Buprenorphine and postpartum contraception utilization among people with opioid use disorder: a multi-state analysis.

Background: The postpartum period provides an opportunity for birthing people with opioid use disorder (OUD) to consider their future reproductive health goals. However, the relationship between the use of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and contraception utilization is not well understood. We used multistate administrative claims data to compare contraception utilization rates among postpartum people with OUD initiating buprenorphine (BUP) versus no medication (psychosocial services receipt without MOUD (PSY)) in the United States (US).

Stakeholder perspectives on facilitators and barriers to implementing a zero-dollar copay program for chronic conditions study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) remains a pressing public health concern. Despite advancements in antidiabetic medications, suboptimal medication adherence persists among many individuals with T2D, often due to the high cost of medications. To combat this issue, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (Blue Cross) introduced the $0 Drug Copay (ZDC) program, providing $0 copays for select drugs.

Threshold-effect of ferritin levels with pathoglycemia in Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study based on China health and nutrition survey data.

Background: The present study aimed to explore the threshold-effect association of serum ferritin levels with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes mellitus in Chinese adults.

Methods: A total of 8365 people from CHNS a cross-sectional survey in 2009 were finally included. The biomarker data, including major cardiovascular biomarkers and important nutrition biomarkers were collected.

Beyond symptom reduction: Veterans' goals for posttraumatic stress disorder treatment.

Despite a varied selection of available trauma-focused evidence-based psychotherapies (TF-EBPs) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), few veterans receive a full course of an evidence-based treatment. A better understanding of and alignment with veterans' PTSD treatment goals could be one way to improve treatment engagement and adherence, consistent with veteran-oriented care within the U.S.

Assessment of the functional and health-related needs of patients with metastatic breast cancer prior to initiation of cancer treatment.

Purpose: To identify needs of metastatic breast cancer patients prior to starting a new systemic treatment.

Methods: Fifty patients with newly diagnosed, recurrent, or progressive metastatic breast cancer completed an electronic survey which included patient-reported outcome measures of function (PROMIS Cancer Function Brief 3D profile), quality of life (FACT-G), exercise (Godin Leisure-Time exercise questionnaire), and diet (REAP-S); demographic information; and self-reported use of or referral to specific resources at the cancer center prior to beginning a new systemic oncologic treatment.

Results: Prior to starting a new treatment for metastatic breast cancer, patients reported mild functional impairment (PROMIS Cancer Function Brief 3D profile mean score:42.

Evaluating medical learners' experiences with health literacy at a southeastern medical school.

Background: Health literacy (HL) is crucial for making informed health decisions. Over one-third of US adults have limited HL, leading to adverse health outcomes. Despite its importance, HL education lacks standardization in medical training.

Organizational Determinants to Hypertension Management: Adapting a Health Equity Framework to Examine Processes at Two Academic Health Systems.

Background: Hypertension management is a national priority. However, hypertension control rates are suboptimal and vary across clinics, even among those in the same health system and geographic region.

Objective: To identify organizational barriers and facilitators that impact hypertension management at the provider, clinic, and health system level.

Computational modeling design of novel NMDAR agonist for the treatment of Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a complex, chronic mental disorder characterized by positive symptoms (such as delusions and hallucinations), negative symptoms (including anhedonia, alogia, avolition, and social withdrawal), and cognitive deficits (affecting attention, processing speed, verbal and visuospatial learning, problem-solving, working memory, and mental flexibility). Extensive animal and clinical studies have emphasized the NMDAR hypofunction hypothesis of SZ. Glycine plays a crucial role as an agonist of NMDAR, enhancing the receptor's affinity for glutamate and supporting normal synaptic function and plasticity, that is, signal transmission between neurons.

Spatiotemporal crash outliers are also noteworthy: evidence from 13 years of pedestrian-vehicle crashes in North Carolina.

Introduction: Previous research usually focused on high-frequency crash clusters (surrounded by high-frequency crashes), which overlooked outlier locations where high-frequency crashes were surrounded by low-frequency crashes. Neglecting spatiotemporal outliers might overlook critical factors for safety improvements.

Methods: Using pedestrian-vehicle crash data in North Carolina from 2007 to 2019, this study proposes an enhanced spatiotemporal analysis framework (combined with Approximate Nearest Neighbour and the Global Moran I index) to distinguish spatiotemporal crash outliers from aggregated/dispersed patterns.

Optimizing diabetes management interventions for Black and Hispanic adults using the multiphase optimization strategy: Protocol for a randomized mixed methods factorial trial.

Background: Black and Hispanic adults with diabetes are more likely to experience diabetes complications and die from diabetes compared to non-Hispanic whites. This disparity may be due to medication adherence being negatively affected by social determinants of health (SDOH) and negative beliefs about diabetes and diabetes medicines. Pharmacist delivered medication therapy management (MTM) improves clinical outcomes.

Identifying Predictors of Spatiotemporal Variations in Residential Radon Concentrations across North Carolina Using Machine Learning Analytics.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas derived from the decay of uranium in the Earth's crust. Radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the US. Radon infiltrates homes through soil and building foundations.

Hyaluronan Directs Alveolar Type II Cell Response to Acute Ozone Exposure in Mice.

Becoming more frequent due to climate change, ozone (O) exposures can cause lung injury. Alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells and hyaluronan (HA), a matrix component, are critical to repairing lung injury and restoring homeostasis. Here, we define the impact of HA on AT2 cells following acute O exposure.

Tubal Sterilization And Vasectomy Increased Among US Young Adults After The Supreme Court Decision In 2022.

Young adults' access to contraception is shifting after the June 2022 United States Supreme Court decision. This concurrent mixed-methods study measured young adults' use of and perceptions about tubal sterilization and vasectomy after the leaked opinion in May 2022. Using national-level medical claims data from IQVIA, we conducted difference-in-differences analyses of tubal sterilizations and vasectomies by age and state policy; using open-text survey responses from national MyVoice surveys in 2022 and 2023, we thematically analyzed young adults' perspectives.

Emergency care knowledge, utilization, and barriers in Northern Tanzania: A community-based survey.

Background: Emergency care systems are critical to improving care for time-sensitive emergency conditions. The growth and development of these systems in Sub-Saharan Africa is becoming a priority. Layperson knowledge and recognition of emergency symptoms and subsequent care-seeking behavior are key to achieving timely access to care and appropriate treatment.

Expanding first-line options for depression: Protocol of a pragmatic comparative effectiveness trial of yoga vs. behavioral activation (the COMPARE study).

Depression is a prevalent mental health condition in the United States and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The treatment guidelines for depression recommends either psychotherapy, such as behavioral activation (BA), or a second-generation antidepressant as a first-line treatment for adult patients with depression. However, many individuals with depression do not experience improvement from first-line treatments or choose not to engage in them due to stigma, cost, difficulty with access, and/or side effects.

Revising the definition of "demand satisfied for modern methods of family planning:" A cross-sectional study to explore incorporating person-centered constructs of demand, choice, and satisfaction.

Several challenges to validity have been identified with standard approaches used to measure "demand satisfied for modern methods of family planning." This study explored construct validity of the widely used indicator for "demand satisfied" by comparing the standard definition to alternative definitions of the indicator highlighting dimensions of women's own perceived demand, choice, and satisfaction. This cross-sectional study of women aged 15-49 years was conducted in Argentina (n = 1492), Ghana (n = 1600), and India (n = 1702) using a two-staged random sampling design.

Telehealth equity and access communication skills pilot simulation for practicing clinicians.

Objectives: This pilot study evaluated a telehealth training simulation program for practicing clinicians, specifically focused on addressing patient issues of equity and access to healthcare via improving telehealth communication.

Methods: Participants participated in a one-hour simulation experience with two cases. Performance was assessed pre- and post-intervention using a checklist measuring communication domains related to equity and access in telehealth.

Metallo-azapeptides: Controlled Metal Chelation to Peptide Backbone Nitrogen.

We present the first approach to controlled metal chelation of peptide backbones, where the anchoring site is an aza-amino acid nitrogen and the directionality of chelation events is dictated by the acidity of neighboring NHs. Selective backbone chelation precludes the need for metal-binding side chains and/or free - or -termini in peptides. We show that the presence and location of an aza-amino acid impact complex formation and report the first X-ray crystal structures of azapeptides bound to palladium and nickel.

EUS-Guided Gastroenterostomy for Benign Gastric Outlet Obstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) is a clinical manifestation of mechanical obstruction at the antropyloric region or proximal small bowel. The goal of endoscopic management is to relieve the obstruction so patients can resume per oral intake. Most studies have focused on malignant causes of GOO; yet only a handful have explored outcomes related to benign etiologies.

Production of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus Through High-Cell-Density Transfection of HEK293 Cells Based on Fed-Perfusion Culture.

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-associated gene therapy has been increasingly promising, in light of the drugs progressed to clinical trials or approved for medications internationally. Therefore, scalable and efficient production of recombinant AAV is pivotal for advancing gene therapy. Traditional methods, such as the triple-plasmid transfection of human embryonic kidney 293 cells in suspension culture, have been widely employed but often hampered by low unit yield.

Discrimination, Violence, Mental Health, and Substance Use by Age and Cancer History Among LGBTQ+ Individuals.

Young adult (YA) LGBTQ+ cancer survivors face inequities and unmet needs that impact their well-being. However, the impact of age and cancer among LGBTQ+ individuals have not been adequately assessed. The North Carolina LGBTQ+ Health Needs Assessment survey, conducted at local Pride events, aimed to collect data to describe the well-being of LGBTQ+ people in NC.

Predicting and Ranking Diabetic Ketoacidosis Risk among Youth with Type 1 Diabetes with a Clinic-to-Clinic Transferrable Machine Learning Model.

To use electronic health record (EHR) data to develop a scalable and transferrable model to predict 6-month risk for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)-related hospitalization or emergency care in youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D). To achieve a sharable predictive model, we engineered features using EHR data mapped to the T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative's (T1DX-QI) data schema used by 60+ U.S.