Scrub typhus associated with reactive arthritis: A case report and literature review.

Scrub typhus (tsutsugamushi disease) is an acute febrile illness caused by , often found in Asia and Oceania. The presence of an eschar, characterized by a crust, is a key diagnostic finding. Many symptoms of this disease are already known, however reactive arthritis following scrub typhus is very rare.

A Novel Telehealth Exercise Program Designed for Rural Survivors of Cancer With Cancer-Related Fatigue: Single-Arm Feasibility Trial.

Background: Exercise interventions are among the best-known interventions for cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Rural survivors of cancer, however, report specific barriers to engaging in exercise programs and lack overall access to effective programs.

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to assess the feasibility of a novel telehealth exercise program designed specifically for rural survivors of cancer with CRF.

Quality measures for the care of patients with insomnia: 2024 update after measure maintenance.

Insomnia is highly prevalent and is one of the most common sleep disorders amongst adults and children in the US. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) convened the Quality Measures Task Force (Task Force) to perform maintenance on this quality measure set, developed to optimize management and care for patients with insomnia, as the measure set was originally developed and published in 2015. The Task Force reviewed the current medical literature, including updated clinical practice guidelines and systematic literature reviews, existing quality measures, and performance data highlighting gaps or variations in care since implementation of the original quality measure set to inform any potential revisions to the quality measures.

Psilocybin Therapy for Clinicians With Symptoms of Depression From Frontline Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The psychological morbidity experienced by physicians, advanced practice practitioners (APPs), and nurses from working during the COVID-19 pandemic includes burnout, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Objective: To investigate whether psilocybin therapy could improve symptoms of depression, burnout, and PTSD in US clinicians who developed these symptoms from frontline clinical work during the pandemic.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This double-blind randomized clinical trial enrolled participants from February to December 2022.

Intrapartum Electronic Cigarette Use and Birth Outcomes: Evidence from a Population-Based Study.

The harms of combustible cigarette (CC) use in pregnancy for fetal development are well studied. Less understood are the potential impacts of newer non-combustible cigarette alternatives, including electronic cigarettes (ECs). Our goal was to examine whether EC use during pregnancy predicts increased risk of adverse birth outcomes.

Improved vascular health linked to increased physical activity levels and reduced sedentary behavior in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by deteriorated vascular health and increased cardiovascular risk. Physical activity (PA) is recommended for cardiovascular management in RA, but evidence on the associations between objectively measured PA and vascular health markers in RA is limited. In this cross-sectional study, 82 postmenopausal women with RA (62 ± 7 yr) undertook ultrasound assessments of vascular function and structure, including brachial and superficial femoral artery (BA and SFA) flow-mediated dilation; baseline and post-hyperemia peak diameters; and carotid intima-media thickness.

'I am more stressed if my infection affects others': development of a COVID-19-related stress scale in older people and examination of its validity and associations with mental health risks.

Background: COVID-19 was a collective traumatic event; however, different individuals may have perceived it differently.

Aims: This study investigated what older people in a collective culture perceived as stressful during COVID-19 and examined how different stressors related to COVID-19 infection and mental health risks.

Method: Thirty-six participants from diverse backgrounds engaged in a three-round Delphi study to generate items for a COVID-19-related stress scale for older adults (CSS-OA).

The Impact of Using Intraoperative Computed Tomography on the Number of Surgical Approaches Used for Zygomaticomaxillary Complex Repair.

Zygomaticomaxillary complex (ZMC) fractures are repaired using a variety of surgical approaches. Utilization of intraoperative computed tomography (CT) may reduce the number of surgical approaches. To compare the use of intraoperative CT for the operative repair of ZMC fractures, as measured by the number of surgical approaches.

Voice-Activated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Insomnia symptoms affect an estimated 30% to 50% of the 4 million US breast cancer survivors. Previous studies have shown the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), but high insomnia prevalence suggests continued opportunities for delivery via new modalities.

Objective: To determine the efficacy of a CBT-I-informed, voice-activated, internet-delivered program for improving insomnia symptoms among breast cancer survivors.

A Closer Look: Examining Cultural-Contextual Influences on Weight Management Through Focus Groups With Church-Going African American Women.

Chronic diseases continue to rise among African American women making lifestyle programs a critical aspect of risk reduction and disease prevention. Weight management programs often have a reduced impact among African American women compared to White women, in part due to interactions between individual, social, and environmental factors. A secondary analysis of focus group data evaluated how cultural elements and contextual factors identified by church-going African American women influence intervention design, approaches for cultural adaptation, and solutions to weight management.

Novel metabolic and lipidomic biomarkers of sarcopenia.

Background: The pathophysiology of sarcopenia is complex and multifactorial and has not been fully elucidated. The impact of resistance training and nutritional support (RTNS) on metabolomics and lipodomics in older adults with sarcopenia remains uncertain. This study aimed to explore potential biomarkers of sarcopenia and clinical indicators of RTNS in older sarcopenic adults.

Improving quality control procedures for the measurement of total daily energy expenditure using the two-point doubly labeled water method.

Rationale: The precision of the doubly labeled water (DLW) method is determined by the precision and accuracy of the isotopic measurements. Quality control (QC) procedures to mitigate sample variability require additional measurements if sample duplicates differ more than a factor of instrument precision. We explored the effect of widening QC ranges on total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) determined using the two-point sampling method.

Quality measure for screening for adult obstructive sleep apnea by primary care providers: 2024 update after measure maintenance.

Unlabelled: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent respiratory sleep disorder that, when left undiagnosed or untreated, can lead to adverse outcomes. There continue to be gaps and variations in screening adults who are high risk for OSA in the primary care setting, leading to many adults in the United States going undiagnosed. As a part of the ongoing American Academy of Sleep Medicine quality measure maintenance initiative, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Quality Measures Task Force reviewed the original screening for adult OSA by primary care physicians quality measure.

Convergent validity of time in bed estimates from activPAL and Actiwatch in free-living youth and adults.

Actiwatch devices are often used to estimate time in bed (TIB), but recently became commercially unavailable. Thigh-worn activPAL devices could be a viable alternative. We tested convergent validity between activPAL (CREA algorithm) and Actiwatch devices.

A Randomized, Crossover Trial Assessing Appetite, Energy Metabolism, Blood Biomarkers, and Ad Libitum Food Intake Responses to a Mid-Morning Pecan Snack vs. an Equicaloric High-Carbohydrate Snack in Healthy Volunteers with Overweight/Obesity.

Background: The differential effects of pecans versus other popular snack foods on appetite and blood markers of metabolism and satiety have not been well studied. This study investigated the effects of a single mid-morning snack of pecans or tortilla chips on subjective appetite, food intake, blood measures of hormones and metabolites, and resting energy expenditure.

Methods: Twenty participants with overweight and obesity were enrolled in a within-participants, randomized crossover trial.

Exploratory study of factors associated with probable respiratory sarcopenia in elderly subjects.

Background: The diagnostic criteria for respiratory sarcopenia have been recently reported. However, no studies have clarified the characteristics of skeletal muscle impairment of the limbs in subjects with respiratory sarcopenia. This study aimed to explore the factors, including skeletal muscle, associated with probable respiratory sarcopenia in elderly subjects.

Inequities Associated With Advanced Stage at Presentation of Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Importance: Social determinants of health (SDoH) are defined by a wide range of factors (eg, built environment, economic stability, education level, discrimination, racism, access to health care). Advanced stage at presentation or delayed diagnosis heavily influences health outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). While the drivers of advanced-stage presentation come from a multitude of sources, SDoH plays an outsized role.

Associations between Diabetes-Specific Medication Regimen Complexity and Cardiometabolic Outcomes among Underserved Non-Hispanic Black Adults Living with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) management and glycemic control in underserved non-Hispanic Black adults presents with multifaceted challenges: balancing the optimal complexity of antihyperglycemic medications prescribed, limited medication access due to socioeconomic status, medication nonadherence, and high prevalence of cardiometabolic comorbidities. This single-center, cross-sectional, retrospective chart analysis evaluated the association of Medication Regimen Complexity (MRC) with cardiometabolic outcomes (glycemic, atherogenic cholesterol, and blood pressure control) among non-Hispanic Black adults with type 2 diabetes. Utilizing 470 independent patient electronic health records, MRC and other covariates were examined to determine their associations with cardiometabolic outcomes.

Triple hormone receptor agonist retatrutide for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: a randomized phase 2a trial.

Retatrutide is a novel triple agonist of the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide 1 and glucagon receptors. A 48-week phase 2 obesity study demonstrated weight reductions of 22.8% and 24.

Trends of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance at the Ho Teaching Hospital in Ghana.

Background: Tuberculosis remains a major public health threat worldwide, causing significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In recent years, efforts to combat tuberculosis have focused on strengthening healthcare systems and increasing access to diagnostics and treatment services. There is scarcity of data on the prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in the Volta region of Ghana.

Community and Healthcare Perspectives on Implementing Hypertension Interventions for a Multiethnic Safety-Net Population.

Objective: To synthesize community and healthcare informants' perspectives on contextual considerations and tailoring recommendations for high-quality, sustainable implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) for managing hypertension (HTN) in a multiethnic safety-net population.

Design: Structured focus-group discussions and semistructured qualitative interviews.

Background: High-quality, sustainable implementation of HTN-related EBPs can promote equitable care.