Neurocognitive performance in obsessive-compulsive disorder before and after treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy.

Background: Cross-sectional studies have reported neurocognitive performance deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly on tasks assessing response inhibition and proactive control over stimulus-driven behaviors (task control). However, it is not clear whether these deficits represent trait-like markers of OCD or are state-dependent.

Methods: This study examined performance on two neurocognitive tasks in OCD patients (N = 26) before and after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and matched healthy controls (HCs, N = 19).

Inter-network functional connectivity increases by beta-amyloid and may facilitate the early stage of tau accumulation.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is pathologically marked by tau tangles and beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques. It has been hypothesized that Aβ facilitates spread of tau outside of the medial temporal lobe (MTL), but exact mechanism of this facilitation remains unclear. We aimed to test the hypothesis that abnormal Aβ induces an increase in inter-network functional connectivity, which in turn induces early-stage tau elevation in limbic network.

Caffeine ameliorates metabolic-associated steatohepatitis by rescuing hepatic Dusp9.

Caffeine (CAFF) is abundant in black coffee. As one of the most widely consumed beverages globally, coffee has been the focus of increasing clinical and basic research, particularly regarding its benefits in alleviating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). However, the therapeutic effects of CAFF on metabolic-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Sodium fluorescein video Angiography-Assisted clipping of intracranial Aneurysms: A systematic review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: Ensuring aneurysm exclusion while maintaining vessel patency is crucial during intracranial aneurysm clipping. Although digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is the gold standard for intraoperative vascular imaging, some centers have reported using fluorescein sodium video angiography (FNa-VA). However, a synthesis of these findings is still lacking.

Effect of lemborexant on sleep architecture in participants with insomnia disorder and mild obstructive sleep apnea.

Objective/background: Comorbid insomnia with obstructive sleep apnea (COMISA) is associated with worse daytime function and more medical/psychiatric comorbidities vs either condition alone. COMISA may negatively impact sleep duration and reduce rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, thereby impairing cognition. These post-hoc analyses evaluated the effect of lemborexant (LEM), a dual-orexin-receptor antagonist approved for adults with insomnia, on sleep architecture in participants with COMISA.

A call to action for disrupting microaggressions, improving interprofessional collaboration, and optimizing outcomes: Nurse leaders have a role.

Background: Microaggressions are pervasive in clinical and academic environments, often unnoticed by those unaware of the privileges and power dynamics tied to socially constructed hierarchies. These subtle manifestations of bias and prejudice are typically directed toward historically marginalized individuals and groups (HMIGs), contributing to a toxic culture that undermines interprofessional communication, collaboration, and healthcare delivery.

Purpose: This article aims to explore the concept of microaggressions and their impact on healthcare environments.

Relationship between nurse staffing during labor and cesarean birth rates in U.S. hospitals.

Background: Cesarean birth increases risk of maternal morbidity and mortality.

Purpose: Examine the relationship between labor and delivery staffing and hospital cesarean and vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) rates.

Methods: Survey of U.

A Comparison of Different Machine Learning Classifiers in Predicting Xerostomia and Sticky Saliva due to Head and Neck Radiotherapy using a Multi-objective, Multimodal Radiomics Model.

Although radiotherapy techniques are the primary treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC), they are still associated with substantial toxicity, and side effect. Machine learning (ML) based radiomics models for predicting toxicity mostly rely on features extracted from pre-treatment imaging data. This study aims to compare different models in predicting radiation-induced xerostomia and sticky saliva in both early and late stage of HNC patients using CT and MRI image features along with demographics and dosimetric information.

Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery (HALS) as an Alternative to Unplanned Laparoscopic Conversion to Open Surgery (LCOS) in Colectomies for Acute Diverticulitis.

Background: In difficult colorectal cases, surgeons may opt for a hand-assisted laparoscopic (HALS) colectomy or attempt a laparoscopic surgery that may require an unplanned conversion to open (LCOS). We aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of these 2 types of surgeries.

Methods: Colectomies for acute diverticulitis with a HALS or LCOS surgery were selected from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) 2022 Targeted Colectomy Database.

Key Strategies to Promote Professional Wellness and Reduce Burnout in Oncology Clinicians.

Burnout in oncologists has been increasing, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. This is concerning because burnout can have both personal and professional repercussions, as well as a negative impact on patients and organizational financial health. Drawing on information and ideas discussed at an ASCO Town Hall session at the 2023 Annual Meeting developed by the State of Cancer Care in America Editorial Board, this study reviews key organizational strategies for improving professional well-being and argues for the importance of measuring and researching the well-being of the oncology workforce to ensure healthy work environments.

Understanding the vital role of campus-based food pantries: Insights into usage patterns, characteristics and eating behaviors among private university students.

This study examined characteristics and usage patterns of students who use a campus-based food pantry at a private university. Student clients of a campus-based food pantry at a private university ( = 30). A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews.

Measuring Intentional Communication in Infants at Elevated Likelihood of Autism: Validity, Reliability, and Responsiveness of a Novel Coding Scale.

Purpose: Intentional communication acts, or purposefully directed vocalizations and gestures, are particularly difficult for infants at elevated likelihood for eventual diagnosis of autism. The ability to measure and track intentional communication in infancy thus has the potential to aid early identification and intervention efforts. This study assesses the validity of a novel measure of intentional communication intended for use within semistructured caregiver-infant interactions.

Evaluating Surgeon-influenced Factors for Total Knee Arthroplasty Value-based Reimbursement.

Introduction: Clinical outcome measures used under value-based reimbursement models require risk stratification of patient demographics and medical history. Only certain perioperative patient factors may be influenced by the surgeon. The study evaluated surgeon-influenced modifiable factors associated with achieving literature-defined KOOS score thresholds to serve as the foundation of the newly established alternative payment models for total knee arthroplasties (TKA).

Protocol to boost the robustness and accuracy of spatial transcriptomics algorithms using ensemble techniques.

Spatial transcriptomics enhances our understanding of cellular organization by mapping gene expression data to precise tissue locations. Here, we present a protocol for using weighted ensemble method for spatial transcriptomics (WEST), which uses ensemble techniques to boost the robustness and accuracy of existing algorithms. We describe steps for preprocessing data, obtaining embeddings from individual algorithms, and ensemble integrating all embeddings as a similarity matrix.

Century-long West Antarctic snow accumulation changes induced by tropical teleconnections.

Ice core measurements reveal dipole-like snow accumulation trends over West Antarctica throughout the 20th century, with an increase of >2000 billion metric tons over the Antarctic Peninsula and Ellsworth Land but a decrease of ~500 billion metric tons over Marie Byrd Land. Although atmospheric teleconnections were frequently revealed, linking variability between tropics and higher latitudes on interannual and decadal timescales, centennial-scale teleconnection is absent from literature. Here, using statistical analysis and numerical experiments, we reveal that changes of tropical oceans throughout the 20th century drive the long-term Antarctic snowfall trend.

Vascularization of human islets by adaptable endothelium for durable and functional subcutaneous engraftment.

Tissue-specific endothelial cells (ECs) are critical for the homeostasis of pancreatic islets and most other tissues. In vitro recapitulation of islet biology and therapeutic islet transplantation both require adequate vascularization, which remains a challenge. Using human reprogrammed vascular ECs (R-VECs), human islets were functionally vascularized in vitro, demonstrating responsive, dynamic glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and Ca influx.

Heterogeneity analysis provides evidence for a genetically homogeneous subtype of bipolar-disorder.

Background: Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a complex disease. It is heterogeneous, both at the phenotypic and genetic level, although the extent and impact of this heterogeneity is not fully understood. One way to assess this heterogeneity is to look for patterns in the subphenotype data.

Trauma-related psychopathologies after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) use is associated with substantial psychiatric morbidity in patients and their families. This systematic review and meta-analysis quantifies the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression among ECMO survivors and their families. Included studies enrolled patients on ECMO or their families and reported at least one trauma-related psychopathology.

Natural Language Processing Identifies Under-Documentation of Symptoms in Patients on Hemodialysis.

Background: Patients on hemodialysis (HD) have a high burden of emotional and physical symptoms. These symptoms are often under-recognized. NLP can be used to identify patient symptoms from the EHR.

Default Bulk Ordering and Text Messaging to Enhance Outreach for Lipid Screening: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: A comprehensive lipid panel is recommended by guidelines to evaluate atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, but uptake is low.

Objective: To evaluate whether direct outreach including bulk orders with and without text messaging increases lipid screening rates.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Pragmatic randomized clinical trial conducted from June 6, 2023, to September 6, 2023, at 2 primary care practices at an academic health system among patients aged 20 to 75 years with at least 1 primary care visit in the past 3 years who were overdue for lipid screening.

Effective Field Theory of Conformal Boundaries.

We introduce an effective field theory (EFT) for conformal impurity by considering a pair of transversely displaced impurities and integrating out modes with mass inversely proportional to the separation distance. This EFT captures the universal signature of the impurity seen by a heavy local operator. We focus on the case of conformal boundaries and derive universal formulas from this EFT for the boundary structure constants at high energy.