Evidence synthesis of health policy and systems research in rehabilitation: a protocol for Cochrane overviews of systematic reviews on delivery, governance, financial arrangements, and implementation strategies.

Cochrane Rehabilitation and the World Health Organization (WHO) Rehabilitation Program are collaborating to produce four Cochrane overviews of systematic reviews that synthesize the current evidence from health policy and systems research (HPSR) in rehabilitation. They will focus on the four pillars of HPSR identified by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care (EPOC) taxonomy: delivery arrangements, financial arrangements, governance arrangements, and implementation strategies. The protocol describes why HPSR is currently needed in rehabilitation, provides detailed information on the four EPOC pillars in interaction with rehabilitation and reports the Cochrane methods that will be followed to produce the overviews.

From isolation to detection, advancing insights into endothelial matrix-bound vesicles.

Matrix-bound vesicles (MBVs), an integral part of the extracellular matrix (ECM), are emerging as pivotal factors in ECM-driven molecular signaling. This study is the first to report the isolation of MBVs from porcine arterial endothelial cell basement membranes (A-MBVs) and thyroid cartilage (C-MBVs), the latter serving as a negative control due to its minimal vascular characteristics. Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Nano-Tracking Analysis (NTA), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), we orthogonally characterized the isolated MBVs.

Not-so-normal hearing: Temporary hearing changes lead to chronic difficulties for listeners with "normal" audiometric thresholds.

Hearing loss has historically been mainly associated with elevated pure-tone thresholds. However, in recent years, there has been increased interest in addressing the hearing difficulties reported by individuals with normal hearing thresholds. In this study, we measured hearing thresholds, noise history, temporary threshold shift history, and hearing difficulty for a sample of 10,492 Service Members.

Decoupled responses of soil microbial diversity and ecosystem functions to successive degeneration processes in alpine pioneer community.

Many alpine ecosystems are undergoing vegetation degradation because of global changes, which are affecting ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. The ecological consequences of alpine pioneer community degradation have been less studied than glacial retreat or meadow degradation in alpine ecosystems. We document the comprehensive responses of microbial community characteristics to degradation processes using field-based sampling, conduct soil microcosm experiments to simulate the effects of global change on microorganisms, and explore their relationships to ecosystem functioning across stages of alpine pioneer community degradation.

Astrocytic HIV-1 Nef Expression Decreases Glutamate Transporter Expression in the Nucleus Accumbens and Increases Cocaine-Seeking Behavior in Rats.

Background/objectives: Cocaine use disorder is an intersecting issue in populations with HIV-1, further exacerbating the clinical course of the disease and contributing to neurotoxicity and neuroinflammation. Cocaine and HIV neurotoxins play roles in neuronal damage during neuroHIV progression by disrupting glutamate homeostasis in the brain. Even with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), HIV-1 Nef, an early viral protein expressed in approximately 1% of infected astrocytes, remains a key neurotoxin.

Standardization for Data Generation and Collection in the Dairy Industry: Addressing Challenges and Charting a Path Forward.

Standards for data generation and collection are important for integration and for achieving data-driven actionable insights in dairy farming. Data integration and analysis are critical for advancing the dairy industry, enabling better decision-making, and improving operational efficiencies. This commentary paper discusses the challenges of and proposes pathways for standardizing data generation and collection based on insights from a multidisciplinary group of stakeholders.

DNA Repair Capacity and Clinicopathological Characteristics in Puerto Rican Hispanic/Latino Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) accounts for 22% of the new cases diagnosed in Hispanic/Latino (H/L) men in the US. PCa has the highest incidence (38.3%) and mortality (16.

Community Training Institute for Health Disparities: Outcomes of a Formal Opportunity for Community Capacity Building to Increase Health Equity in Southern Puerto Rico.

Integration of the community into health research through community-engaged research has proven to be an essential strategy for reducing health inequities. It brings significant benefits by addressing community health concerns and promoting active community participation in research. The Community Training Institute for Health Disparities (CTIHD) was established to support this integration based on Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) principles.

Adaptive Evolutionary Optimization of Deep Learning Architectures for Focused Liver Ultrasound Image Segmentation.

Liver ultrasound segmentation is challenging due to low image quality and variability. While deep learning (DL) models have been widely applied for medical segmentation, generic pre-configured models may not meet the specific requirements for targeted areas in liver ultrasound. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is emerging as a promising tool for liver fat measurement; however, accurately segmenting regions of interest within liver ultrasound images remains a challenge.

Assessing cardiovascular disease risk and social determinants of health: A comparative analysis of five risk estimation instruments using data from the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network.

Background: Accurate assessment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is crucial for effective prevention and resource allocation. However, few CVD risk estimation tools consider social determinants of health (SDoH), despite their known impact on CVD risk. We aimed to estimate 10-year CVD risk in the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network Cohort Study (ECS) across multiple risk estimation instruments and assess the association between SDoH and CVD risk.

Associations Between Ambient PM and Thyroid Hormones in Pregnant Persons in Puerto Rico.

Introduction: This study investigates associations between fine particulate air pollution (PM) exposure and thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy in Puerto Rican individuals, a vulnerable population facing socioeconomic and environmental disparities.

Methods: This research draws on data from the PROTECT cohort study and involves 1040 participants to measure the effect of PM on developmentally important thyroid hormones (TSH, T3, T4, and FT4). Pollution concentrations were linked to participant locations using EPA air quality data and analyzed across two visits during gestational weeks 16-20 and 24-28.

An Open-Source 3D Printed Three-Fingered Robotic Gripper for Adaptable and Effective Grasping.

This research focuses on the design of a three-finger adaptive gripper using additive manufacturing and electromechanical actuators, with the purpose of providing a low-cost, efficient, and reliable solution for easy integration with any robot arm for industrial and research purposes. During the development phase, 3D printing materials were employed in the gripper's design, with Polylactic Acid (PLA) filament used for the rigid mechanical components and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) for the flexible membranes that distribute pressure to the resistive force sensors. Stress analysis and simulations were conducted to evaluate the performance of the components under load and to gradually refine the design of the adaptive gripper.

Powering well-being: Energy independence and mental health in a zone of ongoing disasters.

The archipelago of Puerto Rico has faced multiple natural disasters, including hurricanes and earthquakes, disrupting the mental health and daily lives of its residents. These disasters, combined with socio-political abandonment, have led to the deterioration of the electrical grid, exacerbating health disparities. This study aimed to explore the linkages between natural and structural disasters, mental health, and energy independence in Puerto Rico.

After the storm, the calm never came: Hurricane Maria-related stressors and PTSD symptoms among Puerto Rican youth.

Objective: Youth may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a hurricane. Triaging of mental health services is crucial to effectively deliver trauma-focused interventions following natural disasters. Given the increased likelihood of hurricanes due to the current climate crisis, this study sought to examine the dose-response effect between hurricane-related stressors and PTSD, identify a cumulative stressor cutoff score based on the number of hurricane-related stressors experienced, and identify important individual hurricane-related stressors in explaining PTSD symptoms among youth.

Chemical structure-biological activity of 1,4-naphthoquinone analogs as potential Aedes aegypti larvicides.

Background: 1,4-Naphthoquinone compounds have shown pesticidal activity against Aedes aegypti larvae, a key vector of diseases such as dengue and Zika. However, limited knowledge of their structure-activity relationships has hindered their optimization for pesticide development. This study investigates the structure-activity relationships of 1,4-naphthoquinone, particularly 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and its derivatives.

The 2022 ADEA Climate Study in U.S. and Canadian Dental Schools and Allied Dental Programs: Methodological Considerations.

Objectives: From January 2020 to the end of August 2020, preliminary research gathered data about the need for and the feasibility of an ADEA-led joint Climate Study of dental schools and allied dental programs in the United States and Canada. Informed by these findings, the first ever ADEA-led joint Climate Study took place in 2022. The objectives of this manuscript were to describe the timeline of this climate study and provide information about its methodology, specifically about (a) who participated in this research, (b) what was assessed, (c) how the study was conducted, and (d) how the results were communicated.

Putting seedlings on the map: Trade-offs in demographic rates between ontogenetic size classes in five tropical forests.

All species must partition resources among the processes that underly growth, survival, and reproduction. The resulting demographic trade-offs constrain the range of viable life-history strategies and are hypothesized to promote local coexistence. Tropical forests pose ideal systems to study demographic trade-offs as they have a high diversity of coexisting tree species whose life-history strategies tend to align along two orthogonal axes of variation: a growth-survival trade-off that separates species with fast growth from species with high survival and a stature-recruitment trade-off that separates species that achieve large stature from species with high recruitment.

Hereditary angioedema: patient healthcare experiences within underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in the United States.

Background: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare disorder in which unpredictable angioedema attacks significantly impact patient quality of life (QoL). There is limited information regarding patient experiences and perspectives of HAE management within underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.

Objective: To gain insight into the experiences and perspectives of medical care and treatment for HAE among underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in the US.

Sex Differences in Long COVID.

Importance: A substantial number of individuals worldwide experience long COVID, or post-COVID condition. Other postviral and autoimmune conditions have a female predominance, but whether the same is true for long COVID, especially within different subgroups, is uncertain.

Objective: To evaluate sex differences in the risk of developing long COVID among adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Vancomycin AUC-Dosing Initiative at a Regional Antibiotic Stewardship Collaborative.

Background: Antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) are multidisciplinary teams that optimize anti-infective use across health systems. The Veterans Health Administration mandates all facilities to implement ASPs and requires the development of ASP collaboratives in its regional Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs).

Observations: The Veterans Affairs Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8) serves > 1.

Pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in high-risk, early-stage, ER/HER2 breast cancer: a randomized phase 3 trial.

Addition of pembrolizumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by adjuvant pembrolizumab improved outcomes in patients with high-risk, early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer. However, whether the addition of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab to chemotherapy would improve outcomes in high-risk, early-stage, estrogen receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER/HER2) breast cancer remains unclear. We conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study (KEYNOTE-756) in which patients with previously untreated ER/HER2 grade 3 high-risk invasive breast cancer (T1c-2 (≥2 cm), cN1-2 or T3-4, cN0-2) were randomly assigned (1:1) to neoadjuvant pembrolizumab 200 mg or placebo Q3W given with paclitaxel QW for 12 weeks, followed by four cycles of doxorubicin or epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide Q2W or Q3W.

Incompatible Aedes aegypti male releases as an intervention to reduce mosquito population-A field trial in Puerto Rico.

Mosquito-transmitted viruses such as dengue are a global and growing public health challenge. Without widely available vaccines, mosquito control is the primary tool for fighting the spread of these viruses. New mosquito control technologies are needed to complement existing methods, given current challenges with scalability, acceptability, and effectiveness.

Being in the minority boosts in-group love:Explanations and boundary conditions.

People appreciate members of their in-group, and they cooperate with them-tendencies we refer to as in-group love. Being a member of a minority (vs. majority) is a common experience that varies both between groups in a context and within a group between contexts, but how does it affect in-group love? Across six studies, we examined when and why .