Measures to Prevent and Control COVID-19 in Skilled Nursing Facilities: A Scoping Review.

Importance: Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) experienced high mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading them to adopt preventive measures to counteract viral spread. A critical appraisal of these measures is essential to support SNFs in managing future infectious disease outbreaks.

Objective: To perform a scoping review of data and evidence on the use and effectiveness of preventive measures implemented from 2020 to 2024 to prevent COVID-19 infection in SNFs in the US.

The Digital Health Competencies in Medical Education Framework: An International Consensus Statement Based on a Delphi Study.

Importance: Rapid digitalization of health care and a dearth of digital health education for medical students and junior physicians worldwide means there is an imperative for more training in this dynamic and evolving field.

Objective: To develop an evidence-informed, consensus-guided, adaptable digital health competencies framework for the design and development of digital health curricula in medical institutions globally.

Evidence Review: A core group was assembled to oversee the development of the Digital Health Competencies in Medical Education (DECODE) framework.

Use of Machine Learning to Assess the Management of Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection.

Importance: Uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common indication for outpatient antimicrobial therapy. National guidelines for the management of uncomplicated UTI were published in 2011, but the extent to which they align with current practices, patient diversity, and pathogen biology, all of which have evolved greatly in the time since their publication, is not fully known.

Objective: To reevaluate the effectiveness and adverse event profile for first-line antibiotics, fluoroquinolones, and oral β-lactams for treating uncomplicated UTI in contemporary clinical practice.

Impact of Lesion Severity in Fetal Cardiac Counseling.

Approximately 1% of all live births in the USA are affected by congenital heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of congenital defect-related illness and infant death. Although technological innovations have improved CHD diagnosis in utero, variation among fetal cardiac counseling practices persists. Our study aims to evaluate physician counseling content based on cardiac defect complexity.

Iron-sulfur clusters: the road to room temperature.

Iron-sulfur proteins perform a wide variety of reactions central to the metabolisms of all living organisms. Foundational to their reaction chemistry are the rich electronic structures of their constituent Fe-S clusters, which differ in important ways from the active sites of mononuclear Fe enzymes. In this perspective, we summarize the essential electronic structure features that make Fe-S clusters unique, and point to the need for studies aimed at understanding the electronic basis for their reactivity under physiological conditions.

IRS2 as a driver of brain metastasis in colorectal cancer: a potential target for novel therapeutic strategies.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks as the fourth most common cause of brain metastasis (BM), with its incidence on the rise. However, the molecular mechanisms driving the formation of these lesions from CRC remain unclear.

Methods: We analyzed the FoundationOne genomic database, which includes over 35,000 CRC samples from both local and metastatic sites.

Utility of Ultrasound Surveillance for Thyroid Cancer in Children.

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) is the most common pediatric endocrine malignancy. The utility of ultrasound (US) surveillance after initial treatment has not been clearly delineated. We sought to evaluate the clinical utility of US for the detection of residual or recurrent disease in pediatric patients with thyroid cancer beginning 1 year after initial therapy.

Neurobiological Mechanisms Link Bipolar Disorder to Cardiovascular Disease: A Retrospective Biobank Study of Adverse Event Risk and Contributory Mechanisms.

Objective: Individuals with bipolar disorder are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanisms underlying this association remain poorly understood. This study aimed to (1) determine the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after adjusting for important confounders and (2) evaluate the neural, autonomic, and immune mechanisms underlying the link between bipolar disorder and cardiovascular disease.

Electronic cigarettes and subsequent cigarette smoking in young people: A systematic review.

Aims: To assess the evidence for a relationship between the use of e-cigarettes and subsequent smoking in young people (≤29 years), and whether this differs by demographic characteristics.

Methods: Systematic review with association direction plots (searches to April 2023). Screening, data extraction and critical appraisal followed Cochrane methods.

Do Children's Brains Function Differently During Book Reading and Screen Time? A fNIRS Study.

Previous research suggests that book reading and screen time have contrasting effects on language and brain development. However, few studies have explicitly investigated whether children's brains function differently during these two activities. The present study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure brain response in 28 typically developing preschool-aged children (36-72 months old) during two conditions-a book reading condition, in which children listened to a story read by a live experimenter while viewing words and pictures in a book, and a screen time condition, in which children listened to a story that was played via an audio recording while viewing words and pictures on a screen.

Real-world comparative effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan versus RAS inhibition alone in patients with de novo heart failure.

Aims: Large-scale, real-world data on early initiation of sacubitril/valsartan in patients newly diagnosed (de novo) with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are limited. We examined the effectiveness of sacubitril/valsartan versus angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) on all-cause and cause-specific hospitalizations among patients with de novo HFrEF from the Optum® dataset in the United States.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adult patients with de novo HFrEF (diagnosed ≤30 days) with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤40% who were first prescribed with sacubitril/valsartan or ACEi/ARB from 1 January 2016 to 31 March 2020.

Reverse Torque and Wear of Internal Connections of Metal-Based Abutments Under Cyclic Loading.

Objective: Evaluate the reverse torque values and wear of internal connections caused by metal-based zirconia abutments under cyclic loading.

Material And Methods: Thirty implants were divided into three groups (n = 10), based on connection systems: Interference-fit cone-screw (Cortical Master Flash MI Fit-MTA and Cortical Master Flash MI RP-MTB), and Internal hexagon (Cortical Titanium Master Connect AR-IH). Metal-based zirconia abutments were tightened into the implant, and zirconia crowns were bonded using resin cement.

Exploring the Acceptability of a Peer-Delivered Mental Health Intervention to Support Young Adults With Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities.

Background: Young adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities lack access to mental health supports. Peer-delivered services may fill this gap. We adapted a theory-driven and evidence-based peer mentoring intervention for virtual-delivery and investigated its acceptability and participants' preliminary response.

Labial Melanotic Macules in Two Pediatric Patients of Chinese Descent With Atopic Dermatitis.

We report two pediatric patients of Chinese descent with atopic dermatitis (AD) who developed labial melanotic macules in the absence of previous topical calcineurin inhibitor (TCI) usage. Both patients presented with multiple hyperpigmented macules on the upper and lower vermilion lips with a negative genetic workup for Peutz-Jeghers. These findings suggest labial melanotic macules may be a cutaneous manifestation of chronic eczematous dermatitis in pediatric patients, particularly those of Asian descent.

The Effect of Sex Hormones on Joint Ligament Properties: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Sex differences exist in injury rates, and one contributing factor may be sex hormone effects on the musculoskeletal system.

Purpose/hypothesis: The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to understand the effects of sex hormones on ligaments in females as determined by preclinical and clinical studies. The hypothesis was that sex hormones would affect ligament mechanical properties, histological features, cellular function, and clinically measurable outcomes.

Transfer of the Oral Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Antagonist Relugolix Into Breast Milk of Healthy Lactating Women.

Relugolix is an oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist that suppresses sex steroid hormones and is approved as monotherapy for prostate cancer and as a fixed-dose combination with estradiol/norethindrone for the treatment of endometriosis and uterine fibroids. The aim of this postmarketing study was to determine the pharmacokinetics and quantify the amount of relugolix excreted into breast milk of healthy lactating women. Following a single, oral dose of 40 mg relugolix, breast milk was sampled over 120 h.

Intraspecific Diversity in Thermal Performance Determines Phytoplankton Ecological Niche.

Temperature has a primary influence on phytoplankton physiology and ecology. We grew 12 strains of Gephyrocapsa huxleyi isolated from different-temperature regions for ~45 generations (2 months) and characterised acclimated thermal response curves across a temperature range. Even with similar temperature optima and overlapping cell size, strain growth rates varied between 0.

Impact of a Nurse Navigator Program on Referral Rates and Use of Fertility Preservation Among Female Cancer Patients: A 14-Year Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Given the known detrimental impact of cancer treatment on fertility, fertility preservation (FP) is recommended for reproductive age patients who are newly diagnosed with cancer. However, the rate of referral to fertility specialists remains suboptimal. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of a dedicated Nurse Navigator Program (NNP) on the rate of referrals and utilization of FP services.

Posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth among female and male veterans: The contribution of romantic relationship and friendship functioning.

Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is characterized as the experience of positive psychological change following exposure to traumatic stress. However, studies examining the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and PTG have demonstrated mixed results. Further, although higher levels of social support have been shown to predict higher ratings of PTG, there are limited longitudinal findings regarding how interpersonal functioning may affect the association between PTSD symptoms and PTG.

Targeting the Menin-KMT2A interaction in leukemia: Lessons learned and future directions.

Chromosomal rearrangements involving the Mixed Lineage Leukemia gene (MLL1, KMT2A) are defining a genetically distinct subset in about 10% of human acute leukemias. Translocations involving the KMT2A-locus at chromosome 11q23 are resulting in the formation of a chimeric oncogene, where the N-terminal part of KMT2A is fused to a variety of translocation partners. The most frequently found fusion partners of KMT2A in acute leukemia are the C-terminal parts of AFF1, MLLT3, MLLT1 and MLLT10.