Where Do We Stand?: Antiracism in Health Science Education in 2024.

Before 2020, health science education rarely addressed systemic racism in its curricula, scholarly publications, or policies. This lack of recognition contributed to ongoing health disparities. Public health and nursing were the first fields to directly address the issue at a professional organization level and through scholarly investigation; other professions took minimal significant action.

A mixed methods study exploring barriers and facilitators to secondary-care nurses discussing smoking cessation with patients: phase 1 of the Think Quit Study.

Background: Tobacco smokers have increased hospital admissions and experience more health complications compared to those who do not smoke. As such, admission to hospital presents an opportunity for intervention. Nurses play a fundamental role in health promotion, and are well positioned to implement and deliver smoking cessation interventions, but barriers exist.

Human Cytomegalovirus Immune Evasion of Natural Killer Cells: A Virus for All Seasons?

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous member of the herpesvirus family, of significant clinical importance, and highly adapted to its host, resulting from millions of years of co-evolution. As a result, the virus systematically subverts almost all aspects of antiviral immune defence to successfully establish a lifelong persistent infection, and in the process, dramatically reshapes the phenotype and function of host immunity to both HCMV and other diseases. Natural killer (NK) cells are a critical component of successful herpesvirus control.

Parents' Cigarette Purchases during COVID-19: Evidence from NielsenIQ Consumer Panel Data.

Introduction: While national sales of cigarettes increased by 14% during the first months of COVID-19, we do not yet know which households bought more cigarettes. This study illustrates which households bought more cigarettes during COVID-19 and examines whether changes were related to parental status and race/ethnicity.

Methods: Using 2019 and 2020 NielsenIQ consumer panel data on US households, a cohort study using fixed-effects regressions was conducted to test for changes within households in the probability of purchasing any cigarettes, and the number of cigarettes, before and after the onset of the pandemic.

Dam prepartum skeletal muscle reserves and supplementation with branched-chain volatile fatty acids during late gestation influence calf birth weight and calf muscle metabolic activity.

Dairy cattle mobilize skeletal muscle in the periparturient period to close energy and metabolizable protein gaps due to the high demands of the growing fetus and milk production. The objective of this study was to determine if the amount of dam prepartum muscle reserves and branched-chain volatile fatty acids (BCVFA) supplementation affected calf birth weight, calf circulating AA, calf semitendinosus muscle metabolic activity, and colostrum composition. We hypothesized that calves born to dams with higher prepartum muscle reserves and supplemented with BCVFA would be heavier, have greater muscle mass as determined by circulating creatinine, and have higher muscle metabolic activity compared with calves born to low-muscle dams not supplemented with BCVFA.

Measuring Outcomes for Community Partner Engagement: The Case of the High-Fidelity Wraparound Program for Pediatric Type 1 Diabetes.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to describe the processes for convening and engaging an advisory board to guide the conduct of a research study of the Type 1 Diabetes Wraparound Program (T1DWP) and associated outcomes.

Research Design And Methods: We recruited a diverse advisory board ( = 21) consisting of youth with type 1 diabetes, parents/advocates, and health system partners. The board met monthly over 2 years to discuss all phases of the T1DWP study.

Percutaneous Transluminal Venous Angioplasty for Neurogenic Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Background: To characterize the effects of percutaneous transluminal venous angioplasty (PTVA) on relieving the symptoms of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (nTOS).

Methods: Charts of 1,194 consecutive nTOS patients from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed. A total of 887 patients found adequate relief with conservative physical therapy, whereas 307 patients failed physical therapy and underwent diagnostic venography.

Mite Domatia and Associated Mite Density in a North American Eastern Deciduous Forest in Michigan.

Mite-plant defense mutualisms are among the most common defense mutualisms in the world-yet studies providing basic information on their prevalence in plant communities remain rare. Here, we systematically surveyed common woody plants in a North American deciduous forest for the presence of plant-mite mutualistic interactions. We scored 16 common woody species in a wooded natural area for the presence and number of mite domatia-small structures on the underside of plant leaves that are known to house mutualistic mites.

GLP-1 and the Neurobiology of Eating Control: Recent Advances.

Obesity is now considered a chronic relapsing progressive disease, associated with increased all-cause mortality that scales with body weight, affecting more than 1 billion people worldwide. Excess body fat is strongly associated with excess energy intake, and most successful anti-obesity medications (AOMs) counter this positive energy balance through the suppression of eating to drive weight loss. Historically, AOMs have been characterized by modest weight loss and side effects which are compliance-limiting, and in some cases life-threatening.

Impact of Intracellular Proteins on μ-Opioid Receptor Structure and Ligand Binding.

Chronic pain is a prevalent problem affecting approximately one out of every five adults in the U.S. The most effective way to treat chronic pain is with opioids, but they cause dangerous side effects such as tolerance, addiction, and respiratory depression, which makes them quite deadly.

HER-2 directed therapies across gastrointestinal tract cancers - A new frontier.

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are common and in the metastatic setting they have a poor prognosis. The current mainstay of treatment of GI cancers is chemotherapy; however, the biomarker-directed treatment landscape is evolving. HER-2 is overexpressed in a portion of GI cancers and is an emerging target for therapy, with recent FDA tumor agnostic approval for trastuzumab deruxtecan.

Treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Adolescents and Adults with Down Syndrome: Results from a Scoping Rapid Review.

Purpose: Adolescents and adults with Down syndrome are noted to display symptoms and behaviors consistent with a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. While evidenced-based interventions, including psychopharmacology and therapeutic interventions including exposure and response prevention, exist and effectively treat obsessive-compulsive symptoms in neurotypical populations, less is known about effective treatments for similar presentations in persons with Down syndrome.

Methods: A scoping rapid review was conducted in April 2023 to determine what treatments are being used to target obsessive-compulsive symptoms and related behaviors in adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, the quality of those treatments, and their alignment with current evidenced-based interventions.

The state of anxiety treatments for adolescents and adults down syndrome: Results from a scoping rapid review.

Adolescents and adults with Down syndrome are noted to display symptoms consistent with various anxiety disorders. While evidenced-based practices, including psychotherapies and psychopharmacology, exist and effectively treat anxiety in neurotypical populations, less is known about anxiety treatments for persons with Down syndrome. A scoping rapid review was conducted in April 2023 to determine what treatments are being used to target anxiety in adolescents and adults with Down syndrome, the quality of those treatments, and their alignment with current evidence-based practices.

Alterations in GLP-1 and PYY release with aging and body mass in the human gut.

The lining of our intestinal surface contains an array of hormone-producing cells that are collectively our bodies' largest endocrine cell reservoir. These "enteroendocrine" (EE) cells reside amongst the billions of absorptive epithelial and other cell types that line our gastrointestinal tract and can sense and respond to the ever-changing internal environment in our gut. EE cells release an array of important signalling molecules that can act as hormones, including glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) which are co-secreted from L cells.

A randomized, controlled, prehabilitation intervention to maximize early recovery (PRIMER) in liver transplantation.

Frailty and impaired functional status are associated with adverse outcomes on the liver transplant (LT) waitlist and after transplantation. Prehabilitation prior to LT has rarely been tested. We conducted a 2-arm patient-randomized pilot trial to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a 14-week behavioral intervention to promote physical activity prior to LT.

COVID-19 in Western Australia: 'The last straw' and hopes for a 'new normal' for parents of children with long-term conditions.

Background: Children with long-term conditions are vulnerable due to the treatments required for their conditions. Since the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Western Australians experienced restrictions that changed daily life activities but were able to return to some of their previous routines due to the restrictions.

Aim: The study explored the stress experiences of parents caring for children with long-term conditions during COVID-19 in Western Australia.

Axons will not be silenced! A balancing act of attractive receptors.

Axons crossing the CNS midline regulate their responsiveness to both attractive and repulsive cues. In this issue, Dailey-Krempel et al. find different modes of action for DCC isoforms and uncover evidence against the silencing model of axon guidance.

Elevated Maternal Folate Status and Changes in Maternal Prolactin, Placental Lactogen and Placental Growth Hormone Following Folic Acid Food Fortification: Evidence from Two Prospective Pregnancy Cohorts.

Folic acid (FA) food fortification in Australia has resulted in a higher-than-expected intake of FA during pregnancy. High FA intake is associated with increased insulin resistance and gestational diabetes. We aimed to establish whether maternal one-carbon metabolism and hormones that regulate glucose homeostasis change in healthy pregnancies post-FA food fortification.

Do opioid prescriptions lead to fatal car crashes?

Widespread opioid misuse suggests a potential for increased fatal car crashes. However, opioid use may not necessarily lead to additional crashes if drivers respond to opioid prevalence by substituting away from more inebriating intoxicants like alcohol. Combining data on local opioid prescription rates and car crashes from the Fatality Analysis and Reporting System, we use two-way fixed effects models to test the direction of the association between prescribing intensity and crash fatalities between 2007 and 2016.

Digitally mediated service provision for children's social, emotional and mental health: key indicators for evaluation.

Introduction: Remote delivery of assessment, consultation and therapy via digital communication technologies in mental health services is important in rural locations, and has rapidly increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This UK-based research investigated what factors should be considered in the development and evaluation of digitally mediated service provision for children and young people with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs using two approaches: (1) a focus group with five young people (aged 16-19 years) and (2) an online survey with 18 parents/carers of primary-age children with SEMH difficulties.

Results: Getting help quickly was most important to both young people and parents/carers when accessing services, with having a say in their care of equal importance to young people but not parents/carers.

Gene editing to improve legume-rhizobia symbiosis in a changing climate.

In the last three years, several gene editing techniques have been developed for both model and crop legumes. CRISPR-Cas9-based tools, in particular, are outpacing other comparable gene editing technologies used in legume hosts and their microbial symbionts to understand the molecular basis of symbiotic nitrogen-fixation. Gene editing has helped identify new gene functions, validate genetic screens, resolve gene redundancy, examine the role of tandemly duplicated genes, and investigate symbiotic signaling networks in non-model plants.

Suspected adverse drug reactions of the type 2 antidiabetic drug class dipeptidyl-peptidase IV inhibitors (DPP4i): Can polypharmacology help explain?

To interpret the relationship between the polypharmacology of dipeptidyl-peptidase IV inhibitors (DPP4i) and their suspected adverse drug reaction (ADR) profiles using a national registry. A retrospective investigation into the suspected ADR profile of four licensed DPP4i in the United Kingdom using the National MHRA Yellow Card Scheme and OpenPrescribing databases. Experimental data from the ChEMBL database alongside physiochemical (PC) and pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles were extracted and interpreted.