Participatory Modeling for High Complexity, Multi-System Issues: Challenges and Recommendations for Balancing Qualitative Understanding and Quantitative Questions.

Community stakeholder participation can be incredibly valuable for the qualitative model development process. However, modelers often encounter challenges for participatory modeling projects focusing on high-complexity, synergistic interactions between multiple issues, systems, and granularity. The diverse stakeholder perspectives and volumes of information necessary for developing such models can yield qualitative models that are difficult to translate into quantitative simulation or clear insight for informed decision-making.

Parathyroid Hormone Fluctuations During Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery.

Objective: Stress hormone levels such as cortisol and epinephrine increase with general anesthesia (GA) and surgery. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) has been shown to increase with GA in those undergoing parathyroidectomy (PT) with abnormal parathyroid function, but there are conflicting reports of it in those with normal parathyroid function. In this study, we aim to determine the effects of anesthetic and surgical stress on those with abnormal parathyroid function undergoing PTs as well as those with normal parathyroid function undergoing unilateral/total thyroidectomies (UTs/TTs).

Comparison of Ultrasound Energy Delivered to the Anterior Segment Across Different Phacoemulsification Surgical Platforms.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to use calorimetry to understand the difference in energy transferred by three phacoemulsification surgical platforms to the eye.

Patients And Methods: A phacoemulsification tip was lowered into a double-walled calorimeter filled with distilled water. The foot pedal was depressed for 30 seconds and the change in temperature of the water was measured by a temperature probe.

Lifetime Postnatal Exposure to Perfluoroalkyl Substance Mixture and DNA Methylation at Twelve Years of Age.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposure has been linked to DNA methylation changes in neonates and adults. We previously reported that prenatal PFAS exposure may have a durable impact on DNA methylation from birth to adolescence. However, few studies have examined the association of postnatal PFAS exposure with alterations in DNA methylation.

Insights into psychological characteristics of persons (not) agreeing to use an e-coach-application to reduce elevated Internet Use Disorder tendencies.

The present work aims to shed light on the question of whether certain psychological characteristics go along with choosing an e-coach offer to support healthy Internet use when reporting elevated Internet Use Disorder (IUD) tendencies. Data were from a large-scale stepped care approach study to treat persons with varying degrees of IUD tendencies. Recruitment for advertising the download of a smartphone app included social media, videos by influencers, paid ads, TV, radio, newspapers, workshops, and vocational schools.

Prevalence of cannabidiol use and correlates in U.S. adults.

Background: Cannabidiol (CBD) use has been increasing for its putative therapeutic potential for various health conditions. Research using a nationally representative sample is needed to examine characteristics of CBD users.

Methods: Data came from the adult sample (N=47,100) of the 2022 U.

Timing of vitrectomy for treatment of endophthalmitis after intravitreal anti-VEGF injection: a systematic literature review of case reports and series.

Objective: To perform a systematic literature review analyzing visual outcomes of immediate, early, and delayed vitrectomy in the treatment of acute endophthalmitis after intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections.

Methods: We conducted a literature search using the Ovid Medline, Embase.com, and Web of Science databases, and relevant articles were selected from original English papers published from 2005 to 2021.

Teleguided photocoagulation treatments across continents with a remotely programmed laser for retinal diseases.

Diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusion represent two prevalent vision-threatening retinal diseases. Retinal laser therapy still plays an important role in treating these conditions, but its successful administration often requires referral to specialized centers and retina experts. It is, therefore, essential to develop a new treatment methodology that enables patients to benefit from the expertise of specialists from reference centers.

Green synthesis of Ag-Fe bimetallic nanoparticles using fungal filtrates: unlocking multifunctional medical and environmental applications.

The current investigation focuses on synthesizing Ag-Fe bimetallic nanoparticles (AgFe-BMNPs) using cell-free filtrates of the as a novel fungal reducing agent. The optical, morphological, and surface properties of these fungus-fabricated AgFe-BMNPs and their monometallic counterparts (AgNPs and FeNPs) were analyzed using sophisticated nanotechnology instruments. The UV-visible spectrum showed peaks at 231 nm and 415 nm for BMNPs and 450 nm and 386 nm for AgNPs and FeNPs, respectively.

Assessing Health Disparities in Digital Services and Technologies During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Analysis Using HINTS Data.

Introduction: Digital health techniques were adopted faster during COVID-19, but the gap remains. This study analyzes how the digital gap affected pandemic patient portal uptake during and after. Patient portals improve physician connections and patient health information access, increasing health outcomes.

Child Death and Mothers' Subsequent Mental Health in a High-Mortality African Community.

Despite declines in child mortality rates, experiencing a child death remains a common feature of motherhood in many contemporary African populations. Yet, we lack population insights into the consequences of child death for mothers' well-being in the high-mortality regions where it concentrates. Contrasting an extensive psychology literature on the severe and long-lasting consequences of child death for parents in low-mortality settings, a long-standing thesis in multiple social science literature is that the normativity of child death in high-mortality settings can lead to a numbing effect-muting parents' reactions to child loss.

Confirming Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Induction in the Endovascular Puncture Mouse Model.

Background And Purpose: Experimental studies of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) using the endovascular perforation model routinely use either cerebral blood flow (CBF) or intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring to confirm SAH induction. We designed this study to test the hypothesis that contralateral CBF is a better marker of SAH induction than ipsilateral CBF.

Methods: Sixty-eight adult C57BL/6J mice were subjected to endovascular perforation.

Direct observation of small molecule activator binding to single PR65 protein.

The reactivation of heterotrimeric protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) through small molecule activators is of interest to therapeutic intervention due to its dysregulation, which is linked to chronic conditions. This study focuses on the PP2A scaffold subunit PR65 and a small molecule activator, ATUX-8385, designed to bind directly to this subunit. Using a label-free single-molecule approach with nanoaperture optical tweezers (NOT), we quantify its binding, obtaining a dissociation constant of 13.

The Association Between Patient-Level Factors and Physical Function in Lung Transplant Recipients.

Purpose: Despite the dramatic improvement in pulmonary function after lung transplantation, lung transplant recipients often have reduced physical function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations between physical function and a wide range of patient-level factors among lung transplant recipients to allow researchers and healthcare providers to identify and better understand contributors to poor physical function.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of lung transplant recipients enrolled in Lung Transplant Go (LTGO), a randomized, controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a telerehabilitation behavioral exercise intervention on physical function.

Examining the prevention approach in National Dementia Plans from European and North American countries.

Objectives: This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of National Dementia Plans (NDPs) from selected European and North American countries, focusing on the distinct prevention strategies outlined and the approaches employed for reducing dementia risk.

Method: The sample consisted of 16 NDPs from Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA. These NDPs were retrieved from the Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) database, with regular updates checked on official governmental websites.

A Qualitative Study of First HIV Test Experiences Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents.

Introduction: This qualitative study examined adolescents' first experiences with HIV testing.

Methods: Data were collected from April 2018 to October 2020 as part of an HIV prevention and sex education intervention; SGM adolescents ( = 175) answered open-ended questions regarding experiences with their first HIV test and advice for other adolescents seeking HIV testing. Data were analyzed through inductive content analysis.

"See Me as Human:" Reflections on an Experiential Curriculum Led by People With Lived Experience of Incarceration.

Improving physical and mental healthcare delivery to incarcerated patients and people with carceral histories provides an opportunity to improve health equity more broadly. This article provides a medical curriculum perspective led by the firsthand narratives of two women with lived expertise of incarceration in collaboration with interdisciplinary health professions students and faculty. Together we state that recognizing the humanity of individuals with carceral involvement precedes the ability to provide ethical or equitable healthcare: this humanity begins with students and the community sharing places and spaces together.

Characterization of bleeding in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in the precaplacizumab era: a retrospective nationwide analysis.

Background: The addition of caplacizumab to immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (iTTP) treatment options has led to a renewed interest in characterizing the epidemiology and risk factors for bleeding in iTTP. Limited data exist on the bleeding risk in iTTP due to systemic underreporting in earlier cohorts.

Objectives: To describe the incidence, patterns, and predictors of bleeding in hospitalized iTTP patients independent of caplacizumab use.

Predictors of county-level diabetes-related mortality risks in Florida, USA: a retrospective ecological study.

Background: Diabetes is an increasingly important public health problem due to its socioeconomic impact, high morbidity, and mortality. Although there is evidence of increasing diabetes-related deaths over the last ten years, little is known about the population level predictors of diabetes-related mortality risks (DRMR) in Florida. Identifying these predictors is important for guiding control programs geared at reducing the diabetes burden and improving population health.

Delta-Beta Coupling in Adolescents with Depression: A Preliminary Examination of Associations with Age, Symptoms, and Treatment Outcomes.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective in treating adolescent depressive symptoms but with variable treatment response. Heterogeneity in treatment outcome may be due in part to individual differences in cognitive and emotional processes in depressed adolescents, and there is a need to identify biomarkers associated with symptoms and treatment outcomes. There has been growing interest in leveraging electroencephalography (EEG) data to examine correspondence between multiple frequency bands, and delta-beta coupling in particular is thought to underlie emotion regulation and offers a promising biomarker in adolescent depression.

The impact of mutations on the clinical outcome and immune response following immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer.

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is predicted to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030. This is driven by a high case-fatality rate with most patients even with radiologically localized PDAC at diagnosis ultimately relapsing with metastatic disease. mutations present in 90% to 95% of PDAC drive these poor statistics through its role in driving cellular growth, inhibition of apoptosis, and immunosuppression.

Periorbital necrobiotic xanthogranuloma resolved with three years of systemic lenalidomide treatment.

Purpose: To describe a case report of the successful management of necrobiotic xanthogranuloma (NXG), a rare periorbital disease.

Observations: A 61-year-old patient presented with bilateral upper and lower lid lesions which were initially misdiagnosed as xanthelasmas and later confirmed to be NXG. Further investigation also uncovered a diagnosis of multiple myeloma.

Psychometric testing of the cross-culturally adapted Thai version of the Self-Care Self-Efficacy Scale version 3.0 in individuals with chronic illnesses.

Objective: To assess the psychometric properties of the Thai version of the Self-Care Self-Efficacy Scale version 3.0 (SCSES-v3.0) in individuals with chronic illnesses.

APPLICATIONS OF MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMMING TO GENETIC BIOCONTROL.

We review existing approaches to optimizing the deployment of genetic biocontrol technologies-tools used to prevent vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue-and formulate a mathematical program that enables the incorporation of crucial ecological and logistical details. The model is comprised of equality constraints grounded in discretized dynamic population equations, inequality constraints representative of operational limitations including resource restrictions, and an objective function that jointly minimizes the count of competent mosquito vectors and the number of transgenic organisms released to mitigate them over a specified time period. We explore how nonlinear programming (NLP) and mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) can advance the state of the art in designing the operational implementation of three distinct transgenic public health interventions, two of which are presently in active use around the world.