Conquering acceptability: A study of stakeholder inclusion practices in evaluation processes in francophone West African Countries.

Evaluation practices in the French-speaking countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) are poorly understood and infrequently documented. Our study is a descriptive analysis that elucidates how stakeholders are conceptualized and involved in evaluation processes in WAEMU. In these countries, evaluators are concerned about the weak stakeholder involvement in evaluation activity and call for greater stakeholder engagement, juxtaposed to the challenges of doing so.

Informing ICU Digital Twins: Dynamic Assessment of Cardiorespiratory Failure Trajectories in Patients with Sepsis.

Understanding clinical trajectories of sepsis patients is crucial for prognostication, resource planning, and to inform digital twin models of critical illness. This study aims to identify common clinical trajectories based on dynamic assessment of cardiorespiratory support using a validated electronic health record data that covers retrospective cohort of 19,177 patients with sepsis admitted to ICUs of Mayo Clinic Hospitals over eight-year period. Patient trajectories were modeled from ICU admission up to 14 days using an unsupervised machine learning two-stage clustering method based on cardiorespiratory support in ICU and hospital discharge status.

Waste Heat and Habitability: Constraints from Technological Energy Consumption.

Waste heat production represents an inevitable consequence of energy conversion as per the laws of thermodynamics. Based on this fact, by using simple theoretical models, we analyze constraints on the habitability of Earth-like terrestrial planets hosting putative technological species and technospheres characterized by persistent exponential growth of energy consumption and waste heat generation. In particular, we quantify the deleterious effects of rising surface temperature on biospheric processes and the eventual loss of liquid water.

Atypical memory B cells from natural malaria infection produced broadly neutralizing antibodies against Plasmodium vivax variants.

Expansion of atypical memory B cells (aMBCs) was demonstrated in malaria-exposed individuals. To date, the generation of P. vivax-specific aMBCs and their function in protective humoral immune responses is unknown.

Regulation and Compliance in Telemedicine: Viewpoint.

The US COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ended on May 11, 2023. Lawmakers and regulators extended some flexibilities while they deliberate effective long-term telemedicine policy. Here, we discuss critical challenges in telemedicine compliance and regulation grounded in scholarly literature and current events.

GLP-1RA Use and Thyroid Cancer Risk.

Importance: The increasing use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) demands a better understanding of their association with thyroid cancer.

Objective: To estimate the risk of incident thyroid cancer among adults with type 2 diabetes being treated with GLP-1RA vs other common glucose-lowering medications.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a prespecified secondary analysis of a target trial emulation of a comparative effectiveness study using claims data for enrollees in commercial, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare fee-for-service plans across the US.

Microfluidic purification of genomic DNA.

We describe a microfluidic device to extract DNA from a cell lysate, without the need for centrifuges, magnetic beads, or gels. Instead, separation is driven by transverse migration of DNA, which occurs when a polyelectrolyte solution flowing through a microfluidic channel is subjected to an electric field. The coupling of the weak shearing with the axial electric field is highly selective for long, flexible, charged molecules, of which DNA is the sole example in a typical cell lysate.

Occupational histories in neuropathologically confirmed multiple system atrophy.

Purpose: This study examined occupational histories in multiple system atrophy to identify environmental associations of potential relevance to disease causation.

Methods: A total of 270 neuropathologically confirmed cases of multiple system atrophy obtained from the Mayo Clinic Brain Bank for neurodegenerative disorders in Jacksonville, Florida, were included in this case-control study. Demographic and disease information was collected from medical records.

Quantitative analysis of Δ- and Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol metabolites and isomers: a rapid assay in urine by LC-MS/MS.

An increasing number of cannabis-related products have become available and entered the market, particularly those containing cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ-THC). Analytical methods for cannabinoids in urine have been described extensively in the literature. However, methods providing good resolution for distinguishing interferences from THC positional isomers are needed.

ACTB::ZMIZ2-rearranged adnexal carcinoma: a second case.

A case of cutaneous adnexal neoplasm with unusual squamoid morphology and harboring an in frame ACTB::ZMIZ2 fusion transcript was recently described. Herein, we report a second case of adnexal carcinoma harboring similar morphology and an identical in frame ACTB::ZMIZ2 fusion transcript. This 2.

Arthur (Andy) M. Horne (1942-2024).

Memorializes Arthur (Andy) M. Horne (1942-2024), esteemed counseling psychologist, lauded for his contributions to group counseling, bullying prevention, violence reduction, and prevention. Andy served the University of Georgia in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services from 1989 to 2012 as training director, department chair, distinguished research professor, and dean (2008-2012).

Stakeholder Perceptions of Digital Nutrition Education Modules on Infant Feeding in Home Visiting Programs.

Objective: Evaluate the usability and acceptability of a digital infant feeding module for use in a home visiting program.

Methods: Home visitors (n = 11) and mothers (n = 10) completed a qualitative interview while viewing a digital nutrition education module on infant feeding. Quantitative data were collected using the mHealth App Usability Questionnaire.

Pathophysiological Features of Remodeling in Vascular Diseases: Impact of Inhibitor of DNA-Binding/Differentiation-3 and Estrogenic Endocrine Disruptors.

Vascular diseases, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arterial diseases, present major clinical and public health challenges, largely due to their common underlying process: vascular remodeling. This process involves structural alterations in blood vessels, driven by a variety of molecular mechanisms. The inhibitor of DNA-binding/differentiation-3 (), a crucial member of ID family of transcriptional regulators, has been identified as a key player in vascular biology, significantly impacting the progression of these diseases.

Assessing Variability in Children's Exposure to Contaminants in Food: A Longitudinal Non-Targeted Analysis Study in Miami, Florida.

Food is essential for human survival; however, food can be an important route of exposure to contaminants. This study investigated the presence and distribution of anthropogenic contaminants in food consumed by families with small children in South Florida, United States, evaluating seasonal and socio-economic variabilities in chemical composition. QuEChERS protocols, followed by non-targeted analysis (NTA) using an LC-Orbitrap HRMS system, were used for the comprehensive screening of organic contaminants.

Geographic and Demographic Disparity in Firearm Injury: A 33-Year Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Florida Communities.

Background: Firearm violence in America has been declared a public health crisis. This study investigates variation in firearm injuries by county-level characteristics and intent of firearm use.

Study Design: The open-access FLHealthCHARTS was searched for firearm injuries from 1989-2022.

Bayesian Sample Size Calculation in Small n, Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trials (snSMART).

A recent study design for clinical trials with small sample sizes is the small n, sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trial (snSMART). An snSMART design has been previously proposed to compare the efficacy of two dose levels versus placebo. In such a trial, participants are initially randomized to receive either low dose, high dose or placebo in stage 1.

Financial toxicity and firearm injury: exploring financial needs of participants in a hospital-based violence intervention program.

Background: Financial toxicity refers to financial hardship experienced because of illness or injury. Poverty is a known driver of community violence, but financial toxicity has not been studied in firearm violence survivors. The objective of our study was to explore the financial needs of firearm violence survivors enrolled in a hospital-based violence intervention program (HVIP).

Drp1-associated genes implicated in sepsis survival.

Sepsis is a severe and life-threatening medical syndrome that can lead to organ failure and death. Despite advances in medical treatment, current therapies are often inadequate, with high septic mortality rates. Therefore, there is a critical need for reliable prognostic markers to be used in clinical settings to improve the management and outcomes of patients with sepsis.

Interpreting Lung Cancer Health Disparity between African American Males and European American Males.

Lung cancer remains a predominant cause of cancer-related deaths, with notable disparities in incidence and outcomes across racial and gender groups. This study addresses these disparities by developing a computational framework leveraging explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) to identify both patient- and cohort-specific biomarker genes in lung cancer. Specifically, we focus on two lung cancer subtypes, Lung Adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LUSC), examining distinct racial and sex-specific cohorts: African American males (AAMs) and European American males (EAMs).

Identify biological Alzheimer's disease using a novel nucleic acid-linked protein immunoassay.

Blood-based biomarkers have been revolutionizing the detection, diagnosis and screening of Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, phosphorylated-tau variants (p-tau, p-tau and p-tau) are promising biomarkers for identifying Alzheimer's disease pathology. Antibody-based assays such as single molecule arrays immunoassays are powerful tools to investigate pathological changes indicated by blood-based biomarkers and have been studied extensively in the Alzheimer's disease research field.

Comorbidity between internalizing symptoms and disordered eating is primarily driven by genetic influences on emotion regulation in adult female twins.

Internalizing (e.g., anxiety, depression) and disordered eating (DE; e.

Predictors of postoperative complications following thyroidectomy: A systematic review.

Introduction: Thyroidectomy is considered a relatively safe procedure with a low risk of postoperative complications, making it challenging to identify predictors of complications to improve shared decision making. Recent advancements in clinical bioinformatics and surgical decision-making tools have the potential to improve patient outcomes. This systematic review aimed to assess the current understanding of factors predicting such complications following thyroidectomy.