Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021 Mar 23;199:114036. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA; Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, 38677, USA.

Stem and leaf of Cissus quadrangularis L. (Vitaceae), indigenous to Asia and Africa, were used for medicinal and dietary purposes with limited information about the plant's phytochemistry. Stem and leaf samples were assessed for the simultaneous determination of polyphenolic compounds (catechin, epicatechin, quercetin-3-O-β-glucopyranoside, kaempferol-3-O-β-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-β-rhamnoside, leachianol F, amurensin A, pallidol, resveratrol, and quadrangularin A), using UHPLC-PDA-MS. Read More

Waste Manag 2021 Apr 6;126:433-442. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.

In the Western hemisphere, the hybridity of public service delivery is widely acknowledged to generate governance challenges arising from the mutual contestation of the competing institutional logics, such as those of the public and the private for-profit sector. The present paper explores these challenges by means of an in-depth qualitative case study of the waste management service delivery in the municipality of Znojmo, Czech Republic. Encompassing structured interviews of stakeholders and desk research, the case study was aimed at understanding the strengths and weaknesses of waste management hybridity, as well as the impact of hybridity on the relationship between innovativeness and accountability. Read More

Nurse Educ Pract 2021 Mar 30;52:103045. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences, CQUniversity Australia, 90 Goodchap Street, Noosaville 4566, Australia. Electronic address:

The context within which midwifery students are professionally socialised is thought to impact upon the development of their sense of belongingness, their attitudes and values, and their commitment to the midwifery profession. Negative forms of socialisation are known to lead to undesirable outcomes including desensitisation about humanistic needs. This has potential to extend to an acceptance of workplace bullying and unfair treatment of others, including midwifery students whilst on clinical placement. Read More

Public Health 2021 Apr 6;194:4-10. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King's College, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/ij_higginson.

Objectives: To examine the patterns and influences on repeated emergency department attendance among frail older people with deteriorating health.

Study Design: Multicentre prospective cohort study (International Access Rights and Empowerment II study) with convergent mixed methods design.

Methods: Eligible patients were aged ≥65 years, with Clinical Frailty Score ≥5, and ≥1 hospital admission or ≥2 acute attendances in the previous 6 months. Read More

Orthop Traumatol Surg Res 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

EY Consulting, Tour First, 1 place des Saisons, TSA 14444 92037 Paris-La Défense Cedex, France. Electronic address:

Background: Between 2015 and 2017, nearly 80 000 hospital stays in orthopaedic surgery were entered into a home discharge support programme (PRADO) offered by the statutory health insurance system. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the PRADO programme on enrolled stays in orthopaedic surgery over the last three years.

Hypothesis: The home discharge support programme used in orthopaedic surgery shortens hospital stays and decreases the rate of re-admission within 30 days. Read More

Lancet Infect Dis 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

DNDi Latin America, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Epidemiology and Public Health Research Centre, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address:

Background: Current treatment for Chagas disease with the only available drugs, benznidazole or nifurtimox, has substantial limitations, including long treatment duration and safety and tolerability concerns. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of new benznidazole monotherapy regimens and combinations with fosravuconazole, in the treatment of Chagas disease.

Methods: We did a double-blind, double-dummy, phase 2, multicentre, randomised trial in three outpatient units in Bolivia. Read More

Nurs Open 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Aim: To better understand how oncology nurses (a) navigate graduate studies; (b) perceive the impact of their academic work on their clinical practice, and vice versa; and (c) engage with clinical settings following graduate work.

Design: Interpretive descriptive cross-sectional survey.

Methods: A qualitative exploratory web-based survey exploring integration of graduate studies and clinical nursing practice. Read More

PLoS One 2021 9;16(4):e0249822. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Maternal-Infant and Public Health Nursing, University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.

This study aimed to analyze the discourses of patients who were diagnosed with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, the perception of why they acquired this health condition and barriers to seeking care in a priority city in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was an exploratory qualitative study, which used the theoretical-methodological framework of the Discourse Analysis of French matrix, guided by the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research. The study was conducted in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. Read More

PLoS One 2021 9;16(4):e0231684. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Neurosciences, University of Torino, Turin, Italy.

Aim: The present study aims to extend the knowledge of the neural correlates of emotion processing in first episode subjects affected by anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN). We applied an emotional distress paradigm targeting negative emotions thought to be relevant for interpersonal difficulties and therapeutic resistance mechanisms.

Methods: The current study applied to 44 female participants with newly diagnosed AN or BN and 20 matched controls a neuroimaging paradigm eliciting affective responses. Read More

Issues Ment Health Nurs 2021 Apr 9:1-21. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Waypoint Research Institute, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among psychiatric workers is related to workplace violence and work-specific stress. We used quantitative and qualitative approaches to survey PTSD symptoms, critical events, chronic exposures, and occupational stress in 84 psychiatric workers. All but three had directly experienced critical events, over half experienced someone's life being in danger, and 14% screened positive for PTSD. Read More

J Nutr Gerontol Geriatr 2021 Apr 9:1-28. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

To enhance prevention and treatment of malnutrition in older adults before, during and after hospitalization, deeper understanding of older adults' and informal caregivers' perspective on nutritional care is important. One-time in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 older adults who had been discharged from hospital, and seven informal caregivers. We explored their experiences and needs regarding nutritional care provided in the periods before, during and after hospitalization. Read More

LGBT Health 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Children's Health Systems of Texas, Dallas, Texas, USA.

No information exists on the needs of transgender youth transitioning their gender-affirming health care from pediatric to adult settings. We obtained perspectives of transgender youth, their parents, and providers, and aimed to identify barriers and unmet needs during the transition of care. Five online focus groups were conducted between February and March 2019 with separate groups for transgender youth 13-17 and 18-21 years old; parents of transgender youth 13-17 and 18-21 years old; and gender-affirming health care providers. Read More

Astrobiology 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom.

Comparisons between the preservation potential of Mars-analog environments have historically been qualitative rather than quantitative. Recently, however, laboratory-based artificial maturation combined with kinetic modeling techniques have emerged as a potential means by which the preservation potential of solvent-soluble organic matter can be quantified in various Mars-analog environments. These methods consider how elevated temperatures, pressures, and organic-inorganic interactions influence the degradation of organic biomarkers post-burial. Read More

J Clin Neurol 2021 Apr;17(2):187-199

Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Background And Purpose: Premanifest mutation carriers with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) can exhibit subtle abnormalities before developing ataxia. We summarized the preataxic manifestations of SCA1, -2, -3, and -6, and their associations with ataxia onset.

Methods: We included studies of the premanifest carriers of SCA published between January 1998 and December 2019 identified in Scopus and PubMed by searching for terms including 'spinocerebellar ataxia' and several synonyms of 'preataxic manifestation'. Read More

Int J Rheum Dis 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Aim: The aim of the study was to explore in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) ≥55 years: (1) whether the occurrence of frailty as measured by the Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI) increases with age (survey 1); and (2) to gain insight into which frailty characteristics (eg, loneliness) contribute to frailty (survey 2).

Methods: The GFI was assessed in 3 age groups (55-64/65-74/≥75-years), ensuring equal representation. GFI-subdomains that discriminated most between those classified as frail were further studied in a subset of patients using validated domain-specific questionnaires (eg Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]) and semi-structured interviews. Read More

Cancer Med 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

Background: Missing patient reported outcomes data threaten the validity of PRO-specific findings and conclusions from randomized controlled trials by introducing bias due to data missing not at random. Clinical Research Associates are a largely unexplored source for informing understanding of potential causes of missing PRO data. The purpose of this qualitative research was to describe factors that influence missing PRO data, as revealed through the lived experience of CRAs. Read More

Eur Geriatr Med 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Women's College Research Institute, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Purpose: To describe the objectives, methods and expected impact of an international consortium (iKASCADE) whose purpose is to improve drug safety for older adults by addressing prescribing cascades through a sex and gender lens.

Methods: To create a comprehensive, internationally relevant inventory of prescribing cascades affecting older adults, the consortium has created a modified Delphi procedure where international experts in prescribing and managing pharmacotherapy for older adults will rank a list of prescribing cascades as to their clinical importance. We will use administrative and clinical data on older adults to evaluate the frequency of prescribing cascades by sex internationally, in the hospital, long-term care and community settings. Read More

Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Center for Dermatology Research, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.

Severe, uncontrolled atopic dermatitis (AD) persisting from childhood to adulthood can have enduring quality of life (QoL) impacts on daily functioning, academics, career, family and social life, and mental health. In addition, AD has an impact on direct and indirect healthcare resource utilization. Several studies have attempted to quantify the quality of life and direct/indirect economic burden of AD. Read More

Psychon Bull Rev 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Sleep is thought to help consolidate hippocampus-dependent memories by reactivating previously encoded neural representations, promoting both quantitative and qualitative changes in memory representations. However, the qualitative nature of changes to memory representations induced by sleep remains largely uncharacterized. In this study, we investigated how memories are reconstructed by hypothesizing that semantic coherence, defined as conceptual relatedness between statements of free-recall texts and quantified using latent semantic analysis (LSA), is affected by post-encoding sleep. Read More

J Cancer Surviv 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.

Purpose: Prostate cancer can result in a shift in the way men perceive their masculinity. Despite the interest in exercise as a treatment strategy to address masculinity concerns, there is insufficient information about how perceptions may differ in active and inactive men. The aim of this study was to explore how exercise might influence self-perceptions of masculinity in men across the exercise continuum (from active to inactive) and in men receiving different forms of treatment for their prostate cancer, including androgen deprivation therapy. Read More

Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Abteilung Prävention und Evaluation, Leibniz-Institut für Präventionsforschung und Epidemiologie - BIPS, Achterstr. 30, 28359, Bremen, Deutschland.

Between 2014 and 2022, the 5 German research networks AEQUIPA, CAPITAL4HEALTH, HLCA, PartKommPlus, and SMARTACT are investigating topics of primary prevention and health promotion with the aim of further deepening the evidence base in these areas. The work of the 5 research networks for primary prevention and health promotion is presented, analysed, and discussed from an internal perspective. A model of evidence-based public health serves as a structuring framework. Read More

J Indian Prosthodont Soc 2021 Jan-Mar;21(1):88-98

Department of Psychiatry, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, Pilliyarkuppam, Puducherry, India.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of dentist's communication skills and patient's psychological factors in predicting denture satisfaction and quality of life.

Settings And Design: Cohort study.

Materials And Methods: Patient-related variables were obtained using questionnaires in both pre- and post-intervention phases. Read More

J Indian Prosthodont Soc 2021 Jan-Mar;21(1):19-27

Department of Prosthodontics, Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Debari, Rajasthan, India.

Aim: To systematically review the available literature on full mouth rehabilitation of the worn out dentition to help the clinician to choose a suitable philosophy to treat an individual Turner and Missirlian classification.

Settings And Design: Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.

Materials And Methods: The electronic search engine explored for relevant published studies from the earliest available date, from January 1960 till October 2018. Read More

J Indian Prosthodont Soc 2021 Jan-Mar;21(1):11-18

Department of Prosthodontics, Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.

Aim: Recording the maxillomandibular relationship is important in various prosthodontic treatments. Evidence of face-bow transfer resulting in improved outcome is conflicting. Hence the objective of this study is to determine the use of face-bow transfer in prosthodontics. Read More

J Med Internet Res 2021 Apr 3. Epub 2021 Apr 3.

Malawi eHealth Research Centre, University College Cork, Cork, IE.

Background: Digital Health Technologies (DHTs) generate large volume of information used in healthcare for administrative, educational, research and clinical purposes. Clinical use of digital information for diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic purposes has multiple patient safety problems; some of which result from poor information quality.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize an Information Quality (IQ) framework which could be used to evaluate the extent to which digital health information is fit for clinical purposes. Read More

Euro Surveill 2021 Apr;26(14)

Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

IntroductionStandard testing for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is based on RT-PCR tests, but detection of viral genetic material alone does not indicate ongoing infectious potential. The ability to isolate whole virus represents a better proxy for infectivity.AimThe objective of this study was to gain an understanding of the current literature and compare the reported periods of positive SARS-CoV-2 detection from studies that conducted RT-PCR testing in addition to experiments isolating whole virus. Read More

Qual Health Res 2021 Apr 9:1049732321998975. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York City, USA.

Self-management of chronic disease and related symptoms provides a framework for understanding the contextual factors that influence self-management knowledge and skills that patients and families require to manage their condition on a day-to-day basis. The management of cancer pain is a significant issue for patients and families, and their experience can provide insight on cancer pain self-management support needs and preferences. A meta-synthesis of 20 qualitative research articles on self-management of cancer pain was conducted to gain a deeper understanding of the self-management support needs of patients with cancer pain. Read More

West J Nurs Res 2021 Apr 9:1939459211002909. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

School of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.

There is no current theory that explains the process of a fathers' bonding with their infants born prematurely. Through meta-synthesis of 19 qualitative studies, we developed a conceptual framework to illustrate how fathers perceive the relationship with their premature infant formed over the first 18 months of life. It details the contextual factors that contribute to that process. Read More

Qual Health Res 2021 Apr 9:10497323211003063. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montreal (CHUM), Quebec, Canada.

The objective of this study was to understand the impact of the opioid overdose epidemic on the social lives of people suffering from chronic pain, focusing on interactions within their personal and professional circles. The study was based on 22 in-depth interviews with people living with chronic pain in Canada. Using thematic analysis, we documented three main impacts of the opioid overdose epidemic: (a) increased worries of people in pain and their families regarding the dangers of opioids; (b) prejudices, stigma, and discrimination faced during conversations about opioids; and (c) stigma management attempts, which include self-advocacy and concealment of opioid use. Read More

J Interpers Violence 2021 Apr 9:8862605211005142. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

One of the most consistent predictors of fear of crime is gender, whereby women are more fearful of crime than men, despite their lower rates of victimization. An often-cited explanation for this apparent paradox is the "shadow" of sexual assault, which has received overwhelming support in studies among college students. However, this work has been largely quantitative and rarely comparative in nature. Read More