A non-randomized pilot study to test the feasibility of developing a frailty scale for pet cats.

Introduction: Human frailty has long been studied and dozens of "frailty scales" have been developed, but equivalent research is more limited in cats. This pilot study aimed to determine the feasibility of recruiting and retaining veterinary practices and owners, collecting study data, and analyzing results about frailty in older cats.

Methods: Participating feline-exclusive practice veterinarians recruited cats aged 11-20 years, of either sex and of any breed.

The Effect of The Mindfulness-Based Relaxation, Aromatherapy, and Prayer (RADO) Intervention on Anxiety and Quality of Life Among Children With Cancer.

Purpose: This study evaluates the effectiveness of a novel mindfulness-based intervention called RADO (Relaxation, Aromatherapy, and Prayer) for reducing anxiety and improving the quality of life in children with cancer.

Patients And Methods: A quasi-experimental pre- and post-control group design was used. Participants included 66 children with cancer aged 10-17 years, diagnosed with cancer for at least 3 months, currently undergoing treatment, and able to communicate verbally, and recruited from three hospitals in Bandung, Indonesia.

Evolutionary and epidemic dynamics of COVID-19 in Germany exemplified by three Bayesian phylodynamic case studies.

The importance of genomic surveillance strategies for pathogens has been particularly evident during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as genomic data from the causative agent, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), have guided public health decisions worldwide. Bayesian phylodynamic inference, integrating epidemiology and evolutionary biology, has become an essential tool in genomic epidemiological surveillance. It enables the estimation of epidemiological parameters, such as the reproductive number, from pathogen sequence data alone.

Improving equity and wellness in cancer care with people of Latin American and African Descent: a study protocol.

Background: Cancer inequities such as late access to cancer screening and diagnosis affect people of African and Latin American descent in Canada. These inequities in addition to experiences of racism and discrimination and unequal living and working conditions are detrimental to their wellness. We aim to delineate together with people of African and Latin American descent a patient-oriented pathway to improve their equity and wellness in cancer care.

Evaluating the predictive accuracy of ion-channel models using data from multiple experimental designs.

Mathematical models are increasingly being relied upon to provide quantitatively accurate predictions of cardiac electrophysiology. Many such models concern the behaviour of particular subcellular components (namely, ion channels) which, together, allow the propagation of electrical signals through heart-muscle tissue; that is, the firing of action potentials. In particular, I, a voltage-sensitive potassium ion-channel current, is of interest owing to the central pore of its primary protein having a propensity to blockage by various small molecules.

Optimizing experimental designs for model selection of ion channel drug-binding mechanisms.

The rapid delayed rectifier current carried by the human Ether-à-go-go-Related Gene (hERG) channel is susceptible to drug-induced reduction, which can lead to an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmia. Establishing the mechanism by which a specific drug compound binds to hERG can help reduce uncertainty when quantifying pro-arrhythmic risk. In this study, we introduce a methodology for optimizing experimental voltage protocols to produce data that enable different proposed models for the drug-binding mechanism to be distinguished.

My Week of Denial and Disorientation: A Lived Experience Narrative of a Stay in a Psychiatric Emergency Department.

Background: Psychiatric emergency departments (EDs) are common settings in which patients receive crisis care, yet their experiences in these environments remain understudied.

Aim: This lived experience narrative recounts the first author's week-long stay in a psychiatric ED, providing insight into the experiences and challenges of inpatient psychiatric care.

Methods: The first author used a narrative approach to develop a series of vignettes that captured significant moments of her inpatient experience.

Care for the Dying: A Scoping Review of Measures for Clinical Practice With Qualitative Synthesis.

The literature describes a plethora of different measures to support healthcare professionals in the care for the dying. The aim is the identification and assessment of measures for the care in the dying phase to give healthcare professionals of all disciplines an overview on such measures in form of a self-developed toolkit. Two databases were searched systematically and all measures found ( = 7368 publications, = 308 measures) were categorized into six categories and integrated into a toolkit.

Smoking and Elevated Preneoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy Serum Carcinoembryonic Antigen Levels Are Associated With High Tumor Regression Grade and Poor Survival in Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) is the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Tumor regression grade (TRG) is an essential prognostic factor in determining treatment efficacy. However, the potential factors influencing TRG in patients with rectal cancer who have received NACRT have not been investigated.

Changes in access to household handwashing facility and hygiene practice in Kanyama peri-urban, Zambia - a repeated cross-sectional study.

Hand hygiene is an essential behaviour that significantly enhances public health, especially in resource-limited settings with inadequate water supply and sanitation services. However, hand hygiene practices and access to facilities remain a challenge. We aimed to assess handwashing facilities and practice of hand hygiene in a peri-urban community of Zambia - Southern Africa.

A nationwide survey on the curriculum and educational resources related to the Clinical Skills Test of the Korean Medical Licensing Examination: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

Purpose: The revised Clinical Skills Test (CST) of the Korean Medical Licensing Exam aims to provide a better assessment of physicians' clinical competence and ability to interact with patients. This study examined the impact of the revised CST on medical education curricula and resources nationwide, while also identifying areas for improvement within the revised CST.

Methods: This study surveyed faculty responsible for clinical clerkships at 40 medical schools throughout Korea to evaluate the status and changes in clinical skills education, assessment, and resources related to the CST.

Investigating TikTok Trends in Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: A Comprehensive Descriptive Analysis.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has gained significant attention in both academic and clinical settings due to its potential benefits in treating various neurological conditions. However, the accessibility and accuracy of information on social media platforms, such as TikTok, can greatly influence public perception and understanding of this technology. Therefore, because the information on the platform is not peer-reviewed, the analysis of the TikTok content is essential for the audience.

Improved genetic screening with zygosity detection through multiplex high-resolution melting curve analysis and biochemical characterisation for G6PD deficiency.

Accurate diagnosis of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is crucial for relapse malaria treatment using 8-aminoquinolines (primaquine and tafenoquine), which can trigger haemolytic anaemia in G6PD-deficient individuals. This is particularly important in regions where the prevalence of G6PD deficiency exceeds 3%-5%, including Southeast Asia and Thailand. While quantitative phenotypic tests can identify women with intermediate activity who may be at risk, they cannot unambiguously identify heterozygous females who require appropriate counselling.

The isolated, perfused working heart preparation of the mouse-Advantages and pitfalls.

Isolated, perfused hearts are viable for hours outside the body, and important research findings have been made using mouse hearts ex vivo. In the Langendorff perfusion mode, the coronary tree is perfused via retrograde flow of a perfusate down the ascending aorta. Although the Langendorff setup is generally simpler and quicker to establish, the working heart mode allows the heart to function in a more physiologically relevant manner, where the perfusate is directed into the left ventricle via the left atrium.

Lengthy Shifts and Decision Fatigue in Out-of-Hours Primary Care: A Qualitative Study.

Rationale: Demands on healthcare workers are high: services are stretched, shifts are long and healthcare professionals (HCPs) regularly work lengthy periods without a break. Spending time continuously 'on task' changes decision-making in predictable ways, as described by the 'decision fatigue' phenomenon where decision-makers progressively shift towards making less cognitively effortful decisions as the time worked without a break increases. This phenomenon has been observed repeatedly in large quantitative observational studies, however, individual healthcare workers' experiences have not been explored.

Oral health protection and restorative approaches in the puerperal period.

There is a growing need for dental treatments in women during the puerperal period as a consequence of hormonal and physiological changes that occur. There are effective methods that dentists can apply while treating patients in the puerperal period and while ensuring the maintenance of treatment. The framework of these methods covers a wide range of subjects, from the examination and diagnosis process of the dentist to the treatment protocols and the oral hygiene motivation of the patient.

Outcomes of emergency cervical cerclage after amnioreduction in twin pregnancies with a fully dilated cervix and amniotic membrane prolapse.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of emergency cervical cerclage (EmC) in twin pregnancies with a fully dilated cervix and amniotic membrane prolapse.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study examined records from December 2015 to December 2022 and included 20 twin pregnancies. The patients were divided into two groups, the EmC group (EmC group) and the no EmC (control) group, and pregnancy outcomes were compared.

Complication and Revision Rate in Complex Intraarticular Calcaneal Fractures: Extended Lateral vs Sinus Tarsi Approach.

Background: Adequate surgical treatment of intra-articular calcaneal fractures is challenging. Current clinical evidence on the superiority of either the extended lateral approach (ELA) or the sinus tarsi approach (STA) and their impact on radiologic and functional outcome remains inconclusive, and studies are characterized by low case numbers and short follow-up periods. We hypothesized that using STA would lead to fewer complications and revisions, without impairing fracture reduction or short- to midterm outcome.

A Multi-Method Study to Develop and Pilot Test an Interprofessional Transitional Care Model for Frail Older Adults - AdvantAGE.

Aim(s): To develop and pilot test the AdvantAGE transitional care model at a Swiss geriatric hospital.

Design: Multi-method design.

Methods: The study progressed in three stages from January 2021 to December 2023: (1) contextual analysis using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, incorporating qualitative interviews, (2) development and pilot testing of transitional care interventions on three acute geriatric wards using a descriptive explorative study design and (3) development and validation of a logic model using an iterative approach involving project interest groups and researchers.

Online Education on Sustainable Nutrition Affects Women's Sustainable Eating Behavior and Anthropometric Measures.

Objective: To determine the effect of online sustainable nutrition education (SNE) on sustainable eating behaviors and anthropometric measurements in women.

Design: In the research, a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used for groups that were subjected to two different trainings.

Sample: In the education group, 34 and in the control group, 51 women that between the ages of 19-50 years from six Women's Education and Culture Centers of Ankara Altındağ Municipality.

Validation of RBDtector: An Open-Source Automated Software for Scoring REM Sleep Without Atonia.

Accurate quantification of REM sleep without atonia (RSWA) is essential in the diagnosis of idiopathic/isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD). This study aims to validate RBDtector, a free and open-source tool for automated RSWA quantification using the Sleep Innsbruck Barcelona (SINBAR) scoring method, by comparing its performance against human visual scoring in a large independent cohort of subjects with iRBD and healthy controls. Muscle activity from 118 iRBD participants and 37 healthy controls that underwent polysomnography was analysed by RBDtector and compared with human visual scoring.

Time trends and predictors of difficulties in getting to sleep among adolescents from six Nordic countries 2002-2018.

Aims: Sleep difficulties among adolescents are of a significant concern given its associations with adverse health outcomes. The aims of the present study were to examine trends and predictors of self-perceived difficulties in getting to sleep among adolescents in the Nordic countries.

Methods: The study was based on cross-sectional data from 10- to 17- year-olds ( = 139,799) from six Nordic countries (Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Greenland, and Finland) participating in the international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, collected via six survey rounds in the period 2002-2018.

Opening up the black box of chaplaincy: a qualitative study into the reported workings of a narrative and interfaith spiritual care intervention in palliative care at home.

This study investigated the reported workings of a narrative and interfaith spiritual care intervention in palliative care at home called "In dialogue with your life story." It was developed to address clients' spiritual needs in the religious plural context of the Netherlands. Thus far, how the intervention impacted clients' spiritual well-being remained a black box.

Ultra-Processed Foods Marketed in Türkiye: An Analysis of Nutritional Quality and Packaging Sustainability.

This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional profile and packaging recycling status of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) sold in chain markets across Türkiye. In this regard, the nutritional quality and recyclability status of the packages of UPFs, as defined by NOVA, sold in five major supermarket chains across Türkiye were examined. The energy and nutrient content displayed on UPF labels were analysed, and their nutritional profiles considered using the Nutri-Score algorithm.

Bisphenol A Biomonitoring after Sealant Placement: A Prospective Cohort Study in Schoolchildren.

Introduction: Bisphenol A (BPA), known for its endocrine-disrupting properties, is a concern when leaching from dental sealants. This study investigates the systemic BPA exposure following the placement of Bis-GMA-based dental sealants in Thai primary school students.

Objectives: The main objective was to evaluate the changes in urinary BPA concentrations after the application of Bis-GMA dental sealants in a cohort of Thai students.