Violence against women and girls research: Leveraging gains across disciplines.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide, linked to numerous health, economic, and human rights outcomes. Target 5.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals calls for elimination of all forms of VAWG; however, progress toward achieving this goal has been inadequate.

Disproportionate, differential and targeted treatment: people who use drugs' experiences of policing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments worldwide introduced law enforcement measures to deter and punish breaches of emergency public health orders. For example, in Victoria, Australia, discretionary fines of A$1,652 were issued for breaching stay-at-home orders, and A$4,957 fines for 'unlawful gatherings'; to date, approximately 30,000 fines remain outstanding or not paid in full. Studies globally have revealed how the expansion of policing powers produced significant collateral damage for marginalized populations, including people from low-income neighboorhoods, Indigenous Peoples, sex workers, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds.

Temporal metacognition: Direct readout or mental construct? The case of introspective reaction time.

Deciphering whether and which mental processes are accessible for metacognitive judgments is a key question to understand higher cognitive functions. Paralleling the crucial role of reaction times (RT) for unraveling the temporal sequence of mental processes, a comparable chronometric approach can be employed at the second-order level through introspective reaction times (iRT) measures. Although mean iRT correlate with mean RT, suggesting good metacognitive abilities, this would not necessarily imply a direct readout of the duration of the underlying processes as participants may instead rely on inferences based on other salient, nontemporal, cues.

The effect of increased vascular afterload measures on flow rate and survival in severe aortic stenosis.

Aims: Although an association between the systemic circulation and transaortic flow rate (TFR) is frequently hypothesized in patients with aortic stenosis (AS), it has not been demonstrated previously. We sought to explore the relationship between blood pressure (BP), vascular afterload measures, clinical history of hypertension, TFR, and survival in patients with severe AS (aortic valve area ≤ 1 cm²).

Methods And Results: We studied 323 patients ≥ 65 years (110 prospective, 213 registry analysis) who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement over a 5-year period.

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.

Spawning site selection by invasive Asian toads (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) in eastern Madagascar.

Background: Invasive species are a major threat to biodiversity on a global scale. Control strategies for these species could be improved by understanding and exploiting life history vulnerabilities. For example, most invasive anurans require waterbodies with specific characteristics for spawning; therefore, modifying these characteristics could influence spawning success.

Adaptive functioning in children and young adults with monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders.

Aim: To examine the adaptive behaviour profiles of children with monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) to determine whether syndrome-specific or transdiagnostic approaches provide a better understanding of the adaptive behavioural phenotypes of these NDDs.

Method: This cross-sectional study included parents and caregivers of 243 (48% female) individuals (age range = 1-25 years; mean = 8 years 10 months, SD = 5 years 8 months) with genetically confirmed monogenic NDDs (CDK13, DYRK1A, FOXP2, KAT6A, KANSL1, SETBP1, BRPF1, and DDX3X). Parents and caregivers completed the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition to assess communication, daily living, socialization, and motor skills.

Determinants of physical function, as measured using PROMIS PF-10a, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: results from the international COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD) study.

Objectives: Physical function in RA is largely influenced by multiple clinical factors, however, there is a growing body of evidence that psychological state and other comorbidities also play an essential role. Using data obtained in the COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases study, an international self-reported e-survey, we aimed to explore the predictive ability of sociodemographic and clinical variables on Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function Short Form 10a (PROMIS PF-10a) in RA and to investigate variation in disease activity and functional outcomes based on country-level socio-economic parameters.

Methods: Patient demographics, disease characteristics including current symptom status, functional status and treatment variables, as well as income level of the country of residence, were extracted from survey responses.

AI-pocalypse now: Automating the systematic literature review with SPARK (Systematic processing and automated review Kit) - gathering, organising, filtering, and scaffolding.

Researchers today face significant challenges reshaping the landscape of academic, government, and industry research due to the exponential growth of global research outputs and the advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). The annual increase in published works has made it difficult for traditional literature review and data analysis methods to keep pace, often rendering reviews outdated by the time of publication. In response, this methods article introduces a suite of new tools designed to automate a number of stages for systematic literature reviews.

The capacity and training needs of primary health care workers in Nyeri and Nakuru counties of Kenya: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Health systems based on primary healthcare (PHC) have reduced costs and are effective for improved health outcomes. Kenya's health system grapples with providing equitable access to essential health services, but there is increasing commitment by the government to strengthen primary healthcare. The aim of this paper is to provide a baseline assessment of the capacity and training needs of healthcare workers (HCWs) in Nakuru and Nyeri Counties and identify priorities for intervention.

Community acceptance of services and effectiveness of health camps in high-risk areas of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, 2021.

Introduction: Health camps are organized to provide basic health services in underprivileged communities. This study was conducted to determine community acceptance and effectiveness of health camps in the high-risk areas for the polio program in Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted at the health campsites in high-risk union councils (HRUCs) of four districts of Karachi, Sindh.

Same, same but different? A Discourse Network Analysis of the EU's framings of refugee arrivals in 2015 and 2022.

The European Union (EU) experienced two major instances of refugee influx: in 2015, refugees, mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq fled civil war, persecution, and dire conditions in neighbouring countries and in 2022, Ukrainians fled from Russia's full-scale invasion. Fusing theoretical insights on framing and crisification of migration, we ask: How do EU actors frame situations of refugee mass influx? Employing a Discourse Network Analysis, we examine EU representatives' framing of both instances with respect to three analytical foci: (1) who or what they considered to be in crisis, (2) their framing of refugees; and (3) who they saw to be responsible for solving the crisis. We show how, in 2015, EU representatives framed mass displacement predominantly as a crisis at and of Europe's borders, and refugees as threats to Member States' public, economic and cultural security.

Hexamodal awake brain mapping (language, sensorimotor, ictal, visual, auditory) for multilobar resection in a dominant hemisphere parieto-fronto-temporo-occipital cortical malformation with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Surgically remediable epilepsy of the eloquent brain poses the added challenge of preserving function while curing disease. Long-standing epileptogenic lesions have tenacious seizure networks and significant functional reorganizations. Large multilobar lesions may involve multiple functional areas, thereby challenging the limits of functional brain mapping.

Effects of UK hostile environment policies on maternity care for refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants in Camden: Examining the experiences of healthcare professionals and community organisations.

Background: The London borough of Camden has long been home for many refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants (RASUs). Over time, it has witnessed an increase in the population of these migrant groups, accompanied by notable changes in the obstacles they encounter when seeking health services, particularly maternity care. We explore how the 'hostile environment' policies affect access to and delivery of quality maternity services for RASUs.

Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Radiosurgical Management of Brain Arteriovenous Malformations: An Experience From a Tertiary Care Center.

Introduction: Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are complex vascular pathologies with a significant risk of hemorrhage. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an effective treatment modality for AVM, initially popularized on the Gamma Knife (Elekta AB, Stockholm, Sweden) platform, and now benefits from the modern advances in linear accelerator (LINAC)-based platforms. This study evaluates the outcomes of LINAC-based SRS/hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (hFSRT) for cerebral AVMs.

An integrated theoretical study on natural alkaloids as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors: a step toward discovery of potential drug candidates with anti-COVID-19 activity.

: in the twenty-first century, the emergence of COVID-19 as a highly transmissible pandemic disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 posed a significant threat to humanity. : the disease spreads through small respiratory droplets, necessitating the use of various compounds for treatment, with alkaloids being recognized as particularly crucial owing to their diverse pharmaceutical properties. : in this study, a dataset comprising 100 natural alkaloids obtained from the literature was transformed into 2D chemical structures using Chem Draw 19.

Bypassing primary antiretroviral therapy centres in Sub-Saharan Africa: An integrative review of the theoretical and empirical literature.

The uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is critical to meeting the global HIV treatment goal of 95-95-95 by 2025. Although a few Sub-Saharan African countries have already achieved this target, the prevalence of bypassing primary ART centres in many countries in the subregion has negative implications for ART uptake and use. This study used the access to health services framework to analyse the evidence and factors contributing to bypassing primary ART centres by individuals in the sub-region seeking HIV care and support.

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of pyrazinamide resistance-India, 2018-2020.

Pyrazinamide (PZA) is a key first-line antituberculosis drug that plays an important role in eradicating persister (TB) bacilli and shortening the duration of tuberculosis treatment. However, PZA-resistance is on the rise, particularly among persons with multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis. This nationwide study was conducted to explore the prevalence of mutations conferring PZA resistance, catalogue mutation diversity, investigate the associations of PZA resistance with specific lineages, examine co-resistance to 13 first- and second-line drugs, and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sequencing A and D genes for predicting PZA resistance.

Perceptions of cultural and provisioning ecosystem services and human wellbeing indicators amongst indigenous communities neighbouring the greater limpopo transfrontier conservation area.

Nature plays a crucial role in providing ecosystem services (ESs) essential for human wellbeing and biodiversity conservation in rural areas. However, existing paradigms often lack an integrative approach towards rural livelihoods and wellbeing, highlighting the need for a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between human wellbeing (HWB) and ESs. The area around the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) offers such ESs to indigenous people who rely heavily on these natural resources.

Narrow Dietary Niche With High Overlap Between Snow Leopards and Himalayan Wolves Indicates Potential for Resource Competition in Shey Phoksundo National Park, Nepal.

Understanding species' dietary ecology and interspecific interactions is crucial for multi-species conservation planning. In Central Asia and the Himalayas, wolves have recolonized snow leopard habitats, raising considerable concern about resource competition between these apex predators. Using micro-histological analysis of prey species remains (e.

Clinical Research Network: JHCRN Infrastructure and Lessons Learned.

Clinical research studies are becoming increasingly complex resulting in compounded work burden and longer study cycle times, each fueling runaway costs. The impact of protocol complexity often results in inadequate recruitment and insufficient sample sizes, which challenges validity and generalizability. Understanding the need to provide an alternative model to engage researchers and sponsors and bringing clinical research opportunities to the broader community, clinical research networks (CRN) have been proposed and initiated in the United States and other parts of the world.

Use of alternative payment models for substance use disorder prevention in the United States: development of a conceptual framework.

Background: Alternative payment models (APMs) are methods through which insurers reimburse health care providers and are widely used to improve the quality and value of health care. While there is a growing movement to utilize APMs for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services, they have rarely included SUD prevention strategies. Challenges to using APMs for SUD prevention include underdeveloped program outcome measures, inadequate SUD prevention funding, and lack of clarity regarding what prevention strategies might fit within the scope of APMs.

The economic burden of breast cancer in western Iran: a cross-sectional cost-of-illness study.

Background: Breast cancer is a significant global health challenge, affecting millions annually and imposing a considerable burden on healthcare systems and economies worldwide. This cross-sectional study aims to determine the economic impact of breast cancer in Lorestan Province, western Iran.

Methods: A retrospective cost-of-illness analysis utilizing a cross-sectional design was performed from November 2023 to July 2024.

Clarification and development of advanced practice roles in a Swiss French university hospital: an action research study.

Background: The evolving healthcare landscape emphasizes the need for health systems to adapt to growing complexities, with new models of care enabling healthcare providers to optimize their scope of practice and coordination of care. Despite increasing interest in advanced practice, confusion persists regarding the roles and scopes of practice of healthcare providers, exacerbated by variations in regulations and titles. We sought to clarify the differences between specialized healthcare professionals, practitioners, and clinical specialists; to describe their roles; and to propose initiatives aimed at supporting the implementation of advanced practice within a university hospital.

Demographic disparities in access to COVID-19 clinical trial sites across the United States: a geospatial analysis.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, underserved populations, such as racial and ethnic minority communities, were disproportionately impacted by illness and death. Ensuring people from diverse backgrounds have the ability to participate in clinical trials is key to advancing health equity. We sought to analyze the spatial variability in locations of COVID-19 trials sites and to test associations with demographic correlates.