Pharmaceutical Automated Reporting: An opioid stewardship tool.

Objective: To develop and implement a customized clinical decision support system (CDSS) in an under-resourced health region aimed at promoting appropriate and safe opioid prescribing.

Design: The Pharmaceutical Automated Reporting (PAR) tool integrates inpatient prescription data from BDM Pharmacy (version 10) and categorizes patient information using predefined logic. It operates with Python (version 3.

Effects of Blocking Multiple Sources of Calcium in Hippocampus During Spatial Learning and Memory Using a Rapid Acquisition Variant of the Morris Water Task.

Long-term potentiation (LTP) is proposed to be the molecular mechanism underlying learning and memory in the brain. A key event for LTP is the influx of calcium into post-synaptic neurons via multiple ion channel control systems. One such system involves N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), which were originally believed to be essential for LTP and new learning.

Novel associations among insect herbivores and trees: Patterns of occurrence and damage on pines and eucalypts.

Globalization has led to a significant increase in the establishment of forest plantations with exotic species and to the accidental introduction of forest insects worldwide. Cumulatively, these factors contribute to the increased occurrence of novel associations between phytophagous insects and trees, leading to new interactions between species that have not historically co-occurred. Here, we reviewed the patterns of novel associations between herbivorous insects and pines and eucalypts at a global scale and identified factors that could favor the occurrence of novel associations and their impacts on forestry.

Impact of commercial RNA extraction methods on the recovery of human RNA sequence data from archival fixed tissues.

Archival fixed tissues hold key insights into the evolutionary history of RNA viruses and the associated host immune response, yet access to the RNA sequence data is limited by a lack of robust methods for RNA extraction and sequence retrieval from these tissue types. Here we compared three commercial RNA extraction techniques (bead, column, and phase-based) on five fixed human brain tissues done in triplicate, that have been stored for up to 43 years. We found that for this sample set, bead-based extractions captured longer molecules and yielded a greater proportion of unique reads when aligned to the human genome, than did column and phase-based extraction methods.

Risk Factors for Narcotic Use in Street Children: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From a Low-Middle-Income Country.

Worldwide, indulgence in high-risk behaviors such as substance abuse is on the rise in street children. Though substance abuse among street children has been investigated and reported in Pakistan, few studies have explored the relationship between narcotic use and its associated factors. This study was conducted to determine factors associated with narcotic use among street children in Islamabad Capital Territory.

Geographical and temporal variations of serogroups and clonal types of involved in culture-confirmed invasive meningococcal disease in Canada, 2015-2023.

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a nationally notifiable illness in Canada due to its potential severity and transmissibility. Vaccination strategies differ by province/territory and are informed by changes in the antigenic characteristics of circulating strains. Though IMD statistics are tracked at a provincial/territorial level, there is a lack of published data characterizing trends in the epidemiology of this disease at a national level.

Similar artefact susceptibility for water- and air-filled urodynamic systems: a non-inferiority randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To determine whether air-filled systems (AFS) provide comparable urodynamic investigation (UDI) trace quality to water-filled systems (WFS), the recommended standard by the International Continence Society.

Patients And Methods: A total of 490 patients undergoing UDI from April 2021 to January 2022 were included in this non-inferiority randomised controlled trial. Eligible patients were female and male adults with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD).

Differential effect of ubiquitous and germline depletion of Integrator complex function on C. elegans physiology.

The Integrator is a metazoan-conserved protein complex with endonuclease activity that functions to cleave various RNA substrates to shape transcriptome homeostasis by coordinating small nuclear RNA biogenesis to premature transcription termination. Depletion of Integrator results in developmental defects across different model systems and has emerged as a causative factor in human neurodevelopmental syndromes. Here, we use the model system Caenorhabditis elegans to enable studying the temporal effects of Integrator depletion on various physiological parameters with the auxin-inducible degron system that permitted depletion of INTS-4 (Integrator subunit) catalytic subunit of the protein complex.

Feasibility of telephone and computerized cognitive testing as a secondary outcome in an acute stroke clinical trial: A mixed methods sub-study of the AcT Trial.

Introduction: Post-stroke cognitive impairment is associated with impaired quality of life. Remote testing provides a potential avenue to measure cognitive outcomes efficiently.

Patients And Methods: Prospective cognitive outcomes were collected at 90-180 days using both telephone MoCA (T-MoCA; range 0-22; <17 impairment) and Creyos, a computerized cognitive battery.

Intravaginal devices for running-induced urinary incontinence symptoms in females: a study protocol.

Background: Exercise-induced urinary incontinence (UI) can hinder physical activity, particularly in women engaging in high-impact activities. This condition is linked to reduced passive support of the urethra and bladder. Intravaginal devices that support pelvic structures may offer a solution, but high-quality evidence is lacking.

Insights into the cellular function and mechanism of action of quinone reductase 2 (NQO2).

Quinone reductase 2 (NQO2) is a FAD-linked enzyme that cannot use the common reducing cofactors, NADH and NADPH, for efficient catalysis. This is unusual for an oxidoreductase, particularly since it is a member of a large family of enzymes that all use NAD(P)H efficiently to catalyse the two-electron reduction in quinones and other electrophiles. The inability of NQO2 to use NAD(P)H efficiently raises questions about its cellular function: it remains unclear whether the main cellular role of NQO2 is the catalytic reduction in quinones or whether it is a pseudo-enzyme with other roles such as cell signalling.

2024 ASCO guidelines for the prevention and management of osteoradionecrosis in patients with head & neck cancer treated with radiation therapy.

Purpose Of Review: Osteoradionecrosis may often be prevented in context of interprofessional healthcare that includes dental specialists prior to and following completion of the patient's head and neck radiation therapy. Important factors, however, compromise delivery of guideline-concordant management of osteoradionecrosis (ORN), including patient access to this interprofessional care. This review is directed to these and related issues, in order to foster enhanced approaches for ORN management.

Are internal migrants (head porters) sexually vulnerable due to the coronavirus pandemic? A qualitative study of the situation in Ghana.

Head porterage, popularly known in Ghana as Kayayei, has been an old economic venture for young girls and women who migrate from the northern to the southern part of the country. Even though Head Porters view Kayayei as a source of livelihood, conditions such as the outbreak of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) further worsened their sexual vulnerabilities, as well as their autonomy to make decisions on contraceptive use. Head Porters, as a term defined in this study, refers to women aged 15 years or older who carry loads from one point of the town to another for a fee.

Does plasma exchange have a role in ANCA-associated vasculitis? Viewpoint 1: plasma exchange should not be used indiscriminately.

ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease marked by varying organ involvement and outcomes. Plasma exchange, a method of removing native plasma and replacing it with crystalloid, albumin or donor plasma, can deplete autoantibodies and may help control autoimmune diseases rapidly. In AAV, several randomized controlled trials have been performed but, individually, had mixed results.

Racial/ethnic identity and perceived body image among Canadian adolescents.

The perception of one's own body image is an important determinant of adolescent health. While positive body image is associated with health-promoting behaviours, negative body image may be related to engagement in health-compromising risk behaviours. Hypothetically, an adolescent's perceived body image may also be influenced by racial/cultural ideals and related gendered expectations, governed by social norms within distinct cultural groups.

An NRF2/β3-Adrenoreceptor Axis Drives a Sustained Antioxidant and Metabolic Rewiring Through the Pentose-Phosphate Pathway to Alleviate Cardiac Stress.

Background: Cardiac β3-adrenergic receptors (ARs) are upregulated in diseased hearts and mediate antithetic effects to those of β1AR and β2AR. β3AR agonists were recently shown to protect against myocardial remodeling in preclinical studies and to improve systolic function in patients with severe heart failure. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive.

Exploring socio-economic dimensions in HIV research: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis (1992-2024).

The socio-economic burden of HIV infection remains a critical global health concern. This study was conducted to perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the socio-economic burden of HIV infection, highlighting research trends, collaboration networks, and the evolving focus on social determinants of health over the past 32 years. A systematic search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection databases, covering publications from 1992 to 2024.

Systematic review on evaluation tools applicable to One Health surveillance systems: A call for adapted methodology.

Developing and implementing effective surveillance programs for infectious diseases (ID) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) requires the integration of information across relevant disciplines and sectors. Yet, establishing and sustaining collaboration at each step of the surveillance process, and modalities to translate integrated surveillance results into actions, are not well understood. This systematic review was designed to map and explore peer-reviewed tools that were either designed or used for evaluation of integrated surveillance systems for ID or AMR, and to identify the limitations of these tools and remaining methodological or knowledge gaps.

ERS Congress 2024: highlights from the Paediatrics Assembly.

https://bit.ly/40944lv.