Chronic pain and quality of life among people with whiplash injury in Iceland.

The purpose was to examine the participants' pain severity, pain interference, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), needs, access and use of healthcare services, and the difference between those reporting whiplash injury ( >12 months) with and without chronic pain and those without whiplash injury but with chronic pain. This is a cross-sectional cohort study. The survey was sent by email to a sample of 12,400 individuals, aged 18-78 years.

Pain and health-related quality of life among women of childbearing age in Iceland: ICEPAIN, a nationwide survey.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to assess the prevalence of both non-chronic and chronic pain among women of childbearing age and describe the impact that pain has on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods: This is a cross-sectional cohort study, and the data were collected as part of the ICEPAIN nationwide study. Participants were recruited from a randomised sample, stratified by age and residence to secure a proportional sample, by email invitation.

Molecular impact of antisense oligonucleotide therapy in C9orf72-associated ALS.

C9orf72-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (c9ALS) is caused by an intronic GC repeat expansion that leads to toxic RNA transcripts and dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs). A clinical trial using the antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) BIIB078 to target these transcripts was discontinued after failing to provide clinical benefit. Here, we determine the extent of target engagement in the central nervous system (CNS) and elucidate pharmacodynamic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers following treatment.

Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Double-Blind N-Of-1 Trial to Study Safety and Potential Efficacy of TJ-68 for Improving Muscle Cramps in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Pilot Study.

Introduction/aims: Muscle cramps are a common symptom in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Ameliorating muscle cramps may improve quality of life in devastating diseases like ALS. A traditional Japanese medicine (Kampo, TJ-68) is widely prescribed in Japan for muscle cramps.

World of ScoreCraft: Novel Multi-Scorer Experiment on the Impact of a Decision Support System in Sleep Staging.

Manual scoring of polysomnography (PSG) is a time-intensive task, prone to inter-scorer variability that can impact diagnostic reliability. This study investigates the integration of decision support systems (DSS) into PSG scoring workflows, focusing on their effects on accuracy, scoring time and potential biases toward recommendations from artificial intelligence (AI) compared to human-generated recommendations. Using a novel online scoring platform, we conducted a repeated-measures study with sleep technologists, who scored traditional and self-applied PSGs.

Place of Death in Patients with Motor Neuron Disease and the Association with Comorbidities During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: A Population-Based Analysis.

ObjectiveMotor neuron disease (MND) is a progressive neurological disorder with no known cure that damages motor neurons. The purpose of this analysis is to examine the place of death for MND patients in the United States during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to investigate the extent of specific comorbidities.MethodsWe obtained death certificate and associated comorbidities data for all U.

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Practice Variation Across 31 Centres From 20 European Countries. An AEPC Imaging Working Group Study.

Unlabelled: Despite significant advances in knowledge and the development of guidelines, the management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) remains highly variable. A structured questionnaire was circulated across European Association of Paediatric & Congenital Cardiology (AEPC) affiliated centres. The aims were to evaluate standards in pre-operative assessment, types of surgery, follow-up and medical practices in children with HLHS.

Antitumor CD4+ T Helper 1 Cells Target and Control the Outgrowth of Disseminated Cancer Cells.

Detection of disseminated cancer cells (DCC) in the bone marrow (BM) of patients with breast cancer is a critical predictor of late recurrence and distant metastasis. Conventional therapies often fail to completely eradicate DCCs in patients. In this study, we demonstrate that intratumoral priming of antitumor CD4+ T helper 1 (Th1) cells was able to eliminate the DCC burden in distant organs and prevent overt metastasis, independent of CD8+ T cells.

Long-Term Mortality in Acute Pancreatitis-A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Background: Acute pancreatitis is a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas, with a rising incidence in most countries. Recent studies have suggested that acute pancreatitis is associated with increased long-term mortality. However, the extent to which this association is influenced by the development of chronic pancreatitis or comorbid conditions, such as malignant disease, remains unclear.

Comorbidities, Endocrine Medications, and Mortality in Prader-Willi Syndrome-A Swedish Register Study.

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a rare, genetic, multi-systemic disorder. Its main characteristics are muscular hypotonia, behavioral problems, intellectual disability, endocrine deficiencies, hyperphagia, and a high risk of morbid obesity and related comorbidities. This study aimed to investigate the rate of comorbidity, prescription of endocrine medications, and mortality in individuals with PWS compared to the general population.

Exploring the complexities of chronic pain: The ICEPAIN study on prevalence, lifestyle factors, and quality of life in a general population.

Objectives: The ICEPAIN study is a longitudinal research project focused on building an extensive database on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), lifestyle, and pain among the general population in Iceland. The project started with a cross-sectional data collection and will be followed by similar data collection after 5 and 10 years from participants who have agreed to be contacted again. In this article, descriptive data on the prevalence and nature of chronic pain in the Icelandic general population will be presented in relation to sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, adverse life experiences, and HRQoL.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and the risk of thrombotic events: Results from iStopMM, a prospective population-based screening study.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is the asymptomatic precursor of multiple myeloma and related diseases but has also been associated with thrombosis. Prior studies have not been based on screened cohorts leading to bias. We assessed the risk of thrombosis in a cohort of 75 422 individuals over 40 years old who were screened for MGUS in Iceland.

The significance of free light-chain ratio in light-chain monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance: a flow cytometry sub-study of the iStopMM screening study.

Light-chain (LC) monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a precursor of multiple myeloma (MM) and related conditions. LC-MGUS is characterized by free light-chain (FLC) levels outside defined reference intervals, indirectly indicating underlying plasma cell (PC) monoclonality. Next-generation flow cytometry (NGF) was used to evaluate clonal PC presence in bone marrow (BM) samples from individuals with LC-MGUS in the iStopMM study, aiming to assess the predictive value of the FLC ratio for clonal PC presence and its prognostic implications.

Lymphatic Disorder Management in Pediatric Patients With Congenital Heart Disease in European Pediatric Cardiology Centers: Current Status, Disparities, and Future Considerations.

Background: Lymphatic disorders such as protein-losing enteropathy, plastic bronchitis, and chylothorax are important complications of the Fontan circulation and ultimately result in an increased risk of early death. Several European centers are now performing lymphatic procedures. The aim of this study is to map the extent of these lymphatic disorders and treatments provided across European pediatric cardiology centers.

Stress, burnout and coping among nurses working on acute medical wards and in the community: A quantitative study.

Background: Psychological distress can cause burnout, which affects mental and physical well-being. It is important to identify factors associated with psychological distress and physical discomfort and how nurses deal with these problems.

Aim: The aim was to investigate distress, burnout and coping among community nurses (CN) and hospital nurses (HN).

Self-Report Tool for Identification of Individuals With Coronary Atherosclerosis: The Swedish CardioPulmonary BioImage Study.

Background: Coronary atherosclerosis detected by imaging is a marker of elevated cardiovascular risk. However, imaging involves large resources and exposure to radiation. The aim was, therefore, to test whether nonimaging data, specifically data that can be self-reported, could be used to identify individuals with moderate to severe coronary atherosclerosis.

Estrogenic, androgenic, and genotoxic activities of zearalenone and deoxynivalenol in in vitro bioassays including exogenous metabolic activation.

Zearalenone (ZEN) and deoxynivalenol (DON) and their derivatives are well-known mycotoxins, which can occur not only in crops but also in water bodies, including drinking water sources. In vitro bioassays can be used to detect biological effects of hazardous compounds in water. To this, when studying biological effects and toxicity in vitro, metabolism is important to consider.

Finding the person behind caries disease: The dental caregivers' experiences of empowering patients to implement beneficial behavioral changes.

Objectives: This study aimed to elucidate dental professionals' experiences of how to empower patients at risk of developing new or additional caries to promote caries-related preventive behavioral changes.

Methods: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to qualitative content analysis. To provide credibility and high-quality data, participant recruitment followed strategic sampling.

Exploring the association between acute pancreatitis and biliary tract cancer: A large-scale population-based matched cohort study.

Background: Biliary tract cancer (BTC) often goes undetected until its advanced stages, resulting in a poor prognosis. Given the anatomical closeness of the gallbladder and bile ducts to the pancreas, the inflammatory processes triggered by acute pancreatitis might increase the risk of BTC.

Objective: To assess the association between acute pancreatitis and the risk of BTC.

Identifying Implementation Determinants and Strategies for Long-Acting Injectable Cabotegravir-Rilpivirine in People With HIV Who Are Virally Unsuppressed.

Background: Early evidence suggests long-acting injectable cabotegravir and rilpivirine (LA-CAB/RPV) may be beneficial for people with HIV (PWH) who are unable to attain viral suppression (VS) on oral therapy. Limited guidance exists on implementation strategies for this population.

Setting: Ward 86, a clinic serving publicly insured PWH in San Francisco.

Erratum: Neurofilament light chain and vaccination status associate with clinical outcomes in severe COVID-19.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.

Impact of sample acidification and extract storage on hormone receptor-mediated and oxidative stress activities in wastewater.

An underemphasized aspect of sampling strategies in effect-based in vitro testing is to determine suitable collection and preparation techniques. In the current study, the impact of sample acidification on bioactivities was assessed using in vitro bioassays for hormone receptor-mediated effects (estrogen receptor [ER] and androgen receptor [AR]) and the oxidative stress response (Nrf2 activity). Sampling was conducted at a recently upgraded Swedish wastewater treatment plant.

Immunophenotypic assessment of clonal plasma cells and B-cells in bone marrow and blood in the diagnostic classification of early stage monoclonal gammopathies: an iSTOPMM study.

Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is the earliest discernible stage of multiple myeloma (MM) and Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM). Early diagnosis of MG may be compromised by the low-level infiltration, undetectable to low-sensitive methodologies. Here, we investigated the prevalence and immunophenotypic profile of clonal (c) plasma cells (PC) and/or cB-lymphocytes in bone marrow (BM) and blood of subjects with a serum M-component from the iSTOPMM program, using high-sensitive next-generation flow cytometry (NGF), and its utility in the diagnostic classification of early-stage MG.

Determining hemodilution in diagnostic bone marrow aspirated samples in plasma cell disorders by next-generation flow cytometry: Proposal for a bone marrow quality index.

Hemodilution of bone marrow (BM) aspirates is a limitation of multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) in plasma cell disorders. There is a need for a validated approach for assessing sample quality and the distribution of non-plasma cell BM populations by MFC could provide a solution. We evaluated BM-associated cell populations, assessed by next-generation flow cytometry (NGF) and white blood cell (WBC) count in 351 BM aspirated samples from 219 participants with plasma cell disorders in the Iceland Screens, Treats, or Prevents MM study (iStopMM), as markers of hemodilution by their discriminatory ability between first and (generally more hemodiluted) second pull BM aspirated samples.