Oral healthcare visits among sexual minority adolescents ages 14-18, 2019, USA.

Objective: Health disparities persist among sexual minority (SM) adolescents (i.e., bisexual, lesbian/gay) compared to heterosexual adolescents, however, research is limited on oral health.

Assessing the wellbeing of family caregivers of multimorbid and homebound older adults-A scoping literature review.

Background: The prevalence of homebound older adults in the United States more than doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic with greater burden on family caregivers. Higher caregiver burden, more specifically higher treatment burden, contributes to increased rates of nursing home placement. There exist a multitude of tools to measure caregiver well-being and they vary substantially in their focus.

Gestational hypoxia in late pregnancy differentially programs subcortical brain maturation in male and female rat offspring.

Background: Hypoxia is associated with pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia, placental abruption, and gestational sleep apnea. Hypoxic insults during gestation can impact the brain maturation of cortical and subcortical pathways, such as the nigrostriatal pathway. However, the long-term effects of in utero hypoxic stress exposure on brain maturation in offspring are unclear, especially exposure during late gestation.

Health information-seeking behavior among Congolese refugees.

Background: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the extent to which Congolese refugees seek health information, to identify and assess the resources used while exercising Health Information-Seeking Behavior (HISB), and to identify individual determinants that affect their HISB.

Methodology: Building Bridges program participants who resided in Texas between 2017-2020, reported country of origin as Democratic Republic of Congo, and responded to HISB questions were included in this study. Four HISB questions asked about frequency seeking health information, preferred source and perceived trustworthiness of source, and frequency worrying about their health.

Stretch stress propels glutamine dependency and glycolysis in optic nerve head astrocytes.

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy that leads to irreversible blindness, the most common subtype of which is typified by a chronic increase in intraocular pressure that promotes a stretch injury to the optic nerve head. In rodents, the predominant glial cell in this region is the optic nerve head astrocyte that provides axons with metabolic support, likely by releasing lactate produced through astrocytic glycolysis. Our primary hypothesis is that stretching of the optic nerve head astrocytes alters their metabolic activity, thereby advancing glaucoma-associated degeneration by compromising the metabolic support that the astrocytes provide to the axons in the optic nerve head.

Obesity Stratification Predicts Short-Term Complications After Parastomal Hernia Repair.

Introduction: While previous studies have documented adverse outcomes among obese patients undergoing ventral and inguinal hernia repairs, there is a lack of literature regarding the impact of obesity on parastomal hernia (PSH) repair. This retrospective study aims to determine the value of obesity stratification in predicting postoperative complications in patients undergoing PSH repair.

Materials And Methods: Outcomes of elective PSH repairs from 2010 to 2020 in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database were analyzed.

The effect of long-term opioid use on back-specific disability and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain.

Context: Opioids are commonly utilized for the treatment of chronic pain. However, research regarding the long-term (≥12 months) outcomes of opioid therapy remains sparse.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effects of long-term opioid therapy on measures of back-specific disability and health-related quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain.

Alcohol use among Congolese Babembe male refugees in Tarrant County: A qualitative study.

Background: Refugees are at high risk of alcohol abuse due to experiences in their country of origin, transit camps, and in host countries. Congolese have been the largest group of refugees resettled in the US since 2016 and Babembe represent one of the largest Congolese refugee sub-groups. There is a growing body of literature highlighting substance abuse among refugees resettled in the US, but little is known about Congolese Babembe.

Optimizing chronic pain management through patient engagement with quality of life measures: a randomized controlled trial.

Context: Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) represents a new approach for guiding chronic pain management because it is patient-centered and more likely to be understood and accepted by patients.

Objectives: To assess the value and utility of an eHealth intervention for patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) that was primarily based on HRQOL measures and to measure the clinical outcomes associated with its use.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted within the Pain Registry for Epidemiological, Clinical, and Interventional Studies and Innovation (PRECISION Pain Research Registry) using participants screened from November 2019 through February 2021.

Analysis of the mutation dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 genome in the samples from Georgia State of the United States.

Background: The COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which started from China. It spread rapidly throughout the world and was later declared a pandemic by the WHO. Over the course of time, SARS-CoV-2 has mutated for survival advantages, and this led to multiple variants.

Effectiveness of an intervention to overcome influenza vaccine hesitancy in specialty clinic patients.

Background: Individuals on immunosuppressive therapies experience greater morbidity and mortality due to vaccine-preventable illnesses, but there are low rates of adherence to immunization guidelines within this population.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of clinician-led education, patient-centered dialogue, and immediately available immunization on influenza vaccination uptake in patients taking immunosuppressive therapies.

Method: We used a controlled before-and-after quasi-experimental design to evaluate our quality improvement intervention occurring from September 2019 to March 2020, with follow-up through July 2020.

Exosomes facilitate intercellular communication between uterine perivascular adipose tissue and vascular smooth muscle cells in pregnant rats.

Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) is distinct from other adipose depots, as it has differential gene and protein profiles and vasoactive functions. We have shown that pregnancy affects the morphology of PVAT surrounding the uterine arteries (utPVAT) differentially than the morphology of nonperivascular reproductive adipose depots (i.e.

A Focal Impact Model of Traumatic Brain Injury in Tadpoles Reveals Behavioral Alterations, Neuroinflammation, and an Astroglial Response.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a global driver of disability, and we currently lack effective therapies to promote neural repair and recovery. TBI is characterized by an initial insult, followed by a secondary injury cascade, including inflammation, excitotoxicity, and glial cellular response. This cascade incorporates molecular mechanisms that represent potential targets of therapeutic intervention.

Shifting the Standard of Beauty: Beginning of the Body Inclusive Model.

Background: While the American standard of beauty idolizes unattainable thinness, social media exposure has been instrumental in crafting a more inclusive perception of beauty.

Methods: Using several websites with public data on models, we gathered body measurements and characteristics of both plus-size and the overall top 10 paid mainstream models. We then collected social media data for these models using the social media analytics tool called Social Blade.

Establishing Equivalent Aerobic Exercise Parameters Between Early-Stage Parkinson's Disease and Pink1 Knockout Rats.

Background: Rodent Parkinson's disease (PD) models are valuable to interrogate neurobiological mechanisms of exercise that mitigate motor impairment. Translating these mechanisms to human PD must account for physical capabilities of the patient.

Objective: To establish cardiovascular parameters as a common metric for cross-species translation of aerobic exercise impact.

Cross-Sectional Study of Osteopathic General Surgeons in University-Based General Surgery Departments.

Introduction: Discrepancy between osteopathic (DO) and allopathic (MD) graduates in general surgery spans across all levels of training. In this cross-sectional study, we characterized DO surgeons who serve as faculty at university-based general surgery departments.

Methods: Overall, 106 university-based surgery departments were reviewed.

A review of musculoskeletal adaptations in individuals following major lower-limb amputation.

Structural musculoskeletal adaptations following amputation, such as bone mineral density (BMD) or muscle architecture, are often overlooked despite their established contributions to gait rehabilitation and the development of adverse secondary physical conditions. The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of the existing literature investigating musculoskeletal adaptations in individuals with major lower-limb amputations to inform clinical practice and provide directions for future research. Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for original peer-reviewed studies that included individuals with transtibial or transfemoral amputations.

A Rare Presentation of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma in an Immunocompetent Patient.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) that can develop in the brain, spinal cord, leptomeninges, and vitreoretinal space. The majority of cases are diffuse large B-cell lymphomas. Risk factors include immune dysfunction, prior Epstein-Barr viral infection, HIV, and a family history of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Scleritis in Lyme Disease.

Purpose: To estimate the incidence of scleritis in Lyme disease and report clinical features.

Design: Incidence rate estimate and case series.

Methods: Data were collected from an electronic medical record on patients with scleritis presenting to the Wilmer Eye Institute between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2020.

‘The chances are zero’: a qualitative study on perceived susceptibility to pregnancy among women experiencing homelessness.

Background: Women experiencing homelessness are at higher risk of unintended pregnancy than women stably housed. The way women perceive their susceptibility to pregnancy may contribute to effective contraceptive use. This study aimed to explore how women experiencing homelessness perceive their susceptibility to pregnancy with and without contraception from a qualitative, emic perspective.