The Challenges Associated with : Barriers to Implementing Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions in ABA Settings.

Unlabelled: Naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) supports early social communication skills in young autistic children. Given their emphasis on child-led learning opportunities, NDBI is thought to be a socially valid approach to autism early intervention. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) practices could be an ideal setting to increase access to NDBIs for young autistic children; however, current ABA services continue to rely primarily on structured and adult-led approaches to teaching, including discrete trial training (DTT), which have been criticized for their intensity, limitations in skill generalization, and possible harms.

Perceptions of Machine Learning among Therapists Practicing Applied Behavior Analysis: A National Survey.

Unlabelled: Collecting data and logging behaviors of clients who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy sessions can be challenging in real time, especially when the behaviors require a rapid response, like self-injury or aggression. Little information is available about the automation of data collection in ABA therapy, such as through machine learning (ML). Our survey of ABA therapists nationally revealed mixed levels of familiarity with ML and generally neutral responses to statements endorsing the benefits of ML.

Competing risks regression for clustered data with covariate-dependent censoring.

Competing risks data in clinical trial or observational studies often suffer from cluster effects such as center effects and matched pairs design. The proportional subdistribution hazards (PSH) model is one of the most widely used methods for competing risks data analyses. However, the current literature on the PSH model for clustered competing risks data is limited to covariate-independent censoring and the unstratified model.

Device-assisted strategies for drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier to treat glioblastoma.

The blood-brain barrier, essential for protecting the central nervous system, also restricts drug delivery to this region. Thus, delivering drugs across the blood-brain barrier is an active research area in immunology, oncology, and neurology; moreover, novel methods are urgently needed to expand therapeutic options for central nervous system pathologies. While previous strategies have focused on small molecules that modulate blood-brain barrier permeability or penetrate the barrier, there is an increased focus on biomedical devices-external or implanted-for improving drug delivery.

Durable disease regression with copanlisib treatment in PI3K-mutated metastasizing ameloblastoma: A case report.

Ameloblastoma is a rare tumor arising from odontogenic cells that is benign, yet locally aggressive. Metastasizing ameloblastoma (METAM) is an ultra-rare ameloblastoma variant in which both primary and secondary tumors have histological features of benign ameloblastoma. This is a case report of a patient who presented with a jaw mass and subsequent lung metastases, later diagnosed as METAM.

Atypical Presentation of Andersen-Tawil Syndrome: Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection without Periodic Paralysis or Dysmorphic Features.

Background: Andersen-Tawil syndrome (ATS) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by variants in the gene. It is associated with periodic paralysis, dysmorphic features and cardiac arrhythmias. The syndrome exhibits incomplete penetrance, leading to a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, making diagnosis challenging.

A Rare Case of Limited Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis Presenting as Bilateral Parotitis.

Background: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) is a rare autoimmune vasculitis affecting small and medium-sized vessels, commonly involving the respiratory tract and kidneys. Salivary gland involvement, particularly bilateral parotitis, is an uncommon presentation of GPA.

Case Report: We report the case of a 38-year-old Asian male who presented with left ear pain and parotid swelling after a water park visit.

Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome (SOS) Associated with Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy.

Unlabelled: Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) is a distinctive and potentially fatal form of hepatic injury that mainly occurs after hematopoietic-stem cell transplantation but also due to many other conditions including drug or toxin exposure. Recently, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionised the treatment of many solid organ malignancies. Furthermore, as their use has become more widespread, rare toxicities have emerged.

Risk for Ocular Hypertension With Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implants in Black and White Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema.

To compare the effects of intravitreal (IVT) 0.7 mg dexamethasone implants on the intraocular pressure (IOP) in Black patients and White patients with diabetic macular edema (DME). A retrospective cohort study was performed of Black patients and White patients with DME who received dexamethasone implants with 12 or more months of follow-up.

Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Burden in Patients With Lower Household Incomes vs Higher Household Incomes.

To assess the differences in measures of diabetic retinopathy (DR) disease burden between patients in high-income vs low-income ZIP codes when presenting to retina specialists. This retrospective cohort study comprised patients who presented to a retina specialist at Duke Eye Center between 2014 and 2023 for the management of DR. The quartile of patients with the highest income was compared with the quartile with the lowest income.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy of the Taking Care of Us Intervention for Couples Living With Heart Failure.

Background And Objectives: Despite the significant impact of heart failure on both members of the care dyad, few interventions focus on optimizing the health of the dyad. The current study examined the feasibility and acceptability of the novel Taking Care of Us (TCU) program with mid-late-life couples living with heart failure and explored preliminary efficacy.

Research Design And Methods: This NIH Stage I study used a 2-arm randomized controlled trial with pretest-post-test design and an additional 5-month follow-up to compare TCU with an educational counseling attention-control condition.

The association of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio with metabolic syndrome in U.S. Adults: Findings from the 1999-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination survey.

Background: Identifying and treating metabolic syndrome (MetS) early is of great importance, as MetS portends numerous negative health outcomes. Identifying an inexpensive, readily available inflammatory biomarker that accurately predicts MetS could be of use to clinicians.

Methods: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and MetS in U.

The association between underlying conditions, risk factors, risk markers, and post-COVID conditions ≥6 months after COVID-19: A systematic review.

Introduction: While various demographic factors and underlying medical conditions are associated with the development of post-COVID conditions within a month after SARS-CoV-2 infection, less is known about factors associated with post-COVID symptoms that persist for 6 months or more. The aim of this review was to determine the association between underlying conditions, other risk factors, health behaviors, and the presence of symptoms ≥6 months after COVID-19.

Methods: Studies reporting on post-COVID symptoms were searched in databases, including Medline, EMBASE, Global Health, PsycInfo, Scopus, CINAHL, Proquest, and WHO COVID-19 literature, from the beginning of the pandemic until November 2022.

Algorithm-informed treatment from EEG patterns improves outcomes for patients with major depressive disorder.

Objective: Selecting the right medication for major depressive disorder (MDD) is challenging, and patients are often on several medications before an effective one is found. Using patient EEG patterns with computer models to select medications is a potential solution, however, it is not widely performed. Therefore, we evaluated a commercially available EEG data analysis system to help guide medication selection in a clinical setting.

Tele-medicine and its impact on academic medical centers: A narrative review.

Telemedicine is a potential complementary modality with remarkable benefits for future healthcare delivery when incorporated appropriately. This review article examines the importance of telemedicine in various types of healthcare facilities and its utility in remote and underserved settings. PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Embase databases were used for the literature review.

Evaluation of medicine use behaviors of adult patients in a rural area: A cross-sectional study from Turkey.

Background/purpose: This study aimed to determine the medicine usage behaviors of patients (>65 years) registered to the family health care center (FHCC) in a rural area.

Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was performed on 224 geriatric patients admitted to the FHCC in Terme town of Samsun between January 2018 and March 2018. The questionnaire consisting of 29 questions about sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of drugs, and usage habits was applied to the participants by using the face-to-face interview technique.

3D-Printable Elastomers for Real-Time Autonomous Self-Healing in Soft Devices.

Photocurable self-healing elastomers are promising candidates for producing complex soft devices that can mend damage. However, the practicality of these materials is limited by reliance on external stimuli, custom synthesis, manual realignment, and multihour healing cycles. This paper introduces a tough 3D-printable hybrid acrylate/thiol-ene elastomer (prepared with commercially available precursors) that exhibits nearly instantaneous damage repair in the absence of external stimuli.

Family Planning and Concerns of Unfair Treatment of (Potential) Children Among Partnered Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals.

People with sexual minority (SM) identities are less likely to aspire to be parents than their heterosexual counterparts. This differential may be due to concerns by SM people about their child(ren) encountering prejudice or discrimination. The objective of this study is to empirically examine whether SM respondents' rationales for not having children are due to concerns that their child(ren) will be treated unfairly.

Development of a single port dual arm robotically steerable endoscope for neurosurgical applications.

Single-port surgical robots have gained popularity due to less patient trauma and quicker post-surgery recovery. However, due to limited access provided by a single incision, the miniaturization and maneuverability of these robots still needs to be improved. In this paper, we propose the design of a single-port, dual-arm robotically steerable endoscope containing one steerable major cannula and two steerable minor cannulas.

Plains Zebras Prioritize Foraging Without Sacrificing Social Bonds During a Severe Drought.

Anthropogenically induced climate change has significantly increased the frequency of acute weather events, such as drought. As human activities amplify environmental stresses, animals may be forced to prioritize survival over behaviors less crucial to immediate fitness, such as socializing. Yet, social bonds may also enable individuals to weather the deleterious effects of environmental conditions.

Seasonal Variation in Home Range Sizes and Daily Distance to Ephemeral Surface Water for African Savannah Elephant () in Eastern Okavango Panhandle, Northern Botswana.

African elephants () are megaherbivores of the African savannas requiring extensive ranges that can provide critical resources for their survival and reproduction at different spatiotemporal scales. We studied seasonal differences in home range sizes and daily distance to the nearest surface water sources by five male and 10 female African elephants in the eastern Okavango Panhandle in northern Botswana between 2014 and 2017. We hypothesized that (i) elephant home ranges would be larger in the wet than in the dry season (because critical resources tend to be less localized in the wet than in the dry season), (ii) the daily distance of the elephants to the nearest ephemeral surface water sources would be larger in the dry than in the wet season because many of the ephemeral water sources would be dry in the dry season and elephants would start moving towards permanent water sources such as rivers, and lastly (iii) that the differences in elephant home ranges and daily distance to water would differ between sexes.

Uncovering Diversity within the Glomeromycota: Novel Clades, Family Distributions, and Land Use Sensitivity.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, phylum Glomeromycota) are essential to plant community diversity and ecosystem functioning. However, increasing human land use represents a major threat to native AMF globally. Characterizing the loss of AMF diversity remains challenging because many taxa are undescribed, resulting in poor documentation of their biogeography and family-level disturbance sensitivity.

Genetic Variation in Male Mate Choice for Large Females in .

Males in many species show courtship and mating preferences for certain females over others when given the choice. One of the most common targets of male mate choice in insects is female body size, with males preferring to court and mate with larger, higher-fecundity females and investing more resources in matings with those females. Although this preference is well-documented at the species level, less is known about how this preference varies within species and whether there is standing genetic variation for male mate choice within populations.

Phenotypic Sorting of Pink Salmon Hatchery Strays May Alleviate Adverse Impacts of Reduced Variation in Fitness-Associated Traits.

Maladapted immigrants may reduce wild population productivity and resilience, depending on the degree of fitness mismatch between dispersers and locals. Thus, domesticated individuals escaping into wild populations is a key conservation concern. In Prince William Sound, Alaska, over 700 million pink salmon () are released annually from hatcheries, providing a natural experiment to characterize the mechanisms underlying impacts to wild populations.

Electric vehicle adoption delivers public health and environmental benefits.

Image 1.