Evaluating health status and risks among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in Hawai'i: a respondent-driven sampling approach.

Purpose: Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) is a sampling method that relies on social networks to recruit hard-to-reach populations, and reduces the bias from non-random selection. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of RDS in collecting health assessment data from underrepresented populations not captured by traditional sampling techniques.

Methods: An RDS study was conducted in Hawai'i between 2017 and 2018 of Native Hawaiians, Chuukese, and Marshallese participants.

The effects of physician stigma and hesitancy with opioids on patient pain care in the United States: A survey study.

Objectives: Determine if physician stigma toward patients with chronic pain or opioid use disorder or physician hesitancy prescribing opioids adversely affects patient pain care. Explore the demographics associated with stigma and hesitancy.

Design: Survey, 25 questions.

SARS-CoV-2-induced cytokine storm drives prolonged testicular injury and functional impairment in mice that are mitigated by dexamethasone.

Compromised male reproductive health, including reduced testosterone and sperm count, is one of the long COVID symptoms in individuals recovering from mild-severe disease. COVID-19 patients display testicular injury in the acute stage and altered serum fertility markers in the recovery phase, however, long-term implications on the testis remain unknown. This study characterized the consequences of SARS-CoV-2 on testis function.

PRECIS-2 used as an implementation science tool for global environmental health: A cross-sectional evaluation of the Ecolectivos study protocol to reduce burning of household plastic waste in rural Guatemala.

Background: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluate the efficacy of an intervention remain underutilized in community-based environmental health research. RCTs that use a pragmatic design emphasize the effectiveness of interventions in complex, real world settings. Pragmatic trials may be especially relevant when community-based interventions address social and environmental determinants that threaten health equity.

Efficacy of Revisional Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy.

Background: Recurrent weight gain after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is common. Revisional endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (r-ESG) has been shown to be a promising endoscopic bariatric therapy (EBT) to treat weight recurrence after LSG. However, to date, weight loss outcomes beyond 1-year follow-up are unknown.

Traditional online and live-streaming dual-channel strategies and pricing policies.

This study examines the pricing policies and the dual-channel strategies in a two-tier supply chain where a manufacturer distributes products through a retailer and considers the opening of a traditional direct online channel or a live-streaming sales channel The manufacturer has three sales modes, i.e., traditional retail channel only, opening a traditional direct online channel and opening a live-streaming direct sales channel, to consider.

Practices and preferences in the use of magnification among endodontists and restorative dentists: A multicentre study.

Background And Objectives: Aim of the current study was to assess the perception, preference, and practice of endodontists and restorative dentists at different locations around the world about dental magnification instruments.

Materials And Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was ethically approved from the local committee of bioethics. After thorough literature search, a questionnaire was designed and validated.

The gag-like gene RTL8 antagonizes PEG10-mediated virus like particles.

PEG10 is a retroelement-derived Mart-family gene that is necessary for placentation and has been implicated in neurological disease. PEG10 resembles both retrotransposon and retroviral proteins and forms virus-like particles (VLPs) that can be purified using iodixanol ultracentrifugation. It is hypothesized that formation of VLPs is crucial to the biological roles of PEG10 in reproduction and neurological health.

Neck circumference cutoff point as a predictor of metabolic syndrome in Brazilian rural workers.

Neck circumference (NC) is a predictive measure for the diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome (MS). The aim of the present study was to establish cutoff points for NC as a predictor of the presence of MS in Brazilian rural workers, based on the MS components according to the IDF and NCEP-ATP III criteria. This is a cross-sectional study carried out with rural workers in the municipality of Santa Maria de Jetibá, in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil.

Effects of the pan-caspase inhibitor Q-VD-OPh on human neutrophil lifespan and function.

Human neutrophils are abundant, short-lived leukocytes that turn over at a rate of approximately 1011 cells/day via a constitutive apoptosis program. Certain growth factors, inflammatory mediators and infectious agents can delay apoptosis or induce neutrophils to die by other mechanisms. Nonetheless, a large body of data demonstrates that apoptosis of untreated neutrophils typically ensues within 24 hours of cell isolation and in vitro culture.

Parental effects provide an opportunity for coral resilience following major bleaching events.

Identifying processes that promote coral reef recovery and resilience is crucial as ocean warming becomes more frequent and severe. Sexual reproduction is essential for the replenishment of coral populations and maintenance of genetic diversity; however, the ability for corals to reproduce may be impaired by marine heatwaves that cause coral bleaching. In 2014 and 2015, the Hawaiian Islands experienced coral bleaching with differential bleaching susceptibility in the species Montipora capitata, a dominant reef-building coral in the region.

The burden of generational harm due to alcohol use in Tanzania: A mixed method study of pregnant women.

Background: Rates of prenatal alcohol use in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are increasing despite regulatory bodies urging pregnant women to abstain from alcohol. Tanzania has minimal policies, interventions, and educational programs addressing prenatal alcohol exposure. Consequently, a considerable number of mothers and their fetuses are exposed to alcohol, leading to serious health consequences like fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

N-Acetyl cysteine exhibits antimicrobial and anti-virulence activity against Salmonella enterica.

Salmonella enterica is a common foodborne pathogen that causes intestinal illness varying from mild gastroenteritis to life-threatening systemic infections. The frequency of outbreaks due to multidrug-resistant Salmonella has been increased in the past few years with increasing numbers of annual deaths. Therefore, new strategies to control the spread of antimicrobial resistance are required.

Bioinformatics analysis of myelin-microbe interactions suggests multiple types of molecular mimicry in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a devastating autoimmune disease that leads to the destruction of the myelin sheath in the human central nervous system (CNS). Infection by viruses and bacteria has been found to be strongly associated with the onset of MS or its severity. We postulated that the immune system's attack on the myelin sheath could be triggered by viruses and bacteria antigens that resemble myelin sheath components.

Evaluation of keratometric and total corneal astigmatism measurements from optical biometers and anterior segment tomographers and mapping to reconstructed corneal astigmatism vector components.

Purpose: To investigate different measures for corneal astigmatism in the context of reconstructed corneal astigmatism (recCP) as required to correct the pseudophakic eye, and to derive prediction models to map measured corneal astigmatism to recCP.

Methods: Retrospective single centre study of 509 eyes of 509 cataract patients with monofocal (MX60P) IOL. Corneal power measured with the IOLMaster 700 keratometry (IOLMK), and Galilei G4 keratometry (GK), total corneal power (TCP2), and Alpin's integrated front (CorT) and total corneal power (CorTTP).

Burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults aged 70 years and older, 1990-2021: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

Background: Life expectancy at age 70 has continued to rise globally over the past 30 years. However, a comprehensive assessment of the burden of COPD in older adults is lacking. We aimed to estimate the burden of COPD and its attributable risk factors among adults aged ≥70 years.

Shared governance increases marine protected area effectiveness.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely used to conserve and manage coastal resources. Protected areas are governed by a variety of institutional arrangements, yet little is known concerning the relative performance of different governance approaches. This research draws upon a unique dataset that combines details on the reported International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) governance categories of 217 global MPAs and their ecological outcomes to compare the performance of alternative governance arrangements.

Marital and living status and biological ageing trajectories: a longitudinal cohort study with a 20-year follow-up.

Biomarkers of ageing (BA) can predict health risks beyond chronological age, but little is known about how marital/living status affects longitudinal changes in BA. We examined the association between marital/living status and BA over time using the-Swedish-Adoption/Twin-Study-of-Aging (SATSA) cohort. Four BAs were analyzed: telomere length (TL) (638 individuals; 1603 measurements), DNAmAge (535 individuals; 1392 measurements), cognition (823 individuals; 3218 measurements), and frailty index (FI) (1828 individuals; 9502 measurements).

Essential tremor with tau pathology features seeds indistinguishable in conformation from Alzheimer's disease and primary age-related tauopathy.

Neurodegenerative tauopathies are characterized by the deposition of distinct fibrillar tau assemblies, whose rigid core structures correlate with defined neuropathological phenotypes. Essential tremor (ET) is a progressive neurological disorder that, in some cases, is associated with cognitive impairment and tau accumulation. In this study, we explored tau assembly conformation in ET patients with tau pathology using cytometry-based tau biosensor assays.

BUILDing SCHOLARS: A program exemplar at a Hispanic serving institution to develop biomedical researchers.

The student development initiatives of the BUILDing SCHOLARS Center at The University of Texas at El Paso comprise a program intended to prepare undergraduate students to enter and succeed in advanced graduate and professional biomedical degree programs, ultimately contributing to the diversity of the biomedical research workforce. The program adopted the Johnson/Bozemann Asset Bundles model, which recommends addressing five areas necessary to support minority students as they prepare for and continue towards scientific careers: a) educational endowments, b) science socialization, c) network development, d) family expectations and e) material resources. Through a variety of activities, which included a minimum of two years of research training, all five asset bundles were integrated into the program.

Creativity research in medicine and nursing: A scoping review.

Background: Creativity fuels societal progress and innovation, particularly in the field of medicine. The scientific study of creativity in medicine is critical to understanding how creativity contributes to medical practice, processes, and outcomes. An appraisal of the current scientific literature on the topic, and its gaps, will expand our understanding of how creativity and medicine interact, and guide future research.

Evaluating racial disparities in cancer patient-provider communication about cannabis in a state without a legal cannabis marketplace.

Purpose: Cancer survivors in a state with no legal access to cannabis may be hesitant to discuss their cannabis use with providers, particularly in light of legal consequences which disproportionately affect certain racial groups. This study examined potential racial disparities in the relationship of cannabis use status with patient-provider discussions of and attitudes toward cannabis in a state where there is no legal cannabis marketplace.

Methods: Survivors of cancer (N = 1003, M = 62.

Survival machine learning methods for mortality prediction after heart transplantation in the contemporary era.

Although prediction models for heart transplantation outcomes have been developed previously, a comprehensive benchmarking of survival machine learning methods for mortality prognosis in the most contemporary era of heart transplants following the 2018 donor heart allocation policy change is warranted. This study assessed seven statistical and machine learning algorithms-Lasso, Ridge, Elastic Net, Cox Gradient Boost, Extreme Gradient Boost Linear, Extreme Gradient Boost Tree, and Random Survival Forests in a post-policy cohort of 7,160 adult heart-only transplant recipients in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) database who received their first transplant on or after October 18, 2018. A cross-validation framework was designed in mlr.

Barriers and facilitators to conducting human subjects research at a safety net institution from the perspective of researchers.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic revealed glaring problems with clinical research enterprise. Faced with crisis, several trials opened rapidly but enrolled homogenous populations with few Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals. Inclusive trial enrollment is important to inspire trust and confidence in BIPOC populations that have been historically excluded or harmed from research and to improve the generalizability of research findings.

Ascertaining provider-level implicit bias in electronic health records with rules-based natural language processing: A pilot study in the case of prostate cancer.

Purpose: Implicit, unconscious biases in medicine are personal attitudes about race, ethnicity, gender, and other characteristics that may lead to discriminatory patterns of care. However, there is no consensus on whether implicit bias represents a true predictor of differential care given an absence of real-world studies. We conducted the first real-world pilot study of provider implicit bias by evaluating treatment parity in prostate cancer using unstructured data-the most common way providers document granular details of the patient encounter.