Spirituality and Medicine in the USA, Europe, and the UK: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Integrative Approaches to Patient Satisfaction, Quality of Life, and Health Outcomes.

Spiritual interventions, including meditation, prayer, mindfulness, and compassionate care, have gained increasing attention for their potential to enhance both psychological resilience and overall health. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined eight eligible studies conducted across the USA, Europe, and China to assess the impact of such interventions on key outcomes, namely anxiety reduction, quality of life, chronic disease symptom management, and patient satisfaction. Seven studies contributed quantitative data.

Do generic population utility scores accurately represent real-world experienced health?

Purpose: Typically, cost-effectiveness analyses use societal utility weights for health states. These anticipated utility weights are derived from asking the general population to assess the impacts of hypothetical health states on their quality-of-life. This study evaluates how these weights align with real-world self-reported experienced health statuses.

Health-related quality of life of single-person households in the United States: results from the 2014-2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Purpose: Little is known about the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of single-person households. We evaluated the physical and mental health impairment associated with household arrangements.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2014-2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data.

Association of distance to diagnosis and area-based social measures with stage at diagnosis among Iowans with HPV-related cancers.

Purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes oral and anogenital cancers, the incidence of which is increasing. Late-stage diagnosis is associated with increased mortality. Neighborhood-level characteristics and distance to place of diagnosis may impact timely diagnosis.

Influence of life expectancy on shared decision-making for prostate cancer screening.

Purpose: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that men aged 55-69 years undergo shared decision-making (SDM) regarding prostate cancer (PCa) screening, and routine screening is not recommended for older men or those with limited life expectancy.

Quantitative MRI Dixon signal drop and fat fraction for differentiating bone marrow lesions: a two-center prospective analysis.

Background: Bone marrow (BM) lesion differentiation remains challenging, and quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may enhance accuracy over conventional methods. We evaluated the diagnostic value and inter-reader reliability of Dixon-based signal drop (%drop) and fat fraction percentage (%fat) as adjuncts to existing protocols.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective two-center study, 172 patients with BM signal abnormalities underwent standardized 1.

MRI Assessment of Radiation-Induced Delayed-Onset Microstructural Gray Matter Changes in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients.

Background: The dynamic progression of gray matter (GM) microstructural alterations following radiotherapy (RT) in patients, and the relationship between these microstructural abnormalities and cortical morphometric changes remains unclear.

Purpose: To longitudinally characterize RT-related GM microstructural changes and assess their potential causal links with classic morphometric alterations in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Study Type: Prospective, longitudinal.

Effects of sini decoction-mediated cellular mitochondrial autophagy on M1 macrophage polarization and its impact on a mouse model of peripheral artery disease.

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of Sini Decoction on a murine model of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and to explore its potential mechanisms of action related to mitochondrial autophagy and M1 macrophage polarization. A total of 36 specific-pathogen-free Kunming mice were used to establish a PAD model and were randomly assigned into four groups: the experimental group (EG, administered Sini Decoction via gavage), the control group (CG, administered rapamycin via gavage), the model group (MG, administered 0.9% sodium chloride solution via gavage), and the normal group (NG, administered 0.

Impact of Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors on Postoperative Outcomes Following Immediate Postmastectomy Autologous Breast Reconstruction.

Background: Postmastectomy autologous reconstruction (PMAR) is an important component of comprehensive breast cancer care. Previous research has suggested the existence of sociodemographic disparities in complications after immediate PMAR. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of sociodemographic and clinical factors on immediate PMAR postoperative outcomes.

Development and Validation of an Individualized Prediction Model for Postoperative Late Recurrence After Hepatectomy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (POLAR-HCC): A Multicenter Study.

Background: Postoperative late recurrence (POLAR) after 2 years from the date of surgical resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a unique surveillance and management challenge. Despite identified risk factors, individualized prediction tools to guide personalized surveillance strategies for recurrence remain scarce. The current study sought to develop a predictive model for late recurrence among patients undergoing HCC resection.

Trends in Patient-Reported Outcomes After Breast-Conserving Surgery and Partial-Breast Versus Whole-Breast Irradiation.

Background: Although several trials have demonstrated the oncologic safety of partial-breast irradiation (PBI) compared with whole-breast irradiation (WBI), data on patient-reported outcomes are mixed. Here we compare breast satisfaction and chest well-being using the BREAST-Q questionnaire among patients undergoing PBI versus WBI.

Patients And Methods: We identified patients undergoing lumpectomy and radiation, and analyzed their BREAST-Q scores preoperatively and postoperatively at 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years.

Micropuncture and granular hydrogel scaffolds to surgically bioengineer a perfusable and stably patterned microvasculature.

Vascularization of implanted biomaterials is critical to reconstructive surgery and tissue engineering. Ultimately, the goal is to promote a rapidly perfusable hierarchical microvasculature that persists with time and can meet underlying tissue needs. We have previously shown that using a microsurgical technique, termed micropuncture (MP), in combination with porous granular hydrogel scaffolds (GHS) fabricated via interlinking hydrogel microparticles (microgels) results in a rapidly perfusable patterned microvasculature.

Genetic variants in HSP40 co-chaperones modulate ischemic heart disease risk.

Background: The chaperoning system, which is responsible for protein homeostasis, plays a significant role in cardiovascular diseases. Among molecular chaperones or heat shock proteins (HSPs), the HSP40 family, the main co-chaperone of HSP70, remains largely underexplored, especially in ischemic heart disease (IHD) risk.

Materials And Results: We genotyped 834 IHD patients and 1,328 healthy controls for three SNPs (rs2034598 and rs7189628 DNAJA2 and rs4926222 DNAJB1) using probe-based real-time PCR.

Safety and efficacy of tranexamic acid in pelvi-acetabular trauma surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Pelvic and acetabular fractures, often resulting from high-impact trauma, pose significant challenges due to extensive blood loss and complex surgical procedures. Tranexamic acid (TXA), widely used in elective orthopedic surgeries, offers a potential strategy for managing blood loss. However, its efficacy and safety in pelvic-acetabular trauma surgeries have shown inconsistent results in prior studies.

Dynamics and Persistence of a Generalized Multi-strain SIS Model.

Autonomous differential equation compartmental models hold broad utility in epidemiology and public health. However, these models typically cannot account explicitly for myriad factors that affect the trajectory of infectious diseases, with seasonal variations in host behavior and environmental conditions as noteworthy examples. Fortunately, using non-autonomous differential equation compartmental models can mitigate some of these deficiencies, as the inclusion of time-varying parameters can account for temporally varying factors.

Hydraulic constraints to stomatal conductance in flooded trees.

Stomatal closure is a pervasive response among trees exposed to flooded soil. We tested whether this response is caused by reduced hydraulic conductance in the soil-to-leaf hydraulic continuum (k), and particularly by reduced root hydraulic conductance (k), which has been widely hypothesized. We tracked stomatal conductance at the leaf level (g) and canopy scale (G) along with physiological conditions in two temperate tree species, Magnolia grandiflora and Quercus virginiana, that were subjected to flood and control conditions in a greenhouse experiment.

Best practices for pediatric liver MRI: guidelines from members of the Society for Pediatric Radiology Magnetic Resonance and Abdominal Imaging Committees.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an essential tool in the evaluation of pediatric liver disease. However, the unique physiological, anatomical, and behavioral characteristics of pediatric patients present distinct challenges that necessitate tailored imaging strategies. These guidelines, developed by members of the Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR) Magnetic Resonance and Abdominal Imaging Committees, provide comprehensive recommendations for performing high-quality liver MRI in children.

The evaluation of non-contrast MRA using a modified balanced steady state free precession technique in the follow-up of renal artery aneurysm after embolotherapy.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and clinical utility of non-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (NC-MRA) using a modified balanced steady-state free precession (b-SSFP) technique combined with arterial spin labeling (ASL) for post-embolotherapy follow-up of renal artery aneurysms (RAAs), with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference standard.

Method: A total of 57 patients with RAAs underwent embolotherapy between June 2013 and July 2024. Among them, 15 RAAs from 14 patients underwent post-embolization surveillance with the NC-MRA and DSA.

Self-efficacy for cancer self-management in the context of COVID-19: a cross-sectional survey study.

Purpose: For cancer survivors, self-efficacy is needed to manage the disease and the effects of treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted cancer-related healthcare, which may have impacted self-management self-efficacy. We investigated self-efficacy reported by cancer survivors during COVID-19, including associations with healthcare disruptions, distress, and general health.

Bone mineral density assessment using radiofrequency echographic multispectrometry (REMS) in patients before and after total hip replacement.

Unlabelled: REMS-BMD by radiofrequency echographic multispectrometry is primarily determined by a patient's BMI, age, and sex. Only about 2.8% of the changes in femoral neck REMS-BMD can be attributed to replacement of the total hip with metal implants.

Identification and prioritization of gene sets associated with schizophrenia risk by network analysis.

Rationale: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are used to identify genetic variants for association with schizophrenia (SCZ) risk; however, each GWAS can only reveal a small fraction of this association.

Objectives: This study systematically analyzed multiple GWAS data sets to identify gene subnetwork and pathways associated with SCZ.

Methods: We identified gene subnetwork using dmGWAS program by combining SCZ GWASs and a human interaction network, performed gene-set analysis to test the association of gene subnetwork with clinical symptom scores and disease state, meanwhile, conducted spatiotemporal and tissue-specific expression patterns and cell-type-specific analysis of genes in the subnetwork.

Alteration in hippocampal mitochondria ultrastructure and cholesterol accumulation linked to mitochondrial dysfunction in the valproic acid rat model of autism spectrum disorders.

Rationale: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental and multifactorial conditions with cognitive manifestations. The valproic acid (VPA) rat model is a well-validated model that successfully reproduces the behavioral and neuroanatomical alterations of ASD. Previous studies found atypical brain connectivity and metabolic patterns in VPA animals: local glucose hypermetabolism in the prefrontal cortex, with no metabolic changes in the hippocampus.

Comparison of antirotation proximal femoral nail and talon locking nail systems in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures: functional and cost-effectiveness outcomes.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of two widely used intramedullary fixation systems-the Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation (PFNA) and the Proximal Femoral Nail with Talon Locking System (PFN-TLS)-in the treatment of intertrochanteric femur fractures (ITFF).

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 118 patients aged 65-90 years who underwent surgical treatment for ITFF using either PFNA (n = 53) or PFN-TLS (n = 65). All patients were followed for a minimum of 24 months.