Stress in Family Caregivers of Children with Chronic Health Conditions: A Case-Control Study.

Objectives: This study analyzed the stress experienced by family caregivers of children with special healthcare needs and identified associated factors.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted with the "cases" being caregivers of children with chronic conditions and the "controls" being caregivers of healthy children. Recruitment was carried out via social media and complemented by snowball sampling.

The Impact of a Creativity Camp Intervention on Depression and Well-Being in Adolescents.

Depression is a serious public health problem that often emerges during adolescence. Many adolescents do not respond to standard treatments, necessitating the development of novel interventions. We conducted a preliminary study to assess the impact of a novel creative arts intervention on depression and well-being in adolescents.

Optimizing the measurement of sample entropy in resting-state fMRI data.

Introduction: The complexity of brain signals may hold clues to understand brain-based disorders. Sample entropy, an index that captures the predictability of a signal, is a promising tool to measure signal complexity. However, measurement of sample entropy from fMRI signals has its challenges, and numerous questions regarding preprocessing and parameter selection require research to advance the potential impact of this method.

An in vitro study using confocal laser scanning microscopy to evaluate the marginal misfits of different implant-supported frameworks.

Purpose: This study aimed to develop and evaluate a simple, non-destructive method for assessing the misfit and passivity of implant-retained prostheses frameworks.

Materials And Methods: To simulate the rehabilitation of a mandible posterior partially edentulous area using 3-unit screw-retained frameworks supported by two implants were fabricated and divided into the following five groups (n = 10 in each group): OP = one-piece framework cast in Co-Cr with the conventional method (control-group); Co-Cr frameworks sectioned and welded by laser (=LAS) or tungsten inert gas (=TIG); Co-Cr CAD-CAM = milled Co-Cr framework; Zir CAD-CAM = milled zirconia framework. The horizontal |X| and vertical |Y| misfits were measured using confocal laser scanning microscopy with one or both screws tightened.

Biomarkers of stress in caregivers of children with special health care needs: A protocol for systematic review.

Background: Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) require greater attention from family caregivers as they present temporary or permanent physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional issues. This demand for care generates overload and stress among family caregivers. So far, there is no study that gathers the available literature regarding the use of biomarkers to assess stress among caregivers of CSHCN.

Journey to Transplant: Developing a social support network counselling intervention to improve kidney transplantation.

Context: Kidney transplant is superior to dialysis for the treatment of end-stage kidney disease, but accessing transplant requires high patient engagement to overcome barriers. We sought to develop an educational counselling intervention for patients along with their social support networks to help patients access the waiting list.

Methods: Utilizing an Intervention Mapping approach, we established a conceptual framework to develop a behavioural intervention that can be reproduced across kidney transplant centres.

Inhibition of mTOR signaling and clinical activity of metformin in oral premalignant lesions.

BACKGROUNDThe aberrant activation of the PI3K/mTOR signaling circuitry is one of the most frequently dysregulated signaling events in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Here, we conducted a single-arm, open-label phase IIa clinical trial in individuals with oral premalignant lesions (OPLs) to explore the potential of metformin to target PI3K/mTOR signaling for HNSCC prevention.METHODSIndividuals with OPLs, but who were otherwise healthy and without diabetes, underwent pretreatment and posttreatment clinical exam and biopsy.

Management of intraoral stents for radiotherapy during COVID-19 pandemic.

Radiotherapy is being performed in many situations as a curative approach for head and neck cancer instead of surgery due to the current novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. A recent publication reported that even hypofractionation was being conducted in order to reduce the daily exposure of both patients and the medical staff involved in cancer therapies. As a result, dental teams may be requested more frequently than usual to fabricate intraoral stents (IOS).

Identifying Needs and Barriers to Engage Family Members in Transplant Candidate Care.

Introduction: Friends and family members provide critical support to patients on the waitlist for deceased donor kidney transplantation. However, little is known about how best to support and engage them effectively to improve patient outcomes.

Methods: We conducted 5 focus groups with the family members of patients on the waitlist for a deceased donor kidney (n=23) to identify individual- and group-level targets for an intervention.

Comparing Pretransplant and Posttransplant Outcomes When Choosing a Transplant Center: Focus Groups and a Randomized Survey.

Background: In response to calls for an increased focus on pretransplant outcomes and other patient-centered metrics in public reports of center outcomes, a mixed methods study evaluated how the content and presentation style of new information influences decision-making. The mixed methods design utilized qualitative and quantitative phases where the strengths of one method help address limitations of the other, and multiple methods facilitate comparing results.

Methods: First, a series of organ-specific focus groups of kidney, liver, heart, and lung patients helped to develop and refine potential displays of center outcomes and understand patient perceptions.

How patients choose kidney transplant centers: A qualitative study of patient experiences.

Little is known about how patients make the critical decision of choosing a transplant center. In the United States, acceptance criteria, waiting times, and mortality vary significantly by geography and center. We sought to understand patients' experiences and perspectives when selecting transplant centers.

Bovine leptospirosis: Prevalence, associated risk factors for infection and their cause-effect relation.

Leptospirosis is a cosmopolitan infectious disease that causes severe reproductive disorders in cattle, especially those related to abortion. This disease has rodents as main reservoirs; however, cattle are responsible for maintenance of the disease. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with infection and cause-effect relation of leptospirosis in dairy herds from Southern of Brazil.

Characterization of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

Background: Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a recently recognized nonneoplastic mast cell disease driving chronic multisystem inflammation and allergy, appears prevalent and thus important. We report the first systematic characterization of a large MCAS population.

Method: Demographics, comorbidities, symptoms, family histories, physical examination and laboratory findings were reviewed in 298 retrospective and 115 prospective patients with MCAS.