed to explore the applicability of echocardiographic strain on CCTA cine clips and assess whether global and regional strain parameters are associated with the extent of coronary stenosis.

Extracellular acyl-CoA-binding protein as an independent biomarker of COVID-19 disease severity.

Background: Factors leading to severe COVID-19 remain partially known. New biomarkers predicting COVID-19 severity that are also causally involved in disease pathogenesis could improve patient management and contribute to the development of innovative therapies. Autophagy, a cytosolic structure degradation pathway is involved in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis, degradation of intracellular pathogens and generation of energy for immune responses.

Autoantibodies in COVID-19: implications for disease severity and clinical outcomes.

Few pathogens have historically been subjected to as intense scientific and clinical scrutiny as SARS-CoV-2. The genetic, immunological, and environmental factors influencing disease severity and post-infection clinical outcomes, known as correlates of immunity, remain largely undefined. Clinical outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection vary widely, ranging from asymptomatic cases to those with life-threatening COVID-19 symptoms.

Evaluating factors that impact scoring an open response situational judgment test: a mixed methods approach.

Introduction: Situational judgment tests (SJT) are commonly used in admissions to measure skills associated with professionalism. Although open-response SJTs have shown strong psychometric properties, assessors' personal beliefs, experiences, and cultural backgrounds may influence how they perceive, organize and evaluate information within test takers' diverse responses. Additionally, SJT research typically focuses on reliability and predictive validity, whereas the construct validity of open response SJTs remains underexplored.

The case for data sharing in traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine research.

Traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) research encompasses a diverse range of health practices rooted in various cultural, philosophical, and historical frameworks. As global interest in conducting research in this field grows, the need for rigorous research to support the integration of evidence-based TCIM therapies into mainstream healthcare has become essential. Data sharing is critical to advancing TCIM research by enhancing reproducibility, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, promoting ethical practices, and addressing global health challenges.

Dengue virus and Zika virus alter endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria contact sites to regulate respiration and apoptosis.

During infection, dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV), two (ortho)flaviviruses of public health concern worldwide, induce alterations of mitochondria morphology to favor viral replication, suggesting a viral co-opting of mitochondria functions. Here, we performed an extensive transmission electron microscopy-based quantitative analysis to demonstrate that both DENV and ZIKV alter endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria contact sites (ERMC). This correlated at the molecular level with an impairment of ERMC tethering protein complexes located at the surface of both organelles.

Communicating the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health on X (formerly Twitter): Insights from the one health approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored societies' need for education and preparedness in addressing global environmental and health crises. Raising public awareness of the interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health is essential to engaging the public in environmental conservation and disease prevention. The One Health approach offers a holistic and multidisciplinary view for tackling challenges related to environmental and health issues by emphasizing the interplay of these three interconnected health dimensions.

Drug-induced urinary retention: a real-world pharmacovigilance study using FDA and Canada vigilance databases.

Background: Urinary retention (UR) is a clinical condition where patients cannot fully empty their bladder. Although numerous drugs are associated with UR, comprehensive and reliable studies identifying drugs that induce UR are scarce.

Methods: This study leveraged data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the Canadian Vigilance Adverse Reaction (CVAR) database to explore adverse events (AEs) related to UR from 2004 to Q1 2024.

What 'unexplored' means: mapping regions with digitized natural history records to look for 'biodiversity blindspots'.

We examined global records of accessible natural history voucher collections (with publicly available data and reliable locality data) for terrestrial and freshwater vascular plants, fungi, freshwater fishes, birds, mammals, and herpetofauna (amphibians and reptiles) and highlight areas of the world that would be considered undersampled and sometimes called 'unexplored' (., have relatively low, or no evidence of, past sampling efforts) under typical Western-scientific descriptions. We also question what 'unexplored' may mean in these contexts and explain how replacing the term in favor of more nuanced phrasing (.

Viral niche-partitioning: comparative genomics of giant viruses across environmental gradients in a high Arctic freshwater-saltwater lake.

Giant viruses (GVs; ) impact the biology and ecology of a wide range of eukaryotic hosts, with implications for global biogeochemical cycles. Here, we investigated GV niche separation in highly stratified Lake A at the northern coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. This lake is composed of a layer of ice-covered freshwater that overlies saltwater derived from the ancient Arctic Ocean, and it therefore provides a broad gradient of environmental conditions and ecological habitats, each with a distinct protist community and rich assemblages of associated GVs.

Role playing in human evolution: from life to art, and everything in between.

Role playing is a central, but underappreciated, process in human evolution. It is a feature not only of the theatrical arts, but of everyday social interactions. While some role playing is limited to enacting various personas of the self (e.

A research-driven flowchart to approach change in couples.

In most cases, couple therapists systemically see couples' distress as the result of reciprocal maladaptive patterns to which each partner contributes. Yet, therapists can struggle to share with the couple such a relational understanding of their distress and identify goals for change accordingly, as structured, step-by-step methods are not available in the extant literature. This perspective paper reviews research across various domains of relationship science to summarize cohesively the best practices for goal identification in a step-by-step flowchart.

Exploring the well-being of professional female musicians: a self-determination theory perspective.

Background: This study investigated the well-being of 16 professional female musicians through the lens of Self-Determination Theory, focusing on the satisfaction of their psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as well as the unique challenges they encounter in their careers.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were undertaken and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results And Discussion: Three broad themes and 10 sub-themes emerged from the interviews.

Increasing stress resilience in older adults through a 6-week prevention program: effects on coping strategies, anxiety symptoms, and cortisol levels.

Introduction: As people age, chronic stress, resulting in prolonged or repeated activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, has been associated with long-term adverse health outcomes. Coping strategies and social support have been recognized as contributing to resilience to stress in older adults. Few studies have evaluated stress management training (SMT) interventions based on psychoneuroendocrinology that were designed to be delivered to healthy older adults in community settings.

Understanding Predictors of Crohn's Disease: Determinants of Altered Barrier Function in Pre-Disease Phase of Crohn's Disease.

The pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD) remains unknown. The current working theory is that genetic susceptibility influences host-microbe interactions, resulting in chronic inflammation. Case-control studies fail to explain the triggers or pathogenesis of the disease, notably due to confounding factors in patients with established disease.

Optimizing Prescribing for Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease Through the Development and Validation of Algorithms for Community Pharmacists.

Background: Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease and contributes to 38% of kidney failure requiring dialysis. A gap in detection and management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) exists in primary care. Community pharmacists are positioned to support those not able to access kidney care through traditional pathways.

Perspectives of Midwives and Nurse Practitioners in Kentucky on Exercise Counseling During Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study.

Introduction: Healthcare professionals are in an optimal position to deliver exercise information to pregnant women, yet previous research suggests this seldom happens. Midwives and nurse practitioners, who may have more time with pregnant women, are particularly well suited for this role.

Objectives: This qualitative study examined the exercise advice and counseling provided by midwives and nurse practitioners in Kentucky, focusing on the barriers they face.

Occupational therapy treatment of public safety personnel with work-related psychological injuries: analyzing Ontario worker's compensation data from 2017-2021.

This study explored the usage of occupational therapy treatment with psychologically injured public safety personnel (PSP) from Ontario, Canada. We used a descriptive quantitative approach with summary data provided by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) of Ontario documenting occupation therapy (OT) treatment of psychologically injured PSP who had an approved WSIB Mental Stress Injury Program (MSIP) claim between 2017 and 2021. Variables examined included demographics, career type, injury type, and return to work (RTW) outcomes.

Receiver design for the REACH global 21-cm signal experiment.

We detail the REACH radiometric system designed to enable measurements of the 21-cm neutral hydrogen line. Included is the radiometer architecture and end-to-end system simulations as well as a discussion of the challenges intrinsic to highly-calibratable system development. Following this, we share laboratory results based on the calculation of noise wave parameters utilising an over-constrained least squares approach.

How many do we need? Meeting the challenges of studying the microbiome of a cryptic insect in an orchard.

The minimal sampling effort required to report the microbiome composition of insect surveyed in natural environment is often based on empirical or logistical constraints. This question was addressed with the white pine cone beetle, (Schwarz), a devastating insect pest of seed orchards. It attacks and stop the growth of the cones within which it will spend its life, on the ground.

Structures and determinants of soil microbiomes along a steep elevation gradient in Southwest China.

Soil microbial communities play a vital role in accelerating nutrient cycling and stabilizing ecosystem functions in forests. However, the diversity of soil microbiome and the mechanisms driving their distribution patterns along elevational gradients in montane areas remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the soil microbial diversity along an elevational gradient from 650 m to 3,800 m above sea level in southeast Tibet, China, through DNA metabarcode sequencing of both the bacterial and fungal communities.