Developing and Validating a Self-Care Self-Efficacy Scale for Oral Anticoagulation Therapy in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC) is the cornerstone treatment for preventing venous thromboembolism and stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Despite its significance, challenges in adherence and persistence to OAC regimens have been reported, leading to severe health complications. Central to addressing these challenges is the concept of self-efficacy (SE) in medication management.

Characterizing cancer-related cognitive impairments and impact on quality of life in women with metastatic breast cancer.

Purpose: Little is known about cancer-related cognitive impairments (CRCI) in women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The purpose of this study is to (1) comprehensively describe CRCI and any associated psychosocial and behavioral symptoms, (2) determine observable sociodemographic and clinical risk factors for CRCI, and (3) explore cognitive and psychosocial predictors of quality of life and social functioning in women living with MBC.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, women with MBC completed assessments (objective and subjective measures of CRCI including 3 open-ended questions, measures of psychosocial and behavioral factors, and assessments of quality of life and social function), and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, qualitative content analysis, correlation analyses, t tests, analysis of variance, and linear regression models.

Assassination of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria, Queen of Hungary, on 10 September 1898: further additions and minor annotations.

Very recently, a comprehensive re-evaluation of the medical facts and observations surrounding the death of Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" of Austria (1837-1898) was published. The Empress was assassinated in Geneva by the anarchist Luigi Luccheni or Lucheni (1873-1910). In parallel to this recent publication, our study group came across an almost unknown letter from Dr.

Prevalence and burden of coronary artery disease on computed tomography coronary angiography and its correlation with high-density lipoprotein in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Indigenous Australians are known to have a higher prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) than non-Indigenous counterparts. Atherogenic lipid profiles, characterised by low serum levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and higher serum triglycerides, have been shown to be more prevalent in Indigenous Australians. The use of computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) for risk stratification and diagnosis of CAD has been validated in moderate risk populations, but limited data exists in specific high-risk populations such as Indigenous Australians.

Neurophysiological patterns reflecting vulnerability to delirium subtypes: a resting-state EEG and event-related potential study.

Delirium is a common and acute neurocognitive disorder in older adults associated with increased risk of dementia and death. Understanding the interaction between brain vulnerability and acute stressors is key to delirium pathophysiology, but the neurophysiology of delirium vulnerability is not well defined. This study aimed to identify pre-operative resting-state EEG and event-related potential markers of incident delirium and its subtypes in older adults undergoing elective cardiac procedures.

The vascular endothelial growth factor as a candidate biomarker of systemic lupus erythematosus: a GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis.

There is an ongoing search for novel biomarkers of endothelial damage, active disease, and organ dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We investigated the role of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a candidate biomarker by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining VEGF concentrations in SLE patients and healthy controls. We searched electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) from inception to 31 May 2024 (inclusion criteria: VEGF measurement in SLE patients and healthy controls and SLE patients with and without active disease or specific organ dysfunction in case-control studies, recruitment of adult participants, and availability of the full text in the English language; exclusion criteria: non-case-control studies, participants under 18 years, articles reporting duplicate or irrelevant data, and animal studies).

Population pharmacokinetics of unbound cefazolin in infected hospitalized patients requiring intermittent high-flux haemodialysis: can a three-times-weekly post-dialysis dosing regimen provide optimal treatment?

Objectives: To describe the population pharmacokinetics of cefazolin in infected hospitalized patients requiring intermittent haemodialysis (IHD).

Methods: This prospective population pharmacokinetic study was conducted in IHD patients prescribed cefazolin 2 g three times weekly. Plasma samples were collected at prespecified timepoints and assayed for total and unbound concentrations using validated LC.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who smoke and want to quit - a cohort profile from the Koori Quit Pack study.

Introduction: Reducing the prevalence of smoking is a national priority, however there is limited evidence on what smoking cessation supports are utilised, accessible, and effective among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This paper describes a cohort profile of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who smoke and want to quit to inform tailored smoking cessation interventions.

Method: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people residing in New South Wales (NSW), Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and Victoria, who were smokers wanting to quit, were recruited through health services and online advertisements from May to October 2022.

Adaptation of sleep to daylight saving time is slower in people consuming a high-fat diet.

Adaptation of the circadian clock to the environment is essential for optimal health, well-being, and performance. Animal models demonstrate that a high-fat diet impairs circadian adaptation to advances of the light-dark cycle; it is unknown whether this occurs in humans. Utilizing a natural experiment that occurs when humans must advance their behaviors to an earlier hour for daylight saving time (DST), we measured the influence of diet on sleep/wake timing relative to dim-light melatonin onset time.

Experiences of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Secondary Qualitative Analysis.

Key Points: Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognized as global public health issues; however, little is known about the patient and caregiver experience in CKD. We used qualitative data to explore the experiences of loneliness and social isolation from the perspective of patients and caregivers.

Background: Many patients with CKD experience loneliness and social isolation, which are associated with a higher risk of mortality, morbidity, and poor mental health.

Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control rates of hypertension in the general population of Australia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A recent call-to-action highlighted that Australia is lagging behind high-income countries regarding hypertension control rates. We performed a systematic literature search of reports on prevalence, awareness, treatment and control rates since 2010. We also undertook an individual participant data meta-analysis of six population-based studies in the general population from 1980 to 2018 to understand the size of the problem and trajectories over time.

Prevalence and Outcomes of Gastrointestinal Manifestations in an Australian Scleroderma Cohort.

Objective: The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is the most commonly affected internal organ in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We sought to determine the prevalence and impact of GIT symptoms on survival and patient-reported outcomes.

Methods: A total of 907 consecutive patients from the Australian Scleroderma Cohort Study who had prospectively completed the University of California, Los Angeles, Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium Gastrointestinal Tract 2.

Metabolic risk factors of colorectal cancer: Umbrella review.

Background And Aim: The association between metabolic factors and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk is inconclusive. This umbrella review aimed to summarise and describe the association using existing systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses.

Method: Four databases (Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) were searched for systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses of observational studies.

"Because that is the right thing to do": A focus group study of Australian expert perspectives on offering smoking cessation support in lung cancer screening.

Introduction: Lung cancer screening (LCS) trials, targeting people with smoking history, have demonstrated reduced mortality. How to optimally embed evidence-based smoking cessation support in LCS, including in Australia, needs to be better understood. We sought experts' perspectives to identify potential barriers and effective implementation strategies.

Deprescribing antidepressants for depression - what is the evidence for and against?

Objective: Recent guidelines suggest that the overall quantity and duration of antidepressant prescriptions should be reduced. In this paper, we comment on the evidence both for and against this view.

Methods: We critically review the arguments proposed by proponents of antidepressant deprescribing in the context of the evidence-base for the treatment of depression.

Contribution of laboratory medicine and emerging technologies to cardiovascular risk reduction via exposome analysis: an opinion of the IFCC Division on Emerging Technologies.

This opinion article highlights the critical role of laboratory medicine and emerging technologies in cardiovascular risk reduction through exposome analysis. The exposome encompasses all external and internal exposures an individual faces throughout their life, influencing the onset and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Integrating exposome data with genetic information allows for a comprehensive understanding of the multifactorial causes of CVD, facilitating targeted preventive interventions.

A qualitative study on the experiences of women undergoing surgery for developmental breast asymmetry.

Background: Developmental breast asymmetry (DBA) is a largely underreported condition where the natural growth of one breast is smaller than the other. While some degree of asymmetry or difference in size and shape is present in most women, DBA can result in more profound differences that can impact a woman's psychosocial well-being.

Objectives: This study aims to better understand the experiences of women living with DBA, their experiences seeking treatment, and their reconstructive surgical journey and outcomes.

Sex-biased neural encoding of threat discrimination in nucleus accumbens afferents drives suppression of reward behavior.

Learning to predict threat is essential, but equally important-yet often overlooked-is learning about the absence of threat. Here, by recording neural activity in two nucleus accumbens (NAc) glutamatergic afferents during aversive and neutral cues, we reveal sex-biased encoding of threat cue discrimination. In male mice, NAc afferents from the ventral hippocampus are preferentially activated by threat cues.

Circulating cell adhesion molecules in systemic sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) have an increased risk of endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular events compared to the general population. Therefore, the availability of robust circulating biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction and atherogenesis may facilitate early recognition and management of cardiovascular risk in SSc. We sought to address this issue by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating various types of circulating cell adhesion molecules involved in endothelial dysfunction and atherogenesis (i.

Vision loss and diabetic retinopathy prevalence and risk among a cohort of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians with type 2 diabetes receiving renal haemodialysis treatment: The retinopathy in people currently on renal dialysis (RiPCORD) study.

Aims: Diabetic nephropathy, vision loss and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are frequent comorbidities among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The Retinopathy in People Currently On Renal Dialysis (RiPCORD) study sought to examine the epidemiology and risk of vision impairment (VI) and DR among a cohort of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians with T2D currently receiving haemodialysis for end-stage renal failure (ESRF).

Methods: A total of 106 Indigenous and 109 non-Indigenous Australians were recruited in RiPCORD across five haemodialysis centres in urban and remote settings.

Evaluating the tailored implementation of a multisite care navigation service for mental health in rural and remote Australia (The Bridging Study): protocol for a community-engaged hybrid effectiveness-implementation study.

Background: A dramatic decline in mental health of people worldwide in the early COVID-19 pandemic years has not recovered. In rural and remote Australia, access to appropriate and timely mental health services has been identified as a major barrier to people seeking help for mental ill-health. From 2020 to 2021 a care navigation model, Navicare, was co-designed with rural and remote communities in the Greater Whitsunday Region of Central Queensland in Australia.

Adequate assessment yields appropriate care-the role of geriatric assessment and management in older adults with cancer: a position paper from the ESMO/SIOG Cancer in the Elderly Working Group.

With the aging population, older adults constitute a growing proportion of the new cancer cases. Given the heterogeneous health status among older adults and their susceptibility to aging-related vulnerabilities, understanding their diversity and its implications becomes increasingly crucial for prognostication and guiding diagnostics, treatment decisions, and follow-up, as well as informing supportive care interventions. Geriatric assessment and management (GAM) refers to the comprehensive evaluation of an older individual's health status with subsequent management plans focusing on both oncologic and non-oncologic interventions.

Prognostic significance of paramagnetic rim lesions in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review.

The diagnostic potential of paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) has been previously established; however, the prognostic significance of these lesions has not previously been consistently described. This study aimed to establish the prognostic role of PRLs in MS with respect to the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and rates of disability progression. Databases of PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and reference lists of selected articles were searched up to 29/04/2023.