Family perceptions of prolonged hospitalization for children with complex chronic conditions: Between losses and adaptations in an uncertain future.

The aim of this study was to understand the family perception and emotional impacts on caregivers of children with chronic conditions who remained hospitalized in intensive care units for an extended period. A qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study, grounded in symbolic interactionism, was conducted with 10 primary caregivers of children with long-term experience in a Brazilian intensive care unit. Interviews were conducted, either remotely or in person, and were analyzed using thematic content analysis supplemented by lexical analysis.

Preoperative Resilience as a Predictor of Postoperative Regret and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a well-established treatment option for advanced knee osteoarthritis, yet some patients remain unsatisfied after surgery. Evaluation of various psychosocial parameters may improve patient optimization and outcomes. The primary aim was to assess whether preoperative resilience remained stable and influenced decision regret postoperatively while the secondary aim was to evaluate its correlation with joint-specific and global health patient-reported outcome measures.

Incidence of ANCA associated vasculitis and polyarteritis nodosa in Norfolk, UK, from 2011-2020.

Objective: To report the annual and age-specific incidence of ANCA associated vasculitis and polyarteritis nodosa in the adult population of Norfolk County, UK.

Methods: Individuals newly diagnosed with ANCA associated vasculitis or polyarteritis nodosa between 1st Jan 2011 and 31st December 2020, residing in the postal areas of NR1-NR30 were included. Patients were classified according to the European Medicines Agency algorithm.

Impact of Sensitive Skin on Quality of Life, Anxiety, and Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Sensitive skin (SS) is a common condition reported by many people worldwide. Patient interviews reveal that individuals with SS experience diminished quality of life, anxiety, and depression. Nonetheless, the impact of SS on mental health remains unclear.

Using a novel and validated survey tool to analyze sexual functioning following vaginoplasty in transgender individuals.

Background In the healthcare setting, transgender patients are often marginalized, face discrimination and have limited access to high-quality gender-affirming care, such as gender-affirming surgery (GAS). As a result, the available data pertaining to GAS are often based on convenience samples, and the majority of published studies in the US are cross-sectional. Transgender people may undergo GAS to align their bodies with their gender identities.

Inferring demographic and selective histories from population genomic data using a two-step approach in species with coding-sparse genomes: an application to human data.

The demographic history of a population, and the distribution of fitness effects (DFE) of newly arising mutations in functional genomic regions, are fundamental factors dictating both genetic variation and evolutionary trajectories. Although both demographic and DFE inference has been performed extensively in humans, these approaches have generally either been limited to simple demographic models involving a single population, or, where a complex population history has been inferred, without accounting for the potentially confounding effects of selection at linked sites. Taking advantage of the coding-sparse nature of the genome, we propose a 2-step approach in which coalescent simulations are first used to infer a complex multi-population demographic model, utilizing large non-functional regions that are likely free from the effects of background selection.

Increased plasma interleukin-1β is associated with accelerated lung function decline in non-smokers.

Interleukin-1β is one of the major cytokines involved in the initiation and persistence of airway inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the association between plasma interleukin-1β and lung function decline remains unclear. We aimed to explore the association between plasma interleukin-1β and lung function decline.

Glia control experience-dependent plasticity in an olfactory critical period.

Sensory experience during developmental critical periods has lifelong consequences for circuit function and behavior, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms through which experience causes these changes are not well understood. The antennal lobe houses synapses between olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and downstream projection neurons (PNs) in stereotyped glomeruli. Many glomeruli exhibit structural plasticity in response to early-life odor exposure, indicating a general sensitivity of the fly olfactory circuitry to early sensory experience.

Ultrasound-Activated Copper Matrix Nanosonosensitizer for Cuproptosis-Based Synergy Therapy.

Cuproptosis exhibits enormous application prospects in treatment. However, cuproptosis-based therapy is impeded by the limited intracellular copper ions, the nonspecific delivery, uncontrollable release, and chelation of endogenous overproduced glutathione (GSH). In this work, an ultrasound-triggered nanosonosensitizer (p-TiO-Cu(I)) was constructed for Cu(I) delivery, on-demand release, GSH consumption, and deeper tissue response.

"Nobody Seemed to Notice My Work": The Lived Experiences of Home Care Workers Assisting People With Chronic Diseases: A Phenomenological Study.

Introduction: Home care workers (HCWs) are paid caregivers who provide support to patients with chronic conditions and functional limitations. Additionally, they provide emotional support to patients and familial support. Although several qualitative studies have been conducted on HCWs, they focused more on studying prevalently the lived experiences about the workplace violence, the end of life, stressor and resilience, during the COVID-19 pandemic or focused more in dementia and heart failure, but not on feelings and working conditions.

Argonaute-mediated dual recognition enables the detection of trace single-nucleotide-mutated fungicide-resistant fungal pathogens.

Detection of low-abundance mutations for the early discovery of fungicide-resistant fungal pathogens is highly demanded, but remains challenging. Herein, we developed a dual-recognition strategy, termed PARPA, involving s Argonaute (pfAgo)-mediated elimination of wild-type fungal genes and CRISPR/Cas12a-based amplicon recognition. This assay can detect fungicide-resistant at relative abundances as low as 0.

Adjuvant Atezolizumab for Early Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: The ALEXANDRA/IMpassion030 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive subtype with a high incidence in young patients, a high incidence in non-Hispanic Black women, and a high risk of progression to metastatic cancer, a devastating sequela with a 12- to 18-month life expectancy. Until recently, one strategy for treating early-stage triple-negative breast cancer was chemotherapy after surgery. However, it was not known whether the addition of immune therapy to postsurgery chemotherapy would be beneficial.

The patient and caregiver experience of CAR T-cell therapy: A qualitative analysis.

Background/purpose: Immunotherapies, such as CAR-T, have revolutionized cancer treatment for some cancers. However, these treatments often require active participation of a family member or friend to act as a caregiver at home for several weeks after infusion. Given the novelty of CAR-T, there is a need to better understand the experience of patients receiving these treatments and their caregivers.

Pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria of PCOS.

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine-metabolic syndrome mainly characterized by ovarian dysfunction, which is only one manifestation of a more complex syndrome with a significant systemic impact.

Evidence Acquisition: We review scientific literature on the pathophysiology and diagnosis of PCOS evaluating the most relevant data from original articles, reviews and meta-analyses published until June 2024.

Evidence Synthesis: From a pathophysiological point of view, the concurrence of both metabolic aspects, such as insulin resistance and obesity, and hormonal alterations, such as hyperandrogenemia, might produce the most relevant clinical signs and/symptoms of this syndrome, for instance menstrual irregularities, hair loss, acne and hirsutism.

A positive empathy intervention to improve well-being on Instagram.

With more than half the global population on social media, there is a critical need to understand how to engage it in a way that improves rather than worsens user well-being. Here, we show that positive empathy is a promising tool. Participants who received brief positive empathy instructions before 10 min of browsing their own Instagram feed showed greater affective well-being (Studies 1-4) and life satisfaction (Study 4) at posttest relative to participants who were instructed to browse as usual.

The involuntary experience of digital exclusion among older adults: A taxonomy and theoretical framework.

The emerging phenomenon of digital exclusion raises an important issue that not everyone is equally engaged in and can benefit from the digital world. Older adults are particularly susceptible to digital exclusion, but a comprehensive conceptual treatment of digital exclusion in older adults is lacking in the psychology literature. In this article, we provide a taxonomy to advance the literature on digital exclusion in older adults, identifying key conceptual attributes of older adults' digital exclusion experiences by articulating both structural (i.

Association of multidimensional schizotypy with cognitive-behavioral disorganization in daily life: An experience sampling methodology study.

Schizotypy is a multidimensional construct that is composed of positive, negative, and disorganized dimensions. Historically, disorganized schizotypy, which involves disruptions in thoughts, speech, behavior, and affect, has been relatively understudied and less clearly operationalized than the other dimensions. The present study employed experience sampling methodology to examine the associations of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy, as measured by the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale, with daily life experiences.

"Minimal-Advice" on Salt Intake: Results of a Multicentre Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial on Hypertensive Patients.

Introduction: A strong and well-known association exists between salt consumption, potassium intake, and cardiovascular diseases. MINISAL-SIIA results showed high salt and low potassium consumption in Italian hypertensive patients. In addition, a recent Italian survey showed that the degree of knowledge and behaviour about salt was directly interrelated, suggesting a key role of the educational approach.

Is it possible to return to skiing following long-construct spinal deformity surgery?

Background: Alpine skiing requires flexibility, endurance, strength and rotational ability, which may be lost after long fusions to the pelvis for adult spinal deformity (ASD). ASD patients may worry about their ability to return to skiing (RTS) postoperatively. There is currently insufficient data for spine surgeons to adequately address questions about when, or if, their patients might RTS.